Days blurred as the kings' meeting date approached, and Adam, with his family's help, continued to manage Damarsh's rapid adaptation. He, along with Lyra and his duplicates, oversaw the residents, while Leon assisted both Adam and his parents.
Arthur and Albert met to discuss business issues as Albert headed to teach a potion course. Helena, accompanied by a few Leons, detoured to gather ingredients before going to centers to organize free food deliveries, a temporary measure until the new employment process was finalized.
The Ambush
Then, chaos erupted. Alyssa and Alynna, escorted by Leons, were suddenly ambushed. The Leons immediately relayed all information to the entire family. They swiftly disarmed the assailants, protecting the twins. As Adam teleported to the twins' location, Leons reported simultaneous attacks on his parents.
His father, Albert, narrowly escaped a sword aimed at his heart, saved only by Arthur, who covered him and took the blade in his back. Leons weren't present with Albert and Arthur, having been tasked with gathering business materials.
Helena, fortunately, had a Leon by her side when she was attacked by assailants with lethal arrows and swords. The Leons quickly disengaged and captured all of them. Leons who reached Albert swiftly multiplied and subdued his assailants.
Adam teleported the twins to the safety of the house, where multiple Leons stood ready for further attacks. He then teleported to Albert and Arthur, immediately healing Arthur's severe injuries. Swiftly, Adam brought his parents and Arthur back to the house, creating a dimension and, with Lyra's help, absorbing them inside for ultimate safety.
Bart, The Sin of Pride
Standing at the gates of Adam's mansion, a menacing aura radiated from thousands of assailants.
"Adam! Come out!" they bellowed, threatening to attack the entire area. Adam, Lyra, and Leon stepped out, walking towards the gate. Everything happened so fast, news of the attacks barely reaching the King of Damarsh.
This coordinated group of assailants had clearly been planning and monitoring them for some time, intending a quick, decisive strike before the King could react. But their plan had gone awry.
Amidst the throng stood a single figure, demanding Adam. He was Bart, the Sin of Pride, one of humanity's Seven Sins. These individuals were known to surpass S-rank adventurers, bestowed with gifts from the Above at birth, making them comparable to otherworlder heroes.
Bart was renowned for his meticulous planning and execution, though his specific sin-gift remained unknown, as many Sins kept their powers hidden, rarely encountering worthy opponents.
Bart smiled arrogantly as Adam walked out. "Unlike others, whose plans I execute perfectly," he sneered, "you're the first person to foil me. Not only that, everyone survived; usually, they'd all be dead or captured. You must be something special to foil it so easily." He introduced himself as Bart, the Sin of Pride, a distinctive mark visible on his left temple.
Adam, linking with Lyra, prepared and analyzed the situation. "What was your purpose in attacking my family?" he demanded.
Bart stopped him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," he chided, a menacing smile playing on his lips. "That's not the way to speak. You forgot to introduce yourself to me, who is far superior to you." He pointed at Adam, commanding him to bow. "I am the Sin of Pride. If you don't choose your words wisely next, you and your family will cease to exist." A menacing mana surged from the mark on his temple.
Lyra's analysis flashed in Adam's mind: Bart's level was approximately 45, but the mark produced a mana that empowered his body in a way similar to otherworlder artifacts. Depending on how that power worked, the best course of action was to get them all out of the kingdom.
Adam understood that Bart meant business; he wasn't someone to take risks with. He prepared himself and Lyra, but he still needed to know why they had attacked him and his family, who was behind it, and their ultimate purpose.
Before the King's troops could even mobilize, Adam unleashed a menacing wave of mana, engulfing all the assailants and Bart. With Lyra's pinpoint accuracy, he teleported each one of them to another location as a whole before they were drop into Adams dimension rift.
In less than a second, they arrived in Adam's controlled dimension, a world he could shape as he saw fit. No matter Bart's power, they were all trapped, at Adam's mercy. Adam's first battle with one of the Seven Sins was about to take place, unknown to anyone outside his dimension.