CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: YOU’RE LATE

"Grah!"

Adam punched the crystal again, and the impact shot pain up his arm. His knuckles split open, blood smearing across the crystal’s surface. And then, the pillar of light surrounding the crystal rippled and danced.

Adam roared, almost like a feral grizzly bear, and punched the crystal again and again with his bare hands. The sound was wet, meaty—bone meeting unyielding surface. Chunks of skin tore away.

The creeps he pushed away rushed toward him, grabbing him by the arms. They also screamed, begging him to stop. But Adam just roared, his howls almost a cry for help too. The sound bounced off concrete walls, raw and animal-like.

He pushed them away again and punched the crystal, and the light rippled once more. The damage he was doing was minimal, however. But still, he continued—Paik already damaged it, he only needed to finish it.

"No!" The Blue creeps also gave out a cry of their own as they managed to get a hold of Adam again—and this time, they were able to pull him back.

His feet slid, and the crystal became farther and farther away again. The Blue creeps wanted to pin him on the ground, but Adam pushed forward even with all the weight.

But then... he tripped.

On a pebble. So small.

His body fell forward, and the collective weight of the enemy crashed down on him, literally. His head smacked the concrete with a hollow thud that sent dust rippling around his face. The impact pierced through his skull, instantly turning his vision dark and messy.

He wheezed, each breath pushing small clouds of consciousness away from him. The taste of blood drowned his throat.

Someone’s knee dug into his spine—something cracked. A boot connected with his ribs. Another stomped on his hand, grinding his flesh and shattered bones against concrete.

Adam didn’t care.

The crystal stood just feet away, he could almost reach it again. He watched it shimmer through the forest of legs surrounding him. He stretched his mangled hand out, and he began to drag himself forward; the sound of his fingernails scratching the concrete hissed.

The voices above him blended together into meaningless noise. Someone was crying. Someone else was cursing. It didn’t matter.

Adam pulled himself forward.

But soon, darkness crept into his eyes. Slowly, and slowly...he felt his consciousness being taken away. His eyelids grew heavy, and his breath turned into a low hum.

Perhaps—this is enough. You’ve done enough, Adam. This time, you didn’t run away. You did it.

It’s time to stop fighting. Just... surrender and let the darkness take you—you’re still going to wake up, just rest. But if you’re lucky, then maybe you’ll never wake up again.

His own voice whispering in his head now sounded like a lullaby, and slowly, he found himself listening.

And with a soft, fading breath, he closed his eyes.

But then—

[Your team’s Middle Crystal has been destroyed! Deploying allied Inner Crystal troops in one minute! Help them! Enemy Heroes fast approaching!]

The Administrator’s voice cut his eyes open, the darkness fading away like ink in the ocean.

The Middle Crystal? What about the Outer Crystal?

He hadn’t even heard it fall. Was the Duelist of Rose moving that fast?

Adam’s chest cracked as he wheezed. Blood bubbled between his lips.

And then, with a roar so loud, the blood showered from his mouth and the very ground around him seemed to shake.

The sound wasn’t human—it was primal, the cry of something that refused to die.

His bones cracked as he pushed himself up against the weight of his attackers. Their bodies shifted and slid off him as he rose to his knees, then to his feet. He roared again, louder this time, wilder.

He pushed the Blue creeps away, causing them to stumble back. Adam did not waste any time and marched toward the crystal once more, each step almost leaving a bloody footprint.

The Blue creeps, of course, only let him take one more step before rushing at him again. Their hands grabbed at his clothes, his arms, his hair. Fingers dug into half-healed wounds, tearing them open again. They pulled at him, trying to drag him down.

Adam pushed forward, straining against their collective strength. The crystal was once again so close now—its surface gleaming, almost within reach.

Someone hooked their foot around his ankle. Adam felt himself falling again, but this time he was close enough.

He lunged forward to the crystal as he went down, pushing himself.

His head slammed directly into the crystal’s surface with a sickening crack. Stars exploded behind his eyes. The impact vibrated through his skull and down his spine.

A small wince escaped his lips, and he stared at whatever part of his face he could stare at from his reflection on the Blue crystal.

And he saw himself, desperate—but now fighting for something.

"Raah!" Adam roared again, and he leaned his head away before smacking his forehead on the crystal.

The creeps were shocked at this, terrified even, But they grabbed his head to stop him. But Adam shook his head wildly and once again slammed it on the crystal.

He was almost feral now. He is feral.

"S...stop it! You’re going to kill yourself!" one of the Blue creeps pleaded, but Adam only responded with a growl.

He slammed his head again, and again. Blood violently streaked down his face, painting the blue crystal’s surface with crimson smears. The sound—wet, hollow thuds—made even the hardened creeps flinch.

It was as if his head was empty and mushed, and perhaps it was with the way he now looked.

Adam’s eyes had gone wild, unfocused, like something... ancient had awakened inside him.

But then, someone suddenly grabbed his forehead, blocking it from meeting the crystal. A massive hand, steady, rough... explosive.

A Hero, perhaps?

But Adam didn’t care. He shook wildly again, biting the large hand.

It felt like biting concrete, and his teeth quickly bled.

But then, another hand moved toward him—but instead of attacking him, the hand gently rested on his shoulder and removed the other hands gripping him.

Adam finally turned his eyes to the owner of the hand.

And it was Bjorn.

"You..." Adam whispered,

"You’re late."