Echolocation!

Name: Solomon

Strength: Level 2.02

Energy: Level 1.31

Defense: Level 2.09

Healing: Level 3.001

Hearing: Level 2.5

Vision: Level 1.1

Speed: Level 3.005

Abilities: carbon-fiber super skin, super speed, bone spikes, self-duplication, spark, levitation, shapeshifting, Ant-Man transformation, super-speed healing, rainbow fart, hair growth, light eyes, echolocation

Echolocation: Can use sound waves to survey terrain, precisely determine position, distance, contours, and volume, and form a 3D map in the mind.

His strength had increased by 0.01, his defense by 0.01, and his hearing had jumped straight to level 2.5!

Raising it from level 1.9 to level 2.5 required defeating not six ordinary Supes, but fifty-one!

(At level 1, one ordinary Supe provided an increase of 0.1 levels; at level 2, one ordinary Supe provided an increase of 0.01 levels; at level 3, one ordinary Supe provided an increase of 0.001 levels, and so on.)

It seemed he still needed to fight powerful Supes. Ordinary Supes were just too trash-the gains were too slow.

Solomon shook his head, instinctively braced himself against the wall, and caught his breath, his brows drawn tightly together.

Level 2.5 hearing was far too powerful. The noise from the entire floor flooded into his ears like a tide.

Staff talking in the distance, the rumble of the elevator running, even the faint sound of cockroaches crawling in a corner-all of it was painfully clear, making his brain ache.

Thank goodness echolocation only activates when needed. If a 3D map of my surroundings stayed in my head all the time, I'd go crazy sooner or later.

Solomon rubbed his throbbing temples, privately counting himself lucky. Even so, he felt only a step away from losing his mind. The noise in his ears was sheer torment.

"Hey, are you okay?"

A gentle voice suddenly sounded beside him. Solomon looked up to see Queen Maeve standing nearby, watching him with some concern.

Solomon shook his head and took a deep breath, forcing down the clamor in his ears and trying to keep his voice steady.

"It's nothing. Just a little tired. Thanks for asking."

Maeve stepped forward and gently patted his shoulder, a smile curling her lips as she said half-jokingly:

"We're teammates. Looking out for each other is what we should do. Besides, I'm glad I haven't seen you in the ladies' room again."

Solomon raised an eyebrow and immediately understood. No wonder Maeve was being so nice today. The previous Translucent had always sneaked into the ladies' room to eavesdrop on her. Now that he had taken his place without doing anything so filthy, she naturally liked him a little more.

"Maeve!"

Madelyn's voice came from nearby. She and Homelander emerged from an apartment off to the side, and she beckoned to Maeve.

Maeve nodded to Solomon, then turned and walked toward them.

Before leaving, Homelander deliberately stopped, turned his head, and gave Solomon a meaningful look.

Solomon's heart sank instantly, and he cursed inwardly. Fuck, Homelander heard that!

Damn Maeve. She absolutely did that on purpose!

He hadn't followed Homelander's orders to eavesdrop on Maeve in the bathroom, and Maeve had even acted as though she thought highly of him. She was clearly trying to put him in Homelander's sights.

That fucking bitch!

Solomon gritted his teeth inwardly, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.

Just you wait. Once I'm a little stronger, I'll pin you beneath me and beat the hell out of you. You'll learn what happens when you cross me!

"Seven minutes ago, transatlantic Flight 37 from Paris to Chicago was hijacked in midair."

Madelyn's voice reached Solomon's ears. He froze for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening.

It was one of the show's classic scenes. Homelander had decided it was too much trouble and abandoned everyone aboard, causing the plane to crash and killing them all.

But what did that have to do with Solomon?

He couldn't fly, nor did he have the ability to save an entire plane full of people.

Even if he could, he wouldn't. It would affect the plot too much!

Besides, the people dying were all from other countries. What did they have to do with him, someone from the Dragon Kingdom?

Solomon couldn't be bothered with the three talking nearby anymore. He turned and headed for his apartment.

What mattered most right now was adapting to his suddenly enhanced hearing as quickly as possible and learning to control it at will.

When he wanted to listen, he needed to pick up sounds clearly. When he didn't, he needed to block out all that noise completely.

Otherwise, if these noises kept tormenting him, he really would go insane!

Meanwhile, over the Atlantic Ocean, a transatlantic flight flew steadily onward, but fear had long since engulfed its cabin.

Three hijackers barked viciously at the passengers, their dark gun barrels swinging toward the crowd from time to time, forcing everyone to huddle in their seats, hardly daring to breathe.

Just then, a faint click suddenly came from the aircraft door, as though something had forcibly pried it loose.

The next second, the door was ripped open. Bitterly cold wind and a powerful rush of air instantly poured into the cabin, roaring through it.

The nearest hijacker had no time to react before an irresistible force dragged him out. He managed only a brief scream before the vast sea of clouds swallowed him, and he vanished without a trace.

Thrown off balance by the loss of the door, the plane began to jolt and sway violently. Oxygen masks dropped throughout the cabin, alarms shrieked, and the passengers' terrified screams and cries instantly tore through the cabin in utter chaos.

Another hijacker staggered in the airflow, lost his footing, and fell toward the open door, about to follow his companion into a fall from the sky.

At that critical instant, a powerful hand seized the back of his collar and hauled him back.

It was Queen Maeve!

Her expression was icy, her eyes utterly unruffled. She seized the hijacker by the neck with one hand and lifted him with a slight tug.

Before the hijacker could struggle or beg for mercy, Maeve gave her wrist a slight twist. With a sharp crack, his neck snapped on the spot. His eyes bulged wide, and he instantly stopped breathing, spared the danger of falling from the sky.

Watching his companions die horribly one after another, the final hijacker did not back down. Instead, rage overwhelmed his reason. Gripping his dagger, he charged at Maeve with a roar, his eyes filled with madness and despair.

Maeve reached out, about to kill this hijacker who didn't know his own limits, but two beams of searing red light struck first despite coming later, instantly piercing his chest and leaving two charred holes.

The hijacker's body went rigid. His dagger fell to the floor with a clang, and then he toppled straight down, no longer breathing.

Everyone looked toward the source of the red light and saw Homelander walking slowly inside, the Stars and Stripes Cape draped down his back.

It was Homelander!

The captain of The Seven!

The superhero Homelander had come to save them!

The cabin fell silent for an instant, then erupted into thunderous cheers and jubilation. The passengers waved their hands excitedly, shouting "Homelander!" and "Thank you!" over and over, their faces filled with relief at having survived the ordeal.