Echoes of a Lost World

chapter 11

Adam's POV

Just like that, they started living next door. They were considerate enough not to choose the place with the shared backyard (the one I had destroyed before so I could have that extra garden). I don't know if it was a coincidence or if they knew exactly what they wanted.

I could hear them laugh and talk from time to time. The sounds of other humans brought a peace to my days that I never knew I missed. I never interacted with them; I just heard them from afar. Still, it was nice. They tried hard to start a conversation with me, and that made me double-check my surroundings every time I left the villa. I didn't want to talk.

Ugh, I know I'm not making any sense, but what can I do? I'm genuinely terrified of the ML. I know it's not the same story, and I didn't do what the other Adam did, but still, these trembling hands and my pounding heart won't calm down when I think about it.

One day, I was planting a peach tree in the city. Yeah, I plant trees outside, right? It's actually fun. Planting trees and making this lifeless city breathe with life again brings me an amazing joy and satisfaction. I've planted a lot of trees randomly, and not every time I eat a fruit do I keep a seed in my pocket for later. But when I do, I plant it, and now this is the result: trees bearing fruit all around the city. It's amazing! Even right now, I feel so proud, and knowing that people have been eating fruits from trees I planted really makes me happy.

Just as I finished planting, I heard footsteps behind me. When I turned around—boom, the ML was there.

Without a second thought, I started walking away from him. He kept trying to talk to me, but nope, no way. This poor heart is just not ready yet.

Then—ding!

"Have a conversation with the ML. 

Success: +10 points. Failure: -100 points."

Damn you, system.

Then that grumpy voice sounded in my head, "It's for your own good, you ungrateful human."

"Are you kidding me? You're taking my hard-earned points now? This is robbery!" I muttered in frustration.

"Just talk to him, then," it said, then disappeared without another word.

And that's what happened—I ended up talking to him. Well, I wouldn't really call it a "talk"; it was more like him doing most of the talking while I listened, and occasionally I'd answer.

He spoke about bringing more people here, something I'd always figured would happen sooner or later. Having his people here was definitely better than a bunch of random strangers. Then he brought up the topic of security, which I'd been thinking about too.

"You can just ask the corpse trees for protection—just pay them," the system's voice suddenly cut in, catching me off guard.

"I can?" I wondered.

"Yeah, just activate your power, think of a protection wall, and I'll handle the rest."

And just like that, magnificent walls and a gate began to take shape around the villa's area. I didn't wall off the entire city; I left room for others. But honestly—and maybe selfishly—I had already claimed the largest area, with the best surrounding spaces within the walls. The villa's area, the great mall, the lake, the park, the grand garden (the most famous tourist spot in this city), and a few other places were all included.

After leaving some cheesy phrase to end our conversation, I walked off, leaving him there. Oh my god, I felt so embarrassed.

"You tried to act like a hero!" the system teased sarcastically.

"Shut up," I muttered, my face heating up. So embarrassing.

Liam's POV

So, his name is Adam I thought, chuckling to myself.He was acting so cute, trying to be all serious and mysterious.

As I looked around the walls that now surrounded the area,He really has an impressive power, and combined with his healing abilities, it's even more mysterious. I can't help but wonder—what's his story?

 I left the park and came across the tree Adam had planted. It was already almost 1.5 meters tall and had four small peach fruits hanging from its branches. I couldn't resist taking one to taste.

" Sweet."

When I got back, I shared the good news with the group.

"Amazing! My mother and sister will love this place," Oliver said, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Yeah, Samantha will love it too," James added.

"And here I was, wondering when you'd mention her name, Mr. Samantha's slave," Sophia teased him with a grin.

"I'm her slave, and proud of it! My baby is perfect," James replied, completely serious.

"Yup, an idiotic slave," Sophia added with a smirk.

"So, we're leaving here?" Lucas asked, his voice trembling and on the verge of tears.

His question earned him an exaggerated eye roll from Sophia, who crossed her arms with an impatient huff. "We're not leaving for good, you idiot," she snapped. "It's just a couple of weeks. We need to bring our families here, remember?"

"Yeah, so don't act like it's the end of the world," James chimed in with a smirk, clearly enjoying teasing him.

Lucas's face turned red as he glared at them both. "Well, excuse me, but it is the end of the world, remember?" he shot back, his tone sharp with irritation. "We're literally living in the apocalypse, in case you forgot!"

Before the banter could escalate, the captain cleared his throat loudly, silencing the group. They turned to face him, their chatter dying down.

"Alright," the captain began, his voice calm but firm. "Here's what we'll do: tomorrow, we'll organize our gear and harvest enough food for the journey. We'll leave in two days. Does that sound good to everyone?"

"Yes, Captain!" they replied in unison, their voices resonating with a shared sense of purpose.

Despite Lucas's earlier complaint, an air of excitement settled over the group. They weren't just leaving; they were preparing to bring their loved ones to the haven they had found together. It was a daunting task, but it filled them with hope and determination.

As the captain walked away to finalize plans, the others lingered, discussing what needed to be packed and harvested. Though tensions had flared briefly, the anticipation of reuniting with their families and sharing this safe haven with them brought a renewed energy to their preparations.