The villagers pushed open the doors to the small cabins.
The interiors were fully equipped with furniture and appliances; even the refrigerators in the kitchens were stocked with fresh ingredients and drinking water.
The young Inhumans were even more excited, curiously fiddling with the electronics in the rooms, their eyes sparkling with longing for a new life.
The terrifying World full of danger and malice that Jiaying had once described to them collapsed in an instant.
Night fell.
Warm lights flickered on throughout the Inhuman town.
Villagers sat in their brand-new homes, eating the sumptuous hot meals provided by Vought.
They felt a sense of peace unlike anything they had ever known.
A surge of hope welled up within them.
Perhaps under the protection of Homelander, they would no longer be monsters hiding in dark corners, unable to face the light; they could live honorably under the sun.
...
Night fell.
Inside the largest building at the center of the temporary Inhuman town, Homelander sat waiting for something.
The door to the room was pushed open, and Coulson entered, leading several Elders from the Inhuman village along with a dozen villagers who had undergone Terrigen transformation and possessed abilities.
As the group walked into the room, their expressions were very restrained, even somewhat apprehensive.
They had lost their home and their leader, Jiaying. Now living under someone else's roof, they had no idea what fate awaited them.
Although Vought had shown great kindness during the day, they were, after all, a unique group.
"Please, sit, everyone. No need to be formal."
Homelander stood up and greeted them with a smile.
His tone was friendly and warm, as if he were hosting friends who had come from afar.
This refreshing attitude immediately caused the tense Inhumans to relax significantly.
This was especially true for the female Inhumans in the crowd.
This was because Homelander had activated his 'Arsonist of Hearts' skin effect before they entered.
While this effect had no impact on men, its lethality against women had been proven in practical combat.
Several young female Inhumans, including Alisa, who could create duplicates...
...found their breathing becoming noticeably rapid the moment their eyes met Homelander's.
Their gazes were no longer apprehensive but became fervent. Some even deliberately toyed with their hair, trying to catch Homelander's attention.
"Relax, everyone," Homelander spoke. "Treat this place as your own home. Vought will not restrict your freedom, nor will we treat you as monsters."
He pointed to the coffee pot on the table. "Would you like a cup? Or if you need other drinks, I'll have the staff bring them in."
The furrowed brows of the village Elders gradually smoothed out.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Homelander." An elderly Elder stood up and bowed respectfully. "If you hadn't appeared in time, our entire village would have been buried in the abyss."
"It was nothing," Homelander waved his hand, signaling him to sit down.
"I called you here because I want to talk about your Inhuman race." Homelander cut straight to the point.
"It was too chaotic during the day, so I haven't fully understood the situation yet. Can you tell me about your abilities and that thing called terrigen crystals?"
The Elders glanced at each other and did not hide anything.
After all, in the face of absolute power, any concealment was meaningless.
The elderly Elder slowly recounted the history of the Inhumans, the Kree experiments, and the function of the terrigen crystals.
"In other words, you currently possess the technology for the artificial cultivation of terrigen crystals?" Homelander keenly grasped the key point.
"Yes." The Elder nodded and confessed. "This was developed under Jiaying's leadership; these crystals can awaken the abilities of Inhumans."
At this moment, Alisa, who had been sitting to the side staring intensely at Homelander, suddenly stood up.
After Jiaying's death, she had lost her object of loyalty.
And during the day, the sight of humans and superpowered individuals cooperating and respecting each other had shattered her stereotypes of the outside World.
Now, having witnessed Homelander's power and charm, she had unconsciously fallen for him. She was eager to prove her value before this perfect man.
"Mr. Homelander, Jiaying didn't just master the method of cultivating crystals; I also know she had a staggering plan."
Alisa did not hesitate to sell out her former leader completely.
"She originally planned to kill those people from S.H.I.E.L.D. and then load the large stockpile of terrigen crystals from the village onto S.H.I.E.L.D.'s quinjet."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aircraft have excellent range and stealth technology." Alisa hesitated for a second before continuing.
"She planned to have the aircraft fly to major cities and densely populated areas across the globe, then release the Terrigen Mists on a large scale."
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the several Elders present turned deathly pale.
Alisa did not stop: "For those carrying the Inhuman gene, inhaling the mist causes transformation and awakens their abilities, making them like us. But..."
"...for the vast majority of ordinary humans on Earth who do not have the Inhuman gene, this mist is a lethal poison. Once inhaled, ordinary people will petrify and die within seconds."
"Jiaying wanted to create a World... where only Inhumans live."
The room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Several Elders covered their mouths in horror, their hearts filled with lingering fear.
They only knew that Jiaying hated humans, but they had no idea she had secretly plotted such a mad extermination plan.
"Crazy... she's a complete lunatic!" one Elder said with a trembling voice.
"If she had really done this, the World would have turned into a living hell. And we would have had no room for reconciliation with humanity until one side was completely wiped out!"
After hearing Alisa's confession, Homelander couldn't help but complain wildly in his mind.
"This is a straight-up script rip-off! Isn't this the exact same thing Magneto tried to do? The brain circuits of these anti-social villains are truly carved from the same mold."
"Fortunately, the tragedy did not happen," Homelander interrupted the Elders' fear.
"Jiaying is dead; let the mistakes of the past remain in the past. Now, what we need to discuss is the future."
Homelander's gaze swept over everyone present.
"Now, the crisis is resolved, and you are safe."
"So next, what are your plans?"
This question plunged the Inhumans back into silence.
Plans? What plans could they have?
The Elders looked at each other; returning to that destroyed mountain village was impossible.
But the outside World was changing so rapidly today; where could this group of people, who had been in seclusion for years, go? How would they survive?
No one could give an answer.
Seeing their bewildered eyes, the corner of Homelander's mouth curved into a slight smile as he extended an olive branch.
"Since you have no direction... then come work for Vought International."