American Comics: Omniscient & Omnipotent, Starting from Spectating Battles Section 7

Additionally, dopamine is also linked to various addictive behaviors, which is why some people say running can be addictive.

For Su Quan, Super Speed had a unique benefit: quickly farming the drop rewards from watching fights.

Even though it was a bit early, and most of the scumbags who treated fighting, robbery, and extortion as daily routines hadn't started their degenerate day yet.

Still, running all the way netted a decent haul.

It was a shame he didn't get any new abilities, but nearly a hundred Points in income was satisfying enough.

After all, Points could be used to upgrade the Detection Range for battles—the larger the range, the more chances for drop rewards, and the more room to maneuver.

He spent 100 Points to expand the Detection Range from 100 meters to 200 meters. If his guess was right, the next upgrade would cost 200 Points.

"Duang—"

The sound of a heavy object hitting the ground caught Su Quan's attention.

In a yard across the street, the front of a car wobbled as it landed, then was slowly lifted back up by a girl in a ponytail and hoodie, straining with effort.

"Is that—Starlight?" Su Quan's eyes lit up as he recognized her.

Starlight's superpowers were Light Emission and Energy Absorption, along with defense and strength far beyond an ordinary person.

She probably hadn't replaced Lamplighter as a new member of The Seven yet, nor had she seen the despair and darkness beneath the glamorous surface.

Full of justice and idolizing The Seven, she would soon be tricked and pressured by The Deep for a chance to join, witness the harsh reality, and compromise.

Then, with her idols shattered, she'd meet Hughie, whose own idols had crumbled. The two, sharing the same pain, would quickly get together and become girlfriend and boyfriend.

Starlight paid a price after being fooled by The Deep to join The Seven. Though angry and sad afterward, she silently accepted it.

Hughie's girlfriend had just died. He joined The Boys to get revenge on The Seven, only to meet Starlight a few times and end up with this new member of The Seven.

As the only two relatively normal people in this show, Starlight and Hughie—well, they were pretty realistic too.

In the real world, how much purity and persistence is there? It's all about weighing pros and cons and whether the price is right.

"Duang—"

Starlight noticed Su Quan staring at her, put the car down, and walked over.

"Hey, is there anything I can help you with?"

Su Quan raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Thanks for the gift you gave me."

"A gift I gave you? Sorry, I think you've got the wrong person. I don't know you, and I haven't given you any gifts." Starlight looked confused as she explained.

"Attraction—that's the first gift you gave me." Su Quan smiled and reached out his hand. Starlight, catching on, blushed with a shy smile and reached out too.

"Annie January. You can call me Starlight."

"Su Quan."

"You said I gave you a gift. Do you have one for me?" Starlight looked at Su Quan with a playful smile, liking this handsome and witty guy at first sight.

"Yeah, but it depends on how you perform." Su Quan grinned and spread his arms. "If you want the gift, don't complain—hug me!"

Starlight giggled. "Do you use that line on every girl?"

"Because I love everything in the world—no favorites, no exceptions."

Su Quan stepped closer, and Starlight laughed, raising her hand as she backed away. "Okay, I admit you're funny and charming, but I'm not the kind of girl you can just pick up easily."

"What if the gift is getting you into The Seven?" Su Quan's smile faded slightly, his expression turning serious.

Starlight's smile slowly disappeared too, and she frowned lightly. "Are you serious?"

"That's the second most serious thing I've said to you."

"What's the first?"

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"Attraction—that's the first gift you gave me." Starlight did stir something in Su Quan, but attraction came in many forms.

She was bound to pay a price. Why should it be The Deep instead of me?

The biggest advantage of knowing the plot was using foreknowledge to cut in and reap the benefits, right?

"I believe that part, but—" Starlight studied Su Quan, not convinced he could get her into The Seven. "If you want to get to know me, you don't need to use such a flimsy lie that's easy to see through."

Wasn't it someone who got fooled into paying a price after just a few words? The Deep's lies weren't exactly clever either.

"Ring ring ring—ring ring ring—"

Su Quan's phone rang. Only Queen Maeve had this number.

He answered and put it on speaker. Maeve's slightly anxious voice came through—

"It's me, Maeve. There's a mission I need to handle with Homelander, and I—I'm worried there might be trouble."

Queen Maeve was afraid Homelander would take the chance to make a move on her during the mission.

She knew he was capable of that.

"Can you—can you come?"

Even through the phone, he could hear the cautious eagerness in her voice.

Su Quan glanced at the stunned Starlight, and when he put his arm around her shoulder, she didn't resist.

"You're my people. If you're in trouble, of course I won't ignore it. Send me the address."

Queen Maeve breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll send it right away."

"By the way, Lamplighter retired and left The Seven. Do you have the authority to recommend a new member?" Su Quan suddenly asked.

Starlight jerked her head up, her gaze burning as she looked at him.

"I can recommend someone directly into the final selection. As long as their abilities aren't too bad, it shouldn't be a problem."

"What about with Homelander's input?"

"Then it's even less of a problem!"

Su Quan hummed in acknowledgment, gave Starlight a deep, meaningful look, and asked pointedly, "So, blocking a certain newcomer from joining shouldn't be a problem either?"

"Yes, that's even easier!"

"Got it. See you in a bit."

"See you."

Ending the call, Su Quan looked at Starlight, whose expression was complicated and hesitant. Though she had some naivety about the world, she wasn't stupid—she understood the implications behind Su Quan's words.

"It's not that I want to get to know you anymore—it's that you have to get to know me." Su Quan handed her his phone.

Starlight hesitated for a few seconds, then took it, entered her number, and dialed.

Once it connected, she hung up and returned the phone to Su Quan.

"Waiting for your call." Su Quan shook the phone, then vanished silently under Starlight's watchful gaze.

Starlight's eyes went wide as she reached out to grab where Su Quan had been—empty, nothing at all.

"Rat-a-tat-tat—rat-a-tat-tat—" The last surviving bank robber was cornered into a dead-end alley. Homelander and Queen Maeve approached from either side with casual ease, bullets scattering to the ground as they hit them.

"Don't kill me—don't kill me—please—don't kill me." The bank robber dropped his gun, overwhelming terror forcing him to his knees in surrender.

"You don't deserve to live." Homelander's voice was icy as he stepped up to the bank robber, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground.

Queen Maeve's expression darkened as she watched Homelander turn his head to stare at her. "What do you want to say?"

Homelander's gaze was venomous and cold as he looked at Queen Maeve, as if he wanted to tear her apart alive.

"I said—you don't deserve to live!" The cold words fell, and his hand punched straight through the bank robber's chest.

In that instant, Homelander's brutality and the long shadow he cast made Queen Maeve feel as if she were the one being pierced, not the robber.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, her eyes instinctively dodging, wanting to look down.

"No need to be afraid. I don't have to fear him anymore now. He—he's no longer an invincible demon."

"Yes, no need to be afraid!"

Queen Maeve took a deep breath to steel herself, and her gaze toward Homelander gradually grew firm.

To Homelander, that kind of resolute, fearless look was a provocation and a desecration.

He let out a heavy, cold snort, tossing the already-cold bank robber to the ground like trash. His eyes locked onto Queen Maeve, slowly turning bloodshot, as if ready to kill her with a "look" at any moment.

BANG!

A scorching red Heat Vision beam struck Homelander's knee without warning. Caught off guard, he dropped straight to the ground with a thud, kneeling right in front of Queen Maeve.

"Who is it!"

Furious, Homelander gritted his teeth and turned his head with a low growl—and then, like a raging flame meeting the ocean, like a barking house dog seeing its master's stick, like a bully losing his backing—he instantly cowered!

"It's me. What do you want to say?" Su Quan slowly descended from midair, the crimson fading from his eyes, replaced by a hint of amusement.

The shadow Su Quan cast over Homelander was just like the shadow Homelander cast over Queen Maeve—not exactly the same, but identical in every way that mattered.