The moment Liam made up his mind, the faint hum in his head came alive again. A glowing blue wheel opened behind his eyelids, huge, detailed, and constantly moving like a mechanical machine. Strange runes and broken symbols glowed softly as it turned inside the dark space of his mind.
'Come on,' he thought breathing out, focusing. 'Hundred points. Let's see what the hell you've got for me this time.'
As soon as he poured in the points, the wheel shot into motion. It spun faster and faster until the symbols blurred into streaks of blue. After a few seconds, it slowed and stopped with a soft click.
A single line of glowing text appeared in front of him:
"Flight Ability Acquired"
Then another box opened underneath, the blue text glowing clearly in his mind:
Description:
The user gains the ability to fly with a maximum Speed: 60 km/h (based on physical condition).
The user can hover, ascend, descend, and freely move in any direction. Direction changes mid-flight depend on balance and sturdy physique.
Flight drains stamina based on time and altitude.
'That was... underwhelming,' Liam sighed.
He blinked a few times as he read the description. The power he gained this time was not as good as the others but still it improved his overall ability to fight and flee based on the situations.
He leaned back on the couch, staring at the fading blue text as it shimmered away.
He thought, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Not exactly Iron man fast, but I'll take it.'
He could already picture it, soaring over the city, above all the chaos and bullshit. He really wanted to try this ability right now but he stopped himself as the current situation was not good and any exposure of his may lead to further complications.
'Soon..soon,' He repeated those words in his mind and sighed.
Once the thought settled, his practical side kicked in. Sixty kilometers per hour wasn't fast enough to outrun fast cars, but it was perfect for slipping away, scouting, or escaping when things went wrong. It wasn't flashy, but it was silent and useful. That was exactly what he needed now.
He exhaled slowly, letting his head fall back against the couch. 'Alright,' he thought. 'One more ace in the pocket. HYDRA won't even see this shit coming.'
The buzz of emotions from his new flight ability still lingered in his chest, but his thoughts were already drifting to what came next. He wasn't done yet, not by a long shot.
He thought, rubbing his temples. 'One down. Time to deal with the next one.'
His thoughts went to his Hardening Quirk. It had saved his life again and again, but it wasn't perfect. It could stop bullets, small explosions, and knives. But heavy energy attacks or massive hits made it crack just a little. Enough to remind him he wasn't invincible.
He opened the Blue Wheel panel again.
'Damn,' he thought. 'What now? Do I upgrade Hardening? Or push the Flight ability I just got? Or maybe risk another spin and hope for something good?'
He exhaled slowly through his nose, thinking it over. 'Hell, that's the real gamble, isn't it?'
So far, every spin had been good. Too good. He hadn't gotten a single useless ability. Not one. Either the Blue Wheel didn't have weak options… or he was just too damn lucky to not get a bad one. He honestly couldn't tell which idea amazed him out more.
After a long silence, he clenched his jaw and made his choice. "No," he muttered. 'No gambling this time. I'm upgrading what I already trust.'
He checked his point balance — 230 left. He converted 200 of them into 1,000 EXP and pushed it straight into his Hardening Quirk [Lv.1]. The glowing bar under the ability filled in an instant and then burst with light.
The panel flashed bright blue.
×××
Hardening Quirk — Level Up!
Level 2 (05/10,000)
Description:
1. Durability Boost
••Normal Form: Durability increased by 200% over base level. Can withstand high-caliber gunfire, grenade blasts, and Iron Man Mark II repulsor shots without severe damage.
••Unbreakable Form: Durability increased by 400%, allowing him to tank anti-tank missiles and vibranium-level concussive impacts.
Capable of surviving building-level explosions or falling debris from collapsing structures with minimal injury.
2. Surface Texture Control
••Jagged, rocky exterior can now be activated or deactivated at will while using the quirk.
••Smooth Form: Enhances movement speed and flexibility, while maintaining one level below defense and removes the cutting power.
••Jagged Form: Adds cutting and crushing power with maximum defense.
••Allows mid-fight adaptation, letting user seamlessly switch between mobility and brute-force modes.
3. Elemental Resistance
••Grants 100% resistance to fire and cold.
••Can endure Human Torch's mid-range flames, electrical burns, and freezing attacks from characters like Iceman (base level) for extended periods.
4.New Offensive Ability: Shatter Drive
••User compresses his hardened density within his arms or fists or legs, creating a kinetic charge released on impact.
••A single Shatter Drive punch can collapse reinforced steel walls, fracture thick concrete bunkers, and send large vehicles like buses flying.
••Can damage vibranium armor or crack high-density metals after repeated hits, making it lethal in close combat.
×××
Liam felt it immediately. A wave of heat rushed through him, not painful but powerful. His muscles tightened as if being reforged from the inside. His skin darkened for a moment into something tougher before fading back to normal.
"Holy shit…" he breathed. "That's… amazing."
He sat still as the last wave of energy settled. His heart was still racing. The upgrade wasn't just numbers. He could feel it in every part of his body. Everything felt different. Stronger.
He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. Even without activating his Quirk, something had clearly changed. His skin looked normal, smooth and human but when he pressed his fingers into his forearm, it didn't give the same way it used to. The surface was firmer, solid, like his body had reinforced itself from the inside.
"Damn…" he muttered, turning his wrist under the light. 'I didn't even activate it yet, and I already feel tougher.'
It made sense. When he had upgraded his Wolverine Regeneration, his strength and endurance had jumped drastically. That power had rebuilt his body to heal faster, adapt quicker, and survive damage no normal person could. And this new upgrade had once again enhanced his physique.
If he had to compare, without activating his quirk, he wasn't quite at Captain America's level yet, but he was close... just a step below Cap.
But that was still far beyond anything a normal human could hope to reach.
Curious, he rolled his shoulders and said softly, "Let's see what you can really do."
His Hardening Quirk flared to life instantly. The air around him seemed to get heavier as his body density spiked.
He clenched his fist, and a sound like grinding rock came from his arm. The strength flowing through him was unbelievable. In this Normal Form, he could feel his power surpassing Steve's.
Then he took it a step further. His jaw tightened as he activated the Unbreakable Form.
The transformation hit instantly. Every inch of him felt alive, packed with strength, heavy with power.
The difference was enormous. If his Normal Form had surpassed Captain America, then his Unbreakable Form easily outmatched Spider-Man in pure strength and durability. His body felt like it could take tank shells and keep going.
Then he remembered Surface Texture Control. With a thought, the jagged armor smoothed out instantly. The edges vanished beneath his skin, leaving a sleek and polished surface. His movements became faster and lighter.
'Smooth form...less defense, more speed, he thought.' His limbs felt lighter and quicker.
Another thought brought the jagged armor back just as fast, rough and powerful.
'Jagged form… maximum defense, maximum destruction.'
Switching between forms was instantaneous. He could dodge in smooth form, strike in jagged form, and tank hits in unbreakable form. The flexibility was insane.
After testing the changes for a few moments, he exhaled slowly and deactivated the quirk. The metallic sheen faded, the heavy feeling lifted, and his body returned to normal.
He stood still for a moment, breathing steadily. A small smirk pulled at his lips. He couldn't help but think, 'Cap is going to look slow next to me.'
Every upgrade, every risk, every spin of the wheel, it was all paying off. He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was evolving. He was finally beginning to belong in this world.
***
QUICK POLL!
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