Rune didn’t answer imdiately. He actually appeared thoughtful for a mont before speaking, "There’s no particular reason. It’s just... since my master talked about the jades right before his death, he was probably asking to locate the bracelet. That’s the only reason I started looking for it in the first place."
Grace studied him closely, trying to see just how much truth he was speaking. What really surpised her was how he had no filter on his face, he was an open book for her to read.
"What now then?" She found herself asking as she kept her gaze focused on his face. "Since you have found the bracelet, what are you going to do next?"
She noticed how his expression shifted at her question. He looked lost as he moved his gaze from her face to her hand that he still was holding.
After what seed like several long minutes of silence, but was rely a couple of monts, he shook his head and looked up, once again fixing his gaze on her face.
"I don’t know. When I ca to this Realm looking for the bracelet, I was expecting to et my master’s lover. I would have told her about my master and would have let these two jade pieces et again. But then I found that she was long gone and you carried the jade. Now, I have told you all about my story and these two pieces of jade have already t. I don’t know what to do next."
She didn’t have to study him too deeply to know that he was actually lost. He wasn’t just acting like he was clueless about his future, he actually was clueless. Seeing soone as strong-minded as him this lost, she too felt at a loss for right words to speak.
"Aren’t you... going to return to your world?" She finally asked and noticed how he arched his eyebrows high in response. "I an... from the way you spoke, it did feel like you ca from a different world, maybe the sa world from where my grandma and this jade bracelet ca."
In response, Rune nodded his head, confirming her guess. Though she had already thought about it, she still felt shocked at the confirmation of the existence of another world.
"There’s indeed another world, not just one but several others. As for my world, it’s actually a magical realm and not exactly a planet like yours. It exists right between your world, that is the Earth, and the Red Planet, the world of monsters. The people in Magic Realm are all trained warriors and other elites. Our job is to keep the monsters of Red Planet from breaking into your world."
[Can you check if he’s telling the truth?]
Grace could no longer help herself and imdiately asked 2025 for help through their shared mindlink. She was trying her best to believe Rune’s stories, but with every new detail he was adding, she was having a hard ti believing them.
[You don’t trust him?] 2025 asked in return.
[His eyes and expression keeps telling that he isn’t lying. But can you really bla for not believing his magical stories about different worlds, elite warriors, and monsters?] She returned in her defense.
2025 was silent for a few seconds before it finally spoke - [Let see if there’s a way to verify his stories.]
"Are you alright? You look slightly lost."
Rune’s voice pulled her attention back to him and Grace realized that she had diverted her attention from him during her talk with 2025. She quickly shook her head and replied, "I’m just trying to grasp everything you are saying. It’s... a lot to take in."
In response, he nodded his head in understanding. "I know. If it has been soone else, they might have considered a psycho. Maybe the only reason you are even listening to is because of the jade bracelet. Even though what I’m saying may sound way too much, a part of you know that all of it could be true."
Grace couldn’t disagree. Despite her concerns about his stories, there’s a part of her - a huge part - which knew he’s not lying. She had been through a lot. She had seen the end of the world, had seen humans turning into zombies, had seen weird monsters suddenly attacking the Earth out of nowhere, had returned to the past due to so miracle after dying, and even possessed a magical bracelet.
Even if after all these she wouldn’t trust him even in the slightest, then she was the stupid one in this situation. Yet, her past taught her not to trust or believe anyone blindly. Even if she believed that Rune’s stories could be true, she wasn’t going to blindly trust him.
"So... are you going to return to your world?" She asked, returning their conversation back to the question she asked him monts ago.
With a small sigh, Rune shook his head in a negative response, surpising her in the process. "That was the original plan when I entered your world. But as these sudden natural disasters hit your world out of nowhere, the portal to my world disappeared. It’s been nearly a month since I have been trying to locate it, but there’s no sign of it. Without it, I can’t return to my world."
[Tell him to give you his ring. We can try to trace the secrets of his rings with the help of the system. That might allow us to find out if he’s indeed speaking the truth.] 2025 suddenly spoke through the mindlink.
Grace inhaled deeply before she asked in a serious voice, "In case you can’t return to your world, do you want to beco a part of my team?"
"I will love to." Rune replied instantly as if he was waiting for her offer.
He didn’t hesitate, but she did, though only for a re second before she spoke, "I might need your ring for a mont."
She barely finished her sentence and he was already taking off his ring. He put it down on the coffee table sitting in front of their couch.
[Do we need to bring it inside the space?] Grace asked 2025. [Concering how it keeps trying to create a connection with the bracelet, having it inside the Infinite Realm doesn’t sound like a great idea to .]
[Don’t worry. We can scan it from the outside.] 2025 replied before issuing another order. [Tell this hottie to draw the images of the monsters he used to fight against.]
Grace didn’t bother asking what the little creature was trying to do and just asked Rune if he could draw the images of those monsters. The man was clearly surprised by her request, but he complied and went to grab a notebook and pen.
He returned rely a minute later and settled down on the couch beside her, focusing his full attention on the notebook in his hand.
In the anti, a weird looking gadget appeared in Grace’s hand. It was circular and small, with unknown characters carved all over it. If she had to guess, it was made of plastic but she couldn’t tell for sure just by the exterior.
[Place it above the ring.] 2025 guided and Grace did exactly as she was told.
Barely few seconds would have passed before the characters on the gadget started glowing bright blue. It did catch Rune’s attention but he resud drawing after a re glance at the gadget.
"Aren’t you going to ask what I’m doing?" She was unable to stop herself from asking that question.
"There’s nothing to ask. I know that you are trying to find out if I’m worth trusting. And truth be told, I don’t bla you for being careful in a situation like this. You are doing exactly what should be done. This is exactly what I expected from soone as smart and clear-headed as you." He answered as he kept his gaze focused on the notebook.
Hearing him praising her, she could only shake her head. Everyti she thought that she had finally cracked him, he ended up leaving her surpised by his actions or words. He was indeed unpredictable, and that trait of his only intrigued her more.
It took two minutes before the glowing characters of the gadget cald down and returned to normal. rely a mont later, she heard 2025 speaking through the mindlink.
[He’s telling the truth. The powers, the weapons, and the energy present inside this jade ring is exactly the sa as what the original Infinte Realm had. The jade material of both these pieces also matches 99.99%. There’s also data about so planets, including a Red Planet, and hundreds of monsters. Most importantly, look at his drawings...]
Grace’s attention imdiately shifted to the notebook sitting on Rune’s lap and she noticed that he had drawn a few figures on it. She inched closer to get a better look and the mont she saw those sketches clearly, a loud gasp escaped her.
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