"Damn it! That bastard Canis nearly cost me an arm!" Gideon was the first to express his indignation after being healed. Though his words were laced with venom, they were devoid of genuine malice. This was a common form of teammate banter, and he continued: "If you weren't knocked out, I'd have beaten you senseless!"His fury mounting, Gideon was interrupted by Caradoc's soft cough. He immediately turned his attention to the younger man: "How are you holding up? Feeling better?""The pain's gone, thankfully. Good thing I leveled up to 6, otherwise...""Once he wakes up, he's going to get an earful from me!""Count on it!""Absolutely!"The emotional exchange between Gideon and Caradoc cast Enda into a somber mood as he stood at a distance. He glanced at Allan, who paid him no mind. Enda's hands tightened into fists, as if willing his blood to boil.Hubert, having helped Nicholas to his feet, moved on to assist Jacob, clapping him on the shoulder: "Feeling better?""Much. You've expend
Though he spoke such words, Lancelot proceeded to funnel his energy into the Energy Stone. Hubert knew his friend was half-jesting, using humor to assuage his own fears. He gripped Lancelot's shoulder once more and reiterated: "You possess the reservoir for three different Superpower systems within you. I'm currently storing a significant amount of energy for you as well. You are more than capable of leveling up. Don't let me down.""I... I understand."Lancelot hesitated and turned away. Despite having resolved to deepen his relationship with Canis, Hubert's allure shook the softer recesses of his heart. 'How can he be so irresistibly captivating?' Lancelot pondered, unable to fully withdraw his affection.He had experienced countless one-night stands, but Hubert was a unique intoxicant. Like fine wine, the more he had, the more entranced he became—impossible to forsake. Now, he understood why so many would willingly die for Hubert.Jacob, Winston, himself, Dominic Henry, and lastly,
Gideon nodded, signaling his understanding before joking: "So we should just use him as a human shield in every battle, very convenient.""How despicable! To think you'd betray a teammate like that!""Flattery will get you nowhere!""You're shameless!"Hubert pursed his lips, his thoughts drifting to Canis. Would he willingly become the frontline of every battle, just as Gideon suggested? After all, Canis was purely a supportive Superhuman; he couldn't simply morph into a defensive one.Defensive Superhumans used their superpowers to counter blows, whereas Canis had to physically absorb the impact. The two scenarios were fundamentally different. If, by unfortunate chance, he was depleted of energy and directly hit, it would be akin to losing half his life. Wasn't that equally dangerous?The more Hubert thought about it, the more his flesh crawled. Although Canis wasn't his biological brother, they had been brothers in arms for twenty years. Hubert couldn't bear to watch him march towa
For a moment, Canis found it difficult to believe what he was hearing. Although he had suspected as much, Hubert's revelation surpassed his wildest comprehension. He inquired again:"You can manipulate others?""Indeed, I can manipulate others.""You're not joking with me, are you?"A twisted smile began to form on Canis's lips. He had never imagined that he, too, could control other people's Superpowers. This exceeded any predictions he had made. Hubert then escalated his revelations, breaching even further the boundaries of Canis's understanding:"My control is expansive. I can control multiple people at the same time and harness multiple Superpowers simultaneously.""Impossible!"Stunned, Canis stood frozen. He had perused countless ancient tomes, yet this was the first time he'd come across the concept of 'expansive control,' especially over someone else's Superpowers!He felt as if he were confined in an inescapable prison, fearing that any struggle might inadvertently injure oth
Hubert's chest heaved with inexplicable dread. Though heartless—quite literally—he felt an unyielding tightness there. The prospect of fighting Raymond tore at him like nothing else; the thought that Raymond might not even recognize him deepened the cut. But if Raymond did recognize him, would he arrive before Raymond's act of self-annihilation?Either scenario was equally heart-wrenching!Now Hubert's party began to mobilize, journeying toward the epicenter where the meteorite had landed. An unseen pressure intensified with each step they took. Their only viable option was to forge ahead, for in moving forward lay their only glimpse at the light of life. Staying put to await a zombie assault would leave them facing stronger foes.Their sole course was to infiltrate zombie territory, eliminate them, and harvest their Energy Stones to augment their powers."We've barely covered some ground and already we're encountering so many zombies; God knows what other kinds of zombies await us fu
Enda's orb of lightning, hovering above his head, swelled with each passing second, forcing the wind and fire Superhumans to retreat. Nathan then chimed in: "You can't leave me out of this." His molten lava immediately engulfed the terrain beneath their feet. Before they could utter a word, a nearby car spontaneously combusted, engulfed in white flames within seconds—Jacob's fiery doing. The two Superhumans felt a chill run down their spines and loosened their clenched fists."Let's talk this out. What if someone gets injured?" one of them stuttered."It was you who initiated the challenge." Nathan responded, albeit retracting his lava.The wind-element Superhuman locked eyes with Hubert, not missing an opportunity for derision: "Having good looks really makes life easier, doesn't it? You have a whole entourage willing to die for you.""Jealous because you can't seduce anyone with your looks?" Hubert jabbed back."Don't make me laugh!"The wind-element Superhuman turned away, scorn st
Pausing to catch his breath after the lengthy explanation, Hubert paused for about five seconds before continuing his analysis."This transformation ensures that the Eye of Dark Energy will be unable to detect the existence of the clean Energy Eye. He has calculated all this with meticulous precision. He planned for... for..."Self-destruction! The words lodged in his throat, unutterable. The thought of Raymond choosing such a course spun his world into chaos. How could his brother plot his own demise so cold-bloodedly, leaving him to guard the very catalyst of his impending doom? What cruelty could surpass this? Hubert clenched his fists, seething with rage and bitterness. All his efforts to save his brother were rendered futile as Raymond had entrusted him with the means of his own destruction.The dire twist of circumstances was beyond Hubert's wildest imagination, plunging him into a state of utter bewilderment.Yet soon after, a shift in the realm where Lancelot resided numbed Hu
Perhaps Raymond had foreseen Hubert's levelling up from the very beginning, intending to bear the celestial lightning for him, and thus sent the orb of pure energy. This would imply that Raymond knew of all Hubert’s doings, while Hubert remained in the dark, oblivious to Raymond's actions, whereabouts. The mere thought drove Hubert to the brink of madness. He bellowed:"Raymond! You damned fool, cease at once!"As he roared, Hubert marshaled his Superpower and rose to his feet. The tendrils of lightning followed his head, trailing the energy orb aloft. The more he unleashed his Superpower, the more the Energy Stone and luminescent rings of power invaded his being.Hubert was on the verge of losing control, of losing his mind. He felt insane—insane because of Raymond, insane because Raymond dared to view him as powerless, shielding him time and again. Insane because he could not grasp the ungraspable.Hubert lunged to seize the orb, but it dodged, shifting elsewhere. The faster he chas