Chapter 28

Adam opened his eyes, taking in the scene with calm composure.

‘I can’t see what’s happening inside.’

It was just like that time before.

And then…

“The barrier is disappearing!”

“What on earth happened inside?”

Within less than ten minutes, the barrier vanished, exposing him once again to the world.

But Adam, who was reminded of his younger self, gazed at Eveline with a much more subdued expression.

That day, his god had given him a choice.

Would he die here, or would he fight to live, even if it meant suffering?

Adam had always wanted to die, but without hesitation, he had chosen the latter.

‘Eve, what about you?’

“Eve…”

When he called her name, his gaze met hers—her blue eyes locking with his.

But just as he paused, overcome by an inexplicable feeling, Eveline suddenly collapsed forward.

Thud.

“What… What happened?!”

“Are you alright?!”

The priests, panicking, rushed to Eveline’s side.

She was no ordinary guest; she was the honored companion of the hero.

On top of that, she was a guest of the temple, and if anything happened to her, it would severely damage the temple’s reputation.

Even the high priest lost his composure, hastily infusing her with divine energy.

Only Adam stood motionless, overwhelmed by an odd sense of unease.

‘We definitely made eye contact.’

There had been no strange signs, but she had collapsed so suddenly.

Could it be that her soul was too young to receive a prophecy?

If not that…

‘Oh, gods…’

Adam whispered under his breath, but to his dismay, his small god did not respond.

* * *

The sacred relic that had vanished in the flash of light was now clenched in Eveline’s hand.

A relic that only a hero chosen by divine prophecy could touch.

Adam, too, had once proven himself a hero with that relic, holding it for months after defeating the Demon King. He had, however, returned it to the temple for some unknown reason.

But never in history had a relic moved on its own. Eveline’s sudden collapse threw the temple into disarray.

Adam left to speak privately with the high priest to investigate the cause. He returned only when he heard that Eveline had regained consciousness.

His footsteps were urgent.

He nearly burst through the door, but remembering there was a patient inside, he opened it more cautiously.

There were so many things he wanted to ask her.

But…

“Huh? What happened? I… I don’t remember. It was just really bright…”

Eveline couldn’t recall anything from that moment.

The two priests standing nearby were sweating nervously, as if they had already asked her the same question before he arrived.

Adam hid his frustration, but his voice betrayed a hint of impatience as he asked again, “Did you hear anything strange?”

“I… I don’t really…”

Flinch.

Eveline’s shoulder twitched involuntarily at Adam’s question.

‘How does he know about the messages? Ah… I was the one sending them.’

Perhaps Adam had experienced something similar before.

As the barrier lifted, Eveline began to think.

‘How on earth do I explain this?’

She could usually make up a story, but Adam was different.

He had the closest connection to the divine.

That was why, the moment the barrier came down and she saw Adam standing in front of her, she instinctively pretended to faint. If he started suspecting her seriously, he might quickly figure out who she really was.

So she lied, claiming she didn’t remember.

But Adam, catching the slight twitch of her shoulder, knew she was lying.

Yet, surprisingly, he didn’t press further.

‘Maybe… the god told her not to say anything.’

If his god had abandoned him and found a new child to deliver a fresh prophecy to, it would explain why the relic had moved. There weren’t many who could handle the sacred relic.

Strangely enough, Adam felt a twinge of jealousy.

[Your Hero feels a surge of intense jealousy.]

Stress: 73%

—

Eveline, feeling a sudden headache, placed a hand on her forehead.

Ugh, what now?

“Uh… Warrior?”

“Yes. Is there something you suddenly want to say?” Adam asked, his face bright and unbothered, completely at odds with the message that had appeared.

His face was that of an angel, showing not a single hint of deception.

 

[Your Hero feels slight hostility toward you.]

Despite that innocent face, his thoughts told a different story.

“It really seems like you want to say something!” Eveline muttered internally, starting to panic.

‘I thought you didn’t hurt people, especially not children!’

She screamed silently.

Even a small amount of hostility felt terrifying to her.

Adam’s bright yellow eyes gleamed with intensity. Eveline, unable to meet his gaze, darted her eyes around the room, trying to figure out what to say. She opened her mouth, desperate to stop his thoughts from escalating, but saying something like, ‘I’m the god who gave you those prophecies’ seemed like a terrible idea.

“Did you remember something?”

Adam prompted, not giving her a chance to escape.

He even moved closer, sitting next to her like a loyal, well-trained dog waiting for her response. The sight left both Eveline and the priests nearby flustered.

Exchanging knowing glances, the priests quietly slipped out of the room.

In this kind of situation, the wisest choice was to leave.

They congratulated themselves as they walked down the corridor, like agents who had just completed a secret mission, even giving each other high-fives.

“Did you hear? Looks like spring has finally come for the hero…!”

But despite their kind intentions, they had a bit too loose of tongues.

* * *

‘What do I do now?’

As the last two priests left the room, Eveline wished she could throw away her pride and beg them to stay.

She glanced between Adam’s calm face and the message still floating above him, searching for clues.

“What exactly happened in there? As your guardian, I have a right to know,” Adam pressed.

“Well, uh…”

Perhaps Adam wouldn’t dig too deep into his feelings if she kept acting clueless. But as soon as his usual gentle demeanor shifted, a wave of anxiety washed over her.

Eveline decided to mix truth with a bit of deception.

“What I saw inside was… honestly hard to believe. I don’t know if you’ll believe it, but… suddenly, the light flared, and the sacred relic disappeared. And then, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

It wasn’t a lie. There really hadn’t been anything in there besides her.

It would be strange to describe the system as something alive.

“I believe you,” Adam said softly.

At that moment, another message appeared.

 

[Your Hero is discerning the truth of your words.]

‘What a contradictory hero.’

Eveline thought, clicking her tongue inwardly as she cut off the synchronization.

Whether Adam believed her or not was no longer something she could track. But keeping the synchronization active would risk letting him hear her more intense reactions, just like earlier. That would be a disaster.

“Did you feel anything strange? Like someone watching you…?” Adam asked slowly, his eyes studying her closely.

“…”

He was drawing out his words, carefully observing her expression.

“Or… perhaps a strange voice?”

“A voice?”

This time, Eveline tilted her head, genuinely confused. She hadn’t heard any voices.

Just strange messages.

‘Wait… does Adam hear those messages as voices?’

Adam was genuinely curious if she had received a prophecy. His bright yellow eyes reflected her image completely, watching for any sign of truth or lie.

It made sense that he was searching for the god who had once guided him and suddenly vanished.

The problem was, she was certain he wouldn’t take this realization kindly.

After all, she hadn’t exactly treated him with warmth during all their encounters.

‘Still, I tried my best…’

She thought, quickly correcting herself.

‘I tried my best. I really did my best during those countless retries.’

She thought about the previous attempts.

‘Okay, maybe not my best.’

She admitted. But this time, hadn’t she done well? Adam hadn’t died, and she had managed to get through the battle with the Demon King without any companions. That was an achievement.

‘But still, what more could he want?’ she wondered.