Was A-Train coming to Brooklyn tomorrow?
Lu Heng stared at the news on his phone, his mind racing.
The community run was, to put it simply, a publicity stunt arranged by Vought International.
A-Train would run a predetermined route, with cheering crowds lining both sides of the street. Drones would film him, the whole thing would be livestreamed, and afterward he'd sign autographs and take photos, giving his popularity another boost.
It was the perfect in-person event.
But in the original story, around the time of this very public event, A-Train took too much Compound V and sprinted down the street at full speed. He hit Hughie's girlfriend and turned her into a cloud of blood.
He opened the article. The event route had been announced.
It began at Brooklyn Bridge Park and followed Atlantic Avenue all the way to Prospect Park, a distance of about six kilometers.
And Hughie's electronics store was right beside Atlantic Avenue.
So it was tomorrow!
Current Ability Points: 6,217 / 10,000
Lu Heng brought up the panel.
He was collecting Ability Points online faster and faster.
Mainstream media were pushing the name "Guardian" into the public eye.
But before that happened, he'd better upgrade.
With his current strength, stopping A-Train still wasn't a sure thing.
The kinetic force of A-Train sprinting at full speed was terrifying. If Lu Heng stopped him the wrong way, the shock alone could kill everyone nearby.
If Hughie's girlfriend ended up dead, that would certainly change the fate of a key character.
But whether the system would give him a reward was another matter.
He still needed four thousand points. Relying on passive online collection alone would take too long!
He had to take action.
Lu Heng glanced over the streets of Brooklyn. There were far fewer superpowered crimes in broad daylight than last night, when they'd been breaking out everywhere.
After he'd swept through the area, a lot of criminals probably didn't dare show their faces.
But he had a better idea.
The livestream of the Black kid from last night already had over a hundred thousand followers, and the number was still climbing.
The most common question in the comments was, "When will Guardian show up?"
Lu Heng found an empty alley, took off his hoodie, and revealed the cheap shirt underneath.
He rose straight into the air from the alley and shot up above Brooklyn's skyline.
It was broad daylight, with the sun shining bright.
A figure hovered a hundred feet above the ground, casting a shadow over the street below.
A very attention-grabbing entrance.
"Look! It's Guardian!"
"He's back!"
"Get a video, quick!"
Lu Heng didn't hurry off.
He deliberately hovered in the air for over ten seconds, giving plenty of people a chance to film him.
Then he showed off a burst of full-speed acceleration, pushing himself right to the edge of the sound barrier.
A blur cut across Brooklyn's sky. He wasn't quite fast enough to break the sound barrier, but the trail of air he left behind was clearly visible in the sunlight, like a white ribbon stretched across the sky.
The streets below erupted in cries of surprise.
Videos were uploaded by the dozens.
Twitter, Instagram, TikTok... Within ten minutes, the hashtag #GuardianAppearsInBroadDaylight was trending.
The numbers on his panel started jumping like crazy.
+87 +134 +56 +203 +91 +167 +78 +245...
Lu Heng's lips curled into a smile.
When it came to traffic, the trick was to keep getting exposure.
He couldn't stop. The moment he did, he'd be yesterday's news.
He flew two loops over Brooklyn to make sure people got clear footage of him from every angle, then dove down into another street.
Perfect.
He heard a commotion.
Smoke billowed from an apartment building, and flames licked out of a fifth-floor window.
The fire trucks were still on their way. A huge crowd had gathered below, and someone was screaming.
"There are still people up there!"
A woman was clinging to the fifth-floor windowsill, holding a child in her arms. Smoke poured out behind her.
The scene couldn't have been more perfect!
Rescuing someone in front of a crowd was the most efficient way to gather emotional energy.
Lu Heng shot straight toward them.
The wind roared.
The crowd below flinched at the sound of something tearing through the air, then recognized the figure.
"It's Guardian!"
Lu Heng reached the fifth-floor window in three seconds.
A wave of heat washed over him. The temperature was scorching, but his biological field blocked the heat from reaching his skin. He didn't even break a sweat.
"Give me the child."
The woman was frozen with terror, clutching the child tightly, her gaze unfocused.
Lu Heng didn't have time to wait for her to react. He wrapped one arm around her waist, shielded the child with the other, and flew out through the window with them.
Three seconds later, they landed safely on the street below.
The woman collapsed as soon as her feet touched the ground.
The child in her arms looked about three or four years old. His face was smeared with soot, but he was unharmed. He stared blankly at Lu Heng.
Then he reached out one little soot-black hand and touched Lu Heng's face.
Click! Click!
Camera flashes went off, capturing that moment.
The reporter's eyes blazed as he searched for the perfect angle.
The outline, the lighting, the composition, the meaning of the image... I'm gonna win a damn Pulitzer for this!
The crowd around them went wild at the sight.
Lu Heng stood in the middle of the crowd as the numbers on his panel rolled like a floodgate had opened.
+346 +512 +287 +198 +423 +156 +378 +267 +445...
Total this time: +4,127
He froze.
Over four thousand? One go had gotten him over four thousand?
He'd spent all night busting his ass, and it hadn't earned him as much as this!
Current Ability Points: 10,344 / 10,000
The panel shuddered, and several gleaming golden words appeared.
[Ability Points at maximum! Bloodline upgrade requirements met!] [Upgrade to Lv.2: Viltrumite Soldier now?] [Warning: The upgrade will take about 30 seconds. Your body may release energy fluctuations during the process.]
Lu Heng glanced around.
This wasn't the place.
He nodded to the crowd in farewell, then pushed off the ground with his toes and shot straight into the sky.
He went full speed.
Ten seconds later, he was above an abandoned industrial district.
Below him were deserted factories and an empty parking lot. Not a soul was around.
Lu Heng hovered in midair and took a deep breath.
"Upgrade."
The next instant,
an unprecedented surge of power erupted from deep within his marrow.
Every muscle fiber in his body restructured, his bones grew denser, and it felt as though a star were slowly igniting inside him.
A wave of swelling heat spread from his core through every limb.
The biological field around Lu Heng's body abruptly expanded. Ripples of light shimmered across his skin in wave after wave, like ripples on water after a stone had been thrown in.
He hung in the air as the field pushed the air away beneath him, forming a visible, spherical shock wave.
Dust immediately billowed up from the ground.
The transformation lasted a full half-minute before slowly settling down.
Lu Heng looked down at his hands.
They hadn't changed much, but he could feel that every breath he took, every small movement he made, was completely different from before.
The difference was like night and day!
He clenched his fist.
The air cracked with a sharp pop.
It was a pure display of strength. That simple clenching motion had produced a miniature sonic boom around his fist.
What did a sonic boom mean?
The panel refreshed, showing new information.
[Bloodline Upgrade Complete] Bloodline Level: Viltrumite Soldier Strength: 62 tons Speed: Mach 1.8 Durability: Immune to heavy weapons, such as missiles Flight: Supersonic Survival in Space: 2 hours Biological Field: Intermediate New Skills Unlocked: Viltrumite War Cry, Bloodline Perception Battle Suit: Soldier Battle Suit—Unlocked (Summonable) Ability Points: 344 / 100,000 (Next Level: Lv.3 Elite Warrior)
Sixty-two tons.
Nearly eight times what he could lift before.
Supersonic flight, and even missiles couldn't kill him.
Lu Heng slowly let out a breath, his lips spreading into a grin.
And the battle suit was unlocked!
Strength wasn't the main thing. Looking cool was forever!
He focused his thoughts.
A layer of dark gray material seeped out over his skin, spreading like liquid metal. In just two seconds, it covered his entire body.
It was a dark gray, form-fitting combat suit with a metallic sheen.
At the very center of his chest was a winged V emblem,
in muted gold, understated but unmistakable.
The design was simple and sleek, a cut above his cheap shirt by more than just a little.
Lu Heng looked himself over and nodded with satisfaction.
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