章 16: A lost brother?
" Hey... Uhm... RED. Are these guys really under your full control?"
Zoro had never in his entire life seen an awakener ability as bizarre as this.
Summoning magic was not a new concept for the swordsman. Even in his guild, some magic users could summon creatures they formed contracts with.
But... 500?
Just how in the seven hells was that even possible? Especially for a supposed F-rank...
'Is this even summoning magic?' He wasn't so sure.
Adam felt amused at Zoro's question.
" I do, Zoro. They fully obey my commands."
Zoro nodded, still trying to digest what he just heard.
"Say Ad-, RED... will they participate in our bet?"
" Would that be a problem?"
" Not at all, the more the merrier~"
Adam just shook his head at Rumi's choice of words.
" Sorry to ruin your fun but their kills won't count. This is exclusively between you and me, little bunny."
" Oh~"
At the side, Zoro was having a difficult time following the flow of the conversation.
But, before he could interject, the sandy ground beneath their feet shook seismically.
This brought an end to the couple's chat, urging them to look at the source of the tremor.
Before their eyes, around two dozen scorpion-like creatures that towered over all of them combined came into view.
" Well, I guess this is our cue."
Hearing Adam's words, Rumi's smirk widened as far as her face allowed it to, excitement filling her every fiber when hunting was eminent.
On the other hand, Zoro stood at the side, surveying the group without intervening. His job was to make sure they both survived the ride, not to fight for them. Knowing of Rumi's strength firsthand, he knew what she could handle. And seeing how multifaceted Adam's capabilities were, he did not worry about him either.
He would only step in when the boss fight approached, but even that wouldn't be a problem for him.
" Don't forget our bet, if I win, you're mine for the night!"
Adam smirked at Rumi's enthusiastic remark and readied himself as well.
"I'm always yours my love, but if it motivates you so be it."
' I didn't need to hear that...' ( Zoro)
*BOOM*
In an instant, the two of them disappeared from where they were standing, and when they came back into view, they were each in front of a scorpion monster.
" Luna Arc!" (Rumi)
" Punch which I don't have a name for!" (Adam)
In perfect synergy the two attacked.
Mirko sent a powerful front-facing axe kick to her opponent's head, or what appeared to be its head, smashing its enormous frame against the sand with a bang.
*BANG* (this is the bang)
On the other hand, Adam slid his way below the monster and punched hard at a specific point in its "exoskeletal" abdomen. His assault didn't go with a bang, at least not at first. But, after two seconds of making contact, a bizarre event took place.
When his punch connected, an attack that at first glance didn't do much damage, the scorpion's body started to heat up. Then, it expanded at an alarming speed, similar to a water-filled balloon.
" Go Boom~" (Adam)
And as Adam predicted.
*BOOOOOOM!*
An explosion took place.
Not from the outside, but from within the monster's body.
" That was flashy." (Rumi)
" Oh, I can make it flashier." (Adam)
' Fucking monsters.' (Zoro)
Zoro thought, his inner insult/compliment directed mostly at RED.
....
Adam had commanded his remaining troops to divide into groups of 150 members and tasked them to go west and east respectively.
After experimenting around, he found out that his shadow soldiers gave him experience. So not only would they evolve as he leveled up, but they would also boost his experience farming.
There seemed to be a downside, where the farther they were from him the less this boost would work. And if he wanted to let's say, chill at home as his shadows farm for him, he would get almost no experience.
It wasn't a big downside though; this method easily quadrupled the speed at which he would normally level up.
After dealing with the first horde of monsters they encountered, the three hunters decided to take a break by an oasis that was near where they were.
As Rumi took a swim, Adam and Zoro sat against a palm tree a few feet away from her.
" She looks happy..."
Zoro said with a tired expression.
" We had a small bet, and she's winning at the moment so..."
If Adam was feeling sad about losing the bet, he did not sound like it.
The smile on his face as he watched Mirko playing in the water never leaving his face.
Zoro may not have x-ray vision, but one thing he and his team captain share is their ability to read people.
" Say..."
Hearing the swordsman, Adam turned to face him.
" Are you really a newbie?"
At this, Adam nodded.
" I am."
Zoro contemplated for a minute, looking up, his vision settling at the canopy of leaves that did wonders to block the incessant sun rays from falling on them.
" Have you ever considered joining a guild?"
" Are you recruiting me?"
"Nah, I just thought that my boss would probably like you, he fancies odd ones like you."
Adam took a bit of offense... just a little.
"I will take that as a compliment."
" It wasn't one."
"Pff!"
The scarlet-haired hunter held a laugh at Zoro's honesty. If it was anyone else, they would've taken his words to heart, but he knew he only had good intentions.
" Is that boss of yours Kenji by any chance?"
Zoro raised his scarred eyebrow at the tone of familiarity present in Adam's question. But he ignored it... for now.
" You could say he is my boss's boss in a way, though he would never admit it."
' Yeah, that's Luffy for you.'
Adam couldn't help but smile behind his mask, the idea of meeting with Luffy and his crew making its place at the top of his to-do list.
" To answer your question, no, I'm not interested in joining a guild just yet."
Zoro nodded slightly, already expecting this answer. Much like his leader, he didn't look like the type of guy who would work for someone. If it wasn't for circumstances, he and his crew wouldn't be in someone else's guild either."
" Adam~! Come join me~! Let's see who swims faster!"
At the side, Rumi called out to Adam, completely forgetting that he was 'RED' now.
Zoro crept a sinister smile at this.
" Oh~ So Adam is your real name."
Adam could only sigh in defeat, he was expecting too much from Rumi's ability to keep his identity a secret.
" Yeah, no reason to hide it I guess."
Like that, Adam removed his mask and smiled at Zoro with an apologetic expression. Once inside the dungeon, he doubted anyone could see him, though he would play it safe and still wear his mask back once their break was over.
" Adam Zenith, I'm sorry if you felt deceived, but I have some circumstances that won't allow me to walk around in the open."
At first, when he saw Adam's face, Zoro just thought: ' This bastard sure is handsome.'
But the moment he said his name, the swordsman felt a chill running down his spine.
" Z-zenith?"
Adam had an idea why he looked so surprised, though, his suspicions weren't entirely on point this time around.
" Yeah, my parents founded your guild. Rumi and I are sort of stepsiblings, although she's my fiance now..."
Zoro couldn't care less about all of that, he rushed to Adam and held his shoulder, a look of pure disbelief adorning his face.
" W-wait! You are a Zenith, a real Zenith?"
" Adam was taken aback, he didn't know what was happening right now, but he nodded in confirmation, nonetheless.
" R-rose, R-rose Zenith! Did you know her?!"
Adam was once again taken aback, it seemed as though revealing his last name did a hit on Zoro's sanity.
He was so frantic that he completely ignored the fact that Adam indirectly suggested he was Rose's child already when he mentioned his parents founded the Guild.
" Zoro, calm down."
Snapping out of it, Zoro let go of Adam's shoulders and stepped back.
Rumi was too busy splashing in the water to even notice the blunder she caused.
"I'm sorry."
Adam did not know how Zoro knew his mother, but it was clear to him that their relationship was not simple.
" It's alright, don't worry about it."
Looking at his still expectant eyes Adam continued.
" To answer your question, yes, I knew Rose, she is my birth mother."
Zoro almost fell back from his sitting position, memories he wanted to forget coming back to him.
" Hey, are you alright?"
Before he could approach him, Zoro started laughing, his eyes teary from a variety of complex emotions.
" No wonder, you look just like sensei."
Adam's brain engine fluctuated for a moment, his Calm Mind skill doing its best to allow him to think rationally.
Eventually, the reality in Zoro's words sank in.
' Oh, so he's my mother's pupil.'
Wiping the mix of tears and snort on his face, the swordsman smiled at Adam, a newfound emotion present as he looked at his teacher's son.
Adam's identity as the son of Rose and James Zenith wasn't widely known. Only the high executives from the university he studied at and some higher-ups from the Guild knew about it.
There were always rumors surrounding the theory that the Zeniths had a child, but it was never confirmed publicly. And although Adam never hid his last name, "Zenith" wasn't a particularly unique name in this world.
If he was a famous hunter, the public would've made the connection by now, but Adam was a 'normal' student until a few days ago.
Kenji and Hana begged for him to change his last name even though they hated the idea of him doing it, but the latter refused to do so every time.
Rose and James were loved by many, but every positive has a negative, and their enemies weren't little in quantity. The demi-human couple gave up eventually, but they did their best to keep his real lineage a secret.
" Your mother was my first teacher. She saved my life, figuratively and literally. Not only did she show me the way of the sword, but she was a guardian of sorts to me."
"She left this world too early, but up to this day I continue to practice her teachings religiously, hoping I can reach the peak, just like she did."
Adam had never heard of this.
Knowing his mother, he was sure that if what Zoro was saying was true, he would've been adopted into the family.
But not only was that not the case, she never even mentioned him in the first place.
This Zoro was a few years older than his counterpart from the Anime, but he should have still been a child at that point in time.
But then, it came right to him...
" Wait!"
Zoro flinched at Adam's sudden outburst, yet he listened, closely.
" How often did she teach you?"
The green swordsman contemplated before answering.
"She would come to our house every month, but she always stayed for less than five days before leaving again."
'So that's the reason why mom would leave for a few days every month...'
The reasons behind his mother's secrecy regarding Zoro were unknown to him, and he doubted Zoro himself was any better.
He would have to do some digging up and find out about it himself later.
Like this, they continued talking on and on about Rose, a woman who occupied a big chunk of place in their hearts.
They found themselves conversing like long-lost siblings, and unconsciously for the two, a strong bond was formed between them.
After twenty minutes or so, before any of the two could continue their conversation any further, an 'intruder' arrived.
" Ada- I mean, RED! Let's get going. I'm bored from swimming already."
Both Zoro and Adam just stared blankly at the bunny hunter, then at each other.
'She's so clueless...' X2
...
Hey, first of all, I'm sorry for not uploading in so long. I was in my final exam period for this semester, and I didn't have the mental capacity to sit down and write this ff. Med school is very time-consuming.
I don't know about the future, but for now, I'm not planning on dropping the story though, so rest assured those who enjoy reading it.
Today's chapter was supposed to have more action, but I really wanted to get this ...Plot twist?... If it feels rushed let me know because even, I feel like I rushed this part a bit.
Anyways, the next chap for sure will have more action and Booms and Bangs. (Not that kind of Bangs you pack of perverts)
Peace out and have a wonderful day.
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