Chapter 347: Wasted Power
"YOU BASTARDS" Juggernaut roared, his voice booming with fury.
"You think you can just kill my mother and get away with it? You'll pay for this, I swear!"
Anger caused veins to bulge from the meta-human's forehead.
Reign shook his head in disappointment, finding the Meta-human's reaction pathetic.
"Stop acting like a child," he said dismissively. "You're living in a brutal and dangerous world. Things like this are to be expected. You should be more focused on how to survive."
"I will kill you!" The meta-human shouted, charging forward with a furious expression. He swung his fist, and aimed for the head.
Reign, however, didn't flinch or move; he stood there, completely unfazed by the attack.
He might have been tired from the earlier fight, but his opponent's current abilities were not a concern now that he was no longer holding back.
When the punch connected, it landed with a powerful thud against Reign's body.
But, despite the force of the blow, he remained perfectly still. His hard bones absorbed the impact without a hint of damage.
Juggernaut's eyes widened in shock as he realized that his punches were having no effect. The strength he had relied on so heavily was futile against his enemy.
With no better option, he started punching left and right, hoping to at least make a dent in his opponent's defense.
Unfortunately, it didn't change anything. The gap in their strength was just too wide.
"I knew it, you're pretty useless when you're not taking damage." Reign chuckled sarcastically, enjoying the sight of his opponent's futile efforts.
At the same time, he observed and considered a few things. He wanted to study the Meta-Human's abilities more closely and compare them to the others.
Since all of them were created with the same principles, there should be some similarities between them.
If he tried to hit Juggernaut back, even using just 10% of his total strength, the impact reflected would be doubled.
Plus , when his muscles turned gold, the reflected damaged increased fourfold, which was an attack Reign should withstand, at least logically speaking.
However, he learned from previous experienced that the reflected attack wasn't just four times stronger.
This was why he got burned during their first encounter—the attack pierced right through him, ignoring his defense.
As his mind raced, Reign touched his chin in contemplation, allowing the Meta-Human to punch him repeatedly while he considered his observations.
'Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way?' he mused,
'What if the meta-human's ability is not about creating something , instead it's about removing or negating ? '
'What if, when he takes damage, he's actually nullifying it?' Reign thought. ' And since energy can't be created or destroyed, the nullified force has to go somewhere. And it's being transferred directly to me, and the increase in power is just a result of that transfer?'
Using this logic, it could also explain Red's and Elsa's powers too.
For example, Red's ability might not involve continuously increasing his power out of nowhere.
Instead, he could be negating the laws that normally require him to expend energy with each attack. By doing so, the energy doesn't get used up but instead accumulates within him.
'Same with that girl,' Reign thought. 'Instead of freezing things directly, which would be almost impossible—like when she froze my lightning—her ability is actually about negating heat. Or maybe she's even canceling kinetic energy entirely, causing things to freeze instantly?'
His conclusion was based on the fact that air was made up of molecules in constant motion. The temperature of the air was directly related to the kinetic energy of these molecules.
When the molecules move quickly, the air would be warm; when they move slowly, the air would be cold.
Even lightning, which has rapid movement of electrons (kinetic energy), could be stopped and "frozen" because the motion of those particles paused.
'System, what do you think?' Reign asked, his mind racing with the implications. He needed to know if his theory held any weight.
'What are the chances that Meta-Humans' abilities are related to the negation of certain laws of physics?'
[System: Calculating based on current data]
[System: Calculating based on current data]
[System: Calculating based on current data]
[Chances: 75%]
'So I'm basically right,' he nodded, impressed by his own ability to piece things together. He might have a low EQ, but his IQ was off the charts.
This was a big revelation because it would helped him a lot in the future, especially when he had to face more powerful meta-humans with outrageous abilities .
Wrapping up his thoughts, he shifted his focus back to Juggernaut.
"Are you not done yet?" Reign asked.
He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he had almost forgotten about the meta-human.
Juggernaut, hearing the sound of his own ineffective blows, grew even more enraged. He redoubled his efforts, throwing punch after punch with all the strength he could muster.
His anger only fueled his desperation as he tried to break through the defenses.
However—
Reign remained unmoved. His expression was calm and detached as he endured the attack, his body absorbing each strike effortlessly.
"It's time to end this," Reign chuckled, then grabbed the meta-human by the neck and flew into the air.
From up there, he saw the flood of corrupted creatures closing in.
The flood of monsters surged through the city's walls like a wave of black ink. They came from every direction, their twisted forms devouring everything.
As they advanced, the once empty streets turned into nothing.
Buildings began to collapse one after another, like a row of dominoes falling. It was as if the structures were being eaten by termites in drugs, with each building quickly eaten and falling within seconds.
He had predicted it would take longer, but it seemed whatever remaining force was fighting it off had already been wiped out. Now, the flood was in full throttle.
'What a waste' he sighed. 'So many potential high-quality meals gone.'
It pained him that they had all turned into corrupted creatures. If they were smart, they would have run back towards the city sooner, so he could have killed them himself.
Maybe then, they might have had a chance to be revived as his slaves.
'Well, no need to cry over spilled milk,' he mused inwardly. ' just need to look for their variants. They're still somewhat fresh, so they should give me plenty of experience points.'
He tried to stay positive, focusing on the potential gains.
"LET GO OF ME, BASTARD!" Juggernaut protested, flailing around and desperately trying to break free from the grip.
"Oh, I almost forgot about you again," Reign chuckled .
"What do you think will happen if I throw you ?" he wondered aloud.
He had been considering how to deal with Number 17, and honestly, his options were limited since he was already exhausted.
But, as luck would have it, he was holding an immortal who could reflect damage.
Hearing the question, Juggernaut felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead.
He slowly glanced at the incoming wave of monsters, and even he found it too terrifying to face.
"Why did you stop talking? I thought you were so proud of your abilities," Reign laughed, trying to add fuel to the fire.
"I'm sure this much won't be enough to kill you." he added with a cruel smile.