"YOU STUPID F**KING C*NT! WHY THE HELL DID YOU SHOUT OUT LOUD?!"
Adam could only shake his head helplessly as they provided evidence affirming their identities.
"SHUT UP, YOU PROSTHETIC BREAST! IT WAS YOUR SCREAMING THAT WOKE UP THE LIZARD!"
The party of four running for their lives while bickering ceaselessly was a sight to behold. Witnessing this, Adam had an urge to snicker.
But the stout, short, auburn bearded guy's words caught his attention.
'Lizard? That roar was by a lizard?'
The very thought of a lizard large enough to bark was an unscalable issue. And here I have gone pale from a deafening roar, of a lizard.
'This world doesn't follow the laws of physics.'
Narrowing his eyes, Adam stared at the jungle on the other side. Seconds later, two powerful gusts of wind flew out of the woods. The violent 'breeze' propelled the four ahead and they were thrown off-balance.
Gulp!
For a split-second, a sliver of a second, Adam saw two blood-red pupils staring at him. They were larger than any pupils he had ever seen. Though it only appeared for a fraction of a second, those eyes stared into the heart of his being.
Adam felt his limbs going limp from the exposure and he didn't struggle. For the time being, he shut his eyes tight and tried to eradicate the glimpse of death he captured. Only after that, he left a sigh which put a halt to his trembling torso.
'Hmm?'
Adam could hear unintelligible discourse from a distance. He, for a moment, closed his senses and sharpened his ears. After a few seconds, he began to pick up comprehensible words.
"...is awake. We no longer have a chance to venture the Preserve."
"It seems like our preparations were inadequate."
"Not incomplete, but flawed. I knew we would end up getting nothing when you invited this pervert for the adventure."
"Lady, watch your tongue. I was merely extending my appreciations for your figure."
"You..."
"Stop it, both of you. We lost our chance but not the heritage. Let's take a break and continue again in a few hours."
"You think the beast will sleep for an entire month?"
"No, but we can try. I have brought some high-quality offensive runes. If we don't have a chance, I'll light them up."
"Indeed. We don't have the leisure to take a break. The news would have spread like wildfire by now. Many will attempt an expedition to acquire the heritage of the Sage for themselves."
"Then it's decided. I'll stand guard while you three take rest. We'll switch the lookout every three hours."
"My sword broke just now when..."
The remaining portion of the conversation drifted into nothingness as Adam felt an ache in his ears. The throbbing quickly spread to his forehead and anguish enveloped him.
Suppressing the pain, a sweet sensation was welling up in his mouth as blood traced its path through the corners of his lips. In an attempt to tolerate the pain, his mouth sustained a flesh wound.
What happened next was beyond his imagination. The energy stored in his body, that bizarre form of force, automatically yet slowly formed a layer of mist in his mouth. Before he knew, the wound in his mouth was non-existent.
'This energy has such an application? Great!'
This revelation produced sparkles in Adam's eyes as he picturised the life-saving purpose of this unnatural energy. It also baffled his mind that the energy contained in his body sought out the wound voluntarily and healed it without the necessity of a command.
But, something caught his attention that made Adam frown.
'The quantity...decreased.'
Well, this was within his expectation as there was never a free lunch concept in this world.
Before he could dwell on those thoughts, a myriad of feasible activities popped up in his head.
'Yeah, I wonder...'
Adam had comprehended the art of channelling the bizarre energy through his body in the desired course to a satisfactory extent. Though clumsiness was his twin brother, he wasn't half-hearted when he pulled off the trick yesterday.
Thus, utilising the experience, Adam used his psyche to channel the energy into his ears. But...
'It is difficult, but not impossible.'
Born and reborn in a world where there was no customizable personal energy, Adam was no better than a complete rookie while attempting the unknown. But with his insight and diligence, Adam managed to imbue a sliver of energy into his ears.
Clang...clang...
As soon as the augmenting was successful, the noise of metal clashing metal was introduced to his ears. The party of four speaking about trivial matters also entered his pinna. The breathing of beasts and chirping of birds became clear as the sky to his ears.
One word arose in Adam's head as he perceived a plentitude of auditory signals - Incredible!
But a piercing sensation originated on either side of his head and Adam found himself clutching his head in soreness.
'Too much pain.'
Quickly retracting the coursing energy, Adam derived his conclusion under the light of stinging discomfort. Even after a few minutes of relaxation, the pricking sensation continued to loom over him.
"Ah, shit! The Guild Master's party is here!"
Unrest oozed into the atmosphere and the air became chaotic. While lying on a tree branch, Adam can sense the arrival of something truly threatening.
Dum...dum...dum...
A series of earth-shaking vibrations shook the forest with every beat and Adam felt an apprehensive sensation brewing inside him. With each passing minute, the tremors picked up strength and the tree in which Adam was seated began to tremble like a tender leaf.
"What the...!"
Before Adam could retreat into the depths of the forest, a gigantic shadow was cast over him. Simultaneously, a portion of the forest was also shielded from the warm rays of the sun.
And after looking up did Adam realise what the cause was.
'...an airship?'
A large levitating object which could easily fit an entire football court in it was floating in the air. Not only was it large but luxurious and powerful at a glance. Adam quickly shuttled his eyes all over the object and caught the glimpse of many obscure writings and cryptic figures engraved on its exterior.
Boom!
A loud blast from an unknown shattered a portion of trees into smithereens and Adam was unfortunately in the range. But by the grace of the unknown, he survived and was thrown away by the shockwave of the boom.
Like a launched pebble, the lonely figure drew an arc in the air before colliding with a tree on the opposite side of the grassland.
Padah!
'Which bastard said that I'm free of sufferings?!'
Adam could only roar in his heart as gravity displayed its prowess. The kinetic energy he accumulated from the explosion granted him a painful landing.
Rolling like a lifeless rock, Adam found himself enveloped in bruises when his movement came to an end. Though it wasn't anything painful, the discomfort was truly tormenting.
With a couple of broken bones, Adam found himself leaning on a tree when his sight fell on a truly inconceivable sight.
Rubbing his eyes forcefully, Adam realised that this was the reality.
"Robots and airships. Where the heck am I?"