The Second Life of Adam Cosmos

The Cloaked Man's senses sharpened as he felt a couple of blasts and the subsequent encroachment of what he assumed was poisonous smoke. His calmness amidst the chaos was a testament to his extensive training.

Harnessing his Inner Energy, he focused on breaking free from the invisible restraints that bound him.

"Guuuck! Arrrgh!" he grunted as he fought against the constriction. "Guuuck! Arrrgh!"

His muscles strained, his joints ached, but his determination proved stronger.

"GUUUCK! ARRRGH!"

With a final surge of effort, he broke free from the grip that had held him captive.

He didn’t waste any time. As the smoke began to envelop his immediate surroundings, the Cloaked Man clenched his jaw and bit down hard on the small capsule hidden in one of his molars. The capsule cracked, releasing a bitter liquid into his mouth.

He swallowed quickly, the taste sharp and acrid, burning as it went down his throat. It was an antidote he had kept hidden in his molar in the event he was poisoned- or would be poisoned.

Feeling relieved as the antidote took effect, the Cloaked Man drew his dao, the curved Eastern sword, from his back and readied himself for battle. His senses were heightened, allowing him to detect a presence that seemed unaffected by the poison or the magical restraints.

His eyes scanned the smoke-filled room, searching for any sign of the source of this danger. His grip tightened around the hilt of his dao, prepared to strike at whatever or whoever was responsible for the trap.

With a fierce glare and a determined stance, the Cloaked Man raised his weapon, fully prepared to confront the unseen enemy that lurked within the poisonous fog.

***

As Adam descended the stairs and approached the main floor, he used Search Presence to confirm the area was clear. Relieved to find the dungeon empty, he moved swiftly towards the top of the main floor stairs.

However, just as he reached the landing, a new figure entered the room- a man clad in a cloak, his presence immediately marking him as someone of significant importance, likely superior to the Bandit Boss.

From snippets of conversation he's hearing, it was clear this man had a commanding role over the bandits.

Adam weighed his options quickly. He knew it was only a matter of time before the new arrival and the bandits realized something was amiss. As if to confirm his suspicions, the Cloaked Man’s body language changed from being on guard to being ready for combat, and he started issuing orders.

Seeing that the stealth approach had run its course, Adam activated the runes he had strategically set up.

Rune of Sealing!

The rune at the door flared to life, ensuring nobody from the building could leave.

Rune of Binding!

The next rune activated, tightening its grip on everyone within range.

Rune of Silence!

As this rune was activated, it made the room eerily quiet.

The door being slammed shut would have been enough to alert those outside that something went wrong, but with the Rune of Silence in place, they would not have any idea what was happening inside for the duration of the effect. Furthermore, the rune would ensure nobody can communicate effectively during a fight.

Adam’s runes blazed with power, ensuring the bandits and the cloaked visitor were caught in the magical constraints. He then threw several explosives into select locations, each containing flasks of various poisons. These grenades shattered upon impact, releasing a toxic mist into the air. The Rune of Sealing’s effect ensured the poison spread rapidly and efficiently across the main floor.

The Cloaked Man resisted the Rune of Binding. Furthermore, he appeared unfazed by the spreading poison, moving with an unnerving calm.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. This variable could disrupt his carefully laid plans. As the room filled with the toxic mist, Adam readied himself for what would come. The challenge now was to deal with this resilient opponent before the situation spiraled further out of control.

Sensing that the Cloaked Man was no ordinary foe, Adam decided to open with a powerful attack.

"Fireball!"

The fireball roared through the air, but to Adam’s shock, the Cloaked Man did not attempt to evade or shield himself. Instead, he infused his dao with energy and swung it with intent. The blade sliced through the fireball, splitting it into two harmless halves that exploded off course.

Adam’s eyes widened as he realized the Cloaked Man had used an aura technique to counter his magical attack.

'Sword Aura,’ Adam thought. 'This man is no ordinary bandit.’

This technique allowed a swordsman to neutralize magical or elemental attacks while boosting their own physical abilities. It originated from the Murim Archipelago, but it has since spread worldwide.

With this technique and the fact that the opponent is using a dao, the Cloaked Man probably hailed from the Murim Archipelago, a place renowned for such advanced martial arts. But with the Rune of Silence in effect, Adam could not confirm this directly, so he prepared for the next move.

He quickly cast Fire Bullet, but the Cloaked Man deflected it easily, the small flame projectile dissipating upon contact with the dao.

Adam continued to fire off Fire Bullet whenever possible, hoping to overwhelm his opponent or catch him off guard. Yet his opponent either deftly avoided each shot or deflected them with the same unerring precision, his dao a blur of movement.

Adam prepared to engage him in a melee confrontation as his opponent drew close and drew his longsword.

The Cloaked Man, now on the offensive, moved with a blend of intimidating strength and agility. His cloak billowed behind him as he attacked with rapid and forceful strikes. Each swing of his dao was executed with lethal precision, pushing Adam back and keeping him on the defensive.

Adam tried to find an opening to counterattack with his sword or cast another Pyromancy, but the Cloaked Man’s relentless aggression made it nearly impossible. The Cloaked Man’s attacks came fast and precise. Each one aimed to exploit any gap in Adam’s defense.

Adam’s longsword was a blur as he parried and deflected the Cloaked Man’s blows, but the sheer ferocity and skill of his opponent forced Adam into a defensive stance. The Cloaked Man's movements were a testament to years of disciplined training and combat experience, each striking a perfect blend of power and precision.

Adam’s attempts to cast another spell were interrupted once more by the Cloaked Man’s relentless assault. He could feel the intensity of the fight escalating with every passing second. Every time he tried to channel his pyromancy, the Cloaked Man’s dao was there to intercept, leaving Adam with little room to maneuver or strategize.

The room was filled with the silent clashing of steel and the crackling of fire, a deadly dance of combat where Adam struggled to keep up with the Cloaked Man’s skill. The fight was turning into a battle of endurance, with Adam trying desperately to create an opportunity to turn the tide.

Meanwhile, the bandits that are still restrained are helplessly inhaling the poisonous gas that Adam had unleashed, unable to do anything.

As the duel between Adam and the Cloaked Man raged on, the fight's intensity reached a new level. Adam, adapting quickly, began to employ a new strategy. He conjured alchemical grenades from his Spatial Ring, hoping to catch the Cloaked Man off guard.

Unfortunately, the Cloaked Man’s reaction was swift and precise. With his dao, he sliced through the grenades in mid-air or deflected them back at Adam, forcing him to intercept his own thrown explosives.

The battle continued with both combatants showcasing their skills. Initially, the Cloaked Man had been relentless, attacking with such ferocity that Adam could only manage to return one strike for every three the Cloaked Man delivered. However, as the duel wore on, Adam began to adapt to the Cloaked Man’s fighting style. His movements became more fluid, and his strikes more calculated.

Adam’s growing familiarity with the Cloaked Man’s rhythm allowed him to slowly match his pace. Adam had previously been on the defensive, so he pushed himself more in the fight. Though still fierce, the Cloaked Man’s attacks were met with a number of Adam’s counterstrikes. The frequency with which the Cloaked Man had to block or dodge Adam’s attacks grew.

Every time the Cloaked Man was forced into a defensive position, Adam seized the opportunity to cast a quick Fire Bullet, adding pressure and causing the Cloaked Man to contend with both the physical and elemental assault. Fire Bullet became a disruptive force that the Cloaked Man had to address, further tipping the balance of the fight in Adam’s favor.

The once chaotic clash of steel and fire began to shift. Adam, gaining momentum, started to land strikes that the Cloaked Man struggled to counter. The Cloaked Man’s attacks became more defensive, his movements more strained. Adam’s adaptability and persistence were beginning to show results, his technique evolving to match the Cloaked Man’s formidable skill.

As Adam pressed his advantage, the room’s silence became a testament to the fierce battle that had taken place. The bandits who had previously occupied the main floor had all succumbed to the poison Adam had unleashed, leaving only the two combatants in the room.

The two combatants' focus remained sharp as they continued to exploit the openings created by the other, hoping to force one another into a defensive stance.

The fight was far from over. At the back of Adam’s mind, he couldn’t help but note that his opponent was highly skilled. It felt like he had been fighting for several minutes, but the reality was that it had been less than a minute.

'This guy is stronger than anyone I’ve faced so far,' Adam thought. 'He’s not just surviving; he’s controlling the pace of this fight.'

Although Adam was slowly progressing, he was acutely aware that the Cloaked Man had the martial advantage.

'I'm fighting a trained swordsman. I’m holding my own, but only just', Adam mused.

His Pyromancy and grenades, while potent, were serving as little more than distractions- distractions that the Cloaked Man was handling with unsettling ease. The Cloaked Man deflected or avoided each grenade he threw and most of the Fire Bullet he cast.

'This is a game of endurance,' Adam realized. 'But I’m not sure I can outlast him if it stays like this.'

But more crucially, Adam knew that the runes he had activated would soon end. And when they do, his overwhelming advantage over the bandits would be rendered useless.

The pair exchanged attacks several more times, but no one could gain a definitive advantage.

And sure enough, despite Adam's best efforts, he could not beat the Cloaked Man on time.

As the fight between Adam and the Cloaked Man reached a fever pitch, Adam’s worry became a reality: his activated runes began to expire.

The Rune of Sealing's effect ending was the most concerning of the three runes. With its effect lifting, the bandits outside could now enter the room. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Adam knew he had to act quickly. His tactical advantage was slipping, and he could not afford to be overwhelmed by additional enemies.

He immediately reached the obvious conclusion.

'I need to retreat,' thought Adam. 'Fighting the Cloaked Man with reinforcements is bad odds for me.'

While his runes had eliminated every bandit in the main building, the ones outside were now alert and about to join the fray in just a few seconds.

Thinking quickly, Adam conjured smoke bombs from his Spatial Ring and detonated them around the area to prepare his retreat. The room filled with thick, obscuring smoke, buying him precious moments.

Next, he conjured a Blazing Barrier and deployed it by the door, the intense flames roaring to life, preventing entry by a few more seconds. It is normally a shield meant for Pyromancers to hide behind for cover, but in this case, Adam uses it to prevent others from entering the building.

Finally, after gaining some distance, Adam cast Flame Pillar and willed it to converge toward the Cloaked Man, the fiery column surging from the ground with destructive force.

With the Rune of Silence lifted, the Cloaked Man finally spoke, his voice calm and unperturbed despite the raging inferno. “An impressive spell, Flame Pillar. But, just like the other spells, these pillars will be sliced apart.”

Summoning his Inner Energy, the Cloaked Man coated his dao with it again, causing the blade to gleam with a powerful aura. With a swift motion, he brandished his dao, cleaving through the towering flames. The fire met his blade, and true to his word, the Cloaked Man dispersed the intense heat and flames with practiced ease, the flames parting as if they were mere air.

Adam, however, did not let the taunt affect him.

'I know he's strong enough not to be killed by Flame Pillar,' he thought, his focus unwavering.

He had cast the spell not to defeat the Cloaked Man but to buy himself a few critical seconds to escape.

Using the cover provided by the smoke and the momentary distraction of Flame Pillar, Adam turned and dashed back into the dungeon, retreating into its dark, winding depths as the Cloaked Man effortlessly sliced through the flames behind him.