Walking down a corridor, Rob glanced at his watch. Noting that he had a few minutes more, he silently stopped near the specific door, trying to focus on the recently gained ability. In fact, it was less than two hours ago when he got it by taking the serums. Otherwise, his highly risen tolerance would nullify the effect by the end of the day. It gave him no opportunity to train properly, apart from testing the newly acquired power a few times. However, after being empowered so many times with different types of abilities, Robert got something akin to an intrinsic sensation of how to use it from the start. It wasn’t perfect, but overall the omicron particles worked similarly, making it not hard to figure out the process with his experience. Obviously, a straightforward description from Aether was also quite helpful.
Another benefit of this long journey of trial and error was the increase in control over his abilities with steel and Energy Blasts. After using so many energy-fueled powers, Rob’s precision took another step forward. The time spent was one of the main reasons for such an outcome, but, on the other hand, it led to his particular situation, where he had almost no tries left. From his assumption – there were less than a dozen left until the omicron particles would not affect his body. And despite hundreds, if not thousands, of attempts, Robert was never close enough to get something mighty enough to kill Demonologist with his insane level of regeneration. The thing kept returning to life, ignoring even the fact of missing half of the body.
Robert used conjured lasers, summoned fire tornados, raised gravity to the level of a counterfeit black hole, got an insane boost in physical strength and body capabilities, spread the rotting disease with his aura, could age any living being by touch, manipulated any blood in the area – nothing worked against the huge monstrosity, only disabling it for a limited time in the best-case scenario. He repeated his attempts again and again only to get one result – any wound would heal in no time. Moreover, the most damaging weapon was the very same nuclear blast from the start. In the end, no matter how powerful supers were, humankind could destroy anything or anyone, including the whole planet, just with their strength. And this time Rob wanted to rely on it in his potentially final try. The reason was simple – his gained ability gave him a possibility, that he wished for.
By fusing with the omicron particles that are exclusive to the particular realm, the Transcendent temporarily was granted the following supernatural ability – Teleportation. Using the inner energy, the wielder can teleport to any place they have been by creating a corresponding picture in their mind. The distance depends on the weight and the size of everything the wielder wants to take with them. The effect of the infusion will last for two hours thirty minutes until full exhaustion of the serum.
It's not what I wanted… The restart would wipe this ability from my body… So, the only way to end these damned cycles is to do it right now. The dead won’t resurrect, but I just don’t see how I can do it otherwise… No more pondering, Rob. Are you ready for the final dance? Yeah, let’s do it.
Checking the time, Robert nodded to himself before pushing obsidian steel out of his body. The pitch-black matter immediately covered him from all sides, leaving not a single hole. The next moment the barely visible white glow appeared on the armor’s surface, instantly disintegrating his clothes. This light wasn’t flickering even once, turning itself into a real whole piece layer without a gap, despite having an origin from a tiny Energy Blast. From some angles, it even looked like a gloss on black steel. Rob’s weight was already lowered to an absolute minimum after his scientific experiment, reaching something around 150 kg (330 pounds) in a base state. Considering that it didn’t affect his toughness and strength, this fact made him fast. Really fast. Especially after all the growth he experienced. Therefore, mentally preparing himself for what would come, Rob paused.
An instant later he vanished from his spot, lunging himself forward right through the closed door. The latter simply exploded from the impact, sending the wooden fragments all over the place. Then the sonic boom followed, created by his lightning-fast charge. However, Rob’s attention was already aimed at the red sphere that enveloped the superhero. The terrified screams came from Sarah, who failed to understand what was happening with her secret lover. Robert registered it with the back of his mind while smashing into the sphere. Pushing into the wall, he smashed it against the obstacle only to break it at once. Dropping on the middle of the road a moment later, Rob immediately jumped backward to avoid the explosive sphere’s increase in size.
Still, not everyone was so lucky. At least two cars were deformed, turning into a crumpled mixture of metal and flesh. Even more passersby were killed and wounded, being thrown away by a scarlet egg-like portal. Some walls from the nearest buildings collapsed because of the shockwave, but fortunately, it was nothing near to the previous damage if Rob hadn’t acted. However, it was only the beginning of Demonologist grandeur entrance. Shining with a malicious red light that gave off a feeling of dread, the sphere made another jump in size. Only after that did the process halt, providing Robert with an opportunity to check the casualties. There weren’t huge, but there were dead people.
It has to be this way… Otherwise, others will fail to see the real threat from the dragon… I need Sarah alive to push the use of nukes as fast as possible because I am not sure I can survive long enough… Yeah, there is no other option to avoid casualties…
Robert repeated this thought a few times, trying not to look at mutilated bodies, lying motionlessly on the street in pools of blood. He already felt guilty that in his savior run, he had to kill his way to escape from the convoy, wipe out all guards in the laboratory, including both supers and now this. Somehow, his attempt to make it less bloody and more heroic failed from the start. However, the memories of the outcome of the devastated city made Robert firm his resolve. Looking at the dragon’s head appearing through the gap in the realm’s fabric, Rob pushed his obsidian steel in motion.
In the end, his main defense wasn’t black metal, but the destructive layer on top of it. Relying on the latter together with his insane density, Rob could withstand a lot. Therefore, after so much time Rob learned how to make it paper-thin, using the saved matter to form a weapon. Precisely speaking, a rapier. This thin but long sword felt like a feather in his hand and was long tested against the transformed superhero. And when Robert spoke about thin, he indeed meant it as the blade was almost like a needle. There was no cutting edge on this five-meter-long weapon, just a pointy tip at the end. Instead, coated in similar disintegrative energy as his armor, it could penetrate the dragon’s flesh with ease. And it did when Robert jumped at the hellish giant.
An instant later the ugly head was pierced. The disintegrating blade quickly reached the outer layers of the brain, causing a short circuit in the dragon’s consciousness. What seemed to be minuscular damage immediately started to heal, but before it managed to finish, Rob’s body smashed into the toothy jaw. His body was already coated in a similar disintegrative layer, melting the red scales at once before proceeding with fangs and palate. Moreover, the power from the hit felt like a direct uppercut that threw the giant head upward. Even before the monstrosity registered the bug that entered his flesh, Robert dispersed the glow under his feet. The passive regeneration instantly started to close the wound, trapping him inside, but that was his plan.
Stuck not far from the center of the giant head, Rob paused for a moment before pushing all his obsidian steel into the weapon, easily tripling its range. Not losing even a fraction of a second, he swung it to the side, making a rotational move. Only after making several full circles did he finally feel the trembling. Desperately working regeneration tried to heal the damage, but gravity was already pulling an enormous weight down. In the next second a separated head fell from the neck, crashing onto the road. The real waterfall of blood splattered all around, flooding the area. However, before the dust had settled, another deafening earthquake resounded through the city.
The collapse of the huge draconic body, whose part was still hidden in the portal shook the street, causing a wave of panic to spread even further away. Rob’s mind, on the other hand, was completely focused on his task. Burning the hole into the dead flesh to get out from his “flesh cage”, he hastily shredded the gigantic brain into pieces, preventing Demonologist from waking up too soon. Still, the monstrosity had already started to regenerate, creating blobs of ugly-looking flesh. Pulsing, with multiple veins, they were quickly growing in size.
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Frowning from the picture, Rob quickly pulled his weapon inside before forming long hooks on his fingers. Gripping the huge head, he raised it into the air after a short struggle. Firmly planting his feet on the road, Robert threw the “projectile” to the side, simultaneously enveloping his conjured hooks into the destructive layer. The separated head managed to fly only a few dozen meters before crashing into the nearest building, collapsing the latter from the heavy impact. But Robert never aimed to make a record, wishing only to free the way.
The dragon’s newly formed head was half finished, pushing him into motion. Creating another rapier, Rob pierced the flesh before willing the tip to open like an umbrella. And then he turned around and pulled, dragging the unconscious monster out of the portal. The first step was the hardest as the weight of the mountain-like thing was easily comparable to a skyscraper. He even had to slightly melt the road under his feet to create better support. Still, his strength had made a huge leap forward after so much time.
If earlier Rob could turn concrete into dust by simply clenching his fist, now he was far more powerful. The never-stopping reactor that was imbuing him with energy, the draconic nature that made him grow endlessly without any limits, the omicron particles that served as a boost – everything led to the overwhelming might he got after what seemed to be years in this time loop. He never bothered to ask Aether to measure him in any way.
Therefore, after a short resistance, the weight lost the battle with Rob’s raw strength. The huge dragon moved, dragged by a tiny bug. Each next step felt easier, helping to pull the creature out of the hellish world before it regained its consciousness. Unfortunately, Robert wasn’t fast enough as by the moment when the short tail left the scarlet sphere, the eyes of the dumbfounded monstrosity were open. Looking at the human, who dared to cause it pain, the giant dragon felt how anger started to rise inside it. Burning with rage, the creature immediately caused the same effect in reality when the intense flames found their way out from the opened maw. Directed onto a pitch-black figure, they were focused solely on the target, pouring all its wrath on it. The created heat was so huge that the road was turned into a liquid in an instant. The surrounding buildings had a similar fate, partly melting, partly being blown away from the shockwave of thunderous roar. However, when the fire died out, the very same figure was still standing there, enveloped in an intense white glow.
This was the first time the creature was shocked by the sheer tenacity of the puny opponent. Deciding to repeat the attack as if not believing in the uselessness of it, the dragon attempted to suck in the air. However, this was the moment when the figure shot forward. Creating a sonic boom, it entered the opened mouth in a fraction of a second, melting its way inside. Another wave of pain caused the halt of the dragon’s action. This delay was enough for Robert to reach the newly regenerated brain, once again turning into a mush and stopping Demonologist, albeit not for long.
Okay, it’s time!
Gripping the constantly restoring flesh, Robert focused on the ethereal feeling that lingered in the background of his mind. The sensation of freedom to travel whenever he wanted, without limits or restrictions. It felt like a joke from a universe – to grant such power in his circumstances, where he was basically chained to the realm and short time frame. However, exactly the desire to be free from this situation made it much easier to use. Creating an image of the place, a dozen miles away from the city, where he liked to watch the night sky, Robert tried to pull his body to that spot, simultaneously taking the large passenger with him.
This was the moment when he felt the energy drain. For the first time in Aether knows how long, Rob’s energy reactor failed to produce the needed amount. It was like the monstrosity's body was resisting the forced transfer, and not just its size or weight caused Robert troubles. Sensing the running out of time, Rob decisively dispersed his layer only to be captured by the growing flesh an instant later. Pushing his obsidian steel, he halted any control over its shape, abandoning his armor. His pupils were next, turning them back to gray. In the end, Rob redirected everything into the ethereal palm that tried to take him and Demonologist through the fabric of space. However, nothing happened.
It's not enough…
This thought repeated again and again when he tried to teleport. Feeling desperate, Rob finally dropped any attempt to keep safety measures. His own body started to disintegrate, unable to keep up with the drain. In several moments he was reduced to his rector core, while the force shield was fighting for its existence, barely balancing between on the verge of collapsing. Fortunately, the ability finally gave up, transferring both of them into the wastelands not very far from the city. It took a few seconds for Robert to return to his shape before melting his way out of the head. But not until copying the shredder once again, stopping the monster from moving. Dropping to the ground, Robert tried to sprint away only to halt his escape after a single step.
No, I need to be here until the very end…
Looking at the lying gigantic monster, Rob conjured his armor and weapon, preparing for the fight. The necessity to get ready for the latter was crucial as the dragon had a nasty property to heal the repeated damage much faster. There was barely any chance to halt the mad Demonologist for more than a second, even going for his brain once again. Therefore, it left him with limited options. The first one was to dodge the stomp that crushed the ground.
Sliding away in one swift motion, Rob cut through another limb only to see how the bloody line disappeared after a short delay. The monstrosity didn’t even lose the balance, having way too many paws for his liking. It only roared in anger, scaring all animals and birds in a wide area around. The following fire breath devastated the field, turning the thick layer of ground into the ash. It didn't affect Rob, but, unfortunately, he also had nothing powerful enough in his arsenal. Rolling, jumping, sprinting, dodging – Robert was almost like a circus monkey, trying to entertain the demanding spectators in the form of a huge dragon.
However, then he caught the quickly approaching shadow that was dropping from above. Rob’s reaction was instantaneous, without a need to think over the choice. Pulling the image of High Castle in his mind, he immediately teleported himself there. The prison for supers was one of the highest spots, giving a perfect view of the following flash. Bright, it was too distant to blind him but enough to cause the nervous scare from the blast to the bigger part of the city. The sound of a thunderous explosion came after the second missile hit. The mushroom-like dust cloud with flames inside was already growing, rising to the sky.
I need to check it to be sure… If only Aether could give a kill notification, but dreams, dreams…
Teleporting back, Robert found himself amidst the apocalypse. The insane heat in this mist, made from dust and burned flesh, tried to attack him, but pitch-black armor held firm. Moreover, his attention was focused on the search for the transformed super. And despite reappearing in the same spot, Robert found nothing as if the dragon simply disintegrated. It was nothing unusual, considering the terrifying and more importantly concentrated might of nuclear warheads, adjusted to kill even the mightiest wielders of superpowers. There was not even ash left from the flesh of once a huge living being. Just an enormous crater on the place of impact.
Walking for a minute in this local residence of Hell that became a grave for one of its inhabitants, Rob had mixed feelings. He finally achieved what he wished for, saving the city from devastation. The radiation could still reach it, damaging the health of the citizens, but he hoped that twenty miles (32 km) to the outskirts were enough to lower the impact from the initial blast. From what he knew, the radiation in this case was just a byproduct of the explosion as it wasn’t a “dirty bomb” in the first place. Still, this heroic achievement didn’t feel like a victory at all. The sight of the complete destruction only intensified this feeling.
The trembling air from the heat, the flying sparks of still burning ash, the scorched ground inside a gigantic hole made by a terrific blast. His imagination ran wild, creating the picture of the dead, who were killed by Robert to get to this point of “saving” the city. Most of them were resurrected by the restart, but the fact of his deed couldn’t be wiped out from his memory. And in these surroundings, where everything was covered in flames, dust, and invisible poison, Rob felt like he was dragged into Hell to atone for his sins. A perfect place for someone like him.
But now I am free to leave everything behind as if it was a nightmare… Wait, what was that?
Reacting to an odd sound, Rob turned around only to hear another weird beat that penetrated his steel armor and directly entered his mind, causing a wave of ominous premonition. The latter was confirmed when the beat repeated itself, sounding much more powerful than before. The third caused a sudden hurricane. Blowing the dust away, it opened a view of the growing scarlet sphere. Not pausing at the size of the three-story building, it continued its way as if competing with a skyscraper, sending shivers across even Rob’s metal body. Having no desire to see the result, Robert instantly teleported back to the prison tower, watching the start of a thunderstorm at the place of strikes.
Obviously, this fucker isn’t dead… What the heck? Two fucking nuclear blasts and it’s not dead! What the actual FUCK?... No, calm down, Robert, and think… There are new options for you. Despite the failure, I managed to avoid the destruction of the time machine. I bet I can lead it away from the city, and drag the time until I am free to leave this stupid realm… However, there isn't a single chance that someone or something here can kill that thing. It would be a real apocalypse for the whole world… Like the final end for sure. So, the question is – Robert, what do you want to do? Or, precisely speaking, who do you want to be? Time to make a decision… and you better don’t regret it.