Adamant stood aghast at the whole series of events he had just witnessed. He was a man of history, a being that had lived through quite a few centuries, and he could say for sure that he had never encountered an event such as this.
One of the things that even caught his attention the most was, strangely, Gravon's attire. He couldn't help but feel as though it was familiar.
As though it was something he had seen frequently… which was strange, as encountering Gravon was usually a rare occasion.
His neurons fired at unfathomable speeds, so it barely took a second before it clicked.
Glancing at the agents standing ready behind Gravon, Adamant couldn't be more sure.
It seemed Gravon was the president of Earth's Coalition of Forces.
The president had always been a man of mystery. Even when he made public appearances, he always masked his face, and the people were all told he was doing this for security reasons. But it seemed there was more to this.
To think No.0 Gravon was actually the true identity of the president—or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, he and the Aegis Nine were fucked!
After all, the Aegis Nine worked for the government. In fact, most of their missions and recruitments were handled by the said government.
And the number one requirement that was always demanded by the government before one could even apply as a candidate in order to join the Aegis squad was the mutant's weakness.
You were required to give a fully written detail about your abilities, their limitations, and possible weaknesses you may have—to them.
Though at first the requirement looked sketchy, after hearing the government's reasons, one would quickly dismiss any form of suspicion.
After all, the government would tell you that before joining the squad, they would need to create your very own custom suit, and this information would help in assisting them to make a suit that could boost your powers and cover your weaknesses.
With all this said, one could now understand Adamant's fears and pessimism.
The government literally had all heroes on sight by the balls…
'Wait, it must be the same for the villains also. After all the research we've done on all the top fifty villains and donated to the government…' Adamant thought, as he couldn't help but feel a little better on realizing it wasn't only him and his team that were unfortunate.
Meanwhile, Gravon took his time reveling in the despair of both parties as they all began to realize that there was no escape in sight for them.
Glancing at Adamant's apprehensive gait, his smile widened. "Come on, Adam. Of everyone here, you have served in the Aegis Nine the longest."
Tilting his head playfully, he continued, "You should have been the first to realize my identity," Gravon finished with a smile.
Adamant's brows furrowed in confusion. What was Gravon saying?
Indeed, he was one of the longest-serving members of the Aegis squad ever. This was due to his unique abilities that made him almost immortal.
In fact, he was a three-time captain of the Aegis, and his present squad—the Aegis Nine—would be the smallest squad he had commanded.
But he couldn't quite get Gravon's meaning. After all, the president had always been an aloof figure, one that he didn't dare question.
So when the president decided to stay mysterious and anonymous, who was he to question?
Fortunately, someone spoke up to clarify.
And it was Echo, his teammate, who had been silent till now.
Echo was undoubtedly the smartest among the Aegis Nine. He was their strategist.
He was a slim and tall individual with short gray hair and eyes of green, and in contrast to his abilities, he was a pretty silent individual.
"I see. I had always found it suspicious—why was it that anytime a hero in the Aegis was about to reach Zenith, Gravon would coincidentally appear, and the cost of defeating him would conveniently result in the hero's death?
That's meant to be impossible unless he was getting information from a valid source—and what more of a valid source than the president himself?"
Pondering for a bit, he continued, his words sending shivers down the Aegis Nine's spines as their hair stood on end and their faces reflected anger.
"It was as though Gravon always knew when to strike and when to retreat. When I was reading the Aegis archives, I noticed this recurring event throughout the course of history."
Shaking his head in realization, he continued, his voice turning grim. "So that's why you trapped us here. I'm not aware of every other person here, but I myself am quite close to attaining Zenith—a few months away at most."
"And I'd bet it's the same for everyone here, am I right?"
And everyone nodded unconsciously—well, except for Spark.
Unlike the others, Spark had spent too little time using his abilities, and coupled with the fact that he could almost never go all out in fear of causing harm to the surroundings and civilians, he was still short of acquiring Zenith.
You see, to humans with the X-gene, their abilities function like muscles—so the more they stress it, the greater it gets.
And this goes on and on until they finally reach the legendary phase known as Zenith.
A phase where one sheds all imperfections and becomes a being of no weakness, and his or her abilities evolve to perfection. It is the ultimate phase that all mutants—villains, heroes, and civilians alike—aspire to attain.
Adamant was astonished and frightened at the same time. 'Indeed, the new generation is greater than the old.'
Take him for example. He had been alive for centuries, and only now did he feel Zenith approaching. One could imagine just how long it took him to reach his current achievement.
But now, looking at his current team, the oldest among them—Titan—was at
most 23 years of age. And the rest?
Starlight was just 19!
Heck, even Frostbane was just an 18-year-old girl!
Such talents… indeed, now he could understand Gravon's reasons for getting rid of them now.
If they could attain Zenith at such a young age, leave them for another twenty years, and you might find yourself facing gods.
'Sigh~ indeed, their talents are frightening. If we can pull through this, then maybe our goal of everlasting peace could be attained by such young, talented heroes.' Adamant mused.
Right now his heart was filled with guilt and self-blame, if only he had been a more competent captain...
If only he had noticed the pattern Echo spoke of, all this wouldn't have happened.
but there was no use dwelling in the past, he just had to make sure these kids make it out alive.
His gait straightened, as he prepared to battle.
Then, all of a sudden, Gravon's demeanor changed, as his eyes reflected a cold sheen. He had come too far to stop now.
Anyone who was a threat to his plan had to be eradicated. His two sons were here, but he couldn't let blood ties wear him down.
'At least they won't die in there. Knowing them, they would shine no matter where… sorry sons, father can't mix family with business.' His eyes briefly glanced at both Void and Spark in the distance.
One looked betrayed, the other looked weary. He sighed, regaining his momentum.
Raising his hands as he spoke, "Enough dilly-dallying, let's cut the crap. I've advised you all, and you chose to ignore it."
"I hoped this operation would be completed without any casualties on my side, but I see now that it's impossible."
Clenching his hands into a fist, he then pulled backward.
And to everyone's horror, the atmosphere shifted. Light bent, and the gravity pull of the surroundings changed as they were all pulled toward the rift in space from all sides. Air thinned as though reality bent backward.
Buildings crumbled, dragged into the pulsating maws of shredded space. Some dropped to one knee, struggling—being bombarded with debris and struggling to stand their ground as their bones creaked from pressure.
Bzzzzt!!!
Unaffected by this change in gravity, the agents behind Gravon began to move as their skeletal suits powered up. Buzzing sounds could be heard as they all burst into a cacophony of colors.
As they each zipped toward their respective opponents, who were struggling, barely keeping their balance.
And amid this commotion, Gravon's nonchalant voice rang out, "Let's be quick now, shall we? I have to be home in time for dinner."
[A/N] Hey everyone! I know some of you want to jump straight into the action — so if you're the type who likes things fast‑paced from the get‑go, you can start at Chapter 8, where the cultivation world and main plot explode into motion.
The earlier chapters are still there if you enjoy a slower build and extra backstory, but either way, I promise it gets wild. Choose your path and enjoy the ride! 🚀