Chapter 133: Self-Control
Following the neighing of horses, a group of riders came through the forest and into the valley below.
With swords in hand, they slashed through the army of the Blackhearts, and galloped through the barrier as if it were made out of air.
While the Blackhearts were unable to cross the barrier, the same didn't apply to the players.
A golden-cloaked man led the riders, eyeing the ongoing battle with a sharp gaze.
Feeling his gaze and seeing their strongest members die, the Shattered Shields lost their fighting spirit and slowly lowered their weapons, awkwardly looking around them and seeing the unhappy gazes of everyone around them.
The other mercenaries were pretty much done with dealing with the Blackhearts, but they also suffered some losses.
"Mikael," Kory rubbed his back and awkwardly smiled. "I would bow, but my back is not feeling too great right now."
Mikael removed his helmet-he was a blond-haired man with ocean-blue eyes and foreign features. He was very handsome, like a prince knight from a fairytale, and had a glorious sword hanging from his belt.
He slowly left the saddle of his horse and approached the Shattered Shields with one hand in the sword hilt.
"What happened in here?"
Kory humbly smiled and explained everything, from Amella to the possible motive of the Shattered Shields attack and the consequences of that.
Without the Shattered Shields, they could've survived through this without as many casualties.
"I-It's my fault," A member of the Shattered Shields kneeled in front of Mikael, fear on his face. "It's all my fault..."
He was the tank that abandoned his post to help his friends-again, he chose to sacrifice himself because he knew that if the fault was put on every member of the Shattered Shields, they would all die.
"You're taking the responsibility?" Mikael asked to be sure.
"Y-yes."
"Very well."
Mikael, with one hand, drew his sword.
As soon as the mercenaries saw the sword, they almost salivated. It was one of the rarest swords in the entire world.
With alcohol in their veins, fights ensued, some ending in friendly terms and others not so much. It was a chaotic and emotional night that would be etched into their memories forever. Adam sat on a porch swing, drinking and enjoying the cool night air on his hair and face.
'I really need to cut my hair.' Adam thought as it continued to go in the way of his eyes.
He shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his drink, deciding to wait until everything settled down to finally get a haircut.
"Yo, why are you sitting here alone?" Zahn asked as he came from inside with a new drink in
hand.
He was about to return to the party, held near the bonfire, but then saw their little genius sitting in the swing, all alone.
"Thinking, reminiscing." Adam said and took a sip.
During these peaceful, cool nights, he couldn't help but remember his past life and all the mistakes he had made along the way.
Zahn raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was talking like an old man at such a young age.
Before he could ask, Zahn took another sip of his drink and chuckled, realizing that maybe he was just growing wiser beyond his years.
"Fine, I suppose, but this is a good chance to make connections and new friends. Who knows, you might need it in the future."
With that, Zahn returned to the party, completely drunk and almost unable to walk straight. Adam looked at the drink in hand, feeling like it had lost its taste, and put it away. 'Alice and others must've already returned from New Paradise. If not today, maybe tomorrow, so maybe I should visit the real world for a moment...'
As he thought that, the swing moved slightly as a person sat beside him, and a thick stench of alcohol hit his nose.
Adam turned around, and immediately a hostile gaze appeared in his eyes, but he quickly masked it and looked indifferent like ice.
"This must be our first time meeting," Calamity said with a grin and offered a handshake. "Name's Calamity; I was S-ranker before you."
"Adam." Adam said indifferently and shook the hand.
"Not very warm, are you?" Calamity said with a chuckle. "Introvert? You remind me of
Arkham, who has the emotional range of a wood plank. I honestly can't imagine him being the sibling of someone as beautiful as Sapphira. A weird world we are living in."
Adam couldn't care less about his drunken ramblings. He wanted to shove his sword through his throat, but even when he was drunk, he would still be able to destroy him with ease.
It took all of his self-control to keep his emotions in check.