Adam sat on the bed, his face stared at the ground and his arms pressed against his head as he concentrated.
Bathomen floated around, watching him.
'Will this brat even accept his regression? Or is he still in shock? He has been like this for more than an hour without saying anything.'
Adam finally moved, he got up from the bed.
[ You finally accepted your fate, huh? I never thought you were this weak minded. No wonder I possessed your body so easily.]
Adam ignored the nagging. He slowly opened the window of the dormitory.
He could not believe it himself but he was finally back to the past. A starting point for his revenge.
Students in dark blue military style blazers walked below. The scenery was the same. The place he hated the most "The Heart Dragon Fortress Royal Institute."
He exhaled and inhaled. Then he closed the window.
He had returned five years to the past. To his academy days.
He raised his arm and saw the seal constellation engraved into his skin. "The Nameless Seal" A circular design with a serpent coiled in a loop.
In this world, few children awakened with a Seal on their arm, A Constellation chose and bless them.
This seal determined their core ability, their growth path, and their limits.
Seals had four trait groups, a Combat class, support traits, Element trait. And lastly, special. The rare and dangerous traits. Those who possessed them were unique.
Adam belonged to the special trait. In his past life, he was mediocre because he could not understand his trait clearly.
By the time he figured it out, he was already behind his peers.
But his motive then was only to steal the core of Bathomen and return it to the organization called "Order of the Black Serpent."
[Hey, child. Will you say something or not?]
Bathomen frowned.
[You have been staring at nothing since. Are you sure this revenge will work?]
Adam stared at Bathomen and showed him his seal.
"Look. Don't you think we have an explanation in this seal? When I was tortured, I heard them mention this seal was clearly the same as the one in the book. What did they mean by that?"
[Simple. That is because the seal you possess was blessed by me.]
"Huh? I don't understand. You mean this nameless seal—"
[Of course. For some unknown reason, you have been blessed by me. I do not understand how. The goddess must have done it. After all, this is just a script.]
"That explains everything." Adam clenched his fist. "To think she planned this. But why me? I was just a normal kid. I didn't deserve this treatment." He took a breath. "Never mind. It's pointless to dwell on the past. First, I need to get stronger. Please show me the way to become strong faster."
Bathomen watched him. The kid seemed like a pushover and Naive. That made things more fun, his original plan was simple to train Adam until he became a better vessel.
Then take over his body. The last time, things did not work out, Adam forced him out. This time, his plan would not fail.
Once he took over, he would go for the goddess.
[You do not have to tell me twice, kid.]
Bathomen smiled and stared at Adam like prey.
"Now that I think about it," Adam said, "why did your body become like this? Was it a side effect of turning back time?"
[Of course it is the side effect. My demonic energy was already drained on the battlefield. Then I had to use my own authority and pour all my mana into that wish to turn back time. That is why I am staying close to you.]
He folded his arms. He knew the outcome would be bad. If he failed this time, he would be dead for real.
Demons could not reincarnate and that meant eternal death.
"So you mean right now we are bound together," Adam said. "And if anything happens to me, you die too?"
[Precisely.]
Adam smiled and his golden eyes began to glow.
"Which means if I die, you die too. Right?"
Bathomen felt chills. The mood around this child changed completely. The scared, complaining boy had turned into something else.
"Ah, that's a relief." Adam's smile widened. "Which means you will do anything I say. Right?"
[What are you doing, brat?]
Adam grabbed Bathomen's small face and squeezed.
Bathomen's eyes widened and he felt an unpleasant emotion. The same emotion he had felt when he was slain centuries ago by the hero named Gabriel. Was this fear?
[Me? Afraid of a mere mortal? Never!]
Despite everything, Bathomen refused to show fear. His pride as a demon god who saw everyone beneath him would not let him cower before a human. He used the last drop of energy he had preserved and released it, pushing Adam's arm away.
[No need to keep you alive. For such insolent behavior, I will get rid of you, pest!]
Adam shielded his face and Bathomen tried to slash him.
Adam dodged, the attack brushed his cheek instead.
Bathomen felt pain on the same cheek.
[Huh?]
"Wow. You're bleeding like me." Adam touched his cheek. "I guess this is a good thing. If I die, you die too." He walked toward the window and leaned back. "I wonder what will happen if I fall down from here."
[Damn it.]
Adam leaned his body closer.
Bathomen felt helpless. If Adam fell and died, it was over for him.
[Stop!]
Adam closed the window. "Okay. I won't die. Don't worry. I just need your utmost support to grow stronger."
[Damn it, fool. I was already doing that!]
"Um, yes, you're right, but…" Adam tilted his head. "You were planning to kill me and possess my body. It's obvious."
Bathomen gritted his teeth.
[You are lucky I am in my weak form, human. You would be pieces of meat!]
"Yeah, yeah." Adam chuckled. He slowly stared at his seal. "I'm still in Primus."
[And what do you want me to do about that? You are useless. You have such a perfect body but cannot use it properly.]
Bathomen smiled and looked away. He would minimize the information about certain things. Let Adam beg him. That way, he could sign a contract to possess his body.
"I know about my usefulness." Adam's voice turned flat. "I possess the Heavenly Divine Vein. That is the reason the experiment was successful."
Bathomen's eyes widened. Adam knew about his body's usefulness.
Right now, Adam possessed one of the rarest body types. Those who had it could contain and process multiple seals. A normal human could only possess one seal.
"With this body and this seal, if they go together, I can copy other traits and get them on my own." Adam looked at Bathomen. "That is the reason you need this body, right?"
[Damn it, kid. How did you know—]
"I told you. I was experimented on while I was still awake." Adam shrugged. "To think I possess the same heavenly body as the hero who defeated you. Well, let's leave that behind. Right now I need to progress my rank."
Bathomen growled and clenched his fist. Adam could feel the hatred and killing intent.
Adam sighed. He sat down and began meditating.
"Phew. I need to get stronger."
[Why are you in a hurry? You just got here.]
"You will understand once you see the kind of bastards in this academy."