Hand Of God

Chapter 77 This kid wants it harder

Diana had actually been there for a while—long enough to watch the entire session unfold. She hadn’t interrupted, of course. She’d just stayed under the distant tree, silent and still, observing.

She was roughly the same age as this year’s intake. If not for her special recruitment by President Freud, she’d likely be standing among them right now—exhausted, drenched in sweat, and trembling from Levin’s brutal trial.

But then… would she have reached her current strength? Would she have ever met Adam?

It was impossible to say. Fate was chaotic, indifferent—dragging people down wildly different paths with no logic, no fairness.

Watching Adam stand out like a beacon among the crowd, she couldn’t help but wonder: If I’d enrolled this year… what would I be like?

*Hmph!* she thought, a competitive spark flashing in her eyes. *I’d definitely outshine you. All that attention? It’d be mine instead. Hehe.*

…Though, truthfully, she knew she’d never get to relive that raw, messy, exhilarating phase of student life again. And maybe… that was okay.

---

Finally, the “devil instructor” Levin called an end to the day’s torment.

The students were too drained to cheer—most couldn’t even stay upright. They collapsed where they stood, limbs trembling, lungs burning.

“How’d it feel?” Levin asked, stepping up beside Adam.

A full day of “psychological conditioning” had somehow left them physically wrecked.

Adam wasn’t faring much better. Levin no longer treated him like a student—he’d gone all-out, holding nothing back. And honestly? Levin hadn’t sparred with someone this durable in years. The whole day had been… fun.

Adam nodded, mentally reviewing his gains. “Good. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”

Then, with a slight tilt of his head: “Though… can we crank the intensity up a notch?”

Levin froze. His easygoing smile vanished.

*This kid wants it harder?!*

---

Diana stood up and started walking toward Adam. She’d thought about it all night—there were things she wanted to say.

But after just two steps, she stopped dead.

Because another girl—Serena—was already staggering toward Adam, looking determined despite her exhaustion.

Diana: ?!!

*Since when did they get chummy?*

Weren’t they practically strangers? Or worse—rivals?

*If I’d known this would happen, I’d never have pushed for her assessment-free admission…*

A sudden, irrational flicker of unease shot through her. She slowed her pace, angling her approach like she was circling a minefield.

---

Serena reached Adam first.

She’d spent all night staring at the spectral book Thomas gave her. Only the first page would open; the rest were sealed by some unknown restriction.

And on that page, just two lines:

> Break yourself to rebuild.

> Seek what you once rejected. In what defeats you lies the seed of your rebirth.

She didn’t fully understand it—but “breaking herself” sounded like the answer. And if she had to confront something she resisted… well, Adam was the obvious choice.

“Hi,” she said, voice steady despite her nerves. “Can I ask—how do you structure your daily training?”

Adam blinked. “Training? Uh… I usually just practice reaction time and hand speed at night.”

“What?” Serena frowned, confused.

“In plain English,” he clarified, “I play online games. Mainly solo queue.”

Serena: …

“I’m serious,” she insisted. “I’ll pay you for your training regimen.”

“Money’s great,” Adam said, “but I can’t take payment for nothing. I really don’t have a plan.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Now she was bordering on pushy—refusing to let it go. Adam, exasperated, threw out the first thing that came to mind:

“I don’t have a routine, but back home, there’s this *freaking awesome* training method!”

Serena’s eyes widened. She whipped out a notebook. “What is it?!”

“100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run—every single day!”

Serena stared. It sounded… suspiciously basic. But she scribbled it down anyway.

---

“You two,” a voice cut in, “since when did you get so close?”

A hand landed on Adam’s shoulder. Diana’s face appeared over his shoulder, smile polite but eyes sharp.

The two girls locked eyes for half a second—then looked away.

“Thank you,” Serena said quickly, voice low. “I won’t take any more of your time. I’ll transfer the payment shortly.” She turned and hurried off, clearly rushing back to shower and start her new “regimen.”

Adam, tugged by the collar, spun around to face Diana.

A beat of silence.

“Hey,” he said. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you one of the Super Elites?”

“I’m probably the least busy one of the Big Eight,” she replied.

Another pause.

She’d seen them talking—laughing, even—and panic had overridden her better judgment. But now that she was here… she didn’t know what to say.

“Were you… looking for me?” Adam asked.

“Do you… have something to ask?”

Diana studied his face. Then, before she could stop herself:

“If I *don’t* have a reason… can’t I still come see you? Aren’t we friends?”

“Of course we are!” Adam laughed awkwardly. “I just meant—”

“I know,” she said softly, turning slightly away. “It’s just… I don’t really have friends at the university. I’ve spent most of my time training, and people seem to think I’m… unapproachable.”

It was the first time she’d ever opened up like this—in person, not behind a screen.

“So… I figured I’d come talk to you.” She glanced back at him. “By the way—what do you do all day? Still gaming with that online friend of yours?”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Played with her all last night. Climbed a bunch of ranks.”

“That’s really nice of her,” Diana said casually—completely deadpan. “Sacrificing her sleep just to keep you company.”

“Oh! And I have a friend—hypothetically—who’s dealing with something weird.” She hesitated, heart pounding. “What if someone acts totally different online versus in real life? Would you think they’re… lying? Or just fake?”

She kept her head tilted, trying to sound neutral—but every muscle in her body was tense.

Adam scratched his head. “Wait… you said you don’t have friends. So who’s this ‘friend’?”