The gigantic sphere of magmatic earth, created by the raw elements of Kazue's soul and which had completely trapped alter Adam, solidified rapidly, forming what truly resembled a tranquil, gray ball that floated silently in the desolate air, creating a profound, deathly silence across the cosmic plain.

The specters Adam had invoked had vanished quite some time ago along with his other summons, leaving the immediate battlefield empty and silent. Only the unconscious bodies of Charles and alter Kazue, who had been violently rolled across the terrain by the massive geological movement, remained visible. The boy glanced at them, but the fate of two clear enemies, even if one was the counterpart of his friend, was the last thing he could afford to worry about.

Adam was panting slightly as he finally landed, accompanied by Drake, who also landed perfectly beside him. Kazue followed suit, the girl still wearing her enormous, manic smile but clearly showing signs of exhaustion. The three users looked at each other and then observed the floating sphere of dark, earthy matter.

"Do you think that was enough?"

Drake asked slowly, his eyes fixed on the motionless ball of rock.

"Even if that does not defeat him, it should take him a long time to break free."

Kazue said with ease, as if she knew that it would be impossible for the enemy to emerge unscathed after all that. Adam remained silent for a moment, observing the prison with clinical focus… He knew the truth; had the attack been truly successful, his Plot Device would have activated, and they would already have abandoned the scenario.

In that moment, the three users felt a ferocious, instantaneous explosion of energy emanating from within the earth sphere, just an instant before the entire prison violently burst apart. The sheer force of the resulting shockwave compelled them all to cover their faces. However, none of them lowered their guard. Adam clenched his teeth violently, knowing exactly what the eruption meant.

The curtain of dust created by the sphere's explosion dissipated as quickly as it had appeared due to a massive current of air rushing from the epicenter. The three users looked up, only to see alter Adam slowly descending, his horrible smile still plastered to his face, but his body now showing certain superficial wounds, as if the potent regeneration they had witnessed had failed to heal him completely this time.

In that moment, the small, reduced figures of Dora, Gaia, and Blacky, the three elements reduced to tiny balls of black fire, earth, and a miniature black hole, respectively, flew rapidly toward Kazue with visible, teary eyes. It was clear that the three had reached their limit and whatever skill alter Adam had used to free himself from the earthen prison had caused them significant internal damage. The girl received them with open arms, speaking to them gently.

"You did spectacularly well."

Kazue assured them, her voice soft with gratitude.

"Now, take a long rest."

The three elements each shed a single, small tear before vanishing, now finally linked to the girl but clearly unable to be used again until they fully recovered.

Drake instantly returned to a combat posture, extending his two enormous Jade Swords, while speaking to his friend.

"Have you thought of anything during all this time?"

Drake asked Adam, his voice sharp with urgency.

"I saw something that might work…"

Adam replied, his gaze fixed on the descending enemy.

"But it requires me to strike him with my lance, and perhaps not just once, but multiple times."

The blond clenched his grip, accepting the difficulty of the task, but maybe… Just maybe, it was feasible?

"That should be possible."

Drake stated with determined frustration.

"It is clear he is playing with us, so it is possible he will not defend against some of our attacks because he believes he is immune... If we attack him all together, we should be able to land some hits."

Adam and Kazue nodded, ready to launch themselves back into the combat. However, before they could move, a System window suddenly appeared.

[Notice: UR-class Plot device: "1v1 Fight Challenge" has been used] [The user Adam Scholar has forced a 1 vs 1 combat against the user Drake Shaw]

The world instantly froze in Drake's vision. Everything turned a cold, blinding blue, including his two companions, causing the blond boy to halt his charge, unsure of what had just happened. He was only alarmed by the chilling sound of alter Adam's laughter. Turning his head, Drake saw him slowly approaching, still smiling and suppressing a powerful laugh.

"I have finally achieved one of my objectives."

Alter Adam spoke, his voice ringing with mockery.

"I have accurately measured the strength of my counterpart from the other timeline and the strength of his companions."

He seemed delighted by the assessment.

"It is clear that all the other members of your teams are completely worthless, except for you two."

Alter Adam referred to Drake and Kazue with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"You two are certainly on the right path. I would dare to say that you would even be capable of challenging some of my Demon Generals. However, enough time has been wasted, and I have decided that I will finish this now."

The patched boy said with cruel intention.

"In fact, I have decided that I will take both of you with me to study first, along with that Adam."

Drake clenched his teeth, his entire body rigid with frustration.

"So your words about not wanting to kill anyone were false."

He said, confronting the monster with disgust. However, alter Adam could not contain himself and let out a burst of cold, arrogant laughter.

"I am surprised you are so stupid, fake hero boy! … Of course, I do not plan to kill anyone, but that does not mean I will let you go! I have a plan to fulfill, and this can be done in two ways: the long, tedious way I have been doing until now, or by using that Adam, which greatly shortens the work."

Alter Adam said, detailing the true horror of their fate with gusto.

"Yes, I would eventually be forced to let you go to avoid compromising the 'narrative', but not before extensive experimentation. And thanks to the level and powers you both displayed, both you and that girl will also be thoroughly examined. But do not worry: what are a few months of agonizing pain if it guarantees your survival in the end, right?"

Drake could not believe the monstrous calculus he was hearing.

"You are sick!"

Alter Adam merely choked back a laugh.

"I am told that quite often, yes."

He admitted the truth with a shrug, and immediately, he raised both arms. A system Window appeared in front of him.

[The ■■■ has selected the mutated Personal Skill [My Hate Will Never Forget You Lv10] for use.]

Immediately, a circle made of something resembling dark ink drew itself just in front of alter Adam, causing Drake to freeze for a critical moment. The blond boy instantly recognized the type of energy, the name, and the way the skill operated.

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"That's Angela's…"

Drake muttered the recognition under his breath, even though the corrupted name was different. It was clear who the original user of the Personal Skill was, a skill alter Adam had stolen… The skill belonged to Angela Rose, and Drake vividly remembered seeing the power in action during the combat against the "Noob Reapers" team in the Coliseum.

Alter Adam seemed to notice the recognition and simply spoke, laughing.

"I do not recall the name of the woman I murdered to steal that skill, only that it is a rather useful one."

From the circle of ink, a figure began to emerge, quite tall and somewhat hunched. Drake tried desperately to attack before the invocation was completed, but something resembling a barrier violently blocked the powerful sword strike the young man launched toward the forming entity. He had no choice but to retreat and wait for the inevitable appearance. Alter Adam seemed surprised by Drake's sudden calmness.

"It is strange that you are so calm when you are about to face two enemies at the same time."

However, Drake simply let out a choked, bitter laugh.

"I know that skill. I know that while you are using it, you cannot fight directly."

He explained, remembering very well the skill limitations. Alter Adam looked genuinely surprised.

"It seems you did not lie when you said you knew the skill's owner."

"She's my friend."

Drake said with a steely glare. Alter Adam thought back, retrieving the forgotten memory after a second.

"Oh, right! I remember now. She was the former leader of the 'WNATN' team, correct? It was a tough battle at the time, but what I remember most was her face."

The boy detailed the chilling memory.

"A face that reflected the moment her heart and spirit shattered when my General Jeongu Kim pierced her chest with his sword… Beautiful. I never knew why Jeongu Kim shed tears at that moment, but I did not care either; it is not like he could disobey me anyway."

Drake felt profound nausea upon hearing the cold, casual description. His fury, and the power of his Imperial Ki, surged to their absolute maximum. No matter what emerged from that summoning circle, he would stop it with everything he had.

But then, alter Adam spoke again, his voice cutting through Drake's resolve.

"By the way, I am afraid you are going to have to give that sword back."

Those words shocked Drake, but before he could respond, the invocation was complete, and a tall figure appeared. The figure was clad in flowing, purple robes, with long, dark hair and an expression of somber contemplation.

Drake instantly turned pale. He recognized the person who had just been summoned because he had seen him on more than one occasion, and the information given by his [Heavenly Vision] only confirmed the horrifying truth.

[Han Zhenwu 'Former Immortal Emperor of Murim' - Rank S+] [Heavenly Vision Information] [The target's level is too high; information cannot be received.]

"I recognize the energy you use. It comes from a scenario I have already conquered and added to my army. One of the swords you currently have belonged to one of my allies."

The summoned Han Zhenwu instantly adopted a martial posture, and his body erupted in Imperial Ki. Drake, though dislocated by the psychological blow, quickly matched the stance. After a final scream of frustrated fury, the boy launched himself at the legendary figure.

For Kazue and Adam, everything happened in less than the blink of an eye. They had just begun to run toward their opponent, and in one moment, Drake was no longer with them. Instead, they saw him lying on the ground ahead, his body covered in severe cuts and blood, and standing beside him was only alter Adam, looking at him with a mockering smile, as if the exchange had been intensely amusing to watch.

Adam screamed his companion's name.

"What?! Drake!"

His companion did not respond. Alter Adam merely looked up at him, still smiling mordantly.

"Would you believe me if I told you that, technically, it was not I who left him like that?"

Alter Adam asked while having the most horrendous smile on his face. Kazue and Adam exploded in fury and charged again, but only the girl managed to advance, while a new System window appeared before Adam.

[The ■■■ has selected the mutated Personal Skill [The Absolute Penitence Lv10] for use.]

Just as before, sharp spines erupted from within Adam's body, and a massive black chain bound him completely to the ground. He screamed in pain as he was sealed in his place.

"I've got to admit, you caught me by surprise last time. I did not expect you to have so much support from your own Malzaphir, but it does not matter."

Alter Adam dismissed the failure.

"The skill [Malzaphir's Mockery] has a cooldown of 24 hours before it can be used again, so you cannot do that maneuver again."

Meanwhile, Kazue, despite the utter devastation of their team, surged forward.

The fight between alter Adam and the girl began with a ferocious intensity. Kazue charged, invoking her two gauntlets and emitting electric energy from one while the other glowed hot red.

Alter Adam easily dodged the initial flurry by activating his skill [Incarnation of the Living Planet] again, allowing him to float and avoid the powerful punches quickly.

"That ability you possess to alter reality is incredible, but you are inexperienced with it."

Alter Adam stated, never losing his smile.

"Dealing with it is quite simple: I just have to surpass you in sheer force and hit you until you can no longer stand."

Kazue laughed defiantly at the challenge.

"Then try it!"

Alter Adam then focused his gravity, creating a concentrated field directly in his hands. This time, instead of launching it, he held it in his left hand, using it to brutally pull Kazue toward his position without her being able to resist.

"Your previous idea was not bad, but this is the true way to use gravity in combat."

The patched boy pulled Kazue towards his position with brutal, overwhelming gravity, and when she was close, he delivered a brutally strong punch directly to her face, with such force that the girl was instantly thrown backward. However, alter Adam immediately pulled her back with the gravitational field and repeated the process of hitting her and pulling her toward him multiple times, repressing his laugh throughout the brutal exchange.

Kazue was unable to defend herself. Blood streamed profusely from her nose and mouth, and her vision began to blur under the relentless, impossible blows. Then, alter Adam felt a profound change... He visibly saw a kind of slideshow appear before the girl's face, a System window filled with flashbacks and memories, especially of the girl with her friends and the hard, defining moments they had shared together.

The boy knew that this was part of the reality manipulation capabilities of the girl's skill, and he braced himself for the counter.

Kazue opened her eyes, which now appeared visibly engulfed in pure fire, and launched a ferocious punch just as she was pulled back in by the gravity, while alter Adam intercepted the punch with his own. The impact was so potent that a strong shockwave was generated, and for a moment, there was no clear winner. Even alter Adam's arm began to suffer internal injuries and multiple fractures from the sheer illogical force. The boy simply laughed.

"That capacity for altering logic is incredible, BUT—"

Alter Adam's arm grew massively in musculature thanks to his skill [RedBrood Colony Master], instantly overcoming Kazue's strength and delivering a direct blow. He then repeated the process of pulling her and striking her with his monstrous new arm several more times while laughing maniacally until finally, the girl ceased to respond.

Alter Adam finally deactivated his gravity, and the unconscious, blood-soaked body of Kazue fell to the ground like a broken ragdoll. He finally lowered himself, his arm returning to its normal form. He took a deep breath, never losing his smile, and turned again toward Adam, who was still imprisoned by the internal spikes and the heavy chains.

The patched boy began to approach him when a sound very similar to the dialing of an old telephone began to ring. Alter Adam stopped for a moment, looking almost confused, and opened a System window with a single finger.

Even in his intense pain, Adam remained conscious, seeing that the interface alter Adam was using looked very similar to the [Friend List] skill. After a moment, a high-pitched feminine voice began to scream from the other end of the interface, a volume so intense that it caused alter Adam to flinch slightly.

"Leader!! How dare you leave the base in that condition?!"

The voice demanded an answer, screaming the question at him.

"The doctors of the 'Lobotomy Assembly' explicitly told you that you needed total rest for at least two weeks after the surgeries they had performed to restore your 'Human' race!"

The voice yelled, her tone filled with pure, uncontained fury. Alter Adam did not appear worried or annoyed, but his visible calmness returned, erasing the previous momentary irritation.

"It does not matter. It is not like I ran into any problems anyway."

He replied, dismissing the danger. The voice countered with extreme annoyance.

"It is totally irresponsible! They explicitly told you that while your body is not fully recovered, you are incapable of using even half of your strength! What if you had encountered one of the important resistance groups? There are still surviving users from the 'Zenith' and 'Aeternum Exilium' teams, including their leaders!"

Alter Adam simply sighed again.

"I understand, but there was no problem."

He then made a deliberate pause to look at the unconscious bodies of Drake, Kazue, and then at Adam, and with a dismissive grin, he stated his final phrase.

"There was never anything that posed a threat in the location where I am now."

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