Chapter 204: Chapter 204: Absorbing Energy?
After watching Robert disappear, Lorna's eyes flickered with thought. She recalled the words her brother had mentioned before being interrupted, and her gaze locked onto Kara. Smiling lightly, she teased, "Kara, surely Pietro wasn't serious just now, right? Some people wouldn't have taken advantage of Robert's lack of awareness to claim the title of girlfriend, would they?"
Kara's face stiffened slightly upon hearing Lorna's sudden challenge. Pietro, Peter Parker, and Barry Allen, though curious, sensed the tense atmosphere and exchanged glances, quietly moving aside.
"Heh, the bond between Robert and me is not for you to question. Does he even pay you any mind usually?" Kara narrowed her eyes at Lorna. Despite Robert's absence from school, Lorna never ceased her provocations, especially after gaining more confidence from her enhanced powers.
"Whether or not Robert pays attention to me now is a separate matter from whether you've taken the position of his girlfriend!" Lorna spread her hands, a smug smile on her lips, "Or do you have proof that you two are officially dating?"
"Hmph! Robert once entrusted me to deal with a succubus, which he, being fond of battles, would have normally handled himself. Isn't that proof enough?" Kara said proudly, recalling how Robert had let her face the succubus.
"Does that count?" Lorna blinked, surprised that such a thing was Kara's highlight. She quickly regained composure, saying mockingly, "If he asks us to deal with other demons, does that mean we hold the same place in his heart as you do?"
"That's not the same at all! The succubus initially had considerable strength. Robert wanted to act but let me take over. Those weaker demons were given to you to hone your skills…" Kara glared at Lorna, suppressing the urge to punch her.
However, as she spoke, Kara's confidence waned. While there was a difference, it wasn't significant enough to prove her status as Robert's girlfriend over Peter Parker and his friends.
"What's the matter? Run out of evidence?" Lorna, sensing Kara's faltering momentum, looked triumphantly at her, "You haven't had any intimate moments with Robert, have you?"
"Hmph! How could that be? We've had plenty of intimate moments, but why should I tell you? It's none of your business!" Kara, for the first time in their verbal spats, stubbornly retorted.
"You don't need to tell me; your behavior has already given me clues... Huh? Don't even think about getting physical, we're in school! If you want to fight, we'll do it after school!" Lorna warned in a low voice, her expression quickly turning serious as she saw Kara ready to act.
"Hmph! Just you wait after school!" Kara glared at Lorna before storming back to her seat.
Meanwhile, Robert, having left the school, took off swiftly toward where Johnny and Susan Storm were. Mid-flight, he received a telepathic message from Clark, "Is your target the demon two hundred miles ahead? If so, I won't interfere…"
"Demon, not a monster?" Robert was surprised, having initially thought it was a monster based on Johnny's distress call. It seemed to be a misidentification due to their unfamiliarity with demons.
"Indeed, it's a demon. I saw your friend trying to counterattack, but the demon seemed immune to flames and explosions. Be careful!" Clark's cautioning voice echoed in Robert's mind, urging him to hasten.
"Immune to flames and explosions? No wonder Johnny asked for help. I wonder what kind of ability could resist both…" Robert pondered, quickening his pace.
"I've found it!" As Robert was deep in thought, he sensed the demon's presence and saw the Storms' half-destroyed house.
Robert had to admit, the Storms' household was truly beset with misfortune. It hadn't been long since their last house rebuilding...
Was it bad feng shui, or was one of them unlucky? Only the Storms seemed plagued by constant house destructions since gaining powers, unlike Peter Parker and Steve, who hadn't faced such issues.
"Energy! Little bug! Come out and bombard me!" The demon roared as Robert approached. Mid-roar, it suddenly turned, its eyes lighting up excitedly upon spotting Robert, "Such powerful energy! Delicious! Exquisite!"
"Swoosh!" As the demon spoke, Robert struck with an energy blast. However, upon contact, the demon absorbed the energy, becoming more ferocious and excitedly shouting, "Not enough! More! Release all your power, let me truly savor it!"
"Absorbing energy?" Robert instantly recognized the demon's ability. He frowned, finding it troublesome. He wondered if the demon absorbed all forms of power and its limits.
In Dragon Ball World, some enemies could absorb energy, but they had limits. Discovering this demon's limit would be Robert's task.
"Swoosh!" Instead of attacking directly, Robert moved in front of the demon, unleashing a powerful punch. The impact, unlike his energy blast, sent the demon stumbling back, its expression filled with surprise.
"Only absorbing energy, not physical force?" Robert quickly grasped the demon's limitation. If the demon's ability had been limitless, it would have dominated in Hell.
The demon, facing Robert, attempted to speak but found Robert's fist already striking its face, sending it flying. As it struggled to rise, Robert landed another punch.
"Is that Robert?" In the corner of the Storms' property, Johnny and Susan, hidden, became visible. Johnny, watching Robert and the demon fight in the distance, muttered, "He looks different again?"
"How should I know? Let's check it out," Susan suggested, her eyes flickering. "We thought returning to the superhuman world would change things, but we're still far behind."
"Buzz!" Under Susan's control, they levitated and vanished again.
"That must be the monster's doing; it seems to counter my powers. Robert's first strike didn't affect it either," Johnny said, somewhat defiantly. "My flames can shake mountains, but that monster is clearly resistant…"
"Boom!" Elsewhere, Robert slammed the demon into the ground. Without energy blasts, his effectiveness was somewhat reduced, as destroying the demon with punches alone was challenging.
He thought it might have been better to have Kara fight this demon, as she seemed better suited for an enemy like this, if she avoided using heat vision.
"Scum! Hit me again!" the demon, standing up from the ground, roared at Robert.
"Why not?" Robert appeared in front of it, landing another punch. At that moment, the demon unleashed a powerful explosive flame. Recognizing the dragon charm power, Robert realized the demon could not only absorb but also release energy, aiming to catch him off guard.
"Buzz!" Frowning, Robert reflexively raised an energy barrier to block the flames. However, the demon absorbed the barrier's energy!
"Hmm?" Robert raised an eyebrow and shifted to a telekinetic shield, evading the explosive flames.
"Swoosh!" As the demon launched an energy blast at Robert, he deflected it, destroying a distant hill.
"A bit stronger than my blast.
Absorbed from my barrier?" Robert pondered, shaking his hand and looking at the demon.
The demon, now thinner, seemed to weaken with energy release, as it wasn't inherently his. Aware of this, the demon chose critical moments to attack, but Robert had thwarted all attempts, prompting it to consider fleeing.
"If so, I'll change my fighting style!" Robert thought, reappearing beside the demon and striking again…
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