Surviving These Unfair Scenarios [LITRPG - DIMENSION HOPPING]

Extra Chapter 15 - The New King's Gambit

Adam's eyes fluttered open to a familiar sight. The sky above was a permanent, bruised shade of gray, choked with smoke and a perpetual layer of ash. The air was heavy and still, smelling of decay and old, forgotten rain. This was his inner world, a desolate, ruined city of crumbling skyscrapers and forgotten streets. Nothing had changed since the last time he was here, a silent monument to his own inner turmoil. Just as he had suspected, the moment the new scenario began, his body had been swiftly possessed by the Empress, and he was once again a helpless observer in his own mind.

A small sigh of resignation escaped his lips. He was standing on what used to be a bustling street corner, but now it was nothing more than a field of cracked pavement and rusted metal. He looked around, and a small, wry smile touched his lips. Fortunately, he was not alone. Standing around him, as if waiting for his arrival, were the familiar faces he had come to know in this hellscape.

There was Nikolai, his long, dark hair a disheveled mess, with a mischievous smirk on his face as he leaned against a ruined building. Abbess stood silently beside him, her long, black, silky hair a stark contrast to her grey skin and her uniform. A few feet away, the Spectronomicon floated in the air, its ghostly skull fluttering in a nonexistent wind, and the Guardian of Envy was a silent, imposing figure beside it, his golden armor shifting and swaying with a quiet discontent.

"So, you're back."

Nikolai said, his voice a low, teasing drawl. He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to Adam with a curious glint in his eyes.

"Took you long enough. We were getting bored."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"How do you always find me instantly? Did you know I was coming?"

He asked, but Nikolai only shrugged.

"I don't know, man. It's weird. It's like we just... know. It's a feeling, a little prickle at the back of my mind that tells me you're about to show up. It's a new thing, though. We didn't feel it that much the last time, but this time... it was strong."

He paused, his expression turning serious.

"It's annoying, though. I'm a free spirit, and the idea of being 'bound' to you in some way, even if it's just in this world, is not something I'm fond of."

Adam couldn't help but laugh.

"Bound to me? That's a strong word, Nikolai. Don't worry, I won't ask you to be my personal butler."

Nikolai wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Heck no!"

He said with a dramatic flair, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"I'd rather be dead than be at the beck and call of another dude."

Adam's laughter grew louder.

"You're already dead, Nikolai. That's the whole point."

"You know what I mean!"

Nikolai snapped back, his face a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. He was about to say more, but he stopped himself, a small smile returning to his face.

"Okay, okay, you win. But don't think this makes me your lackey for real. We're just... acquaintances who happen to be stuck in the same hellscape."

Abbess, who had been watching the interaction in silence, now stepped forward, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips.

"This is an impertinence."

She said, her voice soft and melodic.

"It would be a great honor for you to serve master Adam, mind your filthy tongue!"

Her gaze lingered on Adam for a moment, a subtle warmth in her red eyes that made him feel a little uncomfortable. It was a testament to the [Soulcrusher Virus] that her loyalty to him was absolute, but the romantic feelings that came with it, a consequence of the virus's alteration of her memories, were something he still didn't know how to deal with.

For the next hour, Adam simply sat there, a prisoner in his own mind. He felt utterly useless, his hands tied by the lack of his skills. Nikolai would occasionally crack a joke or talk about his past life in the real world, Abbess would offer a few words of comfort, the Guardian of Envy would patrol the perimeter, and the Spectronomicon would float around Adam like a pet.

The boy was grateful for the company, but he was also frustrated. He wanted to help his friends, to do something, anything, but he couldn't.

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"So, what's the plan? You can't just sit here and wait for your team to save you. What if they fail?"

Nikolai finally asked, breaking the silence.

"They won't."

Adam replied, his voice firm.

"I trust them. But you're right, I would like to do something more. It's just that none of my skills work here. I'm powerless."

But then, just as he said that, a strange sensation washed over him. It was a faint, almost imperceptible change, but he felt it all the same. He felt lighter, more refreshed, and his body was tingling with a newfound energy. He had no idea why, but he knew something was wrong, or right, he didn't know which one.

"What's wrong?"

Nikolai asked, seeing the change in his expression.

Adam didn't answer. Instead, he lifted his hand and tried to use his skill, [Spectral Mist Step]. The result was a stunning success. A small part of his arm, from his wrist to his elbow, transformed into a swirling cloud of ethereal mist before returning to normal a second later.

The boy looked at his hand and smiled, an open, genuine smile that had been absent from his face for what felt like hours.

"What the hell is that grin? Man, you're creeping me out."

Nikolai exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm not sure…"

Adam replied, the smile not leaving his face.

"But I think it has something to do with my team. I think they've found a way to suppress the Empress's power in my body."

He wasn't aware of the specifics, but thanks to what his team had done in the scenario, a large portion of the Empress's power had been sealed away in one of Emir's cubes, and the influence she had over Adam's internal world had drastically fallen.

Adam's skills were returning, and he could now manifest them, at least partially. He didn't waste any time and sat down, his face a mask of intense concentration as he mulled over the possibilities. He stayed that way for several minutes, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts, until Nikolai, now nervous and agitated, asked him if everything was okay. The boy, with a single, raised finger, asked him to be quiet.

After a few more moments of thought, Adam said to himself.

"The best thing to do is to try it."

He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, trying to contact none other than the Archdevil Malzaphir. After a few attempts, a faint, blurry voice was finally heard in his head, like a radio that was poorly tuned.

"What is it, vile human?"

Malzaphir's voice was a low, resentful growl.

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

He sounded utterly unamused.

"I can feel how weak you are, so anything you try to do will be a waste of my time."

Adam, however, simply smiled.

"Don't be like that. Trust me and let me use just a little bit of your power."

He said with confidence.

"Why should I?"

Malzaphir's voice was a cold, venomous whisper.

"If there's one thing I hate, it's wasting power on something that won't be profitable."

Upon these words, Adam, still smiling, replied.

"Unlike you, I'm not known as the 'Architect of Lies'."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"Have I ever given you a reason to distrust me? Has every request I've ever made not led to a good show?"

Malzaphir was silent for a long moment, and then a low chuckle began to rumble in Adam's head. It grew louder and louder until it became a full-blown cackle of insane laughter.

"Having a human as a contractor is so interesting. Even your insolence is amusing to a certain point... Very well, I'll share a pinch of my power with you. But don't you dare waste it."

Adam felt the devilish energy of Malzaphir fill his body, a really small amount compared to what he was used to, but it was more than enough for what he had planned.

Feeling recharged, Adam used all his concentration to materialize one of his items, a feat that should have been impossible, since they were inside his own mind and not on a physical plane. But thanks to Malzaphir's power, the impossible became real, and to the astonishment of everyone present, a large, ancient-looking book materialized in front of him. It was the [Malzaphir's Forbidden Tome. Vol 13 (Necronomicon's Secrets) (Replica)].

The moment it appeared, it began to emanate a pressure of dark energy so great and powerful that Nikolai, Abbess, the Spectronomicon, and the Guardian of Envy were all affected and startled. The energy spread in all directions, a shockwave of malevolent power that was felt throughout the entire city, and all the ghosts in this ruined world, even those kilometers away, turned toward the source.

Adam smiled as he held the book, its pages glowing with a faint, crimson light.

"This is enough."

He said with a confident smile.

"The Undead Empress's phantom hoards will not take long to arrive and overwhelm us with waves and waves of immortal ghosts."

Nikolai was completely nervous and out of his mind at that revelation.

"Have you gone crazy?! What the hell are you planning to do?"

He screamed; however, Adam just turned to look at him with a serene smile on his face.

"I'm going to do the only thing I can do right now."

He said, turning back to the front, and, with the book in his hand, and Malzaphir's laughter echoing in his head, he began to walk forward. A massive wave of spectral white was approaching in the distance, a ghostly tide that was now heading straight for him.

"Come on, guys."

He said, his voice now filled with a newfound purpose.

"When the Empress returns... I'll make sure this place has a new king."