Chapter 14

A Long Talk

Things were understandably tense once we returned from the Unlimited Neutral Field. Despite how things ended, we were able to rescue Slate Forge to which Pink Princess was immensely grateful for, though there was a distinct bittersweet tone in her words. She reiterated that she would do anything in her power to return the favor. However, if Ashton heard any of this, he gave no indication. In fact, he had been eerily silent ever since we encountered that burst linker. Obsidian Seraph.

Just remembering the name Ashton had whispered sent chills down my spine. I had been up against numerous other burst linkers, but none exuded such…evil as he did. I may not know a lot about him, but there was one thing I was certain of…

I did not want to fight him.

"So…I guess we should address the elephant in the room," Pink Princess, or Victoria Song, suddenly spoke up. "That burst linker, the one that looked like a half-starved angel, judging how he was giving direction to Topaz Warlock and Brick Mortar, he is most likely the leader of Advent's Fall."

I hummed in ascent, already having suspected as much. I glanced at Ashton, expecting him to add something to the conversation, but he just sat there in silence, his eyes seemingly glazed over as if he were comatose.

"Knowing who their leader is does not do much to help us at the moment, Ms. Song," Emerald Rook pointed out, a dull scowl on his face. He was most likely still sulking from how the battle turned out, not that I blamed him. He was defeated in an instant after all. That couldn't be sitting well with the one said to have the highest defensive stat.

"True, however, now that we have a name, we can begin to amass information," Victoria replied easily.

"Amass…information?" I asked.

"Of course! You don't think trading is all Dollhoon does, do you?!" Victoria questioned, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Honestly…yes."

Victoria nearly fell out of her seat. "It's not!" she exclaimed, an angry blush flooding her cheeks. "Dollhoon does more than just simple trading. Think about it, if our guild is capable of making high quality items, and there is no currency system, what do you think we're paid with?"

I blinked. I hadn't really thought about that actually. "Rare items?" I guessed.

"Sometimes, but secrets are a much more valued reward for our services." She held up three fingers. "NPC spawn locations, the best places for grinding, information on the abilities of various burst linkers; all of these are acceptable currency in the eyes of Dollhoon!"

"So, through your trading network, you've effectively created a spy network!" I exclaimed.

"Eh, it's more of an information gathering network than an actual spy network," Victoria said, sounding slightly bashful. Her expression swiftly changed to a more serious one. "Now, all we have to do is ask the right people to gain more information on—"

"His name is Obsidian Seraph."

Victoria cut herself off. She, Emerald Rook, and myself all turned to Ashton. The sophomore was resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes no longer appearing glazed, but still unfocused.

"Right…Obsidian Seraph," Victoria amended. "Anyway, as I was saying, now it's the simple matter of asking the right people to figure out more about this character and what his goals are."

With that, Victoria began talking with Emerald Rook, most likely about how to go about gaining information. I wasn't sure exactly as I wasn't paying attention to them. I was too caught up in my own thoughts. Hadn't Ashton and the rest of Knights of Dawn been doing the same thing for the past month? Sure, Pink Princess most likely had a wider network she could search, but could she really find more about Advent's Fall than we did?

I found my eyes slowly moving towards Ashton, taking in his contemplative posture. "Ashton…you know something about Obsidian Seraph, don't you?"

Ashton looked up, staring at me in contemplation. "…I do."

All conversation ceased. All eyes were now locked onto the dark-skinned male. "A-Are you serious?!" Pink Princess asked incredulously. "You know Obsidian Seraph?!"

"I do," Ashton repeated, his eyes once more returning to the floor. "He was my 'Parent' after all."

Both Victoria and I gasped while Emerald Rook's eyes widened in surprise. The bond between 'Parent' and 'Child' was something sacred among all burst linkers. The act of introducing someone to Brain Burst, to, essentially, birth a new burst linker into the world. In other words, they were exactly like a parent was in the real world, and for Obsidian Seraph to be Ashton's…

"So, you're affiliated with Advent's Fall?" Victoria asked.

"Of course not," Ashton responded, an appalled expression on his face.

"Could have fooled me!" Victoria snapped. "The supposed enemy of your guild just happens to be your 'Parent'? Yeah Right!"

"Ms. Song," Emerald Rook said. His voice was still level and calm, but there was a distinct warning in his tone. "I believe that we should allow Ivory Paladin a chance to explain things before you start accusing him."

"But Arthur—" Victoria tried to object, but was silenced by Emerald Rook's stern glare. "Alright, fine," she huffed, clearly put out.

Emerald Rook nodded before turning to Ashton who bowed his head in appreciation. "First, let me start off by saying that Obsidian Seraph's true name is Adam Roth."

"Roth? I haven't heard that name before," I commented.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Ashton said. "He isn't from a prominent family like Victoria or me. In fact, he doesn't even go to the same school as me."

"Really?" I don't know why I was so surprised. Maybe I just assumed that a rich person like Ashton would associate with someone not on equal monetary standing. Then again, he associated with me…

"I honestly don't even remember how I met him exactly. I just remember thinking that he was…amazing." A small smile formed on Ashton's face as he remembered something from his past. "All my life, I lived by strict rules: be polite and respectful, only speak when spoke, etcetera, etcetera. But when I met Adam, he showed me how to have fun. To relax and go and to enjoy life. It was only after he gave me Brain Burst that he began to change."

Ashton's smile, as quickly as it came, fell from his face. "When I first started out, everything was fine. We fought other burst linkers, leveled up, made a small guild…it was nice. It was an escape, just like Brain Burst should be, but Adam wasn't satisfied with that. He was…obsessed with the benefits that it can give."

"Abilities? Like…in game abilities or…?" I questioned.

"Real world abilities," Ashton clarified. "Or, more specifically, how accelerating can manipulate the world around us."

I nodded in understanding. Ashton had explained the main ability Brain Burst provided outside of the actual game, the Physical Burst, and I couldn't really blame this Adam character for being interested in it. After all, accelerating your consciousness by ten and being able to move at an accelerated pace is an incredible ability, well worth the five burst points it took to use. However, having said that, there was only so much that those abilities could do.

I mean, sure, the initial Burst Link freezes time and basically allows you to roam around the immediate environment, but even with that, there were only three abilities and they can't really manipulate the real world that much. Could it be that…Obsidian Seraph found another ability?!

"Adam started out innocently enough," Ashton continued, oblivious to my inner monologue. "Using the acceleration ability to be good at sports, to pass every test he took, to win fights…"

"That doesn't sound very innocent," Victoria pointed out.

"I know. Looking back, it was clear he was abusing acceleration. I guess I was just too enamored by him to see anything wrong with what he was doing," Ashton confessed. "Maybe if I did, he wouldn't be doing what he is now."

"And what exactly is he doing?" Victoria questioned.

Ashton shook his head. "I don't know. When I left, he kept going on and on about 'breaking the rules of the world'. He didn't make much sense after that."

"I take it that's when you left him?" I asked.

"Yes. I couldn't bear to see him devolve into…" Ashton's jaw clenched, unable to finish his thought. "I tried to appeal to him. I practically begged him to give up his pursuit so we could go back to the way things were, but he refused. So…I left him."

"You just…left him?" I asked. The way he said it. He sounded so casual, like he was talking about the weather. He, essentially, abandoned his 'Parent', how wasn't he affected by that?!

"I did," Ashton responded, his expression impassive. "Had I stayed; I most certainly would have followed down the same path as he did. If I had done that…" He raised his head and looked directly at me. "…you would have never gotten Brain Burst."

I inhaled sharply, a blur of 'what ifs' flooding my mind. Where would I be without Brain Burst? Without Ashton? Still the victim of Eric Cho? Would my relationship with Barnaby deteriorate? Would that cause my friendship with Cecil to fall apart?

As my inner turmoil continued, Ashton turned to Victoria. "So, as you can see, I have no current affiliation with Obsidian Seraph or Advent's Fall."

"Hmm," Victoria mused, her gaze still stiff and unmoving. "I suppose I believe you. For the time being," she added.

Ashton simply nodded in acceptance. "That's fine. As long as your suspicion doesn't interfere with our collaboration. However, while I do know of Obsidian Seraph, I know nothing of what he is planning."

Victoria leaned forward, lacing her fingers together. A look of deep thought crossing her face. "You may not, but I may."

Both Ashton and I immediately turned to her, our expression of shock and confusion mirroring one another. Even Emerald Rook—Arthur, his name is Arthur—had a look of surprise on his typically stoic face. "What do you mean?!" Ashton all but demanded. "How could you know what Obsidian Seraph is planning?!"

Victoria smirked upon seeing out expressions, giving me the distinct impression that she was pleased with the fact that she knew more than us. "Oh? Would you like to know~?"

I could feel my face shift into a deadpan expression. Was she seriously playing this game? Next to me, I could see Ashton's patience begin to wane. The vein on his temple was throbbing viciously, his hands twitching, itching to curl into fists. Before he could snap at the young woman, Arthur interjected.

"Ms. Song." Victoria's smile turned to a dejected pout. She glanced at Arthur, performing a rather blatant display of 'puppy-dog' eyes, but the large male was unaffected. "Now's not the time for games."

"Fine," Victoria sighed, becoming serious in the next moment. "The burst linker that exited Advent's Fall's stronghold, just before Obsidian Seraph and his cronies left, while I didn't see them myself, their description matched that of a burst linker I have been keeping tabs on since they first appeared: Neon Circuit."

"Neon Circuit," Ashton repeated. "I don't think I've heard of them."

"I'm not surprised. They've only been around for a month or so," Victoria informed us.

"So, what makes them so special?" I asked.

"I was getting to that," Victoria said, appearing disgruntled over being rushed. With a resigned sigh, she continued. "What first drew me to this particular burst linker was their special ability."

"Which is?" Ashton prompted impatiently.

Victoria was fully scowling at that point, but she didn't stop her explanation. "Environmental manipulation."

"Environmental manipulation?" I repeated; astounded.

"That's right," Victoria said with a nod. "As I'm sure you undoubtedly know, yellow avatars are essentially the jammer class among the duel avatars. Their abilities are geared towards indirect attacks, attack negation, and illusion. Neon Circuit's ability works along the same lines. They can cause the ground to move and shift around a player, make tree branches lash out or grab others, they can even turn a still pond into a vicious whirlpool."

"Interesting. That truly is a unique ability," Ashton mused. "However, how does knowing this individual give you insight on Obsidian Seraph's plan?"

"Because, if you would let me finish, during their duels, there were reports glitches within nearby electrical systems. Specifically, those they touched through the 'skinned' environment."

Glitches? Why did that sound familiar…?

My eyes widened in realization. "Those system glitches that have been occurring!"

"Precisely," Victoria said, smiling grimly. "I suspect that, due to the nature of Neon Circuit's avatar, they are able to manipulate the environment to 'hack' the coded area and warp it to fit their needs. As such, for whatever reason, should the area they are effecting be connected to a mechanical device through the Social Camera Network, it too is affected." She turned to Ashton. "You said that Obsidian Seraph wanted to manipulate the world around us. Well…it would appear that Neon Circuit can do just that."

Ashton said nothing; silently digesting the information we had just gotten. His eyes had narrowed in thought, what appeared to be a thousand thoughts rushing through his mind.

"But wait," I interjected. "Why would there be an ability that can effect the real world? That doesn't seem like something the game developers would allow."

"You have to keep in mind, Cadmus, that each burst linker is unique. Their avatar, as well as their avatar's abilities, are crafted using an unknown program. As far as anyone can tell, there is really no limit to what a duel avatar could do and Neon Circuit is a prime example of this."

Incredible. An ability that can affect reality. The sheer prospect of such an ability was both amazing and terrifying. If this ability really could affect the real world, if used in the wrong place, they could affect traffic lights or even short out a hospital. Whether or not they were malicious (which, considering that they were allied with Advent's Fall, they most likely were), they could do some serious damage.

"I can tell that you are seeing the capabilities of this ability," Victoria said. "If used in the right place, the effects could be catastrophic."

"Then we've got to do something!" I exclaimed, leaping out of my seat. "We…we've got to tell somebody! This…This goes beyond this being a game! Lives are at stake!"

"And who exactly would we tell?" Victoria asked calmly. "Brain Burst is a secret app. If we were to go to the police, what do you think would happen? Either they won't believe us or they'll start asking questions that will force us to expose Brain Burst."

"Well, maybe that's—"

"'For the best?'" Victoria finished with a scoff. "What do you think the government would do if they got their hands on Brain Burst and learned how to use it? It would be weaponized. Warfare across the world would change, and not for the better. No, we have to keep Brain Burst a secret."

"But—even so…"

"Cadmus," Ashton interjected. "You are correct, this is incredibly dangerous. Just like it was when your sister attempted to poison us." I winced at that. "It is clear that Advent's Fall has malicious intent and, now that we have 'poked the ant's nest', they will come at us with the intent to kill."

"Which is why we need help!" I yelled. "This is too big for just the Knights of Dawn or even Dollhoon! If they have the power to Affect the real world, even if we beat Advent's Fall in Brain Burst, they could potentially attack us in the real world and not leave a trace!"

"Which is why we have to deal with the threat at the source," Ashton said. "We need to deplete Neon Circuit of all their burst points."

A beat of silence.

"That would certainly solve the problem," Arthur mused. "Even if we aren't victorious in fully stopping Advent's Fall, we can at least get rid of their main weapon."

"How do you suggest we go about doing this?" Victoria questioned. "Would you like me to find out their identity?"

"No, depleting them of their burst points that way would take too long, especially as we don't know their identity at this moment," Ashton said. "It would be better to attack them while they are in the Unlimited Neutral Field."

"The Unlimited Neutral Field?" Victoria asked. "Wouldn't that be even more unreliable?"

"No. If Advent's Fall does intend to manipulate with real world, going there would give them unlimited access. We just need to wait for the right moment and strike the entire guild, considering it would be foolish to believe that Obsidian Seraph would allow Neon Circuit to enter the Unlimited Neutral Field unattended."

I couldn't fault that logic. Getting rid of Neon Circuit would definitely take away a lot of Advent's Fall's lethality, but…it just didn't sit right. Sure, this person's power could deadly, but, forcing them to lose Brain Burst…it was essentially like killing a part of them.

"Cadmus." Ashton's voice pulled me from my revere. "You will not be participating in this attack."

…what?

"You were right, it is far too dangerous for you, especially since your identity is compromised," Ashton continued. "Should our attack fail, more than likely, you will most definitely be a target."

…was he serious?

"To ensure your safety, it would be best if you were to leave Knights of Dawn entirely."

…is he…

"I understand that this may not be what you want to hear, but—"

"Shut up." My voice was soft, hardly above a whisper, but it silenced the room.

Ashton's mouth snapped shut, his eyes open wide in surprise. Both Victoria and Arthur wore matching looks of shock, their gaze shifting between both myself and Ashton. I was surprised myself; speaking out like I did, but I couldn't just sit silently by.

"How dare you," I said, my voice shaking as I struggled to maintain calm.

"Cadmus…?" Ashton sounded uncertain. "I know that this may be upsetting, but—"

"But what? It's 'for the best'?!" I scoffed. "How the hell is forcing me to leave the guild for the best?!"

"Because it's dangerous," Ashton said, agitation flickering across his features. "You said it yourself, this has progressed far beyond the normal parameters of a game. You will be at risk if you join us in this fight."

"So, what? You want me to just…abandon Knights of Dawn? To abandon you?!"

"It's for your own safety!" Ashton snapped. "They know your identity! They could easily attack you in the real world, just like they did before!"

"And what about you!" I countered. "Obsidian Seraph knows you too! You're at just as much risk as I would be!"

"And I've made peace with that!" Ashton shouted, losing all sense of decorum and rising to his feet. "Obsidian Seraph—Adam Is my responsibility. I could have, and should have, stopped him before he became a threat. He is my responsibility and I will deal with him without putting others at risk!"

"It's my choice!"

"And it's my decision who participates! I don't understand why your so adamant about putting yourself at risk!" Ashton exclaimed in exasperation. "Just a moment ago, you were reluctant to even face Advent's Fall, so why are you fighting so hard to fight them?!"

"Because I owe you. You gave me Brain Burst!"

"That doesn't mean you owe me anything!"

"It means I owe you everything!" I shouted, finally losing control.

I could feel all my rage and anger leave me, leaving me tired and worn. Standing on suddenly shaky legs, I fell back into my seat. I bowed my head, no longer able to face Ashton.

"Cadmus…" I internally winced at the softness of Ashton's voice.

"Just…don't…" I hated how weak my voice sounded, but I just couldn't muster any sort of strength.

The floors creaked as Ashton walked closer until he was standing next to me. "Cadmus," he repeated in what I assumed to be a soothing manner.

"It's just…you may not think what you did was anything special, that he might not have meant anything, but it meant everything to me." I took a shaky breath, trying to gain control of my rampant emotions. "My life was hell before Brain Burst. Before you. I was just some no named orphan without anyone who gave a damn about him, and don't try and say otherwise," I added when I saw Ashton about to speak. "You saw how my sister treated me when we were on opposing sides. Even my relationship with Cecil and Barnaby was strained. I had no one."

My fists clenched tightly, causing my nails to bite into my palms. "I was broken; shattered to so many pieces that even my sister didn't I was worth putting together. I'm weak, cowardly, and unexpected loud noises cause me to freeze up. Prime bulling material in all honesty. I had resigned myself to living like that, like everyone's doormat or punching bag…but all that changed when I met you."

Why was I speaking? Why was I telling Ashton this? I always kept these thoughts to myself, but here I was. Spilling my guts out like some middle schooler with a diary. "By giving me Brain Burst, you allowed me to change myself. I entered a world where I was strong, I joined your guild and made more friends than I ever hoped to make, and I felt important, even if it was only to a handful of people. For once, since my parents' death, I was happy and you caused all of that."

I finally looked up, meeting Ashton's concerned gaze with my own determined one. My eyes were burning with the tears I was struggling to keep at bay. "You changed my life for better. I owe you more than I could ever hope to repay and now you're asking me to stand idly by as you head into battle? I can't do that. No matter how scared I am…no matter how much I want to run away…I can't and I won't! So, please, don't ask me to abandon you, because I won't. Not after all you've done for me!"

For the longest moment, Ashton said nothing. His expression was unreadable, but I could just make out the conflicting thoughts flashing behind dark brown orbs. Distantly, a part of my consciousness noted that both Victoria and Arthur were absent from the room, both of them having likely vacated the premises when I started shouting. A small part of me felt a little bad for causing Victoria to flee a room in in her own house, but the larger portion was too preoccupied with the current situation to care.

After what felt like an eternity, Ashton finally spoke, his voice sounding softer than I expected. "I…didn't know you felt this way, Cadmus. When I first gave your Brain Burst, I knew only some of what you faced on a day to day basis. Never could I have imagined just what granting you this ability would mean to you and, while I truly do not wish for any harm to come to you, I would be remiss if I didn't respect your wishes."

My heart was practically screaming in my ears. Did he mean what I thought he meant?

"However, despite your determination, the fact of the matter is that the enemies you will be facing are far above your current level," Ashton said, causing my hopes to fall as quickly as they had risen.

"I-I can do some grinding!" I suggested, admittedly sounding a little desperate.

"That won't be enough," Ashton said with a shake of his head. "Even if you were to train and grind every day, it would take months for you to reach the same level as our opponents."

My head fell to my chest once more. Now, more than before, I could feel my tears fighting to leave my tear ducts. He still wouldn't let me fight. I was just a burden to him and the guild…

"As such, you will learn a cheat of sorts," Ashton continued, immediately pulling me from my depressing thoughts.

"A…cheat?" I asked in confusion.

"Of sorts," Ashton clarified with a sly grin. "You're going to learn how to utilize the Incarnate System."

"The Incarnate…System?"