It was night, with the moon shining brightly in the sky.
The peaceful Cassell College had only a few dorms still lit up, creating a calm and serene scene.
Adam, who was recovering in the school's medical department, wore a white hospital gown. He leaned back against the headboard of his bed, enjoying the view outside.
The moonlight bathed the lawn like flowing water, and not far off, the lake shimmered under the moonlight, creating a beautiful scene.
As he lost himself in the beauty of the moonlit pond, he suddenly felt something and furrowed his brows, shifting his gaze back to the room.
Following his gaze, Adam noticed that the empty hospital room had unexpectedly gained a new presence.
The man wore an expensive suit, clearly not cheap. His hair was silver-white, and his face was marked with deep wrinkles. His silver-gray eyes burned like flames, sharp and determined, radiating an indescribable authority. He stood perfectly still, like a sword still in its sheath.
"Principal Hilbert, visiting a patient this late is a rather impolite gesture," Adam said, looking at the person who had suddenly appeared. He showed no sign of surprise, only a gentle smile.
"Is the matter in Brooklyn related to you?" Hilbert asked, his gaze lowering slightly, his hands hanging by his sides, giving off an aura of unguarded calm.
However, those who knew him understood that this seemingly frail old man was actually Hilbert Ron Anjou, one of the strongest Hybrid of modern times, renowned across Europe and the world's secret societies. He was a time-traveling assassin, and even the legendary 'First Generation Dragon King' had been wounded by him.
"A bit, but not much," Adam replied coolly.
Despite facing the dragon slayer who held the power of Word Soul "Time Zero," Adam's expression never wavered.
"Do you know?" Hilbert's silver-gray eyes blazed with a fiery golden hue as he looked at Adam's calm reaction. "People like you, who only speak half-truths, often end up getting killed."
"Is that so? I don't think that will happen," Adam answered with a smile.
Adam was completely unaware of the situation, even acting innocent. He said, "The one who wants to kill me, it wouldn't happen to be you, Principal Hilbert, right?"
"I could be."
Hilbert glared coldly at him and responded.
"If that's the case, the headline for Cassell College the next day would be 'Principal Hilbert Finally Went Crazy and Turned a Knife on Students'," Adam sighed. He wasn't at all bothered by Hilbert's increasingly dangerous gaze and continued, "The major Hybrid families and secret organizations in Europe would probably enjoy seeing that, don't you think?"
"Adam, do you even count as a 'student'?"
Hilbert sneered, his eyes filled with mockery. "In fact, whether you even count as a 'human' is something that might need to be debated."
"Principal Hilbert, that's a bit hurtful," Adam's mouth twitched slightly as he pretended to be sad. He sighed, "At least in terms of being 'human,' I'm very clear on where I stand."
Luckily, Hilbert didn't want to continue this topic. He sat down on the couch in the hospital room, crossed his legs, and said calmly, "I won't ask about George, and I won't pursue it. But just like we agreed, if I find any actions from you that try to overturn humanity, I will kill you immediately, Adam."
"Of course, that's your right."
Adam smiled gently and replied, "I'll help you deal with the Dragon King threat, and in return, you'll assist me when needed."
"Now, there's something I need you for."
Hilbert poured some red wine from a bottle he had somehow brought and swirled it gently in the glass. "I've formed a small team. There's Chu Zihang, Caesar, and then you. You'll go to Japan. On the surface, they'll investigate the source of the gene serum. Secretly, you'll look into the matter of the 'White King's bloodline.'"
"The White King's bloodline, huh?"
Adam chuckled lightly, then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it. But in return, I have one request."
"One for one, that makes sense."
Hilbert felt this was reasonable, after all, the terms of their 'agreement' were exactly this.
"The White King's bones are mine."
In Adam's light golden eyes, an invisible vortex swirled.
His seemingly casual words made the temperature in the room drop to freezing point, and the murderous intent became so thick it felt almost tangible, like it could be felt in the air.
The source of this killing intent came from Hilbert, sitting on the sofa. His pupils seemed to flicker with an unquenchable fury, a blazing gold like flowing lava that, for a moment, outshone the room's light. It felt sharp and overwhelming, like thousands of swords aimed at you.
"You already knew that Japan had a 'Dragon King'?!"
Hilbert's voice was low, as if he was holding back an unimaginable fury. The veins on his forehead bulged as he gritted his teeth and growled, "Since Japan has a Dragon King, why didn't you tell me?!"
For someone like Hilbert, who had spent his life slaughtering Dragon Kings to avenge his dear friend, this was like igniting his rage.
What's more, any 'Dragon King's' awakening required meticulous planning and a resolve to die in order to end its life. The sudden revelation that Japan had a 'Dragon King,' one second only to the 'Black King' in the dragon lineage, was enough to drive him to fury.
"Principal Hilbert, please calm down," Adam said, clearly feeling the room shake from Hilbert's rage. The old man in front of him seemed like a volcano ready to erupt.
"I need a reason, Adam Anglewid."
Hilbert's gaze was cold, his golden eyes burning with overwhelming pressure.
Even the tiles beneath his feet and the walls and ceiling of the room seemed to crack, unable to withstand the invisible force emanating from him. It was hard to imagine that such an old man, nearing a century, still held such terrifying power.
"There's no need to be so formal, Principal Hilbert. Just call me Adam," Adam said, a bitter look on his face as he shrugged. "Besides, it's not my fault. After all, you never asked."
Before he could finish, a Damascus folding knife was pressed against his neck.
The whole process felt very abrupt.
One moment, Hilbert was sitting on the sofa, and the next, he was suddenly standing by the hospital bed—there was no transition at all. It was as if a part of a video had been "deleted."
The natural patterns on the surface of the folding knife were clear to see. Made from rare cold-forged Damascus steel, the craftsmanship was long lost, and the sharp blade easily cut a thin line across Adam's neck. Blood oozed from the wound, flowing down the blade and dripping onto the white sheets.
"Word Soul, Time Zero... truly impressive," Adam said.
Even with the knife against his neck, Adam showed no fear. Instead, he looked intrigued. "But too bad... with the weakness of a human body, even a Hybrid like you can't continue to advance. Otherwise, I'd really love to see if Time Zero can turn into 'The World'."
Hilbert held the knife with a murderous intent in his golden eyes, which seemed to burn with rage. "Adam, how much do you really know?"
"Not much, not a little, just a bit," Adam answered with a warm smile. His clear eyes reflected Hilbert's angry gaze. "Time Zero can't kill me. You've already tried that, haven't you?"
Hilbert, holding the Damascus folding knife, fell silent.
Yes, he had tried before. Adam was a "monster" that couldn't be killed by Time Zero, an existence shrouded in mystery.
To this day, Hilbert still clearly remembered that day.
At Cassell College, no one, except for him, noticed the sudden appearance of someone. Not even EVA noticed when Adam showed up.
It was as if Adam had just popped out of nowhere. No matter where they looked, there were no traces of him having been there before.
That day, Hilbert thought it was an "invasion" and attacked "Adam" with the folding knife.
They fought for a long time, the battle raging until the academy was destroyed, the sky darkened, and the chaos made Hilbert feel like he was facing the legendary "Dragon King."
But just when Ange was about to end it all, he found the scene before him shattered like a dream.
When he seemed to wake from a dream, he was still sitting in the office, holding the sharp folding knife in his hand. Across from him sat a young man—none other than Adam.
The "agreement" had been made back then.
Adam had helped him deal with the Dragon King issue, and in return, he would offer help to Adam when needed.
One condition for one chance. It was fair.
After a long silence, as he returned from his memories to the present, Hilbert put down the folding knife and glared at Adam's face, which he found so irritating. He spoke coldly, "Fine. It's settled then. The remains of the White King are yours. But once this task is finished, I need an answer."
"Agreed."
Adam nodded slightly, smiling as he accepted the terms.
********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 15 early chapters.
https://www.patreon.com/Unique_Writer