Jordan stared at the two superpower cards on the table. A question formed in his mind.
If he already possessed strength on par with these abilities, how would Homelander's and Maeve's cards actually affect him?
Azure flames flickered around his hand. F-boy's voice resonated in his mind, clinical and professional.
[Cards of the same type don't stack linearly. They maximize potential instead. However, they can create synergistic effects, reduce individual drawbacks, or compensate for weaknesses.]
F-boy continued the explanation. [For example: Homelander's superpower requires solid ground as a leverage point for optimal output. Spider-Man's superpower and Queen Maeve's superpower can enhance control over your own strength even without external support.]
Jordan's eyes widened slightly. Understanding clicked into place.
No wonder the fight went so easily. His overwhelming power had been the primary factor, but Homelander had also handed him advantages on a silver platter. The man was a textbook example of wasted potential. He'd never used his full strength at all.
Not because he didn't want to. Because he couldn't.
Homelander wasn't ignorant of the problem. He simply never bothered addressing it. Why would he? Even using a fraction of his power put him at the world's pinnacle. Some people only grew extra bones from Compound V. He'd been blessed like a child of God, granted divine strength from birth.
Successfully transformed from a problem child raised in a laboratory into an overgrown infant with life-and-death authority over ordinary humans.
Killing someone took a glare or a finger movement. Of course he'd never studied force optimization. Too boring.
Better to research what performances fans preferred. What persona earned the most money. Where to invest for maximum returns.
Homelander lost because he lacked a biofield.
Jordan Evans, despite being superhuman himself, understood so much more. Magnetic Field Control plus Force Field King could easily simulate a biofield to enhance combat effectiveness.
This was the advantage of mastering multiple disciplines.
Though even in ground combat, Homelander's performance hadn't impressed. He wasn't Saitama, capable of ending any fight with a single punch. Once confronted by an enemy raw strength couldn't overwhelm, his lack of control and combat skill magnified into a fatal flaw. Temporary V-enhanced opponents with inferior strength could beat him down through superior technique.
Jordan finished his lunch while absorbing both Superpower cards.
The integration completed.
His feet touched the floor.
Immense force surged through every limb, every bone. The building's structure groaned. A single step nearly collapsed the entire foundation.
The unprecedented sensation of power transcended quantitative limits. Not just this restaurant building, but the entire city, the planet itself beneath his feet all felt fragile. Like he could shatter everything with one punch.
His biomagnetic field intensity spiked. Blue psychic energy flowed from the soles of his feet into the ground, spreading outward in concentric waves.
An invisible force field reinforced every building throughout Manhattan. Stabilizing structures, preventing catastrophic collapse while he adapted to this brand-new strength.
Jordan exhaled slowly. He wanted to test the extent of this power. Homelander possessed both superhuman strength and a steel body, making him the perfect stress-test dummy.
Unfortunately, he wasn't here.
Can't exactly punch the Earth and give it a geological makeover.
Suppressing the impulse, Jordan turned his attention to the final fantasy card.
[Fantasy Card: Light Energy Control (Starlight)]
Type: Ability • Rarity: SR
The Boys universe - Starlight's superpower. The ability to absorb electricity, convert it into light energy, and control photons.
Effect 1: Energy Conversion
Absorb ambient electricity, convert it to photons within the body, and manipulate the output. Common attack modes include high-heat beams, concussive shockwaves, and blinding light blasts.
Effect 2: Energy Storage
Store absorbed energy within the body for extended periods with virtually no upper limit. Can release explosively.
Effect 3: Photonic Enhancement
Prolonged exposure to large quantities of photon energy passively strengthens the body. Enables several tons of force output, resistance to most superhuman-level attacks, and accelerated recovery from injury and exhaustion.
Effect 4: Light-Propelled Flight
When sufficient energy is stored, use light energy to propel the body into flight. Flight capability lost when reserves deplete.
Compared to Homelander, Starlight's abilities seemed simple. Almost unpretentious.
After all, beyond being remarkably attractive, what stood out about her performance in the series? Her eyes naturally glowed when emotionally or physically excited.
That was about it.
Though in truth, photon manipulation wasn't weak if developed properly. Microscopic particle control at its core. With proper application, it could indirectly influence magnetic fields and charged particles.
Aside from lacking elemental transformation, any transmigrator worth their salt could develop this into something comparable to the Glint-Glint Fruit from One Piece, if slightly inferior.
Unfortunately, due to differences in universal laws, Starlight's upper limit was painfully visible to the naked eye.
But Jordan Evans was different.
He was a transmigrator.
The base amplification from Light Energy Control barely mattered. What caught his attention was a single phrase in Effect 1's description.
"Control photons."
Not because he'd already mastered Visual Shockwave and Heat Ray laser attacks. No, this was about something else entirely. A certain boastful catchphrase used during combat.
That's terrifying. Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?
As the thought crossed his mind, Jordan's normally stern features softened instantly. His expression shifted into something sleazy, almost simian. The kind of face that belonged on a certain lazy admiral in a yellow suit.
Fortunately, he'd been wearing black coat and combat suits since arriving in this world. A yellow outfit would make the resemblance uncomfortably accurate.
The handsome guy's smile took on an ape-like quality that had no business existing on that face.
"Ahem."
Jordan broke out in cold sweat. He glanced around quickly, confirming nobody had witnessed the expression.
Once certain, he coughed twice. The aura of an unapproachable, powerful warrior reasserted itself.
Then he picked up the Starlight card and pressed it against his chest.
The ability integrated seamlessly. A wealth of new knowledge about photon manipulation and light energy application flooded his consciousness.
Jordan's biggest advantage over Starlight? He didn't need external power sources. He was a walking power plant. Human nuclear reactor, perpetual motion machine.
In the blink of an eye, blue lightning crackled across his palm.
The next second, his body absorbed it completely. He transformed into a glowing humanoid light source, illuminating the café like a living bulb.
Jordan stared blankly at the small, intangible sphere of light hovering in his hand. Suddenly, he remembered one of his initial goals when first transmigrating to this world.
Light Energy Control ✗
Illumination ✓
I can use magic now!
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