Adam : From a man to a God

**Mountaindale (Outside World)**

Zee sprinted through the dense, shadowed woods of Mountaindale, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she neared Centerhill. "I'm so tired. Why did they send me for this mission?" she thought bitterly. "Oh, right, because I was the only one still in shape to carry it out." Exhaustion gnawed at her muscles, but the looming task ahead - kidnapping someone and dragging them back to Atlas City - felt like an insurmountable mountain. She knew she could only rest once the mission was complete, or she would face the wrath of the Father, the great leader of the assassins, the Founder.

She skidded to a halt, hands braced on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Sweat dripped from her forehead, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. Just as she was about to resume running, a faint melody reached her ears. She turned her head, realizing she had entered Centerhill. The music grew louder as she moved towards its source, her footsteps crunching on the dried leaves beneath her.

Ahead, she saw a tarred road and a small gas station where two cars were filling up. One of the vehicles was playing country music, a tune that tugged at her memories. It had been her little brother's favorite song before he was diagnosed with cancer. Not long after, she had been diagnosed as well. But there was no time for sentiment now; the mission was all that mattered. "What are you doing?" she muttered to herself, snapping out of her reverie. Glancing around to ensure no one had noticed her, she dashed back into the forest, heading deeper into Centerhill.

**DMR (Portal World)**

Adam sat in an office at the academy, a document spread out before him. Across the desk, a woman with glasses and brown hair wore a bored expression. "Can you just sign it already?" she asked, her voice dripping with impatience. "Oh, sorry," Adam mumbled, quickly scrawling his signature with a blue pen. The woman snatched the form and began reviewing it. "You didn't agree to this condition," she noted, sounding more annoyed.

"Oh, let me see. Did I miss something?" Adam took the form back, scanning it for the overlooked clause. "The staff and members will not be held responsible for what happens to the competitors inside the tournaments," he read aloud. "Yeah," the woman confirmed. "Do you want me to sign you in or not?" she pressed, her irritation evident.

Adam sighed, ticked the box beside the condition, and handed the form back. The woman swiftly filed it away in a drawer. "You can't take the test right now; there are people in line. You can come back tomorrow," she said. "Okay, I'll come back tomorrow then," Adam replied, standing up.

Outside, he looked back at the four-story building, admiring the clear sky. The weather was perfect. Suddenly, he remembered his appointment with Instructor Kim and sprinted towards the demolished house he once called home. "I wonder what the test is going to be," he muttered as he ran through the city.

Arriving at the small forest, he skidded to a halt, surprised to find the mansion fully rebuilt. Not a trace of the previous battle remained. He recalled Tilda destroying the house in a fit of rage, nearly killing him. Her face flashed in his mind, twisted with anger, suffocating him. He looked down, sighing. It wasn't really her; she wasn't in control. "Is that how I looked when Killer Adam took over?" he wondered, shaking his head to dispel the thought. Mr. Kim had a lot to explain.

He entered the house, noting how everything looked just the way it had before. "Hello?" Adam called out, hearing the faint sound of metal clashing in the distance. "Are they in the pocket dimension?" he mused, heading upstairs. He opened a door to an empty room, amazed that it was completely unscathed. Another door led to his old training grounds, and the sounds of metal grew louder as he approached. He grasped the doorknob and opened it.

Inside, the training field looked just as he remembered. Instructor Kim stood, watching Tilda intently. She was controlling twelve golden swords, her eyes glowing faintly as she manipulated them in the air. Kim was so focused on Tilda that he didn't notice Adam.

"Instructor Kim?" Adam called out. Kim turned quickly, startled. "Oh, you startled me, Adam," he said. Tilda stopped, her heart skipping a beat as she realized Adam was there. Her eyes returned to normal, and the swords clattered to the ground. "Adam, you're here..." she said quietly.

"Yeah, are you feeling better?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, I feel fine," Tilda replied with a small smile.

"I'm glad to hear that," Adam said, relieved.

"Let's go downstairs. We have a lot to discuss," Instructor Kim interjected. They descended to the dining room, where Adam and Tilda took seats at the table. Instructor Kim sat across from them, his face serious. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions," he began.

"I want to know what happened that day. The day Tilda and I were hospitalized," Adam said, looking at Tilda, who stared down at her hands, guilt washing over her.

"Adam, tell me the truth. What kind of relic did you find?" Instructor Kim asked, his eyes piercing into Adam's.

"The truth is... it wasn't a golden bracelet. It was... a small clay figurine," Adam confessed. Kim's eyes widened, confirming his worst fears. "I'm sorry I lied. I don't even know why I did it. I didn't know who you were and..." Adam started, but Kim interrupted by standing up abruptly, a look of terror on his face.

"This... this explains everything," Kim said, his voice trembling. Adam glanced at Tilda, who wore the same expression of shock and fear.

**Centerhill (Outside World)**

Anna was in her room, staring blankly at her phone. It showed 26 missed calls over the past few days. She knew what they wanted: answers about the incident. Some of the calls were from her friends' parents. Those friends had died in the incident, and she had been left a cripple. Her gaze shifted to the wheelchair beside her bed, a stark reminder of how her life had changed forever. Suddenly, she heard a squeaking sound and watched in horror as the window slid open by itself, seemingly moved by an invisible force.

Footsteps echoed in the room, and she called out, "Mom!?" Panic surged through her as an unseen hand wrapped around her throat, choking her. She struggled, clawing at the air, but the force was too strong. "Sleep..." whispered Zee, her voice barely audible. Anna's eyes glowed red for a split second before she collapsed into unconsciousness. "Great... now to carry her all the way to Atlas," Zee muttered, picking up the limp body.

**DMR (Portal World)**

"Adam, you are what we call a God-level power holder," Instructor Kim explained gravely.

"God-level?" Adam echoed, confusion etched on his face.

"Except you are possessed by the most dangerous god of all," Kim continued.

"Ragnarok," Tilda whispered, looking at Adam with a mix of fear and sympathy. Deep within Adam's mind, the entity known as Ragnarok stirred, a smirk playing on his lips as he heard himself called the most dangerous god to ever exist.