Inside the truck, Zen from the surrounding area surged into Leo’s body.
Despite the commotion his cultivation caused outside, Leo remained oblivious. He continued circulating his technique, drawing in the energy in massive, endless waves.
Deep within his heart, a tiny black crystal took shape. It was no larger than a grain of rice. As Leo cultivated, the crystal expanded.
Larger.
Denser.
More solid.
Outside the truck, Lily sat on the mat beside the door, hugging her bunny doll. Danny stood nearby to keep watch over the camp, while Linda prepared a simple meal over the campfire.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until five strangers appeared.
They wore dark leather jackets and strange masks that hid most of their faces. One of them scanned the area before speaking.
"Boss, this seems to be the place."
The burly man at the front nodded.
"Alright. Then we need to hurry."
His gaze swept across the camp.
"If the military finds out what we’re doing and catches us, we’d better be prepared to die."
The man beside him pointed toward Leo’s truck.
"Boss, that should be the truck."
"The man, woman, and child match the description."
"But the male target isn’t here."
The boss didn’t seem concerned.
"We don’t need to worry about him."
"Most of the survivors have already gone into the city to hunt."
"The fewer witnesses, the better."
He clenched his fist.
"Our orders are simple."
"Kill as many of the targets as possible, or at the very least, inflict enough damage to them."
His eyes hardened.
"Let’s get to work."
The five men advanced on the truck. Danny and Linda spotted them the moment they stepped out of the shadows.
Danny’s face paled. Linda dropped her cooking utensils, grabbed Lily, and backed away. Danny drew the Glock Leo had given him, leveling it at the approaching men with trembling hands.
"Stop!"
"This area is off-limits."
"If you take another step, I’ll fire!"
The masked men halted. For a moment, there was silence. Then, one of them burst into laughter.
"Boss, did you hear that?"
"The fierce man is threatening us."
"I’m terrified."
He pointed at Danny.
"Look at him holding that gun."
"Do you really think he’ll be able to pull the trigger?"
The boss didn’t even bother looking at Danny.
"Don’t waste time."
"Kill them."
Danny squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet flew wide, striking the dirt several meters away. Danny froze. He had never practiced firing the weapon.
The masked men scattered for cover. Linda scooped Lily tight into her arms.
"Stay back!"
Another shot rang out.
BANG!
The attackers ducked behind nearby debris. One of the masked men glanced at the boss.
"Boss, this is going to take too long."
"The gunfire is going to attract the military."
The boss nodded.
"You’re right."
His hand slipped into his jacket. He pulled out a grenade. With practiced ease, he yanked the pin.
Then—he threw it.
The grenade landed right at Linda’s feet.
Danny’s eyes widened in horror.
"No!"
At that exact moment, inside the truck—
The tiny black crystal inside Leo’s heart gave a violent shudder. A strange wave of energy swept through his veins. The crystal hardened, locking into place.
At the same time, the swirling Zen storm around him vanished.
Leo opened his eyes. A flood of new knowledge filled his mind. Details about Aether. Facts about his newly awakened superhuman ability.
He could feel something else, too. His body was changing. His muscles, his bones, his organs—everything grew denser and stronger.
The system’s voice chimed in his head.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host.]
[You have successfully evolved into the Superhuman Realm.]
Leo narrowed his eyes. But before he could process the messages, the sharp crack of gunfire reached his ears. His expression darkened.
"We’ll continue this conversation later."
"First, let’s see what’s happening outside."
Leo shoved the truck door open and jumped out.
The second his boots hit the dirt, he spotted the grenade resting barely a meter from Linda.
His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Without a second thought, Leo lunged forward. He snatched the grenade from the ground. Channeling the Zen he had just refined, a thick, black energy wrapped around his palm.
BOOM!
The grenade detonated inside his closed fist.
Everyone froze. The bloody explosion they expected to see never happened.
The masked men stared in absolute disbelief.
"Did..."
"Did he just catch a grenade?"
Leo opened his hand. His palm was flawless. A handful of gray dust—all that remained of the explosive—slipped between his fingers and blew away in the wind.
Complete silence fell over the camp.
The boss finally understood the fatal mistake they had made.
"Retreat!"
"Everyone, retreat!"
The five men turned and sprinted toward the treeline.
Leo watched them run. He turned his head toward Danny.
"Give me the gun."
Danny stood frozen, mouth hanging open.
"Huh?"
"Now."
Danny fumbled with the Glock and tossed it over. Leo snatched it out of the air without breaking his gaze from the fleeing men.
He launched himself forward. His newly enhanced muscles propelled him at an impossible speed, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
BANG!
The first bullet pierced a man’s skull.
BANG!
Another attacker crumpled into the dirt.
BANG!
A third fell dead before he could even look back.
The remaining two ran harder, desperation clawing at them. Leo caught up to them in mere seconds.
One swung a heavy blade toward Leo’s head. Leo caught his wrist mid-swing.
CRACK!
The bone snapped with a sickening sound. Before the man could scream, Leo drove a fist into his chest.
BOOM!
The impact sent the man flying backward.
The final attacker spun around, raising his rifle. Leo stepped inside his guard and buried his fist deep into the man’s stomach.
THUD!
The man folded in half and collapsed into the dirt.
Within moments, the fight was over. Three men lay dead. Two remained alive.
Fortunately for the boss, Leo wanted him breathing.
The burly leader lay sprawled on the ground, blood dripping from his chin. Pure terror filled his eyes as Leo stepped closer. The man kicked his legs, trying to crawl away.
Leo grabbed him by the leather collar and hoisted him into the air like a ragdoll.
The leader gasped, struggling to pull in air.
Leo stared dead into his eyes.
"Who sent you?"
The leader’s eyes remained fixed on Leo. For several seconds, neither man uttered a sound. Leo’s grip tightened around the rough material of the man’s collar, pulling him closer.
"Who sent you?"
The leader’s breathing came in ragged, shallow bursts, but he offered no answer.
"You’re not going to talk?"
The man gave a slight shake of his head. Beneath his fabric mask, a bitter smile tugged at his lips. "It doesn’t matter."
Leo narrowed his eyes. "What doesn’t matter?"
"Whether I tell you or not..." The man’s voice rasped in his throat. "I’m dead either way."
Leo stayed quiet, watching him.
"If I betray them, they’ll kill me," the leader continued. "If I refuse to talk, you’ll kill me. So why should I talk?"
Leo studied the man’s expression. The fear rolling off him was real, yet a stubborn resolve lingered in his eyes. Leo gradually opened his hand and released the collar.
"You’re willing to die for them?"
A harsh, dry laugh escaped the leader. "Don’t misunderstand. I’m not loyal. I just know what happens to people who betray them."
"Even if I torture you?"
"You can torture me," the leader said, his tone flat and empty. "You can break every bone in my body. You can do whatever you want. But I’ll still die in the end. So what’s the point?"
Leo stared down at him for a long moment. Then, he gave a single nod. "Alright."
Surprise flickered across the leader’s face, but before he could react, Leo raised his Glock. The cold steel muzzle pressed flush against the center of the man’s forehead.
"You’ve made your choice."
BANG!
The gunshot crackled through the quiet landscape. The leader’s body went limp, dropping heavy onto the dirt.
Beside him, the last surviving masked man froze. The color drained from his skin, and a violent tremble took over his limbs.
Leo turned toward him.
"N-No..." The man scrambled backward, his boots kicking uselessly at the dust as his legs buckled beneath him.
Leo closed the distance and crouched down at eye level. "Relax."
"Relax?!" the man squeaked out, his voice thin with terror. "You just killed him!"
"Yes." Leo looked directly into his wide eyes. "You have two choices." He held up a single finger. "First... You can choose the same path as your leader."
The survivor paled even further.
Leo raised a second finger. "Second... You answer my questions. If you cooperate, I’ll let you go."
Disbelief washed over the man’s face. "You’ll... let me go?"
"Yes. No one will know you’re alive. Your people will assume everyone died here."
The man panted, sweat dripping down his temple. "But... what guarantee do I have that you’ll actually let me leave after I tell you everything?"
Leo lifted the Glock again, resting the heavy barrel against the man’s forehead. The survivor went rigid.
"There is no guarantee," Leo said, his voice dropping into a calm, steady tone. "I’m giving you a choice. If you want to walk away from here alive, your only option is to trust me."
The man looked from the gun to Leo’s unreadable eyes. His chin quivered. Finally, he sagged against the earth and lowered his head. "Alright... I’ll tell you."
Leo eased the weapon down slightly. "Who sent you?"
"We’re affiliated with Captain Bear’s clan," the man whispered after a few ragged breaths.
"Captain Bear?"
"He ordered us to kill the four of you."
"Four?"
"That guy, his wife, their daughter..." He swallowed hard. "And you."
Leo’s brow furrowed. "Why?"
"Because... You offended Captain Bear."
Leo’s gaze hardened into ice. "He wanted to kill four people just because he was offended?"
"Yes," the man stammered, shaking his head side to side. "Captain Bear wanted to make an example out of you. He wants everyone in the survivor camps to understand what happens when someone disrespects him."
A cold chill settled over Leo. It wasn’t just a hit—it was a public warning. Bear wanted to display their bodies to prove a point.
For a second, a dark impulse urged Leo to march right into Bear’s camp and settle the debt on the spot. But an old memory cut through his anger—the calm voice of the Astral Master.
Don’t return and challenge forces that are far beyond your current ability.
Leo took a deep breath, letting the rage settle into something quieter. He had gained incredible power inside the Void Dimension, but he wasn’t invincible. He didn’t know what kind of heavy firepower the military carried, and striking out blindly could drag Danny, Linda, and Lily into a fight they wouldn’t survive.
"Alright," Leo said softly.
The survivor glanced up, eyes filled with cautious hope. "You’re... letting me go?"
"Yes. Go."
The man hesitated for half a second before scrambling onto his feet. He stumbled back several paces, turned on his heel, and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.
Leo watched the figure shrink into the distance. His face remained calm, but inside, a quiet promise took root.
Captain Bear. He wouldn’t forget that name. He wouldn’t throw his life away today, but when the time came—when he was strong enough to tear down everything backing Bear—he would collect this debt in full.