Overload

The fire support mission. The massive water droplet swallowed the train, stretching its body. Stretching endlessly without breaking, like melted cheese, the giant droplet was more than enough to halt the train's momentum—if there had been no interference, that is.

Boom! Dozens of flashes of light rained down on Rain, who was floating in midair. Of course, she had teammates protecting her, but the sudden onslaught shattered Rain's control over the water droplet.

The train writhed once more and crashed back down to the ground. Crash! The earth shook violently. Shaking its massive frame, the train crawled back toward the derailed tracks on its own, settling its heavy body right back on top of them. Watching the train move as if it were a living creature was enough to leave me utterly dumbfounded.

"Stop it!" Jin screamed. His voice sounded like a desperate shriek, but very few people here were actually capable of moving right now. To dodge the beams of light pouring down from all directions while keeping pace with the train, one had to move as fast as those very beams. How many people here possessed that kind of speed? Everyone was resisting the onslaught with looks of sheer frustration on their faces.

"Jeff!" Shine's voice called out to me. Without even replying, I kicked off the ground. Patter, patter. The faint sound of my footsteps was audible only to my own ears. Because the surrounding explosions swallowed almost every other sound, no one but Shine realized I was preparing to sprint.

"Don't go!" The train didn't stop. Its long body was already leaving us behind, showing us nothing but its tail end. My mind went blank. Shine's gaze locked onto me, her eyes slowly dyeing a deep, dark black. But it was too late. My body was already hurtling forward.

Crackle! Sparking from my heart, electricity surged through my entire body. My senses expanded, and my physical capabilities surged. Every cell in my body woke up. The pure white steam rising from my lips carried a blue electrical charge. Charting my course was simple. A straight line—all I had to do was run. The moment I took a step forward, I shot forth like a bolt of lightning. Shine's voice calling out from behind me rapidly faded into the distance.

Kaboom! A shockwave erupted right behind me. My body stumbled slightly, but it wasn't a direct hit. I looked up at the sky as I ran. Dozens of helicopters were flying overhead, pursuing the train. No, to be more precise, they were pursuing me as I pursued the train. The ability users aboard the helicopters were trying to halt my movements with their powers. Meteors rained down from all directions. Even as the impacted earth convulsed and flipped itself inside out, I didn't fall.

Faster— Blue electricity erupted from the soles of my feet, lifting me into the air. Instead of running, I glided. Sliding through the air at breakneck speed, my body pressed tight against the side of the train. Through the torn outer plating, the ordinary-looking interior of the train was exposed. I reached out toward it. The cold sensation of metal brushed against my hand.

The incoming transmission rang in my ear. I opened my mouth to reply, but the sheer speed scattered my voice into the wind. And in that exact moment, I had no choice but to let go of my grip. A red flash of light slammed into the side of the train I was clinging to, blowing it to pieces. Crash! If I had been even a second slower, it would have been me shattered into pieces instead of the train's plating. In that brief moment of hesitation, the train pulled rapidly ahead.

This time, the receiver brought Jin's voice instead of Shine's. I clutched the receiver as I ran and replied, "I'm chasing the train!"

Jin went silent for a brief second before speaking urgently.

I didn't answer. To be completely honest, I wasn't confident. Boom! Another attack rained down from the sky. I leaped into the air and shouted, "Open it!"

Rip! No sooner had the words left my mouth than space tore open, revealing a portal. Without stopping, I threw myself inside. My vision inverted in an instant. A wave of dizziness made me stumble, but I quickly regained my balance as my feet touched the ground. Whoosh! A violent wind whipped past my body. I had landed right next to the train as it tore through the air. I immediately sprinted forward.

The surroundings were bright. We had crossed another boundary wall dividing the districts. The train showed no signs of stopping, even though a station lay directly ahead. I kicked off the ground and soared into the sky. Blue electricity scattered in all directions from my floating body. My body moved exactly as I had been trained. Spinning in midair, I pulled a metal rod from my pocket and hurled it toward the helicopters. Enveloped in blue light, the metal rod flew with a deafening sonic boom. Crash! While I couldn't hit every single one, I managed to shoot down several of the helicopters tailing me. Leaving the burning, falling choppers behind, I turned my attention back forward.

The train was already passing the station. It sped away as if refusing to grant me even a single second. Panting heavily, I reached up and grabbed the high-voltage power lines hanging high in the air. Zzzzt! A violent current surged, biting deep into my skin. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But I didn't resist it. Black smoke began to rise from my skin. A burnt smell wafted from within me. The tips of my white hair began to singe black. "Ugh...!" I absorbed every single drop of electricity powering the train. The lights of the surrounding city began to flicker and die one by one. A colossal amount of electrical current flooded into my body. I felt like I was on the verge of losing consciousness, but Shine's voice echoing in my head barely kept me anchored. Jeff! I smiled at her worried voice.

The charge was complete. A clicking sound echoed from deep within my body. The switch was flipped. Boom! Blue electricity erupted outward, enveloping my entire body. My mind accelerated. Time around me began to slow to a crawl. Power overflowed from every fiber of my being. An omnipotent sensation that I could do absolutely anything washed over me. A profound sense of fulfillment filled my body. My peak state—I had entered Jeff Origin.

The receiver in my ear exploded. The clothes I was wearing began to singe and burn. But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what did that matter? Right now, I could do anything. A smile played on my lips. Yet, I didn't move. Electricity was still flowing continuously through the power lines gripped in my hands. More. Even more. Beyond the limit. Thump! An explosion echoed from my heart. But I still didn't let go. Thump! Another explosion echoed in my head. Still, I held on. My vision began to bleach white. The moment I surpassed the limit of the electrical current I could contain, I could no longer see or hear. Yet, everything around me was as clear as if it were right in front of my eyes. A vast electromagnetic field expanded, blanketing the entire district.

Pop! The power lines burst. Naturally, the electricity flowing into me was cut off. Only then did I let go. My movements were cautious. If I made even the slightest misstep, it felt as though the immense current packed inside my body would detonate in all directions. My body floated in midair, refusing to fall. Crackle! Even though I did absolutely nothing, everything in the vicinity reacted. The neatly laid tracks tore from the ground and drifted into the air. The metal structures making up the station warped and floated upward, causing the people nearby to scatter in panic.

Rumble! Another barrage of attacks flew from the helicopters hovering in the air. Without moving, I simply reached out my hand. A bizarre distortion manifested right in front of me. I didn't know what it meant. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just did it because I could. The flashes of light flying toward me vanished entirely. I waved my hand once more. Instantly, another distortion appeared around the helicopters. crunch! The moment space warped, the helicopters floating in the air were dragged toward the distorted point. As if pulled by a powerful magnet, all the helicopters crumpled together into a single mass. Boom! When the explosion cleared, what remained was a colossal ball of iron. I pulled it right in front of me.

Instinct told me I couldn't maintain this state for long. That meant there was only one thing left to do. I recalled my technique, the one I usually used with coins. Lucy—no, Shine Meteor. The name she had given it. I prepared to unleash it. The moment my outstretched hand twitched, the massive iron ball floating before me began to spin. As it spun, it sprayed dark red blood and some kind of slimy residue in all directions. Crackle!Zzzzt! The spinning iron ball heated up, beginning to glow white-hot. As the blue electricity wrapped around it surged violently, I knew it was ready. I swung my hand toward the iron ball.

Thud! With a light impact, the iron ball shot forward. KABOOM! Everything blocking its path melted away. The iron ball tore along the tracks at a terrifying speed, liquefying anything in its way. My body slowly began to descend as the electricity enveloping me gradually drained. I focused my mind to control the launched iron ball. Screeech! Grinding down everything in its path, the iron ball began to shrink. Yet, it didn't stop, quickly catching up to the train. I hastily twisted the trajectory of the iron ball.

Crash! With a deafening roar, the iron ball pulverized the ground surrounding the train. The train plunged into the molten earth. Warping, crumpling, and derailing, the train became an absolute wreck in an instant. I used my ability one last time, attempting to exert control over the train. The feeling of omnipotence enveloping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my body vanished. In its place, a terrible, crushing exhaustion settled in. My legs gave out, and I collapsed right where I stood. I had managed to keep the train's cargo car intact. Staring up at the cargo car suspended in the air, I collapsed. I didn't even have the strength to move.

Thud! The cargo car fell from the air, creating a massive tremor. "Cough, cough!" I spat out the smoke rising from my throat. A metallic, bloody scent wafted up along with the black smoke. My body was a complete wreck. It looked like I'd be spending a long time in a hospital bed. Jin must have witnessed this scene through my shared vision. Thinking of a warm, cozy blanket, I closed my eyes.