Chapter 100: Whiplash

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Years ago, Whiplash was selected by the Attilan royal family along with a handful of other Inhumans from a small Earth village to undergo Terrigenesis, a process that would catalyze their latent abilities. From that moment on, he gained an extraordinary and terrifying superpower.

However, after witnessing many of his peers fail to either survive the transformation or awaken with powers as formidable as his, Whiplash developed a fixation: not every Inhuman was worthy of the godlike powers bestowed upon them. They were too weak. They didn't deserve it.

And so, amidst the sprawling Terrigen Mist enveloping the mountain city, Whiplash took it upon himself to execute the unworthy.

"Weak…"

"Trash…"

"Utterly worthless…"

He mercilessly culled the newly transformed Inhumans who hadn't even fully emerged from their cocoons, their carbonized remains scattered by his brutal kicks like discarded waste.

A monstrous being of sheer brutality, Whiplash was feared even by his fellow Inhumans. If not for the favor and recognition of the royal member Maximus, no one would have dared to work alongside him.

"Attilan thrives on strength; defective products are only good for making up numbers."

"Whiplash…" Maximus' voice echoed in his mind. "That man, infamous for absorbing the power of a nuclear explosion, is almost as renowned as you. Your abilities are somewhat alike. If you defeat him and absorb his power, the royal family will surely continue to promote you."

Maximus spoke persuasively, using his telepathic abilities to subtly invade, numb, and control Whiplash's consciousness and thoughts. Born in the slums, Whiplash had already been thoroughly brainwashed by the royal's psychological manipulation.

"He's not even worthy of being compared to me!" Whiplash roared in fury. His eyes turned a deep crimson, and as he entered his combat mode, a row of vicious bone spikes erupted along his spine, extending upward until they reached the back of his head, forming a grotesque crown of spikes. His bulging muscles shredded the simple tracksuit he wore with a loud rip.

"Raaaah!"

Whiplash's roar echoed like a primal beast's, a predator emerging from the wild, ready to pounce. His massive frame charged at Su Chen like a freight train at full speed, shaking the earth with each thunderous step.

"Die!"

He bellowed, raising his right hand, which suddenly radiated an intense, terrifying energy.

*Buzz!*

In the blink of an eye, the energy coalesced into a blinding orb, which he hurled with devastating force. The orb exploded into a massive wave of destructive energy, annihilating everything in its path. The ground beneath them cracked and vaporized, and the surrounding buildings crumbled into dust, consumed by the sheer power of the blast.

Whiplash's first move was a killing blow.

To be fair, the destructive energy wave was on par with the nuclear blast Su Chen had previously absorbed, if not more potent. After all, that nuclear explosion wasn't massive—just a base's self-destruct mechanism.

No wonder Whiplash sneered at Su Chen's reputation—he considered it nothing special.

"See that? What's so great about him?" Whiplash scoffed.

In the midst of this cataclysm, Su Chen was directly in the line of fire. But in the next instant, the gloating expression on Whiplash's face froze as the expanding energy wave began to recede, as though being sucked into a black hole. The brilliant light dimmed and twisted into a vortex, spiraling towards the figure standing in the distance.

"Hmph!"

Whiplash snorted.

Energy absorption and release were abilities they both shared. He could do it too. But Whiplash prided himself on the fact that his ability to absorb energy was more refined—he could convert it.

*Buzz!*

The destructive energy wave Whiplash had unleashed was converted into spatial energy, instantly teleporting him behind Su Chen like a ghost.

*Swish!*

The energy morphed again, this time into a bone spike that grew from Whiplash's arm, an ability he had recently harvested from a newly transformed Inhuman. Now, he aimed to harvest Su Chen's powers.

*Whoosh!*

The bone spike sliced through the air, leaving a trail that spoke of its lethal sharpness. Meanwhile, atop a distant mountain, Maximus observed the battle, ready to intervene. He channeled his potent psychic energy, sending a wave of mental force to assault Su Chen's mind.

But...

"Something's wrong."

Despite the overwhelming psychic assault, Su Chen's mind was shielded by an impenetrable barrier, like a dam effortlessly holding back a raging tide.

"Damn it!!" Maximus gritted his teeth.

This isn't good! Just from the brief clash of their minds, Maximus felt a chilling dread. Su Chen's mind was calm, completely unflustered, yet unfathomably deep—like staring into an abyss.

In that moment, Maximus knew that Whiplash's every move was laughably futile in Su Chen's eyes.

"Ugh…"

Whiplash hesitated.

*Snap!*

Su Chen casually turned and caught the incoming bone spike with his right hand. With a single squeeze, he shattered it into fragments.

"You really are an ignorant fool, living so blissfully simple and naive."

Su Chen's cold gaze pierced through Whiplash.

*Crack!*

With a slight exertion of force, the bone spike crumbled completely in Su Chen's grip. The fragments scattered like dust.

"You damned bastard!"

Whiplash couldn't bear the condescending look in Su Chen's eyes. Relying on his ability to control external energy, he charged forward, unafraid.

Indeed, he could absorb energy—kinetic energy from physical blows, and even the energy from close-range explosions.

However, the amount of energy he could absorb was limited by his body's capacity as a vessel.

Without a sturdy container, how could he hold more water?

"Goodbye."

At that moment, Su Chen's cells surged with energy. His right fist glowed with an overwhelming power, which he directed straight into Whiplash's body.

*Boom!!*

On impact, the majority of Whiplash's body exploded, unable to contain the massive energy unleashed within him. His energy overflowed from his ruptured form, spilling out uncontrollably.

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