Chapter 2: Abilities

For my goals, I have excess confidence, but that doesn't mean I become arrogant. My potential is great, but it's still just potential. Right now, I'm still too weak, not to mention outside of the universe, even on this earth, there are those who can crush me.

Furthermore, even with the memories of two lifetimes, my ability to use my power is still very basic. Compared to Kevin 11000 or the fodder Kevin , it's impossible to match.

The electric rays on my hand gradually disappeared. When I returned to normal, I pressed both hands to the ground, keeping my mind calm, focusing on controlling my own power. Maintaining that position for a few minutes, I opened my eyes, a joyful look on my face. "Success!"

From where my hand was, suddenly a layer of earthy membrane wrapped around it, like a pair of earth gloves, it didn't stop there, the membrane spread over my whole body. Finally, my entire body was covered in a layer of earth-like skin.

Smiling, I slammed my fist down on the ground. The floor cracked under the powerful impact, and the broken stones scattered with a resounding echo throughout the subway station.

Looking back at my hand, I saw cracks in the shell, revealing the flesh underneath. With a gentle movement of my power, the cracks quickly closed up like they were never there. The layer of earth on my body quickly disappeared,gathering into two stone blocks in my hands.

The experiment was a resounding success, I had unlocked a basic ability of my own.

I have the ability to absorb solid materials and cover myself with it, thereby gaining the properties of that material. My body will also increase in strength and physical endurance in proportion to what I absorb.

And this is only the most basic level of application, later on, I can even transform my body into the material I absorb, creating more of that material, and thus achieving the ability to restore even lost body parts. When that happens, my survival rate will increase countless times.

Receiving new abilities made me ecstatic. Within an hour, I tried using my power on anything I could find, the constant crashes and clashes echoing throughout the subway station.

Once everything was over, I began to leave this place, taking only a backpack and a newly stolen bike with me.

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The place I chose to stop was the nearest ATM, confirming that there was no one around, I pressed my palm against the side of the machine. At the spot where my hand touched, suddenly a blue light appeared, which was actually countless electric rays creeping into the ATM.

Through it, I established a connection with the machine in front of me, feeling like it had become a new part of my body. I smiled and summoned my thoughts, and after a few seconds, the place where the money was dispensed from the ATM opened up, revealing a thick stack of cash.

Without hesitation, I immediately grabbed the bundle of money, stuffed it into my backpack, and left. That night, I did the same thing with 5 other different ATMs before returning to my old hiding place.

Today's loot can be said to be very rich, $72,000 in cash, all with a face value of $100.

Police pursuit was not enough to cause me to worry. Before starting, I had changed my hairstyle and clothing, and my skin was covered with a layer of elastic rubber absorbed from a tire, leaving no fingerprints at the crime scene. Even if they investigate, it doesn't matter, the injured party certainly won't be me.

After a tiring day, sleep was essential. I buried the backpack deep under the ground and wrapped myself in steel before letting my consciousness wander into the dream world.

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In the morning, I woke up very early, after all, successful people don't sleep in. I dug up my precious backpack, and my journey for today began.

Filling my stomach with a hamburger for breakfast, I rode my bike to the New York Public Library. Upon arrival, with the help of the lovely librarian, I quickly identified my targets.

Today's goal was knowledge. Yes, I would take the invaluable asset of humanity, knowledge. In a universe where science reigns, the shortest path to reaching the pinnacle is through science.

Choosing five thick books in the field of mechanics, I found a secluded spot to sit down. Looking around, there weren't many people reading books, which was perfect for my plan.

My eyes turned green. I began to open the book, flipping through each page at a steady pace. When I finished one page, I turned to the next, and as time went on, my pace increased. My hand almost turned into a phantom, the pages of the book flipping as if blown by the wind. If I still had human eyes, people would notice them shaking up and down continuously. After a few short minutes, the book was closed.

This is not my innate ability but comes from the Kineceleran species, an extraterrestrial race from the planet Kinet. They have a speed of movement and thought far beyond that of humans, and to this day, I still don't know their speed limit. Normally, a Kineceleran is seen running at a speed of 500 mph or 804.67 km/h. However, the most incredible achievement of a Kineceleran is shown on screen with a speed fast enough to make time seem to stop in the eyes of humans.

I acquired this power thanks to yesterday's battle with the main character of this series, Ben 10 Tennyson. During the fight, I tried to steal the Omnitrix, although unsuccessful, I still managed to absorb some of its energy and DNA from the 10 alien beings stored inside. Currently, I cannot transform into the XLR8 form - the name of the Kineceleran in the Omnitrix. Therefore, I can only use part of its power, but that's enough. If I were any faster, I'm afraid the books would be torn to shreds when I touched them.

I spent the entire morning burying myself in the ocean of knowledge. I didn't need to know if it was useful or if I would need it later, or even to understand it. As long as it was related to fields such as medicine, biology, science, computers, electronics, metallurgy, I would read it all.

After finishing my studies, I treated myself to the most exquisite meal possible before heading to the technology stores. With abundant finances, I purchased two Acer laptops for a total price of $3800, and four Nokia phones of various models, costing an additional $3000. That concludes most of the preparation, leaving only one thing that is essential for every trip - transportation, which is always available in this city.

[End POV]

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[3rd person POV]

Under the dim street lamp in the heart of New York City, a creature resembling slime looked around with sparkling green eyes. Its metallic body blended perfectly with the darkness as it targeted its goal - a luxurious Dodge Challenger parked on the quiet street. The car's alluring exterior called out to it, promising an exciting journey through the city's complex roads.

The strange creature approached the luxury car, its flexible nanomachines adjusting to resemble the surrounding surfaces. Once it successfully reached its target, it immediately latched onto the car's surface, its body quickly spreading like adhesive, covering the entire car. Within seconds, the silver car had transformed into a black color with many green lines resembling electric circuits.

During the entire process, no alarm sounded, and the car's interior also changed color like its exterior. Although no one was inside the car, it automatically started, and the control panel gently lit up. A surge of energy spread through Upgrade's metallic veins as the engine roared to life. The harmony of pistons and cylinders echoed through the silent night.

With ease, the car drove into the bustling streets of New York City. Neon lights and skyscrapers passed by as it began its illegal adventure. The wind blew through its metallic body, carrying the scent of fierce freedom. A few taxi drivers nearly swerved off the road when they saw an unmanned car speeding down the street.

After making a turn, the creature clinging to the car suddenly shrunk and gathered into a human shape behind the steeringwheel, returning the car to its original state. This person was none other than our main character, Kevin Levin. The previous form was of another alien creature in his collection - a Galvanic Mechamorph. Hailing from the planet Galvan B, this creature had a shape resembling both adhesive and metal. Its black back was covered with green circuits, and its white front had only one eye. Ben named it Upgrade.

[Upgrade Pic]

True to its name, Upgrade had no fixed shape. It could merge with any machine and control it, upgrade its abilities, or simply destroy it. Kevin used this ability to disable the car's alarm system and start it without a key.

After stopping at his old place, Kevin collected all his belongings, which included a few new sets of clothes, some personal hygiene items, two laptops, four phones, and over $60,000.

It was time to move on to the next milestone in his journey - Mount Rushmore.