Fifteen days later, Adam was finally rid of plasters and IVs. His body looked much better than before, but he was still the scrawny old self. He looked at the papers in front of him.
Adam had received a new identity and new home allotted to him by the government. His name had been officially changed from Adam Eggars to Adam Hill.
Over the past few days, Adam had gotten plenty of chances to experiment with his ability. As his health improved, he spent his time visiting other patients in the hospital and holding the hands of people who were unconscious or sleeping, as if he were offering them support.
His actions were not in the eyes of the hospital staff and they didn't find anything suspicious on his part. However, Adam was doing this because of a definite motive.
When he touched the hand of an unconscious patient, an info box would appear within his vision.
[Ability - Flaming Hand]
[Grade - G]
[Can create a ball of fire on the palm of the hand.]
However, to Adam's disappointment, he found that he couldn't snatcg the ability that he wished to at all. The reason? His ability was too weak and his body couldn't handle the strain of another ability either.
Adam finally realized why researches of abilities had dismissed an ability stealing kind of ability as fantastical. Abilities could be a boon or a bane. If the ability was stronger than the body, mind or soul could handle, it could lead to permanent disaster for the individual.
After experiments, Adam realized that he could only absorb and house two more abilities with his current body. Moreover, both had to be the weakest rank abilities, H rank. His body could not handle anything more powerful.
When he realized this, Adam wasn't too shocked or surprised, but he did feel regretful. He had been born a sickly individual and his body was exceptionally weak.
At his time in the hospital, Adam had tried to find a useful ability to absorb, but he was careful not to after learning his limits. He had to choose ability that would multiply in effect, at the same time it had to be H rank. This was not an easy thing to find.
Eventually, he gave up finding someone useful to absorb an ability from in the hospital. Most of the patients here didn't have abilities anyway, and those that did weren't suitable for Adam to absorb.
Picking up his things, Adam began walking out of the hospital, only to find a person being rushed into the emergency ward.
"Quick, move! Hurry up!" The nurses screamed at people in the corridor, rushing them towards the operation theatre.
"What happened?" A doctor in the Emergency Ward looked at the incoming patient with shock and pale face. It was a shockingly horrific wound littered old man whose body barely had any muscles on it, and his body was littered with ghastly wounds. His organs were spilling out and it was unbelievable that he was still alive.
The old man was at the edge of life and death and it was impossible for a person to survive with most of their body disintegrated, he was still barely alive, yet it was clear that he wouldn't survive much longer.
The nurse shook her head in despair. "This poor man was a casualty of a battle between a hero and an alien beast!" She replied in haste. "Can he be saved?"
The Doctor turned paler. "Alien beast attacked again? It's too late to save this man, he is missing several organs. Only an A ranked healing ability could possibly save him." He shook his head.
Adam was shocked to see that the breath of the old man was fluctuating randomly as well. He could see that the man was about to die at each moment, yet somehow managed to hold on. As he was very close by, he walked toward the old man's stretcher and slowly touched his hand.
"Old man, hold on! You can survive!" He exclaimed, but the doctors looked at Adam pitifully. It was clear to them that the man was on his last moments, and the operation theater was occupied as well.
However, Adam couldn't care less about these people. Within his sight, a display of information popped up.
[Ability - Tenacity]
[Grade - H]
[The ability allows the user to hold on beyond the possible limits.]
[Absorb?]
Adam raised an eye. He could actually absorb this ability, and he saw that this ability was why the man had been able to hold on for so long. Adam was put into a dilemma. This ability was perfect for him. Why? Because with this ability, Adam realized that he could perhaps absorb and hold more abilities that he could otherwise, but the flipside was absorbing this man's ability would kill him.
However, the hesitation lasted only for a moment, before his eyes turned cold. He focused his will towards his mind, and yelled within his mind. "Absorb!"
Immediately, Adam could feel a green colored energy leave the old man's body and fill his own body. It was like a tenacious life force that refreshed his body. A moment later, the procedure ended, without any of the people surrounding the old man on the stretcher knowing any better. Soon, however, the old man who was miraculously holding onto dear life succumbed to his death.
The doctor, who had been trying to bandage the wounds to stop blood loss gave up and sighed. "He's dead." He motioned in regret.
Adam retreated to the side, and analyzed his own self, the old man's death was just a passing thought at the moment.
[Ability - Snatch]
[Grade - H]
[Ability - Tenacity]
[Grade - H]
Adam tried his best to hide his smile, for he could sense, that instead of just one more ability, he could actually absorb two more now. There was a hint of doubt about the path he was taking. He realized that just now, he had effectively murdered the old man, but then he recollected the harsh past of his own life, and blinked that regretful emotion away.