"Alright, I'll stop wasting time," Liam said casually as he stepped down from the platform and returned to his seat.
Cyclops immediately took over, his voice firm as he announced the official start of the competition. The rules were simple and brutal—one-on-one elimination. That meant half the participants would be knocked out in the very first round, leaving no room for hesitation or second chances.
"Wes, I'm up!"
Wanda rushed over to his side, her crimson eyes locked onto him with determination. There was a mix of excitement and tension in her expression, but more than anything, she wanted his acknowledgment.
"Go on," Liam said with a smile. "Show them what you've got."
"I will!"
Encouraged, Wanda spun around and ran toward the arena, her steps noticeably lighter. As soon as she stepped onto the platform, the atmosphere shifted subtly. Even without fully awakened Origin Magic, the energy around her carried an undeniable presence.
The moment the match began, her hands ignited with a deep red glow.
Before her opponent could even react, an invisible force gripped him and hurled him clean off the stage. The entire exchange lasted less than a second, ending before most people even understood what had happened.
Wanda didn't even look surprised. She simply lowered her hands, her expression calm but proud.
"That's Origin Magic…" Liam murmured inwardly, watching closely. The potential alone was staggering, and it only made him want that power even more.
His system interface quietly surfaced in his mind:
[Host: Liam Hayes][Super Ability: Vector Manipulation, Teleportation, Ice Control, Flame Control, Energy Absorption, Electromagnetism, Evolution, Telepathy, Super Infrasound, Spatial Reversal, Atomic Collapse, Stealth, Molecular Manipulation, Dragon Form, Super Brain, Weather Control, Vibration, Final Element Matter, Dimensional Traversal, Mechanical Heart, Iron Body, Illusion, X-Ray Vision, Psychic Cannon, Super Regeneration...][Super Ability Level: Lv.4 (Fourth-Level Mutant)][Experience Value: 9000/10000]
It wasn't until just yesterday that Liam had remembered to sign in with Logan, gaining his powerful regenerative ability. With every new addition, he was inching closer to breaking through to Level 5.
Once he crossed that threshold, there would be very few beings on Earth capable of threatening him.
The thought alone was enough to stir excitement deep within him.
"Still haven't used today's sign-in," he thought, his gaze shifting back toward the arena. "Might as well find something worthwhile."
At that moment, the next match began.
Quicksilver stepped onto the stage, facing off against a student who could transform his body into solid rock. It looked like a decent matchup on paper—durability versus speed.
But reality didn't even give the second contestant a chance.
Before he could complete his transformation, Quicksilver had already dashed forward and shoved him clean off the platform. The entire match ended almost instantly, leaving behind nothing but stunned silence.
"Did you see that?" Quicksilver appeared beside Liam in a blur, grinning proudly. "I wiped him out in a second."
"Not bad," Liam said, nodding with genuine approval.
Then, suddenly, he paused.
His eyes lingered on Quicksilver, and a realization clicked into place. Why had he been so fixated on Origin Magic when something just as broken was standing right in front of him?
Super speed.
In certain timelines, Quicksilver could move so fast that everything around him appeared frozen. Explosions, bullets, collapsing structures—none of it mattered. He could walk through it all like time itself had stopped.
Compared to that, Origin Magic wasn't necessarily superior—it was just different.
Without hesitation, Liam made his decision.
[Ding! Do you wish to sign in with mutant Quicksilver?]
"Yes."
[Ding! Sign-in successful. You have obtained the super ability: Super Speed. Experience +100.]
"Finally," Liam exhaled softly, satisfaction spreading through him.
Before this, his physical evolution combined with abilities like Dragon Form and Psychic Cannon already allowed him to move at supersonic speeds. At higher levels, he could even double that.
But now?
That previous speed was nothing.
With Super Speed integrated, he could easily push into hundreds of times the speed of sound. And that wasn't even close to the limit. At its peak, Quicksilver's speed approached relativistic levels.
And Liam's ceiling was even higher.
Once he reached Level 5, surpassing the speed of light wouldn't be a stretch—it would be inevitable.
Even someone like the Flash would no longer hold an uncontested advantage.
The thought alone put him in an exceptionally good mood.
In the next instant, he vanished.
Then he reappeared exactly where he had been, as if nothing had happened. The entire movement took less than a second—so fast that anyone not paying close attention would have missed it entirely.
Polaris, however, narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…What was that?"
Before anyone could question further, Liam casually held up a box of ice cream.
"Here."
"Huh?" Rogue blinked in confusion as she took one. "Where did that come from?"
"Did you make it with molecular manipulation?" Lauren asked immediately. "Give me one too."
Liam handed her a bar with a faint smile. "Nope. Bought it from an ice cream shop in New York."
"Wait, what?" Shadowcat frowned. "When did you even leave?"
Clarice tilted her head thoughtfully. "Teleportation?"
"Close enough," Liam replied, nodding lightly.
In reality, he had simply sprinted to New York and back using pure speed. The entire trip had taken less than a second—including paying for the ice cream.
That alone spoke volumes about how absurd his current velocity had become.
Quicksilver being classified as a third-level mutant had always been ridiculous. Even if he didn't qualify as Level 5, he was absolutely worthy of Level 4.
The competition continued at a rapid pace, each match showcasing different abilities and strategies. By the end of the day, the first round of fifty matches had concluded.
Over the next two days, the elimination rounds continued.
By the fourth day, the first Super Ability Competition finally came to an end.
The top ten stood clearly defined:
Clarice, Rogue, Shadowcat, Lauren, Andrew, Quicksilver, Wanda, Pyro, Iceman, and Colossus.
These ten represented the strongest among the academy's current students.
Inside the war room, Liam looked at them with a relaxed smile. "First of all, congratulations. You've secured the top ten, and as promised, the rewards will be substantial."
At his signal, Yuriko Koyama stepped forward and began distributing stacks of cash to each of them.
The moment the money hit their hands, excitement spread instantly through the group.
Wanda, who had taken first place, received forty thousand dollars. Her victory had been hard-earned, though Quicksilver's earlier concession had played a significant role.
At this stage, his speed was still a nightmare matchup for someone like her.
Second place went to Quicksilver, earning him thirty thousand dollars.
Iceman and Pyro both had incredibly powerful abilities, but their attacks simply couldn't keep up with someone moving at that level of speed.
The biggest surprise, however, was third place.
Lauren.
Using her refined control over molecular condensation, she had narrowly defeated her brother Andrew in a tense match. While Andrew's molecular destruction was technically more powerful, Lauren's precision and effort had given her the edge.
The water molecules she controlled had become razor-sharp, capable of slicing through steel with ease.
....
Can't wait to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon and get 60+ chapters.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: [email protected]/Divine_Quill
Join Right Now