126: WAKING UP

Adam did not know where he was at the moment.

It was a place filled with the color white, stretching as far as the eye could see, seemingly into an infinite distance and perhaps even beyond.

For him who had obtained authority over Dreams, it should have been easy to change this place using his newly obtained powers. However, for some reason, he did not wish to change this scene. It was as if this place was as it should be. As if it was in its most complete and perfect state and doing anything to change it would be blasphemous.

He looked down and could see a white-colored board with cheese pieces riddled about.

Facing him was a figure with faceless features, entirely white from head to toe as if it could fuse at any moment with the surroundings.

Even though the figure had no face, merely shape, Adam was able to recognize who it was.

"Genesis."

"It's intriguing that you were able to recognize me this time. I believed this attempt at true communication would once again fail. It means that your Soul has grown enough to this point. Or was it the fact that you faced a godly entity that enabled you to perceive me?"

Genesis continued to ramble on and on, causing Adam to chuckle out loud…

"Where is this place?"

The figure finally stopped his useless ramblings and got straight to the point, "This is my home, so to speak… You could also say that it's a place between the realm of dreams and the membrane of reality, drifting aimlessly in the void and the direct corridor to the Library of Akasha."

"I see."

"Technically speaking, no, you do not see, Adam… As you are not in your physical body at the moment, the conventional five senses do not exist here. It's only your mind replicating them and confusing you into thinking that you are able to see."

"...You do know that it's just an expression, right?"

"I do. But I loathe such unreliable and inaccurate expressions."

"Sigh… I have been meaning to ask for some time now… Do you hate me? No… Do you perhaps despise me?"

"Neither of the two, in fact. I judged that while you are, physically speaking, the most appropriate host for me, your moral hangup and lack of desire for improvement severely limit how fast you, and by extension— me, could actually grow."

Genesis approached him with fluid steps.

"I am the first key. The one who holds the power toward the concept of perfect transcendence and opens the way to the paradise of unlimited and ever growing knowledge. If you had accepted to fuse with Buddha's consciousness, for example, you would already be as strong as your other siblings… At the minimum."

"For someone who is supposed to be emotionless, you speak way too much."

"That isn't all… Let's say that you do cherish your personality and did not wish to be affected by Buddha's influence. This is beyond my comprehension on so many levels but let's accept this scenario. Why then did you not use my power more freely?

"The Ordeals that you were challenged with should have already clued you in, but the actions that are judged as morally wrong by your society are those that bring the greatest benefits to you."

Genesis continued calmly and with the utmost sense of rationality, "Fear, lust, hatred, all those negative emotions are more easily generated than love, faith, and respect. In terms of pure efficiency alone the difference is so great that it cannot even be compared to the virtuous emotions. I was proven right today when you inevitably chose the Black Knight's path."

"..."

"Emotions make humans weak and limit your potential for evolution. If you truly wish to become strong as fast as possible. You should discard all the useless baggage that holds you down and focus on what is important. The women you love, your family, and all this… How many years do you think they will be with you in your inevitable path of immortality?"

Genesis did not wish to hold back anymore. There were many things he could not say when Adam was in the external world. Back there, he could only act as an assistant rather than an adviser. But in this place, in his domain, he had more leeway to share his true opinions.

"The girl called Sae is a Cambion. I guess 700 years? At most 800 to 900 years would be the most her lifespan could stretch. Natasha, the werewolf, should have between 300 to 600 years left to live. As for your mother… Even if you manage to save her, as a powerful hunter, she will only be able to live for one or two hundred years at most. Not more, not less. I do not even need to speak about an ordinary Mortal like Shuri."

For humans, those numbers were so high that it was shocking. But for an entity like Genesis, those were just a blip in its long and everlasting existence.

"Adam Gospel. You need to remember a fact that you are blindly ignoring from the start. You may look like a human, but you are not one. You are a superior being that is as close to the divine as is possible for any entity of this time and you should act as such. Discard your useless humanity and embrace your true nature."

The space slowly began to tremble. Fractures appeared everywhere due to the irreversible instability of the realm that was forcefully enacted to host another mind apart from Genesis' own.

"I believe the time that was imparted to us is coming to an end."

The featureless eerie figure advanced toward Adam.

"I have been created to bring the birth of a new King to this world. But for now, you still think like a mere commoner."

"You truly act as if you are all knowing, huh…"

"I am not. But I do know that more and more supernatural events will revolve around you in the future. Surely with your current powers, you will be able to handle most of them. When you unlock your third chakra this will be even more so. But the probability of another event like the one with Asmodeus happening around you is extremely high and this time, I wonder if luck will still be with you.

"But… You understand this already, right?"

Adam stayed silent at those words. But, he eventually nodded in agreement. He had already realized that he couldn't stay as he was.

It was impossible for him to fall as deep as Genesis was suggesting he should go. It was impossible for him to discard his humanity in its entirety. But there were many ways he could change things in order to accelerate the speed at which he is obtaining Karma.

Genesis stopped as it looked up and the infinitely stretched world seemed to be on its last dregs.

"Do not forget, Adam Gospel, my master. Fate and Luck are cruel mistresses that can abandon you at the moment you need them the most. Our survival is now tied to each other. Will you hang on to your morals or will you walk in the path of darkness and power? The choice is yours at the end of the day."

With those words, everything went dark once more.

When Adam opened his eyes in the real world, albeit with a lot of difficulties, he was immediately swarmed by a flurry of notifications.

[For you who have looked at the incarnation of a divine being and can now see between Reality and Dreams, the amount of information now accessible by the 『Eyes of Truth 』 has increased tremendously. Your mastery of the skill has permanently increased many folds.]

[For you who have power over Dreams and Reality… A synergy between The Magician and The World is now established. Increasing the efficacy and might of both skills by a large margin.]

[The skill named Death failed to establish a synergy with your other EX Ranked skill.]

[For you who have unlocked a new power from your lineage as the Son of Cain, the curse reacts and is closer to a new and permanent change.]

[Your current Karma is 13400.]

[The second Chakra can be obtained by paying 10000 Karma] [1]

[Do you wish to open the Chakra?]

[Y/N]

[Warning: The opening of a chakra is irreversible and the cost of each subsequent Chakra increases exponentially. Make your choice carefully.]

"Adam!"

Adam had no time to observe all the notifications with a keen eye, as he was hugged by someone with a tight embrace.

Recognizing the voice of his mother, Adam squeezed her against him with equal enthusiasm.

"I am alright, mom…"

Cecilia hugged him hard. She had been very worried about him and had not been able to sleep well for the past few days.

The situation with Shuri did not help her at all on top of that. She was in a world of stress and it was nearly breaking her.

"Yeah, now that you are awake, everything is good… Adam?"

Cecilia tilted her head in confusion as she saw Adam opening his mouth wide while looking at her with a shocked gaze.

"Is there something the matters?"

Adam was struck speechless by what he saw. After all, he had just used the newly evolved Eyes of Truth on his mother and the result was astonishing, to say the least.

『 Name: Cecilia Kaminari/Gospel

Affiliation: Mei Kaminari

Alias: Mad Hound Destroyer Vermillon Knight

Race: Human

Age: 43

Affection: Familial Love (MAX) 』

『 Stats

Strength: F (D)

Speed: F (D-)

Dexterity: F (D-)

Endurance: F (D)

Prana: C (SS)

Charm: C

Willpower: S

Luck: B

Weakness: Unable to gleam

Acquired Power: Unable to gleam

Innate Authority: N/A

Unique Skill:

Skills: Unable to gleam

Overall Combat Capacity: B (SSS)

Remark:...Whoah…. 』

CH 127: OPENING A NEW CHAKRA

Looking at Cecilia's stats had been honestly quite a bit of a shock for him. He knew that his mother was once powerful. Very powerful too. He just didn't know that she was- That kind of Powerful.

This had been an eye opener for him about the reality that was in front of him. But it also made him even sadder as he realized everything his mom had to sacrifice just for him and that sacrifice had turned in vain, in the end.

After a tearful welcome, both Makarov and Viktor streamed into the room to see his condition and greet him. Viktor showed quite a contrite expression on his face while Makarov approached Adam with heavy steps...

"Thanks for making sure my stupid grandson was alright."

"Hah... I am sorry. It was because of me that he was in such a situation. I had to take responsibility for that."

"Because of you?"

Makorov's eyebrow rose slightly at his words before he chuckled out loud, "So was it because of you that the vampire bastard chose Pacific Park? Was it because of you he made a ritual to call a devil? Was it also because of you all those humans were put in danger?"

His voice softened a little as he spoke out his next set of words, "I understand what you are going through right now. It's a step every good hunter has to go through one day in their lives. Even that idiot of a woman you call your mom has gone through it."

As a hunter, the first lesson they had to learn was that they were not heroes. They could not save everyone, they could not be at the right place at the right moment and sometimes, they just weren't strong enough to face the challenges by themselves.

"You were at the wrong place at the wrong moment or... With how you helped, I guess you could say you were at the right place and moment."

Adam only flashed Makarov with a bitter smile as he heard the old man's statement, "Mom finished everything alone."

"Snort~ Yeah, it isn't very surprising that she did. This ain't the first time she is facing a god's descent. When she was even younger than you are currently, she managed to beat down the incarnation of Surtr that was summoned in London."

He showed a proud grin, "Those bastards of the association later said that it was the work of a zodiac because they didn't want to be shamed. But they gave appropriate rewards to her. They had some conscience in those thick brains of theirs, after all, it seems."

Thanks to that fight, Cecilia obtained the core of Surtr and the fragments of his sword. He was given the material and created the Divine Weapon she was holding right now. It was his greatest creation, even though he had an already half finished product.

"Anyway. Thanks to you being there, your mother came and was able to save everyone. This is a blessing. So accept it as what it is. If you can't, if you really feel frustrated about this then... Become stronger. So strong that no one and nothing can hold you in your path."

The reality of this world was rather simple. Might was right. Everything else was bullshit.

"The one who has the bigger fist makes the rules in this accursed world."

He smiled and began walking away from the room.

Viktor hesitated a little before strength gathered in his eyes, "I will make sure to help create the best weapon for you. Until grandfather makes the ultimate weapon, I will be your blacksmith. Come later when you are ready to make yourself a weapon you can use."

He immediately left after delivering those words to Adam. He was not good with words so this was the best he could do. But for him, this was very important.

He was useless as a fighter and could only be a liability in a real fight. But, even then, he refused to be useless. He would gear Adam up as much as possible until his father gathered all the elements necessary to create the most perfect weapon for the young man.

This was his vow as a blacksmith and the grandson of the greatest blacksmith in all of history.

The rest of the day was spent in bed as Adam watched the news on his phone and tried to gather himself.

He tried to contact Sae first. No matter how wounded he may mentally be, he doubted this would match the situation that Sae must be going through right now.

She should be very confused and lost at the moment with no one to help her and show her the way.

It rang a few times but no one answered at first. Until a voice answered him,

[Hello. Is it Adam?]

'Oh?'

He recognized the voice to be Sae's father. There was no way he was going to forget that.

"Kirishima-san? I am calling to ask about Sae, I was unable to contact her until today so I wanted to know if everything was alright with her."

Silence lasted for a while before a tired sigh followed by a frustrated and annoyed voice,

[Look, Adam, I am tired of turning around and hiding. I know you know about the other side and now my daughter is also in the same situation.]

His tone came out a little brusque as he delivered those words,

[Currently, Sae has been enrolled in the Academy. She hasn't left yet though, but she isn't in a place where she can receive calls. When she comes back, I will make sure to say you called, alright?]

"...I understand. I just want to know... Is she alright?"

[...She wasn't... Still isn't... Look, Adam. I don't know what is going on between you two currently. But... I hope that when she comes back, you will be there for her. Perhaps you will be able to open the door that was kept shut for us.]

The bitterness in the voice of Sae's father was all too evident for him but he was unable to say anything to comfort the man.

[Well, I will leave now. Have a good day, Adam.]

"You too, sir."

He sighed and pinched his brows. This did not go as he imagined it to go at all.

'The Academy, huh?'

He remembered the woman he met in Shuri's bar. Bridget Bishop. One of the witches of Salem and the contractor of Lilith.

His temples pounded. He didn't know how strong Bridget was. But, no matter how he thought about it, there was no way she would be weak.

What could he do if she proved to be a danger to him in the future?

Nothing. Not a goddamn thing, except perhaps crying for help and hoping his mom came to save him again.

"Haha... Fuck that shit."

He breathed in deeply and exhaled before calling Natasha.

[Adam! You are finally awake! How are you now?]

Thankfully, he was able to reach her, unlike the case with Sae. Hearing the voice of his friend immediately put him in a better mood.

"I am alright. I just woke up. What about you?"

[I... Well, you could say that I am grounded. Hahah]

She gave an awkward laugh from the other side. Her words surprised him somewhat but he decided to hear her out first.

[I was first attacked by some mercenary and not even a week later, I faced a demon's descent. You can say that my father is currently quite frazzled by my circumstances.]

Natasha explained how they were stopping her from going out entirely while working on a complete overhaul of her security system.

Natasha had tried to fight back and argue that it was just bad luck. After all, obtaining her current freedom had not been easy. But she was overhauled by everyone and even Aleksandra was not on her side in this case.

[Well, they will finish working on my new security team soon. But until then I am blocked from going out.]

The two stayed silent.

[Adam you know, I am quite different from your normal werewolf.]

This was quite a sudden change in topic. But Adam nodded to himself. He knew that most werewolves weren't able to change into a huge giant wolf.

[Until now, I thought I was strong enough. I just had to let myself grow a little older and power would come naturally once I reached Adulthood.]

This was the power of her talent. She did not explain more as it was on the phone and it was possible for people to listen to them.

[I decided that I can't wait anymore.]

What was the use of power if you could not use it well enough when it mattered? Talent was useless as long as it wasn't concretized in power.

[I want to become worthy of my title and my blood.]

She didn't want to only be a shield good enough to help people buy time. She didn't want to be forced to risk her sanity for greater power.

This was why...

[Next time we meet, let's be even stronger, alright?]

The mood that had been brought low because of the news about Sae was lifted up again. Adam laughed at himself because of how easy he was but her words truly made him happy.

"I will be far stronger than you when we meet again."

[...I hope you will be.]

Her words seemed to hide quite the innuendo but she did not wait for Adam to answer before she hung up fast out of shame.

"What was that?"

He looked at his phone in wonder before shaking his head.

Now that he had made sure that the people he cared about, who were part of this incident, were alright, it was time to focus on himself.

The book opened and floated in the air in front of him.

He had obtained two new skills in this endeavor.

[The Magician] and [Death]

"I will have to test the [Death] one way or another."

This skill seemed like something that would be a total game changer for him. But for now, there was one thing he had to do.

He looked at his book.

[Your current Karma is 13400.]

[The second Chakra can be obtained by paying 10000 Karma] [1]

[Do you wish to open the Chakra?]

[Y/N]

The choice was already made, there was no hesitation,

"I chose to open Visuddha - The Throat Chakra."

[Warning: The opening of a chakra is irreversible and the cost of each subsequent Chakra increases exponentially. Make your choice carefully.]

"I am sure."

[10 000 Karma has been deduced. Opening the Throat Chakra.]

Adam groaned as his throat began to burn with an intensity like he had never felt in his life.

He had already anticipated it, but it seemed that he could not escape the pain.

But it was alright. If pain was all he needed to become stronger, he would welcome that pain any time of the day.

CH 128: PREPARING

While Adam was working on opening his third major Chakra pathway alongside the now common pain that had become the companion of his existence, the streets of Los Angeles were moving busily at their usual pace.

The harrowing events of the Pacific Park had been followed by many concentrated attacks in different districts under the directives of the underworld leaders in Los Angeles.

They thankfully managed to push back the one who had attacked, but not all of them were able to do it easily.

[Wild Hunt]

Sitting in front of a ton of paperwork, that looked like it would reach the ceiling or crash and scatter on the ground due to its volume and instability, Yui was busy scribbling notes one after another in silence in her office room.

Not far from her, Nikola's face could only form a bitter smile with her thin lips as she watched her boss work so furiously. But there was not much she could say or do for the matter.

The attack had been quite brutal. Many people had been changed into thralls and attacked from all sides and they were forced to go for the kill.

The territories under the Triad, the Russian Mafia, and the Yakuza were relatively untouched in the end. After all, they had many subordinate families under their control.

Yui was not that lucky, in fact.

The executives in the gang who had a high fighting power could be counted on one hand.

When they fought other gangs this wasn't really a problem for them. Yui had managed to recruit a powerful group of elites under her order and Yui herself was extremely powerful in her own right.

But this also highlighted their shortcoming. A small number of elite members was certainly useful but they lacked the coverage of the more powerful and older gangs.

As a result, the little Korea Town that was her territory had been hit quite badly and the few groups they had under them were starting to show reticence.

"Boss. You shouldn't worry about those bastards. You are just ruining your mood by doing that."

Yui looked up at Nikola with bewilderment before giving a smile as understanding dawned on her face.

"I don't care about those who are jumping. They are just being incited by the competition."

She shook her head and looked down again at the numbers, "I am just working on the document about the families of our gang members who were hurt or died. Also, I need to give reparation to the shops and companies who paid for our protection."

Yui pressed her brows with her hands and leaked a tired sigh. This was quite the step back in terms of funds but she didn't particularly mind about it.

Money was meant to be used when necessary. There was no use in hogging it down to her chest when it had its uses.

What brought her mood down was nothing more than the fact that she had failed in her endeavors…

"I can't do everything alone after all."

She had a clear code of conduct. People paid her for the protection. In her opinion, this wasn't extortion but a true contract and she had not been able to deal with the part of her contract.

This was something she simply could not accept.

"Until now, I have been too lenient towards the lesser gangs in K-Town. I think it's about time to change this for good."

She did not like wars and useless bloodshed. This was why, she had always used the most peaceful way when dealing with her territory and in extension the heterogenous groups that populated them.

But during this event, she realized that she was wrong in her approach. Outside of her direct subordinates and a few loyalists, most of the other gangs simply protected themselves when it really came down to it. This caused her to make a grave error in the estimation of their forces.

"Also, that bastard Boris didn't listen to my warnings and started to deal those fucking drugs in my territory again."

She chuckled but her eyes were cold and unfeeling as she spoke in an apathetic tone, "It seems like everyone thinks I am a pushover now. Don't you think it's quite funny, Nikola?"

Nikola did not laugh, she was not in a situation to laugh. She knew how to read the room, after all. She felt like she was facing a predator at the moment and it was not a great feeling. Yui's Prana was leaking out all over the place and the ground seemed to shake slightly due to her aura and the leaked Prana.

It had been quite some time since she had seen her boss become so angry that she lost control of her prana and let it leak away like this…

"If there is one thing I hate more than anything else, aside from breaking a contract and losing loyal subordinates that is, it's being underestimated. Now those three things happened one after another. How do you think I am feeling now?"

Nikola closed her eyes and leaked a sigh. A smile formed on her face as she began to understand where her boss was going with this. It was an exhilarating feeling for her…

"Are we going to war?"

Yui nodded gravely at her words, "Not now, of course. The LAPPD are like hedgehogs after what happened recently. They will come down on us hard if we start a gang war now. But… That is only if we start one, right?"

She shrugged and took the golden card she used for the invitation, "Share the invitation. The bar is opening once more."

"Who should I invite?"

A mischievous smile formed on Yui's face at the question that was directed toward her by her faithful subordinate, "Do you know about the trojan war?" [1]

Nikola was quite startled by her question as she understood the devious plan Yui was trying to weave with the mention of that eponymous war reference…

"Will this even work?"

"Well, let's see if our boys will be able to play the role of Paris or not."

She laughed as she went back to her papers. "Of course, we will have to be careful to not end like the Trojans [2]. You understand that, right?"

"I do. I will make sure to prep everyone so that they are in their top condition."

Yui nodded then hesitated slightly before speaking her next string of words, "Also, call Adam."

The two of them needed to have a discussion about the future. Since she was going to fight, she wished that Adam knew exactly what he was walking into and whether he wished to walk deeper or go back to the light from where he came from.

Nikola accepted the order with much much more reluctance than what she thought she would have in such situations.

Adam had once walked out from the gang and abandoned Yui all those years ago.

It didn't matter what reason he had. The reality was what it was and while she wasn't in the gang back then, this made it impossible for her to believe in him.

Still, she would wait and observe. She believed in Yui's eyes for people. All she could do was prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

She really hoped that he won't disappoint her boss any further.

[1]: There was once a dude called Paris. The dude was a prince of Trojans and decided to kidnap/seduce/rape (different versions have different depictions of him) Helene of Troy. Considered the most beautiful mortal woman. Problem is, the woman was married to a king, named Menelaus who was the brother of another king— Agamemnon (A very powerful man). So now, obviously Menelaus didn't like that he got cucked so he convinced Agamemnon to help him go recuperate his wife and this started the war. Well, if we go further into the origin, everything is because of Aphrodite and if we go further, it's because of Zeus who randomly decided to make a goddess beauty contest and choose Paris as the Judge. But that is another story altogether.

[2]: I think anyone who can read basically knows about the Trojan horse. So I won't go in depth. Trojans were stupid. Somehow accepted a fucking giant horse made out of wood in their citadel even though they were at war. Left no one to observe it, and got killed by the soldiers who hide in it while they were drunk and partying. Ngl this story was supposed to show how smart Ulysse/Odysseus(the same man) was. But this rather reminds me how some authors simply dumb down all other characters in a story to make the MC seem smarter.

CH 129: FIRST STEP

Adam had expected many things, pain included in those expectations, when he decided to open a new major Chakra pathway.

Perhaps he would have some visions, perhaps something would go wrong along the way, or perhaps he would have to go through a trial of some sort once again.

But surprisingly, outside of an agonizing pain that made him feel like magma was being poured all over his throat, nothing else had happened which confused her somewhat.

This was more normal than he ever anticipated this process to go.

When he felt that the flow of energy in his throat had calmed down somewhat, Adam coughed slightly and decided to adjust the stuffiness he felt in his throat.

"A. B. C. D..."

He recited the alphabet and did some articulation, but while he felt a little different there didn't seem to be that much difference due to the opening of his Throat Chakra.

"I am Adam."

'Hmm.'

He tilted his head in confusion, not being able to understand what was going on. But soon, he decided to calm himself down and focus inwardly. He realized then that even though the Throat Chakra had now been open, because of his current circulation of Prana, the energy naturally did not go through the Throat Chakra pathway.

'Ugh. I need to change that.'

He remembered the Book about how to breathe and focused deeply. Unlike the first time he did something like this, he was no inexperienced newbie this time around.

He began to absorb the Prana in the atmosphere through The Crown Chakra and circulated it through the Third Eye. Normally, at this time, the flow of Prana would circulate through his minor chakra through the body. But this time around, he made a conscious effort and guided the accumulated Prana to move through the now-opened major Chakra pathway.

Bang~!

Adam felt like a small explosion had taken place in his head that rattled his mind.

[Throat Chakra opening complete]

[The Crown, The Third Eye, and The Throat all work together in unison]

[The three Chakra related to the Outer self have now been opened and the road toward the Soul Star Chakra is now opened wide in front of you]

[Congratulations. You have taken the first step toward Transcendence]

Adam could not pay attention to the message.

He could only focus on himself as he felt that his body was going through a complete changing process and adapting to his new heights of power. His throat tingled, his eyes hurt slightly, and he felt like a haze was covering his mind.

Even though he could not see it, he felt like the chains that were previously serving as tethers to bind him were broken partially, giving him a sense of true freedom.

For an instant, a very short instant, his perspective changed entirely.

He was not looking at the world through his eyes. But from a higher perspective, as if he had left his body and was wandering along with his mind alone and was able to see everything on a much larger scale.

Whoosh~

The power of his domain burned brightly. The three Chakra pathways merged to make it grow at a phenomenal speed- 50 meters, 70 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. The domain continued to grow more and more, leaving the confines of his home, covering the street, covering even more area until finally...

Five hundred meters...

"Argh!"

This time Adam could not help himself and leaked a groan of sheer agony as thousand upon thousand of small pieces of information wormed inside his brain in real time.

This was so much that his body itself fought to adapt to this new change of power and perspective.

[The coverage of the skill, The World, has increased significantly]

[The skill Parallel Thinking has been enhanced to adapt to your growth]

[The skill Accelerated Perception has been enhanced to adapt to your growth]

In the past, he could only divide his mind into two, but now he felt like he could easily reach four and perhaps even more with enough effort and training, exponentially increasing the number of actions he could do simultaneously inside his own domain.

The world in his perception began to slow down to nearly a crawl, but unlike in the past when he would already be bleeding from his eyes, he only felt a small tingle in his brain and ocular system.

'Ah...'

The world felt different, and the way he saw things felt vastly different too. His perception, his thinking speed, and so many more aspects had been so significantly boosted that he became completely speechless after understanding the limits of his startling growth.

'Ah...'

Adam understood now why people became drunk on their powers. In his 500 meters domain, he had the impression that he was completely omnipotent. Even though he knew it was just an illusion brought by the feeling of euphoria, it was hard to fight this very feeling of euphoria.

He could feel the presence of so many people in his domain. With a thought, he could know nearly everything about them. From their names to even their innermost feelings. With another thought, he could simply crush all of them with gravity, destroy all the communication devices, and do so many more things.

'Ugh...'

Adam grabbed his head and unknown to him his eyes once again changed to a golden color. Only this time, the color started to spread to the second eye as well.

His mind felt alien, colder, and more calculating. This wasn't the first time he had felt this alien side of him. This had happened when he fused with Buddha's mind and reached a higher level of enlightenment.

This also happened when he awakened the skill [Fear].

Adam realized then... The stronger he became, the more evolution he went through, and the closer to transcendence he was - The more aspects of his humanity he would lose.

This was an inevitable change. For how the mind of an adult was different from that of a child and that the mind of a king was different from that of a commoner.

Then... As if it was a lie, everything calmed down once more.

Huff~ Huff~ Huff~

His breathing was heavy. His face was covered in sweat. He felt like he had run through an entire marathon for days without stopping for even a second.

His mind once again felt like it was his own and the coldness and sharpness receded but it was still there, lurking in the back of his mind.

'Genesis. What was happening to me?'

[As you summarized, it's a synchronization between the mind, body, and perception.]

Genesis's voice was calm as always. But somehow, Adam could feel like there was a smidgen of excitement deep in its mechanical voice.

[Most vampires were originally humans. Why do you think they can drink human blood without disgust? Ghouls, Mermaids, and so many races. Why do you think they can live for hundreds of years without becoming crazy?]

"...I don't like it."

[Then stop growing stronger.]

It was as simple as that and Adam could only grimace at that notion. He understood that changes were inevitable. He knew that he could not reject those changes. That didn't mean that he had to like it.

In the same way adults wished they could go back to the simpler and less mature minds of their childhood, change always brought small hesitations.

But did it mean that they were bad?

Slowly, Adam began to float in the air. This time he did not even need to lower the gravity for him to be able to do this feat. His mind became stronger and the weight he could lift was now much higher than before.

He began to think. Could the current him face the vampire before it went berserk? He thought for a while before shaking his head.

He felt like he could. At the very least, he knew that he wouldn't have to be so helpless and play dead like last time.

How long had it been since he awakened?

Less than a month. Barely three weeks.

Adam chuckled under his breath...

"You are truly incredible, Genesis."

[...I appreciate the sentiment...]

Adam shook his head and chased away the dark thoughts in his mind. Since he had grown so much...

It was time for him to see the change for himself.

"Status."

The book opened wide for him to see the changes that transpired in his body.

〠Name: Adam Gospel

Race: Primogenitor

Stats: - - - - -

Strength: D+

Speed: D+

Dexterity: D+

Endurance: D+

Prana: C â†' A

Charm: C â†' C+

Willpower: C â†' A

Luck: EX

Overall Combat Capacity: C+ â†' B+

Remark: Congratulations. You are canon fodder no more. Still, as always, the difference between what you can do and what you should be able to do is great. Time to train again ã€

Adam's eyes twitched at that remark but for once it wasn't as mocking as it was in the past.

The door opened wide and Cecilia burst into the room before looking at her son floating in the air with surprise.

She had felt the sudden increase in Prana and had rushed to see what was happening but she had to admit that his changes were a little too massive for her to stomach.

Speechless as she was, she could only say the first thing that came to her mind, "You know, the current scene with you floating like this seems like the start of a movie about exorcism, right?"

Adam chuckled at those words before landing on the ground. Her words had managed to break through a certain tension that had been building inside of him.

The two of them gazed into each other eyes, there were worries hidden deep in Cecilia's mind, and Adam could tell that clearly.

She knew very well, that every time her son grew stronger meant that he changed just as fast.

Still, at first, she thought those changes would take years or at least months to come. Now... It was clear that she had underestimated his growth.

Whether this was a good thing or not was yet to be seen. But she had no wish to stifle his growth.

'I guess now, I really need to talk with her...'

She had been pushing it for so long but the inevitable still came to her. She needed to have a conversation with her sister.

CH 130: WHAT PATH SHOULD HE TAKE?

The next day happened to be a Saturday and even though it was only 5 am in the morning, Adam could already be seen running on the streets of his neighborhood while wearing a white sweatshirt with a hoodie over it covering his face.

For Adam. who still didn't know what he should do with his future, it was a godsend. He was starting to wonder if he should actually continue going to the university from now on.

Becoming a lawyer seemed less and less appealing to him in his current situation and going to classes was actually a waste of time as he could use this time to strengthen himself or even gain proficiency in his skills.

At the same time, there was something that made him hesitate from going along with this decision. The university was his last bastion. The last fact and proof that he was actually just a normal young man. Would cutting that part of his life and forgoing any semblance, in the long run, be the right thing to do for him?

If there was one thing the events of Pacific Park proved to him, it was that… time was something he couldn't afford to play around with.

Adam breathed deeply as he spread his domain, The World, in the surroundings while moving around. He wasn't just running. He had constantly been applying an increased gravity on himself to restrain his movements and further train his body and skills.

One thing Adam understood was that his physical stats weren't really fixed. They only showed his possible maximum output. Not the one he could actually reach at any given time with the simplest actions.

He didn't know how effective this training would be but it wouldn't hurt him to go along with that so it was a good exercise overall.

'I have a free pass for the Bronze section and one for the Silver section now in my arsenal.'

These were really important opportunities for him to exploit. Now that his soul had become even stronger with the opening of his three upper major Chakra pathways, if he entered the bronze section, he might even be able to stay for an entire year there.

As for the Silver section of the Nexus…

Adam felt a great deal of anticipation about the skills he could obtain from that place. The skills at this level would be up to C or B level which would cost a minimum of 101 Karma points for C-ranked skills to a maximum of 10000 points for the upper-end B-ranked ones.

Currently, he only had 3000 points in his stock so the advantages he could receive from entering that section were crystal clear for anyone to see.

'Genesis, should I buy more skills?'

[For the time being, I believe it's completely unnecessary to append your repertoire. The amount of skills you have is already overwhelming as it is and as long as your control over your unique skills— The World and The Magician increase, you will have an even larger arsenal for you to exploit as you wish. It is clear that appending anything else is completely necessary and even hazardous to your growth.]

Genesis was prompt in answering with a rebuttal as it also proceeded to explain his case to him.

[In the near future it would be advisable to use the Bronze pass to train The Magician to an acceptable level. The power over Dreams is an authority that can bring one to the level of gods once mastered. You already went through it yourself and you know what it is capable of.]

Adam nodded in acknowledgment of its logic. A form shimmered next to him and suddenly a small dog appeared next to him.

[The Magician] could essentially be used in two ways.

One was Illusion. By affecting the external world and bringing fake images or sounds, though he could only affect sights for now at his current level of proficiency. But in the near future, he was sure that he would be able to affect the five senses. He could make an illusion bring true pain or pleasure.

Just this alone showed the potential of the skill.

But the true power was the ability to manipulate Dreams. Right now, he could only make small dreams and needed physical contact as well as looking at his target in the eyes for a sufficient time to activate the dreams. But once he had a greater mastery over this power, he would be able to do things like Asmodeus and recreate an entire Dream World where he had control over all laws.

'The World and The Magician are strangely similar when I think about it.'

[Dream and Reality. Two paths that bring the same result in the end.]

Adam groaned as the image of the dogs vanished. Making those external illusions was not easy. The Magician had more freedom than The World but it still demanded great concentration to use the skill perhaps more than the previous one he obtained.

The good thing was that he could easily create many illusions in the range of The World which had a synergic effect with his other unique skill.

'Sigh. Yeah, those two skills alone will need all my concentration.'

[You currently have 3400 Karma. I believe the best course of action is to put aside 1000 or so karma and buy a few D or C ranked skills related to The Throat Chakra. Supplementary passive skills that will enhance the utility should do for now. Then save the rest for eventually opening the next Chakra.]

'How much Karma do I need again for that?'

[100 000 Karma points.]

Adam shook his head and continued to run. Even if he had chosen the Black knight ordeal from the start and absolutely slaughtered all living beings in the Park, he would have only obtained less than twenty thousand points.

Had he chosen the White Knight ordeal and saved everyone, he would have obtained Ten thousand points.

This would mean that he needed between 5 to 10 Epic ordeals at the same level as the one he just went through for him to open the next pathway.

'Hahaha… Holy shit.'

[Opening all the Chakra is the strongest path toward Godhood and transcendence. Obviously, it will never be easy.]

'But I remember Buddha didn't open the seven Chakra before becoming a Celestial though.'

His mind was still fuzzy about those events. But Buddha as a human only had the Heart Chakra open and only after reaching enlightenment did he open the Third Eye then reached a higher level and opened the seven major Chakra pathways AFTER he became a celestial god.

[Indeed. Why not try spearheading a religion that will last for thousands of years and affect hundreds of millions of people in the world and billions of people in history like him then?]

Adam groaned.

[Becoming revered by the many and gathering faith to light up the path toward godhood is hard. Many tried, and even more failed. This is why I believe you should walk the path of darkness and decadence…]

'Then become the number one enemy of the world?'

He scoffed and shook his head,

'This isn't even about good and evil. Fear is only sustainable for a while, but faith can last for so much longer.'

Adam breathed deeply. This was the difference between immediate gains and sustainability.

The religious figures for example were revered even thousands of years later. But how many still feared people like Genghis Khan or Hitler? [1]

[No need for sustainability. Being feared by a few million people would be enough to give you enough Karma for you to become a god. You do not even need to do it in your true appearance. With The Magician, you can use Illusions to change your appearance, cause a few massacres, and then become stronger. By the time the authorities understand what is happening, even if you aren't a god, you will not be weaker than any Primogenitor.]

Adam ignored Genesis's overly logical way of doing things and continued to run.

He didn't know what was worse.

The fact that Genesis continued to encourage him toward mindless murder.

…Or the fact that he actually considered the idea for an instant.

After accelerating his gait to get rid of his morbid thoughts, Adam finally went back home a little more refreshed.

He knew that he needed some distractions in order to not dwell too much on the ideas Genesis was feeding him.

The moment he entered through, he could see Cecilia sitting quietly on the sofa with her phone in hand. Her expression was dark and it was clear that she was struggling with something.

"Mom?"

Hearing him, Cecilia immediately showed a smile as she stood up from her seat…

"Adam, take a shower and prepare yourself. We are going to get you an official hunter license."

She was trying to portray happiness and relaxation — She failed horribly though…

CH 131: BETTER BE A GENTLE WOLF THAN AN ANGRY SHEEP

Before leaving, Makarov and Viktor had asked to take his measurement and started working on the weapon they would make for him.

As was mentioned before, Makarov was still searching for certain materials to imbue into the Divine weapon and taking measurements of his skills and style to incorporate into the weapon style. For that reason, before creating the Divine weapon, Viktor would first create a few weapons for him to use as spares.

Leaving the pair of grandfather and grandson alone to work in peace, the Gospels took the car and went on the road for a drive.

The ride was quiet and the atmosphere was somewhat solemn and heavy.

Cecilia was wearing a long pair of jeans accompanied by a cream-white T-shirt on the top as well as a baseball cap on her head. Her red hair was tied into a ponytail, giving her a more boyish style than her usual mature and serious vibe.

She had a lollipop in her mouth as she drove calmly with one hand on the wheel and the other fiddling with the car system.

"Music?"

Adam shook his head in denial, "Not interested. I think we need to first talk about the map that was given to me by the bookkeeper of the Library."

Cecilia and Eve had once made a bet on Adam. Even though this bet was more akin to Eve's plan of using Cecilia to make sure he awakened at the right time.

Cecilia chuckled at his words, "The map won't leave and my heart won't heal instantly. So there's no rush."

"Mom."

"Sigh. Let's take it slowly, okay? It isn't like I am going to die any time soon. As long as I don't strain…"

"But you did strain yourself already, didn't you?"

"..."

"To help me, you had to fight again and use your powers. That surely put a considerable strain on your weak Heart Chakra."

Silence came back into the car. Only this time, it was much heavier and a bit more ambiguous than before with Adam's expressionless face spouting out those words in a slightly agitated tone.

"It was just an Elder Vampire. Well, not really an elder vampire. But…"

Cecilia tried to defend herself but in the end gave up looking at the expressionless face of her son, "Anyways. Let's focus on the moment we have here, okay? We can talk about that map once you get your license."

He frowned slightly at her attempts to invade this crucial talk, but he knew more than anyone that she was even more stubborn than him. So, he knew that he had to put this matter off for another time.

"Okay, how does this go exactly?"

"I will try to make things simple for you."

Happy to see that the discussion was now back on track again, she began to explain the ways of the Supernatural.

There were two types of licenses. The first one was more akin to a civil ID.

"This license is mandatory for all people past a certain level of power. It's proof that you are recognized by the state as a citizen who pauses no danger. It also gives insight into the potential level of danger that might be necessary should you prove to be dangerous."

Adam was dumbfounded. As funny as it seemed, this ID was indeed necessary. Even more so when one traveled.

To obtain it, it was necessary to fill in basic information about your race, power, age, and so on. Then one had to pass a psychological test to determine one's tendencies.

"You are different as you can lock your Prana. But if someone with your level of power enters another country without permission, you will be considered a danger and will be immediately apprehended by the Supernatural task forces of that country or the state in which you entered. Well, that really depends on the level of your threat but we'll get back on that later…"

He frowned, "This didn't stop that man named Richard though."

"Well, as always no system is perfect."

She laughed bitterly and continued.

If the first license was an ID mandatory for all, the second one was optional and could only be obtained by a select few.

"A true hunter license. That one superseded the ID and gave many rights to the wielder."

Not all humans who had the Heart Chakra were considered hunters and only those who surpassed a level of power and/or knowledge could obtain that license.

With it as a base, it was possible to travel to any country free of charge and stay there as long as you wanted. All countries welcomed hunters and the power of a country was directly correlated to the number of hunters and the highest level of hunters they had inside the country.

It also allowed one to carry weapons, take large loans at low rates, obtain secret information, and much much more.

"Normally, the Hunter exam takes place twice a year, and while there are no limits to the number of attempts, one can only take the test once every two years. At least that's how it is in this country."

She turned the car and gave the middle finger at a man that was blowing the klaxon behind her nonstop,

"Where I was before I was rudely interrupted? Hmmm, yeah. Anyway, this is a national exam you know. Very big something blablabah. Only 10% of the applicants succeed every year or something. You know how it goes."

"So, I will take the exam today?"

"Nah. The next exam is in December. Nothing better than the taste of failure to go with Christmas haha."

Adam frowned, "So… What are we doing out here if the exam is in one month?"

"Nepotism, my dear son. The true and almighty power of Nepotism can open all doors for you even when they are iron doors of unimaginable durability."

Adam couldn't help but facepalm as Cecilia laughed out loud. The car finally stopped in front of a large building.

The Wilshire Grand Center.

Completed in 2017, the Wilshire Grand Center was the tallest skyscraper in the west of Chicago with a height of 335.3 meters. It was mixed with a shopping mall, hotel, offices, and restaurant while being covered by quite an impressive surface.

The moment they entered the building, Adam immediately focused on muting some of the information he was receiving from The World.

There were so many people around him currently that he feared he might go crazy if he didn't pay attention sufficiently.

When they reached the elevators, Adam noticed that all but one of them had been occupied.

It was as if people were unable to notice it as they walked their way and waited for other elevators to come back.

"Cloaking device. This will be common for you in the future. Since humans without Prana cannot perceive the Supernatural, there are many such constructions entirely covered in Magic or Prana to make it completely invisible to the normal eyes."

The elevator was quite spacious but with nothing particularly noteworthy in the interior.

"Which floor do we go up to?"

Cecilia grinned as she pushed the buttons in a special order.

"This is just in case someone who understands can see through the veil to actually enter. They need a special code. As for the floor? We aren't going up… We are going down."

All the while the elevator was going down, Adam felt like he was going through some magical adventure.

Then again, he kinda was going through something like that…

"How deep is it?"

"Hmm… I honestly don't know. Twenty? Thirty meters maybe? It's hard to say. The one in Japan was around 25 meters so I guess it's the same here too."

She shook her head, "This was mainly done by the Dwarves. They and the Elves are the only two primogenitor races that can be called allies to us."

This caused Adam to enter deep thoughts…

"Other Primogenitor races are accepted, nay tolerated. The same way they tolerate us. This also goes for werewolves and any other special race we might know nothing about."

She gave him a meaningful glance as she continued.

"The stance of humanity is pretty clear. We are basically in a cold war. Neither sides want to really tear off the mask of peace and many Pro peace militants are trying to bring true peace but… Do you think a sheep and a wolf can become friends?"

Her voice was calm and a smile formed on her face, "I believe it's possible. But not many do so."

She grinned as she ruffled his hair. It had taken her raising Adam and seeing him as her son to put down her prejudice against other supernatural races.

Most hunters were humans who had survived near-death events caused by the supernatural creatures.

Asking them to be friendly was very hard and many hunters simply considered all supernatural creatures to be killed on sight.

"So, who is the sheep and who is the wolf?"

Adam grinned and Cecilia mirrored his grin.

This was the eternal question of this world.

She didn't know what Adam would become in the future. If he would become a saint or a monster.

But whatever choice he ended up making, she would be damned if her son was considered a sheep.

Ding~!

A melodious sound filled the elevator as it finally reached the final floor.

"Mom. How much should I show during the exam?"

"How much do you think is enough to make them lose their mind?"

A simple question was given a very simple answer.

They simply bumped their fists afterward.

This was the first time he would truly face the hunter community.

He would make sure that they could only look at him in awe and respect.

CH 132: STRAIGHT LACED MAN

Capitain Mark was angry.

No, to say that he was just angry was probably the understatement of the century.

If one were to word what he was feeling, they could say that he was royally pissed right now and even then they wouldn't be able to grasp the full extent of his anger with those words alone. No words were able to describe it actually.

"What the fuck am I looking at, Miguel?"

The man he addressed merely shrugged his shoulders with a helpless sigh, "Don't growl at me. The current director of the LAPPD sent the order to let someone pass the test."

A vein popped on Mark's forehead as he fought against his rising temper.

"Fuck!"

He cursed and spewed out profanities for a while before sighing helplessly like the person named Miguel…

"Is it again some boosting from a high-ranked family? I thought the Director would be above such practices."

It was only five minutes later that he was finally able to calm down and looked at the record of the young man that they were supposed to test.

No prior information. Time of awakening unknown. Power level unknown. No ID whatsoever.

He felt like he was gazing at a completely blank slate. As if someone had appeared out of nowhere and only awakened a few days or weeks ago.

He pinched his brows to cope with the rising annoyance and anger that were threatening to take over him. Anyone past a certain level had to get an ID. The fact that this person did not have one simply means that he didn't have the qualifications for one.

This was very upsetting as he didn't want to give a hunter's license to someone who did not have the skills for it.

"Anyway, what do we care? This is just another spoiled brat. Let him do the test, as long as he meets the minimum threshold we give him the license and we are good."

"No."

Mark spoke quietly in a low voice, causing Miguel to sigh endlessly, "This is why you are still assigned here despite your skills."

Miguel knew that Mark was vastly stronger than him. The man was a Silver-ranked Hunter. This was enough to enter a renowned mercenary group or any powerful cooperation and at the same time climb the stairs in the hierarchy of the Hunter Association.

But whether they were hunters or not, Nepotism and Corruption were ever-present in any and all places, and people who refused to play the game only had two choices waiting ahead for them.

Either be so incredibly skilled that they could impose their ideals and not participate in the corruption… Or simply be crushed by their ideals and stay down forever to be the dregs and cannon fodders of the association.

While a Silver-ranked hunter was impressive and all, it sadly wasn't high enough to impose anything on the grand scale of things.

Mark shrugged his shoulders as he took the file and arranged his black suit. His deep black hair reached his shoulder, giving him a very youthful and vigorous expression.

"Many young and stupid people see the position of a hunter as a dream. A status to reach in life. They forget the responsibility and the weight this position brings to them. I will be damned if I let any stupid and weak young man pass just cause he has the connections for it."

He didn't become a hunter for the riches and the honors. Like many before him, he became one out of a feeling of duty and a desire to protect others from what had happened to him.

Hunters in an area could be dispatched in case of any dangers to the populace. But if there was one among them who was not worthy of that position, one who did not have the skills necessary to keep up with the rest of the group, all this would result in the probable deaths of most of the members of the team.

"Well, Let's go and see the wonder boy, shall we? Since the director recommended him, I am sure we won't be disappointed… much."

Miguel grinned ear to ear. He wasn't even a ranked hunter. One barely comparable to the Iron rank of hunters. The fact that he had such a simple yet cushy job was enough for him.

He would leave the idealism to the others and watch the show from a front-row seat. That was enough for him.

Mark and Miguel were not the only ones looking at Adam's file at that time.

But unlike them who could only look at the most basic information, the crimson-haired woman who was languidly reading a much more detailed file on her pad couldn't help but sigh out loud in exasperation.

"Sister. Just what have you done."

Theresa was confused like never before.

Adam Gospel, 21-year-old male. Son of Cecilia Gospel.

Her sister had a son. No, that was not right. Her sister was raising Lady Mei's son…

When did Lady Mei get pregnant? Why was the son of the heiress raised for 21 years abroad with no knowledge of the main family? Did the old man Musashi even know about this?

There was also another problem…

"A heart problem? Seriously?"

The body of a hunter was at least a hundred times more healthy than anything a normal human could ever hope to achieve. Because of this, diseases were extremely rare for them.

At the same time, any disease that could affect a hunter was generally very deadly, and out of them all, a heart problem was no different from becoming a cripple. It was like a runner losing his legs. There was no possible future for a hunter with heart disease.

'Is it possible to buy a new heart?'

Theresa cringed. The heart, or any other organs of a hunter, for that matter, were no different than artifacts. Even so, there were different grades for them.

'Is there even a heart available that can suit her body?'

It wasn't just a question of compatibility for her. The heart was like a motor and the body was like a machine or a car.

Cecilia's body was like a super formula 1 car made for a super high-level race at the top of the pack and her heart matched the performance for it to reach for the trophy every single time. The chance of finding a motor that would both be compatible and as durable as her current one was close to zero if not downright impossible.

"Teacher."

"Yeah?"

Theresa decided to stop thinking deeply about the matter. She would have her sister answer all her questions soon anyway. There was no need for her to trouble her brain by speculating everything.

"Is that young man the future young master?"

Theresa stopped for a while as she looked up at the screen. She was going to watch the test.

Makoto told her that he seemed to be able to use magic. It was unprecedented for a member of the Kaminari family, much less one from the direct branch, to be a Shaman. But as long as he was strong, it didn't matter.

"Well… Everything will depend on the old man. But yeah, I guess you could say that he is the young master."

Makoto nodded silently and began to focus intensely on the young man as he started the test.

She hadn't been able to see much of his powers last time. But it was clear that the resolution of the situation was partially thanks to him.

This time, she would see everything… She would see the power of the man she was supposed to serve.

CH 133: BEATING RECORDS

A few moments ago, when Adam entered the center, he was once again surprised by the architecture of this place.

In front of him, there was something akin to a white void with more than a hundred doors of different colors floating in the air, giving a magical vibe which he had never expected to find in this place.

Cecilia whistled slightly at the scene, "They upgraded the security from what I remember."

This was a magical wonder that was accomplished using extremely complex runes weaved together to form an intricate formation that held this place. She didn't know who made this, but that person was no joke. He was quite accomplished in his craft to bring forth such a phenomenon.

One of the doors opened and two men in suits walked out of it.

The man in the front had a cold expression donning his face while the one behind seemed to be more of the easygoing type with his relaxed shoulders and loose facial expression.

Adam lightly read their information with his powers but did not take them much to heart.

Even without using the Eyes of Truth, he could already feel it.

He was stronger than both of them.

"Good morning. I am Mark Smith. I will be in charge of your test."

Even though Mark was extremely dissatisfied with the situation at hand he acted professionally without making his sentiment too obvious to the newcomers.

His eyes landed on the two,

'This hair color and that face. Is she perhaps related to the Director?'

He began to understand a little about how the young man in front of him managed to obtain this opportunity.

Personal information about hunters of any rank was considered confidential information.

This was a necessary measure to avoid easy retaliation by supernatural creatures.

"Are you the chaperone, Madame?"

"Indeed. I am the mother."

"Very well. Tests are normally forbidden to the public but since we are in a rather unorthodox situation, you were allowed to observe it from another room. My colleague will bring you there."

Miguel approached and gave a slight bow to Cecilia and spoke in a friendly and professional tone.

"Please, follow me, ma'am."

She nodded and patted Adam on the back. It was a sign of encouragement for him before she entered one of the other doors.

Leaving Adam alone with Mark.

"Hunters need to possess both might and brawn. The normal tests should have had a written portion that would account for actually 60% of your final note. Followed by a psychological test that counts for 10% and finally the practical test that is only 30%. Could you tell me why in your opinion?"

Mark indicated for Adam to follow him but on the walk toward the test site, he began asking him a question in a rather nonchalant tone.

'Did the test already begin?'

He mused about the question slightly, analyzing it in his mind. At first glance, it might be confusing why the actual practical test had a weight so small, but remembering his discussion with Cecilia in the past, he understood the reason pretty fast.

"Because hunters aren't required to be particularly powerful when it comes down to it."

"Anything else?"

"I suppose hunters are generally moved in teams. Individual power in this case is much less important than actual knowledge and strategy."

Mark's stiff expression loosened slightly at the answer but he made sure to not show that to the newcomer, "Indeed. We are hunters. Not brawlers. For the vast majority of hunters, becoming equal to supernatural creatures is impossible. In fact, at the same rank, a hunter is always weaker than a supernatural creature. That is common knowledge."

He looked up, "They are faster, stronger, have more Prana, and have better senses than us from birth. So what we need is knowledge and a game plan to go against their kind and triumph."

There was nothing dishonorable about ganging up against one supernatural creature alone.

Before becoming s hunter, one needed to have a deep understanding of the weakness and strengths of their target.

They would study the place and take the time necessary to form a foolproof strategy to approach the supernatural being.

Some hunts in the past would be prepared months in advance in order to deliver a final blow in the swiftest way possible and of course with the least sacrifice achievable.

"So, what kind of weapon do you use?"

"I don't have a weapon yet."

"Hmm?"

Weapons were no different than a hunter's lifeline. One needed to have a basic mastery of as many weapons as possible and it was more or less mandatory for a hunter to achieve mastery over one close-range and one long-range weapon at the minimum.

'Is he really a novice?'

He gritted his teeth slightly but shook his head to gather his bearings. He had been present and had witnessed the majesty of the Director one week ago.

He might not know much about her, but he refused to believe that such a woman would allow someone to gain a title they were in reality not ready for.

"Okay, very well. The writing exam will be canceled. The psychological test will happen after the practical exam."

They finally reached a door and when they went through it, Adam looked around in awe as they entered a stadium that seemed as big as the one used for your average Superbowl.

"The first part of this exam will be a basic physical test. Obviously, the use of Prana is forbidden. Take this."

Adam received two bracelets and observed them with keen interest.

"Put those around your arms. It will disturb the flow of Prana and make it sluggish. This is the best way to avoid cheating."

Mark knew that some children of high-ranked families received training to be able to use Prana even when those bracelets were on.

But the level of skills necessary for this was so high that Mark didn't mind it at all. If Adam managed to cheat with those things on him… there would be no doubt left about his skills…

'Genesis. Can this thing stop me?'

[They are unable to affect most of your capabilities.]

'Hmm… Good enough.'

Adam didn't wish to seal his powers and let himself become completely defenseless because of a test.

When he put on the bracelets, he did feel his control diminish greatly. But it only felt like he went back to the earlier days when he acquired The World.

"Very well, go change yourself in that corner and we will start."

Adam smiled slightly as he went into the changing room and came out wearing the tracksuit he was given.

This was going to be fun.

For the next few two hours, Mark went from nonchalant and recalcitrant at the thought of making Adam pass the test, to being surprised, and then utterly astonished.

In the end, he could only curse under his breath when Adam finished this portion of the exams.

Holding the results in his trembling hand, he looked at the young man in front of him as if he was looking at a rare specimen.

『 Name: Adam Gospel.

Age: 21

Gender: Male

Results [1]

Speed: 62 Km/h (38 Mph) [2]

Lifting Strength: 900 kg (1984 Lbs)

High jump: 5 meters ( 16 feet)

Horizontal jump: 12 meters (40 feet)

.

.

. 』

The list went on but all the results were absolute world record crushers even in the history of this exam. He runs for one hour with no obvious sign of fatigue, he destroyed the punching man, and his reflex was outstanding.

He couldn't understand the numbers that were shown in front of him.

Hunters were naturally stronger than normal humans.

But it was mainly thanks to the use of Prana.

Without the use of Prana, most hunters were basically at the level of top athletes in some domain or even inferior.

This was even more so nowadays as humans gave up on the physical aspects of training more and more past a certain point. Considering it useless humans would never match the supernatural in that department and focus only on the usage of Prana.

"So, how did I do?"

The gaze Mark gave to Adam became suddenly much warmer.

He didn't know if Adam was powerful enough to be a hunter.

But those physical stats alone showed the amount of effort the young man put into his training.

Surely, those were the results of years upon years of hard work and harsh physical conditioning.

Such a diligent young man was worthy of respect.

"You did great. Do you want to take a pause? We can do the rest of the test after you rest a little."

Adam noticed the subtle change in the way the man addressed him.

"I am good. Let's continue."

'How admirable. How courageous! Such a marvelous young man.'

Adam nearly fell over when he received a notification from Genesis at the same moment.

[+ 5 Karma]

[+ 10 karma]

[+ 3 Karma]

Unknowingly, he had obtained his first fan.

CH 134: FINAL TEST

After Mark calmed down his excitement, he went back to his serious mode.

"For more accurate results, we would need to redo the same test but with you using Prana. We would also need to measure your Prana capacity too. But those tests have been-"

He looked at his file, "Yeah. The tests will not take place."

His expression crumpled slightly but he simply sighed and went back to his expressionless attitude. In the end, this test was rather optional and reserved for those who, during the exam, wished to make a better showing of their abilities and impress the guilds or corporations who came watching.

In the same way, scions of powerful families always skipped this test as they did not need to reveal their full capacity before the actual fight.

This was understandable. It was easy to bring the best of your capacity when you were just taking a small test. But only during a fight could one have a true understanding of their powers and abilities.

"Very well. Before continuing, I would like to ask you something. Do you know about the ranking assigned for different hunters?"

Adam shook his head in denial. Cecilia had not very been interested in the ranking itself and didn't want to give him false information in case they were changed in recent times. She had been inactive for a long time, after all, it was easily understandable that the ranking criteria could have gone through some changes in the meantime.

"Very well. Hunters aren't just ranked on their power level, but also on accomplishments and achievements. The lowest level is called White. They were simply called Unranked in the past but some people decided that it was too insulting for low-level hunters to not even give them a rank so here we are."

He shrugged with a slight grin, "Either way, after white ranked hunter we go to Iron, then Bronze, and finally Silver."

He patted his chest, "The Silver rank is the highest rank that can be obtained with power alone. Anything higher needs recognition through achievements and a high psychological score from the guild to pass the threshold."

All hunters received advantages. But from the Gold level onwards, it wouldn't be a mistake to say that they would be treated like princes by most governments. For those reasons, only people who were deemed to be worthy of that rank were allowed to get this pass.

This was perhaps the only rank that no amount of Nepotism could go past through as all Gold Hunters were entered into the World Rankings. If one didn't have the credentials necessary for this pass and cheated their way in, the highest consequences would be losing their hunter's license for good and being banned by all the guilds of the world. It was a really serious matter.

"Once you pass the level, the next rank is Gold then finally the Executor rank."

If Gold rank was hard to get, the prerequisite for being an Executor was evidently even higher than that. As the name said, they had the right to execute anyone they deemed dangerous on the spot without waiting for permission from the higher authorities. They could not be arrested without committing extreme felonies either.

Executors could also receive official Titles and if they were lucky or from a powerful family, obtain a Divine class weapon for themselves. This was a very rare incident though. After all, Divine weapons weren't cabbages that could be found just about anywhere.

"Hmm... What about the Director and Zodiac ranks that I have recently heard of?"

"Heh, you have some big dreams. I like that attitude, to be honest. A Director in itself isn't a rank but a position given to an Executor who is affiliated with the Hunter association. Of course, only the strongest Executors can obtain that rank or those with the best relationship with the association."

He gave a bitter laugh, "As for the Zodiac..."

Star seemed to twinkle in his eyes as he explained about that position with almost a zealous fervor, "The only way to become a Zodiac in any country is to beat one of the Previous Zodiacs."

The Zodiacs were always the 12 strongest beings in any country and the only way to become one was to beat one and take their place. Furthermore, to avoid any conspiracies, this had to be done in front of at least 200 hunters from the association and independent guilds.

"Thanks for the explanation. I have a better understanding of the structural hierarchy of the association now. So, who or what should I face first? Do I need to kill a supernatural creature for the test?"

Mark cringed slightly inwardly as he took out his notebook and began to scribble on it.

"In the past, our tests were rather barbaric as we did indeed use incarcerated supernatural creatures for tests. But fifteen years ago, there was a new law which forbade such practices."

He pushed a button and another door opened, "Nowadays we simply use a virtual reality system. It's 99% accurate and has the data of basically all prior hunters who accepted to have their data recorded. You will just have to enter the virtual reality pod which will connect you to the Tower of Fantasy. There you will face progressively more powerful hunters, and the floor you reach before being expelled will determine your rank."

"This is..."

Adam was genuinely impressed by this ranking system, but at the same time very worried about it too.

He didn't know how much of him was still human nor how precise the machine truly was. But it might be problematic if they could pinpoint his exact data.

'Should I opt out and simply ask for a normal ID?'

It wasn't as if the Hunter license was a must-have item anyways. Losing a few privileges was alright if it allowed him to not reveal his true identity.

"There will be no need for him to enter the tower."

It was when Adam was about to reject the proposal and ask to walk out of the testing procedures when...

"I have the perfect sparring partner for him."

The voice of a woman came from the speakers and filled the stadium.

"Director!?"

Mark looked up in surprise as he recognized the voice of the female in question.

'So it's my aunt?'

Adam looks up as well. He couldn't see her face but he remembered seeing her briefly when he went to the hospital.

"This is highly inappropriate, even you cannot make someone pass the test without going through this step."

Mark did not even hesitate before rebuking Theresa. His rebuttal only caused her to chuckle, however...

"Do not worry. My assistant will be the one to test him. I believe this should satisfy you right? She is officially a Gold rank and will soon pass the exam to be recognized as an Executor." [1]

"This..."

Mark closed his mouth and mused in his mind. This was once again an unprecedented situation. He had seen Makoto train and he knew that she was vastly more powerful than him in every possible way.

"Wouldn't this be a little unfair to the candidate?"

Now he was starting to worry about Adam. He didn't want to see the young man have his pride crushed by a girl that was even younger than him.

"Well, the choice is up to him. What will you choose, Adam?"

'Her assistant, is she talking about the girl from back then?'

From what he remembered and what his mom told him, that girl had been the one to push the vampire to go berserk. Something the old him had been unable to do so.

Could he beat her?

He wasn't sure. The probability was close to none in his honest opinion.

But it sure would be an interesting fight.

"I accept."

No sooner had he finished speaking those words the door toward the virtual reality room closed and a new one opened.

Out of it stepped a young woman who could only be described with the word 'Fairy' such was her ethereal beauty.

Adam remembered her very clearly. She had been the first human on whom he used the Eyes of Truth that he had newly obtained back then.

She was the girl who had inherited the title of his biological mother.

She was a powerful fighter who had fought and bested a vampire he had been completely helpless against.

She was -

〠Name: Makoto Kaminari

Affiliation: Kaminari Family

Alias: Lightning Blade

Race: Human

Age: 18

Emotions: Respect (Mid) ã€

〠Stats:

Strength: E

Speed: D+

Dexterity: D

Endurance: F

Prana: A+

Charm: C

Willpower: B+

Luck: C

Weakness: Unable to gleam due to low proficiency in the skill

Acquired Power: Unable to gleam due to low proficiency in the skill

Innate Authority: N/A

Unique Skill: Unable to gleam due to low proficiency in the skill

Skills: Unable to gleam due to low proficiency in the skill

Overall Combat Capacity: A+ (~ S)

Remark: Well, as long as she doesn't use her sword, you won't lose too badly, I guess? ã€

- Someone he wished to face off and go all out against.

On the other side of the room, looking as Makoto was about to engage and fight Adam, Cecilia, who had been observing everything from the waiting room couldn't help but form a bitter smile on her face, representing the emotions that were raging in her heart.

'You are as twisted as always.'

Her sister had a quite bad taste when it came to moments like this. She understood that this was an indirect challenge. Whether the one she raised was better than the one her sister raised.

Though this time it helped them greatly as Cecilia had not anticipated this virtual test. A lapsus caused by her lack of interest in the hunter world during the last two decades.

'You must be thinking your protege will humiliate him, right?'

She had seen the skills of the girl and without a doubt, Adam was indeed less skilled than her.

But -

'You are underestimating my son too much.'

Even when she was active, Cecilia had always been more skilled than her. But this had never stopped her from, quite literally, whooping the ass of her sister.

'Show them all what you can do, my dear son.'

She also wished to witness just how strong her son had truly become.

CH 135: LIGHTNING VS LIGHTNING (1)

Adam quietly felt his heartbeat accelerate against his chest.

Even though Makoto had a higher grade than him overall, in terms of stats, he was superior or nearly equal to her.

This meant that her skills and her ability to bring out the true power of her stats were higher than his by a large margin.

It wouldn't be easy for him to win. No, it would be better to say that his chances of winning were downright impossible. But he wanted to know where he stood right now on the hierarchy of things.

Mark watched the two with a stiff expression on his usually rigid face.

He didn't know whether he should feel excited about this situation or be concerned about Adam's well-being and state of mind.

Still, he wisely began to distance himself from them. This fight would either end in a flash or bring huge damage to the surroundings and he didn't want to be in the middle for either result.

"Very well, since the two parties have accepted the duel, I will serve as a referee."

Makoto nodded quietly and brought her hand to a second sword that was sheathed on her hips. In lightning-fast motion, she unsheathed the blade and took a standard swordsman stance.

It was a wooden sword, but as her Prana began to fill it up to the brim, it became no less sharp and lethal than a true sword.

Using the Divine weapon of the Kaminari family against the possible heir of the said family would be blasphemy of the highest degree. And she wasn't able to use it for fighting allies and trainees now, could she... So, she deemed it wise to just use a wooden weapon instead.

"Adam Gospel, do you require a weapon?"

Adam mused briefly about that statement. It was time for him to give some weapons a try and he did need projectiles to use his gravitational and telekinetic powers to their fullest extent so might as well.

"Can I have four swords? Or knives?"

"Four?"

"No in fact, please bring as much as you can."

Mark was bewildered but he didn't ask more questions and went ahead to bring as many weapons as he could.

There weren't that many weapons available so he simply brought around five swords and 8 fighting knives of different lengths.

"Those are simple standard weapons. They have a relatively good Prana absorption rate so they can be used for combat. Are you perhaps testing the weapon that will suit you the most?"

He was impressed that the young man would be so daring even when facing someone who was an Executor in all but name.

"I will use them all."

"I see... Wait what?"

Adam smiled, "Please throw them all on the ground."

Now Mark went from complete bewilderment to utter intrigue as he was able to discern something from his statements. It was clear now that Adam had some sort of secret technique or some powers that would let him use all the weapons at once and he was eager to witness it.

"Very well."

A few seconds later, the field surrounding Adam was covered by sharp weapons.

He looked up ahead at Makoto and spoke, "Thanks for letting me gear myself up."

"It... doesn't matter."

'So you are saying that you can win no matter how much I prepare? Talk about arrogance...'

Adam chuckled at that thought...

"It will be fun."

He found it ironic how the supernatural creature in this fight was acting like a hunter while the hunter was acting like a supernatural creature.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yes."

"Can't be any more ready than this."

"Then... Fight!"

Clang~!

No sooner had the word left his mouth did Mark open his eyes wide as he witnessed and heard the clash of swords.

But he wasn't the only one surprised by this situation.

Even as she parried and deflected the sword that had come rushing at her, Makoto was surprised to realize that two more swords came behind it in rapid succession.

Clang~! Clang~!

Her movements were fluid and she wasted no moment as Prana filled her legs and propelled her right in front of Adam.

〠Lightning Style: Thunderclap ã€

She was fast. Plain and simple. The sound of thunder and the odor of burned ozone followed her trail while lightning sparks filled her surrounding as she drew her sword in a beautiful arc, ready to slash him down and end this fight in one go.

But, things were not about to go as she expected them to go...

Whoosh~!

She was bewildered as she realized that even as she slashed down, there was no feeling of hitting anything.

Her senses immediately spread and she realized that there was a second Adam farther away who was grinning at her just as the one she slashed down vanished. The one she had slashed had just been an illusion.

At the same time, three swords were rushing at her from all sides at the same time and she could feel her weight increase tremendously all of a sudden.

This series of actions had been so seamless that this would have been game over for many people in her place.

But even though she was surprised, this was far from enough to subdue someone on her level.

Prana roared inside of her being and her sword moved with razor-sharp precision and speed. Her movements were so fast that one had the impression the very space around her had been divided into countless pieces.

Crack~

〠Lightning Style: Revolving Heaven ã€

A whirlwind of sword slashes covered her like a shield and reduced the incoming weapons to literal pieces before they could even reach a meter of her surrounding space.

But she was not finished yet. The attack ended and she sheathed her sword, forming an Iaido stance, and then unsheathed the blade the very next moment.

〠Moon Fangs ã€

Prana filled her sword and a crack started to form on the blade but the attack was successfully enacted as it produced a beautiful crescent moon that tore the ground apart like butter and rushed toward her target with pinpoint precision.

This attack was not part of the lightning style she was taught. It was just a simple application of Prana and a technique all swordsmen were able to obtain with enough training.

Even so, the power behind that attack was real.

Boom~!

A shockwave filled the stadium and the earth rumbled when the attack finally collided with the intended target.

'Did I go too far?'

For an instant, Makoto was worried - She shouldn't have been so careless. She should've adjusted her strength and not let herself get lost in the throes of battle like that.

"Haha. Seems like I finally succeeded."

The wind picked up and the dust was scattered, revealing a floating Adam protected by a translucent shield.

His arm was bleeding, his clothes were a little dirty and his hair was more than just frazzled, but outside of this, he seemed to show no particular wounds.

Far from caring about his bleeding, only a pure and child-like happiness could be seen on his face.

The two remaining swords floated into the air and slowly started to rotate, growing ever faster until nothing more than two shining circles could be seen and a humming sound of a lethal blade fills the stadium.

But this wasn't all.

Bzzzzzz~

Lightning roared in the surroundings.

But this time the one who caused this phenomenon was not Makoto.

Blue lightning sparks covered the two rotating blades, seemingly creating two circles of light.

"Well~Well~Well~ Miss Lightning Blade. Shall we go for round two?"

CH 136: LIGHTNING VS LIGHTNING (2)

Sitting in her private lounge, Theresa shook her head when she watched the grin full befitting an absolute battle junky marring Adam's handsome face.

Even though he didn't fight at close range like her, there was no doubt about the fact that this boy had indeed been raised by none other than Cecilia.

He showed the same no-style no-sense way of fighting as that battle-hungry brute of a sister that she had. It was a way of fighting that relied more on pure instincts and moments of craziness than any strategic way of fighting. It was an absolute show of beastly instincts.

The one thing was, 'Just how many powers does he have?'

This wasn't a normal phenomenon.

Telekinesis, illusions, lightning control, as well as gravity?

It was clear that he was an apostle. But even for an apostle, using so many different skills at the same time would need years upon years of training and they would be limited by the power of the entities with whom they signed a contract.

'Did he sign a contract with Zeus?'

It shouldn't be possible. Zeus' contractee was already known and powerful gods like them rarely signed contracts with two people at the same time.

'Perhaps Susanoo?'

This would be a much more logical conclusion. Susanoo did have many authorities such as the Seas and the Storms among others. Furthermore, Susanoo did sign a contract with the Kaminari house before. There was a reason they had the Kusanagi no Tsurugi. So it wasn't impossible for that god to find a true contractor this time around.

'How intriguing…'

The more she went on the more questions she had. But now, all she could do was watch the fight and wait for it to end.

'Show me more of what you got, boy.'

She wanted to see more of what the young pup who was the son of her mistress and was raised by her sister was able to accomplish.

This may have started as a simple pissing contest to provoke Cecilia, but now she was heavily invested in the outcome.

The fight between the two young people went on a crescendo.

Hiding far away, Mark had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be the referee of the match.

But who could blame him?

He was not even able to see what the hell was exactly happening for the most part.

His mind was overloaded with sounds and visions of light as all he could observe was the clash between the two fighters and the roar of lightning that enveloped the whole arena.

They were blitzing fast.

Makoto would run around leaving a trail of thunder behind her steps whenever she would move. Her jumps and her flying slashes allowed her to reach the levitating Adam, which caused him to constantly fly around to avoid her moves.

His two supercharged rotating swords would destroy anything they touched and Makoto would repel, block, or simply avoid them while counter-attacking with her own set of attacks.

As if that wasn't enough, out of nowhere, the ground would suddenly cave in, or rocks would be lifted and thrown at Makoto, making her slash and destroy them before they could even reach her, which would cause all the debris to fly around and scatter in the surroundings making the area a literal danger zone.

Mark had always been proud of being a silver rank at the age of thirty. It might not seem much, but it was impressive for a human to reach this level of power. The number of gold-ranked hunters in any country was extremely rare and Executors were even rarer than that.

As a hunter with a higher lifespan, he had hopes of reaching the Gold level even if he did not obtain the official rank.

But this….

'How long would I last against any of those two monsters?'

The answer was clear and evident.

'Haha.'

A fire was ignited in his heart that seemed to have died down over the years.

This was it. This was how it should be. The guardians of mankind should be this strong and talented. Those young people were the ones who held the future of their race.

He became emotional as he watched the fight unfold before his eyes.

Though, this didn't stop him from scribbling in his notebook,

'Need to watch out for Candidate Adam's Gospel mental state. Possible masochist?'

The more this fight went on, the more wounds covered Adam's body. But far from grimacing or even slightly flinching in pain, all he showed was glee and joy while his near maniacal laughs continued to echo in the stadium.

It was as if for him, even the gravest wound was of no matter and the more the fight went on, the more berserk he became.

Going from using tactics like fake illusions and so on to simply giving up on everything and going for a pure showcase of unbridled power.

Boom~!

Another explosion followed suit and Mark jumped aside like a cheetah as a boulder went past the place he was previously standing.

"Sorry!"

His heart beat wildly against his chest as he witnessed his life flash in front of his eyes for an instant there.

'Should I stop the fight?'

He hesitated a moment, but hearing Adam's laughter full of joy again, goosebumps covered his arms.

He didn't know why, but his instincts were telling him that if he proposed to stop the fight, another boulder might come his way again and this time he might not be lucky enough to stop it.

'Hahaha. This is definitely fun.'

A grin was splattered on Adam's face for the majority of the fight now.

How could he not enjoy this?

He had fought many times in his life. Be it for money in the past or for survival recently.

All those fights had always been very important and full of pressure. There was no time to ponder, he could only go all out and bring down his enemy or die trying. It was with this attitude that he faced most of the fights in his life.

But this time, for the very first time in his life, Adam could fight to his heart's content without worrying about life and death or what would happen if he lost.

Wounds? They were inconsequential.

He was bleeding? So what? He simply needed to kill himself and revive to revert his body to its most optimal state.

All he wanted now was to enjoy this moment and let his creativity bloom.

Earlier, he had finally been able to bring out a true psychic shield. It hadn't been completely enough to block the attack, but it was becoming stronger with each passing moment of the fight.

His mastery of the electric part of his electromagnetism was coming along nicely and now he was able to slowly use more and more illusions in real time.

Saying that he was growing in the midst of fighting was an understatement. But this once again didn't matter to him. He was simply having a blast fighting with his opponent.

'Still, I am getting tired.'

Makoto was definitely an impressive fighter. She wasn't unscathed but she only had some scratches and one bleeding wound on her left arm. She managed to keep a certain edge all along, showing her superior experience and fighting capabilities as well as mastery of her technique.

She was fast. She was strong and she was also experienced.

"You are truly impressive."

Adam expressed his respect. She had not even used her Divine weapon yet. He knew that it would magnify her natural abilities manyfold once she used it.

If possible, he wished that this fight would last forever. He wanted to fight more and more against her.

But he knew that this couldn't last for long. He had been overworking his mind and he was becoming sluggish with each moment. He had used up all but one of the weapons he had been given at the start.

"I wish I can fight you again and this time, with you using your full power."

This was why he was going to use one last technique in his arsenal.

Makoto breathed deeply. Her forehead was covered in sweat. This fight hadn't been as easy as she imagined it to be.

For starters, she had to constantly be careful of the output of Prana to not break her sword. But more importantly, Adam was a tricky and cumbersome opponent to deal with. She was not able to get the upper hand in the battle by any means and this was enough to prove Adam's powers.

Hearing his words, Makoto shivered slightly as she felt her hair stand on end. It was as if she was suddenly being locked on by a sniper rifle, a sensation she was all too familiar with as she had to escape such attacks during her training.

She watched as Adam positioned himself as if he was holding a bow and the last weapon he had, a knife, floated in front of him before starting to spin like a spiral.

She knew then… This would be the last attack he would be dealing her with.

She did not hesitate to sheathe her sword again and fill it with as much Prana as possible for her body, not caring even as the sword cracked and showed signs of exploding at any moment.

If she had any doubt in the past then they were crushed as Adam had proved through the entirety of the duel that he was not someone that she could underestimate.

The pressure started to build in the surroundings.

『 Gravity Reduction 』

He first made the knife as light as possible and started to increase its rotational power, as if it was a bullet about to be ejected at any moment.

『Accelerated Perception 』

Then, from Adam's perspective, the world crawled nearly to a halt as everything seemed to slow down as his cognitive abilities increased tremendously.

『 Imbue Lightning 』

A buzz filled his ears as electricity filled the blade, causing the acceleration to increase even further.

『 Hawk Eyes 』

Finally, his gaze landed on Makoto, and all his senses locked on her figure.

"Combined Technique new edition."

『 RAILGUN 』

Lightning roared.

Makoto moved at the same time.

『 Lightning Style: Lightning Cutter 』

Like a comet, she rushed at the makeshift technique that Adam threw at her and finally the two attacks met in the middle.

A blinding light filled the stadium as a force of lightning faced another one of the same caliber and the resulting explosion was devastating enough to shatter the surroundings into pieces.

CH 138: GOTTA BRAWL TO BECOME FRIENDS

The wind stirred and the ground imploded. Waves of heat, blinding light and deafening sounds created a veritable cacophony of pure destruction.

Mark felt like he was like a lone boat sailing on the high sea during a tempest. He would have been completely swept away but suddenly, all the shockwave went past him.

Looking up, he could see an ice barrier had formed around him and was protecting him.

He immediately recognized the aura of the Director and sighed in relief. His old bones had not been ready for this clash of power.

He sighed in awe as he could now witness the standoff between the two lightning. There was a certain beauty in the chaos, an elegance in the destruction.

But everything eventually had an end.

*Crack*

It was a small sound. One nearly impossible to perceive with all the other thunderous sounds mixed in. But that one sound was the sign of the end.

Boom!

A final explosion went off as a storm of Prana swept off entirely the field.

The winner had been decided.

—-

*Huff* *Huff* *Huff*

Adam felt like his lungs were on fire. Breathing was becoming nearly impossible and his vision was getting blurry.

*Cough*

He landed heavily on the ground, unable to keep himself up in the air, and simply went on a knee.

'Did I get her?'

He shook his head, knowing that he had just raised a stupid flag, and sure enough,

*Step*

The sounds of her footsteps reached his ears and through his blurry vision, he could see her shadow advancing toward him. He sighed. His energy was still running. Thanks to his special circulation, it was impossible for him to lack Prana. But even though he still had enough energy, his body was at breaking point.

There was nothing more he could do.

"I lost it seems."

He stopped propping himself up and fell on his back. Lying down had never felt so good. The hard ground felt suddenly soft and he wished for nothing more than to close his eyes.

A Shadow stopped the light from reaching his face.

"You won."

His gaze crossed with that of Makoto. There was a great turmoil in her eyes as she held a broken stump of what should have been her sword.

"*Cough* What do you mean?"

She threw the stump away and crouched down before helping back up. Propping him on her shoulder, she began to walk toward Mark as well as a crimson-haired woman who was looking at them with a strange expression.

"At the last moment, my divine sword protected me. So, you won."

"Heh…I don't remember us saying that you were forbidden from using your main weapon."

Makoto stayed silent. Indeed they did not. But this did not matter to her. Divine weapons were sentient. Kusanagi in particular was a Tsukumogami [1] a weapon with a spirit and its own will.

Even to this day, she had never been able to have a proper discussion with the spirit inside and had been barely recognized.

The fact that her divine weapon protected her at the last moment despite this cold relationship could only mean that her life had been in danger.

'Kuh.'

She gritted her teeth, clearly despondent about the situation. But was thankfully stopped from going too deep in negativity.

"Hahah! *Cough* *Cough*"

"Be careful."

"Nah. It's just. Don't you find it ridiculous how the supposed winner is looking beat up to death while the loser only has a few wounds?"

Adam grinned as strength entered his legs and he stood by himself,

"Thanks for the help."

He forced himself to walk even though his legs were trembling.

"Since none of us consider this a win, let's just say it was a draw."

He then gave a boyish smile and although his face was entirely covered in blood, Makoto had never felt someone who seemed so radiant.

"This was the best fight in my life to date. I hope we will have a rematch one day."

Makoto was stunned and looked at the hand stained with blood he was stretching toward her.

Her whole life, Makoto had only been exposed to jealousy, hatred, and ridicule from her peers.

With Adam's power, he would without a doubt be recognized as the heir apparent once he went back to the family and he had every right to feel extremely proud.

"Let's introduce each other again, shall we? I am Adam Gospel. Nice to meet you."

Makoto hesitated a little before slowly approaching her hand. She looked like a small rabbit that was wary of the food she was being given and was approaching with caution.

In the end, though, the rabbit surpassed its fear and held the bait. Her lonely heart sought comradeship from someone her generation and the fruit Adam was dangling in front of her seemed too delicious to pass on.

"Makoto….Makoto Kaminari. It was an honor to fight against you."

The smile on Adam's face stretched even more when the two finally shared a handshake.

He could see her color change from yellow to green and on her status page, the emotion of respect displayed increased greatly.

There was no mistake. Makoto could now be considered an ally and someone he could count on.

"Well, watching you seduce my dear disciple is fun and all. But now we need to leave."

Makoto flushed slightly and took her hand away before putting a knee on the ground with her fist closed.

"Teacher. I beg forgiveness for my shameful display."

"Stand up. You are making it seem like I am some harsh teacher. It was a beautiful fight. Well done."

Theresa simply ruffled Makoto's hair before looking at Adam deeply.

"It was indeed a very beautiful fight. I guess you are indeed Lady Mei's son."

"I was raised by Cecilia Gospel."

Adam did not reject his blood. He respected and admired the woman who sacrificed her life to give birth to him.

But he would never let anyone forget that he was Cecilia's son. Not even if that person was her sister.

"I see she did raise you well."

Theresa shrugged. She was quite happy to see her sister had not raised an ungrateful son.

For their given rank, the fight had been extremely spectacular. But in her opinion. Personality was more important than even talent.

"Well. You know the rules. Even though it was an incredible display of power. We can't give you a high rank now since you have zero achievements. At least this should have been the case if I didn't know what happened during the Demon summoning."

She waved her hand and a gold medal appeared on it.

"Adam Gospel. After review of your achievement and exam results. I give you the title of Honorary Gold rank Hunter. Your title will become official once you pass the psychological exam."

She clapped after pinning the medal on the chest of his thorn shirt.

"Congratulations."

All this while, Mark stood and looked around with a lost expression.

He had received too much information and bombshells one after another.

'I…Am I going to get silenced?'

Mark suddenly found his future seemed quite bleak.

CH 138: AWKWARD DISCUSSION

A few minutes later, Adam found himself sitting on a bed, his upper torso naked and only wearing a brief, in what looked like to be a hospital room as Mark carefully wiped his wounds clean using cotton beads.

"You know... Generally speaking, shouldn't some sexy nurses be dealing with me in this situation?"

Mark only gave a hollow laugh in response, "Sorry. I am far from the beautiful nurse in the fantasy stories you might've read, you brat. Though, perhaps you would have been happier if it was someone like my sister tending to your wounds now, wouldn't you?"

"Oh? Should I take this as a matchmaking attempt Mr. Mark?"

"Heh nah! My little sis is way too fierce for a young man like you. She is even more stubborn and bullheaded than me and that's saying something."

The atmosphere was quite calm and Adam managed to keep still while his wounds were being bandaged by Mark.

"You know I said this was not necessary, right?"

Adam had to admit that it felt very weird being forced to heal normally like this. He became so used to simply dying and instantly regenerating himself that he had forgotten that he technically had no supernatural healing factor among his relatively stacked list of powers.

'Perhaps this isn't such a bad thing, after all.'

This was a good lesson for him. Dying and reviving instantly in the middle of a battle wasn't a plausible scenario without a suitable ally to act as a distraction for him.

He had been lucky with Natasha back then and Lilith not long ago but he couldn't always count on being lucky like that now, could he?

'I wonder if there is a way to increase my revival speed somehow.'

If he could make it instantaneous, it would be very useful for him in his future battles and confrontations.

'Do I need to die more to see if it's possible?'

Mark, not knowing the morbid thoughts swimming in Adam's mind continued to speak casually and continued his speech.

"Well. We don't have any godly potions here and you don't seem to have some super regeneration ability with you. So. let me do this at least."

Mark waved his hand in dismissal and showed his expertise in first aid as he covered Adam's wounds in bandages.

"Even though we can't use potions, those bandages are covered in runes and were drenched in holy water. They can accelerate your healing rate and avoid infection."

This was one of the necessities on the battlefield. They were not as effective as potions obviously, but they were much cheaper and the church price was quite acceptable. Enough for even low-level hunters to buy them regularly.

"Well. This is done. It should be alright now."

He patted Adam on the back, causing him to wince a little.

"Shit. Sorry. Forgot."

"You forgot I was wounded when you were the very one who bandaged my wounds?"

"Heh..."

Mark gave an awkward laugh as he washed his hands in the sink.

"To be honest. I am still a little confused. After all, I am now officially your handler, mister super heir."

The way he quoted it with his fingers made it funny for Adam. "You are calmer than I thought."

"Well...After I was sure the Director wouldn't silence me, I had no more reason to be stressed."

Even though this was said with a joking tone, Mark was quite serious. It wasn't strange for people to vanish 'mysteriously' because they heard more than they should have and a Director had enough power to make a small silver-ranked hunter like him vanish completely with no proof to have ever existed.

"As for you being the scion of a superfamily like the Kaminari. I won't lie. This doesn't matter to me."

He shrugged. He wasn't the kind to bow and scrape for high-ranked people. Just because they could erase his existence didn't mean that they were worthy of respect.

Adam smiled, "Well. This doesn't matter for me either if I am honest."

Mark nodded. He had heard enough to know that there was quite the story underneath all this. A story that he wasn't particularly interested in knowing.

Ignorance was bliss and he was already a little too involved in this storm.

"Anyways. Most if not all hunters work under a moniker and hide their identity. This is a standard procedure to avoid retaliation. We can also provide fake face masks as well as entirely new fake but official IDs. Since you are a gold-ranked Hunter, albeit temporarily, you will receive the premium package. We can craft an entire history, family, school achievement and so much more for your Persona as a hunter."

He took a pad and started filling in the blank before giving it to Adam.

"Your psychological test will have to be made later as the one who can handle it is currently absent. But I believe you will pass it with flying colors.

So - what will be your moniker?"

Adam took the pad curiously. He was seriously starting to wonder just what the heck the so-called Psychological test would be about. But he could only wait.

As for his moniker? His decision was already made one week ago when he faced Asmodeus

"You can call me - The Magician."

He would make sure that this name became something no one could ignore.

While Adam was having his wounds dressed, another clash was about to take place. But this time, it was one between sisters.

Standing face to face, the similarities between Theresa and Cecilia became more than evident.

In a way, they could nearly pass for twins.

But this similarity only stopped at their physical appearance. In terms of aura, if Cecilia was like a warm sun during spring, Theresa was more like a chill wind in winter.

One fought up close using fire and her sword like a berserker, while the second fought from far away using ice and guns like a tactician.

"You know. All this while I thought we lost contact because you either died or were lost somewhere in the Astral Realm with Lady Mei. So color me surprised when I came to Los Angeles and felt your presence, I was curious. Why were you here? Where was Lady Mei?"

She chuckled, "Then that Adam boy appeared. 21 years old and the son of Lady Mei. You basically kidnapped and hid the Heir of the Family for two decades. This alone would be worthy of being branded as a traitor. Fortunately, you raised him well and healthy."

She took a cigarette nervously and lit up. She needed a smoke to keep her nerve in check and stop herself from screaming like some crazy woman.

After inhaling deeply the calming herbs her cigarette was made of, she blew the smoke and looked at her sister.

Her sister was not supposed to feel the warm sun. In the past, her sister had always felt like a giant inferno ready to burn the world to the ground or like a mountain that could never be surpassed.

But now...

"Now please for the love of everything we hold dear...Why are you so weak, now?"

Even though her words were harsh, the worry on her face could not be hidden.

Looking at her little sister like this, Cecilia closed her eyes.

"I can't tell you."

"...Are you fucking joking with me, right now!?"

The calming herb had sadly not been enough it seemed. Cecilia sighed. This was going to be awkward.

CH 139: CONSIDERATION

Theresa was a thinker first before being a fighter. She was the brains whereas her sister was the brawn. She was the one who made sure to read all the clauses of the contract to avoid having her sister sell herself out without knowing how she even did that. Her sister was a natural klutz when it came to these things so she thought of it as her job to take care of them in her stead.

This didn't really mean that Cecilia was a stupid woman. No dumb person could reach the heights she had reached in her life. Theresa's sister was not stupid or dumb, she just did not like thinking as she could resolve most if not all solutions with her fists and muscles alone.

Theresa though, while extremely talented in her own right, was just your average genius. Unlike her sister and Mei who were monsters.

This was why she had prided herself in one thing and one thing alone. Keeping calm even in the direst of moments and not losing herself to her emotions. She was a clinical being of the highest degree and she was not someone who would let her temper dictate her speech and persona.

Even when Asmodeus nearly descended on this earth, she was able to keep her calm and observe the scenario, trying her best to find the best solution to this problem.

But for the first time in a while, she felt her blood pressure rise past the boiling point and let her restrained emotions run loose.

"Hey, you fucking bitch…"

Theresa grabbed her sister by the collar and hurled her toward her face, nailing Cecilia down with her wrathful gaze, "Do you even hear yourself, right now?"

Her voice was measured and even but the anger underlaid in that even tone could be seen by even the dumbest being alive.

"You vanish for over twenty years like a ghost. I find you raising the son of Lady Mei and your answer is just an "I can't tell you"? What the hell is that shit? You think you are the second coming of Jesus Christ or something?"

"Release me."

The two sisters glared at each other in silence. Each of them had intense emotions boiling inside of their eyes but in the end, the first one to look away was the sinner, Cecilia, herself.

"Look. I am sorry for everything…"

"Of course, you should be damn sorry, you raving madwoman. I am not stupid, you know?"

She took another cigarette out of the packet and placed it between her lips again.

"You don't want to lie to me so you are saying you can't tell me anything, right?"

Cecilia didn't speak, but her silence was an answer on its own. This caused the light in Theresa's eyes to dim slightly as coldness began to gather in her eyes.

"You are hiding a secret and you aren't telling me, right? You do not believe in me."

"This is not—"

"If that isn't the reason then tell me, dear sister of mine, just… Why?"

She released the smoke through her nostrils, her eyes getting colder and colder, "I am a Director now. I may be weaker than you in your prime but I am still very powerful and have more influence than you. This means that you aren't hiding a secret to actually protect me. You simply judged that I would not take your side on whatever you are trying to hide. You can't fool me, sis."

Cecilia's eyes twitched slightly at that remark. This was it, she had hit the bullseye. One of the reasons she hadn't wanted to meet and discuss this with her sister was because she didn't think that Theresa would agree with her decisions.

"Whatever it is. Lady Mei's situation is bad. Either dead, crippled, or vanished. Otherwise, there is no way she wouldn't raise her son."

"Hey…"

"There is also no logical reason to hide Adam from the family. Even if it was a child out of marriage. The old man, Musashi, would not care for such triviality to raise his only grandson. You know this as much as me so don't try to say otherwise. Now… We come to the burning question… Why raise Adam by yourself?"

She mused quietly at the silence of her sister before nodding her head, coming to a conclusion on her own, "Is it the father? Is he some super criminal or something of the sort? Is he someone dangerous or simply someone from an enemy family? Either way, it must be someone big enough to convince you that his identity would put Adam in danger."

Theresa grinned in amusement but her eyes told another story altogether, "Tell me, dear sister of mine. How far am I from the truth?"

She chuckled and waved her hand, "Rather… Don't. I will find the truth by myself sooner or later and I will smack you with that in the face in due time. Watch me…"

"You… You are as petty as always, huh?"

"I know. Being petty always suited me the best, after all."

She exhaled quietly, and her face became obscured by the smoke as she thought deeply about this matter.

Adam's father was someone special. In the first place, only someone special would have been able to seduce the lady that had absolutely no interest in love and only cared about her sword and her path to absolution.

'Adam has a slightly foreign look. So at least the father is not an Asian or an African. Is he European? American? Or perhaps is it a supernatural creature?'

She shook her head. It was dangerous to jump to conclusions too fast. She would think about it later. For now, though, there was only one thing she wanted to say. Despite all her anger, sadness, and disappointment at this so-called secret, she still had to say it…

"Welcome back, sis. I am happy to see that you are well."

She was partially sure her sister had died or was drifting in the Astral Realm, forever lost. So, she was happy about the good news of her existence.

She put down her cigarette and approached her sister to hug her tightly.

Cecilia was also feeling complicated about it all. But she did not hesitate to hug Theresa back. Like this, the two sisters stayed in silence in each other's arms.

It was in this position that Adam, followed by Makoto saw their sisterly bond.

A few hours later, Theresa was quietly watching the recording of the fight between her protege and Adam.

On the side, there was Adam's file and in her hand, she was holding a small vial filled with a red liquid.

Since Adam was wounded and needed rest, the discussion between them had been cut short but Theresa had obtained enough information to become suspicious of some matters.

In the first place, who even was The World? This being that had contacted her nephew.

This seemed like an epithet of the Celestial being. This was something pretty common for the Celestials.

'Is it Gaia? Or perhaps, another entity related to Earth?'

If that were so, it would be more logical. After all, Adam did manipulate Gravity and Electromagnetism. If his god was related to the planet itself, she wouldn't be surprised if he somehow managed to use the other force of nature as well.

'So many questions. So many things to understand. So little to go on with.'

She was truly happy to see her sister. But this was causing her a massive headache.

"And… There is this as well."

She looked at the vial. She had made sure to clean up and erase all traces of blood, hair, or any other source of Adam's DNA.

Since the identity of his father was a secret, she didn't wish to let someone find it by mistake.

This careful consideration of her allowed her to find a few drops of blood that were not completely contaminated.

If she wished, she could conduct a test with it and determine Adam's ancestry.

Crack~

Ice covered the vial before it broke down and changed into floating ice crystals…

Now, there were no traces left of him at all.

Theresa groaned as she leaned back on her chair and continued to watch the fight in the darkness of her office.

It would be a lie to say that she was not interested.

But she knew Cecilia. The instincts of her sisters were off the charts. If her sister judged that telling Adam's true identity would make them enemies, chances were extremely high that she was right.

As such, what she had to do was pretty simple.

She had to become close enough to him to not mind whatever his true identity was once it was discovered in the future. For this, it was necessary to start with no knowledge whatsoever.

Looking at the end of the footage where Makoto lost her composure as she shared a handshake with Adam, Cecilia smiled.

It seemed like she had found just the right solution.

146 CH 140: DEAL

The ride back home was silent, Adam was starting to feel the itch as his body healed thanks to the special bandages. In the first place, the wounds he had received were not so profound. He was mainly tired mentally. Using all those attacks was draining.

Slowly Cecilia stopped next to a Pier. The sun was already setting over the horizon, giving a sort of mystical and picturesque scene as it vanished behind the sea.

The fresh breeze and the sound of the bird moving around added to all this.

"You coming down?"

Adam shrugged and went down with his mother. The two gazed quietly at the scenery, each deep in their own thoughts.

"Firstly, I want to say congratulation. This is a big night you know. Your first day as a hunter."

Her voice was filled with joy. For humans in the supernatural world, passing the exam and becoming a hunter was like entering a super prestigious company after years of studying and hard work.

"After this, let's have a full night out okay? Drinks are on me."

Adam smiled and shrugged. He didn't care about the title. Since he didn't exactly understand all the benefice that it entailed and was never raised as a hunter in the first place.

Still, it feels good to be praised for the hard work he put in.

"Haha. My son is a gold rank. I wonder what face they would make if they knew how long you trained for."

She ruffled his hair and on her face, a smile full of pride could be seen.

"Furthermore, that fight was beautiful. You used abilities you only recently obtained and managed to push someone who was trained for years by the Kaminari family to use her divine weapon."

Adam might not realize just how incredible it was yet. But the more he mingled in this world, the more he would understand and appreciate what he had just done.

"Of course, you also made many mistakes. After the party, I want you to think about the fight from start to finish."

Her voice became stern, "Adam, you are different from me. Of course, you can go all out and go wild if you want. There is nothing wrong with letting out some steams. But, you have such a large skill set. I believe having a mix of instincts and strategy-focused style will give you even more advantages in the future. This is even more so since you have the power you call The Magician."

Cecilia could easily see through Adam's current illusions. But in the heat of the battle, even a small mistake could be deadly.

He had shown this when he mislead Makoto at the start of the battle.

She shuddered when she imagined just how much chaos he could wreak on the battlefield. Be it by moving like a berserker or manipulating the entire battlefield from the shadows.

Surely he would become the worst kind of enemy anyone could have.

"Sorry. I just want to say. Good job."

"Thanks, Mom. But, I know this isn't exactly why you stopped us."

"Haha. I guess I am a little too transparent, huh."

She stopped herself and looked at the horizon.

"Theresa is suspicious. Well. Normally, she is. But at the very least, she won't act as long as she doesn't know your true identity."

Cecilia had no illusions of convincing Theresa to not immediately kill Adam or try to seal and detain him.

After all, before raising Adam, she also had the same thoughts.

The world was currently in a status quo. A hard gained illusions of peace that could break down at any moment and the appearance of a new King.

A new primogenitor could become the precursor of a new war.

"The good thing is...She won't share information about you with the main family yet. So you have to grow in the meantime. Even faster. Only by becoming at least equal to an Executor holding a divine weapon, or even better to a Director, would people hesitate."

Peace treaty only existed when the opposition forces were somewhat equal. When you knew that attacking the other would cost more than it would give.

The world did not function following justice. But only a cold and harsh reality based on gains and losses.

Adam stayed silent. "I guess I won't really be welcome on the supernatural side as well?"

Cecilia shrugged. "I will be honest. I don't know. Most of the Primogenitors' races were enemies at different points in time so at least it's clear they aren't friendly. But that is for the people below. Who knows, perhaps the Primogenitors themselves are friendly? Perhaps you would be welcomed with open arms "

She grinned, "But you know it right?"

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst."

"Perfect!"

A laugh escaped her.

"As long as you become strong enough, everything else won't matter. If they welcome you. Good. If they don't, then it won't matter since you will have the power to defend yourself and make them hesitate."

"Mom..."

"What?"

"Should we finally talk about the map?"

"..."

"I had Genesis make the calculation and we now have an estimate of the time and place."

Cecilia did not speak.

"It's a place near Sweden. Genesis needs more calculations but it will most likely happen around February or March."

The Vikings, before being influenced by Christianity had their own calendar which was divided in Winter and Summer and was calibrated by using the Moon.

On the map, the time appointed was the Goa's month. Which was the equivalent of Mid February to Mid march.

Cecilia sighed, "Adam. How strongly do you think I was when I was at my peak?"

Adam stopped speaking. He remembered clearly the stats he had seen when inspecting Cecilia.

She was such a monster even the mocking remarks stayed silent in awe.

Even though it was a question, Cecilia did not really expect an answer.

"Now can you imagine how much more powerful a creature would have to be to give me an even better heart?"

She gave a weak grin.

"Adam. Debris of the Astral realm isn't place you visit just for the heck of it. I don't know what we will meet if we go but at the very least, it will be equal to a Zodiac."

This was why she had been so reticent all along.

Of course, she wanted to heal. She did not fear death in any way but she was not suicidal either. If she had a way of healing that didn't go against her conscience, she would accept it gladly.

But, this wasn't it.

She would never force her son to enter such a dangerous place just to save her life.

Even if she followed, she would not be of much help as even by using the Armor and her weapon, she was far from her peak.

"Of course, you might think this isn't a problem for you. But Adam, not everyone else that will follow you will be like you."

"Mom ..."

Her features softened a little.

"You know what. Let's make a deal. If by then you can bring me something that will give me confidence the expedition can succeed, I will accept. What do you think?"

She grinned, "December is approaching so you have between three or four months to bring something that will make exploring a Zodiac-level dungeon seems doable."

Adam looked down for an instant before nodding.

"Deal."

CH 141: PREPARATION FOR THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW KING

[Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels - Los Angeles]

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels informally known as COLA or the Los Angeles Cathedral was the biggest church in the entirety of California state; knowing how big the state of California was, one could even say that it was the biggest church in the whole country in the case of some countries of equal size.

Anyways, the cathedral was also one of the rare churches that followed a more modern appearance in their architecture rather than the usual Gothic revival style that is common in many of the churches throughout the world. The change in architecture, however, did not stop more than five million people from regularly visiting it though.

Currently, the church was welcoming a very important member of the order. One of the seven Saintesses of the current era- Elysia Castitas. One of the Seven as they called her among many different names.

For the high-ranked member of the church, the fact that one of the saints came from the Vatican to their humble place was an honor like no other in the world and they showed it by showering her with praise and welcoming her in the grandest way that was possible for them in a short amount of time.

Many of them itched and wished to touch her or even graze her aura for even the slightest moment, hoping to receive even a modicum of her grace and blessing by doing so.

Despite all this craze, however, there were no signs of chaos in the church. Whenever Elysia passed by a certain area, an aura of calm and peace would fill up the hearts of the people of that place like never before and extinguish all thoughts that could cause a problem during these events.

Meanwhile, Elysia simply kept a gentle and soft smile hanging on her soothing face as she dealt with all of them with an appropriate amount of appreciation. Be it the true believers, the not-so-true ones, and the ones who simply used the church as a way to fatten their wallets, they all received the same gentle and benevolent treatment from the holy girl making their hearts flutter with peace and serenity.

[The church is always a place I am uncomfortable being in.]

Elysia kept smiling even as her companion spoke stiffly inside her mind. She was not a paragon of justice. She believed in the fact that no humans, not even the so-called saints were perfect beings, and for that very reason, certain compromises were necessary to live in life.

Humanity was a place where absolute justice and absolute selflessness could never truly exist. The concept of absolution in itself was a farce anyways so there was no way that anything absolute could ever exist anywhere. Much less for unworthy beings like humans.

"Saintess... Once again, in the name of all the churches in Los Angeles, I would like to thank you for the help you have provided us during the last crisis. No amount of words can convey the gratitude we feel towards Your Holiness."

"I have just done my duty. That is all; no need to feel gratitude for things that are obvious for me to enact."

She placed a hand on her chest as she spoke humbly and in a curt manner. All she did was create a sanctuary with the help of the angel she was contracted to.

While she was happy to have saved more than a hundred lives, she would never forget that she couldn't save the remaining 300 or nearly four hundred lives that were damned by the touch of the blasphemous devils.

"Speaking of that matter, I hope that the hunters who served as my bodyguard were handsomely rewarded."

"Of course, Your Holiness!"

The one who spoke was a relatively young man with handsome features adorning his face. "The grace of our lord was given to them and they received an honorary title to thank them for their great merit..."

"...I beg your pardon?"

Elysia closed her eyes, her smile was still present but the aura of gentleness around her diminished slightly after the words that were uttered by the young man. She gazed at the man more deeply. She remembered that it was the Bishop of this church that she was speaking with now.

"Mayhaps, I remember wrongly, but I am sure I asked for a clear monetary reward accompanied by a letter of recommendation to the Hunter Association, did I not?"

The others instantly became silent and the Bishop of the church fidgeted slightly before answering in a quivering tone, "B-But, Your Holiness, you are the one who did everything. Should they not be happy with the reward they have obtained?"

[He is lying...]

Elysia sighed in her mind. She understood that the man in front of her was just a beginner in the political sphere. Lying in front of a saintess was practically impossible. Sinners could not hide from their gazes.

This was why high-ranked members of the church who had done something to reproach themselves usually avoided the Saintess like the plague.

Meanwhile, those who did meet the Saintess were old foxes with a gift for rhetorics that would frighten even the vile snake in the Garden of Eden.

But here was one man who embezzled the funds and lied in the most stupid way possible.

When Elysia had moved the funds for the rewards, she had done so with the knowledge that a part would be embezzled. This was inevitable so she was not about to care much about it. But the one in front of her had a stomach too big for his own good.

"I understand."

She smiled and the man sighed in relief. Not knowing that his fate had already been decided.

She talked for a few minutes with everyone else and excused herself by proclaiming to be afflicted with a slight headache.

When Elysia finally reached her room, she sat on the one-person-sized bed and sighed ruefully.

"I guess, I should have simply asked the Vatican directly for the reward."

Elysia believed in one simple rule. Faith, justice, and morality could rarely move the masses if you were not someone with incredible charisma.

People moved when they had something to win or gain for themselves. Be it freedom, be it money, or anything else. Without a tangible reward at the end of the tunnel, they would slowly leave your side.

She opened her hand and a holographic screen appeared.

"Mother Anastasia, I think I found him. The one you talked about."

On the other side of the screen, one could see an old frail woman wearing a white nun attire. Despite the wrinkles on her face, it was easy to see that she should have once been a great beauty of unspeakable proportions.

Now, beauty left the place to make way for age and experience, a face that seemed to radiate with wisdom, long gray hair, and white-glazed eyes.

The woman was blind.

"Ohoh~ Not even a hello? I see that your manners are as blunt as always."

Elysia smiled. But unlike the fake smile she plastered on her face to deal with others, the one she was donning now was a true and heartfelt one.

"I am sorry. One of the Bishops put me in a bad mood."

"Heh, this is why I left the church."

Elysia smiled bitterly. "The church isn't perfect. But it's only a few bad apples."

"But one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. You are the perfect example of that. Even though you still shine with light, your faith and candidness have diminished greatly."

"I simply realized that people needed more than a beautiful speech to survive."

Words of love did not fill the stomach nor did they provide a roof over one's head.

The old and young women looked at each other in silence. The two were firm in their beliefs and knew that it was impossible to change the other. So, they did not bother with it anymore.

"Sigh. I wonder who made you so stubborn."

"You are the one who raised me. So the answer is evident, is it not?"

They laughed calmly and the tense atmosphere vanished like it never existed, to begin with.

"Very well. Enough with the chit-chat. So... My vision was confirmed?"

"I believe so. A man whose soul I could not see through. One that was covered in a Sin that is not his own. One who controls the force of the world, but who believes in no gods. A human beyond any humans."

Anastasia closed her eyes. Even though she did not need to do so... Visions flickered beyond her perception but vanished just as fast as they seem to have appeared.

She sighed and breathed heavily, her face was covered in sweat and her body was trembling slightly due to the backlash...

"My body isn't what it used to be."

Elysia looked at Anastasia with worry in her eyes but did not offer words of comfort. She knew that this stubborn old woman would only scoff at anything she could say.

"The visions are becoming blurrier. My end is approaching, it seems..."

"Mother."

"Do not interrupt me, girl."

"..."

"I have already overstayed my time on earth and soon I will go back to the embrace of the lord. But there is one last thing I must do before you bury my old bones."

She smiled quietly...

"Let's prepare for the Christmas celebration."

What better time than Christmas to welcome the arrival of a new King?

CH 142: A NEW ORDEAL

After Adam and Cecilia made their bet, the mood did not die down between the mother and son pair. The two of them knew very well that the other one was only acting as they did because they cared for each other.

Adam had a better understanding of the supernatural world now and knew how any moment was precious to them. Life was too short for them to just stay mad at each other for stupid reasons.

This was why, the two of them turned to a random bar and drank like there was no tomorrow.

Adam knew that he had sworn to never drink again but it was a hard promise to keep in this situation.

So he drank and drank. Drank because he was happy. Drank because of the unknown future ahead of him. Drank to hide all his worries even for a single night.

"Mom. You know, I kinda got married inside a dream."

Adam shared his story with his mother. Be it the dream that Asmodeus created to trap him or the one he shared with the poor girl as a last gift of solace to her before her death.

"Tell me… How can you still be smiling after all those years?"

He nursed a drink as he asked absentmindedly. Now that he was relaxed and had enough alcohol in his system to loosen all the hinges of his psyche, the thoughts he had put a lid on were starting to spill out.

He may have appeared nonchalant, but the things he witnessed, the actions he took, and the result of that day…

All of them still weighed down heavily on his mind and psyche and unlike Natasha or Sae, Adam did not have a week to digest all of the happenings of Pacific Park.

"How does this even become easier?"

"It doesn't, my son. It just doesn't…"

Cecilia's mouth formed a weak and wane smile as she ruffled his hair with his hands, trying to cheer him up, "It never gets easier for anyone. You just learn how to deal with the pain in a more efficient way. Learn how to put on a better mask to hide them in the deepest corners of your mind. Nothing ever becomes easier, son."

Adam looked down bitterly— a sight leaking out of his face. He understood her words. He had to learn how to deal with the pain of his body when dying already. The pain never went away… He just knew how to contain it better and to cope with it by thinking of other important things ahead.

Sadly, unlike the temporary wounds on his body, the wounds that affected his mind were harder to take care of and lasted much much longer than that.

"This is truly a sad thing, you know, Mom?"

"It is, right?"

Cecilia took another swing of her drink and chugged down the whole glass in one go. She had seen many things and did many bad things as well. But it never became easier. In fact, she did not wish for it to become easier for her…

Because… Once you lost that fear, that respect, that feeling of pain and sadness. Once you became jaded and could look calmly at all the atrocities of the world, you just stopped being human and lost any and all traces of humanity left inside of you. She didn't want that. Neither for her nor her son.

She looked at Adam…

"You should really learn new conversation skills. You are too much of a buzz kill."

"Haha… Sorry, I guess I am really a mood killer."

The heavy mood vanished between them and the two continued to joke around with each other.

"Speaking of, about your first dream… If I remember well, Asmodeus's dreams aren't just illusions but the reflection of your deepest desires, right?"

She grinned a little. "It seems like my boy has quite the appetite, doesn't he? So, not even Shuri can flee from your evil claws now, huh?"

Adam coughed violently and looked at his drink with a renewed determination to never drink again in the entirety of his life.

In the end, he sighed, "I… I don't really know, Mom…"

"Hey, I don't mind that… Shuri is quite the sexy lady, man… Like damn. Have you seen those breasts of hers!? God damn!"

Cecilia giggled as she made the motion of a round ball with her hands.

"I imagine for a teenager it must have been hard being around a bombshell like her."

Adam simply groaned and wished to burrow a hole deep in the ground.

"Please stop."

"Nah. This is way more interesting than any gloomy talk. This reminds me. Are you going out with Sae? Your last relationship was in high school, right?"

"Yeah. We broke up because she was a little… Let's say a little too clingy."

Adam dodged the question by only answering partially. Saying that his ex had been clingy was an understatement. A very very big understatement.

Leaving hadn't been easy, but being with her was becoming dangerous. For both of them. He shook his head and leaked out a tired sigh.

"As for Sae… Well, we have a complicated relationship."

"Heh… My son is a casanova. Well. Honestly, I have no advice for you on that matter. While I had a few experiences myself, it generally didn't end well."

"Say, Mom… You don't want to get married?"

'—And have a child on your own.'

Adam did not finish that sentence. He knew very well that it would only hurt her. But this was something that had always been at the back of his mind.

Cecilia was a very attractive woman. Surely, somewhere out in the vast world, there was someone who would love her for who she was.

"Well… Did I say you were a mood killer?"

"And you avoid important topics like your life depends on it."

"You mean like how you are avoiding talking about how you have the hots for my friend?"

"Mom…"

"Alright, alright. Geez, you are no fun."

She chuckled but thought seriously, "Well, it isn't like I haven't tried you know. I was also young like you."

Cecilia was very independent and free-spirited. Furthermore, she was too powerful. All the boyfriends she had eventually broke up with her or she simply left because it was clearly not working for them.

"Not many people can have a relationship with someone who can theoretically crush their skull with one hand if she doesn't control her power."

Her longest relationship lasted a year. Sadly, he died during a mission. Not that Adam needed to know about that. She had no intention to make the situation even more gloomy than it was.

'Adam seriously needs some new hobbies.'

She realized that his thoughts seemed to always enter a dark place lately. Not that she could blame him for that.

The physiological test might be more useful than she initially thought.

"Well, let's talk about it later, okay?"

He raised his hand in surrender, "Don't blame me later if you become an old hag with a house filled with cats."

"Heh. Why cats? Dogs are more interesting. In fact, I even had a battle wolf in the past. You should have seen her. She was magnificent."

She also died to protect her during her fight against Surtr in London.

Adam did not miss the way the light in her eyes dimmed slightly at the mention of her pet…

"Battle pet?"

"Indeed. I wasn't really a team player you know. Only moved with Mei sometimes. So I had to decide to settle for one of the most loyal partners one could have."

"So the reason you were called mad hound…"

"Hehe. I embraced the wildness in me."

She drank a little before grinning at Adam, "Though you also have a wolf on your own. Albeit a different kind it seems."

"Natasha is just a friend."

"Indeed, I guess I also won the Nobel Prize for Peace."

The sarcasm in her voice was dripping, causing Adam to look aside as he gathered his thoughts and have a better understanding of his emotions.

It may seem weird for him to talk like this with her. But for Adam, Cecilia was a mother, a friend, and even a father. She was practically everything to him and she filled those roles perfectly throughout the years and never left him emotionally wanting.

"Well… I do think there is something between us."

He wasn't blind. Since the fight against those mercenaries, Natasha had been giving him clear signs. Those signs had been all but confirmed when they were in the park, just before everything went to hell.

"But?" Cecilia prompted him with an encouraging smile.

"But...I don't know If I want to pursue it. It's really complicated."

Adam was having a headache. The reason he accepted his relationship with Sae was that he made it clear she would not be the only one in his life. He couldn't exactly be exclusive and be a Gigolo at the same time now, could he?

But he doubted that Natasha was as open-minded as Sae. Adam did not wish to let his sexual desires and life choices destroy his relationship with a few dear people.

"As for Shuri. Yeah, perhaps I am kinda interested in her. But she is already married."

"Married, huh…"

Cecilia looked down. "Well, I don't know how long it will last. Seems like her relationship with her husband is pretty wonky."

Adam frowned slightly at those words, "What do you mean?"

She shrugged and hid a grimace, "I think she discovered he is cheating on her."

"What!?"

Adam was surprised by the sudden revelation. He had met her husband a few times and he seemed like a good man. It seemed like the adage about how one should never judge a book by its cover had once again been proved true.

He was doubly surprised when the Book of Genesis opened and started to float in front of him.

Startled, Adam looked up and his mouth opened wide at the sight of what was written in the Quest section of the book.

"Adam? What happened?"

His actions were quite conspicuous and with the way he looked at the air, Cecilia knew that he must be reading something in that Book of his.

When Adam finished reading, he looked down and massaged his brows. His headache had just gotten worse; a whole lot worse.

"I just received an ordeal."

"Oh? What is it this time?"

He gave her a bitter look while remembering what he had just read.

『 3rd Ordeal: Love — The Beginning and The End of All Emotions

Description: Have Shuri break off her shackles and decide to give up on her cheating husband

Reward: 1 free pass to the Bronze section of the library 』

CH 143: FIRST TRUE WEAPON

"Mom, please stop laughing already and focus on the road. We are going to crash!"

It was now around 2 am and there was no light in sight. The mother and son pair was going back home but throughout the way to their home, Cecilia continued to chuckle to herself and kept shaking her head.

Adam could do nothing but cover his face in resignation. He regretted being too forthcoming with his mom and telling her what the ordeal was all about.

At first, Cecilia had been quite a bit surprised by the revelation but then she went on to explode into unbridled laughter, startling all the clients in the bistro they had been occupying.

Ever since then, the laughter hadn't stopped for a single moment and was still going strong.

"Pfft~ Haha… Sorry, sorry… I swear I will stop now."

She waved her hands in a sign of apology and continued speaking while paying more attention to the road.

"But you gotta admit that it was very good timing, no?"

He groaned but could say nothing to refute those words. Genesis had already told him that the ordeals were generated based on his current situation and desires.

So clearly, knowing that Shuri's husband was actually cheating on her opened a few doors in his mind to obtain that curvaceous aunt of his.

In a way, this was very bad of him. Shortly after feeling sorry for her, he started to think about seducing her.

"Well. It isn't like you are forced to proceed with the ordeal, right? The choice is yours, in the end. Nothing and no can compel you to do anything you don't want, not even me."

"That is…"

He groaned and Cecilia just grinned. The two of them knew very well that Adam wouldn't be embarrassed if he didn't actually consider the option of actually going through with it in his mind already.

"Well. We have arrived. You should rest a little or do whatever you want with your time. Most likely in two or three days, they will send you your ID and credentials to access the main platform for hunters."

Cecilia became more serious with her explanations. "You play games, right? So it's basically like a quest board with the reward and level of dangers carefully calculated by the Association. Of course, all missions have an element of risk so the choice is yours if you want to partake in them or not."

They walked out of the car and soon reached the door of their home. "The good thing is that… for any mission you take, all extra charges will be completely free. This means flying in first class and being lodged in a high-class hotel with all that jazz is included in your free services. Hunters may risk their lives on a regular basis but the advantages are really good too, so it is worth it, in the end."

She took out her key and unlocked the door, "You can also try joining a mercenary group or create one yourself. Only silver ranks and above can create an official mercenary group so it's your call. Honestly, I say only take the missions in LA or California at first then expand from there."

When they entered, they could see both Viktor and Makarov coming up from the basement of their home. Both were shirtless and sweaty, clearly having just finished working.

"Oh, hey laddie. How was your test?"

Cecilia grinned and head locked Adam, "What do you think old man? This is my son. He is Gold ranked already."

Makarov whistled in surprise while Viktor opened his eyes wide, "Holy hot damn. Congratulations son. Gold rank is an incredible achievement."

He looked at Viktor who nodded, "Well, since we received such good news, I guess we can also give you one."

He patted Viktor who stumbled a little before awkwardly shuffling, "Well. The first prototype is finished. I hope you will like it."

"Oh?" Adam's eyes twinkled in anticipation. He had realized the importance of weapons in his duel with Makoto. Perhaps in the future, he would be able to make do without them, but as of now, having a good weapon was necessary for him.

The last dagger he had used for the Railgun had been completely vaporized due to the intensity of his electromagnetic powers.

"Well let's take a bath then we will show you your equipment."

.

.

.

A few dozen minutes later, the four of them were now in the workshop as Adam looked at the weapons Viktor had created for him.

At first glance, they looked like long knives more than anything.

"Since they are prototypes we focused first on the durability. They are obviously covered in silver and were plunged into high-class holy water. The blades alone are very sharp and Prana conducive."

He took out the knife and pushed it against one of the wooden pillars. The knife entered like there was no obstacle in its path, burrowing into the wood like it didn't even exist.

"Since you use lightning. I added some Purple rock into the mix. It's a kind of sacred rock used in Japan during the ceremony to pray for the god of the storm. This will make any lightning-type attack even more deadly and the weapon itself will have less chance of being damaged by the extensive use of lightning. I wanted to add some sun rock as well but I sadly can't handle the material very well yet."

"You mean you nearly exploded my whole workshop trying to do that. right?"

Viktor chuckled weakly at that remark by his grandfather but could offer no rebuttal. Sun rock was even more effective than holy water quenching. But they were also extremely unstable. So he had to give up on trying to add that to Adam's weapons.

Adam was transfixed by the knives.

"They are beautiful."

The knives weren't just straight swords with only an edge to them. The blade had jagged teeth and he could already imagine how much damages they would do when embedded inside a victim. There was a slight purple hue that gave the impression that one was looking at the embodiment of lightning itself.

It was a perfect mixture of elegance and murderous intent.

Viktor grinned at Adam's praise but he wasn't finished yet. "Of course, if this was it then it wouldn't be enough to label us as the best weaponsmiths in the world. Since you can move object around and can use some illusions, I experimented a little."

He took the second knife and pointed at the ceiling before filling it with Prana.

Whoosh!

Like a bullet, the blade was ejected from the hilt and pierced the ceiling above.

"Can you see the thread?"

Adam squinted slightly at Viktor's last words and could indeed see, under the light, a very thin thread that connected the blade to the hilt.

"This is Arachne thread. Well, not the true one. But it is as close a material as possible to the real deal. The thread, despite how thin it looks, is extremely sturdy. It should easily support a weight of more than 3 tons without straining the tension and even more so if you fill it with Prana. But that isn't all."

Viktor took a random blade and hit the place where the thread should have been.

Crack~

A breaking sound filled the room as the blade was nearly cut in two.

"Extremely sharp, nearly invisible, and can be extended to up to 300 meters as long as you fill it with Prana. The true Arachne thread can extend to an infinite distance from what the legend says. But 300 meters is pretty good in my opinion."

Makarov grunted, "Honestly, the blade itself is just passable but that thread makes things different. That little dunce had a good idea for once. Furthermore, while the thread doesn't bring any boost to lightning, it's also a good Prana conductor in itself."

If before, Adam was surprised, now he looked like some kid that was given a Christmas gift he had always dreamed of.

Just thinking about all the possible traps he could make in the future made him want to immediately take the weapon and give it a try.

"Haha. I can see that you are very happy. But this isn't all. Right, Viktor?"

"Yeah. At the end of the day, those are supposed to be hidden weapons."

He took two wrists guard and worked by placing the blade in them before giving them to Adam.

"Those wrist guards are also extremely sturdy. At least they can serve as good shields sometimes. But they are even better for this."

"Try them."

Adam placed the wrist guards on his arms and made a few movements.

They were so thin. Even though he had them on, he could barely feel the difference. Even if he were to wear a shirt with a long sleeve, they would be nearly undetectable.

Viktor explained the mechanisms to him and before long Adam could switch between having the blade in and out as well as simply shooting them in the distance.

He looked up for an instant as he thought if he could start swinging around the building like a friendly spider.

Though a more deadly version of it.

All of this while, Cecilia observed the scene with a funny expression on her face.

This weapon alone could be considered a treasure but here Viktor was acting like it was simply a weapon barely good enough to be given to him.

She gave a look at Makarov who sighed bitterly.

How could he tell her that because he always said Viktor could do better and with how the young lad would see the weapon he made every time, Viktor had a weird perception of what actually counted as a good weapon?

'Well. In a way, it's a good thing.'

His grandson only strived for the best rather than being satisfied with something mediocre.

"Well. This is it for the exposition. Now we need data from you. Since you are a hunter now, you should give them a try during a few missions."

"I…"

Adam closed his eyes and nodded.

"Thank you."

He didn't have Cecilia's experience. But he didn't need to. It was easy to see that this was already a precious weapon and they were preparing an even more precious one for him in the future.

"I promise I will use them well."

"This is all I can ask for. Also, be careful. This is a prototype so it doesn't have the Prana recognition function installed. Be careful about having it stolen from you."

"Don't worry. I will be careful with it."

After this both Viktor and Makarov went to their room. They were terribly tired and understandingly so.

Cecilia also went to sleep, leaving Adam alone as he looked at a message on his phone.

[Sender: Yui

Message: Adam, come to the Bar tomorrow night. We are reopening. We also need to speak.]

He narrowed his eyes at the message.

So many things had happened that he had actually nearly forgotten one fact.

He was supposed to be working as a Gigolo.

CH 144: SURPRISE

"Hardship often prepares ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny."

— From Merlin the Great Wizard to Arthur, the King of Knights.

The Sunday morning and afternoon had been relatively peaceful as Adam worked and tested his weapon. slowly adapting to them and their use.

It was when the night came that things changed. Adam was feeling slightly nervous right now.

How could he not be? A job that he just started on the first day of November… Went there once and never again…

It was a different sense of nervousness compared to facing a horde of demons and killing some chimera vampire.

"Genesis. Did you find any good skill that goes with the third major Chakra pathway?"

Using the word 'Throat' chakra always made him chuckle and sent his mind in the gutter. So he decided to use it sparingly.

[Indeed. I have found two that are a good base for a start.]

While Adam and Genesis may not share the same ideology. At the very least so far he hadn't tried to fuck him other.

Adam had once asked about skills related to healing himself but had been quite disappointed. All healing skills were related to the Heart or Core chakra. So not only was there no discount, but there was also a penalty because of his curse that tremendously increased the price of all such skills.

'This curse is really a pain.'

He sighed and focused on the new skills the book was showing to him.

『 Name: Soothing Speech

Rank: C

Description: Make your voice nicer and more agreeable to listen to. It can help the ones who listen to your voice to feel more calm and more relaxed. 』

『 Name: Mermaid's Voice

Rank: B

Description: The innate skill of a Mermaid. Your songs have the power to affect the emotion of the people who listen to them. The higher your natural charm the better the effect becomes. 』

[Soothing Speech is a passive skill that will synergize perfectly with Silver Tongue. It's also a core skill to obtain the EX-ranked skill — Curse Words.

As for Mermaid's Voice, it's one of the core skills necessary to obtain one of the S-ranked skills — Hamelin [1]. I believe Hamelin will be even more powerful when used with your innate skill, Domination. Mermaid's Voice can also evolve into Siren's Lullaby [2]. another S-ranked skill.]

Adam tilted his head in wonder. His skills were becoming more and more outrageous by the second as he was now entirely in the pure territory of mental manipulation.

But would this stop him from buying the skills? Not at all.

[The initial cost of Mermaid's Voice is 10000 Karma. As you obtained the Throat Chakra, it was reduced to 1000 Karma. Similarly, Soothing Voice was 1000 and is reduced to 100]

[Do you confirm the purchase of the skills?]

[Y/N]

Adam immediately clicked yes and his Karma went from 3400 to 2300. He had nearly used up the quota he had imposed on himself for this purchase but everything went easily so he didn't need to overspend or think much about buying them. Those skills would undoubtedly be very useful for him on a daily basis.

An itch began to form around his throat and he felt like something was changing in that region. His vocal cords were evolving to accommodate the two new skills.

Once the change was done. He groaned and grunted slightly under his breath. He was now feeling that his throat had gotten quite sore but otherwise it was alright for him.

He then took the special weapon that Viktor created for him and equipped it around his arms.

He wasn't going to fight but he wanted to have some fun with those 'new toys' of his.

'Let's set off now.'

"Oh? Where are you going?"

Cecilia asked as she yawned and scratched her stomach like a toddler. She was only wearing a crumpled T-shirt and short pants while her hair was in complete disarray, showing that she had been sleeping till now and had just woken up.

"Work."

He stopped and thought for a bit before speaking, "Speaking of that, what are you gonna do about work, Mom?"

"Nah. Fuck it all. Anyways, since Theresa is here I will just mooch off her."

He looked at her with amusement evident in his eyes, "Your relationship with her seems very interesting, to say the least…"

"Heh. Well, the advantage of being the big sis, I suppose."

She smiled as she approached him and took a sniff…

"Damn son, you are going all out, aren't you? You are working with Yui again, right?"

"...Yeah?"

The last time he had a working relationship with Yui, it ended up with him facing his mom in a ring and a boxing match that sadly ended in his utter defeat.

"Haha. Don't look at me like that. You ain't a kid anymore. Anyway, you are a Gold-ranked hunter now or going to become one soon, I guess. Anyways, the point is… You can defend yourself from common threats. Just… Be careful out there, alright?"

"I will."

"Very well. Now go. I need to get some food in me. My stomach is literally screaming in protest. Bye-bye."

"See you later, Mom."

He waved his hand and closed the door behind him.

Looking at the now-closed door, Cecilia tilted her head as she realized that she had yet to ask him what his work was exactly.

'Well. That will be for later. Now, where did I put that bottle of milk again?'

[K-Town — Wild Hunt]

The bar today was pretty crowded. Women could be seen coming and going from the bar almost every few minutes. Sometimes they were accompanied by a man in their arms or sometimes they were alone. But there was one thing in common between all these women. They were all wearing masks that hid their features.

The atmosphere was relaxing, unlike most bars in the outside world. There was no explosive music made to deafen the people inside. It was more of a romantic atmosphere with red subsided colors to promote a charming mood. One that would allow for love and passion to bloom, as well as eroticism.

The bar had been slowly opening again after things started to calm down in the area and today was the big opening day of their main event.

When Adam arrived at the bar and realized that the theme of the day seemed to be a masked party, he immediately sent a message to Yui about his arrival, telling her that he was now close to her quarters. He didn't want to create any problems by walking in from the front so he opted to take the back door.

In the bar, Nikola had been observing the party with a satisfied smile etched on her lips. She had been wondering if they would be able to bring the clients in despite the current tense situation of the outside world. But it was clear that the influence Yui had built wouldn't just vanish suddenly because of one simple mistake.

Everything was working as intended and she could already smell the money that was filling their coffers. More than anything else, she was sure that many of the women would become recurring clients.

'Still, we lack something. A big star, someone who will be the target of everyone but won't be able to obtain.'

She didn't worry too much about this. Slowly a hierarchy would be established and the clients would compete for the attention and time of the higher-ranked employees of the bar.

It was then that one of the girls approached her and whispered something in her ears.

Nikola frowned at the news that was delivered to her; emotions of unrest and annoyance brimming in her eyes. But she soon sighed and reeled in her emotions. This was work. She simply had to put her bias aside and do the work that was needed of her. As long as Adam could do what he was told to and not lag too far behind the others, she would not bother him and let him do as he wished.

'Well. Let's go.'

Putting on a half-black mask, with white patterns on the rims, that covered the upper part of her face, she prepared herself and walked out of the bar.

At first, everything felt normal. She should have been alerted the moment she was able to find him so easily in the crowd.

After all, despite the number, the difference between a sun and a few candlelights was too clear.

But her bias and the fact that she was in her own territory made her relax slightly. It was when she had come close to him that her senses finally caught on.

"Adam, the boss is…"

Nikola, who had been asked to bring Adam in the back so he could have a discussion with Yui before deciding if he would stay or not, immediately stopped short the moment she reached a certain distance from him.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with surprise and trepidation at the sense of dread that had suddenly assailed her body.

In the past, Adam had been a normal human in her opinion. She knew he must have something special in him and most likely opened his eyes to the veil after being nearly killed by a vampire.

Later, she also guessed that he might be related to the Director.

But what of it? How much would a mere human who hadn't even opened his Heart Chakra grow in a few weeks? At most, his influence might be useful for them.

Now though, she couldn't help but tighten her fists and put herself in a fighting position by reflex as her flight or fight response kicked in, in response to the natural aura that the young man emanated around her.

She looked at the young man in front of her and asked carefully, ready to sound the alarms at any moment.

"You… Are you really Adam?"

CH 145: SURPRISE (2)

Nikola hated to admit it, but she was feeling intimidated by Adam. The first thing she noticed was his face.

In the past, Adam had been a rather handsome boy. This was one of the reasons she had not been against him joining the Wild Hunt as a host. After all, even without experience, his face alone could do the job and make women happy by being near him and having small talk.

But now he was... way too handsome. She didn't know if the word handsome was enough to do him justice. His physical appearance itself hadn't changed much. But he had a sort of aura surrounding him- a certain charm that she was sure would be deadly for many women.

This was the first clue for Nikola in understanding that something was wrong with Adam. But then... She felt 'it' in her bones.

For an assassin like her, it was necessary to know what kind of person was dangerous based only on their presence and the bloody killing aura surrounding them.

Most people, even hunters, could not understand this clearly. But the training she received made her particularly apt at sensing these kinds of things.

This was why she could see it with her eyes.

A bloody red veil was covering his body- something that had been noticeably absent from him when she first saw him.

If the Adam she had seen for the first time was like a pure white sheet, now he looked like he had been treading in a sea of blood for an unknown length of time.

Her eyes twitched when she realized that his bloody aura was far higher than even hers and slightly equal to that of Mammoth who had been a professional soldier and went through many wars in his heyday.

'Just how many people did he kill for him to get such a bloody aura?'

Twenty? Fifty? Or perhaps even hundreds?

She simply felt suffocated by the mere thought. It had only been around three weeks since the last time they had seen each other.

His aura, his presence, and the feeling of being crushed by his power. It was worlds apart from anything she had felt from him three weeks ago.

"You... Are you really Adam?"

She asked with trepidation coloring her voice, ready to sound the alarm at any moment and buy time while the others evacuated.

Adam was first surprised by her reaction. Even more so when he saw her aura tinged in Yellow and Green switch instantly to a dangerous blend of Red and Yellow. Showing that she was progressively seeing him as an enemy.

He directed a complicated smile toward her when he partially realized what might be the source of her sudden wariness.

"I am indeed Adam and I mean no harm."

He laughed quietly at his talent for prose and slowly, very slowly raised his hands to show that he was unarmed.

This was quite ironic since not only was he armed but he also didn't need to move to actually attack her or even kill her this very instant.

Nikola hesitated slightly at his action. She could feel that her wariness subside very slightly due to that small action of his.

"Bring me to Yui, please."

Once again, Nikola felt like her worries were useless. She had no reason to doubt him. She should... Nikola shook her head, causing her mind to clear slightly, and immediately took a few steps back in shock.

Why would she let such a dangerous individual approach her Boss? This would be the stupidest thing a bodyguard could ever do...

"Go back."

Adam looked around, and he could see that they were starting to attract some attention. He sighed and nodded his head.

"Very well. I understand. See you soon."

She looked as Adam walked backward before leaving her vision.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she realized her face was covered in sweat. It was proof of the tension she had just felt. The only time she had been so tense was when she had tried to assassinate Yui back when she didn't work for her and was out to kill her.

'I have to tell the boss.'

She signaled the security guards and ordered them to reinforce the perimeter and hurriedly walked into the bar.

This time, since there was no super VIP present inside, Yui had not opted to go out and was working in the basement. The pile of paperwork had tremendously diminished thanks to her hard work and she was finally seeing the end of this job that had seemed endless to her not long before.

It was then that her door was suddenly opened wide and Nikola hurriedly rushed in with swift steps...

"Boss."

"Hmmm?"

Yui looked up in surprise at her assistant. Nikola was usually a very stoic woman, it was hard for her to show her emotions openly like she was doing right now.

"I have a report to make. It's about A-"

Both Yui and Nikola's expressions immediately changed and Nikola punched behind her by pure reflex even though she could see nothing behind.

Her attack ended up hitting nothing but the two of them were sure of one thing. There was someone else in the room.

"I am curious. How did you find me?"

The two of them looked up at the ceiling, where the voice they heard was emanating from. Space shimmered at that place and the light seemed to undulate as Adam appeared finally in front of them- standing upside down on the ceiling above.

"Hi! I told you we would see each other soon, didn't I?"

He grinned and waved his hand in a jesting manner before landing in between the two.

"Boss. He is dangerous."

Yui looked at Adam quietly. She was not able to see the things Nikola was able to see due to her being an assassin. But she didn't need to. Her animalistic instincts were already making it clear to her just what was strange with him.

Adam was not someone she could underestimate, she was able to realize that fact.

'Those abilities are strange.'

But, unlike Nikola who was looking at Adam with wariness and vigilance, there was nothing but worry evident on Yui's face.

"Adam... What happened to you?"

She cared not about how Adam was able to become so powerful or so supernaturally attractive or anything of the sort.

She could practically see it in his eyes. The Adam in front of her was different from the one she once knew.

Those eyes were the eyes of someone who had been forced to grow after seeing things they never wanted to see. A smile may be present on his face, but it did not truly reach his eyes at any moment. He had lost his innocence and lost the true smile he would adorn in his boyish face.

She stood up and looked at him quietly,

"Nikola. Leave us."

"Boss!?"

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen, right Adam?"

Adam nodded his head, "Honestly I never wanted to make a fuss. But I understand the wariness that is directed at me. Anyways, I promise I won't try to do anything. But let's be honest. shall we...? Even if I did try to do something. What could you do?"

He taunted Nikola with a provoking smirk. He was very tempted to use some of his powers on her, but the simple skills he had already shown should be enough for her to understand that she wasn't his match. Even though her overall combat capacity was at B and only slightly lower than his.

Even then, Adam had not forgotten how she had come to him the first time they met.

Had she been legitimate in her worries?

Of course. Adam perfectly understood why she hadn't liked that he appear out of nowhere with no training in the such an important night.

Did this means he had no resentments?

Of course not.

Sometimes, pettiness would go a long way in keeping your mood high.

Her frustrated growls were like music to his ears. But eventually, under Yui's pointed gaze, she was forced to leave the room with reluctant steps.

Now alone, an awkward silence settled in the room.

"Tea or Coffee?"

"Hah... I will take a tea please."

"Very well. Take a seat and wait while I work on this. We need to discuss some things."

Yui went ahead and worked on preparing the tea while he hesitated slightly before sitting down on the sofa in the makeshift office.

Now that he could see her face to face, he realized that there were many things he did not know about Yui.

The most obvious being, of course, her true identity.

[Name: Feng Huan Yui

Affiliation: Heavenly Court; Wild Hunt;

Alias: The Sacrifice || Cursed Child || Black Tiger ||

Race: Hanyo [1]

Age: 28

Emotion: Ambiguous

Stats:

Strength: C

Speed: A

Dexterity: A

Endurance: B+

Prana: B

Charm: C+

Willpower: B+

Luck: E

Overall Combat Capability: S

Remarks: Let's be honest... You have an extremely high chance of dying if you fight her as you are.]

CH 146: I AM AWESOME

The steam coming out of a teacup rose lazily in the air as Adam and Yui gazed at each other in silence.

The stats he had observed from Yui had been nothing short of startling to him. It was the first time he had observed the power of a true supernatural creature outside of his own and he realized why they were so much superior to ordinary humans. At the end of the day, their unreasonably powerful bodies alone bridged the gap of Prana they had with humans.

What humans needed years to accomplish was bestowed to them simply at birth itself. It was a blessing that all supernatural beings shared and was something a human could never hope to achieve. He sighed under his breath and buried those morbid thoughts in the deepest recess of his mind and refocused. Now wasn't the time to think about such things… It was the crucial time for him to decide just what he would reveal to Yui, someone precious to his heart.

Their story was one that had started long ago. They supported each other when the other was at their lowest point and went from a mere business relationship to a more civil one before becoming friends then something akin to siblings. It was a transitional change that naturally transpired between the two, bonding them in a relationship that went beyond the limitations of blood.

"How is Tsubasa doing nowadays? Is she also involved in all this?"

Yui's eyebrows rose and furrowed at Adam's sudden question. Clearly, he was just stalling for time but she decided to humor him in this instance.

"Since you entered this world already, you should know that like me, my sister isn't exactly normal. The Hanekawa clan is a family of Shaman Exorcists; humans who have made contracts with the Yokai and the gods to keep the equilibrium between this world and the Astral World that hovers between the dimensions. She is the current Heiress of the clan."

Adam nodded at those words. He obviously didn't ask Yui why her little sister was the Heiress rather than her. This was without a doubt a loaded question that would only lead to further complications; complications that he was not willing to face at this moment.

"You don't have to look like that. Okay, let's do this then. Since I want to know what happened to you, I will tell you everything about me. I am sorry I could say nothing sooner but with the Veil in place, it would have been impossible for you to understand what I say about my origins or anything related to the supernatural world."

Yui smiled and proceeded to explain her story to him. It was a pretty simple run-of-the-mill story, but it was still loaded with its own share of pain and miseries— dark emotions that no one would be willing to face in their lives voluntarily.

"I am a Hanyo. A being born between a Yokai and a human. At the same time, I am considered to be a Cursed Child. Simply a sacrifice for the peace and stability of the clans."

The Hanekawa and the Feng family were both very powerful families and the current ones that took root in America were just branch clans of the original.

It was impossible for two such families not to enter a war for control and such a war would only result in useless deaths. As such, every few generations, the heir of the two families would have a child between them.

It was a child that would be considered the symbol of peace between the two families. The heir did not have to marry and, in fact, would not marry the other in normal circumstances. The families had no intention to form a true alliance with each other.

In the end, the child would be one with no right to inherit anything. One that would be imprisoned once they reached adulthood and would have no right to ever give birth and continue their bloodline.

"So you see… For my mother and father, I am just a child that was forced on them by the rules of the clan. My father already had a wife and my mom had someone that she loved dearly. But due to the rules of the botched alliance, they had to conceive me."

She chuckled under her breath, melancholy coloring her face, "Well, the good thing for them is that… nowadays, we have a way to create babies in vitros."

"You mean…"

She shrugged. "They simply gave the necessary component and the fertilized egg was given to a surrogate mother."

Adam had never felt so suffocated as he heard someone speak; never so angry that he wished to decimate something to put his mind to rest. But, he forced himself to calm down. This was Yui's story, not his own. However, there was something in that story that caught his attention.

"You said something about adulthood, right?"

She smirked at that question, "Indeed. If everything proceeded as normal I should have been imprisoned currently. Unable to leave until the day I die. Oh… Just to be clear, even though I say imprisoned it isn't some jail or something barbaric like that. But it would be house arrest in a large palace with everything I could ever ask for. A golden prison so to speak. It wouldn't have been that bad if I say so myself."

"This isn't funny."

"…Indeed… I guess it isn't… huh…"

Being in a place where all your desires were granted outside of freedom was certainly not the worst fate anyone could have. But for her, it would have been unbearable.

The proof was that many of her predecessors ended up taking their lives.

"But I was lucky. Or should I say it was destiny?"

Her eyes twinkled, "My surrogate mother wasn't human."

"So, she was a yokai?"

"A yokai? Heh, if that was all, my destiny wouldn't have changed. In fact, it might have become worse. No. My mother wasn't just any being."

She rose a finger and pointed at the sky, a subtle grin etched on her face.

"She was possessed by a god."

A laugh escaped her lips, "Technically speaking, I am the daughter of Byakko, the White Tiger of the myths."

CH 147: I AM PRETTY AWESOME AS WELL.

Adam's mind buzzed uncontrollably when he heard Yui's declaration.

"A god?"

"Indeed. The White Tiger is one of the four guardian gods worshiped in all of Asia." [1]

"So you are telling me that you are essentially a demigod?"

"You could say that, yeah..."

Yui was showing clear hesitation as she was revealing those pieces of information about her. There were things she could not say without risking breaking her oath and she seriously didn't want to be struck down by lightning right now so she couldn't help but hesitate.

"My surrogate mother was possessed by Byakko, making it so that my fetus was bathed in the aura of a guardian god. Generally, such an action would have resulted in my premature death."

When a shaman took a god in his or her body, that body was considered to be a sanctuary that could never be desacralized.

For that reason, all shaman women were unable to use their powers when they were pregnant. At least, that was the case as long as they didn't mind killing the incoming baby in exchange, that is.

"I survived... Somehow..."

She did not die and she was born with the blessing and aura of the White Tiger god known as Byakko.

"Not giving me the title of heir is one thing, but imprisoning me? They would never dare to do something like that."

This was why she could still use some of the influence of her two families despite having left them behind. They did not dare completely ostracize her- the child of a guardian god, in a sense.

"Neither of my biological parents is particularly attached to me. But, it doesn't really matter to me anymore. As for my spiritual and surrogate mothers, well, they are the ones that matter to me now."

Adam could only show a dumbfounded laugh, having heard everything from Yui. He had thought that his birth was weird but Yui was really taking the cake here. Essentially, she technically had three mothers and each of the three participated in her birth in one way or another.

Still, why would someone who could summon a god inside her body be willing to accept becoming a surrogate mother? He could feel that there was a deep secret that was attached to her birth. The fact that Yui was affiliated with the Heavenly Court was also a hint at that secret.

"I was not born with the gift of Abel. But it doesn't matter to me honestly. Even if I was born with something like that, the Feng family wouldn't have taken me as their heiress either."

His respect for Yui went up a crescendo and he could never see her with the same eyes ever again. She might have made everything sound very good and peachy, but he was sure that there were untold miseries hidden within her mind. If Yui had been happy in her home, she would not have been here in the first place.

"Now I have told you nearly everything that there is about me. There are some things I cannot simply talk about due to circumstances. But it's pretty much all there is to me. So now, it's your turn, dear Adam."

Adam couldn't help but be embarrassed when he heard that it was his turn to reveal himself. He couldn't help but feel ashamed.

He had intended to lie partially about many things related to him but now that she had been so open with him about her deepest secrets, he really felt like he would be the greatest bastard in the entirety of creation if he lied to her here and now.

But even so, even if he wished to tell her everything about himself, he still couldn't reveal to him that he was a Primogenitor.

'From what Eve told me about my father, Cain had wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court alongside Sun Wukong.'

This was one of the reasons why Eve said that obtaining the Peach of Immortality would be nearly impossible for him.

If Cain was the enemy of the Heavenly Court then Yui...

In the end, he could only sigh...

"I don't want to lie to you, you know. So, I will be forthcoming. Yui, there are many things I cannot share about myself. I hope you understand."

The true identity of his father wasn't just his secret alone. It also involved his mother. Once people learned that Cecilia raised the son of Cain, she might be in grave danger.

At her peak, there would be no need to be afraid of others. But now, he was already technically stronger than her as long as she didn't use her weapon and the armor that was given to her by Makarov.

"I understand... I do not need you to share everything with me. I just want to know as much as possible."

"Very well. I still do not know who my father is... But I have inherited some of his power."

He truly didn't know his father. Knowing his name didn't mean that he knew him or could even relate to him for that matter.

"I also discovered the true identity of my mothers and this I can reveal to you, at least."

This was not a particular secret he could hide from her. As long as he spent time with Yui, she would sooner or later discover this secret so it was better to be clear from the beginning.

"My mother's name was Mei Kaminari. She was the previous Lightning Blade."

"..."

"My adoptive mother, Cecilia Gospel, is, in reality, Cecilia Kaminari - The Vermillion Knight."

"..."

"She is also the big sister of the current Director of LAPPD."

"..."

"So yeah. It seems like I am the heir of the Kamnira family. Hehe."

"Hehe, my ass!"

"You do have a great ass if I say so myself."

"Thanks... But don't try to change the subject."

Yui exclaimed, wishing she could punch the smug smile away from Adam's face. She had been somewhat prepared to hear something earth-shattering but this was still shocking news to her ears.

The name Kaminari did not solely belong to one family. It was a rare name, yet it was not uncommon.

But there was only one such family who held someone with the title of Lightning Blade.

The Kaminari was perhaps one of the highest-ranked families in Japan, only below the Imperial Family itself. In fact, the Kaminari had deep ties with the Imperial Family thanks to the contract they signed with Susano, the brother of Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi. [2]

Even the Hanekawa family she came from had to pay their respects to them.

"Why the overreaction? You are literally the daughter of a god."

"Fuck that shit. Do you think just having divine blood gives money nowadays? It isn't like I can go out and be worshiped and showered with endless offerings now, could I?"

She laughed dumbfoundedly but in the end, she just nodded her head.

"Very well. I know your identity and you know mine. I do not care about much else. So now let me ask you one simple question."

All mirth vanished from her face as seriousness colored her face, voice, and mind, "What really happened to you, Adam?"

He quieted down at her question, remembering everything he had to go through in the last few days or rather, from the day that he encountered that accursed being.

"Well. I hope you have enough tea, Yui. It will be a long long talk."

And so Adam spoke. Outside of mentioning Genesis and his many deaths, he did not hide much and told her about his tale. There were of course incongruities in the information he revealed to her. But Yui knew that it was because he was trying to hide some of his secrets, so all she did was listen keenly to everything else he was willing to reveal to her.

At first, she listened with interest evident in her eyes. But her face progressively paled and contorted as the tale continued on and when he mentioned how he had to kill all those people, Yui nearly broke down into tears from the pain she felt for him.

"In the end, I just went through the test, and now... Here I am..."

"Adam..."

Yui opened her mouth but she did not know what to say anymore.

She wanted to ask. How are you still sane? How can you still laugh and smile like that?

What Adam went through in a few weeks would have been enough to break even many battle-hardened men. At the very least, it would have been impossible to keep a smile like this and show no obvious signs of any PTSD.

"Are you... Are you really alright?"

"Well, everything depends on your definition of alright, I suppose. But I think I am doing pretty well, yeah..."

She looked at him intensely in the eyes. Feeling all the changes he went through in just the past three weeks.

She stood up and approached him before hugging him tightly against her chest.

"I am sorry. If that day I didn't make you stay any longer..."

"Don't apologize for something you could have never guessed and look, it isn't all that bad. Now I can do things like this."

He moved his fingers and the objects in the room began floating one after another and then were placed in order on the shelves.

"I can even do this."

He waved his hand and a second Yui appeared next to them and made a funny expression at them before vanishing.

"Finally, I can also do this."

He hugged Yui against his chest and the gravity lowered gradually and before long they started to float.

Giving her a dazzling smile he continued his speech, "It wasn't easy. But hey, you can gain nothing without some suffering, right?"

Yui was without a doubt astonished at the breadth of the skills Adam showed to her but this did not distract her from the reality that Adam must be facing some inner demons right now.

Still, she would not insult him by insisting. She could slowly observe him and make sure that everything was alright with him.

Once they landed, she cleared her throat...

"First things first... If you can fly, you are definitely going to take me out on a spin later on. But now I want to know. Will you continue working for me?"

Adam grinned and made a white mask float until it reached his hand. It was a mask with a wide smile etched on it and the eyes squinted into crescents.

Placing it on his face, Adam made a theatrical bow to her...

"I am at your orders for the entire night, milady."

It was time for him to work on his seduction skills.

CH 148: HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Adam again found himself on the second floor of the bar, looking at everyone mingling with each other. But this time it was a bit different.

The first time something like this happened, way back when the first party was held at the Wild Hunt, he was lost and could only admire the skills of others. But now that he had The World with him, he was able to perceive everything clearly without much problem.

Slowly, he walked down the stairs and took a glass of champagne on the way before standing alone in a relatively quiet corner.

Despite the name, there was nothing wild about what was happening in the bar at the moment. A few women would come in groups, and a group of boys would entertain them by discussing their life, aspirations, and goals.

Of course, this was just an extreme example, most of the time a woman would just come and drink by herself and a host would talk with her about her day and have a good time together. It was a very simple thing.

This place's main goal was not sexual gratification. Such a thing could be obtained and paid for at a lesser price at any time and any place.

What those women needed the most was a way to unwind from the stress of their lofty lives. A place where they could take off the mask of being some classy lady and just be treated as a normal human.

'Yui really did a good job with everything.'

Using his domain, Adam didn't need to actually 'see' people to check their stats. He could slowly obtain information about all the people here simply by standing still.

He wasn't just looking at their stats of course. Thanks to his Eyes of Truth, he could know their affiliation and find those who were the most important among the lot.

As this night was a masked party it was very useful for him. He could also understand how they feel and act in accordance with their wishes.

Ahem~

Adam cleared his throat and took a look at all his skills outside his unique and innate ones.

『 Skills: [Eyes of Truth] || [Parallel Thinking] || [Accelerated Perception] || [Silver Tongue] || [Eidetic Memory] || [Soothing Speech] || [Mermaid's Voice] 』

'Haha, if Sae could see this, she would say that I am slowly becoming a true hentai protagonist, or in this case, I guess a con artist would have a better ring to it.'

He chuckled quietly when a voice sounded next to him,

"My, my~ What a mysterious man… May I know what is making you so happy?"

He looked behind him, not that he actually needed to, and gazed at the woman who had spoken to him.

Unlike his plain white mask, she was wearing a colorful fox mask dyed blood red. Her red lips and her equally red robe made a startling contrast with her flowing black hair.

Adam nodded at the woman and pointed at the room, "I am just observing the room and laughing at my own inexperience."

"Oh? Is it your first night here?"

She approached him and asked quietly, to which Adam simply chuckled, "It's my second, but this does not change my situation."

Her lips formed a gentle smile, "You are awfully honest, huh…"

"Honesty can go a long way from what I was told."

"Or it can make you burn."

"Well, I am already burning inside by being in proximity of a woman as beautiful as you, so I would be rather happy if that's the case."

"Heh, how do you know that I am beautiful? I am wearing a mask."

Adam smiled mysteriously, "Then all you have to do is reveal your face to prove me wrong."

"Pfft."

She laughed lightly, "You are indeed a beginner."

"What can I say? Corny line seems to be the only way for a newbie like me."

She laughed even more and brought her dainty hand forward, "I am… Let's say I am a fox. What about you?"

"For you and you only tonight, I am willing to become a magician."

He took her hand and rather than giving her a handshake he brought it close to where his lips would have been.

"Forgive me for being unable to give a true kiss to your lovely hands. But who knows? Perhaps I will take off my mask for you later on."

He whispered calmly, his voice slightly lower, causing the woman to blush slightly even though something like this shouldn't make her react so. She did not understand why she was acting like this.

She had been quite curious about the new arrival and since it was her first time here, she decided to give it a try. His aura had been unusual. Even though he had been standing alone in silence, her eyes had been drawn to him and she noticed that he wasn't the only one.

But the more she spoke with him the deeper she seemed to be pulled into his presence and self.

His voice was so beautiful, making her feel like… as long as she talked to him, there won't be any problem left in the world. He seemed a little younger than her, but his mannerisms were exemplary and his way of speech was truly worthy of a gentleman.

Finally, she couldn't help it anymore…

"I have a few friends there, would you like to spend some time with us?"

"Refusing to spend some time with even more beautiful women would be quite insane don't you think so? Lead the way, please."

He took her arms in his and began walking with her.

For the next few hours, Adam found himself speaking more than he sometimes did in a few days' time.

He did not need to say anything particularly important, it was like they would acquiesce to anything as long as they could hear him speak.

This made him understand once more about the power of his charm stats and the few skills he had bought related to his Throat Chakra.

Silver Tongue made him extremely convincing as long he stayed within the limit of logic while Soothing Speech brought them happiness simply by listening to his voice.

It came as no surprise but, as long as the one in front of him was a woman with no power, simple seduction would never be a problem for him anymore.

The table he occupied at first only had four women but soon it was filled to the brim as five more were added to the mix.

"So tonight is your birthday?"

The woman he spoke to was also wearing a fox mask though this one was dyed blue. The woman in question emptied the glass in her hand in one shot and gave a sad smile in response to that question.

"Well. This isn't important but indeed, it's as you say. Though neither my husband nor my children seem to care about it. I guess I am too old for my birthday to be something important."

She had a few small wrinkles around the corner of her lips, and she was wearing a rather demure robe, but she still had a body that would make heads turn no matter where she may go.

Adam ignored her age as he kneeled in front of her and made a bouquet of roses appear in his hand.

"For a beautiful queen on a beautiful night."

The women around him exclaimed and clapped while the woman in the blue fox mask covered her mouth in surprise. Soon, she touched the flowers, and they exploded in small lights, giving a magical sight to the eyes.

Adam cleared his throat and proceeded to finally make use of his last new skill,

"Happy birthday to you~"

His voice was slow and suave, behind his mask, his eyes seemed to shine like jewels and he approached calmly before taking her hands in his.

"Happy Birth… Day… to you~"

A small silence spread through the bar as his voice had even overpowered those who were currently on the stage.

The woman to whom he had been singing this song was sobbing quietly underneath her mask as she continued to express her gratitude over and over again and everyone else was looking at him in wonder.

In the silence brought by his powerful presence, Adam spoke quietly to the woman,

"Your birthday may not be important for others. They may even forget about it. But… Trust me, I will never forget about it."

He wasn't lying. He had a perfect memory.

Adam thought quietly as he observed the smile slowly spread on her lips as she muttered,

"Thank you."

[+10 Karma]

'No, thank you.'

Chatting up the wife of a senator would certainly be useful one day. The additional Karma was also welcome.

"I am here to serve, my queen."

Endless applause soon filled the bar and Adam knew then, that he had already cemented his place as the best host today.

Now it was time to milk as much money as possible from them.

Like this, the night continued in this magical den filled to the brim with lies, illusions, and deceit.

This was a place that sold dreams to those who wanted to escape reality for even a split second. A place where poor and lonely souls could escape their lonely and tiring fates when they did not wish to face the harshness of the outside world.

CH 149: BIG NIGHT APPROACHING

When the night ended and women were slowly starting to leave, the place around Adam was still crowded as he continued to chat with women.

"So you are a law student?"

"Yes."

"Oh my. What university are you going at?"

"Well…We will have to become a lot closer if you wish to discover this."

The woman to whom he was talking giggled when he placed a finger in her throat.

"I wonder. Does this not interfere with your studies?"

The senator's wife spoke quietly, worry evident in her eyes. For some reason, she was suddenly starting to see him as some kind of son she could pamper.

Clearly, the proof of how much attention and love she was lacking. Adam's voice changed as he took her hands in his,

"You don't have to worry. Spending time with all of you like this is more than enjoyable. Furthermore, hehe I am quite the good student you know."

Adam was moving like he was playing differents roles at the same time. But in a way, this was indeed the case.

Sometimes a son, a lover, a suave prince, a bad boy, a talented singer and a simple magician.

The fact that he had three differents minds, a perfect memory, and accelerated thinking speed made it so it could react appropriately to everything they were throwing at him. Furthermore, he was doing it so seamlessly that rather than seeing this as an act, they only considered that it was in fact his true personality.

To make sure that the women farther would not got bored, he would use his talents as a magician to make interesting things appear or vanish.

They had asked for another song but he refused to do so. Even when they promised a large amount of money, he simply smiled and told them that he would only sing for special people and on special occasions.

This might have seemed insulting at first glance but from the way the affection of all of them rose, he knew that he had made the right bet.

Humans loved things that were rare and precious.

But what made something rare?

It was simple. Supply and Demand.

No one cared about something they could acquire easily. But the rarer it was, the more beautiful it would seem for humans.

This was why diamond, something that should have been effectively worthless, was so prized.

Another reason was that his song had been far more useful and powerful than he initially planned. He had the sentiment that if he focused more on this, he could make them beg if he so wished.

But such sentiment would only be temporary. He wanted to be permanent. To be someone they all fought to obtain, but could never hope to have.

Only then would his value skyrocket.

"Very well, mesdames. This had truly been a pleasure to spend the night alongside you. But midnight is about to ring and so I must vanish."

"Oh. Why midnight exactly?"

Adam laughed quietly, thinking about the joke Yui made about him.

"Let us say that I am Cinderella and you, my dear queens and princesses, must find me."

He gave one last bow — "On those words, I wish you all a beautiful night. Do not forget to dream of me." — and laughed gently before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Now alone, the women looked at the place where Adam previously stood. Many of them came to this place with low expectations, thinking that this would simply be yet another strip bar targeted at women.

The final result had been beyond their expectations. This had been a magical night for many of them and they decided that they would visit this place regularly from now on.

Like this, the magical night finally ended.

.

.

.

The next few days were much the same for Adam. He had been ditching school and simply working with Cecilia as he trained his weapon with her in the day.

In the afternoon, he would spend time with Viktor and Makarov, speaking about what kind of weapon they could try to create.

Those discussions were always very animated as the old man and Viktor could become like bulls and stubbornly stand their ground when they were in opposition.

Looking at the usually calm and quiet Viktor enter a shouting match with his grandfather about which quenching technique to use or what material would make things better was always surprising.

This showed to him that even the quietest man would become excited when it was something they cared about.

The night, he would spend actually in his dreams, trying to recreate an entire dream realm as he did with Zoe.

He would fail but slowly, he became able to stay completely conscious during his dreams and his control over them was constantly growing.

His control over The Magician was on the rise and it looked like nothing would impede it.

As for his work in the Bar, he had been avoiding this place until now.

In order to increase his value, he had to be rare.

He also decided to always keep his mask on and only take it off for special clients. This would be another way to make those he chooses to feel special and make other wishes he would choose them.

The last time he had been there had given him around 30 Karma all in all. It was not much and now he had to start farming in earnest.

This was why, he decided that tonight, he would slowly start truly seducing his clients.

Sexual relationships were not necessary for other Gigolo. But for him, he needed them in order to obtain more Karma.

As he prepared himself for the big night, Adam looked down at his phone. He had received a message from the association about the final part of his test before receiving his Gold license.

Once he became a gold hunter officially, he would start hunting down bounty targets and hopefully receive more Karma. There were also all the supposed advantages Gold hunters could have from the states and countries they visited.

But before all this could be obtained, he had to pass the last check for his test.

He had to meet a psychologist and talk with them.

Standing in front of his mirror, Adam sighed quietly.

"You got this. Just be careful with your answer."

Adam knew this more than anyone else.

He was not alright. There was no way he would be after everything he went through in this short amount of time.

But whining and complaining would bring him nothing. He could not, would not stop and the world would not stop throwing shitty things at him just because he was depressed or traumatized.

Thanks to his current willpower, he was able to deeply repress any and all forms of trauma and by controlling his dreams, he could block the nightmares that plagued him sometimes.

He would not break. No matter what he went through, be it in the past or the future, he would make sure to always keep advancing.

"As long as it's endurable…I will continue to endure."

He placed a hand on the mirror and breathed deeply before exhaling.

It was time to focus on the big night.

CH 150: THIRD PIVOT

When Adam appeared in Yui's room, she was not even surprised and simply sighed,

"I seriously need to upgrade the security of this place."

"Haha sorry."

Adam was feeling like he was becoming some kind of super thief. Firstly, he simply hides his presence by locking all his power, then created an illusion using the crown chakra.

After becoming invisible that way, all he had to do was to muffle all sounds by stopping them with his gravity. Finally, he would create the illusion that the door stayed closed even when he opened it.

"I can still smell you and your usage is still a little rough it seems."

"Smell huh? This is something hard for me to change. I can affect sight and sound easily for now but my nose is still human. So there are limits to what I can do."

She chuckled, "Well, your power will still be useful."

She spoke here and hesitated a little, "Adam, I have two very good news and a proposal. What do you want to hear first?"

Adam raised an eyebrow at this.

"The good news first."

"Very well."

Yui nodded and took a party horn and blew it while throwing confetti all around,

Finally, she chuckled at the dumbfounded face he made and explained,

"Congratulations, we finished calculating what you earned last time. The final result is pretty good I say."

Adam's heart pounded a little, "How much?"

"$80K." [1]

Adam took a deep breath.

This was an amount many people could only make after one year of hard work waking up every day early in the morning and only going back home at night.

He had made the same amount in just one night or rather, in just a few years.

"I must say, this was honestly quite surprising. But from what I could see from the camera, you made quite the show and this brings me to the second good news."

A mischievous light danced in her eyes,

"You received a stage name. So now, dear Cinder, Prince of Midnight, I am happy to meet you."

"..."

"..."

"...What?"

"Pfft!"

Yui caught her stomach as she laughed so hard tears were trailing down, "After your little speech about Midnight and you vanishing for a few days, my clients went crazy."

She had a hard time speaking coherently, "So now they ever call you the Midnight Prince or the funniest one decided to call you Cinder as in Cinderella. Pfft!"

She tapped the table as she fought to control her laughter, "I must have a prophetic gift. Who would have thought that this would happen."

Adam facepalmed. He had let himself go too much and made a grave mistake.

"Is it possible to change this?"

"Nah. Never, not even on my grave."

She made a firm X with her hand.

"In fact, thanks to you, I decided that all the high-ranked boys will have a masculine version of those Disney princesses."

Adam paled at her words. He was already not particularly friendly with all his co-workers. But this? He would definitely become the number one enemy.

"Heh, don't look at me like this. I am serious. The irony is interesting and I believe my clients will love it."

She was already making plans for a new party following fairy tales. She planned to have such a theme once a week or every month.

"I don't really see how this is good news."

"Well, it is. For me at least."

She jested a little before sighing, "Okay. Enough jokes. Now come to the proposal."

Her eyes became serious, "Adam. How far will you go down with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. Until now, you have always been a great helper. Be it back then as a fighter or now as a Gigolo. I always made sure that you could walk on the thin line so that no matter what happened, you would never truly be a criminal."

In the past, she did so because Adam was just a human in her eyes. If he became a true part of her gang, he would be exposed to danger and this was something she didn't want.

"Adam you see, I am not satisfied with simply being some small boss in a small town in LA. I want more...much more."

She wished to obtain an influence over all of LA at minimum, to be at the same level as Feng and Hanekawa.

For that, she needed subordinates, people she could trust with her back and who would fight alongside her.

But Adam was so much more than that. Be it in terms of influence, the relationship the two shared, or even his personal power.

"Currently, the supernatural part of the underworld considers you to be my little brother."

She smiled, "I can deny it. If you want."

She took two candies from her table and placed them in her hands.

"This is your last chance Adam, there is no turning back after this and this will be the first and last time I will ask you this."

Adam focused, he could feel that this time, Yui was not facing him as a friend but as a member of the underworld.

"You take the blue candy. We forget we ever had this discussion. You will continue working as a Gigolo for me, make a shit ton of money, nearly no risk and you can leave any time you want."

If she had to be honest. Deep in her heart, she wished Adam would take this choice. She would have never ever made that proposal in the first place if she didn't know he had awakened.

"Or...You take the red candy. You officially become recognized as my brother, which would make you the heir of this organization I am building. Of course, with this power will come the responsibility you will have to bear."

Nothing was free in this world. Yui was alone. Her executives were powerful, but she lacked something. Someone who could stand at the same level as her and bring as much fear as she did to her enemies. This was more so in this current situation.

Sharks were smelling blood and were trying to bite her to death. But she could ask no support from her two families and the Heavenly Court would never interfere in such a situation. Adam was her greatest hope.

Of course, this was also a gamble on her part. If Adam accepted, she was essentially giving him the mean to stab her in the back later on or he might not be up to the task and cause more harm than good in the long run.

But she was willing to take the gamble. She was sure that she would not regret it and that Adam would bring her a few beautiful surprises.

"No matter what choice you make, my opinion of you will never change. Even if you take a third choice and simply choose to leave right now. I will not hold you accountable."

Tick-Tock. The sound of the horologe was the only thing that could be heard as Adam looked at the two candies in Yui's hand.

He could feel it. He was at a crossroads and the system seemed to agree with this.

[Pivot: Avaritia - A Sin Oh So Sweet-!

Description: Make your choice. Walk the path of Darkness and Light, take everything you can take from those two paths without hesitation. Use everything at your advantage to obtain the maximum benefit. Be Greedy

Reward: +5000 karma]

[Pivot: Caritas - A Virtue Oh So Tiring-!

Description: Refuse to walk the path of Darkness as your path in the light is already certain. Fight for everything that is beautiful in the world.

Reward: +5000 Karma]

[WARNING: Pivots are choices, important or unimportant at the instant, that might change the direction of the future ordeals given to you...]

Adam closed his eyes. He thought back to the feeling of powerlessness that had filled his heart ever since what happened at the park.

This time, the crossroad was different from everything before.

The first time he pathed a pivot, he chose a virtue, that of Castitas. The second time, he once again chooses a virtue, that of Diligentia.

He opened his eyes. His decision was made.

"I choose..."

CH 151: STEALING (1)

Adam was walking up the stairs while looking at his current resources after making his choice.

[Current Karma: 7300]

[Free pass: 1x Bronze pass || 1x Silver pass.]

'7k. Only around 93k more to open the next chakra, I guess.'

He could only leak out a self-deprecating laugh at those insane numbers that he had to accumulate. At least, he hoped that he would see the next pivot soon as it would give him 50k from what he estimated in his mind.

The good thing was that with this much Karma he could buy a few A and S rank skills once he filled the prerequisites for them.

[You surprised me back there. Your final choice went against my predictions.]

Adam stopped in his tracks when he heard Genesis' voice in his mind.

'What did you expect me to choose?'

[The system has been slowly tagging you as a Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral. You tend to fall towards righteousness and even your choice of the Black Knight path last time was more out of helplessness than pure logic.]

Adam listened quietly to the inorganic voice explain itself, knowing that Genesis wasn't wrong in its judgment.

Adam had been raised with clear values about right and wrong by Cecilia from a young age. After all, no matter how retired she was, Cecilia could be said to be a modern-day Hero in her own right.

Had nothing changed, he would have never made such a decision.

But sadly...

'I have been thinking. What will happen once my alignment is decided?'

He sighed and decided to ask about something that has been intriguing him for some time now.

[The frequency and type of ordeals will depend on your tendencies. Be good. More ordeal that asks you to be good. Be bad. More ordeal that asks you to be bad.]

Adam laughed quietly after hearing that explanation. This was indeed worthy of a system that cared not for good and evil. It could swing either way.

'Anyways to answer your question. I was studying to become a lawyer. I wanted to do good and virtuous things and still believe in doing good and virtuous deeds. Which is why I will work as a hunter. But...'

Adam clenched his fist lightly as he revealed his reasoning to the Book spirit, 'Entering the criminal world with a different persona is the best way to accelerate my accumulation of Karma.'

No matter how much Adam wanted to reject this notion, the truth was still merciless. Doing evil deeds gave added more Karma to his soul and gave him access to more strength.

He needed... No, wanted more power. So he had to make a decision at this point.

Genesis' last proposal about using his Magician power to hide his identity had been a real stroke of genius. So Adam decided to make full use of this power to cement his rise to power.

He would create different personas with different powers, all so that he could infiltrate all parts of life.

Of course, he had no wish to become a mass murderer like Genesis proposed him to become.

'I will establish my own lines. Limits that I won't ever cross.'

Since he would inevitably break many laws from now on, he had to create his own set of rules.

His creed. One he must always follow no matter what.

The good thing was that he currently had three minds. So each mind could take care of different roles.

'Well, it's time to do my first true job I guess.'

The first mission Yui gave him was to steal something.

He grinned and moved towards one of the VIP rooms, a special room that Yui created for members who were offered or paid for a membership.

This was a system she implemented after his little stunts last week.

Without a doubt, Yui's business acumen was quite high. Nothing better than a membership system to stroke the pride of the rich and make them spend even more than actually necessary.

He took a tray with wine on it and once he finally reached the door, he sighed, gathered his bearings, steeled his mind, and opened the door in a calm and professional motion.

'Let's start the operation.'

In the VIP room, Kang Hae-Won was sipping a bit of wine while looking at the interior of the room she had been sent to when she entered the Wild Hunt establishment.

In a way, it looked quite a bit like an expensive version of your standard Karaoke room. Two mics, a large screen with high-quality videos, and a phone on the side to call for services.

But this was where things stopped being similar to your standard Karaoke room. With even her unprofessional eyesight, she was able to notice many great brands in this room and she knew that a woman like the Black Phoenix [1] would not deal with fake goods.

Knowing that she would soon be able to deal with that legendary woman made her slightly sweat in trepidation.

This was the perfect occasion for her to distinguish herself in the organization and show her husband that she was much better than that new secretary of his whom he was showering with his attention. A bit too much of it, in fact.

'Calm down. Just calm down. She won't eat you and our gangs are still friendly.'

She once again filled the glass and took another swing of the blood red liquid in order to soothe her nerves.

The day she received that invitation, she had debated quite a bit before finally accepting to come into hostile territory.

But the letter had been so full of praise of her. For her, who had been lacking any positive encouragement in years, this had been like rain in the midst of a drought and she had accepted coming for the first time last week during the weekend.

She didn't regret it a single bit.

It had been a very magical night. But this had not been why she had come to this place.

She had not come to dream but to face a very important reality of hers. She needed to make herself useful. Because in their world, what was useless was rarely kept for long.

"May I enter?"

When she heard the voice from the other side of the door, Hae-Won jumped slightly in surprise but managed to keep herself from leaking out a startled cry somehow. She was embarrassed by this greatly, wondering why she was being so nervous about it all.

Soon, she gathered her bearings and cleared her throat before speaking.

"You may enter."

Instantly, her personality seemed to have changed altogether.

She went from being a worried and haggard woman to looking like a confident and seductive woman that could make any man dance in her palms.

Though, when the door was finally open, she had a hard time not showing her astonishment at the sight of the one who entered the room.

"Prince Cinder?"

CH 152: STEALING (2)

"Prince Cinder?"

Adam had to summon every last bit of will from all three of his minds to not cringe at the sudden appellation. Thankfully, he was wearing his mask right now so it was possible for him to hide his reaction from her.

He immediately took a look at her stats and was quite surprised by what he saw.

『 Name: Kang Hae-Won

Affiliation: Blue Sharks

Alias: None

Race: Human

Age: 33

Emotions: Worried, Happy, Disappointed 』

'This is… How should I say this? Normal?'

Adam chuckled inwardly at the thought. He had become so used to seeing progressively crazier and crazier stats that he was surprised by finding one that was absolutely normal. Her physical stats were all F- and her Prana was at zero. She was just a normal human, nothing more nothing less.

He smiled at that realization and placed the wine he brought on the table before sitting next to her in such a natural manner that it seemed like his place had always been there, by her side.

"So, we meet again, madam."

Hae-Won blushed slightly at the subtle tone of his wonderful voice before shaking her head to gather herself, "I presume you start with this opener to everyone you meet."

Adam laughed and smiled mischievously under the veil of his mask, "Even though you were wearing a red fox mask the last time, I did say that you were a beautiful woman, right? Seems like I wasn't wrong."

"So you remember, huh…"

"I never forget the women who made an impression on me."

Hae-Won could only show a small laugh at the sweet compliments that she was being showered with but then, she remembered why she came here,

"I am sorry. While I would be delighted to talk with you more, I have a meeting with your boss. Will the Black Phoenix come?"

Adam nodded and filled the two glasses before sharing one with her.

"I understand that you want to discuss some things with Yui—"

'Yui?'

Hae-Won was startled. No matter what your culture was, using the name of your direct superior like this could only be a sign of extreme closeness.

'I heard the Black Phoenix had a brother [1].'

This was small news she had heard from some of the VIPs. But no one truly remembered what he looked like as he had only made one public appearance so far.

"—But she is currently busy taking care of the small problems remaining from the last… event. Anyways, for that reason, she chose me to take her place. I hope you aren't disappointed by my company?"

Any dissatisfaction she might have had immediately vanished as she heard the small disappointment in his voice.

"No! Ahem~ I mean. No, this is perfectly alright."

"I see. Because I am quite happy to do business with someone like you. It might sound quite forward, but I find intelligent and bold women like you quite attractive."

Adam changed his wording this time. He had realized that while she had liked being complimented about her beauty, the result had been quite subpar. But now, he could see that her happiness had jumped greatly when she was complimented about her intelligence and competence.

'So she is indeed starving for affection and recognition.'

"I wonder. How did a woman such as you enter the underworld?"

He gently pushed the glasses toward her and Hae-Won unconsciously took it in her hands before sipping her drink. She was already quite inebriated, but she felt like she could not refuse the glass that was offered to her and wanted to discuss more with him.

So she began her story— how she had been a high-level student in Korea and even graduated from Seoul University before starting to work for her current husband as an accountant.

She was young, she was naive, and she was utterly and completely in love. She believed that nothing could make her fall. That she had the entire world in the palm of her hands and that happiness would follow her forever. So she married barely a year after knowing him, believing that nothing could happen.

She had been terribly wrong.

Slowly, she started to realize that the business of her husband was too small to generate the kind of revenue they were living on.

Having a small company in Korea didn't allow one to travel regularly using a private jet and have houses in different parts of the world.

But… She had been willing to close one eye and act like she didn't have any doubts. She did not wish to distrust her husband. She believed that he was an honest and serious man.

Once again she had been wrong.

Things came to head when his business was struck down by the authorities and she finally discovered that he was a drug lord as well as the head of a fake cult [2] and that their entire wealth was based on taking advantage of the poor people who needed spiritual help.

They ended up having to flee to this place.

Back then she could have stayed in Korea. But she ended up believing her husband and followed him to the USA. She didn't really have a choice at that time. She was pregnant by then and she had no parents that could take care of her and her child.

She knew very well what her future would be if she stayed alone in Korea. So she fled with him. Hoping that, once they were there, the two of them would be able to start a new life without any crimes and have a happy family with their newborn child.

She had been wrong once again.

Some men may change after getting away from their life of crime once, but her husband was no such man. For him who had once tasted true power, becoming a normal man again and living in poverty was simply impossible.

"Well, this is all. Quite the boring story, right?"

Hae-won could only show him a depressed chuckle and used a napkin to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks and ruining her makeup. She finished her story because she did not wish to show an even more pathetic side of herself. Not to him…

"This is weird. I do not even understand why I am telling you all this. I must be quite the stupid woman in your eyes now, right?"

She was generally not the kind to share her inner worries with others. But with him, everything seemed so much easier. She felt like she was back in her teenage years.

"What I see isn't a stupid woman, you know…"

Adam took her napkin and started wiping her tears for her, "All I see is a beautiful woman with a heart of gold who sacrificed many things for her family and the love of her life."

He then placed a hand casually on her thighs and spoke in a low voice, "Listen to me. Do not let anyone put you down. Do not accept only what is given to you. If you believe you are worthy of more then fight for it. But, I am sure you already know about this, right? This is why you came to us."

Her eyes became a little dazed at his words. No one had ever given words of encouragement to her in her life.

When she was studying hard to enter Seoul University, she could only weep alone in silence and look at her friends in envy as they enjoyed their youth.

Her youth was wasted on studying and her later age was being wasted by sacrificing the years away for a man who was cheating on her.

She could feel Adam's hand slowly climbing up her thighs. She should have pushed it aside, said no, or asked him to not be rude.

But… It was alright, right?

'No. Calm down. Don't let your mind wander.'

She remembered why she came here and her eyes cleared up slightly, she was about to ask Adam to take his hand away but no sooner had she opened her mouth that his hand was already gone.

"Now then, enough talking about sad things, okay? The past is the past. We should focus on the present. But, tell me… Do you have any regrets from your life as a student?"

She felt much more at ease when she felt Adam's hands on hers. For an instant, she wondered if she had read too much into his moves and if she was simply making a mountain out of a molehill.

'I think. It would be alright to have a bit of fun with him, right?'

She laughed and said wistfully, "I wasn't really the most talkative when I was younger. So I was never invited to a party or even a pajama party. Though now, I can go to any party I want… I guess this is one of my small regrets."

The past indeed could never come back.

"Oh. This is quite interesting."

Adam nodded, "Then how about this? Before we start talking about business, let's play some of the small games teenagers like to play at those parties."

Her eyes shone a little at his sudden proposal. "What games?"

To her reaction, Adam only gave a cold smile behind his mask. He felt like a hunter who had finally found his prey and was about to shoot it down.

"How about… Shall we play truth or dare? It's a rather simple and innocent game."

Obviously… Truth or Dare was anything but an innocent game.

CH 153: STEALING (3)

Hae-Won blinked slightly as she heard Adam's proposal before nodding her head hurriedly in haste...

"Ahh. Indeed I have heard of that game. Though sadly, I never had the chance to play it. What are the rules?"

Adam sighed inwardly at the innocence of the woman in front of him. He had some modicum of scruple about what he was about to do now. But Adam squashed those feelings aside with no hesitation whatsoever. This was not the time to dwell on these flimsy feelings of his.

What he was doing right now was nothing in front of what he may or had to do in the future. For that reason, he had to keep his heart strong and not falter at the very first problem.

"The rules are pretty simple actually. Truth or Dare. If you choose Truth, you have to answer any question with the truth and the whole truth. If you choose Dare, you have to do something the other asks you to. Obviously, as long as it isn't anything that can harm you that is.

"Finally, you have the right to refuse a truth or dare attempt that is directed toward you but once you do so, you have to drink a shot. Moreover, the same question cannot be asked twice. Are the rules good for you?"

She hesitated slightly before finally nodding and accepting the rules of the game...

"Very well. I will start first. Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Hae-Won smiled, a mischievous light dancing in her eyes as she spoke, "What is your true name?"

Adam gazed at her before chuckling beneath the mask...

"You got me good there."

She grinned at him, wondering how he would drink the shot with his mask on.

"Hey, this is cheating!"

She was startled when Adam simply turned around, showing his back to her, and drank before putting the mask back on and turning back to face her. A low chuckle came out of the edges of the white mask.

"It seems like I managed to escape your little trick."

She chuckled at him and nodded her head in acknowledgment, "Very well. It seems that you have indeed."

"Now it's my turn. Truth or Dare."

Hae-Won hesitated a little before finally opting for Truth.

"So you don't dare to choose dare, huh..."

"Pfft! You should really work on your jokes."

"I am trying. Hmmm. Okay, let's see. Let's start easy. What is the most daring thing you've ever done in your life?"

Hae-Won made an uncharacteristic squeaking noise at the question and coughed under her breath, her cheeks dyed pink in rapid pace at her own unsightly behavior. She hesitated briefly between drinking or telling the truth.

"I... Ahem~ Promise me you won't laugh."

"I won't."

"Well... It was during a school excursion close to a lake. At night, when everyone was sleeping, I slipped outside alone and went to take a bath in the lake. But, I forgot to take new clothes with me to change into... So... Well, I ran back all the way naked to the room."

"Ohoh... Seems like we have a naughty girl in here, don't we?"

"You promised you wouldn't laugh."

"I am not laughing though. I am sincerely impressed by your courage. Heh, I wish I could have been there. The sight must have been wonderful to the eyes."

She blushed and looked away. Even though he was wearing a mask, she felt like he was staring at her with such intensity that her skin was burning from that gaze alone.

She knew that she was currently playing with fire. She may be a little inexperienced but she was not stupid either. She was old enough to know that like Icarus with his wings or like a moth drawn to a fire, she might burn herself if she came too close to the source of fire that was Prince Cinder.

But every time, she told herself the same string of words... Just a little more. A little more again...

The truth and dare game continued, they would only choose the truth and as time passed, Hae-Won felt like she was beginning to know the man in front of her further and further. In a more intimate manner.

She didn't know if he was lying or not. But she didn't need to know about that. She was just having a great time with him and that was all that mattered to her at the moment.

This was why she couldn't understand when, but the conversation slowly started to have a sexual undertone.

"10 to 1, how would you grade your sexual satisfaction."

This was such a bold question. In normal times she would have never answered this question even if she were to lose her life. But currently, she had lost all of her inhibition already.

"I would say 5? I don't really know if I have to be honest. I don't really have any point of reference.

She looked down slightly. No matter what, her husband was still someone who had taken care of her.

Though now he was ignoring her, she couldn't exactly disparage his prowess now could she?

"So you never enjoyed sex?"

She blushed and coughed slightly at the suddenness of Adam's question before drinking once again.

"I was never really resistant before. It started after we had our first child and then progressively became worand worse till it just became bland."

"Hmmm... Is your husband the kind who simply you know, not particularly attentive about your needs and enjoyment?"

"I... No. He cares for me a lot...I think. I believe there is no problem with him. It's just me, I guess."

Her frigidity in bed might be one of the reasons he was currently cheating on her. She didn't know. She was simply confused and was grasping at straws at this point.

"Did you perhaps have a bad experience in the past?"

Hae-Won did not even bother telling him that it should have been her turn to ask questions.

"He was my first man and while it was painful, I don't have any trauma I think?"

She fidgeted slightly, clearly uncomfortable with revealing more of her sexual history but she did so anyway.

"Sometimes I wonder if I am abnormal, you know? My friends told me that, when they have sex, they feel like they are seeing a white space before them, that their body goes weak and they lose themselves. They say it drives them crazy."

"An orgasm?"

"Yeah, that. I never felt like this before."

"Never?"

This time it was far from him simply acting. He was seriously intrigued.

"Then. What do you feel when you have sex with your husband?"

She shrugged. "I just get turned on a little, I guess. My body feels hot and bothered. But that's about it."

She shook her head, "Enough about me. What about you? Since we are speaking about sexual experience. How was your first time?"

"My first time?"

Adam looked up, thinking about his first time with Sae and the way their first time happened. Unknowingly, a smile spread beneath his mask as he spoke out in a deeper tone than before...

"All I can say is that it was wild."

Hae-Won frowned, she could distinctively feel how his voice changed when he spoke about this moment.

A small fire of jealousy burned her heart when she realized that he was thinking so fondly about another woman while sitting with her.

"I see. Must be nice, huh, having a wild first time."

Adam smirked when he saw the change in her status. At the same time, a certain idea bloomed in his mind.

"Well... If you want, shall we give it a try?"

She had no time to respond as she felt herself being pushed down on the large Sofa by his strong hands...

"Ah..."

She let out a small yelp of surprise and when she looked up, through the slit of the mask, she could see those beautiful and mesmerizing blue eyes that seemed to be sucking her very soul into them.

"Why don't we try to find out together whether you are really frigid or not?"

"What?"

She shivered slightly when she felt his hand go through her hair...

"The room is soundproofed and everything that happens here will stay here."

He chuckled and she could feel his other hand gently caressing her thighs and going progressively higher with each passing second...

"Please... Don't..."

Even though she spoke like that, Hae-Won made no attempts to fight back or move away. Her heart was beating so powerfully against her chest that she felt like it was about to explode.

The current situation, as if she was being forced against her will, was bringing her a sensation like nothing she ever felt before.

As the uncouth fingers gently pushed away her skirt and finally touched her panties, she looked away when she heard him chuckle...

"My... I have been quite worried. But it seems like I shouldn't have."

She took a deep breath when she felt his finger apply more strength to her panties,

"You can still stop. I will act as if nothing happened."

"You may say no. But..." He brought up his hand and showed her the glistening juices coating his digits. "It seems like another part of you is much more honest than your mouth."

In any other situation, Adam would have immediately stopped when she asked him to. But thanks to his system, he knew that her words really did not match her emotions.

[Emotions: Wants to be forced]

He brought his face close to her ears and muttered in a soft sensual tone, "Whatever happens from now on, remember this. I am the one who initiated everything."

It was time to start the preparations for truly stealing the body and heart of this beautiful woman.

CH 154: HAE-WON (1)*

Looming above Hae-Won, Adam was able to once again appreciate her beauty. She may not have the youthfulness of Sae, but she made up for it with a great maturity and a voluptuous body.

She was the perfect example of Korean beauty with her long black hair, her luscious lips that seemed to beg to be kissed, and her beautiful eyes that seemed to draw him in.

Her body was everything a man could dream of and time seemed to have left no trace on her. Even when lying down, her breasts stood proud and her narrow waist was a delight for the eyes.

Feeling his gaze on him, Hae-Won looked away. She did not want to admit that when Adam said he was 'forcing' her, she felt far more at ease.

Whatever happened next would not be her fault. She knew it was hypocritical but this was the only hole she could use to hide from the feeling of shame.

"Firstly, I guess I must restrain my dear little prey."

Adam took off his tie and used it to restrain her arms, after bringing it above her head.

"There is also this."

He covered her eyes with a sleeping mask he had specially prepared for this occasion.

"From now on, you must leave everything to me."

Hae-Won's heart started to beat erratically after she lost her sight.

"Cinder…"

She spoke but he did not answer. The only thing she could hear was the rustling of clothes which told her that he was disrobing himself.

"Please, answer me."

There was a big difference between closing one's eyes and one's eyes being covered. All her nerves were so sensitive that even her breathing sounded too loud for her own ears. The dryness of her parched lips and saliva going down her throat as she swallowed could be felt keenly enough to be called excessive.

Her senses seemed to come alive now that she could see nothing. The feeling of the robe on her skin had never been so clear and her nipple started to be painfully erect.

"It seems like you are even naughtier than I first thought."

His voice sounded next to her ear and feeling the hot breath, she understood that he had now removed his mask.

This realization made her wish she could see what he looked like. But at the same time, she was too ashamed as she imagined what She looked like with her hands restrained and her eyes covered.

He squeezed her legs and she became even more conscious of the burning heat between them.

She felt her throat dry as she realized that she was about to go past the point of non-return. But rather than anxiety, what she felt was excitement like never before.

She heard Adam chuckle and felt something touch her abdomen, just below her breasts. He then tugged at her bustier that wrapped around her smooth, jiggling breasts and then caressed her softness.

"Ahn~..."

"When your body heats up, your senses will come back."

The palm of his hand slowly swept down, stroking Hae-Won to her navel.

"They say the more you go towards the center of the body, the more your senses become alive. Maybe you'll become even more sensitive."

When she bit her lip from habit, Adam grabbed her lower lip with his index finger and thumb. He grasped and fondled her supple lip with his hand.

It was a strange feeling.

"We have plenty of time."

His voice sounded so full of desire as if he was about to devour her and leave no trace. She had never felt so wanted in her entire life.

"Open your lips."

He commanded in a low voice. She swallowed a hard breath from nerves; her throat hurt. Her face was tinted in a pink hue as she hesitated, but in the end, she let her lips fall apart a little.

Soon, his lips firmly pressed against hers and a soft piece of flesh entered her mouth.

'Ah…'

His tongue smoothly ravaged the inside of her mouth. He slowly made his way around her teeth and the sides of her cheeks. She felt a jolting pleasure when his tongue met hers. As their lips parted the tiniest sliver, he spoke.

"The taste of Wine made you all the more delicious."

Hae-Won felt her blush burning through her cheeks. He changed his position and locked lips once more. Just as he'd remarked, their kiss tasted like wine, dizzying her with rapture.

Their tongues wrestled while their saliva mixed. He was focused on exploring the inside of her mouth through kissing. His tongue twisted and sucked on, then let go of her.

"Hu….."

A moan escaped from deep within her throat. The soft kiss gradually heated up. He kept making Hae-Won breathless until she reached the limit. Then he parted his lips from hers, and after letting her catch her breath, he started once again.

Their kiss continued that way for many more rounds. Hae-Won's shoulders, which had been stiff from nerves, gradually relaxed. His kisses were sweet and soothing. When he parted from a particularly long kiss, Hae-Won lightly gasped for breath. With only this much, it felt like they had done more than enough already.

"Now shall we go to the main course?"

Hae-Won started to tremble when she felt her strapless dress being pulled down, the sensation of the cold air brushing against her now-naked body was all too vivid. She could only imagine what she looked like.

"You are beautiful."

Adam muttered to her ears before biting her earlobe slightly.

"Tell me, how does it feel in the dark?"

Her heart swelled with a strange, ticklish sensation while her brain seemed to melt sweetly because of his words. As he gently rubbed on her naked skin, all her nerves jolted as if possessed.

The fingers that had been on her lips moved down to her collarbone, down her arm, brushing across her torso. Her body trembled in response to the hand that stroked her side, gently avoiding her breast.

"I… I don't know."

She had only ever known of sexual intercourse where the woman served the husband and allowed him to finish inside her. Until now, she thought that her husband at least tried to give her pleasure.

But compared to the sumptuous caress she was receiving right now, his acts were nothing more than crude.

"I see. I guess I need to work harder."

She could hear him chuckle as his hand finally reached her most intimate place once again.

"You are even wetter than at the start. It seems like I am doing something right at least."

Hae-Won immediately tried to move away from the sudden stimulus but her body was caged in his arm.

"Please, untie me. It feels weird."

"Is this an order?"

She tensed and bit her lower lip at the coldness of his voice. She could feel that if she were to nod right now, Adam would immediately stop everything without hesitation.

"Good. Though this will be the last time you interrupt me."

She did not understand why, but she did not wish to go against his order, she felt happy at this moment and only wished to lose herself to pleasure.

As soon as he finished speaking, his fingers slid into her. Her eyes flashed at the sudden intrusion and she instinctively buckled. The pressure took her breath away as well as her senses as his thick fingers stirred her.

His arms tightened and obscene sounds came from her secret garden. Each time a long finger pressed in deep, his thumb rubbed exquisitely against that sensitive bundle of nerves near her entrance.

As Adam's hand pushed up again and again on her clit, Hae-Won's vagina got wetter and wetter every time. Then a finger slowly moved down, caressing her pubic hair while stroking her lips, overlapping like petals, layer after layer.

Sloppy, sticky transparent fluid splashed from her vagina with every movement of his finger.

Hae-Won sobbed and shook with his movements. Her legs went weak from the rush of pleasure and her mind was becoming hazy.

But Adam did not stop there.

He traced his lips from her neck down to the vicinity of her breasts. As he pulled down her bustier, Her pale, milky breasts popped out. In the meantime, he smirked at the pink nipples rising and getting hard.

"Ah!"

A jolting pleasure from her breasts forced her to let out a short moan. He took a mouthful and sucked on it. As if milk was coming out of her breasts, he licked her nipples meticulously. He kissed her nipples and bit them softly with his lips.

Adam rolled her nipples on the tip of his tongue. In the meantime, his hand swept over her mound. A strange frictional sound arose when his large palm rubbed her bush that had already grown drenched with erotic wetness.

Her body couldn't stay still with this ticklish and strange feeling growing. Her upper body bent upward slightly as her breasts jiggled.

"It's so weird– I keep... feeling…."

A strange feeling ran along her spine, causing her to curl her toes.

Her breathing turned sharp, and she couldn't think of anything but the feelings that were brewing inside her chest.

"Ah…"

At that moment, a tingle surged up, flooding into her body and causing her muscles to spasm and her neck to jerk up as euphoria circulated through her entire body for a few seconds.

A long cry of pleasure left her throat as she reached a height of pleasure she had never thought was possible.

The short moment of bliss passed and her senses dulled, while her body had no strength left in it. She enjoyed the feeling of his fingers smoothly combing through her hair.

"How was it? Your first orgasm I mean?"

Even though she could not see his face, she could hear the laugh in his voice. But there was nothing she could do aside from telling the truth.

"I…I want more."

This time, she knew. By uttering those words she could not use the excuse that Adam had full responsibility.

But she couldn't care less. This was her first orgasm after years of marriage and she wished to feel this sensation once again.

Looking at her, Adam grinned.

The prey had jumped willingly into the trap. It was time for him to devour her completely.

CH 155: HAE-WON (2) **

After Hae-Won finally showed her desire for Adam to take her, she felt her heart rise up to her throat as she requested him something that had been on her mind from the moment she had met him,

"Can I... Can I see your face, please?"

She wanted so much to see what he looked like. She wondered if he would be as sublime as she imagined him or not.

At the same time, she was scared. She feared that asking him this now would make him stop anything he was doing to her. That her pleasure would vanish like a sweet dream and she would wake up inside that dark void of her life that was bereft of any pleasure.

Hae-Won did not realize it, but she was already a prisoner to the pleasure he had given her.

"Hmmm."

Adam mused before finally taking off the tie binding her hands.

"I will free your bindings now. You can take your blindfold off anytime you want."

Hae-Won did not become elated. She could feel that the other show was about to drop. She listened attentively as she felt his hand cover her pubis.

"We can continue like this. As long as you take it off and see my face, after this ends, you can think of this as a small dream and forget everything that happened. Because I will never spend time alone with you again."

She panicked, "I..."

"Let me finish."

She closed her mouth, causing him to chuckle as he kissed her forehead.

"If at the end of this night, you do not take off the blindfold, I will give you a great reward and will allow you to see my face the next time we meet."

'Next time...?'

Those two words alone were enough for her to drop her desire to see his face. She nodded hurriedly like a cute rabbit and Adam grinned at how adorable she was acting.

Anticipation arose in her heart and she wasn't the only one excited.

Adam was not made out of stone. It had taken all the willpower in his heart to not just jump at her and ravage her luscious body as he wished. After all, Hae-Won was a very beautiful and enticing woman with a body to die for.

"Now that the rules have been established. Shall we go to the main menu?"

His low voice and breaths, dripped with lust, as he pressed his hands against her thick thighs. Hae-Won moved her hips in surprise as she felt his hands on her limbs and she let out a small shriek of surprise when he took hold of her ankle and spread her legs wide.

"Ah!"

Shame burned her cheeks when she realized how ridiculous she must be looking with her legs spread in such a way.

"I really want to devour you right now." He said while kissing her ankles and letting a trail of slobbering mess behind as he went deeper into her.

Hae-won's hips moved involuntarily, chasing the sensation of his kisses, while her brain supplied her with an imagined vision of the entire scene. She knew she was dripping wet right now. Her love juices flowed endlessly from her garden and wetted the sofa that was now being used as a makeshift bed for their carnal interactions.

Adam could no longer hold himself back. His lower half had gotten very firm from a while ago, and it was starting to hurt. His body had grown excited the moment his fingers grasped her bare body.

He held her hips with his hands. Her pale hips were tinged red from the pressure his hands had put on them before.

"Put your legs like this."

He said in a low voice. Her long slender legs clumsily wrapped around his hips, bumping here and there through the process. His body temperature rose and his lower half panged from the constant stimulation her devilish body was providing him.

He placed her tired arms around his shoulders.

"Hold onto me. Don't be nervous and relax your body."

Hae-Won hesitantly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, being careful as though she was touching something she was unworthy of touching. His muscles felt firm but flexible. Even though she could see nothing, the perfect definition of his body was already enough for her to feel even more excited inside.

"I am going in."

He fiercely raised his upper body and centered himself against her, gradually adding his weight onto her, and began to insert his penis slowly in the depths of her folds.

"Ohh.."

His penis pressed in and stuck along the walls of her wet pussy. Hae-Won's fragile skin unfolded as she received and swallowed his member. Her soft, fragile, and pink-hued inner walls trembled as they spread with the insertion of his member, making way for his cock. She furrowed her brows as she felt the gradual intrusion of a foreign object inside her.

He looked down at her as her upper body was slightly bent and raised off. Even half of his thing had not entered inside her yet. He had only slightly pushed the crown in, but her body was too tight and it didn't seem it would be able to stretch out further. The pleasure felt more like pain and it was very hard to stop himself from just thoughtlessly pushing himself into her to search for the pleasure he sought.

Adam only had one partner to date, but the tightness of Hae-Won, despite being a mother, did not lose much compared to that of a young girl's.

He lowered himself onto her and locked lips with her luscious ones. He sucked on her small soft lips, taunting her with his tongue. He squeezed and massaged her heavy and soft breasts with his hand. Once he soothed her a little with his sensual motions, her tense muscles relaxed slightly. When he could feel some room to move again, he pushed himself forward a bit more.

Hae-Won continued to groan and moan as she felt herself being stuffed like never before. Her toes were already curling from the sensation of pleasure that was wrecking inside of her.

Finally, his ferocious, veiny genitals filled her all the way to the end. Hae-Won's vulva was stretched to its limits and swallowed his pillar whole.

She felt like her body was twisting inside. Her wet internal walls had already wrapped and tightened around him. Her nail dug into his shoulder but Adam did not even flinch nor groan in pain. This was absolutely nothing for him.

He nibbled and licked her neck and chin, careful to not leave any marks on her body, and slowly shook his hips.

Like this, the oldest dance in the world started once again inside the confines of this room.

He began to move unhurriedly. Although he was moving with restraint, Hae-won's shoulders flinched, and her body moved upward every time he squeezed himself inside. The tightening pressure was felt throughout her whole body. His lower body was so large that she groaned in both pain and pleasure.

Adam, meanwhile, was feeling as good as her. Her body was small and her bones were thin. It seemed he would be able to easily break her bones if he squeezed too hard so he had to be careful to not lose control.

He went on carefully; as if he was handling glass, fighting against his heart that wanted to rough up her body to his desires.

As the movement started to accelerate, the pleasure on both sides continued to increase. Her red inner walls, which twisted and swelled up, slowly began to wrap around his member and pulled him in, as if it had adapted to his size. Every time he thrusted in, there was a lewd and obscene sound that rang from the inside of her body.

She moaned out loud. She looked to be in pain, but her body twitched with pleasure. When he pulled out, she felt a burn from her inner walls, but once he pushed in again, her entrance swallowed him hungrily. Her soft inner walls continuously stimulated his shaft.

As he began to roll his back, the hole that widened to the limit tightened and twitched on his member more intensely.

The sound of flesh slapping against flesh and the sloshing sound of lewd liquids being spilled and stirred stroked her ears obscenely bringing endless pleasure to Hae-Won.

Adam hugged her upper body tightly against his and changed his posture. She was placed on his lap, and his cock stuck her deeply due to her own weight. Seized in a position that felt like the center of her body had been pierced to her depths, Hae-Won held her breath in.

Gradually, she lost her senses in the lower half of her body, and her mind felt weird and hazier than ever. She felt like she was on drugs right now.

'Oh, so this is how sex really works.'

She felt like her eyes were truly opened to a new world. Ironic, as her eyes were now blindfolded. Her mind melted as Adam pounded and struck hard from below.

"Hha... Hha...", Her rough breaths increased, flooding the room with their lewd sounds.

"Your insides are shaking like crazy, you know."

He firmly held onto her hips as he bore deeper into her. Her juices flowed out from her down to her buttocks. As he continued to thrust, the viscous fluids created a constant and moist slapping sound.

He slowly changed the direction of his thrusts as he penetrated deeper into her. He concentrated on her panting and groaning and stubbornly hammered into her most sensitive spot.

"Ah! Aah..."

Her insides squeezed and started to spasm. He saw that she was about to climax and plunged deeper into her.

"Hhikkk!"

Her body froze and she cried out loud. Her entire body began to tremble. He was far from reaching his limit, but he also stopped holding back.

"I'm going to cum inside of you."

A flash of fear went through her mind, but Hae-Won was far too gone to care about anything else at this point. The explosion came quickly. Hae-Won's whole body shivered and tightened around him.

"Oh, ohhhh... haa, ha."

Adam's breath became rough as he let himself finish inside her body at the same time as she climaxed.

Hae-Won's body grew limp as something hot spilled inside her very depths. She panted as her chest rose up and down.

'Is... it over...?'

Her thoughts didn't last long. She felt his large hand caress her forehead and just like that, she instantly fell asleep.

CH 156: END OF THE BIG NIGHT

Sitting in her office room, Yui covered her face as she writhed in embarrassment. Her face was red up to the ear and above her head, two animal-like ears similar to that of a cat moved around.

Yui was not human. At least not fully. Thanks to her enhanced stats, when she focused, she could sharpen greatly her sense and her gaze could even traverse walls. She generally avoided doing so because of how loud a bar could.

A few moments ago though, she had no choice but to her her capacity and she had to say.

'Holy shit Adam! I just asked you to seduce her and put her at ease.'

Yui was in complete disbelief as she watched and heard everything that happened from start to finish.

While she had mentioned Helene in her initial plan. She had never thought that it would be possible to really bring the Lady of the blue shark down.

Hae-Won had always been reputed to be a very demure woman so she had been mostly playing around with this plan.

But….

Adam went above and beyond even her wildest dream.

'I guess this is as expected of my brother.'

She sighed and slowly fought back her embarrassment. What she had witnessed had been quite an eye-opener.

Not only the speed at which he ensnared her but the way he moved and brought her pleasure…

Yui shivered and controlled her accelerating heartbeat. It would be a lie to say that she had never been interested in him as a man in the past. But their difference in age back then aside, the fact of the matter was that he was the ex-boyfriend of her little sister.

While their relationship wasn't the best, it was still much better than what she had with the biological brother on the Feng family side.

'Sigh forget it.'

She closed her eyes and chased away all stray thoughts. When she opened them again, they were infinitely close and calculating.

Now they had to be very careful about how they proceeded. Blackmail and threat to the lady were not in the plan.

Her goal in creating this business was obviously to increase her influence and for this to work she needed to be seen as trustworthy.

Destroying her reputation just to put down the blue shark was in no way an equa exchange.

She took her phone and called Mammoth.

She didn't just want to destroy that organization. Destroying was easy. She could kill the boss without even thinking. She needed to send a message to all those in K-Town and she also needed to absorb all the wealth of that gang.

A beautiful smile spread on her face as she prepared herself to annex that gang. She gave a small look in Adam's direction and closed her eyes. She had seen more than enough and in fact a little too much.

A new blush spread on her face and she chuckled when she realized just how much power Adam will wield once he starts seriously seducing the powerful women that will come into this bar.

—-

After Adam finally released himself fully inside of Hae-Won, he sighed and slowly began to withdraw his member from her body.

Even when she was unconscious, her body twitched slightly as the cloudy white liquid started to flow endlessly from her body.

Adam watched all of this impassively, before gently caressing her face.

"You did a good job."

He spoke quietly even though he knew that she could not hear him now. He was a little sorry. Hae-Won was really a gentle woman who was only in need of affection. But no matter how he tried, Adam felt nothing about her.

If this was just a work situation he would not even think about her more than this. But…Once Yui's plan was implemented, this woman would lose everything she had.

'Well, we will think about this later.'

He stood up and went to take a wet towel to start wiping her sweat away. There was thankfully a shower in the room but he didn't want to wake her up yet.

[I am wondering. Why did you do that?]

'You are getting more and more talkative.'

[As long as you walk the path toward godhood, I have an obligation to understand and assist you.]

Adam chuckled before shaking his head, 'I am just testing something.'

His semen had awakened some ancestry in Sae. What did this mean? Would this be the same for all humans? How far removed did the ancestry have to be? How many times did he have to give his semen?

So many questions but no way to find an answer except trying by myself.

'I am really a bastard.'

Adam knew that he was slowly losing all moral justification and the more this went on the less he would have. But, while he wasn't willing to become a world-researched criminal, he indeed had to take more drastic decisions sometime.

"Ugh…"

The groan of Hae-Won signaling that she was slowly waking up brought Adam back and he focused on her.

When Hae-Won finally opened her eyes. She was startled to realize that she could see nothing.

A short moment of panic ensued but,

"Shhh! Calm down, it's me."

"Cinder?"

Slowly her mind started to work well again and she remembered what happened a few moments ago.

"I…I fainted?"

She was in disbelief. She had heard in movies and stories about fainting when one reached the extreme of pleasure. But she had never thought that this would apply to herself.

She was about to speak when she frowned slightly and felt something continuously flowing out of her body.

She brought her knee together in a hurry when she understood,

"You came in me?"

"I did."

"You…Sigh, forget it. It's too late to worry about this."

Thankfully she had already made sure that she would never have children again. Her first birth had been quite complicated and she nearly didn't make it.

"Now…Can I see how you look?"

Adam smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Not yet but since you have been a good girl. Shall we take a shower together?"

He approached and muttered in her ears. "And who knows? We might try some more naughty things there."

Her breath accelerated and Adam knew then and there that her answer would be a yes. What he wished to do with her could not be accomplished in just one day.

He was ready to slowly work on her and mold her so that she would listen only to him and no one else.

—-

Meanwhile, sitting in her office alone, Shuri finished imputing the document necessary for a big case she had just received.

Stretching herself, she moved around and her eyes fell on the invitation card she had been trying to ignore for the last few days.

She was still hesitating about what she should do about her marriage and she had no one to talk to currently.

'Perhaps I need to relax a little?'

Thinking about this she finally made her decision.

'Let's go and take a look.'

Worst case, she would just leave if it wasn't to her taste.

CH 157: MAGIC AND SCIENCE

[Academy]

For any normal human, the supernatural society seemed heterogenous at first glance. But it was obviously not so. Even without taking into account the different primogenitor factions, there were many different small but powerful groups that one needed to pay attention to.

One such faction was — The Academy a place founded by Bridget Bishop. One of the oldest witches in America and the most proactive when it came to international relationships with other witches, wizards, and any kind of sorcerers.

As a witch, she was only 300 years old which made her quite young for someone in her position. But few of them would lord their ages over her. After all, in their world; seniority means nothing in front of strength.

Currently, Bridget was facing a new hurdle as she observed her new student.

"I must say. You are more courageous than I thought."

Sae was groaning quietly, unable to answer. It had been three days since she had been in this place but the pain never truly went away.

"I told you to not hurry. Thanks to Lilith you were able to open all your circuits easily when she possessed you. But because of this, you have no knowledge of how to properly circulate your Prana. How difficult."

"I…I can do it."

Sae tried to move but chains appeared out of nowhere and restrained her.

"Sigh. Stop. We are not like those barbarous Hunters who only bulldoze everything with pure brute strength. You in Particular, as a semi-celestial beings, should use your race and power to your advantage."

Ignoring the growl Sae was giving her, Bridget snapped her finger, and blue-like veins started to appear all over both her and Sae's bodies.

"We will start with the training wheel."

She smiled. "Those shining lines over your body are your circuits or your Chakras as some like to call them. You can see them as the second veins of your own body and these —"

Two bright lights shone around her torso, "- Are your cores. The Solar Plexus chakra or Manipura and the Sacral Chakra or Svadhisthana. It is surprising that as a cambion who is not even half Succubus you were able to open two Chakra. Then again, you should have never ever awakened in the first place."

Bridget's eyes twinkled as she analyzed Sae's currently naked body. The change in her appearance was already becoming noticeable. The girl had been cute and quite sexy in the past but now, even Bridget who had no interest in women started to feel that Sae was very enticing.

'This is weird. She is too close to an actual succubus even though her bloodline is so thin. It's like she was coming closer to the origin of her bloodline.'

She mused quietly. She had asked Lilith many times but the causality storm made it impossible for Lilith to share secrets of the Astral World.

"Okay let me show you."

Bridget approached Sae and placed a hand on her back.

"Relax, do not fight back, this will end fast."

"Teach, you know you sound like an old pervert?"

"I am not old." Bridget puffed and refuted the claim of her student. Causing Sae to laugh.

"So you accept that you are a pervert?"

"I am Lilith's contractor. You would not believe the things I have seen in the dreams of different people."

She sighed and shook her head, "Well, talking about the sea of consciousness is too soon for you. You can't even produce a simple spell so dreamwalking would be a joke. Now enough chit chat and focus."

Thanks to the small banter, the atmosphere lightened and Bridget started to make her prana circulate through the circuits of Sae.

Usually, this would be a very painful experience but Sae was spared from this thanks to Lilith.

"Now, close your eyes and focus on the flow I will show you."

There was nothing more stupid than to tell someone 'feel the magic.' How the hell was someone who never handled magic supposed to feel something they knew nothing about?

However, by showing the circuit openly and making her own energy circulate inside of Sae, it should now be possible for the girl.

"Although you might not be able to feel it, the magic within your body has been awakened. So the rest will be easy. Tell me, what do you feel?"

'I don't think she understands any of this. Worst case we might have to spend a few more days.'

Bridget did not have much expectation. Even for her, it had taken her a week to actually feel Prana and a few more days to cast her first spell.

This was why,

"Oh. I think…I can feel it."

"...What?"

"It feels like a warm current coming from my lower stomach and spreading to the rest of my body."

"Oh my. This is certainly quite surprising."

She grinned as she realized that she must have found a true genius. She became a little greedy and started to change the flow of Prana.

"Focus on the new flow and how it affected each of your circuits."

She did this for twenty minutes before finally speaking.

"Now do it."

Bridget did not know what she was expecting but soon, Sae groaned a little and opened her eyes, "Fireball."

What appeared in Sae's hand was a red ball so small that it would be an insult to call it a ball and it produced nearly no heat.

She was quite embarrassed at this sigh but Bridget did not laugh nor mock her student.

"Elemental magic is the easiest to learn at the basic level. Of course, as a succubus, this will never be your major. But they can be quite useful during excursions."

She spoke calmly but inside she was jubilating. Now she was sure of it. Sae had won the genetic jackpot.

Many people seemed to think that hybrids were the best in the world but usually, this was not the case.

The vast majority of hybrids were nothing more than lesser versions of the two originals. But Sae was clearly different.

'Is this thanks to the Prince? Or is it because of her own talent?'

Bridget frowned. Even though she had actually signed a contract with Lilith, Bridget did not have the innate talents they had.

"The ideal one to help you in this situation would be Merlin. But that old pervert vanished in the Astral realm for decades now."

Merlin's father was an incubus and while it hurt her to admit it, she knew very well that he was far more skilled and experienced than her. She had studied under him for years and considered him slightly as a teacher of sorts but he was simply too eccentric.

"Very well Sae. Shall we take it a notch higher? Once you learn all the basic spells, you will be able to enter the academy officially and choose your majors."

"...How long will this take?"

"This is a very important process and cannot be interrupted."

Bridget gave a meaningful smile. "If you wish to leave this place sooner and see him again…Then you will have to work harder."

Sae nodded and clenched her fist. There were so many things she wanted and needed to talk about with Adam. So many answers she needed to have and for that, she first needed to leave this place.

"I am ready."

"Very well. Let's continue."

This was going to be a very tiring week.

—-

While Sae was training with Bridget, in the Hunter Association, one of the multiple doors opened and a small young girl with green hair walked out of it.

She was holding a briefcase and was wearing a white lab coat. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and it was easy to notice her dark circles, proof of a great lack of sleep.

Despite her small figure, the moment she entered the operation room, all the hunters stopped and saluted in respect.

"Doctor! You are finally back."

Mark Smith spoke as he approached her and took her briefcase,

"Didn't have a choice. It isn't every day I receive a request from the Director herself."

She stretched her hand and Mark immediately placed the files she needed in it.

"Hum… Adam Gospel is it?"

She rose an eyebrow as she read the report and the incident around him. The more she went on, the more the light of indifference vanished from her eyes.

"Interesting. Very interesting."

She grinned, causing Mark to shiver and speak hurriedly,

"You cannot experiment on him!"

"For what do you take me for? I have never experimented on anyone without their permission. I believe I am quite the responsible scientist."

Mark could only give an awkward chuckle as he could offer no other response.

Piaget Freud. A genius in the domain of biology that was said to not be any inferior to [~S.K~].

Like how [~S.K~] revolutionized the technological industry, she had developed many powerful elixirs and was like the messiah in the pharmaceutical domain.

Obviously, since many of the elixirs she created ended up saving thousands of hunters, she was very respected and admired by many. She was also one of the leaders in terms of biocybernetic enhancement.

Of course, all of this would not matter much if that was all there was to this. The problem was that she was the head of the psychology department and was the one who would make Adam pass her test.

'I hope that nothing bad will happen.'

Mark Smith sighed as he decided to buy some medicine for his stomach. He knew he would need it.

164 CH 158: A NORMAL DAY

The next day, when Adam woke up, the first thing he did was to check his accumulated Karma after his harvest the other day.

[Current Karma: 7400]

Before spending the night with Hae-Won, his Karma count was around 7300.

For the rest of the night, he had been going all out on her. After all, it had been her true first experience in a certain way and she had been nearly insatiable. It was only when the bar was about to close that she finally relented and left.

The results spoke for themselves.

"100 more points."

He chuckled under his breath. This was basically the equivalent of a C rank skill or 10 D rank skills under one of the three Chakra pathways that he currently possessed.

Even the lowest of the low D ranked skills still needed days or months for a being to acquire and that was if you were talented enough to even acquire them, to begin with.

Now he could obtain ten such skills easily by just spending a night of passion with a beautiful woman.

[This is a little late to be surprised I believe.]

"I guess I am just starting to realize your worth."

[...]

Adam swore he could feel something akin to bewilderment emanating from Genesis. But as fast as it came, it completely vanished even faster.

[Now that you understand my 'worth,' what are your plans?]

"My long-term plan? Testing different ways to increase my influence worldwide."

The Karma that one person could give him was limited. But there was a saying that there was strength in numbers.

Becoming an entertainer, a sports athlete, a musician, or simply an internet influencer.

"This isn't the middle ages where you have to walk for miles and preach to people one after another to spread your name."

He stood up and took a look at his phone and opened the social media.

This was perhaps the easiest way to become famous in this day and age.

"What if I film myself singing? Will my song affect all those who listen through the screen no matter where they are? Or do they need to be in my vicinity?"

There were so many things he needed to learn about his powers and how to farm Karma in the most effective way without necessarily relying on the mass massacre path that Genesis suggested he take.

He spoke absentmindedly while surfing the internet and saw many interesting articles

For example, there was one about a superstar receiving a death threat which sadly, was nothing out of the ordinary in this day and age. There were multiple such cases happening on a daily basis— a sad reality of life.

Adam briefly looked at it before continuing his line of thought.

The chances of him stopping out of school were progressively increasing but he still needed a cover to hide his hunter activities.

Becoming a star could be a good idea. But it would also mean dealing with the paparazzi.

"Well… I can think of all this later."

What he needed was time. And he knew exactly where he could go to get the time necessary to implement his ideas.

'Genesis. Do you think I should use the Silver ticket right now?'

[...]

Silence was all he received as an answer. He knew that Genesis was thinking and this made this all the more uncanny to him.

After all, it had never doubted its own opinion in the past.

In the end, the decision was made,

[It would be safer to use the Bronze section pass first and determine how long you can stay and train inside the nexus. Either way, I believe Eve will say something about this to you if you consult with her.]

Adam nodded in acknowledgment. He was quite reluctant to use the silver free pass without having more information about the section and information about that part.

That thing was obtained only after going through an Epic Ordeal. He didn't know if he would be able to get other such passes more easily in the future.

"Okay, time for my workout."

After his usual workout routine, Adam found himself sharing breakfast with the other three members of the house.

Viktor had been the one who prepared the breakfast today and he was surprisingly pretty agile with his hands.

From what he said, it was because his mom was an alchemist witch and always told him how cooking wasn't that much different from alchemy.

"Absolute bonkers that girl, I say. But damn does she know how to cook."

Makarov laughed and commented after Viktor finished the story about his mother.

"But now this isn't why we are here, right?"

Makarov said and grinned at Adam, "You ready for the last part of your license registration."

"I don't know. It isn't exactly like I can prepare myself for a psychological test."

"Psychological test my ass."

Makarov snorted, "This is pretty much a formality. The only thing they want to test is your tendency for betrayal or fleeing under duress. Everything else doesn't matter. Even if you are the greatest psychotic bastard in the world they won't care."

"Seriously?"

"I mean. Your mother passed."

"Hey!? I resent that!"

He chuckled and looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Lass, I know you and I know what you were like when you were younger. You seriously think any normal institution with the so-called psychological test would have given you a mental pass?"

Cecilia laughed awkwardly at the tone of his voice, "I passed the necessary criteria."

She couldn't deny that she had not exactly been in the best of mind when she was younger. But how many could witness the torture of their parents and still be completely alright?

"So you see? Anyway, simply be yourself and everything will be alright."

Adam smiled and nodded at the encouragement.

Being himself?

He didn't even really know who he was currently.

But it wasn't a problem. All he had to do was to act the way he thought would be perfect for the occasion.

He believed he became very good at it. Acting, that is.

The rest of the morning passed in perfect harmony as Viktor and his grandfather went again to work inside their hearth.

"So, do you want me to accompany you today?"

Adam rose an eyebrow at this, "Are you searching an excuse to avoid your sister?"

"Hahaha. What do you mean? You think I would do such thing?"

"I do."

"And you are absolutely right."

Adam sighed at the shamelessness of his mother but eventually nodded.

"I will take care of everything myself. I will call you after the test."

"My dear adorable son, I love you!"

He moved and avoided her widely opened arms in disgust and hit her head.

"Take care of the dishes at least."

"Yes my captain!"

He could only roll his eyes and leave.

It was time to end this whole thing.

CH 159: SNEAKY

Riding down the elevator of the hunter association, Adam looked absentmindedly at the control panel while he went progressively deeper into the depths of the earth.

Adam had been playing around with his Electromagnetism and realized that while he had an easy time using the Electro part of his powers, the manipulation of magnetic aspects was a lot harder.

As one of the four fundamental forces of the universe, full mastery of this power could confer him enormous power— power far beyond anything he could imagine.

'Should I start working on cyber security or simple metal manipulation?'

If he had to be honest, he believed that at the lowest level, Electromagnetism was even more dangerous than the application of gravity itself.

It wasn't even about all the electric discharge he could generate but how the modern world was entirely reliant on technology and metallurgy.

What would happen if he mastered the art of creating EMP bombs using his power of Electromagnetism?

'Next time should I actually read a few mangas with Eve?'

She told him and proved that reading and studying knowledge in the library was more efficient because the books were written by the laws of the universe itself.

The same should apply to the manga and the rest of the anime entertainment department she was probably binging on. So what would happen if he read one of those comic books there? Would he understand the actual manga more or would his understanding extend to the special powers showcased in the books themselves?

'Genesis, what do you think?'

[This is an extremely interesting idea that is worth entertaining in my opinion. I will compile a list of possible shows you may watch to test the theory out. Even if it fails, it would still offer some insight and ideas on how to use your power in different ways.]

'Thanks.'

Genesis was definitely becoming more proactive ever since he decided to become an actual criminal. Which was pretty funny in a certain way when he stopped to think about this.

Adam could only give a chuckle when the elevator stopped just four floors before his destination point.

Ding~

The door of the elevator opened wide and Adam was once again greeted with the surreal sight of those hundreds of doors. At least it was worth knowing that there were many places like this out there.

This time though, there was a difference as he wasn't the only one present in the room.

Adam looked down at the young girl that looked like she was just entering high school, greeting him with a smile.

She had long flowing dark green hair that moved erratically without the presence of any wind in the room, while her eyes were also of the same shade of green with pupils reminiscent of a snake. Her eyes were covered by a pair of stocky glasses and she was wearing a white lab coat over a green shirt and a black colored short skirt.

"Hi!"

"Hello?"

He spoke in confusion at the way the young girl greeted him and sauntered into the elevator.

The door closed and the two stood in silence as the elevator resumed its descent down.

"I have never seen you here, are you a new hunter?"

Adam shrugged and spoke, "I guess I am. Not totally vetted through."

"Oh!"

She clapped and looked up wistfully, "I always wanted to become a hunter, protect the weak and all that jazz. Sadly, I do not have the means to do that. Don't you think it's beautiful? People who are willing to jump in the fray and fight against evil?"

Adam tried to ignore the chatter of the young girl that looked more like a fan girl than anything else and waited impatiently for the elevator ride to end.

"You are no fun. Did you know that such boring action won't be attractive to women?"

"Haha."

This elicited a laugh from him as he remembered similar words coming from Sae back then. She had always liked to tease him and encourage him to come out of his shell. It reminded him of simpler times— times when he didn't need to think about anything else other than reading books and getting good grades for his future.

'I miss her.'

He wanted to meet her and discuss endlessly with her. He wanted to know if she was alright and spend time with her like he used to do back then.

"You look like you had a heartbreak."

"A heartbreak?" He shook his head, "Something similar I guess. But not exactly so."

"I see. Heartbreaks are sad, you know? It's like having the one you loved and believed in decapitating you in your sleep and using your head to show off his prowess."

"This is… An oddly specific example."

"Fufufu~ I am just joking. But the heart is truly a mystery. It's simply an organ but at the same time, so many emotions are tied to it. Even though most emotions are nothing but chemical reactions coming from the brain."

"You must be a funny addition at a party."

"I believe the same can be said of you."

The two chuckled and Adam was surprised to find himself having fun with such a complete stranger just a few seconds after meeting each other.

—This was why he became all the warier of her.

They spoke quietly and exchanged light conversation with each other and finally, it did not take long for them to reach the final floor.

"Hello Adam, I am happy to see —"

The elevator opened this time to Mark welcoming him but the man immediately paled in shock when he looked at them. More precisely, when he looked at her.

"Doctor! We have been searching for you. Where have you been?"

The green-haired young girl's expressive smile vanished and she cracked her neck slightly before speaking, "I am just meeting the examinee a few moments before the start."

She gave a hollow smile, "But he must have already had an inkling about who I am, right?"

Adam's eyes twitched slightly and his smile stiffened at the meaningful look she was directing at him. Of course, he knew who she was. The moment she had tried to act all chummy with him, he had used the Eyes of Truth on her to see who she was.

"Adam. This is Doctor Piaget Freud. She will be the one to take care of you. She may be young but you shouldn't underestimate her. She made many groundbreaking discoveries."

"...Young?"

Adam nearly coughed out in surprise at this appellation as he remembered the shocking status screen and he had to admit… It was perhaps the most shocking one to date he had ever witnessed.

『 Name: Piaget Freud (###)

Affiliation: Humanity

Alias: The Hierophant || Ophiuchus [1] || Gorgon || Mad Scientist || Heretic || One Who Refused Godhood || Hero || Monster in Human Shell || Seeker of Knowledge || The one who looked at the Abyss || One who witnessed the end of Civilizations || Chased by the Grim Reaper

Race: Human?

Age: #####

Emotion: Curiosity 』

『 Stats

Strength: D+

Speed: D+

Dexterity: D+

Endurance: D+

Prana: B

Charm: B

Willpower: SSS

Luck: S

Overall Combat Capacity: B+

Remark: This is a woman that made the impossible possible. Her combat rating may be low, but be extremely wary of her existence. 』

Adam had to admit… If he didn't have three minds, he would have been absolutely frozen in surprise by what he saw.

This was the second time he met someone with a name related to Major Arcana. But as if it wasn't enough, the way some information was inaccessible was something he only faced when standing in front of Eve and Lilith.

Finally…

'What the hell is up with those stats and her titles.'

The Eyes of Truth could not even fully determine her race.

"I am indeed a very young woman who will take care of you, Adam Gospel?"

She spoke with a cutesy voice to which Adam barely nodded in acceptance.

"Haha, shall we go now? Our conversation was very interesting."

Adam swept his hair. He had long realized that the test had already begun from the moment she entered the elevator with him.

'Genesis, for now on I will passively use the Eyes of Truth with my third mind. I want you to record any and all status and report to me whenever I am about to see someone.'

He needed to be constantly alert to avoid any sudden ambushes.

[Very well.]

He finally looked up at the snake-like woman who was gazing at him with a creepy smile. More importantly, she was gazing at the empty spot just where the Book of Genesis had been.

"I guess that you are ready now."

'Did she see it? It does not seem to be the case. So, did she feel it somehow? How?'

"I am."

"Very well. Let's go to my office and relax, shall we?"

Piaget giggled and started to lead the way. Leaving a dumbfounded Mark behind who started to wonder if he had just been as transparent as air to those two.

He massaged his brows and sighed tiredly. Anyway, there was nothing else he could do but observe.

Piaget had a rather low rate of admission as she was very harsh when it came to choosing Hunters.

But he believed that Adam would not fail.

It was then, his phone vibrated as he looked at a message.

[Sender: Little Sis

Message: I was forced to stop the investigation by my boss.]

Angry and sad emojis were added at the end of the message, making him chuckle a little.

He answered quite simply,

[Reply: Since when have you listened to your boss?]

[Sender: Little Sis

Message: I know, right? This is why I won't give up. He had vanished from school a few days ago. I am sure he is preparing something shady.]

He smiled at the overzealousness of his sister that was similar to his and sighed once more— this time leaking with much more tiredness in his voice. Thankfully, when she was not working, his sister was a very capable and sociable person.

"Should I just go home now?"

He sighed for the third time and walked back to his own office. At least he could finish some work or just play on his computer for the time being.

CH 160: CHAOTIC

When he had followed the girl and entered the room, Adam had expected to find himself in some standardized office room. But what he found was all the opposite.

The first thing that attracted his attention was the sound of waves, the scent of the sea, and the fresh but slightly salty breeze.

He looked around in curiosity. The room he entered following the young girl was something long to find himself on what looked like a private beach.

The sand was yellow and well-taken care of, the sea was blue and seemed to go as far as the eyes could see and there was even a blue sky and a sun above them.

A little further, he could see a very large and luxurious bungalow with a large terrace and a few comfy chairs.

"You coming?"

Adam snapped out of his reverie and asked,

"This….Where are we?"

"Hum…This is my house. I don't really like traveling to work and I hate staying in America so I had them build a dimensional portal that connected the bureau to my place. Pretty simple."

"Simple?"

Adam had heard many things, but this took the cake. Thanks to Makarov, he was not ignorant about those dimensional gates but still…

"You must be thinking I am quite extravagant, right?" She grinned as she indicated Adam to take place on the Sofa while she entered the house and took some juice.

"This is a potion I created. Mixed a few special fruits."

Adam looked at the juice with suspicion and used the eyes of Akasha on it. Surprisingly it worked.

[Name: Unnamed juice

Composition: Ansault Pear; Taliaferro Apple; Kalimantan Mango.]

'I can do this?'

He nearly choked in surprise at this sight but what surprised him even more was,

"So you can use Appraisal? No…It seems to be a higher level than what I felt when you observed me. I could only partially block it. Hum. Well, no matter. There is so many observation skills in this world."

Adam narrowed his eyes, calmly washing over him as he put back down the juice and looked at the woman who called herself Piaget Freud. Then he gave a simple smile,

"Is my skill so obvious?"

"Calm, measured, nearly no obvious reaction. Interesting."

She ignored him and began to scribble on her notepad before nodding to herself,

"Before we begin. No. Observation-type skills are so rare nowadays, only old people who have studied magic actually have protection set against them."

"So you are also an apostle?"

She gave a sneer at this question, "I was."

Her eyes became distant for an instant. She was obviously a woman with a story to tell. But also obviously had no reason to share this story with him.

She went back to her note and pulled Adam's file. "Okay. I believe we should go to the official introduction before continuing this."

She cleared her throat, "I am Doctor Piaget Freud. I specialize in Biocybernetic, Alchemy, Biology, and many other such things. I have probably more degrees than the number of years you have lived."

She gave a thin smile at this, "Today, I will work as your Psychologist and determine whether or not you are fit to become a hunter. Any questions so far?"

"So, is it a coincidence your name is composed of the family name of two psychologists?"

In order to obtain the Snake Tongue, Adam had to study and increase his understanding of psychology and psychoanalysis. It was impossible to study such a domain and not see the name of famous forefathers of this disciple such as Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget.

She gave a smile, one that was much more open, "I was friends with Piaget and Freud. They were also my students."

She chuckled a little, "A little too naughty. But it was cute in a way."

Adam's eye slightly twitched but he otherwise showed no other reaction. Jean Piaget was born in 1896 and died in 1980 while Sigmund Freud was born in 1856 and died in 1939.

"You are calm even now. When people learn how old I am they usually freak out a bit. This is quite disappointing I must say."

"Sorry for not giving you amusement."

He had seen the two mothers of humanity and was the son of the second man to ever exist. In terms of seniority, Adam was technically the uncle of humanity. No matter how old she was, technically she was the one who should address him with respect.

[How shameless]

'Doesn't mean it isn't true.'

Piaget, ignoring the banter that was going on inside her patient's mind shook her head.

"Oh don't be. I initially came here simply because I was curious about something but I am now pretty interested."

She arranged a strand of her hair and continued, "Now then. Could you introduce yourself? Who are you?"

"Is it necessary?"

Piaget simply smiled and looked at him. The contest lasted a while but in the end Adam decided that the last thing he wanted to do was to try entering a waiting contest with someone who had an alias like 'One who witnessed the end of civilizations' or 'Gazed in the abyss.'

"My name is Adam Gospel."

"Anything else?"

"I am the son of Camelia Gospel and a law student. I am currently a prospective hunter as well it seems."

"I see. Very interesting. But…I asked…Who are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You see Adam. When people are asked who they are, they all give their names and believe they have answered the question. Thing is…They didn't."

She looked up, "A name is beautiful. It's the first true identity we are given at birth. But at the same time, a name is nothing more than a way to identify yourself when thrown into a group. Your name, your mother's name, or what you are studying. None of this truly tells me who you are."

"Do psychologists have to be so roundabout? ?"

"What can we do? It pays to be mysterious."

She nodded and scribbled in her notepad, "Since you are uncomfortable with this question. Let's take baby steps, shall we? I will ask more standard questions and then we will do a morality test where you will tell me how you would react in different scenarios I will give you."

She looked at the sea, and took a deep breath, "You are free to lie or tell the truth. Just know that this may or may not affect my final decision. Can I start?"

"I am ready whenever you are."

"Very well then, tell me, Adam. Why do you wish to become a hunter?"

'Because I want to farm karma, obtain governmental advantage, and increase my influence.'

"Because I believe in justice and wish to protect the weak."

She tilted her head at this before chuckling, "Mind manipulation? No, this is nothing so advanced. Mind inducement?"

She smiled, "You have quite an interesting skill set I must say. I know for a fact that you are lying. But when I listen to you, I feel like you are telling the truth. How intriguing. The fact that it even breached my mental defense astounds me."

She looked at him and her eyes seemed to shine slightly. "You…in your file, you said you are worshiping a god called The World, right?"

Adam stoped.

Piaget had given him a clear hint. She could detect lie from truths. This was the very reason why he had bought the Silver tongue skill. But it looked like it hadn't been enough.

"The World is my principal source of power. I obtained my power thanks to meeting a very powerful and old entity. I do not know if that person is a god or not. But they might as well be in my opinion."

"I see. The World."

Piaget muttered. She could detect no falsehood in his words and this got her thinking. Entities who dared to use Titles related to the Major Arcana were few and far between.

'Is it a new god? Or perhaps a mischievous celestial? I felt he was observing something.'

She laughed, "Adam, oh Adam. This was supposed to be just a surprise. But like Russian dolls, there is a new layer every time I dig."

Her face flushed as she looked at him, her breath became somewhat rough and Adam could see her emotion change from curiosity to extreme interest. She was showing all the traits of someone who was completely in heat. But the words that followed completely shocked him.

"Tell me, Adam — Would you accept becoming my lab rat?"

Adam looked at the crazy woman in front of him with bewilderment. Even when asking such a question, he could feel absolutely no malice or ill will coming from her.

There was pure excitement in her eyes. Like an innocent child having fun burning the wings of a butterfly.

It seemed like the title of Mad Scientist was well-earned.

"I refuse."

Adam decided then and there that after this he would make sure to never meet this woman again.

CH 161: WHAT IS A HERO?

Adam's answer to her request was clear and direct, making sure to leave absolutely no sense of ambiguity in his choice.

"I refuse."

Piaget's eyes opened wide at the blunt tone of his voice and she soon expressed her disappointment.

"Why do so many people always reject my proposal like that?" She sounded really curious and clueless.

"I believe that is because most people do not want to become test subjects."

"Oh… You would be surprised by how wrong you are. People are always willing to do things others would balk at when they decide they have no other choices. Of course, we always have a choice. The decision to choose nothing is a choice by itself."

"You are a very confusing woman, you know?"

She chuckled slightly, "I guess I am. Few people talk to me without fear so I enjoy discussions like this.

She clapped her hands, "Speaking of, this is the first time you have shown your true emotions to me, you know. I guess for now, Adam Gospel is a man who does not wish to become a test subject, it seems. Let's just go with that."

She laughed under her breath at the sight of Adam scowling at her teasing words.

She was finding this discussion very much enjoyable. Her eyes twinkled as she trudged on, "Adam do you know how much this test weighs?"

"10%"

"Indeed. For many, it's nothing more than a formality. A small step that ultimately does not matter in the long run."

"I suppose they are wrong."

He said so sarcastically but Piaget nodded enthusiastically, "I like smart men like you. Makes everything so much easier for everyone."

Her smile never went down as she continued explaining her stance, "This test is made to determine how much responsibility can be given to a hunter. The higher the rank, the more important the test becomes. As simple as that."

She looked at Adam with intrigued eyes, "Normally when I say this, the examinee panics but you still stayed calm. This shows me one thing — You do not simply care about this job at all. Being a hunter is just a means to an end for you and I appreciate that fact."

This was true. Becoming a gold rank was high enough for him. Executors were basically tied to the government itself and this was something he did not want.

"But see," Piaget was not finished, "This test is also necessary to determinate how far along you are on the path of understanding yourself and the world around you."

She took a deep breath and said her final piece, "So now Adam, once again, why do you want to become a hunter? Tell me, what do you desire?"

Adam hesitated slightly and mused. Since there was no option of bluffing left for him now, he decided to simply be honest, "Money and influence. Perhaps a little bit of Fame as well. There are more, of course, but they also encompass these fundamental reasons."

"That is wonderful."

"...What do you mean?"

"Adam… While we do fight for humanity, we are not supposed to be saviors who fight selflessly. Being a hunter is a job. A risky, dangerous, unrewarding, bloody, shitty, and every negative word in the dictionary kind of job that generally ends up in your untimely death. Humans are weak and so it's hard for them to sustain themselves in this line of work. This is why, I believe there is nothing wrong with wanting fame and money. As long as you do your job right, at the end of the day, then nothing else matters."

"I have seen many strong humans." Adam knew that he was arguing for the sake of it. But he had to admit once again that speaking with her felt weirdly enjoyable to him. He had no choice but to acknowledge the fact that she was pretty good at pulling people in.

She smiled thinly as she spoke, "You have seen a handful of powerful humans out of 8.5 billion humans.

"You have been around people with extreme sets of power so this may have affected your perspective of the world. But for the vast majority of humans and even hunters for that matter, fighting one against one with the Supernatural is simply impossible. Our guidelines strongly emphasize the necessity of forming a large party for any mission of the same grades as yourself. For a gold-level bounty, you need at least 3 or more gold-ranked hunters at the minimum. That is the reality for the masses."

Her eyes started to twinkle, "But now, Adam… Let's think about this together. The number of godly beings, spiritual creatures, and so many other supernatural entities may be overwhelmingly inferior to humanity as a whole. But in terms of pure powers, one super entity like Asmodeus would be enough to lay waste to 80% of the earth like it's nothing. Beings like Surtr can bring the end of the world in a matter of minutes. Why then do humans still have control of the earth? Why then are we the ones in charge? Can you tell?"

Adam stopped to think for a bit before opening his mouth, "Technology?"

"Heh, I give you 60/100 for the guess. It's a good guess, but not quite good enough. See, Adam, supernatural beings aren't dumb now, are they? A vampire can use a gun or create a nuclear bomb just as easily as we can. In fact, because of how long they live, the few beings who actually want to, all learned and even steered the development of humanity along the ages."

"Let me give you a simple answer." She raised one finger, "Arrogance is one simple yet correct answer. While long-lived beings Can learn, they Do not find it necessary to learn. Stupidly thinking it's beneath them or rightfully deciding that they do not need to because of the powers they inherently wield."

She raised a second finger, "While some of them are arrogant it would be stupid to think all of them are. So this brings us to the second reason. The World itself protects us from them."

She smiled when she saw Adam flinch slightly, "The law of the world protects humanity. This is the highest law in existence. Causality will make sure that whenever the Supernatural oppresses humanity with overwhelming power, humans will start giving birth to incredibly powerful humans beyond the normalcy of their capacity."

"Gilgamesh, Arjuna, Atalanta, Heracles, Arthur, Siegfried, Joan of Arc and so many more. Men and women born with the destiny of being loved and hated by Fate. Destined to go through the so-called Hero's journey and fight for sake of the world and its people. To fight for humanity."

A small smile of reminiscence arced her lips as she spoke about Joan.

"We call it the Scales of Equilibrium. But it's so long, I simply call it — The Scales or SoE, and the punishment it brings to those who upset the scale is the Storm of Causality.

"Truly. Don't you think the world and the ways of the universe are both beautiful and mysterious?"

CH 162: YOU ARE A HERO

Adam listened carefully as he felt like he should miss no words coming from her at this moment.

"The Scales of Equilibrium protect humanity by keeping the balance. This is also the same Will that keeps the Veil active and stops humans from perceiving the threat of the Supernatural. The same Will that fights against the entry of Celestial beings on this plane and limits the power they can bring on earth."

"Human beings are strong. In times of peace, we are indolent, lazy, and stupid. But when dangers truly come our way, while a majority will fall and cry, there will always be a minority that will stand up and keep even the sky from falling down on the rest. Those people are called heroes. But without the Counter Force, we would be nothing."

Her eyes turned around, "I believe you are such a hero, Adam."

"..."

"You may find me to be ridiculous. You may even laugh at the words I am relaying to you right now. But Adam, I can see it as clearly as I can see the moon on a cloudless night. You are walking a treacherous path and I believe I will be one of the mentors that will guide you on your path."

"Why?"

"Because I love humanity, Adam."

For an instant, there was no mischievousness left in her eyes, no mysteriousness could be found in her aura, and no silliness was present on her lips. Like a benevolent saint, she was wearing a smile so beautiful it was almost blinding to him.

"I have seen both the good and the bad side of humanity over my long life. I have fallen low enough to be despised by the world and climbed high enough to be revered by the masses. Humans are beautiful and complex creatures that are born with the ability to be the worst and the best at the same time. We are paradoxes without any predefined notions. Our existence is the greatest mystery of the Universe."

She laughed quietly as she mentioned that fact, "They say that the first sin of humanity was eating the fruit of wisdom that brings knowledge of good and bad. I say this was the greatest gift humanity has ever received from the Almighty."

"Out of my free will, I will guide you and teach you. Out of your free will, you can refuse or accept my guidance. You can use me and discard me or even respect me afterward. But I will always be there for you. That is my will."

"I thought this was supposed to be an exam?"

"It is. I already judged that you are a man with the destiny of a Hero."

She ignored his attempts to change the topic and took a few files in her hand, "I have done my research and have come to this conclusion. You are not forced to admit or refuse my conjectures."

She adjusted her glasses and read from her hand, "Born from one of the strongest families, raised by one of the strongest humans. You are most likely a mixed race. I believe your father may be a Celestial.

"You most likely awakened on the day you were attacked by that vampire back at the start of the month. The greatest blacksmith moved to your residence. All your friends are related to the Supernatural side and wherever you go, accidents are sure to follow."

"There are many assumptions in your theory."

"The stupidest thing is thinking of a hero with pure logic. Sometimes a leap of faith is necessary to grasp the truth. But it's fine. Whether you admit to being a Hero or not, this will not change your destiny."

Adam felt like he was having a massive headache right now, "I am not a particularly good person. I doubt I have the qualities to be a hero."

What came in reply was a full-blown laugh as Piaget put a hand over her stomach. When she finally calmed down, she only gave a sneer of derision.

"You talk about heroes of tales from children. A true Hero's primary trait is not kindness. A true Hero is a supreme, selfish, and egotistical being who has enough belief in himself and his cause to decide he can and will change the world as he deems fit."

"A true Hero is someone who has the strength to say, 'I believe this is wrong and this is what I believe it should become.' They fear not facing accusations from the masses, they do not care about those who think their ideals are an impossibility and they will trample on anyone who dares to oppose them on the path toward the realization of their ideals."

The more she spoke, the more excited she became. There was undoubtedly a gleam of madness in her eyes as she continued her speech,

"The greatest mistake is thinking that heroes were people that were unconditionally good paragons of justice with no flaws whatsoever. Because… For all the power they possess, for all the determinations they have… Heroes are still humans. And to err is only human."

"Heroes fail, they stumble, fall, cry and scream in frustration but they still stand up and continue to trudge on even as their bodies and hearts continue to be riddled with wounds. They reach their limits then constantly break those limits over and over again."

Her voice was calm as she continued what was no different from a lecture, "Adam, you need to understand. In the path toward power, knowing Who You Are, is not a question of philosophy. It's a necessary step in order to ascend to a greater level of power.

"The first step to improve is to realize you are not perfect. Ask yourself who you are. Who you want to become and how you are going to reach your ideal self. Then strive toward that goal.

"You need to constantly ask yourself this. Then one day, when you truly realize who you are, you will be able to open The Gate of Truth and step into a completely different realm of existence."

Silence fell between them, the tumultuous waves of the sea seemed to stir slightly and the wind started to pick up.

Adam was bewildered. This was supposed to just be a routine check to pass some tests. Why then was he listening to some deep lecture about self-improvement?

"Your belief in heroes seems extreme."

"Oh, it is."

She nodded, "I touched the lowest of the low because of a hero and I was saved because of another one, after all."

She smiled, "The one who pushed me is a hero acclaimed by history. The one who saved me is a man considered the greatest sinner. Thanks to him, I regained my humanity and gained so much more. This is one of the reasons I believe why heroes are not bound by mere boundaries of morality."

She stood up and clapped her hands, "Well, It seems like I have bored you with my spiel. I feel like I am merely a sketchy saleswoman trying to sell you a product."

She went into her house and rummaged through her belongings before coming back with a pack of what seemed to be plain old cigarettes.

"I can imagine that you are being plagued by some nightmares and your power needs intense mental energy. These are specially made cigarettes by yours truly."

She smiled, "The herbs were bred with alchemy. It's in a way a special pill or elixir that has the effects of calming the mind and strengthening your mental capacity. It can also help in healing the wounds of the soul."

Adam tilted his head at the sudden shift in their conversation but remembered the cigarette Mammoth shared with him before.

"I think I have seen those before."

She shrugged, "I am the creator. Too many hunters are lost because of mental health issues so I decided to do something about it. Though the ones I am giving you are made of high-grade materials. As an example, each cigarette costs 10 million dollars, at least to make."

Adam looked at the pack that was filled with more than 30 cigarettes and swore inwardly at the power of capitalism.

CH 163: PARTERNISHP

Adam took the pack of cigarettes that was technically worth 300 million dollars with a trembling hand.

'Holy shit.'

He remembered being so happy at having gotten his first 80K dollars from his Gigolo job but now he was once again reminded that this was literally baby numbers when compared to the true fortunes of the world.

"Is it some kind of drug?"

He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that a simple cigarette could end up costing so much to make. Though, if the effects she mentioned were real, it certainly seemed worth it.

She tilted her head, genuinely confused by that question, "If by drugs you mean medicine or other similar substances which have a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body… Then yes it is. But, and I believe this is most likely the case, if you are referring to an illicit substance whose sole use is to induce some feeling of well-being at the price of addiction then no, it is not."

She sneered, "I believe the human body and in particular our brain, is one of the most beautiful things in the world. The capacity to think, act and do things for ourselves is such a wonderful ability. As such, by principle, I refuse the act of escapism. Be it through the usage of drugs, alcohol, or even entertainment."

She pointed at the pack in his hands, "This… will not allow you to escape to some imaginary dreamscape full of illusions. In fact, this will be the total opposite of something like that. It sharpens your mind to the utmost and forces you to face your reality. It brings you serenity and has a positive effect on both the body and the soul. Even the people next to you can get some of the positive effects just by being near you when you use these.

"Of course, once again, don't take my word for it. You can ask your mother or even your aunt. But, I believe that these will be able to help you and this is just a taste. If you accept for me to be one of your mentors, I can teach you alchemy and even regularly bring you the most expensive elixir used by the richest hunters' families to nurture their children."

"You honestly sound like a shady drug dealer right now."

Adam looked down in thought. He had just met Piaget today, but he had to admit that he was in awe and filled with admiration for this woman.

For her to create something worth more than 300 hundred million dollars and simply give it as a gift showed how overwhelmingly rich she was.

Wealth, power, influence, and much much more. She was also someone highly ranked in the hunter world.

In short — She was the ultimate Sugar Mama.

"I do not trust you."

"And you should not. Trust is something that is built over the course of a long period of time and many trials spent together."

"I do not understand your reasoning."

"I am someone who wishes to nurture the greatest hero to have ever existed. Better than the centaur Chiron or the Shadow Queen, Scáthach, and even the great Wizard Merlin [1]."

"So this is only for yourself?"

"Of course, it is for me." She looked at him as if he was a deranged lunatic. "Be it my love for humanity or my desire to bring forth the greatest hero, this all stems from my own selfish desires. I have no intentions to hide this fact."

Silence fell once again before Adam decided to make his thoughts known.

"You… I think I know who you are."

Her eyebrows rose at his words and she couldn't help but open her mouth, "And who do you think I might be?"

"The Gorgon, Medusa."

She closed her mouth and looked at him. But this time she was really looking at him.

"I am surprised."

"When we first met you made an analogy. Something about cutting your head in your sleep… That was the first clue to your identity."

In the myths, because the gaze of Medusa turned all who looked at her to stone, Perseus guided himself by her reflection in a shield given to him by Athena and beheaded Medusa as she slept.

"You said you were once an apostle."

Medusa was in the past, a priestess of Athena—

"You hate the gods."

— This part was very blurry and Adam did not know which version was real but no matter how the story started, they all ended in the same way. Athena guides Perseus and helps him kill Medusa. [2]

"Finally, your words about Sigmund Freud made me remember his interpretation of Medusa's myth by him." [3]

This time, Piaget, or rather, Medusa couldn't help but blush slightly, "This punk once saw me while I was bathing. I would have never thought that he would go on and write such things."

"So you do admit."

"I have never tried to hide it. But few humans make the connections themselves."

To this, all Adam could do was give a bitter smile,

"I feel like I have been forced to play a game of [Guess whose mythical or historical figure I am] with all the people I have met till now."

Now, Adam was sure that he would be traumatized and would never believe anyone without looking at their status information.

It was like all the new people he met nowadays had to be special or be related to someone special, at the very least.

"Now that we established that you are Medusa I can guess why you want me to become a hero."

He crossed his legs together and leaned back in his chair, "Is it hatred? A feeling of validation? Or searching to affirm yourself? Either way, you are trying to prove that even a monster in the mythos can become the teacher of a hero."

The winds stirred,

"How far from the truth am I?"

She closed her eyes, "You would do for a very fine psychologist."

"I know."

He smiled with confidence and she simply scribbled on her pad before closing it shut.

"You are right, Adam. At least partially so."

She smiled thinly, "A monster, one known as evil, the ones who need to be slain. Wouldn't it be absolutely incredible if such a monster became the teacher of a hero?"

Adam looked down at the pack of cigarettes before looking back up at Medusa.

"What if I do not become the hero you hoped?"

"Oh. You certainly will. But even if it fails, it will be of no matter. Time is not something I need to worry about, after all."

"I see. Very well. I am willing to have you as my sponsor for now I guess."

She smiled as the two shared a handshake, "You will see Adam. You will soon realize that this was the best decision you could have ever made in your life."

Adam shrugged, "Well, we will see about that in the future."

His brows creased slightly as he thought up on a thing he had forgotten due to the direction their little talk went, "Now, about that exam?"

"You pass."

"That easy?"

"The power of nepotism is great, don't you think so?"

She laughed and stood up from her seat, her height barely reaching half of Adam's,

"I believe new greetings are in order. I was once the fairest maiden of them all. I was once the ugliest monster there was. I rose and became the teacher of many. My name is Medusa and in this generation… I am the 13th Zodiac — Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer."

CH 164: GORGONS

After Adam left Medusa's beach residence, she looked at the beach and the gentle sea rolling with calm waves and closed her eyes quietly. Talking to him had been extremely enjoyable and she had been able to confirm one theory she had.

'I wanted to talk about the events in the Park but I was too excited.'

She had lost control of her emotions and had been too excited. Proposing to mentor and sponsor him after barely meeting him. She would have to build trust between them slowly. After all she had no bad intentions toward him;

[Was it really wise?]

[Sister, you are playing a dangerous game here.]

Two voices resounded in her head, interrupting her thoughts. She sighed at the intrusion and drank the juice Adam had refused to touch. The juice was a concoction she had made quite a bit of effort into making so she was quite a bit sad that he didn't even take a sip of the drink.

"Sisters, It has been a while. I am alright, what about you?"

[...]

[...]

She spoke sarcastically to the two sudden voices that had spoken out, causing them to quiet down before the more mature sounding of the two voices finally spoke up.

[I am sorry. We are just worried about you.]

[You are only 2800 years old. We fear that you will suffer once again.]

Medusa groaned in her mind after hearing their words. She would have never thought that even at her age, she would get mothered like that. At the same time, however, a feeling of warmth spread in her heart at the concern the two voices had shown to her.

"You do know that I am incredibly old for a mortal, right?"

Hisses usually produced by snakes resounded in her ears from the voices in her mind,

[Your current cycle is only a young girl in her Eighteenth year of age!]

[When will you stop this madness and ascend to godhood?]

[Do you understand how sad we are every time you start a new cycle like that?]

[Do you not understand how much we weep every time you start from zero all over again?]

[Stop defying the order of Fate already.]

[Please accept the honor that is rightfully yours.]

"Be honest. You are just tired of dealing with Mother all alone, right?" [1]

[...]

[Ahem… About that…]

She giggled and for once she had the atmosphere of the young girl she currently looked like.

In the end, though, she simply sighed as she shook her head…

"Sisters… Aren't you tired already?"

Her voice was tinged with sorrow.

"Why must we always play the role of the evil monster in this sad reality?

"Why should I and all our siblings be enslaved, killed, or tortured for the sake of the so-called heroes?"

[This is our fate.]

[Great reward awaits us at the end of these struggles.]

"Rewards!?"

She stood up and seethed in rage, her glasses cracked as a light of vengeance shone from her eyes and the surroundings around her slowly changed to stone.

"You mean being given the right of becoming constellations after being slain? Becoming nothing more than some minor gods, only slightly above some spirits that no one would even think of worshipping is our destined reward?"

Her mood changed the weather surrounding her. The waves became violent, the sky clouded over, and a storm seemed to be approaching from the horizon.

[Calm your wrath sister!]

[Your current body cannot handle your powers. Calm yourself, please!]

Medusa's mind was filled with absolute hatred and anger as she breathed harshly repeatedly, fighting tooth and nail to control her increasingly souring mood.

She took a pill and swallowed it down and closed her eyes as she felt the effects slowly work on her and like a lie, everything, even the places and objects changed into stone slowly went back to normal.

"I apologize for this unsightly display. It seems like my hormones are affecting my control over my powers."

Her face was once again emotionless and she adjusted her cracked glasses. This was the part of every new cycle she hated with a passion. Going through puberty every time was such a pain.

[We…]

"Enough, I am tired. Talking to you two takes too much mental strength of me currently."

She started to walk back toward her room. She needed to finish the procedure for Adam's mental scores then she would be able to have a peaceful night of sleep.

"Tell mother to not worry…]

Her voice broke slightly and for an instant, it sounded like one of higher beings.

[Tell her that… This will most likely be the last cycle I go through.]

Her eyes shone with renewed vigor as she remember the young man she had just talked with.

She was unable to gaze into his Fate. This could only mean one thing,

[I Think… That I may have found a new King."

A King beyond anything and everything she had ever hoped to witness with her eyes. The one who may lead them to a different future than their predestined tragedy.

She clenched her fists, excitement rising deep within her. She may be wrong. Perhaps she was looking too much into it.

There had been no new Kings for so long and all the previous Kings were obviously inhuman beings.

But this… If she was right… This would be groundbreaking. A king that could walk between the human and the spiritual world. A supreme being closest to going back to the root of divinity.

The origin of everything.

'And I will have the honor of being one of the first mentors.'

This was a bet like no other. One where she was putting her entire existence on the Scales.

She had already defied Death many times over and lived far longer than any other human had the right to and she knew that the grim reaper, Hades, was sharpening his scythe, waiting for the day he will get hold of her and this might really happen this time around.

Even so… She felt no fear. Her heart was only filled with joy and anticipation.

If she had to die one last time, it would be after flipping the middle finger to all the gods and dying in a blaze of glory.

She would accept nothing else as her final deed before her death.

[1]: Medusa is part of the Gorgons. A group of three sisters. Her sisters are Stheno and Euryale. Her sisters are immortal while Medusa was mortal. Finally, they are the daughters of Echidna, the mother of thousand monsters. Most of the monsters that appear in Greek myths, like Gorgons, Cerberus, Hydra, and so on are her children.

Her husband is Typhoon. A monster created by Gaia that fought against Zeus.

Typhoon was more powerful than all the gods, causing them to flee to Egypt but in the end, he lost and got sealed in a volcano because they were unable to kill him.

CH 165: SIMPLICITY

After Adam finished his test, he had expected some lengthy procedure to follow. Something that would be a complete bore. But the total opposite happened.

After closing the door behind him, he was greeted by Mark in a very respectful way.

"I salute the new Gold Hunter."

"Do you really need to do this?"

"I do. This is how important it is to be a Gold rank. Follow me please, once we make your card it will be sent to you in two days and you will understand what it truly means."

He then smiled, "Before all this…Congratulations. I heard Miss Piaget was a very harsh examiner."

Adam thought about the woman who had been looking at him like she was some super lost treasure and half-heartedly nodded. People showed different faces depending on who they were facing. This was the same for him and for many others people.

He was then brought in a place where they took a new photo of him and even gave him a black card.

"This card allows hunters to buy equipment and potion at a discount. The card has yet to be activated but once it is it will only respond to your Prana. As a Gold Hunter, you have an 80% discount on all sales and even a certain bonus. Your starting gears will be entirely free and the maintenance for all gears you will buy will be forever free."

"Ohh."

Adam looked at the card with wonder.

'Will I even have to use this?'

He had the best blacksmith alongside the apprentice in his home and the best alchemist or at least one very close proposed to become his sponsor.

Still, there was no reason to refuse. He couldn't always count on them. It was better to avoid becoming reliant on anyone else.

"Can I get a divine weapon?"

"God forbid no. But you can eventually buy a semi-divine grade or spiritual weapon with sentience."

Adam looked at the card before thinking of something, "Let me guess…You guys have your own currency."

"Haha…"

Mark gave an embarrassed chuckle, "Few hunters actually choose to work for the association or the Paranormal department. We cannot force hunters to fight outside of Calamity class events. So the only way to entice them to fight is to create a special currency."

Achievement points. They were only transferable at death through a clear will or to the closest family members.

"This was done mainly to make hunters more active and stop the rich family from buying everything. Well…It worked in a way. But…"

He winced a little. At the end of the day, the form of the currency did not matter. Capitalism would always exist where currency existed. Rich hunter families would amass a fortune and even if it was non-transmissible, the one who held the fund could simply pay for everything they needed.

"The good thing is. It's not a resource that can be increased simply by putting it in stock. But once again those guys found a way."

The guild system. Low guild members would have to pay a part of their income from the mission to the guild they were part of. Some would give 10%, some even gave 50-60% to the guild.

The association didn't really act because as long hunters worked out here this was all that mattered. The only law was that the cut could not go above 70%. Mark was sure this rule was only respected by a very few.

"In short, be wary of the guild. When your ID is finally registered, all the hunters at the gold rank will receive a notification as well as your Code name, since your information is private. If a guild somehow finds who you are and tries to…"

Mark stopped and remembered who he was talking to. "Actually…If they learn who Adam is…Would they even dare to disturb him?"

This was a question worth pondering.

'Perhaps I should ask the Director to at least display the affiliation to the Kaminari.'

Mark went into deep thought. Humans were by nature, the most curious. The more something seemed secret, the more they wished to explore and find the answer.

Blackening all of Adam's Data would never stop someone who is truly serious about discovering his identity.

"Anyway once again, congratulations Adam. You will soon receive your hunter card and also the ID connection for the hunter website where you can take missions or bounties and receive achievement points. Any questions?"

"None for now. I will just go home."

"Very well. Let's see each other later at the delivery. I wish you a great day."

—-

Riding the elevator again, Adam looked up in silence,

'You have been oddly quiet.'

[I am analyzing the veracity of Piaget's claim.]

'About her being Medusa?'

[Indeed. This makes no sense. Medusa is not immortal. Be it as a monster or a human she was never immortal. She is at least 2500 years old now. This is something impossible for a human to accomplish. Their very soul would not be able to support the strain.]

'She is a snake, right? What if she simply shed her skin?'

[Shedding….Indeed. This is not impossible. Perhaps a rebirth-type skill? or extreme regeneration?]

'This is the first time I see you so bewildered.'

[While I hold all knowledge I am not omniscient nor all-knowing. Even Eve would not dare to call herself All-Knowing.]

Adam shrugged and walked out of the elevator when the ding sounded.

'Either way, fretting about this will not change the situation at hand. We will need her help in the future.'

Adam looked at the pack of cigarettes in his hand. If Medusa could create something that could even heal the soul, could she make sure to slightly heal his mom at least?

'So many things to think about.'

He went to a restaurant close to the beach and ordered a simple drink with some portions of sea fruit. Being with Medusa on the beach had made him crave for some.

CH 166: SIMPLICITY (2)

Even sitting down, he could feel the stares of people on him and the muttering of a few young girls speaking about how handsome he was and trying to goad each other into talking to him.

He couldn't help but let out a small smile and gently waved his hand at them, causing them to squeal.

Finally, a young woman approached him. She seemed quite shy and rather hesitant. While she wasn't a great beauty, she had a certain cuteness and innocence about her that made him understand that she should be the introvert of the group.

"H-Hi…?"

Adam smiled softly after taking a quiet look at her stats and making sure he was dealing with some centuries-old woman again, "Hello. How may I help you?"

She blushed and stammered a little before taking a deep breath, "I am really sorry for bothering you. My name is Laura."

"Haha, happy to meet you. I am Adam and no, I would never be bothered by someone polite."

He stretched his hand and they shared a handshake. Laura seemed to gain a little more confidence after not being rebuked coldly.

"Would you like to take a seat?"

"Oh? I can?"

"Well, I was going to eat alone so I will be happy to be in charming company."

She hesitated a little and looked at her friends who seemed as surprised as her but then sat face to face with him.

Looking at her more closely, he realized that she was truly a cute girl. She had beautiful long ginger and slightly bushy hair that definitely needed some work but this gave her a certain charm. Added to this were a few freckles and a pair of glasses and Adam felt like he was facing a stereotypical nerd.

Not that he could speak, since this was basically how he looked and acted in the past;

'Thinking about it. It has only been 3 weeks?'

Why did events that were barely one-month-old sound like they were from another time?

"You seem melancholic…Ah."

She seemed to have spoken before even thinking, "And you are very cute." He placed his chin on his hand and chuckled at her reddening face.

"So…Tell me. What brought you to me? Was it out of your own will? Or…?"

He looked at the groups of gals behind and shook his head, "No… Nothing of the sort. It's just…I want to change."

"Oh?"

Laura hesitated before finally shaking her head, "I…I am pretty shy you see. I have a hard time speaking in front of people and this is even more so in front of boys."

She gave a weak smile, refusing to look him directly in the eyes, "I am tired of staying home and crying over what I feel. So I decided today I would give it a try and talk to a complete stranger."

"You are doing pretty well."

"Right? I don't know why…But the moment you talked to me, I began to feel better and less afraid."

'Ah…'

Adam remembered his special skill and gave a bitter smile.

"I guess having a handsome face helps?"

He winked at her and she seemed to cover her face with her hair, causing him to nearly explode in laughter.

He had to admit. Talking with someone he didn't know and who was in no way related to the supernatural or the underworld was helping him calm down a little.

He called the waiters and looked at Laura, "What will you take?"

"Oh! This is alright! I am…"

He shook his head, "I can't really eat alone while you watch. Please choose something."

In the end; she only ordered a simple salad.

"So, tell me, Laura. Now that you went past your challenge, what will you do?"

"I don't know honestly. Talking with you seems so easy. I feel dumb for fearing to do something like this for so long."

"There is nothing dumb about fear, you know?"

"Heh?"

"Not everyone is born courageous and not everyone reacts in the same manner. So don't look down on yourself because you have a hard time doing something others can do easily."

Life was not fair. Some people were born with talents and others were not. Some people had crippling anxiety while others could talk to the whole crowd without even blinking.

But the thing was,

"The fact that you decided to fight your fear and that you actually took the first step to do so makes you more courageous than many people in this world."

There was nothing wrong with being weak. But staying weak was a sin. Those words didn't just pertain to the supernatural world but also to all facets of life.

"No one is born perfect. But as long as you continue to pull efforts in the right place in the right way, then you will eventually reach the place you wish to."

Adam shook his head as he realized what he was doing, "Sorry, you are not a kid. I shouldn't be here and lecturing you like this."

Laura was looking at him with her mouth wide open but she shook her head hurriedly at his words. Moving so fast Adam briefly wondered if she was going to break her neck.

"This was beautiful."

Her eyes seemed a little moist, "I lack confidence in myself so much. I thought I would never change and even coming here, I thought you would tell me to get lost."

She truly looked like she was on the verge of crying. Her friends who had been observing from afar seemed a little surprised and one of them even stood up in a hurry as if they were afraid he was doing something.

"Hi!"

The one who approached was a blonde girl with a blinding smile, "I am sorry. I hope my friend is disturbing you."

Even as she spoke she slowly put herself close to Laura as if she was trying to serve as a screen. Her voice was calm and she did not look like she was making a scene.

Adam smiled when he saw that she was thinking of protecting her and seemed to regret letting her friend come to him.

"Eve, it's alright! Really. He was just giving me a word of encouragement."

"Ah…"

Eve coughed a little and he could see her face flush slightly.

"I am sorry. Truly."

"Why don't you bring your friends if you are worried?"

Like this, Adam found himself surrounded by a group of four women. He soon learned that they were in fact all first-year students at Caltech.

The California Institute of Technology was a private research institution located in Pasadena, California. This was also one of the best universities in Los Angeles for international students in science and engineering and only slightly below his own universities.

It didn't take long for Adam to realize that he was surrounded by a bunch of nerdy girls and when they realized that Adam was nearly as much a nerd as them, the conversation became even more enjoyable for all sides.

The talk slowly entered the more technical territory and Adam was in the end forced to bow out and admit defeat in front of their overwhelming might.

It was simple and honestly nothing more than mindless discussion. But this was something that made Adam feel more relaxed.

In the end, he left with four more numbers on his phone and a promise to catch up later.

CH 167: MISSION AND LIBRARY

Adam was sitting on a bench and feeding the birds when a red-haired girl wearing a suit, black pants, and a pair of black gloves approached him.

"You are late."

Adam looked up and gave her a wane smile, "I know. But I was in a charming company when Yui suddenly messaged me."

He didn't hide the innuendo in his words. Clearly, she was being much less charming company.

Nikola simply shrugged and sat next to him. She made sure to keep some distance between them and started to tap on her phone, imputing a code. Only then did she take out a small case with a pair of glasses in them?

"How secure are we?"

Adam looked up and gently moved his finger, twisting gravity all around him to stop the sounds from spreading,

"They will be unable to hear us and for anyone looking we will just look like we are seating and minding our own business."

Nikola grunted a little. She had to admit that this particular power was impressive no matter how many times she witnessed it.

'He is truly dangerous.'

While she was wary of Adam, she held no particular hatred against him. She knew that Adam had officially accepted to join the gang. This means that from now on, the two of them were truly working comrades rather than the earlier ambiguous position Adam had in the organization.

"Take this."

"And this is?"

Adam looked at a pair of glasses with curiosity. He didn't need to adjust his eyesight and from the small amount of Prana he could feel from this, it was clearly not normal.

"This is a special gadget that we commissioned. The model is pretty old since it's military-grade but it will do for now."

Obtaining those had not been easy. But there was always a way in the market. Adam equipped them after inspecting them and making sure that there was no problem and the result astounded him.

"This..."

After blinking rapidly a blue flashing light covered his vision before slowly, a blue screen started to flood the glasses.

A loading screen took away his vision before being replaced by a large number of files.

On the side he could see the picture of a man, it was an ordinary white man who seemed like a normal middle-aged man that could be seen everywhere.

"This is Eric, he is also called Big Eric. He is the leader of one of the gangs under us."

Adam nodded as he read the bio of the man. It was extremely detailed, going from his past to his present, passing by the number of children he had and where they were hiding as well as many secrets.

"So, why I am looking at the picture of this man?"

"You should have an inkling."

"Elimination?"

"Not quite."

Nikola leaned backward and looked up at the sky, "Extermination. Big Eric seems to have eyes bigger than his stomach. He has been divulging small information to our concurrency until now."

She laughed quietly, "In the past, we didn't mind and in fact even fed him some false information to help mislead them. But he went a step too far..."

"So now it's time to cut him and his gang?"

"Pretty much. It was judged that we needed to make an example to avoid such a phenomenon ever. At least 25% of the group betrayed us out of their free will. We need to weed them out and make clear to the others that betrayal means death."

Nikola ground her teeth slightly. For her, Yui was no different from her lord and savior. Yui saved her from a life of servitude in the hands of the organization she was once part of.

Adam looked quietly at the name of Eric as well as the information about his subordinates. If he followed this mission, this would be the first time he would truly kill someone who he had no grudge or no reason to kill.

'Did this go against my conscience?'

Adam took out the pack and took out a cigarette.

"Can I use one?"

"Be my guest."

Adam grinned and the spark between his fingers was all he needed to light it up.

'Oh?'

He had expected many things. But this was truly not something that came even close to what Mammoth once gave him.

He did not cough nor feel like he was lacking. In fact, he felt better than ever before. Not only did his mind feel sharper but,

'It has grown?'

It was only a few centimeters but he could distinctly feel like his domain was growing and more than anything, the amount of information he was able to compute increased greatly.

'I need to use those during combat.'

He knew that this would be a game-changer if he used those things while fighting. This would make everything far easier for him.

Now that his mind was calmer, he started to realize that he actually did not care much about death. Even if he was forced to be the executor.

'This is the choice I made.'

Yui was a kind woman in front of him, but this did not mean this was her whole nature. Humans were beings with a hundred masks and would wear one depending on who they were facing.

The greatest killer might be a kind father.

Yui was a criminal and she was not some small-time criminal but someone with a great deal of influence. The number of crimes under her name were countless and the blood on her hand could never be washed away even if she bathed for years.

Until now, Adam had been more of a bystander or simply a passerby. He dipped his toes in her world without ever fully committing.

But once he took this mission, there would be no going back. He would never be able to hide under the veil of innocence or self-defense and revenge. This would be true calculated murder.

Adam breathed in deeply and looked languidly at the sky before releasing the smoke in the air.

'The choice was more than evident.'

"When is the operation?"

"We move tonight after midnight."

"I see..." Adam shook his head to which Nikola frowned, "You refuse?"

"I accept the mission. I just will not do it with you guys."

He stood up and adjusted the pair of glasses, "Send all the information in this gadget and tell Yui that I will do it alone. You guys can follow for the clean up."

"You!"

Nikola stood up in surprise but could only curse when Adam vanished from her vision. She knew that he was using his illusion trick again.

But there was nothing she could do but stamp her feet in frustration before sighing. Taking her phone, she imputed Yui's number.

"Boss. We have an issue."

[What is the matter?]

"Adam accepted to participate in the mission."

[I can sense a but...]

"But he decided to do it alone."

On the other side, Yui stayed silent as she heard this and closed her eyes. If she had to be honest. This had been a test from her and she had hoped he would fail.

This was in a way the last out she had given him. But since Adam made his decision and stuck with it, then she would stop treating him like a child that needed to be coddled.

She closed her eyes and thought for a while.

"Very well. Call all the members of the Garden. I think it's time for all of you guys and even for me to see him at work."

In the underworld, might make right. This was even more so when the supernatural was concerned.

Adam had no reputation as a criminal and this might bring some problems later on in the organization even if he was technically a founding member.

As such,

'He just has to amaze all of them.'

She had felt with her instincts, but Adam was very strong and he would make sure they would understand this.

This was the best time to confirm once again her eye for talent.

Meanwhile, after leaving Nikola alone, Adam walked aimlessly until he reached a hotel. It was a rather high-level-looking one. But with the money he had received from Yui, he could easily afford to stay here for some time, much less simply a night.

As expected of a high-class hotel, the lobby was top notch and while they were a little hesitant at first, they didn't hesitate to give him a beautiful suit after he showed he could pay for it.

He also didn't miss the way the receptionist looked at him. The invitation was so clear that he could understand it even without her speaking.

Adam nodded at her and made a sign that he would call her later. Having some meaningless fun with a beautiful and sexy woman was something worth thinking about later.

Now though, he had to focus.

Taking out his phone, he briefly talked to Cecilia and told her how he passed the test and succeeded. There were many things he wanted to say but he couldn't talk about such sensitive issues on a phone.

"I will be sleeping outside tonight Mom. We can celebrate my success tomorrow."

Cecilia hesitated for a moment before finally sighing, "You are not a kid anymore. I understand. Do what you believe you have to do."

Adam smiled quietly and extinguished the cigarette.

"I will. Thanks."

He stopped the call and went ahead to take a shower before going back to lying down on the bed.

It was barely afternoon so he still had a long time. He closed his eyes slowly and thought.

'I wish to enter the Bronze section of the library.'

He would make sure that once he came back, he would be even stronger.

CH 168: WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU

A beautiful silver-haired woman, wrapped in a holy halo, waved her hand toward him while focusing on her work.

"Hi! I am happy to see you again, Adam…"

When Adam opened his eyes, he found himself in the immense library, that seemed to stretch on and on limitlessly, once more. It was becoming a familiar sight at this point. A sight he found welcoming as it sparked the advent of his growth.

This time, unlike his previous visit, however, Eve could be seen working as she was putting the books in the bookshelves pertaining to a certain order. She was floating quietly in the air, while a multitude of books surrounded her floating in the same way as her, waiting to be put in their respective places. She seemed to be busy at the moment, as even the brief welcome she had sent her way seemed to be made in haste.

"Have I come at a bad time?"

He approached her slightly only to be surprised when she floated directly above him. Instinctively, Adam looked up but he was startled to realize that no matter from what angle he looked at her, something seemed to be blocking his vision.

"Don't waste your time. I am the first living being to have ever felt shame. This is almost like a concept of divinity for me."

Adam shrugged his shoulders, "I wouldn't have tried to look if you hadn't shown up right above me though."

"Heh…"

She chuckled quietly and continued to arrange the books one by one until finally.

"Phew! It's all done."

She wiped some imaginary sweat from her brows before slowly descending beside him. Her naked dainty feet touched the group and Eve looked at him with curiosity.

"You have grown quite a bit. How long has it been since your last visit?"

"One week."

"Oh my..."

Eve looked at the few remaining books on her end and snapped her finger as they all started to enter the specific places they were assigned to almost immediately.

"Now, tell me what happened for you to grow so much…"

She had only been playing around to waste some time till now. Even though animes were fun and she technically had an infinite number of them. She still needed some rest and cleaning up was a good way of having some relaxation time for herself.

Adam was guided to a table where she sat down and waited for him to join her.

As he retold the story he could see Eve's eyes twinkling with undisguised interest.

She widened her eyes when he reached some parts, expressing faint sorrow, joy, sadness, and so many other emotions that were so different from her usual self.

In the end, she gently patted him on the back and said with a soothing smile on her lips, "You really did a good job."

She then spoke in a soft tone, "Also, I am happy you were able to analyze Asmodeus's Dream concept. It may not look like much right now, but this is without a doubt, one of the most powerful concepts to ever exist. And you will soon know why once you unlock the true limits of the power."

"Is it really that big of a deal? In the end, a dream is just a dream."

Eve smiled at his nonchalant dismissal of the concept, "A dream can also be reality and reality could most definitely be just a dream. You said that you lived an entire life in a dream, right? But who said it couldn't simply be another reality that you witnessed of your alternate self?"

She clapped her hands and stood up with spring in her steps, "At the highest level attainable of this path, it's possible to affect the physical world through dream manipulation and even create an entire dream universe through that power."

She came back with a book. It was a beautiful black and gold-covered book with the name, [The Blind Idiot].

"This is the Introduction to the Dreamscape. The author is… Well, someone really nasty. But he understands Dreams better than anyone else since he is acquainted with the Oldest Dream, the biggest dreamer to ever exist. You cannot enter yet and in fact, you should never enter it before being able to condense a true dream in your soul world. Otherwise, you will become crazy, and since you are immortal… Yeah, let's not mention the consequences…"

He took the book carefully and with bated breaths, "Is this something that should be in the Bronze section?"

He said so and looked at the small sparks that were affecting Eve right now. He already knew a little more about the Storm of Causality and knew that this limited powerful entities like her greatly.

"Hehe. Since you already have the pass to the Silver section, I was able to cheat a bit. Take this as a gift. Let Genesis analyze it. If you read it here, it will consume all the time you have very fast and you will be unable to train your other powers."

He shook his head in bewilderment, "You are like a grandma who gives gifts every time your grandkids visit."

"I mean… I am your grandmother, though. Am I not?"

Adam closed his mouth but Eve chuckled and placed a hand on his head, affection brimming in her eyes, "You are my cutest grandchild out of all the ones that have managed to visit this place. So I have to work hard to pamper you."

She then stood up and stretched her body slightly, "Well, I guess I will leave you alone to study. I will tidy up this place a bit, in the meantime."

Adam sighed as he watched her walk away. There were many questions that he wanted to ask her. Questions he never truly took the time to ask. Question about Eve herself.

Holding the book in his hand, he realized that despite everything she had given him until now, whenever he visited, it was all about him. There was nothing he was able to discover about her.

Eve may have had a hand in preparing his awakening but she was not the one who stuck a hand in his heart.

'If I go by my standards from last time… I should be able to stay for six months here at least, right?'

If he used his time well, he could perhaps read a little more about gravity or even Dreams and so much more. He could even perhaps learn about Death.

But, he did not know how much time all this would cost him. As such, rather than simply reading and trying to decipher things by himself… Perhaps it was time for him to have a proper discussion with her.

"Should we watch some anime?"

Eve, who had been on the verge of vanishing in the distance, turned her head to look at Adam with surprise. Adam had come enough times here by now to understand just how precious the seconds he wasted here could be.

Like him, whenever anyone entered this place, they would be busy using each and every second very carefully and would barely acknowledge her existence as long as it wasn't necessary for them to learn something from her.

The only one who would occasionally talk to her was Lilith when she wasn't busy plotting to try and steal a few books from the library.

"Are you sure?"

She hesitated slightly. Eve may have tried to keep it tame. But she was truly happy whenever Adam visited her like this. His constant visits had helped him put an end to the monotony of her existence.

This was why she fell in love with those so-called animes and mangas. This was a way for her to escape her prison even if it was only an illusion she cast on herself.

"I am." Adam shrugged and walked towards her, "So, I am not really a fan of anime, you see. So, what do you propose we watch?"

She looked at him with bewilderment then a gentle light of joy shone in her eyes as she clapped her hands.

"Let's start with something old school."

Her eyes twinkled at the thought that she had finally had someone she could watch and share her new passion with and Adam simply gave her a simple grin.

Be it here or in the real world, he had always walked like he was being chased by something.

He could rest a little now, right?