"What?"
Richard blinked at Inesa's question, momentarily thrown off by the casual tone. Of all the things he expected in the middle of a battlefield, relationship gossip wasn't one of them. He couldn't read her intention, but he answered anyway.
"No."
"Isn't she?" Inesa's lips curved slightly. "That's a shame. It would've been much more interesting to train you in front of her."
Her eyes lingered on him with deliberate appraisal.
Train me?
When he first saw her outfit, he'd already dismissed the idea that she was a conventional federal agent. Still, hearing her state it so openly—her intention to "train" him—clarified something. She didn't just want to capture him. She wanted ownership.
"Don't worry," Richard replied evenly. "You won't get that chance."
He vanished the instant the last word left his mouth.
Since Inesa also possessed Flash, he couldn't risk letting her escape the effective radius of Eight Blades Flash. The safest strategy was to compress the distance to zero before executing the technique.
He reappeared directly in front of her.
"Eight Blades Flash."
The authentic sword erupted into motion.
Compared to Earth-Shaking, which chained four heavy slashes, this technique was on an entirely different level. The strikes overlapped in blinding succession, each cut layered atop the last with terrifying speed and precision. It was not merely faster—it carried a lethal inevitability.
Inesa didn't dodge.
She stood poised, ready to deflect the blade the same way she had before. Her confidence held for less than a fraction of a second.
Something felt wrong.
This wasn't a casual strike.
Her pupils contracted.
Flash.
She triggered her ability instantly, attempting to displace herself out of the attack's path. Her reaction speed was excellent, and her execution was nearly flawless.
Nearly.
Swish.
The edge of the authentic sword traced across her waist before she could fully vanish. The sensation was immediate and absolute—cold steel followed by explosive pain as flesh parted.
Her teleportation faltered mid-activation.
Shock shattered her composure. As a top-five operative in the Los Angeles branch of the Mutant Affairs Department, she had survived countless engagements. She had never once been overpowered so decisively.
Her mistake was simple.
She underestimated him.
The Eight Blades Flash continued without pause.
Chi—chi—chi—chi—
The air filled with slicing sounds as the blade completed its sequence. In less than a breath, her body fragmented. Limbs separated, blood fanned outward, and the once-confident agent collapsed into scattered pieces across the asphalt.
Silence followed.
Richard did not hesitate.
"Plunder."
A familiar interface unfolded before his eyes.
[New abilities acquired: Mind Charm, Flash, Bounce.]
[Duplicate abilities detected. Initiating fusion.]
[Flash enhanced.]
He skimmed the notifications without diving into the details. There would be time later to evaluate improvements. For now, threats remained.
The remaining special forces had already been reduced to a handful. He moved without ceremony.
Within seconds, they fell.
The two mutant agents who had been engaging Sabretooth saw everything.
They had witnessed Inesa—one of their strongest operatives—cut apart by a freshly awakened mutant. The scene made no sense. It violated their expectations of power scaling and experience.
This is impossible.
Even as disbelief gripped them, reality pressed in. Blood pooled on asphalt. Their teammate was dead.
Richard turned toward them.
"Residual Heart."
He swung the blade casually.
Six or seven crescent arcs screamed through the air toward the two agents. They reacted fast, diving sideways to avoid the incoming slashes. The sword energy tore through the restaurant wall and ceiling behind them, carving deep gouges and sending debris cascading down.
Their separation created an opening.
Sabretooth didn't hesitate.
He lunged at the closer agent, claws extended, teeth bared. The ferocity of his assault left no room for retreat.
Simultaneously, Richard flashed in front of the second agent.
"Earth-Shaking."
Four consecutive strikes descended like falling lightning. The mutant agent barely raised his arms before his body disintegrated under the blade, reduced to uneven chunks that hit the ground in a wet collapse.
"Plunder."
[New abilities acquired: Super Strength, Super Physique.]
[Duplicate abilities detected. Initiating fusion.]
[Super Strength enhanced.]
[Super Physique enhanced.]
He ignored the system notifications again and pivoted.
The final mutant agent was already struggling under Sabretooth's assault. Regeneration allowed Sabretooth to ignore most counterattacks, and his raw brutality overwhelmed conventional defense.
Before Sabretooth could snap the agent's neck, Richard stepped in.
The authentic sword pierced cleanly through the man's chest, ending the fight instantly.
"Plunder."
[New abilities acquired: Super Strength, Self-Healing Factor.]
[Duplicate abilities detected. Initiating fusion.]
[Super Strength enhanced.]
[Super Self-Healing enhanced.]
[X-Gene Update Complete.]
[X-Gene Abilities: Plunder, Super Strength, Super Physique, Super Self-Healing, Flash, Mind Isolation, Mind Charm, Flight.]
Seven abilities had been taken from Inesa and her teammates, yet only two new categories had been added. The rest merged seamlessly into existing powers.
Richard had anticipated that outcome. Among mutants, ability overlap was common. Super Strength and Super Physique appeared frequently, but their upper limits varied drastically.
Some mutants could lift only dozens of tons.
Others could lift tens of thousands.
Enhancement through fusion mattered more than raw acquisition.
He dismissed the panel and returned the authentic sword to the system space.
Sirens wailed faintly in the distance.
Before he could activate Flash to leave, Sabretooth stepped into his path.
"Are you Richard Wesley?" Sabretooth asked, his tone direct.
"Roy Wesley is your father?"
Richard's eyes narrowed slightly. "You know my father?"
"When he was younger, we crossed paths more than once," Sabretooth replied. "I heard he founded a mutant group called Crimson Manor. I came here specifically to find him."
Richard held his gaze.
"You're late," he said calmly. "Agents from the Mutant Affairs Department arrested him a few days ago. As for Crimson Manor, I dissolved it a few hours ago."
Sabretooth studied him closely. Though Richard lacked telepathy, his mental isolation sharpened his perception of intent. Sabretooth wasn't lying.
The sirens grew louder.
"We should move," Sabretooth said.
He looked toward a five-story residential building across the street and raised a hand.
On the rooftop, Clarice appeared.
At his signal, she extended her arm and formed a portal in midair. A circular aperture of shimmering energy unfolded, linking directly to the rooftop.
Sabretooth stepped through without hesitation.
Richard paused only a second before following.
The world folded and reassembled around him as he emerged onto the rooftop beside them.
Clarice closed the portal behind them immediately, then lifted her right hand again. A sphere of purple energy formed in her palm before she hurled it outward.
The energy expanded mid-flight, stabilizing into another portal—this one leading toward the outskirts beyond the city.
Richard observed the sequence closely.
So she can only maintain one portal at a time right now?
.....
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