Adam descended from his room to the first floor, where he found Kath sitting on the large leather sofa, holding an old, tattered book and quietly engrossed in its pages.
Adam looked at him for a moment before heading toward the door, saying, "I'm going to train." His tone was filled with determination, but there was also a hint of hesitation in his eyes, as if he were facing something far greater than just training.
Kath lifted his eyes from the book, still wearing a calm smile. "Don't die," he said in a nonchalant tone, as if it were a casual joke, then returned his attention to his book, treating Adam's words as little more than passing conversation.
Adam stood by the door for a moment, processing Kath's remark. Then he turned slightly and stepped outside, ready to face whatever awaited him beyond.
"Alright, where do we begin?" Adam muttered as he gazed up at the sky, contemplating his next steps.
Slowly, he summoned the system, which appeared before him as a floating screen in the air, surrounded by a plethora of details. Adam set everything aside for now and focused on the free points he had earned.
"Alright, first, I'll use these free points to boost... defense."
Defense: 10
"Since this fire transformation allows me to fight from a distance using fire, it would be better to increase defense in case someone gets close to me," Adam said with a satisfied smile. Now, he would be better equipped to withstand close-range attacks if forced into a closer combat situation.
Experience Points: 20 / 5
"I need 15 points to reach level 3... but where are the quests? How am I supposed to get them?" Adam thought as he stared at the floating screen in front of him.
"Do I need to talk to people for them to activate, like in games?" he muttered under his breath, unsure if the answer lay in his reasoning.
"Is there even a quest system here?" he added, wondering if he needed to interact with the people around him to unlock tasks, just like in games.
"Or... I could fight monsters. Hmm, I'll choose... fighting monsters to improve my combat skills and master my transformations," he decided, his voice tinged with determination.
Adam paused for a moment, feeling a spark of excitement creeping into his heart.
With a smile on his face, he resolved to begin his search immediately for any nearby monsters he could challenge.
"He found one!" Adam exclaimed with a wide grin as a massive monster emerged before him. The creature was enormous, covered in thick brown fur, with glowing red eyes and sharp, elongated fangs. Its powerful legs were thick and muscular, showcasing its immense strength. What caught Adam's attention the most was the sheer size and evident power of the beast—a true challenge.
Adam's smile widened as excitement surged within him. "This is my chance!" he whispered to himself as he began to transform.
In the blink of an eye, his skin turned into a network of interlocking stones, covered with a rugged layer of volcanic-like rock. Luminous lines spread across his stony exterior, pulsating with a fiery energy. His eyes glowed with vibrant colors, transforming into radiant beams of light that emanated an overwhelming sense of power. His hair, instead of remaining normal, ignited into flames, burning brightly and consuming the air around him like a blazing torch.
The transformation was complete. Adam's new form exuded an aura of fear and awe. His fiery hair illuminated the area with warm, intense hues, his glowing eyes radiated a staggering force, and his rock-like body gave him an almost indestructible appearance.
"Now... it's time to fight!" Adam declared, ready to face the beast head-on.
The battle between Adam and the massive monster began in an instant, shaking the ground beneath them with each movement. The sound of rocks grinding under the monster's weight echoed through the air. Adam, in his fiery, rocky form, stood ready, his glowing eyes tracking the beast's every move with intense focus.
The monster was the first to act, lunging forward with its enormous body and swinging its massive arms in a devastating blow. The strike was so swift that Adam had to react with lightning speed. With a quick sidestep, he dodged the attack, narrowly avoiding the crushing force, and leapt high into the air to gather his energy.
"Take this!" Adam shouted as he launched a blazing fireball from his hands. It soared through the air like a comet, colliding with the monster's face. The explosion engulfed the creature in flames, but when the fire dissipated, it was clear that the beast's tough hide had absorbed much of the damage. Undeterred, Adam pressed on.
Channeling his power, Adam unleashed a concentrated beam of fire from his palm, aiming directly at the monster's torso. The fiery stream crackled through the air, striking the beast squarely in its abdomen. Upon impact, the flames erupted violently, forcing the monster to stagger back a few steps, clearly feeling the pain.
But the creature was relentless. It roared fiercely and charged forward with renewed aggression, closing the distance between them. Adam quickly conjured another fireball—this one larger and more intense. The blazing sphere spun wildly in the air, propelled as though by a fiery wind, and collided with the monster once more.
When the fireball struck, it exploded with tremendous force, creating a whirlwind of flames that consumed the surrounding area. The ground shook under the impact, and the inferno lit up the battlefield in a fiery glow. The monster roared in pain, its movements now slower, but it remained standing, refusing to yield.
Adam clenched his fists, his fiery hair burning brighter as he prepared for the next move. "Let's see how much more you can take," he said, determination blazing in his eyes.
As the monster staggered back under Adam's relentless fiery onslaught, Adam employed a clever new tactic: he unleashed a volley of fireballs simultaneously. The blazing spheres soared through the air in parallel arcs, like a meteor shower, striking the beast in multiple spots. These rapid, targeted attacks left the monster unable to advance or retreat, each hit landing like a relentless wave of unquenchable flames.
Sensing the opportunity to finish the fight, Adam decided to push his power to its limits. Gathering all his energy into his hands, he unleashed a massive fire beam, larger and more intense than anything he had ever conjured before. The beam streaked through the air with blinding speed, striking the monster directly in its core. The impact was devastating—fire erupted in all directions, engulfing the battlefield in an inferno.
The monster let out a final, agonized roar before collapsing. Its enormous body sank to the ground with a resounding crash, defeated. Flames flickered and died out around the scene, leaving a smoldering battlefield in their wake.
Adam stood still, catching his breath as he gazed at the fallen beast. A victorious smile spread across his face as he muttered, "That was amazing! Just like the hero in the show..." The excitement and pride in his voice were unmistakable.
As Adam stood amidst the wreckage, a screen suddenly appeared in front of him, floating mid-air, a familiar sight from his system.
Notification: You have defeated a monster! Gained 5 XP.
Adam's eyebrows raised in surprise as he saw the points added to his tally. "5 experience points... not bad!" he said with a satisfied smirk, the thrill of victory coursing through him.
"Alright," he said, his voice brimming with confidence, "who's next?"