The next day started normally.
Lucas woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and then headed out with his dad. But when they arrived at his work, something seemed off.
The massive skyscraper stood tall, making Lucas wonder how it was possible. Everything seemed wrong about it. The stone pillars in the lobby might crumble, the glass windows might shatter, or the whole building might lean over and fall.
Whatever it was, Lucas's senses screamed at him not to enter that building. He looked over at his dad, who was also staring uncertainly at the death trap in front of them.
"Is it really time?"
Then, for the first time, Lucas saw his father cry. Just a little bit, before hiding his face from his son.
"We're going home, Lucas. Your mom will explain everything once we arrive."
They got back in the limousine, but as it drove away, the uneasy feeling never faded.
Today, the first Class-E Abomination would be born, killing millions in the process.
After arriving home, his dad told him to wait in the car as he talked with his mother. Lucas just sat there, unsure of what to do. It felt as if the world was ending ever since he laid his eyes on that building.
Then, somewhere out of Lucas's sight, that same building changed. The clear glass turned dark, every light emitted a cold blue, and screams filled the hallways. Something new was being born.
It started on the top level, then spread down through the floors. It changed the tone and materials of everything it touched, almost like a curse. However, it wasn't gruesome. When it came in contact with a human, they simply vanished.
It happened in a matter of seconds. Eventually, the entire building was transformed into the Abomination. But it didn't stop there.
Its effect ran through the streets, enveloped parks, and kept going like a relentless storm. Lucas's house was far away, but not far enough.
A wave of fear crashed over Lucas. The unsettling feeling he got from his dad's work exploded inside of him.
"What's happening?"
Lucas screamed, confused and terrified.
"Dad?"
His father opened the door to their home, hiding a pained expression from him.
"Go inside, your mom will explain things to you quickly."
Lucas paused for a second, then slowly approached the steps to his house. He felt his life would collapse if he walked through that door. But before entering, his dad embraced him.
"You'll change someone's life one day, just like you changed mine."
With that, Lucas's father walked back to the limo and got inside. Without looking back at him, the car drove further into the city.
"Lucas?"
He turned around, face covered in tears, to see his mother in a similar state.
"Come inside… there's not a lot of time, and we need to talk."
Lucas didn't move.
"Where's dad?"
His mom smiled and approached him, kneeling down and putting her hands on his cheeks.
"You're going to be alone from now on… we can't be with you anymore."
Lucas reeled back, rejecting the words coming from her mouth.
"Do you remember when I told you about superpowers? A few people have been chosen to wield these great powers and fight against the monsters."
Lucas was confused. Why was she telling him this? He didn't want to accept it, but he knew that something terrible was happening.
"I also have a superpower. I've seen everything that will happen to me… and you. Soon, someone will appear before you and present an offer that you must accept."
She was smiling, but crying just as much.
"Then, you need to run away as fast as you can. Far away from the city, until you find someone who can help you."
His eyes were in disbelief, and his body still refused to believe any of this was real.
"Why!" Why can't you come with me? You said you have superpowers, right? I'll do everything you guys want me to without complaining!"
His desperate screams echoed through the streets, provoking a being who was watching from above.
"I'll clean, learn how to cook, and even work with Dad without complaining anymore!"
She suddenly pulled Lucas in, squeezing him tightly before he could say anything else.
"You don't need any more of that, Lucas. You're already stronger than both of us."
She pulled away and looked him in the eyes.
"Please, run away from this city. That's the last thing you need to do for us."
After that, she got up, went back into the house, and locked the door before Lucas could do anything to stop her.
He ran up to the door and slammed on it, begging to be let back inside. But no matter how hard he smashed his fists or how loud his screams were, no one answered. Eventually, he turned around.
Lucas slowly walked away from his house, away from the city. He sped up, running as fast as an eleven-year-old could. Tears streamed down his face as he left everything behind, refusing to look back.
It was the final thing he had to do for his parents, so he would complete it no matter what.
Behind him, the Abomination was still spreading at unreal speeds. Even after taking over half of the city, it showed no signs of stopping or slowing down.
Except for one moment.
For one tiny second, it paused. Almost as if it were afraid of The God, who had descended onto the battlefield.
Right in front of Lucas, a divine presence masked by blinding white light stretched out its hand.
"Would you like to make a deal?"
Lucas remembered what his mother told him. Trusting her, he extended his hand and touched the deity.
"Yes."
Then, just as fast as it appeared, it was gone. But what replaced it, was a black-and-white holographic screen in front of him.
[1000QI/1000QI]
[Exchange QI]
'This is… just like the books I read?'
Lucas had read many novels about cultivation before, and had always imagined himself receiving these powers in real life. However, these were not the circumstances he wanted.
He reached out his finger and pressed the [Exchange QI] button, opening a new tab on the mysterious hologram.
[Enhance Durability]
[Enhance Strength]
[…]
[…]
Even without spending his QI, Lucas could already feel his body becoming more powerful. But even with these abilities, the overpowering fear he felt coming from behind him didn't disappear.
He clicked on [Enhance Strength].
[How much QI would you like to spend?]
[NOTE: The more QI spent, the longer or stronger the effect will be.]
There was no way to type or pick an amount, so how would he answer this?
"1000."
[How long would you like the effect to last?]
[NOTE: The longer the effect, the weaker it will be. Using this for two minutes will be half as effective as one.]
"One minute"
Just as he felt something draining from him, a new sensation also filled his body. The previous strength he had received from the deal was at least double. Along with this, a timer was counting down.
[59 seconds…]
[58 seconds…]
People further behind him on the street were starting to disappear. It got closer and closer, until Lucas took off.
BOOM!
Pavement flew in the air as he bolted down the street, his new powers overlapping and giving him unreal speed.
Lucas was barely able to outrun the Abomination, but he slowly got faster and faster as he grew accustomed to his new body. The gap widened as Lucas jumped over cars and people—all of them desperately trying to escape.
[42 seconds…]
[41 seconds…]
His Qi wouldn't regenerate fast enough on its own, which Lucas knew because of all the stories he had read. He had to get as far away as possible in the next 40 seconds and hope that it would stop by then.
[27 seconds…]
[26 seconds…]
Lucas was almost out of the city, which would give him much more room to use his full powers. However, it may not be enough.
[12 seconds…]
[11 seconds…]
The gap between him and the Abomination was now relatively large, but he didn't stop at all. Looking behind him, he still saw people being erased and the city transforming. A blue aura had engulfed the streets, and the air grew thicker.
By the time Lucas had officially exited the city, his effect was almost up.
[2 seconds…]
[1 second…]
[The Enhanced Strength effect is now over.]
[0QI/1000QI]
[NOTE: You can quickly raise your QI and Max QI by meditating. You can also passively regenerate your QI, however, it is much slower and will not raise your Max QI.]
[NOTE: You can unlock more skills by raising your Max QI beyond certain thresholds.]
[Passive QI Regeneration: 0.1 per minute.]
[Meditation Qi Regeneration: 1% of Max QI per minute]
[Meditation Max QI Increase: 1 per Minute}
[Next Skill Unlock: 10,000 Max QI]
[Skill Name: Lightning Enhance]
[Skill Description: You can enhance your normal attacks and movements with lightning, shocking opponents, or improving your body's speed. The more QI spent, the more powerful these effects will be. You can stack this with other effects.]
Lucas collapsed to the ground with no intention of reading everything. Turning on his back, he looked to the city and saw how many people were still trying to escape.
But he tried his best. He used all of his QI and ran as far as he could, yet was it really enough? Humans were still disappearing, cars were swerving off the road, and the city was changing forever.
As its effect almost reached Lucas, he closed his eyes. In his head, he saw his parents, whom he would never see again.
They still left an unmistakable impression.
When he opened his eyes again, something had changed. The city had stopped growing, but was still expanding. It was almost impossible to explain; only seeing it in person could describe the mystery of the Abomination.
After everyone realized it had stopped, Lucas still didn't move. Some approached it out of curiosity, others ran just to be safe, but Lucas sat still. He had no clue where his life was going.
All he did was wait.