[Wait for your moment.], the master had said earlier.

Sam watched as Dr. Hearthstone—his body encased in armor formed from the surrounding rock—endured the continuous assault of the Terror’s fist to give Thunder more time to mold the thunderbolt in her hand.

“She’s taking too long now,” Sam realized.

Thunder must finally be nearing her limit, which meant this battle had almost hit its climax.

The Terror sent out a bone-chilling screech that caused sweat to drip down Sam’s face. Just the sight of the thing made him shudder.

“Styx! Get it together, Sam,” he chided himself.

[Here’s lesson number one, kid. Believe in yourself. You do that, and I guarantee you’ll show them what you’re made of.]

While Sam thought about the master’s words, he watched Thunder charge forward with a thunderbolt crackling in her hand. However, before she could send it flying at the Terror, the alpha-level horror unleashed a power it hadn’t shown off before.

It let out a mighty bellow that was brimming with so much energy Sam could feel the biting cold all the way from where he hid behind the SUV. This energy caused the temperature to drop instantly, allowing icicles to form on the ground around the Terror.

“Argh!” Dr. Hearthstone cried as two large icicles broke through his rock armor and pierced him in the gut and leg.

“Oh no,” Sam gasped, his eyes widening as he watched the scene unfold before him. “She won’t make it!”

Thunder had already committed to her attack, and she couldn’t avoid the freezing shockwave that slammed into her mid-air. She fell backward and crashed hard onto the now frozen street.

Despite its own grievous injuries, the Terror didn’t miss this opportunity to pounce. It reared back on spindly legs and threw itself into the air—but it wasn’t the only one to do so.

Sam would later say that he hadn’t even thought about it. His body just moved on its own.

Instinctively, he’d reached out for the hammer below him while simultaneously screaming, “Herculean!” into the sky.

[[Herculean (ζ)] is now active. Based on probability and threat assessment calculations, your current Strength is temporarily tripled. [STRENGTH: 60]]

Sam felt pain wrack his body as what seemed like a thousand volts of electricity was suddenly surging through his veins.

Notifications popped up before him, and it was a struggle just to browse through their contents.

[WARNING! Your body isn’t strong enough yet to wield this power. You will accumulate damage while it is active.]

[WARNING! Your SP is rapidly depleting. You will earn more fatigue with each action you take.]

[ALERT! [Regeneration (ζ)] is working to counteract the damage. Refrain from taking action while this is in progress.]

Sam couldn’t very well listen to this suggestion as he’d just seen the Terror leap forward and Thunder was too winded to notice.

His hand grasped the hammer’s handle while he recalled the master’s earlier words.

[Wait for your moment…and when it comes, don’t be afraid to leap.]

Sam bent his knees, and using the new energy coursing through him, he launched himself forward.

“Holy Zeus,” he said as he was propelled forward at a speed he’d never experienced before. Then he screamed, “Ah~~h!”

Pain exploded out of Sam’s right foot. It rose to his leg.

The part of his brain that could still think guessed that he’d broken his bones when he’d made the jump using a strength that went past his own limits. He knew he was still conscious only because of his rapid regeneration.

“Godsdammit!” Sam screamed through gritted teeth.

[Alert! Wielding [Onus, the Load Bearer] provides you with the following temporary bonuses based on your current burden’s value: Strength +10 and Will +2.]

Sam could literally feel the muscles in his body explode with even more power, and he honestly wasn’t sure if he could handle this much. But there was no time to think as mere seconds had passed while he bridged the distance between himself and the Terror.

[When challenging an opponent far more powerful than you, a single chance or two may be all you’ll get...], these were the words the master had said earlier. [...but these kinds of odds are what will make your actions truly shine.]

Sam grasped Onus with both hands.

Thunder was just beginning to get back on her feet. The Terror was about to land right next to her with sharp-nailed fingers outstretched.

In that millisecond of time before their fates would be decided, Sam recalled the last piece of advice the master had given him.

[So grit your teeth and unleash all the resolve hiding in your heart...]

He swung the hammer forward just as the Terror reached out for Thunder’s back.

[Go beyond even the extraordinary—and become super!]

“No, you don’t!” Sam yelled.

The force of Onus striking the Terror’s chest caused the very air around them to explode outward.

There was an audible boom, and then, to Sam’s great surprise, the Terror was blown back by his attack with such force that it landed hard on a gathering of rubble a full fifteen yards away.

The explosion of power also threw Sam back, his weakening concentration causing Herculean to automatically deactivate. He would have been blown away himself if Thunder hadn’t caught him.

“What took you so long?” she asked while she carried him in her arms, princess-style. “Did you stop for takeout or something?”