From Bullets To Billions

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."

"Or opening up the mind," Hercules went on, his voice steady, "or developing spatial awareness beyond what we naturally have. Some people possess more than one of these abilities, and some just one. In my case", he gave a faint, knowing smile, "it's my strength."

Of course, Max thought. For someone named Hercules, it really had to be strength. But still, the explanation made him wonder, could superhumans only pass down the traits they personally knew? Did that mean Max would only learn how to use super strength from Hercules? What if he wanted to explore more than that?

"So… are you going to give me your One Punch Man workout routine, then?" Max asked, half-joking but curious.

"A routine?" Hercules shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "A strong foundation for your body is important, especially when utilizing these powers. The stronger your body, the more you'll be able to draw out the powers already within you."

He paused for a moment, locking eyes with Max. "But a workout routine is something anyone can hand you on paper. That's not what this is about. This requires extreme discipline. Remember what I said, we are working toward unlocking traits in your body that are already there."

Max leaned in slightly, fully engaged now.

"In today's world, thanks to science, we have countless ways to enhance ourselves," Hercules continued. "Steroids, for instance, can artificially boost strength. Different forms of medicine can suppress hunger, fight sickness, or make us feel stronger. But all of these things, these medicines and drugs, are only enhancing substances and mechanisms that already exist in our bodies."

He gave a brief gesture with his hands, as if tracing invisible lines through the air. "When you think about it, it's quite incredible. The human body has the ability to create life, to form an entirely new living being. When we are injured, our bodies naturally heal those wounds."

Max nodded. He'd never thought of it in quite that way before, but it made sense.

"However," Hercules went on, "there is a limit to our natural healing abilities, how much we can regenerate, how far we can push ourselves. That's why science has found ways to enhance these functions. But what I will be teaching you… is how to tap into your body's true potential. To bring it out from within, through will and mastery."

He took a slow breath, then added, "I'm sure you've heard the stories, of a woman lifting a car to rescue her trapped child, even though under normal circumstances she'd never have that kind of strength. That's the kind of potential we're talking about."

Max nodded, but decided to speak up.

"I've heard people say that it happens because we're unlocking the full power of our brain," he said. "But… isn't that just a myth?"

Hercules shrugged one broad shoulder, unfazed.

"I'm no scientist," he replied honestly. "So I can't tell you whether we're truly using one hundred percent of our brain or not. I can't explain the exact reasons why certain things happen. But do you know what I can tell you?"

He held Max's gaze steadily.

"That woman really did lift the car to save her son. And just now, I crushed that log with my bare hands. So I know that much is true."

Max swallowed. There was no arguing with what he'd just witnessed.

"So today," Hercules continued, his tone growing more focused, "we're going to find out what you can unlock within yourself. And keep this in mind, it might not be the same thing I've unlocked in me."

He smiled slightly, as if the prospect intrigued him just as much as it did Max.

"This is your journey now."