Level Two Norman 2

"How did you find my address?!" 

Ace looked puzzled. The person in front of him resembled Norman, but something felt off. This one's height reached all the way to his shoulders, and his features were more handsome as well. 

"Are you Norman's brother?" 

Norman's shocked expression turned deadpan, and he pulled Ace into the apartment, cautiously checking to see if anyone had seen them together. Noticing no one on his floor had come out to check the voices, he heaved a sigh of relief. 

"Get inside. My neighbors almost called the cops on me this morning. I don't want to cause another scene." 

Ace, confused by what he meant, scrutinized the young man who seemed like a superior version of Norman. He pursed his lips, feeling an odd familiarity but needing to test it to be sure. His mind churned, and he devised a plan. 

"What's one million thirty-seven times eight hundred and thirty-seven, divided by—" 

"Stop, stop! It's really me. I don't have any siblings." 

"Well, I can't believe it," blurted Ace, making Norman roll his eyes. 

"Believe me, I've spent hours wondering why this happened. When I came back this morning, this face greeted me in the mirror." 

Ace was baffled. Although Norman's voice was deeper, he recognized it but struggled to reconcile the name with this new face. Remembering what Norman had said just now, he asked. "Why did your neighbors almost call the cops on you?" 

Norman shook his head and pointed to a large red splatter on the wall next to them. Ace's face turned grave, and his voice suddenly turned low as if he was afraid someone might hear him through the walls. His mind could only go to a single place seeing the smear of blood right here at the entrance. 

"Who did you kill?" 

Norman seemed to want to cry all of a sudden, but one couldn't tell if it was from sadness or happiness. "I didn't kill him, but I wish I did. When I came back, I heard screams out here at the entrance. My father was yanking my stepmom by her hair." 

"And?" 

"Well, I took a page out of your book and slapped him." 

Ace turned to look at the patch of bloody wall, and when he looked down, he even saw a couple of teeth lying around. He clicked his tongue, thinking that Norman must've slapped the guy with a bat instead of his hands. 

Norman continued, "What I didn't know was that my body had grown so strong that I almost killed him with that slap. Though I thought he deserved it, my stepmom begged me to let him go." Norman suddenly turned elated and Ace could see a deep satisfaction in his two eyes. "You should've seen his face, Ace. He looked at me like I was a monster. And I loved every second of it. I don't think that asshole is ever coming back." 

Ace imagined it wasn't only him that had benefited from the trip, but it was still a shock to have his speculation proven right. Thinking of this fact, the sense of urgency only grew. But he had another speculation that he hoped would be proven wrong, but deep down he knew the chances were not on his side. 

Ace said, "You aren't the only one who grew stronger, Norman." 

Norman rolled his eyes, "Please stop. You could do this even before we left." 

"You don't understand. However much you think you've improved, multiply it by ten when you apply it to me." 

Norman shivered when he imagined the implications, and he suddenly pulled out his phone to play a video for Ace. A video of a young man whose face was obscured by a black hoody, jumping from a fifth-floor window. 

Ace felt a strange familiarity. Seconds later, it clicked. "That's me, isn't it? Word spreads too fast!" 

"Why didn't you keep a low profile?" poked Norman. "Jumping from the top floor of our high school? Are you..." 

Ace knew what Norman next word would be. He didn't blame him for misunderstanding, for in his mind, keeping a low profile was imperative. 

"You don't get it, Norman. I don't have time. Every second counts." 

Norman was confused but listened. He knew Ace wasn't a genius, but calling him average-minded was a mistake. He knew there had to be a good reason to justify his behavior. 

Ace continued, "Something happened in that world to us. I'm stronger, my mind sharper, my bones unbreakable. I weigh a hundred and eighty pounds, but this morning I supported two thousand pounds on my shoulders. And I can run faster than—" 

"A car?" Norman interrupted. He'd seen videos of Ace overtaking cars, moving with the agility of a cheetah but with a human form. It was awe-inspiring but didn't explain why Ace was revealing this to the whole world. "I grew in strength from being in that world as well. On the first night right before the ants attacked, I broke my pushup record five times over. By now, I can probably do an infinite number of them and not tire out. I have grown five times stronger, and then another ten times on top of that. And the source of my power is in my apartment. But with every second that passes, that thing that made me gain such power gets one second closer to wasting away." 

"Well, what is it?!" Norman shouted, irritated but now demanding to know what he was talking about. 

Ace grinned. "Wolf meat!" 

Norman's eyes widened in shock and he didn't dare believe. He gasped, "You defeated one of those wolves?" 

Ace was suddenly trembling with fear at the thought of facing such a monster in battle. He swiftly clarified. "No! I found one dead after it fought something else and lost. I carved some meat off the carcass. I'm not that strong!" 

Norman's shock faded, and he sighed in relief. He couldn't imagine a human defeating such a beast and didn't know what would happen to the world if such a human existed. Wouldn't such a person be capable of conquering the world? "So, I was right in saying it might not be the apex predator?" he added. 

Ace confirmed. "Exactly. But I need your help to preserve the meat. Do you have cash? A good freezer costs at least five hundred bucks." 

Norman shook his head. "You can't leave it in your motel room. Move it to a safe location. Warehouses with freezing capabilities near Golden Dragon City cost thousands for transport and storage. We need five thousand, but getting it without drawing attention is impossible." 

Ace nodded, frustrated. "What do I do? I can't steal. Too many eyes are on me. Figure something out, Norman. The meat is spoiling, and the authorities might find it. That's why I was in a rush to get here and even risked having people find out about my strength. I had speculated that I wasn't the only one to be enhanced after being transported, but hearing your confession about your dad, only confirmed it for me. You think the party is going to want superhumans running around, and being physically above the law?" 

Norman couldn't help but agree with Ace's assessment. The government would definitely step in and try to control the transmigrators and everything they brought back. In that case, Ace rushing was the best course of action as the clock was ticking on the time they had before the government stepped in. Norman realized their biggest problem wasn't the meat spoiling, but its potential confiscation. Despite current peace and liberties, he knew the authorities' dark past. Murder, torture, infanticide, organ theft, and worse. They seemed angelic if you obeyed but would treat you and your children worse than dogs if you threatened stability. 

As Norman was beginning to wrap his mind around the potential outcomes, footsteps loudly echoed from the hallway, stopping right at Norman's apartment door. 

Knock! 

Knock! 

Two loud knocks made their hearts skip a beat, the worst outcome appearing in their minds. They looked at each other, and they could see the same thing reflected in their eyes. Damn, they are fast!