Chapter 1140: The Gathering

I instantly reached out to my friends the moment I was finally able to stabilize my thoughts.

Once again thankful for Ciara's telepathic link that served to connect us all, I got the word out that I found something that could potentially lead me to where our friends were.

The first to respond was Kuzon, and he wondered if it had anything to do with the fight he sensed happening where I was located.

Since Kuzon had grown extremely powerful, he could detect the happenings of our planet if he tried. The same went for Edward as well.

I didn't think Aloe and Ciara had reached that level, but considering how Aloe's range spread out through the entire planet, something told me if she really wanted to, she would find a way to replicate our sensory prowess.

"I'll explain everything to you all. Come back as soon as you can." I responded to Kuzon, and also everyone else at the same time.

Based on the distance calculated, I assumed either Ciara or Aloe would make it first since they had been sent to the West, and East continents respectively. Plus, I also estimated them to arrive after a considerable amount of seconds.

Though, with Aloe's speed, I wouldn't have been surprised if she made it first.

However, much to my surprise, it wasn't either of them that arrived first.

~VWUSH!~

A golden flash of light manifested before me, and from its swirling pool of distorted space, Kuzon appeared.

"I came as fast as I could. What's the situation?" He declared in the most formal and serious tone ever. His eyes revealed curious concern, and they begged me to spill everything I knew.

'I should have known...' A sigh almost escaped my lips. Of everyone else, he was still the most eager, so it made sense that he would be first.

'Ah, well... maybe I should give the 'most eager' title to Ciara.'

Every story has a beginning at lіghtnоvelcаve~c~о~m

As if responding to my thoughts, Ciara arrived next, her breath ragged and her hair all over the place. Blue sparks of energy lashed around her, and her eyes seemed to be reminiscent of a lunatic.

At least, that was how it looked like to me.

"What did you fin—"

~WHOOOOOSSSHH!~

After Ciara, behind by just a few seconds, was Edward. He seemed absolutely calm in his fit body, and he looked around to acknowledge the presence of everyone.

He seemed to have arrived here by sheer speed alone.

Unlike the bumbling Ciara and zealous Kuzon, he didn't seem at all flustered by the news. His eyes seemed to say "It was only a matter of time before you found them anyway, Jared."

That was the level of faith this guy had in my ability.

"Sorry I'm late everyone." Aloe's voice suddenly echoed in the air as she appeared in a flicker of light.

"I was checking out my old office for some things and I sort of got lost in the moment."

'She also seems quite collected. Well, that's Aloe Vida for you, I guess.' A smile escaped my lips as I told her it was fine to arrive only a few seconds after I made the announcement.

In fact, everyone here was too fast.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" I asked Aloe.

"Me? Ah, I wasn't particularly looking fo anything. Just checking my old stuff. I couldn't find some things, though..."

Now that was curious.

Write your own adventure with lіghtnоvelcаve~c~о~m

"Things like what? Your grimoires, notes, Magic Items?" I was getting more and more invested in this situation.

If some of her stuff was missing, did that mean there was still someone in this world who took them? But that would imply that they managed to escape our perception.

Such an individual would be quite formidable.

'Or maybe it's the same way thee Safehouse is missing in this world. No, but the Safehouse served as a clue to what I found.'

Did that mean Alow's missing properties served as clues as well?

"Well, just some of my underwear. There was one pair of panties I bought the other day before the wedding... and I couldn't find them."

... Ah...

For a moment, I felt my lips glue together, unable to formulate any sensible response to her words.

'I don't think Neron would use those as clues. And if there's someone running around in this world, stealing underwear, then... what the heck?'

Using all the data I had collected so far, this information seemed very confusing.

Would I have to change my model once again?

"I probably just forgot where I kept them is all. I could have sworn I took them to my—"

"Ahem, that's enough." Kuzon cleared his throat, interrupting Aloe from saying any further.

I had never been as grateful for such an act until this moment.

"Ah, apologies." Aloe laughed a little sheepishly, and while it was pretty cute—enough to lift any tense atmosphere that would have been present otherwise—it also felt a little uncomfortable.

Unveil the mysteries of lіghtnоvеlсаvе~с~о~m

None of us here were kids. At least, not in the technical sense.

'I can't believe my age is still 15. My 16th birthday hasn't arrived yet, so it's odd.'

Even Kuzon and Edward had already become adults.

I was the only one who was still a minor!

"I-in any case, let's begin the briefing." I smiled awkwardly, trying my hardest to regain my composure after trapping myself with my earlier thoughts.

******

I explained everything to them; from what led to my investigation on the vanished Safehouse, to my fight with the blue sentry, and how it ended up becoming an Arcana.

After some minutes of bringing everyone up to speed, I brought out the card and showed them.

"This is our ticket to our friends. I'm guessing it functions the same way an Arcana does, and it'll take us to where Neron kept them."

The epiphany I had when I touched this card showed me a world where everyone was. The message was very vague, but I pretty much understood what Neron was trying to show me.

"So, everyone... ready to reunite with our friends and family?

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[A/N]

Where every word is an adventure: lіght~nоvel~cаve~c~о~m

Okay, let's go full throttle from the onward!

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!