Chapter 119: Falling Star

The Lord stared down at Adam’s head.

It was burned almost as badly as his own body had been before regeneration, the skin blackened and its features warped by heat. But there was no mistaking it.

They had been the only two inside the explosion.

“Even in death,” he muttered, voice low and venomous, “you still mock me.”

He lifted his leg.

The intent to crush it was clear.

Then he stopped.

His foot hovered in the air as he stared at the head, eyes narrowing. A few seconds passed. Then his leg slowly lowered back to the ground.

Those people would want to dissect him, he thought coldly. I can’t destroy the only specimen they’ll ever get.

The restraint did nothing to cool his anger.

If anything, it made it worse.

Only now did the realization fully sink in.

I was played.

Played from the moment he stepped into that apartment. Played into beating a boy to the brink of death. Played into triggering something he didn’t understand.

And worst of all…

He hadn’t made Adam beg.

Not once.

That left a bitter, corrosive taste in his mouth.

A new thought surfaced.

Why don’t I just destroy this sector?

The idea lingered, then it expanded.

It felt… pleasant.

A massacre would soothe his nerves. Remind him who he was.

But before he could act, his gaze shifted upward, toward the distant sky.

He clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Today is just not my day.”

He bent down, picked up Adam’s head, and wrapped it carefully in a cloth, sealing it away.

Then he vanished.

Moments later…

An old man appeared where the Lord had stood.

The air rippled as he materialized, boots crunching against shattered stone. His eyes swept over the district, collapsed buildings, scorched streets, corpses strewn everywhere.

His expression darkened.

“I was too late.”

It was the commander, the same one who had arrived early in Sector 418 when the barrier fell. This time, he hadn’t been so fortunate. Being tied up with the Faradays had delayed him just long enough.

He exhaled slowly.

“What in the world happened here…”

His senses expanded outward.

Then he felt them.

The unconscious manager and acolytes.

The commander raised a brow in confusion.

In the next instant, he vanished, and reappeared beside them.

A foul, sharp and acrid smell hit the manager’s nose and his eyes snapped open.

He sucked in a breath and immediately pushed himself upright, only to freeze as his vision cleared. Acolytes lay scattered around him, unconscious, their conduits dim. His head throbbed, thoughts sluggish and disoriented…

Then he saw him.

The commander stood a few steps away.

The manager jolted fully awake. He sprang to his feet, posture snapping straight as instinct took over. He saluted sharply, as the commander slipped the small vial he’d been holding back into its case, the vile substance he’d used to force the manager awake.

“Sir!”

The commander didn’t return the salute. His eyes were fixed on the devastation around them.

“What happened here?” The manager’s eyes widened.

“Adam..” the name burst out of him before he could stop it.

He turned abruptly, staring at the spot where he’d last seen Adam standing.

And felt his stomach drop.

There was nothing there.

Only a massive mushroom cloud, frozen in the air like a scar carved into the night sky. The surrounding district was obliterated, buildings shattered, streets torn apart, scorch marks radiating outward from the epicenter.

Confusion and dread twisted together in his chest.

“Where is Mr. Adam?” he asked, voice tight, almost afraid of the answer.

The commander listened, piecing together fragments from the manager’s rushed, half-panicked explanation.

A Lord-level presence… an explosion… Adam at the center… then nothing.

His expression darkened.

Was the boy captured?

His fist clenched slowly.

And if so… who could possibly be responsible?

He didn’t need long to find a likely answer.

“Bring up the feed,” the commander ordered. “Everything that happened in this district.”

The manager nodded immediately, fingers moving as he activated the nearest terminal, silently praying that what they were about to see wouldn’t confirm his fear.

****

As the manager moved to retrieve the feed, the commander remained still, his mind already racing ahead.

He had personally led the operation against the Faraday family after confirming their involvement with the barriers. The Mission Hall hadn’t held back, forces were deployed in bulk, enough to crush a mid-tier clan outright. Many Faradays were captured. Some escaped. Worse, some of those apprehended didn’t even know their family had been behind the barriers.

But that didn’t matter.

It was only a matter of time before the real culprit surfaced.

Then the distress signal had come from this sector and the commander had to move immediately.

At first, he’d assumed the Faradays had made a desperate play, coming for Adam directly. And if that were the case, he hadn’t been worried. The peak strength of the Faradays was only profound Expert. If they tried to corner Adam now, they’d be in for a rude awakening.

From what the commander had sensed, Adam’s Star Power alone rivaled that of a Profound Master. Far beyond what the Faradays could handle.

But as the commander drew closer to the sector, his expression had changed.

He had felt it.

A presence.

Cold, crushing and absolute.

A Profound Lord.

That was when he realized….

A third party is involved.

The manager’s voice pulled him back.

“I’ve got the feed, sir.”

A portable monitor was placed on the bonnet of their vehicle. The screen flickered, then stabilized as footage from the district began to play.

The commander stepped closer.

And watched.

****

Adam slowly opened his eyes and pain greeted him immediately everywhere. His body felt heavy, wrapped tight and immobilized. Bandages covered him from head to toe, every movement punished by a sharp reminder that he was very far from fine.

He tried to turn his head.

But barely managed it.

That was when he saw her.

Remedy stood a short distance away, a towel wrapped loosely around her body, damp blond hair hanging over her shoulders as she stared at a TV mounted on the wall. Steam still lingered faintly in the air.

A hotel room…?

Her voice pulled him out of his daze.

“Oh,” she said casually, turning her head slightly. “You’re finally awake.”

She walked over, placing two fingers against his neck, then his wrist, checking his temperature and pulse with practiced ease.

“In about a month,” she added calmly, “you’ll be good as new.”

Adam tried to speak, but nothing came out.

​”Don’t force it; everything will return naturally. Trust me.” Adam didn’t push further, deciding it was best not to worsen his condition.

He could only watch as she continued her inspection, eyes sharp, movements efficient. When she seemed satisfied that nothing was wrong, she stepped back.

“Oh,” Remedy said as if remembering something trivial. “Congratulations.”

Adam blinked.

Congratulations… for what?

His eyes shifted past her.

To the TV.

The headline froze him.

DEATH OF THE RISING STAR: ADAM CONFIRMED DEAD

His mind stuttered.

What the hell?

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