Apocalypse: Unlimited Power Items

Naturally, Ethan kept scrolling through the comments, entertained by the absurdity unfolding.

"Wait, is it me or did I totally misinterpret that?"

"Wow, turns out I have that talent too!"

"LOL, if that's a talent, then we all have it!"

"Yeah, every guy reaches this 'awakening' at a certain age. Let's start sharing when we first activated ours!"

"I swear, this feels like Spider-Man vibes."

"Haha, the world's changing and I was scared at first, but now I'm just cracking up."

Most people were laughing, but one person seemed serious, replying, "Of course it's a talent. Based on my analysis, it's probably D-level."

The comment quickly racked up thousands of likes, and Ethan couldn't help but blink in confusion. "D-level? Really? These people..."

He let out a sigh, closing the comments, then switched to his class group chat.

The chat was still buzzing.

"Lynn's always ahead of the curve. She already knew about The Talent Association's news before it even came out!"

"Seeing so many people awakening their powers is driving me crazy. I haven't felt a thing yet. What's going on?"

"The Talent Association also said they're releasing basic martial arts to help improve physical fitness."

"I'm about to awaken my talent. It's gonna be A-tier!"

"Is that Hepatitis B?"

"Damn it, Ned, shut up!"

Ned's antics were still in full swing.

Ethan couldn't help but laugh, wondering what kind of "talent" someone like Ned could possibly have.

In the midst of all the excitement, Ged dropped a video into the group chat.

Curious, Ethan clicked on it.

The video opened to a sprawling mansion backdrop, and the camera zoomed in on Ged, the guy who always acted like he was royalty. His family had some local influence, not as big as Lynn's family, but definitely with enough power to make him walk around like he owned the place.

Ethan watched as Ged struck a martial arts stance, slowly starting to move his arms like he was performing Tai Chi. At first, the movements were slow and smooth, but then something shifted. His hands moved faster and faster until they were nothing but blurs, leaving behind ghostly afterimages.

"Wait... is this his awakened power?" Ethan thought as he realized what was going on. Ged was showing off, of course, but this seemed to be a speed-based talent.

After flaunting his hand speed for a bit, Ged turned and punched a wooden post a few feet away. The first punch barely made a dent, but then he kept throwing punches at a dizzying speed—one punch after another, faster than the eye could follow. The sound of impact was almost deafening.

Boom!

A few seconds later, the wooden post was destroyed, blackened from the heat of the punches. Ged looked at the camera smugly and said, "In three seconds, I can throw a hundred punches."

Ethan couldn't help but admit, "That's pretty impressive. Even now, I'm not sure I could match his punch speed."

After all, a regular person could probably only throw three or four punches a second, but Ged? He was hitting more than thirty per second. That was something else.

Ethan guessed Ged's talent was probably at least B-tier. Pretty powerful, but still, Ethan didn't feel threatened. His abilities, like the Thunderstrike Bow, were more versatile, and once he mastered them fully, there was no contest.

The class chat exploded with excitement.

"Ged is amazing!"

"Holy crap, Ged's punches are insane! He could probably knock out a rhino!"

"Ged, have you tested your talent level yet?"

"I'm guessing it's A-tier. His speed is off the charts!"

"Ged is a legend! No matter how the world changes, he'll always be on top!"

Ethan could practically hear Ged's ego inflating with every compliment. He didn't blame him; the guy was probably riding high, thinking his speed-based power was unbeatable. After all, a B-tier talent like that was already a huge advantage.

But then, Ned chimed in with a comment that changed the mood.

"Damn, Ged, with that hand speed, you could do wonders with... y'know... other activities. That's gotta be next-level."

The chat instantly derailed.

"Hahaha, Ned, are you suggesting what I think you are?" another classmate teased.

"Seriously, that's the real use for that talent, right?"

"Come on, think of the possibilities... 'Golden Finger' technique, anyone?"

Ned had completely turned the conversation upside down, and soon everyone was laughing. But it didn't sit well with Ged, who was probably fuming by now.

"Ned, shut up, will you? You're not helping anyone," Ged snapped back.

Ethan chuckled to himself, realizing that only Ned could get under Ged's skin like that. Watching Ged lose his cool was a rare treat, and it was kind of hilarious.

Ethan put his phone down after reading through the latest messages. He had to focus on his own progress. Seeing how fast Ged had unlocked his talent only pushed Ethan to work harder. He needed to level up, and fast.

He closed his eyes, sitting in his small apartment, and began practicing the Thunder Breathing Technique again. He was getting better at controlling his breath, syncing with the rhythm of the technique.

Short, long, short... long, long, short... long, short, long...

It was a simple pattern, but it took serious focus to get it right.

As he focused, the air around him seemed to buzz with energy. Time passed, and his body started to hum with power.

Suddenly, a loud vibration echoed from outside.

Ethan paused, his senses immediately picking up the source of the sound. It was coming from the direction of the western suburbs. Could it be... a mutated creature?

Ethan's heart raced with anticipation. He had to find out.