Immortal In A Death Game

Chapter 248: A Relic

Adam’s eyes reflected orbs of light dancing up in the air, fading along with the hopes of the people behind him. He could hear them, their quiet tears, their shoulders moving on their own as their nails dig through the hard snow.

He’d heard them over and over again.

This was Adam’s seventh Game. And one would think that he’d be used to all the death by now—but no. Each death still... haunted him each and every second of his life, waking or asleep.

He turned around, looking at the cheering faces of his team first. And then, he gazed down toward those whose tears mixed in with the blood and snow beneath their knees and palms.

He sighed, and as he carefully walked to approach one of the defeated, the cheers instantly died down, and everyone celebrating lowered their arms.

"Lift your head. You did incredibly well," Adam said, crouching in front of the wailing man. The man wheezed, gasping for air before he raised his head—and as soon as he met eyes with Adam, he let out a loud, extended breath.

Adam quickly noticed the glint sparkling around the man’s neck. His necklace... carrying Adam’s likeness.

"Lord Endless!" The man wiped his tears, only to be replaced with even more—but this time, they were no longer tears of regret and wallow... but adoration. One could see it in his wide eyes and his heavy, pausing breaths.

Adam didn’t say anything as the man addressed him that way. The man then threw himself at him, wrapping his arms around Adam tightly.

"Lord Endless!" he repeated. "Please... please take me into your arms and let me fade away in your embrace! Please, offer me salvation!"

"I’m sorry," Adam whispered. "The only thing I can offer you is... peace."

"Yes..." The man nodded. "Please, take me. I... I have watched your glory since I was a child. Please! I was only a child when I discovered your greatness!"

A child...

Adam gently pulled away from the man, looking at his face. And then, Adam looked at his own face reflected in the man’s eyes.

His face... that hadn’t changed in thirty years. The only thing that had changed was his hair, tied in several places.

He stood up, letting his long, thick hair hang and lightly swing behind his knees. It was tied several times to keep them from dragging across the ground—at neck level, at the elbows, at the waist, and above the knees. Some of the strands of his hair at the ends were slightly lighter than the others... uneven.

"I’m not who you think I am," Adam whispered. "But I can take the pain away. Do you want that?"

"Yes..." The man nodded vehemently. "By your hands, Lord Endless. Let me be at peace through your hands."

"Hm..." Adam gently placed his hand on the man’s cheek. "...You can rest now."

"Tha—"

The light snap of his neck whispered in the air before he could utter another word. The man’s entire body limped, and Adam caught it and gently placed it on the ground—he stared as the life in the man’s eyes faded away, and then, he stared at the smile painted on his face.

Adam sighed, closing the man’s eyes.

"I do hope I gave you at least a little peace," he whispered. Adam was about to stand up when several more people from the enemy team approached him—each of them carrying different expressions on their faces.

"Lord Adam! Please... me, too! Please!"

"Why did you kill that man?! Haven’t we suffered enough?! Who do you think you are?!"

"Emperor! Save us!"

"Lord, please... take me away!"

The tone of their voices was also different from each other—but it didn’t matter. Adam didn’t really react to any of them. He just stared at them, and soon, the light of the Administrators covered him and the other victors.

He looked at his fading hands and then back at the people who surrounded him. He didn’t say anything, just watched as the scenery in front of him slowly changed. And in just moments, the low temperature disappeared—and he was back inside the RLRD building.

The RLRD building... which was now completely unrecognizable.

It was larger now, and what was once a living room had turned completely into a lounge filled with several tables, and the windows, with the view of sprawling city beneath them.

And the faces... There were a lot of them, all staring at him as he materialized from the light... faces that weren’t there three decades ago.

Well, all except one.

"Good job, Adam."

An old, bespectacled woman approached him, a tablet in her hand and a towel in the other as she studied Adam from head to toe. "Not even a sight of blood on you."

"Director." Adam nodded, using the towel to wipe the dirt on his face. "There will always be blood on me."

"You get more edgy the older you get," the old woman rolled her eyes. "And please stop calling me director? I have already told you a decade ago to call me Beatrice."

It was Beatrice—her hair now white.

"You’re the director of the Leak Containment and Rescue Unit—I need to address you like that in front of the RLRD," Adam said, waving her off as the two of them started to walk. Everyone in the lounge was watching their every step, whispering to each other.

"And you shouldn’t be escorting me yourself, Bea. They might think you’re giving me special treatment."

"We are giving you special treatment." Beatrice shrugged, adjusting her glasses as she checked on her tablet.

"You are the oldest member of the RLRD, Adam."

"We’re not all getting promoted like you." Adam breathed out as the two of them got on an elevator. As soon as the people inside saw them, they all got off.

"...You could be the President of the country if you wanted to, Adam. Former President has vouched for you several times—no one would oppose you if you run."

"I’m not qualified for that." Adam once again waved her off. He then leaned closer to Beatrice, peeking at her tablet. "...That many?"

"I am afraid so." Beatrice sighed, closing the screen. "The number of Heroes today has more than tripled since the last decade, and yet the number of Leaks has remained the same. The guilds are becoming too greedy."

"What’s changed?" Adam scoffed. "I’ll just meet with Katherine in the hospital, and I’ll deal with some of them. Send me all you can."

"There’s nothing to send—most of these are owned by guilds, and RLRD is already responding to what’s left." Beatrice shook her head. The elevator opened as they reached the roof, and she held the doors while gesturing for Adam to get off.

"If I can be blunt, Adam?" she asked.

"You’re always blunt."

"The RLRD does not need you for now, respectfully," she whispered, looking straight into his eyes. "The RLRD is an entire army now—they also have people from guilds here. It has become an entire... business, more so than before. It is time for you to join a guild, or make your own."

"No." Adam once again waved her off as he stepped out of the elevator and turned around.

"If you make a guild, I’ll consider joining," he said while walking backward.

"That is not going to happen, Adam," she responded while pressing the elevator button. "Say hello to the doctor for me."

"Why not come with—"

The elevator closed before Adam could finish. He just stared at the metal door for a moment before shaking his head as he headed to the helipad... with no helicopter on sight.

He stood at the center, looking at the city surrounding him.

A city that hadn’t existed thirty years ago—the New Gordon city. Named after the former director of the LCRU.

Adam watched the sprawling city move, listening to the hum of the cars.

"Well..." He turned to a particular direction, then the entire helipad quaked as his feet left the platform, causing a loud boom to erupt as he disappeared into the air.

***

"Mr. Adam! You don’t need to sign!"

"I already have."

Several minutes later, Adam was in front of a nurse’s station inside a large hospital.

"Where’s Dr. Katherine?"

"She’s in her room, Mr. Adam. Do... do you want me to assist you?"

"Thank you, but no."

And like in the RLRD building, everyone’s eyes were on him. Adam ignored all of them, however, as he walked across the hallway like it was the back of his hand.

And soon, he reached a part of a hallway that was filled with flowers. He gazed at the flowers as he passed by them, noticing all the letters attached to them.

Adam quietly entered the room. And Katherine, who was talking to another doctor, quickly waved at him as soon as their eyes met.

The doctor also glanced back, bowing her head as Adam approached.

"I’ll come back later, Dr. Katherine," the doctor said, closing her binder. She bowed again as she walked past Adam, her necklace carrying his silhouette swinging from her neck.

Adam saw this, and he could only sigh as he gestured to the doctor not to bow to him—but alas, the doctor bowed again as she left and closed the door.

"You’re getting really popular, huh?" Katherine chuckled, and the lines on her face deepened. "You—Kh."

Katherine started coughing, her face instantly turning paler as her body curled on the bed.

"Kath!" Adam hastened his pace, rushing beside her. He was about to press the call button, but Katherine stopped her.

"I’m... I’m okay. They’re going to force me to stay here again if you press that button. You know I have a movie to make, right?"

Yes—Katherine wasn’t wearing a doctor’s uniform, but a hospital gown.