Adam returned to the Bokku estate just before curfew.
Having not seen him for a day, Lina immediately ran to him as soon as she spotted him, wrapping her arms around his legs.
Adam picked her up with ease.
"Adam, while you were away, Maggie did such a poor job with my hair," Lina pouted, using her head to nudge Adam before she proceeded to mess up her hair.
"Lina, you only remember your big brother Adam, don't you?" Maggie's voice called out from the kitchen, making Lina stick out her tongue.
"Alright, alright, I'll fix it for you now," Adam said with a smile, gently placing Lina on the stool.
To Adam's surprise, after the sky darkened, there came a knock at the door.
His expression stiffened, as he hadn't sensed anyone's presence, but he quickly gathered himself and opened the door.
Standing before him were the High Priest and Lavin, supporting him as they entered.
"I was passing by, so I thought I'd stop by for a moment," Shaya smiled. "What, no warm welcome?"
"Of course, welcome, High Priest," Adam responded promptly, ushering them in. As he heard their footsteps, Adam's realization came swiftly.
"Had you used divine magic before knocking?" Before Shaya had arrived, Adam hadn't sensed anyone. Only afterward did he become aware of their breathing and heartbeats.
At that thought, Adam couldn't help but marvel at his own luck. Had he encountered someone like Shaya on his nocturnal journey, he would likely have been reduced to ashes by now.
Maggie and Arlis, though somewhat uneasy in Shaya's presence, gradually warmed up as Shaya was incredibly kind, and before long, they were able to converse freely.
"You're progressing quickly," Shaya remarked upon spotting the spellbook on the table, a trace of nostalgia crossing his wrinkled face as he spoke.
"Your praise is too much, High Priest," Adam responded, trying to maintain his composure. Based on the information he had gathered, Adam could surmise that Shaya was not involved in the immortality elixir affair and likely still didn't know that Anthony was alive.
Revealing this could cause significant complications with his studies, especially considering the suspicions Shaya might harbor.
Besides this, Adam had other concerns. Would Jin come? Would Shaya detect him?
Moreover, he had asked Jin to leave a mark at South River Road, Room 17, and with the gathering of beings from different bloodlines set to occur that evening, Adam couldn't leave if Shaya remained here.
This time, the meeting might end up being canceled, which would severely damage "Mr. Riggs'" credibility and hinder future operations.
Adam didn't let his anxiety show and dutifully listened to Shaya's words.
"Well, Adam, I must leave for now. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come to the Church," Shaya said with a gentle smile. "Don't rush your training as a mage; I'll have Alva keep an eye on you."
"Thank you, High Priest," Adam quickly expressed his gratitude before curiously asking, "What about Brother Flah? I haven't seen him in a while."
"Ah, he's no longer in Roya. His teacher at the Divine Academy needed him, so he's on a month-long leave," Shaya replied.
When Adam asked, Shaya was visibly pleased, clearly glad to see that Adam was still mindful of others.
"Flah's teacher is a strict ascetic, right? I've heard rumors that his teacher intended to recommend him to a powerful ascetic," Lavin added from the side, offering insight as he and Flah had come from the same academy, and they were of similar age.
"I won't keep you any longer," Shaya said, standing up. He reached into his robe and pulled out a bag of nuts, placing it into Lina's hands as she drowsily sat beside them.
The little girl instantly perked up, calling out cheerfully, "Thank you, Grandpa! Come again next time!"
A swift tap from Maggie on her head followed.
Adam forced a smile as he saw Shaya and Lavin off, but once they left, his expression grew strange. "Ascetic..."
"This can't be a coincidence." Adam recalled the moment his bloodline awakened, when he had felt the presence of that person.
Now that he thought of it, that person must have had extraordinary perception. Even if they only vaguely sensed his location, they would have quickly gathered reinforcements.
"Was Flah one of those summoned? And he has seen me." Adam recalled his fight with Flah, who hadn't seen his face clearly, but given the rarity of white wolves, those people would undoubtedly target Roya.
"Should I speed things up?" Adam didn't speak much more to Maggie or the others before retreating upstairs.
To his surprise, Jin was sitting on the bed, admiring Adam's first wood carving.
The carving had been salvaged, but it still hadn't turned out well. The image had warped, and cracks had appeared, though at least it hadn't fallen apart entirely.
"Rest easy. It's night now, my domain," Jin said, sensing Adam's questioning gaze. "If that old man activates his 'with the gods' mode, I'll avoid him as much as I can. But right now, it's night, and he's not in battle mode, so he won't notice me."
"Are you truly at the refinement stage?" Adam asked, unable to suppress his doubts.
"I've said it before, I specialize in concealment," Jin said, teasing the birds outside the window. "How are you planning to get there tonight? Need any help?"
"Of course, it's not time to rely on the Rom family's power just yet," Adam nodded. Though he had learned from Anthony that Alva would not create another batch of the immortality elixir, Adam had no intention of abandoning his original plan.
"Regardless, I need to get my hands on an 'immortality elixir,'" Adam thought. With Jin's expertise in bloodlines, Adam planned to learn more about standard methods of longevity and then concoct a convincing 'immortality elixir'—all the while leveraging the Rom family's influence.
But as Adam recalled the sensation he had felt on the carriage earlier, he realized that Matt was upstairs not far away. Shortly after, he sensed the familiar presence of Doug and the others. It seemed they were preparing to judge their own son.
For Doug, the pursuit of the immortality elixir was so paramount that he would forsake even his own son. If he failed to secure it, his wrath would likely be unleashed.
Adam knew that escaping wouldn't be an issue for him, but…
Listening to the sounds from below, Adam closed his eyes. "One must be ruthless. As a being of different blood, I must be even more ruthless to survive."
"Let's go! First, we need to get the disguise," Adam opened his eyes and said to Jin.
From the moment he took on the identity of "Adam," he had known that, whether he succeeded or failed, the Bokku family would be implicated. It was better to extricate himself sooner rather than later.
"It's best to define them as victims," Adam thought. Though being labeled as a victim would invite some gossip, it wouldn't greatly affect their lives. If they were seen as accomplices, however, the stake would be the executioner's platform.
Shaking these thoughts from his mind, Adam quickly composed himself. He couldn't know what the future held, but he could do his best to ensure the Bokku family would be seen as victims.
With black smoke swirling around him, Adam quickly transformed, leaping from the attic as a white wolf, making his way to the place where he had hidden his mysterious, rogue cultivator disguise.
Jin's black smoke surrounded him, cloaking his presence, making him nearly invisible in the darkness. It also gave him a surge of power, increasing his speed and strength.
After quickly donning his disguise, Adam avoided all detection and reappeared on the second floor of Room 17.
The smoke coalesced into a wolf-head tattoo on Adam's back.
"Can you hear me?" Jin's voice resonated through Adam's body.
Once Adam confirmed, Jin continued, "Though the beings of different bloodlines have gathered together over the years, they are still divided into various types, and conflicts between them are inevitable. Tonight's lesson will be about them."
"I'll inform you about the bloodlines, weaknesses, and strategies for dealing with each one you encounter tonight."
Adam nodded in silence.
"Also, Nesser," Jin added, "I can't maintain this state for long, so pay close attention. This might be your only opportunity for such a lesson."
His voice was calm, devoid of emotion, making it impossible to detect any personal sentiment.