[Time waits for nothing, except for you.]
After the final message appeared, so too did two anomalies appear in front of his chest, from which two multicolored lights rushed out.
One of the lights directly stabbed into Adrian's chest, engulfing him in a warm glow, and the other slowly hovered in the air taking the form of a small fairy.
After the light Around Adrian dissipated he felt as if a missing part of him had been returned only upon seeing the glow around the sconed light, dim did he know why.
The two objects were what he had just called out to in a dispirited attempt to not break down, the fairy was Dee and with his return so too did the missing fragment of Adrian's soul that was bonded with Dee.
Upon coming to this realization the glow around Dee dimmed and disappeared only for him to fall into Adrian's arms.
As Adrian's soul re-bonded to him, Adrian could feel the true extent that his memories and emotions had been repressed and how much this portion of his soul contained his positive traits.
With this 'new' influx of emotions, Adrian could finally understand and come to terms with everything for the first time since Dee's death.
When Adrian felt two tiny hands touch his face he could no longer pretend to be strong, and he let his grief consume him as he started to cry, begging for forgiveness while remembering every inhuman atrocity he committed under the guise of "humanity's savior."
To understand the impact of this moment one had to recognize that Dee's hand was the first warm touch Adrian had felt in over 23 years.
After a few minutes of grieving and ignoring messages Adrian heard Sakura call out, ~Adrian we need to leave quickly and quietly. Two new souls have entered, one of them is the demon from last time and the other is odd, feeling almost stagnated.~
In a hushed voice, Adrian whispered, "How far away? Can you sense anything else?"
~For now, I can't tell what they want, but the force that separated the forest and the barren mushroom hills has significantly weakened in a few seconds it may disappear. They are talking at the border of the beach for now.~ Sakura replied in a hushed tone
"Do you know anything about the barren lands?" Adrian asked as he dropped his shoulders rushing to the edge of the forest constantly hiding from the sky
All the while protecting the weakened Dee.
~While I don't know what will be in the new land, all I know is you need to cover your face judging by the… DON'T LOOK UP BOTH OF THE SOULS ARE RIGHT ABOVE US! RUN!!!~
******
Five minutes before…
With the completion of the forest quest, the barrier around the forest started to weaken allowing the crimson sky to continue but this time at a much slower rate.
Two miniature black holes formed in the sky.
One leaked demonic red energy while the other leaked an odd dull gray mist.
The demonic red portal spawned the same demonic humanoid from the beach, only this time there was no longer an insane aura suppressing his intelligence.
The other spawned a small figure covered in a dull gray mist that would make anyone who stared at it slip into a sealed state unable to exist within his presence.
The small figure had six visible golden eyes and an indomitable presence caused even the demonic figure to be left in utter shock.
The demonic man stared at the gray mist figure before it asked curiously, "Seal, why… are you here? Didn't all of you say it was pointless? Have you also taken an interest in this incarnation or did something happen?"
"Shhh… [They] are watching. What you want to know can wait till we return to the pond." whispered the figure named Seal after altering a portion of what you can hear
Even though Seal whispered, the demonic man could hear her as if she was talking directly next to his ear.
"You don't mean [Them], right?" The demonic man questioned further
"Demon, you need to stop talking." Seal said in return
"How can I? We're talking about the re-" before Demon could finish his sentence Seal immediately cast out thick gray chains made from the dull mist that surrounded his body
"I'm sorry our esteemed guests, but you patron Cur… Sorry, I mean, The Author requires us to act, please understand." Seal* said in an androgynous, monotone voice before demanding "Author close this view or none of us will intervene."
[/Fine/] replied a familiar voice
******
"Open Nexus Shop, and purchase the best mask and cloth bag." Adrian requested based on Sakura's hint
[The Cursed Writer is amused by this development.]
Arriving at the outer layer between the forest and wasteland Adrian felt his body fill with energy as he ran at incredibly fast speeds with light steps as he broke past the tree line and into a new land.
[Survive completion rate increased to 30%]
[You have completed Infested Forest… Your story progresses.]
[You have entered the Mushroom Hills of dreams and nightmares.]
[Remember & Regret completed]
[Reward: Endurance duplication and mutation & Support Recovery Chamber (SRC)]
~Hurry summon the SRC and place Dee inside the faster the better, substantial damage detected to his soul. If you place Dee in there he can survive and recover in a few years.~
Adrian followed Sakura's advice calling out the SRC and placing Dee inside, and as he did the SRC turned into light and shot into his head merging with his mind.
Quickly Adrian called out, "Open Simplified System"
[Coins - 22,514 > 12,314]
[Efficiency System Status]
[System: 0.00015%]
[Endurance 99%]
[Wisdom 10%]
[Absolute System Status]
[Race: 74% Human, 10% Spirit, 10% Eldritch, 6% Draconic]
[Evolution Points: 22,858]
"Sakura, can you explain the wisdom stat?"