Black Robe: Starting in the Deep Sea, Swatting Away Homelander
Chapter 1: Reborn as The Deep, System Awakens
His head felt like it had been stuffed with a rusty electric drill, buzzing incessantly.
Lin Yuan gasped sharply.
His throat was so dry it tasted bitter, as if he had swallowed a handful of sand.
A deafening, low-quality bass was bombarding his eardrums.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of cheap perfume mixed with the sour stench of alcohol.
He uncomfortably scratched his itchy chin.
A bit of dried hair gel scraped out from under his fingernails.
Damn, that's filthy.
He opened his eyes.
The glaring incandescent light made him dizzy.
His vision slowly focused.
In front of him was a large vanity mirror that took up half the wall.
The edge of the mirror was stained with a gob of spit from who knows whom.
The person in the mirror was wearing a flashy dark green bodysuit.
The outfit was covered in dense, plastic fish scales.
Lin Yuan froze.
He subconsciously raised his hand to touch his side.
His fingers didn't touch skin, but a row of nauseating slits.
Gills.
The damn things were actually opening and closing with his breath.
His stomach churned, and Lin Yuan nearly threw up his dinner from the night before.
"The Deep?"
He gritted his teeth and cursed.
He never expected to transmigrate into this piece of trash.
The most pathetic, laughable clown in The Boys.
A loser who spent every day calling seafood his brothers.
Lin Yuan irritably grabbed a handful of his hair, which was caked in gel.
The sticky sensation made him want to chop off his own hand.
"Click."
The doorknob was turned from the outside.
The hinges emitted a dry, grating sound that made his teeth ache.
Lin Yuan turned around.
A girl in a white and gold costume squeezed through the gap in the door.
She had blonde hair and was certainly quite pretty.
But her hands were tightly twisting the hem of her outfit, her knuckles white.
Starlight, Annie.
There were fine beads of sweat on her forehead, and her makeup was slightly smeared.
Her eyes darted around, not daring to look directly at Lin Yuan.
"U-um, Mr. Deep?"
Annie swallowed dryly, her voice trembling.
"They said outside... that I should come in and say hello to you first."
Lin Yuan leaned against the vanity.
He casually pulled a yellowed tissue from the side to wipe his hands.
"Say hello?"
He tossed the paper ball accurately into the trash can in the corner.
"Sure, the hello is done. Find somewhere to sit."
Annie was thrown off by his attitude.
She fidgeted, pulling at her pitifully short skirt.
"I... I grew up watching your posters."
Annie stammered out the words.
"Being able to join The Seven, to be standing here... it feels like a dream."
Lin Yuan watched her, looking like a lamb waiting for the slaughter.
He couldn't help but sneer.
He walked over to the water cooler nearby and poured half a cup of water.
The disposable paper cup was flimsy, leaking water in his grip.
"You really think this place is heaven?"
Annie paused.
She clearly didn't expect this senior to be so abrasive.
"Isn't... isn't it? We're here to save the world."
She retorted, though lacking confidence.
Lin Yuan took a sip of water.
It tasted like plastic, so he spat it directly into the trash can next to him.
"Save the world, my ass. Stop reading those brainwashing pamphlets from the company."
Lin Yuan slammed the paper cup onto the table, water dripping down the side.
Annie bit her lower lip, her face turning pale.
According to the unwritten rules of Vought International, it was time to get to the point.
She took a half-step back.
Her back pressed firmly against the cold door.
"Mr. Deep, they said... you have to know the rules to join the team."
Annie's voice grew quieter, with a clear sob in her tone.
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Here it comes.
The most cliché, universally hated coercion scene from the original story.
He opened his mouth, planning to say something.
A crisp "ding" suddenly rang in his mind.
Like a metal spoon hitting a porcelain bowl.
[Viltrumite Evolution Panel bound and activated.]
[Key plot point detected: Starlight's induction ceremony.]
Lines of pale blue, translucent text appeared directly in front of his eyes.
The text was so bright it made his eyes ache.
Lin Yuan rubbed his eyes hard.
The text didn't disappear; instead, it became clearer.
[Option 1: Follow the established fate, coerce Starlight into compromise as a senior member of The Seven.]
[Reward: Gain proficiency in basic water control, become an obedient dog for Vought International.]
Lin Yuan sneered in his heart.
Be a dog?
My bones are hard; I'll never learn how to kneel in this life.
[Option 2: Refuse to be a clown, rewrite this humiliating fate, directly refuse coercion and break the original plot line.]
[Reward: Instantly unlock the initial Viltrumite (Omni-Man) physiology.]
Viltrumite physiology?
Lin Yuan's breath hitched for a moment.
He inhaled a large lungful of cheap perfume.
It made him cough uncontrollably.
"Cough... cough!"
He bent over, covering his mouth, coughing until tears were almost squeezed out.
Does this even need a choice?
Viltrumites are monsters that can tear meteorites apart in space.
This bunch of freaks at Vought International who rely on drugs to maintain their superpowers are nothing.
Annie watched Lin Yuan coughing frantically, completely bewildered.
She cautiously took a half-step forward.
"Mr. Deep... are you okay?"
"Should I go call the medical staff?"
Annie's fingers nervously picked at the zipper of her costume.
Lin Yuan waved his hand.
He finally caught his breath.
He looked up, and his gaze had completely changed.
The irritability and carelessness from just a moment ago had vanished completely.
Replaced by an aggressive intensity that made one's skin crawl.
Annie instinctively shrank her shoulders.
She felt like the man in front of her had suddenly changed his core.
"What medical staff?"
Lin Yuan curled his lips into a smile, revealing two rows of white teeth.
He strode forward.
His heavy leather boots creaked on the wooden floor.
Annie was terrified, squeezing her eyes shut and hugging her arms tightly to her chest.
"Mr. Deep, I... I really don't want this, please let me go..."
She begged with a sob.
Tears were already welling up on her pretty face.
Lin Yuan didn't pay her any mind.
He walked straight past her trembling shoulders.
"Click."
Lin Yuan reached back and locked the dressing room door.
The crisp sound of the lock was exceptionally loud in the room.
Annie shivered violently, her calves cramping up.
It's over, there's no escaping now.
Lin Yuan turned around.
He looked down at the girl, who was full of defensiveness and almost curled into a ball.
He tilted his head and raised his hand to rub the stubble on his chin vigorously.
The rough sensation put him in a great mood.
"Hurry up and put away that pathetic, miserable look."
Lin Yuan stared hard into her eyes.
"You just told me you're here to save the world, right?"
Annie kept her eyes closed and nodded frantically.
A tear finally slid from the corner of her eye.
Lin Yuan extended a finger and rapped hard on the dusty exhaust fan louvers in the corner.
The dust accumulated on the louvers fell in clumps, covering his sleeve.
"Alright then, let's start by tearing this dump apart."
Lin Yuan leaned in close to her ear, his voice low and playful.
"If you want to survive, no matter what you see me do in a moment, you'd better keep your mouth shut tight, got it?"
Chapter 2: Refusing to be a Clown, Crushing the Surveillance to Save Starlight
Annie covered her mouth tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
Her back was pressed firmly against the door panel, the cold sensation seeping through her thin costume and spreading throughout her body.
The room was terrifyingly quiet.
Even Lin Yuan's heavy breathing could be heard clearly.
"W-what... what are you trying to do?"
Annie's voice was trembling uncontrollably.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with fear, like a frightened quail.
Lin Yuan ignored her.
He raised his hand and rubbed his stubbly chin hard.
It itched.
This body felt damn uncomfortable.
The smell of hair gel was so strong it made him want to sneeze.
He turned his head and scanned the room.
Finally, his gaze locked onto the dusty exhaust fan louvers in the corner.
A tiny, extremely faint red light was blinking in the gaps of the louvers.
Blinking.
Blinking.
Like the eyes of a dead person, staring at them coldly.
This was Vought International's trick.
Surveillance.
360-degree, no-blind-spot surveillance.
In the original story, The Deep had used this very camera to coerce Starlight into a sexual relationship.
And that recording became a lifelong blackmail material against him.
Eventually, he was kicked out of The Seven like a dead dog, becoming a laughingstock across the internet.
Now, he had no intention of repeating the same mistakes.
"Look there."
Lin Yuan extended his index finger and pointed to the corner.
Annie looked in the direction he pointed.
She saw nothing but the dusty louvers.
"Wh-what?"
She was even more terrified, thinking The Deep was going crazy.
Lin Yuan sneered.
He strode forward, his leather boots thudding heavily against the floor.
He walked up to the louvers.
He suddenly swung his fist and smashed it hard against the exhaust fan.
"Bang!"
A dull thud.
Plaster dust rained down, covering his shoulder.
The plastic grille outside the louvers was smashed to pieces.
Lin Yuan reached in and groped around.
He yanked it hard.
"Rip."
A miniature camera with a red indicator light was ripped out by the roots.
Faint sparks were still spitting from the broken wires.
Lin Yuan tossed the camera onto the vanity.
"This is the paradise you were yearning for."
He brushed the dust off his hands and said nonchalantly.
Annie was stunned.
She stared at the camera still blinking with a faint red light, her mind going blank.
"Wh-who installed this?"
She stammered.
"What do you think?"
Lin Yuan pulled out a few tissues and wiped his fingers in disgust.
"Vought International."
"Around here, even if you fart, someone's recording it."
He tossed the crumpled tissue precisely into the trash can.
"Especially for a newcomer like you, you're the easiest to be treated like a commodity."
Annie was shivering.
She had originally thought that joining The Seven would allow her to be a real superhero, just like in the books.
Saving lives and being respected.
But now, this dressing room filled with the smell of disinfectant and hair gel felt like a man-eating black hole.
Lin Yuan didn't care what she thought.
The familiar "ding" sound rang in his head again.
"Destiny deviation increased. Host detected refusing to follow the original plot."
"Key plot node changed."
"Distributing reward: Basic Viltrumite physical enhancement."
As soon as the voice finished, Lin Yuan felt a violent surge of heat rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
The feeling was too intense.
He could even hear his bones creaking under the overwhelming pressure.
Muscles were swelling wildly beneath his spandex suit.
Veins bulged like little snakes, pulsing rhythmically.
He squeezed his eyes shut, gritted his teeth, and gripped the edge of the vanity tightly.
He crushed a few fine cracks into the marble countertop.
The heat came and went quickly.
A few seconds later, everything returned to calm.
Lin Yuan let out a long, heavy breath.
He felt like he could punch through this building right now.
This power was incredible.
He lifted his head and looked at himself in the mirror.
The previously loose spandex suit was now stretched taut.
The six-pack abs on his abdomen were clearly defined.
The decadent, greasy aura about him was swept away.
In its place was an oppressive presence that made people afraid to meet his gaze.
Annie looked at him, her eyes filled with extreme complexity.
There was fear, confusion, and a hint of indescribable gratitude.
"Mr. The Deep... you..."
She didn't know what to say.
The man in front of her was completely different from the grinning loser on the posters.
Lin Yuan turned around and picked up the broken camera from the table.
He applied a little force with his thumb and index finger.
"Snap."
The metal casing was crushed flat, and the circuit board inside shattered into dust.
He casually tossed the remains into the trash can.
"Alright, stop pulling a long face here."
Lin Yuan walked to the door and grabbed the handle.
"Go back, wash your face, and think carefully about what you actually want."
He turned the lock and pushed the door open to leave.
Leaving Annie alone in the dusty dressing room.
In the hallway, a cold breeze blew, and Lin Yuan felt his mind clear up quite a bit.
He strode out with long, purposeful steps.
He ran into a few staff members along the way, and they looked at him with strange expressions.
Perhaps they thought he was walking with an unusual swagger today, acting a bit strange.
Lin Yuan didn't pay them any mind.
His mind was now entirely focused on how to use this new body to survive well in this screwed-up world.
He exited Vought Tower.
The bustling streets of New York were filled with traffic.
The neon lights were blinding.
The air was a mix of car exhaust, the scent of hot dog stands, and the stench from the sewers.
This was the real world.
Dirty, chaotic, and crappy.
But full of life.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath of the murky air.
He walked to a street corner and bought a hot dog.
He swallowed it in two bites, not even bothering to wipe the sauce from the corners of his mouth.
He needed calories.
That enhancement just now had drained a lot of his energy.
After filling his stomach, he walked aimlessly along the street.
Planning his next moves in his head.
Since he didn't want to be a clown, he had to have some real skills.
With a basic Viltrumite body, he was definitely durable.
But to deal with that pervert Homelander, he was still far from ready.
He had to find a way to get more deviation points and earn more rewards.
Just as he was thinking about this.
Not far ahead, a crowd had gathered in front of an appliance store.
It was noisy and chaotic.
Lin Yuan pushed through to take a look.
A young man in a plaid shirt was arguing with an appliance salesman.
The young man looked a bit familiar.
Hughie.
The original protagonist of The Boys.
The kid's face was flushed red, and he was sweating profusely from anxiety.
"I told you, this microwave has a quality issue, it's leaking electricity!"
The salesman rolled his eyes, looking impatient.
"Leaking electricity? Prove it to me."
"Did you operate it improperly and now want to blame it on me?"
Hughie was trembling with anger but couldn't find the words to respond.
He wasn't exactly a smooth talker to begin with.
Just then, a girl rushed over.
She grabbed Hughie's arm, her face full of anxiety.
"Hughie, what's wrong? Stop arguing, let's go."
The girl looked quite ordinary, but pleasant.
Robin.
Hughie's girlfriend.
In the original story, in less than ten minutes, she would be hit by A-Train on the street and turned into a mist of blood.
This was the catalyst for the entire story of The Boys.
Lin Yuan stood on the edge of the crowd, rubbing his chin.
Talk about finding something without even looking for it.
A key plot node had just delivered itself to his doorstep.
He narrowed his eyes, watching the ill-fated couple.
Save them, or not?
Don't be stupid, of course he had to save them.
If he didn't save them, how would he get rewards?
Lin Yuan pushed through the crowd and strode over.
He pushed the arrogant salesman aside.
"The microwave is leaking electricity, right? Let me see."
Without a word, he reached out to touch the microwave.
The salesman was startled and quickly backed away.
"Hey, what are you doing! Don't touch that!"
Hughie was also stunned, staring at this tall man in a strange green spandex suit.
"Wh-who are you?"
Lin Yuan ignored him.
The moment his hand touched the microwave's casing, he felt a faint electric current.
This amount of electricity wasn't even enough to tickle a basic Viltrumite body.
He applied a little force with his hand.
"Zzzzt—"
The microwave's casing was torn apart by his bare hands.
The wires inside short-circuited, emitting a huge puff of black smoke.
The crowd erupted in gasps.
The salesman was so scared his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Lin Yuan brushed the dust off his hands and turned to look at Hughie.
"See that? This piece of junk not only leaks electricity, but the quality is also terrible."
He jerked his chin at the salesman.
"Refund."
The salesman didn't dare to say no, trembling as he took out his wallet and stuffed the money into Hughie's hands.
Hughie stood there holding the money, completely bewildered.
He looked at Lin Yuan, struggling to get a sentence out.
"Th-thank you. Are... are you a superhero?"
Lin Yuan smiled.
He looked at Hughie, then at Robin, who was standing beside him with a look of admiration.
"Me? I'm just a concerned citizen."
He turned to leave, but suddenly stopped.
He leaned into Hughie's ear and whispered.
"Take your girlfriend and get out of here. Stay away from the main road. The further, the better."
Hughie looked confused.
"Why?"
Lin Yuan patted his shoulder.
"Because tonight, this street is bad luck."
Having said that, he walked away without looking back.
Leaving Hughie and Robin standing there, completely bewildered.
Lin Yuan walked slowly along the street with his hands in his pockets.
He pricked up his ears, listening carefully to the sounds around him.
Besides the car horns and the clamor of the crowd, there was an extremely faint, high-frequency vibration.
The sound was getting closer, moving at an astonishing speed.
It was coming.
Lin Yuan stopped and turned around.
At the end of his line of sight, a blue and white blur was speeding towards him at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
A-Train.
The kid was high on Compound V, completely ignoring the road.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath.
Every muscle in his body tensed instantly, like a drawn longbow.
He wanted to see.
Whether this drugged-up speed was faster, or if his basic Viltrumite body was harder.
He stomped forward, planting himself firmly in the middle of the road.
"Come on, kid."
Lin Yuan grinned, revealing a menacing smile.
Chapter 3: A Rescue at Super Speed, Crushing A-Train
The cold wind of New York slapped against his face.
Lin Yuan had just walked out of Vought Tower. His enhanced cheeks didn't feel the cold at all; in fact, they felt a bit hot.
The air was thick with car exhaust and the stench from the sewers.
He took a deep breath, and his lungs felt invigorated.
His enhanced five senses exploded in that instant.
The "sizzle" of grease dripping onto charcoal from a hot dog stand fifty meters away.
The friction sound of a homeless man scratching his crotch a hundred meters away.
It all drilled into his ears.
He irritably picked at his ear, pulled out a tiny bit of yellow earwax, and flicked it away.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a dull roar suddenly pierced into his ears from the street corner in the distance.
The sound was like a hundred broken tractors slamming on the gas at the same time.
Supersonic speed.
Lin Yuan focused his eyes, his gaze piercing through the glaring neon lights.
By the side of the street.
Hughie was wearing an incredibly tacky plaid shirt, holding his girlfriend Robin's hand, whispering something sweet.
Robin was smiling quite sweetly, holding a half-finished cup of coffee in her hand.
Behind them to the side.
A-Train, high on drugs, was turning into a blue-and-white blur.
Like a headless fly, he was sprinting along the curb.
He was about to crash into them.
The tragedy from the original story where Robin turned into a bloody mist was about to repeat right before his eyes.
Hughie was still fooling around happily, not even turning his head.
"What a damn idiot." Lin Yuan cursed.
The hot dog he had just chewed still had a taste of low-quality mustard.
He suddenly exerted force with the soles of his feet.
"Crack."
The hard asphalt road was forcibly stepped into two shallow, spiderweb-like pits.
Lin Yuan took a stride across.
His speed was so fast that he didn't even leave a blur behind.
He stepped firmly across, blocking in front of Robin.
He turned around, leaving his broad, sturdy back to the charging A-Train.
The next second.
"Thud—"
A dull, heavy sound.
It was like a ripe watermelon smashing hard against a solid titanium plate.
Lin Yuan's chest felt tight.
A faint taste of rust rose in his throat.
He swallowed his saliva, suppressing the bloody taste.
The rubber soles of his shoes rubbed two glaring black marks on the ground.
He only retreated half a step.
Lin Yuan stood firm without even swaying.
A-Train, who had hit him, was miserable.
Accompanied by a bone-crushing sound that made teeth ache, a mist of blood exploded in the air.
"Crack!"
"Snap!"
The high-speed charging A-Train screamed.
The sound was as sharp as a duck whose neck had been stepped on.
Under the terrifying reaction force, he was sent bouncing straight backward.
He tumbled in mid-air like a rag doll for three or four turns.
"Clang!"
He crashed solidly into a green trash can by the roadside.
The trash can was smashed to pieces, and smelly leftovers splashed all over him.
A-Train lay in the sour-smelling pile of trash, vomiting blood foam frantically.
His two legs, known for being the fastest, were now bent into a terrifying V-shape from the knee down.
White bone shards pierced through his blue tights.
Blood flowed all over the ground, mixing with the slop, glaringly red.
Robin's coffee cup dropped to the ground with a "plop."
Brown coffee stained her lower legs.
She was unharmed, but she was completely terrified.
Hughie fell onto his butt on the ground.
His palms were scraped, oozing a few threads of blood, but he couldn't even feel the pain.
He opened his mouth wide like a toad lacking oxygen, and a small patch of his crotch was wet.
The two of them looked at this scene, scared out of their wits.
Lin Yuan slowly turned around.
He reached out and patted the dust off his back, then twisted his neck.
His cervical spine made a few crisp cracking sounds like popping beans.
The system notification sounded frantically in his mind.
[Rewrote the fate of an important supporting character, gained a large amount of evolution points.]
A trace of fanaticism flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes.
Not bad.
This deal was a huge profit.
He walked slowly to Hughie.
He looked down at the original protagonist who was scared to the point of wetting his pants.
"Stop howling, your pants are wet."
Lin Yuan spat on the ground.
Hughie stuttered, his teeth chattering.
"You... you... he..."
He pointed at Lin Yuan, then at A-Train, who was screaming in the trash pile in the distance.
Lin Yuan walked over and stepped into a puddle next to Hughie.
Muddy water splashed all over Hughie's face.
Hughie didn't even dare to reach out and wipe it.
"What about him?"
Lin Yuan twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a set of white teeth.
"This grandson didn't watch where he was going and crashed into me. Who should I blame?"
In the distance, A-Train was rolling frantically in the trash pile in pain.
"My leg! Ah—my leg!"
He wailed while vomiting blood.
Snot and tears covered his face; there was no trace of a superhero's prestige left.
Lin Yuan strode toward him.
His leather boots splashed in the sewage, making a slapping sound.
Hughie was so scared that he quickly pulled Robin into his arms.
"What... what are you doing!" Hughie shouted, gathering his courage.
Lin Yuan ignored him.
He walked to A-Train and squatted down.
A strong smell of blood mixed with the strange odor of chemical agents drilled into his nose.
Really pungent.
Lin Yuan pinched his nose in disgust.
A-Train's face was covered in blood, and seeing Lin Yuanapproach, he shrank back in fear.
His two hands gripped a moldy pizza box on the ground tightly.
His broken leg dragged on the ground, making him roll his eyes in pain.
"Don't... don't come over! I'm A-Train! From The Seven..."
Lin Yuan slapped him directly.
"Slap!"
It was crisp and loud, splashing water everywhere.
Half of A-Train's face swelled up instantly, and he spat out two bloody back teeth.
The wailing stopped abruptly.
"Seven your mother's head, shut up, you're too noisy."
Lin Yuan wiped the blood off his hand on his green trouser leg.
He stared at A-Train's pupils, which were dilated with fear.
"You just crashed into me. This outfit of mine is quite expensive; a scale even fell off."
A-Train gasped for air, shivering with pain, snot flowing into his mouth.
"I... I'll pay... I'll give you whatever you want..."
Lin Yuan sneered.
He reached out and grabbed A-Train's dreadlocks.
He pulled his face tightly in front of his own.
The two people's noses were almost touching.
"Do you think I care about that bit of money?"
He lowered his voice, his tone as cold as ice shards.
"Taking too much compound v has shrunk your brain too, right, Reggie?"
When A-Train heard his real name and compound v, he shook violently.
His pupils dilated instantly, and he even forgot the pain in his leg.
"You... how do you know..."
Lin Yuan let go and patted his hands in disgust.
"Even the rats in the sewer can smell the stench of your little business."
He stood up and looked down at A-Train, who was like mud.
Then he turned to look at Hughie, who was still stunned.
Hughie was still hugging Robin, the two of them shaking into a ball.
"Hey, plaid shirt over there."
Hughie jumped, quickly looking up.
"Ah? Calling me?"
Lin Yuan pointed at the half-dead A-Train on the ground.
"If the police come to ask, just say he was high on drugs, ran off course, and crashed into the trash can."
Hughie swallowed his saliva and looked at A-Train's terrifying broken leg.
Can crashing into a trash can twist a leg into a pretzel?
Who would believe that?
"But... but just now it clearly crashed into you..."
Lin Yuan glared.
"Crashed into me? Which eye did you see him crash into me with?"
He walked to Hughie and squatted down.
He tapped his finger on Hughie's scraped palm.
"Young man, you can't just say anything."
"I'm just a helpful citizen passing by, understand?"
Hughie nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice.
"Understand, understand, understand, he crashed into the trash can, I'll testify."
Robin on the side also nodded frantically.
Lin Yuan stood up satisfied.
He tugged at his collar, fanning away the smell of cheap perfume.
Hughie gathered his courage and asked tremblingly.
"Then... then where are you going now?"
Lin Yuan grinned, revealing a laugh that was wildly arrogant.
"Me?"
"I have to go back to the company."
"And ask that giant baby wearing the American flag who is responsible for holding the leash for the dog under him."
Chapter 4: First Panel Upgrade, Viltrumite Physique
A crisp "ding" sounded in his mind.
It was followed by a wave of intense heat, like drinking two catties of strong liquor.
This fire surged from below his navel throughout his entire body, so hot that Lin Yuan had to grit his teeth.
His muscle fibers were like stretched rubber bands, taut to the point of snapping, and even his pores were emitting heat.
He clenched his fist hard, his knuckles cracking, and a raw power capable of tearing steel plates apart seeped from his very bones.
Amazing; this strength is at least double what it was just a moment ago.
The line of text on the panel glowed blindingly bright.
[Evolution points deducted. Upgraded to: First-Generation Viltrumite Combat Physique.]
This enhancement wasn't as volatile as the last, but it felt more solid.
Lin Yuan rubbed his neck, which let out a crisp "click," and even his gill slits shrank slightly following this surge of heat.
His hearing and vision expanded instantly.
The sound of a mouse gnawing on dry bread in a sewer fifty meters away, the commotion of a couple smashing pots and bowls in a dilapidated apartment seventy meters away.
It all flooded into his brain, a chaotic mess.
He frowned and shook his head, forcibly blocking out the noise, and refocused his attention on the mess in front of him.
In the puddle of slop on the ground.
A-Train was still convulsing, no different from a flattened cockroach.
His broken leg was bent at a horrifying acute angle, with white bone fragments protruding.
His signature blue and white suit was now covered in vegetable scraps and bloody filth, reeking of a foul stench.
"Hrr... hrr..."
Reggie gasped for air, a rattling sound coming from his throat as if blocked by bloody froth.
Snot and tears mixed on his face, washing away whatever lofty arrogance he originally possessed.
Hughie and Robin were still huddled by the utility pole.
The young couple clung tightly to each other, Hughie's plaid shirt covered in mud splatters.
His legs were shaking like a sieve, unable to even stand, his eyes filled with fear toward Lin Yuan.
Just a moment ago, when Lin Yuan declared he was going to find Homelander, it nearly scared the soul right out of Hughie.
Lin Yuan ignored Hughie and bent down.
His combat boot stepped on a half-rotten apple in the trash pile, making a "squelch" sound.
He reached out, grabbed A-Train's chin, and forcibly lifted his blood-smeared face.
He applied a little more force with his fingers.
"Crack."
A-Train's jaw dislocated.
The pain made him roll his eyes back, his hands clawing desperately at the cracks in the concrete.
"Stop your damn whining and listen to me."
Lin Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chill that made A-Train shiver.
He stared fixedly at Reggie, his eyes like he was looking at a dead dog.
"We need to get our stories straight about today."
Lin Yuan let go and casually wiped his hand on the blood-stained chest of A-Train's suit.
"You, Reggie Franklin, the fastest man in the world."
He tapped A-Train's cheek, with just enough force to snap him back to his senses.
"Because you took too much compound v, you weren't thinking straight."
"You stumbled headfirst into a roadside trash can and had the bad luck of breaking your leg."
"Understand?"
A-Train was trembling from the pain, but his brain still managed to process the situation.
He knew his current state; if he told the truth, Vought International would ruin him on the spot.
He wanted to nod, but with his dislocated jaw, he could only make muffled "mm-mm" sounds.
Lin Yuan saw this and frowned.
"Tsk, troublesome."
He reached out, supported A-Train's chin, and shoved it back up forcefully.
"Snap!"
His jaw popped back into place, accompanied by a shriek from A-Train that sounded like a pig being slaughtered.
The pain nearly made him pass out.
"I said, did you understand?" Lin Yuan was getting impatient.
A-Train's eyes welled up with tears as he nodded frantically.
"Understand! Understand! I took drugs, ran off course, and crashed into the trash can myself!"
He didn't dare say a word otherwise. The moment he crashed into The Deep's back earlier, he felt like he had slammed into a solid iron mountain.
The recoil force had shattered his leg bone instantly.
This is supposed to be water-controlling power? This is a human tank!
Lin Yuan stood up, satisfied.
He turned to look at Hughie nearby.
Hughie swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, and hurriedly stated his position.
"I... I'll testify! He crashed into it himself, it has nothing to do with you!"
Hughie just wanted to take Robin and get out of this place immediately.
Lin Yuan curled his lips into a smile.
"Good, you're smart."
Lin Yuan walked up to Hughie, crouched down, and pulled a crumpled sticky note from his pocket.
It had the Vought International logo printed on it.
He rubbed his thumb over the note to wipe away a bit of grease.
"Take it."
Lin Yuan shoved the note into Hughie's hand.
Hughie held the paper with both hands, his hands still trembling, his eyes dazed.
"What... what is this?"
Lin Yuan stood up and clapped his hands.
"This is a recommendation letter for the Vought International Public Relations Department."
"You want to know what this company really is, and you want to protect your delicate girlfriend."
He pointed to Robin, who was huddled in Hughie's arms.
"Then take this and go find a job at Vought."
Hughie was stunned; he couldn't keep up with Lin Yuan's train of thought at all.
"Me? Go to Vought? Why?"
Lin Yuan didn't answer him.
In the distance at the street corner, the shrill siren of an ambulance could be heard faintly, its red and blue flashing lights conspicuous in the night.
Vought's response time was quite fast.
"Do you have a choice?"
Lin Yuan left behind this rhetorical question, turned around, and strode into a side alley.
Darkness instantly swallowed his tall figure.
Leaving Hughie and Robin behind, dazed as they stared at that crumpled note.
A-Train was still groaning in the trash pile, but he had no mind to worry about anyone else.
His mind was completely filled with the look in The Deep's eyes from just moments ago.
It was too terrifying.
The ambulance screeched to a halt at the side of the road, and several Vought medical personnel in white coats jumped out hurriedly.
Hughie pulled Robin and quickly retreated into the shadows.
In the alley, Lin Yuan had his hands in his pockets.
He hadn't gone far; he just leaned against the corner of the wall and lit a cigarette.
The lighter clicked "snap," illuminating his face, which carried a hint of roguishness.
He took a deep drag, the acrid taste of tobacco filling his lungs, and felt much better.
He listened to the commotion outside as the medical staff scrambled to lift A-Train onto a stretcher.
"Mr. Reggie, hang in there, don't fall asleep."
The stretcher let out a creaking sound as it swayed.
Lin Yuan exhaled a puff of blue smoke.
This first move in the game had been played steadily.
The mole, Hughie, had been planted, and A-Train's leverage had been secured.
Next, it was time to go back and meet that Starlight girl.
Wonder if she's recovered in that changing room yet.
Lin Yuan flicked the cigarette butt onto the ground and crushed it with the tip of his leather boot.
He turned and disappeared into the crisscrossing back alleys of New York.
Chapter 5: A Shaken Hughie, A Turning Point of Fate
The red and blue flashing lights of the ambulance hurt the eyes in the night.
Hughie leaned against a lamppost, his legs as soft as noodles.
He clutched Robin tightly in his arms, his grip so strong it felt like he might squeeze the breath out of her.
Robin rested against his chest, tears and snot smearing his plaid shirt, her shoulders heaving with sobs.
Hughie stared at the dark alley where Lin Yuan had just disappeared and swallowed hard.
The alley was pitch black; not even a stray cat made a sound.
He clutched the crumpled note in his palm so tightly it was almost wet with sweat.
Two Vought International paramedics carried a stretcher, jogging through the sewage on the ground.
A-Train, on the stretcher, was howling until his voice was hoarse, sounding just like a slaughtered pig.
"Slow down, slow down! Move gently, my leg bones are completely shattered!"
The lead doctor wiped away sweat and shouted anxiously at the security guards carrying the stretcher.
Looking at those legs bent into a V-shape, Hughie felt his stomach churn violently again.
If it hadn't been for that weird guy in green earlier...
Robin probably wouldn't even have a whole piece of meat left on her right now.
Hughie shivered and forcibly pulled Robin up.
"Let's go, we need to leave now."
The two of them stumbled out of the street, not daring to look back.
Back at their dilapidated apartment, Hughie double-locked the door.
He collapsed onto the old, coffee-stained sofa, his hands still trembling.
Robin went to the bathroom to wash her face, the faucet running loudly.
Hughie pulled out the note and stared blankly at the Vought International logo on it.
There was a greasy handprint on the paper, smelling of cheap hot dog mustard.
"Go to Vought International and find a job?"
Hughie scratched his hair irritably, dandruff falling onto his shoulders.
Is that place even fit for humans?
He stood up and walked over to the old computer, its fan clicking and clacking.
He pressed the power button, and the screen flickered twice before lighting up.
His fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard.
He typed into the search box: "The Deep, Vought International."
A flood of information popped up on the webpage.
It was all just trashy gossip and comedy montages.
Hughie clicked on a video.
The Deep was wearing a skintight suit, smiling foolishly at a dolphin in an aquarium, even kissing it.
The comments were full of mockery, calling him a "useless guy who can talk to fish."
Another news headline was even more ridiculous: "The Deep caught again entering a red-light district, zipper left undone."
The more Hughie watched, the more bewildered he became.
No matter how he looked at it, this guy was just a greasy, comical clown, the kind with bottom-tier combat ability.
Yet, his mind was filled with that scene from tonight.
That The Deep had stood in front of Robin like a solid iron tower.
Smashing A-Train into a pile of mush.
That gaze, that tone, cold enough to freeze ice—there was nothing clownish about him at all.
Were all the people online blind?
Or had he seen a ghost tonight?
Hughie leaned back in his chair, picking at the dirt under his fingernails, feeling like his brain was about to explode.
This whole thing felt eerie, like watching a sci-fi horror movie.
He picked up the half-cup of cold coffee on the table, wanting to moisten his throat.
Unexpectedly.
With a "pop."
The ceiling light in the room flickered and went out completely.
The computer screen went black too.
The room instantly fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of water running in the bathroom.
Hughie's heart skipped a beat, and he nearly dropped the coffee cup.
"Power outage?"
He stood up and fumbled for his phone on the table.
Suddenly.
He felt the sound of someone breathing on the sofa behind him.
The breathing was deep and steady.
It also carried a faint scent of tobacco and the sewer smell from the street earlier.
Every hair on Hughie's body stood on end.
He turned his head stiffly, the light from his phone screen illuminating the darkness.
A tall, dark figure was sitting on the sofa.
With long legs spread wide, leaning back against the chair, he looked remarkably at ease.
That flashy green scaly skintight suit shimmered with a dim light under the faint glow of the phone.
"What are you looking for, Hughie?"
Lin Yuan's voice rang out in the darkness.
Deep, with a lazy rasp.
Hughie retreated two steps in fright, his knee hitting the computer desk with a "thud."
"How… how did you get in? The door was double-locked!"
His voice cracked, his hand gripping that coffee cup tightly.
Lin Yuan ignored him.
"Click."
An orange flame lit up in the darkness.
Lin Yuan turned his head and lit a cigarette.
The light illuminated his cold, stern face and the unshaven blue stubble on his chin.
He took a deep drag and exhaled a cloud of gray-white smoke.
The smoke slowly dissipated in front of Hughie.
"That lock of yours is no different from paper."
Lin Yuan flicked the ash, letting it fall onto the carpet without a care.
"What are you looking at so intently?"
Lin Yuan pointed at the darkened computer screen.
"Checking up on me?"
Hughie swallowed, his throat dry and painful.
"Who are you exactly? What do you want!"
He forced himself to calm down, but his legs were still shaking uncontrollably.
Lin Yuan chuckled.
He shifted his position on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other.
"Didn't I say it on the street earlier?"
"I'm a helpful citizen."
Lin Yuan tapped the cigarette butt against the edge of the ashtray.
"Watching too much of that garbage news online can cause brain damage."
He stared at Hughie, his gaze like he was examining an interesting toy.
Hughie felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze.
The bathroom door opened, and Robin walked out, drying her hair.
"Hughie, why is the power out?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Lin Yuan on the sofa by the light of the phone.
Robin covered her mouth in fright, the towel dropping to the floor.
"You… you're that guy in green…"
Lin Yuan nodded at her, his attitude surprisingly gentle.
"Don't be afraid, young lady."
"I'm here to make a deal with your boyfriend."
Hughie quickly pulled Robin behind him.
"I'm not making any deals! Get out now, or I'm calling the police!"
Hughie shouted, bracing himself.
Lin Yuan looked at him like he was an idiot.
"Call the police? Call who? The Vought International police station?"
Lin Yuan stood up.
He was a head taller than Hughie, and the oppressive feeling instantly filled the entire dilapidated apartment.
He walked slowly up to Hughie.
Hughie was backed into a corner, his back pressed hard against the wall.
Lin Yuan lowered his head, looking at the face covered in mud and sweat.
"You saw A-Train's miserable state tonight; do you think Vought International will let the two of you, the witnesses, go?"
He reached out and patted Hughie's dirty plaid shirt.
It wasn't hard, but it made Hughie's chest feel tight.
"That note is your amulet."
Lin Yuan withdrew his hand and put it back in his pocket.
"Take it, go to Vought International to find a job, and infiltrate the Public Relations Department."
"Be my informant."
Hughie's eyes widened.
"An informant? What are you trying to do?"
Lin Yuan held the cigarette in his mouth, the embers flickering in the darkness.
"What am I doing? Reorganizing the workplace, of course."
He exhaled a cloud of smoke, spraying it directly into Hughie's face.
Hughie choked and started coughing.
"Don't you want to know why that idiot who was high tonight appeared in front of your girlfriend?"
Lin Yuan's voice was like a knife wrapped in ice, scraping against Hughie's nerves.
"Do you want to know the truth about Vought International and completely protect your girlfriend?"
Hughie stopped coughing and bit his lip hard.
Robin gripped his clothes tightly from behind.
Lin Yuan stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the cup with the half-cup of cold coffee.
With a "hiss," a wisp of white smoke rose up.
"I don't have time for your nonsense, Hughie."
"Do you want to be a coward for the rest of your life, living in fear every day, or be my pawn? Choose for yourself."