Chapter 908 Meeting Zaphreal IRL

"What?" Levana asked, like always playing with Little Phoenix. The little bird of flames had occasionally come to the battle to blow off some steam or ask Eldrian for some mana. But most of the time, it lazed around here with the two in the near empty fort.

"Right, right? She doesn't know." Jade mumbled, frowning. "Nevermind. No, actually, what do you think of going sightseeing?" She asked, throwing the question at her compatriot.

"Oh?" Interested, Levana looked at the two with curiosity flittering across her eyes.

"You want to be allies with the vampires, right?" Jade asked Eldrian, leaning in and whispering right into his ears. "Then let's go for a little tour of the city."

Exasperated, Eldrian could only look at the girl and nod. Sadly, she was his best bet to get information on Miracle. Though he couldn't trust her anymore than most of the AI.

Ziraili was perhaps the only one he could trust amongst them, but Eldrian doubted she would know the reason behind the update. Of course, Eldrian planned on asking her for more details later.

"Fine. But promise you will answer my questions after."

Naturally, Eldrian was concerned about what might happen with him bringing a vampire to the city. But no one should be able to tell that she was one. And they have started talks about helping one another, even the possibility of forming an alliance. Albeit a shaky one.

And thus, Eldrian spent the following three hours accompanying the girls in the city. The festive mood certainly made for an enjoyable outing, but Eldrian couldn't help but feel there were better things he could be doing with his time. Training was certainly on the top of his list. But information was key if he wanted to react appropriately to Miracle's moves.

"You need to learn to relax." Jade teased after they had said goodbye to Levana.

"Easy for you to say."

"But a promise is a promise. So, what did you want to ask?"

'Finally!' Eldrian exclaimed internally, diving right into it. The answers he received seemed truthful. But it left him questioning reality.

"If you want to know more, you should meet with Zaphreal. You remember him, right?"

Eldrian nodded. It would be hard to not remember the one he had dueled and signed a contract with. After all, it had proven to him that Miracle had already had access to magic. Sure, it perhaps only held for a select few in the upper echelons of the company, but it had made him question ANW's purpose.

While certainly not excited about the matter, Eldrian accepted the proposal.

—

And so... he found himself here four days later. The update, coincidentally, also gave Eldrian plenty of free time. Five days was a long time, more than enough for him to visit. In the end, however, no one else will come.

"No way. You're the only one who can use magic if things go south!" Elizabeth had shouted when he invited her. Expecting it to go south was certainly wrong, but no one could blame her. Things had been rocky between—no, rocky didn't even begin to define their relationship.

They had locked Eldrian up; he had escaped. He had killed to escape, and they had chased him. That he now willingly head back to that place. It was insanity. Yet, Eldrian couldn't simply sit and wait for them to do whatever they wanted to do.

The update was certainly a step towards something. And Eldrian couldn't sit still in the dark. Certainly, Jade's words had been comforting. But Eldrian found it hard that Miracle was suddenly so caring.

He was trusting in the contract he had made with Zaphreal. But Eldrian had to admit, having magic and his auras to fall back onto was comforting. While expecting things to go south was wrong, he couldn't help it. And he had steeled his heart. He was ready to kill again—if it came down to it.

He was not coming to become a guinea pig or lab rat. He was coming for answers.

Then again, Jade's words had been comforting. At least not everyone in Miracle were mad scientists.

"Not that everyone agrees." She had said. "But uncle Zaphreal's been trying to fix things up. He even got most of the developers who work on ANW and who had met you to join him. Sure, they're mostly in the dark and not that important, but ANW can't function without them. Their help let his voice be heard, even by the most snarky of the families."

Looking at the nostalgic buildings, Eldrian struggled to put his thoughts in order. So much had happened since he had come here—and escaped from here. He was still struggling to accept he was here of his own free will.

Here at one of Miracle's headquarters. The one where he used to work at.

A familiar face greeted him at the gates, welcoming him inside. 'She certainly looks tired,' Eldrian thought, following Qiren as she led him to one of the restricted areas. He had always only watched it from afar while working here. And now, a man with bright blood colored hair was waiting for them.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance again, Eldrian." The man smiled. However, his presence caused Eldrian's instincts to go on high alert.

'He's strong. It wasn't just in ANW. He's actually strong.' While the man did not seem to possess much mana, he could clearly wield magic. This much Eldrian was certain of. If Eldrian had to guess at his capabilities based on what he was sensing, the man was at least as strong as Myropsis or Levana.

And if their duel told Eldrian anything, it was that the man commanded extraordinary mastery over lighting. At the very least, he had a hidden class related to it, and thus likely reflected his actual abilities.

'He likely is part of a bloodline related to lightning. If my guess is right, he's perhaps somehow related to Thor or Zeus. If those visions can be trusted. I've yet to experience them again, so I don't know what it actually was.'

"I guess it would be too much to ask for you to not notice. Still, it is impressive." Zaphreal said, casually. "Qiren, have you explained things to him?"

"I thought it best to leave that to you, sir." She replied almost immediately.

"Really? I thought you two had gotten along well while he was still here."

"It is because of our past that I thought it best to stay quiet." She countered. "After all, we allowed that to happen under our noses."

"Ah, yes. The previous department head was a bit overzealous. Then again, it's hard to remain righteous when everyone is breathing down your throat." Zaphreal paused just as they were about to enter the building. Its windows reflecting the outside like mirrors.

"Eldrian, I'm sure you understand this. But keep what you're about to learn to yourself... Well, I won't mind you informing your friends. But if it got out to the public, it can mean chaos."

"I do recall the error I made before. I was overly hasty in trying to show the world our reality." Eldrian replied.

His approach to announce magic's existence had seemed fine, but he hadn't fully understood the repercussions. Still, he felt people ought to know. After all, as it currently stood, magic wasn't dangerous. It would only become so if people acted without care.

'But that is far too easily done.' Which is why, in reflection, Eldrian felt his previous claims were overly hasty. Magic was too volatile to allow novices to tamper with. His previous actions were like giving a child a gun. An accident was bound to happen, and one had.

Heck, he still considered himself a child with a gun. No, he was more like a child with a grenade because of his strange affinity with magic.