Dave stood still in the eerie silence that had settled around him, the battlefield now strewn with the remnants of the fight. He could feel it—the oppressive presence of something, or someone, approaching. His system buzzed in his mind with an alert.
System Notification: SSS-ranked superhuman detected nearby. Host, be cautious.
A chill ran down Dave's spine. The air around him thickened, and the weight of the new presence pressed down on his chest, making it harder to breathe. He clenched his fists and activated his senses, but there was something about this aura that made him feel... insignificant. It was unlike anything he had faced before.
'This is it,' he thought. 'The SSS-ranked superhuman.'
His eyes flicked to Aurora, who had been quietly following him. She looked up at him, her innocent face unaware of the true danger that was approaching.
"Aurora," Dave said, his voice low but firm. "You need to stay safe. This fight... I can't guarantee I'll be able to keep you protected. I need you to hide and stay out of sight."
Aurora's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded. "Okay, Dave... Be careful," she whispered before turning and running towards a cluster of debris where she could hide.
As soon as she was out of sight, Dave's focus snapped back to the looming presence ahead. He took a deep breath, feeling the tension in the air as his muscles tensed. It wasn't just fear—it was instinct. Something about the power he was about to face triggered every warning signal in his body. Whoever this was, they were leagues above the superhumans he had fought before.
And then, from the shadows of a ruined building, the figure emerged.
The man stood tall, his body radiating an aura of overwhelming power. His eyes gleamed with a cold, calculating intelligence, and his movements were smooth, almost too smooth, as if he was beyond the limits of human capability. His presence dominated the entire area, and every step he took seemed to vibrate with energy.
Dave tried to assess the situation, keeping his breathing steady. His opponent's aura was unlike any Rank SS or SS+ he had fought before. It was suffocating, like standing in the eye of a storm where any wrong move could spell certain death.
"So, you're the one causing all the trouble," the man said, his voice calm, yet echoing with a strange authority.
Dave narrowed his eyes. "And you're the SSS rank everyone warned me about."
The man smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in his expression. "You could say that. My name is Lukan. And you are...?"
"Dave." He kept his stance defensive, watching every move Lukan made. "What are you?"
Lukan chuckled softly. "What am I? Now, that's an interesting question, Dave. Let's just say I'm someone who's transcended what most people understand about power."
The way Lukan spoke sent a shiver down Dave's spine. There was something... ancient in his tone, something that went beyond the ranks of superhumans. Dave's system buzzed, trying to analyze, but there was too much unknown data.
"What does that even mean?" Dave asked, frowning. "Transcended?"
Lukan's smile widened, but his eyes remained cold. "You think the rank of SSS is the pinnacle of strength, don't you? You think that once you reach this level, there's nothing beyond it."
Dave's heart skipped a beat. He had always believed that the system's ranking was the measure of ultimate power. SSS rank—how could there be anything beyond that?
"Let me tell you something, Dave," Lukan continued, his voice taking on a darker tone. "SSS rank is just the beginning. There are beings out there with powers so vast, so unimaginable, that the ranks you know are nothing but stepping stones."
Dave clenched his fists tighter. "What are you talking about?"
Lukan's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "I'm talking about entities—beings who exist beyond the comprehension of mortals. You've felt a glimpse of it, haven't you? That itch at the back of your mind, that sense that there's something more out there. That's the presence of true power. Powers that could wipe out entire worlds with a thought."
Dave's mind raced. Entities? Powers beyond SSS rank? It didn't make sense. How could there be something more powerful than the system had told him?
"And you've only just scratched the surface," Lukan said, his voice growing more intense. "The gods you've heard about, they're just the tip of the iceberg. There are things in this world, Dave, things that even they fear."
Dave's blood ran cold. He thought back to his encounter with the God of Death, the terror he had felt in that moment. But Lukan was suggesting that there were powers even greater than that?
"What do you want from me?" Dave asked, his voice quieter now, unsure of the direction this conversation was going.
Lukan's smile faded, replaced by a look of grim determination. "It's not about what I want, Dave. It's about what you're stepping into. By hunting down superhumans, by unlocking these powers, you've opened doors you don't even understand. And now... the entities are watching."
Dave felt a surge of anxiety but quickly suppressed it. He needed answers, not fear.
Before he could ask anything else, Lukan's form flickered, his body beginning to glow with a strange, ethereal energy. "Consider this your first real test, Dave. Survive this, and maybe... just maybe, you'll begin to understand."
The air between them crackled as Lukan's power surged, and Dave knew, without a doubt, that this battle would be like no other.