Bart slowly stirred, his eyes fluttering open to see Adam's face above him, slapping him gently to wake him up.
"Fight me under two conditions," Adam stated, his voice calm. "First, you can amplify to your heart's content, without any interference from me. Second, we'll fight for exactly 20 seconds. The winner is declared in that time, and the loser abides by the winner's demand."
Bart, the Sin of Pride, scoffed, looking down at Adam. He still believed Adam was just a mage reliant on summons. He agreed to the battle.
His body, now fully healed, surged with amplified power, far exceeding his previous fight with Leon. Bart composed himself, his body remarkably withstanding the immense strain, until he roared, signaling the start of the fight.
Adam nodded, allowing Bart to unleash his most powerful attack. Adam would receive the full blow without evading. Bart focused his explosive damage output into his fist, delivering the most devastating attack he had ever performed.
A silent moment stretched, then a small, blinding light erupted directly in front of Adam. A powerful blast emerged, expanding and engulfing everything in its path. Adam's barrier fully absorbed the attack, sending him hurtling into a distant mountain.
Adam reappeared instantly in front of Bart, casting extra boosts of endurance and multiple protective spells on Bart to prevent a destructive demise. Then, with a silent command, Adam unleashed the absorbed damage back at Bart, slicing his stomach in half, even through the multiple protective spells Adam had just cast. Bart lost in an instant, falling unconscious. Adam quickly healed his injuries.
A Shared Meal and a Sinful Revelation
Bart lay on a makeshift bed in the middle of the field, near where Adam, Lyra, and Leon were casually eating cuisine. He woke up again, seeing them in their relaxed state, and a wave of annoyance washed over him.
Yet, he now realized he was no match for them. Looking at his hands, he felt a strange, new sensation – a sense of growth he hadn't experienced in decades, a thrill from fighting someone truly stronger.
Bart felt more fulfilled than ever before. He casually walked over, sat down, and began to eat with them. Everyone laughed at Bart's annoyed yet resigned expression. He surrendered to it and continued eating.
"Now that everyone's fed and satisfied," Adam said casually, "let's start with my demands." Adam wanted to know who sent Bart.
Bart explained that within the human kingdoms, there existed a covert group known as The Order. These individuals secretly oversaw the human continent, hidden from public knowledge, with only the kings aware of their existence. They wielded immense power, deciding the fate of the human continent and secretly possessing vast ancient knowledge and controlling numerous ancient spells.
Under their command were the Seven Sins of Humanity and the Knights of Calamity. These two groups maintained the balance of power within their territory. The Knights of Calamity were their trump card against other continents and even the unknown lands.
The Seven Sins, though powerful, lacked the battle experience and fortitude of the Knights. Many were hidden due to experiments performed on them or their inherent immortality. These Knights might have existed for a hundred years or even longer.
Bart continued, explaining that the Seven Sins were humans gifted since birth, strictly taken away by The Order. Each time a Sin died, a new one was born. While they lacked experience, the mark they bore granted them power beyond any adventurer, even as children. The Order created the rules for humanity and dictated laws to the kings.
Otherworlders, like Adam, were to be executed due to the chaos and destruction they had caused in the past, often using their untamed powers selfishly. The worst consequence was their powers manifesting as dungeons after their passing, leading to widespread destruction and city annihilation from dungeon breaks. The Order's purpose was to maintain control and protect humanity from extinction.
"They gave the order to execute both your parents and capture your twin sisters," Bart revealed, looking at Adam. "You were to be captured, dead or alive, depending on the threat. The twin sister kidnapping was meant to lure you to The Order, where they could execute you in a location far from kingdoms and with multiple ways to contain potential dungeon breaks."
Bart admitted he didn't understand the reasoning behind his parents' execution, but it was The Order's command, and they had to follow or face execution themselves.
"The Order knows you are an otherworlder," Bart concluded, "and they plan to question King Daniel after the meeting for knowing and covering for you. King Wayne, still unaware, was given a free pass. However, King Daniel may face punishment for not obeying the laws given."
Adam absorbed Bart's intricate revelation about the human continent's hidden power structure, contemplating his next move.