Chapter 98: Report

Adam spent several long minutes waiting for the headache to subside. He staggered forward and collapsed on his back, leaning against a wall.

’Practising the individual forces and actually using the combined form in a fight is a lot harder than it looks.’

Although his body was recovering, his headache seemed persistent, impossible to ignore.

As he sat there, his mind wandered back to the field, a small smile tugging at his lips. That seamless speed and power were exhilarating. He would do it again even if it meant he would suffer from the mental strain.

"Hehe. Those bastards better watch their backs, cuz I’ll be coming for them." He muttered confidently.

The distant roaring of several patrol vehicles resounded, drawing Adam’s attention. "The response team is finally on the move, huh? What a bunch of slowpokes."

He was not impressed. Had he been weak and incapable of surviving, he would have already been dead. Forget the Spatial Tokens his master had given him. That bullet would have blown his head off long before the thought of using it came to him.

Adam’s eyes shifted, his eyes narrowing when a sudden sound reached his ears. For a moment, he froze, thinking it was the second assassin coming for his head.

"Ah! Who’s there?!"

Adam sighed in relief, glad it was just a worker taking out the trash. The young woman squealed, jumping back in fright. Quickly taking her phone out, she flashed her light at Adam.

"Mm!"

Adam groaned, the light and squeal making his headache stir. One hand shielded his face as he replied. "Relax, lady. I’m just resting. I’ll be out of here in a minute."

The girl looked hesitant, but slowly calmed down enough. Her flashlight roamed Adam’s figure, seemingly checking his attire.

"You... aren’t-"

"Olivia, what’s wrong?!"

The young woman began, but was cut off when someone else rushed out with a shotgun in hand. He pulled Olivia behind and pointed the shotgun at Adam.

"Who are you?!"

’Damn it!’

Adam inwardly cursed, the situation worsening his headache. The noise was not helping matters at all. But seriously, could he catch a break?

"Wait!" The girl, Olivia, stepped around the man and lowered the barrel. "I think I know who he is."

The girl looked at Adam and swallowed. "That’s Adam. You know, that famous boy."

"Adam?"

The man muttered, taking a closer look at Adam. His eyes slowly widened as the recognisable features fell into place. Even without his uniform, many people would recognise his face in public.

"It’s really you..." The man realised.

"Sorry for the trouble," Adam said as he slowly rose to his feet, a hand pressing against the wall. "I’m leaving now."

He winced and momentarily staggered, grabbing his head.

"A-Are you alright?" The girl asked, visibly concerned. When she tried to move, Adam stopped her with his other hand.

"Please. Just keep your distance."

Olivia froze in her tracks, something akin to disappointment and hurt flashing in her eyes. The man grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back.

Adam looked at them for a moment and answered. "Answering your question: I’ll be fine. But your concern is appreciated."

He took slow steps forward, the two workers backing away to give him space.

’The assassins should be gone by now, or at least, the one alive.’ He thought, wincing. ’I need to get to the Security Office.’

"What do you think happened to him?" Olivia asked the man beside her, her gaze following Adam.

"Who knows?" The man shrugged. "But knowing him, I bet we’ll hear about it soon."

As Adam stepped onto the street, he took a moment to get his bearings right before taking the route to his left.

Although it was night, people still lingered on the streets. The few who saw and recognised his face stared at him, wondering why he walked the way he did.

"Isn’t that Adam?"

"Yeah... What happened to him?"

Adam ignored the whispers and piercing gazes, slowly making his way to the office. His physical fatigue had significantly reduced, allowing him to move more smoothly.

The Security Head Office came into view fifteen minutes after he began his trek. The office looked busy as he entered, the personnel chatting about something.

"-bold of some people."

"Those with the power don’t really care, you know. It’s just the way things are."

Several eyes shifted as Adam entered.

"Isn’t that..."

Adam was tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. Gritting his teeth, he approached one of the desks and sat down, letting out a deep sigh.

"You alright, kid?" The Officer asked, looking at Adam with an inquisitive gaze. He recognised him as the same boy who had been accused of molestation not long ago.

Adam nodded and answered, "I’ll be fine. I just need to report an accident."

"An accident? Did you get into another trouble, kid? You’re becoming infamous for it."

"No, no." Adam waved his hand, wincing again. "I was attacked on the West Grounds Road."

"West Gro-" The officer’s eyes widened as Adam’s words registered. "The West Grounds Road?!"

The officer shot to his feet, staring at Adam like he was seeing him for the first time.

"Wait, West Grounds Road?"

The other officers who heard those words snapped their heads over, many rising to their feet.

"That means..."

Adam winced as the noise stirred his headache once more. He grabbed his head, the rhythmic pounding making him wish he was unconscious.

"Are you alright? Can you tell me what happened?" The officer asked. "Somebody get the academy on the line!"

"Yeah, yeah," Adam muttered. "Can I get a phone to call someone?"

"Of course."

Grabbing a phone, the officer passed it to Adam. He watched as Adam dialled a number and pressed send, putting the phone to his ear.

"Master, it’s me, Adam." He said as soon as the call connected.

[Adam? What happened to your phone?]

"I’ll explain later. I’m at the Security Office right now."

The line went silent for a moment before a reply came.

[Give me a second.]

The line went off right after. No sooner had Adam passed the phone to the officer than Asher appeared.

"Fuck!"

Asher’s sudden appearance startled several officers, making them jump back like startled cats.

"What happened?" Asher ignored them and approached his disciple, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Adam let out a sigh of relief as all the tension left his shoulders. He could finally rest easy.