~ Baby's Pov, A week Later... ~
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"Urrggghhh!!!!" Damn this thing was heavy!
I gritted my teeth, every muscle in my body straining as I hoisted the massive boulder over my head. The ground beneath me cracked and splintered under the pressure, but I held firm. Sweat—or whatever my body secreted now—poured down my face as I took slow, deliberate steps forward.
"Just... a little more!" I growled, pushing myself beyond what felt possible.
The boulder wasn't just heavy—it was massive, easily ten times my size and dense enough to make the air feel thicker around it. My enhanced strength must've been the only thing keeping me from being crushed under its sheer weight, but even with that, this was... intense.
When I finally reached the marked spot on the ground, I hurled the boulder forward with everything I had. It smashed into the dirt with an earth-shaking crash, sending debris flying in all directions. I stumbled back, panting heavily, my arms trembling from the effort.
"That... wasn't so bad," I muttered between breaths, even as my body screamed otherwise.
This was my routine now. After absorbing the Apex predator, I'd made it a point to push my limits every single day. It wasn't enough to be strong—I needed to be stronger. If there were other Apex predators out there, I couldn't afford to be complacent.
I glanced at the remains of my makeshift training ground. Massive trenches from dragging boulders, shattered rocks from testing strikes, and charred craters where I'd experimented with ki techniques. It looked like a battlefield, and in a way, it was.
"Alright," I said, rolling my shoulders and cracking my neck. "Let's try something different."
I turned my attention to a row of massive trees in the distance. Each one was as thick as a house, their trunks gnarled and impossibly sturdy. Perfect.
Focusing inward, I gathered energy in my palm, the faint glow of ki flickering to life. The sensation was still new to me, but I'd been getting the hang of it. With a deep breath, I shaped the energy into a compact orb, feeling its power humming in my palms.
"Let's see if this works…"
With a shout, I hurled the orb forward. It streaked through the air like a comet, slamming into the first tree and exploding on impact. The shockwave toppled not just that tree, but the next three behind it as well.
"Hell, yeah!" I shouted, a grin spreading across my face. "Finally getting the hang of this."
I was getting stronger. I could even use Ki now. It wasn't even difficult to manifest, but it did take me a few tries to pull off, and it worked out for me in spades.
Status!
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Name: Michael Murphey | Baby
Race: Bio Android parasite / Tuffle
Height: 110.2 cm ⇛ 115.41 cm
Power Level: 853.22 ⇛ 1263.2
Potential: 18.9
Latent Potential: 20.1
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Seeing my power level rise from hard work was monumentally different than simply taking it. It was an actual accomplishment for me to earn this fairly. Not only that, I've grown much more accustomed to my body.
But, I feel like I'm at a disadvantage... I'm not someone of a race that excels in combat... It makes sense why both my potentials were so low in the first place too. At the rate I was growing, I'm likely on the level of prodigious human. And the only reason for that was because I technically didn't need to break.
I still felt fatigue and such, but from my memories, It's practically nil compared to the species I have memories of. If I was a human, I'd probably be the worst of the worst. Still, what about Saiyans, Namekians and other races in this universe? Goku would probably be in the low hundreds, Gohan and Frieza in the high hundreds and mutants like Broly would be in the thousands.
At least, that's what I thought.
"No use in complaining-"
Fwish~
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"Hu-Huh?"
I... I feel something... From the North? No...
That... That sensation hit me like a damn tidal wave. It wasn't even a distant prickle or some vague unease—this was raw, overwhelming power radiating nearby... It wasn't much stronger than my own either... My chest tightened as the air itself seemed to thrum with the presence of something massive, something alive.
I froze, my instincts screaming at me to focus. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't subtle. No, it almost like a declaration...
My head snapped to the west, my eyes narrowing as I strained to pinpoint the source. It wasn't far. Just beyond the tree line, perhaps a few kilometers away. Close enough to feel like it was breathing down my neck.
Without hesitating, I ran towards it...
I clenched my fists, feeling the faintest tremor in my hands. This wasn't fear—not entirely. It was excitement, the same kind that came when my instincts knew I was about to face something strong! I'd been waiting for a challenge like this too, something to test the limits of my strength beyond those damned shattered rocks and toppled trees.
Before I knew it, I could feel a smile forming on my face...
I think I'm gonna enjoy this...
Before I knew it, I was inching closer towards the thing. I brushed past the trees, and doing so, I saw corpses of other animals nearby, in fact... Dozens of them...
'Just what the heck is going on here?' Was this thing that unhinged?
After passing a few hundred meters, I saw it.
I landed silently on the branch of a massive tree, crouching low as my enhanced senses took in the scene before me.
It stood in the middle of a blood-soaked clearing, surrounded by the mangled corpses of creatures far larger than anything I'd encountered so far. Massive beasts, all torn apart as if they were nothing but canon fodder. The air reeked of iron, shit and decay, and the ground was slick with dark, congealed blood...
And there it was—the source of that overwhelming Ki...
It stood tall, its form both monstrous, yet humanoid. Not a hulking monster, but something filled with sinewy, yet streamlined muscle covered in amour that seemed to shimmer faintly like polished onyx. Its claws were long and wickedly curved, still dripping with fresh blood. Jagged, bone-like protrusions jutted from its back and shoulders, giving it a grotesque, almost heavily armored appearance.
But its eyes—its eyes were what held me.
They burned a deep, molten orange, glowing with an intensity that made my skin prickle. This thing wasn't just strong; it was aware. It wasn't like the Apex predator I'd possessed earlier, driven purely by primal instincts. No, this one was different. It radiated a level of intelligence, malice, and purpose.
Yet, I loved it! What would this thing give me?
For a moment, it didn't seem to notice me, its gaze fixed on the body of a creature it had just slain—a beast easily 3 meters with serrated fangs and a slick chitinous hide like steel. It casually wiped its claws on the corpse, almost like it was cleaning it's blade after a good meal...
'Damn... This thing's brutal...'
I wasn't going to lie. I actually felt a chill running down my spine.
'Yeah, this one's different from the rest.'
It was strong—very strong—but not much stronger than myself. The gap wasn't insurmountable, and that realization sent a thrill through me. This wasn't just a fight for survival. This was a real chance to push myself, to test the limits of my power against something that could match me...
The creature's head suddenly snapped in my direction, its fiery eyes locking onto mine.
My heart skipped a beat. Heh... I guess there's no use hiding.
For a moment, neither of us moved... The air grew thick with tension, the clearing falling deathly silent.
Taking the chance I analyzed it's stats...
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Name: Melian
Height: 324 cm
Power Level: 1324.5
Potential: 23.4
Latent Potential: 27.3
Abilities:
Armored Skin II (Passive): Increases the user's durability by 100%.
Enhanced Reaction speed (Passive): Increases the user's reaction speed by 2-fold
Poisonous Blood (Passive): The user's blood has poisonous properties.
Sleek Musculature (Unique Passive): The user's body has reduced muscle-mass in return for 300% greater fluidity, with refined muscles.
Supreme Speed (Passive): Enhances Leg muscles by 5-fold.
Enhanced Senses III (Passive): Enhances all senses by 150-fold.
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'Just what the hell are those perks!?' Is this thing the chosen one or something? No, I need to calm down and look at the positive. If I take it's body, all of those abilities would be mine, including it's unique ability...
As if on cue, it straightened, its lips curling into a snarl that revealed rows of jagged teeth. The sound it made was low and guttural, vibrating through the ground and rattling the leaves of the trees.
I grinned, stepping out from the shadows of the forest. "You noticed me, huh? Good. Saves me the trouble of sneaking up on you."
The creature growled, its claws flexing as it dropped into a low stance, ready to pounce.
I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck, the familiar rush of adrenaline flooding my veins. "Alright, big guy. Let's see what you've got."
It didn't wait for an invitation.
With a roar that shook the ground, it charged, moving faster than something its size had any right to. The distance between us closed in an instant, and I barely had time to brace myself before it was on me.
BOOM!!!
The impact was like a freight train, its claws slamming into my forearms as I blocked its strike. The force sent me skidding back several meters, my boots carving deep grooves into the ground...
"Damn!" I grinned through the strain, the heat of the battle igniting something deep within me.
"Not bad," I said, flexing my hands as I pushed the beast back. "But it's gonna take more than that to bring me down." I never thought I would, but this guy requires me to use ki. Otherwise, I didn't stand a chance in hell.
It snarled again, its fiery eyes narrowing as it lunged for me a second time.
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END