Viter, Have a Pepsi

Lu Heng ignored Butcher's attempts to sow discord.

He wouldn't kill these people off so easily before he had squeezed them dry.

For a Viltrumite to grow stronger, aside from breaking through their limits in life-or-death battles and the natural aging of their abilities, there was only the insurmountable chasm of bloodline.

The royal bloodline was inherently stronger than the ordinary Viltrum bloodline.

He had to climb, step by step, to the very top!

He would become the Ancestor of all men!

"Butcher, I have a rough idea of your background."

Lu Heng slowly hoisted Translucent's corpse, a faint red glow flickering deep within his eyes.

Omega Beams.

He vaporized Translucent's head on the spot.

Consider it a warning to Butcher.

"You hate Homelander and want to kill him; I don't care about that, but you'd best not do anything unnecessary."

"My abilities aren't as limited as Homelander's."

Lu Heng flew away directly.

Leaving the Boys trembling in place.

"Damn it! Butcher, you bastard, what kind of monster have you provoked?"

Frenchie had been scared out of his wits, and once he recovered, he began to curse wildly.

Mother's Milk also wore the look of someone relieved to have survived a brush with death.

Just moments ago, he had been hoisted up by Guardian like a chick, nearly slaughtered on the spot.

"Heh!" Butcher ignored his companions' complaints and turned to look at Hughie, grinning. "Scared back into your shell, kid? Welcome to the world of the daddies!"

One minute later.

Lu Heng tossed Translucent's corpse into the conference room.

Ashley jumped up in fright.

"My mission is complete. If anyone doubts this isn't Translucent, run a full DNA test."

"Oh, man! You're practically my superman!" Homelander exclaimed, excitedly gripping Lu Heng's shoulder.

He didn't even glance at the body on the floor.

He knew that was Translucent, not just some random corpse Lu Heng had found to fake it.

[Key Character: Homelander — Satisfied, Dependent, Trusting]

[Ability Points Gained: +3,120]

Current Ability Points: 11,978 / 250,000

Just like that, he'd gained three thousand!

Awesome!!

Homelander wanted to invite Lu Heng for a deep conversation to discuss the true meaning of a hero's heart.

But Lu Heng had no interest.

He vanished into the horizon like a shooting star.

Homelander watched Guardian fly away, told Ashley to file the report, and began muttering to himself while looking at Translucent's corpse.

"Didn't even get to eat my steak; might as well go back to sleep."

Lu Heng let out a yawn.

His biological clock was ringing.

No, he should head to the docks and grab some fries instead.

Just as Lu Heng was about to place an order, a message popped up on his phone.

[Starlight: Guardian, are you busy right now? Let's go grab a bite to eat together.]

Starlight was asking him to dinner?

Could there be a next step to the operation?

[Guardian: Sure, you pick the place.]

[Starlight: Ninth Avenue, there's a 24-hour Greek restaurant.]

[Guardian: Uh, never been there.]

[Starlight: I sent you the location! It's very easy to find!]

[Starlight: (≧▽≦)]

[Starlight: Hurry up! I'm already here!]

[Starlight: Sitting here alone is so awkward.]

Lu Heng watched the emojis popping up one after another.

Well... she was actually quite cute!

One minute.

Lu Heng spent 3 seconds traveling.

The remaining 57 seconds were spent searching for that damn Greek restaurant.

After circling the block several times, he finally realized that half the corner of the restaurant's sign had been blown off by the wind.

The storefront was small, sandwiched between a laundromat and a tattoo parlor.

A few thugs were leaning against a utility pole on the edge of the road.

If they didn't open their mouths to show their teeth, no one would even notice two people were standing there.

However, the interior decor was a stark contrast to the street outside.

Wooden tables and chairs filled the room, and oil paintings of Greek landscapes hung on the walls.

In the corner, an old-fashioned jukebox played jazz, the lazy melody creating a very atmospheric mood.

Starlight sat by the window, looking listless and not very happy.

It was strange, considering she seemed to be in a pretty good mood when she sent him those emojis.

Seeing him walk in, Starlight immediately waved, forcing a smile onto her face.

Lu Heng picked up the menu.

It was all in Greek, for God's sake.

"I'll help you order! Their grilled lamb chops are especially delicious, and they have lasagna too. See which one you prefer."

"I don't mind. Just order a few extra things; I'm a bit hungry."

Although Viltrumites could endure hunger, they still liked to consume high-protein foods occasionally.

It helped with recovering stamina and healing injuries.

Starlight rattled off a long list, filling the table.

Grilled lamb chops, salad, lasagna, Pita Bread with Hummus, and fried calamari rings.

"And another order of fries."

"Oh, and a bottle of white wine."

Lu Heng glanced at her.

"Kids shouldn't be drinking."

"I'm nineteen, I'm already an adult!" Starlight insisted that the waiter bring the wine.

"Besides, I need a drink right now."

Seeing that Starlight was indeed in a bad state, Lu Heng didn't stop her.

But it looked like he wouldn't be getting a peaceful night's sleep.

"I... I broke up with my boyfriend!" Starlight said in a low voice, her expression dejected.

Oh, gg!

He had thought Starlight had something important to discuss, but it was just her personal life.

"Uh, when did this happen?"

"A few days ago, but he came back to ask to get back together today, and I didn't agree."

Starlight sniffled.

She recounted the whole story.

Lu Heng roughly understood the situation: Starlight's boyfriend had seen the first half of the video from the conference room earlier.

He mistakenly thought Starlight had submitted to The Deep's lewd demands for the sake of fame.

He couldn't stand the thought of being cheated on, so he broke up with Starlight.

Then, Vought released the full video, debunking the rumors and proving Starlight hadn't given in.

Her boyfriend had happily come back to talk about reconciling.

"Your boyfriend is Supersonic, right? He's also a superhuman?"

Starlight nodded. "Yes, and I also found out he cheated on me."

Oh, double gg!

The openness of foreigners once again opened Lu Heng's eyes.

To have such a beautiful girlfriend and still cheat on her—tsk!

"Well, congratulations on getting rid of a scumbag."

Lu Heng raised his glass and took a sip.

He shook his head.

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

Was Supersonic an idiot?

"Thank you. You're the best; you've been willing to help me from the very beginning."

Starlight had no one left she could trust.

Ever since A-Train was exposed for drug use, Annie, as an internal member, had learned about Compound V.

Later, she asked Ashley, and since Ashley believed Starlight was one of Guardian's people, she revealed the secret of Compound V to her.

That was when she realized she wasn't a natural-born superhuman at all; her mother had signed a contract when she was a child, selling her to Vought as a test subject.

The dual betrayal of her family and her boyfriend left Starlight with no one to confide in.

Then, she thought of Guardian.

At this moment, Lu Heng was busy stuffing his face.

He spoke while eating, "Honestly, with your looks, the men who like you could line up from Brooklyn to Paris. Why pine for just one guy?"

"You're giving up a single tree when there's an entire primeval forest out there!"

"Sorry, these fries are dry! Viter, bring me a bottle of cola—make it Pepsi!"

Watching Guardian focus solely on his meal, devouring it ravenously, Starlight felt her mood improve significantly without even realizing it.

She hadn't eaten much herself; after finishing a bottle of white wine, she ordered a bottle of whiskey.

"This alcohol tastes terrible."