Gongsun Huo took a long drag from his cigarette, his voice dropping into a serious, low tone. "Lately, I’ve been tracking global reports on superpower users through TV coverage."
"Along with scattered hints on major forums and fragmented intel about new humans from the dark web."
He paused, then added, "Our brothers also know the President has been gathering substantial intelligence through various sources."
Wang Xiao furrowed his brows. "Gongsun, what are you getting at?"
Gongsun Huo shot him a glance, speaking slowly: "Summing it all up, the President estimates the global number of new humans has conservatively surpassed 500,000."
"Five hundred thousand?!"
Wang Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. "That’s hundreds of times more than before!"
Gongsun Huo stubbed out his cigarette. "And that’s the low-end estimate. Optimistically, it could be a million. Maybe two."
"If that’s true, then Earth belongs to us now—us new humans." A fire ignited in Wang Xiao’s eyes.
"Hmph." Gongsun Huo let out a cold snort. "You think it’s that simple?"
"Confirmed intel says nearly every new human who existed before the Ether resurgence has experienced a massive power boost."
Wang Xiao smirked. "Heh, isn’t that a good thing?"
"Good?" Gongsun Huo locked eyes with him. "Those old human hunting squads are now more ruthless than ever."
"What?!" Wang Xiao’s body tensed.
"Why do you think PsyBro went all-in and mobilized everyone? It’s to rescue our people." Gongsun’s tone was bitterly cold.
"Then how come I didn't hear about this?" Wang Xiao scratched his head.
"You?" Gongsun scoffed: "I’ve always suspected that what’s sitting on your shoulders isn’t a head, it’s a damn wooden club. Your talents are only good for dirty work—killing. But saving lives? Forget it."
Wang Xiao chuckled sheepishly. "You’re not wrong."
"In the last few days alone, global missing person cases have skyrocketed by dozens of percentage points," Gongsun continued, his voice like ice.
"Every single case PsyBro could track? They’d all revealed signs of their powers on social media. The older generation of new humans would never be that reckless. Only those freshly awakened, clueless about how brutal this world is, would make that mistake."
"In other words, this massive wave of missing new humans? High chance they’ve been captured by the old humans."
BANG!
Wang Xiao slammed his fist down on the couch armrest, roaring: "Those old humans—fuckers deserve to be wiped out! Damn them all!"
Gongsun Huo remained silent, his quietude serving as agreement.
"This assassination of Seraphine is the perfect moment to show the world the true strength of new humanity."
"The President, Vice President, and the others are already out there fighting on every front to rescue our kin."
Gongsun Huo stood tall, his voice rising: "We have to do our part too!"
Wang Xiao nodded hard, clenching his fists. "Damn right! Let’s throw everything in—and rake in some cash while we’re at it!"
...
7:00 AM
Seraphine, accompanied by Kael, Vale, a procession of palace attendants, and a heavy security detail, stepped into a fleet of sleek, black ceremonial cars. The motorcade rolled onto the highway, making its way toward the Imperial Palace.
Multiple media helicopters circled overhead, broadcasting the convoy’s movements live.
All major television networks in Emberlight suspended regular programming for the Crown Prince investiture ceremony.
Among the whirring choppers, one stood out particularly.
Plastered on the fuselage was a massive, full-color portrait of Seraphine herself.
It was a flying fan banner, fully funded by her devoted followers.
In this age of obsessive celebrity culture, even someone as reserved as Seraphine—who had never revealed any notable talent—wasn't immune.
The reason was simple: she was stunning.
...
Inside a cabin…
“Hey everyone! It’s your favorite girl, Lulu!”
A bubbly young streamer smiled sweetly at her camera. “Today’s a big day—it’s our beloved Sera’s official investiture as Crown Princess!”
She was live on BlazeCast, Emberlight’s largest streaming platform.
The chat exploded with comments:
“Her Highness is on the move!!”
“She’s here!!”
“Move, girl, you’re blocking Sera!!”
“I SEE HER AHHH!!”
“Seraphine’s just as flawless as ever!”
...
Meanwhile, on a rooftop near the route, a Secret Service agent monitored the situation.
He picked up his radio: “C15, all clear. Reporting in.”
STATIC—
A calm voice crackled back: “Roger. Continue surveillance.”
“Copy that.”
Several hundred meters away, on another tower, a tall man with ash-gray hair—Auron—lowered his own radio.
Next to him sat a petite girl with pink twin-tails, wearing cartoon-print cowboy shorts. She was half-asleep and snoring softly.
BANG!
Auron smacked her lightly on the forehead.
“Selene, quit dozing off. The heir’s convoy is passing soon.”
Selene flinched, pouting like a child. “Stupid big bro… I was having a great dream and you ruined it.”
Auron didn’t react, used to her antics.
“This kind of mission doesn’t need someone like me,” she grumbled, stretching lazily. “They could’ve sent a couple of grunts. Calling me in? Overkill much?”
“Overkill?” Auron raised an eyebrow. “That’s rich, coming from someone who couldn’t even track Wang Xiao.”
“Eh heh~” Selene glanced away, fidgeting. “I suck at tracking, okay? But if you let me storm a fortress? Now that’s my thing.”
“Storm a fortress, huh?” Auron snorted. “Wang Xiao would slice you into mincemeat and stuff you in a dumpling.”
“Ugh…”
Selene scratched her head awkwardly. She didn’t argue—because deep down, she knew he was right.
Wang Xiao wasn’t just dangerous—he was a cold-blooded psychopath who wouldn't hesitate for a second, even against a girl.
...
Both Auron and Selene were new humans awakened in the wake of the great Ether Tide.
But unlike many in the PsyBro Syndicate, they weren’t born into powerful families or elite clans. Their upbringing had been ordinary, happy, and grounded.
Because of that, neither of them ever truly thought of themselves as a “new species.”
Before their awakening, they were just regular agents of the Secret Service, handling grunt work and lower-risk operations.
But the moment their powers emerged, everything changed.
Auron could generate massive bursts of subzero cold, creating localized fields with temperatures rivaling the South Pole. His five senses were also drastically heightened, far sharper than those of a normal human.
Selene’s gift was different. She could instantly transmute her flesh into living metal, an alloy-like skin that retained her flexibility and agility.
Once transformed, her body was nearly indestructible: even a high-caliber machine gun, capable of tearing through 10mm of steel, couldn’t leave a scratch on her.
She was practically immune to melee weapons and small arms fire.
Due to a quiet policy shift within Emberlight’s upper echelons, both siblings were quickly brought into the fold, elevated from basic agents to elite operatives.
Their salaries skyrocketed, along with their clearance and status.
With that came access to the Threat Classification System for dangerous superhumans and martial artists:
D-Class: Harmless. Can be neutralized with standard firearms.
C-Class: Minor threat. Capable of dodging bullets.
B-Class: Moderate threat. Immune to firearms.
A-Class: Serious threat. Requires deployment of at least 10+ officers or soldiers with heavy arms.
S-Class: Major threat. Demands 100+ personnel, military units, and heavy weaponry.
SS-Class: Catastrophic. Calls for over 1,000 troops, strategic planning, armored divisions, and even air support to neutralize.
Auron and Selene? Both were classified as B-Class.
...
From a historical perspective, the Emberlight Empire has stood for nearly three centuries as a monarchy.
Even in the modern age, although the royal family no longer wields much real political power, and many high-ranking figures hardly regard them with reverence, the Aurenthal royal family remains a sacred symbol to the ordinary citizens.
To a population steeped in nostalgia, that symbolism is enough to command respect.
The Emperor of Emberlight still holds a unique status. On most days, the aged sovereign takes little part in actual governance.
But the moment he shows displeasure, even the most powerful elites fall silent.
In a very real sense, the Emperor is the spiritual glue holding Emberlight together, the living emblem of its once-glorious history.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Of course, none of that sentiment means anything to the man himself. The true sign that an era is ending is when it begins to be romanticized.
The Emperor has no intention of becoming a relic. What he craves is raw, undeniable power—the absolute will of a sovereign to decide life and death.
The Emberlight Empire enjoyed three centuries of conquest. But when the tide of global decolonization began to surge, the Empire found itself collapsing under its own outdated structure.
Cornered by internal decay and international pressure, the Emperor of that generation made a radical choice: he surrendered absolute rule and reformed the monarchy into a constitutional one.
The Empire renounced its hold on distant colonies like Zyochea, Zenyoku, Khmerion, Aranyae, Luzen, and more.
This painful shedding of the past allowed Emberlight to be reborn. Eventually, this gave rise to the vast Emberlight Cultural Sphere, a network spanning over a dozen nations and housing nearly 4 billion people—over a third of the global population.
Even now, the Emperor remains a figure of tremendous influence in these regions.
Which is why today, the entire Emberlight Cultural Sphere watches with rapt attention, all eyes fixed on the broadcast of the heir’s investiture ceremony.
...
Ten kilometers from the imperial convoy, atop the roof of a crumbling high-rise, Gongsun Huo squinted through the morning haze, a cigarette between his fingers and a laptop on his lap.
On the screen: real-time drone footage of the armored convoy carrying Seraphine to the Imperial Palace.
He took out his phone and muttered, “Xiao. Showtime.”
A voice crackled through the line—Wang Xiao, seething with intent: “Got it.”
Hiss—the cigarette hissed as Gongsun Huo pressed it out on the cold concrete.
He stood up and dragged out a massive, heavily customized sniper rifle. In one fluid motion, he hefted the weapon, settling into a firing stance toward the overpass Seraphine’s convoy was destined to cross.
The rooftop was deathly still.
His eyes shifted. His pupils warped and gleamed, morphing into a molten gold.
【Hawk Eye】.
It gave him godlike vision, able to see something as small as an ant ten kilometers away.
A subtle hum filled the air as faint strands of light shimmered around him, snaking into the chambered round.
【Kinetic Augmentation】.
With it, he could imbue objects with volatile kinetic energy.
Layered together, these turned the rifle into a weapon of terrifying power, capable of striking with pinpoint accuracy from an impossible distance.
He took a breath. And then—he pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The round exploded from the barrel.
Whoooosh~~
The bullet screamed through the air, nearing Mach 3.
Everything had been accounted for: wind, trajectory, atmospheric drag. Gongsun Huo was certain there would be no mistake.
The shot tore across the Asharan skyline, a steel jungle of towering skyscrapers. It carried no warning—only lethal intent.
Three seconds... five seconds... seven... nine...
As if choreographed, the lead car in the convoy—Seraphine’s car—reached the precise point Gongsun Huo had calculated.
And then—
Inside the vehicle, Seraphine’s head turned.
Through the tinted window, her gaze locked on the incoming bullet, still several hundred meters away but only seconds from impact.
She smiled, ever so faintly.
“Well, well,” she mused. “Someone actually dares to shoot me.”
Her tone wasn’t frightened.
It wasn’t angry.
It was intrigued.
And just a little... amused.
Next, her gaze sharpened.
The bullet—hundreds of meters away—froze mid-air.
Ever since completing 《Twilight Dominion》, her Mental Power had surged in strength, rapidly catching up with her already formidable physical might.
She now wielded force exceeding 50 million tons.
Against such overwhelming Telekinetic pressure, ordinary metal was no longer simply crushed: it was annihilated.
The pointed bullet was instantly compressed under Seraphine’s force into searing-hot Plasma.
Then, transformed into a blazing streak of light, it tore backward, tracing its original path in reverse.
WHOOSH~~
Ten kilometers away, atop an unfinished skyscraper, Gongsun Huo was casually lighting a cigarette, chuckling:
“Time to die…”
He didn’t get to finish.
A superheated beam of light erupted from the horizon and obliterated his chest in an instant.
BANG!!
His body burst apart, shattered into fragments of flesh and broken bone.
Only his head remained intact, flung skyward—until it was caught mid-air by an invisible, overwhelming Telekinetic grip descending from above.
A voice, cold and detached, echoed inside his mind:
"Let me take a look at your memories."
Seraphine.
Even from ten kilometers away, she was violently extracting his Soul.
Gongsun Huo couldn’t speak.
He could only tremble, scream, eyes bulging in blank terror.
He had no idea what was happening.
Only that a monstrous Pain was erupting deep within his skull, as if some unseen, merciless force was digging through his brain with spectral fingers.
“PsyBro Syndicate…”
“Wang Xiao… air manipulation…”
“Black Skull Organization…”
“Ability amplification—hundredfold…”
Seraphine rifled through his thoughts without restraint, her mental voice purring with growing excitement:
“That’s right… how could I forget the roots of the Superpower phenomenon? Seems I’ve been thinking too small.”
“Perfect. The Martial Arts world has been tapped dry. But you… you’re delivering yourselves right to my door.”
“Thank you, dear friend, for the reminder.”
“Don’t worry… your friends will be joining you soon enough.”
In that moment, Gongsun Huo understood everything.
The one who had attacked him was none other than his target.
The seemingly ordinary heir of Emberlight.
“She weren’t a weakling…?”
“How could she strike from so far away?!”
“She’s… reading my mind? No… stealing my Soul?!”
Panic surged through him.
He had kicked the wrong hornet’s nest.
He had provoked a god.
“Because of me… PsyBro is exposed…”
It was over.
Too late for regrets.
As his lifeforce ebbed away, the light in Gongsun Huo’s eyes faded into lifeless black.
All that remained was the crushing weight of regret and a shattered consciousness spiraling into the void.
CRACK… CRACK… CRACK…
His head crumbled into dust.
Gongsun Huo was gone.
Utterly and completely.
...
At this moment, a crowd of media crews had gathered on both sides of the road.
Since the convoy hadn’t arrived yet, reporters—especially those who knew each other—grouped up in clusters, quietly chatting.
Their whispers circled around Seraphine’s background, potential headlines, and anything that might go viral.
None of them realized that, high above, on the rooftop of a building over 200 meters tall, Wang Xiao was watching them from the shadows, brow furrowed.
In the distance, he could make out the slow crawl of a convoy approaching.
Arms crossed, he muttered under his breath, voice filled with irritation: “Strange. I already gave the signal. Why hasn’t Gongsun made his move yet?”
He sighed and kept waiting.
But as the convoy inched closer, his eyes sharpened with resolve.
“…Screw it. Let’s go.”
A gust of wind erupted from nowhere, curling around his body, and in the blink of an eye, he leapt from the rooftop, plummeting toward the street below.
WHOOOSH~~
In seconds, Wang Xiao tore through the air, slicing downward like a spear.
As he neared ground level, the wind screamed around him—violent and chaotic.
Lamp posts twisted. Parked cars flipped. Metal groaned, shrieked, then tore apart in a storm of flying debris.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!!
The sudden explosion of chaos sent the crowd and media personnel into full-blown panic. Shouts rang out as people scrambled to escape.
Above, news helicopters locked their cameras on the source of the disturbance.
Just as the dust reached a frenzy, the whirlwind shot straight at the convoy, then suddenly vanished.
And there, crouched in a shallow crater, was Wang Xiao.
Kneeling. One hand on the shattered pavement. Arrogant smirk on his face.
Far away, nearly 800 meters across on another rooftop, Selene and Auron stood frozen, binoculars in hand.
Selene’s face turned pale. “No. No, no, no—Wang Xiao?! He’s here?!”
“He’s an S-Class!” she shouted. “We’re screwed—who the hell can stop him?!”
Auron didn’t wait for a reply. His face hardened as he turned and bolted for the stairs.
As he ran, he barked: "Why are you still talking?! Move! We have to protect the Heir!”
Selene snapped out of it and chased after him without another word.
...
At the head of the long convoy…
Wang Xiao rose to his feet, staring at the halted vehicles ahead. His voice echoed cold and clear:
“Seraphine! Your life ends here.”
His gaze locked onto the most extravagant limousine, over a hundred meters away.
The wind stirred around him—then roared to life.
Like wolves howling through a canyon, a vortex of wind shrieked around his body. Within it, countless sharp-edged blades of hardened air formed, floating like ghosts at his command.
Guards around the convoy immediately drew their weapons and opened fire.
RATATATATAT!
But the moment the bullets entered his Wind Field, they veered off-course, harmlessly tossed aside like paper in a hurricane.
Wang Xiao grinned, savoring the moment, and began walking forward. Slowly. Casually. Like a predator savoring the fear in its prey.
He wasn’t rushing.
He wanted Seraphine to feel it—to taste the dread crawling up her spine with every step he took.
This was Wang Xiao’s kind of thrill.
He lived for moments like this: when ordinary humans clawed at survival with all their might, only to realize there was no hope—no escape.
To him, it was like watching an insect thrash in boiling water.
A pointless struggle.
A pitiful farce.
"Hahaha… hahahahaha!"
Wang Xiao burst into wild laughter. “This… this is humanity. Pathetic. Vile humanity!”
Up above, in the helicopter, Lulu—who had kept her camera steadily fixed on the scene below—froze in disbelief at the sudden twist.
At the same time, viewers on the BlazeCast live stream erupted in chaos.
For a moment, the screen was flooded with comments:
“An assassin! That’s an assassin!”
“No way, do assassins still exist in this age?!”
“Who is he? He literally rides the wind and clouds!”
“I get it now—he’s a superpower user!”
“Oh no, oh no! My Sera’s just a regular girl! Somebody save her, sob sob!”
“No one can! Don’t you see? He’s not even fazed by guns!”
“Wuwuwu my poor Sera!”
Meanwhile, inside the convoy’s main car, Seraphine slowly opened her eyes. Her thoughts had returned. She looked sideways at Kael and said in an offhand tone:
“Handle it.”
Kael gave a light chuckle. “Of course, Master. You have nothing to worry about.”
With that, he pushed open the door and stepped out. His figure blurred and vanished almost instantly.
He moved so fast that the livestream viewers could only catch the ghost of an afterimage.
And again, the chat exploded:
“Wait—what? What kind of speed was that?!”
“Who is this guy?!”
“Another superpower user?”
“Is this a Super-Speed ability?!”
“No way—no online footage has ever shown anyone this fast!”
“Just who the hell is he?!”
Back inside the convoy.
Now that Kael had exited to intercept the attacker, Seraphine no longer seemed concerned with such trivial matters. She turned to Vale and instructed calmly:
“Once the investiture ceremony is complete, find a suitable location and set up a life sciences research institute. I have plans for it.”
“A… life sciences research institute?” Vale looked puzzled.
“That’s right.”
Seraphine rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I’ve developed a curiosity about superpower users. I’d like to examine them more closely.”
Vale nodded. “Understood, Master.”
...
Outside the car.
Kael’s voice rang like a thunderclap:
“How dare you!”
He stomped once, and in a blur of motion crossed a hundred meters in a single leap.
Energy surged around him—coalescing, roaring—and then:
BANG!
His palm struck Wang Xiao directly in the face.
With a deep thud, the Wind Field surrounding Wang Xiao shattered violently.
THUD! THUD!
Wang Xiao, bruised and bloodied, his body cloaked in streaks of turbulent air, was launched backwards like a missile. He tore through two layers of the overpass, smashing down onto the lower roadway.
CRACK! He slammed into the ground, leaving a gaping crater of fractured asphalt and pulverized concrete. His limbs were twisted at grotesque angles.
...
Back on the bridge, the driver—still in shock—heard Seraphine’s cool, crisp voice:
“Let’s go. I won’t be late for my ceremony.”
The driver nodded wordlessly and started the car. The rest of the convoy followed suit.
Up above, in the helicopter, Lulu exhaled in relief and smiled brightly into the camera:
“All clear! Some young man just swooped in and smacked the assassin away like it was nothing!”
The comments surged again:
“Who is he?!”
“He’s hot!”
“Bodyguard! Gotta be her bodyguard!”
“Makes sense.”
“Power attracts power, huh?”
The audience—whether watching from their phones, TVs, or computers—was stunned.
What a show.
What a twist.
Turns out, the ever-calm heir had someone that powerful at her side all along.
Down on the main road.
Wang Xiao groaned, clutching his face. He gritted his teeth and glared up at the vanishing convoy, rage burning in his eyes.
Through his sensitivity to wind flow, he could sense her—Seraphine—sitting comfortably inside the car. She had given him one fleeting glance before looking away, as if he wasn’t worth another thought.
His fists trembled.
“Damn it!!”
Hatred erupted in his heart, his rage boiling over. His face twisted with ferocity—eyes wild, a beast on the brink of snapping.
He turned his glare toward Kael, still calmly standing in the distance, and roared:
“Who the hell are you?! Secret Service hound?! You dare ruin my plans?!”
Wang Xiao was genuinely confused now.
If Kael were one of the New Human defectors from the Secret Service, he should’ve recognized him.
But this kid? He had never seen him before.
And if he were a martial artist…
That young? That strong? Impossible.
Wang Xiao himself was no pushover. He was both a superpower user and a martial arts prodigy.
At just over twenty, he had already reached the Roaring Vitalis realm.
He knew how hard the path of cultivation was.
A boy like Kael, still barely out of childhood—if he were truly a martial artist—should never be this powerful.
