Chapter 10: Force Blast
After making sure the area is secured, Blaze hides in a room and starts spending his experience points.
"Upgrade Force Impact!"
[Power evolving…]
[Congratulations, your Force Impact (D-rank) has evolved into Force Blast (C-rank)]
[Force Blast: Your palms can shoot out a bright blue pulse that visibly distorts the surrounding air. Its power is enough to send a grown man flying.]
Rank: C (0/2000 EXP)
[Remaining Experience: 1970]
Bright blue light shoots out from Blaze's arms. His hands start convulsing and vibrating uncontrollably.
A sharp pain runs through his bone.
Blaze clenches his teeth and endures the feeling. This evolution is much more devastating to his body than the last.
It takes even more time. Blaze thought it would be over in a minute, but it keeps going after two.
He kneels down to the ground, breathes heavily but doesn't make a sound. He has gone through many hardships and pains.
This simple obstacle won't make him squeal even one sound.
Five minutes pass, and his body finally calms down. The scrawny looking arms are now much more defined with visible muscle lines.
Blaze stays still, letting his body recover and calming his breathing.
[STATUS]
[Name: Blaze Singer]
[Species: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Attributes]
Strength - 6 (+2)
Stamina - 5
Agility - 6
Dexterity - 3
Perception - 5
Endurance - 7
[Power]
Force Blast (C-rank): 0/2000 EXP
[Equipment: Grappling Hook (C), Tattered Cloak (U), Lantern of the Damned (R), Destruction Wand (R)]
[Experience: 1970]
Blaze clenches his fist and flexes his right arm, revealing a nice round biceps.
He looks like he lifted weights for at least a few weeks. A few minutes ago it was only bone with meat.
"So this is the benefit of a C-rank superpower."
Blaze extends his arm forward, a bright blue light shoots out from his palm and breaks through the brick wall, leaving a hand-shaped hole.
He then points the palm downward, releasing a continuous stream of force. The blue pulse digs out a hole and keeps drilling down to the ground.
Blaze closes his palm and ends the power early. The hole was getting pretty deep, almost five meters, and had no sign of stopping.
Blaze already understands the grasp of his power, so he doesn't need to continue.
The new Force Blast has enough power to break walls and dent metal. It is also able to maintain for as long as Blaze's stamina can endure.
It now reaches the realm of 'super' in the word superpower, no longer just a special ability that is somewhat useful.
Pity. If there were three more monsters, I may be able to upgrade it to B-rank straight away.
He is only 30 experience points short of upgrading Force Blast.
It shouldn't be a problem. There are still the Crises waiting for me to kill.
Once again equipping the Tattered Cloak, Blaze fades into darkness and leaves the building.
He uses the Grappling Hook to traverse from rooftop to rooftop. Staying high is a better option, as Blaze can have a larger view of the area.
He really has decimated this layer of the Void. Not even one hollow-faced monster is seen walking around.
Blaze shows no disappointment and keeps going forward to the center. His goals are the Crises.
Back in the main street, a group of people with brown uniforms appears. They are led by Preston.
Preston squats down to examine the corpse of the Hollow more closely. Its flesh is burned, and its body is torn.
This was no mere electric pulse, it had the power of a true lightning strike.
"This is at least a C1, maybe even B-rank power."
Preston says.
From C-rank and above, each rank is separated into five smaller levels, from five to one.
C5 is the weakest of the C-rank, while C1 is the strongest.
Based on the power of the electric current, whoever killed these Hollows has a maximum C3 rank. But there are at least 200 bodies here.
The sheer amount and stamina needed to complete this task is no joke. Which bumps Preston's final rating of the superbeing to C1 or B.
A masked woman steps forward.
"Do you think they are an enemy, Captain?"
"It's hard to say…"
"Captain Preston of the Liberty Sons. What an honor." A voice comes down from above.
The group immediately turns toward the voice, ready for battle. Preston squints his eyes, observing the woman with white hair. He's trying to remember who she is.
White hair with a black and white uniform with flying ability…
"C-rank hero, the Pale Harpy?"
Preston says.
"Please, Captain. You can call me Harpy."
"You're interested in the electrokinesis user?"
"I am, Captain. There aren't many B-rank heroes in Akansa, you know. He can help end this nightmare soon."
Preston shakes his head.
"We don't know if he's a hero. There are no registered heroes who control lightning a hundred miles around here."
"You're saying that they may be a supervillain?"
Preston nods.
"The more reasons for us to find them then. Before he got his hands on our precious heroes."
Harpy smiles wickedly.
Blaze reaches his former school.
He has no idea that it will be so soon for him to return to this place. It was only a year ago that he was still a student of Akansa High.
Oh, memories…
The place was awful for trashies, but at least he made a friend here. The center area is here, the Crises should be around somewhere.
Blaze shoots the Grappling Hook to the ground from the roof where he is standing now. If he jumps down, he will fall down to his death. But if he uses the Grappling Hook, he will fall down with the same speed he got pulled up by it.
Still, all physical laws are betrayed by this item.
Blaze safely lands on the ground. He walks to the side of the school, purposefully avoiding it.
The school houses the most promising future superheroes, there will definitely be his old classmates there. Not many treated him well, but no one is near as bad as Veronica and Jake.
They don't deserve to die. Thus, they yield no experience points.
They are useless to Blaze.
But the system tells him otherwise.
[New mission received: Kill the Nocturnal Animals]
"What the?"
Blaze knows this group. They are a group of teenage superheroes that are rather famous. They have their own TV show and were interviewed on an official news channel.
The school board even commended them for their bravery once.
However, this group has no feud with Blaze. There is absolutely no reason for him to kill them.
"You better not force me into a mindless killing machine, System. I am not that kind of man."
Blaze clicks on the new mission.
[Mission: Kill the Nocturnal Animals.
Mission Detail: Alyson is in danger. The Nocturnal Animals have cornered her. Their intentions are impure.
1. Kill all the members of the Nocturnal Animals (0/4)
2. (Optional) Prevent Alyson from being kidnapped
Mission reward:
Main reward: Equipment Blindbox (Rare)
Sub reward: Superpower Blindbox (B-rank)]
Blaze's expression darkens.
At the back gate of Akansa High, four emo kids cornered the red-haired girl.
The redhead is Alyson Aldrin, the only friend Blaze had while he was attending Akansa High.
Surrounding her are the Nocturnal Animals, led by William D'Angelo.
"I told you. I am not interested."
Alyson yells out. Her teeth grow long and sharp. Whiskers appear on her face. Her red hair blossoms into a lion's mane.
"Oooh!"
William pretends to shiver due to fear.
"I'm so scared."
Alyson growls back.
"The Lioness. Hah!"
William smirks.
"Get the fuck out of my way!"
Alyson grinds every word out of her mouth.
"Come on, girl! Whatchu doin'?"
William sarcastically says.
"I'm giving you an opportunity here. You never have to work another day for your life, girl."
"Leave me alone!"