Chapter 13

Testing The Limits

Adom stepped into his room at Xerkes Academy, a space that had been his solitary haven during the times of his illness, about fifty years ago. The room, larger than most due to his special needs, now echoed with a sense of emptiness. He chuckled to himself, thinking about how the news of his recovery had spread like wildfire. "I guess I won't be alone here for long," he mused, considering the likelihood of the academy assigning him a new roommate. A part of him hoped it would be his best friend, Sam.

The room, with its familiar walls and the view of the academy grounds, brought back a flood of memories. But Adom wasn't the same frail boy who had left these halls. The reflection in the mirror showed a healthier, stronger version of himself, a change that still surprised him.

As he reflected on the recent events, his thoughts drifted to the display of his enhanced abilities at the Weird Stuff Store. Levitating Leon's and his own suitcases, a combined weight of over 750 lbs, had been astonishingly effortless. He hadn't felt the strain he would have expected from such a feat. It was a clear testament to the remarkable growth in his essentia reserve and physical strength.

Curious about the extent of his newfound capabilities, Adom summoned the blue box, seeking confirmation of his suspicions. The display didn't disappoint: [+5 Strength, +5 Endurance, +10 HP]. It was more than just numbers; it was tangible evidence of his transformation.

"To think I've gained this much," he whispered, a sense of disbelief mixed with excitement. With a tentative motion, he reached out and grasped the frame of his large bed. To his astonishment, he lifted it with minimal effort, despite his slender appearance. The bed, which should have been a challenge for his physique, felt almost weightless in his grasp.

Adom set the bed back down gently, his mind racing with the implications of his enhanced abilities. It wasn't just the physical strength that had improved; his magical capacity had also grown exponentially. The levitation spell at the train station, which would have drained him completely before, had barely made a dent in his essentia reserves.

Lying in bed, unable to sleep, Adom's thoughts drifted to the intricacies of the system that had become an integral part of his life. He mused over the relationship between his physical activities and the growth in his strength and endurance. It seemed the system rewarded effort with tangible improvements, a concept that resonated with the fundamental principles of magical training.

However, the HP increase was more enigmatic. In his mind, HP—or Health Points—implied an enhancement in his vitality or resilience. Was it merely an abstract representation of his health, or did it have a more concrete effect on his ability to withstand physical harm? The mystery of it intrigued him.

His attention then shifted to the Quick Reflexes skill he had acquired. It was a skill that could potentially offer significant tactical advantages, especially in combat situations. Eager to test it and understand the system better, Adom decided to visit one of the academy's training rooms. He knew they would be locked at this hour, but that was a minor obstacle for someone with his knowledge and abilities.

Adom silently made his way through the dimly lit corridors of the academy. The familiar surroundings were steeped in history and tradition, a testament to the centuries of magical scholarship that Xerkes represented. Reaching the training room, he faced the locked door. It was secured with a sophisticated magical lock, standard for important rooms within the academy.

Drawing upon his extensive knowledge and past experience as a professor, Adom visualized the lock's magical construct. He focused his essentia, forming a precise mold in his mind—a pure essentia construct designed to interface with the lock's aura. Carefully, he extended his hand towards the lock, channeling the construct into the locking mechanism.

The magic was delicate, requiring finesse and an intimate understanding of magical auras. Adom adjusted the aura of his construct to match that of the lock, aligning their energies until they resonated in harmony. With a soft click, the lock disengaged, allowing him access to the training room.

Inside, the room was vast and well-equipped, with various training dummies, magical targets, two golems and an array of combat tools. Adom took a deep breath, savoring the solitude and the opportunity to explore his abilities without prying eyes.

He decided to focus on his Quick Reflexes skill. Activating it, he immediately felt a shift in his perception. The room, previously still and silent, seemed to slow down, as if time itself was stretching out before him. Adom marveled at the sensation, feeling a heightened awareness of his surroundings. It was like a much weaker version of Temporal cognition and according to the information displayed, it didn't even consume essentia, just a pure physical skill, it seemed.

To test the skill, he positioned himself in front of a magical target that reacted to touch. The target was designed to move unpredictably, simulating the unpredictability of a real opponent. With Quick Reflexes activated, Adom found that he could anticipate the target's movements with uncanny accuracy. His body responded with agility and precision, striking the target repeatedly with ease. He was excited, this was only the 'beginner' level of the skill, yet, it gave him an immense edge.

Adom then fixed on the inactive golem before him, wanting more challenge, he set the golem to level 14—a challenge nine levels higher than the academy's regulations allowed without supervision in the case of a second year. These golems, crafted in the mines of Heinz by the renowned dwarven blacksmiths, were marvels of engineering and magic. They were not mere training tools; they were combatants capable of real warfare, a fact Adom knew all too well from his past life.

The golem he had chosen was a formidable construct, embedded with the movements and techniques of five hundred martial masters. Its ability to adapt and counterattack made it an unpredictable and dangerous opponent. Adom's objective was clear: to test his newfound strength and the limits of his Quick Reflexes skill.

He initiated the activation sequence, watching as the golem's eyes flickered to life, glowing with a deep, arcane blue. The air around them seemed to thrum with anticipation as the golem stepped forward, its movements fluid and eerily lifelike.

Adom had set the golem's stopping condition to 'first strike', meaning the exercise would end as soon as he or the golem managed to land a hit. It was a high-risk setup, but Adom needed to gauge his capabilities against a genuinely challenging adversary.

The golem lunged forward, its fist arcing towards Adom with surprising speed. He activated Quick Reflexes, and the world around him slowed. He could see the trajectory of the golem's punch, every subtle shift in its weight, every minute turn of its joints. With a swift sidestep, he dodged the blow, feeling the rush of air as the fist passed inches from his face.

Adom countered with a quick jab, aiming for the golem's torso. But the construct was fast, its body twisting to deflect the strike with an armored forearm. Adom didn't relent; he followed up with a series of rapid strikes, each one parried or dodged by the golem with mechanical precision.

The dance between them was a blur of motion and strategy. Adom's movements were fluid, his attacks precise, but the golem was equally adept, its programming allowing it to anticipate and adapt to his techniques. The room echoed with the sound of their fight, each clash a testament to the golem's craftsmanship and Adom's skill.

Despite the golem's prowess, Adom could feel the advantage of his Quick Reflexes. He was one step ahead, predicting the golem's moves, finding openings in its defense. He delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, which the golem narrowly blocked. The force of the impact reverberated through the room.

In a fluid motion, he executed a precise strike to the golem's core, where the enchantment was strongest. The impact sent a shockwave of energy through the construct, and for a brief moment, its eyes flickered uncertainly.

Then, as programmed, the golem ceased all movement, its systems recognizing the 'first strike' condition had been met. The blue light in its eyes dimmed, and it returned to its dormant state.

Breathing heavily, Adom stepped back, a mix of exhilaration and exhaustion washing over him. He had managed to outmaneuver one of the academy's most advanced training tools, a feat that would have been unthinkable before his encounter with the mysterious system.

Adom, standing across from the formidable construct, felt a surge of anticipation. The golem, now set to a staggering level 16, promised a challenge far beyond anything he had faced. At level 14, the golem's attempts to reach him were futile; he evaded each strike with an almost feline grace.

As he observed the golem, Adom pondered the peculiar scale of power the system employed. He was a mere level 12, yet he had effortlessly outmaneuvered the golem at level 14. It confirmed his theory: the system's levels bore little resemblance to conventional measures of strength and skill.

Determined to push his limits, Adom adjusted the golem's settings. The air in the room charged with an electric tension as the golem's eyes glowed brighter, signaling its enhanced capabilities. Adom braced himself, his senses heightened, ready for the onslaught.

The golem, once motionless, sprung to life with startling speed. Its movements were a blur, a seamless integration of hundreds of martial arts styles. Adom activated his Quick Reflexes, the world around him slowing to a crawl, giving him the time to perceive and react to the golem's attacks.

Level 16 was a different beast entirely. The golem's strikes were not only fast but also unpredictably cunning. It feinted, switched styles, and adapted to Adom's movements with frightening intelligence. Adom, relying on his enhanced reflexes, dodged and weaved through a barrage of punches and kicks, each one powerful enough to shatter stone.

The clash was a spectacle of agility and skill, a dance of predator and prey. Adom's movements were fluid, a demonstration of human dexterity pushed to its limits. He parried a lightning-fast jab, countered a spinning kick, and narrowly evaded a crushing blow that left a crater in the wall behind him.

But then, in a fleeting moment, everything changed.

As Adom tried to maneuver around the golem, his feet entangled in a misstep, a lapse in his usually focused mind. "Shit—" he cursed under his breath as he stumbled, the flaw in his footwork laying him open to the golem's relentless assault. The golem, capitalizing on this unexpected opportunity, struck with a blow that sent Adom crashing to the ground.

In the world of martial arts, the mastery of one's footwork is as crucial as the precision of their strikes. Proper foot positioning ensures balance, maximizes power, and sets the foundation for evasive maneuvers. A martial artist's ability to glide across the battleground, to be both rooted like a mountain and fluid like a river, hinges on this fundamental skill. For Adom, whose combat training had not yet instilled the nuanced choreography of footwork into his muscle memory, this lapse was a stark reminder of his vulnerability.

The golem, anticipating Adom's misstep, executed a maneuver so swift and precise that it defied belief. Adom, caught off-guard, felt a jolt of impact, and then nothing.

He woke up on the cold floor, disoriented and confused. The room spun around him as he tried to piece together what had happened. The golem stood motionless, its mission complete. Adom touched his face, feeling a strange warmth. He looked at his hands, stained with a trickle of blood that ran down from his forehead to his neck.

The blue box appeared before him, stark against the dim lighting of the room: [HP -5. You have died. [Immortality] activated.]

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The golem had killed him, probably snapping his neck with that last strike. It was so fast, so sudden, he had felt nothing in the moment of impact. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He had just experienced death, yet here he was, alive, thanks to the mysterious [Immortality] ability.

The profound shock of his 'death' lingered in Adom's mind as he stumbled out of the training room, the weight of the experience pressing down on him like a physical force. The usually familiar hallways of the Xerkes Academy felt alien and distant, as if he was walking through them for the first time. The echo of his footsteps in the empty corridors sounded unnaturally loud, each step reverberating with the echoes of the abyss he had just narrowly escaped.

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions - disbelief, fear, and a deep sense of vulnerability. The sensation of the golem's strike, the abrupt darkness that followed, and the startling return to consciousness had left him feeling disoriented and profoundly exhausted. It was as if the brief journey to the brink of death and back had drained him of all his energy.

Adom's thoughts were jumbled, a chaotic mix of images from the training session and the harrowing realization of how close he had come to true death. The protective shield of the system's [Immortality] ability, while a miraculous safeguard, had also unveiled a terrifying truth - he was not invincible. The line between life and death was thinner than he had ever imagined.

Reaching his room, Adom fumbled with the door, his hands trembling slightly as he pushed it open. The familiar confines of his room, once a sanctuary of peace and quiet, now felt like the only tether to reality in the aftermath of his ordeal. He barely managed to kick off his shoes before collapsing onto the bed, his body heavy with fatigue.

As he lay there, the adrenaline that had sustained him through the training and the shock of his 'death' began to ebb away, replaced by an overwhelming tiredness. It was as if the events of the night had sapped him of all his strength, leaving him physically and emotionally drained.

The ceiling above him seemed to spin, the shadows in the corners of the room stretching and twisting in his blurred vision. His mind raced with unanswerable questions and what-ifs. What if the system hadn't intervened? What if he hadn't been so lucky? The fragility of his existence, something he had never given much thought to before, now haunted him.

Despite the turmoil in his mind, the exhaustion of his body took over. Adom's eyelids grew heavy, the events of the night catching up to him. Sleep, elusive and much needed, finally claimed him, pulling him into its depths.