Dave stood in front of the AI Pod, his thoughts swirling with frustration and determination. The encounter with Helios, a Rank S superhuman, had left a deep impact on him. The harsh reality of his weakness gnawed at him. If he was going to survive against the Rank S superhumans of the world, he had to grow stronger—much stronger, and fast.
He turned to the system, his voice steady but urgent. "System, is there a harsher and faster way to train? I can't afford to waste time. I need to get stronger—not just my stats, but my control over my superhuman powers. I need efficiency, and I need it now."
The system responded almost immediately.
"Host, there is a more extreme method to accelerate your growth. It will push your body and mind beyond their current limits, but it comes with a price. You will be subjected to far greater strain than normal, and the risk of injury or failure will increase. Are you prepared to endure this?"
Dave's eyes narrowed. "I don't care about the risks. I can't afford to be this weak anymore. If I'm going to stand a chance against people like Helios, I need to train in a way that forces me to grow as quickly as possible."
"Very well, Host. I will modify the training settings in the AI Pod. I suggest increasing the time dilation to its maximum potential, allowing you to train more efficiently."
Dave nodded, a sense of resolve hardening in his chest. "Make the time dilation x20," he commanded. "I want to maximize every second."
"Setting confirmed. Time dilation is now x20. Every hour outside will be equivalent to 20 hours inside the Pod. Additionally, I will increase the difficulty of your training simulations. You will face far more advanced challenges, with your clones reacting at 100% capacity. Prepare yourself for extreme physical and mental exertion."
Dave stepped into the Pod, feeling a slight hum as the system prepared to shift him into the simulated world. Once inside, he immediately felt the weight of the new training environment. The familiar terrain of Earth had been replaced with a much more hostile environment—a mountainous wasteland with jagged peaks and scorching heat.
"Host, the training will focus on two primary goals: improving your physical stats and enhancing your control over your superhuman abilities. To do this, I have created several challenges that will push you to your limit."
Dave nodded, taking a deep breath. He was ready.
The first simulation started almost immediately. A perfect clone of himself appeared before him, identical in every way, but with one crucial difference—it had full mastery over all of Dave's superhuman abilities, including the Matter Control that Dave had wielded long before his encounter with Bolt.
The battle began with an explosion of speed. Dave lunged forward, attempting to land a blow on his clone, but it easily sidestepped, countering with a powerful punch that sent Dave flying backward. He crashed into the jagged rocks, gasping for air.
'Damn it… it's so fast,' Dave thought, grimacing as he pulled himself to his feet. His clone wasn't just reacting—it was anticipating his every move, exploiting every weakness in his form and strategy.
Dave unleashed a torrent of energy, sending waves of force toward the clone, but it deftly dodged each one, closing the distance in an instant. The clone struck again, this time with a powerful kick to Dave's side, knocking him off balance.
'Come on, focus!' Dave thought, wiping the blood from his mouth. He knew the system wasn't holding back—this clone was designed to be as perfect as possible, forcing him to adapt and grow stronger. But the pain was real, and the struggle was intense.
Each time Dave managed to launch an attack, the clone would counter with speed and precision far beyond what he was capable of. The gap between them was obvious, and with each defeat, Dave felt the weight of his own limitations.
Hours passed inside the Pod, though to Dave, it felt like days. He was beaten again and again, his body aching from the relentless battles. But even in the face of constant defeat, Dave refused to give up. He knew that every time he was knocked down, he was getting stronger, his reflexes sharpening, his control over his powers improving.
By the time the first day in the Pod had passed, Dave was starting to notice small improvements. His movements were becoming smoother, more controlled. He could anticipate his clone's attacks with greater accuracy, and while he was still losing, the gap between them was slowly closing.
During the intense combat, Dave focused on mastering his superhuman powers. He practiced controlling his teleportation, using it not just as an escape but as an offensive tool to catch his clone off guard. He would blink across the battlefield in rapid succession, striking from different angles, forcing his clone to react faster and faster.
Next, he turned his attention to his Matter Control ability. He had this power long before his fight with Bolt, but his understanding of it had room to grow. In the Pod, he began experimenting with how it worked, learning to manipulate the elements around him. He could now reshape the earth, create barriers, and even form weapons out of thin air. But controlling matter wasn't easy—it required intense focus, and in the heat of battle, it was difficult to maintain.
Despite the challenges, Dave pushed himself harder and harder. The grueling battles left him exhausted, but with each passing day, he could feel his strength growing. His stats were improving steadily, and the control over his abilities was becoming more refined.
By the end of the second day in the Pod, Dave was still far from perfect, but the progress he had made was undeniable. He was faster, stronger, and his control over his superhuman powers had improved significantly. The system monitored his growth, displaying the increasing stats as he continued his brutal training.
Dave wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily. His body ached, but the pain was a reminder of the progress he had made.
'This is just the beginning,' he thought, a fierce determination burning in his chest. 'I'll keep pushing myself. No matter what it takes.'
The weight of the battle intensified as Dave faced his stronger clone. The jagged terrain of the mountainous wasteland around him felt more oppressive with each step. His body ached, but his mind was focused on one goal—mastering his Matter Control ability. The system had pushed his clone's strength even further, making it a perfect opponent for what he needed: a brutal challenge to push him past his limits.
The clone wasted no time, launching a barrage of sharp, stone spears formed from the surrounding earth. With a flick of its hand, the rocks levitated and shot toward Dave with blinding speed.
Dave narrowed his eyes, extending his hand and willing the earth beneath him to shift. The ground responded, rising up in a massive wall of stone to block the incoming projectiles. The spears clashed against his barrier, shattering into fragments.
'I need more control,' Dave thought, concentrating. It wasn't enough to create basic shields. He had to go beyond, to wield the very elements of the world with precision.
The clone wasn't finished. It raised both arms, and the earth shook violently. Massive boulders the size of cars rose from the ground, and with a simple gesture, the clone sent them hurtling toward Dave.
"Not this time," Dave muttered under his breath, focusing hard.
He extended his hands, feeling the matter around him as though it were a part of his own body. With a sharp movement, he stopped the boulders mid-air, their momentum halted by his control. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he gritted his teeth. He could feel the resistance, the sheer weight of the massive rocks testing the limits of his ability. Slowly, carefully, he directed the boulders to orbit him, circling like planets around a star.
But the clone was relentless. It pushed its power further, summoning a hurricane of dust and stone, the wind howling as the ground beneath them fractured and split. Dave's controlled boulders wobbled under the strain of the chaotic forces. He needed to think fast.
'Stay focused. Break it down,' Dave reminded himself, analyzing the situation. The clone was powerful—far more skilled than before—but that was what he needed. If he could outmaneuver his copy, he'd prove his mastery.
Dave slammed his hand into the ground, reaching deep into the core of the earth, and with a surge of effort, he called forth a towering spike of obsidian. The black, gleaming rock shot upward, aimed directly at his clone, but the copy anticipated the move, dissolving the spike mid-air with its own Matter Control.
The clone smirked, its eyes flashing with the same determination that burned in Dave's.
'It's adapting,' Dave thought, his mind racing. His clone was learning to counter his moves with precision. He couldn't rely on brute force. He had to be smarter, faster, more creative.
He shifted his approach. Instead of forming massive structures, he focused on the finer details. The earth around his feet started to shift, and in seconds, hundreds of tiny needles rose from the ground, each as sharp as steel. With a wave of his hand, the needles shot toward his clone, but this time, he didn't stop there. As the clone dodged to the left, Dave manipulated the air itself, redirecting the needles mid-flight.
Caught off guard, the clone was forced to use more of its power, erecting a stone shield to block the incoming projectiles. But Dave was already two steps ahead. He used the dust from the shattered shield to form a dense cloud, obscuring the clone's vision.
'Now,' Dave thought, taking advantage of the confusion. He summoned a wave of molten lava from beneath the earth, directing it toward the clone with precision. The searing heat radiated through the battlefield, the ground bubbling and cracking under the intense pressure.
The clone countered, lifting massive chunks of rock to block the molten flow, but it was slower this time. Dave pressed the attack, reshaping the lava into serpentine streams that coiled around the clone, tightening like a noose.
The clone responded by freezing the molten rock mid-air, turning the once-fluid material into solid stone. But Dave wasn't done yet. With a fierce concentration, he shattered the frozen mass into thousands of shards, sending them raining down like daggers.
For the first time, the clone faltered. It couldn't keep up with the speed of Dave's newfound control. Each shard of rock was a potential weapon, each grain of dust a tool at his disposal. He manipulated the earth with such precision that the battlefield became an extension of his own will.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his muscles trembling from the strain. The system had warned him that this level of training would push him to his limits, and it had. But the progress was undeniable. He could feel his mastery of Matter Control growing with every clash, every adjustment in his technique.
The clone, now visibly damaged from the onslaught, prepared one final attack. It gathered every ounce of its power, the ground beneath it shifting violently as it summoned a massive wave of earth, towering above Dave like a tidal wave.
'This is it,' Dave thought, steeling himself. He extended both hands, feeling the raw power of the earth beneath him, and with a roar of determination, he slammed his palms into the ground. The wave stopped, its momentum halted by his control, and with a final, crushing force, he sent it crashing down on the clone.
The clone was buried under the weight of the earth, disappearing beneath the rubble. Dave stood over the battlefield, panting, his body trembling from the effort.
He had done it. His control over Matter had reached a new level.
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
"Host, your mastery over Matter Control has increased significantly. However, you are not finished. There is still more to learn."
Dave wiped the sweat from his brow and stood tall, his gaze focused.
"Enough with matter for now. It's time to move on." His lips curled into a smirk as he whispered, "Let's start with Mind Control."
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT