22:Superior Life Form

"What's happening to him Gwen?"

What was supposed to be just another little moment of fun for Gwenford had slowly spiralled into chaos.

The unconscious body of Zephyr was radiating waves of quantum energy. Enough that even non supers could see it with their naked eye!

This was despite the fact that he was tranqqed and was currently in a room made out of an allow specifically designed to weaken supers. Not to mention the bands of metal around his arms and legs which further surpressed him!

The whole room was shaking. The hanging lights were moving left and right, hidden cameras and observation devices were being scrambled and their communication network in the immediate radius around Zephyr stopped working for a bit.

"I-i think he's awakening! You said he was at the boundary of F+ didn't you? I think he broke through!"

"Impossible!"

Gwen snarled at her husband. Zephyr? Awakening?

It had taken her around 3 years of hard work to become E grade and this peasant was at the same level as him in only half a year?

She racked her head, searching for a solution. An answer to what was happening.

But the waves of quantum energy didn't care. Every single ounce of the energy was being absorbed into Zephyr only to be discharged back out.

If his body was stronger by around 20% after the gene optimization from Orovada then this next step made him at least thrice as strong!

Gaps between letters wasn't just a matter of strength. It was a fundamental change in being.

They would become the next step in the evolution of their species.

Their body would be reborn entirely new, stronger, smarter, faster. Better in every single way possible.

It wasn't just a change in strength. Attempting to bridge the gaps between letters wasn't just something you could do by getting stronger.

It was a mental change. It was why so many promising talented supers would get stuck at these gaps. It was an insurmountable challenge that required a fundamental change in the supers mentality.

And now Zephyr was achieving that very same change in his own mentality. Similar to when he first awakened as a super. His goals was to start up his own company and make money. Now, he had new goals. Goals that were worthy of pursuit.

Revenge. It was this desire for revenge that acted as a catalyst. Breaking down the barrier barring him from the next letter grade.

The thought of revenge wasn't just a catalyst to push him into the next letter grade. It served as a checkpoint as well.

If being a super was a marathon race. Then his goals when awakening would be the starting line and his goals for revenge would be mile 1!

Which is why Gwen was so flabbergasted at seeing Zephyr bridge that gap right in front of her very own eyes!

Although truthfully, while the mental change was needed to bridge the gap between letters, there were a few other requirements.

Naturally, in order to bridge the gap. You needed to at least be near the peak of strength for you current letter grade. You also needed to be talented enough and have enough quantum energy. Two requirements that Zephyr already had.

As for the first requirement. Due to Zephyr's... meeting with Orovada. It had basically elevated his strength massively. More then he should normally have. It was basically cheating!

As for Zephyr himself, he was still stuck inside his memories. His temporarily heightened senses could feel the source of the mind link which sustained it and in his moment of anger attacked it with all his might.

Barrage after barrage of mental blasts struck the mind link, each blasts tearing off a small piece of it. This wasn't without consequence however.

This mind link was attached to him! In his rage fueled attacking spree. Several small pieces of his own mind fell off with each part of the mind link!

"T-this crazy bastard!"

Gwen cried out in pain, clutching her own head. The same thing was happening to her as well. Except she suffered much more! After al, it was a one way mind link. She had spent extra effort on the connection connected to herself and suffered massively for it!

She couldn't just cut it off like a regular two way mind link either! She had to slowly and carefully remove each tendril to not danger her mind but she couldn't do that under these current circumstances!

"Tell them to tranq him more! Up the quantum suppression and lock him down more!"

She yelled put to her husband, who was standing paralyzed in fear from the waves of quantum energy radiating off Zephyr. Unlike his wife, he wasn't a super and couldn't handle the quantum energy as well as she could!

"U-up... the... suppressants... now!"

He stuttered into his hidden com piece. Listening for a response, he could hear nothing but static and a few bits and pieces of words.

".. re t.. ying! C.... th. .....um en..rgy ... erfe.. ng!"

Gritting his teeth, he decided to do something that would likely get him demoted.

He pulled out his rifle, cranked the power to the max and fired at Zephyr's unconscious body.

Bzzzt

A massive red beam of pure heat shot out aiming straight for his head.

BANG

The laser beam collided with an invisible barrier. Causing the beam to appear to 'splash' as it's energy dispersed upon making contact with the barrier. Zephyr's unconscious instinct had saved him and put up a barrier.

"He's got telekinesis dumbass! Shoot him again! I'll pry that damn barrier open!"

Gwen yelled at her husband. Still clutching her head. She shakily stood up and put her index and middle fingers onto the sides of her head.

"Shoot now!"

Bzzzt

Another beam of pure energy shot out. Aiming at the same place. The moment she saw the beam she sent a blast in the shape of a spike to pierce through and break the barrier!

A cracking sound ensued, as the invisible barrier shattered. Leaving Zephyr wide open for the laser beam.

BANG

Yet again, it collided with another barrier.

This time however. It wasn't from instinct that caused that barrier.

Both Gwen and her husband watched in fear as Zephyr opened his eyes and slowly stood up. Shattering the metal bindings holding him down easily.

At this moment, both Gwen and her husband remembered something their instructors had told them long ago.

"If a super has just awakened. You run! Got it? Don't try and fight them! A newly awakened super is the most dangerous thing you can ever fight!"

When they both saw the rage in Zephyr's eyes. They could only think of one thing.

'I don't...want to die.'

Uncaring, Zephyr simply stared at them and with a blink of the eye. They died.

Just like that.

They couldn't even see it coming. Zephyr had simply launched a few attacks at the minds of souls of the two of them. Leaving them as mindless and soulless husks of beings.

Unable to think, unable to move, unable to walk or even move properly.

Their brains kept them alive. But that was it. They were functionally dead now.

Turning his sights onto the wall. He started sending blasts if energy at the wall as well.

His senses were so temporarily heightened at this point that he couldn't just see and hear better. He could literally feel the CEA members watching him through the one way wall.

His fists hammered against the wall. Coated in enough quantum energy that each punch made the whole quake! Blasts of energy shot at the wall and his telekinesis was ripping apart every single piece of the wall it could.

Zephyr was multitasking his abilities when he couldn't even do it in actuality! Yet somehow in his moment of anger he was able to do it!

It was as absurd as having 8 limbs and having each of them perform an action that was completely different from each other!

Eventually after enough hits. The wall finally crumbled. Revealing several suited and armed CEA infantry men. Each armed with a weapon designed to kill supers.

"FIRE AT WILL"

The noises and lights were enough to give Zephyr sensory overload of he was still a regular human. Luckily his natural body strength had risen massively and he could probably stare at the sun without ever going blind.

Zephyr's barrier of telekinesis wavered several times as sped up particles, lasers, bullets and explosives landed on it. Each concentrated into a specific area of the barrier.

If not for Zephyr instinctually putting more energy into that part of the barrier. It would have shattered instantly and he wouldve died from the first hit!

The barrier wavered more and more with each hit and finally after being hit by another sped up particle. It shattered again.

This time, he was prepared for it. Immediately launching an attack in a wave to wipe out the souls of everyone there.

"ACTIVATE ANTI-PSYCHIC PROTECTION"

Barriers which appeared to be made put of runes appeared and blocked the incoming wave. Unfortunately, these runic barriers were running on quantum energy batteries and had limited charge with not that much strength.

Simply sending out more waves of energy. All of them got their souls wiped out. Their 'death' merely being delayed.

'Huh..? What the hell happened here?!'

Zephyr woke up from his mindless attacking. His quantum energy was no longer overflowing and the temporary boost in strength went away. Leaving him at E-.

Glancing up at the roof. Zephyr activated his senses and found himself to be deep underground.

'I gotta get out of this place!'

Frantically searching for a way out. He heard a deep rumbling again. The walls started shaking and the ground Zephyr stood on felt weak.

An event that Zephyr knew all too well.

An adult rand worm was coming.

'Shit! Why is it coming now? It is the commotion caused by whatever thing attacked these CEA guys?'

Naturally, he was unaware that the 'thing's he was talking about. Was himself.

The shaking got more and more intense and after what felt like an eternity of suspense...

SMASH

The wall caved in as a massive rand worm that was big enough to swallow Zephyr whole appeared. Stopping right before it smaller him. It's massive mouth was the only thing he could see.

'The hell?'

Normally it should have devoured him whole like how he had witnessed so many times already and yet the creature simply remained still.

'IN... MOUTH....NOW. BLESSED... OF... OROVADA'

It just spoke to him!

The massive rand worm just talked to him. Zephyr was shook. Were these things actually secretly intelligent similar to the scorants?

He slapped himself.

No way. Zephyr had killed hundreds of these guys and never once ever had he experienced something that could be called intelligent from these creatures.

Yeah. He was probably just delusional.

"IN... MOUTH....IF... WANT... LIVE... NOW"

...

'WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF'

Zephyr was screaming non stop as the rand worm tunnelled itself to God knows where. He was currently inside the jaw of the massive rand worm and he felt like throwing up.

Not only was it seriously triggering a motion sickness he didn't even know he had. The constant pitter of saliva dripping down on him made him want to just carve a hole and jump out!

Except he would probably not even be we to jump said hole since he was still deep underground according to his senses.

SCRAAAAA

Zephyr heard and felt the creature screech. Immediately after, it opened its mouth slightly and Zephyr could see for a brief moment.

Thud

Landing with a massive thud. It opened its mouth fully this time and stopped moving. Allowing Zephyr to walk out unharmed.

Leading him to immediately throw up on the floor.

Hurling his guts out. He used his telekinesis to remove as much saliva and other things on him while he was inside the creatures mouth.

"I... GO... NOW"

Zephyr lazily waved at it.

"Bye bye then Frand"

During the several hour trio from underground to above ground. Something which should have taken only 30 minutes which was delayed because it felt the need to move Zephyr to somewhere safe. He had asked it a few questions.

Firstly, it's name was Frand. Secondly, it was helping him because he was the blessed of Orovada. Thirdly, he could speak with him because he was the blessed of Orovada.

Which brought up even more questions to Zephyr but in the end. He decided to not ask because it sounded like it was getting angry.

Burrowing back down into the ground. Zephyr looked around to find nothing but plains on his left and a jungle on his right.

Haah

He sighed to himself. If only the taxi worm could have lead him to somewhere else that was safe.