The next morning, sunlight streamed through the tall windows of Max's penthouse. The city below was already alive—honking cars, buzzing bikes, and distant sirens blended into the urban melody.
Max stretched lazily on his bed, the sheets tangled around him. He glanced to the side—empty. He figured the girls must've already woken up.
Sure enough, when he walked out of the bedroom, he found the living room bustling.
Mu Qing stood by the window, dressed in a modern pale-blue blouse and black skirt, hands clasped behind her back as she silently admired the skyline. Lan Xue was curiously tapping away at a tablet Gwen had given her, eyes wide as holograms floated in front of her.
"Hey," Max greeted casually.
They both turned. Mu Qing nodded softly. "Your world… it's very loud."
"But beautiful," Lan Xue added with a small smile. "Like a dream made of glass and light."
Gwen walked in with a pair of shopping bags and tossed them on the couch. "Told you they'd like it. Took them to Times Square. You should've seen the look on Lan Xue's face when the billboard moved."
Rize followed behind, sipping from a cup of iced coffee. "And Mu Qing nearly sliced a vending machine in half when it started talking."
Mu Qing's ears reddened slightly. "It was… reflex."
Max chuckled and walked over, picking up one of the shopping bags and peeking inside. "Clothes?"
"Modern stuff," Gwen said. "Can't have your cultivator girls walking around in silk robes with swords strapped to their backs. People here might think it's cosplay."
Malaika was lounging on the couch, flipping through a magazine. "So, what's next? We laying low, or are we getting pulled into some mess again?"
Max shrugged. "For now… we rest. We've been hopping from world to world too fast. A few days here won't hurt."
"Works for me," Gwen said.
Lan Xue looked toward Max. "I wonder what you actually do here?"
Max shrugged casually. "Hmm, I run a big gaming company. Even that's mostly handled by my AI and a reliablke guy—who also acts as the CEO. So I just laze around, fiddle with things here and there."
She nodded slowly, still trying to grasp how a world without spirit energy could build such industries.
But just as the group was getting comfortable, a sudden loud BOOM echoed in the distance, shaking the windows.
Max blinked. "Well, I guess my vacation's over."
He walked over to the window and opened it, frowning at the plumes of smoke rising in the distance. Something was crashing through the city—fast.
Within moments, Gwen tapped into the satellite feed through her watch and projected the feed midair. "Looks like someone's on a rampage. And… oh wow. Is that—?"
Max zoomed in on the screen.
There he was. A tall, smug man in a red leather coat, with a single glowing red cybernetic eye. His chest pulsed with reactor energy, and he casually knocked over a police vehicle as five oddly dressed women flanked him—each with strange abilities, likely powered by tech or artificial enhancements.
He tilted his head and smirked toward a nearby building's camera.
"Where are you hiding, Max?" the one-eyed man muttered.
Max sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. "I don't even know this guy and he's already giving off discount Tony Stark meets Megamind vibes."
Rize raised an eyebrow. "But he's clearly looking for you."
"Yeah… and that puzzles me too," Max said, stepping closer to the holographic feed. His eyes narrowed as the camera zoomed in. The man looked like a cyborg—half his body mechanical, glowing lines across his limbs, and his left eye replaced with a red targeting sensor.
Just then, the broadcasted voice spoke again.
"So you're Max," the cyborg said directly into the feed. "I am Liup. From Aramgand Planet. And I've come to kill you—for killing one of our high agents."
The woman standing beside him suddenly jerked, her body convulsing before she collapsed—dissolving into vapor on the spot, like she'd never existed.
"Who was that guy?" Gwen asked, stepping forward as the feed cut out.
Max exhaled sharply, arms crossed. "No idea about him specifically… but I do know the faction."
He turned, walking toward the couch and dropping down heavily onto it.
"They're from a galactic fringe zone," he explained. "Last time I got dragged into space, I took out one of their agents who was experimenting on a poor guy. Guess that didn't sit well with their council."
Malaika tilted her head. "Wait… now that you mention it—I think I did run into some goons like that. Half-robot types. They were hunting someone… and asking about you. At the time, I thought they were just some weird cult."
Max chuckled humorlessly. "Nope. Real threat. Real grudge. And judging by that guy, they've finally decided to send someone with actual hardware."
Rize leaned back, arms crossed. "So… revenge plot. How classic."
Gwen stretched. "Should we be worried?"
Max glanced at the screen, which still showed the last image of Liup standing among smoking rubble.
"Nah," he said calmly. "He's just an enhanced soldier with a bad haircut and a borrowed grudge."
"But," he added, standing up again, "if he's here… then more could follow. And I really don't want this planet to turn into a warzone."
The girls nodded.
"So," Malaika asked, smirking slightly, "do we crush him now… or let him stew for a bit?"
Max smiled faintly, his voice cool and confident.
"Let's give him a few hours to feel confident."
He turned to Mu Qing and Lan Xue.
"Do you two want to try fighting him?" Max asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity. "Now that your powers have changed… this might be the perfect test."
Lan Xue tilted her head. "You mean because our Martial Spirits and Spirit Rings… fused?"
Max nodded. "Exactly. Ever since you came to this world, they're no longer something you summon. They're a part of you now—your body, your instincts, even your reflexes."
Mu Qing looked down at her hand, flexing it slightly. She could feel the subtle strength, the flow of Spirit Power woven deep into her muscles.
"It feels… natural now," she murmured. "Like breathing."
"Right," Max said. "So you're not just Spirit Masters anymore. You're more like meta-humans—your abilities are always active, just not flashy. Perfect for blending into this world."
***
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