Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven Chapter 2: Bane of existence, Truck

A brilliant light flared in Grey’s eyes while his mind drifted off, pulling him into a deep trance.

Before him unfolded an immense starry expanse, infinite and hushed. Star patterns gleamed like diamonds strewn across a timeless backdrop, each one emanating a remote, unreachable grandeur. The icy quiet of space bore down on him, chilling his breath and mind equally. At that instant, he simply stood frozen, staring as countless stars blazed with such intense radiance that it dwarfed him into utter insignificance.

Suddenly, a fiery lotus of pristine flames blossomed amid the cosmic emptiness. Its petals danced with enigmatic energy, holy and timeless. Before Grey grasped what it was, the lotus exploded into myriad light particles that raced toward him, burrowing directly into his consciousness.

Whoosh—!

The scene shattered.

The sky above ripped open as though clawed by invisible forces, star clusters fracturing like brittle shards. Stars winked out one by one, dissolving into nothingness until pure blackness remained.

Everything dissolved before Grey could make sense of the spectacle he’d beheld.

Blue Star.

Bright daylight flooded back. A breeze caressed his skin, bearing the everyday bustle of life. Horns blared sharply in his ears.

"Huh?" Grey’s eyes flew open.

That’s when he noticed his position smack in the center of a crowded street. From the edge of his sight, a enormous truck hurtled at him, its metal body shining under the sunlight, tires screeching on the pavement.

"..." Grey’s breath hitched. His frame locked up. The truck loomed way too near—impossibly near. No dodge was possible now, even if he tried.

In a brief flash, hopelessness clamped him like iron shackles. Terror widened his eyes, mirroring the truck’s encroaching silhouette.

And then—a change occurred.

His pupils shrank, flickering at supernatural velocity, glitching like time had stuttered to a crawl.

"Hey, watch out!"

A bystander on the pavement shouted in panic, dashing forward in a frantic bid to shove Grey clear. But it was pointless. The truck was mere meters away. Far too late!

Suddenly, the impossible unfolded.

"What?!" The passerby watching this gaped in shock.

Whoosh!

[Your comprehension defies the heavens! From a near-death experience you comprehend the "Instant Recoil Step"!]

A gust whipped up from Grey’s former spot as time dragged to a halt just for him.

Badum! Badum!

His heart thundered like battle drums, each thump surging blood fiercely through his vessels. Adrenaline surged wildly, igniting every fiber, muscle, and sinew. Joints popped sharply loose, tendons snapping tight like strung bows.

Hips swiveled, knees flexed, shoulders snapped rearward—his entire form ignited in savage harmony. Air exploded from the ferocious backlash, a scorching blast bursting forth as his silhouette smeared away from the truck’s deadly course.

The truck thundered through the spot Grey had occupied moments before, but he was gone, leaving even the driver momentarily baffled before speeding off. Stopping would only invite chaos, and as a diligent working-class man, he craved no such hassle!

Meanwhile, the surrounding everyday folks gawked in equal stupefaction, matching the passerby who’d attempted to aid Grey.

Awe and incredulity filled their stares. Evolvers prowled the streets often enough, yet Grey’s display struck uniquely.

"Woah! Big brother is so cool! I wanna be like big brother!" A kid cheered, clapping with glee at the sight. He’d viewed such feats in films and clips, but live action thrilled beyond measure.

"That dude’s gotta be an evolver." Someone remarked.

"Obviously! How else could he evade that truck? No human pulls off a dodge from that range! Only transcendent beings surpass mortal bounds for such reflexes and velocity!"

Huff!

Gasping deeply, Grey slumped to the ground, face etched with mild bewilderment.

Right then, plumes of steam billowed from Grey’s form. He drew heavy breaths amid crashing fatigue.

He’d just shattered human limits!

The raw force expelled vapors from his body.

At that moment, the stunned passerby who’d shouted the warning knelt by Grey’s side.

"You alright, friend?" The passerby inquired with gentle worry, dropping low beside Grey.

From the side of his vision, Grey eyed the man.

Short black hair, piercing yellow eyes, a slim but muscular build, and a face that charmed any woman framed the stranger.

Swiftly, he rummaged in his pocket, producing a large bottle of blue fluid. "Here, friend, drink this."

Grey eyed him oddly—how’d such a big bottle emerge from that pocket?

A quick peek at the ring on the man’s finger revealed the truth. A spatial ring!

Spatial rings proved scarce in Nova City, affordable solely by the wealthy; this fellow might hail from a prominent city clan’s young master.

Wealthy young masters rarely ventured into Sector 6, preferring Sector 1 near the City Lord.

His gaze shifted to the blue contents. "What’s this? Muscle-numbing potion? Planning to kidnap me? I-I smoke daily and booze hard; my organs ain’t prime!"

Shock twisted Grey’s features as he leaped up, backing away from the striking man.

Dumbfounded, the handsome stranger rose with a wry grin and clarified. "It’s an energy potion; restores depleted stamina fast. No ill intent here."

"Really?" Grey eyed him dubiously. Then he snatched it and chugged.

The first sensation was its fizz, reminiscent of sweet lemon drink. Pleased by the taste, Grey drained it eagerly.

At once, depleted vitality surged back through him. He’d strained every muscle dodging the truck, bracing for tomorrow’s aches—but this potion erased that dread.

Having suspiciously claimed the gift from his would-be savior and guzzled it down, Grey beamed contentedly.

Exhaustion vanished entirely; vigor now pulsed within.

"Tastes amazing, way better than market sodas. How much for one?" Grey asked, grinning.

"Huh...? Soda?" The man shook his head helplessly before replying. "100 Union Credits each."

"100 Union Credits?!" Grey gaped, stunned.

Union Credits served as this world’s money, with average pay at 500 monthly. His factory-toiling father earned just that nightly grind, so five potions would bankrupt them.

"Long road ahead, long road..." Grey muttered blankly.

He adored the energy potion’s flavor yet couldn’t buy even one...

"I’m Evan, pleased to meet you." The handsome man introduced himself first. "I thought you’d get smashed for sure, but good thing you’re an evolver."

"Haha, evolver?" Grey smiled wryly.

Unbeknownst to this guy, the move Grey grasped lay fully within pure human potential, sans evolutionary power.

This skill granted flawless bodily mastery and adrenaline harnessing, amplifying strength sans total collapse.

No ordinary person could master its exact precision without decades—80 years nonstop training at minimum—and even then, peril loomed.

Grey shook his head and replied. "I’m Grey Lockhart. Nice to meet you, thanks for the aid. Without that energy potion, I’d probably need a pricey taxi these days, no cap."

"Lockhart?" Evan’s face lit with mild surprise. "My buddy’s surname is Lockhart too—small world."

Grey just shrugged it off. "Lockharts swarm Nova City, Sector 6 especially. No surprise."

Evan nodded quietly. "Mind sharing—what evolver type are you?"

"What type?" Grey’s lips quirked, pain flickering across his features.

What evolver!

I can’t detect cosmic energy! How to evolve!!

Yet admitting zero evolver status wouldn’t fly, so he pondered a path that theoretically allowed truck-dodging at Pseudo First Rank.

After a moment’s thought, he settled on one. "I pursue the... uh, Martial Evolutionary Path."

"Got it..." Evan nodded.

"Yeah." Grey confirmed.

Glancing at the hour—nearing 6 PM—he felt hunger gnaw and yearned to test his heaven-defying comprehension cheat. Thus, he thanked Evan briskly and departed.

Evan observed Grey vanish from sight, brow furrowed in puzzle. "How’d he pull it off? He’s just a regular mortal!"