"Finally, I'm here!"
It was almost dawn when Adam returned to the Black Bulls Headquarters. Noelle had been practicing Magic since before daybreak, clearly waiting for a certain guy to come back.
"Adam!"
Noelle's expression brightened, and she ran towards Adam, drenched in sweat.
"Noelle, you're really working hard."
Adam looked at the craters around them. These were all part of Noelle's efforts, and one day they would bear fruit.
"Mhm!"
Noelle's face turned red from Adam's praise, unsure what to say.
"Then I'll go back first!"
Adam patted Noelle's head, intending to go back and get some good sleep.
"Water Magic!"
Noelle immediately turned into a steam engine, blasting Adam away with a Water Magic ball.
"Ah!"
Adam let out a scream, fell to the ground, and blacked out, directly losing consciousness.
"Adam!"
Noelle shouted, running over anxiously.
It was all Adam's fault, that pervert… Three days later.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Adam pushed open the door and groggily walked to the dining table, picking up a chicken leg and eating it.
Adam was too hungry to bear it, forcefully waking from his slumber to replenish the energy lost in battle.
"Adam, you're awake!" Noelle's expression relaxed. She had been worried sick these past few days, fearing something bad had happened.
"Hmph!" Charmy didn't speak, but the expression on her face seemed to say it all.
"Little brother Adam, you're quite charming!" Vanessa's gaze swept across them, a slight smile playing on her lips, her expression very playful.
"Yo! Adam." Asta was also eating with oil dripping from his mouth. It seemed the battle in the Royal Capital had also cost him a lot of effort.
As expected of the roaring emperor.
"Adam, why are you so tired?"
Yami asked.
"I had a fight with a white-haired, striped-faced guy. He trapped me in a different dimension, and it took a lot of effort to get out alive."
Adam said nonchalantly.
The matter was over; he just needed to work harder next time.
"Is he strong? I really want to fight him." Luck shouted excitedly as usual.
"Striped face?"
Yami was startled. This sounded like the mysterious person the big boss had mentioned… Royal Capital, Nean Border!
Adam and his group arrived here. Finral had organized a get-together and called Asta and Luck over. Adam just happened to hitch a ride.
"You guys have fun! Bye bye!"
Adam waved to Asta and the others, then headed towards the black market.
Having lost his Rooster Power, he felt a sense of urgency, a feeling that something big was about to happen soon.
The Dragon and Pig alone couldn't withstand the upcoming enemies. He had to find a way to obtain more Zodiac Power.
There were two known ways to obtain Zodiac Power: one was through rare artifacts, like the gem in the Magic Palace last time, an item of displacement that allowed the Rooster and Pig to return to their origins.
Such things were hard to come by and impossible to search for.
The other way was through animals, like the Rooster's blood Adam obtained from Latin last time, which activated the Rooster's divine power.
"Latin, I hope you don't miss me too much."
Adam curled his lips into an evil smile, passing through the magic wall and entering the black market.
"All-inclusive tonics! Come and see, come and look! Eat them and be stronger than an ox, fiercer than a tiger! Ten times your money back if fake."
"Here, take eleven!"
"You damn profiteer!"
"Thanks for the compliment!"
Such one-time deals were happening all over the black market.
Even so, many people, for profit, chose to try their Luck in the black market.
There were many "forbidden items" here that weren't available outside.
"This grimoire in my hand belonged to the last Magic Knight Order Captain of the Mantis… his sister-in-law's boyfriend's nephew. It's very collectible, I tell you."
Latin was at his stall, promoting a tattered grimoire without batting an eye.
"Found him!"
Adam's face lit up, and he walked towards Latin.
"Latin, this grimoire of yours, it wasn't picked up from a trash heap, was it?!"
A middle-aged man took the grimoire from Latin's hand and looked at it. It stank, and the pages were stuck together, more tattered than rags.
"What do you know?"
Latin took the book back and said impatiently, "Buy it or not, this one was so hard to get from the last…"
"The last what?" the middle-aged man asked.
"Not buying it."
Latin hurriedly rolled up the items on his stall with a blanket, picked it up, and ran, looking very comical.
He left behind a bewildered middle-aged man who wanted to buy a copy.
"Latin, you stop right there!"
Adam quickly chased after him. Without the ability to fly, even chasing Latin was difficult for him.
"You scoundrel, what else do you want from me? I already sold you things cheaply last time, and you're still hounding me!"
Latin thought that his flattery last time, along with what he said about Adam being a bumpkin during the entrance exam, had been settled!
He didn't expect this guy to still be holding a grudge. What a petty person.
"Adam, let's leave some room for future encounters. My insult to you was wrong, I apologize. Please don't bother me anymore!"
Latin thought to himself, if Adam still wouldn't let him go, he could only obediently go home and inherit his family's super farm.
"When did I say I was bothering you? I'm here to buy something."
"Buy something!"
Latin immediately stopped, turned around with a big smile, and happily said, "Why didn't you say so sooner? I welcome your arrival very much!"
"You didn't give me a chance…"
Adam was a bit speechless. Was he that scary?
What a handsome young man!
Adam picked up the mirror from Luck's bag and started looking at himself.
"Reflecting mirror, can reflect low-power Magic, one thousand Yul!"
Latin eagerly held out his hand. Adam pressed the mirror into his hand and said grumpily, "I'm not buying this."
"Then what do you want to buy?"
"The chicken blood from last time."
"None left." Latin spread his hands, indicating that there really was none left.
"Really?" Adam asked, still a bit unconvinced.
Adam also knew that such things were not easy to come by, and he had really gotten a great deal last time.
"Really. If you want ordinary chicken blood, of course I have it, but that kind of top-grade stuff, like last time, you might not find it on the entire continent."
He had thought things too simply.
Adam slapped his head, his expression a bit grim. What should he do about this?
After so long, only two of the twelve zodiac signs, it was truly embarrassing!
Moreover, it wasn't even perfect Zodiac Power. The power of the Pig and Dragon was already insufficient to withstand the upcoming crisis.
That white-faced, striped man, and even those so-called Royal Nobles, might come after Adam again.
He had to be prepared!
"By the way, do you have any channels for buying animals, like cows or pigs? It would be best if I could go and see them."
Adam decided to try his Luck. Eating Magic Pig could give the Pig pattern a slight growth.
If that didn't work, he would just have to rely on quantity to determine quality.
"I…"
Latin thought for a moment, looked at the face he detested, and reluctantly said, "I have a super farm at home, with all kinds of animals."
"That's great!"
Adam's face lit up, and he quickly said, "When do you have time to take me to see it?"
"Take you… it's not impossible. Things haven't been peaceful at home recently, and I was planning to go back anyway, but…"
"But what?" Adam asked, puzzled.
"You need to bring enough money. I'm afraid you'll default on your payment," Latin said seriously.
Whether he'd buy anything was still uncertain… "Okay! Tomorrow is payday. I'll get the money, and we'll go first thing in the morning."
Latin nodded when he heard Adam's words, saying, "Alright!"
"By the way, what's going on at your home?" Adam asked curiously.
"Unknown creatures have been breaking into the plantation at home recently. Every time we chase them, they disappear without a trace," Latin replied.
"Why don't you call the Magic Knights?"
"My father doesn't like them. He always thinks nobles are arrogant, and he'd probably die of anger before they even solve the problem."
"Then why did you try to join the Magic Knights?"
"Well, I didn't pass, did I?"
…