Apocalypse: Unlimited Power Items

As Ethan stepped outside, he pulled the Thunderstrike Bow. This time, when he drew it, he was able to pull it halfway—half-drawn—for the first time ever.

Before, when he hadn't learned the Thunder Breathing Technique, the most he could manage was barely 20%. But now, with it drawn halfway, he realized his strength had effectively doubled!

He had never felt this powerful.

With a deep breath, Ethan let go of the bowstring. The Thunderstrike Bow hummed with energy, releasing a purple arrow that sliced through the air with unimaginable speed.

Boom!

The arrow slammed into a tree the size of a child's arm span. The tree was instantly split in half, falling to the ground with a deafening crash. The arrow didn't stop there. It flew another few hundred meters, piercing everything in its path like a hot knife through butter. Trees, rocks, even the earth—it all shattered beneath the destructive power of the arrow.

Ethan stood frozen, wide-eyed. This wasn't just some basic weapon. This was on another level.

"Is this really just halfway drawn?" he thought. "If I pull it all the way back... the damage would be unimaginable."

His excitement surged. It was clear that his strength wasn't just physical anymore—his senses had improved too. He could see clearly for hundreds of meters, and his hearing had sharpened so much that it felt like he had superhuman senses. If that wasn't a talent, then he didn't know what was.

His reflexes had to be faster too. Without thinking, he dashed forward, sprinting at top speed.

Boom!

Just like that, Ethan's body shot forward like a missile, covering a huge distance in mere seconds. The rush of speed almost made him lose control, but thankfully, his enhanced reflexes kicked in, and he narrowly avoided slamming into a wall.

He couldn't contain his excitement. "Thank you, cockroach! You really came through with that breathing technique!" he shouted in disbelief.

Ethan had only practiced for about an hour, but already, his physical strength, speed, hearing, and sight had all been dramatically enhanced. He could almost imagine himself as a top-tier talent already.

The Thunder Breathing Technique had done wonders. It was terrifying to think about how much stronger he could get with more practice. If he kept this up, who could possibly stand in his way?

But, as Ethan thought about it, there was one thing that nagged at him. With the way the world was changing, he wasn't the only one who could unlock abilities. What if others had the same opportunities? After all, there had always been a fascination with ancient martial arts in Asia, and with the world changing, it wasn't impossible that people might discover their own methods for improving.

But Ethan wasn't too worried. After all, he had a talent no one else had: monster-killing loot drops. It was an advantage no one else could replicate.

The next day, Ethan woke up still buzzing from the excitement of his new powers. But his enthusiasm was short-lived.

He awoke to find his bed literally covered in piles of candy. Bags upon bags, strewn all over the place.

"What... what the hell?" Ethan muttered, staring at the sugar avalanche in confusion. He had been dreaming of mutant creatures and treasures, but instead, he woke up to a mountain of sweets.

He paused for a moment, then realized something. "Wait a minute—did I... did I kill a monster... and get this?" He laughed at the absurdity. "I guess this counts as loot, too."

Despite the massive amount of candy—way more than anyone could possibly consume—Ethan couldn't help but think it was a bit over the top. "I'm going to have diabetes before I even get through this stuff," he muttered as he picked up his phone.

He called up a food wholesaler he'd known from before and arranged to sell the candy. Otherwise, he'd have nowhere to put it all.

After sorting out his sugar dilemma, Ethan decided not to waste any time. Instead of heading out to see if he could find mutated creatures or fight some fish, he focused on training.

With the Thunder Breathing Technique enhancing his body, he was feeling better than ever. His progress was significant, but it wasn't enough to get complacent. He needed to be stronger if he was going to face the chaos that was coming.

Hours flew by as he practiced, getting lost in his focus. By the evening, he felt more powerful than he had ever been in his life.

Hungry from the intense session, he cooked himself a simple meal of instant noodles while scrolling through the latest news on his phone.

A headline caught his attention:

"The Talent Association Issues: Power Awakening Classification!"

Just like Lynn had said, the Talent Association had officially classified the powers of awakened individuals. The rankings went from high to low: A, B, C, and D, with each of these categories having three subcategories.

Which meant that, after the global awakening, the lowest level would be D1, and the highest level A3.

The Talent Association had also mentioned that there might be further rankings and encouraged everyone to get tested at one of the association's centers. They were also planning to promote basic martial arts to everyone.

Ethan couldn't help but feel a chill as he read the news. It was official now—everything was about to change. The world was going to be thrown into chaos.

He scrolled through the comments, seeing the same mix of excitement and concern from others. Many people were already announcing that they had awakened powers, but didn't know their exact level. He could already imagine the lines forming at the Talent Association's testing centers.

One comment stood out:

"Hey guys, I'm 16 and I just discovered a... a special talent. Whenever I stimulate a certain part of my body, white liquid comes out. Is this a talent? If so, what level would it be?"

Ethan stared at the comment for a moment before chuckling to himself. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of talent they're talking about, my guy."