Chapter 13.2: The great escape. (Part 2)

Adam’s POV

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Think, think, think! Panic drove my hands to inscribe the rune of Sul, this time scrawling it onto my stomach to ensure full-body coverage. Without a second thought, I spun around and dove out of the opposite window.

The rune activated instantly.

Rune of Sul Effect: Ethereal.

I phased cleanly through the windowpane, leaving the glass intact as if it didn’t even exist. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of marveling at this unexpected blessing.

"OHHH SHIIIIT!" I screamed, flailing my arms in a blind panic as the world ahead came into terrifying focus: a massive trolley barreling down its tracks at breakneck speed.

Not only was I swinging directly into its path, but the trolley was also speeding toward me, its horn blaring a warning.

“HOLYSWEETMOTHEROFMILKYNUT!!!”

I glanced back, heart pounding, and there he was—Erza, the human cheetah, lunging at me with predatory precision and eyes blazing like a wild beast.

Welp, this is it, I thought, resigned to my fate. I raised my hands instinctively, bracing for the inevitable impact with the trolley and the savage force of Erza. But instead of smashing into the trolley, I phased straight through it, courtesy of the rune’s effect.

Inside, I stumbled right into the conductor, who barely had time to widen his eyes in shock before my weight crashed into him, knocking him out cold. He broke my fall, thankfully, sparing me from more bruises.

"Uh, thanks for the save, bud," I muttered, awkwardly shifting his unconscious body to the side.

I turned to check on Erza, only to witness him drawing his katana almost halfway before hesitated when he noticed the passengers on board, That split second of hesitation cost him dearly. With a loud THUD, the trolley hit him, slamming his body against the window like a cartoon character flattened by a frying pan.

The glass didn’t even crack so I just scribbled a Rune of Disaster on the window, just to see what chaos I could unleash on the other side.

Rune of Del Effect: Adhesive.

Pure gold.

Erza's body was now glued to the window like a human sticker. His face twisted in confusion and fury as he tried to peel himself off, but the rune's effect held firm.

"This… this is just too good," I whispered to myself, biting my lip to hold back a laugh. Erza, the supposedly terrifying swordsman, was stuck like a fly on the windshield.

I decided to raise the stakes. Spotting the trolley’s controls, I noticed a lever labeled "Slow" and "Fast." With a grin of pure mischief, I shoved the lever all the way to Fast.

The sudden jolt of acceleration threw me off balance, and I stumbled backward, gripping a pole to steady myself. The trolley surged forward at breakneck speed, passengers screaming and clutching their seats for dear life.

Turning back, I saw Erza still glued to the window, his expression morphing from confusion to pure, unadulterated rage. He was shouting something—probably curses aimed at me—but his words were muffled by the glass.

Feeling emboldened, I leaned out the side, made eye contact with him, and blew him a kiss.

The vein on his forehead looked like it was about to burst as his face turned an alarming shade of crimson. His muffled scream of frustration was music to my ears.

"Stay mad, Erza!" I shouted as I darted toward the back of the trolley, laughing like a maniac.

I had no idea where this trolley was headed, but one thing was for sure—I wasn’t sticking around to find out what happened when the adhesive wore off.

The chaos I’d just left behind wasn’t ready to let me off the hook just yet. As I pushed through the trolley, people stared at me in horror. Some recoiled as they saw the commotion I’d caused at the front, while others muttered nervously. I even bumped into a few of them in my rush to get through.

Note to self: while I can phase through objects, it seems like people are off-limits.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

I finally reached the trolley’s back, dove out, and phased through the wall as gracefully as I could manage. The landing was rough—I rolled across the dirt to kill my momentum and came to a stop. The adrenaline coursing through me refused to settle down, but I allowed myself a single deep breath of relief.

Erza was gone. Taken away by the trolley.

But of course, life can’t let me enjoy a win.

When I looked up, my relief was short-lived. Perched on rooftops ahead were several ninjas, their silhouettes menacing against the moonlit sky. Behind them, soldiers were barreling toward me like a runaway stampede.

"Seriously?! I can’t catch a break!" I muttered as I pivoted to the side and dashed into a narrow alleyway.

I took a few sharp turns, zigzagging through the maze of alleys, hoping to shake them off. But just as I rounded a corner, I ran smack into a dead end.

I turned toward the wall, ready to phase through it when I heard a faint noise behind me. I whipped around, and there he was—a ninja leaping at me from the shadows, his form eerily silent as he closed the distance.

Instinct took over. I ducked just in time, and he overshot his mark, slamming face-first into the wall behind me with a satisfying thud.

"That’s gotta hurt," I muttered, already scribbling a Rune of Disaster on his ass.

Rune of Del Effect: Zero G's.

His body began to float—no, more accurately, his butt started floating first, lifting him into the air like a helium balloon. Arms flailing, he twisted and shouted, "What did you do!? GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"

I grinned at him, stepping back toward the wall. "Hey, life’s unpredictable like that. You win some, you lose some." With a playful shrug, I phased through the wall, leaving him to his floaty fate.

Emerging on the other side, I stumbled onto a wide road. The scene ahead was a nightmare. A group of soldiers, armored vehicles in tow, were blocking pedestrians and scanning the area. In the distance, more soldiers were charging straight at me.

"Are you kidding me?!" I groaned.

As I made a sharp 90-degree turn, phasing through yet another building, I found myself in the middle of a scene straight out of a bad soap opera.

There stood a sleazy 40-something man on top of a teenage girl, making visibly uncomfortable, unwanted advances. The cringe-worthy noises he made were enough to turn my stomach.

I didn’t even say anything as I approached him. The moment he noticed me sprinting toward him, his face contorted in surprise. "T-Thief!" he shouted, but I let fate decide what to do with him.

I scribbled a quick Rune of Disaster on his body.

Rune of Del Effect: Extreme Diarrhea.

Instantly, his expression morphed into a pained grimace, his entire face contorting like he'd just chugged a gallon of sour milk. The man clutched his stomach, his pants suddenly gaining suspicious weight as he stumbled away, groaning something about needing a bathroom.

The girl stared at me, wide-eyed and teary. "T-Thank you..." she whispered, clutching her torn clothing.

I gave her a small wave, “Call for help.”

"W-Wait!" she called out, and I stopped, glancing back.

"Y-Your name!" she stammered, her gratitude shining through.

With no time for a proper introduction, I blurted out, "I’m Batman," before sprinting away and phasing through another wall.

"Rune of Sul duration ending in 5 seconds," Nove informed me as I kept running.

"Of course it is," I muttered.

Bursting out onto an open road, I spotted a row of motorbikes parked nearby. And for once, there were no soldiers or ninjas in sight.

Vehicles in a fantasy world? I wanted to question it—how do they even have these? But time was ticking, and I wasn’t about to let logic ruin my chance of escape.

I rushed over to the nearest bike, fumbling to find the cables I needed to hotwire it. But, because this world refuses to let me have nice things, a ninja woman materialized right beside me. My instincts took over again and I backflipped out of her sword swing.

As I gained some distance, I inspected my opponent, She was tall, packing weapons, and... let’s just say she was generously endowed in ways that could distract a lesser man.

"You’ve got nowhere left to run, little guy," she said, her tone as sharp as her blade.

Panicking, I scribbled a Rune of Support on myself and prayed for something good.

Rune of Sul Effect: Seductive.

Yo...

Yo.

I immediately leaned on the bike next to me, "Hey there, pretty lady," I said, lowering my voice to what I hoped was the most suave baritone possible. I didn’t know how the seductive effect would work with my face hidden, so I decided to go all in on my voice.

Her eyes widened beneath her mask, and to my utter disbelief, a blush crept across her face.

"H-Huh? W-What? M-Me? P-Pretty!?" she stammered, completely thrown off her game.

"Absolutely," I said, laying it on thick. "You’re wearing a mask, but I can already tell—those eyes? Stunning. They could rival the night sky and win every time. If you ever got lost in space, mark my words: out of a billion stars, I’d spend my entire lifetime finding those beautiful eyes of yours."

My legendary seduction skills had the ninja lady spiraling into chaos. Her legs wobbled like a baby deer on ice, her breaths came faster than a sprinter's, and her face turned so red it could’ve powered a lighthouse.

Then she stammered out the most ridiculous thing I’d heard all day—no, all year.

"H-Haha! N-Nice try, but I’m only interested in y-young boys!"

Oi, What is this woman saying?

I raised a peace sign, "I'm only 14 years old." I said flatly, like delivering a critical hit in a battle of wits.

And just like that, her nose became a geyser of blood, spraying crimson everywhere as she collapsed to the ground in a defeated heap. I couldn’t help but flash a victorious smirk.

Another win for the fuckbois.

Without hesitation, I bolted toward the nearest motorbike, my heart pounding like a war drum. It looked sleek, fast, and way out of my budget if this were back on Earth. But this was no time for moral debates.

"Nove, can you hotwire this thing?" I asked, already yanking at the cables.

Her voice was the very definition of disapproval. "Yes, but I must inform you, this is—"

"JUST DO IT!"

With an exasperated sigh, Nove activated her metal weaving magic. The bike came to life with a throaty roar that sent a wave of nostalgia and adrenaline rushing through me.

"Oh, baby," I whispered as the engine purred beneath me. It had been way too long since I’d felt this alive.

Gripping the handlebars with newfound determination, I twisted the throttle and sped off into the night, leaving chaos, unconscious ninjas, and a bizarrely enamored woman in my wake.