Chapter 182: No Hesitation

With the grand strategy of The Gauntlet agreed upon, the meeting bordered on other, more immediate issues.

They discussed the integration of the latest members who had been freed from the King’s dungeons and the official welcoming of Varyn to the core council.

The heaviest matter, however, was Adrian’s3 new and unforeseen role as the King of Zarion. Varyn, with his decades of experience, offered counsel on the intricate politics of the nobility and the traditions that, while seemingly archaic to Adrian, held significant sway over the populace.

Adrian, in turn, shared a sliver of his true ambition. He spoke of a future where Zarion was not the end goal, but the beginning. A future where he would unite the entire world and races — in time to face the oncoming threat as one.

There were immense complexities to that happening, but Adrian already had a mind map of the branching paths he could take to slowly achieve that grand unification.

For now, all he had was Zarion, and he was going to make it a beacon of power and prosperity, a kingdom so advanced and enviable that outsiders would have no choice but to take notice.

After the meeting finally wrapped up, Adrian returned to his room. The energy from the discussion still buzzed in the air, but his focus immediately snapped back to his most pressing project.

A quick glance at his interface confirmed his impatience. The factory upgrade cooldown was still far from over.

[Time to complete upgrade: 0:53:59]

Adrian let out a sigh. It was nearly an hour, but it felt like an eternity.

"I might as well just focus on something else," he murmured to himself. At that moment, a certain thought surfaced in his mind, a loose end he had been meaning to tie up since returning to New Haven.

"Karl and Serena," he said softly. "I have to meet them."

***

Adrian arrived at the Central Park of New Haven, a recent project designed to give the hardworking citizens a place of respite.

Lush green grass carpeted the ground, interspersed with young, newly planted trees and stone benches.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the faint scent of flowers from a nearby garden. For now, the park was mostly empty, a testament to the diligent nature of its people.

He spotted Serena almost immediately, sitting on a bench near a small pond. Just as he started walking towards her, a familiar, boisterous voice called out.

"Adrian! Over here!"

Karl jogged into view, waving enthusiastically. Serena’s head snapped up, and a brilliant smile lit up her face the moment she saw him.

"You came," she said warmly as he and Karl reached the bench.

"Told you he would," Karl said, clapping Adrian on the back. "Good to see you, man!"

Adrian nodded at them both, a genuine feeling of ease settling over him. "You too. How has this place been treating you?"

Karl’s grin was as wide as ever. "Amazing! It’s hard to believe you achieved all this yourself. But then again, I’m not so surprised. If there’s anyone who could pull something like this off, it has to be you."

He looked around at the pristine park and the gleaming city beyond. "Still, this is awesome, bro."

Serena nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with pride. "Of course! That’s Adrian for you."

Her expression turned curious, and she leaned forward slightly. "I’ve been wanting to ask. Uhm, how did it go? I heard you went to Eldryth to meet the King."

Karl immediately joined in, punching a fist into his palm. "That’s true, bro! Tell us you whooped his ass!"

Adrian was no longer in his Power Suit, so the small, genuine smile that formed on his face was there for them to see. He looked at his friend and nodded. "Yeah, I killed him."

The casual confirmation landed with stunning force. Adrian could see Serena’s pupils dilate in shock, her hand flying to her mouth. Karl, however, was far more outgoing.

"Woahh! Seriously?" His shock morphed into pure excitement in a heartbeat. "Bro, you have to fight me! No refusing this time!"

Serena fixed Karl with a stare that screamed really? "Do you want to get yourself killed, this boy?" she scolded. "Are you even hearing yourself?"

Karl opened his mouth to say something in his defense, but Adrian lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

"She’s right, Karl," he said honestly. "I’ll break you."

Adrian’s words were meant as a statement of fact, but Karl saw them as a challenge. He puffed his chest outwards defiantly.

"I don’t care! You’ll be surprised when I defeat you. Just watch and see!" A thought occurred to him and he added quickly, "Besides, you owe me a fight! Our rematch, remember?"

Of course, Adrian remembered. His last fight with Karl in the academy was still clear in his mind. Despite the state Karl had ended up in, his spirit was as unyielding as ever.

Adrian also remembered a detail Karl seemed to have conveniently forgotten: he had never actually promised Karl a rematch. But seeing the fiery determination in his friend’s eyes, he decided he would entertain him.

"Alright, then," he said with some amusement in his tone. "But that can’t happen now. I called the two of you over for something else."

Their playful expressions immediately turned serious, their eyes perked to listen to whatever Adrian wanted to say.

He continued, "How would you like to bear my soul imprint?"

"Soul what?" Karl asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"It’s something you won’t understand fully," Adrian replied patiently, "but it’s a mark I will place on your soul. After being marked, you can’t harm me, and I’ll be able to track your position at all times. In return, you get some good benefits."

"What do you mean by ’good benefits’?" That was the only part of Adrian’s statement that Karl had truly grasped.

Adrian clarified right away. "You’ll gain a great increase in strength and potential to your dantian or mana core. You’ll feel a lot—"

He didn’t need to finish his sentence.

"I’m in!" Karl screamed, practically vibrating with eagerness.

Serena didn’t hesitate either, though her reasoning was entirely different. She looked at Adrian, her expression full with faith.

"If it’s something you’re suggesting, Adrian, then I’m with you. Always."

Adrian bore a genuine smile on his face after seeing the complete lack of hesitation from the two people he considered one of his first true friends in this world.

He used his hands to motion to them.

"Nice! Come closer."