Chapter 99: Seven Sprouts
'Fuck... I have to get up, or he'll just finish me off.' Adam muttered inwardly, clutching the ground and gritting his teeth as he rose.
First on one knee, then gradually on his feet, but trembling badly, like a fawn, who was taking its first steps. Adam needed time to adapt, but even then, fighting at x10 weight was much harder.
"Hey, that one is stronger than the other Elementals, isn't it?" Adam asked, feeling the powerful aura of the Gravity Elemental. It was enough for him to conclude.
'Yes. Except for the evolved Elementals, Gravitational One is the strongest because it is in the Red Book. However, its strength will increase as you get closer to the black hole because you will become weaker and slower.' Silvana quickly explained.
Then, she continued.
'If you want to win without abilities, you should aim for his limbs. If the Elemental loses an arm or leg, the balance of his body will change, which means he'll need to get used to the new weight. It won't take him long for that to happen, but it will be enough for you to win.'
Adam smirked.
"Alright, in that case, I will!" Adam said confidently, stepping forward with his fists clenched tightly.
Sigh.
The Elemental's fist headed towards Adam, almost reaching his face.
Adam's eyes filled with surprise, he didn't understand how the monster could move so fast, but it didn't matter now, he had to block the attack!
Adam defended himself with his arms, crossing them in front of him like a shield with a confident smirk.
'I may not be able to kill you in a few swings of the needle, but my body is strong enough to withstand the attack of the Blue Threat Level monster!'
The crunch of bones.
The impact, threw Adam back a few more meters as the Prismatic Elemental leaped high up, not caring about the gravity that pinned Adam to the ground.
Adam's eyes went wide as he stared at his hands shaking from the recoil.
'What the fuck...? It was an ordinary punch, but why was it so powerful?! I doubt even a Steel Knight's punch would have such momentum! '
'Adam!' Silvana's voice broke out in his mind, 'It's all about gravity! Yes, your speed doesn't affect your defense, but weight also affects the power of the blows of an Elemental whose body is made of solid granite! Moreover, dodge, right now!'
"Agh...?"
Adam looked up, only to see the Prismatic Elemental aiming at him. His legs were pressed tightly together, coming down on Adam like a heavenly spear.
Instincts took control of Adam's body for a moment, as he jumped back, not thinking about where, but about making it as fast as possible.
In a heartbeat, the Prismatic Elemental reached the ground, causing a crushing blast that threw Adam back a few more meters.
From the Elemental's landing, a wide crater was left with a surviving chunk of earth. The monster stood in the center, staring menacingly at Adam.
Adam rolled over the ground from the shockwave, trying to stop, but he was barely able to do so.
"Fuck!" Adam screamed as the layer of stone was replaced by brightly glowing crystals, illuminating this Nest like the sun on the surface.
This happened many times in seconds as Adam still couldn't stop until, at one point, something blocked the light of the crystals with its tall figure.
Their gazes met as the Prismatic Elemental's foot plunged into Adam's stomach, throwing him dozens of meters away.
Silvana, watching the fight from the side, bit down on her finger until it bled. At that moment she began to regret telling Adam about Beth's message.
'Shit! Shit! Shit! I knew it wasn't necessary! Adam came here to create the Elemental Root, not to suffer! Fucking Beth, does she really think Adam is Damien?
There's a whole abyss between them and...!' Silvana inwardly scolded as a chill ran down her spine at what she was thinking.
She turned her head from side to side, took a deep breath, and came to her senses.
'Calm down. I'm not the one making the decision here, Adam is. What's more, he can handle it. That's my job to support him. No one becomes great immediately, you have to go the hard path first!'
Well, Silvana could hardly help Adam, she had already done everything she could on her part. Sure, if Silvana had convinced Adam to use his abilities, then everything would've changed, but he was too stubborn to give up in the end.
He would have gotten the seventh sprout and Elemental Root, but he would have lost to himself. It was unknown which of these was truly more important to Adam and was in priority.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Minute after minute, the Gravitational Elemental attacked Adam using various moves. Adam tried to defend and counterattack, and eventually, he began to succeed.
However, the Gravitational Elemental was pushing Adam towards the black hole, where he was finding it harder and harder to fight.
Adam didn't know how much more his original weight had already become, but he kept fighting no matter what. He adapted, but the pain was constant with every move he made, even lifting his arm and holding it was a challenge.
All he wanted to do was fall down and leave this place, but he knew that would lead to his imminent death.
Whooooooooooooosh.
Adam and the Prismatic Elemental attacked simultaneously, plunging their fists into each other's faces.
The impact threw them apart as their backs touched the ground. The Prismatic Elemental quickly got up, running towards Adam.
But... Adam couldn't do the same.
He turned around with difficulty, seeing the black hole beside him - only ten meters away, where the gravity was enormous, almost maximal.
Then, a chill ran down his back, and goosebumps covered his body. He realized that he struggled to even lift a finger, let alone get up off the ground.
'No... Adam, you have to get up... Right now!' Adam uttered to himself, clenching his teeth tightly.
He leaned his hand on the ground, barely lifting himself a few centimeters.
However, the main problem was not gravity, but a terrible pain, bright and distinct, spreading throughout his body. It seemed like his body was ripping apart, and the more he resisted, the worse the pain would be.
Adam didn't know it, but that was the test of this zone for someone who wasn't immune to gravity like the Prismatic Elemental.
Back then, Adam was fighting for his life and to achieve his goal. For the sake of that, he could endure any pain.
"ARGHHHH!!!" Adam roared like a wild beast as his eyes filled with blood and several veins burst.
At the same moment, the Prismatic Elemental raised his fist to attack, about to finish Adam off.
A purple spark appeared in Adam's inner space, giving life to the seventh sprout.
Then, he felt a forgotten lightness, as well as incredible strength, as if he had thrown off the shackles weighing several tons and restraining his every movement.
"Hah... It feels so good to fulfill a goal, even if through pain..." Adam muttered with a happy smile before launching his strike.
Crackle.
The Prismatic Elemental's head exploded from Adam's fist, shattering into splinters, the massive body fell at his feet, pressing into the ground.
Silvana's eyes went wide. Previously, Adam's attacks could only scratch the Prismatic Elemental. This was a whole other level!
"Alright... Only the most important thing left." Adam muttered tightly, clenching his blood-covered fist.