Kate's Superpower

Walking and chatting, he shared some experiences from his time as a superhero, drawing a string of exclamations from the younger students, as well as stares and photos from other students on campus. Soon enough, the female principal and the professor tactfully said they still had classes to teach and excused themselves.

They didn't yet know the purpose of Li Wei's return, but whatever he planned to do, it most likely didn't require or want them tagging along.

Besides, Mr. Edgar had given them a very special task—one that absolutely couldn't be mentioned in front of these students.

Incidentally, they also told Li Wei to pick a guide. Goda University had changed quite a bit since he graduated.

But in reality, they all hoped a student could build a good relationship with Li Wei ahead of time.

Being a superhero wasn't just about fighting and killing; having a powerful network of friends was equally important. Now that this opportunity had presented itself, it shouldn't be wasted.

These top students at Goda naturally understood this too. Except for Golden Boy, whose personal strength was overwhelming, and the Ten-Magnet King, who had a superhero for a father and wasn't particularly concerned, everyone else—male, female, or otherwise—fixed Li Wei with rather fervent gazes.

Without any hesitation at all, amid the disappointed, jealous, or resentful looks of the other students, Li Wei ultimately chose the blonde beauty—Kate.

Compared to everyone else present, she might not have been the strongest in combat or the one with the greatest potential, but she was undoubtedly the one Li Wei was most willing to get intimately close with!

Then Li Wei keenly noticed that Golden Boy and the Ten-Magnet King, who hadn't seemed particularly bothered before, now had expressions that shifted somewhat. This immediately struck him as interesting.

Were they both pursuing Kate, or were they bedmates?

Soon enough, the crowd dispersed, and Li Wei sent Firecracker off as well.

Since she hadn't studied here, he figured she might as well take a stroll around Goda—at least she could say she'd been here once—and it also kept her from disturbing his alone time with Kate.

Likewise, Firecracker and Kate both vaguely understood what Li Wei was hinting at, leaving their thoughts running in different directions, though neither showed it on the surface.

Soon, Kate took on the role of guide, leading Li Wei on a leisurely tour around Goda.

Li Wei quickly realized that the professor had been lying through his teeth earlier. He'd spent several years at Goda himself and knew every blade of grass and every tree like the back of his hand.

Aside from a few prominent spots where introductions for outstanding graduates who'd become Guardians in the past year or two had been added, Goda hadn't changed at all!

But that didn't matter. What mattered was that through close contact, Li Wei didn't catch any scent of other men or women on Kate—at least not within the past week.

Instead, there was only her own scent, dating back about an hour.

It seemed that before preparing to welcome him, she'd thoroughly comforted her own little garden.

Afterward, she'd taken a careful bath and sprayed plenty of perfume, but it still couldn't fool Li Wei, whose strength was growing ever greater.

This struck Li Wei as a bit odd. On the surface, Kate seemed so demure, and with her face and figure, she certainly wouldn't lack for male companions. Yet behind the scenes, she played alone?

Still, he could understand to some extent. Kate's superpower could be described as a mini Professor X—she could hear the thoughts of everyone within a certain range.

Even though the female principal later provided her with a special drug to temporarily suppress this ability, if she made physical contact with anyone, she would inevitably pick up their inner thoughts.

For her, that was hardly a good thing. Many people who appeared upright and righteous on the surface actually harbored dark, evil minds.

What's more, it posed a potential threat to other students and teachers at the school.

No one wanted an accidental touch to let Kate learn some secret buried in their heart.

So not only did she wear gloves on both hands, but she also covered every other part of her body tightly, leaving only her pretty face exposed.

After some casual small talk, Li Wei learned that she admired three superheroes: Soldier Boy, Homelander, and Angel.

Including himself, Li Wei figured that was just politeness, but the first two were probably genuine.

Even though he knew they were both bastards, at least on the surface they had impressive appearances, and Vought had given them plenty of packaging.

Take Soldier Boy, for example. Vought had tacked on a mountain of "achievements," even claiming he'd participated in major, pivotal battles like the Normandy landings.

In reality, Li Wei knew that was all bullshit. Soldier Boy's "soldier" persona was just a gimmick; he wasn't even a member of the U.S. military.

And as Vought's most expensive "asset" at the time, why would they ever let him risk his life on a battlefield?

Never mind the possibility of being captured by Germany or other countries—if he went berserk on the field, it would be an indiscriminate massacre.

But that didn't stop Li Wei from going along with Kate's words and giving Soldier Boy a little praise. It wasn't like it cost him anything, right?

This clearly boosted Kate's favorability toward him, and her eyes practically seemed to sparkle.

After wandering a bit more, when they reached a relatively secluded corner, Li Wei glanced at Kate's hands.

Even in the sweltering summer heat, they were wrapped in a set of airtight leather gloves, which inevitably left her a bit sweaty from the stuffiness.

Superheroes were generally enhanced in various ways, including resistance to cold or heat, but Kate didn't seem particularly outstanding in that regard.

"Kate, I heard you can read minds?"

Kate smiled and nodded. "Yes."

But this superpower, envied and admired by others, she saw not as a gift from God, but as a curse.

When she first awakened her ability, completely unaware of what was happening, she'd planted a suggestion in her younger brother's mind—the kind of annoying, pestilent age he was at—telling him to go far away and give her some quiet space.

Then he walked into the deep forest and never came back.

Just as Kate's heart was sinking into loneliness, Li Wei naturally took one of her hands and placed it against his own chest.

During their earlier stroll, because his battle suit was too flashy and drew too much attention, he'd already put it away.

So now, his upper body was only covered by a short-sleeved shirt. Even through her gloves, Kate could still feel his pectoral muscles.

This jolted Kate out of her memories. Sure, Angel was handsome and fit her aesthetic and romantic preferences perfectly, and given his status and position, she wouldn't mind getting involved with him.

But who just jumps straight into this? They'd only known each other for less than an hour.

If things continued like this, she had no idea how much more would happen between them by the time night fell!

Before she could decide whether to say something first and then pull her hand back, she heard Li Wei say with a smile, "Then why not try listening to mine?"

As he spoke, Li Wei slowly but firmly pulled off her glove.

He was so bold, naturally, because he had already seen through the superpower she possessed!

Codename: None

Type: Energy Type

Special Ability 1: Basic Telepathy—can listen to the thoughts of one or more people within a certain range. If insufficiently skilled, may be unable to control freely. Can be fully copied; estimated continuous contact required: 7 minutes.

Special Ability 2: Basic Mind Control—by using both tactile contact and verbal guidance, makes the target obey commands until a task is completed or the duration ends. Can be fully copied; estimated continuous contact required: 13 minutes.

Special Ability 3: Basic Emotion Manipulation—can alter the target's emotions to a limited extent, or temporarily erase them, turning the target into a cold killing machine. Can be fully copied; estimated continuous contact required: 5 minutes.

Special Ability 4: Basic Memory Manipulation—through tactile contact, can delete, overwrite, or alter memories to a limited extent. If insufficiently skilled, may be detected. Can be fully copied; estimated continuous contact required: 9 minutes.

Special Ability 5: Kate's Fantasy Space—through tactile contact, can project the target's consciousness into a special fantasy space. The target's superpowers will be weakened or removed, while Kate herself remains unaffected.

Kate can freely create, modify, or destroy the fantasy space. If another target's consciousness is killed within the fantasy space, their real-world body will become a mindless vegetable.

If insufficiently skilled when using this ability, she may suffer severe harm, even seizures.

Can be partially copied; estimated continuous contact required: 185 minutes.

All of Kate's mental or spiritual abilities were basic-level, and Li Wei had already obtained an intermediate Mental Barrier from Sivler Kincaid—he didn't think Kate could read his mind!

As for that fantasy space, Li Wei couldn't fully copy it, and the system didn't specify any reason. He vaguely felt that perhaps it involved some kind of special talent?

Kate was startled. She quickly clenched her fist to stop his movement. "No, wait, Angel. I can't just casually listen to someone's mind."

Li Wei was unfazed. He looked at her with a gentle, affectionate gaze. "Call me Li Wei. This isn't casual—it's with my permission."

"Don't you want to know why I suddenly returned to Goda University, and why I chose you, of all people, as my guide?"

"Why?"

Kate felt her little heart pounding wildly. She guessed his subtext, but amid her surprise, she also found it hard to believe.

She had enrolled after he graduated. Logically, the two of them should have had no connection at all.

Instinctively, her little fist loosened a bit. And for some reason, she suddenly felt that what he was pulling off wasn't her glove, but something else entirely!

Li Wei took the opportunity to pull her closer, until their breaths could easily brush against each other's faces. "Then why not come find the answer yourself?"

With a sharp shwoosh, Li Wei decisively yanked off her glove, placing her small hand over his heart.

Kate felt her own heart pound like never before. Her lower body seemed faintly damp, making her unconsciously squeeze her thighs together.

But she still focused all her energy, intending to see what Li Wei was thinking at that moment.

If he met her expectations—no, even if he only met eighty percent of them—she planned to half-heartedly accept his confession.

As New Jersey's guardian, Angel was definitely worth having.

The next instant, Kate's eyes went wide.

She felt nothing at all. It was as if she faced a vast, starry void. Since she had gained her superpower, this was the first time!

Far from causing her any panic or discomfort, it filled her face and heart with delight.

She didn't want a boyfriend whose every thought she could read at all times—that kind of life would be far too dull and boring. That was one of the reasons she had never accepted Golden Boy or Andre.

But now she had a better option. Li Wei was not only stronger and higher in status, but also completely unaffected by her superpower.

Li Wei smiled faintly. "Dear Kate, my darling, do you understand now? Perhaps we are the most suitable pair."

Those words were like a catalyst, instantly igniting all of Kate's passion. She directly wrapped her arms around Li Wei's neck and pressed her face close. "Don't talk. Kiss me."