Galatic Overlord:I Can Copy Other's Ability

TAP! TAP! TAP!

A man wrapped in a greenish rope around his waist and shoulder walked onto the open field.

The ground was soaked in blood, and the sight was horrible. Broken bodies lay in pieces, torn and cursed beyond recognition. Hex felt uneasy

It was a brutal massacre.

"Judging by this," he muttered, "hundreds of students might've died right here."

He scanned the area, alert. Whatever had done this was smart. It didn't strike head-on.

There was no sign of movement, so he crouched beside a corpse, his nose twitching from the sickening smell.

He avoided the wide-eyed faces frozen in terror and looked for those trampled in the chaos.

Soon, he found one complete head.

Using a stick, he pushed aside the torn flesh. "No gene essence crystal," he whispered, frowning.

The first time he found one, it had called to him.

Like his senses were drawn to it. But now, even after checking a few more, nothing. He was certain the beast didn't eat them. Once it was killed, it just charged ahead.

"Could it be that some awakeners don't have mana crystals?" Hex clicked his tongue. "No... that's not possible."

He stared at the bodies. "This confirms what I suspected," he said under his breath.

"This might not be real, or am I overthinking too much?"

Just then, something shifted in him. His face changed, and he looked to the right. Nothing. But his instinct screamed. "I felt something…"

He narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was paranoia or some hidden ability, a power that cloaked its user.

Quietly, Hex unwrapped the creepers from his shoulder and tied them around his arms. If something jumped at him, this would soften the hit.

He stepped back, eyes scanning the land. His heart began to pound. Something wasn't right. That's when he saw a faint, almost invisible blood claw mark floating in midair.

He froze. 'Wait...'

Then, calmly, he turned left, pretending to look away. But as he spun, his eyes darted sharply, and there it was.

Two paw prints, rising in the air, stepping closer. The moment Hex turned to face them, they vanished into the ground.

Hex understood it right away.

'It's a beast that can turn invisible. What I saw was when the paw was in the air.'

He didn't back off. Instead, his eyes lit up with interest.

"This might be a good chance," he said to himself.

He unwrapped the rope from his waist and held it like a whip. He aimed for the last spot where the claw mark had appeared and lashed out.

CLANG!

A sharp metallic sound echoed in the air.

"KRRUUHNN!"

A faint, pained cry followed as something darted to the side.

The beast leaped away just in time, landing a few meters off. Its movement kicked up dust and blood splashed over its fur. Though still invisible, the blood drops stuck to its body, revealing its shape faintly.

Hex narrowed his eyes.

It was a black, panther-like beast, about the size of a lion. He had heard of such creatures before. Some called them

"Shadow panthers" are known for their stealth and speed.

Hex reacted fast. He whipped the rope again, aiming for the area marked by blood. The panther twisted its body and avoided it, but just barely.

The fight began.

The beast circled him, silent and low. Its paws barely made a sound. Hex moved back slowly, using the rope to keep distance. He was calm and focused.

Watching every hint of movement.

Suddenly, the beast lunged.

Hex ducked and rolled to the side. He whipped the rope mid-roll, and it struck the beast's leg.

A short growl escaped the pather's throat as it backed off, wounded.

"You didn't expect that, right?"Hex couldn't help but mutter underneath.

He was a bit gloomy and reserved, but every time he fought, his still heart seemed to jolt in excitement.

Hex used the chance. He crouched and dragged his second rope from over his shoulder. He wrapped it loosely around one hand, ready to block. The beast didn't wait. It dashed forward again, claws flashing.

The two clashed.

Hex lashed the rope sideways while sidestepping. The panther slid under the whip and struck with a quick claw. Hex jumped back, his shirt tearing near the waist but the claw missed skin.

"Close one," he muttered, eyes locked on the beast.

He circled around again. The wind around them was still sharp but somehow Hex failed to spot the panther

"Huh…Where did it go?"

The land became quiet. The tension was sharp like a blade as Hex rotated around.

Hex paused. He didn't move. His eyes swept the area. Dust shifted near his right.

Without warning, he turned and struck the rope hard.

CRACK!

The whip caught air but something yelped. Hex had hit part of its face. The pain seemed to break the invisibility.

The beast became visible again, shaking blood off its eye.

Furious now, it leapt high and aimed for Hex's chest.

Hex braced.

At the last second, he ducked low. The panther soared above. But as it flew past, its tail came around like a whip of its own.

It was a swift strike with heavy momentum.

Hex couldn't move his arms to block. No time.

He did the only thing he could. He hardened his back and leaned into it.

BANG!

The tail hit his back. But instead of flinging him away, it bounced off with a sharp sound. Hex didn't flinch.

The beast growled. Surprised.

Hex used the moment. He ran forward and slammed his shoulder into the beast, knocking it down.

"I didn't want to use this power yet..." Hex whispered, voice calm but sharp. "...But you leave me no choice."

He let out a breath and hardened his entire body. Skin, muscles everything turned like stone.

The panther struggled to rise but Hex rushed in.

He grabbed the beast's jaws and twisted its head down hard.

A loud crack followed as its nose broke under the force.

The panther tried to pull away, but Hex was faster. He mounted it and began hitting it, one strike after another.

His fists landed like hammers.

The beast screeched, but couldn't escape.

"KRRR!"

It tried to bite him. Hex dodged. It swung its tail. Hex pinned it with his leg. The ground shook with every hit he landed.

Blood sprayed. The beast's body twitched.

But Hex didn't stop. His mind was focused clearly on killing the beast.

"I gave you a chance," he said flatly. "You wasted it."

He hit it again. And again. Until the beast stopped moving.

Its chest didn't rise. Its eyes were wide, dim.

The body twitched once, then went still.

Hex finally stood up. His arms were bloodied but steady. He didn't even breathe heavily. He looked at the beast, then crouched beside it.

He pressed a hand to its chest. A faint glow tickled his fingers.

"There it is…" he whispered.

The gene essence crystal began to surface. A small, glowing shard emerged from the beast's flesh. It pulsed with energy.

Hex took it and held it in his palm. The light reflected in his calm eyes.

Question marks flashed in his eyes again.

"The people around me didn't have it but the beast has it..Is something wrong with my analysis? Or is the entire information about gene crystal in everyone's head just wrong?"

Hex wasn't able to conclude so he gave up for now.

"It was strong," he said. " But thankfully not strong enough."

He pocketed the crystal and stood tall. He turned once more, eyes scanning the area.

The wind blew faintly now. The land was silent again.