Bang!
Vincent’s fist slammed into Derek’s face, sending the blond Hero staggering backward several steps.
The impact wasn’t particularly powerful, but it was enough to silence the entire training hall.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
The employees stared at Vincent in disbelief, while the Heroes gathered around the platform exchanged astonished glances. None of them had expected the agency’s weakest employee to actually retaliate against a licensed Hero, much less strike him directly in the face.
Derek slowly raised a hand to his cheek. When he felt the swelling beneath his fingers, his expression twisted with disbelief.
"You... You actually punched me?" Derek muttered, staring at Vincent as though he had just witnessed something impossible.
His voice gradually rose as anger replaced his initial shock. "You worthless bastard! Who gave you permission to lay your filthy hands on me?!"
Vincent didn’t answer immediately. His knuckles throbbed from the impact, and he could already feel his limited Flux Energy draining away. Although his punch had caught Derek completely off guard, the difference between their physical capabilities remained enormous.
Nevertheless, he raised his fists and assumed a defensive stance.
"You wanted me to apologize for disrespecting you, didn’t you?" Vincent replied, wiping the remaining blood from his lips. "Well, I’m done apologizing for things I haven’t done."
Derek’s expression darkened considerably. "Fine! Since you’re so eager to act like a Hero, I’ll show you what happens when trash challenges someone above his station!"
The moment those words left his mouth, a reddish glow enveloped Derek’s arms. His muscles expanded slightly, and faint crimson markings appeared across his skin as his innate superpower activated.
Impact Amplification.
It was a combat-oriented ability that allowed Derek to magnify the force generated by his physical attacks. Combined with his Rank 2 physique, even an ordinary punch could deliver devastating damage.
Vincent knew the ability well.
After all, he had spent years watching Derek demonstrate it during training sessions.
Unfortunately, knowing how an ability worked and possessing the strength to withstand it were entirely different matters.
Derek lunged forward without warning, his reinforced fist cutting through the air toward Vincent’s chest. Vincent immediately concentrated Flux Energy into both arms and crossed them defensively.
Boom!
The impact sent him sliding backward across the platform. A sharp pain spread through his forearms, and he nearly lost his balance before managing to steady himself.
Damn it! Even blocking hurts this much?
Vincent gritted his teeth as Derek advanced again. His opponent’s physical strength was already superior, and Impact Amplification only widened the difference.
If he attempted to exchange blows directly, he would lose within seconds.
"What’s wrong?!" Derek shouted, swinging another devastating punch. "Where did all that courage go?!"
Vincent twisted his body and narrowly avoided the attack. The fist struck a reinforced training dummy behind him, producing a violent crash as its upper section shattered.
Several employees gasped at the sight.
"Isn’t that going too far?" one of the younger workers whispered nervously, watching Derek prepare another attack.
A nearby Hero frowned but made no attempt to intervene. "Vincent struck him first. He should have considered the consequences before challenging a licensed Hero."
On the platform, Vincent had no opportunity to listen to their conversation.
Derek’s attacks continued raining down upon him, forcing him to retreat repeatedly. Each punch carried enough force to cause serious injuries, and even the shockwaves from blocked strikes made his arms tremble.
Within moments, Vincent’s breathing became ragged.
His Physical Reinforcement was consuming Flux Energy far too quickly.
I can’t keep reinforcing my entire body.
Vincent clenched his jaw as he narrowly avoided another punch. Unlike Derek, who possessed sufficient Flux Energy to maintain his ability throughout an extended battle, Vincent could barely sustain his enhancement for a few minutes.
If he continued fighting like this, his energy would run out long before Derek became exhausted.
He needed another approach.
As Derek charged toward him again, Vincent deliberately relaxed the reinforcement surrounding his upper body and redirected the remaining energy into his legs.
His speed increased immediately.
Instead of blocking the incoming punch, he pushed against the platform and darted sideways, allowing Derek’s fist to pass harmlessly beside his shoulder.
The sudden movement caught Derek off guard.
"What the hell?!" Derek exclaimed, turning sharply as Vincent slipped past him.
Vincent didn’t waste the opportunity. He concentrated a brief surge of Flux Energy into his right arm and struck Derek’s exposed ribs.
Thud!
The blow connected, forcing Derek to grunt in discomfort.
However, the damage was minimal.
Derek immediately retaliated with a sweeping backhand, catching Vincent across the shoulder before he could retreat.
Vincent stumbled several steps, suppressing a cry as pain shot through his arm.
Still too weak.
He glanced at his trembling fingers, realizing that his right shoulder had already suffered considerable damage.
Nevertheless, something important had become clear.
He could still land attacks.
Derek was stronger, faster, and possessed a superior combat ability, but he wasn’t an experienced fighter who carefully considered every movement.
He relied excessively on overwhelming strength.
And Vincent knew exactly how to exploit that weakness.
During the years he had spent transporting equipment and cleaning the training facilities, Vincent had observed countless combat demonstrations.
Derek particularly enjoyed showing off his devastating punches, often repeating the same combinations whenever an audience gathered.
His attacks were powerful, but his movements followed recognizable patterns.
Whenever Derek threw a heavy right punch, he shifted too much weight onto his front leg. Whenever he prepared a left hook, his shoulder rose slightly before the attack.
And whenever someone successfully evaded his strikes, he became impatient.
Vincent had noticed those habits long ago.
Now, they might be his only chance of surviving.
"Stop running away, you coward!" Derek roared, charging forward with another amplified punch.
Vincent watched his opponent’s shoulders carefully. The instant Derek’s right arm moved, he redirected Flux Energy into his legs and stepped diagonally backward.
The punch missed.
Before Derek could recover, Vincent reinforced his left fist and struck him beneath the ribs.
Derek grunted, stumbling slightly.
Vincent immediately retreated, refusing to remain within striking distance.
"You little bastard!" Derek snarled, pressing a hand against his side as his face reddened with humiliation.
Vincent’s breathing was becoming increasingly strained, but he forced himself to maintain his defensive stance.
"For someone who keeps calling me weak, you seem awfully upset that you can’t hit me," he replied, deliberately provoking Derek while watching his movements.
The insult worked.
Derek rushed forward recklessly, unleashing several amplified punches in rapid succession.
Vincent avoided the first two, but the third caught him across the stomach.
Bang!
The impact knocked the air from his lungs and sent him crashing onto the platform.
A violent cough escaped his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
His vision blurred momentarily, and an intense pain spread through his abdomen.
Shit... I think he cracked something.
Derek approached slowly, his expression filled with satisfaction.
"Had enough?" he sneered, looking down at Vincent. "Get on your knees and beg me to stop. Maybe I’ll consider letting you leave here with your remaining bones intact."
Vincent pressed one hand against his stomach and struggled upright. Every movement sent another wave of pain through his body, but he refused to remain on the ground.
"You’re going to have to do better than that," Vincent answered through clenched teeth, forcing a crooked smile despite the blood staining his lips.
Derek’s expression twisted with fury. "You really want to die that badly?!"
The crimson markings covering Derek’s arms suddenly intensified.
A powerful surge of Flux Energy gathered around his right fist, causing the surrounding air to tremble faintly.
Vincent’s expression changed immediately.
He recognized that movement.
During training demonstrations, Derek frequently used a finishing technique that concentrated Impact Amplification into a single devastating punch.
The attack was powerful enough to destroy reinforced combat equipment.
However, Vincent also remembered something else.
Before delivering the strike, Derek always planted his right foot firmly against the ground and pulled his shoulder backward to generate maximum force.
The preparation created a brief opening. Normally, that opening was meaningless because most opponents were too concerned about avoiding the incoming attack.
But Vincent had watched the technique hundreds of times.
This is my chance.
He could barely feel the remaining Flux Energy circulating through his body. One more significant enhancement would completely exhaust his reserves.
If his counterattack failed, he wouldn’t have enough strength left to defend himself.
Derek drew back his fist, his face contorted with rage.
"Let’s see you get up after this!" he roared, launching himself forward with every intention of crushing Vincent beneath his amplified strike.
Vincent waited. His heart pounded violently as Derek closed the distance.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter.
The instant Derek planted his foot and began extending his arm, Vincent redirected every remaining trace of Flux Energy into his legs.
He moved.
Derek’s fist tore past his head, missing by a narrow margin.
The tremendous force behind the attack carried Derek’s upper body forward, leaving his jaw exposed.
Vincent immediately transferred the last of his energy into his right arm.
His muscles screamed in protest but he ignored the pain.
Take this!
Twisting his waist, Vincent drove his reinforced fist upward with everything he had.
Bang!
The punch connected directly beneath Derek’s jaw.
His head snapped backward, and the crimson glow surrounding his arms disappeared instantly.
For one brief moment, Derek remained standing, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Then his knees buckled.
Thud!
The Rank 2 Hero collapsed onto the training platform, unconscious.
Silence engulfed the entire hall. Vincent staggered backward, barely managing to remain standing as his Physical Reinforcement deactivated.
He stared at Derek’s motionless body, unable to believe what had just happened.
He had won against a Rank 2 Superhuman, against the man who had tormented him for years.
Before Vincent could fully comprehend his victory, an unfamiliar mechanical sound suddenly echoed inside his head.
[Ding!]
[Qualification condition fulfilled.]
[You have defeated a Villain.]
Vincent froze.
A Villain?
His eyes slowly shifted toward Derek’s unconscious body.
But he’s a licensed Hero...
Before he could understand what was happening, another series of notifications appeared directly before his eyes.
[Villain Assimilation System successfully awakened.]
[Analyzing defeated Villain...]
[Analysis complete.]
[Multiple abilities detected.]
[Please select one ability to Assimilate.]