At the moment his ability level broke through to Lv.4, Liam felt something inside him ignite.
Heat surged through his entire body, not painful but intense, like every cell was being pushed beyond its limits. His powers weren't just stabilizing—they were evolving. The "Evolution" ability reacted instantly to the upgrade, accelerating the transformation of his body at a terrifying speed.
He didn't waste time lingering.
After giving Reed a brief nod, Liam turned and headed straight back to his room. By the time he shut the door behind him, sweat was already soaking through his clothes, his breathing steady but heavy as the changes intensified.
His muscles tightened, then expanded, reshaping themselves with precision. What would normally take days was being compressed into minutes. Every fiber in his body was refining, strengthening, optimizing under the influence of evolution.
His bones felt denser. His senses sharpened. His entire physical structure was being rebuilt into something more efficient, more powerful.
An hour later, the process was complete.
Liam stepped out of the bathroom, water still clinging to his skin.
The difference was immediate.
His presence alone felt sharper, more defined. His energy was no longer contained—it radiated outward naturally, making him stand out the moment someone looked at him.
His physique had reached an almost unnatural level of balance.
Every muscle flowed seamlessly into the next, lean but powerful, built for both strength and speed. There was no excess, no flaw—just clean, precise perfection.
If anyone saw him now, it wouldn't just be admiration.
It would be impact.
Standing in front of the mirror, Liam studied himself, a faint smirk forming as he took in the results.
Then—
The door swung open.
"Yeah—!"
Polaris's voice cut sharply through the room as she froze in place, her eyes widening.
Liam's expression snapped from calm to startled in an instant.
"Hey—!"
He reacted immediately. Without even thinking, he activated teleportation and vanished from the spot, reappearing inside the bathroom. The door slammed shut behind him.
Outside, footsteps rushed closer.
"What happened?" someone called.
Polaris cleared her throat quickly, forcing her expression back under control. "Nothing. I just thought Wes wasn't in the room and got surprised."
Her tone was casual, almost too casual.
Clarice stepped forward, glancing inside. The room looked empty at first glance, and she didn't sense anything off. After a moment, she nodded and stepped back.
"Alright…"
The others dispersed, their curiosity fading.
The moment they were gone, Polaris moved.
She slipped inside the room and quietly locked the door behind her.
…
A few minutes later, Liam walked into the living room, fully dressed.
The moment he stepped in, he froze slightly.
Polaris was still there.
Her gaze locked onto him instantly, sharp and intense, not even trying to hide it.
Liam felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
Of all the outcomes, this wasn't one he had planned for.
His senses had clearly improved after the evolution—sharper, faster—but earlier, he had been completely focused on himself. That brief lapse had been enough.
And now…
Well.
This was the result.
He cleared his throat lightly. "So…"
Polaris didn't look away.
"That was… a really good view," she said, her tone far too direct.
"Uh."
Liam paused, genuinely unsure how to respond. The way she was looking at him felt… dangerous. Like she wasn't joking at all.
He coughed awkwardly. "I just remembered—I need to go find Thunderbird."
He turned, intending to leave.
Polaris stepped directly into his path.
"I don't want to wait," she said, her voice dropping slightly. "Wes, I like you."
Before he could react, she moved forward.
"Hey—Lorna, hold on—"
Liam didn't finish the sentence.
In the next instant, he disappeared.
Teleportation carried him out of the room entirely.
…
He reappeared in the hallway, letting out a slow breath.
"Wow…"
He glanced back toward the room, still a little stunned.
He hadn't expected Polaris to be that bold. That straightforward. In broad daylight, no hesitation.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling again.
"Guess I overdid it," he muttered, a faint grin forming despite himself. "Even Polaris couldn't ignore that."
There was a hint of pride there.
"Huh? Where did you go, Wes?"
Clarice's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
She walked up to him, looking slightly puzzled. "Polaris said you weren't in your room, but I've been looking for a while…"
"Oh." Liam shrugged casually. "Just walking around."
He tilted his head slightly, a relaxed smile returning. "Since you're here, want to head out for a bit?"
Clarice brightened immediately. "Sure!"
The two left the underground headquarters together, chatting casually as they went.
As they walked, Liam pulled up his system panel.
[Host: Liam Hayes][Super Abilities: Vector Manipulation, Teleportation, Freeze Control, Pyrokinesis, Energy Absorption, Electromagnetism, Evolution, Telepathy, Super Infrasound, Spatial Reversal, Atomic Collapse][Ability Level: Lv.4 (Fourth-Level Mutant)][Experience: 10000/0]
The jump to Lv.4 had changed everything.
The requirement for the next level had increased drastically—ten times higher than before.
That meant one thing.
If each successful sign-in gave him 100 experience, he would need 100 sign-ins to reach Lv.5.
One per day.
Three months.
Liam's mood lifted immediately at the thought.
That wasn't long at all.
After spending some time outside, he and Clarice returned to the headquarters.
Polaris was there when they came back.
Her expression shifted slightly when she saw them together, something subtle but noticeable. But she didn't say anything. Clarice was her friend, and whatever she felt, she kept it to herself.
…
The next morning, Liam was up early.
He already had his target.
The Strucker twins.
Storm would likely arrange their transfer soon. If Liam wanted to secure their abilities, this was his window.
"Hey, Lauren."
He found her in one of the common areas, guiding her younger brother through practice.
Andrew stood in front of a bottle of soda, staring at it with intense focus. His goal was simple—move the liquid from the bottle into a glass without touching it.
Lauren had already demonstrated it once.
Molecular control.
She made it look easy.
"Wes!" Lauren turned as soon as she heard his voice, her expression lighting up.
For a moment, she just stared.
He had always been good-looking, but now… there was something different. Sharper. Brighter. It was hard to look away.
"You're training?" Liam asked, stepping closer with a relaxed smile.
Lauren nodded, still watching him. "Yeah. I'm helping Andrew get a handle on it."
"He's doing pretty well."
Liam glanced at Andrew, then shifted his focus back to Lauren.
Without hesitation, he activated his system.
[Ding! Do you want to sign in with Mutant Lauren Strucker?]
....
Can't wait to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon and get 60+ chapters.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: [email protected]/Divine_Quill
Join Right Now