Geto and Friends (2)

Adam found a pile of abandoned cargo to sit on and heaved a sigh. The look on his expression now betrayed the feeling as if he was on the verge of an existential crisis.

Recalling the rows of hilichurls to a shadowy portal, his mood inevitably worsened. "Haah..."

Moving back in time when he acquired the ability to use curse manipulation, he immediately went to test his hypothesis. One of the key findings he discovered happens to be just that, hilichurls were kindred to cursed spirits.

It meant that these same hilichurls could be exorcised using jujutsu techniques, and by extension qualify as a valid target for his ability as well.

Surely, one could guess what he was aiming for at this point.

Putting morality aside, this fact served as an effective means to compensate for the absence of a powerful trump card in his current arsenal—relying on sheer quantity. From his standpoint, the notion that hilichurls were once human was merely an afterthought. On the contrary, he believed his actions brought more benefit by clearing the camps in the surrounding area, and therefore making the roads much safer to use with fewer monsters roaming around.

'If anything else, it should have been a win-win situation...' Adam suddenly recalled his initial excitement with a look of repugnance, finding it to be a distant dream now in comparison. 'So why...?'

Right.

As one might say in this scenario, things rarely come as they are especially when it seems too good to be true.

As one might guess, there was a particular problem:

'I know I said it already, but they taste like---' Adam gagged before he could even finish, but was lucky enough to stop his imagination from delving any further, and quickly perished the thought.

Although he has consumed enough hilichurls far more than what the average adventurer would kill in their lifetime, he could not get himself used to it no matter what. Rather, it felt more like it would be his loss the moment that he did.

However, if he had to describe the taste in detail, it would be akin to eating a dirty rag that was used to wipe out vomit, had it been left out to bathe under the sun for years. On top of that, the taste tended to linger for an extended amount of time.

God knows how he actually managed to endure this far...

'...Let's take a break for a while,' Adam decided inwardly as he lightened up, using the time off to clear his mind, and took a long, deep breath. Exhaling, he could feel the weight off his shoulders already.

Perhaps if there was one thing he could boast about himself, it would be the ability to change his mood easily at the flip of a switch.

"Life's more fun this way," Adam nodded sagely with both of his hands folded, closing his eyes to soothe his mental fatigue.

Time passed, and he remained idle whilst gazing at the hazy image of a floating castle that was strangely visible even from hundreds of miles away.

After a long rest and regaining his bearing, he decided it was time to examine his next move. "Hmm... I could almost see the Serpent's Head up close, so I should be getting closer to Tatarasuna. Ideally, I would sneak past the containment dome and get in the center of the furnace in one fell swoop!"

"Yeah right... Easier said than done," Adam jeered flippantly at the idea while stretching his tired limbs.

There were two factors weighing on his mind at the moment.

On one hand, there was a pressing concern that his preparation was not sufficient enough yet to venture inside the furnace, and on the other, there was the anxiety of losing out on a big opportunity if he did not act fast.

FOMO, if you will.

Although in the game, death could be taken for granted due to rampant revival features that was available to the traveler, and at most, losing your life was merely a hindrance. However, in a real world scenario, the phrase "you only live once" takes on a wholly different meaning. Chances were it would be wise not to make a rash decision.

Rubbing his temple, he thought long and hard to decide what would be the best option. Shortly after, he mused to himself, "Subdue more hilichurls it is."

Making up his mind, he forcefully dragged his feet with a painful, resigned look in his eyes. A decision he would deeply regret, but this was the optimum choice he could make if he wanted to gain more power in such a short amount of time.

"Ah shit, here we go again..."

Before he knew it, another day had already gone by in a flash.

The lifeless moon now hangs in the sky.

Looking around as he walked, the panoramas and vistas found in the island were just as breathtaking during the day, but at midnight the sceneries seemed to give off a different impression, one of serenity and a lofty sense of tranquility---which only served to make him look out of place.

As glitters from the moonlight cascaded down his figure, the way his features were highlighted screamed of anything but at peace. Quite the opposite, in fact. The shadows forming on his face were starkly sinister.

Unexpectedly, the search for another hilichurl camp was short.

Just around the corner, after passing through a thicket wedged between throngs of trees, he spotted a large collection of crudely-made structures built from scraps and debris.

Add to the fact were the humanoid creatures wearing strange masks huddled in bonfires, occasionally dancing to the tune of unintelligible noises, leaving no room for doubt as to what they are.

"Should I be happy about this...?" Adam almost gaped in exasperation at how convenient it was. Unfortunately, it was not the kind of wish he hoped for nor was it the type of luck that bode well for him. After all, this was the beginning of a cycle anew.

Eyeing the camp from a vantage point, he formed a rough blueprint in his head.

A/N: I think I've dragged the story long enough. Expect a familiar genshin character next update. Pece.