Galatic Overlord:I Can Copy Other's Ability

Hex coughed hard as he made his way out of the forest. His clothes were scorched, and smoke clung to his breath. He quickly used his invisibility and stayed hidden among the trees. Instead of coming out right away, he looked back at the burning forest behind him.

In the distance, he saw a group of cadets gathered. It was hard to tell where they came from, but there were at least thirty of them in his view. What caught his attention was the rotating number above each person's head. His eyes narrowed.

"Can they see my number too?" he wondered. The thought made his heart skip.

He didn't know if invisibility would block the number from showing. If they could see him even now, it would be better to find out here than risk it later. Slowly, he walked into the group and stood nearby. No one reacted to him, and he let out a silent breath of relief. It seemed no one noticed.

He listened to their conversations.

"Damn… what should we do now?" one of them asked, panicking in his voice.

"We were told to survive, but what is this? A firestorm?" another added.

A few of them looked at each other, uneasy. The tension was thick. The fear was not just about the fire anymore—people were starting to worry about each other.

"What if someone tries to hunt others for points?" someone muttered.

"Stop that. Even if you kill someone, you'll still die in the fire," another snapped.

"What if we just keep running?" someone else said.

"We don't even know how far the fire goes. If it's like Sector 7's grasslands, even ten days of running won't save us."

That made everyone pause. A deep silence fell over the group.

"The fire might keep spreading… this could get a lot worse," someone said quietly.

"So what should we do then? We can't just stand here."

Just then, a red-haired kid stepped up.

"I heard that if we light a fire from the other side, the two fires will crash and trap others," he said calmly.

People turned to look at him. Some seemed to consider the idea, but before anyone could speak, someone else said,

"What if it makes things worse?"

That thought made them stop again. The plan was risky.

"Instead of wasting time, why don't we ask people with wind or water powers to do something?" another cadet suggested.

A tall guy stepped forward.

"I have wind abilities," he said.

"I have water," another one spoke up.

Soon, more followed. Three water users and two wind users came forward from the crowd.

"Is that enough?" someone asked.

"Not really, but we can look for more," one of them replied.

The small group started moving, spreading out to find more elemental users. Hex followed them silently from behind, staying hidden and alert.

Hex silently followed the group through the scattered bushes, keeping a safe distance. His body flickered slightly as he adjusted his invisibility, trying not to strain it.

The further they walked, the more people they found—cadets who had escaped the blaze, some coughing, some limping, clothes burned and faces blackened with soot. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning bark.

The group with wind and water users took charge, asking around and organizing the scattered cadets. "We need to stop the fire from spreading toward the cliff area. Anyone else with wind or water, step forward," one of them called out. A few more hesitated before raising their hands, joining the team. The rest began forming lines, fetching water from streams or breaking nearby branches to make barriers.

Hex crouched behind a rock, observing their methods. He didn't interfere, just watched quietly. Some were panicked, others trying to hold it together. A boy stumbled past him, muttering, "This isn't training. It's a death trap."

As the sun began dipping low, a faint red glow lit the sky behind them—the fire was still raging in the distance. The wind uses flared gusts to push the smoke upward while water users doused the sides. For a moment, it looked like they were managing to contain it.

But then a sharp cracking sound rang from the east, followed by a blast of heat and light. The fire had jumped a patch and caught on dried treetops.

"It's spreading again!" someone shouted.

"We need more help—get the others here now!" another yelled.

Hex stood there, clenched his fists, and turned his head slightly. He knew this wasn't over. Not yet.

Hex quietly watched from a distance as more people began to team up, trying to control the fire. He noticed Brook and his group already working together. Lia was kneeling beside the injured, healing them with a calm and focused look. Hex narrowed his eyes slightly.

"She's quite kind," he thought.

But just then, Hex's gaze sharpened. He spotted someone sneaking through the smoke toward Lia. His eyes widened. Without a second thought, he grabbed a rock and hurled it. As the rock hit, his invisibility flickered for a moment before he quickly disappeared again.

Lia, who had been tending to a wounded boy, heard a sudden scream.

"AHHH!"

"What?"

She turned sharply. Others looked too. A man nearby was clutching his head and groaning in pain.

"Hey, are y—" Lia started to speak, but before she could finish, someone screamed out.

"He wanted to kill the healed!"

The words rang out, making everyone freeze for a moment. The tension snapped instantly. People looked around, fear and confusion on their faces.

The man's expression darkened as he shouted, "Damn... Which bastard foiled my plan?!"

That one slip confirmed everyone's suspicions. Anger flared.

"Get him!"

The crowd charged. The attacker cursed again. His hand formed a sharp blade, and he slashed at the first person who got too close. Blood sprayed as the person fell back, wounded.

He turned wildly, waving the blade to keep others at bay, then tried to run. But Cory reacted fast. She slammed her hands on the ground, and a wall of earth rose in front of him. He tripped but rolled quickly to his feet.

Just then, a fireball hit him square on the head, flames bursting on impact.

"Argh!" he cried out in agony, falling to the ground and rolling, trying to put out the fire. His clothes were charred, and he trembled violently. Others caught up and stomped him down before he could escape again.

Moments later, they had tied him up using ropes, belts, and anything they could find. He was bruised, bloodied, and unconscious.

But then, another scream echoed from the side.

"He is dead…"

"What?"

Everyone turned toward the edge of the burnt area. There, lying near the fire's edge, were two headless bodies. A cold silence fell over the group.