Single hit

Caleb grinned triumphantly, his earlier fears dissolving as he basked in the praise of the students around him. For a brief moment, he had thought Silas might have embarrassed him by dodging that first punch, but now, with the explosion clearing and Silas supposedly gone, there was nothing left to worry about.

"Wait… what the hell is that?" Sammy muttered, his eyes widening in disbelief as the dust from the explosion began to settle.

As the smoke and debris cleared, a figure remained standing tall and steady. Despite the blast and the destruction surrounding him, Silas was completely unharmed.

The dust finally vanished, and there he was—Silas, standing exactly where he had been, without a scratch.

"Huh? How's that even possible?" Sammy stammered, his mouth hanging open. The energy beam he'd unleashed should have wiped Silas out, but now it seemed like nothing had happened at all.

The students gathered around watching the unfolding drama let out a collective gasp. Some looked incredulous; others were utterly confused, their faces mirroring the disarray in the air.

'Did Sammy just hold back? Or is this trash more durable than we thought?' Caleb's brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it all. 'No… he couldn't have survived that attack. There's no way.'

"I don't know how you're still standing, but I swear there's no way you'll survive this next one!" Sammy's voice roared with frustration. His hands extended once again, gathering energy to conjure another, more devastating beam of light.

[5 points have been added to your Speed.]

Silas didn't waste time. He quickly assigned his newly earned attribute points from the daily quest to his Speed. An electric surge of energy coursed through his body, and the next thing anyone knew, Silas had disappeared from his spot.

Moving faster than most could comprehend, Silas dashed forward. His speed was so immense that the students had trouble tracking his movements. In mere moments, Silas was already in front of Sammy, his fist clenched and aimed.

*BAM!*

His punch landed squarely on Sammy's cheek, the sound of bone meeting flesh resonating throughout the cafeteria. Sammy staggered back, barely managing to keep his balance. His cheek immediately swelled and reddened from the impact.

'What… how does this trash have this kind of strength?' Sammy's thoughts raced as he winced in pain, unable to believe how much damage Silas had done with just one hit.

But Silas wasn't finished.

Before Sammy could recover or even think of retaliating, Silas began charging again, his eyes locked onto his next target.

"Die!" Sammy screamed, in a desperate attempt to regain control. He extended his right hand again and released another round of energy straight at Silas, who was rapidly closing in.

*POOOOFF!!*

The beam shot forward, but just as it was about to strike Silas, he effortlessly dodged it, swerving to the side and letting the energy pass him by mere inches. The speed and precision with which Silas moved made it clear he was no longer the weakling they all thought he was.

After dodging the beam, Silas didn't lose momentum. He was back on the offensive, charging toward Sammy with deadly intent. Sammy, growing increasingly desperate, fired a barrage of energy beams. But Silas, now fully in tune with his newfound abilities, weaved through the blasts effortlessly, his movements fluid and precise.

Before Sammy could even process what was happening, Silas was right in front of him once again. With a determined look in his eyes, Silas unleashed another devastating punch, this time aimed directly at Sammy's jaw.

*BAM!*

The punch connected with even more force than the first, sending a shockwave rippling through the cafeteria. Sammy's body was lifted off the ground, his feet leaving the floor as he was hurled backward by the impact.

He flew through the air, crashing into a nearby table with a sickening thud. Plates and cutlery scattered across the floor as Sammy's limp body slid off the table and crumpled to the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his once-defiant expression had been replaced by one of unconsciousness.

"Did he just knock out a Grade 3 mutant ability user with a single punch?"

"That's not possible! There's no way Silas Griswold could've done that… is there?"

"This has to be a joke. What happened to the weak Silas?"

The students erupted into a chorus of murmurs and exclamations. They were all in shock, trying to make sense of the situation. Just a few days ago, Silas had been the academy's punching bag. Now, he had taken out two of the strongest bullies without even breaking a sweat.

Caleb, who had watched everything unfold from a distance, swallowed hard. His body trembled slightly as he stared at Silas. Fear and confusion battled for dominance in his mind. He had never imagined a scenario in which Silas would be standing over his fallen comrades.

'He… he beat both Sammy and his brother with just his fists. No powers. No mutant armor. Nothing. And I can feel it… he's not even going all out,' Caleb thought, his face going pale as sweat began to bead on his forehead. He had never felt this kind of fear, especially not toward someone like Silas.

'There's no way he's doing this naturally. Did he take some kind of drug? An energy pill? There's no way someone without a skill slot could do this…' His thoughts spiraled into panic. 'He humiliated me. Everyone's watching. Tomorrow, I'll be a joke if I don't do something. I can't let him win.'

Determined to salvage his reputation, Caleb clenched his fists and steeled his resolve. He wouldn't let a weakling like Silas bring him down in front of the entire school. He had to win.

With newfound determination, Caleb lunged forward, charging at Silas with everything he had. His fists flew forward, aiming straight for Silas's head. But Silas, as if reading Caleb's movements, casually stepped to the side, allowing the punch to miss him entirely.

Caleb, undeterred, quickly pulled back and swung again, this time with even more force. But once again, Silas dodged with ease, making it look effortless.

'I can't even touch him. What the hell is going on?!' Caleb's frustration mounted as he continued throwing punches, each one failing to connect.

*BAM!*

Without warning, Silas retaliated, his fist slamming into Caleb's chest. The impact left Caleb gasping for air, a sharp pain radiating through his ribs. He coughed, blood and saliva spilling from his mouth.

Before Silas could press forward and finish the fight, he suddenly felt a hand grab his arm. His instincts kicked in, and he turned to face his would-be assailant.

A young woman in shining brown armor stood behind him, gripping his arm firmly.

"Enough," Kara ordered, her voice firm and resolute, cutting through the chaos in the cafeteria.