American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

156. How Should a Mage Allocate Points?

For the members of the Ghost Rider Gang, this was a brutal massacre, much like what they had previously done to unarmed merchants. However, now, they were the ones being slaughtered. The wolves had preyed on lambs, and now they themselves had become the prey of a tiger.

Several gang members hid behind their motorcycles and fired at Kara, realizing that their attacker was no ordinary person. With their mortal bodies, they stood no chance in close combat against her. However, they underestimated Kara's physical resilience. Even though her strength had been significantly weakened, small-caliber bullets still couldn't penetrate her skin. The only effect these bullets had was slightly limiting her movement.

But such attacks did nothing to tip the scales of battle. They couldn't stop Kara's killing spree, not even buying a little more time.

"She's a superhuman, like those freaks in the Hulk Gang!"

"Use armor-piercing rounds, only those can hurt her."

After several unsuccessful attacks, the Ghost Rider Gang members finally reacted. They dismounted and took more powerful weapons from the boxes on their motorcycles. This wasn't their first encounter with superhumans. Long before Magneto's death, they frequently clashed with mutants over territory. Later, they often encountered members of the Hulk Gang.

The Ghost Rider Gang, with their experience in dealing with these extraordinary beings, stood out among the wasteland gangs. Superhumans were not invincible. This was proven on the night the superheroes fell. Those with superhuman powers were struck down on the battlefield, some even by ordinary people.

Everyone understood that superhumans had weaknesses. They were not as invincible as they seemed. With the right strategies, even someone as powerful as Thor could be brought down by mortals. Rather than living at the bottom of society and looking up at these extraordinary beings, the gang members enjoyed watching those lofty figures fall from grace.

"You're done for, you bitch!"

A burly man with a skull painted on his face stood up, holding an anti-aircraft gun on his shoulder, a weapon they specifically prepared for the Hulk Gang's brainless brutes. His eyes gleamed with madness as he envisioned the girl in front of him being torn apart. But the next moment, a hand suddenly reached out from his stomach. It was a metallic arm, covered in crimson blood and small bone fragments.

"Didn't you notice?"

A mocking voice whispered in the burly man's ear, but he couldn't respond. Pietro's appearance accelerated the massacre. Compared to the invulnerable and immensely strong Kara, Pietro, with his incredible speed, was even more dangerous. In the vast desert, his speed left ordinary people unable to react.

Alex watched silently. He chose not to intervene because his magic abilities would only complicate things. Kara and Pietro had worked together many times and had developed a certain synergy.

The Ghost Rider Gang was doomed. With Pietro's speed, they had no chance to use their powerful weapons, which meant they couldn't resist Kara's relentless assault. Their defeat was inevitable. Many gang members began to flee, but in the face of Pietro's super speed, their motorcycles were useless.

One burly man in a black jacket, either out of desperation or a lack of options, rode his motorcycle straight toward Alex. This snapped Alex out of his thoughts. He watched the motorcycle charging at him with confusion.

"Get out of the way! Move!!"

The burly man's eyes were filled with terror; he was clearly scared out of his wits.

"You're %@#$ asking for it!"

When fear reached its peak, it turned into boundless rage. Seeing Alex standing still, the man took out a flail. Alex, who had been contemplating what to eat for dinner (since he was responsible for Kara and Pietro's meals), was now completely focused on this burly man.

Without much thought, Alex's eyes turned blood-red. He gripped his umbrella handle tightly and, instead of dodging, rushed towards the man with incredible speed. The burly man was taken aback but quickly reacted, gripping the motorcycle handle with one hand to maintain balance while swinging the flail fiercely at Alex. However, the outcome was not what the man expected. His full-strength swing hit nothing but air, and a chill spread from his lower body.

Drawing and sheathing his blade was a seamless motion. Alex stood still, the red in his eyes fading. Panting slightly, he reflected on the power he had just unleashed. This speed and control were beyond his normal abilities, clearly a result of the enhancement from the beast.

Though he hadn't reached the level of a 'superhuman,' against ordinary people, he could now hold his own even without magic. The only regret was his lack of formal combat training. Possessing great strength without the skill to wield it effectively was wasteful, but Alex had no time for training. He certainly didn't want to become a mage who charges and strikes like a warrior!

Silently, Alex returned his treasured umbrella to its strap on his back and refocused on the battlefield. The skirmish ended quicker than he had expected. While he dealt with the desperate burly man, Pietro had already finished off the remaining gang members, and the desert returned to its eerie silence.

"This area isn't commonly traveled by merchants, so it'll be a long time before anyone discovers these guys," Pietro said, cleaning his metallic arm with a smile.

"Yes, that's a good thing. It means no one will connect the impact we're about to create in Rock Springs with this incident."

Alex lifted a fallen motorcycle, waved his right hand, and green flames enveloped the bike. The flames quickly melted and reshaped the vehicle into a strange boat-like contraption—now, no one would think it belonged to the Ghost Rider Gang.

With everything done, Alex continued, "We should thank them. With these vehicles, we'll reach our destination tonight!"

...…..

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
157. Count Nefaria.
158. Drunken Life and Dreams.
159. "Like Before".
160. The Final Chapter of Count Nefaria.
161. Dying at the Hands of 'Heroes'.