Chapter 65: Outrageous Endurance

The moment Asher went on the offensive, Adam switched things up.

A rapid exchange of strikes followed, Adam dishing out attacks and parrying in equal measure. The two moved around under the influence of five times gravity like it was nothing.

Asher found himself impressed as the seconds went by. His moves were getting read by a sixteen-year-old boy!

A feint here, and a strike there; Adam responded accordingly.

The vice-principal would transition into leg techniques, his movements complex and sophisticated to the untrained eye. The boy would struggle for a while and then adjust, shocking the purple-haired man beyond reason.

A few strikes went through Adam’s defences, striking at various parts of his face, chest, and shoulders. But the boy would swiftly adjust, cataloguing and applying the moves himself, his execution almost perfect.

’What in the world is this kid?’ Asher inwardly asked, his expression darkening the more moves he exchanged with Adam. ’I know I picked him up for his talents, but... this is too much!’

It had only been moments since he spoke of experience. Yet here Adam was, adapting and evolving his combat on the fly. The boy was not just a genius; he was an absolute monster!

’Genius of the century!’

Adam smirked as though he could read his master’s mind. The look on the man’s face said it all. How could he not be shocked when he was proving the man wrong?

At the edge of his vision was a panel displaying his rising progress in the Unarmed Combat Index. Adam was learning from his master’s moves and techniques, and fast.

Boom!

Gravity increased yet again, the pressure growing by an additional two. Adam faltered once again, this time taking a few seconds to adjust to the change.

’He’s still enduring without much trouble.’ The vice-principal’s heart grew heavy.

Adam was enduring gravity that should be too much for those in his current realm. Most would be lying face-first on the floor, beads of sweat on their forehead and body. At this gravity, top geniuses would have slowed down significantly, every move requiring thrice the effort.

But Adam kept going, his speed just slightly affected.

The vice-principal increased the tempo yet again, forcing Adam on the defensive. More attacks broke through, but the boy would simply adjust and mend his openings, adapting to the tempo. A few minutes later, he was back to dishing out his own attacks.

Boom!

Gravity increased to ten times normal.

Adam finally groaned as his speed decreased substantially. Sweat began forming on his forehead, his clothes soaking up the sweat on his body. But he kept fighting back, blocking and attacking as much as he could.

’Just how much can he actually endure?!’

Asher knew he would have crumbled under this gravity at Adam’s age, his face flat on the ground under such gravity. But Adam kept going, sweat dripping off his face as he tried to keep up with him.

His disciple was enduring levels of gravity meant for second realm persons with a first realm body. ’No, that’s not right. His body is far more powerful than what those at the same realm should possess. Even those with strength-type physiques can’t withst—’

Asher’s eyes widened as the implications of his thoughts settled in.

’The boy has a physique!’

The thought hit him like a punch in the gut, his heart doing the rarest of things—skipping a beat! Asher’s certainty grew the more he watched Adam fight against the pressure

’Just how many secrets is this little boy keeping?’ the question rose silently.

Although Adam was sweating and struggling, he was far from the limits of what his body could endure. The vice-principal wanted to know where that limit was, so he kept pushing him.

Boom!

Twelve times normal gravity.

At this point, Adam slowed down even further, his base speed less than fifty per cent. He ground his teeth as he fought against the gravity while trying to fend off the attacks his master dished at him.

His passive skill, Adaptive Response, rose to the challenge, slowly guiding his body to adapt to the overwhelming pressure. A few minutes later, his body adapted enough to push his speed and reaction back to fifty per cent.

Boom!

Thirteen times gravity came down a second later, almost causing him to stumble.

Asher stepped back at this point and observed. Their spar was essentially over, as Adam could no longer fight at a sufficient enough speed.

"To think your body is this strong..." The vice-principal stated, impressed at what he had discovered.

He walked around Adam as he watched him try to regulate his breathing. Adam had no problem standing tall. His eyes tracked the movement of his master, noticing the shock and awe in his eyes.

The vice-principal suddenly threw out a question, or rather, made a statement that caused Adam’s eyes to widen, forgetting his expression could give it away.

"You have a physique, don’t you?"

The look on Adam’s face was all the confirmation the vice-principal needed. Smiling softly, he added, "You have nothing to worry about, Adam. Trust in your master."

"H-How..."

"Someone at your level shouldn’t be enduring this much gravity," Asher responded before Adam could get the question out. "Even those with strength-type physiques can barely touch eleven times the gravity."

"I see..."

"Your physique is clearly different. Even at thirteen times normal, you’re still standing." Asher commented, eyeing his disciple with fascination. "That’s where your strength comes from, isn’t it? Claiming you awakened a physical affinity was a lie."

Adam could not help but gulp at the man’s deductive reasoning, his limbs growing stiff at the implications.

His master had seen through the ruse with just a bit of testing. There was no need to even open his mouth. Hiding what was already evident at this point would be an insult to the man who had taken him in as his master.

"Y-Yes."

Adam admitted to the assessment.

Asher smiled at the admission. Who knew his disciple was this gifted? He had a suspicion that there was more, but that did not matter. Trust took time to build. There was no rush. When the boy was ready, he would reveal more.

Boom!

Gravity went up yet again.

A groan escaped Adam as he bent forward, his knees buckling. The increased gravity was finally getting to him. Asher continued to observe with fascination. Desiring to see just how much Adam could endure, he instructed the AI directly.

"Lucy, increase the gravity to sixteen times."

[Affirmative]

Boom!

Adam went down with a heavy thud, his right knee hitting the dark grey floor. With his right hand pressed to the floor and his left clamping his knee, he supported his upper body, straining against the crushing pressure.

"You can endure up to sixteen times the gravity. This roughly puts you just beyond the early levels of the second realm." The vice-principal evaluated with an understanding nod, his right hand at his chin. "You’re more talented than you look, Adam. Far more than you let on..."