Johan entered the game room, observing Azrael and Adam playing. "Adam, can I speak to you for a second?" he asked.
Adam turned, "Yeah, sure." He got up, ruffled Azrael's hair. "Son, we'll play again next time, okay?"
"Sure, Dad," Azrael replied. "I want to bring the games with us when we leave."
"That's a good idea. I'll pack them up tomorrow and bring them on the plane," Adam said, walking towards the door.
"You're really something else, adopting a variant as a son," Johan whispered, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder.
"He's still a child that needs parents to take care of him," Adam stated as he walked towards the living room.
"Yeah, that's actually what I was meaning to ask," Johan followed behind him. As both of them sat down, Lyra brought some food to the table.
Revelations and an Unexpected Alliance
"Were you by chance at the civilization before?" Johan asked.
Lyra's neuro-link message to Adam: "Since he isn't a threat and hasn't lied to us, it would be better to tell him the truth." Adam considered this, looking at Johan's curious face.
"The truth is," Adam began, "Lyra and I are actually not from this world."
Johan was shocked, his expression shifting to intense curiosity. "Not from this world? Aliens?" he asked, laughing at the thought.
"No, we're not aliens. We're humans, but from different worlds. My world isn't that much different from this one," Adam explained. "We came here to collect an artifact to save my wife in the other world. When we arrived, it was already in an apocalyptic state. We know who caused this, and we're returning to the civilization to get help to fight him. Vlad may be the key to helping us fight off the demon known as Serbas."
Johan's face contorted with anger. "So you're telling me, a demon caused this apocalypse?! My family died and the world collapsed due to him?!" he raged.
"I need you to calm down, Johan," Adam said, placing a hand on Johan's shoulder. "When I first arrived here, there was so much chaos and destruction. However, humans still survived, and there was hope. I have strong abilities that allowed me to save all humans and transport them to a safe location before building the civilization there."
"So you're the person who saved humanity, the one Vlad said was impossible to do," Johan mused, "Yet you barely survived that ambush by the other evolved variants?" It didn't make sense to him.
"Yes, that's true. Lyra and I went after the demon after setting up the civilization. However, we lost fighting the demon due to his trap of sealing my abilities. We managed to save Vlad's soul during the confrontation, but the risk was losing most of our abilities," Adam explained.
Johan realized the demon must be incredibly powerful to have defeated them so easily. For someone capable of saving all humanity to have lost, Johan contemplated how they could possibly win. "If the demon is that strong, how can we even face him?" he asked.
"He is strong, however, he remains sealed in his location. Vlad is strong enough to fight us and survived as well, so with his soul safely taken away from the demon, Vlad may be the key to fighting the demon with us freely," Adam replied firmly. "There's also an issue with this world's variants. Our mana use from the other world caused the evolution of variants. It's the reason why zombies have now evolved," Adam added.
"So technically, you're my father," Johan joked, a playful smirk on his face. "You're the reason I returned to live in my body, like a Frankenstein."
"Take it as you like. Yes, I caused the evolution of the zombies. The world became more dangerous because of me," Adam replied, his expression serious.
"That's a lot to take in, to be honest," Johan admitted. "However, I'm indebted to you now, knowing you actually made me live again. At the same time, you saved humanity, and if there's still a chance, maybe my family is still alive in that civilization." Johan's demeanor had shifted, now fully understanding the situation.
"I can't give you a definite answer if your family survived, but I made sure to get every last human still alive and bring them there, providing shelter and food for them to start again. If they somehow survived, they should be there, living," Adam said.
"I'll be on your side and make sure to help you in every way," Johan declared, his conviction clear. "If my family still survives, I will protect that civilization to the very end."
"I would be honored to have you by our side," Adam said. "We need to find a way to return as soon as possible and prepare to fight the demon again. I'm convinced that demon has made his move, and time may be running out very soon."
"Then we need to get to Vlad as soon as possible, to get ready for what is coming," Johan realized the dire situation.
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your ability?" Adam asked Johan.
"Ooh, you might not be able to see it, but I have multiple hands moving invisibly to the eyes," Johan explained. "These hands can be manifested as many as I want and as big as I want them to be. I've tested my ability, and I'm able to reach as far as 1 kilometer from my radius with enough concentration. At the same time, I can teleport using these hands within that radius. Many of the evolved variants don't know how to react and get smashed by the hands instantly. I believe these powers were given by Vlad's blood, making my body stronger and faster as well."
"When I think about it, your powers have some similarities to Vlad's, but a distinct difference, maybe due to your own abilities as a variant," Adam mused, using his mana vision to see multiple invisible hands swaying behind Johan's back. "Could I test something out if the hands you conjure can cause you pain?" Adam asked.
"Feel free to try," Johan replied, unwavering. Adam donned his mana suit and instantly slashed one of the hands with the universal tool. The hand dropped, but Johan showed no sign of pain or reaction. The severed hand disappeared, reappeared, and rejoined back as a whole. "Wow, your ability is actually very strong and useful," Adam said, intrigued.
"Well, thank you. I'm more intrigued by your sealed abilities. How strong are you, actually, Adam?!" Johan asked, a sense of curiosity and even a desire to test himself against Adam growing within him.
"If I can get my ability back, I'll let you see for yourself!" Adam hinted at a possible one-on-one with Johan.