Chapter 78: A Test

Adam was only a few kilometres away from town. Just a few more minutes and he would be there.

’Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!’

But he was running out of Spark, his breathing slightly ragged. His body was nearly overspent. Anxiety and desperation clawed at him. Adam didn’t want to be captured again.

Despite using the skill, Vital Pulse, the burden of stacking so many skills at once was not easily cleared. To make matters worse, one of the third realm assassins was on his tail!

And the fact that the assassin hadn’t made a move against him hadn’t escaped his notice. Unfortunately, he was not in a state of mind to ponder the strange situation; their vague intentions toward him were seriously stressing him out.

’Almost there.’

The town of Ashvale soon came into view. But it was still a way away.

Adam looked over his shoulder, and his heart sank. The assassin had suddenly increased their speed for whatever reason and was closing in faster than before. With his Spark levels running so low, he could not use his enhancement skills.

Reaching the edge of a small hill that led to a road leading into town, Adam did not hesitate and jumped. Moments after he crossed out of the tree lines into the open, he felt a force wrap around his body and forcefully yank him backwards.

"Ugh!"

Adam violently crashed into the ground, the air getting knocked out of him. He skidded across the ground and slammed into the base of a tree. He let out a couple of coughs, his breathing heavy. Before he could recover even a little, the assassin landed before him with a thud, his presence casting a shadow over him.

"Boy... You’re a real mystery, aren’t you?"

The assassin spoke, his voice muddled by the helmet-like mask he wore. He looked at Adam’s squirming form for a while and added, "To defeat three of our most talented rookies is very impressive."

"W-What do you want?!"Adam demanded, his voice hoarse with pain and bitterness.

"Ugh!"

His response was a kick to the gut, slamming him into the tree once more. But the assassin wasn’t done. The force that had pulled him back once again wrapped around him, tossing him aside like a ragdoll.

Crack!

Another groan escaped Adam as he crashed into another tree, a few ribs breaking as a result. The assassin didn’t stop, his telekinetic force dragging Adam across the woods like a helpless toy.

"We might not be here to kill you, but we’re sure as hell allowed to do this much!" the assassin yelled. His actions were payback for what Adam did to the second-realm rookies.

Tree after tree, he tortured Adam’s body, breaking bone after bone. Adam’s agonising cries echoed across the silent forest, the despondency of his situation reminding him of what he had endured during his capture.

"Ugh..."

The assassin finally let go of Adam, his broken and battered body falling to the ground with a thud. Blood dripped from his head and the several cuts he had received, his broken bones tearing him from the inside out with agony.

"You would have been a nice addition to our organisation." The assassin said, slowly approaching Adam. "Too bad someone we can’t afford to go against is interested in you."

The assassin forcefully grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head. Adam’s face was covered in blood, his gaze unfocused. He was barely holding on to his consciousness. Even his unique physique could not restore him to peak physical state.

"W-Why...?"

Adam could not understand it. How many times had he asked himself that question? How many times must he endure this kind of torture? Just what exactly did they want from him?

He was tired.

"Hehe. You’re still asking, huh?" The assassin chuckled. "Well, there’s no harm in telling you. Your secret admirer wished to test your true capabilities. They want to know just how talented you truly are, to see if you’re worthy. As for why or what they intend to do with you. Well, that’s their business."

Despite his broken state, despite the agony tearing through his body, Adam focused on every word the assassin spoke. Someone was truly after him for reasons he could not fathom.

"But I have to say..." the assassin continued. "...their interest isn’t as crazy as we initially thought. You awakened about a month ago, and you’re already toying with peak second realm awakeners, not to mention that frightening intellect of yours. You’re the whole package."

The assassin pushed his head into the ground, standing up.

"Magic_Hands. We’re leaving."

Adam heard another muddled voice through the fog clouding his senses and consciousness. But he was too exhausted to care. With the assassin already making it clear their mission was to test him, he understood that his life wasn’t in any real danger.

That did not take the pain nor the anguish away.

Regardless, the things the assassin said were terrifying. He was on someone’s radar; someone he didn’t know. A powerful person or group somewhere was watching his every move. Whatever suspicions they had about him drove them to send assassins his way.

"What of the boss?"

"He’s throwing that captain off our tail." The second assassin replied. "The rookies have already been taken. Let’s move."

"Copy that."

The assassin approached Adam, ominously standing over him. Feeling the gaze, Adam strained to look up, wondering what the assassin wanted this time around. They had gotten whatever data they wanted from him, and he had delivered meticulously.

"We might one day cross paths again ... Too bad you won’t recognise any of us." The assassin said, unaware Adam had seen all their faces. "Night night, kid. You’ve earned it."

A heavy blow to the head knocked Adam out cold.

The assassin then grabbed him and tossed him over his shoulder like a potato sack, uncaring for his injuries. With that, the two third realm assassins dashed through the woods, making their way back to town.

Their mission was to test Adam, not to kill him. Leaving him in the woods would defeat that purpose. There was a lot of money involved, after all. Once they dropped him off in town and reported their findings, their mission would be complete.