At the same time.
In a dimly lit house, a few rugged, cold-faced men were having a serious conversation.
"Just got a message from one of the teachers at Godslayer Academy. A group of beasts broke through the frontline and is heading straight for the Forbidden Canyon. The teachers have all been conscripted by the military on the spot."
"Is that confirmed? If so, this is a godsend."
"What do you all think?"
"With a chance like this? No way we're letting it slip!"
"The third one's right. That kid's been hiding inside the academy for days. If we miss this shot, who knows when we'll get another chance to finish the job?"
"I'm in."
After quickly reaching an agreement, the men left the house and sprang into action.
"Alright, let's move. But stay sharp. That brat just took the national championship. Killing him's gonna stir things up, so don't get caught. Finish the job clean, then we're off to Mango Island for a vacation!"
"Boss, what about the Blair and Lawson families?"
"They doubled the bounty."
"Well then, no problem at all…"
Back on the highway.
The bus suddenly screeched to a halt.
Everyone was startled.
"What happened?"
"Why did we stop?"
"What's going on?"
Amid the murmurs, the driver sighed helplessly. "The road ahead is completely blocked. We can't move."
The passengers craned their necks to peer out the windows.
Sure enough, a massive traffic jam stretched as far as the eye could see.
Every lane was packed, including the emergency shoulder.
Honking echoed nonstop, but the vehicles remained frozen in place.
Some people, realizing the danger, had already abandoned their cars and started fleeing on foot.
Others on the bus began shouting.
"Driver! Open the door! We'll walk!"
The driver didn't hesitate. He opened the door and bolted himself.
"Vincent, what should we do?" Quentin Lewis asked.
Vincent replied calmly, "We follow the crowd, of course."
Staying put now would be pure stupidity.
Ben Carter suddenly looked at Vincent and said, "Vincent, did something happen? You look... different. Like you're a new person."
Autumn Summer smiled and answered, "Vincent just used the Super Soldier Serum. His appearance changed because of it."
Everyone finally understood.
"That serum is insane! It made Vincent so handsome?" Zoe Harper gasped, her eyes practically twinkling.
The others also looked at Vincent with envy.
"Let's go," Vincent said, standing up and stepping off the bus with the group.
He usually wore loose clothes, and now that his frame had grown, the outfit looked a bit tight but not awkward. In fact, it accentuated his well-proportioned figure perfectly.
"Good lord… look at that body…" Zoe nearly drooled.
Ben chuckled beside her. "Zoe, don't even bother. You're no match for the class monitor."
Everyone had seen it by now. Autumn Summer and Vincent Fox were clearly more than just classmates.
Zoe rolled her eyes. "I know. I'm just looking, alright?"
By now, more and more people were abandoning their cars, grabbing their families, and joining the mass exodus on foot.
The road was filled with the cries of children, complaints from women, and frustrated shouts from men.
Chaotic, but still orderly. People were fleeing, but not pushing or fighting.
"Vincent, which way do we go?" Autumn asked.
Vincent was about to answer when a voice called out.
"Vincent!"
It was the group from Regal Academy.
"Let's move together," Lucia Blair said calmly. "It's safer if we watch each other's backs."
Vincent had no reason to refuse. He nodded in agreement.
Ben and the others were happy with the idea too. The Regal Academy students were strong. Traveling together would definitely be safer.
Only Autumn Summer furrowed her brows slightly.
As they walked, Lucia quietly came up beside Vincent and asked, "During the match… why didn't my psychic power affect you? Do you have some sort of special ability?"
She had been holding this question in her heart for a long time.
She'd wanted to ask on the bus but held back.
Even now, she couldn't accept her loss in the championship match. It still gnawed at her.
"Yes," Vincent replied without blinking. "I have a way to resist psychic control."
It was a lie, of course.
But he had no choice.
If he told Lucia the truth that he relied purely on his overwhelming physique and raw power to resist her psychic pressure there's no way she would believe it.
After all, they were both freshmen. How could his stats be many times higher than hers?
Lucia frowned slightly.
It was a plausible explanation, but...
Something still felt off.
She turned her head and took a good look at Vincent.
Compared to the match, he really was ridiculously handsome now.
Both his body and his face were top-tier.
Lucia guessed this must be the result of the Super Soldier Serum.
Of course.
She wasn't some shallow girl who swooned over a pretty face.
Plenty of guys had pursued her before many of them better-looking than Vincent.
But she didn't care for any of them.
In her eyes, appearance was just the minimum requirement. Strength was what truly mattered.
Vincent's strength wasn't bad.
But in her mind, he still wasn't up to her standards.
Lucia was confident that it wouldn't be long before she surpassed him.
After that exchange, neither of them spoke again.
Eventually, the group reached the source of the traffic jam.
And they finally understood what had caused it.
A traffic accident.
Someone nearby explained that a female driver had driven up to the intersection, then suddenly remembered she'd forgotten something.
She pulled a reckless U-turn right in the middle of the highway.
A nearby bus swerved to avoid her, crashed into the greenbelt, and tipped over blocking the entire road.
Fortunately, no one died. A few bus passengers were injured, but none seriously.
At the crash site, the female driver was now standing with her hands on her hips, shouting shamelessly at the bus driver and injured passengers, arguing like she was in the right.
She was acting like the highway was her personal driveway.
Several bystanders murmured under their breath.
"Why couldn't she have just died in the crash?"
"Stop gawking. Let's keep moving," Vincent called out, reminding Ben and the others.
Just then.
A sharp screech pierced the sky.
"Skreeee!!"
The sound was deafening and harsh.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
High above, a massive three-headed bird was diving down fast…
Its six razor-sharp eyes were already locked onto the fleeing humans.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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