RELIA'S POV
Adam was a true prodigy child, something I've never seen before. The monks respected him greatly, even if they didn't like his attitude problems. When I explained to them that his mother died, all of them gained sympathy for the young genius.
To possess such a level of power at only 12 years old is unprecedented. He beat Yasu with only his strength alone, overcoming his physical force absorption. As Yasu was the strongest monk, everyone started fearing the emerald eyed kid that trained in their temple regularly.
They would've tried to throw him out if the elder didn't tell them to leave him be.
He said that Adam has the largest potential he's ever seen. Classifying him in the same category as the Sword Saint of Emperia, I knew he was special.
Even though he is insanely gifted, the boy obviously went through Hell and beyond to achieve his current strength. His unyielding persona wasn't just made because he's stubborn—even though he likes to be. His toughness was carved into him, sculpting him into the mighty rebel he's become.
"Yasu, you and Chenxing should fight me in unison," Adam commands, provoking them into attacking him.
Even though he is so young, he radiates a commanding aura that befits... a king I daresay. I guess that might be derived from his lineage, since he's an orphaned prince. I couldn't imagine him as a prince in some palace, being spoiled by servants. The only thing connecting him to that life is his leadership personality, along with his good looks. If he was a few years older, I might've seen him in a different light...
When I talked to Yasu and the others one on one, I managed to sniff out their true look on Adam. Sprinkled through the insults and grumbling were admiration and gratitude. They were grateful for his presence, as all of them progressed during this week more than they have during the last 3 years.
Even though they hated to admit it, he had an astoundingly profound influence on their lives, in only a week's time.
-
On the 7th night he was here, something woke me from my dreams. A low base sound vibrating from outside of the temple. I slowly exited the temple, looking around for any new visitors. It was rare for someone to become a new learner here. Before Adam, 2 years passed since we got a new member.
As I rubbed my eyes and peered around a corner, I audibly gasped.
Adam was training, as the space around his glowing purple and blue hands warped. He was using the
The elder has trained for a hundred years in order to perfect it, under the teachings of his own master, a person that sparred against one of the seven Rulers, the previous kings and queens of Eviansis' regions. The
"Wow!" I awed in amazement, not believing my eyes.
Adam turned to me, smiling while maintaining his technique. "What do you think? Pretty neat, huh? I have to commend your elder on mastering this technique, since it's very complex."
"Those words wouldn't carry any honesty. Look at you, this was like a walk in the park," I shake my head, still marveling his brilliance.
He smiles and continues his training, while I watch him. I enjoyed his performance for the next 2 hours, not a single word escaping my mouth.
-
I couldn't sleep, as I knew what would await me the next morning.
Adam pounded on the temple's barrier, calling for the elder.
Yasu sighed in annoyance, trying to discourage Adam from calling the elder.
"He isn't gonna respond you impudent—"
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The barrier buzzed as the elder walked in, his face showing that he was amused.
I hadn't seen that expression on him during my whole lifetime. Hell, I've never seen any other expression except his deadpan one which he carries every day. I would see the elder every month or so, as he would check upon the monks, giving a hint of advice every now and then.
"Did you discover something, young one?"
"I did, in fact," Adam proudly states, raising his aura and revealing the techniques he's been honing during this week.
His hands glowed blue and purple while warping space around them. With a parabolic swing, he launched the elder to the right side of the barrier. The elder hadn't sustained any damage from that hit, but his smile spoke of Adam's progress.
Yasu's mouth opened wide, loosely hanging in sheer disbelief. The other monks had similar expressions of stupefaction, many of them rubbing their eyes to check if they are dreaming.
The elder spun his hands slowly, activating the
"Even using your legs... truly astounding," the elder praises.
They seemed to be on equal ground, when the elder joined his hands together, intertwining his fingers. Adam carefully stood there, prepared for whatever the elder decides to throw at him.
The elder opened his hands with the palms facing Adam. In a split second, Adam was repelled like last time, smashing into the dome. The runes glowed brightly as a wave dispersed the force.
"Seems like there's more to your martial arts than our previous fight entailed," Adam notes, grabbing his chest.
"The abilities of this art are plentiful, as you'll find out," the elder preaches, approaching Adam slowly.
They were both about to take their next step, when their bodies disappeared from their standing positions, vanishing into thin air.
"What!?" I audibly gasped.
I had to cover my head because of the ensuing shockwave that rumbled the temple. Their closed fists were joined together, presumably from matching their punch timing to one another.
"Sly old man! How are you not hurt?" Adam asks, retrieving his hand.
"You have to access your soul to be at my level. Your power is impressive, but you'll never reach the heights you desire unless your soul is in the right place."
"My soul... this martial art can touch the soul and the spirit. What do you mean by my soul being in 'the right place'?" Adam inquires, not understanding the cryptic message the elder is trying to convey.
The elder giggles mysteriously, releasing his
"When your soul reaches a homeostasis with the body, you will rediscover what it means to use mana and your body."
After those words, he unleashes his true power, revealing a manapool the size of 3 overflowing barrels.
The other monks walk away along with myself, as the aura pressure he exerts is too great for us to be in its proximity.
The elder limits his aura to Adam, but the leakage is enough to cause a headache and put pressure on our bodies.
A smile curls up on Adam's face, revealing his fascination for the strong.
"Ha! You'd give my old teacher a run for his money."
The elder pulls Adam with an unseen force, like a strong magnet attracting iron.
Once Adam reaches the designated distance, the elder bashes him into the ground, splitting the beautiful garden and creating a strong earthquake that almost disables the dome. The broken garden had a net of crevasses, cut deeply into the ground.
"That will be all for today. Relia, once the young man awakes, tells him to use the
I honestly couldn't believe Adam hadn't died from the initial force that the elder struck him with. He only had a few broken ribs and blood leaking from his arms.
This was inconceivable, Adam managed to block the elder's punch, even though it happened so quickly and violently. He was unconscious, yet his arms were still held up in the air, with lingering magic in the form of the elder's martial arts.
Just who is this kid?
-
Once Adam regained his senses, I told him of what the elder demanded. I perked my ears up, impatient for his view on the fight.
What will this kid comment after witnessing the elder's full power, something I've witnessed for the first time along with him? Will he complain about the pain, will he be too overwhelmed by the elder's strength? Is there a possibility he'll turn into a monk after seeing the elder's greatness first hand?
Adam opens his mouth while icing his arm. "Alright."
"Uhh... What do you mean 'alright?'" I ask, puzzled by his simple answer.
Adam throws the ice away, resting a palm on his chest. "I'm starting the training."
"What?? You can't start training already! Your wounds didn't even start to heal themselves!" I reason.
"I learnt healing magic while in search of this place," he states, continuing with the search for his soul.
I can't believe this kid. His stubbornness comes handy since his spirit is relentless, but there has to be a limit. This boy knows no bounds, turning towards training after being awoken from a knockout that could shatter a moon in a higher dimension.
"Do you know how hard you were hit??" I ask Adam, trying to convince him into resting for at least a bit longer.
"If we calculate his power in a dimension like Heaven, he could divide continents with that punch, I'm well aware. Thankfully, I only suffered a single percent of that force, since he pulled his punch. His aura is incredible, but he went easy on me."
I shake my head in sheer disbelief.
"How the hell could you call that going easy? I'm surprised you didn't die! He exerted his full aura during that strike."
"That old fool is a showoff. He seemed like he was using all of that grandiose manapool, but it was only a fraction of it."
"W-what? But what would've happened if he used all of it??" I stutter in fear.
Adam looks into the sky while inhaling deeply. "As you could guess, it would probably be enough to destroy Emperia probably. The major cities have hardcore protective barriers, but the other towns and the desert lands would receive a blast that would swallow anything alive and turn it into... deserted land I guess. Not that tragic now that I think about it," Adam jokes.
How can he face such a devastating fact and joke about it? Does he miss the center for fear in his brain?