CHAPTER 182: JUST ADAPT!

With skills like Hive Mind and many others, not to mention the numerous titles he had earned, Zarek was virtually immune to most forms of mental manipulation.

His skills and titles stacked, granting layers of resistance. Unless his opponent’s power reached truly incomprehensible levels, Zarek was confident he could withstand anything.

’That petrification ability...’ Zarek narrowed his eyes in thought. He extended his hand, and the massive hammer strapped to his back levitated into the air. With a firm grip, he seized it.

"Oh? Can you resist my hypnosis so easily?" the woman asked, her left pupil glowing even brighter as she tried once more to invade his mind.

But Zarek remained unfazed. Her attempts were utterly futile, nothing more than an annoyance he could crush beneath his heel.

After some time of trying, the woman finally stopped, her slitted, snake-like eyes narrowing.

"What are you?"

Zarek ignored the question. Instead, he smiled and asked calmly, "Are you a Telekinetic Grandmaster?"

He extended his hand.

"Even if you are... you’re weak."

His tone dripped with contempt.

In the next instant, his Telekinetic power surged outward and he unleashed his special ability at full force.

Gravity increased by five times.

The entire world seemed to collapse in on itself. Space distorted. The very air twisted and discombobulated.

He had only increased gravity by three times when he destroyed those garbage cans, now, it had nearly doubled.

Even Zarek could feel the crushing weight. The force was immense, making even the slightest twitch of his muscles a challenge under the gravitational pull anchoring him to the ground.

"What is this?!" the woman shouted, panic creeping into her voice. Her slitted pupils quivered as she found herself rooted in place, the ground beneath her beginning to crack.

"You’re surprisingly weak," Zarek said coldly, sweat trickling down his temple.

But he wasn’t concerned. His body was already adapting to the pressure and growing stronger.

Every moment since his arrival, he had been adapting.

And now... it was the same as well.

"You... you..." the woman stammered, a flicker of panic in her voice. Her right eye, glowed crimson, both pupils now shining with red and blue.

Zarek felt a strange, invasive power strike him. Slowly, his skin began to wither, gray patches creeping across his body like spreading rot.

’Petrification, huh?’ he chuckled inwardly, even as the grey continued to grow, threatening to engulf him. Still, his heart remained steady, calm.

He focused his mind, tightening his grip on his gravity control. The pressure around them intensified.

From 5x... to 5.1x.

Gradually.

The woman sneered. "Let’s see what gives out first, my body breaking down, or your turning you to stone."

The cave walls groaned under the crushing weight of Zarek’s gravity. Cracks splintered through the stone, and debris rained from the ceiling. One heavy chunk nearly struck the Naga princess, forcing her to flinch, true fear flickering in her eyes.

She stared at Zarek, her slitted pupils narrowing. ’If I’m struggling like this... then he must be in an even worse state.’

Her gaze sharpened, just as a massive slab of stone tore free from above and crashed down on Zarek.

Bang!

The impact echoed through the cavern. Dust and debris exploded outward.

The princess smiled, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "He should be dead now."

But as the dust cleared... the gravity only intensified.

And from beneath the rubble, Zarek rose once more.

A thin stream of blood trickled down his face from a gash on his head. He ran his tongue across it, tasting it, then grinned.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Madman," she muttered instinctively.

His body was almost half-petrified now, and the process was accelerating rapidly.

But he didn’t stop.

In contrast, the woman had suffered only minor injuries, some strain from the crushing gravity, but nothing serious.

"I thought you were interesting," she said, her voice cold. "But I’m not interested anymore."

Her eyes flared with an even brighter crimson light, almost blinding in intensity.

The petrification on Zarek’s body surged. It crept faster than before, crawling up his neck, his jaw, his cheeks, until only his face remained untouched.

It was a miracle he was even alive.

And yet... the gravity continued to rise.

"You’re dead," she scoffed with disdain.

Zarek, barely able to speak, managed to grin.

"Are you sure?" he rasped.

Just then, a faint blur of light flickered before him, a panel only he could see.

And as the final patch of stone consumed his face...

Zarek became a statue.

She heaved a sigh of relief:

"Luckily, that bastard died. My body couldn’t withstand it anymore. Eh..."

She froze.

The gravity, still pressing down on the cave, had not vanished. In fact, it had grown even stronger.

"Eh?" Her pupils dilated in sheer terror. Her voice cracked as she whispered:

"How... how is this possible?"

Right before her disbelieving eyes, Zarek’s body began to regenerate, his stone-like skin fading, his flesh restoring, until he stood there fully healed, without a trace of decay.

"Nothing is impossible," he said lightly.

Then he grinned, raising a hand, its surface now glistening like polished stone.

"And thanks... for the gift."

Without warning, he clenched his stone hand and slammed it into the ground with overwhelming force.

Bang!

The earth quaked beneath him, the entire chamber trembling under the sheer impact of his blow.

"Not bad," Zarek nodded in satisfaction. "My strength increases a bit with it."

"This... this..." the Naga princess stammered, her voice trembling. "Somehow, you turned my curse into your strength..."

"That was a curse?" Zarek raised a brow, amused. "Interesting."

He focused further. The gravity had now reached nearly seven times the normal force. The cave groaned and buckled under the immense pressure.

The princess’s body was clearly beginning to break down under the relentless force, though she was still managing to hold on, for now.

Suddenly, translucent panels appeared before Zarek’s eyes:

[You have adapted to Petrification through the skill: Adapt]

[You have gained an exclusive skill bound to Adapt: Stone Skin]

...

Stone Skin

Increases the defense and attack power of any part of the body the user chooses by at least 50%.

...

The description was simple, but sometimes, simplicity was perfection.

Zarek smirked as he read the panel. Then he looked up at the Naga princess with a twisted, lecherous gaze, not one of lust, but something darker... hungrier.

In a flash, he vanished, reappearing right in front of her.

She froze, completely stunned.

"H-How can you even move right now?" she whispered with dread.

Zarek’s eyes narrowed, brimming with murderous intent.

"Just answer me," he said coldly. "Do you have other curses?"

"Other... curses?" she repeated, muttering instinctively. "Ye... yes."

"Use it on me."