Chapter 542: Chapter 542

Rivers of blood flowed unseen across the converged realm, rising into towering clouds of ash that painted the sky a bright scarlet. The convergence itself seemed to weep, reality bleeding as the very foundations of existence groaned under the weight of divine warfare.

Adam strode through the half-collapsed streets, the Raiment of the God-Slayer moving with him like a second skin. Each step sent subtle vibrations through the enchanted metal, the armor’s power humming in harmony with his own essence. He felt ready—more than ready—to face whatever Marduk and his pantheon could throw at him.

But the sight that greeted him at the palace gates stopped him cold.

Four figures paced before the entrance like caged animals, their movements sharp and erratic with barely contained anguish. Mimi, Pablo, Michael, and Amelia—his adopted family and closest allies—stood with faces turned toward the ground, grief clouding their features like storm clouds blocking out the sun. Their nails dug deep enough into their palms to draw blood, the physical pain a pale reflection of the mental agony that consumed them.

When Mimi’s red eyes met his, she launched herself into his arms without hesitation. Her small form collided with his armored chest, and he could taste the salt of her tears as her quivering lips pressed against his shoulder.

"Big brother..." she sobbed, her words torn from a throat tight with despair. "They’re... they’re gone."

Adam’s gauntleted hand moved to stroke her red hair with infinite gentleness, his voice soft despite the intimidating armor. "Who?"

But Mimi’s answer dissolved into incomprehensible sobs, her grief too raw for coherent speech. Her tears soaked into the cloth beneath his armor, each drop carrying the weight of losses too great for words.

Pablo stepped forward with a heavy sigh, his usual confidence shattered like broken glass. "Our lands, territories, subjects—all swept away while we were defending Atlantis."

Michael nodded, blood filling his mouth as he bit his pierced lip hard enough to reopen old wounds. "We’ve just received the notifications through our lord interfaces. We’ve lost our badges. We aren’t lords anymore."

His fist crashed into the thick basalt wall with bone-crushing force, sending bloody flowers of shattered knuckles exploding across the stone. "Theodor is dead, and so are all the civilians who trusted me to protect them."

Amelia covered her lips with trembling hands, wordless sobs wracking her frame as she struggled to speak through her grief. "I should have been there to protect them... I’m sorry... so sorry... I can’t supply you with food anymore."

The news hit Adam like a hammer blow, his confidence wavering under the terrible weight of unintended consequences. People died during wartime—it was a harsh reality he had made peace with long ago. But not , not in a coordinated strike that targeted those who had stood by him, not in a way that made his friends suffer for their loyalty.

"It’s not your fault," he said, lifting Mimi’s chin with gentle fingers to meet her tear-stained gaze. His eyes swept across all their grief-stricken faces, carrying conviction he fought to maintain. "I don’t know who’s responsible, but this was a coordinated strike aimed at destroying you along with your people. You couldn’t have saved them."

He pulled Mimi closer, his armored embrace offering what comfort it could. "At least you’ve survived. And that’s all that matters to me."

Mimi clung to him desperately, her cries piercing the morning air like arrows finding their mark in his heart.

But Pablo shook his head violently, his face contorting with rage that had nowhere productive to go. "We survived, great. But we’ve lost the system itself. You hear me, Adam? We can’t level up—can’t reach godhood without our lord status! Damn it!"

He stomped the ground with enough force to crack the basalt beneath his feet, his dreams and ambitions crumbling like ancient parchment. "My dreams, my efforts—gone! All because some smart bastards stabbed us in the back right after the convergence!"

He whirled toward the sky, roaring his challenge at invisible enemies. "Who was it?! Come out, you bloody cowards!"

Adam shook his head slowly, his expression heavy with understanding that came from his own journey through despair. "I won’t insult any of you by saying I know how you feel. I don’t, and I’d rather not experience it, just as you don’t want to feel what I went through when I was banished to the abyss."

Memories flashed through his mind—moments of absolute despair when giving up had seemed like mercy, the agony of betrayal by those he had trusted, the crushing weight of isolation in the depths of hell itself. But from those memories came strength, forged in darkness and tempered by suffering. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩

"But there is something I can tell you," he continued, his voice growing firm as his gaze steadied. "Even in the depths of the darkest pit, there is always a path up."

He moved to each of them in turn, his gauntleted hand resting on their shoulders. "I’m sure you’ll find your paths, one step at a time, even if it’s long and difficult. Unfortunately, it’s a solitary journey that each person must walk alone."

His expression grew regretful as duty called him away from those who needed comfort. "And I’m in the middle of a war that won’t wait for grief to pass."

He pulled back from Mimi and walked toward the palace doors, each step feeling heavier than the last.

Before he could cross the threshold, Mimi’s voice stopped him.

"I love you, big brother."

Adam paused, his eyes trembling as the simple words hit him with more force than any divine weapon. His breath caught in his throat, and he found himself unable to turn around.

Without looking back, he answered with careful honesty. "You know who I love."

"No," Mimi replied through her tears, her voice carrying a clarity that cut through the grief like sunlight through storm clouds. "Not that kind of love. I thought it was for years—admiration and gratitude blinded me to what I really felt. I love you like my big brother, my only family."

Adam’s chest tightened until he could barely breathe, his throat constricting around emotions too large for words. A single tear gathered at the edge of his vision, and he quickly wiped it away before it could fall.

"I love you too, sis," he said, his voice trembling. "Stay safe, no matter what happens next."

He forced himself to move forward, each step requiring conscious effort as he left his grieving sister behind. The palace doors opened before him, revealing the throne room where his generals waited around Mimir’s steaming cauldron.