Chapter 375: Adrian The Doll (1/2)
”Now that's a rude thing to say,” Arthur waved his lightning rod in the carpenter's direction. ”Do you want this or not?”
”I do...” The carpenter said grimly. ”I just didn't think you would get it so early... damn favoritism. Disgusting.” The doll said with abhorrence.
”Done?”
”No. Revolting. Repulsive. Sickening. Disgusting.”
”You already said that, come on. I'm helping you here. Do you want the rod or not?” Arthur said with hurt feelings.
”Give it here,” The doll stretched out its woody hand, the charcoal fingers looking like a hook that tried to snatch the branch. Arthur was quick to dodge, and the carpenter glared at him.
”To, to, to,” Arthur waved his finger as he clicked his tongue under the hateful eyes of the doll. ”Upfront payments only!”
”You want me to help your friend now?” The carpenter shook his head. ”It would take a lot of...”
”That's why you can deposit~,” Arthur said while playing around with the rod. ”By answering a question of mine.”
”Fine,” The carpenter sighed. ”What do you want to know?”
”Well, first of all, your name,” Arthur said as he presented the rod to the carpenter, who looked shocked. It looked at Arthur, then the rod, then at Arthur again.
”My... name?” The spirit muttered with confusion. ”Why, for the love of heaven, do you want to know that?”
”Because there will be a lot of trading between us from now on,” Arthur shrugged. ”It's annoying not to know your name.”
”I lost my name long ago,” The puppet's teeth gnashed against each other. It retracted its hand and turned toward its workbench. It began carving out another one of its tiny houses, silently working as Arthur stared at it.
”It should be a small price to pay for this rod,” Arthur said with confusion, and the carpenter stopped moving.
”A small price, huh?” It nodded slowly. ”Despite being different from other humans and despite wielding this abnormal spirituality, you are no different, in the end.”
Arthur went silent.
”I'm sorry for devaluing your name like that,” Arthur walked toward the workbench and placed down the branch on it. ”This is an apology,” Arthur said and walked to leave the workshop.
”Aren't you afraid that I'm guilt-tripping you?” The carpenter asked. ”It is idiotic to act on emotions.”
”I follow the same mindset,” Arthur halted his steps. ”However, ever since I entered the Spirits Realm, I felt free of doubts and cynicism. Whether you are manipulating me or not says something about you, not about me.”
Arthur walked out of the workshop after finishing his words. The branch was easy to obtain, and he was sure that the carpenter would need more of it, so this can be a gesture of friendship.
As he reached the street outside, Arthur came across another doll making its way toward the workshop. The puppet stopped a few steps away, looking at him silently.
”My name is Adrian.” The carpenter's voice came out of the doll before it resumed walking into the workshop. Arthur looked at the lonely building, wondering about the purpose of the wood spirit Adrian.
***
Like a bullet zooming through the air, the ethereal white figure slammed into the walls of the hall. Li bolted to the ground under the effect of gravity as Arthur yawned. The gravity spirit returned to the throne and sat down.
The spirit spread its arm, palms facing up as if it was praying to some unknown deity. The black sword floated above them like a crescent moon.
Arthur looked at his senior rise up with instability. His outline wavered like a flame, having no definite form. Adrian walked toward him and tapped Li's body with a cane.
Li's form wavered again, growing more agitated. He let out a pained groan as he fell to his knees. The gravity looked like a giant mountain that wanted to crush him into nothingness.
”If you want to master gravity, then you have to suffer beneath it,” Adrian said like a wise sage. ”The only way to make the world yours is by reaching the brink of vanishing and coming back. You need to steal a part of it in that process.”
Arthur wanted to say the process looked too brutal and savage, but he didn't want to break Li's concertation. The ancient man nodded and sat cross-legged on the ground, suffering the might of gravity.