Evolving Infinitely From An E-Class Hero-Chapter 32: The Antidote
A golden pulse erupted outward in all directions, rippling through the air like a shockwave. Thunderlash and Ice Blast were sent flying back, crashing into different obstacles with force.
For a brief moment, silence fell over the square. It was the kind of stillness that settled after destruction. I straightened up, standing tall as if I had already won.
"[Skill: Regenerate]," I muttered under my breath.
A familiar warmth surged from my the Forever Core, spreading through my body like a rush of electricity.
My gaze flicked to my assailants as they stirred, trying to regaining their footing. Instead of preparing for another attack, I raised my hands in surrender.
"I’m not here to fight you! Just listen to me!" I called out, my voice cutting through the tension.
Thunderlash scoffed, rolling his shoulders with a wince. The steel pole he had slammed into still bent unnaturally from the impact.
"Really? Then what the hell are you here for!?"
"...Because when I see an unregistered metahuman like you, I see recklessness. I see someone who thinks they can do whatever they want without consequences!"
His words carried weight, but what came next hit even harder.
"I saw the footage from that day. A witness recorded everything. You narrowly missed a building with that golden death ray of yours while taking down Ant Goliath. Guess what, genius? That building had kids in it. Newborns."
He flicked his wrist and his electrified whip slashed across the ground accordingly.
Above us, Ice Blast hovered, her frosty gaze locking onto me. Cold and merciless, like death itself.
"You are no hero... You’re just a meta who thinks he’s better than everyone else..." Ice Blast said. Her voice was haunting, layered with a chorus of icy whispers as if thousands of frozen souls spoke in unison.
"Thunderlash, the meta is indeed strong. He is a perfect harmony of machine and human... He’s... bionic, of some sort..."
She tilted her head inquisitively.
Then, without warning, a deafening shriek tore through the air, shaking the ground like an earthquake.
We all snapped our heads toward the source.
Perched atop the central building in the city square was a monstrous, cat-like creature. Its decayed body bore all the signs of undead. Patched fur, exposed grey skin, and glowing night black eyes.
It shrieked again before leaping from the rooftop, plummeting from a height of nearly thirty feet. The impact of its landing sent a violent tremor rippling through the ground, cracking the pavement beneath its massive frame.
In one clawed hand, it clutched what looked like a helicopter blade. Its weapon I presume, but I found it rather crude. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
As if on cue, another swarm of minions spilled onto the streets, converging on the square like a tide of decay.
And just like that, we were back to square one.
Three heroes who couldn’t see eye to eye.
A monstrous undead feline.
An army of minions.
No leads on an antidote for the infected humans.
And still no sign of Gravehowl, the one who started this whole thing.
My system interface went wild, flooding my vision with Compass Needle notifications. The killing intent indicator pulsed violently, honing in on the monstrous beast before us.
Thunderlash hovered onto his electric surfboard, eyes fixed on the creature.
"What the hell on God’s green earth is that?" he muttered.
Ice Blast hovered just a few meters above, watching the scene unfold. Her expression remained cold and unreadable, but even with those lifeless, icy eyes, I could sense the fear creeping in.
The ISA had deployed these two heroes to stop Gravehowl’s assault— it was a decent decision if you ask me, given that together, they were more than capable of taking him down.
However, the ISA hadn’t anticipated this level of devastation. They hadn’t foreseen a bio-agent capable of transforming humans into mindless minions.
Even so, Thunderlash and Ice Blast were the best candidates for the mission. Their skills were perfect for long ranged attacks, and that was exactly what we needed at that moment.
Their teamwork was seamless, too. It helped that they were both from the same guild—The Iron Fang Guild.
I narrowed my focus, isolating the Compass Needle with strongest killing intent. It led me straight to the massive, feline monstrosity.
[Compass Needle Activated]
[Target Name: Mamrah – aka Gravehowl’s War General]
[Class: B-Class]
[Category: Brawler / Animated]
[Mamrah’s History]
[Mamrah was once a rescued tiger, saved from illegal poachers. An innocent creature... until Gravehowl set his eyes on it. Taken by its raw power, he animated the beast, twisting it into a ruthless killing machine. He named it Mamrah—meaning ’mummified cat.’]
[For years, Mamrah carried out Gravehowl’s bidding, an unstoppable force of destruction. That was until B-Class hero Tempest Wolf killed it. But death was no escape. Gravehowl resurrected his puppet from the grave—stronger than ever.]
[—Energy Levels: 100%]
[—Estimated Strength: B-Class]
[—Recommended Combat Strategy: Evasive maneuvers, slashing attacks, and precision strikes.]
I exhaled sharply, locking eyes with the hulking beast.
"So this is Gravehowl’s general... Mamrah," I mused.
If I could force it to reveal Gravehowl’s location, we’d win this battle just like that .
Then, my system chimed with a crisp, melodic tone.
Tti-ring!
"...!"
"Huh..."
[Antidote Formula Success Rate Calculation Complete!]
[Antidote Formula Success Rate = 85%]
Tti-ring.
A rush of relief surged through me. My heart felt like it had dropped straight into my stomach, then soared again. Hope swelled in my chest as I stared at the glowing notification on my HUD.
"85%..."
"That’s nearly perfect..." I breathed, letting out a heavy sigh.
Without hesitation, I sent the formula to Boomerang Man’s phone. That was one problem solved. Now, I had to focus on the battle in front of me—Mamrah.
I stepped forward, making my intent clear.
"Look, you two can say whatever you want about me, but I’m going to say this..." My voice was firm, unwavering.
"...I may be a reckless Meta. But if you two want to take that thing down..." I pointed directly at Mamrah and its swarm of minions.
"...then you need my help. So let’s set aside the ego talk, save the city—then you can hit me with as many ice popsicles as you want."
I locked eyes with Ice Blast as I spoke the last sentence.
She exchanged a glance with Thunderlash. A brief, silent conversation passed between them.
Then, they both gave me a firm nod.
As if sensing our newfound resolve to take him down, Mamrah dramatically raised his weapon, pointing it straight at us.
The minions reacted instantly, surging forward with an eerie, guttural war cries.
But something was different this time.
They were more vicious. More relentless. I could tell Thunderlash and Ice Blast noticed it, too.
They braced themselves as the swarm closed in, their sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm us.
Bam!.
I planted my feet wide, grounding myself for the impact.
"Skill: Kinetic Shockwave!"
If they were going to throw this newfound aggression at me, I might as well use it against them. I could absorb the kinetic energy and turn it into a counterattack.
That was the plan I had in mind, until I realized something crucial.
Thunderlash and Ice Blast had no protection against the oncoming horde.
[Active Skill: Kinetic Shockwave]
The moment the minions made contact, it felt like an ocean wave crashing into me.
They had already overwhelmed Thunderlash. Ice Blast was torn from the air in an instant.
For a fleeting second, it felt like Sector D was doomed.
Then.
Tti-ring.
[New Skill Unlocked: Destructive Domain]
[New Equipment Unlocked: Forever Pikes]
[Host is experiencing a new difficulty. Armor has adapted to combat this specific threat.]
"Nrggghhhh!" I gritted my teeth, struggling against the relentless swarm. Their claws scraped against my armor.
[Forever Pikes: Solid rods equipped with motor sensors and energy emitters capable of incinerating targets within their effective range. Can also be deployed in numbers to restrict enemy movement.]
[Destructive Domain is an extensive application of Forever Pikes.]
"Deploy Forever Pikes! Now!"
[Forever Pikes Charging...]
"Seriously?!"
[Forever Pikes Deployed.]
A series of hatches snapped open across my suit. Golden metal rods shot into the air, planting themselves into the ground at strategic points.
Each rod anchored itself with powerful tripods, forming a perimeter around the three of us and the minions caught within.
The battlefield shifted. The advantage was mine now
"Skill: Destructive Domain!"
[Active Skill: Destructive Domain]
