Stray

No one spoke for a while. The cold wind was full of the smell of blood and sand.

Jesse wrapped his cloak tightly and was silent. Without the cover of bloodstains, he didn’t know what expression was on his face at the moment, but it wasn’t a smile.

He hadn’t acted in a human state for several days, and Jesse was even a little unaccustomed to it. Feeling Adrian’s sight, he turned his face and looked in the direction of no one.

Two steps away from him, Oliver Ramon was still lying quietly on the ground.

Although that was the result of their mutual agreement, Jesse still disliked this scene. He should be used to this as he had experienced the demise of several teams.

No, maybe he should have gotten used to it earlier.

Gaining power beyond oneself came at a price. When the strength reaches a certain level, it was easy to transform oneself, but if you want to keep acquiring billions of dependents, a magic circuit was necessary.

It was like a unique signature integrated into the body of your dependents. Once the construction was successful and it was imprinted in them, it would naturally increase the reproduction of the dependents and finally achieve a stable supply of power. Like the many roots of a desert plant that drew water, it wouldn’t stop growing and would extend continuously.

To build a relatively stable magic circuit, strength, wisdom, and instinct were indispensable.

Born to be extremely powerful, the Pillar of the World could easily build magic circuits and create new dependents at will. Even if there were no dependents to draw energy from, the Pillars of the World could survive for a long time as long as their bodies were exposed to the sun.

Unlike the naturally powerful Pillar of the World, as a member of the floating cocoon, he had never been considered strong.

The lack of power could only be supplemented by strong instincts.

Jesse considered himself a little unluckier than Oliver Ramon.

If Ramon gave up obediently, he could at least continue to live as the strongest human on the surface— He could live normally and die normally like a human. Transforming a small number of creatures one by one, as a “crippled God”; there was no issue that he could dominate the surface.

‘That human being didn’t realize how lucky he was at all,’ Jesse thought to himself.

Ramon clearly had an out.

As a floating cocoon, he was more like a seed of a plant. If he hadn’t been able to build his own circuit, just as a seed that lost its ability to germinate, all that was waiting would be being consumed to death.

A cruel and effective elimination.

Countless floating cocoons were born in the void, screened by hunger and death. A very small number would use their burst of survival instincts to successfully build magic circuits so they could feed before they starved to death. The remainder would gradually die, dissipate, and become bait for other creatures.

Even if the circuit was constructed, before finding a world where they could feed, these surviving planktonic cocoon larvae still needed to struggle with hunger and wander in the dark void.

As one of the survivors, Jesse didn’t like the process very much.

Under the merciless strife, he sought a glimmer of life on the border of death. He drained all his possibilities, desperately looking for a slim miracle. That memory was awful to the core.

It wasn’t that Jesse didn’t try to dissuade Oliver Ramon’s thoughts. He had warned him countless times.

He couldn’t be sure whether his next blow would “absolutely” kill Ramon. Doing his best was the only choice— If the opponent noticed that he was holding back, his instinct to survive would suddenly decrease, and all his efforts would fall short.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t build his own magic circuit, thus Oliver Ramon was simply not qualified to fight against the Pillar of the World.

Their leader resolutely chose to fight with his life.

And the result…

Adrian Cross was using a cleansing spell to remove the bloodstains from Oliver’s body. He repaired the armor that had long lost its shape, then his body. The person on the ground laid quietly in the sand, with no signs of recovery in their heartbeat or a sense of breath.

“I don’t think his circuit is complete. I don’t feel any changes,” Jesse said slowly, looking at the back of Adrian’s head. “Although I’m still losing power very slowly, I think… that it’s just residual effect of the magic array.”

Adrian didn’t look up, nor did he answer.

“You said you heard a call. Perhaps…”

Jesse stepped back a little.

“Originally, he was able to grab a little power from me and Light by virtue of being a true kind like us— You’re more susceptible to Ramon’s influence than us. That may be the illusion caused by his circuit array.”

Adrian remained silent, sitting beside Oliver.

“Don’t you understand, Adrian Cross, I killed him!”

Jesse couldn’t help raising his voice. “Maybe I have created so-called miracles for you a few times, but this time it’s different, no one can save him.”

The inexplicable frustration made his anxiety reached its limit, and Jesse lowered his hands and took a rare deep breath.

Oliver Ramon was dead, and there wouldn’t be any more crisis on the surface, at least in the near future. As long as they adjust and guide themselves in time, even if the Pillar of the World really decides to trigger a disaster, it won’t completely destroy the entire surface.

Then time will continue to pass until everything smoothed out.

Jesse had decided that no matter what the outcome was, he could quit and calmly return to his position as a spectator.

Ramon foresaw this situation in advance, didn’t he? This was a battle to the death with dignity and hope; a complete deal, isn’t it?

Why could Ramon accept it so calmly? Why was Adrian Cross still motionless there?

The cold reality was right in front of him, yet why was he still obsessed?

…Why was he so stifled at the moment?

Adrian Cross finally stood up. Jesse narrowed his eyes and watched the other party stride towards him expressionlessly. His star has finally woke up, Jesse thought calmly.

Embarrassed and weak, with his hands covered with the blood of his companion, Jesse Dylan was powerless against the current situation. It was just one of the ordinary lives in the endless void.

He, who couldn’t even fully control his own feelings, and wasn’t the god he expected at all.

What is he going to do next? Grieve for Ramon, his only student, or just walk away?

Jesse stood quietly in place.

‘That’s fine,’ the tired “God” thought and closed his eyes. He had been too deeply involved in this farce. Not to mention Adrian Cross, even Oliver Ramon could cause him mood swings, which wasn’t good. He must soon…

But the next thing that came was a hug.

What made him even more annoyed was that the hug even smelled of comfort. How dare Adrian Cross—

“You look a little sad,” the human said so.

“You have no idea what I ‘look’ like.” Jesse’s tone was cold.

“Do you mean the life in the sky that covers it and doesn’t stop twisting and floating?”

The voice of the former knight commander was unusually calm.

“Maybe you were too weak just now. I saw it. At that time, you were replenishing your strength through those thin limbs.”

“……”

‘This is impossible,’ Jesse thought a little blankly.

He couldn’t calculate and couldn’t understand.

There was no collapse, no fear, and not even a trace of panic. This wasn’t a human he was familiar with. The whole world seemed to turn mad, and his position was reversed as he was the one who seemed at a loss.

“Maybe you have been getting one thing wrong, Jesse.”

Adrian’s voice was damn smooth, his embrace was raw and restrained, but there was no doubt that it was warm.

“I never expected you to look in line with human imagination, nor did I expect you to save the current Oliver Ramon. Just like now, I don’t want you to be omniscient and omnipotent, and know immediately what I’m about to say.”

He didn’t know if it was habit, but the bold human even patted him on the back.

“Mr. Ramon is still alive. This isn’t my imagination… If you are willing to look now, you should be able to see it.”

“I don’t see anything.”

“Maybe you are looking in the wrong direction.”

There’s nothing wrong. Jesse frowned. Not a single one of his dependents was missing— Ramon used the temporarily drawn power to build his own circuit, and undoubtedly failed and hadn’t even manage to snatch a single member under his dominion.

A trace of extremely dim light slid past the corners of his eyes. Jesse almost subconsciously thought it was a hair that reflected a faint light, but something was wrong.

Next came another faint ray of light, like a spider web flickering slightly in the sun.

The residual sense of absorption in his body stopped, and the silk threads condensed into gray mist around him lit up one by one, increasingly. They flashed with extremely faint light in the vast world, and they looked extremely fragile from a glance.

It was countless… like stars.

“If I understand correctly, you and the Pillar of the World are wary of Mr. Ramon because he is like us… He could easily exert influence on the world, destroy the magic circuit you guys made, and replace it with his own.”

“…The truth about the origin of magic is so cruel, and he was trying to do it just now. It’s a pity that he casted his net too wide and couldn’t take it back.”

Adrian laughed out lowly.

“No,” he said softly. “Remember? During the time you were following us unilaterally, we were attacked by scorpion-tailed wolves. He’s a person who was stubborn enough to spend time and effort in front of the wolves to draw a “forest ballad” array, rather than rushing into battle.”

‘Wait,’ Jesse froze suddenly.

“As far as I can feel, although he borrowed the power of the two of you to build a circuit array, Mr. Ramon’s circuit wasn’t made for siphoning.”

Yes, neither himself as a predator or the Pillar of the World as a top creature, they didn’t consider the possibility of…

The flickering filaments of gray mist began to slowly disappear, and they returned the same way, retracting into Oliver Ramon’s body.

It was like a mind-numbing calm.

Jesse took a deep breath, subconsciously called out the body, and suppressed the entire desert with his own aura.

At present, it seemed that unless they anticipated in advance or made a point to observe, the circuit created by Ramon was extremely difficult to be detected— No matter what Oliver Ramon had done, he and the Pillar of the World hadn’t lost any dependents.

Without Adrian’s prompting, even him being so close he couldn’t detect it. If it weren’t for “Nemo” who loved Ramon deeply they were able to conceal it from the Pillar of the World, but if Ramon caused too much energy fluctuations and was discovered by it, all this would really boil down to one big joke.

In the next second, the whole world lost its color in an instant.

Unlike what he imagined, there was no awe-inspiring momentum, no chilling sense of oppression. Except that the whole world faded in color, time seemed to stagnate in a few seconds, and nothing seemed to have changed.

An extremely weak heartbeat sounded coming from Oliver Ramon.

“I didn’t respond to his call, because I only need my own God.” Adrian Cross finally let go of the hug, put his hands on Jesse’s shoulders, and brushed away a little dust from his long golden hair. “But I can show it to you, Jesse.”

Despite his suspicion, Jesse didn’t refuse when the other party put his forehead up against his.

A little memory crossed over with the temperature.

There was indeed a call, and Oliver Ramon was indeed crazier than he thought.

[I didn’t take more than that, nor did I snatch it rudely.] Ramon was serious.

It was a formation that was very similar to the forest ballad that showed emotions, but more powerful. That was more of a sincere request than a bottom-up invocation. Most people may not understand the meaning, but as long as they respond to this subtle and vague emotion…

[I need help, and accordingly, I will also help you.]

Warm and gentle emotions passed through his heart, like a warm breeze on an autumn day.

[Magic has been given, so I will give you something else. Don’t worry, it will not affect your magical talents.]

That emotion was more like a gentle and polite stranger smiling than the order of a superior.

[No qualifications are required; no talents are required. As long as you’re willing to keep breathing and try to become stronger.]

There is even a little embarrassment in this “summoning”—

[The efficiency may not be too high, but I promise, as long as you don’t give up on me, I won’t give up on you.]

It was different from the “Gods” that could be clearly analyzed. In the eyes of most lives, this call may just be a subtle palpitation, a faint flash of intuition. But again, it was too soft…

Not too many beings would reject it.

“…That’s too cunning,” Jesse muttered.

That crazy guy abandoned the magic position that he and Nemo had already occupied, bypassed the magic circuit that had already existed, and directly attached his own extra…

A set of inefficient, overly gentle, and even “rudimentary” circuits.

It was like ignoring the already paved mountain road and choosing to climb up from the cliff. The power it could bring couldn’t even be called magic, and Jesse didn’t know how to name it.

Simple, weak, but indeed effective. As long as the summoned person was willing to spend time and build up over time— It could indeed make their vitality become vigorous and their flesh strong.

This was indeed a choice that only Oliver Ramon, who was truly the same kind as them and had a terrifying utilization rate, could make.

“Ramon can no longer change his circuit.” Jesse sighed slightly. “If I do this, I would definitely starve to death. He really gave it up…”

Wrong. If Oliver’s gray mist silk thread really enveloped the Abyss and the surface at the same time in the deathmatch just now, then his source of power would be the entire world…

“But he is qualified to be your enemy, isn’t he? I think Mr. Ramon is about to wake up— The momentum that just broke out should have been suppressed by him. Jesse, I think you can take back the body without helping him draw the attention of the Pillars of the World.”

Adrian retracted his hands and smiled again.

Under the huge dark and distorted creature, the faint smile was disturbing.

“Yeah,” Jesse said.

The distorted body of the God disappeared, and the sunlight spilled onto the desert. The slightly fake frivolous smile returned to the beautiful face.

“So you can shut up now, Adri,” the blond young man said, grabbing the collar of the person in front of him, and biting his lip slightly rudely.

Adrian didn’t retreat, didn’t resist, didn’t even frown.

“……”

But their only audience was obviously not too happy. Oliver Ramon sat up and spat out a few mouthfuls of sand and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“…This is really a bit too much.”

The author has something to say:

This seems vindictive, friends (×

Now do you know why there is no vindictive setting in this world XDDD?

But it’s definitely not really vindictive (.) In short, it is this kind of power that’s different from magic! Let’s have a meeting!

————

Ollie: I won’t grab your cake. I can dip the steamed bread in sugar, and I can easily get full off that.

Nemo: This friend really has no ambitions.

Jesse: This friend really has no ambitions.

Knight Commander: …It’s Mr. Ramon I know.

————

Ollie: Ah, after walking from the edge of death, I feel a little sorry for Jesse and Adri. Will they be sad?

Ollie: (Opened his eyes and saw the two kissing passionately)

Ollie: …