BXBX NOVEL Chapter 221: Weakest Faction
Chapter 221: Weakest Faction
The streetlamps brightened his surroundings with their golden glow of light.
The sidewalk was still slightly damp as it just finished raining, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of wet pavement.
With his powerful running steps, he quickly made his way down the long sidewalks that went through some empty streets, through a narrow alleyway, and then through the gates of a nearby park.
The park was vast and filled with vibrant greenery. It had some small forests, nice ponds, and tiled roads that wound through the lush landscape.
Since it was nighttime, the park was eerily quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of birds chirping in the distance.
The winding tiled road path led to a beautiful clearing where a small fountain stood in the moonlight.
When he finally arrived there, Adam came to a slow stop and tried to catch his breath before taking in the serene beauty of the scene before him.
At that moment, he also heard some running steps, and when he turned around, he saw an ordinary couple jog alongside the pond.
"Hmm..." Adam sat down on the edge of the fountain and watched as they passed by before returning back to his thoughts.
However, before he could finish a single thought of his, two people sat left and right of him on the fountain.
With a side glance, he saw that they were monstrously big, standing near three meters tall, and looked like they were as thick as a mountain.
"We are on behalf of..."
Before they could say who, Adam said:
"Bartholomew Ravenscroft."
A flash of surprise went through the two men's eyes.
That's exactly who was their boss, but they couldn't understand how this young man knew this unless he already knew that they were in Navy Town and that he had kept an eye on them.
"Then you must know why we are here." Klaus said. "While Big Boss couldn't meet you in the New World, he sent us here to talk with you."
"Answer is no," Adam said.
"You didn't allow us to tell you his offer." Johannes said.
"Sorry, but I have grown a little bit of an ego." Adam said and cracked his knuckles. "I don't care what his henchman has to say. I want to hear his offer from his own tongue."
"That isn't possible." Klaus said. "Big Boss is a busy man."
"I am not important enough for him to take a two hour plane trip?" Adam asked. "He doesn't live that far from me, now does he?"
Klaus and Johannes exchanged a glance.
With a nod, both of them stood up, and stayed standing there like two bodyguards.
At that moment, another person walked from him, cleaned the spot beside Adam, and then sat down.
This man was also incredibly tall—like a giant, with meticulously groomed brown hair and a stern expression on his face.
"You indeed are important enough for me to take this trip." Bartholomew said. "It costs me money for me to move away from VR pod, as every second I am logged out, I lose money."
"How long you'd been here?" Adam asked.
"I landed this morning." Bartholomew said. "I've been waiting to meet you face to face."
"You're making me feel bad; after all, I planned on refusing your offer." Adam said with honesty.
He was being shockingly honest, which took Klaus and Johannes off guard.
"You don't know my offer yet." Bartholomew said with furrowed brows.
"I know what it is about and I am not interested." Adam said. "Don't get me wrong, I do respect you. Guild master of Smilebacks, a Plague of Chaosbeings, Bartholomew Ravenscroft."
"Yet, you don't want to join hands?" Bartholomew looked at him with a frown. "You don't want to or Crimson Hounds had already chosen their alliance?"
"I have a feeling that Digby is waiting for me to make my decision. It doesn't seem like he is willing to do that by himself."
"Then you don't want to?"
"Yeah, I don't." Adam said.
"May I ask why?"
"I think you're going to lose the war." Adam said. "And I don't want to be on the losing side." "Hahahaha!" Bartholomew erupted in laughter and patted him strongly on the back. "Your honesty is very refreshing! No one else has dared to say that straight to my face!"
Adam wry smiled and shook his head.
"And you're completely correct." Bartholomew said. "My faction is weakest in the entire war. Its because our numbers are weak for all-out war."
"Why don't you drop down from the war?" Adam asked.
"That isn't a choice; you should know that, as you seem like an intelligent fellow yourself."
"Yeah, when the war is over and other sides are weakened, you could sweep in and take the victory for yourself. They wouldn't allow you to do that."
"The war's participants have already been chosen." Bartholomew said. "The Seven Ancient Guilds and their alliances. Then, standing alone, Imperial Order."
"Mm, it'll be a bloody war." Adam said. "Titans will fall, rulers will die, and kingdoms will crumble."
"It is what it is. Greed is in a human's blood." Bartholomew stood up, then, from his hunched back position, slowly straightened his back. "It's exciting though. My battleaxe is sharp and
ready."
'It feels like the timeline has shifted drastically.' Adam thought. 'It feels like the war will start earlier than before, as Bartholomew himself came to me. It sounds like he is in a hurry.' "Either way, see you at the war; perhaps we'll get to clash weapons." Bartholomew said and then started to walk away.
"Why didn't you want me as S-ranker?" Adam asked. "Honest question."
"Because you're a balance breaker," Bartholomew said. "I've been preparing for this war for three years now. I know every guild's weaknesses and strengths, but then you came-wild
card."
"..." Adam frowned.
"You're the only wildcard in this entire war." Bartholomew said. "While I personally don't think you can influence this upcoming war too much, it's still something to worry about."
'Hmm, strange feeling.' Adam thought to himself. 'In the Great Guild War, I was nothing but a footsoldier that, in the end, didn't make any difference at all, but now, I am the wildcard?' With a tip of his hat, Bartholomew then left with his two strong-bodied bodyguards.
Adam slipped his hands inside his pocket and also left, headed back to his home.
...
With the hour growing late, Adam walked down the sidewalk of his neighborhood, about to arrive at his front door.
However, at that moment, he saw a person standing by the front gate, inches away from
touching the front lawn.
"Who are you?" Adam asked with a deep frown. "And what're you doing in front of my
house?"
"How did the talk with Bartholomew go?" The man turned to him. "Adam."
With his wild, curly black hair and silver earrings, he looked like a troublemaker, but his calm
demeanor and kind eyes told a different story.
"You are..." Adam frowned.
It was someone he didn't have the greatest memory of but knew about his position among the
mercenaries in the New World.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He was the guild master of Zestruction, one of the Seven Ancient Guilds, Zephyr!
"My name's Zephyr." Zephyr smiled warmly. "I'd like to have a word with you."