The Second Life of Adam Cosmos

The crowd's reaction hit like a wave, rippling through the courtyard in gasps and stunned murmurs. Eyes widened in disbelief, and some stood frozen, caught between shock and admiration at the sudden turn of events.

Many were visibly shocked, their eyes widening in disbelief at the sudden turn of events.

Friedrich dominated the duel for most of the match. His aggressive final assault had given the impression of an imminent victory. However, in the second half of the duel, Adam snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with his clever use of debuff effects.

Among those who had bet on Friedrich, the mood soured quickly. Disappointment gave way to frustration, their voices sharp with disbelief as they muttered, shaking their heads or slamming fists on railings. What had seemed like a sure win slipped through their fingers in the blink of an eye. They shook their heads and muttered, some openly lamenting their lost bets.

"How could we have missed that?" one player groaned. "Friedrich was so close to turning it around."

Another, visibly angry, slammed their fist on the railing. "This is unbelievable! He had him in the bag! And now- "

The frustration was even more pronounced among those who had bet on Friedrich after betting on Adam winning the first match. They were doubly upset, having lost their winning from the first bet.

But the worst are the ones who had bet on both of Adam’s opponents.

"I can't believe I fell for that!" one such bettor exclaimed, their voice tinged with irritation. "First Ryan, and now Friedrich. I'm never betting against Adam again."

Another added, "I was sure Friedrich had this one in the bag. I should have known better after the last match. This is just fu- "

As the flames died down and the arena vanished, the crowd's reactions ranged from stunned silence to animated discussions about the unexpected outcome.

Adam’s notification flashed in front of him. The bet's calculation appeared, reflecting the results of the match.

[Adam had won the duel.]

[Due to the disparity in bets, Essence will be used in place of gold and transferred from the loser to the victor.]

[27,000 Essence will be transferred to Adam.]

Adam’s eyes briefly scanned the numbers before he closed the notification, feeling satisfied with the outcome. The boost to his Soft Essence was a welcome reward, and the duel had proven once again that he could hold his own even against the most formidable opponents.

Amelia Banks' voice rang out over the crowd as Adam celebrated the 27,000 Essence he had accumulated in less than three minutes.

"The victor: Adam, the 1st Class Auxiliary!"

The crowd erupted into applause, their cheers echoing through the arena. The excitement from the duel lingered as the spectators clapped and voiced their approval of Adam’s thrilling performance.

Friedrich Klein, the defeated Juggernaut Warrior, approached Adam with his hand extended.

"It was a good match, Herr Adam. Let's have a duel again some other time."

Where Ryan had raged and lashed out, Friedrich offered only calm acceptance. His loss, though bitter, hadn’t tarnished his respect for the game- or his opponent. The handshake he offered was steady, his smile faint but genuine. His demeanor was calm and respectful, showing no sign of frustration.

"Sure thing, Friedrich. It was a good match," Adam replied politely, shaking Friedrich’s hand and acknowledging his sportsmanship.

The crowd’s cheers continued a mix of admiration for Adam’s skill and sympathy for Friedrich’s valiant effort.

As Friedrich’s figure disappeared into the crowd, Adam lingered, his senses sharp. A familiar tension hung in the air, prickling at the back of his mind. He wasn’t done here- not yet. The eyes of the crowd hadn’t left him, and sure enough, a voice soon broke through the murmur.

His instincts proved correct when a voice cut through the crowd.

"Hi Adam, I was hoping we could challenge you to a duel?"

Sure enough, someone wanted to try their luck. This time, it was a woman dressed as a cleric, accompanied by four male adventurers. They stood confidently, but their intent was obvious.

"We?" Adam’s eyebrow arched, the question dripping with bemusement.

Of course, they weren’t going to fight fair. He could already sense their overconfidence, but if they thought numbers alone would tilt the match in their favor, they were mistaken.

The cleric smirked and gestured to her teammates while holding a Dueling Scroll. "Yes, we. I was wondering if you’d accept a team fight."

Whispers erupted among the bystanders. It wasn’t hard to see what was happening. They wanted to challenge him five against one. A few onlookers shook their heads at the audacity of the proposal, feeling the match was incredibly lopsided.

"They’re being ridiculous," murmured one spectator.

Amelia Banks, observing nearby, stepped forward, her voice loud enough to hush the crowd. "Shameless, the lot of you," she said with disdain, her eyes narrowing at the group. "It’s obvious you’re after the gold prize. You think you can get it easily by ganging up on him like this?"

The cleric's smirk faded slightly but remained defiant. "A challenge is still a challenge. He’s free to decline if he’s not up to it."

Adam, meanwhile, had already activated a Scan scroll directly from his Spatial Ring. Without anyone noticing, he quickly assessed his would-be challengers. An average level of 110- 34 levels below him. Adam’s eyes flickered with faint amusement. Sure, they had numbers, but numbers didn’t guarantee victory. Not when their levels were so far beneath his. He’d faced worse odds before and walked away stronger for it.

This? This would just be another warm-up.

His thoughts flashed back to the Forgotten Temple, where he fought the Hao Wei Team led by Hao Ling. He had survived that encounter.

No, he had thrived in it.

Right before that, he fought a Lich and its undead minions. And now, looking at the cleric and her team, they are nowhere near as threatening.

"I accept your duel," Adam declared, his voice steady and sure.

Amelia’s concern deepened. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, stepping closer. "The match is clearly unfair. No one would blame you for walking away. You’ve already beaten Ryan and Friedrich. They’re high-profile players. There’s no shame in leaving an unreasonable setup like this."

But Adam, with a small smirk, simply shook his head. "I have my reasons. I’ve made up my mind, Amelia."

The cleric's smile returned, though it was more predatory this time. "Good. Then let’s begin."

In the background, a pair of Maxima top players observed the scene unfold. Aaron Reed and Max Evergreen, two famous figures in the game, stood silently, watching Adam face the challenge.

Tyler Evergreen was meeting with the Tribune and other high-ranking adventurers. But before leaving, he had tasked Max and Aaron with a mission: find a team of adventurers willing to challenge Adam in a five-on-one match to gauge his reaction.

Under Tyler's direct order, Max and Aaron searched for a team to carry out the plan. However, they were careful not to sully their reputations. They assigned a nameless underling to recruit, ensuring their hands stayed clean. The task proved more difficult than expected. Most adventurers who can pose a threat to Adam, concerned about their standing in the community, were reluctant to engage in such an underhanded scheme. But with persistence- and a hefty bribe- they convinced a team of rookie adventurers close enough to take up the challenge.

Now, standing at the edge of the crowd, Aaron and Max waited, their expressions unreadable. Would Adam rise to the occasion, or would their plan succeed in rattling him?

Back at the center of the courtyard, Amelia Banks is again facilitating a duel for Adam. The crowd gathered eagerly, buzzing with anticipation. Adam glanced at her with a nod of gratitude.

"Thanks for doing this, by the way," Adam said. "It makes things easy for me."

Amelia waved it off with a smile. "It's no trouble. Honestly, I find this quite interesting, too."

She resumed the announcement she had been making, her voice carrying clearly over the courtyard. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our challengers. Sarah's Team, led by Sarah Westbrook, Cleric. David Carter as Shield Warrior, Kyle Fletcher as Ranger Archer, Jack Mercer as Assassin, and Alex Hawthorne as Sorcerer."

Amelia paused for effect, her eyes scanning the crowd before continuing. "And the challenged, fighting alone: Adam, the 1st Class Auxiliary. If you’ve watched the first two fights, you know exactly who he is."

The crowd murmured in approval, recalling Adam’s previous victories. Amelia, ever the self-assigned announcer, turned toward the challengers.

"Now, for the bet. Sarah’s team, how much are you wagering?"

Sarah stepped forward, her voice steady. "As a team, we will bet 50 gold."

Amelia then turned to Adam. "And you, Adam? How much will you bet?"

A silence fell over the courtyard as everyone awaited Adam’s response. To everyone’s shock, Adam raised the stakes dramatically.

"I’ll bet 20,050 Gold," Adam declared, his voice steady, cutting through the silence like a blade.

The crowd froze, their disbelief palpable as gasps and murmurs rippled through the onlookers. The number hung in the air like a challenge, far more than anyone had expected or could have imagined.

The crowd was buzzing with astonishment. While some were focused on the match's odds, others were just trying to wrap their heads around the sheer fortune Adam had casually thrown on the line. Gasps rippled through the crowd, astonished at the boldness of the wager.

Amelia’s eyes widened for a moment, though she quickly recovered.

"Wait, 20,000 Gold? Where’s he getting that kind of money?" one person exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, 10,000 Gold was already shocking, but 20,000? That’s insane!" another added, shaking his head in disbelief. "I didn’t even think someone could carry that much without it being in a guild bank."

"Man, that’s more than some entire guilds have combined," someone muttered. "How long has he been farming?"

"Either that, or he’s got some crazy deals going on. No way a solo player has that much gold without serious connections."

"Maybe he’s got sponsors or something," another speculated, still stunned. "But damn, risking that much in one duel? This guy’s on another level."

Hearing the gasps and whispers from the crowd, Adam paid them no mind. The disbelief about his wealth was expected but irrelevant to him. After all, being a regressor had certain advantages- foreknowledge of events, hidden treasures, and efficient ways to accumulate wealth. Earning gold was the least of his worries.

The truth was, he didn’t just have 20,000 Gold. He had 50,000, and that wasn’t even counting the rare and valuable items stashed away in his inventory, items he had yet to put up for auction or trading.

As the onlookers marveled at the insane amount he wagered, Adam remained calm and composed, knowing that his wealth was only one of many tools.

Whatever doubt or disapproval Amelia had about the staggering amount Adam just wagered, she kept it to herself. It wasn't her place to question the decisions of the participants.

Instead, she acknowledged the bet in a neutral tone. "20,050 Gold from Adam," she repeated in an even tone.

The crowd, however, had plenty to say. Murmurs and whispers spread like wildfire.

"That’s reckless," someone muttered. "Why risk so much after just beating Ryan and Friedrich?"

"Yeah, way too much," another added, shaking their head in disbelief. "He’s getting cocky,"

But some saw things differently.

"It’s not just arrogance. He’s beaten top players earlier. His confidence isn't unfounded," one spectator remarked thoughtfully.

Another voice chimed in, noting the challengers with a snort. "Look at those five. They’re a bunch of rookies. Sarah’s Team? A bunch of jokes. They’re trolling him. No wonder they’re betting so low."

Several heads nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they’re biting off more than they can chew. Adam’s leagues above them.”

Among the murmurs and reactions, a different perspective started to emerge. While some scoffed at Sarah’s team of rookies, others began to recognize the serious disadvantage Adam was facing.

"Five-on-one, though," someone in the crowd pointed out, leaning in to whisper to his companion. "No matter how strong Adam is, numbers can overwhelm. They’ve got a cleric, a tank, a ranger, an assassin, and a sorcerer- a solid team composition. Maybe they’ll succeed where those one-on-one duels failed."

"Exactly," another added, nodding. "Teamwork can often beat a powerful boss. And, in this case, Adam’s the boss."

The betting pools started to shift. Many spectators began placing bets in favor of Sarah’s team. "I’ll put 10 on Sarah’s team," one gambler said confidently. "Five against one? Odds are in their favor."

"I’m with you," another added, scribbling down their wager. "Even if Adam’s stronger, coordinating attacks from five directions is a lot to handle."

Soon enough, most of the crowd believed Sarah’s team had the upper hand.

"He may be a beast, but five-on-one? Sarah’s team has this in the bag," one voice scoffed, the common sentiment rippling through the crowd.

But a few sharp-eyed observers weren’t so sure. "Numbers don’t always matter," someone muttered. "Adam’s fought tougher fights solo. If they’re not careful, he’ll tear them apart."

Adam might have been the boss in this scenario, but monster bosses always fall to coordinated teams. And today, many in the crowd were betting that this fight would be no different.