Before Saitama could finish speaking, his expression sharpened, and even his stance looked more serious. He gently tossed the small red ball in his hand.
The moment the ball left Saitama's fingers, Sol felt invisible pressure fill the air around him, as if the world became thick and heavy. His Combat Intuition screamed a warning, forcing every muscle in his body to tense.
"Here it comes!" Saitama called out, flicking the ball with a casual motion that made it disappear in an instant, followed by a sharp whistle as it cut through the air.
[Combat Intuition evolution complete!]
Sol's neural responses, danger awareness, and predictive instinct instantly shattered their old limits. It felt like the entire world slowed down and became crystal clear.
His pupils tightened. In that heightened perception, the ball's path was visible like a glowing thread in the air. But his body felt strangely slow, as if bound by invisible chains.
He couldn't dodge it.
Instinct took over. Just as the ball was about to strike his chest, Sol raised his arm and, with a subtle flick of his palm, grazed the ball, altering its course.
The ball veered away with a sharp impact sound, whistling past his shoulder before smashing into the ground, spraying up dust and grit. The force spun Sol around in place as he absorbed the leftover motion.
"I did it," Sol murmured, staring at his slightly numb hand in disbelief.
Saitama blinked, surprised. "Sol, did you just touch the ball?"
Sol shook off the daze, rubbing his palm and grinning. "Yeah, thanks to your training, Saitama."
"That's really impressive," Saitama said with a simple, honest smile, scratching his head. "A month ago you couldn't even dodge one of my casual throws, and now you can make contact with something moving that fast."
Sol returned the smile, pride swelling quietly. The sun glinted off Saitama's bald head as they walked away side by side after training.
---
Later, back in his rented room, Sol sat on the bed and opened his system panel.
Alongside Combat Intuition evolving, his physical condition had improved too. Though Combat Intuition didn't directly boost raw strength, it enhanced his coordination so thoroughly that he could punch through a tree trunk without much effort.
With his sharpened senses and instinctive reaction speed, Sol estimated his current strength hovered around Wolf level, possibly approaching Tiger level in combat threat — a significant achievement given how recently he'd begun training.
Feeling more confident, Sol turned his attention to the travel options again. He selected the one‑star world.
[Consume 100 travel points to traverse a one‑star world?]
"Confirm."
[100 travel points deducted. Please select the world you wish to traverse.]
Instantly, hundreds of white light clusters appeared before Sol, drifting slowly in the air.
"I hope I get a familiar world," he said, scanning them with no obvious way to distinguish one from another. He chose the closest.
After a moment, that cluster expanded into a brilliant gate.
[Traversing World: Baki]
[World Level: One‑Star]
[Traversal Duration: Five months]
[Note: Time in the main world remains still during traversal.]
Sol stepped into the light and dissolved into particles of white radiance. When the brilliance faded, he stood at the entrance of Tonegawa High School. A breeze stirred cherry blossom petals beside the gate.
He looked down at the white school uniform he now wore, then toward the building ahead.
Inside, Sol checked his system panel for the identity assigned to him: Sol Mirek was still his name here. The original owner had transferred two weeks earlier and was a quiet, unremarkable student in the same class as Baki Hanma, the famed martial artist and protagonist of this world.
The moment Sol entered the classroom, his gaze went straight to the red‑haired youth sleeping at his desk by the window — Baki Hanma.
Sol approached and extended his hand.
"Hello, Baki," Sol said with a friendly smile.
Startled, Baki lifted his head, momentarily confused at the unexpected greeting. Nevertheless, he instinctively shook Sol's hand.
Sol's grin widened.
Instantly, a 3D image of Baki appeared before him, accompanied by a small panel offering ability evolutions:
[Choose Ability to Evolve: Hanma Blood, Fighting Genius]
Sol's eyes flicked between the two.
He checked Hanma Blood first.
Talent: Hanma Blood
Evolution Condition: Defeat Baki Hanma
Effect: Genes altered to grant physical potential far beyond human limits, unlocking traits like Demon Back or Ghost Brain.
Undeniably tempting, but defeating a fighter like Baki, even with Combat Intuition, would be exhausting and uncertain.
So Sol looked at Fighting Genius.
Talent: Fighting Genius
Evolution Condition: Gain Baki Hanma's genuine approval
Effect: Grants extraordinary combat learning, allowing rapid analysis and replication of techniques in battle.
His fingertip hovered thoughtfully over this option. Winning someone's sincere approval could be tricky, but with his personality, a friendly fight might settle it.
Just then, Baki, still holding Sol's hand, blinked up at him with curious eyes.
"You're... Sol, right?" Baki asked with a hint of confusion.
"We haven't spoken since you transferred," Baki said quietly.
Other students began to notice the scene — a quiet transfer student suddenly initiating conversation with the class's strongest fighter was definitely eye‑catching.
____
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