"A gym built for speedsters?" Scar repeated, his eyes carrying a rare glint of amazement. He walked slowly past a row of heavy, kinetic-dampening treadmills, trailing his fingers over the polished metal. "And I'm guessing you're the one who built it?"
"Indeed, I am," Felicity nodded, walking beside him. "This entire building is my speed gym. A place where Janine and I developed cutting-edge technology and training programs designed to push speedsters past their natural plateaus. To the public, I am a sovereign who wields ice and psionic force and many more. But when I was younger, long before I mastered those abilities, speed was what I relied on the most. I rarely used my other abilities. I loved running. I loved the freedom of it, the feeling of the wind tearing against my face as I broke the sound barrier." She smiled, her eyes distant. "The press used to call me Slipstream."
Scar looked at her, his mind immediately correlating her story with the data he had seen through the Eye of Horus. Super Speed had been listed among her base abilities.
"So why did you stop?" Scar asked, genuinely curious.
"I grew up," Felicity said simply. "I realized I couldn't run forever. I had to build a family, establish the Glacial Order, and maintain an empire. Ice manipulation carried the authority and the aesthetic of a ruler. So, I gave up being a speedster, retired from the race, and handed this entire facility over."
"You handed such a valuable asset over?" Scar raised a skeptical brow. "Just like that?"
Felicity nodded.
Scar scoffed. It seemed illogical to him. Handing out a facility like this… that probably costed millions, without any intention of making profit. It wasn't something he could ever do even if he had all the money and facilities in the world.
"To who?" he asked, raising a brow.
Felicity smirked, gesturing toward a sleek spiral staircase at the back of the room. "Come upstairs. I'll show you." She said, leading him to the elevator.
They ascended to the next floor, stepping into a dimly lit, high-tech control room. The entire front wall was made of reinforced, transparent glass, overlooking a colossal chamber.
Scar walked up to the glass, and froze.
Beyond the window lay a massive, 400-meter oval-shaped running track encased entirely in a sleek, metallic shell. The surface of the track was etched with intricate, glowing blue circuits that pulsed rhythmically with raw electromagnetic energy. In the direct center of the arena stood a massive pillar, lined with deep, mechanical intake holes. But the most stunning detail was the architecture itself—the walls seamlessly curved upward, covered in the exact same glowing blue circuits as the floor.
The walls were tracks, too!
Scar had seen a lot of advanced technology since arriving in this world, but this was on an entirely different level.
"What is this place?" Scar asked, his voice filled with genuine awe.
Felicity stepped up beside him, crossing her arms. She pointed through the glass. "This is what we call; the Velocity Circuit. It is an electromagnetic cyclotron designed to push a speedster to their limits."
Scar's mind raced, pulling from the inherited knowledge of his past life. "Wait... did you just say a cyclotron? I don't know much about physics, but isn't a cyclotron just a circular particle accelerator?"
Felicity looked at him, thoroughly impressed. "Wow. Someone has been studying. Yes, you are exactly right. This is a massive particle accelerator, but instead of subatomic particles, it accelerates the energy particles within a speedster's cells. Be it mana or something else. The faster you run along that current, the more the electromagnetic field forces your cells to adapt and multiply your velocity. But it is incredibly dangerous. The G-forces alone can liquefy your organs if you aren't prepared. It is only meant for speedsters who have comfortably surpassed Mach 1."
"I see," Scar murmured, already thinking of how to reach the required speed in time so he could test the circuit out. It was in that moment he noticed a strange movement on the track.
He had been so distracted by the glowing circuits that he hadn't noticed the faint, distorted blur of yellow and black light violently orbiting the walls of the track. The figure was moving so fast it was practically invisible, a phantom stream of kinetic energy tearing through the cyclotron.
As the figure began to decelerate, the blur solidified into a man running along the curved wall before dropping seamlessly onto the flat ground, skidding to a halt.
Scar stared in pure amazement at the sheer velocity he had just witnessed. "Who is that?" he asked.
"That," Felicity smiled warmly, "is my protégé."
Suddenly, the figure on the track vanished.
Less than a second later, the heavy inner doors of the control room burst open with a violent gust of wind that rustled Felicity's coat and blew Scar's hair back. The man from the circuit materialized in front of them, instantly stationary.
He appeared to be in his late thirties, sporting a neat stubble beard and shoulder-length black hair. He wore a skin-tight, aerodynamic black jumpsuit paired with specialized kinetic sneakers. He reached up with gloved hands, pulling off a high-tech visor to reveal piercing, energetic eyes.
Scar hadn't even seen him enter; he only felt the atmospheric displacement of his movements.
"I heard the elevator," the man said, offering a deep, respectful bow to Felicity. "It's an honor to have you here again, Lady Myers."
"The honor is all mine," Felicity greeted with a warm smile. "Roy, this is Vincent Bates. The world knows him as Blitz; the fastest man alive."
Scar recognized the name instantly from his network research. The media claimed Vincent operated comfortably at hypersonic speeds. It was an incredible feat, even in a world of advanced technology and magic such as this one.
Vincent looked Scar up and down, his eyes darting with unnatural quickness. "So, this is the young master. You look a lot like your mother." He said, revealing a small smile.
"Looks can be deceiving," Scar replied flatly.
Vincent chuckled, taking Scar's remark as a joke. "Haha, I like you already. We should get along just fine."
Scar scoffed. While Felicity smiled. "I hope you do," she said. "Vincent here is the best speed and kinetics advancement expert I've ever seen. And he has the raw physical speed to back it up. He is a rare talent."
Vincent laughed nervously, waving a hand modestly. "Oh, you flatter me, Lady Myers. My speed doesn't even come close to yours. Last I checked the telemetry, you were able to run faster than the speed of light."
Scar wasn't even surprised by the revelation. After witnessing the fraction of power she had used to run to this building, exceeding the speed of light seemed entirely plausible for a monster with five million health points.
Felicity turned to Scar fully. "Before I gave up speed entirely, I decided to look for young, talented speedsters and take them under my wing," she explained. "I wanted to teach them how to reach their full potential. Vincent was the most promising prospect I ever taught. So, I handed the gym over to him, and he has been watching over it ever since."
Vincent wore a smug smile. "But I haven't just been watching it, I've taken after her legacy as well," he added proudly. "I train young speedsters here now, just like she did."
"And I am incredibly proud of him," Felicity said, her voice dripping with genuine maternal affection.
Vincent bowed again, his expression full of deep reverence. "You are the reason I am where I am today, Felicity. I am in forever your debt." He said.
"How about you repay that debt by training my son?" Felicity offered seamlessly. "I assume you have seen the news regarding his recent awakening."
"I have," Vincent grinned widely, his eyes lighting up. "When I heard that the young master had developed a speed affinity, I was absolutely thrilled. I also had a feeling you might bring him here sooner or later. Turns out I was right."
"He is still trying to get the hang of his mechanics," Felicity explained. "Would you mind taking him under your wing? Showing him the ropes?"
"It would be my pleasure to train him," Vincent said earnestly, looking at Scar. "You made me into the unrivaled speedster I am today. Now, I will do the same for your son."
While Felicity and Vincent talked, Scar's eyes subtly glowed as he activated Eye of Horus, glancing through Vincent's stats.
——————
*Name: Vincent Bates
*Age: 38
*Rank: A
*Ability: Super Speed
*HP: 4500/4500
——————
Scar hummed to himself. Vincent was an A-rank with a massive health pool. He was definitely formidable.
Vincent stepped forward, clapping his gloved hands together. "We are going to have a lot of fun, kid," he said excitedly. "I'll teach you all there is to know about speed and how to increase your velocity. You'll be running at Mach speeds in no time."
Scar stared at him, his face completely deadpan. "Yay. I can't wait," he replied, his voice so dry and heavily sarcastic that the air in the room seemed to vanish.
Vincent blinked, letting out a short, incredibly awkward chuckle.
Felicity quickly placed a hand on Vincent's arm. "Please, don't mind his attitude. He has become a bit... indifferent, due to his recent psychological development. His emotional responses are somewhat blunted."
"I understand," Vincent nodded, regaining his warm smile. "I will be just as patient with him as you were with me."
"I appreciate that," Felicity smiled. She turned to Scar. "Come on. Let me show you the rest of the facility, and then we can start your baseline training. I will put you through the basics today, but Vincent will take over for the rest of your future sessions."
"That sounds perfect," Vincent said eagerly. "Oh, that's reminds me, I have been dying to show you the new upgrades I made to the Sim-Chamber. Please, follow me."
Felicity nodded and motioned to Scar to come along.
Vincent led them back into the elevator, pressing the button for the third floor.
When the doors opened, Scar stepped out into a white massive, completely empty room. There was absolutely nothing in the space except for a small, standalone holographic console nestled in the corner.
Scar frowned, highly curious as to why an entire floor was dedicated to an empty white box.
"I thought you wanted to show us something," he voiced out bluntly. "All I see is an empty room."
"Just watch," Felicity whispered with a knowing smile.
Vincent walked over to the console, his fingers flying across the holographic keys. Then he voiced out a command: "Initialize environment matrix."
Instantly, the white walls dissolved. The floor beneath Scar's feet vanished, replaced by jagged, uneven stone. The air grew crisp and cold. The entire room was transformed into an entirely different background.
Scar looked around in pure astonishment. They were standing in the middle of a sprawling, highly detailed mountain range. The wind howled through the peaks, and the virtual gravel crunched perfectly beneath his boots. He knew holographic immersion existed in this world, but he had no idea it could flawlessly replicate sensory feedback like temperature and texture.
"Welcome to the Simulation Chamber, Roy," Felicity announced, watching Scar's reaction. "It can be used to train in any environment you can think of. You can run on whatever terrain you desire, simulate combat against any beast or person in the database, and practice high-speed maneuvers without the risk of real injury or death. The limit is your imagination."
"It's impressive," Scar admitted, genuinely amazed.
"Yeah, it's pretty amazing," Vincent smiled from the console. "But check this out." Without further explanation, he slammed his palm against a large red key on the console.
Instantly, the mountains violently distorted, fracturing into pixels of light before reassembling in a fraction of a second. The cold mountain air was replaced by the warm, bustling ambient noise of a metropolis.
Scar's eyes widened in awe and realization. They were standing in the center of Arcadia City.
The sprawling streets stretched out perfectly in every direction. Hovercars zipped through the magnetic skyways overhead, and dozens of people walked past them on the sidewalks, chatting on their comms and carrying groceries. It was a flawless, one-to-one replica of the city.
"You... you added the entire city into the simulation?" Felicity asked, her eyes wide with shock.
"I didn't just add the city," Vincent said proudly, motioning to the vast, virtual metropolis. "I added it in real-time. I tapped into the central satellite grid and synchronized the Chamber with Arcadia's live surveillance data. Whatever is happening out there in the real world is also happening right here in the simulation, live. This would allow a speedster to practice running through a densely populated, active city without the risk of causing massive casualties or property damage if they lose control. It's the ultimate training ground."
Felicity was deeply, genuinely astounded. She reached out, waving her hand in front of a businessman walking past them. The man didn't react; he just kept walking, unaware that he was currently being used in a simulation as a live-rendered NPC.
"Vincent, this is amazing," Felicity breathed, turning to him with a look of profound admiration. "You have accomplished a truly wonderful feat. This will advance our training protocols significantly, and honestly, I could even use this room as a simulated command center to monitor the city in real-time. This is absolutely amazing. I am so proud of you."
Scar stood a few feet away, his fists slowly clenching at his sides. He didn't know why, but a strange feeling of envy twisted in his chest.
Hearing Felicity pour such genuine, glowing praise onto another man, another student… another son, made his skin crawl. He couldn't stand it.
He was starting to get jealous.
But he immediately scolded himself internally, his mind viciously attacking his own emotions. What the hell am I thinking? I don't need her approval. She means nothing to me. I don't care if she praises some guy. She is nothing but a source of resource to me.
Felicity noticed his silence and turned to him, her smile faltering slightly. "What's wrong, Roy? Do you not like the development?"
Scar forcefully masked his internal distress, schooling his features into an utterly unimpressed, bored gaze. He shrugged lazily. "Eh. It's okay, I guess."
He delivered the words with such dripping sarcasm that Vincent's proud smile instantly vanished. The speedster's jaw tightened, and he subtly clenched his fists by the console, though he desperately fought to maintain his polite composure.
"I... I am sure the young master will come to appreciate it with time," Vincent humbled himself, forcing a tight smile.
"I sincerely doubt that," Scar scoffed, turning his back on the simulation and walking toward the elevator. "I've seen enough of this place. I want to explore the rest of the building."
Felicity sighed heavily, shooting Vincent an apologetic look before turning to follow Scar. As she caught up to him, she leaned in, her voice a sharp whisper. "Could you please, for once, just pretend to be nice?" she murmured softly.
"I'm just being honest," Scar shrugged indifferently as the elevator doors opened. "If I had to rate the program, I'd give it a solid 7."
"Out of ten?" Felicity asked hopefully.
"Out of hundred," Scar corrected flatly, stepping into the elevator.
Vincent stood by the console, his ego heavily bruised. The holographic city vanished around him as he gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing with deep-seated irritation.
That arrogant little brat, he thought bitterly.
He took a long, deep breath to steady his temper, pasted his professional smile back on, and hurried into the elevator just as the doors began to close.
"How about we check the lounge next?" Vincent offered smoothly, trying to salvage the tour.
"Sure. Whatever," Scar leaned against the glass wall. "I could use some real excitement after that incredibly boring experience."
Vincent's eye twitched, but he pushed his rage down and pushed the button for the top floor.
When the doors opened, Scar stepped out into a luxurious, sprawling super-lounge. It was exactly what an elite athlete's sanctuary should look like. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows offered a panoramic view of the city. There were massive, plush leather couches surrounding a fully stocked, glowing neon bar. One side of the room featured a massive media wall with gaming consoles, while the other side housed a sleek karaoke stand and a lit dance floor. High-tech snack replicators lined the back wall.
It was truly fantastic.
Vincent watched Scar's eyes scan the room, waiting eagerly for a positive reaction. "So, what do you think? Do you like it?" he asked.
Scar looked at the luxurious setup, then turned to Vincent with a deadpan expression. "I've seen better." He said bluntly.
Vincent froze in the spot. He couldn't believe his ears. His hands balled into tight fists, his knuckles turning white as his face flushed with genuine, barely contained fury.
Felicity quickly stepped in between them, shooting Scar a sharp glare. "Behave yourself, Roy." She scolded. Then she turned to Vincent, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The place is magnificent, Vincent. It is just as beautiful as I remembered. I trust Roy will receive the best training in this facility."
Vincent forced a stiff nod, his smile not reaching his eyes. "He will. I'll make sure of that."
Scar simply rolled his eyes and let out a loud, mocking scoff.
They spent the next few hours back on the first and second floors. Felicity conducted Scar's training as promised, running him through a series of basic kinetic workouts, testing his endurance thresholds and teaching him the fundamental bio-mechanics of high-speed running.
By the time they finally exited the Speednasium and stepped out onto the quiet street, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky.
"You know," Felicity said as they began the walk back to the estate, "you really didn't have to give Vincent such a hard time in there. He has worked incredibly hard maintaining and developing this facility all by himself for years."
Scar shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging. "Well, he should have done a better job. I was only stating my sincere opinion."
Felicity chuckled softly. "Sincere, huh?" she said, raising a brow. "So you weren't being so needlessly mean to Vincent because I kept complimenting him?"
Scar scoffed loudly, refusing to look at her. "Why would I do that? You can compliment him all you want. I don't care."
Felicity smiled, a soft, knowing look in her sapphire eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Scar nodded firmly, his voice laced with a defensive tone. "I don't care about your compliments, and I don't care about your praises. You aren't my real mother. I don't need your approval, and I certainly don't need your affection."
His words dropped like a bomb, and silence fell over the street.
Scar braced himself, expecting her to snap, expecting the terrifying matriarch authority to crush him for his insolence. But it didn't come. Felicity didn't look hurt. She didn't look angry. She simply continued walking, her expression perfectly serene.
"Okay," she said softly. Then, she stopped and turned to him with a challenging smirk. "Race you back to the palace."
"No. Not again—" Scar started to argue, but the air violently ruptured before he could even finish his statement.
BOOM.
A massive gust of wind nearly knocked him off his feet, and Felicity vanished completely from sight.
Scar let out an aggressive sigh, dropping into a sprinter's stance. "Fine," he said. "Might as well try something new."
He wanted to use this opportunity to test the theory Miley had stated days ago: that as a speedster, his Mastery stat allowed him to permanently increase his top velocity naturally, simply by pushing his body past its breaking point.
Scar gritted his teeth, focused his intent, and bolted.
FWOOSH! CRACK!
The explosive kinetic force of his acceleration shattered the concrete beneath his boots, kicking up a rooster tail of debris.
As he began running, Scar immediately accelerated to his maximum velocity. He didn't hold back to conserve stamina this time. The goal was to surpass his limits.
The world around him violently warped. His arms and legs moved back and forth in a flawless rhythm.
A translucent blue speedometer hovered in the corner of his vision, flashing red, indicating that he had reached a bottleneck.
[Speed Rate: 670 km/hr]
[Maximum Velocity Reached]
As he hit his top speed, the ambient noise of the city completely died, replaced by the deafening, continuous roar of his own slipstream. The towering buildings on either side of him smeared into streaks of gray and neon light. The air itself felt thick, like he was trying to sprint through a wall of water, the friction generating a blistering heat against his skin. But it didn't cause any real pain or damage. His speed hadn't reached that stage yet.
As a sharp, ninety-degree turn approached, Scar activated Accelerated Perception.
The world instantly froze. Time slowed down from his point of view, making everything look static. Scar planted his boot heavily onto the vertical glass surface of a commercial building, his momentum carrying him sideways along the wall to clear the corner perfectly without slowing down. He dropped back onto the asphalt, deactivating the skill, and the world snapped back into a blinding blur.
Using AP drained his Energy Points and Stamina rapidly, but he didn't care. He could feel it; The sheer, tearing G-force on his muscles was forcing his biology to adapt.
Scar pushed harder. His lungs burned as if he were inhaling liquid fire. Every muscle fiber in his legs screamed in agony, begging him to slow down. But he refused. He pumped his arms faster, digging his heels into the asphalt, forcing his body into a gear it didn't possess.
I can go faster! he screamed inwardly, giving himself a dose of self-motivation.
I have to go faster!
I will go faster!
Suddenly, the red numbers on the speedometer flickered, and the numbers turned green.
[Speed Rate: 680 km/hr]
[Speed Rate: 690 km/hr]
Scar smiled through the wind pressure, but the satisfaction wasn't enough. The green numbers meant his body had adapted; this was his new baseline. It wasn't his limit anymore. He could do more.
I'm not done yet! He gritted his teeth and accelerated again.
A terrifying red notification flashed directly over his vision.
[Stamina: 5/115]
[WARNING: Stamina Critical]
[WARNING: Extreme Oxygen Deprivation Detected]
[Host is advised to Decelerate Immediately]
Scar ignored the system's warnings. He could see the massive gates of the Glacier Palace coming into view several miles down the long avenue. He didn't slow down. He stared at the green speedometer, desperately willing it to increase just one more time.
His lungs spasmed, his breath slowly fading. His vision began to tunnel, the edges bleeding into black. But Scar still didn't stop. He pushed with the last, microscopic drop of his stamina, throwing every ounce of his willpower into one final, explosive burst of speed.
And then, his body failed.
A sharp, agonizing pain erupted in his chest. His lungs simply stopped working. Every biological system in his body collapsed simultaneously. His limbs locked up mid-stride, and the sheer velocity carried him forward like a missile.
Scar was violently launched into the air, and he crashed brutally into the pavement, tumbling head over heels in a chaotic, bone-rattling skid that tore his clothes and scraped his skin. He skidded for fifty yards, finally coming to a violent halt directly in front of the palace gates.
"Young Master!" One of the guards at the gate spotted him immediately, dropping everything and rushing out onto the street in a panic. "Medic! Get a medic!"
Scar lay flat on his back, staring up at the darkening sky. His vision was fading fast. Blood dripped from his forehead into his eyes, and his entire body felt like it had been run over by a tank.
But as the darkness pulled him under, he couldn't help but smile.
Because floating directly above him was a bright, glowing system notification.
[Last Recorded Speed Rate: 720 km/hr]
[Congratulations! You have gained +50 km/hr through physical adaptation]
[Top Speed: 670 >> 720 km/hr]
Scar let out a small, ragged chuckle. He had done it. He had taken the first step to truly surpassing his limits and becoming faster.
The system screens dissolved, and Scar closed his eyes, passing out completely on the cold concrete.