From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 164

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Chapter 164: How To Become Superhuman (Part 1)

The three individuals had moved back to the wide open area that surrounded the cabin. There was nothing but grass stretching out for nearly a hundred meters in every direction, creating a natural clearing around them.

Beyond that, right at the edge of the open space, was the dense forest where Aron and Hercules had fought just the other day. What was surprising to Max was that the area looked remarkably cleared now.

Signs of the fierce battle still remained, scars in the dirt, splintered trunks, but the broken and fallen trees had been removed and repositioned, giving the place an oddly tidy appearance. It wasn’t something Aron and his group could have managed on their own, not without the right equipment. Max could only assume it had been Hercules himself who had done the work.

Now, Max stood just a few meters away from Hercules, the towering figure radiating quiet strength. Aron remained by his side, a steady presence.

“Is it okay that he’s here and listening to all of this?” Max asked, glancing toward Aron. His voice carried a note of concern. “I know you said you would only teach me, and I wanted it to be fair.”

Hercules turned his gaze to Aron, a flicker of respect passing between the two.

“He did a lot yesterday, and got my blood pumping in a way it hasn’t in a long time,” Hercules replied with a faint grin. “As thanks for that, he can listen to this as well. And besides”, his eyes returned to Max, “although I said I would teach you, this isn’t something you can learn from knowledge alone. Remember what I told you?”

Max was wondering now, what exactly was this training going to involve? Some brutal survival course up in the mountains, the kind only a few could complete? But would that really accomplish much in just a single day?

Maybe it was more of a routine, something he could memorize and practice on his own whenever he had the time.

Before he could ponder it further, Hercules spoke again. “Let me ask you a question,” he said, casually lifting a large piece of a truck’s frame that looked as though it had been sliced clean through. The metal glinted dully in the sunlight.

“What do you think the word ‘superhuman’ means?”

Max tilted his head, considering. “Superhuman? As in those like yourself?” he replied. “I guess it means being able to do things humans can’t, that’s what makes someone superhuman.”

Pushing from both sides of the thick tree trunk, Hercules effortlessly crushed it right before their eyes. The bark splintered and cracked apart with a sharp snap, chunks falling to the ground in a heap. With a casual grunt, he hurled the mangled piece aside, letting it thud heavily against the earth.

Watching it happen, Max couldn’t help but picture it differently, instead of a tree, he imagined if that had been a human body. How easily someone would’ve been crushed… It was terrifying. There was no way an ordinary person could do something like that. This was far beyond normal human strength.

“So, the fact that I can do that and you can’t, does that mean I’m an alien?” Hercules asked, a playful edge in his voice. “Or maybe, thanks to my name, I’m the son of some god. But let me tell you…” His tone grew more serious. “I am as human as you, and as every other person on this planet.”

Hercules paced slowly, his gaze steady on Max as he spoke. “For me, I like to make a clear distinction between superhuman and superpowers. You see, superpowers are what you see in comic books and TV shows. People who can fly, those who can walk through walls, turn invisible, or conjure fire from their hands.”

A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Now, before you get excited thinking I’m going to teach you any of that… I’m not. Because, quite frankly, those things simply don’t exist in this world. Or at least, not that I’ve ever seen.”

Max had to admit, he was a little disappointed hearing that. But then again, what about him? Didn’t he end up in the body of this Max somehow? Wasn’t that a kind of superpower in itself? Like those people with flames or other strange abilities. Maybe… maybe it was best to put a pin in thoughts like that for now.

“When we talk about superhumans,” Hercules continued, “we’re talking about people who have pushed what humans already possess to the absolute limit. Extreme strength. Blinding speed. Hardening the surface of their bodies.”

He lifted his hand, flexing his fingers for emphasis. “In some cases, they can even heat their bodies, producing extraordinary effects with their own biology. Sometimes it’s abilities so subtle you wouldn’t even notice, like having an unbreakable grip on anything they hold.”