On the stage, the battle between Wolverine and Iron sheet had entered its climax.
Wolverine turned into a streak of gray lightning, moving at high speed around Iron sheet. His sharp claws whistled through the air, repeatedly slashing at the opponent's black iron body.
The sound of clashing metal rang out intermittently, sending up a series of dazzling sparks.
However, Iron sheet remained as steady as a rock. His steel skin gradually turned pure silver, leaving only white scratches behind.
Spotting a slight stiffening after Wolverine's pounce, his massive metal fist shot out with a speed inconsistent with his size, accurately smashing into the werewolf's crossed arms.
"Bang!" A dull thud echoed.
Wolverine howled in pain. The terrifying force sent him flying off the ground, tracing a parabola before crashing outside the arena.
Wade felt his fists growing more powerful and a tingling sensation throughout his muscles. The entire blood-stealing process was unusually smooth, and no one noticed.
[Acquired complete "Basic Level" superpower genes:
Hardened Skin, Super Strength, Super Agility, Lycanthropy]
Having gained several abilities for free, he couldn't help but clap. "Wonderful! Great fight!"
Jade was frozen for a few seconds before erupting into a wail. "No—my money! Ten thousand bucks... Wolverine, you actor! You should have dodged that last hit! Is this how you repay my trust?!"
"Hahaha... I finally won a bet! Nice job, Iron sheet!"
"Match-fixing! This is definitely rigged!"
Cheers and frustrated curses rang out. The winners began looking down at their phones, urging the bookmaker in the group chat to distribute the money.
Jade looked at the emojis flooding the group chat and cursed with a long face, "Damn it! Wolverine, you piece of trash... You're a disgrace to us speed types. You made me lose money for nothing!"
"You win some, you lose some. Better luck next time." Wade hadn't placed any bets and was in a good mood. He comforted him, "Since it's come to this, let's go eat. My treat."
As the sky darkened, the two followed the crowd out of the noisy stadium and headed toward the cafeteria.
Jade was still grumbling incessantly about losing money. "Hmph, if I were on that stage..."
After only a few steps, people began pointing their phones and shouting as they crowded around, trying to take selfies and videos.
"Look, it's that freshman, Cyclone!"
"Hey, want to hang out? I'm..."
Before they could get close to Wade, they suddenly felt a wave of intense suffocation. The surrounding oxygen was instantly sucked away, and their faces turned purple as they slumped to the ground, their phones falling limply aside.
Seeing this, others who wanted to crowd around immediately backed away, staring at Wade in shock and suspicion.
"It was just a photo... was that really necessary?"
"Haha, serves you right!" Jade pointed at them gloatingly and laughed. "A bunch of shameless people trying to ride his coattails without even asking if the man himself agrees? No manners at all!"
Just then, a girl with a fluffy pink tail and freckles on her face rushed in.
Her cheeks were puffed out and her face was flushed red as she stubbornly crossed the invisible suffocation zone and grabbed Wade's arm.
The moment she touched Wade's arm, she clutched her heaving chest and began to gasp for air.
"Huff... ugh..."
"H-hello! Cyclone!" The long-tailed girl blinked her large eyes, her hands still shaking. "I-I'm Harper, the president of your fan club... We already have over a hundred members!"
"Oh? How did you get in?" Wade hadn't deactivated his ability at all. With a look of surprise, he turned to the girl. "What's your superpower?"
Harper leaned close to his ear and whispered mysteriously, "As long as I touch someone, I can copy their ability for sixty seconds."
"Don't stand here; it's too crowded." Wade took her wrist and sidestepped the throng of people. As they walked, he asked, "Thanks for the support. Can you tell me more about your ability?"
Harper looked at the others slumped on the ground and wagged her tail proudly, whispering, "I can only copy one at a time... and if the opponent has too many or too strong abilities, I can't copy them fully. The effect isn't that good."
"Like this." She waved her hand, but only a few weak currents of air stirred in front of her. Her cheeks reddened. "I can't even release a small tornado."
Wade understood immediately, and his smile became a bit more sincere. "That's still very impressive."
Harper quickly pulled out her phone with her tail and asked sweetly, "Can... can I take a photo with you? And if possible, leave your contact info."
"Harper, right?" Wade took the phone and readily took a photo with her, exchanging contact information. "You're not bad. Maybe we can have a deeper exchange later."
"Th-thank you... remember to come find me!" Harper gave him a quick hug and skipped away.
Only after the pink figure disappeared into the crowd did the smile on Wade's face fade.
'Her ability is too mediocre. She can only copy the most basic level of ability development... It makes sense. It would be unreasonable if someone could copy an ability someone else worked hard to master and get full proficiency instantly.'
He looked away, the slight vanity from being worshipped cooling completely, returning to indifference.
After the interlude, the path was finally quiet. The cafeteria sign was clearly visible, and the aroma drifted over with the wind.
Jade walked with a hunched back and a resentful expression. "Sigh... Why don't I have a beautiful girl starting a fan club for me? I don't even have anyone to hand me a bottle of water."
"Alright, once you make a name for yourself, you'll have a crowd of people circling you like A-Train... Think about something happy." Wade patted his shoulder and asked casually, "Will there be many people at the party tonight? Where is it?"
Hearing this, Jade immediately perked up and straightened his back, pointing toward the outskirts of the campus. "How could there not be? There are nearly forty people signed up in the supe group chat! It's at that Red-roofed Villa off-campus."
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone to check the time before stuffing it back into his pocket. "It starts officially at eight. It's only six-thirty now. Let's take our time eating, and we'll head over right after."
"What do people usually drink? Does anyone get drunk and fall asleep on the grass outside?"
"They drink all sorts of things! Last time, someone brought a keg of high-proof liquor and knocked out three people; they puked all over the stairwell. Some people make'special mixes' that look sickly green—who knows what's in them? I wouldn't touch that stuff."
"I heard some people play pretty hard. Does anyone use... special things to spice things up? Like additives?"
"It's probably just the usual stuff like weed, mushrooms, and blow. Not every supe can afford 'blue crystal'."
"There was a senior last year who was hilarious! He drank until he blacked out and slept curled up in the bushes of the villa's backyard for half the night. He was sneezing from the cold dew the next morning until a passerby hauled him up."
"That little woods nearby is a holy land for hooking up and a great place to find easy targets, tsk tsk..."
Wade listened expressionlessly, nodding occasionally while his mind worked rapidly to construct a 3D map of the party.
He memorized every location, time, and high-traffic area Jade mentioned.
'Various dark corners plus outdoor hookups equal a perfect hunting ground...'
The two entered the cafeteria, got their food, and sat down.
While eating, Jade went on and on about which "famous" beauties would be attending that night. "Let me tell you..."
To Wade, his words were just gibberish, his mind already miles away.
Wade slurped down a giant bowl of ramen in four or five bites, then looked up at the cafeteria's massive floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the sky was dark, and the streetlights flickered on one by one, outlining the bizarre silhouette of Godolkin University.
Summer night insects grew active around the lights.
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