Dave stood alone in the empty field, the wind brushing against his face as he glanced at the system's interface floating in front of him. After spending a month in the AI Pod, training relentlessly with his double, his efforts had finally paid off. His stats had skyrocketed, and the system had officially ranked him at Rank B. But that wasn't enough to satisfy him.
'I need to know where I stand. If I barely scraped through against a Rank C superhuman like Swift Blade, then I need to test myself against someone even stronger,' Dave thought to himself, eyes narrowing with determination.
The system responded to his desire for a challenge, tracking down a nearby Rank B superhuman. The target was known as Bolt, a man who wielded the power of lightning with devastating efficiency. Without hesitation, Dave activated his Teleportation ability, vanishing from the spot and reappearing just outside a deserted power plant, deep in the heart of the city's industrial zone. The air felt electrified even before the fight began.
"You're looking for trouble," a voice called out, echoing across the metal beams and power transformers.
Dave turned to see Bolt standing atop a large metal structure, his eyes crackling with blue lightning. The superhuman exuded confidence, his reputation well-known in the underground circles for his ruthless power.
"I need to see what Rank B really means," Dave replied calmly. "And you're the perfect test."
Bolt's lips curled into a smirk. "You think you can handle me, kid? Let's see how long you last."
In a flash of blue light, Bolt disappeared, reappearing in front of Dave in an instant, electricity arcing between his fingers as he struck. Dave barely had time to react, using Enhanced Reflexes to dodge the first blow. The ground where Bolt's fist had landed erupted in a burst of electricity, sending shards of concrete flying into the air.
Dave lunged backward, narrowly avoiding another lightning-imbued punch. His heart pounded as the adrenaline surged through him. Bolt was fast—far faster than Swift Blade. He could feel the heat of the lightning crackling through the air.
Teleportation. Dave reappeared a few meters away, but Bolt was relentless, instantly closing the gap with his lightning-charged speed. The two clashed again, their abilities colliding in a violent display of power. Bolt unleashed a storm of electrical blasts, forcing Dave to rely on his Teleportation and Enhanced Reflexes to weave through the barrage. Every missed strike sent powerful jolts of electricity tearing through the surrounding environment, setting nearby structures on fire.
"You can't outrun lightning forever," Bolt taunted, his voice booming like thunder.
Dave gritted his teeth. 'He's right. I can't keep dodging. I need to attack.'
Summoning his Strength Enhancement, Dave dashed forward with explosive speed, catching Bolt off guard with a powerful punch to the chest. The impact sent Bolt crashing through several metal beams, but he quickly recovered, electricity surging through his veins as he stood, unshaken.
"You'll need more than brute force to win this fight!" Bolt growled, raising his hands into the air.
Suddenly, the sky above them darkened, and a massive bolt of lightning descended, striking Bolt directly. The sheer power of the lightning engulfed him, causing his body to glow with an intense, blinding blue light. When the glow faded, Bolt stood with electricity coursing wildly across his skin. He had fully charged himself, becoming a living conduit of raw power.
With a roar, Bolt unleashed a devastating surge of lightning towards Dave. The ground split beneath the blast, and the air smelled of ozone. Dave, unable to teleport in time, raised his hand and summoned Matter Manipulation, forming a barrier of compressed air and dust to shield himself. The barrier crackled and shattered, but it absorbed enough of the impact to keep him on his feet.
The fight had only just begun.
Dave rushed forward, using his Enhanced Speed to close the gap once again. He feinted to the left, drawing Bolt's attention, then teleported behind him, delivering a crushing blow to Bolt's back. But Bolt was quick, turning in time to deflect the hit with an electric surge, electrocuting Dave in the process.
Electric pain shot through Dave's body as Bolt's lightning danced across his skin. Gritting his teeth through the agony, Dave activated Regeneration, forcing his body to heal while still in the heat of battle. He couldn't afford to show weakness now.
In response, Bolt charged up for another attack, but this time Dave was ready. Using Matter Manipulation again, he controlled the surrounding metal scraps, creating a whirlwind of metal shards that flew at Bolt. The lightning-wielder blasted them away with a shockwave, but Dave was already closing the distance. He struck Bolt with a flurry of punches, each one hitting harder than the last, using every ounce of his Strength Enhancement.
The two clashed violently, exchanging blows with incredible speed and ferocity. Lightning crackled with every movement Bolt made, while Dave's attacks became sharper and more precise, thanks to his relentless training in the AI Pod. But every time Bolt landed a hit, Dave's body screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through him, weakening him bit by bit.
With a desperate roar, Bolt gathered all his power into one final attack. The ground beneath them trembled as he summoned a massive lightning strike from the sky, directing it straight at Dave.
Dave knew he had one chance. Focusing all his power into a single move, he teleported behind Bolt at the last second, delivering a bone-shattering punch to his spine. The blow knocked Bolt off balance just as the lightning strike hit, causing it to spiral out of control and explode into the surrounding area.
When the dust cleared, Dave stood victorious, though barely. His body ached, his muscles burned, and his skin was singed from the relentless electrical assaults. Bolt lay unconscious at his feet, his lightning finally extinguished.
Panting heavily, Dave looked down at his opponent. It had been a brutal, close fight—far too close for comfort.
'If this is Rank B... I have a long way to go before I'm ready to face someone at Rank S,' he thought.
For now, though, he had won. But this fight had shown him the harsh reality of what he was up against. The road to becoming the strongest was far from over.