《Ability Pool: ∞》


 decortication

    Hospital corridors, even when pierced by the slanting rays of the 3 PM sun, failed to bring any warmth.


    Yang Xi still couldn¡¯t accept the fact that his sister had become a vegetative patient.


    A middle-aged lawyer in a black suit was speaking with his father.¡°My condolences. No one could have foreseen this. It was sheer misfortune that Miss Yang happened to be inside that convenience store when the Glacier Hero¡¯s freezing bomb veered off course due to the aberrant beast.¡±


    Yang¡¯s father roared, ¡°That was murder!¡±


    The lawyer, seemingly accustomed to such confrontations, remained unfazed despite being grabbed by the collar. He even maintained a professional, insincere smile.¡°But he saved more people, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°None of us want tragedies like this to happen, but we can¡¯t deny that maintaining social order requires sacrifices. Heroes aren¡¯t gods¡ªthey¡¯re already doing their best, fighting aberrant beasts and superpowered criminals. There are bound to be accidents.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t sign this document! Take your blood money and get out!¡±


    Yang¡¯s father slammed the document onto the ground.


    But Yang¡¯s mother quietly picked it up.


    Yang¡¯s father bellowed, ¡°What are you doing? Are you really going to trade Feifei¡¯s life for money?!¡±


    Yet, Yang¡¯s mother snapped, ¡°Will holding someone accountable wake my daughter up? She¡¯s a vegetable! She can¡¯t see, she can¡¯t hear¡ªher only lifeline is this medical equipment! And how long can we afford to keep it running? Five years? Or just one?¡±


    Clutching the document, she sobbed uncontrollably.¡°This money is what will keep Feifei alive!¡±


    Yang Xi supported his mother, guiding her to a green reclining chair in the hospital corridor. With his right hand, he took the document and read it carefully.


    It was a naked exchange¡ª300,000 Blue Star credits and full coverage of his sister¡¯s medical expenses in return for his family forever waiving any claims against the Glacier Hero¡¯s ¡°accidental¡± injury.


    Yang Xi looked at the lawyer.¡°I¡¯d like to add a condition.¡±


    The lawyer frowned. The moment he entered the ward, he had taken note of this young man¡ªshort black hair, gold-rimmed glasses, giving off the impression of a scholar.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± the lawyer said.


    Yang Xi¡¯s voice was calm.¡°I want the culprit¡ªthe so-called Glacier Hero¡ªto personally apologize to my family.¡±


    As expected.


    The lawyer found this particularly troublesome. He knew all too well the arrogance of that man. Getting him to bow his head to ordinary people was next to impossible.


    ¡°I could apologize on his behalf.¡±


    Yang Xi shook his head.


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    ¡°Oh, and Kunlun Brokerage will issue an official apology as well.¡±


    Yang Xi shook his head again, expressionless.


    ¡°There will also be a public press conference where the Glacier Hero will bow in apology.¡±


    Still, Yang Xi shook his head.¡°I¡¯d prefer he come in person.¡±


    The lawyer sighed.¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll make a call.¡±


    Stepping out of the ward, the lawyer lit a cigarette, only to be met with a sharp glare from a passing nurse. Sighing, he extinguished it.


    The call connected after three rings.


    On the other end, Glacier Hero Li Canyang was in the middle of a workout.


    ¡°Lawyer Wang, settled already? I¡¯ll have my assistant wire the remaining compensation in a bit.¡±


    He took a swig of a blue energy drink¡ªhis own branded ¡°Glacier Series Pulse,¡± blueberry-flavored.


    Li Canyang absentmindedly rubbed his chest. The side effects were worsening. He still couldn¡¯t understand why he had done it¡ªthat freezing bomb could¡¯ve avoided the convenience store.


    And yet, he had to admit¡­ when it detonated inside the store, for a fleeting moment, he had felt an inexplicable thrill.


    D*mn it!


    He clenched his dumbbell tighter, letting the pain remind him he was still himself.


    ¡°There¡¯s a family member who wants you to apologize in person,¡± said Lawyer Wang.


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Li Canyang thought he misheard.An A-rank hero like him, making a personal apology?


    ¡°Who are they? A wealthy tycoon? A government official? A hero¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°No. Aside from the victim being a top student at a hero academy, they¡¯re just an ordinary family.¡±


    Li Canyang let out a scoff.¡°And you¡¯re calling me for this? Lawyer Wang, I¡¯m paying you to handle these things, not to waste my time. If you can¡¯t do the job, I¡¯ll find someone who can.¡±


    With that, he hung up.


    ¡°The hell? Another broken dumbbell?¡± He tossed aside the handle he had just crushed.


    It rolled to a corner, joining a pile of other broken equipment, all relatively new¡ªno dust on them.


    Li Canyang stared out the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. A faint blue light flickered in his eyes.


    Nearby, his assistant shuddered involuntarily¡ªthe room suddenly felt colder.


    Back in the hospital corridor, Lawyer Wang listened to the disconnected tone on the phone, standing awkwardly as a breeze lifted what little hair he had left.


    ¡°He won¡¯t come?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry,¡± Lawyer Wang replied smoothly. ¡°You must understand, an A-rank hero¡¯s schedule isn¡¯t easily adjusted. Glacier Hero truly wishes he could come, and he asked me to convey his sincerest apologies. Additionally, he¡¯s willing to increase the compensation by another 100,000 Blue Star credits.¡±


    That was the most Wang could offer within his authority.


    ¡°Alright. You can discuss the finances with my mother. I¡¯ve already signed.¡±


    Yang Xi handed the document to the lawyer and turned toward his sister¡¯s hospital bed.


    Yang Feifei¡¯s freshly dyed pink hair looked dull, like withered grass.


    Just a few days ago, he had threatened to punish her if she didn¡¯t dye it back.


    ¡°You always have to go against me, huh?¡±


    ¡°And now, no matter how much I mess with you, you don¡¯t react. How boring.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to introduce me to your best friend as a girlfriend? Where is she?¡±


    One sentence after another, Yang Xi held his sister¡¯s frail hand, his warm tears dripping onto her skin.


    ¡°¡­Actually, I¡¯ve been hiding something from you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one in our family who awakened an ability. Your big brother is an ability user too.¡±


    Yang Xi had awakened his power when he was eight years old. But he never told anyone.


    His ability wasStripping¡ªhe could extract other people¡¯s abilities and condense them into ability pearls.


    And now, his sister fit the activation condition:a target unable to resist.


    The moment he activated his ability, nothing seemed to change outwardly. But within Yang Xi¡¯s perception, something was drawn out of his sister¡¯s body.


    Ability extraction complete.


    A translucent pearl materialized in his palm, roughly the size of a marble, glowing with a faint yellow hue.


    Ability: Mental ShockDescription: Releases a mental shockwave to attack enemies.Rating: D-tier. Weak for now, but it¡¯s my sister¡¯s ability¡ªit has special meaning.


    D-tier, huh?


    Well, if it had been stronger, Feifei wouldn¡¯t have been instantly turned into an ice sculpture by Li Canyang¡¯s ¡°accident.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have time to train this power slowly.¡±


    ¡°If strength isn¡¯t enough yet¡­ then I¡¯ll justcollect more abilities.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a gift for Feifei.¡±


    ¡°After all¡­ there are plenty of ability users out there who don¡¯t deserve their powers.¡±

 Overclocked Brain

    The medical expenses for his sister soon arrived, and with their worries lifted, Yang Xi¡¯s family gradually returned to normal life.


    However, discussions about heroes and superpowered individuals became taboo at home. To facilitate his future plans, Yang Xi decided to move out.


    He worked at the Lugang Evening News as an intern reporter, earning about 3,500 Azure Coins per month, with occasional bonuses for articles. But for now, he could only afford to rent a single room under 30 square meters in Mingyue Community, a relocation housing area on the outskirts of Lugang.


    "Here¡¯s your key. Rent is 1,500 per month, deposit is three months upfront, and utilities are separate," the landlord handed him the key and left.


    The house, originally 140 square meters, had been divided into four single rooms. The other tenants greeted him as the newcomer.


    The master bedroom was occupied by a mother and daughter; the mother, likely in her thirties, was a math teacher at the nearby elementary school, while the daughter attended kindergarten. Another tenant was a college girl in her third year, renting to prepare for graduate school exams. The last tenant was yet to return.


    "Since we have a new tenant today, why don¡¯t we all pitch in for a welcome dinner?" the teacher suggested.


    The student girl shook her head. "I¡¯m eating out tonight. You guys go ahead."


    Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yang Xi smiled and declined as well. Given the dangerous nature of his current activities, it was best to avoid unnecessary socializing.


    Honestly, he would¡¯ve preferred to live alone, but Lugang¡¯s outrageous rent left him with no better option.


    Back in his room, Yang Xi searched for videos on psychic superpowers. There were plenty on BBNet.


    Though only 1% of the population had superpowers, considering Azure Star¡¯s 100 billion inhabitants across 53 districts, that still meant a staggering 1 billion superpowered individuals.


    Getting into a formal Hero Academy was tough. For grassroots superpowered individuals, online educational content by various creators was the only way to develop their abilities.


    Technically, under the Superpower Act, those without a Professional Hero License were prohibited from using their abilities arbitrarily. But since the United Council couldn¡¯t monitor every superpowered individual 24/7, it was common for people to use their powers privately. Only when public safety or lives were at risk would the authorities or Hero Association intervene.


    Yang Xi clicked on the most popular video, made a bowl of instant noodles, cracked open a cold soda, and started watching.


    "Psychic users must learn to control their output, just like adjusting the speed of a fan. Mental energy is typically divided into multiple levels..."


    Quickly absorbing the information, Yang Xi followed the instructions. He first identified the maximum level of his mental energy, then found the lowest level needed to activate his abilities, and finally subdivided the range into intermediate stages. The exact number of levels varied by individual.


    At the end of the video, the creator¡ªan uploader named ¡°Omniscient Eye¡±¡ªadvertised a Mental Energy Scale for just 200 Azure Coins, claiming it could precisely measure one¡¯s mental power.


    Thanks to this video, Yang Xi finally learned the standard unit for measuring mental energy: Hertz (Hz).


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Ordinary people had around 10 Hz of mental energy.Elementalists and other ability users who controlled objects typically had 20 Hz.Psychic users generally exceeded 25 Hz.Only those with physical-enhancement abilities had lower values, sometimes barely above ordinary humans.


    The widely accepted theory was that mental energy originated from the soul¡ªpower drawn from the depths of the mind.


    Emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and fear could all influence mental energy fluctuations. However, these changes only affected the active usage of mental energy.


    For example, someone with 10 Hz of mental energy would:


    Emit only 3-5 Hz while asleep.


    Function at 7-9 Hz during daily activities.


    Peak at 10 Hz or beyond under intense emotional stimulation.


    The Mental Energy Scale worked by measuring emitted mental waves¡ªalso known as mental particles, which supposedly exhibited both wave and particle properties.


    Wanting an accurate assessment of his own strength, Yang Xi reluctantly purchased one from the uploader¡¯s store.


    "Over a million units sold?" he mused, surprised by how lucrative content creation could be.


    Considering the decline of traditional print media, Yang Xi wondered if he should start a self-media channel to fund his activities.


    "Maybe I should explore online content next¡ªit could help with my expenses."


    As he pondered this, time slipped by, and before he knew it, it was already 2 AM.


    "Time to wash up and sleep¡ªI still have work tomorrow."


    Just as he grabbed his toiletries and headed for the bathroom, the front door swung open.


    A young woman in her twenties staggered in. Her long black waves framed a face adorned with smudged eye makeup and bold red lips. A crop top and shorts revealed a pair of strikingly fair legs.


    Being a man, Yang Xi instinctively glanced at them for a moment.


    "Hello," he greeted politely.


    The girl had clearly been crying. "I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I need to use the bathroom first¡ªugh!"


    Reeking of alcohol, she barely made it before vomiting violently into the toilet.


    Yang Xi frowned. She¡¯s completely drunk. I have a few guesses about her profession.


    The white-tiled bathroom floor was now littered with her footprints and vomit. The once-attractive scene was significantly diminished by the mess.


    "Hey, are you okay?"


    Seeing the girl slumped over the toilet, unmoving, Yang Xi hesitated before giving her a light shake. She had passed out. Black tear streaks ran down her cheeks, and on the left side of her face, four distinct red finger marks were visible.


    "Someone slapped her?"


    Deciding to seek help, Yang Xi knocked on the teacher¡¯s door.


    A drowsy voice responded, "Xiao Yang, why aren¡¯t you asleep yet?"


    "Could you help her out? She¡¯s completely out of it, and I¡¯m not really comfortable handling this myself."


    The teacher glanced at the girl and shook her head. "Just leave her be. It¡¯s not her first time."


    "I have work tomorrow too, Xiao Yang. Get some rest."


    With that, she shut the door, leaving Yang Xi momentarily speechless.


    Clearly, there was some history between them, but he had no interest in prying.


    "Guess I¡¯ll have to deal with this myself."


    He tried shaking the girl awake again. "Hey, can you get up?"


    No response.


    Sighing, Yang Xi lifted her up. Fortunately, she was light.


    Without her room key, he wasn¡¯t about to rummage through her belongings, so he simply placed her on the communal sofa.


    He considered covering her with a blanket but only had one himself. Instead, he draped his coat over her.


    [Ability detected: "Cerebral Overclocking"]


    Ability: Cerebral OverclockingDescription: Temporarily pushes the brain into overdrive, significantly enhancing computational abilities.Rating: F-tier¡ªextremely promising, but the host seems unaware of their power.


    Yang Xi raised an eyebrow.


    Superpowers required training. While some prodigies awakened with A-tier abilities, most started at F-tier and had to develop their powers over time.


    Many discovered their abilities in moments of crisis. His sister, Yang Feifei, had only realized hers when she unconsciously unleashed a psychic blast against a human trafficker.


    "This girl probably just thinks she¡¯s ¡®sometimes smarter¡¯ without realizing it¡¯s an ability."


    Unfortunately for her, Cerebral Overclocking paired with Psychic Shock was an insanely potent combination.


    Yang Xi had already decided¡ªhe was taking it.


    With practiced ease, he extracted the unfamiliar yet familiar energy from her body, forming a glowing red pearl.


    [Ability "Cerebral Overclocking" successfully stripped.]

 Beast Invasion

    "Overclocking Brain and Mental Shock belong to the same ability category. Would you like to fuse them?"


    "You can actually merge abilities of the same type?"


    Yang Xi was a bit surprised, but he immediately chose to proceed with the fusion.


    Within his perception, the two ability pearls inside his body began to devour each other under the effect of his power. His mental energy fluctuated violently, causing him to feel a slight sense of weightlessness.


    Fusion Complete


    Ability: Super BrainDescription: Actively unleashes a mental shock while greatly enhancing brain computation and deduction abilities.Rating: D-tier. This is a double-edged sword¡ªuse with caution.


    The moment the fusion was complete, an overwhelming drowsiness swept over Yang Xi like a tide, and he collapsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep.


    Morning.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Yang Xi''s door was knocked on. When he opened it, a delicate-looking girl with a rabbit hairpin stood outside.


    "Thanks for last night."


    ???


    Who is this girl?


    It took Yang Xi a moment to realize that this fresh-faced girl in pajamas was actually the wavy-haired woman from last night.


    He hadn''t expected her bare-faced look to be so pure, a stark contrast to his first impression.


    "Here''s your coat. Thanks again for last night. I actually had a bit of awareness, but I was just too exhausted."


    Yang Xi took back his coat. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he gradually became more awake. Smiling, he said, "No problem. It was just a small favor."


    He sniffed his coat and was surprised to find that it didn¡¯t reek of alcohol. Instead, it carried a faint herbal fragrance.


    The girl explained, "I made sure to freshen it up for you. I smelled way too much like alcohol last night. Oh, by the way, my name is Lin Naixue."


    "I''m Yang Xi. Are you feeling okay? Any discomfort?"


    Yang Xi asked tentatively. After all, he had stripped her ability the night before. Though she was unaware she had ever possessed an ability, it seemed like the stripping process hadn¡¯t affected her daily life. That put his mind at ease.


    After stuffing the last bite of fried dough stick into his mouth, Yang Xi took out a wet wipe and carefully cleaned his hands before opening a file on his computer.


    This was a video archive he had obtained from his colleague, Fan Peng. As a semi-official news agency, Lugang Evening News had the authority to document such incidents.


    The office¡¯s 17-inch monitor displayed a crisp, high-definition image, instantly pulling Yang Xi back to the day of the incident.


    Location: No. 158, Bit Street¡ªHoney City Convenience Store.


    At first, it was just a compilation of footage from several street cameras. However, under the simulation of Yang Xi¡¯s Super Brain ability, he felt as if he was experiencing the event firsthand from a first-person perspective.


    With his brain overclocked, his ability to collect and process information reached terrifying heights. Even the minuscule ingredient label on a milk carton discarded by a fleeing pedestrian was crystal clear to him.


    Yang Xi felt like his brain was running like an overheated CPU, growing increasingly hot.


    At the scene, Glacier Hero was continuously dodging attacks from the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf, trying to lure it away from the crowd that had already been evacuated.


    These Exobeasts descended upon Azure Planet through Black Cavities, which appeared unpredictably. Humanity had yet to develop a way to forecast their emergence. The only countermeasure was a global network of official agencies and hero management firms, ensuring enough heroes were positioned to respond swiftly.


    This Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf was not among the largest of its kind. Three years ago, a specimen in District Four had been five meters tall and nine meters long, causing devastating casualties. In comparison, this one was only three meters tall and six meters long¡ªstill a massive beast, nearly the size of a city bus.


    Glacier Hero kept restraining the Exobeast, gliding effortlessly across the terrain by generating ice beneath his feet while continuously launching Frost Bombs at the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf.


    The wolf''s body radiated a fiery blood aura, clashing against the spreading frost from the hero¡¯s attacks.


    Yang Xi paused the video at this moment.


    He repeatedly reviewed the footage of the Frost Bombs exploding against the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf.


    Then, he compared it to the moment when the Honey City Convenience Store was struck by the frost blast.


    There was a significant difference in power between the two.


    "As an A-rank hero, Glacier Hero should be able to control the strength of his Frost Bombs at will."


    "Could it be a tactical decision?"


    "No, that¡¯s not right. His expression tells me that from the moment the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf got within ten meters of him, he was already going all out."


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    As a journalist, Yang Xi had studied microexpression analysis. Now, under the effects of Super Brain, his ability to read facial cues was on par with veteran criminal investigators.


    "If he was already going all out at that moment¡­ why did the power suddenly spike? Judging by the frost¡¯s impact, his strength tripled in an instant!"


    "There¡¯s definitely a secret behind this!"


    "I just need to find the exact moment between his normal Frost Bombs and the one that suddenly became significantly stronger!"


    Yang Xi bit down on his pen and meticulously combed through the footage, frame by frame.


    "It must be between the fifth and sixth Frost Bombs. Glacier Hero did something that caused his ability to surge in power!"


    Like a shark that had smelled blood, Yang Xi zeroed in on that segment, extracting the relevant footage.


    Footage from five different camera angles captured various details of Glacier Hero¡¯s battle against the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf.


    The fifth Frost Bomb struck the beast¡¯s nose, causing it to howl in pain.


    Glacier Hero skated across the battlefield, leaping over a hotpot restaurant''s storefront before landing on the asphalt road, ice shards blooming behind him like lotus petals.


    His blue bangs cast a shadow over his eyes as he seemed to concentrate for a few seconds. Then, as the Bloodthirsty Demon Wolf turned toward him, he clenched his fists and fired a massive Frost Bomb!


    The blast froze half the wolf¡¯s body, but the burning blood aura quickly shattered the ice.


    Yang Xi replayed the footage over and over until he finally spotted a tiny detail.


    When Glacier Hero skated past the hotpot restaurant¡¯s "Spicy" character, he briefly covered his mouth with his left hand.


    This wasn¡¯t his usual movement pattern. Normally, whether for balance or flair, Glacier Hero kept his hands spread out while skating.


    But this time, just before landing, he had deliberately covered his mouth with his left hand.


    This was the only anomaly Yang Xi had noticed.


    His instincts told him¡ªsomething was off.


    Yang Xi saved this short video clip to his phone. Even if he was just being overly suspicious, he had to uncover the truth.


    At the next desk, Fan Peng poked his head over. "What¡¯s for lunch?"


    "How about frog hotpot? The weather¡¯s cold, and a steaming meal sounds perfect. My treat¡ªconsider it payback for the meal I owed you last time!"


    Fan Peng grabbed Yang Xi and started dragging him out of the office. Unlike "ordinary employees" like Yang Xi, Fan Peng was an ability user¡ªhe could frame shots with his index fingers and thumbs, instantly taking photos or videos and wirelessly uploading them via his pinky, which could transform into desert sand.


    He called his ability "Paparazzi."


    This allowed him to bypass security checks at high-profile celebrity and political events, snapping juicy pictures to sell to tabloids for hefty commissions.


    "Man, it¡¯s freezing out here. Do these girls not feel cold at all?"


    Fan Peng rubbed his hands together while eyeing the long-legged beauties passing by the hotpot restaurant.


    Yang Xi chuckled. His friend probably had no idea that these girls had a little trick called faux-skin thermal leggings.


    Fan Peng gave Yang Xi a sideways glance. "If only we could have lunch with these cuties instead of you, man."


    For some reason, Lin Naixue¡¯s image flashed through Yang Xi¡¯s mind.


    "Hey! What¡¯s with that look? Get your head out of the gutter!"


    Fan Peng waved a hand in front of Yang Xi¡¯s face, snapping him out of his thoughts.


    Just then, a fragrant breeze wafted in as a wavy-haired girl sat down across from Yang Xi. This time, however, she was dressed in a black business suit.


    She removed her sunglasses, raised an eyebrow at Yang Xi, and said, ¡°Hey, handsome, mind if I grab a pair of chopsticks and join you?¡±


    Yang Xi was a bit surprised. ¡°You work nearby too?¡±


    Did I misjudge her profession?


    Lin Naixue nodded. ¡°I have two jobs¡ªone during the day and a part-time gig at night.¡±


    Yang Xi signaled the waiter to bring an extra set of utensils. ¡°That sounds tough. Are you short on money?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, super short.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m not the one treating today. Our generous host is right here.¡±


    Yang Xi nudged the dumbfounded Fan Peng beside him.


    Fan Peng had dated plenty of girls, but this was the first time he¡¯d seen someone as stunning as Lin Naixue.


    ¡°Hey, hey, how do you know this girl? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve never been in a relationship?¡±


    Yang Xi casually tossed aside a frog leg bone. ¡°She¡¯s my roommate.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡±


    Fan Peng was instantly filled with envy and regret. Had he made a mistake renting out an entire apartment for himself?


    Because Lin Naixue was one of the rare female acquaintances Yang Xi had made, Fan Peng decided to play it cool for once, keeping his head down and focusing on his food.


    Yang Xi didn¡¯t press further about why she was so desperate for money. Everyone had their struggles. If it weren¡¯t for last night¡¯s unexpected encounter, he might not have even known his roommate¡¯s name.


    Though they lived in the same rented apartment, they were ultimately just passing acquaintances.


    The atmosphere at the table grew somewhat awkward. When it was just the two of them, Fan Peng would always find some trivial nonsense to argue with Yang Xi about. But now that Lin Naixue was here, he didn¡¯t want to steal his friend¡¯s thunder and was secretly panicking.


    "Come on, Old Yang! You won¡¯t get anywhere with girls if you don¡¯t take the initiative. Especially one of this caliber!"


    Fan Peng sent Yang Xi a message under the table. But before Yang Xi could even glance at his phone, a terrified scream suddenly erupted from the street outside!


    ¡°A beast! A beast has appeared!¡±


    Everyone turned in the direction the screaming middle-aged man with a courier bag was pointing.


    On the fourth floor of the Silver Plaza shopping center, right where the "Bain Education" sign was hanging, a swirling black rift had suddenly opened.


    From the rift, several spider-like tendrils slithered out, violently tearing the portal wider, revealing a massive, half-meter-wide crimson eye.


    The vertical sl*t pupil adjusted for a moment, adapting to the light of Azure Star.


    Then, it saw the crowd frozen below.


    A few drivers, too distracted by the sight, ended up rear-ending each other, instantly causing a traffic jam at the intersection.


    ¡°A beast is here! Run for your lives!¡±


    ¡°Mommy! I want my mommy!¡± A little girl fell helplessly amid the panicked, shoving crowd.


    ¡°Stay calm! Everyone, stay calm and evacuate in an orderly manner!¡± A traffic officer in a reflective vest shouted as he fought against the tide of fleeing civilians. But it was futile.


    Even though beast invasions had become a common occurrence, mass panic was still inevitable.


    After all, when it came to survival, no one was willing to yield. Each district¡¯s underground shelters had limited capacity¡ªif you were late, you¡¯d be stuck outside.


    That¡¯s why, on Azure Star, everyone took running seriously.


    Failing chemistry in elementary school? Not a big deal. But if your athletic skills were lacking, expect a serious beatdown.


    At school, the math teacher never dared to let the P.E. teacher "call in sick."


    ¡°Beast invasion! Beast invasion! Threat Level: B! Citizens, please evacuate to the nearest shelter. Heroes are en route! Heroes are en route!¡±


    Emergency broadcasts blared on televisions and radios, while evacuation alerts flooded everyone¡¯s phones.


    Yang Xi, Lin Naixue, and Fan Peng exchanged glances before hurriedly joining the fleeing crowd!


    At that moment, a muscular man in a comic-themed jacket suddenly leaped into the air, charging straight toward the beast!


    ¡°It¡¯s B-Class Hero¡ªHot & Sour Noodle Superman! He¡¯s here to save us!¡±

 Hero Live Stream

    As a gust of fragrant air drifted over, a wavy-haired girl sat down across from Yang Xi. This time, she was dressed in a sleek black business suit.


    She took off her sunglasses, raised an eyebrow at Yang Xi, and said with a playful smile, ¡°Hey, handsome. Mind adding another pair of chopsticks?¡±


    Yang Xi was a bit surprised. ¡°You work around here too?¡±


    Had he misjudged this girl¡¯s profession?


    Lin Naixue nodded. ¡°I have two jobs¡ªone during the day, and a part-time gig at night.¡±


    Yang Xi signaled the waiter to bring an extra set of utensils. ¡°Sounds tough. Are you short on cash?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, super short.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m not the one paying today. Our host is this guy right here.¡±


    Yang Xi nudged the stunned Fan Peng beside him.


    Fan Peng had dated quite a few girls before, but this was the first time he had seen someone as stunning as Lin Naixue.


    ¡°Wait, wait¡ªhow do you even know this girl? I thought you¡¯ve never been in a relationship?¡±


    Yang Xi casually tossed aside a frog leg bone. ¡°We¡¯re roommates.¡±


    ¡°You what?!¡±


    Fan Peng was filled with envy. Had he made a mistake renting out an entire apartment for himself?


    Because Lin Naixue was a rare female acquaintance of Yang Xi¡¯s, Fan Peng, for once, acted with restraint and quietly focused on eating.


    Yang Xi didn¡¯t press further about why she was so desperate for money. Everyone in this world had their own struggles. If not for last night¡¯s unexpected incident, he might not have even learned his roommate¡¯s name.


    Though they lived under the same roof, they were ultimately just passing strangers in each other¡¯s lives.


    The atmosphere at the table turned somewhat cold. When it was just the two of them, Fan Peng would always chat with Yang Xi about the most trivial nonsense. But now that Lin Naixue was here, he didn¡¯t want to steal the spotlight from his friend and found himself anxiously silent.


    "Dude, you can¡¯t just sit there when it comes to flirting! Especially with a girl of this caliber!"


    Fan Peng stealthily sent Yang Xi a message on his phone. But before Yang Xi could even check it, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the street!


    ¡°Abyssal Beast! An Abyssal Beast has appeared!¡±


    People turned toward a terrified middle-aged man with a messenger bag, who was pointing in horror.


    Following his finger, they saw it¡ªon the fourth floor of the Yin Tai shopping center, right where the ¡°Bain Education¡± sign was displayed, a black dimensional rift had torn open.


    From its dark depths, spider-like appendages emerged, clawing at the edges of the rift and prying it wider. Then, a massive, crimson, vertical pupil¡ªhalf a meter in diameter¡ªcame into view.


    The sl*t-shaped eye adjusted to the bright light of Azure Planet, then¡­ it spotted the people below.


    Some drivers, distracted by the horrifying sight, slammed on their brakes too late, resulting in a pile-up at the intersection. Traffic instantly ground to a halt.


    ¡°The Abyssal Beast is here! Run!!!¡±


    ¡°Mommy! I want my mommy!¡± A little girl fell helplessly amidst the panicked, shoving crowd.


    ¡°Stay calm! Keep order!¡± A traffic officer in a reflective vest tried to control the situation, but it was futile.


    Despite how common these attacks had become, mass panic was an unavoidable reaction.


    After all, when it came to survival, no one would give up their chance. The underground shelters in each district had limited space, and if you were too slow¡­ you¡¯d be stuck outside.


    That was why running speed was a crucial life skill on Azure Planet. Failing chemistry in elementary school? Fine. But failing P.E.? That was a guaranteed mixed-discipline beatdown.


    At school, the math teacher never dared to let the P.E. teacher ¡°call in sick.¡±


    ¡°Abyssal Beast incursion! Abyssal Beast incursion! Threat level: B! All citizens, evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately! Heroes have been dispatched!¡±


    Emergency alerts flashed across televisions, radio broadcasts, and personal devices.


    Yang Xi and his companions exchanged glances before hastily joining the fleeing crowd.


    But at that moment, a muscular man in an American comic-themed jacket suddenly leaped into the air¡ªcharging straight toward the Abyssal Beast!


    ¡°It¡¯s the B-rank hero¡ªSuan La Fen Superman! He¡¯s here to save us!¡±


    Suan La Fen Superman¡¯s Power


    After consuming a bowl of spicy and sour noodles, Suan La Fen Superman gained a temporary boost¡ªhis physical abilities became over ten times stronger than an average person¡¯s.


    This enhancement didn¡¯t just apply to strength¡ªit dramatically improved his speed and defense as well. Without this, a single careless punch from him might shatter his own bones.


    It was hard to believe that a mere bowl of noodles could generate such immense power¡­


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    But this was the reality of supernatural abilities¡ªphenomena that defied common logic.


    His combat suit strained against his bulging muscles, his body swelling from the surge of power. Standing at an imposing 2.2 meters tall, his arms were as thick as most people¡¯s thighs.


    Pointing a radish-like finger at the monstrous entity emerging from the rift, he smirked, flashing a grin as recognizable as the Nike logo.


    ¡°With Suan La Fen Superman here, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you destroy Lugang City!¡±


    The Abyssal Beast, known as the Cyclopean Reaper, resembled a gargantuan octopus, though its tentacles had morphed into razor-sharp spider legs, obsidian-black and gleaming menacingly.


    Most terrifying of all was its eye¡ªa singular, massive organ occupying half its head. It had no eyelids, leaving the entire blood-red eyeball perpetually exposed.


    Having locked onto Suan La Fen Superman, the beast shifted its focus away from the panicked crowd. Its eighteen serrated limbs moved in a rhythmic, hypnotic dance.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s marked me as a threat.¡±


    Suan La Fen Superman knew the Cyclopean Reaper wasn¡¯t just heavily armored¡ªit was also a close-combat nightmare. With eighteen limbs working in perfect synchronization, fighting it head-on was a nightmare scenario.


    He didn¡¯t rush in recklessly. Instead, he carefully studied the creature¡¯s movements.


    ¡°Suan La Fen Superman, sir!¡±


    A streak of crimson fire blazed across the sky. A young woman, her back adorned with flaming wings, arrived just in time¡ªC-rank hero Flame Butterfly.


    She had been in the middle of getting her nails done when the emergency alert went off. The timing was awful¡ªshe had just finished removing her old polish.


    Flame Butterfly was one of the few heroes in Lugang City capable of flight, which meant she was frequently called to provide air support. Thanks to this, she had risen to the rank of C-rank hero not long after graduating.


    ¡°You¡¯re just in time! I¡¯ll hold it down¡ªFlame Butterfly, you focus on attacking!¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Got it, sir!¡±


    Knowing his ability had a time limit, Suan La Fen Superman wasted no more time.


    He stomped the ground with explosive force, cracking the pavement beneath him. Like a missile, he launched himself toward the fourth-floor wall where the Cyclopean Reaper lurked.


    Sensing danger, the beast bristled¡ªall eighteen of its razor-sharp limbs snapped toward the incoming hero.


    ¡°Suan La Fen Superman has chosen to strike first! Let¡¯s all cheer for our heroes!¡±


    The live-streaming bot had already arrived on the scene. It resembled a drone, equipped with an ultra-HD camera and a playback function.


    At this moment, on the ¡°Doumou TV¡± platform of Azure Planet, under the Hero Live category, the match ¡°Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman VS the One-Eyed Slayer¡± in District 1, Lugang City, had broken past five million viewers.


    Apart from Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman¡¯s considerable popularity, the rarity of the One-Eyed Slayer had also caused a massive surge in viewership.


    ¡°D*mn! It¡¯s actually the One-Eyed Slayer! Eighteen spider spears in total¡ªso insanely cool!!!¡±


    On Azure Planet, even exotic beasts had their own fanbases. Since there were no laws against it, no one could do anything about these beast fans.


    A viewer with the ID "Lemon Man" sent a Giant Sword gift in the chat, but instead of praise, it drew a wave of condemnation.


    After all, mainstream opinion was all about cheering for the heroes.


    ¡°This guy must be brain-dead. No matter how cool an exotic beast looks, it''s still the enemy. Of course, we should support Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman!¡±


    ¡°The one sending the Giant Sword is a dumbass. Case closed.¡±


    ¡°Calling an exotic beast cool? Yeah, he¡¯s definitely an orphan. Let¡¯s all show some pity and hope he reunites with his family soon!¡±


    The chaotic barrage of comments was just the norm.


    The commentator for this livestream was "Hat Emperor," a host from Lugang City TV Station. Before switching to hero commentary, he had been a basketball player¡ªhis nickname came from getting blocked all the time on the court.


    ¡°Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman is a close-combat hero. Right now, he¡¯s trying to close the distance using his enhanced jumping ability. Not only did the exotic beast tear open the Black Cavity at a tricky location, but he also doesn¡¯t want this battle happening on the ground! The traffic has completely collapsed, and people still need time to evacuate!¡±


    Coach Ge, once a professional hero, had retired due to age and now worked alongside Hat Emperor as a live-stream analyst. He was known for his sharp-tongued and sarcastic commentary.


    "When Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman first debuted, he was a sneaky b*st*rd. His ability only activates after he finishes eating a bowl of hot-and-sour noodles, so he usually waits for other heroes to weaken the exotic beasts before jumping in to steal the final blow."


    As expected of Coach Ge, always dropping insider gossip. But his big mouth was a well-known habit¡ªhe frequently had to apologize on PushPush (a social media platform). People usually believed half of what he said since, in his hero days, he wasn¡¯t exactly famous for his combat skills. Ironically, it was hero commentary that made him popular.


    Hat Emperor chuckled, ¡°Coach Ge makes a good point. The time from the exotic beast¡¯s appearance to Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman¡¯s entrance was so short¡ªI bet he just happened to be eating hot-and-sour noodles at the time.¡±


    Coach Ge snorted, ¡°B*llsh*t! That kid hates hot-and-sour noodles. Every time he eats them, it means he¡¯s about to risk his life. No matter how much he likes them, they¡¯d taste like sawdust to him now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing someone nearby was eating noodles, and that punk snatched their bowl instead.¡±


    As soon as Coach Ge said this, the chat exploded:


    ¡°IT WAS ME! I WAS THERE! MY HOT-AND-SOUR NOODLES GOT STOLEN! I DEMAND HERO ASSOCIATION COMPENSATE ME WITH A DISCOUNT COUPON¡ªSPEND 1000, GET 0.5 OFF!!¡±


    The livestream chat was on fire, but the people at the scene weren¡¯t nearly as excited.


    They watched hero fights all the time, but actually being this close to an exotic beast? Some were already popping heart medication.


    The recent grand opening of HeyTea had caused a massive influx of hired queue-standers, so the first floor of Yintai Mall was completely jammed.


    Meanwhile, Yang Xi had deliberately separated from Fan Peng and Lin Naixue. While the crowd rushed to the underground shelters, he headed upstairs instead, avoiding the cameras and slipping into a cosplay shop.


    This spot put him at the same level as the exotic beast¡ªa perfect vantage point.


    ¡°So this is the One-Eyed Slayer?¡± Yang Xi rested his chin on his hand, activating Brain Overclock Mode.


    Under Brain Overclocking, his vision sharpened, just as Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman unleashed his ultimate move¡ª''Peanut Airburst''.


    ''Peanut Airburst'' was one of his few mid-range attacks, using rapid punches to generate a shockwave.


    While moving at high speed, Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman suddenly spread his crossed arms wide!


    ¡°HAAAH!!!¡±


    With his battle cry, a peanut-shaped blast of air hurtled toward the One-Eyed Slayer.


    However, the beast barely reacted. With a tiny tap from its smallest right-side spider spear, it launched its massive body sideways, vanishing like a phantom and reappearing behind Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman.


    The Peanut Airburst smashed into Yintai Mall¡¯s exterior wall, leaving a two-meter peanut-shaped hole that exposed the store interiors inside.


    ¡°So fast! This thing¡¯s speed is off the charts!¡±


    Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman twisted midair, immediately kicking at his opponent.


    His whip kick and the spider spear collided¡ªa deep, heavy impact rang out.


    ¡°Such insane hardness!¡±


    He had always been confident in his strength, having fought countless foes. Normally, his fists could smash through most defenses, but against the One-Eyed Slayer, his punches and kicks barely left a faint white mark.


    Sweat beaded on Hot-and-Sour Powder Superman¡¯s forehead as he panted heavily.


    ¡°This is gonna be tough¡­¡±