Hyuk walked down the bustling streets of Jpscan City. Passersby hurried past her, none of them recognizing her. Contrary to what she had initially imagined, superhumans weren't exactly crawling all over the place.
Nor was it a lawless hellscape where superhuman crimes happened every single minute.
Everything seemed remarkably similar to how it was a few years ago, peaceful and quiet. Even the destruction caused by the Jpscan City incident had been almost entirely repaired.
However,
Some things were undeniably different.
A giant commercial screen broadcasting the news was mounted on a nearby building wall.
"Three days ago, a freshly awakened superhuman attempted a bank robbery. The suspect tried to use a thermal-fusion ability to melt through the bank's vault doors. Failing to do so, they fled into the subterranean drainage system and were successfully apprehended in the early hours of this morning..."
Superhuman crimes did happen occasionally, but they weren't common. Statistically, ordinary human crimes still made up the vast majority, simply because the population baseline for ordinary people was so much higher.
Discrimination and hostility toward superhumans hadn't spiraled out of control either, mostly because anyone could potentially become a superhuman. This unpredictable phenomenon, whether it was evolution or mutation, occurred almost entirely at random.
Earth's governments still didn't fully understand the underlying trigger mechanisms behind superhuman awakenings, leaving them with no choice but to adopt a passive approach: identify, monitor, and manage them after the fact, rather than proactively controlling the source.
BEEP, BEEP!
"Do you think this is a bit too far?"
"Are you hungry? What do you want to eat later?"
"This one doesn't look good..."
"..."
The chatter of pedestrians and the roar of car engines blended into a familiar hum. Hyuk easily navigated her way back toward her old neighborhood, feeling a faint sense of detachment as she took in the subtle changes to the surrounding environment.
She slipped into the apartment building just as another resident was walking out, rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, and smoothly retrieved the spare key hidden beneath the shoe rack by the door.
CLICK!
Hyuk unlocked the front door and stepped inside. The interior furnishings and layout remained completely untouched. Type Zero chimed in, "A few different government groups came by to inspect your apartment over the years. I suppose they have at least some basic manners."
At least they hadn't trashed the place.
Her cell phone began to ring.
"Some government agency is hoping to have a friendly chat with you."
"Not interested."
Type Zero instantly hung up the call.
Hyuk genuinely didn't have the patience or mood to deal with various messy factions and organizations. She didn't want to talk to anyone. Looking around the quiet apartment, she began mentally listing the things she needed to buy.
"First things first... I need to pay the utility bills."
She tapped the light switch, but the apartment had long since been cut off from water and electricity. Type Zero assured her she'd handle it, and thirty seconds later, the lights flickered back on and running water gushed from the tap.
Hyuk had long since forgotten when she had stopped needing to eat actual food for sustenance, but she still enjoyed indulging in various delicacies. It kept her in a good mood.
After a brief cleanup, she headed downstairs to a nearby supermarket to pick up a few supplies. On her way out, she ran into her neighbors, a young married couple.
"Hello! Are you the one living across from us?"
The young man greeted Hyuk with a polite smile.
"Yeah, just got back today," Hyuk replied pleasantly as they waited for the elevator together. "I went on a long trip a few years ago and haven't been back in a while."
The couple exchanged an understanding nod.
"Ah, I see."
Hyuk made casual conversation. "You guys must have moved in over the last two years, right? I remember the apartment across the hall used to be rented out by a group of college students."
A slightly chubby young woman nodded. "That's right, about two years ago. It's quiet here, the neighborhood is nice, and the rent wasn't too high. It fit our budget perfectly."
DING!
The elevator arrived.
Hyuk smiled, nodded, and exchanged a few more pleasantries with her neighbors before heading downstairs. Stepping out onto the street, she found herself in a bustling commercial alley filled with everything a person could possibly need: supermarkets, fast-food joints, pharmacies, and more.
There was a comforting, lived-in warmth to this kind of ordinary daily life.
Noodles.
Dumplings.
Tofu...
Type Zero caught on. "Are you planning to make hot pot?"
"Mhm."
To be honest, it had been a long time since Hyuk last had hot pot, so long that she couldn't even remember when. As she paid for her groceries at the counter, she casually grabbed a melon-flavored popsicle as well.
...
Night fell.
Shop windows lit up one by one, and streetlamps flickered to life. A bicycle bell chimed as someone rode past, while Hyuk walked back home, unwrapping and eating her ice pop.
Two girls came walking from the opposite direction, looking like students from the local university.
"Excuse me! Is the PanPanBumBum Building around here? The GPS on my phone says it's right here, but we've been looking everywhere and can't find it."
Hyuk thought for a moment.
She turned and pointed down the street. "Just keep walking straight. At the end of the road, take a right and keep going. You'll see it right across from the bank. Can't miss it."
"Oh, thank you so much!"
The surrounding neighborhood had always been a top pick for college students looking for cheap yet decent housing. However, the PanPanBumBum Building was considered a rather upscale complex; the rent there definitely wouldn't be cheap.
...
Back from grocery shopping.
Hyuk first prepped the tofu, then took her time washing the vegetables and slicing the meat. She pulled out the newly bought electric hot pot, plugged it in, dropped in the soup base, and waited for it to boil.
A long-awaited hot pot dinner was officially underway.
Meat slices tumbled in the swirling, bubbling broth.
An appetizing aroma filled the air.
Meanwhile, Type Zero was wandering through the digital expanse of the internet when she suddenly intercepted a data signal attempting to hack into Hyuk's phone.
It was an unfamiliar signal, not Star-Link, nor any known network manipulation ability user. Type Zero immediately traced the data back to its source.
Unfortunately, it was just a hijacked proxy server. Type Zero couldn't trace it any further upstream. Incidents like this happened frequently; sometimes there was a traceable source, sometimes not, and there were plenty of methods out there to block her tracking attempts.
She handled trivial matters like this effortlessly without bothering Hyuk with the details; otherwise, Hyuk would be annoyed by endless petty disturbances every single day.
...
Over a thousand miles away.
A slightly dark-skinned South Asian middle-aged man sat in front of a computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. A flood of commands rapidly scrolled across the screen and executed before coming to a sudden halt.
He couldn't help but gasp in awe: "What an overwhelmingly powerful tracking network."
Then,
The monitor went black.
...
Though she hadn't managed to trace the source of the signal that attempted to hack Hyuk's phone, Type Zero discovered something interesting and popped open a website interface on the screen.
"Take a look at this."
Well-Aided Finance Limited Liability Company.
Familiar characters caught Hyuk's eye. Her movements paused for a second, and she furrowed her brow. She remembered this, it was the loan shark company run by the Loanspawn Manager Bach.
"What's going on?"
"All signs indicate that Manager Bach is apparently not dead. What's more, he's currently running a brokerage service and doing quite well for himself. You might be able to use him to break into Jpscan City's alien community, or buy intelligence directly from his hands."
Not dead?
Do Loanspawns really have survival skills that tenacious?
Hyuk only knew that Loanspawns could grow stronger by expanding their scale of debt and outstanding claims; she knew practically nothing about their other capabilities.
No.
The Manager Bach she had fought previously was definitely dead; the system notifications didn't lie. But seeing as she had some lingering curiosity about the loan company's current status, Hyuk considered her options.
"I'll go check it out tomorrow."
...
The next day.
Same old location, the Well-Aided Loan Shark Company.
"Boss, we've got an extraordinary customer out here."
Manager Bach let out a mocking scoff.
"Oh yeah? How extraordinary?"
"The kind that would make your own big brother give two thumbs up."
"Are you out of your damn mind? Who the hell are you talking about?!"
"The Powerful."
CRASH!
The underlings outside the office heard the sound of someone tumbling backward, chair and all.
"An honored guest! Please, have a seat!"
Manager Bach greeted Hyuk with overwhelming, effusive hospitality. Hyuk didn't say a word, merely observing Manager Bach quietly: white suit, slicked-back hair, sunglasses.
His outfit and appearance were an exact, uncanny match.
Under Hyuk's intensely oppressive gaze, Manager Bach's heart involuntarily skipped a beat, and a cold sweat trickled down his temple. He hurriedly explained, "Miss, please don't misunderstand! I'm not him, he's dead, dead as a doornail."
Hyuk was taken aback.
"Twin brothers?"
"Identical twins."
The heavy, tense atmosphere vanished in an instant as Manager Bach said with absolute, unbothered nonchalance, "Though we Loanspawns don't really care much for family ties anyway. He's him, and I'm me. Whatever business you had with him is none of my concern; whatever business you have with me is a completely separate matter."
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. To be completely honest, while Manager Bach's business had expanded rapidly over the years and his power had undergone a world-shaking transformation, the moment he laid eyes on Hyuk, he knew one thing for certain: he was no match for her. Even within the hazy, shifting expanse of his Telekinetic Array, Hyuk's existence was an immovable, towering monolith.
Manager Bach invited Hyuk to sit down, returned to his own desk, and slid a leather-bound catalog across to her, which neatly detailed his various brokerage and business services.
"Splendid! Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, what kind of service are you looking for today? Loans, brokerage, intelligence-gathering, they're all well within my scope of operations. Just name it. If this catalog isn't to your liking, you can also browse our company's website. Our customer service is top-notch, guaranteed!"
Since this wasn't the original Manager Bach, Hyuk naturally wouldn't take her grievances out on him, nor did she care to dig into whether Loanspawns were just naturally cold-blooded toward their kin.
She had come here for two reasons.
"First, I need a durable, reliable battlesuit crafted. Do you have any suitable channels or personnel you can recommend to me?"
"A battlesuit... hold on."
Manager Bach pulled out a black-shelled laptop and began tapping away, his fingers flying across the keyboard. After a moment, he paused, looked up, and asked, "When you say 'durable,' exactly how durable are we talking?"
Hyuk briefly described her parameters. "Heat-resistant. It shouldn't break down even in extreme environments like one billion or even ten billion degrees. Other specs like shock absorption and tear resistance also need to be top-tier."
Those requirements made Manager Bach wince.
"Yikes... those aren't specs you can achieve with ordinary physical materials. Let me check... Ah, I do know someone who might be able to help you out. I can introduce you to Master Card; he should be able to meet your demands. I'll reach out to him later, and as long as everything goes smoothly, it shouldn't be an issue."
Hyuk replied simply, "Money is not an issue."
Manager Bach shook his head.
"We can talk about money later. That has honestly never been an issue for me. I'd rather hear your second request first, let's hear it."
Hyuk's second request was very simple.
"Help me find a Vinespawn. About six years ago, it attacked my parents and took their lives. Or, you can provide me with the relevant intelligence, and I'll track it down myself."
That wasn't a problem at all.
Manager Bach replied, "Finding people takes time. I can't give you answers right away, but I'll mobilize my network. The moment I get any news, I'll notify you."
"Fair enough."
"As for payment," Manager Bach said smoothly, "I won't charge you a dime for this. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. How does that sound?"
Hyuk accepted the terms.
However, she first needed to hear what Manager Bach wanted her to help with.
"Be specific."
"Well, it's like this: while you've been away these past few years, the situation in Jpscan City has gotten a bit complicated. Aliens like me aren't the only ones here anymore. There are certain things I can't handle myself without making too big of a mess, but you can. You just need to stand in front of those bastards, and they won't even dare to fart."
Manager Bach spoke with absolute certainty.
After all, just standing in front of Hyuk made him feel like he was about to piss his pants. If those arrogant pricks with power comparable to his didn't tuck their tails in and behave around her, they might as well prepare their own graves.
Naturally, not everyone had Manager Bach's eye for danger or his level of self-preservation. Stubborn fools and blind idiots were never in short supply, but none of them would be jumping around for long in front of Hyuk.
"State your terms."
"A client who owes me a ton of money has fallen into the hands of a Spider-demon. I reckon he's still breathing. I need you to go rescue him and bring him back."
Manager Bach was a Loanspawn; the more someone owed him, the stronger he grew, provided that the debtor remained alive. Dead debtors didn't count for anything.
Hyuk kept it brief and direct.
"Photo. Address."
"Right here."
A look of delight washed over Manager Bach's face. He loved how straightforward Hyuk was, and immediately forwarded the debtor's picture and the Spider-demon's hideout coordinates straight to Hyuk's phone.
"I'll bring your man back in two days."
"Wonderful."
With that,
Hyuk stood up and walked out.
Manager Bach was ecstatic. He had been racking his brain trying to figure out how to retrieve that debtor, and just like that, the problem was solved.
A moment later, an underling walked over and muttered, "Boss, you don't think this will cause a massive uproar, do you? I mean, that spider isn't weak. She might not stand a chance against The Powerful, but I'm worried she'll blow the whole thing wide open."
"Relax, she won't cause any uproar."
Manager Bach was utterly confident.
If that spider had the kind of strength to go toe-to-toe with Hyuk, she would have already swallowed his entire territory.
Hyuk didn't rush in blindly. Instead, she decided to observe the situation first while instructing Type Zero to dig up whatever intel she could on the Spider-demons, without ever letting arrogance cloud her judgment.
As it turned out, Type Zero didn't unearth much useful information. Had it not been for the tip provided by Manager Bach, she might not even have uncovered the Spider-demons' true identities.
"Multi-Eyed Network, a newly established tech startup. In just two years, it has scaled rapidly, with annual revenues now exceeding 200 million."
"The CEO of Multi-Eyed Network is a woman named Nina, twenty-eight years old, with a completely traceable life history. If Manager Bach's intelligence is accurate, then there's a ninety percent chance a Spider-demon has assumed this woman's identity."
From a safe distance, Hyuk watched as the Spider-demon stepped out of a car. Judging by the faint, shimmering glow of her internal bio-energy, her physical strength was only slightly above that of an average human.
According to Manager Bach's intel, Spider-demons weren't combat-oriented. Their abilities focused heavily on mental control, and the trigger condition was eye contact.
Relying on this ability, the Spider-demon had managed to subvert and control quite a few powerful superhumans and alien mercenaries, which was how she successfully carved out a foothold in Jpscan City.
"Hmm?"
Hyuk had been mulling over a particular question. "Given my current life form, do you think mental control would still have any effect on me?"
If the principle behind a Spider-demon's mental control was mimicking and hijacking neurotransmitters in the target's brain to hijack their nervous system,
What would happen if the target was a life form like Hyuk? Her brain shouldn't even contain standard neurotransmitters anymore. And if they didn't exist, would the control simply fail?
Type Zero found this equally fascinating. "That is a very interesting question."
Given Hyuk's body density, the matter constituting her form wasn't just degenerate matter; it was something even stranger and more anomalous. Under this life-form paradigm, she didn't even possess biological cells anymore.
No cellular structure.
No traditional biological nervous system.
Operating under such an extreme, celestial-grade state, the medium carrying Hyuk's thoughts and data signals was likely composed of photons and gluons, phenomena much closer to the fundamental nature of physics itself.
Type Zero explained, "This also explains why your reaction speed scales up in tandem with your body density."
Because her information transmission system operated closer to the bottom layer of cosmic physics, Hyuk's thought processes and reflex speeds were operating at terrifying levels of efficiency.
It was also why she could perceive sights, sounds, and extremely subtle energy fluctuations that were entirely imperceptible to ordinary human senses.
Type Zero concluded, "If the Spider-demon's mental control relies on hijacking and mimicking biological neurotransmitters, her ability will be completely useless against you."
Of course, exceptions existed.
Hyuk added, "Unless the Spider-demon's power is built upon conceptual or logical manipulation. In that case, walking right up to her like this could be dangerous."
"True."
"Do we know the maximum effective range of the Spider-demon's ability?"
"It wasn't mentioned in Manager Bach's file."
Caution was by no means unnecessary. There were far too many bizarre races in the universe; Hyuk still vividly remembered the absurd, reality-bending racial talents of the NPC aliens.
Their raw combat power might not have been off the charts, but their tricks were insidious. Letting your guard down for even a second was enough to capsize in a puddle.
Just as Hyuk was weighing her options on how to make her move, Type Zero chimed in, "The Jpscan City Star-Link cell wants to talk to you. They claim they can provide us with intelligence regarding the Spider-demon."
"Put them through."
BEEP!
The call connected, and a woman's voice came through: "Miss, I can provide you with intelligence on the Spider-demon, but under one condition: I hope you can exercise some restraint and not cause too large of a commotion."
Shenan was speaking directly with Hyuk. She had pulled every piece of data related to the Spider-demon from their classified archives and beamed it straight to Hyuk's phone.
This was meant to demonstrate her sincerity.
The moment the Star-Link cell realized Hyuk intended to make a move, they immediately went on high alert. Knowing they couldn't stop her, their only viable strategy was to minimize collateral damage and destruction as much as possible.
As the team leader, Shenan was the one handling the communication.
Hyuk saw the sincerity in Star-Link's gesture. Since the other party was helping her save time, she was willing to grant Star-Link a bit of face, replying casually: "I'll do my best."
With that, she hung up.
The Star-Link agents looked rather tense.
"Please, let's not have a repeat of the Jpscan City incident..."
...
Meanwhile,
Type Zero parsed the intelligence sent over by Star-Link in record time. This intel came straight from Star-Link's quarantined database, and it was remarkably detailed.
She couldn't help but marvel, "Star-Link's intelligence-gathering capabilities are genuinely impressive."
In truth, it wasn't entirely due to Star-Link's institutional prowess. It was mostly thanks to a brilliant intelligence analysis specialist within the Jpscan City branch.
That bespectacled kid's combat power was virtually zero, but when it came to information analysis, logistics, and macro-level tactical planning, his inherent talent was completely broken, completely overpowered.
A portion of Jpscan City's early warning and surveillance network had even been engineered by him.
Hyuk asked, "Is the intel useful?"
Type Zero confirmed it was extremely useful. "According to Star-Link's analysis, the Spider-demon's mental control ability relies on blocking and mimicking biological neurotransmitters. It doesn't fall into the category of conceptual-level abilities."
"What's the maximum range?"
"Three hundred meters."
That applied specifically to this particular Spider-demon in Jpscan City; other Spider-demons might have different ranges, but no second Spider-demon had been discovered yet.
Type Zero added, "One of her subordinates operates as a mobile prison. The debtor who owes Manager Bach money is being kept right by her side, guarded by that subordinate."
A photo of a bald bodyguard in a black suit popped up on the phone screen.
This was information that Manager Bach's file had lacked. With this intel in hand, Hyuk could move in with absolute confidence and zero loose ends.
"Should we strike now?"
"Let's wait till night."
...
Night fell.
Inside her executive office at the Multi-Eyed Network building, the Spider-demon suddenly felt a nagging sense of unease, furrowing her brow deeply.
Her assistant asked with concern, "Is something wrong?"
The Spider-demon let out a weary sigh.
"I just feel like something is going to happen. Ever since yesterday, I've had this persistent feeling of being watched. Help me do a reading, see what's going on."
"Of course."
Her assistant set down the documents in hand, pulled out a deck of poker cards, and shuffled them for a moment before her expression instantly paled. Seeing this, the Spider-demon felt a sudden wave of dread.
"What is it?"
"The reading points straight to a razor-thin margin between life and death."
Hearing that,
The Spider-demon grew even more unsettled, her face darkening.
"A binary choice concerning life and death?"
"Yes."
She had offended quite a few people, and Manager Bach was only one of them. It was hard to tell which person or what incident had forced her into such a critical, life-or-death predicament.
Literal interpretation:
Choose wrong, and you die.
The suffocating shadow looming over her heart made the Spider-demon increasingly anxious. After a moment of rapid thought, she decided she had better slip out and lay low for a while, she wasn't going to sit around and wait to die.
"St—"
However,
Before the Spider-demon could even make a move to flee, the roof of the Multi-Eyed Network building was smashed straight through by a descending figure. Hyuk landed smoothly on the floor.
"Protect...!"
"Stop right there!!"
A few bodyguards materialized in a flash, but just as they were about to attack, the Spider-demon hurriedly barked orders to hold them back. The moment she laid eyes on the intruder's face, her pupils violently constricted.
Hyuk offered a deadpan, chilling warning: "The moment I sense any attempt at mental control directed at me, I will terminate you without hesitation."
A suffocating wave of pressure washed over the room, instantly making the Spider-demon tense up involuntarily. She swallowed hard, finally recognizing the identity of the visitor.
Hyuk wasn't just putting on a bluff. Because of her heightened nature, she could visually track brainwave activity, sense the chaotic electrical signals firing through a body, and even perceive electromagnetic waves. She was exquisitely sensitive to energy fluctuations.
She didn't entirely trust the intel provided by Manager Bach and Star-Link. Regardless of whether the Spider-demon's ability would work on her or not, she had no intention of exposing herself to unnecessary risk.
The second she caught the slightest hint of abnormal brainwave activity or energy fluctuations radiating from the Spider-demon, she would obliterate her on the spot.
"The Powerful?!"
Daring not to act rashly, the Spider-demon shivered as she stammered, "What do you want?"
Hyuk stated flatly.
"I'm here for a person."
"Who?"
"Bright Noa."
The Spider-demon froze. Just that? What kind of cosmic luck did Bright Noa have to warrant a heavy hitter like this stepping in personally? Her mind raced, and she nodded hastily.
Not daring to voice the slightest objection.
Standing off to the side, the bald bodyguard casually vomited up a middle-aged man in a white dress shirt. Bright Noa looked completely dazed, utterly clueless as to what was happening around him.