Dave awoke in the villa's medical bay, his body aching all over. Every muscle screamed in pain, and his chest throbbed where Helios had landed that devastating blow. He groaned, sitting up slowly, rubbing his forehead. He could hear Bella's voice before she even spoke.
"You reckless, stubborn idiot!" Bella's voice boomed in his head, sharper than ever before. "Do you have any idea how close you came to dying back there?!"
Dave winced at her fury, raising a hand to calm her down. "I had to try, Bella. I couldn't just run away."
"That's not the point, Dave! You don't even know how to handle someone like Helios. I warned you, but you ignored me!"
Dave sighed heavily, trying to steady his breath. "I know, I know… but now I've got to figure out how to beat him. I can't let him roam free after what he did. If I don't stop him, no one will."
Bella's voice still held an edge, though she softened just a bit. "You barely survived, Dave. That punch would've killed you if you hadn't teleported away in time. You're no match for an S Rank right now."
"I know I'm not strong enough. That's why I need you to help me." Dave's expression hardened with resolve. "Give me everything you can find about Helios. I need to know his weaknesses."
Bella paused for a moment. "Fine, I'll gather as much information as I can. But you're not facing him again until you're ready." There was a faint hum in Dave's mind, a sensation he'd come to associate with Bella accessing the system's vast knowledge bank. "Just so you know, S Ranks are a completely different league, Dave. They can tear apart entire cities without breaking a sweat. Helios won't make the same mistake twice."
Dave stood, his body protesting in pain, but his mind was resolute. "I need to get stronger. Way stronger. If I want to stand a chance, I need to train like I never have before."
"If that's the case, then we need to ramp up your training. No more easy rounds. You'll be fighting for your life in that POD. You can't afford to be soft anymore."
Dave nodded, gritting his teeth. "Do it. Push me harder than ever before."
"You're sure? Because I'm not holding back this time. If you think you're suffering now, just wait until I'm done with you."
"Do it," he repeated, his tone unyielding.
Bella didn't respond immediately, but Dave felt a rush of energy surge through him. The air around him grew colder as the environment shifted, and he knew Bella was serious. She wouldn't show mercy—not when his life was on the line.
Without another word, Dave limped toward the POD chamber. His body screamed for rest, but there was no time. Helios was out there, and he had to be ready for their next encounter.
The POD door slid open with a soft hiss, and Dave stepped inside. His vision blurred for a moment as the environment materialized around him. The training field solidified before his eyes, and standing in the center was his opponent—a perfect replica of himself, but exuding an aura of terrifying power. This was Rank S Dave. He looked unbothered, as if he knew this fight was already over.
"Begin!" Bella's voice echoed through the chamber, devoid of any warmth.
Before Dave could react, his copy had already teleported behind him, landing a brutal kick to his spine. Dave's body flew forward, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud. He gasped for breath, barely able to register the searing pain before the copy teleported again, reappearing in front of him.
Another hit. Dave coughed, blood splattering the ground as he tried to stand. His mind raced, trying to come up with a counter, but it was useless. The copy was relentless. It knew his every move. Each time he tried to teleport away, the copy was already there, anticipating his every action.
Minutes felt like hours as Dave found himself repeatedly killed by his own powers. He'd teleport only to be met with a crushing punch. He'd use matter control to throw debris at his opponent, but the copy would dodge with ease and retaliate with brutal efficiency. His mind control was useless—it was like trying to overpower his own mind.
Time after time, Dave's body hit the ground, lifeless, only for the simulation to reset. His mind reeled with the agony of every death, each failure pushing him further into exhaustion.
"Get up!" Bella's voice rang out, colder than ever. "You're not done yet. If you want to beat Helios, you have to survive this!"
Dave, drenched in sweat and blood, gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to give up. Not now. Each time he died, he learned something—how the copy moved, its timing, its weaknesses. Slowly, painfully, he began to adapt.
The copy teleported behind him again, but this time, Dave was ready. He spun around, summoning all his strength to form a massive boulder with matter control. With a swift motion, he hurled it toward his copy. The boulder hit its mark, sending the copy flying back.
But the victory was short-lived. Before Dave could catch his breath, the copy teleported in front of him, delivering a deadly blow to his chest.
"You're still too slow," Bella said, her voice laced with frustration. "This isn't enough."
Dave collapsed to the ground again, panting heavily. His vision blurred as the simulation reset once more. But this time, something had changed. Through the haze of pain, Dave felt a flicker of understanding. He was learning. The copy was stronger, yes, but not invincible.
Hours passed as Dave fought, died, and fought again. Bella pushed him harder with each reset, showing no mercy. Each time Dave thought he couldn't go on, Bella's voice cut through, reminding him of the stakes.
"Helios won't give you any breaks. Either you get stronger, or you die," she said coldly.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dave stood once more, his body battered but his mind sharper. He'd started to anticipate the copy's moves, learning its patterns. He knew he wasn't ready to face Helios yet, but he was getting closer.
The training ended with one final death, and Dave stumbled out of the POD, collapsing onto the floor. His entire body ached, his limbs felt like lead, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"You're still not ready for Helios," Bella said, her tone firm, "but you've improved. If you keep this up, you might stand a chance."
Dave forced a weak smile. "Then we'll keep going. I won't stop until I'm strong enough to kill him."
Bella sighed, her voice softer now. "Just… don't die before you get there, okay?"
Dave nodded weakly. "I won't. I promise."