Adam walked through the halls of the academy, his mind still reeling from the intense training earlier. The fight with Drake had been humbling, to say the least. His new gear was supposed to make him stronger, but it felt like it wasn't enough. He was left with bruises, a battered ego, and the realization that no matter how hard he trained, there were levels to this world, and he was still at the bottom.
The walk back to his dorm room was long and quiet, each step heavier than the last. Adam couldn't help but replay the sparring match in his mind, wondering what went wrong. He had the power, the speed—hell, he even had the gear—but Drake was on a whole other level.
As he reached the hallway leading to his dorm room, Adam was hit with an unexpected scene. He heard voices—loud, aggressive voices—and when he turned the corner, he froze.
Max, his friend, was backed up against the wall, a knife pressed to his throat. The guy holding the knife was snarling at Max, while two other guys stood behind him, smirking.
"Give me all your mojo," the guy sneered, pressing the blade closer to Max's skin.
Max's eyes narrowed, but he didn't back down. "What if I don't want to?"
The guy laughed, but it was cold. "You don't have a choice, kid."
Max clenched his fists, his plasma abilities sparking faintly. But before he could react, the guy slammed a fist into his chest. Max coughed up blood, his body jolting from the force of the punch.
A surge of adrenaline hit Adam like a tidal wave. Without thinking, he charged forward, flames flickering at the edges of his fingertips. But before he could close the distance, something—someone—flashed past him.
In the blink of an eye, a figure kicked the three guys in a blur of speed, sending them sprawling across the floor in a heap. Adam barely had time to register what had happened before the figure stood tall in front of him.
It was Lucas.
"Max, what the hell are you getting into?" Adam demanded, his voice sharp with concern.
Max, still holding his chest where the punch had landed, grinned weakly. "They were trying to rob me for my mojo." He paused, glaring down at the guys on the ground. "I don't know why they always pick on us level ones."
Lucas dusted his hands off. "Yeah, it's messed up, but don't go trying to fight them on your own next time."
Max shrugged, clearly not concerned. "It's fine. I can handle myself."
Adam shot him a skeptical look. "You sure about that?"
Max raised an eyebrow. "What, you think I can't handle myself? I'm not weak, you know."
Adam didn't respond immediately. Instead, he walked over to the VR pods. He needed to get away, blow off some steam. Fighting real demons would give him a challenge, at least. Maybe if he faced stronger opponents, he could figure out how to close the gap between him and Drake's power.
Adam had become a regular in the VR pods lately, using them as a way to push his limits. It wasn't real life, but for a while, it allowed him to forget the nagging doubts and frustrations that seemed to follow him. He was hoping that today would be different—that he'd find a challenge that would push him harder, force him to grow. He needed that. He needed to feel strong again.
Walking into the VR room, he immediately grabbed a pod, the familiar weight of the gear around his waist suddenly comforting. The pods whirred to life around him as Adam stepped into the unit. He selected the highest difficulty level and queued up a new simulation—one that was sure to test him.
The world around him blurred as the pod's interface took him to a new world. He found himself standing in a vast, desolate landscape. The sky was a sickly red, the ground cracked and barren. In the distance, a massive, lumbering figure could be seen, moving slowly but steadily toward him.
It was a low-tier demon. Adam's eyes narrowed, and his fingers tingled with the familiar energy of his flames. He didn't waste any time. He ignited his flame blades and lunged forward, slashing at the demon's massive, stone-like skin. The creature roared as it staggered back from the force of the attack.
But Adam wasn't done. With a flick of his wrist, blue and gold sparks erupted from his fingers, sending a torrent of flames straight at the demon's face. It howled in pain, stumbling back, but Adam wasn't satisfied. He needed more.
The simulation's difficulty adjusted. Suddenly, the demon grew larger, more aggressive. Its claws grew sharper, and the air seemed to crackle with its increasing power. Adam dodged a swipe from its massive claws, his body moving faster than he thought possible. But no matter how hard he fought, no matter how much he used his new armor or his flame abilities, the demon didn't relent. It just kept coming.
"Come on, you've got to be kidding me!" Adam shouted, frustration boiling over. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he continued to struggle. His gear was holding up better than before, but it wasn't enough.
His flame blades began to flicker as the strain of the fight wore on. The demon's attacks were relentless, and Adam's stamina was starting to run low.
In the midst of his desperation, the system's voice rang in his ears.
[Skill Locked]
Adam stopped mid-swing. "What? What do you mean, 'Skill Locked'?" His breathing grew heavier, and his grip on his weapons faltered. The system had been acting weird all day—first with the cut-off from his dad, now this. Something was wrong.
[Request Declined]
"System, what the hell is going on?" Adam growled.
But the system offered no response. It was as if the interface had shut down completely. Panic rose in his chest as he watched the demon charge at him again.
Out of pure instinct, Adam's suit reacted. The armor on his body flashed brighter, and his tails flared out, growing longer and more dangerous. His fox cloak manifested in a flash of blue, and the world around him seemed to slow down as his speed increased.
"Not today," Adam muttered under his breath as he dodged the demon's next attack.
He retaliated with a series of flame arrows, the blue and gold streaks of fire slicing through the air and hitting the demon's chest. It roared, staggering back from the force, but still, it wouldn't fall.
A sense of cold determination washed over Adam. The game was changing, and so was he.
His mind raced as the battle continued. He couldn't rely on the system anymore. If he wanted to survive—if he wanted to grow stronger—he needed to push past his limits. He needed to find a way to do this without relying on the artificial help that had been guiding him.