Dave stood amidst the chaos of a ruined battlefield, the city of Orinth in shambles around him. Fires burned in the distance, their crackling the only sound breaking the oppressive silence. Orinth, a major city in the region of Ryloth, was the latest addition to Dave's ever-growing list of conquests. Bodies of defeated superhumans littered the ground—men and women who had used their powers to exploit and control the population.
Bella's voice chimed in, breaking the grim atmosphere with her usual playful tone. "Congratulations, Dave. That's superhuman number 103 you've taken down. Impressive numbers, don't you think?"
Dave didn't respond immediately. He surveyed the destruction around him, his expression impassive. There was no joy in this work, no satisfaction—just a grim necessity. "One hundred and three," he muttered, shaking his head slightly. "And yet it feels like there's no end in sight."
Bella laughed softly, her tone mischievous. "Oh, come on! With your skills, I bet you can rack up a few hundred more in no time. Just think of it as a superhuman extermination marathon. You're practically an expert at this point."
Dave couldn't help but snort at her jest. Bella's humor, twisted as it was, had a way of lightening the mood even in the darkest of situations. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But we're making progress, aren't we?"
"Indeed! At this rate, you'll run out of superhumans to kill before you know it." There was a pause before she continued, her tone shifting slightly. "But seriously, you've been at this non-stop for weeks. Don't you want to take a break? Even the most overpowered hunters need to rest."
Dave shook his head, his resolve unwavering. "Not until I've cleaned out every last one of them. How many are left in Ryloth?"
Bella's voice adopted a more serious note. "Based on my scans, only three remain in the entire region—two Rank Bs and one Rank A. The Rank A, known as Ghorad, is the most dangerous one here. He's been controlling the crime syndicates in Orinth and the neighboring cities for years."
"Ghorad, huh?" Dave murmured, more to himself than to Bella. "Alright, let's finish this."
Teleporting instantly to Ghorad's location, Dave materialized in the heart of an opulent mansion. The contrast was stark—the pristine luxury of the mansion's interior a world apart from the devastation outside. Ghorad, a towering figure with broad shoulders and a mane of silver hair, stood at the center of the room, surrounded by a ring of his subordinates.
"Who the hell are you?" Ghorad demanded, his voice a deep, menacing growl. He flexed his hands, and blue energy crackled around his fists.
Dave stepped forward, his gaze locked onto Ghorad. "I'm your worst nightmare, Ghorad. The one who's going to end your reign of terror."
Ghorad's eyes narrowed. He exuded confidence, his stance relaxed despite the clear threat. "Do you think I'm scared of you, little man? You may have taken down a few weaklings, but I'm Rank A. I could squash you like a bug."
Bella's laughter echoed in Dave's mind. "Oh, I love it when they're cocky. It makes it so much more satisfying when you wipe the floor with them."
Dave smirked. "Let's see you try."
Before Ghorad could react, Dave vanished, reappearing behind him in an instant. With a powerful kick infused with teleportation energy, Dave launched Ghorad through several walls, sending him crashing into the mansion's expansive courtyard.
Ghorad coughed, struggling to his feet, his body battered from the impact. He looked up in shock as Dave casually stepped through the gaping hole in the wall. "You—how did you…?"
"Teleportation," Dave said simply, his tone calm and almost bored. "And that's not all."
With a flick of his wrist, Dave summoned his matter control ability, twisting the metal fixtures around the courtyard into a makeshift prison, binding Ghorad in place. The Rank A superhuman struggled, his energy flaring as he tried to break free, but Dave's power was too overwhelming.
"Impossible!" Ghorad roared, his voice tinged with panic. "You have two abilities?!"
"Welcome to the world of surprises," Dave replied coldly. He tightened his grip on the metal, squeezing the life out of Ghorad's resistance. "I'm not here to play games, Ghorad. Tell me everything you know."
Ghorad spat at him, his face contorted with rage and fear. "I'll never tell you anything!"
Dave's eyes hardened. "Then I'll just have to see for myself."
Using his mind control ability, Dave dove into Ghorad's consciousness. The world around him shifted, morphing into a chaotic swirl of memories and emotions. He sifted through Ghorad's mind, bypassing the surface thoughts and digging deeper, searching for information on other powerful entities.
Fragments of conversations and images flashed before Dave's eyes. Faces, places, names—each one a piece of the puzzle. And then, one memory stood out. It was a conversation between Ghorad and another superhuman, a dark figure cloaked in shadow.
"You think I'm afraid of you?" Ghorad sneered in the memory. "There's someone much more powerful than me. He's in Voranel, the capital of Zolran. If you want true power, you'll find it there."
The shadowy figure leaned closer, his presence suffocating even in the memory. "Who is he?"
Ghorad hesitated before answering, his voice a hushed whisper. "I don't know his name, but he's stronger than anyone I've ever seen. He's rumored to be Rank S, maybe even higher."
The memory faded, and Dave pulled out of Ghorad's mind. He released his grip on the metal prison, allowing the beaten superhuman to collapse to the ground.
"You should've told me when I asked," Dave said quietly. With a final, merciless glance, he clenched his fist, and Ghorad's head snapped back as his neck broke with a sickening crack.
Ghorad's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and the mansion fell silent.
"Another one down," Bella murmured, her voice devoid of the usual humor. "That makes 108 superhumans killed so far."
"Voranel," Dave whispered, his mind already racing ahead. "That's my next destination."
"Voranel… it's in the country of Zolran," Bella supplied helpfully. "Are you sure about this, Dave? If what Ghorad said is true, then this guy might be way beyond Rank A."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Dave replied firmly. "It doesn't matter how strong he is. If he's evil, I'll take him down."
Bella sighed. "Why do I even bother trying to talk you out of these things?"
Dave smirked. "Because you care."
"Don't get too cocky," Bella shot back, though there was a hint of a smile in her voice. "So, are we teleporting now, or are you going to take a nap first?"
"Teleport," Dave said, his tone serious. "Let's finish this."
The world blurred as Dave activated his teleportation ability. In a heartbeat, he was gone, leaving the ruined city of Orinth behind.
He reappeared at the outskirts of Voranel, the capital of Zolran. The air around him was thick with tension, as if the very atmosphere knew what was about to happen. The moment he materialized, an unseen force rippled through the city.
"Dave… did you just release some sort of aura?" Bella asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
Dave shook his head. "No… but someone definitely noticed me."
From the shadows of Voranel, eyes turned toward Dave. Whispers spread like wildfire through the underworld of superhumans, as they felt the presence of something—or someone—far beyond their understanding.
The hunter had arrived, and no one was safe.
"Let's see what you've got, Voranel," Dave murmured, his eyes scanning the city. And with a final, resolute step, he plunged into the heart of the enemy territory, ready to face whatever challenge lay ahead.