Striving to Become Faster

"Barry, the energy produced by the cells in your body is greater than ever before. In other words, you've become stronger." Zhang Tianran took the tablet Caitlin handed him and showed Barry his cell samples.

The earlier battle had long since ended. Barry had even gone to the Central City Police Department, then returned to accompany Zhang Tianran and Caitlin for another blood sample analysis.

In that battle, Iron Man had been killed by Farooq. Farooq, meanwhile, had been burst apart by Barry after he reactivated the Speed Force.

Being burst apart by the Speed Force was quite an achievement in its own way.

"Getting stronger is a good thing, but it came at the cost of two lives tonight." Barry's feelings were complicated.

He had watched two lives vanish before his eyes, and one of them had been his high school classmate. Even if that person had often bullied him back then...

"So, you need to become stronger. Strong enough to stop all crime, fast enough to protect everyone. Since you chose this path, don't regret it." Zhang Tianran patted Barry's shoulder, then removed his own device from Barry's chest.

The detector had been made in a hurry, yet its quality was unexpectedly good. Even when Barry ran at high speed, the thing had not fallen off.

"Next, Cisco and I will upgrade STAR Labs' defenses. As for you... strive to become faster." Zhang Tianran took the detector and walked out.

Barry looked at his blood report on the tablet, but suddenly recalled the information Zhang Tianran had once given him.

Although Wells had secretly thrown it onto the floor, Barry had found it beneath the bed after searching for a few seconds with Super Speed.

Becoming faster became Barry's motivation for the first time.

With excitement in his heart, Barry opened the first page:

"Barry, your Super Speed comes from the lightning within your body. I named it the Speed Force. You must understand the nature of the Speed Force, but you need to know that it is the Speed Force that gives you speed..."

"With the Speed Force, there are many things you can do. But first, you need to understand that your speed is actually divided into two modes: accelerated thinking and accelerated movement."

"When you feel that your body has slowed down, that is accelerated thinking. When you find it difficult to control your distance while running at high speed, that is accelerated movement."

"The first thing you need to do is find a balance between these two modes..."

"..."

The training plan Zhang Tianran had given Barry described in great detail how he had once mastered the Speed Force, without the slightest falsehood.

If he followed Zhang Tianran's instructions, Barry would be able to easily master all the abilities he would originally learn in the future.

However, Zhang Tianran did not believe Barry could reach that level.

Because Barry had almost no sense of urgency at the moment. The speed granted by the Speed Force had already given him ample confidence.

And that was indeed the case. Zhang Tianran's manuscript helped Barry greatly, but Barry could not yet understand skills such as Molecular Vibration or generating lightning.

As for the time travel and other material at the end of the manuscript, Barry ignored it completely. He only remembered the earliest parts that taught him to control Super Speed and Super Thinking.

While Barry read through the training plan, Zhang Tianran was in his own laboratory, carefully examining Barry's physical report.

The instrument he had made earlier had recorded the entire process of the Speed Force being born within Barry's body, without missing a single detail.

But this record was not all that important. The process by which the Speed Force was born in Barry's body was no different from Zhang Tianran's own, or even from the way other Metahumans used their abilities.

In the end, what was special was the Speed Force.

Not the Speedsters. If it were merely Speedsters, there were already three at STAR Labs, and there would be even more in the future. But only Barry Allen was truly special. No wonder Reverse-Flash had set his sights on him.

"Things not going well?" Wells' voice came from behind Zhang Tianran, but he did not sound worried in the slightest.

In fact, Zhang Tianran had noticed the moment Reverse-Flash appeared. His vigilance was nowhere near as lax as Barry's.

"I've told you many times. Knock before you come in. If there's a next time, I'll set up a particle defense net." Zhang Tianran was somewhat displeased.

"I told you before, the existence of the Speed Force goes far beyond the scope of conventional science. With these things, you'll never discover anything." Wells glanced disdainfully at the items on Zhang Tianran's desk before reminding him.

To this Speedster professor from the twenty-fifth century, the little gadgets Zhang Tianran made were incredibly primitive and not worth his attention.

"If you have something to say, say it quickly. You're not qualified to lecture me now." Zhang Tianran was displeased. After becoming a Speedster, he had rapidly gained control over his abilities, but that was all.

Zhang Tianran had now mastered some techniques for using the Speed Force, but he lacked experience fighting other Speedsters and could not enter the Speed Force itself.

"I need your help obtaining Superluminal Particles!" Wells stated his purpose.

"No."

Wells could not help frowning at that answer. He continued, "As payment, I can increase your speed."

"The Superluminal Particle Generator? I don't need that thing, so save it. I won't help you unless you tell me everything." Zhang Tianran spoke without hesitation.

The Superluminal Particle Generator could indeed increase his speed, but speed was not what Zhang Tianran needed right now.

"If that's the case, I'll do it myself. As for what you want to know... it's not that I won't tell you. It's just that some things can only be understood through personal experience." Wells did not press the matter further.

After Wells left, Zhang Tianran pulled up the renovation plan for STAR Labs and sent it to Cisco, then continued writing the code for an artificial intelligence.

As for Barry's test report? Zhang Tianran had long since tossed it into the trash. Barry Allen was crucial if he wanted to explore the Speed Force, but ordinary technology was of little use.

A reply soon came from Cisco on the computer, saying that he would begin improving STAR Labs' defense systems tomorrow.

After sending Cisco a message, Zhang Tianran rose and went to the cells at STAR Labs. The bodies of Iron Man and Farooq were still there.

After extracting some substances he needed from the corpses, Zhang Tianran returned to his laboratory and began another night of work.

Ever since becoming a Speedster, Zhang Tianran had not properly rested in a long time.

Inside the Time Vault, Wells was reviewing surveillance footage of Zhang Tianran. When he saw Zhang Tianran collecting Farooq's blood as well, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Taking a ring from his pocket, Wells immediately transformed into Reverse-Flash.

The next moment, alarms blared at Mercury Labs. After killing several security guards, Wells found the Superluminal Particles.

But... for some reason, Wells did not take them away immediately.