Chapter 57

Miscalculations

The tension was palpable as Adom stood over Zara, his eyes narrowed with confusion and anger. "What the hell do you mean 'I almost killed you'?!" he demanded, his voice sharp as a blade. The words sliced through the air. "What were you thinking, tracking me down in the first place?!"

Zara, still catching her breath, pushed herself up with a grunt. She raised a hand, signaling for a moment's patience, but Adom's patience was threadbare. His gaze bore into her, a storm of questions raging in his mind. Why would she pursue me like this? What's her endgame? Are Borgen and the others involved in this madness? The thoughts raced, each more unsettling than the last.

He could see the strain on her face, the way her chest heaved with each labored breath. She had overextended herself, burnt through her Essentia reserves with reckless abandon. To Adom, she was an open book in that moment—powerful, yes, but inexperienced. A rookie mistake that had left her vulnerable, a window of opportunity that he could exploit.

Adom's mind whirred with possibilities, strategic calculations forming and reforming with each passing second. She's depleted, at a disadvantage. This could be my chance to neutralize the threat she poses. The idea was tempting, almost too tempting. But something held him back, a nagging curiosity about her motives.

As Zara finally steadied herself, Adom pressed on, his voice one of command. "Start talking, Zara. What's your angle in all of this?" His words were deliberate, aimed to unsettle her further, to pry the truth from her when she was most vulnerable.

Zara steadied herself with a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she worked to regain her composure. Then, with a level of seriousness that commanded attention, she dropped a bombshell. "Before you jump to any conclusions, Rey," she began, her voice steady despite the weariness that clung to her, "I wasn't the one who put that tracker on you."

Deliberately ignoring her questions, Adom's mind, already a whirlwind of calculations, hit an unexpected snag. Not her? Then who? His thoughts raced, but he remained outwardly calm, his expression betraying nothing of the turmoil within. He simply watched her, his silence a clear invitation for her to continue, to fill in the gaping holes her revelation had left.

Zara seemed to understand the unspoken demand. "When we arrived in the village, Borgen's insistence on you sticking close wasn't arbitrary," she explained, a hint of frustration coloring her tone. "A well-equipped child, with a dimensional bag, clearly not from around, stands out like a sore thumb."

Adom's eyebrow quirked, a silent prompt for her to cut to the heart of the matter.

She sighed, the weight of her next words pressing down on her. "We have a ganker problem, as you already know," she admitted, her gaze steady on his. "And it's not just a wilderness issue. They're strategic, targeting newcomers in villages, people who won't be missed right away. Some vanish, others... aren't so lucky."

The gravity of her words settled over Adom like a shroud, his mind piecing together the implications. Gankers, here? Using high-tech trackers?

"The magic device they tagged you with is the latest model, virtually undetectable," Zara continued, her eyes reflecting anger and concern. "Even Enolar's scans didn't pick it up when you left. I followed you to ensure your safety, at least until you reached your uncle's. But then you headed into the forest..."

Her voice trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging like a guillotine blade, its implication clear and sharp. Adom absorbed the information, his brain working overtime. The pieces were falling into place, each revelation casting the previous events in a new light. The tracker, the unexpected encounter in the forest, Zara's presence—it all pointed to a larger, more sinister picture than he'd imagined.

So, she was watching my back, not stabbing it, Adom realized, the tension in his shoulders easing ever so slightly. But this newfound knowledge brought little comfort. Instead, it underscored the dangers lurking in the shadows, dangers he'd been blissfully unaware of until now. He had expected to meet gankers in the forest, but not in the village, so...how?

"Why not just directly tell me then?" Adom asked, his voice laced with a tinge of frustration. "Why go through all this trouble?"

Zara met his gaze with an unflinching resolve. "You made it clear you weren't interested in staying with us," she pointed out, her tone matter-of-fact. "I doubt any explanation would've convinced you to change your mind. Besides, it was obvious you were hiding something. You have your own agenda, Rey, and you're far stronger than you let on." A hint of frustration colored her words. "How did you even find that tracker?"

Adom's mind raced, his suspicion now finding a target. The ganker from the lakeside—the one who had seemed so intent on a confrontation but had never made physical contact. Could he have been the one to plant the tracker? As if mirroring his thoughts, Zara voiced the same suspicion. "I believe it was the ganker you encountered. His real aim must have been to tag you with the tracker, but—"

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"Ah, I see..." Adom interjected, piecing the puzzle together in his head faster than Zara could lay it out.

"But then, how did you track me down without the device?" Adom prodded further, not missing a beat.

Zara's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Oh, that..." She paused, her gaze shifting past Adom for a moment. "You can come out now."

Adom's brows knitted together in confusion, his senses immediately on high alert. Another player in this game? Despite his extensive use of [Aetheric Echo], he hadn't detected anyone else nearby. Could he have missed someone?

Then, from the rustling underbrush, a figure emerged, one that Adom recognized instantly. "You?!" he exclaimed, disbelief and a hint of annoyance mingling in his voice.

Valiant, the mouse beastkin, stepped into the clearing with a nervous chuckle. "Ha...haha... Hello there, so sorry to disturb... haha..." His laugh was tinged with unease, the awkwardness of the situation not lost on him.

Adom's mind whirred, his thoughts full of irritation . Valiant? What role does he play in all this? Despite the surprise, Adom's demeanor remained composed, his analytical nature assessing this new variable in the equation. The situation was evolving, becoming more complex with each revelation, and he knew he needed to adapt quickly.

Adom's patience was wearing thin, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he turned his gaze back to Zara. "Care to explain?" he pressed, his voice edged with a growing impatience.

Zara nodded, acknowledging his urgency. "You're probably aware, but Valiant here is quite familiar with these lands. He's been instrumental in resolving disappearances and even preventing them on occasion."

Adom's irritation was palpable now, his facade of calmness cracking. "Please, go straight to the point, Zara," he demanded, his words clipped.

Valiant, sensing the tension, stepped forward with an awkward shuffle. "A-allow me to explain," he stammered, a nervous edge to his voice. Adom's eyes twitched in annoyance, his mind screaming, Just great, What is this guy doing? Is he about to dive into his life story? What are these people playing at?! Yet, he held his tongue, choosing to listen—for the moment.

"I was born with a unique condition," Valiant continued, oblivious to Adom's growing frustration. "I can instantly locate any Essentia signature of anyone I've met, on at least 5000 meters... After you left, Zara approached me for help in tracking you, just in case... well, in case of situations like this."

Adom's frustration was momentarily overshadowed by surprise. This was a capability he hadn't encountered before, sparking a flicker of curiosity amidst his irritation. An innate tracking ability? Could it be similar to [Aetheric Echo]? No, it was even better. The thought intrigued him, but he quickly shelved it. Now wasn't the time to be enthralled by new magic.

Adom's voice carried a hint of resignation and underlying frustration as he addressed the duo. "I see. Now what? You've found me, the gankers haven't, and because of your intervention, I had to rush into the forest and deal with that snake."

Valiant tried to find a silver lining. "Well, technically, this would have happened anyway since we weren't the ones who placed the tracker on you, it woul—" He cut himself short, catching the sharp, almost threatening edge in Adom's gaze, and muttered, "Right, sorry..."

Zara, more pragmatic in her approach, laid out the stark reality of their situation. "We're outside the village now, and the gankers are probably on the move towards the tracker's last known location. Which isn't your current one."

"And what are you suggesting, then?" Adom inquired. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was heading, and he was none too keen on being a part of it.

Zara's admission came with a weary resignation. "My reserves are depleted. I can't make it back without encountering them, especially since they're likely scouring the forest by now, looking for you."

Adom's gaze on her sharpened. "So, you want my help to take them out?" he deduced, incredulity in his voice.

Zara, momentarily taken aback by his directness, let out a chuckle before her expression sobered. "I knew you were far from ordinary," she remarked. "I've never met someone your age who talks about killing so casually. Have you done it before?"

The question caught Adom off guard, not because he hadn't faced such situations before, but because it stirred memories he'd long tried to bury. His past life had been marked by violence and death, his inventions a catalyst for destruction on a scale he'd often tried to detach himself from. And in this life, he'd already been forced to make life-or-death decisions, each one weighing heavily on his conscience.

Adom had always rationalized his actions with the belief that he wasn't targeting the innocent, that his inventions were a necessary evil in the grand scheme of things. But the reality was, the line between guilt and justification was a fine one, and he'd walked it more times than he cared to admit. It was a coping mechanism, a way to shield himself from the remorse and the haunting specter of his past deeds.

Adom quickly shifted the focus away from the murky waters of his past, unwilling to dredge up memories best left buried. He considered the immediate threat—the gankers. They were a looming danger, one that, if dealt with now, could spare him further complications. The forest was unpredictable, filled with creatures like the snake he'd already encountered. Eliminating the gankers would remove one variable from the equation of his survival.

Turning his attention back to Zara, he bypassed her probing question. "Are you at least able to walk?" he asked, practicality lacing his tone.

Zara, understanding the shift in conversation, merely nodded in affirmation, ready to move past the uncomfortable interrogation into action.

Adom's gaze then fell on Valiant, seeking to utilize the beastkin's unique skill. "Can you track the gankers from here?" he inquired, his mind already strategizing their next move.

Valiant scratched his head. "Well, I'd need to have felt their Essentia signature before I can locate them," he admitted, highlighting the limitations of his ability.

"No problem," Adom responded. "I can still feel the device. Just follow me." He didn't offer an explanation, and to his mild surprise, neither Zara nor Valiant pressed him for one. Perhaps in the face of impending danger, the hows and whys became less important than the action itself.

Valiant, spurred on by Adom's assertive stance, rallied with a mix of resolve and a dash of vengeance in his tone. "Alright, let's go get these sons of bitches."