Next day

Adam and his group were gathered in front of the forest, about to start their exploration. Elena stayed near the cubs, along with David, at the front. Onyx was flying above the trees, enjoying the morning sun. As for Tank, Adam glanced at it still sleeping on its floating bed. It was as carefree as ever.

The platform was enchanted to follow whoever was holding its tether, which was a small piece of enchanted metal. It was kept with the maid since she won't be fighting. 

Adam looked at Elena and David "You guys should walk at the front for a while. I know that there shouldn't be any danger in the outskirts, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Elena and David glanced at each other and shrugged. They started walking, with the excited Ghost and Jag accompanying them. Adam let the cubs walk along with Elena and David for their safety. Were he to fight, he'd be unable to assist them if they were in any danger.

As they started walking, David, who was at the front with his lover suddenly asked her. "Lena, don't you think the boss's reaction was exaggerated yesterday? I mean I knew you and Charlotte had history, but even then, I don't think it warranted such a reaction for such a small matter."

Elena glanced at him for a second then responded "Yes, but I don't think he meant to react as strongly as he did."

David, curious, asked "What do you mean? It didn't look like he was out of his mind or anything of the sort." 

Elena elaborated "I think it's the same as what's going on with his libido. His body is reflecting and amplifying his personality traits. Although we can't call such things a human's natural instincts, the body still belongs to oneself after all. Mind over matter means is a saying for a reason, especially in Aurora." She pauses to gather her thoughts. 

"His mind is basically fighting for control with his body, and this is the result. It has happened to others before, but not often, most people just get horny and hungry, maybe a little battle-hungry. Some will be extremely violent, but those people have a history of violence. Obviously, things will differ from person to person. And in this case, I think he meant what he said, just not the way he said it or how it was said." 

Her partner blinked his eyes then asked her something she should've thought of "Don't you think we should tell him? I mean I know we're here to protect him, but I think he should know if anything's wrong. I'm sure it would prevent potential problems, especially if he will fight with his life on the line for the first time."

Elena thinks his statement over, and couldn't help but agree "You're right, I should've thought of that. Good catch. Keep walking with the maid, I'll go talk to Adam." She leaves him behind, walking towards her employer.

David glances at the cubs, who looked at him curiously "Even with all her strength, she sometimes lets the obvious slip huh?"

Adam spots Elena approaching him, gesturing at the side with her head. Understanding what she wants, he tells the maid to continue walking behind David. She was also the one pulling the sled with the unconscious men tied. 

Following Elena a distance away from their group, he asks her while walking "What's wrong?"

Elena cuts down two trees. She avoids their fall while Adam jumps away with a slight glare. Satisfied with the seats, she sits down, gesturing at the other stump. Adam, despite his irritation, sits down nonetheless.

"Boss, I know it's been going on longer than we expected, but I think your body refinement is affecting more than just your lust. I don't know you enough to be absolutely sure, but the chances are I am right" She tells Adam straightforwardly. 

She adds "Like yesterday for example. From what I've observed being around you; you wouldn't make such a scene in front of an outsider, just to prove a point. I think you would've continued the meeting then speak to me privately. What you did doesn't make sense."

Adam, hearing what she said, closes his eyes for a moment. 'Zero, check my recent emotional and mental state and compare them to me before beginning my body refinement.' 

'Yes sir......." A while later 'Slight anomalies were detected. Unable to accurately determine what the anomalies are. We will need to perform a psychological test to judge what has changed.' Zero gives his report a few moments later.

Adam then opens his eyes and looks at Elena. "You are right. It seems that the changes are more insidious than I thought. I was unaware this whole time. It could even be dangerous, depending on the circumstances." He holds his chin in thought for a moment.

"Do you know if similar changes happened to others? It seems like a pretty big problem to ignore." He asks. While the information he possesses mentions potential mental changes, they don't provide any points of reference to compare his situation to.

Elena tilts her head in thought for a moment. "You could say so. I told David earlier. This is basically your mind fighting your body for control. Your lust is simply a natural reaction, amplified by your enhanced body. Losing control, like yesterday, is your mind joining the fight for control. This is why we recommend meditating, so you can stay in control and prevent your body from affecting your mind." She closes her eyes for a moment.

A few seconds later she opens them and continues "Your mind and body are feeding and fighting off each other, in a certain way. For example, yesterday, you might've normally gotten angry but you would not have acted as you did. What happened is your body responding to your anger or dissatisfaction and amplifying it. Then your mind, or rather, you, got angrier, which caused you to act as you did. The loss of control could have possibly stoked your anger even more. Though I'm unsure of that since you didn't seem that angry in the tent. Either way, it can become a vicious cycle for people prone to anger or violence."

Adam nods, somewhat agreeing with what she said. It makes sense in a certain way, although he is puzzled how it could happen to him. Zero is his subconscious given form, so how could his mind act on its own. There's only him and Zero, the conscious and subconscious. For there to be some nebulous part affecting him just doesn't make sense. 

'Could it be me that is subtly changing? Am I affecting myself? That sounds like some hipster nonsense. I hope I'll get answers from the self-test.' He thinks to himself while trying to figure out what's happening.

He gets up from the stump, and thanks Elena. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention Elena. This is a very serious matter. If you notice anything abnormal with the way I act during our trip, do let me know."

Elena gets up as well "No problem boss. I also think this trip is a good opportunity for you. Fighting with your life on the line is a good way to have your body and mind act as one. If you use this chance properly, you could get rid of most of your issues, though there will be a danger of dying, so it is up to you."

Adam thinks over what she just said, but is ultimately unsure "We'll see how everything goes. We'll take it easy for now, and see what opportunities present themselves later." 

Elena shrugs and follows Adam back to their group. Once back with the group, Adam decided to pick up the pace. "Elena, grab the maid, we're going to start running"

"Sure thing boss." She goes over to the cat-maid and yanks her off the ground. She throws her over her shoulders, ignoring her yelp. 

Adam looks at David "take one of the men, I'll grab the other. Leave the sled behind." 

David nods, and grabs the bigger of the two men, leaving the smaller one for Adam. 

Adam heads over to the sleeping turtle. He takes out some cloth from his holding bag and fashions a sling to hold the turtle in. Approaching the turtle, he gently picks it up, ignoring the now awake tail-viper blinking at him, and stuffs it in the sling hanging off and under his shoulders.

Tank never woke up once, only its 'tail' did. He's not sure how that works. 'Are they one and the same or different organisms sharing one body? I'll have to see if Tank can tell me once he gains sapience.' He notes that down for further research in the future.

He approaches the remaining unconscious man and grabs him by the shirt, around his mid-back. Lifting him and making sure he's unimpeded, he locks eyes with both attendants. 

"Let's go. Run at the front, just make sure you don't leave me behind too far." He looks at the maid "Get comfortable, we'll be running for a while"

The attendants and the maid nod back. Elena and David pick off running, heading deeper in the forest, Adam and the cubs hot on their feet, with Onyx following them from the air.

About a day of running later

"Ok, let us set camp here for now." Adam calls out from behind Elena and David. They've arrived near a lake with a waterfall. While there may be beasts and the like who use the lake as their water source, Adam is not worried. Elena as a tier 9 will scare off most beasts trying to take a bite out of them. 

After a full day of running, even Adam gave up on trying to track how far they ran. They ran at Adam's full speed, which still gives them a considerable amount of distance crossed in a full day. 

After the first few hours, they had to stop to pick up the tired cubs. Adam had to give the man he was carrying to David, while the cubs piggybacked him, each occupying one of his shoulders.

Elena glanced at the unconscious men on the ground "Should we wake them up? We're pretty deep in and they're only tier 2 knights, they won't be able to safely get back without us." 

Adam agrees with her "Yeah, wake them up, we'll have them run our errands while out here." 

David heads over to both men and proceeds to block their nose and mouth.

"Gasp!" "Gasp!" Both men get up while gasping for air. David steps back to let Adam deal with them. The men frantically look around, until they spot Elena and proceed to shuffle back in fear. "What do you want with us?!" "Let us go, we promise we won't break the law anymore!" They start rambling, pleading for mercy.

*BANG!* Elena claps her hand loudly, almost like a gunshot, shutting both men up. Adam walks toward them "You were scheduled to be used as test subjects for some poison some magus concocted. Would you rather return to your scheduled appointment with hell? I can send you there painlessly if you so wish." Both men paled when they heard Adam. Still keeping their mouths shut, they frantically shook their heads. 

"Good, here's the situation. We're currently deep in the endless forest. I'm sure you've heard of it." Both men nod their heads. "I'll be honest, you were brought here as cannon fodder, meant to stall for time. You were destined to die either way." The men paled even further, despair on their faces. 

"But I'll give you a chance to live." Hope reignited in their eyes. They listened attentively to Adam, understanding he was the boss of the scary lady who manhandled them a few days ago. "If you still live once this trip is done, you may go wherever you wish. But that depends on your performance while we're here. Listen to my commands, down to the letter, and I may just decide to not cut you down once we leave the forest. Understood?" The men nod their heads, still not sure if they're allowed to speak.

Adam nods, satisfied. He points at the short and scrawny man "You'll answer by skinny" he then points at the taller and slightly chubbier man "You'll be chubby". 

The man looks himself over, trying to see if he gained any weight while asleep. Seeing none, he shrugs and resigns himself to his new name.

Adam proceeds to dish out a few orders "Skinny, you'll be under the orders of my maid, Cat." He waves over to the sitting maid, trying to regain feeling in her body after hanging on Elena's shoulder all this time. He thinks things over then takes his order back.

"Scratch that, both you and chubby will be under the orders of David. And keep in mind where we are. If you believe, with your paltry tier 2 strength, along with no directions and supplies, can escape us and run out of the forest. You're free to try, we won't stop you. But if you do try, and then come back here after failing, we'll cut you down to pieces and feed you to my cubs. Understood?'' Both men, still keeping their mouths shut, nod their heads. They then walk over to David, waiting for their orders.

Adam takes his tent out and calls out to David. "David clear the trees around us. If you spot any dry wood around, have chubby and skinny pick them up to use for kindling." David nods and orders the duo to scour the ground while he starts cutting trees around to make a clearing for their camp.

"Cat, pick up the cubs and take them to their beds in the tent." He then whistles for Onyx to come. A few moments later, he hears Onyx flap his wings right above them. Looking up, he sees the hawk aiming to land on his shoulder. He lets it do so, given the leather armor he's wearing. 

Stepping in his tent after his maid, he heads over to his bedroom. Walking in, he spots the maid dropping the cubs in their large shared bed. They preferred to sleep near each other. The bedroom is large enough to be considered a bachelor apartment back in his world. He walks to the end of the room where Onyx's perch was. The hawk jumps off to land on the perch and started grooming itself. 

As for Tank, Adam looks down at his bosom, where the turtle and the viper are both sleeping in the sling. He heads over to a small algae-covered rock sitting in the middle of a miniature pond. Tank liked the occasional dip, so the pond was set up for him.

Once the pets were set for the night, he heads back out and calls out to Elena. "I'll be looking into the problem you mentioned yesterday. I may come out later than usual. Don't disturb me if it happens, just stay in the camp to prevent any potential disturbances. As for skinny and chubby, just have David pick some random beast for them to eat if they get hungry. I don't think it's safe for them to hunt alone." 

Elena nods wordlessly. She throws two sleeping bags at the heads of the previously mentioned duo and proceeds to take out her tent for her and her lover to sleep in. She also had an expanded tent although not as big as Adam's. This, unlike her holding bag, was a gift from Adam. He believed in living in comfort, whenever possible. Ensuring his attendants were comfortable and well-rested can only benefit him, even if at their strength, sleeping out in the wild won't bother them. 

Stepping back in his tent, he heads over to his bedroom, where he finds his maid waiting in nightwear. "I won't require your services tonight. Go sleep in the other room, and don't come in tomorrow unless I call for you."

The maid bows slightly, the action highlighting her curves. Along with the contrast from her dark skin and white hair, Adam was tempted to retract his order but remained steadfast, remembering his current problem with his body. 

Once she left, Adam closed his door and proceeded to lay down on his oversized bed. Exhaling slightly at the comfortable mattress, he zones out slightly, lost in thought. A while later, he gathers himself and orders Zero 'Start the test.' 'Yes sir.'

The aforementioned test is basically a controlled dream. Dreams originate from one's consciousness. It could be a mix of the subconscious and active consciousness or from either one or the other; it depends on the person and whatever they most recently experienced. 

In the case of Adam and most people from his world. Who also have their own 'Zero'. Dreaming is always a lucid dream under their control or the control of their assistant. The same thing really. 

Regardless, one may use said phenomenon for multiple things. For example, if one is a scientist, with an accurate grasp of the laws of physics, one may reproduce some experiments while dreaming, in their mindscape. While they may also do so awake, the mindscape's/dream simulations are more vivid, more realistic during sleep, so it is recommended for one to be in a similar state if they can. 

In our current case, Adam, before coming to Aurora, tested himself facing various situations or answering different questions to make an accurate baseline of his state of mind and psyche at the time. This helped ensure he always had a ruler to measure any changes he goes through. 

He understands that one grows over time, and such growth may change one's view of the world. But he believed this test was useful for spotting any forced or inorganic change he may experience, as well as looking back on his old self, to see how much he's changed over time, and whether it's positive or negative. Though 'positive' here is up to one's interpretation.

During the test, Adam will be unaware it is a dream. Zero will make sure of that. Otherwise, the test will be compromised. Adam closes his eyes and enters deep sleep. He starts going through the psychological test, hoping to see what is changing with his psyche. While it will be hard to accurately represent the changes his body brings to the equation, given how everything is uncharted territory for him, it is still his body at the end of the day. Whatever Adam may miss, his subconscious, Zero, should be able to pick up. Hopefully. 

Morning, next day.

Feeling some warmth and softness on his face, as well as a slight difficulty in breathing, Adam wakes up. He finds Ghost laying across his face, purring, with Jag on his stomach, as comfortable as his sibling. Slightly amused, he proceeds to scratch both their heads, trying to wake them up gently. Feeling Jag stretch on his stomach but Ghost unresponsive, he huffs, amused at how much of a sleeper the cub is. He moves Ghost away from his face and speaks to Zero. 'Zero, send me the results of the test' 'Yes sir'

Still petting the cubs. He closes his eyes to process the results of the psychological test. And he's not happy with what he 'sees'. The test is comprehensive and includes various situations. Adding the fact that his perception of time is malleable while dreaming; it gives him the possibility to test many things.

The results show that Adam has become slightly more aggressive, something obvious given what Elena pointed out. It also indicated an increase in lust, possessiveness, recklessness; as well as a delusion of grandeur. Basically, everything that would lead one to death. Although it showed him exhibiting such characteristics, it is only obvious once looked over through the span of a few years. The change is subtle enough that it is not immediately apparent in his past actions. It only shows in the future, where if he doesn't get a hold of himself, these changes will continue spiraling out of his control.

Startled and slightly alarmed by the results, he abruptly gets up, completely waking the cubs. He steps outside the room and calls over the maid "CAT! Go wake and feed the animals." And then powerwalks toward the tent's entrance, not caring enough to grab a robe to cover his currently naked body.

Once outside, and feeling the breeze on his junk, he just realizes his state of dress. Spotting everyone awake, and looking at him oddly, he ignores them and walks over to Elena while gesturing at David "David, go inside the tent and grab a robe and towel from the maid. Also, go into my room and retrieve both of my holding bags as well. Elena, follow me, I need to talk to you. We'll speak while bathing in the nearby lake."

He ignores chubby and skinny, who were waiting for orders. Adam starts walking towards the lake, with Elena in tow, while David went to his tent to grab his belongings.  

Arriving at the lake a few minutes later, Adam waits for Elena to jump in, to ensure nothing weird is currently swimming around. Elena understanding he's waiting for her to go in, strips naked and jumps in the lake. 

A few moments later. Elena resurfaces, hugging a flailing carp, almost as big as her. It was light blue in color, blending with the water, and possessed rows of sharp teeth. "Lucky! This water carp is a known delicacy around these parts. It is tier 2 as well, useful for your pets." She hugs the carp slightly harder, *crack* breaking its spine, paralyzing it. Throwing it on the shore of the lake, she waves Adam over "There shouldn't be anything else, hop in."

Adam nods, and jumps in the lake, staying underwater for a while to calm himself and properly formulate his thoughts for the following conversation. About five minutes later, he resurfaces, not winded in the slightest.

"Elena, I have a way to confirm if anything is wrong with my mind. I usually perform checks annually, to ensure nothing is wrong. I need to be sleeping to perform this self-check. I performed one last night while I was sleeping, and I'm not happy with the results. While the results are not accurate to the smallest detail, given my body is physical while my mind isn't. The test is accurate enough to give me a proper answer and direction to focus on." He pauses slightly, to make sure he isn't missing anything. Elena, meanwhile, has her arms spread and laying across the shore, with only her breasts floating slightly above water.

Adam continues "The test has shown me what changes would happen to me throughout the years if I don't find a solution to my current problems. And it isn't pretty. What do you think?" He looks her in the eyes, waiting for her input. 

Elena on the other hand looks at him oddly "The years? Boss, I told you before. While your phase may be lasting longer than the average, it is still not unusual and will stop soon. And those changes you speak of don't matter if you are self-aware. Those changes aren't actually you changing, it is only a reaction of your body acting out and your mind trying to reign it in. As long as you are self-aware, you can consider those changes a result of sickness, like someone coughing or sneezing if they have a cold. It will stop once you're 'healed'; Once your bodily instincts are back under your control. It is why meditating is so useful. It helps you spot such issues as well as calm your raging body. If a regular human's body, with its regular instinct, is a weak-willed organism; a refined body, with its enhanced natural instincts, is like a raging dragon, while your mind, in every scenario, are the chains. Chains of civilization, of thought/ego, meant to bring your body's instincts under control." She pauses in thought then continues her explanation.

"You don't see people out there act out their base instincts like savages. I mean, you do see some idiots that act like that. But, in general, we have translated or transformed those base bodily instincts into something more orderly, more civilized as we slowly advanced ourselves as a race." She stops to gather her thoughts.

Once ready, she continues "The changes you are going through are only troublesome if you aren't aware, don't care, or revel in them. You know, reveling, enjoying, or not caring for your lust for battle and sex, short temper, and whatever other things you may experience. In which case you and your mind adapt yourselves to those enhanced physical instincts you are experiencing, slowly but surely assimilating them as part of you and your personality."

She looks him in the eyes "Don't underestimate your body and the way it affects you. The most valuable thing we own, as a human, is our mind and the ability to think; without it, we are just animals, not even strong ones at that. And the body is the container for our mind. Any change, even a small one, can affect you in myriad ways. Power changes you, in more ways than one. Don't look down on what you're going through, no matter how small or temporary." She finished solemnly.

Adam, once she finished, started meditating on this new information. 'I should've remembered that all this was temporary. I was too hasty, or rather, my temper seemed to be shorter and shorter. And she's right, I've been assuming that lust is the most I would experience and have taken things lightly. I also can't forget that while my mind is fine. My body, by most standards, is still considered a baby, given it's newly produced. It's a good thing Elena is here to help me understand these things.' He glances at Elena, who was enjoying the sun and wind on her skin.

"Thank you, Elena. This has been helpful." He gets up and spots David also bathing not far away from them. Directing his gaze to the shore, he spots both of his holding bags, near Elena's equipment, along with a robe and towel.

Getting out of the water, he grabs the towel and starts drying his body, while still replaying the previous conversation in his mind. Putting the towel in the holding bag holding his daily necessities, he puts his silk robe on and walks back to the camp. 

Spotting skinny and chubby hanging around, he speaks to them "There's a dead fish near the shore of the lake, bring it over." Both men scramble up to their feet and run to the lake. Walking inside his tent, he heads over to his bedroom to get dressed. He hears the maid walking around the kitchen, along with his animals making a ruckus, minus Tank. 

He smiles slightly at hearing the cubs calling out for food. He calls out to both cubs "Ghost, Jag, there's a fish waiting for you outside" Hearing his hawk screech he laughs lightly "You can eat with them if there's enough." 

He knows they can barely understand. But he hopes that by interacting with them enough, they'll gain sapience sooner than later. "Cat, go with them outside, I'll take care of Tank." He then proceeds to put his equipment on.

Once dressed, he spots Tank still sleeping on its rock, inside his room. Shaking his head at the turtle's sleeping habits, he heads over to wake it up. Patting his pouch, he takes out a few mana crystals. 

Mana crystals are produced naturally in mana-rich environments or worlds, like Aurora for example. Some are elementally attuned while some are neutral. There's no precise definition of what a mana crystal is. Anything condensed from a concentration of mana technically falls under the term of mana crystal. Some may have more mana, while some may have less. Some might also be mixed with other minerals, creating a situation where some crystals are considered 'lower-quality'. The crystals in Adam's hands are neutral and pure, consisting of only crystalized mana.

Approaching the turtle, he knocks its head lightly with his finger. Seeing no reaction, he picks it up and drops it in the pond. A few moments later, a waterspout proceeds to splash on his face, making him chuckle. "hahaha, you wouldn't wake up, not my fault." The turtle pokes its head out, and turns away from him, likely as a show of discontentment. 

Chuckling he speaks to it "I guess you don't want the mana crystals? Fine, I'll just throw them away." And starts to slowly turn around, only to feel something tugging at his pants. Looking down he sees the viper looking up at him while biting his leg with the turtle still turned around. 

Luckily it's still considered a newborn Xuanwu, even at a hundred years old, or the poison from the viper could potentially eat through any protection he's wearing. 

Crouching down, he picks the turtle up in his arms and proceeds to drop some crystals in its open waiting mouth. Thanks to its mythological lineage, being a direct descendant of a Xuawnu, it doesn't need to eat to survive. Only energy from its surroundings. If there's no energy around, it will then start looking for food, or simply hibernate. It could potentially hibernate forever, given its nature and longevity as a turtle.

"I'm gonna explore the surroundings, do you want to come along?" He asks once he's done feeding it. Tank, hearing his questions, wiggles and drops itself from his arms. Curious at its actions, Adam looks on, only to smile wryly once he sees it return to its rock to sleep. Shaking his head, he leaves it sleeping and exits his tent.

Spotting his whole group lounging around, he addresses them "I'll be exploring the surroundings." He looks between chubby and skinny. 'Hmmm chubby is better. If I have to ditch him, the extra weight on him will probably keep any beast busy for a few extra seconds.' Chubby, on the receiving side of Adam's gaze, shivers slightly. 

"Chubby, you'll accompany me. Elena and David, you can stay here. Elena, I'll be following your previous advice, to look for life-threatening battles. Especially, considering it's the best solution to stop any problems with my currently out-of-control instincts." Elena nods in agreement while David remains silent. 

"I might be gone for more than a day. I'll contact you using my council ID if the situation does happen. If I stay out without any contact, assume the worst. Pack up and start searching. I have an extra sleeping bag, so I'll be leaving my tent here for the animals and the maid. David, take Ghost, Jag, and Onyx out for hunting regularly. We're not here for me alone after all. Also, make sure either one of you is always around, for the safety of the camp. Chubby, grab your sleeping bag. Let's go." Chubby with a forlorn look, follows Adam. 

A few hours later

As Adam is walking, with his cane-sword/mace on his back and the shortsword in his hand, he stops. He lifts his hand to stop chubby. "Chubby, stay quiet. I think something is stalking us." Chubby, on the other hand, starts shivering while frantically looking around.

*slap* 

Chubby held his cheek, looking at Adam like a wronged wife. "Don't look at me like that, it's disgusting. Stop standing around like an idiot and go hide in a tree or something. I won't protect you if you get killed. Don't run, or the beast might chase you, the weaker party, for an easy meal." Chubby doesn't even respond, only running to the nearest tree, clumsily climbing. 

Adam in the meantime looks around vigilantly. He's been hearing rustling following them for the past hour. At first, he thought it was some random critter, but the same sound repeated itself for an hour, disproving his previous thought.

Bending his knees slightly, he sheathes his shortsword and grabs his cane from his back, planning to use it as a mace. Slowly looking around, he holds his mace with a two-handed grip. Left hand at the base and right hand near the mace head.

*crack**swooosh*

The sound of wind cutting could be heard, as Adam rolls forward and readjusts himself with the mace in front of him, to block the following strike. 

*Claaaang* 

Buckling to one knee, he looks at the attacker. It looked like a mix between a mountain lion and an ape. 

It had the posture and limbs of an ape, only it had five-fingered claws instead of an ape's hand and feet. It was also taller than Adam by about two heads. 

While blocking its claws, Adam ensures he's pushing back and up, forcing it away, while keeping an eye on its feet just in case it decides to suddenly learn how to kick, if it doesn't already know. 

The beast brought its saliva-dripping, fanged mouth, close to Adam's face, trying to push him back with its front claws and take a bite. Adam, seeing the muscles in its neck tensing, ready to bite, spits in its eye, and uses the distraction to roll back and get up on his feet.

The predator, called stalking lion-ape, if he recalls its ridiculous name properly, shakes its head with an angered growl. 

One of its eyes got temporarily blinded, due to Adam spitting full force at such a close distance. 

It started to circle him warily, using its long front limbs to occasionally speed up, trying to catch him off guard. 

Adam keeps an eye on the beast, while slowly circling it himself, keeping it in front of him at all times. He shifted his weight slightly, ready to counter with his mace. 

He doesn't need to aim accurately. One hit is all he needs. One injury with his mace will probably cripple it enough for him to end its life. He doesn't trust himself to strike first, with a healthy beast on the receiving end. He's not experienced enough. 

While his head was calm, his body wasn't. Adrenaline pumping, heart beating. Funnily enough, he can also feel himself slowly getting hard.

Zero is also doing its job. Directing his thoughts, or attention to the surroundings. It isn't doing so with markers and whatnot. Zero, being a representation of his subconscious, is only nudging his thought process to potentially useful or dangerous things. 

Like how the beast was leading him to a tree copse, trying to corner him. Understanding its goal, and coming up with a plan himself, he plays along, slowly backing up. 

He slowly crouches, bringing his arms, holding the mace, closer to his thighs where one of his daggers was sheathed. 

He senses a tree nearing his back, cornering him. All of a sudden, the beast's legs tense...

He rolls forward as the beast lunges, dropping his mace and unsheathing the dagger on his thigh, all in one motion. 

*Swoosh*

The beast jumped as soon as Adam's back approached the tree. It was trying to corner him using the tree. 

It missed. 

And while in the air it sees Adam rolling below, just barely avoiding its clawed feet. 

Twisting itself mid-air to use the tree as a landing pad, it loses sight of Adam for a split second.

That's all Adam needed. He throws his dagger.

*Swooosh* Splurt*

*Yooowl*

The beast yowls in pain and misses its landing, rolling on the ground for a few feet, giving Adam time to pick up his mace again. 

It gets up with a wobble, a dagger stuck in the back of its left thigh just above the knee, hilt deep.

Adam not giving it time runs towards the beast in an S pattern. Ensuring it can't predict where his hit will come from. 

Keeping the mace low, almost touching the ground, he approaches the beast at jogging speed, preventing him from stumbling while carrying his weapon. 

The beast also tenses, jaw slightly open, crouching on all fours, using its front limbs to compensate for the injured one.

It wants to bite. 

Adam and the beast eye each other. Both of them aware; Only one of them will come out alive.

Adam understanding its plan slows his speed. Only this time he deviates slightly to the right, forcing the beast to use its injured thigh to reposition itself.

Once Adam got close enough, the beast lunged at him, both front arms extended, claws ready to grab him and jaws wide, ready to tear his throat out.

Adam using his left foot, hops slightly to the right, letting the beast's jaw pass a distance away from his head and its claws swinging at him, barely touching his body. 

Landing, he placed the majority of his weight on his right foot. His body still tilted from his hop, helps him swing his arms, giving momentum to his mace swing.

*Swoosh* *Yowwwwl*

It hits. Homerun.

His mace hits the beast's midsection while mid-air. Throwing it deeper in the copse, hitting a tree, further hurting it.

Despite how long it took to explain, all this happened quite fast. All it took was a lunge, quite literally, and everything ended.

Adam, breathing heavily from the mental exertion, warily eyes the beast a few feet away, laying at the foot of a tree. 

The beast eventually gets up with difficulty, kneeling and vomiting blood.

'Severe internal damage.' Adam realizes. He doesn't approach. He knows that animals are the most dangerous when facing death. 

He unsheathes his remaining dagger and throws it at the beast's torso.

*Splurt* *Groooowl*

The dagger sank into its chest. The beast released a low growl, glaring at Adam with its bloodshot eyes, filled with craziness and bloodlust. 

Nothing of the previous stalking predator remains, only a blood-crazed beast on the verge of death.

Laying his mace down, he pats his pouch and takes his bow out, along with a single arrow.

Getting into position, he pulls his strings, aiming at its head, all the while looking in its eyes, never breaking eye contact. 

"It was a good fight."

He releases.

*swoooosh* *splurt*

The arrow sank in its head, ending its life.

Adam exhales slightly. He looks around warily, remembering Elena's lesson to never let his guard down. "Chubby, get down here!"

*rustle rustle*

Adam retrieves an arrow and cocks his bow, aiming for the sound.

"It's me, boss, it's me!" Chubby comes out, with his hands up. Looking between Adam and the dead beast.

"I ought to give you a bell or something. Go retrieve my daggers and arrow from the beast." He orders while storing away his bow and picking his cane up.

"Umm Boss, what if it isn't dead?" Chubby asks timidly, hoping for Adam to change his mind.

"Isn't that the reason I'm sending you?! Grab a stick and poke it or something" Adam glares.

Chubby relents, grabbing a branch and approaching the dead predator. Poking it a few times, he heaves a sigh of relief and crouches down to retrieve the weapons. 

Adam in the meantime is paying attention to his surroundings, making sure no beast is trying to take advantage while they're unaware. Spotting Chubby run back, he tells him "Drag the beast over.''

Chubby's shoulders stoop slightly, heading back to the beast.

Coming back, along with the dead beast, he hands Adam his weapons and stands behind him.

Adam looks down at the dead beast, thinking over his previous fight, unsure how well it went. 'Pretty well, considering I'm looking at its body' Shrugging, he stores the beast in one of his holding bags.

"Let's go back." Adam says, surprising his lackey.

"Is anything wrong boss?" Chubby asks timidly.

Adam glances at Chubby, then looks down at his pants, where a noticeable bulge could be seen.

Chubby noticing the action also looks at Adam's pants and then realizes what's happening. "oh...

Adam returns to camp, a few hours after he left. Horny and victorious.

*****************

Author's note: Here you go ladies and gents. My first fight. I described it in depth since it was the first one I wrote. Everyone wants their first to be special after all... And we also see how Adam is while fighting. He's still new to the whole concept, but that's why he's there, to learn and experience. We also learn why he acted like a bad boss from a reality-tv show. His body is acting up. It should've ended sooner, but his body is still young. We, humans in the modern-day, have had our instincts dulled, with time and safety. It is different for Aurora, or many other worlds, where humans are still occasionally fighting for survival and still thrive and live along with their survival instincts revved up. As opposed to some of us, who decided it's a good idea to interact with wild animals with only a smartphone in hand. To them, violence is commonplace, to an extent. It is why Elena considered such reactions normal. As for Adam, with his body being as young as it is, despite it being fully grown, is still in its 'animal state'... It hasn't yet adopted any of the habits we gained, living in a safe environment, with no need to hunt for food or procreate to prevent lineage extinction. He's always horny and ready for a fight. Adam wouldn't typically feel that way due to his mental maturity suppressing his base instincts. But add in the body refinement and we get an explosive increase of...everything really. Lust, violence, etc.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

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Lazy Out!