Chapter 8
Part 1 - You Don't Find Her
The guild was quieter this time.
Not empty.
Just… less chaotic.
Which, for Stonehollow, meant something was wrong.
Adrian leaned against the counter for a second, scanning the room.
No Lyra.
No shouting.
No Raaandy—
"…there you are," Adrian muttered.
Raaandy sat in the far corner like he owned it.
Not in an obvious way.
Just—
No one else dared take that seat.
Adrian walked over, dropping into the chair opposite him.
"…You charge for conversations too, or just information?"
Raaandy didn't look up immediately.
"…Depends," he said.
"Is what you're about to say a waste of my time?"
"…Probably."
Raaandy nodded.
"Then yes."
Adrian sighed.
"…Fair."
He leaned forward slightly.
"I'm looking for someone."
That got his attention.
Not dramatic.
Just a slight shift.
"…You usually are," Raaandy said.
"…That's concerningly accurate."
A pause.
"…Her name's Elena."
Silence.
Raaandy's fingers tapped once against the table.
"…You don't find her," he said.
Adrian blinked.
"…That's not helpful."
"You don't find her," Raaandy repeated.
"She allows it."
That—
Sounded familiar.
"…Right," Adrian muttered.
"…of course she does."
Raaandy leaned forward slightly.
"Shadowfen moves."
A pause.
"Paths change."
Another pause.
"Creatures follow."
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"…Follow what?"
Raaandy held his gaze.
"…Something new."
That wasn't vague.
That was worse.
"…Define new," Adrian said.
Raaandy leaned back again.
"Stronger."
A beat.
"Wrong."
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
"…I've been getting that feeling."
Raaandy studied him for a moment.
"…You're going anyway."
Adrian nodded.
"…Yeah."
"…Then listen."
That tone changed things.
"Do not chase the forest," Raaandy said.
"Do not follow sound."
A pause.
"And if something stops running—"
Adrian frowned.
"…That's bad?"
Raaandy's expression didn't change.
"It means it's not afraid."
A beat.
"…Good talk," Adrian muttered, standing up.
Raaandy didn't stop him.
Didn't warn him again.
Which somehow made it worse.
"…Yeah," Adrian said under his breath as he walked out,
"…definitely going to ignore at least one of those."
Shadowfen
The air changed the moment he crossed the threshold.
Not colder.
Not darker.
Just—
Heavier.
Adrian stepped carefully through the trees, eyes scanning, movements controlled.
"…Alright," he muttered, "no chasing sounds, no following weird things, and absolutely no bad decisions."
A pause.
"…Let's see how long that lasts."
It lasted about ten minutes.
The first sound came from the left.
High-pitched.
Fast.
Too many.
Adrian stopped.
Closed his eyes briefly.
"…Yeah," he sighed.
"…not following sounds. Got it."
The second sound came from the right.
Closer.
"…Okay," he added, "…still not following sounds."
The third—
Came from everywhere.
Adrian opened his eyes.
"…Yeah, I think they followed me."
They dropped from the trees.
From the ground.
From places they absolutely should not have been.
Chrizzlings.
Dozens of them.
"…Alright," Adrian said, rolling his shoulders slightly,
"…round two."
They rushed him.
Fast.
Chaotic.
Uncoordinated—
But overwhelming.
Adrian stepped forward.
Raised his hand.
The air tightened.
Shifted.
"Slicing Wind."
The arc cut forward—
SLICE.
Three of them dropped instantly.
Clean.
"…Okay," Adrian muttered, adjusting his stance,
"…that's better."
More came.
Too many.
He moved.
Controlled this time.
Not flailing.
Not guessing.
Each movement deliberate.
Each strike—
Sharper.
But the swarm didn't stop.
Didn't slow.
"…Yeah," he said under his breath,
"…this is still a problem."
One slipped through.
Then two.
Then five.
Claws scratched across his arm.
Shoulder.
Nothing deep—
But enough.
Adrian stepped back.
Breathing steady.
Mind racing.
"…Too many targets," he muttered.
"…Need space."
He raised both hands—
Air pulling inward—
But before he could release—
THUNK.
A Chrizzling dropped mid-air.
Adrian froze.
Another—
THUNK.
Then another.
Each one—
Clean.
Precise.
"…Okay," Adrian said slowly,
"…that's not me."
The swarm faltered.
Just for a second.
That was enough.
Adrian stepped forward—
"Slicing Wind!"
A wider arc tore through the front line—
Cutting a path—
For escape.
He moved—
Breaking through—
Creating distance—
The remaining creatures hesitated.
Then scattered.
Gone.
Silence returned.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"…Alright," he said, looking around,
"…whoever that was—thanks."
No answer.
Of course.
He frowned slightly.
Then—
He felt it.
Above.
He looked up.
There—
High in the trees—
A figure.
Still.
Silent.
Watching.
Dark hair.
Sharp features.
Bow already lowered.
Sylra Veythorn.
"…You're welcome," she said calmly.
Adrian blinked.
"…You've been up there the whole time?"
"Yes."
"…That's comforting."
She studied him for a moment.
Eyes sharp.
Measuring.
"You're reckless," she said.
Adrian exhaled.
"…I'm starting to hear that a lot."
"You fight noise," she continued.
"Not patterns."
A pause.
"…That feels like criticism."
"It is."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"…Fair."
A brief silence.
"…Name?" Adrian asked.
She hesitated.
Then—
"…Sylra."
No last name.
No explanation.
Before he could respond—
She moved.
Not jumping.
Not climbing.
Just—
Gone.
Adrian blinked.
Looked up again.
Nothing.
"…Right," he muttered.
"…of course she does that."
He stood there for a moment.
Thinking.
"…Fight patterns, not noise," he repeated quietly.
Then looked deeper into the forest.
"…And somehow find someone who doesn't want to be found."
A pause.
"…Yeah," he said.
"…this is going to take a while."
Part 2 - Deadlines and Excuses
Earth felt…
Slower.
Not physically.
Just—
Everything took time.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, staring at his laptop like it had personally betrayed him.
"…You had one job," he muttered.
The blinking cursor didn't respond.
He sighed.
"…Right. Writing requires… writing."
Four days.
Four full days on Earth.
Which meant—
Almost a month in Eryndor.
"…I should be using that," he said.
"…Instead, I'm arguing with a blinking line."
From the kitchen—
"Adrian, are you working or talking to yourself again?"
"…Both!" he called back.
A pause.
"…At least you're consistent!"
"…That's not comforting!"
He rubbed his face.
Then leaned forward.
"…Alright," he muttered.
"…no distractions."
Ten minutes later—
"…Okay, mild distractions."
The News
The TV clicked on in the background.
Adrian didn't look at it at first.
Until—
"…and in local news today—another strange incident at a construction site…"
Adrian froze.
Slowly turned his head.
On screen—
Job Lack stood in front of a fenced-off site, microphone in hand.
"…reports claim a section of scaffolding fell—yet no impact damage was recorded," Job continued.
"…no debris, no structural collapse—just… stopped mid-fall, according to witnesses."
Adrian leaned back slowly.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
"…that's not suspicious at all."
The camera cut to shaky phone footage.
Workers talking.
Confused.
"No one was under it," one said.
"Should've smashed straight through—but it just… didn't."
Adrian looked at his hand.
Flexed his fingers slightly.
A faint ripple—
Barely visible.
"…Right," he said.
"…we're not doing that in public again."
From the kitchen—
"Adrian!"
"…Yeah?"
"Weren't you working there this week?"
He paused.
"…Define 'working.'"
A silence.
"…Adrian."
"…I heard about it," he said quickly.
"…I was carrying stuff on the other side. Didn't see anything."
Another pause.
"…You're sure you're alright?"
He smiled faintly.
"…Yeah, Gran. I'm good."
A beat.
"…You sound tired."
"…That's because I'm writing."
"…Ah," she said knowingly.
"…so suffering."
"…Exactly."
Deadline Panic
Adrian turned back to his laptop.
Blank page.
Still judging him.
Then—
It hit him.
"…Wait."
He sat up.
"…Wait wait wait."
His eyes widened.
"…Eryndor."
A pause.
"…I can cheat."
Stonehollow Library
The smell hit first.
Old paper.
Dust.
Time.
Adrian stepped inside, glancing around the quiet space.
"…Okay," he muttered,
"…fantasy world library."
A beat.
"…If there's not at least one ancient secret here, I'm going to be disappointed."
No glowing books.
No mysterious whispers.
Just shelves.
Lots of them.
"…Alright," he added,
"…we'll settle for 'productive.'"
He sat down at a wooden table.
Pulled out a stack of parchment.
Ink.
Quill.
Stared at it.
"…I miss keyboards."
He dipped the quill anyway.
Started writing.
At first—
Slow.
Awkward.
Then—
Faster.
Words flowed.
Scenes built.
Dialogue snapped into place.
"She Only Teases in French."
"…You're welcome, future readers," he muttered.
Hours passed.
Then days.
He barely noticed.
The system flickered faintly in the corner of his vision—
Silent as always.
No interruptions.
No distractions.
Just—
Focus.
"…Okay," Adrian said, flexing his hand,
"…this is actually working."
By the end—
He leaned back.
Exhausted.
Satisfied.
"…Done."
A pause.
"…I just wrote an entire volume in a medieval library."
Another pause.
"…What is my life."
Back to Earth
The transition felt smoother now.
Less jarring.
More—
Natural.
Adrian blinked.
Back in his room.
Laptop still open.
Cursor still blinking.
"…You waited," he said.
"…I respect that."
He cracked his fingers.
Then began typing.
Fast.
Efficient.
Clean.
Within minutes—
The manuscript was done.
Formatted.
Ready.
He hovered over the send button.
"…Alright," he muttered,
"…no take-backs."
Click.
Sent.
Adrian leaned back in his chair.
Exhaled slowly.
"…That," he said,
"…is the most illegal feeling productivity I've ever experienced."
From the kitchen—
"Did you finish your work?"
"…Yes!"
"…Already?"
"…Don't question miracles!"
A pause.
"…I raised you better than that."
"…Debatable!"
He smiled faintly.
Time Realization
Adrian stared at the ceiling.
Thinking.
"…Okay," he muttered,
"…this changes things."
Time wasn't just different.
It was—
A tool.
Train longer.
Work faster.
Build more.
"…Yeah," he said quietly,
"…this is going to be useful."
A pause.
"…Also dangerous."
Because if he relied on it too much—
"…Let's not spiral," he added quickly.
Dinner
He sat at the table, eating quietly.
His grandmother watched him.
"…You're thinking again," she said.
"…I do that sometimes."
"…Not like this."
He paused.
"…Just work stuff," he said.
She didn't look convinced.
But she didn't push.
"…Eat," she said instead.
"…Yes, boss."
Decision
Later that night—
Adrian stood in his room.
Hand resting lightly against the door.
"…Alright," he said.
"…Back to chaos."
A faint ripple of energy moved through him.
"…And maybe fewer near-death experiences."
A pause.
"…No promises."
The door shimmered.
And he stepped through.
Part 3 - Mud, Milk, and Bad Decisions
The guild was loud again.
Which meant everything was normal.
Adrian stepped inside, cloak settling around his shoulders—the one Borin Ironroot made.
Still felt weird wearing something that actually mattered.
"…Alright," he muttered.
"…money first, survival second."
A pause.
"…Ideally both."
"Looking for work?"
Adrian turned.
Three people.
All looking like they didn't fully trust each other—
Which, honestly, felt like a good sign.
The first one stepped forward.
Tall.
Lean.
Eyes already judging him.
Eggnog.
"…You look like you rely on instinct," Eggnog said flatly.
Adrian blinked.
"…You look like you say things no one asked for."
A pause.
"…Fair."
The second one popped up from behind him—
Out of nowhere.
Literally.
"…Hi."
Adrian flinched slightly.
"…You were not there a second ago."
JJ the Milk Man grinned.
"…I usually'm not."
Adrian's eyes dropped.
There was, in fact—
A small pouch.
"…Is that—milk?"
"…Always."
"…That explains nothing."
"Explains everything," JJ corrected.
Then took a sip.
"…I regret asking."
The third one didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just watched.
Zero.
"…He talk?" Adrian asked quietly.
"…Sometimes," JJ said.
"…Usually when it matters."
"…That's intimidating."
Eggnog cleared his throat.
"…Focus."
Right.
Work.
"…There's a boar," Eggnog said.
"…It's not high tier. But it's a problem."
J nodded.
"…Farm's a mess. Guy cried."
"…I don't trust that detail," Adrian said.
"…You should," JJ said seriously.
"…He had goats."
"…That makes it worse somehow."
Eggnog continued.
"…Hide's too thick for standard weapons. We've tried."
Zero finally spoke.
"…It doesn't break."
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"…So we hit it harder."
"…We did," Eggnog said.
"…It didn't care."
A pause.
"…Alright," Adrian said.
"…Let's go meet the problem."
The Farm
The ground was already torn apart.
Fences broken.
Dirt churned.
"…Yeah," Adrian muttered,
"…that's not subtle."
A low sound echoed across the field.
Then—
It stepped out.
Massive.
Thick.
Muscle layered over armor-like hide.
Tusks like curved blades.
"…Okay," Adrian said slowly,
"…that's a problem."
The boar snorted.
Then charged.
"MOVE," Eggnog snapped.
They scattered.
The ground shook as it slammed through where they stood.
JJ vanished.
Literally.
Zero stepped forward—
Then—
Air kicked beneath his foot.
He launched upward.
Came down—
CRACK.
His strike landed.
The boar didn't flinch.
"…Cool," Adrian muttered.
"…love that."
Eggnog slammed his staff into the ground.
"Sand surge!"
The earth shifted—
Rose—
Wrapped around the boar's legs—
For half a second.
Then—
BOOM.
It broke free.
"…Okay," Eggnog said calmly.
"…adjusting expectations."
Adrian stepped forward.
Hand raised.
"Inferno Ball."
The sphere formed instantly now.
Clean.
Stable.
"…Progress," he muttered.
He fired—
BOOM.
The explosion hit—
Smoke—
Flame—
The boar stepped out of it.
Completely fine.
"…I hate this thing."
JJ reappeared on its back.
Daggers flashing—
CLANG.
"…Yeah no," JJ said, already jumping off.
"…I'm not built for this."
Zero landed again—
Struck—
Nothing.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
Mind racing.
"…We can't break it."
"…We can't stop it."
The boar charged again.
"…So we change the field."
He looked at Eggnog.
Then at the ground.
Then—
At the lingering moisture in the dirt.
"…Wait."
A shift.
A feeling.
Something new.
His hand lifted.
Water gathered.
Not from a source.
From the air.
From the ground.
From—
Everything.
"…Oh," Adrian said quietly.
"…that's new."
A sphere formed.
Clear.
Fluid.
"Aqua Sphere."
Eggnog blinked.
"…You didn't have that before."
"…I didn't," Adrian said.
"…I do now."
The boar charged again.
"…Eggnog," Adrian said,
"…more sand."
A pause.
"…You have a plan?"
"…Barely."
"…Good enough."
Eggnog slammed his staff down again.
Sand surged.
More this time.
Adrian stepped forward—
Aqua Sphere expanded—
Then—
He forced it down.
Into the sand.
Into the ground.
The moment it hit—
SLUDGE.
Mud.
Thick.
Heavy.
Gripping.
The boar hit it at full speed—
—and stopped.
Not completely.
But enough.
"…YES," Adrian said.
"…that worked."
The beast struggled.
Roared.
Pulled—
But it was slowed.
Trapped.
Adrian stepped forward slowly.
Breathing steady.
"…Alright," he muttered.
"…this is the part I don't mess up."
He raised his hand.
Cold gathered.
Unstable.
Wild.
"Ice Spear."
It formed—
Rough.
Cracking.
Incomplete.
"…Yeah," he said,
"…still hate this one."
The boar roared—
Trying to break free—
"…Just hold it," Adrian muttered.
"…just—"
He threw it.
The spear flew—
Wobbling—
Unstable—
Then—
CRACK.
It pierced.
Deep.
Right through the eye.
The boar froze.
Then—
Collapsed.
Silence.
Adrian stood there.
Breathing.
"…Okay," he said slowly.
"…that worked way better than expected."
JJ appeared next to him.
"…You're weird."
"…I've been told."
Eggnog walked up, studying the mud.
Then Adrian.
"…You combined elements."
"…Yeah."
"…That's not normal."
"…Nothing about me is normal."
A pause.
"…Fair."
Zero nodded once.
"…Effective."
Adrian smiled faintly.
"…I'll take it."
He looked at his hand.
Water.
Ice.
Fire.
Wind.
"…Yeah," he muttered,
"…this is getting out of hand."
Then again—
"…in a good way."