Apocalypse: My Talent Is Infinite

Putting some distance between them, D-One was shaken to the core after that close brush with death.

His eyes couldn't help but flick toward Aron, whose expression had shifted into one of clear annoyance.

Everything had happened too fast, mere seconds, and death had almost claimed him.

> I told you to study him and not let rage cloud your judgment! He's too weird!

The same female voice from earlier echoed in his mind, scolding him harshly.

> You should know this by now. Your "infinite lifespan" and "limitless mana" aren't free. My life is tied to yours! If you die, so does this world and everyone in it!

"Relax. Nothing's going to happen to me," D-One replied coolly. "He just caught me by surprise."

> Don't give me that shitty excuse! Even though he killed your brother, so what? In the grand scheme of things, he could've been a great asset to us. But since we're already past the point of no return, don't hold back. Kill him as quickly as you can!

Aron, unaware of the intense exchange taking place right in front of him, was busy lamenting his failed attempt.

"Tsk."

He knew he was no match for D-One.

As he'd predicted, aside from his original talent, he couldn't claim any of D-One's other abilities.

[1,000,000 EXP required to claim Rebate (Passive Authority)]

Aron frowned at the absurd number.

At this stage of the apocalypse, he could barely scrape together fifty EXP.

A million? That was beyond ridiculous, so he simply ignored it.

He knew he wasn't D-One's equal, not even close.

But was he afraid of dying? No.

Was he ready to die now? Also no.

Was he going to run away and fight another day? The thought never even crossed his mind.

As much as he hated to admit it, Aron loved the rush that came with battles where death hovered close.

Some might call him a masochist, others a psycho, but to Aron, the apocalypse was home.

Love, peace, comfort, those were emotions for weak people.

He'd chased them once and gained nothing.

So now? To hell with it all. Mercy had no place in his dictionary.

Anything that moved the wrong way was fair game.

His gaze drifted to the wound on D-One's side.

The annoyed look faded from his face, replaced by a faint, upward curve of his lips.

(The long way it is, then.)

"Heal."

D-One's entire body glowed briefly before dimming again.

The hand clutching his stomach loosened.

The wound that should have been there was gone, only the torn shirt and the blood on his clothes and hands remained.

As D-One healed himself, he looked forward to seeing surprise or despair on Aron's face.

Instead, Aron smiled.

Not getting the reaction he wanted, D-One sneered. "I'll show you what it means to have true power."

Aron didn't reply. He just kept that infuriatingly calm smile.

That expression alone made D-One's irritation flare hotter.

His voice turned cold, his eyes sharp, as he took off his shirt, revealing a well-built body.

A moment later, his aura exploded.

A suffocating pressure burst from D-One, his strength surging to unfathomable levels.

The once-chaotic battlefield fell silent, like a graveyard.

People watching from miles away could only stare in disbelief.

"Is he insane? Why isn't he running?"

"Can he even escape from that monster now?"

"Damn, this is crazy."

"The power gap is ridiculous."

"What a pity. The Saint guy could've had a bright future if he hadn't offended that monster."

"Yeah. If I were in his place, I'd have broken down long ago."

Amid the chatter, five figures stood apart from the crowd, Levi, Ana, Jergenmay, and two silent women behind them.

Everyone else instinctively kept their distance as they watched in grim silence.

After D-One activated his "God Mode," he looked at Aron, only to see that same hateful smile still plastered on his face.

"Let me help you wipe that grin off your face."

Before his words finished echoing, D-One vanished.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ground shattered beneath them. Even the spectators miles away coughed up blood from the shockwaves; the weaker ones fainted outright.

The trio, however, stood their ground, silently observing.

When the dust settled, D-One stared in disbelief. He had expected to see Aron broken and bloody.

Instead, Aron stood untouched, watching him with that same calm, mocking smile.

That's when D-One remembered his first attack, how it had been blocked.

But he refused to believe he couldn't break through the dome.

He refused to accept it. Blow after blow rained down, tearing up the ground, reducing everything nearby to rubble, yet Aron remained unharmed.

Aron's plan was simple: drain D-One's lifespan.

He could barely fight the man under normal conditions, let alone when D-One was a hundred times stronger.

He couldn't even track his movements.

If not for activating the dome earlier, he doubted he'd have been fast enough to use it in time.

He wasn't ready to die yet, so he decided to play the waiting game.

So he smiled, deliberately, to provoke D-One into burning through his lifespan faster.

(If only he knew D-One had access to infinite lifespan and mana.)

Hours passed.

D-One's relentless assault finally paused when that gentle female voice returned in his head.

> If I'm not mistaken, that talent he's using is "Fortisphere," an absolute defense ability.

If not for its limitations, it would rival an Authority-rank talent.

Even with his rank, he shouldn't be able to maintain it for more than five minutes, let alone hours.

No amount of cores or upgrade points could change that at his current level.

And the original owner of that ability is supposed to be dead, just like this guy.

> D-One, use it. Kill him fast. If by some miracle he escapes, he'll become too much of a threat to us.

Hearing the voice, D-One's expression hardened. He knew she was right, Aron was just too strange for his liking.

Pain flickered in his eyes as a black orb appeared in his palm.

Inside the dome, Aron, who had been shocked that D-One could sustain God Mode for hours without aging or tiring, suddenly frowned at the sight of the black orb.

His inspection ability, or any of his abilities for that matter, wouldn't work inside the dome. He couldn't identify what it was.

For the first time, a faint unease crept into his heart.