Wazar Canyon, Outworld.
Deep within the unforgiving gorge that made up the Wazar Canyon, Adam, now seventeen years old, lay on the ground. His breathing heavy. His disheveled hair partially covered his eyes. Although he faced the skies, the radiance of the sun could hardly reach the depths of the gorge. Covered in dust, his hands rested on his heaving chest.
"Who told you to rest? It seems you have become complacent."
Adam shivered as he heard Vicar's words. He pulled his legs up to his chest, bent at the knees. His hands lay flat on the ground, pointing towards his shoulders. Adam kicked into the air, pulling into a kip-up. Before his feet landed on the ground, he somersaulted. Rolling about two feet from his previous position. The exact moment he retreated, a boulder fell on his previous position, raising a cloud of dust.
'That was close. I thought I could rest for a few minutes. I didn't expect him to catch up so soon.' A wry smile tugged at the sides of Adam's lips as he stared at the boulder.
"Are you spacing it out again?"
Alarmed, Adam raced towards the boulder. As he made his move, several projectiles wheezed through the air, heading towards him. The cloud of dust did not impede Adam's movement, he weaved through the different boulders surrounding him, using them as shields against the hidden projectiles.
Reclining against one boulder, muffled explosions reached Adam's ears. However, his gaze lingered on the silhouette behind the dust cloud.
"Is that him?" Adam whispered.
Just as he finished his statement, his surroundings became darker. Adam's expression darkened, he raised his head, and his eyes saw the outline of a massive boulder.
'You've got to be kidding me.'
Adam unleashed a frightening turn of speed, sprinting towards the silhouette behind the dust cloud. The moment Adam took his twentieth step, he stepped to the side. His blue eyes watched as a long sword wheezed passed him. A spilled second later, he stepped to his right, and three arrows wheezed past him.
"This bastard is not holding back at all."
Adam cursed under his breath. Within a space of ten seconds, he had dodged several arrows, swords, axes and spears. With barely inches separating him from the periphery of the dust cloud, Adam increased the speed at which he ran. A spilled second later, a deafening explosion rocked his surroundings, raising an even bigger dust cloud. Meanwhile, Adam lay on the floor, his chest heaved while his grip tightened on battle axes he caught earlier.
"Did I say you could rest?"
Adam's gaze fell on the mysterious silhouette who wielded a long sword.
Launching himself into midair, Adam spun with the axes in his hands. Like a revolving blade, his axes constantly clashed against Vicar Reeves's sword. Twisting and turning in midair, Adam landed behind Vicar. With no form of hesitation, his axes decapitated Vicar's head.
"Another clone. Damn it! Where is the real one?"
Adam's countenance darkened as he stared at the crumbling, stone clone. His grip on the axes tightened, while his eyes slowly scanned his surroundings. As his breathing calmed, his eyes quivered. Because, six silhouettes rushed towards his direction.
'So he wants to use the clones to wear me out, huh?'
Charging towards the north, three meters separated Adam from a spear wielding clone. The clone thrust the moment Adam entered within its attack range. Sending its pointed end towards Adam's neck. Adam crouched, before lunging towards the clone. In one swift motion, Adam cleaved its right leg, before slashing upwards while rising to his feet.
If it had been a human, Adam's strike would have eviscerated him. With a violent kick, Adam sent the spear of the crumbling clone towards a sword wielding clone. It impaled the clone through the stomach. Adam turned to his left, staring at a clone wielding a great axe.
Merely glancing at the clone, Adam threw one axe towards the clone. A red glow covered it as it wheezed through the air. As if being guided by an invisible force, it cleaved the head of the clone. Before its great axe fell to the ground, Adam made a grasping motion, and the axe returned to his hand. With three clones left, Adam hurled the axes towards two of the three clones, eliminating them within seconds.
"I suffered so much over the last few years. Beating you bastards is more than worth it."
The axes returned as Adam stared at the last clone. Unlike the others, it no longer lunged towards him. It held an abnormally large star-shaped, shuriken.
"What? Scared?" Adam baited. However, the clone remained standing.
'Why isn't it moving? Wait… could this be his real body?'
Adam's lips curved into a smile as he stared at the unmoving clone, "Haha… no wonder you're not attacking. It's your real body, right?"
Adam inched closer while tapping his axes, "Well, if you aren't coming. I'll come over there myself!"
Adam's pace quickened, and his grip tightened on the wooden handles of his axes. The whites in his eyes slowly turned black, giving them a demonic appearance. He launched both axes towards the clone while sprinting.
"You are as impatient as always."
While Vicar's words echoed, the earth around Adam trembled, and two clones emerged from beneath.
"Hahaha… I was waiting for them!" Adam said.
Before the clones could free themselves from the loose earth, Adam towered over their bodies. Wasting no time, he placed his hands on the skull of the clones. At that moment, they turned black, reverting to rocks.
"You're wide open?"
While Adam destroyed the clones, Vicar appeared behind him wielding Adam's axes.
"You think so?" Adam retorted.
Adam clutched his hands, and the crumbling clones reformed, before launching towards Vicar. With two quick strikes, Vicar effortlessly destroyed the clones. While Vicar destroyed the clones, Adam increased the distance between them. Making a grasping motion, the great axe laying on the ground flew towards his hands.
"You have improved a little. Your movements are better than last month," Vicar said. Unlike Adam, he did not have the aura of someone in combat.
"Are you coming or not? There is no point trying to lay new traps. I can see everything," Adam retorted.
"Oh. Really? Let me not waste your time then. Come at me."
While Vicar's words echoed, Adam shortened the distance between them. The silver great axe had turned black, while black fissures extended out of his eyes.
With both hands holding the wooden handle of the great axe, Adam made a cleaving motion for Vicar's right shoulder.
Vicar's lazy eyes followed Adam's attack; however, he didn't react. With inches separating the great axe from his shoulder, the earth beneath him rumbled, and a rock pillar launched into the air. Blocking Adam's attack.
Unsurprised, Adam loosened his grip on the axe. Twisting his body, he launch a kick towards Vicar's midsection. However, another rock pillar blocked his attacks.
Unperturbed, Adam clenched his fist, and several weapons hurled towards Vicar.
Like the fate of his previous attacks, a rock pillar intercepted and nullified them.
"Is that all?" Vicar asked.
Adam could barely see his face behind the rocks.
'Everything is going according to plan.'
His lips curved into a smile. Unleashing a frightening burst of speed, Adam placed his hands on the rock pillars. Within seconds, the rocks darkened, freeing the restrained weapons.
"So, that's your plan? How uninspiring..."
While Vicar's words echoed, the weapons chipped through the barrier. Adam watched as the weapons cleaved through the rocks and Vicar. However, a scowl donned his face.
A split second later, Adam retreated as his eyes scanned his surroundings.
'It was a clone, too. Where the hell is he hiding?' Adam thought.
"Where are you looking? I'm right here."
Adam felt a touch on his right shoulder, before he could react, his body weakened. The whites in his eyes returned, and the black fissures extending from his eyes receded. And, the pale white skin complexion on his hands returned. His legs went limp, and he fell on his knees.
"That's another loss. What's the score now?"
Adam's countenance darkened as Vicar's words reached his ears.
"600 to nil," Adam whispered.
Out of thin air, Vicar's figure appeared. He gazed indifferently at Adam. Unlike Adam who had dust and sweat covering his body, not a single speck of dust stained his trenchcoat.
With a flick of his wrist, a gentle wind blew the dust surrounding him and Adam. Revealing the boulder littered scenery which resembled a war-torn zone.
"It's been seven years since we started your training, I've nothing further to teach you. Take this," Vicar said as he tossed a insignia to Adam.
"You have been registered at Varidan Academy, in the country of Dratol. You will continue your training there. Without them, you can't explore the dungeons. Remember, you can't openly use your Omen. Luckily, others can't detect it. Make your way out of the canyon, I'll contact you if I have any news for you," Vicar said.
Glancing at Adam, "Look for Erik Gilmore. Show him the insignia, and he will help you settle in Dratol. Take care of yourself."
While Vicar's words echoed, he disappeared before Adam's eyes.
'So, it's been seven years. Finally, I can leave this place. Varidan Academy... Dungeons... I can't wait to see what the future holds.'
A smile tugged at the sides of his lips as he raised his head. Rising to his feet, Adam walked in light steps towards the darker corners of the gorge.