This wasn't just some thin little sapling—it was a massive tree! Even with an axe or pro-grade saw, it'd take serious time to chop something like that down. But one stray kick, and a living creature just blasted through it? That kind of power was unreal!
Honestly, most element users couldn't do that. Even beast-ability users would struggle.
Brandon, you don't just control metal and space, do you? Maybe you're not a dual-type awakened—maybe you have three powers?
At this point, it just feels like you're breaking the rules.
Even Brandon was a little surprised by his own strength, staring at the nearly obliterated mutant's corpse.
Was he really that strong, or was this mutant just fragile? He'd sensed a surge of malice shooting at him from nearby and reflexively lashed out, only to see his kick demolish the attacker.
He sighed. Ideally, he'd planned to keep the bodies more intact—bring back a few chunks for research or maybe even for food. But things rarely went according to plan.
He stepped closer, looking down at the bloody mess. The body was nearly shredded, but beneath the gore he could still tell it had been a bird.
What kind, though? He wasn't sure.
Birds rarely show up alone, though. As if sensing something, Brandon turned and looked off into the trees.
"They're coming," he murmured.
"Chirp… chirp…"
"Chirp chirp…"
"Chirp chirp chirp…"
A sudden chorus of bird calls filled the forest. Brandon glanced up—and sure enough, dozens of birds swooped down, glinting with a silvery sheen.
Some hovered in midair, others perched on branches. In moments, more than fifty had gathered.
They were about the size of crows, mostly brownish with metallic edges on their wings that gleamed silver in the sunlight, giving off a razor-sharp vibe.
"A whole flock mutated, huh?"
"Not a surprise, really. Over seventy percent of humanity has awakened abilities by now—mutated animal groups are only natural."
He nodded thoughtfully, eyeing the birds' wings. They almost looked metallic—sharp, fast, dangerous.
But the real problem was their emotion. Brandon could feel it—a hostile, collective intent. Maybe it was because he'd just killed one of them, but every bird radiated the urge to tear him apart.
And their killing intent was only growing stronger.
"I hope you only hate me for killing your friend. If it's something else…"
He didn't finish the thought. If they were hostile without reason, that was way more worrying.
"These guys are quick—might be a good way to test my close-combat skills."
He smiled to himself. Sure, with [Nature's Authority], he could wipe them out effortlessly, but he found close-range fighting oddly satisfying. Striking down the crimson tiger with metal element had been efficient, but smashing that bird with a roundhouse kick was… fun.
Maybe every elementalist wants to be a melee brawler deep down.
The flock didn't care about his thoughts. With a shrill, collective screech, the first bird darted toward him at breakneck speed, wings shining like blades. The rest followed in a frenzied rush, silver-edged wings slicing the air.
Their screeching was headache-inducing.
"Time for something a bit flashier."
With a look of anticipation, Brandon clenched his fists. A pale white glow wrapped around his hands, tightening with a sense of contained power.
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave exploded out. In that instant, the birds in flight seemed to freeze in place—then abruptly dropped from the sky like broken toys.
A few still attacked, but their speed and power were nothing compared to before.
BOOM!
CRACK!
The moment his glowing fist connected with another bird, the crunch of breaking bone rang out. The bird's frail body couldn't withstand the blow, shattering and vanishing in a spray of blood.
"So, trying to recreate Whitebeard's Quake-Quake Fruit from anime is still a bit out of reach… Vibrations alone aren't enough."
Brandon shook his head, letting the white glow fade from his fists.
Then, with a flex of his right hand, blue arcs of electricity crackled around his fingers. Within moments, a radiant lotus formed in his palm, each petal made of raw lightning, humming with terrifying energy.
"Maybe I'll save the hand-to-hand stuff for next time… If I had a spiked club or a baseball bat, that'd be even better with vibration powers. For now, this'll do."
He let the electric-blue lotus drift forward, slowly approaching the grounded flock.
CRASH!
"Chirp!"
"Chirp chirp!"
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
With a thunderous boom, lightning exploded from Brandon's hand, blue light splintering through the forest. Arcs of electricity snaked everywhere, dancing like silver serpents. The air filled with the shrieks of dying birds—but within seconds, the cries went silent.
When the lightning faded, the ground was littered with the blackened, charred corpses of the mutant flock.
"Let's go," Brandon said coolly, barely even looking at the aftermath. He strode off, Yue scrambling to follow, still in a daze.
She couldn't even count how many times she'd been stunned today.
It was just… too much.
First metal, then spatial storage, then superhuman strength, and now this monstrous lightning power. That was four different abilities—and every single one felt ridiculously strong.
It made her own single-element ice ability feel pathetic.
This mission was supposed to be teamwork, but now she felt more like a bystander.
But then she thought about the crimson tiger… and the flock they'd just faced…
On second thought, being a side character was just fine.
(End of Chapter)
-----------------
Please Give me Power Stones support me on Patreon @ patreon(dot)com/SorenEclipse : Read 15 Chapters Ahead on Patreon