While Adam steadily moved through the forest and was on the lookout for danger, many parents and guardians were on the edge of their seats. They had watched as their kids faced dangers they had never encountered before.
Several applicants had already been eliminated in the first few hours, instructors intervening when things went out of hand. Some had gotten injured during the fall, affecting their progress in the trial.
And very few could go toe-to-toe with the beasts roaming the wilderness without sustaining heavy injuries. Whenever an applicant got eliminated, their parents or guardians would step out of the hall.
The academy had never mentioned that most of the beasts would be at a higher level than the applicants themselves. Only a few among the applicants were lucky to have encountered no beasts. They were transported to regions with very little beast activity.
Adam was one of the lucky few who had not run into any beasts. Even so, Jonathan had been anxious since the second trial began. When Adam approached the girl who had been battling the emerald viper, Jon had almost yelled at Adam through the screen.
Naturally, he wanted his son to do well. The trial said to only survive and not seek out dangers. At the same time, he could also understand what Adam was thinking. This was one of the reasons he brought him here. The boy had never had a real challenge before. The trial was a perfect stage to test and temper himself.
But survival could be interpreted in many ways. For some, it meant establishing dominance; for others, it meant avoiding avoidable dangers. Survival came in many forms, and it was up to the applicants to determine which path they took.
But just because he wanted his son to temper himself did not rid him of the worry clawing at his chest. He never thought he would feel this way seeing his son wander the wilderness.
Many applicants had chosen to join forces, while others chose to move alone. Anyone observant enough could see that those who had absolute confidence in their ability to survive on their own chose to move alone.
From what he had watched so far, he could tell Adam was actually on the lookout for a beast to fight. His anxiety was at an all-time high as he watched Adam scout the surroundings, checking for footprints and tracks.
’This boy will be the death of me.’ He thought anxiously, his hands clenching the sides of the tablet. ’And his wish is about to come true.’
Several meters away from Adam’s position was a gorilla territory many students had avoided like the plague. Few had actually tried to fight, only to be eliminated when they failed to withstand the blows of the alpha.
Because of the disturbances the gorillas had to deal with in the last few hours, they had become guarded, fiercely protecting and attacking anything that came too close to the group.
***
As Adam journeyed through the forest in ’search’ of a place to rest as night drew closer, he picked up the angry roars of some beasts in the distance. He knew there was no reason to actively approach, but he couldn’t help himself.
He had been itching to test himself since he watched that grey-haired girl battle that emerald viper. With a burning desire for battle in his heart, he cautiously approached.
Despite moving around for so long, he was barely out of breath. Whatever stamina he lost got recovered so quickly that he might as well not have expended anything. He made a mental note to test his limits when he got the chance.
As he approached, he recalled some of the things he had read about evolved animals. But unlike humans, beasts only awakened abilities when they got to the third realm. This gave him the confidence to challenge the beasts in this forest without worrying about unexpected abilities.
His physical strength should be more than enough to deal with them.
Right as Adam walked past a thicket of bushes, an angry roar froze him in place. Before him was a small clearing with a band of gorillas. At the forefront was a massive nine-foot-tall silverback growling at Adam.
Adam did not immediately move, first taking in everything. His heart thumped against his chest as he debated his decision. He initially thought he had been paralysed by fear; that his decision was rash. But as the seconds passed, he realised that it wasn’t fear that was stopping him; it was excitement.
’There’s something wrong with me, isn’t it?’ Adam thought with a small grin, observing and analysing the silverback’s actions and movements. ’A sensible person should be retreating. Yet here I am feeling excited.’
Despite the massive silverback growling and moving back and forth in an attempt to drive the intruder away, Adam slowly closed in as he left his backpack behind. The subtle grin on his face slowly disappeared as the silverback roared one final time and charged at him.
’Fast!’
Faster than Adam had imagined, the silverback reached him and raised its massive arms to deliver a devastating blow. With an enraged roar, the two arms fell like twin warhammers. Any other applicant facing those arms would most certainly not come out unscathed.
Because the silverback was almost at the peak of the first realm!
The silverback was a lot bigger than Adam’s frame; heavier even. When it crossed that short distance separating them, its shadow and presence fell on Adam like judgement. The most likely response would have been shock and fear, but Adam grinned instead!
The instructor hidden from view had nearly interfered, shocked by what she witnessed. Realising that the boy had it handled, she disappeared once more. She had wondered what Adam had been thinking about going against the hostile gorilla. But as things stood, the boy had the power to challenge the beast.
Adam stood his ground and widened his stance, catching the falling arms and stopping them in their tracks. The ground beneath him sank on impact, a small breeze blasting outwards.
’Such power...’ Adam’s eyes slowly widened, beholding the beast before him. But just as quickly as the shock came, it got replaced with another grin. ’This... this is perfect!’
He had found his very first match!
His Unique Skill was already in effect, having already analysed the beast’s strengths and weaknesses. The silverback was almost too easy to read. But Adam was not interested in ending the fight so quickly.
’A bit of fun wouldn’t hurt anyone, right?’
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