Adam entered through the portal for his second Wrath trial. He wasn't as nervous as before, but definitely not confident either. Adam instantly teleported in front of his opponent, a girl from Australia.

The girl looked at him with sharp eyes as Adam flexed his claws and muscles, gulping shallowly, as he felt an overwhelming amount of aura radiating from the Australian Adventurer.

The Australian Adventurer accelerated towards him, as he crisscrossed his arms, anticipating her striking directly at him, but she redirected her momentum and launched a barrage of punches, packed with enough kinetic energy to shatter mountains at will.

Adam took all the hits as she grounded herself backward, going back to her starting position. Adam steadied his breathing, his chest rising and falling as the dust settled between them.

His skin shimmered faintly, a thin layer of hardened flesh forming over his arms and torso. His instincts screamed at him to stay alert.

Every movement the girl made sent a wave of pressure through the air, like a storm barely contained. She stood firm, her posture loose yet deadly. The ground beneath her feet cracked slightly from the weight of her energy.

Adam lowered his stance, trying to time her rhythm. His claws lengthened, his pupils narrowing. He could feel his Adaptive Hide reacting, ready to protect him from whatever came next.

He dashed forward, feet digging into the stone floor. The moment he moved, she was already gone, her body blurring to the side as she flicked her wrist.

A pulse of kinetic force slammed into Adam's ribs, sending him skidding sideways. He barely managed to brace, gouging deep marks into the ground to stop himself from rolling.

Before he could fully recover, she was in front of him again. Her fist connected with his guard, the impact loud enough to echo through the entire arena.

The energy from her strike rippled across his body, testing the limits of his hardened hide. Cracks appeared along his forearms, faint but visible. He pushed back, swinging his own counterattack. His claws sliced through the air where she had been, missing by inches.

She spun, her heel whipping toward him. The moment it made contact with his shoulder, Adam's body folded under the force. He stumbled back, his breath knocked out of him.

His Adaptive Hide shifted, his back sprouting scales for extra protection. The scales caught the next hit, a rapid jab, but even then, the shock traveled through his spine. He staggered again, forcing his balance to return.

Adam gritted his teeth, though no sound escaped him. He charged once more, zigzagging to confuse her approach. For a moment, it seemed to work. He ducked under a punch, twisted behind her, and slashed at her side.

But before his claws could land, her elbow moved with unnatural precision, meeting his strike. The collision sent a burst of stored kinetic force outward, propelling him backward like a rag doll.

He hit the ground, rolled, and sprang up. His legs shook, but his resolve didn't. His skin morphed again, trading scales for fur, enhancing his reflexes and senses.

The world slowed for a split second. He could see her chest rise as she drew in a measured breath. Every tiny shift in her stance telegraphed power.

Adam lunged, claws extended. His movements were faster now, sharper. He weaved between her counters, his instincts on overdrive.

But every time he thought he had her, she redirected his momentum. Each hit she took only made her faster. Her fists blurred, energy crackling around her knuckles.

One punch landed in his gut, another across his face, another at his knee. He blocked some, but not enough. His body twisted under the relentless flurry.

He managed to grab her wrist once, his claws digging into her skin, but the moment he did, a surge of energy burst outward from her arm. The force ripped him off his feet, sending him tumbling end over end.

He landed on his side, sliding across the arena floor. His vision pulsed white for a second. His Adaptive Hide struggled to keep up, the transformations flickering as his focus wavered.

He tried to stand, his hands trembling. The girl was already there, watching him with calm intensity, her aura steady and grounded. She moved again, almost gliding.

Each time Adam tried to predict her, she broke the pattern. Her movements flowed like water, absorbing and redirecting his every effort.

His strikes became slower, less precise. His breathing grew heavier. The ground around him was scarred, dented, and broken in places where he had landed.

He forced his body into one last stance, skin darkening like stone, muscles bulging under the strain. He rushed in again, this time aiming low.

He swung his leg out, trying to sweep her balance, but she jumped over it, spun, and planted her palm on his chest. The stored kinetic energy was unleashed instantly.

The world tilted. Adam's body flew backward, twisting midair before crashing into the ground. The impact echoed. He tried to push himself up, his fingers digging into the cracked surface, but his arms refused to move. His skin flickered, stone to flesh, claws to nothing.

The girl stood still again, her energy slowly dissipating. Her breathing was steady. Adam's was not. He managed to get one knee under him, his body trembling under its own weight. His eyes lifted, focusing on her for just a second. She hadn't even broken a sweat.

He exhaled, the air heavy and shaky. His vision blurred at the edges. Every instinct screamed at him to keep fighting, but his body had reached its limit.

He tried to rise one more time, but his leg gave out. His knees hit the ground first, then his arms failed, and he collapsed forward.

The arena was silent for a moment. The dust rose around him as the glow of the portal began to swirl beneath his body. His heartbeat thudded slowly and unevenly. The last thing he felt was the faint hum of his Adaptive Hide fading completely.

The portal light expanded, enveloping him in a soft, cold shimmer. His body lifted slightly, weightless for a moment. Then the world shifted, and the battlefield vanished.

When Adam opened his eyes, he was in the spectator box, slumped against the wall, the roar of distant battles echoing below. His reflection shimmered faintly in the glass in front of him, tired, beaten, but still alive.

He stared at the arena where the girl still stood victorious, her energy calm, her expression unreadable. His hands were shaking, not from fear, but from exhaustion and the lingering ache of failure.

He tried to move, but instead just leaned back, the light from the arena washing over him. His chest rose and fell slowly. No words. No noise. Just silence and the sound of his own heartbeat echoing in his ears.

The second trial had ended. He hadn't landed a single hit.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.