Chapter 1426 The Guild’s Infamy II

"A bug?" Adrian asked as he suddenly tried to turn around.

Adrian noticed that something was attached to him but the fact that it attached itself without him noticing is the most worrying thing. He saw the creature that attached itself to his back and found out it was the Faux Mana Caterpillar that transformed thanks to his mana. It was also eating some of his mana that is naturally radiating on his body.

Adrian caught the Faux Mana Caterpillar with his hands but it actually bent space to appear behind him once again. Everyone is shocked upon witnessing such a scene as they actually saw a bug suddenly teleport. Adrian is even more shocked as he suddenly got a parasite attached to his body which troubles him.

"I will deal with the Guild Infamy when I get back. Can you accommodate those that will come back." Adrian stated as he tasked Levin Cloud to be person handling the guild members that return.

Adrian then teleported back to the only elder in the Daemos that he could ask about things such as this. He did not even bother walking to the farm as he just popped up near Pann. The old man did not even flinch at Adrian's arrival as if he already expects it from time to time.

"So, what do you want boy?" Old man Pann asked.

"I need help with this!" Adrian stated as he turned his back towards Pann.

Pann saw the Faux Mana Caterpillar and is even shocked. Adrian suddenly trembled as this is the first time that Pann became shocked when it comes to monsters. If Pann is shocked, then this would be very alarming to someone like Adrian.

"Uhmm… Can I get something? Having you be silent is even more nerve wracking and scary." Adrian muttered.

"Fascinating! This is the first time that I actually saw a monster such as this. It is basically living off your mana but it is only taking on the excess that seeps out of your body." Pann stated as he poked the Faux Mana Caterpillar, but the monster did not have any reaction.

"So, if I actually condense my mana and not have it spreading, the monster will naturally detach to me?" Adrian asked.

"It should as it is attracted to your own mana signature as if it has become part of your body as both of you have the same distinct energy." Pann stated.

Adrian then went and did what he thought is a solution. Just as Pann said, the Faux Mana Caterpillar suddenly became confused as it tried looking for the mana signature that Adrian radiated. It actually teleported here and there but it always ended up near Adrian.

Condensing one's mana in order to hide it is not easy and is actually a painful feeling when it takes to long. Partially releasing mana from the body is like making the mana circuit breathe so that it could recycle mana. It might be uncomfortable for a few minutes, but long periods of time are basically painful.

When Adrian stopped controlling his mana, the Faux Mana Caterpillar attached itself to his back once more. Adrian looked at Pann for a solution as he did not want a pesky bug being attached to his back. He tried trying to kill it but it actually hid in a pocket dimension. It hides itself when it detects danger to itself as it has high danger perception.

"Can you like kill this Faux Mana Caterpillar for me?" Adrian asked Pann.

"I can but I will not. This is a new species. It is no longer Faux Mana Caterpillar anymore. It has transformed into a new species of caterpillar from feeding on your mana." Pann stated as his eyes glimmered at the thought that he could now see a new being.

"I cannot have it being attached to me. It will get in the way of battling." Adrian stated.

"If that is what you are worrying about then why not just make it your soulbound? If it becomes your soulbound then it will continue to feed on your mana like the others." Pann stated.

"I already have seven that I use, and I am not replacing them. This guy cannot even fight." Adrian stated.

"I am not telling you to replace your current ones but store this one in your soul chamber as an extra. You can do that as you do not need to name it when doing so and the bond does not solidify. You can just view it as you are raising it inside your soul. Who knows what it could turn into!? From the energy it radiates, it is almost the same as the cosmic beasts." Pann stated.

Adrian is shocked upon learning that this small bug that attached itself to him is starting to have the same energy as cosmic beasts. Cosmic beasts are special monsters that could traverse time and space like Bessy, the Cosmic Cetacea, that Pann takes care of. They are incredibly rare and powerful that it is said that spotting two of the same species is a one in a million chance.

"Fine. If you say it that way then I shall store it as an extra. If I get another slot unlocked then I might form a contract with it." Adrian stated as he created a sealing magic circle below and threw the mana caterpillar inside it.

Adrian could feel that something attached itself to his soul and is sipping on his mana but it is only minimal. The drain in his mana is easily recovered compared to the amount being drained. Adrian just prayed that he made the correct choice in sealing the unknown bug.

"If it becomes bigger, come and see me as I want to know what it transforms into." Pann stated with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks for the help… I guess." Adrian stated as he did not know if Pann truly helped him or not. He teleported back to the Temple of the Sun when he learned that almost all of the people that were sent to hunt for the Sun Stones have returned.

==

"Now that I am back, let me hear the explanation that you guys have for increasing our guild's infamy." Adrian stated but no one wanted to talk.

"So, Creepysoo… talk." Adrian stated in a stoic tone but his eyes conveyed that they should talk.

Creepysoo could not keep his mouth shut and started rambling on what he did and stuff that he encountered. Adrian was honestly amazed that he was able to talk for one hour straight without being hindered. Adrian had to stop him and told him to summarize the things that he needs to say or else they would be there all day.

"Basically, we had no other choice as there were these hidden occultists. The people in the city did not want to leave but they would get sacrificed if they do not leave. I had to be the villain but I inadvertently got too caught up in the act and even uttered our guild name." Creepysoo stated.

"I get that but the others should also be given the chance to speak." Adrian stated as his eyes came with a glint as he interrogated all the people that added more infamy.

In the end, Adrian became exasperated with all the excuses that they have given him. He did understand that some things were unavoidable but they actually chose the more revealing plot instead of the shadows. They did get the sun stones that they were trying to find which is why he did not scold them too much.

"We can just rebuild the reputation later!" Creepysoo stated.

"Thank you for volunteering! I await news of our increase in reputation." Adrian stated as he did not want to be bothered fixing it. He is glad that Creepysoo basically took in the job as he has a lot on his plate already. Adrian clapped and the others followed as they wanted to pacify his upset face.

"The good thing is that we already collected seven sun stones. We only need three more but the ones that are assigned to the three sun stones are silent. They have not sent a report to us about what is happening on their side." Levin Cloud stated.

As soon as Levin Cloud said those words, a trigger suddenly happened. As if it was the golden moment for the punchline, three individuals from the teams related to the last three sun stones. Two came from the Evergreen Guild while the last one is from the Briar Rose guild.

The two from the Evergreen Guild looked dry and dehydrated as if they were trapped in a place for such a long time. The one from Briar Rose is covered in soot and burns that Levin Cloud actually had to heal her immediately. The first words that they uttered despite being badly injured and tired is 'help'.

"Collect yourselves first and tell me what happened." Adrian stated.