ALL NOVEL Chapter 42
“Aaahhh!”
A blood-curdling scream escaped Ryder’s lips, carrying over the entire neighborhood.
“Deus! What is happening?” I yelled, positioning his neck so he wouldn't choke on his vomit.
“I don’t know. Appraisal says his vitals are all normal.” Deus panicked, quickly checking the status screen for any abnormalities.
“Ryder!?” Behind me, Rachel and Misa jumped over the wall. Rachel quickly rushed to her brother's side, pushing me away.
“Ryder! Ryder, stay with me. You are gonna be all right.” She begged as Ryder spasmed in her arms.
“What did you do?” Misa demanded an explanation, as I just stared in horror. Until now none of the Potions had shown any side effects so I naively believed that it would be the same this time as well.
“Blergh” Finally, Ryder vomited another pool of dark blood. But this time a black pearl was swimming in it.
‘Crack!’ The sphere broke into two pieces as soon as it left his body, releasing demonic energy.
“What is that?” Misa cautiously examined it, covering her hand in mana to pick it up. Whatever it was, now that it had gone out of Ryder’s body, he seemed to have become more stable.
Unconscious...but stable.
Deus and I sighed in relief. ‘The Potion was a success!’
‘Whoosh!’ A wave of mana burst out of Ryder’s body. Now that the Curse was gone, the previously constrained mana had forced Ryder to Awaken.
'I wonder what the brother of the female lead is capable of?'
‘Appraisal!’
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Name: Ryder Briar Rank: E Stats:
Skills:
Potential Rank: SS Suitable Class: Berserker Mana Compatibility: Mana Compatibility:
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‘Oh, my god! Isn't this guy a monster? He has the same skills as Rufus.’ Deus yelled in my mind, his voice full of excitement.
I agreed with him. Ryder was truly a monster. He might even become the next ‘Nature’s Sovereign’ in the future.
"And it certainly isn't bad that such a strong individual is now indebted to me.'
But as I examined his Stats, I noticed something strange. Normally, when a person Awakens, all the active Stats begin with a 1, no matter how good their previous training had been. Yet Ryder's Magic, Strength, and Stamina started with 2. ‘Was it because his Awakening was suppressed by the Curse for so long?’
As I examined Ryder’s status screen, Misa and Rachel just stared in amazement at the miracle they had just witnessed.
It was the first time in history that someone had survived their Curse.
"Ryder, you are going to be all fine now!" Tears of joy streamed down Rachel's face.
“How is this possible?” Misa, on the other hand, just stared in bewilderment. She turned to me, hoping for some answers. "...How?"
“You know what, maybe you should go and put him in bed. He doesn’t look good.” I replied, trying to change the subject. Right on cue, Ryder let out a loud groan on the grass.
“Well, we are going to get him into bed, but you owe us some answers.” Misa decided to let it go, considering Ryder’s condition. “Rachel, I will help your brother up while you go and call his doctor. Tell them to bring some iron tablets since he might be feeling a bit anemic. And inform your grandfather too.”
With a whirlwind the three were gone, but not before Misa warned me that she will have a talk with me later.
And just like that, I found myself sitting in the serene garden with Deus.
It was Deus who first spoke up. “You never mentioned you had a history like that!”
“It's only been a few months since we met each other, Deus. There are many things we don’t know about each other.”
“That friend that died… Was he the one who wrote the novel?”
“How did you…” I was surprised at Deus’ sudden revelation.
“You left it open on your laptop. I didn’t mean to snoop.”
“Sigh! It’s okay.” Honestly, I was relieved that someone other than me knew what kind of world this was. It felt like a big weight had been removed from my mind.
Deus decided to push forward. “But how did you enter a novel? Your world must have some crazy magic there!”
“Actually...there is no magic in my world. It's just like this Earth before the Great Catastrophe. Though the science is a bit more advanced.” I explained.
"So how did you get here?"
“I don't know! One day, I was drinking with my friends and this message popped up on my phone, asking if I wanted to go to a new world. My clumsy hands pressed yes, and the next thing I know, I found myself in Ray’s body.”
“Wait, you are not the actual Ray?” Deus stared at me in shock.
“Nope.” I shook my head. “I just came into this body on the orientation day of the Academy.”
“Isn’t that like the prologue of the novel?”
“It is. And I don't think it's a coincidence either. Remember the Demon that attacked us in my house? She apparently knows the one who brought me here.”
“Okay, STOP! That is a lot of new information you are springing up on me in one day.”
“Well, you are the first person who I can talk to openly about this stuff. So it's just coming out.”
“Still...It's just...Wow. So are you going to find that Demon?”
“Well, yeah. I will have to find him if I want to get back home.”
Silence filled up the garden. “...You wanna leave? Why?” Deus' tone suddenly dropped, when he heard my plan to leave.
“Well, because this isn’t my world. Isn’t it natural for me to want to go back home to my family?”
"But... you are the person I made a Spirit Contract with. I thought we will always stay together."
"And I am sorry to leave you here alone." I apologized. "But I don't want to stay in this world."
"Is it because this world is your friend's novel and not real?"
"This world is as real as it can be, Deus. It's just that staying here brings many bad memories, ones that I have suppressed for a very long time." Seeing the downhearted expression on my face, Deus decided to not push it.
As I nuzzled in the grass, the memory of that day came back to my mind. The day I committed the worst crime I could against my friend.
"Really? Was this novel so important to you?" I screamed at Aries' computer. It was the night of his funeral when all the rituals had been completed.
"Seriously, how could you kill yourself the minute you had completed your last chapter? Was this stupid web novel more important than talking to your friend?" It was an emotional time for me, and I did the most extreme thing I could have thought of at the time.
"I hate this novel! I wish you had never completed it!" I yelled at the screen as I pressed 'DELETE'...
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As the clock struck midnight, Rufus was sitting in his office.
He had especially vacated his schedule that night so that he could celebrate his grandson’s birthday. But as fate would have it, his precious time off was snatched away by his workload.
'Gosh, sometimes I wish I had never taken this job.'
‘Knock! Knock!’ Liam entered the room, placing yet another tall pile of documents on his desk. “This is the last of the evidence we have collected against the Laxon family.”
Rufus just sighed at his never-ending workload. “Should I just retire, Liam?”
“Retirement? All of a sudden?” Liam was surprised at his Master’s sudden plans, but it certainly wasn't unexpected.
Among the First Generation of Heroes that had Awakened during the 1960 Catastrophe, only ten had survived, including Rufus. All of them were great SS Rank Heroes, yet Rufus was the only one amongst them who was still on duty.
“Even if I may look young, I am still over 90 years old, you know. The mental fatigue is catching up to me. So, sometimes, I just feel like I should stop.” With a small voice, he added. “And…I no longer have a reason to continue as President.”
The public believed that the reason Rufus stayed as President for so many years was because he wanted to protect humanity. But only those around him knew the real reason why Rufus stayed active, despite his fellow Heroes retiring. It was because he wanted to find a cure for his grandson.
Liam, who was responsible for reporting Master Ryder’s hospital records to Rufus knew that very soon Ryder would succumb to his Curse. It was heartbreaking for him to see Rufus leading the Hero League instead of being a grandfather to Rachel and Ryder.
“I think it’s a great idea, Sir. You should take Miss Rachel and Master Ryder with you and go on a relaxing vacation.” Liam answered in a supportive voice.
‘Ring! Ring!” Suddenly, Liam’s phone began to ring.
“Miss Rachel! Hello! ” Liam greeted her.
Rufus stood up hearing his granddaughter’s name. “Is it Rachel? Did something happen?”
Rufus eavesdropped on the conversation as Liam tried to make out the words on the call. “Sir Liam…sobs…Ryder…he’s…sobs.”
But amongst Rachel’s sobbing, Liam was barely able to make what she was trying to say.
“Miss Rachel. Please calm down. Did something happen to Ryder?” Liam asked once again.
“Did something happen to Ryder? I am coming, sweetie.” Without listening to the rest of the conversation, Rufus quickly rushed out of the office.
“Wait, Sir Rufus. That’s not-” Despite Liam’s yelling, Rufus was already gone.
“Miss Rachel, don’t worry. Sir Rufus and I will be there soon.” He quickly cut the call and rushed behind his Master.
Ten minutes later, Rufus burst through the door. “Rachel? Ryder? Where are you?”
Rachel was shocked at seeing her grandfather so soon. “Grandpa, isn’t your office like 12 miles from here?”
“I ran!” Rufus explained, still huffing from his sprint. “Now, what happened to Ryder.”
“Oh, Ryder! He’s sleeping in his room!” Rachel replied, unworried.
“Then why were you crying on the phone?” Rufus looked in confusion. He was preparing his heart for the worst when he heard her crying on the phone, but here she was, completely fine.
Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Grandpa! Ryder is cured!” She announced in an excited voice, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.
A forlorn look appeared on his face. “Rachel, however much we wish for it, a Curse cannot be cured. You must be mistaken about something.”
‘It looks like the loss of her brother was too much for her.’ Rufus decided to find the best trauma therapist on the Continent when he goes back to his office.
But Rachel shook her head. “No, Grandpa. He’s really fine. Come here!” She took his hand and dragged him into the room.
Inside, Misa and the others had circled Ryder’s bed. The blanket was steadily rising and falling, with Ryder peacefully sleeping like a certain fairy tale princess.
But as Rufus examined his body, realization struck him. ‘Wait! Is that mana coming out of his body?’
The Curse that Ryder was inflicted with, prevented him from ever Awakening in his life. The accumulated mana in his body was the reason why he was in constant pain which would eventually lead to his death.
Yet, here it was. Mana channels had opened up in his body, like any other normal Awakened, and mana was steadily circulating in them.
“How did this happen?” He still couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of his eyes.
“Sir Rufus? Miss Rachel? We are here!” Liam’s voice came out of the living room.
“Come inside!” Rachel called out. Liam entered the room. In tow with him was Ryder’s doctor, Devi.
“We met at the entrance.” Liam explained.
Rufus decided to leave the matter to the medical expert. “Devi! Please examine him quickly.”
“Don’t worry, Mister President. I will do my best to help Ryder.” She reassured him. Devi took out a small device and activated it. As it stayed afloat above Ryder’s bed, a laser came out, scanning his entire body and vitals.
She pulled out her laptop where the data was being transferred. As she read the data for a few minutes, a sudden shriek came out. “Oh. my god!”
“What happened?” Rufus asked, concerned that something else had happened to Ryder.
“The Curse…It’s completely gone.”
“How is that possible? Did you say you couldn't do anything? Is this some sort of pseudo-fix before he...”
“Calm down, Mister Rufus. Ryder is fine. Well, I will have to take him to the hospital to run some tests, but as far as it looks, Ryder is completely cured.” Dr. Devi still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Congratulations, President! Your grandson is the first ever person to survive a Curse.”
Rufus was still speechless to believe that all his prayers were coming true.
It was too good to be true and his emotions were running wild. So he decided to hand over the reins to the logical side of his brain.
“Miss Devi, I would like for you to call an ambulance and take Ryder to the hospital immediately. Run whatever tests you would like to run, as long as they don’t harm his health.”
“Um, sure. But can I ask what kind of cure did you find, President? It can very well be one of the greatest discoveries in medical history.” Devi was bursting with excitement and scientific curiosity. She could very well be the first to research this latest discovery. She could imagine hearing the scientists at the Medical Research Institute bursting with anger.
But the disappointment that etched her heart next was irreparable. Rufus spoke up. “I will reveal that to you later when and if I deem it necessary. Now please leave for the hospital.”
If it was anyone else, she might have pushed it to get some clue about the cure. But since her opponent was the Rufus Briar, she decided to be patient. “I will call them quickly.”
She quickly rushed out of the room with her phone. Not even five minutes later, a private ambulance was outside their house. The paramedics quickly wheeled Ryder in and left with Devi in tow.
Rufus then chased the others out of the living room, except Rachel and Misa, and forced them into another room. “Rachel. Misa. Now tell me, what happened.”
With their limited knowledge of the events, the two explained it to Rufus.
“So, you left my grandson, who had been Cursed by the Fallen, alone...with someone whose family is to be arrested for associating with the Fallen?” Rufus summarised. The fury in his tone was loud and clear for Misa and Rachel to hear.
But Rachel gathered her courage and decided to speak up for Ray. “But, Grandpa, Ray is not in contact with the Chaos Alliance. He was even kicked out of the Laxon Family. Would he really help our Family if he was with the Alliance? And if what Miss Devi said is true, then he also cured Ryder’s Curse. He's our saviour.”
Rufus just let out a deep sigh, his tone becoming slightly softer. “Rachel, the world is full of illusions that you might not wish were true. The Laxon Family could have easily pulled a stunt to shift suspicion off of Ray and used him to deal with things. You should have been more careful around him. Especially when it concerns your brother.”
“Sir Rufus, I am to blame. I let my guard down since I was the one who personally investigated Ray.” Misa decided to step in. This was a happy occasion for the Briar Family. She didn’t want them to fight over what should have been a happy occasion.
“I am not scolding her, Misa. I am just advising her that she needs to be careful.” Rufus reassured her.
He lightly patted his granddaughter’s head. “Sweetie, why don’t you go to the hospital and look after your brother.”
Rachel nodded. “What about you?”
“I have something to do.” He turned to Misa. “Please drive her to the hospital.”
“Yessir.”
“Everybody come out now!” Rufus yelled at the people that had been pushed inside the room.
Jacob, Mike, Izzy, and Emma opened the door cautiously, afraid that Rufus would scold them this time.
Surprisingly, Rufus' tone had gone much softer, though there was still some rage in it. “I thank you all for coming to celebrate Ryder’s birthday with him.”
He then looked at the table and the food that had been set up. “Please enjoy the refreshments and feel free to rest the night here. I would be visiting Ray alone now.”
With the last line, a shiver ran down their spines. It was clear to all what he was implying.
‘I will be interrogating Ray now, so nobody dare to interrupt me.’
A singular ‘Gulp!’ echoed across the silent living room as all of them prayed for his safety.
Before Rufus left the door, he turned around and gave them a final warning. “None of you are to speak about Ryder’s condition to anyone outside. It will be considered a National Secret until I deem it otherwise.”
The six of them quickly nodded their heads.