Guidance (Part 2)

Darwin’s fighting ability was truly terrible. His footing was unsteady, and even the strength in his hands was unreliable. Alex merely gave him a light shove, and he staggered backward. If Alex had not reacted quickly and grabbed him, he would have nearly fallen flat on his face.

Steadying Darwin, Alex looked him over, then raised a fist and struck Darwin in the chest. The force was not particularly great, more like a test.

Darwin instinctively tried to dodge, but when he noticed Alex’s expression, he immediately stopped.

The spectators at the edge of the field had been surprised by Darwin’s performance, and Alex’s actions left them even more confused. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, Darwin’s chest changed. The instant Alex’s fist landed, it became like steel, gleaming with the distinctive texture of metal.

"Is this Reactive Evolution?" At the edge of the field, Emma’s expression shifted, her beautiful eyes shining brightly. She had long heard about Charles and the others Alex had brought back, but she had been too busy to meet them. Seeing them today, they truly were extraordinary.

Like Alex, Emma held Reactive Evolution in extremely high regard. A nearly immortal ability was something many people dreamed of possessing. More importantly, its potential was enormous. Imagine evolving an ability that countered one’s opponent during battle. Victory aside, at the very least, it would make one impossible to defeat.

In the field, Alex slowly shifted his gaze away from Darwin’s chest and looked up at him in surprise. "That fast?" Darwin’s Reactive Evolution was far quicker than Alex had expected. The moment his fist touched Darwin’s chest, Darwin had already evolved Steel Skin. The speed was astonishing.

"It depends. Simple things are faster, while complicated ones take more time." As Darwin watched Alex withdraw his fist, the Steel Skin on his chest vanished as well. A faint bitterness showed on his dark face. "If it doesn’t happen in time, I could still be in danger."

Reactive Evolution required time. Some evolutions were fast, others slow. If the evolution was not complete before the threat damaged his body, he would still die—just like when Sebastian Shaw killed Darwin with Alex’s energy in the movie.

"Oh? Let’s try again!" Alex exclaimed in surprise, his interest rising once more. A Red Impact Beam shot from his chest. However, under Alex’s control, it did not immediately fire at Darwin. Instead, he released it bit by bit. It began as a strand as thin as a hair, then grew to the thickness of a finger, an arm, and a thigh, gradually becoming larger and thicker as its power steadily increased.

But Darwin’s performance made many people look at him in a new light, and his Reactive Evolution shook everyone present.

When the first hair-thin Impact Beam struck Darwin, his body immediately changed. The point where the Red Impact Beam hit became like red-hot cast iron, and fiery red light directly swallowed the beam.

As the Impact Beam grew larger and stronger, Darwin’s entire body changed. Like a rock standing firm in magma, red light flickered through the ever-appearing cracks, yet he never showed any sign of breaking apart.

At that point, Alex stopped increasing the power. He had noticed the pain on Darwin’s face. Darwin had reached his limit. If this continued, he might truly break apart and explode.

After Alex withdrew the Red Impact Beam, Darwin’s body gradually returned to normal. In less than a minute, he changed from a red-rock monster back into an ordinary human.

Watching Darwin fully recover, Alex frowned again. He turned around, pinching his chin as he paced back and forth.

Darwin did not dare disturb him and quietly waited to the side. He truly needed Alex to point him toward a path. Being an all-purpose punching bag was not Darwin’s hope.

"Can’t you maintain Reactive Evolution, or control it voluntarily?" After pondering for a while, Alex suddenly stopped, turned to Darwin, and asked expectantly.

Darwin shook his head. He had considered that idea long ago, but despite trying for a long time, he had never succeeded. Reactive Evolution only activated under special conditions. It could not be used at will.

Alex looked at Darwin in disappointment, then seemed to think of something. His eyes gleamed as he asked again, "Then how do you feel right now?"

"Hm?" Darwin looked at Alex in confusion. After thinking for a moment, he nodded, his mood somewhat low. "I’m fine, I guess."

Alex paused slightly, then explained in surprise, "That shouldn’t be possible. Your body absorbed all the energy from the Impact Beam just now. You can’t possibly feel nothing."

"But I really don’t feel anything at all." Darwin’s expression became even more bitter. He swung his fists helplessly. His unsteady punches and weak force showed that he was exactly the same as before, without the slightest improvement.

Alex had been observing Darwin’s Reactive Evolution the entire time. He was certain that Darwin’s body had absorbed all the energy of the Red Impact Beam. Yet Darwin clearly had not changed at all. Filled with doubt, Alex reached out and grabbed Darwin’s hand, carefully sensing the energy within his body.

"I understand!" After a while, Alex smiled. Turning to Darwin, he explained, "The energy is all inside your body, but your cells haven’t absorbed it. That’s why your body hasn’t changed at all."

Alex paused briefly before adding, "I suspect the abilities from Reactive Evolution haven’t disappeared either. They’re still in your body. If you want to use them voluntarily, you’ll have to discover and explore them yourself."

"Really?" Darwin knew his own ability well. If what Alex said was true, and he could actively use every ability he evolved, then he would no longer have to worry about his lack of combat strength. Steel Skin alone would be enough to increase his strength several times over.

Alex smiled and nodded, looking completely certain. "I believe you’ll definitely carve out your own path." As he spoke, Alex removed his invisibility and casually copied Darwin’s ability. Alex wanted to study it as well.

After thanking Alex profusely, Darwin returned to the stands with a delighted expression. Charles and the others had already gathered around him, every one of them looking happy. They were friends, so naturally they were glad that Darwin could become stronger.

After seeing Darwin off, Alex looked around the sports field once more. Before he could say anything, someone leaped out, half flying and half running, afraid someone else would take the spot first.

What had begun as an unexpected sparring match ultimately turned into a public training session. People constantly stepped onto the field, and Alex showed no impatience, carefully guiding each of them. In truth, those who came forward for instruction gained greatly, but even those sitting at the edge of the field benefited immensely. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied.

Seeing how effective it was, Emma even asked Alex to hold more public training sessions like this, but Alex refused.

After a day of exchanging knowledge and training, Alex’s pent-up irritation vanished without him realizing it, and he became cheerful once more.

I forgot to congratulate Villager J on becoming a moderator—Scorpion’s first moderator. Congratulations!