Evolving Infinitely From An E-Class Hero-Chapter 70: Override Initiate

The sharp, digital chime of my system alert cut through the chaos like a knife.

Tti-ring.

[Three remaining.]

The words flashed across my HUD, stark and urgent. My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together as I fought to steady my breathing.

The storm raged around me, a tempest of wind and rain, lightning splitting the heavens with jagged streaks of white-hot fury.

The air smelled of ozone and burning metal, the aftermath of countless explosions still lingering in the atmosphere.

I couldn’t slow down.

I wouldn’t.

Beneath me, the ocean churned violently, waves crashing against the hull of the Whistling Derrick, the massive cruiser now barely holding together under the relentless assault. The ship was a graveyard of shattered steel and smoldering wreckage, its crew fighting for their lives belowdecks. And above it all—me—streaking through the sky like a comet, the last line of defense between annihilation and survival.

The rain came down in sheets, stinging against my exposed skin where my armor had been torn away. My circuits flickered, golden energy sputtering from my gauntlets with every movement. The strain was immense—my muscles screamed, my bones ached, and my vision blurred at the edges. But I couldn’t stop.

Not when there were still missiles in the air.

I locked onto the nearest one, a sleek, deadly projectile spiraling toward the ship. Its trajectory was erratic, designed to evade interception, but I had already calculated its path.

"Just three more... Just three more!"

With a burst of energy, I rocketed forward, my boots leaving trails of golden fire in my wake. The wind howled in my ears, the force of my speed pressing against me like an invisible wall. The missile grew larger in my vision, its metallic surface glinting in the flashes of lightning.

I had one shot.

Skill: Regenerate ."

Tti-ring.

[Active Skill: Regenerate.]

A wave of relief rippled through me as the Forever Armor repaired itself but by bit, crawling and covering my exposed skin and in a matter of seconds, I was fully coated.

"Let’s end this!"

I collided with the first missile in a cataclysmic explosion.

BOOM!

The shockwave tore through me, rattling my bones. For a fraction of a second, the world was nothing but blinding light and deafening noise. My armor absorbed most of the impact, but the force still sent me spinning through the air, my body a ragdoll in the storm.

I gasped, my lungs fighting for air, my vision swimming. But I couldn’t stop.

Two left.

I twisted mid-air, my HUD locking onto the next target. The second missile was already veering away, adjusting its course to avoid the same fate as the first.

"Kinetic Shockwave!"

Tti-ring.

[Active Skill: Kinetic Shockwave]

The residual energy from the explosion surged through me, channeled into my limbs. My gauntlets flared, my boots ignited, and with a pulse of raw force, I launched myself forward.

WHAM!

I struck the second missile with my shoulder, driving it upward with every ounce of strength I had left. The impact sent a jolt of pain through my body, but I didn’t relent. With a grunt, I forced it into the path of the third missile.

BOOOOOOM!

The resulting explosion was apocalyptic.

Three fireballs erupted in rapid succession, the shockwaves ripping apart the storm clouds, revealing a glimpse of the darkened sky beyond. The ocean below was illuminated in eerie, flickering gold, the waves reflecting the inferno above like a mirror of fire.

Tti-ring.

[Vessel...]

[All Missiles Destroyed. Status: Complete.]

I should have felt relief.

But I didn’t.

Because my mind was breaking.

My HP levels were critical, even with the Regenerate skill I still felt the exhaustion. Every muscle trembled, every nerve screamed in protest. My HUD was a mess of flashing warnings—

[Structural Integrity Compromised]

[+HP at 85%]

[Immediate Rest Required]

But I couldn’t rest.

Not yet.

"Redirecting... to deck."

Gravity took hold, yanking me downward. The wind roared in my ears as I plummeted, the heat of the explosions still clinging to my armor. My vision darkened at the edges, my consciousness flickering like a dying flame.

Just a little longer.

With the last of my strength, I ignited my boots one final time.

BOOM!

I crashed onto the deck of the Whistling Derrick like a meteor, the steel buckling beneath the force of my landing. The impact sent tremors through the ship, the sound of groaning metal echoing around me.

And then I saw it.

A Calamity Creature—a grotesque, monstrous thing with thick, sinewy limbs and eyes that burned like embers. It moved with unnatural speed, its claws tearing through the wreckage as it stalked toward the deck.

I didn’t hesitate. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

I raised my arm, my gauntlet humming with my energy.

"INCINERATE."

A beam of golden fire erupted from my palm, a searing lance of pure destruction. The creature barely had time to react before the blast tore through its chest, vaporizing its core in an instant.

BOOM!

The monster disintegrated, its body reduced to ash before it even hit the ground.

I took a step forward

And then

BOOOOOM!

A section of the cruiser’s hull exploded, debris flying in every direction. From the smoke and flames, a figure was thrown backward— Lady Phoenix.

Her once-majestic wings were flickering, sputtering like a dying flame. Her suit was cracked, her body battered. She hit the deck hard, skidding to a stop just a couple feet from me.

And behind her

Another Calamity Creature.

This one was different—larger, more vicious. A spider-like abomination with too many limbs, its maw dripping with venom, its eyes locked onto her with predatory hunger.

It lunged.

"NO!"

I didn’t think.

I reacted.

My arm snapped up, my targeting system locking on in an instant.

"INCINERATE!"

Another blast of golden energy.

Another perfect hit.

BOOM!

The creature’s upper body vanished in the blast, its remaining limbs collapsing mid-air before slamming onto the deck with a sickening thud.

I was moving before it even hit the ground.

I caught Lady Phoenix just before she collapsed, her body limp in my arms.

She looked up at me, her breathing ragged, her eyes barely focused.

"You... made it..."

I exhaled, my own strength fading fast.

"Yeah," I whispered. "I made it."

Tti-ring.

[Congratulations...]

[You have leveled up...]

[You have leveled up...]

The rain fell around us, cold and relentless. The storm was finally passing, the clouds breaking apart. The Whistling Derrick was in ruins, but it was alive.

And so were we.

I stood there for a long moment, holding her, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

I harboured the thought of the presence of more Calamity Creatures so I still remained sharp with my eyes.

Now that the Intercontinental ballistic missiles are taken care of, it was time to save the survivors.

If at all there’s any.