Barton groaned a few more times before he opened his eyes and looked around confused. Kain had Daemaus leap away somewhere else, so that Barton wouldn't get too great of a shock. Kain wanted some time to explain how Barton and Desmond had survived. By now, the sky was finally starting to brighten as the new day was just around the corner.
"Kain! What happened to us? Did we die and go to heaven? I don't feel any pain anymore and all my wounds are gone! All your wounds are gone as well!" said Barton.
"Brother, we did not die, nor will we die. Instead, we have a chance to get our revenge in this life! Gerris will pay dearly for underestimating us and leaving without killing us." said Kain.
Barton looked in wonder at his intact limbs and started to caper back and forth in celebration.
-Mexxle, I want to make the three of us much stronger so that we can take down Gerris the next time we meet. Have you finished observing the battle through my memories? What do you suggest? (Kain)
-A king should never have to fight the kind of battle that you did. Those around you should be strong enough to carry your dignity for you. These two friends of yours have potential, but require time to develop. You may think the solution to winning next time is just to inject your friends with as many powers as possible, but that is the wrong thing to do. (Mexxle)
-I have collected several powers that I can gift them and there are more out there waiting for me to collect. There was a group of zombified metahumans that left out the city gate a few days ago. I can chase them down and absorb them. (Kain)
Barton was waving his hand in front of Kain's face.
"Wake up, dude. You have just been staring off into space. Mind explaining how we are still alive?" said Barton.
Kain smiled as he said, "Let's wait for Desmond to wake up, before I explain what happened. We will also go over our plans to take down Gerris. I don't want to have to explain everything a second time."
Barton grew a look of steely resolve in his eyes, as he thought about all the pain he would inflict on the rat bastard. While Barton was muttering about all the different ways he would tear Gerris limb from limb, Mexxle continued:
-The secret to getting stronger is to focus your efforts on at most 2 or 3 powers. Too many powers will cause one to be a jack of all trades, yet master of none. You must have a laser-like focus to increase control and your will. Look at Gerris, he only has one power, but he threw everything he could into his shadow power. (Mexxle)
Kain nodded in understanding. He had so many powers, but he could only use a limited amount of them during the battle with Gerris, simply because his control over them was too weak.
-What powers should I give Barton and Desmond? (Kain)
-Give Barton your fire control power. It will be a perfect complement to his transformation and regeneration abilities. During the battle with Gerris, all he could do was engage in melee combat. Giving him a ranged ability like fire control will boost his battle strength. Fire is also a natural counter to shadow. Humans believe that some abilities are better than others. Although there are powers that stand above others, such as your absorption power, it is truly a matter of control and willpower that determine strength. If Barton has aptitude for fire control and puts in the effort, he could become as strong as Gerris based on that power alone. (Mexxle)
Kain couldn't imagine how Barton could stand toe to toe with Gerris with just fire. Mexxle saw Kain's doubt and clarified:
-If fire is his calling, then he can one day create his own fire clones. (Mexxle)
Kain finally nodded in understanding and turned to look at the sleeping Desmond.
-For Desmond, metal control is perfect for him. If he could combine his gravity control and metal control, he would be a dangerous opponent for anyone. The pressure he can create using his gravity powers can condense metals and make them even stronger. Just imagine if he took his azurite arm and condensed it into a more compressed form? He can create multiple projectiles made out of compressed azurite and turn himself into a star of death. None would be willing to approach into his field of control. (Mexxle)
-Of course, it will take time for your friends to reach such heights. If you know of a place where they could develop their will power, that would be for the best. (Mexxle)
Kain immediately thought of Taria Academy. Their specialty was to improve willpower to draw out more from one's inherent ability. He thought of Sylvia and smiled. She was afraid that others would take advantage of his power, which was why she didn't take him back to her father. However, he still had multiple powers to choose from. No one besides Sylvia, Talia, and Elisha would know of his absorption ability.
Kain could easily mask his absorption ability with another one that doesn't bring all the attention down on him. Sylvia only had conjectures that he can transplant powers. She would be shocked to learn that he had already done so on multiple occasions.
Desmond finally awoke and was just as confused about still being alive. When he saw his old azurite arm on the ground, he quickly looked and saw the newly formed arm in its place. He gasped in surprise and began to prod and poke at the arm, as if he couldn't wrap his head around the idea that it was his arm.
"You enjoy your beauty sleep, old man? It is time to hear what Kain has to say so that we can take the fight to Gerris." said Barton.
The reminder of their archenemy quickly sobered Desmond, as his gaze became sharp and dangerous as well.
Kain finally revealed the extent of his abilities to them and their mouths hit the floor in shock. He described his plans to instill powers into them according to Mexxle's suggestions. He didn't bother to explain the existence of Mexxle as they couldn't see him anyway. Barton would probably think he was pulling a fast one on him.
After Kain gave them their new powers, Barton immediately tried out his new powers. When Barton saw a small red flame appear above the palm of his hand, he immediately became like a little kid finding a new toy. He looked around his immediate surroundings to find things to burn with his little flame. Both Desmond and Kain heard Barton incessantly repeating "Fire" rapidly, like a machine gun, while seated on his haunches like a little kid.
"He is definitely going to become a pyromaniac." said Desmond, as Kain nodded in agreement.
-Looks like Barton will be a natural when it comes to fire, with such a strong addiction. (Mexxle)
Desmond, on the other hand, calmly controlled his azurite arm to fly up in front of him. He attempted to crush the azurite arm with his gravity power, but the material was still too strong. He placed the azurite arm into his pocket dimension to work on it later.
-Desmond has a more calm and measured approach. It is yet to be seen how agreeable metal control is for him, but I suspect he will be a natural as well (Mexxle)
-Although your friends have started on their road to power, I have a different plan for you. With the addition of the remnant of Will, your control and willpower will skyrocket. Focus all your efforts to develop only your absorption power. By doing so, you will be able to absorb through the air, without having to come into contact physically. The next time you fight Gerris, you can merely stand at the back and slowly strip him of his power without him even knowing what is going on. Furthermore, the stronger your absorption ability, the more efficient you will be at extracting strength and power from your opponent. You were able to extract regeneration from Daemaus, but little did you know that he has other powers as well. You are simply too weak to extract those other abilities. (Mexxle)
Kain nodded while in deep thought at the revelation.
Desmond then turned to Kain as he asked,
"I get everything except one thing. Where did you get the regeneration power that you gifted to both Barton and I?"
Barton overheard the question and finally scrambled up to look at Kain with suspicion.
"Both of you, don't be too scared now. I'll introduce you to my new…friend." said a smiling Kain.
He quickly sent out a mental signal and a second later, Daemaus crash landed near the three of them. Barton immediately fell on his ass as he pointed and stuttered incoherent words at the titanic figure. Desmond didn't fall down, but shock was drawn across his face as he fell into a defensive stance.
"I'll just say one thing. If Gerris dares to attack us before we mature, he will get wrecked. Isn't that right, Daemaus?" said Kain.
Daemaus immediately roared into the sky in response, causing a shock-wave to topple and launch the nearby trees.
Kain smiled in anticipation.