The battle against Isaac Crawford had ended.
Adam knelt on the ground, his gaze fixed on the unconscious form of Luna-Evelyn sprawled beside him. His hands worked deftly, holding a syringe he had just retrieved from his kit. He examined it briefly before carefully pressing the needle against a precise spot on her upper arm.
"A–Adam!" Ophelia quickly spoke up. "Stephen needs help too! I did what I could, but—"
"Bring him over and lay him here," Adam interrupted calmly, his focus unbroken as he injected Luna-Evelyn with the contents of the syringe.
A faint groan escaped her lips, and her brow furrowed momentarily before her features softened again, settling into a more peaceful expression.
"Yes!" Ophelia responded quickly, rushing to bring Stephen over. She gently laid him on the opposite side of Luna-Evelyn, then turned her attention back to Adam.
Her eyes lingered on him as he tended to Luna-Evelyn's injuries. His concentration was absolute, his movements precise and assured, as if nothing else in the world existed at that moment.
"Will she be okay?" Ophelia asked, leaning closer, her voice tinged with worry.
"She'll be fine," Adam replied. "Her body is extraordinary—her wounds will heal quickly. But she'll still need plenty of rest."
As he spoke, Adam raised Luna-Evelyn's arm, carefully wrapping it with clean bandages. His hands moved with ease, but as he worked, something caught his attention. Her palms bore thick, hardened calluses—a clear sign of harsh and hard sword training.
For a young woman, the level of wear on her hands was remarkable. This wasn't just talent at work—it was effort, a proof to the sheer intensity of her training. Adam's expression hardened slightly as he traced a fingertip across the roughened skin, silently admiring her dedication.
Suddenly, her fingers twitched, curling into a tight fist.
Adam's gaze shifted immediately to her face. Luna-Evelyn's eyes had fluttered open, their sharp clarity returning despite her weakened state.
She pulled her hand away quickly, almost defensively, as though unwilling to reveal the evidence of her efforts. There was a flicker of vulnerability in her action. Despite her strength, she was still a woman who carried her own sense of pride.
Adam chose not to press the matter. Rising to his feet, he kept his voice calm and professional. "You need to rest for at least the next two days. Your body's been through something unusual—likely a rapid growth or transformation. It'll take time for it to stabilize."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and moved to check on Stephen.
Stephen could be irritating at times, but Adam wasn't one to hold grudges. The truth was, Stephen had his own quirks, but his worth was undeniable. He was a clear Upper-Value—a capable individual who simply had a temper that flared a little too often. Adam understood that everyone had their own personality. He wouldn't fault Stephen for his short temper, especially when, deep down, he was a good person—a man who deserved his place on this Earth.
Adam knelt beside him, silently assessing the damage. While Stephen had taken fewer hits from Isaac Crawford compared to Luna-Evelyn, his body was naturally weaker. The brute force of the attacks he had sustained had left him with several broken ribs.
Fortunately, Adam had just the thing.
Reaching into his storage bag, he pulled out one of his own inventions. It looked like a standard bulletproof vest, but its purpose was entirely different.
"Support his body," Adam asked curtly.
At his demand, Julius stepped in, carefully lifting Stephen into a seated position. His expression betrayed his confusion as he watched Adam slip the vest over Stephen's torso.
Once secured, the vest seemed to come alive. A subtle contraction rippled through it, tightening snugly against Stephen's frame.
"Arghhh!" Stephen groaned, the pain etched on his face.
But that reaction was expected.
The vest wasn't just fabric and stitching; it was a sophisticated piece of technology imbued with mana and enhanced by a unique healing compound—a creation inspired by Victor Frankenstein himself. When worn, the vest emitted subtle pulses of energy, channeling the wearer's own life force to accelerate the healing of injuries. Though it didn't instantly mend broken bones, it significantly reduced pain, calmed inflammation, and sped up the regeneration of damaged tissue.
"He'll need at least a week of rest," Adam said, standing up, his eyes flickering between Ophelia and Julius. "But if you want him fully recovered, I'd recommend giving him an extra week. Make sure your higher-ups understand that."
"Understood," Julius said, nodding solemnly.
Ophelia echoed the gesture but she smiled at Adam.
"I'm glad you're alright, Adam. We really thought… we thought you might have died back there," Ophelia admitted softly. The memory of the explosion Isaac Crawford had unleashed was still fresh. The space below had been obliterated, leaving nothing salvageable in its wake.
Adam's expression however tightened, his frown deepening as though her doubt had hurt him. "My Sphere doesn't break that easily."
"Of course!" Ophelia grinned, playfully slapping Adam on the back.
Caught off guard, Adam stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance before managing to steady himself. He shot her a sharp look, but Ophelia only scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Oops. My bad."
"It's still incredible that you managed to survive against that monster," Luke said, letting out a low whistle of admiration.
"I agree—it's nothing short of amazing!" Agatha added enthusiastically, nodding her head.
"But we lost the Book," Julius said, his expression clouded with frustration. "It was our only lead to Krainel Salvador."
Ophelia let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah… without it, finding him just got a whole lot harder."
Even Luna-Evelyn, lying on the ground, wore a look of disappointment, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"The Book may be lost," Adam spoke suddenly, breaking the silence, "but I have another lead on Krainel."
The others turned to him, their eyes wide with curiosity. Slowly, Adam reached into his coat and pulled out a letter, holding it aloft between his fingers.
"R–Really?" Ophelia and Julius were on him in an instant, crowding close as Adam handed them the envelope.
They read the contents, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock as their eyes scanned the page. "Is this real?" Julius murmured, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Let me see," Luna-Evelyn said, holding out her hand. Ophelia passed the letter to her, and she read it carefully. Like the others, her reaction was one of astonishment.
The letter was an invitation addressed to Krainel Salvador for a prestigious engagement—a royal event, bearing the unmistakable insignia of the Lunarian Crown.
"This emblem…" Ophelia muttered, narrowing her eyes as she studied the crest. "I've seen it somewhere before…"
"It's Lunaria!" Agatha replied confidently.
"You mean that country in the continent of Zelandia?" Julius asked, visibly startled.
Adam didn't show much reaction because he had already read the letter but his gaze was on Luna-Evelyn when Lunaria came up.
"Yes! And the engagement mentioned here—it's between the Imperial Prince of Lunaria and the Imperial Princess of Solaria! It's a world event! Kyaa!!" Agatha squealed in excitement, bouncing on her toes.
But her enthusiasm wasn't shared. Luna-Evelyn and the others remained somber.
"What is Krainel planning to do within a royal alliance?" Julius voiced the question lingering in everyone's minds.
"It's in two months," Luna-Evelyn said, folding the letter with care. "We'll need to attend."
"Miss Luna-Evelyn, we have to inform the Order first," Ophelia reminded her cautiously.
Luna-Evelyn's hands curled into fists. After a moment, she exhaled and nodded.
Meanwhile, Adam observed the group thoughtfully, his mind already working through the implications. He had a strong suspicion about Krainel's intentions for the alliance—or rather, he pieced it together from fragments of text he recalled from the novel.
It made sense. Krainel's invitation wasn't just for show; it was part of a larger scheme. Adam surmised that Krainel had tasked his ally with bringing the Book of Asmodeus to the event.
'I have to be at that engagement party.' Adam concluded swiftly.
The fact that it was happening in a foreign continent, far from the Holy Continent, didn't faze him. He already possessed one of the Books of Asmodeus. If he could get close to Krainel, he could seize this chance to secure Luna-Evelyn's trust further and potentially obtain Krainel's Book as well.
The only problem? How was he supposed to get an invitation to a royal gathering? He wasn't a noble or anyone of status.
Then it hit him.
Charlie Dust.
The cameraman who had filmed his staged wedding with Gwenyra… if Adam remembered correctly, Charlie was from a country in Zelandia. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to leverage that connection.
Shaking his head, Adam set the thought aside. The engagement was two months away—he had time to figure it out. For now, his immediate priority was to leave this place as quickly as possible.
Rest wasn't on his agenda. The first thing Adam wanted to do was delve into the Book of Asmodeus he already had, driven by the his never-ending curiosity of the mad scientist he was.
"Um… everyone…" A timid voice broke the silence.
Adam turned to see Irisdina, who had been nervously talking on her phone until now. Her face was pale, and she fidgeted uncomfortably as all eyes shifted to her.
"My father has called for you," she said hesitantly.
"For us?" Ophelia asked, tilting her head in confusion.
Irisdina nodded, looking visibly uneasy. "He… wants an answer. And compensation."
"Compensation?" Luke frowned.
"It's obvious for what…" Agatha said with an awkward smile looking around. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire
They all glanced around, their expression darkening as they surveyed the aftermath of their battle. The construction site lay in ruins. Several half-built structures had been reduced to rubble by the shockwaves of the fight.