Facing Homelander!

The man was covered in unidentified slime and gave off a pungent, strange stench that turned the stomach.

Solomon instinctively frowned and took two steps back, disgust filling his heart.

Termite!

Fuck, who knew whose asshole he had crawled out of? Absolutely disgusting.

He did not even want to touch this dumbass!

But despite his intense aversion to the man's body, he could not bear to pass up Termite's power.

With a thought, Solomon activated his newly unlocked shapeshifting ability, perfectly replicating Translucent's haughty, cold, arrogant voice.

"You motherfucker! Shrink down! Now!"

Termite instantly stiffened, the swagger in his eyes vanishing and leaving only fear.

Within Vought's hierarchy, the Seven held absolute authority. A single word could determine the resources and futures of lower-tier supes, and he did not dare disobey.

After just a second of hesitation, Termite abruptly shrank into an ant-sized black speck and landed on the floor.

He was just about to beg for mercy when Solomon grabbed an empty drinking glass from the edge of the table, slammed it down over his tiny figure, then lifted it and shook it furiously.

The violent jolting battered and crushed Termite inside the glass, giving him no chance to resist.

Only when the notification sounded did Solomon stop.

"Ding! Defeated superhuman Termite. Ability acquired: Ant-Man Transformation."

Name: Solomon

Strength: Level 1.5

Energy: Level 1.11

Defense: Level 2.05

Hearing: Level 1.5

Vision: Level 1

Speed: Level 3

Abilities: Carbon metamaterial skin, super speed, bone spikes, self-division, sparks, levitation, shapeshifting, Ant-Man Transformation

Ant-Man Transformation: Freely shrink to the size of an ant or return to original size. All base attributes are fully retained, with no reduction.

Solomon marveled inwardly. This underground nightclub really was a top-tier paradise for getting stronger.

In just a short time, he had defeated three superhumans in succession, acquired three new powers, and gained small increases across all his attributes. The rewards were tremendous.

The other supes exchanged looks. No one dared act up anymore, much less approach him to talk. An eerie silence fell over the entire club, everyone deeply wary.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a green figure in the club's farthest, darkest corner had already witnessed everything and immediately sent out a secret message: "A mysterious invisible man suspected to be Translucent has appeared at the underground nightclub."

Just then, an icy voice laden with overwhelming pressure suddenly cut through the club, drowning out every faint sound.

"Translucent?"

A single, simple name, yet it carried supreme authority.

The next second, all music in the club abruptly stopped. Everyone fell silent and ceased whatever they were doing, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Solomon whipped his head toward the voice, his heart suddenly clenching.

Homelander!

He stood quietly at the nightclub entrance, sweeping an indifferent gaze across the room, his presence bone-chilling.

Solomon had already anticipated this possibility, so he had only sent a duplicate.

Homelander's gaze settled on the floating clothes. His naked eyes could not see through Solomon's invisibility, and at first glance, it really did look exactly like Translucent's ability.

But his senses far surpassed those of ordinary people.

The clear heartbeat, the rushing blood, the unique scent of a human body-he perceived them all.

This invisible being before him was definitely not Translucent!

Still, his appearance had come at just the right time.

A gleam of amusement flickered in Homelander's eyes. His tone was level, but its force allowed no refusal.

"Come here. Let's talk."

Solomon's nerves tightened. He nodded instinctively and slowly walked toward Homelander.

The Deep hurried after him, his gaze fixed on Solomon, his face full of curiosity and wariness. He was just as eager to uncover this mysterious invisible man's true identity.

Solomon caught sight of the Deep out of the corner of his eye and immediately understood.

As arrogant as Homelander was, he would never deign to set foot in such a depraved, vulgar underground venue. He had most likely made an exception tonight because of Solomon's invisibility.

Solomon slowly approached Homelander. This was his first time facing the world's most powerful superhuman at such close range.

Super hearing, super smell, super vision, super strength, super durability, sonic flight, laser eyes, and more.

Homelander alone had at least seven superpowers, and every one had been developed to its utmost.

The man before him possessed the means to slaughter anything he pleased.

If he wished, he could crush Solomon, bones and all, into a puddle of meat within a single second.

This was Homelander, the unrivaled strongest superhuman on Earth, the absolute shadow looming over every supe.

Seeing Solomon obediently approach and meekly cooperate, Homelander's lips curved into a faint smile. He turned toward Vought International's private internal passage, his tone brooking no argument.

"Follow me."

Solomon followed silently, his gaze falling on Homelander's signature outfit.

The crisp, tight-fitting hero uniform, the stars-and-stripes cape fluttering slightly in the breeze, and the red rubber gloves that looked the most absurd and out of place in the entire ensemble-rigid yet ostentatious.

The Deep hurried up from behind, overtook Solomon, and drew alongside Homelander, eager to claim credit.

"Homelander, I noticed something was wrong the moment I came in. This guy isn't the real Translucent at all. I messaged you right away!"

Homelander gave him a brief glance, his expression utterly composed.

"Well done, Deep."

Then he changed tack, his tone distant and polite:

"Sorry for the trouble, but please leave us for now. I have some private matters I'd like to discuss alone with this... Mr. Translucent."

The smile instantly froze on the Deep's face. All his eagerness and anticipation came to nothing.

He stood frozen in place and nodded awkwardly.

"All right. I'll leave you to it."

He remained there, watching helplessly as Solomon followed Homelander into Vought's private internal elevator.

The elevator doors slowly closed, and the oppressive atmosphere in the small, enclosed space intensified.

Homelander turned toward the empty, floating clothes beside him and spoke calmly.

"You can show yourself now. I know perfectly well you're not Translucent."

Solomon fell silent for a moment, quickly weighing the pros and cons.

Any disguise was meaningless before Homelander's powerful senses. With a slight thought, he slowly deactivated his invisibility, his figure appearing out of thin air.

Homelander looked him up and down. Seeing a young, clean-cut white face, a trace of satisfaction crossed his eyes. As long as he wasn't some fucking black guy.

Solomon had already shapeshifted as soon as he acquired the ability.

"Listen, kid."

Smiling, Homelander raised a hand and gently patted Solomon's shoulder, his voice carrying a measure of pleasure, as though bestowing charity:

"Your ability is very special, almost exactly like Translucent's. Congratulations. From this moment on, you're officially joining the Seven, taking Translucent's place."

As though he had found an exceptionally interesting toy, his tone grew increasingly excited:

"God knows how lucky you are. Countless superhumans fight tooth and nail and still can't get a foot in the Seven's door, but you get to shoot straight to the top."