After noticing that Luros wasn't around when Adam opened the door to his place, he wandered through the house until he reached the library. As he stepped inside, he found Luros sitting quietly, absorbed in a book. With a small smile, Adam walked over and gently tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Luros, do you know anything about a black rabbit with purple eyes?"
Luros closed the book, his eyes flicking up to meet Adam's. "Ah, yes, I do. Those are Adumbration Rabbits. They're extremely rare, and it's not easy to catch one, even when they're standing right in front of you." He paused for a moment, a slight smirk curling on his lips. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I just stumbled upon one and tried to get closer. It disappeared and reappeared behind me." Adam chuckled, remembering how quickly the rabbit had vanished.
Luros smirked, clearly amused. "Yeah, that happens. They're incredibly smart, and they won't go near anyone they don't trust. They can also sense danger."
"Ohhh, is that why it started vibrating?" Adam asked, still curious about the odd behavior.
Luros laughed softly. "Yup, exactly. It was afraid of you. If you want to befriend it, you'll have to earn its trust. It's not something you can rush."
"Got it. Thanks for telling me," Adam replied, grateful for the insight.
"No problem," Luros said, then suddenly looked at Adam with a raised brow. "Don't you have training today?"
Adam froze. "No? You never told me I needed to train today."
Luros gave him an exasperated look. "Oh? Really now? Well, it seems we're starting your training now, then!"
Before Adam could protest, Luros quickly guided him outside from the castle, to a vast open field where the wind carried the scent of fresh grass. The land stretched far beyond the castle, acting as a natural training ground.
The moment they stepped onto the field, Adam felt the shift in atmosphere, his body responding to the energy in the air as Luros prepared him for rigorous exercises.
Luros reached down, plucking a ripe apple from the nearby tree, his fingers brushing the smooth surface of the fruit. Slowly, he focused his energy on it, his hand glowing faintly as he concentrated.
"As you focus, you need to connect with the object, Adam. Feel the energy running through it, the way it exists, even down to the smallest detail. It's about sensing the essence of what you're manipulating, not just the material form. Watch closely."
With a soft sigh, Luros directed the flow of his power into the apple. It began to shrink and twist, slowly morphing into a delicate bird. The small creature fluttered gently in his palm.
As Luros focused, his hand began to tremble. The effort was clearly straining him, his usual smooth control faltering. His fingers twitched uncontrollably, and he had to pause, taking a moment to regain his composure.
Adam noticed right away. "Luros, are you okay?"
Luros quickly masked his discomfort, offering a strained smile. "I'm fine. Continue with your training.
Meanwhile, in a completely different part of the world, Arthur wandered into a newly appeared forest, confusion filling his thoughts as the dense trees surrounded him. "What is this place?" he muttered. "It looks so different from the others… Why haven't I noticed it before?"
His curiosity piqued, he continued walking deeper into the forest, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar landscape. Eventually, he stumbled upon a cave hidden behind a thick curtain of vines. Driven by his usual thirst for adventure, he ventured inside.
At first, darkness swallowed him whole, but as he ventured deeper, the cave suddenly began to light up, revealing walls covered in gleaming blue crystals and gemstones. His eyes widened at the sight. "These must be worth a fortune," he murmured to himself, reaching out to touch one of the crystals, its surface glowing faintly under his touch.
The deeper he ventured, the larger and more intricate the crystals became, until the cave felt almost magical. Realizing he needed tools to collect them, he rushed home to grab a bag, returning quickly to fill it with as many crystals as he could carry.
Once he'd gathered a good amount, he paused and looked deeper into the cave. A sense of unease gnawed at him, but he couldn't quite place why. Shrugging off the feeling, he decided it was best to leave the rest of the cave unexplored for now.
Back at home, he stored the crystals in a safe place, his mind still racing. "Maybe I should visit Adam tomorrow and ask him to explore with me," he thought aloud, still feeling a bit unsettled. "I don't feel right doing this alone."
Back in the field, Luros was putting Adam through his paces, teaching him to harness and control his own growing power. But just as they reached a particularly challenging exercise, the air shifted, and a bright light appeared before them.
Both Adam and Luros turned to face the sudden appearance, and from within the light, a strikingly beautiful man emerged, his presence almost overwhelming.
Luros's expression immediately darkened, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The man smirked, clearly unfazed by Luros's cold reception. "My name is Yrher. Have you forgotten me already?" He glanced at Adam, his smile widening. "And I see you've brought someone new with you."
Adam stared at the man, confused by his presence. But as he looked closer, there was something about Yrher's aura that made his skin crawl, an unsettling feeling that he couldn't shake.
Luros didn't waste any time, stepping forward and demanding, "Why are you here?"
Yrher leaned casually against a nearby tree, nonchalant as ever. "Oh, I'm just bored," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "So, Adam, I assume you're confused about who I am. Let me clarify."
Before Luros could move, Yrher flicked his finger, sending Luros crashing into the ground with a force that made Adam wince.
Standing tall and oozing arrogance, Yrher spoke again, his voice ringing with power. "I am Yrher, the god of Omnikinesis. I used to work with Luros, you know."
Luros's expression hardened, and he took a step forward, his voice now sharp with authority. "Yrher. You're not welcome here."
Yrher just chuckled darkly, clearly enjoying the tension. "What's wrong, Luros? Did I annoy you already? I wasn't going to kill him, just having a little fun."
Luros's patience snapped. His body tensed, and the air seemed to pulse with raw energy. "You don't get to just show up here after all this time." He raised his hands, and with a snap of his fingers, a massive, dying star materialized above them, burning with molten fury as it descended toward Yrher.
But Yrher was faster. In an instant, he vanished, reappearing behind Luros in a blur of motion. Luros spun, throwing a powerful punch, but Yrher caught his fist midair and twisted it with ease. Then, with a single, forceful motion, he slammed Luros into the wall, breaking through his home
With a cruel grin, Yrher taunted, "Now, now, Luros. Don't be so aggressive. I just wanted to visit."
Luros Struggled as he climbed out of the hole on the wall, struggling to regain his composure. "How did you escape?! I locked you away trillions of years ago!"
Yrher's grin only widened as he took in Luros's anger, the tension rising between them like a storm about to break. "Oh, I had some help from the god of death. He came by to visit me, and well... let's just say, I made a deal with him." Yrher's laugh was unsettling, filled with dark amusement. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE DEAL WAS, LUROS?!!"
Luros stood in silence, his expression a mix of disbelief and rage. Yrher's voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned forward, his eyes glinting with malice. "It was to wipe out half of humanity... and in exchange for their souls, he vowed to restore my full power. Such a small price, don't you think?!"
A tense silence followed, broken only by Yrher's sudden shift in tone. "But thanks to you, Luros.. thanks to you taking away my abilities.. I've only been able to regain half of it back!" Yrher's voice rose again, becoming a roar as his aura flared. "But now I'm back. For my revenge, Luros!"
Just as Yrher was about to strike, a massive hand of light appeared out of nowhere, its brilliant glow blinding, moving at the speed of sound. It swiped across the air and slapped Yrher, sending him flying backward. He crashed into the wall, his body leaving a crater in the stone as he crumpled to the ground, the air knocked out of him.
Luros pushed himself off the wall, his hands trembling with anger as he shoved the rubble aside. "You were once good, Yrher.. but now, you've gone too far. You've lost yourself.. you've gone completely insane!" His voice was filled with frustration and disbelief.
Yrher gasped for breath, his laughter broken but filled with dark glee. "I'm already insane!" As he pushed himself back up, he sneered, "But you're still a pathetic piece of shit, and I will not be beaten by the likes of you!" He shot forward, flying straight at Luros.
Luros punched Yrher, the force of it sending a shockwave through the air. But as soon as it landed, Luros staggered slightly. A wave of nausea suddenly washed over him, and he coughed up a small amount of blood. His body trembled as he muttered under his breath, "I need to end this quickly. My strength is slowly fading." Luros pushed forward, his focus sharpening despite the growing weakness within him.
Yrher's rage fueled him, his fury surging. He swung a brutal punch at Luros, sending him crashing into the ceiling. Yrher then began to use the broken pieces of the wall and ground to create a massive, long sword. With lightning speed, he sliced through the cube they were trapped in, and Luros was momentarily stunned by the sheer audacity of it.
Yrher used the shattered pieces of the cube in an attempt to crush Luros. But Luros wasn't caught off guard. He shattered the pieces before they could hit him. A moment later, Luros conjured a massive hammer and slammed it into Yrher. Yrher was thrown through dimensions, his body hurtling through space.
Seconds later, Luros reappeared and grabbed Yrher by the neck, but his grip wasn't as firm as before. His breaths grew heavier, his body betraying him as blood drooled from the corner of his mouth. His vision blurred slightly, but he shook it off, tightening his hold.
Yrher, despite being choked, managed a weak chuckle before breaking into a grin. "I get it now.." he rasped, his voice strained yet triumphant. "You're losing your abilities, aren't you?" He laughed harder, his breath hitching between gasps. "You're slowing down.. and you know it."
But before Luros could react, Yrher suddenly slammed his fist into Luros's face, sending him crashing straight into the ceiling. The impact sent cracks webbing through the structure as Luros groaned, feeling the toll on his body.
Yrher wasted no time. With a glare full of fury, he summoned a massive spear and hurled it toward Luros at full force.
Luros, still catching his breath, barely had time to react. He flicked his hand, knocking the spear aside, but his movements weren't as sharp as before. Yrher noticed.
"Even though my strength is fading.. I'm still strong enough to bring you down," Luros muttered, steadying his breath.
Luros lifted his hand, his fingers slowly closing as an invisible force wrapped around Yrher. The air trembled, and the crushing pressure forced Yrher to let out a scream of pain. His body trembled under the force, but his smirk never faded.
Then, Yrher let out a weak, breathless chuckle. "I now realize.." he rasped, coughing up blood. "without my full power back, I have no chance of fighting you.." His bloodstained grin widened as his eyes gleamed with malice. "But that doesn't mean I can't defeat the chosen one."
Luros's heart sank.
Before he could react, Yrher's body flickered in an instant, and he vanished, heading straight for Adam.
"No!" Luros shouted, panic surging through him. He immediately tried to follow, but before he could move, Death materialized in his path.
Luros screamed in frustration. "MOVE!" He slammed his fist into Death, sending the figure flying backward and straight into the wall with an audible thud.
Death, dazed but not defeated, struggled to regain his balance, but Luros had no time for distractions.
Gritting his teeth, he teleported, quickly chasing after Yrher.
Luros soon got out and began chasing after him, though he was nauseous and could barely concentrate. Despite this, he speed blitzed and caught up to Yrher. Without hesitation, he punched him down, creating a loud shockwave in the sky.
While getting back up, Luros landed back down, and Yrher floated,
Luros wasn't far behind. Despite feeling nauseous and barely able to concentrate, he pushed himself forward. His speed caught up with Yrher in the blink of an eye. Luros punched Yrher down, creating a shockwave that shook the sky.
Fury twisted Yrher's form as he screamed, the world around him breaking and slowing. His voice trembled with frustration as he spoke, "You think you're better than me? All I ever wanted was to protect everyone! I wanted to enslave them, to keep them safe from the evil that lurked out there, but they... they abandoned me! YOU abandoned me!" His eyes burned with a mix of pain and rage. "But you... you stood by and let me be cast aside. I was meant for more... I wanted to do something good, something real!"
With a roar, Yrher raised his hand and grabbed a large, jagged boulder from the ground. He slammed it down, but Luros dodged just in time. Yrher wasn't finished, though; he sent a second boulder flying, and this time, Luros lost his balance. The nausea hit him hard, and before he could recover, Yrher began to slam the boulder down again and again, shouting between each strike, "You liar! You were supposed to be on my side!" Each blow was filled with rage, frustration, and the weight of every betrayal that had led to this moment.
After a few more furious hits, Yrher released the boulder, leaving it on top of Luros. He then flew away, moving fast enough to create an after boom effect in the wind. He pulled out a long sword, flames flickering along its blade, and said, "If he doesn't want to come out, then I'll make him!" He began to slice through the village, turning everything to ash. People screamed as the flames consumed them. The ground trembled with each strike, and Luros, still beneath the boulder, heard the destruction from afar.
As the screams echoed in the distance, Luros realized the people from Adam's village were burning. His heart dropped as he realized Adam's mother had lived there too. He never had the chance to speak to her, never got to tell her what was in his heart. But it wasn't just her. It was everyone. The destruction of the village, the lives lost in those flames, it all weighed on him. the anger and stress swelled up inside him, anger not just for her, but for all of them. He had failed them all. The realization hit him like a freight train, and in that moment, his control snapped.
His white aura flared up brightly, and the boulder was disintegrated into nothing.
Luros instantly stood, his energy overwhelming him. Without hesitation, he teleported behind Yrher in the blink of an eye and slammed him down with such force that it silenced him. Yrher's body hit the ground hard. Before he could recover, Luros grabbed him and lifted him up using the same move he had used in the cube dimension. Then, without mercy, Luros began to slam him down over and over again, each impact more brutal than the last, shaking the very ground beneath them.
Yrher screamed in pain as the assault continued. Luros flew into the sky, then came crashing down, hitting Yrher's back with his feet and sending him deeper into the ground. It took four seconds for the delayed boom of the impact to reach them, a testament to how fast Luros had moved.
After the attack, Luros made sure the fight was over by lifting a single finger. A small, pea-sized white ball appeared in the air and fell into the hole where Yrher had been sent. The ball exploded in a brilliant flash, sending a shockwave through the ground. The blast disintegrated everything it touched, leaving nothing but a deep, empty crater. Then, in an instant, it exploded again, making a loud bang, and everything was consumed in blinding white light.
Exhausted from the fight, Luros staggered back, his heart pounding aggressively in his chest. His skin began to age before his eyes, wrinkles appearing as his life force drained away. Despite the toll, he forced himself to find Adam. His time was running out. He tried to fly to him, but the pain forced him to the ground, the connection to the ring guiding him in the right direction
When he finally found Adam hiding behind two bushes and a tree, Luros collapsed, struggling to stand. He could barely move, but he dragged himself toward Adam. Adam, noticing the blood, the exhaustion, and the changes in Luros' appearance, asked, "Luros, are you.. okay?"
Luros ignored the question, opening a portal with his weakening energy. The portal flickered, barely stable, as he pushed Adam toward it. "Go inside, quickly," Luros urged in a tired voice.
"But Luros, you're-" Adam started, but before he could finish, Luros shoved him through the portal. The sound of a glitch echoed as Adam was pushed through, and as Luros turned to make sure no one was following, he was met with the sharp sound of spears.
Multiple spears pierced his arms and chest, causing him to cough up blood.
Luros was shocked. The move he had used had disintegrated anything it touched. How had Yrher survived? It was then that he realized: Yrher had placed all his remaining power into a barrier, saving himself.
The spears continued to pierce him, pushing Luros through the portal. Each strike sent him violently into the wall, and he could feel the blood pouring from his wounds as he struggled to stay conscious.
Adam's heart pounded in his chest as he rushed to Luros, who was violently stabbed into the wall. His breathing was labored, and blood poured from the wounds that riddled his body. Desperation and panic gripped Adam as he knelt beside him, shaking.
"Luros!" Adam cried, his voice cracking with worry. "Are you okay? Please, just hold on."
Luros' eyes flickered open, and though his breath was shallow, he managed to give Adam a small, pained smile. Tears welled in his eyes as he spoke, his voice trembling. "I'm sorry.. but I tried my best to protect your village.. but I failed. I failed you, Adam."
Adam's eyes blurred with his own tears as he leaned closer, embracing Luros tightly. "No! You didn't fail! You did everything you could.. You protected us!"
But even as Adam said it, the weight of Luros' words hung heavy. His teacher, his protector, was dying. Adam pulled away slightly, his eyes full of fear and confusion. "Luros, no! Is there anything I can do to help you? Please, tell me how to save you."
Luros slowly lifted his hand, shaking, and placed a finger gently to Adam's lips. "Adam.. I'm sorry, but I'm already dying." His voice was a faint rasp. "There's no cure for this... even if there was, it wouldn't help in this situation." He coughed weakly, his chest rattling with the effort. "I have something to tell you."
Adam watched as Luros, with great effort, removed his blindfold, revealing his eyes white as snow, a calm and beautiful sight that seemed to carry the weight of centuries.
"I'm blind, Adam," he whispered, tears glistening in his eyes. "And you might be wondering how I'm still able to see.. Well, I've been using my power to keep my vision in check. But I have a curse.. a curse that I brought upon myself.. and Yrher, trillions of years ago."
Adam's heart clenched as he listened, unable to speak. Luros continued, each word more fragile than the last.
"We were once brothers.. But Yrher chose a different path." Luros began to cough violently, blood spilling from his lips. "I couldn't heal my blindness... that was the deal I made to put Yrher away. And it's also why my hair is white.." He paused, shuddering as the weight of his words pressed down on him. "For years, I've been getting weaker.. and the moment you put on that ring, it began absorbing my power, which is a part of me, so it was slowly killing me. But.. don't blame yourself for this.. It was meant to happen someday."
Adam's eyes welled up as Luros managed to chuckle faintly, his hand trembling as he reached for Adam's.
"Bring your hand to me," Luros whispered, his voice weakening. Adam did as he was told, and Luros gently placed his hand over the ring. "All my moves.. all my attacks are stored there. That ring will guide you.. protect you. It will help you defeat Yrher.. better than I ever could."
Luros' body was crumbling away, his legs already turned to dust. He smiled weakly at Adam, though his pain was clear.
"Oh, well if you look at that.. I guess my time's up," he said softly, as more of his body disintegrated into ash. "But.. you'll do great out there, Adam. I know you will." His voice was barely a whisper, his hand now resting on Adam's shoulder. "The system will guide you. You'll stop Yrher, I'm sure of it."
Half of Luros' body had already vanished, and Adam could barely hold himself together. Luros' final words were soft but full of love and trust.
"Place me somewhere nice, okay?"
And with that, Luros was gone. Only his clothes remained, lying in a pile of dust where he had once been.
Adam collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably, his body wracked with grief.
Beep… Beep…
The soft, repetitive sound made him pause. His teary eyes moved to his ring, where a faint yellow glow flickered. Before he could react, a translucent screen appeared in front of him, letters forming one by one.
[Previous Owner: Luros]
[Status: Deceased]
[Transferring Ownership…]
Adam sniffled, his breath unsteady as he watched. The screen flickered for a moment before new lines appeared.
[New Owner: Adam]
[Synchronization in Progress…]
[Access Level: Restricted]
His hands clenched. The glow from the ring pulsed lightly, as if acknowledging him. He wasn't sure what this meant, but he had a feeling something was important was awakening inside him. After the ring finished updating, Adam tried to calm himself down and stepped outside the castle to breathe in the fresh, clean air. He slapped both of his cheeks with his hands and muttered, "Come on, Adam. No more fooling around."
He walked over to Luros' clothes, carefully folding them with reverence. Then, he gathered stones, creating a small rock grave. He placed the folded clothes on top of the grave, tying Luros' blindfold around his hand, like a bandage. Kneeling beside the grave, Adam clasped his hands together and said a quiet prayer, wishing for Luros to rest in peace.
After a moment of silence, Adam stood up and returned inside the castle. He carefully collected the ashes of Luros, placing them in a vase, which he set on a shelf. His gaze lingered on the ring that had once connected him to Luros. He stared at it for a while before checking for the instructions to open a portal. The System promptly provided the step by step guide, and Adam prepared for the next stage.