The hunts continues(chapter 17)

The sea grew still, the gentle breeze vanishing—an all-too-familiar sign that his nine-minute spiritual force had ended. "Well, this isn't good," Adam nervously chuckled. Swiftly, he picked up a kitchen knife and exited his boat, wary of potential threats.

Arriving at the dock, Adam anticipated the usual scenario: the absence of any visible threat. Jumping off the boat, he couldn't afford damage to his home. As expected, an eerie silence enveloped the area, raising his suspicion. Suddenly, a goofy three-eyed fish surfaced, but Adam's unease persisted. Just as he sneered at the seemingly harmless creature, something erupted from the sand, entwining around his ankle.

The world flipped, and Adam found himself submerged in the sea. The pain surged over him, momentarily blacking out. Upon regaining consciousness, he summoned a stable ball of mana to illuminate the abyss. What awaited him was a 10-foot-tall abomination—a grotesque entity with multiple heads, tentacles, and a menacing presence. Tentacles wrapped around him, squeezing tightly and inflicting injuries.

Summoning his mana sword, now longer and sharper, Adam managed to cut through the tentacles, freeing himself. Gasping for breath, he swam to the surface, breaking through the water. The sea monster roared, more tentacles emerging, but Adam swiftly sliced them with his adeptly controlled sword. A roar echoed as he reached the shore.

Exhausted, Adam prepared another spell. The mana sword continued its assault on the sea monster, distracting it. With a groan, Adam cast the mana bomb spell, shoving it into the monster's maw. The explosion shattered the creature, pieces scattered across the shore. Adam lay there, a few inches away from the remnants, too drained to move. In a tired voice, he grunted, "Alright, that's it. I need to contain these motherfuckers to make my life easier," as he spat out sea water, contemplating his next move.

[1½ month later]

In the heart of New York City, the late-night streets lay deserted under the glow of flickering streetlamps. Suddenly, from the shadows of an alleyway, a small creature emerged, its crimson skin aglow. With three-toed feet and three-fingered hands, it possessed an otherworldly aura. Twin horns emanating a purple hue adorned its head, matching the glowing eyes that surveyed its surroundings with a mix of fear and confusion. This creature was a demon.

"Djdfgfahsth," it muttered in gibberish, its panic palpable as it halted, casting terrified glances around. Suddenly, its hand ignited with fiery orange light, and in a state of confusion and panic, it unleashed a ball of fire into the empty street. Unbeknownst to the demon, a white sphere interlinked by shimmering lines lay nearby.

With a sudden expansion, the sphere enveloped the demon, trapping it within. Desperate attempts to escape ensued, the demon clawing and burning in futile efforts. However, the sphere proved impenetrable, each attempt met with an invisible barrier. In the midst of its struggles, a figure emerged from beneath a streetlight.

Clad in a black t-shirt, jeans, and leather coat, the figure wore a wooden mask with glowing eyes and an eerie mouth adorned with circles. This figure was Adam, the wooden mask that was dropped by the tree spirit was imbued with special powers, including the ability to blend into the surroundings, which was really helpful to adam.

Observing the trapped demon, Adam sighed in resignation. "And where the hell am I? I swear, every time one of these monsters turns up, I get teleported to some random place." With a wave of his hand, he caused the sphere to shrink, swiftly ending the demon's existence. As the sphere dissipated, leaving behind the mangled corpse, Adam couldn't help but smile faintly. "This might just be my new favorite spell," he mused, acknowledging its multifunctional capabilities as both a shield and a means of containment.

With a glance at his mana reserves, Adam noted his progress. "Just .30 more to go before I reach 10 spiritual force." Using a mana plate, he gathered the remains of the demon, contemplating their potential utility. "I should probably cut off the demon's horns or teeth. They might come in handy later," he reasoned before departing into the night, ever vigilant against the unseen threats lurking in the darkness.

-scene change-

Late in the evening in Brooklyn, as the sky began to dim, Adam trudged along the sidewalk, burdened with a bag of groceries. Munching on a donut, he lamented, "Damn, I wish I had an inventory or a magic satchel to carry these foods." Suddenly, a car, led by a peculiar drone tethered to its front bumper, swerved past him and screeched to a halt in front of a nearby house. A black woman emerged from the vehicle and hurried into the building.

"What the—" Adam began, but before he could finish, the structure erupted into flames, causing him to recoil in shock. "What the fuck?" His bewilderment only deepened when a figure in advanced armor, levitating with the aid of drones, appeared amidst the chaos. More drones encircled the figure as Spider-Man, the younger iteration, swung into view. Enraged at the sight of the burning building, Spider-Man charged at the armored figure, wielding a sword conjured from yellow lightning.

----------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Another chapter is here. I hope you all enjoyed it. I was considering having Adam randomly witness Marvel mayhem, such as fights between superheroes and villains. This way, we can establish that he is in the Marvel universe. At this point, Adam is too weak to intervene in Marvel 616 events, but rest assured, that will no longer be the case.