Chapter 197: Safe Zone

The moment he made contact, the reinforced doors didn’t hold for even a second as Adam drove through them with force aura reinforcing his entire body. The impact exploded inward, metal bending and tearing as the gates were blown off their hinges.

The shockwave followed right behind him.

The heavy doors flew across the shelter, crashing into the crowded interior with devastating force. Several people were caught in the path, their bodies thrown aside or crushed instantly before they even understood what had happened.

Adam stood at the entrance, unmoving for a brief second as dust and debris settled around him. His eyes swept across the packed shelter quickly, scanning faces, positions, movements, ignoring everything that didn’t matter.

He was looking for one person.

The survivors hadn’t even processed the destruction yet, their expressions frozen between shock and confusion. Some stared at the broken entrance. Others at Adam. A few instinctively tried to back away despite the lack of space.

“Who are you?”

The voice cut through the silence, sharp and demanding.

The martial artist from earlier stepped forward, his presence heavy as his essence stirred slightly. His gaze locked onto Adam, suspicion and authority mixing as he prepared to confront him directly.

Adam didn’t answer.

He didn’t even look at him.

Because he didn’t need to.

SPLRT!

A hand burst through the martial artist’s head from behind, tearing straight through bone and flesh in a violent spray. His words cut off instantly as his body stiffened, then collapsed.

A chalk-white figure stepped out from within him.

The shelter froze again.

The moment stretched.

Then shattered.

More bodies convulsed.

More hands tore through from the inside.

The same chalk-white figures began emerging within the shelter itself, their appearance just as sudden, just as unnatural as outside. The effect of the Holy Light had already begun to fade.

Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he took it in, the situation shifting again in real time. The numbers weren’t overwhelming yet, but they would be. It was only a matter of time before the outside flooded in.

He didn’t wait.

Bone spikes erupted from the ground around him in a controlled burst, skewering the nearest chalk men before they could fully stabilize. Their bodies were pinned instantly, frozen in place for a brief moment.

Then they split.

Two forms emerging where one had been, just like before.

Adam clicked his tongue quietly, already shifting his stance as more began to form across the shelter. The confined space made it worse. Movement was restricted. Panic was spreading.

But he didn’t care about any of that.

His eyes kept searching.

Where is she?

Another chalk man lunged toward him, but Adam cut it down without slowing, his movements efficient, clearing space only where he needed it. He wasn’t trying to fight them.

He was trying to find her.

Then he felt a small light tug.

Adam’s body reacted instantly, his scythe already mid-swing as he turned toward the source, ready to strike. But the moment his eyes landed on it, he stopped himself just in time.

A young girl stood there.

Her hand gripping his clothes tightly.

Her eyes locked onto his.

She opened her mouth to speak but Adam didn’t let her.

Without hesitation, he reached down, grabbed her, and pulled her up in one smooth motion. His stance shifted immediately, aura compressing again as he prepared to move.

And with no hesitation he charged back out of the shelter.

****

The moment Adam burst out of the shelter, his speed didn’t drop as he accelerated even further, the environment blurring into streaks around him. The girl in his arms tensed immediately, but his force aura wrapped tightly around her.

It stabilized everything.

The violent wind pressure, the sudden acceleration, the constant shifts in direction, all of it was balanced out by the aura’s control. Without it, her body wouldn’t have been able to withstand even a second of that speed.

She wasn’t a martial artist yet.

Adam adjusted his grip slightly, keeping her secure as he moved, his focus split between maintaining speed and preventing any backlash from the motion. Behind them, the chalk men continued forming, but something had changed.

Their numbers weren’t increasing as fast.

His eyes flicked downward briefly, noting the difference as he pushed forward. The closer she was to him, the slower they appeared, as if her presence was interfering with their formation rate.

Remedy shifted slightly in his arms, steady enough now to speak despite the speed.

“I know a safe zone!”

Her voice was raised to cut through the rushing air, but it still carried clearly. Adam didn’t question it. He didn’t slow down. If she knew a path, then that was all he needed.

“Point the way.”

Lightning sparked more intensely around his body as he pushed himself harder, squeezing out more speed as he followed her direction. Each step cracked the ground beneath him, the air splitting with sharp bursts as he surged forward.

The streets shifted around them as he followed her guidance, cutting through paths that would have been impossible to predict on his own. The chalk men still appeared, but far less frequently now.

Then the pressure dropped and Adam slowed just slightly as the environment changed, the oppressive presence fading as they entered a quieter section of the city. The buildings here stood still, untouched by the chaos behind them.

And more importantly no chalk men.

“…Here.”

The girl’s voice softened slightly, more certain now as she pointed ahead.

An old building stood at the center of the area, its structure intact but clearly unused, isolated from the rest of the damage.

Adam came to a sudden halt as he lowered her to the ground without causing harm. His eyes scanned the surroundings immediately, confirming the absence of threats.

“…Clear.”

The girl stepped away from him quickly, brushing herself off as if trying to regain some sense of composure. There was a slight tension in her expression, like she didn’t like being seen like that.

Adam noticed it, but didn’t comment.

His attention stayed on the situation.

She moved toward the building’s gate without hesitation, her steps more confident now as she reached a control panel embedded into the side. Her fingers moved quickly as she entered a code.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then the gate unlocked.

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