Evolving Infinitely From An E-Class Hero

Chapter 7

As I watched, Yelena Darkov stepped forward.

She was an eye catching character, I had to agree to that. Even among the many hopefuls in the room, she carried herself with an unmistakable air of certainty.

Her hips swayed, her dark air flowed, and her posture was precise.

She wasn't nervous. She wasn't excited. She simply knew.

The Power Measurement Unit stood before her at the center of the hall.

It was a massive, spherical construct made with gleaming silver and black plating, suspended slightly above a reinforced pedestal.

The machine was used to measure meta-energy.

Just like mana in the fantasy novels and RPGs, meta-energy was the core energy of superheroes. But unlike mana, meta-energy was an umbrella term.

It simply meant any sort of energy that fueled a hero's meta ability.

There wasn't a particular energy source for all heroes just like mana in RPGs or Ki in cultivation novels.

For Yelena, her moment had come.

Her pale fingers stretched out and met the smooth, cold surface of the sphere. Everyone fell silent, not even a murmur, as they waited for the result.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then— BOOM!

A burst of inky, shadowy mist erupted from her palm, spiraling outward like a living entity.

The tendrils of darkness pulsed and twisted, licking at the floor and curling through the air before retracting back toward her.

It surrounded the Measurement Unit, dancing at its surface and sizzling like electricity.

My eyes widened. Jake, beside me, was losing his mind. The entire hall gasped and muttered to each other in awe as they witnessed the display.

The screen above flickered while the measurement bar shot upward, climbing, climbing, climbing...

And finally, the measurement of the amount of meta-energy she possessed came to the screen.

85%.

A stunned gasp rippled through the crowd.

The examiner took a visible step back before clearing his throat. "Yelena Darkov. Meta-energy Percentage: 85."

Another wave of gasps followed. Some clapped. Some whispered to themselves. The agents began scribbling words down in their files.

"85%."

"That is one of the highest percentages in years."

"She is certain to be a future hero in the Guardian Corps one day."

"We must bring her to the Red Lion Guild."

"We must bring her to Iron Fang!"

Jake let out a long whistle. "Eighty-five percent?! Holy hell, can you imagine having that much meta-energy?"

Ellie nodded in disbelief. "I'd settle for even half. Or a quarter."

I stared, absorbing the sheer weight of it. Eighty-five.

Indeed, the whispers were right. 85% was a number so absurdly high it basically guaranteed her a future in the Guardian Corps.

'She's certainly an S-Class Hero as well. What happened to her to give her that much power?'

As if on cue, my interface flared to life.

I never expected that the Forever Core had information on things like this, but a translucent yellow screen appeared before me, detailing the origins of Yelena's meta energy.

[Enlightenment Event: Yelena Darkov]

[—Location: Red town, Sector D

—Incident: A dimensional rupture occurred in the heart of the city, releasing an entity referred to as The Maw.

—The Maw was a shifting, amorphous void that devoured all light and matter within its radius.

—Yelena Darkov was caught in the collapse. Reports indicate she was consumed entirely.

—She emerged forty-eight hours later. Alone. Changed. But the Maw was gone.

—Survivors claim they saw her standing in the ruin, wreathed in shadows.

—Her meta-energy manifested from the void itself, granting her unparalleled control over darkness and absence.

—It is highly speculated that Yelena absorbed the Maw within her, gaining its dark abilities.]

I exhaled slowly. 'I remember that happening months ago in Red town. I helped some citizens get to safety. So... she was the one that they called Black Hole Eater. She basically swallowed that void, and no one knows how'

She didn't just awaken to power. She survived something incomprehensible. And what came back wasn't entirely the same person that had been lost.

'She's undeniably way more powerful than me, even with the Forever Core.'

Yelena turned away from the sphere as the examiner directed her toward a door at the side of the hall.

She was headed for the written portion of the assessment.

While combat ability and meta-energy percentage determined Class placement, the written exam — which tested their knowledge in heroic law and actions — determined their rank within the Class.

She stepped through the door.

For a long moment, the hall buzzed with hushed conversations, headhunters whispering among themselves, strategizing how they'd approach her once she finished.

I clenched my fists as I watched.

"I'm guessing she's not going to have a very high rank," Jake said, scratching the back of his neck shyly. "She's not into the hero stuff that much so I don't think she'll care to read about the Heroic Law and others. But she's definitely an S-Class."

I looked at Jake with a lifted brow. Did he have a crush on her or something?

A sigh left me, and I turned back to the stage, gazing at the Measurement Unit.

This was it. This was my chance. If I got reassessed, I could be at least B-Class.

I got on my feet, ready to go, but I was suddenly stopped by a notification from the interface.

[Important Advice: Do Not Reassess Now.]

I paused. Huh?

[Reasons: You must first understand the nature of your power.]

[Your Core Talent is Continuous Advancement.]

My face paled with confusion. 'Continuous Advancement? Core Talent? What is that?'

[You are an endlessly evolving being and will advance continuously until you reach a peak if there even is one for a being such as you.]

My eyes widened. 'A being such as me?'

[Every battle you fight, every foe you face, every win you celebrate or loss you suffer, you will only get better and better. The Forever Core fuels you, and it is an energy that will only grow stronger for as long as forever exists.]

[Unlike others in this premature world...]

'Did it just call Earth premature?' My mind was blowing. I couldn't fully comprehend everything I was hearing right now.

[...you are not limited to only growing in Ranks. You can also level up and advance through Classes. Grow beyond normal means. Defying the rules of this world's Hero Ranking.]

[Heroes can't get stronger, only better.]

[You will break that logic. And that will make you a target. Since your Class now will not be your Class tomorrow, it is unwise to reassess now.]

[Also, the attention will be intense and you will find the shift difficult, leaving you unable to find time to evolve. Use the freedom of an E Class Hero and level up higher and higher.]

[Advance Continuously.]

I inhaled sharply, taking it all in. What sort of power have I just gotten?

Suddenly, the door Yelena had entered reopened. She stepped out, and immediately, the large display screen above us changed.

It showed a profile image of her, and below it announced:

A new S-Class Hero at last!

Yelena had been graded S-Class Rank 21. Given there were 29 S-Class Heroes, she had just about been placed at the lower tiers.

Jake chuckled. "I was right. She's much more powerful than some S-Class Heroes in that Rank, but she just doesn't care about the heroing stuff to study."

I narrowed my eyes on her. 'The only ones that should be heroes are those that want to be. She's a prideful fake.'

I watched camera flashes explode. Head hunters rushed forward, eager to make contact.

But she didn't even acknowledge them.

With a flick of her hand, a veil of shadows formed around her, blocking everyone out as she passed through, untouchable.

I noticed something then.

My brows raised. 'So this is what the interface meant, huh? The attention.'

"Hey," Jake nudged me. "Why are you standing up?"

I hesitated, then forced a small chuckle. "Nothing." I sank back into my seat.

The assessments continued. A few A-Class heroes emerged, some B's and C's. Many D's and E's. But no one else reached S-Class.

As the event wrapped up, Jake stretched his arms above his head. "Man, a new year of crime-fighting. With these newbies, it's gonna get real interesting."

Then he grinned at me. "Hey, you down for a game? I got a new basketball hoop installed at my place."

I shook my head. "Nah, can't. I gotta visit an old family friend."

Ellie shot me a look. It lingered a little longer than normal, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she gave a small nod before following Jake out.

"Alright, champ. You've been pretty quiet today. But see you later, okay?"

I nodded.

Soon, the center emptied.

Security guards did their rounds, ensuring everyone was gone before they, too, left for the night.

Silence settled.

Everywhere was dark.

The corridors, the stage, the preparation rooms.

But then, a soft glow appeared in the darkness.

A ring of golden light appeared into view as I stepped out of the shadows.

The Forever Armor hummed with energy while I stood stoically, looking at the Power Measurement Unit with determination.

'Continuous Advancement, huh?'

I started to walk towards it.

'Let's see exactly how it works.'