Chapter 60: The Cheerful Big Boy

“Yes, does this say the registration place is here?”

“No, this is the dormitory area; you’ve gone the wrong way.”

At seven in the morning, Ethan, holding a basin as he walked out of the water room, absentmindedly overheard a rather amusing conversation at the gate.

Ethan had a vibrant head of golden hair, and looking at him felt like gazing at the morning sun.

Of course, most people here didn’t call him by his real name; they usually referred to him as “Fresnel.”

After taking a few more steps, Fresnel’s pace gradually slowed as he pondered that somewhat stiff voice, which he felt he had heard somewhere before.

Suddenly, he remembered someone—a significant figure from the outer city.

He quickly placed the basin on the windowsill and shouted, “Wait a moment!” as he rushed toward the dormitory entrance.

Sure enough, at the entrance bathed in sunlight, he saw the person he had been hoping to find.

At that moment, Wang Xiao stood at the consultation desk at the entrance, the morning sun casting a golden glow over his shadow, making Ethan feel like handing over the codename “Fresnel” to him instead.

“Hey, buddy.”

Wang Xiao heard someone calling him, turned his head, and saw a man in floral shorts and a white tank top cheerfully approaching him.

After confirming that this was a superpowered individual he had encountered before, Wang Xiao smiled.

“Seeing you here means you’ve made up your mind?”

Wang Xiao nodded,

“Yes, I thought that only by joining you could I truly realize my potential.”

“You should have thought this way earlier, buddy.”

Fresnel lightly punched Wang Xiao’s arm, and the other’s muscular build caused the slender young man to pause for a moment. He turned to the staff member at the consultation desk who was about to guide Wang Xiao to register and said,

“No need to trouble yourself, buddy; I’ll take him.”

With that, this sociable young man began sharing his thoughts with Wang Xiao:

“Four years ago, I was just an ordinary student from the Southern District of the inner city.

“If I hadn’t accidentally gained this superpower, I wouldn’t be living the life I have now.

“To be honest, joining the direct superpowered group has almost no downsides except for being a bit restricted; everything—food and clothing—is free. They don’t purposely send us on deadly missions; they aren’t some kind of devils, right?”

Fresnel slung his arm around the shoulder of Wang Xiao, who was half a head taller than him, and continued chatting as they headed toward the other side of the building to register.

Halfway there, Fresnel suddenly slapped his forehead.

“Oh no, I forgot to tell you something. Every superpowered individual in a direct team has their own title, just like my real name is Ethan, but everyone here usually calls me Fresnel.

“We’re almost there; you’d better think of a suitable name.

“Although there are no strict requirements, generally, a codename should reflect your abilities.”

Wang Xiao’s pace didn’t slow down as Fresnel expected; he continued forward and, after two seconds of silence, said,

“I’ve thought of one.”

“What is it?”

"[Undead]."

—

In a shabby alley in the eastern part of the outer city, the dark muzzles of seven or eight guns pointed at El from various directions, like the spray heads of a shower.

The man standing at the deepest part of the alley had a large, hideous scar splitting his nose and held a slowly burning stick between his fingers.

"Is it you who wants to claim our turf across three blocks?"

The smoke made El wrinkle his brow slightly as he looked at the mocking figure and said,

"Three was the initial price; now it’s six."

"Kid, you’d better let the people behind you talk to me directly; otherwise, I won’t mind bullying a delicate little boy like you."

The Scar-faced Man took a deep drag of a cigarette from the inner city, harshly filling his lungs before slowly exhaling it through his nose.

This was a rare item from the inner city, and he usually only lit half a stick when he needed to show off.

The child in front of him didn’t even look fifteen. Many Young Men from the outer city started getting involved around this age, but most were just used as lackeys.

The unusual kid in front of him, full of bravado, was a rarity that would typically take years to appear.

Honestly, the Scar-faced Man had little interest in him; instead, he found himself curious about the kid’s backing.

Recently, the underground forces in the eastern district suffered heavy losses, allowing him—an inferior character from the southern district—to claim some territory.

So while the Scar-faced Man seemed calm, he felt a bit uneasy inside.

He was somewhat afraid this Young Man was a scout sent by some remnants from the eastern district, but it made no sense to use such a young child…

"I just said there’s no one else; it’s just me."

El patiently repeated what he had just said while looking the man in the eyes.

"In that case, let’s capture him alive and bring him back for questioning; then we’ll know everything."

As the Scar-faced Man finished speaking, a shiny dagger was already pressed against El’s throat.

He slightly turned his gaze and saw a tall, thin man with a fierce expression.

This man appeared to be under thirty with a plain, ordinary face, but what stood out was his empty left sleeve.

A slight smirk appeared on El’s lips as he boldly scrutinized the man holding the knife to him.

This was his true target.

"You are the ‘One-Armed Blade’?"

El asked, testing the waters.

The man clearly froze for a moment, and then his expression turned even more menacing as the dagger drew blood on El’s neck.

It seemed he didn’t like that nickname.

El didn’t care about the pain on his neck; he looked at the man and said calmly,

"Every month, there’s an order for twenty liters of nutrient solution from the eastern district; I know you bought it.

"Taking care of that arm you’ll never get back must be quite expensive, right?"

With his secret exposed in public, the man wished he could slice El’s head off.

But then he heard an irresistible proposition,

"If I can help restore your arm, what will you do to thank me?"

The man’s breathing quickened and became heated; he leaned slightly closer to El, staring intently at him, trying to find a flaw.

"Really?"

"How will you thank me?"

El repeated, placing extra emphasis on the word "thank."

The man clenched his jaw as if making a firm decision:

"If it’s true, I, Li Rui, will serve you from now on."

"Deal."

The young man said lightly, his gaze passing over "One-Armed Blade" Li Rui to the Scar-faced Man:

"I’ve finished my business; you are no longer useful."