Chapter 139: The Birthday Party
A few days later.
A virtual pod's covering lid slowly opened, with smoke billowing out.
The smoke slowly dissipated into the room, revealing a figure lying inside the pod.
Adam slowly opened his eyes, then sat up and climbed out of the pod. He had to take a moment to stabilize himself; otherwise, he would've fallen.
"Oh, god, what a headache..." Adam touched his head.
It felt like a hammer was knocking him on the head.
After departing from Kuro Island, the ship took them to the mainland, where they rented an inn in the Driftwood. They planned to take a wagon to take them to Dawnwatch tomorrow. Thus, he planned to now take a day to rest in the real world and catch up with news and his family.
"Hera," Adam said.
[Yes?]
The feminine robotic voice responded.
"Has my family arrived yet?"
[They have, but they are currently about to leave]
"Why?" Adam asked.
[A birthday party. The whole neighborhood was invited to Nikola Leckerman's 70th birthday party]
"Oh." Adam said, not really recognizing that person. "Did they ever look for me?"
[They did. A young woman with long brown hair came to look for you daily. She seemed disappointed after visiting your room]
"I guess the fake virtual pod trick worked..." Adam sighed in relief and asked. "Did Serah want me to go to the birthday party?"
[She has been mad at the fact that you aren't awake. Apparently, it looks disrespectful to miss something like this when everyone else is participating]
"Sigh..." Adam pinched his forehead and asked. "Do you know if there's any headache medicine in the room? My head is killing me."
[Take this]
A small opening appeared in the wall. There was a syringe inside with a strange blue liquid.
"What's this?" Adam asked with a frown and took the syringe. "Kang added some extra stuff, it seems..."
[It'll cure your headache]
"Thanks." Adam said and stabbed the syringe into his muscle, then pumped the liquid into his bloodstream.
It was like magic.
A feeling of weightlessness washed over him.
party.
It was so chaotic and loud that they could barely hear their own thoughts.
"Were you having fun?" Alice asked, but her words got drowned out by the loud voices around
them.
"What?" Adam asked back with a shout; he couldn't really hear.
"Did you have fun?" Alice asked again, this time with a shout.
"Yeah, I suppose!" Adam shouted back and asked. "Did you in the New Paradise?" "Mm!" Alice nodded and took another bite of the cake. "We went on a beach, then a party festival, a native hot spring, and then a walk through the underwater tunnel!"
The underwater tunnel was the most popular tourist attraction in the New Paradise. The tunnel allowed them to walk on the bottom of the ocean floor and see all the marine life up close. The tunnel was made out of glass, but not just any glass; it was made out of special reinforced glass that was able to withstand the immense pressure of the ocean depths.
It was one of the most beautiful things Alice had ever witnessed. They even came across a gigantic Blue Whale swimming gracefully through the crystal-clear water.
Its mouth was so huge that it would've been able to swallow the tunnel whole.
Yet, while the tourist panicked, the workers there looked very calm and collected--they had complete faith in the tunnel.
Adam nodded, even though he couldn't really hear the last parts, but still smiled and ate the
cake.
The smell of the roasted barbecue wafted from the backyard, so some of the guests moved there, and the living room turned emptier.
"I am going to go find mom. She wanted me to meet her friends." Alice said, then took the glass plate to the kitchen before heading to the backyard.
Adam finished up the plate of cake and put it on the small table beside him.
He was now sitting there, all alone, surrounded by strangers-his former self would be terrified as he was a pretty introvert many years ago.
However, after years in the New World, he shed his old insecurities and gained confidence in
social situations.
Adam stood up, planning to go talk to some of the guests since there wasn't much else to do.
However, at that moment, a young woman with long black hair came to the living room and seemed lost. She was very beautiful, with an innocent gaze in her eyes.
She was truly gorgeous, and many younger men in the party looked at her with admiration
and desire.
When she turned her gaze to Adam, her eyes had a look of recognition and surprise.
"Adam~" She smiled and approached him, thrilled to finally find someone she knew very
well.
However, Adam's face paled, and his fists clenched into tight balls of anger.
"Amelia..."