Inside the dim hideout, silence filled the room.
Manasvi stood near the table, staring at nothing in particular.
She hadn't even realized it.
Tears were slowly falling from her eyes.
Across from her, Michael noticed—but said nothing.
He simply leaned back against the chair, giving her time.
So the Forest Organization really is that monstrous… he thought.
Ten minutes passed in silence.
Finally, Michael spoke.
"Why were they doing those experiments?"
Manasvi wiped her face quickly, regaining her usual composure.
"Didn't I tell you already?"
"To create an army of super soldiers."
She continued sharpening her butterfly knife.
SLANG… SLANG…
The metal scraping sound echoed in the quiet room.
Michael watched the blade carefully.
"As far as I remember," Manasvi continued, "they used some kind of glowing stone during the experiments."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled the memory.
"That thing shined so brightly it could blind a person instantly."
She paused.
"…They called it Athorix."
Michael frowned.
"Athorix?"
"I've never heard that name before."
Manasvi shrugged slightly.
"That's not my fault, smartass."
"They're not found on Earth."
Michael straightened up.
"Wait."
"You're saying they had something not from Earth?"
Manasvi nodded slowly.
"At that time… they had entire crates of it stored in their headquarters."
Michael stayed silent for a moment, processing the information.
Meanwhile Manasvi kept sharpening the knife.
SLANG… SLANG…
Michael finally asked with a smirk,
"So what now?"
"Are you planning to take revenge?"
Manasvi stopped sharpening the blade.
Then she shook her head.
"No."
"I'm not that foolish."
Michael chuckled softly.
"Well… I didn't expect you to say that."
"Looks like you still have some humanity left."
Manasvi laughed quietly.
But the laughter didn't reach her eyes.
"The day I killed someone of my own blood…"
"…I already lost most of my humanity."
The room fell silent again.
Two Hours Later
Meanwhile, in China…
A man walked through a busy street filled with neon lights and traffic.
It was Franklin Tyson.
A voice came through his Bluetooth earpiece.
"Franklin, you there?"
It was Franca.
Franklin replied calmly.
"Yeah."
He stopped walking and pulled out a small tablet.
On the screen was a photograph.
A young man.
John.
Age: 22
Occupation: Freelancer
Blonde hair.
Sharp facial features.
Unusually attractive appearance.
Franklin stared at the picture carefully.
Franca asked,
"You got the target?"
Franklin slipped the tablet back into his jacket.
"Yeah."
He looked toward the crowded streets ahead.
"Now I just need to find him."
Meanwhile In China
China was known as the most populated country in the world.
Finding one man in such a massive population…
Was like searching for a needle lost in a field of grass.
Yet somewhere inside the capital, the target walked calmly.
Beijing — Goldfish Lane
In the heart of Beijing, on Jinyu Hutong, close to the busy district of Wangfujing, a man walked through the crowded street.
He looked… unusual.
His appearance was strikingly attractive, almost unreal.
Blonde hair.
Sharp jawline.
Calm expression.
This man was John.
His clothing stood out among the crowd:
Oversized charcoal blazer
Minimalist taupe silk slip dress–style layered outfit
Leather ankle boots with a sculptural heel
Statement jewelry
A large leather tote bag
Frameless sunglasses
He stopped in the middle of the street.
People around him were shopping, laughing, talking.
Then John spoke quietly.
"…Goodbye, everybody."
At that exact moment—
Something strange happened.
People across the streets of Beijing suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.
At first it sounded harmless.
But the laughter didn't stop.
It became louder.
More frantic.
Crowds collapsed to the ground, laughing hysterically.
Some couldn't breathe.
Some were crying while laughing.
The entire district turned into a scene of chaotic madness.
Western Beijing
Not far away, Franklin Tyson stood in the middle of a police barricade.
Sirens screamed.
Dozens of officers surrounded him.
Believing Franklin was responsible for the strange phenomenon, police from the People's Armed Police aimed their revolvers at him.
"DROP YOUR WEAPON!"
Franklin sighed.
Before he could explain—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots echoed.
Twelve bullets shot toward him.
In the next blink—
Franklin raised his hand.
The bullets stopped in midair.
He calmly grabbed all twelve rounds between his fingers.
The officers froze.
Franklin looked annoyed.
"I'm not the one doing these weird things."
He gestured to the air around them.
A faint energy barrier shimmered around the area.
"I'm literally creating a shield to protect you idiots."
He flicked the bullets onto the ground.
"But if you really want to die…"
He shrugged.
"I can leave."
The officers hesitated, unsure what to do.
Because somewhere nearby…
Something far more dangerous was happening.
Seven Years Earlier — 2019
A massive hammer larger than a human body crashed into the ground.
The impact destroyed two entire neighborhoods instantly.
Debris exploded across the sky.
Standing in the middle of the destruction…
Was Manasvi.
She had dodged the impact effortlessly.
She looked up at the attacker and smirked.
"Hmmm…"
"What's your deal, handsome?"
She tilted her head playfully.
"Maybe I should let you live."
But before she could finish—
The gigantic hammer slammed toward her again.
BOOM.
The surrounding area was obliterated.
Buildings collapsed.
Roads shattered.
Yet when the dust cleared—
Manasvi was still standing.
Completely unharmed.
Her eyes slowly darkened, glowing faintly.
"I'm in a good mood today," she said calmly.
"Actually… I'm hiring."
She stepped forward.
"This kind of power…"
"…comes from Athorix, doesn't it?"
She appeared in front of the young man instantly.
Before he could react—
Her hand grabbed his throat.
She lifted him off the ground.
The boy struggled desperately, unable to move.
Her grip completely suppressed his power.
"You've got potential," she said.
"But it's strange…"
"I've never heard about you before."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"For some reason I feel like I shouldn't hurt you."
Then she shrugged.
"But who cares."
"Your life depends on one thing."
"Join me…"
"…or die."
Suddenly—
The boy vanished.
He teleported several meters away.
He stared at her in shock.
She's way stronger than me…
What the hell is she?
Manasvi smiled slightly.
"Hmmm…"
"Interesting."
"Why do you have a power similar to mine?"
The young man slowly stood up.
His name was Abhishek.