After finishing the day's affairs with the Knights Order, Eden returned to the Kent family home, ate a quick dinner, and—as had become his habit—lay down on his bed to rest.
But after a few minutes, his eyes snapped open.
"I can't sleep."
Lately, he'd developed the strange habit of running simulated battles in his mind before sleeping. It was as routine to him now as brushing his teeth—a kind of nightly ritual that had seeped into his bones.
"If I can't sleep, I might as well simulate."
"There's no point wasting time."
He muttered softly, already feeling that familiar surge of determination.
"Simulation, initiate."
At his command, the system's calm mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"At your service. Who would you like to simulate against today?"
It had been a while since the system last spoke directly to him; lately, Eden had simply been running automatic training cycles. But tonight, he wanted something more.
"Let's start with four elite Viltrumites—just a warm-up."
Originally, Eden had planned to continue his sparring sessions with the Berserker Beast, but that creature was too durable. Even though Eden now numerically surpassed it in strength, fighting the Beast still took a day or two to finish.
He wasn't like Regent Kruge, who once battled the Berserker Beast for days and nights without rest. Eden didn't have the patience for that kind of drawn-out struggle.
Instead, he preferred efficiency—crushing his opponents quickly and decisively.
The four elite Viltrumites, fighting in perfect coordination, were said to be able to suppress Kruge before his duel with the Berserker Beast—before he had fully evolved. In terms of raw strength, Kruge's power back then was roughly equivalent to three and a half elite Viltrumites.
For Eden, however, their physical defense was relatively weak. Combined with his Kryptonian physiology—born to dominate weaker foes—he was confident he could end the fight in a few hours.
"Opponents selected: Four elite Viltrumites."
"Location: Vacuum of space."
The system responded swiftly, and the world around Eden shifted.
The walls of his bedroom melted away, replaced by the cold, silent void of the universe.
Battle Simulation – Start
When Eden opened his eyes again, four elite Viltrumites floated before him: John, Anissa, Nolan—clad in his Viltrumite combat armor—and General Kregg.
Eden raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? This lineup's stronger than I expected. Not bad."
Across from him, the Viltrumites exchanged thoughts through their telepathic communication sensors.
"Is that our target? He looks… like one of us."
"I thought we were hunting some kind of beast."
"Doesn't matter," Nolan cut in coldly. "We kill him."
Anissa smirked.
"Hear that, John? Even the great Nolan doesn't hesitate."
"Keep talking, Anissa, and I'll knock that smirk off your face," John snapped, irritation flashing across his features.
"You think I'm scared of you?" she shot back.
"Enough," General Kregg interjected, his deep voice cutting through the rising tension. "Stay focused. The target is powerful—attack together, and don't hold back."
The four Viltrumites ceased their bickering. Without another word, they launched forward—four blazing meteors streaking through space.
The Clash
In deep space, with no air resistance, their movements were even faster, their blows heavier.
Eden didn't dodge.
Instead, he smiled faintly and rushed to meet them head-on, without even activating his heat vision or other Kryptonian powers.
"Come on!"
The moment Eden and John collided, the sheer difference in strength became obvious.
Eden didn't budge an inch.
John, however, felt as though he had slammed into a planet. His alloy prosthetic limb cracked instantly, his body trembling from the impact. A piercing feedback shrieked through his communication sensor.
"Not good… his physical power rivals Kruge's!" John's thoughts raced. "Activate Plan A!"
He signaled the others—this was the same strategy they once used against the Regent himself.
Eden didn't know—or care—what John was planning. With one hand, he crushed John's arm completely and seized him by the throat, intent on snapping his neck.
"Now!" John screamed mentally.
In perfect sync, Nolan, Anissa, and Kregg attacked from three sides. Their combined strike twisted together in a spiral of force, slamming into Eden and knocking him back.
Eden released John, who floated away, gasping.
John steadied himself, far more cautious now. He realized that if Eden got a hold of him again, he'd be dead in an instant.
Eden floated silently in the void, studying the group with a glint of amusement.
"They're moving in perfect sync… interesting."
He didn't yet know that they already considered him stronger than Kruge himself. To them, Eden was a monster—a being whose power exceeded the limits of Viltrumite evolution.
"Let's see how long you last," Eden murmured.
He shot forward again.
Adaptation
This time, the Viltrumites reacted with surprising precision.
John and Kregg intercepted Eden's initial blow while Anissa and Nolan countered from opposite flanks. Their four-way coordination was nearly flawless. The impact sent Eden skidding through the vacuum, a thin trickle of blood leaking from his nose.
"Well met," he muttered, wiping the blood away. "Let's keep going."
Eden accelerated again—this time, heat vision blazing.
Twin beams of crimson light lanced through space, striking Anissa squarely and hurling her hundreds of meters away. The sudden burst of energy stunned the others.
"Laser?! He can project energy?" John's mind reeled.
That moment of distraction was all Eden needed.
In an instant, he appeared before John and twisted his neck with a sickening crack.
"Facing me—and you still dare to get distracted?" Eden said coldly.
He tore the sensor from John's ear and crushed it between his fingers, glaring at the remaining three.
One-Sided Domination
"Tch." Nolan's eye twitched. "Attack together!"
Anissa recovered, joining Nolan and Kregg as they surrounded Eden once more.
Eden grinned.
"Heh. Let's finish this."
When four became three, the balance was broken. What followed wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter.
Eden tore through them like a force of nature. Every strike shattered armor, every movement blurred beyond perception. Within minutes, the last Viltrumite fell lifeless, his body drifting into the endless void.
"System, exit simulation."
"As you command."
The universe dissolved, and the silence of his bedroom returned.
Reflection
Eden lay there, catching his breath, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
"No… it's still not enough."
He realized the truth—his Kryptonian abilities gave him an overwhelming advantage against most opponents, even multiple foes at once. Unless his enemies possessed ranged attacks or abilities to match his versatility, he couldn't feel real pressure.
"A one-on-four battle isn't pushing me anymore," he muttered. "If I want to grow stronger, I need something far beyond this."
His thoughts turned to the two most terrifying beings he knew—Regent Kruge and the Berserker Beast.
And then, inspiration struck.
"Who said a simulation has to end with a clear winner or loser?" he realized.
"The whole point of simulated combat… is to evolve."
He sat up, determination burning in his eyes.
"System," he said firmly. "Simulate a battle against Kruge and the Berserker Beast—at the same time."
A brief pause.
"Are you sure?" the system asked, its tone unusually serious.
Eden's expression didn't waver.
"I'm absolutely sure."
"As you wish," the system replied.
And as the room dissolved once more into the infinite void, Eden prepared to face his greatest challenge yet.
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