Chapter 42 - A Twisted Conviction

To Adam's surprise, instead of the reaction he had expected, Thaddeus seemed rather cheerful and excited. He was so enthusiastic that he had no issue showing him the prized book and even handed it over so the boy could examine it himself.

Adam handled it carefully, examining the cover with great attention to detail. He noticed that the book itself had nothing particularly remarkable about it—the binding was made of leather with absolutely no writing, and the pages inside seemed wrinkled and old. What was impressive, however, was the nearly perfect condition of the book, despite having been buried in that place for so many years. This stood out even more considering that the rest of the volumes and books on the crumbling shelves of the room had long since turned to dust.

With all the care he could muster, Adam opened the book's first page, only to be surprised that it was written in a blurry script in a language he didn’t understand at all. However, as soon as he did this, the expected system window popped up, displaying the information about the object in question.

[Atomica Arcanum - Rank S ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠A treasure of immense power and danger, the ‘Atomica Arcanum’ holds no immediate abilities beyond its indestructibility against the passage of time. The true threat lies in its contents—an ancient and forbidden science detailing the creation and manipulation of nuclear energy. Long ago, its usage brought the world to the brink of destruction, leading to its sealing deep within the inner vault of the Necrogear Citadel. Few dare to seek it, for unlocking its knowledge could spell another global catastrophe.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Notice: Claiming possession of an S-rank treasure would unlock a secret route in the story of a scenario.⌡ ⌠Hint: Claiming possession of the ‘Atomica Arcanum’ confers its user the skills [Atomica Regulation Lv10] and [Fission Expert Lv10].⌡ ⌠Every S, and above, rank treasure can change the fate of a scenario, so they have a unique tab.⌡ ⌠Lore: The book ‘Atomica Arcanum’ embodies the resentment and determination of the brightest minds from an ancient era. It was created to combat the unexpected and sudden rise of a foreign power that did not belong to the scenario. However, while it gave them the ability to defeat the invaders and protect their world, they nearly destroyed it as well, for there was no safe way to handle such an immense amount of energy. The book was buried in the inner vault of the citadel that once housed those invaders and their strange necromantic abilities.⌡

The boy was stunned by what he was reading, going over each word more than once to ensure he understood everything, which in itself was quite overwhelming, because not only did he have an S-rank item in front of him, but the system's description and notice hinted at many things indirectly. Adam tried to break them down methodically so he could process them correctly.

First of all, the general description confirmed a theory he had based on the name, though he hadn't considered it possible given the setting they were in. The book contained the knowledge necessary for the development of nuclear technology—something utterly absurd for a world still in its steam-powered era, even though its technology was far more advanced than what the real world had at that time. Secondly, the description also stated that the book hadn’t been created naturally, but as a desperate measure to deal with a threat that had arisen from outside the setting itself... What did that mean? It was too dissonant a meta-commentary to ignore. Could it be that... just maybe... they weren't the first ones to arrive in this story?

"Hmm, are you done?"

Thaddeus spoke, startling Adam with his sudden question and puzzled by how long he was taking with the book, to which the boy simply responded that he needed a little more time.

Returning to his train of thought, Adam categorized the third point based on what the additional information was starting to reveal. It indicated that claiming the object as his own would radically change the scenario's storyline—a reasonable consequence given its significance. However, it also hinted, based on the phrasing of its effects, that S-rank items weren’t the highest tier, which was incredible since, up until then, he believed A-rank was the pinnacle, as Li had told him, but most surprising of all was that the book granted two level 10 skills just by becoming its owner.

A thought crossed Adam's mind at that moment... What if he claimed possession of the ‘Atomica Arcanum’ for himself? Certainly, it was a very dangerous book to leave loose in the world, but in his hands, it would ultimately disappear when he left the scenario. Wasn’t that the best option? The curiosity about its contents, once he deciphered the language it was written in, and the temptation of its unmatched power was quite alluring. After all, possessing it would certainly aid him in navigating the twisted game he was now part of and could lead him to find a way back to the real world.

However, as he was contemplating this, two things stopped him dead in his tracks and sent a shiver down his spine. The first was a terrible feeling of being closely watched by something, as if a presence had manifested right behind him, observing him with malice, as though it were waiting for him to dare to act on his thoughts so it could unleash its wrath upon him. The second was a system window that appeared before him.

⌠Warning: You are about to break the promise established by the skill [Skill: Sinful Covenant Lv1]. If you proceed, the penalty will fall upon you.⌡

Although the original description of that skill didn’t specify that he would also be subject to the contract's conditions, it seemed that was indeed the case. Still, wasn’t it worth the risk? Perhaps possessing something as powerful as that book would make everything else irrelevant. As he pondered this, he felt a chilling sensation begin to wrap around his neck, making it slightly difficult for him to breathe properly. The boy finally understood... The ghost within him didn’t seem thrilled about the idea of him gaining such power, but it appeared to be holding back, waiting for him to make the final decision.

Just when he thought he had decided to risk it all and accept ownership of the object, Thaddeus spoke to him again, pulling him out of his thoughts for the second time.

"Is everything okay? You look pale."

Adam paused his intentions for a moment, recalling what was happening. Even though he felt a certain aversion toward the young Volta after what he had put him through, he had to acknowledge that the covenant they had never activated, even when Thaddeus had possessed the book without his knowledge. This meant that until then, he had been keeping his word, he truly intended to destroy the book to ensure it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands and finally put an end to the war ravaging his world, besides, being inflicted by the [Skill Sealing] and [Mind Sealing] debuffs from his own covenant was too much of a risk to take in these circumstances.

"Yeah, I just got a bit distracted."

Adam replied, closing the book and handing it back to Thaddeus. He reflected that, to some extent, he didn’t have the power to influence this world as he had considered. After all, if he was correct, it was that kind of interference from forces outside the setting that had led to their current situation in the first place. He decided to let the artifact be destroyed and allow everything to return to its natural course.

"It’s incredible how all of this happens because of a simple book. Knowledge can sometimes be a curse. While my father believes he can use this to convince everyone that a harmonious future is possible, the truth is that the only way to achieve it is by eliminating the old to make way for the new... starting with this."

The scientist said as he placed the book on one of the small stone tables and pulled out his mechanical pistol from his pocket.

"May the words of the ancient protectors of humanity be burned, and their sacrifice be eternally remembered."

And, after saying this, he fired several times, pausing only to reload before continuing until the book was nothing more than scattered pieces of paper and burnt leather fragments.

[Atomica Arcanum (Destroyed) - Rank F ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠Fragments of what was once a treasure of immeasurable value, now reduced to mere trash. It is useless.⌡ ⌠Hint: It’s irreparable.⌡

It was done—there was no turning back. An object as important and powerful as that was now lost forever. But at least it could never be used again, which was for the best, considering that the threat it had been created to combat had long since vanished.

The pressure around Adam’s neck vanished almost immediately, leaving a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. Yet, it seemed to confirm his theory that the Undead Empress within him wasn’t an invincible entity, as her reluctance toward the book likely stemmed from the power it would have granted him. Perhaps there was a way to free himself from her curse after all.

"I truly appreciate your help. I've dreamed of this moment for so long, and I can’t believe I’ve finally made it... At last, we can put an end to this senseless war, and it's all thanks to you—all of you. Guiding me, defeating the guardians, unlocking the inner vault, and bringing me back to life. I already told Mr. Sebastian, but I want to extend the same offer to you. When we return, I’ll see that you all are rewarded properly."

Thaddeus spoke with a wide smile—the first and most genuine smile Adam had ever seen from him, quite different from the stoic expression he had when they first met and the somber look in his eyes while they were lost in the shrines of the "Seven Lights." It was a breath of fresh air for Adam, who chose to sigh and let go of the worries that had plagued him until that moment. It was clear he had been mistaken, the young scientist’s methods might have been questionable, but his intentions seemed sincere.

"If that's everything, I think we should leave as soon as possible."

Adam said, emphasizing that they needed to leave immediately. Not only was it uncertain if something else might happen there, but they also needed to return to the zeppelin as soon as possible in case the medical supplies weren’t enough to treat Drake and they had to head back.

"Yes, you're right, it's time to go,"

The two boys hurried out of the small room and the antechamber of the vault, swiftly passing through and leaving behind the scene of the battles fought there. They weren’t entirely sure where they needed to go to find the exit, as part of their journey had taken them several floors down after they fell. Fortunately, the guidance from the plot device they had used earlier was still active, making it easier for Adam to orient himself, he simply had to follow the arrow’s indication in the opposite direction.

They navigated through corridors, skirted debris, and leaped over a few holes, but there wasn’t a single trace of enemies anywhere. In fact, on more than one occasion, they passed by groups of low-ranking guardians that showed no signs of being defeated. They were simply lying there, inactive, as if they had just shut down. Could it be because the inner vault had been deactivated? It was a possibility, as opening the vault had likely rendered the low-ranking automatons obsolete—the only thing keeping them functional, according to the information Adam had read in their system windows.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

As they continued on their path, contemplating this, an extremely strong tremor shook the area—so powerful that both of them temporarily lost their balance, bewildered. What had happened? It wasn’t the only quake; as the seconds passed, more and more tremors shook the structure, causing sections of the already ancient building to crack. This could become quite dangerous if they didn’t hurry. However, after several minutes of running, Adam knew they were relatively close to the exit.

“Hey!”

Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice echoed from a distance, growing closer and closer. Just as they rounded one of the last corners before reaching the final stretch to the exit, Admiral Augustus appeared, followed by two others with their faces hidden behind metal masks and cloaked in hooded capes that obscured the rest of their bodies. The elderly man was slightly out of breath, his expression deeply worried, even after spotting them. Without wasting any time, he gestured for them to follow and began speaking urgently.

"It's complete chaos out there, I don’t know what happened, but suddenly the place was overrun by an army of soldiers in strange armor, attacking both the Armada forces and the pirates alike with... I’m not sure what—some kind of strange weapons or abilities. I’ve requested permission for a full-scale retreat. I can’t get in touch with either of the other two Admirals here, so they’re likely fighting this mysterious force as well."

This was weird and inexplicable, at least for the characters in the scenario, but Adam had a pretty good idea of who it could be. It had to be the third force lurking in the shadows, now finally making their move—most likely to claim the ‘Atomica Arcanum’ that had been freed. Was this what the system meant when it said the treasure would alter the story of the scenario? Adam thought he was beginning to understand. If they still had it with them, they would have likely become targets for this third faction, and protecting it would have been nearly impossible in their current state. So, destroying it had indeed been the best choice.

They finally reached the exit, with Augustus leading the way, followed by the two masked figures—whom Thaddeus had mentioned were the escorts assigned to him—and the two boys. All that remained was to emerge from the underground citadel and head to the waiting airship as quickly as possible. However, once outside, the Admiral abruptly stopped, causing those behind him to almost collide due to the unexpected halt.

“Hey, you made it!”

A soft yet firm voice spoke, coming from a figure who had been standing at the entrance, waiting for them.

“Merrick? What are you doing here?! No, it doesn't matter, we gotta take the youngsters to Volta’s zeppelin near hear and declare a total retreat!”

Said Augustus, confirming that the tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp features, blue eyes, and dark hair was none other than fellow Admiral Jasper Merrick.

The figure seemed remarkably calm, despite the chaos unfolding outside. In fact, he was smiling kindly as he began to approach, walking as if everything were perfectly normal.

"Ah, of course, don't worry. I'll handle it. I'll be taking young Thaddeus with me if you don't mind."

He said, his tone casual, as though making a simple request, something that confused the old man for a split second before he got himself between Merrick and the rest of the group.

“What do you mean? … Merrick, what is happening?!”

"*Sigh* There's nothing for you to worry about, I assure you. Everything will turn out fine. Just go get those wounds treated, and I'll take care of escorting young Mr. Volta to his airship, alright?"

Immediately after those words, the elderly admiral threw a punch directly at the ground where his companion stood, not with the intent to strike but to startle him. In response, Jasper effortlessly leaped backward, dodging the blow with a swift, graceful jump.

"Woah, woah, you do know that attacking a fellow admiral is punishable, right?"

Said the young soldier, raising his hands in mock surrender, a playful grin spreading across his face.

"I know you, Merrick. We've spent years fighting side by side. I personally trained you when you first became a Commodore... What are you hiding?"

Augustus said fiercely, flexing his arms and causing the bandages to redden with blood seeping from his wounds, making it clear that the effects of the curses were still impacting his body.

"Really, you don't miss a thing, do you, teacher? ... I'm serious when I say I don't want to fight you. I know better than anyone that your heart is in the right place, and I truly would hate to have to do this. Just hand over Thaddeus, and you can leave, I promise."

The young Admiral shifted his tone from playful to serious, indicating he was speaking earnestly. However, Augustus seemed unwilling to entertain any further discussion. His usual friendly and jovial demeanor had darkened significantly, and his muscles were so tense that the veins stood out prominently, showcasing the anger boiling within him.

“You traitor!!”

With a roar that shook everyone, the elder lunged like a bullet toward his former pupil, arms outstretched as he delivered a double strike. Merrick managed to dodge, but the impact shattered the ground beneath them, sending a powerful shockwave rippling through the area.

"*Sigh* Then I have no other choice; I truly regret that it has to come to this."

And with that, Admiral Merrick unbuttoned his tie and ripped off his shirt, revealing a form-fitting, lightweight black armor beneath. This armor had several glowing compartments scattered across his arms, shoulders, and hands, with a brilliant center that resembled a swirling spiral, constantly pulsating with energy.

“Let’s begin then.”

On his part, Adam had been watching the scene with wide eyes and an open mouth, unable to say or do anything due to his disbelief. The information about the armor Admiral Jasper Merrick was wearing had appeared in a flash before him.

[Atomica High Armor - Rank A+ ] ⌠Additional Information⌡ ⌠It is a cutting-edge power light armor, sleek and black, designed for maximum mobility and strength. Embedded with numerous mini reactors across its surface, this armor harnesses energy to enhance the wearer’s physical capabilities dramatically. At its core lies a striking spiral reactor that initiates a mini nuclear fission process, fueling the suit with immense power. With every strike delivered while wearing the armor, the enemy is inflicted with the [Radioactive] status condition, ensuring that each attack not only devastates physically but also carries lingering, harmful energy.⌡ ⌠Cursed Vision Knowledge⌡ ⌠Notice: It gives the user the skills [Atomica Regulation Lv9], [Radioactive Aura Lv9], and [Fission Barrier Lv9]⌡

However, the fact that he was wearing a suit clearly utilizing technology from the 'Atomica Arcanum' was the least surprising aspect of all, and what truly left Adam in shock for several seconds was something else entirely: a window that had popped up the moment his eyes fell on Jasper Merrick.

⌠Name: J̴̙̺̓̓a̷̛͎̖̔s̸̪̦͐p̸̞͕͗̌e̴̩̜͑̍r̶͉̉ ̷̰̿̕M̶̨̠̽ẹ̴̅r̵͎̬̃͝r̸̘̳͛ȋ̸͖̓c̷̭̾k̵̨̯͌⌡ ⌠Age: 3̶̢͓̘͖̘͋̎́́ͅ0̵̱̫̔͊⌡ ⌠Species: H̵̛̤͂͋̿u̵͔͖͈͎̾m̴̡̹̹̪̈̿͝ă̸͚͎̠͆͆̇n̵̼͈̲͒ ̶̞͎͐̓͠-̵̮͖́̄̄̚ ̶͉̤̲͒́̚R̷̹̩̘̈́a̵̱̳͕̍̂ͅṇ̵͓̐k̴̠͋ ̸̱̘̩̰͌Ḇ̸́⌡ ⌠Points: 0̶̨̮̝͎̣́̿͐ͅ⌡ ⌠Potential: ?̷̡̭̼̈̎?̷̫͆?̷̡̼̪͓̰̓̒́⌡ ⌠E̴̬̅̕r̸͑̊͜ͅr̷͎̅o̷̹͆̓r̶͇͘⌡

A user window! Adam's 'Cursed Vision' had immediately picked up the Admiral's information—something that should have been impossible, as his skill only worked on other users, not on characters within the scenario. But there it was: a statistics window, albeit heavily glitched and even indicating an error. What the hell was happening? Could Merrick be a user like them? No, that seemed unlikely; if that were the case, Adam would have seen his information normally, right?

“Take them to the zeppelin, quickly!”

The elder shouted as he exchanged punches with the other Admiral, creating a strange shockwave filled with stale air, as if the temperature were significantly higher. Those orders were immediately heard by the two escorts present, who wasted no time in grabbing Adam and Thaddeus by the arms as if they were packages. With a powerful thrust, they launched themselves in the opposite direction of the fight, heading toward the zeppelin.

For a few seconds, it seemed like a good idea, as they lost sight of the combatants. However, Adam soon realized that going back might not be so easy, because as they advanced, he observed that the war between the different armies had reached this point on the island as well. He could see a large number of soldiers in heavy black armor, unlike Merrick's, moving slowly yet unimpeded. The others, Armada and pirates alike, attempted in vain to take them down, only to realize that every attack—whether from a distance, such as bullets and projectiles, or close-quarters combat—was stopped by a strange barrier that each of these soldiers possessed individually, preventing any casualties among them.

A gigantic shadow then covered the surroundings, causing Adam to lift his gaze with difficulty. He could see an enormous zeppelin, but this one appeared to be made of metal—something impossible for an aircraft of that style. A closer look revealed that it was equipped with thrusters. Thrusters! It was unthinkable; all of this was technology that had seemingly been planned in advance, but how? As he pondered this, the aircraft did something that made him go pale: from the center of its base, it fired something that could only be described as a beam or a flare of pure energy that didn’t quite look like fire.

Thanks to their distance and position, Adam witnessed the result of this shot firsthand and finally discovered what had been causing the tremors. That shot had struck directly against a ‘Sea Titan’, a colossal robot of the ‘Thunderstrike Dreadnoughts’. It penetrated its electromagnetic shield and engulfed it in a sea of flames, leading to its destruction and collapse into the ocean. One of those steel giants, which seemed virtually impossible to take down, was destroyed in a single attack.

Everything was spiraling out of control, and the boy couldn't grasp what was happening. The only thing he was sure of was that this was the work of the third force the scenario setting had mentioned. But he didn't understand how they could possess such technology; it made no sense. If they already had access to it, why wait so long?

“Gotcha!”

Adam's train of thought was interrupted by words that came almost from beside him. To his horror, it was Almirante Merrick, who had appeared alongside them as if nothing had happened, ready to grab Thaddeus from the arms of his escort. However, a mountain of muscle pushed him aside—Augustus had reached their position, panting heavily, blood covering his body and clothes.

This situation repeated itself a couple more times until the pickup point of the 'Stratos Technology' zeppelin finally came into view. At that moment, Merrick seemed to grow weary of what was happening.

"Stop getting in the way; it embarrasses me to even face you when you're in that state. Why don't you show me why you have the title 'The Man Who Pierced the Sky'? Was the battle inside that cave so fierce that it left you in such a pitiful condition?"

Said the young Admiral with noticeable irritation in his voice as he watched the escorts arriving and boarding, while his mentor positioned himself in the middle, trying to protect him, barely managing to stay on his feet... It was pathetic. Gone was the man once known as the most powerful Admiral in the history of the Ironclad Armada, someone whose moral fortitude matched his strength and whom he had always greatly admired.

"It's still too early for someone like you to bury me, kid; I'm more than enough to deal with a traitor like you!"

But immediately after these words, a loud buzz filled the air as a long vehicle resembling a motorcycle in the real world burst forth from the bushes, launching itself at the elderly man. It struck with its rear wheel still spinning, and although he managed to partially evade it, he received a massive gash across his chest.

“Aaahh!”

The vehicle pulled back after the attack and positioned itself beside Merrick, revealing the driver to be a man with a well-defined black beard, a bald head, and thick eyebrows. He wasn’t someone commonly seen, but he was the leader of the pirate guild "Gearforged Raiders", and he was wearing the same black armor as the Admiral.

“It’s really that hard for you to finish off an old fossil? Pathetic.”

Said the man, stepping out of his vehicle and lifting it with one hand. He began activating internal mechanisms to retract certain parts, sharpening the wheels, and setting them in motion, essentially transforming it into a giant chainsaw.

"These suits are amazing, hahaha!"

"Shut your damn mouth, opportunist. It disgusts me that you're even here beside me... But this makes it easier; let's get the old man out of the way and then take down the zeppelin."

Merrick was visibly displeased with the reinforcements that had arrived, partly because he knew he didn't need them, and partly because he was dealing with a damn pirate—scum. However, this particular pirate had joined the cause a while back and had proven quite useful in infiltrating agents and gaining members among the Seven Guilds. So, despite his distaste, he had no choice but to tolerate him for the time being.