Outworld: Awakening

Neither Adam nor Walsh and Long retreated. A tensed atmosphere enveloped in the room as the students watched with bated breaths. Although they didn't know why, but they had the feeling they would witness an epic battle. With that thought in mind, some students subconsciously retreated.

"It seems the others fear us, pal. They expect a great contest from us. Let's not disappoint them." Walsh titled his head as he stared at the retreating students.

"Pal, since it's two against one, we'll give you the first—"

Like a venomous snake, Walsh and Long accelerated. Launching ruthless blows towards Adam's body. Walsh targeted Adam's skull while Tao Hong aimed for Adam's legs. A layer of ice covered their hands and boots, with a lattice of ice scars covering their necks.

[Title: Manipulator Activated!]

{Stats}

Constitution: 0.

Agility: 26.

Endurance: 5.

Luck: 0.5

Dexterity: 0.

Strength: 23.

Charisma: 0.

With a few inches before their attacks landed, Adam maneuvered his body with inhuman precision. Tao Hong and Walsh's eyes bulged as their attack landed on air.

'Where did he go? How can someone move that fast?'

"Disappointing! What makes you think you're different from the pampered brats?"

A chill ran down the backs of the assailants as they heard Adam's voice from behind.

'Not good. We have to flee!' An ominous sense of foreboding overwhelmed the duo.

Just as they were about to move, Adam's voice reached them again, "You guys seem to be the one taking it easy. You don't want to lose your place in Varidan, right? Too bad. You should have thought about that before coming here."

A split second after Adam's declaration, the duo heard a wheezing sound rapidly getting louder. At that moment, Walsh jumped into midair. While in midair, Tao Hong's shrill screams reached his ears. Turning his head to the side, he saw a great axe had cleaved Tao Hong's legs.

The stench of fresh blood pervaded the air, and only Tao Hong's miserable screams filled the room.

"Where are you looking at? Did you forget what happened to the other girl?"

Walsh shuddered as he heard Adam's declaration. Before he could react, a spear impaled his c.h.e.s.t from behind. His eyes widened as he saw the reddish spear sticking out from his c.h.e.s.t. His hands touched the cold steel coated with his warm blood. His eyes quivered, they had yet to believe the sudden turn of events. However, the throbbing pain in his c.h.e.s.t reminded if of his reality.

At that same moment, he realized that Tao Hong's screams ceased. With great difficulty, he turned his head to the side, only to see Tao Hong's body riddled with holes.

All the students subconsciously retreated. Some crumbled to their knees, a few trembled from fear, while a select few had tears gathering at the corners of their eyes.

Arlette wore a smile ever so radiant, her eyes had not shifted from Adam's body since the fight started.

"someone very experienced trained this brat. What could have made them train a seventeen-year-old to be so brutal? One Blessing can't give him control over weapons and make him move that fast. Could this brat have dual Blessings? No... That's not possible, he won't be here if he did..." Arlette muttered.

She couldn't keep her eyes away from the macabre scene.

Meanwhile, Walsh's laughter reverberated in the room as he fell on his knees.

"Pal... T-This round goes to you. S-See... you soon..."

Walsh's laughter trialed off as his body fell on the floor. Like Ona and Tao Hong, he had tasted death via Adam's hand.

"Do you think I'm that stupid? There is no second chance for either of you," Adam said as he stared at Walsh and Tao Hong's bodies. Like the members of the first group, their injuries healed at a rate visible to the human eye.

"Axe. Axe. Axe..."

Adam kept on repeating the same statement repeatedly. Within a minute, over thirty axes hovered above Walsh and Tao Hong's body. However, a restrictive force prevented him from killing the duo again during the healing process.

Just as their injuries healed, their cough echoed with the room. The moment Walsh opened his eyes, he swallowed hard as over fifteen axes greeted his sights.

"Pal, it seems we made a terrible error. We give..."

As Walsh's words trialed off, the axes tumbled onto the floor. However, Walsh ignored the feeble axes as his gaze lingered on Adam who had dropped to one knee while clutching his stomach.

'What the hell is wrong with him? Is he messing with us? Is he acting weak so that, we wouldn't surrender? This guy might be a psychopath.'

Just like Walsh most of the students had the same thought as they stared at Adam. None of them knew why he suddenly clutched his stomach as if he felt the pain of starvation.

'Did Walsh and Tao Hong do this,' Arlette thought. 'No. There are just as surprised as everyone else. Does his Blessing come with a backlash? Yes, that has to be it. Maybe I should bring this session to an end. Although I don't like him, this brat's actions would serve as a reminder to the others on how brutal the dungeons could be. If they can't even handle their mate, they would die a miserable death in the dungeons.'

Just as this thought filled her mind, her gaze shifted towards her trenchcoat. The crystal from earlier hovered in midair while emitting a red glow.

'Damn it! What is it this time?' Wasting no time, Arlette hurried towards the crystal.

Meanwhile, Adam winced as he held his stomach. He gnawed on his right hand while trying to contain his shrieks.

'Why did it have to start again? What do I need to do to stop this hunger?!' Adam thought.

"You know what you have to do, Adam. There are so many delicacies around us, why are you hesitating? Let's tear them to shreds. It will stop the hungry. Come on, Adam. I know you want to..."

'Shut up! Demon, is that you? Do you think I will stupidly give in to your trickery?'

"Adam, our meal approaches. Tear him to pieces!"

'Huh? What are you—?'

Before Adam could reply the voice, Tao Hong's interlocked fists landed on his back. His head smashed the marble floor, drawing blood.

Using the momentum of the first attack, Tao Hong unleashed a barrage of kicks on Adam's body. Striking his c.h.e.s.t and head consecutively. With his legs coated with a layer of ice, Adam felt as if a sledgehammer struck his body with each blow.

"Stop… If you don't want to die, get away now."

Despite Adam's words, Tao Hong continued to smash his legs on Adam's body while unleashing a series of noises.

'He wasn't faking it? That fatty sure knows how to smell weakness. Should I join him?' Walsh thought as he slowly rose to his feet.

Just like him, the other students could not believe the person who had caused so much chaos in their heart could utter such words. They assumed Adam's words were his cries of mercy.

"Get… away! I can't… hold back anymore!"

Still, Tao Hong continued to Assault Adam. Adam's blood turned the ice on his boots crimson. Unbeknownst to Tao Hong, the blood on the sole of his boots was pitch-black.

"Tao, wait a minute. Let me…" Walsh words trialed off as he paused in his steps. His eyes lingered Adam's right hand which gripped Tao Hong's raised left leg.

'What's this feeling? Something doesn't feel right. The last time I felt this way, was when I stood close to The Labyrinth of the Nameless,' Walsh mused.

"Tao, get over—"

"I told you to stop! Why didn't you listen to me?!" Adam's bestial voice echoed.

Those who heard it fell on their knees while unimaginable dread gripped their hearts. A few seconds after his declaration, Tao Hong's sickening scream bounced off the walls of the room. The eyes of the students shuddered as they stared at his leg which Adam twisted in a full circle. His bones and blackish ice punctured his skin while his fresh blood rained on the marbled floor and Adam's head. With his hair dyed red with fresh blood, Adam slowly opened his eyes. Revealing a darkness which could consume the world. Thick, black veins extended out from his eyes while the white skin on his arms had turned black.

Releasing his grip on Tao Hong's leg, Adam slowly rose to his feet, with Tao Hong taking his place on the floor. Without eyes, he couldn't see Adam's ghastly stare.

Walsh who stood a few meters away wobbled to the floor, the groin area of his uniform turned damp. Unlike Tao Hong, he could see Adam's eyes, and he could feel his very essence crumbling.

"Devour them! Let's feast on their bodies. Look them, worms who finally know their place. What are you waiting for? Finish them!"

Adam looked like a human incarnate of beast, Walsh couldn't see the slight trace of a human within his soulless eyes. Just as Adam took his first step, part of Tao Hong's blood which spilled on his hair earlier, dripped on his lips. Subconsciously, Adam licked it.

[Establishing Connection to The Omen...]

[Connection Successfully Established.]

[Title: Devour Activated]

"That's enough! We'll continue the training tomorrow," Arlette said as she appeared in between Adam and Tao Hong.

'What the hell happened the few minutes I answered the report? Maybe I shouldn't have placed a barrier.'

She had a frown on her face as she started at the sadistic smile on Adam's face. Unlike before, Adam's eyes had returned to normal. However, he still had the same bestial aura.

"What? Do you still want to fight?" Arlette said as she met Adam's provocative gaze.

Adam chuckled but said nothing further. At that moment, Arlette's gaze shifted towards Tao Hong. Meanwhile, Adam's blue eyes landed on Walsh. With his index figure between his lips, Adam slowly shook his head. Wasting no time, Adam walked towards the other students.

"Where…" Arlette's words trialed off as she saw the gruesome injuries on Adam's back.

'What the hell happened while I was gone? How did he get such ghastly injuries? And, why does Walsh look so scared of him? Wait… did he piss himself?' Arlette thought as she stared at Walsh trembling on the ground.

A few minutes later, Adam's injuries and Tao Hong's had healed, and left no visible scars. However, the previous battle left their uniform torn in multiple places.

"What you saw earlier is just a small fraction of what you will experience in the dungeons. Unlike here, death is permanent over there, and you won't be fighting just anyone. You would have to contend with Familiars and Demonkins. From your pitiful display, I'd advise most you to dropout. Because, you wouldn't survive ten minutes in a subset dungeon," Arlette declared as she eyes scanned the room.

Most of the students dropped their head, they didn't have the courage to meet her gazes.

"Ona, Daphne, Walsh and Tao Hong. The four of you have passed this screening. You have my permission to enter the subset dungeons in the academy."

Envy covered the eyes of the other students, however, they did not dare make a comment. Meanwhile, the four students Arlette rewarded, couldn't bask in the elation of their prize. Instead, Adam's presence weighed heavily on their hearts.

"If you can't recover from such a simple beating, forget about graduating! Do you think what you experienced here is comparable to what awaits you in the dungeons? Varidan does not have any need for cowards! Consider my words if you want to toe the line of an Awakened. If not, you can f.u.c.k off for all I care."

Arlette's words invigorated four students. Unlike before, their listless eyes burned with the fiery gleam of competition. For a moment, they stared at Adam like a mountain they needed to overcome.

"That's more like it. You four can attend the general class. Come back here anytime you need to train."

Just as Arlette finished her statement, a portal swallowed the four rewarded students. The moment they left, Arlette's eye turned cold, "The rest of you have three months to make we consider why I shouldn't break your legs and send you packing. If you can't handle my training, then f.u.c.k off to whatever place you came from! I want to see everyone of you tonight! Get out of my presence!"

Before the students could respond, another portal transported them to an unknown location. Leaving only Adam behind.

"Although, I don't approve of your decision, I can't do anything about it. For an E ranked Awakened, you sure know how to fight. However, don't think the beings in the dungeons are rubbish like them. Whether you live or die, isn't my business. You have my permission to accept missions. You don't need further combat training. I wish you good luck in your attempt to explore the dungeons. Last, don't be an idiot. Use your Blessing wisely. The Demons and their kin won't give you time to recover if you're exhausted. You can leave now," Arlette said.

A split second later, a portal swallowed Adam.

Left alone in the room, Arlette let out a long sigh.

'I've gotten into a lot of trouble because of that brat. I shouldn't have allowed my temper get the best of me.' Arlette thought.

"Arlette! You silly girl. How many times will you cause trouble for me?! How could you allow four deaths during a simple combat orientation? Are you trying to set a record or something?! Do you think I enjoy getting scolded by the Elders in Varidan Towers? Get to my office right now. You love to fight, right? I will give you the fight of your life!"

Arlette's countenance sank as she heard Dean Hensley's voice.

'They have reported to Aunt Hensley already? Damn it! Why did that brat have to come here of all places?' Arlette thought as a portal swallowed her.