God of Destruction: Living Among Mortals

Sweat and blood dripped down Adam's body. His claws were dulled, his muscles strained. The manipulator sent another whip at him, and Adam had no time to think.

He flung himself sideways, feeling the whip crack the ground where his head had been a second before.

Adam staggered, then spun back toward the opponent. "I… can't lose… yet," he whispered.

He slashed instinctively at a thin tendril of water, breaking it. The manipulator's expression shifted, realizing Adam was still willing to fight despite the pain and disadvantage.

The water manipulator adjusted, summoning a large arc of water from the river. Adam raised his arms, claws glinting, skin hardening.

The wave slammed against him, pushing him to his knees. He gasped, muscles trembling, but didn't collapse. Just barely, he managed to roll with the force, using the momentum to get back onto his feet.

"You're tough for a D-rank," the manipulator said, forming a whip in each hand now. "But this is where it ends."

He lunged forward, whips swinging in a coordinated strike. Adam barely dodged one, feeling the other graze his side. Pain flared, but he countered with a desperate claw swipe. The water dispersed, and Adam took a step back, chest heaving.

The battle wasn't over, but Adam's body screamed at him to stop. Every movement felt heavier, slower. Every breath burned. He knew he couldn't match the manipulator's skill, but he could endure. He could survive. For now, that was enough.

The water manipulator smirked again, circling. "Not bad… You might last the round."

But Adam didn't answer. He crouched low, claws ready, senses alert. Another wave was coming, and he'd have to survive it, just like he had everything else in the last few minutes.

The next wave came fast. Adam barely saw it before it hit. His instincts screamed, and his body hardened just in time to take the impact. The force sent him sliding backward, boots scraping against the soaked ground.

He almost fell, but stopped himself, digging his claws into the dirt. His vision blurred for a second, but he steadied it, forcing himself to focus on the manipulator.

The C-rank was breathing harder now. Controlling that much water took effort. Adam noticed the man's hands trembling slightly, the faint delay before each movement. Small cracks in his rhythm.

That was Adam's opening. He sprinted forward, ignoring the ache in his chest and the pain in his side. The manipulator swung his arm again, forming another whip, but Adam didn't dodge this time; he took it.

It struck across his shoulder, burning like fire, but he kept moving. His ability kicked in, skin roughening further, muscles tensing, locking down to absorb the hit.

The manipulator's eyes widened. "What-"

Adam was already there. His claws slashed upward, slicing through the whip of water and into the man's guard. The impact didn't cut deep, but it was enough to knock him off balance.

Adam pressed the advantage. He swung again, faster this time, claws scraping against the man's arm. The manipulator stumbled, water sloshing around his boots. The connection to the river faltered.

"Come on," Adam whispered under his breath, lunging again.

The manipulator raised a hand to summon another barrier, but it came too slowly. Adam's clawed hand struck his chest, hard enough to send him tumbling backward into the mud. The water collapsed with him, splashing everywhere.

For a second, everything went still. The manipulator coughed, trying to rise, but Adam was already on him, his claws at his throat. His eyes burned, his breathing ragged.

"Yield," Adam said, voice low but steady.

The manipulator stared at him, chest heaving. Then, finally, he exhaled and nodded. "Fine. You win."

Adam dropped his claws immediately, stepping back and letting his Adaptive Hide fade. His arms trembled as the tension left him. The water settled around them, calm again, and for the first time, he realized just how quiet everything had become.

He'd done it. He'd actually won. But before the relief could sink in, something struck him from behind. Hard. Adam's world spun as he hit the ground face-first, the taste of mud and iron filling his mouth.

His ears rang. He tried to push himself up, but his arms wouldn't move fast enough. Through the blur, he saw another Adventurer, someone else's opponent, standing there, panting and grinning.

"Sorry," the stranger said casually. "Didn't see you there."

It wasn't even his fight. Adam tried to speak, but his voice came out as a wheeze. He forced his head up just enough to see the water manipulator, still down but conscious, watching in disbelief.

The stranger, an Adventurer with metal gauntlets, had probably been thrown out of his own battle and ended up here. His presence had ruined everything.

The ground shook as another explosion went off somewhere in the distance. The arena was chaos, battles overlapping, boundaries ignored. Adam's trial, his win, all of it, gone in an instant.

He tried to move, to call on Adaptive Hide again, but his body didn't respond. His vision dimmed, the noise fading into a dull hum.

When Adam woke up, he was lying on a stone floor, wrapped in a thin blanket. His body ached everywhere, but at least he was alive.

The trial attendants moved around the recovery area, helping others who'd been caught in the same mess. A few groaned. Some cursed under their breath.

Adam sat up slowly, holding his ribs. "How long was I out?"

"An hour," said a nearby attendant. "You lasted longer than most, though. Not many D-ranks made it that far."

Adam didn't respond. His mind replayed the moment he'd won, how close it had been, and how quickly it had been taken away.

The attendant glanced at the tablet in her hand. "You'll need to retake the trial. Same parameters. We'll schedule you for the next rotation."

Adam stared at the ground, jaw tight. "Right."

She paused, then gave him a small nod. "You did well, though. Most would've dropped long before that C-rank went down."

Adam gave a tired half-smile. "Didn't feel like it."

"Maybe not," she said softly, "but you proved something."