Exiting the Smithery, Adrian spoke a brief farewell to the girls before retreating to a quiet place. He found himself in the forest between the Guild and the nearby town. He pulled out the watch and thought “We need to talk.”

Chronos responded slowly “What can I do for you boy?”

“I have a few questions for you. The first of which is how long were you in the Godrealm for.”

Chronos spoke with patience “Five millennia. You should already know that however.”

“Then why is it that in five thousand years I am the first to find you.”

Instead of answering the question Chronos asked his own “How much do you know about barriers?”

Adrian stared down into the watch’s unmoving face. He seemed to find the answer he was looking for.

“All barriers can be broken.”

“That’s right. Even Aegis can be defeated or else I wouldn’t be here. So instead of creating an infallible barrier, Winsvarya created a smart one. The only people who worried him where humans, he could always defend against those easily enough as a Great God, so he created a ‘Anti-Human Barrier’. Humans are that due to having flaws. It is what allows them to improve and the reason for their potential. I should know as the creator. So Winsvarya created a barrier that attacks people through their flaws, freezing them mentally and then shattering their minds, turning them into loyal slaves. I have seen many do so. I called out because Adam was pure hearted and in my senility I forgot about the normal human lifespan. Immortal isolation will do that to you. My point is you are an anomaly. You are inhuman and don’t have flaws. At least until three days ago. That is how you survived.”

“So at what level must I be for us to start taking the next fragment?”

“I need you at the level where you reach the rank of Ten Star Thief without the use of the watch. At that point you should have the requirements to survive in the Great Godrealms and then we can begin hunting. The reason is simply that you will die otherwise. You were incredibly lucky last time and next time I can guarantee won’t go so easily. The Great Gods will be vigilant from now on and their defences will be much more solid. Not only will they not use any mental traps but they will also move the doors much further away. It will be impossible to walk in and out with sheer luck. Just remember, use your time wisely. Trying to save a minute may waste an hour.”

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With that the watch resumed silence, not even a tic to be heard. Adrian headed back to the Guild as the sun was setting. It lay on his back and the guards at the gate where impressed. It was not often they saw such a heroic sight. Adrian was given immediate entry without having to go through any checks. It was likely they forgot he was an apprentice.

He made his way to the dining room when the smart girl tried to catch his eye. A subtle nod was all it took. The preparations were set and all they had to do was wait for tomorrow. Adrian glanced over to Scrya who was looking as chilly as ever. It was an aura around him and considering its general, unfocused flow, it was safe to say he had got away unnoticed.

Adrian got his nameless food and made his way to his normal spot. Sam and Emilia were trying to comfort the visibly shaken Andrei.

He was like a frightened rabbit about to die from panic. The girls moved away and the food on their plates stopped jiggling.

Across the room he could hear the gaggle of girls giggling. They were all quite cheerful and celebrative.

"Andrei. What did they do." a solid and unquestionable command.

The food began to jiggle once more, more vigorously than the last time.

"n-nothing." a whisper

"Tell me the truth."

The food was now on the verge of breaking apart.

"No-nothing happened Adrian, could you pl-please stop asking."

Like a parent to a child Adrian looked at Andrei and gently said.

"It's okay Andrei. You did nothing wrong, just tell me what they did."

The food sprayed everywhere as Andrei stood up. He told Adrian in a resolved voice

"Not here, not now, especially with them so close." There was an emphasis on them that Adrian didn't know it referred too.

Nobody paid attention to Andrei as they were all lost in their own cliques. Adrian sent an apologetic gesture to the girls as he motioned to the mess on the table.

He found Andrei alone in his room curled up in a blanket. There was a single candle shedding light on the room, embracing him in a gentle light. Before Adrian could start Andrei said

"I'm sure you already know what happened. You always do. Can you tell me why they did it? Why they did it too me? You saw how they where acting. Am I just some sort of trophy? A prize to be won? You were right and I should have listened but why didn't you warn me?"

"Even I couldn't have guessed the extent they would go."

"Really though, You who always knows everything? Why didn't you stop this from happening?"

"I didn't know."

Andrei was silent for a moment. He was too upset too cry.

"Was it really so valuable? Was robbing me of my innocence really worth that much?"

Andrei had developed Gynophobia. Another victim of robbers.