After his encounter with the developer, Zack continued with his day. He decided to spar with Octavius, not before tending to his hygiene and changing into his standard blue overalls.

"I figured you'd want to train, but I didn't expect you to do it so soon," Octavius remarked. "You haven't even removed your bandages. Don't you still feel the effects of yesterday's mission?"

"You're forgetting how tough a blessed human can be, and I consider myself pretty tough," Zack responded. "Besides, I've taken some more painkillers plus Prozac pills."

"Heh, you've taken a ridiculous amount, ya know," Octavius teased as he rolled up the sleeves of his overalls. "If you're not careful, you may become addicted."

"Nah, I'm not that careless. The drugs are pretty helpful for my mental and physical state, but I'm a responsible young adult!" Zack responded as he took up a metallic rod. "Anyways, let's get to fighting!"

"Heh, no problem!" Octavius agreed as a chartreuse green viscous liquid began secreting from the pores of his right arm and hand; he had activated his slime blessing.

"Alright! Let's go!" Zack exclaimed as he darted at his friend. Without any hesitation, Zack began swinging the rod at Octavius.

Weird squishing noises were audible as Octavius blocked the rod swings with his sludgy forearms. The slime that covered his arms reduced the impact of Zack's swings, making parrying metal with his bare arms easier.

"Ha! It won't be so easy to hurt me!" Octavius yelled as slime whips elongated from the viscous liquid on his arms and attempted to wrap themselves around Zack. Zack tried to move away, but this was futile as his arms were ensnared by the slimy tendrils.

"Heh, like I said before, it seems my blessing is better, bro," Octavius bragged as he clenched his fist in preparation to punch Zack. As Octavius rewound his fist, Zack was synchronously pulled towards him due to the slime tendrils wrapped around his arms. "Looks like I get the first hit today--"

BOOM!

Zack smirked in response to Octavius's brag, and his metallic rod released a powerful explosion. The blast packed enough power to destroy the slime whips, which restrained Zack and blew Octavius away, slamming him into the walls.

"Urgh...that was...unexpected," Octavius muttered as he quickly pulled himself to his feet.

"Heh, what did you say about your blessing being better than mine, bro?" Zack mocked.

"So you got better with making non-explosives explode, huh?"

"Yeah, it seems all I need to do is visualize this rod as an explosive, and it'll work," Zack responded. "It doesn't always work, but I've gotten the best results like this. I feel like I'm close to mastering it."

"That's neat, but I don't think you should get so happy that you landed a hit. I haven't shown what my ability can do," Octavius remarked. "C'mon, let's continue."

Resuming their spar, Zack rushed at Octavius. His stride was cut short as Octavius fired a slimy ball projectile. With quick reactions, Zack attempted to bat it away with the rod. This was a poor decision, as the projectile splashed all over upon impact with Zack's melee weapon and obscured his vision.

"Ugh!" Zack grunted. Octavius wasted no time as multiple slime whips elongated from his left arm and smacked Zack in his side. The slime whips slapped Zack into the wall at incredible speeds, nearly surpassing the sound barrier.

"Ouch, tch!" The annoyed Zack groaned before quickly pulling himself from the wall and darting at Octavius. He responded by shooting several slime mounds at Zack, but he managed to weave them all.

Witnessing his projectiles being avoided, Octavius manifested more slime whips. Octavius had created six whips on each arm, which all rushed to ensnare Zack. Unfortunately for Octavius, Zack had anticipated this.

As if he was a frog, Zack hopped right over the whips and into the air. Octavius's expression morphed into surprise as he witnessed Zack soar in the air and land behind him. The slime whips quickly retracted into Octavius's arms.

BOOM!

Zack swung the weapon, which released an explosion, and Octavius spun around in tandem. The blast blew Octavius away, but Zack found himself being yanked in his friend's direction.

What!? Zack thought as he realized what occurred. Thinking and reacting quickly, Octavius wrapped his arm with slime whips while Zack swung the metallic rod.

Octavius, who kept on his feet although being knocked away by the explosion and almost losing his balance, quickly recovered himself and delivered a devious straight punch to Zack as he was flung towards Octavius against his will.

"Ugh!" Zack groaned. The force of Octavius's punch while being yanked towards him packed a punch. He was knocked away but was immediately forced back to Octavius again. Octavius had retracted the arm that secreted the slime whips that ensnared Zack, causing Zack to be yanked again.

BANG!

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Octavius executed a powerful hook to the side of Zack's face, sending him into the wall. Satisfied with the attacks delivered, Octavius released the whips on Zack's arm.

"Urgh...you don't hold back, huh?" Zack muttered. He observed the rod he held, which became rather burnt and blackened from the explosions. "Not even on a guy who just got back from fighting super soldiers."

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to fight me. I'm not the one to blame, bro," Octavius responded. "Besides, I gotta show you my blessing is better. Mine is far more versatile than yours."

"Oh, yeah? I guess your blessing is more versatile than mine," Zack agreed as he began rummaging in his pockets. "But I've got an idea how to close the gap now."

Zack took out the pair of gloves he received from the developer. Octavius's eyes widened, and he raised his brow in curiosity.

"Huh? Aren't those the gloves you got from that guy?" Octavius questioned. "What're you gonna do with that?"

Heh, I think I know why the developer gave me these. If it works like I think, I can be an even greater threat in combat. Zack thought as he slid the gloves on his hands. Using tools to perform effectively in fights...So this is how Jack and Nathan normally do it.

"The training must be super good, huh?" Rose, who observed the duo by the warehouse's doors, remarked which garnered their attention. "You two are making a loud ruckus here!"

"Rose? Why are you even here?" Octavius questioned.

"Well, the explosions were pretty loud and annoying," Rose responded. "As an underboss in this damn organization, don't you think I'd want to check it out?"

"S-Sorry," Zack apologized.

"...Tsk, I wouldn't have come here and be all naggy if it weren't for what's happening today," Rose said.

"What's happening today?" Zack questioned.

"Oh yeah, the Silverdust gang is shipping some drugs today, huh?" Octavius stated as he rubbed his chin. "I forgot about them."

"Silverdust...is that the one who damaged some of the director's drugs the last time?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, that's them," Octavius responded. "I hope they don't mess up this time. If they know what's good for them, that is."

"The Silverdust brothers aren't here. They sent a member to deliver the goods," Rose stated. "You guys can continue with your damn noisy training after. I'm going to make sure the goods are accounted for."

"I gotta come since I'm an underboss, too," Octavius replied. "You wanna come, Zack?"

"Uh, guess I will then," Zack responded as he removed the gloves from his hands. "Since I have nothing better to do."

*

Shifting to a different side of the complex, the bustling noises of fellow blue-overalled workers were audible near a warehouse. Coming in twos, these men carried large containers from a stationary truck into the warehouse.

Observing them was an individual donning silver-colored overalls. He was the Silverdust gang member Rose said would deliver the 'goods.'

This man was not by himself, as the director, who observed his men carrying the drugs to be stored in the warehouse, stood beside him.

"Ah, it seems all the drugs are accounted for this time," The director stated. "You can tell your bosses to keep up the work. This is the performance I want to see from them."

"Not a problem, director," The Silverdust member responded. "Not the least bit a problem..."

"The payment will be settled normally," The director responded. "If there's nothing more, I'll return to my home. My underbosses should be here any minute."

"Yeah, I know."

Just as he spoke, the two witnessed Rose, Octavius, and Zack approaching.

"Ah, there they are," The director said with a delighted smile. It seems they brought Zack, too, huh?

As Zack strolled, he observed his fellow workers carrying the large containers. He noticed the drug containers were without lids, revealing transparent packs of snow-white powder.

"Damn, that's a lot of drugs," Zack uttered. "What drugs are they supposed to be?"

"Cocaine," Rose bluntly stated.

"O-Oh," Zack stuttered. I'm staying far away from that, then...

As he continued to observe, Zack's expression morphed into pure bewilderment. He was so strangely surprised that he stopped in his tracks.

"Huh? What the hell did you stop for?" Rose questioned.

"Is there something wrong, Zack?" Octavius asked.

"...Yeah, there is something wrong!" Zack responded before darting into the warehouse, shocking everyone who witnessed him.

"What!?" The director uttered in confusion.

"Get outta the way!" Zack yelled as he pushed a worker from a drug-filled container.

"Tsk, what the hell is your problem!?" The worker angrily questioned as Zack began rummaging in the container. "Do you want to die!?"

The worker's threats didn't daunt Zack as he continued searching, even throwing out several of the cocaine packages onto the ground. This enraged not only the workers but even Rose. Octavius, too, was rather shocked by Zack's strange behavior.

What the hell has gotten into that kid!? The director thought. He was so surprised by Zack that he was speechless.

"W-What is he doing?" The Silverdust member questioned as he seemed strangely unnerved. "Isn't anyone going to stop him?"

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Rose shouted as she rushed towards Zack. "WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO TOUCH THOSE DRUGS, HUH!?"

"Wait!" Zack yelled as he held a cocaine package in the air. "I found it!"

"What the hell did you find!?" Rose questioned. Her angered expression morphed into pure shock as Zack tore open the package. The snow-white rain of the wasted powder falling to the ground didn't surprise Rose. What surprised her was the numerous tiny orbs falling along with the cocaine.

"W-What?" Rose uttered with confusion. Her bafflement was matched by the widened eyes and confused expressions of the workers, Octavius, and the director. The Silverdust member who witnessed this immediately broke out into sweat.

"I knew I sensed some when we walked up!" Zack remarked. "These are bombs! Pretty powerful ones, too!"

"Dammit! Who the hell are you!?" The Silverdust gang member yelled as he frantically pulled a remote from his coat. This remote was likely the detonator. "How could you know that!"

"Wait!" Octavius yelled, but it was futile. The Silverdust member had already pressed the button to detonate the bombs.

Rose, Octavius, and many of the workers reflexively put their arms over their faces to brace for the explosion, but to their confusion, nothing happened.

"Huh?" The Silverdust member uttered with confusion.

"I've got a volatile manipulation blessing, which allows me to manipulate explosions," Zack stated. "Most never think of it, but I can also stop things from exploding. The bombs are already deactivated."

"Wha--"

A combination of plant roots that emerged from the ground, coupled with slime tendrils, which manifested from the slime secretion on Octavius's body, ensnared the Silverdust member.

"AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" The member yelled in agony as the tendrils and plant roots had a very tight grip on his body.

"Heh, good job, bro," Octavius commended.

"...Yes, you did a good job," Rose agreed. "You saved us."

Hearing not only Octavius's commendation but especially Rose's, Zack smiled delightedly.

"Hmpf, good grief. Just when I thought you guys would have gotten your act together, you planned to assassinate me and my valuable men with explosives," The director stated as he coldly stared at the screaming Silverdust member. "This will not go unpunished. Silverdust gang."