The hum of the gym's fluorescent lights felt louder than usual as Zik sat quietly on the bench, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't nervous—at least, that's what he kept telling himself—but the growing buzz of the crowd and the sight of his classmates whispering in the stands wasn't exactly calming.
Across the room, the tournament bracket loomed on a massive screen, bold white lines connecting names like a web of fates. His name sat in its place, glowing faintly, paired with the next challenger: Ethan Cortez.
Zik didn't know Ethan all that well. He was one of those quiet types—never loud, never flashy. A shadow in the corner of the classroom who somehow still carried an air of mystery around him. But Zik had overheard the rumors. Ethan wasn't just strong; he was methodical. Every match so far, Ethan had taken down his opponents without breaking a sweat, his strategy as sharp as his abilities.
And those abilities? That was the real mystery.
---
"You've got this," Aiden said, nudging Zik with his elbow as they stood by the sidelines. "That guy's nothing. I mean, he's good, but you're you."
Zik raised an eyebrow. "That's your pep talk? I'm me? Thanks for the inspirational speech, Coach."
Aiden smirked. "You know what I mean. Don't overthink it. You've got super speed, telekinesis, regeneration—hell, you've even got that crazy crafting ability. You're stacked, man."
"Stacked, sure," Zik muttered, glancing at the bracket again. "But he's… different. People talk about him like he's some kind of puzzle. And if I'm not careful, I'll end up solving myself out of the match."
Tobias, leaning casually against the wall, chimed in. "Don't get too lost in your own head, Zik. Sometimes fights aren't about overanalyzing—they're about adapting. You're good at that."
Zik nodded slowly, taking their words to heart. But the tension in his chest didn't ease.
---
As the announcer called for the next fighters to prepare, Zik felt a wave of pressure settle over him. His Hero System chimed softly in his mind, the words appearing in front of him like a subtle nudge:
Quest: Win your next match!
Reward: Ability Upgrade (Grade Increase, Random).
Zik exhaled sharply, clenching his fists. An ability upgrade? The stakes suddenly felt higher.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, rolling his shoulders. "Time to walk in there and prove I'm more than just some guy with a cursed yellow shirt."
---
The gym's energy shifted as Ethan stepped into the ring. He wasn't tall or imposing—just an average-looking guy with messy black hair and a calm demeanor. But there was something unsettling about the way he moved. Every step seemed deliberate, every glance calculated.
Ethan didn't even look at Zik as he entered. Instead, he scanned the crowd, his sharp eyes darting from face to face before finally settling on the center of the ring.
"He's calm," Tobias said, watching from the sidelines. "Too calm."
"That's confidence," Aiden added, frowning. "This guy knows exactly what he's doing."
---
Zik stepped into the ring, his heart racing but his expression steady. He kept his movements controlled, his eyes locked on Ethan. As the referee called for both fighters to take their positions, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder.
"Cortez hasn't lost a single match yet," someone whispered.
"Yeah, but Zik's been climbing the ranks too. This could go either way."
Zik tried to tune them out, focusing instead on Ethan, who stood with his hands in his pockets, his posture casual. But Zik noticed the subtle tension in Ethan's stance—the slight lean forward, the way his fingers twitched slightly as if ready to spring into action.
---
"Any idea what his ability is?" Zik asked, keeping his voice low.
The referee stepped back, raising his hand to signal the start of the match. But before the fight could begin, Ethan finally spoke, his voice calm but cutting through the tension like a blade.
"You're wondering what my power is, right?" he said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Zik blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… yeah, actually."
Ethan tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Good. Keep wondering."
---
The bell rang, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
Zik moved first, activating Super Speed to close the gap between them in an instant. But as he swung his fist, Ethan sidestepped effortlessly, as if he'd known exactly where Zik would go.
"Too predictable," Ethan said, his voice still calm.
Zik's eyes widened as Ethan countered, his hand glowing faintly as he thrust it forward. A sudden force, invisible but sharp, slammed into Zik's chest, sending him skidding back.
---
"What the hell was that?" Zik muttered, rubbing his chest. The force hadn't hurt much, but it was enough to throw him off balance.
Ethan didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand again, the faint glow returning as the air around him seemed to ripple. Zik narrowed his eyes, analyzing the movements with his Super Intelligence.
It's not telekinesis, Zik realized. It's something more precise… like compression.
Ethan suddenly lunged forward, his movements smooth and calculated. He swung his arm, and a concentrated blast of compressed air shot toward Zik.
Zik dodged, the wind slicing past his ear. "You're full of surprises, huh?" he said, trying to keep his tone light.
---
The fight quickly became a game of cat and mouse. Ethan's precision and control made it difficult for Zik to land a solid hit, while Zik's speed and agility kept him out of Ethan's direct line of fire. The tension in the gym was palpable as the two fighters danced around each other, their abilities clashing in bursts of wind and lightning-fast movements.
From the sidelines, Aiden leaned forward, his fists clenched. "Zik's gotta figure this out fast. That compression ability's no joke."
Tobias nodded, his reptilian eyes narrowing. "Ethan's not just strong—he's smart. He's forcing Zik to play his game."
---
As the fight continued, Zik's mind raced. He needed a way to break through Ethan's defenses, to disrupt his rhythm. But every time he thought he saw an opening, Ethan was already moving, his calm smirk never wavering.
"This guy's too good," Zik muttered under his breath. But then, a thought flickered in his mind. The 19th Hero Code.
"Walk in a humble manner," he whispered to himself, the words grounding him. He had been too focused on trying to outmatch Ethan's strategy, too caught up in proving himself.
Zik took a deep breath, his body relaxing slightly. It's not about outsmarting him, he thought. It's about staying true to what I know I can do.
---
The crowd leaned in, the tension rising as Zik adjusted his stance, preparing for the next phase of the fight.
"Too slow," Ethan said, his voice calm, almost mocking.
Zik spun around, gritting his teeth. He launched a spinning back kick, putting everything he had into the strike. It was fast, precise, and perfectly timed.
But Ethan was already moving, ducking under the kick as if he'd known it was coming.
---
The crowd gasped, the tension rising as Zik's attacks were effortlessly dodged again and again. From the sidelines, Aiden leaned forward, his brows furrowed.
"Something's off," he muttered. "Zik's fast, but this guy… he's not just dodging. He's reading him."
Tobias crossed his arms, his reptilian eyes narrowing. "He's got foresight. I'd bet on it."
Aiden's jaw tightened. "If that's true, Zik's in trouble. How do you beat someone who knows what you're going to do before you even do it?"
---
In the ring, Zik was beginning to ask himself the same question. Every punch, every kick, every feint—Ethan was dodging them all with a frustrating ease.
"You're fast," Ethan said, his voice cool and measured. "But speed doesn't matter when I can see exactly where you're going to be."
Zik narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. He's got foresight, Zik thought, piecing it together. Three seconds ahead, maybe more. That's why he's always one step ahead. But foresight isn't perfect. There has to be a way to break it.
---
Ethan raised his hand, the air around him shimmering faintly. A pulse of compressed energy shot toward Zik, fast and precise. Zik darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast, but he could feel the heat of the attack as it skimmed past him.
"You're wasting energy," Ethan said, his smirk growing wider. "No matter how fast you are, you'll never catch me."
Zik clenched his fists, his Super Intelligence working overtime as he analyzed every movement, every detail. He needed to disrupt Ethan's foresight—make him see something he couldn't predict.
And then, an idea struck him.
---
Light.
It was everywhere, bouncing off the gym walls, reflecting off the polished floor. Zik had always thought of light as just something that illuminated his surroundings. But what if he could control it?
Zik closed his eyes briefly, focusing. His Telekinesis hummed faintly, the energy swirling around him. Light wasn't solid—it wasn't something he could grab or push—but he could feel it, faint and elusive.
He pushed harder, his focus narrowing.
The Hero System chimed softly in his mind:
New Ability Slot Detected. Do you wish to unlock an ability to manipulate light?
"Yes," Zik whispered.
Ability Unlocked: Light Manipulation (Grade F).
Description: Grants the user limited control over light, allowing for basic manipulation of brightness, focus, and direction.
---
The air around Zik seemed to shimmer, the light bending subtly as he tested his new ability. He raised his hand, concentrating on a single point of light and compressing it into a small, intense orb.
Ethan's smirk faltered for the first time. "What are you doing?" he asked, his tone wary.
Zik didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, the orb of light in his hand growing brighter and brighter. "You see everything three seconds ahead, right?" Zik said, his voice steady. "Let's see how you handle this."
---
Ethan's eyes widened as Zik released the light.
A blinding flash filled the arena, a burst of pure brilliance that lit up the gym like a second sun. The crowd gasped, shielding their eyes, and Ethan staggered back, his hands flying to his face.
"What—?!" Ethan shouted, his voice panicked. His foresight showed him the flash three seconds before it hit, but that only meant he was blinded earlier. His vision was completely overwhelmed, the foresight useless against the sheer intensity of the light.
---
Zik didn't waste a second. He activated Speed Strike, closing the distance in an instant. His fist connected with Ethan's chest, the impact sending him stumbling.
Ethan swung wildly, his attacks unfocused and desperate. "You think this changes anything?!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
"It changes everything," Zik said, darting around him with Super Speed, landing punch after punch. The once-confident fighter was now scrambling, his foresight rendered meaningless by the lingering effects of the flash.
---
Ethan fired another Compression Blast, but it went wide, missing Zik by a mile. The crowd roared as Zik pressed the advantage, his attacks becoming faster and more precise.
Ethan fell to one knee, his breathing ragged, his vision still blurred. "How…" he muttered, his voice weak. "How are you doing this?"
Zik stepped back, his fists still raised. "You relied too much on what you could see," he said. "But there's more to a fight than just vision. You've gotta feel it, adapt to it."
---
With a final burst of speed, Zik launched a spinning back kick, the force of the strike sending Ethan sprawling to the ground. The referee stepped in, raising his hand. "Winner: Zik!"
The gym erupted into cheers, the crowd's energy surging as Zik stood tall, his chest heaving with exhaustion but his face lit with triumph.
Ethan was helped off the stage, his face a mix of frustration and grudging respect.
From the sidelines, Aiden and Tobias cheered loudly.
"That was insane!" Aiden shouted, grinning.
"Not bad," Tobias added, his tone calm but his smile genuine.
Zik smiled faintly, raising a hand in victory as he stepped off the stage. For the first time, he felt like he wasn't just surviving—he was thriving. And with his new ability, he was ready for whatever came next.
As Zik stepped off the stage, his heart still racing from the fight, the familiar chime of the Hero System echoed softly in his mind. A glowing notification appeared before him:
Quest Completed: Win your next match!
Reward: Ability Upgrade (Grade Increase, Random).
He exhaled sharply, a faint grin tugging at his lips. His body ached, his stamina was nearly drained, but he couldn't help feeling proud. "Alright," he muttered. "Let's see what I got."
The screen flickered briefly before revealing the upgraded ability:
Ability Upgrade: Crafting (Grade F → Grade E)
---
Zik blinked in surprise. "Crafting? Seriously?" he said, his tone half amused, half skeptical. Out of all his abilities, the system had chosen to upgrade the one that felt the least directly useful in combat.
Still, as the upgrade's details unfolded, his curiosity grew:
Crafting (Grade E)
Level: 4
Description: Enhances Zik's ability to dismantle and assemble items, now allowing for more complex and durable creations. Increased chance of imbuing E-grade abilities into crafted items.
New Feature Unlocked: Enhanced Components
Zik can now create specialized materials to improve his gear's functionality, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
---
Zik couldn't help but laugh softly. "Guess the system wants me to be the guy who builds cool stuff," he muttered.
From the sidelines, Aiden and Tobias walked over, their grins wide.
"That was insane!" Aiden said, clapping Zik on the back. "I mean, you just turned the lights on and wrecked that guy!"
Tobias nodded. "Solid performance. And you didn't even look like you were about to die this time."
Zik chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks, guys. But check this out—I got a random ability upgrade. Guess what the system decided to boost?"
Aiden peered at the glowing notification, then burst out laughing. "Crafting? Of all things? Man, the system really wants you to be a gadget guy."
"Hey," Zik said, smirking. "Maybe it's not so bad. E-grade means I can make better stuff now. Who knows? Maybe I'll whip up something that even you will be jealous of."
---
The three friends laughed as they left the gym, Zik's mind already racing with ideas for how to put his newly upgraded Crafting ability to use. The Hero System always seemed to know what he needed, even if it didn't always make sense in the moment.
And as the excitement of the match faded, one thought lingered in Zik's mind: Next time, I'll be even better.