The Villain's Guide to Self-Cultivation

Under Jupiter's guidance, the burly actors playing thugs immediately got into character. They seemed to bring their petty criminals to life; everything from their expressions to their unconscious little gestures made them look just like "lunatics" who'd escaped from Arkham Asylum.

"Rat-a-tat-tat..."

The submachine guns roared as if venting their fury, destroying everything in front of them.

"Ha ha ha..."

Their shrill, frenzied laughter rang with madness and power...

"Help! Somebody save us..."

As the employees wailed, a figure burst through the ceiling above them. Amid a cloud of dust, he appeared in the middle of the criminals.

"Looks like you could use a little help."

He was tall, strong, and handsome, with a huge F emblazoned on his chest. He radiated freedom.

"Don't ruin our fun, you freak in a costume!"

The lead thug glared at the muscular man who'd dropped from above, his face full of resentment. As he spoke, he raised his gun.

"Snap."

Before the thug could pull the trigger, the superhero in a white bodysuit flashed in front of him and bent the barrel of his gun out of shape.

"Shoot the hostages!"

The gang leader stared wide-eyed at his ruined gun barrel. He shouted at his men to kill the hostages, seemingly determined to drag the superhero down with them.

"Rat-a-tat-tat..."

At their leader's command, all seven masked thugs opened fire with their submachine guns, spraying bullets at the employees behind the counter.

"Oh my God..."

"Somebody save us!"

"I don't want to die..."

"Ah!!!"

The unarmed employees stared at the thugs pulling their triggers. They clutched their heads in terror; some screamed, while others prayed!

"Boom!"

But in that instant, time seemed to stop. The terrified expressions on the bank employees' faces became a series of frozen frames...

At that moment, the white-clad superhero, who'd been facing off against the gang leader, flashed between the thugs in the blink of an eye and reached the bank employees, pulling them all into his arms.

The next second, the frenzied barrage struck his back!

"Ding, ding, ding..."

As the bullets poured down, they struck the white-clad superhero's back and sent up a shower of sparks!

"Oh my God?!"

When the gunfire stopped, the thugs stared wide-eyed at the unharmed superhero. Their shock wasn't acting; they were genuinely dumbfounded. In the past, whenever they'd worked with A-Train or The Deep, the bullets had been added with special effects. This time, they'd hit a real body that could withstand bullets...

"Are you all right?"

The white-clad superhero stood and gave the employees beside him a sunny smile.

"We're all right..."

The employees nodded gently at the white-clad superhero. It seemed that as long as Jupiter was there, they felt completely safe.

"Now it's your turn..."

The white-clad superhero turned to the thugs and smiled.

"Whoosh!"

The white-clad superhero became a blur and sent every thug flying into the air in an instant.

"Thud, thud, thud..."

The next second, the thugs fell to the ground like dumplings dropping into a pot, twitching and wearing pained, contorted expressions.

"Looks like the threat's been dealt with..."

The white-clad superhero glanced at the twitching thugs on the ground, then turned around as if preparing to leave.

"C-could you tell us your name?"

Just as the white-clad superhero was about to go, the employees called after him, gazing at his back.

"Heh..."

The white-clad superhero smiled.

"Call me Free Man!"

With that, the white-clad superhero shot into the sky like a bolt of lightning.

"Cut!"

After giving the superhero a handsome close-up as he flew away, the director loudly announced that filming was over.

"How did it go?"

The white-clad superhero—Jupiter—flew back and came to the director's side to ask.

"Perfect! Jupiter, I'll say it: you're the most talented superhero I've ever seen. In my professional opinion, I've got two words for you: guaranteed hit."

The director thumped his chest. He swore he'd never seen a superhero with better camera presence than Jupiter. Someone like him had to become a star.

"Listen to the slogan they came up with for you: faster than A-Train, tougher skin than the Invisible Man, a superhero beyond all others. Tsk, tsk..."

"The last superhero to get praised like this was Homelander. I can't wait to see the day you shine across Free Nation!"

The director rubbed his chin as he studied the slogan in his hands, his eyes narrowing. It might have sounded ordinary, but it was really a signal. Faster than A-Train, tougher skin than the Invisible Man—that meant Jupiter was using two superheroes as stepping-stones to climb into the spotlight.

And what about "a superhero beyond all others"? Did that mean Jupiter surpassed Homelander? It said nothing outright, yet somehow it said everything. Clearly, the Vought Family planned to use Jupiter to break the old mold of The Seven, where Homelander had always been the undisputed center. They were going to transform the old lineup of Homelander and his six little sidekicks into Homelander and Free Man Jupiter, with their five little sidekicks. It was unprecedented and innovative, but it also sent a signal: perhaps it was time to pick a side...

Yes, the director could already picture the fans of Jupiter and Homelander tearing into each other...

Of course, whether Jupiter's fans won or Homelander's did, the Vought Family would come out on top!

The weeds fought to the death while the farmer smiled and reaped the greatest reward!

That was Vought, that was the Vought Family, and that was Free Nation...

"No, I won't just shine across Free Nation. My light will reach the entire world!"

Jupiter patted the director on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"..."

The director's eyes trembled as he listened to Jupiter. In terms of ambition alone, Homelander and Jupiter weren't even in the same league.

If Homelander was a brat who'd been given superpowers, Jupiter was a shrewd, calculating schemer...

"Looks like there's no need to fight over it..."

The director lowered his head. He understood everything now. Perhaps the battle for the top spot in The Seven would end even sooner than he'd imagined.

"Lights, a screen, and an audience..."

Jupiter quietly considered everything in front of him. Perhaps he needed to adjust his plan. He could secretly get rid of Homelander, sure, but that wouldn't have enough impact. Under the lights, with everyone watching, just as Homelander began slaughtering people in a frenzy, Jupiter could descend from the heavens like a god and save those brainwashed Free Nation citizens oppressed by the Vought Family. With the help of the bridge effect, he could openly destroy Homelander and win himself a crowd of fans who saw him as an all-powerful God on Earth. Then he could take a huge step toward his goal.

"Admiration is the emotion farthest from understanding..."

"No one cares what I'm really like. They only want to see the perfect version of me they've imagined..."

Once Jupiter had figured it out, he smiled and headed toward Vought. He was going to find Homelander and have a talk, giving him plenty of praise.

Yes, Jupiter wasn't going to pick a fight. He was going to praise Homelander until he was doomed. When you realize someone's an idiot, don't stop them. Make sure to indulge them and turn them into an even bigger idiot!

There was no need to fear Ancestor Person's superhuman strength, nor his tendency to charge around recklessly. The real danger was Ancestor Person having read The Villain's Guide to Self-Cultivation—and as it happened, Jupiter had read a little of it...

Meanwhile, Starlight, who was replacing Lamplighter in The Seven, had arrived at the Vought building. A grand welcome party for her induction into The Seven was underway.