The entrance of Godolkin University was a scene of bustle and noise, as students with all sorts of superpowers swarmed inside.
Freshmen in flashy clothes dragged their luggage, most accompanied by their parents; only about a dozen or so were alone.
Wade, wearing a simple plaid shirt and black shorts, was one of them. Wherever he went, the crowd cast strange looks and dispersed.
"A domineering aura? Or am I just too handsome?"
Carrying a worn-out hiking backpack, he wandered aimlessly through the campus, his mind filled with racing thoughts.
The original "Wade" hated the biological parents who abandoned him most of all, but Wade wouldn't let himself be controlled by such a ridiculous obsession. If he found them, he'd kill them if it was convenient; if not, so be it.
His temporary compromise with Mena at the Red River Institute was merely a performance of how a "chunibyo" teenager should act after escaping his cage.
As a superpowered individual with potential, Wade knew that only by appropriately exposing his weaknesses would others view him favorably and dare to invest and place bets on him.
'A powerful superpowered individual with no scruples isn't an asset to Vought Corporation; they're a monster that needs to be locked in a cage.'
'They like "heroes" with ties and weaknesses, so I'll put on a good show for them.'
Wade needed time to develop now. He wanted Mena and Vought Corporation to believe he was bound by these so-called weaknesses; the later he was exposed, the better.
Ten minutes later, Hero Square.
In the very center, banners and roadside plaques featured life-sized cutouts of "Starlight," who had recently joined The Seven. She was portrayed as a blonde, blue-eyed American sweetheart.
When Wade first arrived, it happened to be the finals of a talent show, which was how he learned Starlight had earned her spot through the 2019 superhero talent competition.
"The Seven" is the most profitable flagship superhero group of the Vought Group, the only superhero company in America. Once there's a vacancy, there are only three ways to join.
First is ranking number one on the Godolkin University leaderboard; second is participating in a superhero talent show and winning the championship title to stand out; third is internal appointment by the company.
Wade had no interest in any of these; he had no desire to become a clown for people's entertainment and consumption.
His main goal was to stay at Godolkin University and harvest crop after crop of superpowered individuals, and he would use any means necessary to achieve this.
Walking through the Hero Gallery, he came upon rows of gaudy orientation booths lining the steps.
Decorated with ribbons and flashy patterns, the booths felt like walking into an amusement park carnival.
Young superheroes gathered in groups of three to five, their laughter and chatter rising and falling. There was none of the oppression of constant surveillance cameras, nor any overly complex scheming.
Wade's tense nerves relaxed significantly, and his gaze quickly locked onto one side of the booths.
There stood a few students with distinctly different temperaments, seemingly forming their own small circle.
The most prominent was Jordan Li, whom he had met during the interview a few days ago. Today, she was wearing simple sportswear, maintaining her Asian female form, and enthusiastically guiding new students through registration.
Standing at the booth next to her was a blonde, blue-eyed girl with a brilliant smile. It was Cate, who possessed Mental Control abilities.
'It's her!' Wade's gaze touched her and immediately pulled away. The hair on the back of his neck stood up instantly, and he subconsciously took a few steps back.
Cate was a taboo figure in his mind, the person he least wanted to encounter, ranking even higher than Homelander.
'This woman can not only manipulate thoughts, memories, and emotions layer by layer, but she can also set up mental cages and perform close-range telepathy... She's too dangerous.'
Before he could steal her complete [Mental Control] superpower gene, Wade would absolutely not go near her. If she read his mind... that would be disastrous.
Standing a few steps away from Cate was a tall, sunny Caucasian youth with short black hair named Luke, codenamed "Golden Boy."
His fingers moved in succession as a ball of docile orange flame danced and tumbled nimbly across his fingertips, showing no signs of aggression.
Wade's eyes tracked the changing shape of the flame. He knew Luke possessed super strength, endurance, durability, thermonuclear abilities, and thermodynamic flight. His overall ranking was extremely high, making him a top candidate for The Seven.
'Golden Boy's combat power is much stronger than the likes of The Deep, Translucent, or The Lamplighter. I need to find a chance to get in contact with him.'
At a booth in front, a short-haired Black youth was explaining something while several coins floated and spun between his fingers with amazing stability, as if they had lost gravity.
'That's a good ability too!' Wade licked his lips, recognizing him.
Andre, a second-generation natural-born Supe who controlled magnetism. His father, "Polarity," had appeared in plenty of Vought's promotional videos.
Wade scanned the freshman registration lines and walked toward the booth where Jordan Li was located.
He reached out and tapped the table, smiling softly. "Meeting again... how do I register here?"
Hearing this, Jordan Li looked up and handed over a pen and paper, recalling, "Oh... you're that one, Air Cannon!"
Wade sat in front of the stool, filling out the information while asking, "Can I ask, what year are you in?"
"Sophomore."
"Then how can you be an outstanding student representative? And even be an interviewer?"
"Because I'm ranked 10th on the school-wide leaderboard." Jordan shifted back into his male form, flashed a middle finger, and curled his lip. "I was specifically recruited by Professor Brink... I'm not like you guys who got in through exams."
Just then, the buzzing sound of a microphone came from the back of the line: "Ladies and gentlemen! Look... another penniless piece of trash from the institutions?!"
Everyone looked toward the sound to see a student in a flashy pink suit with slicked-back hair holding a microphone and chanting.
"Sigh... let that guy with the neck tumor get away, but we have another one here." He hopped around like an entertainment show host, followed by two lackeys carrying a camera and lighting equipment.
Wade was prepared to watch the show, but then the camera and microphone were suddenly shoved in front of his face.
The flashy guy familiarly patted Wade's shoulder, looked at the registration list on the table, and said into the microphone, "Hello, I'm Chance. Let's see... your name is Wade Thompson, right?"
"Ooh! From Red River Institute?" His voice suddenly spiked, his eyes gleaming. "Guys, look! It's a top student from the 'Institution'!"
The two people behind him burst into laughter, skillfully hoisting the camera to adjust the shot.
Chance handed the microphone over, waving it back and forth. "Tell us, how does it feel coming from a cell to heaven? Are you too excited to speak?"
Laughter and whispers immediately erupted around them, and many people's gazes shifted from curiosity to blatant disdain.
Superpowered problem students from research institutions clearly didn't have a good reputation at the university.
Wade looked at the camera with cold eyes. The faces of the crowd holding up their phones were a mix of curiosity, disdain, and the excitement of watching a circus act.
He was all too familiar with this feeling; it was no different from the gazes of those researchers at Red River.
"Ahem..." Chance shoved the microphone in front of him and asked hypocritically, "Student Wade, this is quite rude of you. Please, speak up!"
"..." Wade took off the heavy backpack behind him, still not saying a word.
"Oh, I forgot. You guys from institutions all have psychological issues, right! Don't worry, we have the best counseling here... Did you pass the assessment? You won't suddenly lose control, will you?"
His two lackeys immediately pointed the large camera lens at Wade, and the boom pole followed suit.
Jordan Li frowned, his face darkening as he slapped the table. "Fire Dragon—Chance, that's enough..."
Wade's expression remained indifferent as he raised his hand and pressed down gently. "Did I give you permission to film? Get lost!"
The people close by taking photos and filming were all struck by a gust of air, falling over one after another in a heap.
"You dare to make a move?!" Chance was pushed back a step by the air current, his microphone dropping to the ground as his playful expression was replaced by rage.
He steadied himself and slammed his hands together. Two balls of blazing orange fire erupted from his palms, and the surrounding air instantly became scorching and distorted.
"A piece of trash from a correctional center... dares to act arrogant!" he roared, the fire in his hands shaping into a long flaming dragon aimed at Wade. "Let me burn that rag of yours to ash! Let you know what a 'warm welcome' feels like!"
The two lackeys behind him also laughed and revealed their abilities: one's hands hardened into giant rock fists, smashing them heavily onto the ground; the other's fingertips burst with crackling, dazzling electric sparks.
The attacks of the three, carrying fire, vibration, and electricity, were about to engulf Wade!
"Watch out!" Jordan's face changed as he vaulted over the table, blocking the way. "I'll help you."
Wade stood up from the stool and walked around him. "No need, I'll do it myself."
There wasn't a ripple of emotion on his face, but his eyes turned completely cold as he slowly raised his hands.
"Just in time to use you all to test my newly developed move..."
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