Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey
Chapter 171: Talk

"Lucas," Adrian called out as he approached. The wind carried a hint of tension as he joined Lucas on the rooftop.

"Adrian," Lucas acknowledged with a nod, his eyes still fixed on the city lights.

The two stood in companionable silence for a moment, both lost in their thoughts.

An awkward silence enveloped the rooftop. Apart from the occasional chirps from the birds flying in the sky, no other sound resounded across the space.

-Step -Step -Step

Arriving on the edge of the rooftop, standing next to me, Adrian placed his hands on the handrails and looked at Silva City in the distance.

Aside from the occasional ambulance squeals coming from below, the city of Silva looked calm and peaceful.

As Adrian and I watched the city in silence, a strange yet relaxing atmosphere enveloped us. It was as if all of our worries were gone for a split second.

For a short period, neither of us spoke. We just calmly watched the city below us.

"It's peaceful isn't it?"

After a short pause, breaking the silence, whilst looking at the city below him, Adrian opened his mouth.

"It sure is…"

Nodding my head whilst keeping my eyes on the city below, I responded.

From where I stood I could see children and adults playing in the park across the hospital. People walking along the roads to get to work, and cars honking at each other.

It was peaceful… By looking at a City, No one can say that there was an S-rank dungeon outbreak in this peaceful City.

"Thanks"

Once again breaking the silence, Adrian thanked me.

"…"

Closing my eyes, I didn't respond immediately.

…I didn't know how to respond.

But I have to say something.

"…Sure and please do not tell anyone that I have Nightshdaow bow and also tell Emma to not say anything about this either."

Saying that I glance at Adrian from the side.

Having created Adrian myself, I knew that he wasn't a brain-dead protagonist. He knew what could happen to me if the Hero association or world government figured out that I had stolen a Legendary rank artefact.

Hearing my reply, whilst still looking at the city in the distance, Adrian smiled.

"Don't worry about it, I or Emma will not say anything about your bow, In fact, if not for that Artifact we would have been dead."

I just scoffed at what he said.

'Dead? Like his System will let that happen.'

Adrian must have gained a lot of experience from this incident and I know that when we go back to the academy he will become even stronger the he is now.

The gap between him and me is getting wider, I have to catch up to him and surpass him but how can I do that?

He has a System and when he goes back to the Academy Headmaster Hera will make him her disciple!

How can I catch up to him then? The answer is training

That's the only possible answer I have for now.

"…Why are you hiding your skills?"

Hearing Adrian's voice, I snapped out of my thoughts. Processing his question for a couple of seconds, I shook my head and looked at him with a trace of pity in my eyes.

"…you should know the answer better than anyone else but it doesn't matter now, does it? Not after how students see me fighting against those assassins and Tony"

Leaning backwards on the handrail, Adrian thought for a moment before breaking into a light chuckle

"I guess you're right, it was stupid of me to ask"

Smiling, I took a better look at Adrian. One thing I noticed as I looked at Adrian was that under his eyes were thick dark circles. Thinking for a bit, since must have used [Bloodlust], I figured he was probably exhausted.

Though the skill was very strong, its side effects were just as strong as the skill was. From the way Adrian looked, it seemed like he still needed a couple of days of rest before being able to recover fully…

"Well that's my cue"

After looking at the city below for a couple of more minutes, I closed my eyes and decided to leave.

"hmm"

Without saying anything, Adrian nodded. Basking under the sunlight, he was already lost in his world.

I couldn't blame him though. With what had happened, I'm sure he was blaming himself a lot.

…that's just who he was

I walked away from the rooftop, leaving Adrian to his thoughts. The mansion corridor felt quieter than usual, and the lingering scent of disinfectant clung to the air.

As I made my way through the hallway, my mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

Emma, Aric, Adrian – each with their unique struggles and powers. The mysteries surrounding the "New Sun" Organization and the unexpected appearance of Tony who had turned himself into a Fallen Human added layers of complexity to our lives.

Entering the elevator, I pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors slid shut, and the descent felt like a journey into the unknown.

I needed answers, and the only way to replace them was to delve deeper into the secrets that lurked beneath the surface. The art artwork powers, the organizations – they were all interconnected, weaving a tapestry of intrigue and danger.

The mansion lobby greeted me with a mix of hurried footsteps and hushed conversations. The staff, still on edge from the recent events, moved with a sense of urgency.

I decided to head out of the mansion to get some fresh air and also see some scenery of Silva City.

The city outside the mansion windows looked ordinary, unaware of the struggles within its borders. But beneath the veneer of normalcy, a storm brewed, threatening to engulf us all.

As I stepped out into the sunlight, I knew that the challenges ahead would test our resolve and unity. The shadows cast by recent events stretched long, but within those shadows, the seeds of resilience and determination took root.