While Others Evolved, I Understood Reality

Adam and April did not waste time by the stream. Neither of them was worried about microbes in the water. Their immune systems were far more powerful than most microbes could withstand.

And although microbes had also evolved over the years, they were no match for the biology of awakened humans. Sicknesses caused by microbes were not as common as in the old civilisation. Unless, of course, the microbes were modified in some way.

They soon reached the base of the mountain cliff. Adam stopped and looked up, then glanced at the setting sun. For the most part, the survival trial was not as challenging as he had thought.

He had initially thought the wilderness would be teeming with feral beasts and unseen dangers. ’What did I expect when this wilderness is part of the academy lands?’

As the thought came, he quickly realised something. He was becoming more drawn to situations that would push him. It was like he was constantly expecting something to attack him.

’This couldn’t be the doing of my physique, right?’ Adam quietly wondered.

"Is everything alright?" April asked, pulling Adam out of his thoughts.

The girl had noticed Adam staring at the disappearing sun, lost in thought. Although curious, they were not close enough for her to ask anything too sensitive.

"Eh, yeah," Adam replied, turning to face the cliff. "Let’s go."

Fortunately for the two, the cliff was not too steep. The rocks provided enough grip for them to hold on to as they climbed. It was Adam’s first time climbing, but it felt natural to him, like he had always known how to rock climb.

He glanced downwards to see April keeping up. The girl did not appear to be struggling, a good sign she was just as capable.

"You seem to be a natural at this." April suddenly commented. "Is this some kind of hobby you enjoy?"

"Not really," Adam answered as he returned his gaze upwards, deciding which protrusion to hold on to next. "I’m just good at a great many things."

"Oo... Is that a humble brag I’m hearing?" April smiled knowingly. She quickly caught up with Adam’s eye level and paused. "I didn’t think you were that kind of person."

"You’re right about that. I’m not." Adam said as he continued. "And I could say the same thing about you. Besides, this is the entire point of evolution; to become better than we previously were."

"Hehe. That’s one way to put it."

The two continued climbing, soon reaching the halfway point. Adam looked down once more, feeling the cold wind whipping past him. Never had he thought he would be so daring as to rock climb with nothing but his hands and feet.

Kree...!

A few minutes before the sun disappeared, the cry of a flying beast echoed across the valley. Adam and April froze immediately, quickly turning their heads around to look.

"Oh, no."

The colour on April’s face drained the moment she spotted the flying creature approaching them. It appeared small in the distance, but it was quickly getting bigger. The two were practically sitting ducks glued to the side of the mountain! Defending against a beast at their current height would be suicide!

She expected to see a frightened Adam. But when she looked over, Adam’s expression remained mostly calm. There was a slight frown on his face, but other than that, nothing. Was he not worried? Was he that confident? Had she teamed up with an overconfident fool?!

"What are you doing?! We need to get moving!" April’s panicked voice snapped Adam out of his thoughts.

He looked at her for a moment and then at the surroundings. Quickly, he spotted a tiny grotto on the cliff not too far away from April.

"Get ready!"

Before April could make sense of what he said, Adam swiftly shifted to her side. He moved so cleanly that it looked like he had the assurance of climbing gear.

"Ah!"

Adam grabbed April around the waist like she weighed nothing, and with his left hand, pulled himself towards the grotto. The two became airborne for a moment before Adam threw April towards the small opening.

April had momentarily thought they were doomed until she saw the small opening herself. She quickly rolled to minimise her fall, but still crushed into the end of the opening. Ignoring the pain that shot through her body, she quickly dragged herself to see Adam perched slightly above the grotto, staring at the incoming beast.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" April yelled through the strong winds.

Kree...!

The cry of the approaching beast became louder as the beast got closer. Perched on the side of the cliff with his left hand gripping a rock, Adam faced the beast with a piercing gaze.

From the moment he heard the beast’s cry, his heart had been thumping vigorously. And once again, instead of feeling dread, he felt excited. Maybe both. He wasn’t sure. Regardless, he found himself eager to face it.

He wasn’t worried about falling to his death, since he had the wind element at his disposal. And because he had barely used any Spark since the start of the trial, he was brimming with essence.

Adam tuned out April’s voice as the beast rapidly closed in on him. The beast seemed to be focused on him, which was perfect. When it got close enough, Adam was able to make out its features.

It was a massive grey-white raptor; a peregrine falcon to be specific. The falcon screeched as it pointed its sharp clawed feet at Adam. The claws came at him like a missile, fast and deadly.

Hidden nearby was the instructor who had appeared the moment he spotted the falcon approaching the two applicants. He was ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.

But as he looked at Adam’s ready state, he wondered if the boy was insane. The speed at which those claws were coming at the boy would tear him apart. His eyes suddenly widened when he received a command not to intervene.

Although conflicted, the instructor made the decision to step in. There was no way the boy could come out of that attack unscathed. However, before he could even move, the boy did the unthinkable.

Right before the claws of the falcon could tear through him, the boy flickered out of the way, executing a movement technique that repositioned him right above the falcon.

The falcon’s claws crushed into the cliff, shattering the rocks like glass. But the target was long gone. Appearing above the falcon with an excited grin, Adam delivered a bone-crushing axe kick to the head of the falcon.

The crushing blow echoed like thunder across the windy cliffside. With an agonising screech, the falcon fell towards the valley, crushing into the rocks as it fell.

Adam fell back onto the cliff and stumbled a bit before stabilising his grip once more, a few rocks hitting him in the process. But he had no injuries to speak of. His body was just that durable.

Silence returned to the mountainside as both April and the hidden instructor looked on in absolute shock. The entire sequence of events had lasted barely five seconds!

Finally, April found her voice and yelled at Adam, "Are you crazy?!"

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