Chapter 36 - 36: A Fracture In The Air

Van carefully made his way inside the Relic Graveyard. He really made it back here in less than a day, no, it might even be less than an hour. Add the fact that he stopped numerous times along the way to catch his breath, his System truly was a gift from the Heavens, he thought.

Although he was a little bit dizzy now, running for hundreds of miles made his control of his System drastically improve. He imagined what would happen if he used [Air Step] as well, would he actually be running in the air? But that would take a huge amount of SP, it won't take him that far.

Right now, the only thing [Air Step] could do was take him from one roof to the next. If he prioritized INT, then he won't have enough for STR.

'This… is really complicated, isn't it?', Van shook his head as numerous thoughts raced in his mind.

"...Evans?"

"...Oh?"

Van blinked his eyes a couple of times as he looked towards the voice that called for him. And to his surprise, Andrea was already in front of him. Van quickly looked around him, only to find himself near his previous house. It would seem that he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't realize he was already in this part of the neighborhood.

"Why… are you here?", Andrea's voice stuttered, her eyes widened as she did not expect to see Van again so soon. "Did you get expelled from the Academy for doing something bad!?"

"What?", Van slightly backed away, "No!"

With their loud voices, the two easily garnered the attention of the other people that were walking past.

"...Is that Evans?"

"I thought he was enrolled in the Academy?"

"Pft. Figures, once a Corpse, always a Corpse"

Seeing everyone's gazes on them, Andrea quickly grabbed Van's wrist and dragged him inside her house.

Andrea lived alone. With her parents being murdered when she was just a child due to being involved with the selling of illegal drugs. Like Van's, her house was made out of scraps from relics carefully strewn together.

Andrea glanced outside before shutting the door. "Tell me, what are you doing back here!?", she then shouted as she placed her hands on her hips. "Did you get in trouble? Or are you here because you left something from your house?"

"No", Van quickly shook his head, "I came here for you", he then said bluntly.

Hearing Van's words, Andrea could not help but tilt her head, "For… me?"

"Do you remember Miss Sarah from the Explorer Association?"

"Of course", Andrea nodded, "She was so beautiful and her dress was so nice--"

"She gave me a house"

"I see"

"..."

"A house!?"

It took a few seconds for Van's words to completely register inside Andrea's mind. But when it did, she instantly jumped in shock, almost shaking her whole house in the process.

And soon, tears fell from her face. "T...that's good", she said softly as she wiped the trail of tears on her face, "You deserve all of it, Van"

"I want you to live with me there"

"...What?"

Andrea's body could not help but give out as soon as she heard Van's words. But before she could fall to the ground, a chair caught her out of nowhere.

"Yes…", Van's voice suddenly came from behind her, "I know I have not talked to you a lot and we're not that close…

...But right now, you're the closest thing I have to a family", Van said in a soft tone as he placed his hand on Andrea's shoulders.

"V...Van", Andrea could not help but tear up again as she heard Van's words.

"Also… the house is too big for me alone", Van added.

Hearing this, Andrea could not help but chuckle, "You just want someone to clean for you, don't you?"

"Something like that"

"Pft", Andrea continued to chuckle before turning silent all of a sudden. But after a few seconds, she nodded her head, "Okay… I will come live with you". It was not really a hard decision to make.

At 21 years old, her life here was the only thing she has ever known. Doing every job necessary for her to live, everything.

A life in the city with someone she knows she can trust? What was there to even think about?

"Then let's go tomorrow morning", Van nonchalantly said as he took a peek at the window.

"Tomorrow already!?", once again, Andrea could not help but stand up in shock, "But… but my things?", her lips stuttered. Evans seemed to be revealing one bomb to the next.

"I have… crystals", Van whispered, "We can rent out 2 gryphons to take some of them with you"

"Rent out… gryphons?", Andrea's mind was already shutting down.

"Yes", Van quickly nodded as he once again looked outside the window, "We can go later, but I am afraid it will already be too late to rent out some gryphons"

"This…", Andrea could not help but gulp, "Is it really alright for you to be spending so much money… for me?"

"Of course", Van shrugged his shoulders, "If it wasn't for you, I probably won't even be in the Academy. I am the one who owes you, Andrea"

"I… I see", Andrea muttered, her head looking down as she tried to hide the tears that once again wanted to fall from her eyes, "Thank you… Evans"

The two talked more, with Van telling Andrea stories about his stay in the Academy. In the end, Van slept in Andrea's house as he did not really want to spend any second in the house his father built.

***

"Is this all of it?"

Come morning, Van quickly went to the nearest gryphon stables and rented a rider and 2 gryphons. One for the two of them, and the other for Andrea's things which were being carefully stacked by the rider.

Of course, with the two gryphons in front of Andrea's house, the neighborhood quickly gathered to see what was happening, their eyes filled with curiosity, and some with envy.

"Oho, what is this!?", a group of men from the crowd stepped forward as they circled the gryphon that carried Andrea's things, "Is our princess finally leaving?", one of the roguish looking said, his tone mischievous.

"Isn't this little Evans?", one of the men who had a scar on his face approached Van, "I heard you are a System Holder now, life is really different for you now, eh?"

All of their words, however, were treated as air as they were ignored by Andrea and Van.

"Oi! We're talking to you!", the man with a scar grabbed Van's shoulder. But he immediately retracted his hand away as soon as he saw Van's expression. Van's eyes were as if that of a rabid dog, ready to maul his hand at any second.

"J… just kidding, man!", the scarred man quickly raised his hands in surrender, "W… wait, what are you doing!?", the man could not help but step back as Van slowly walked towards him.

What he did not know, however, was that Van was not looking at him, but towards the words that were right in front of him.

[The Gods of Olympus sends you a gift]

Although there were some words that Van could not read, there was one thing that he knew…

Something was coming.

Van then quickly turned towards Andrea and screamed, "Andrea, go now!"

"What?", Andrea was quickly thrown aback by Van's sudden voice. But then, the skies above them darkened as the air itself started to rumble.

"Go!", Van once again shouted as he threw a crystal towards the rider, "Take her to Newer York City!"

The rider quickly nodded as he forcefully pulled Andrea towards the top of the gryphon, expertly saddling her in place. "W...wait!", Andrea shouted as she tried to reach for Van, "Evans, what's happening!?"

Her question, however, was instantly answered by a snapping noise that echoed throughout the whole Relic Graveyard.

"!!!"

"Oh shit!"

"That's…!"

The crowd quickly dispersed, all running away from the air that seemed to be fracturing into a thousand pieces.

A Portal has appeared in the Relic Graveyard.