Elius' breath became tied.
His heartbeat pounded with a deafening rhythm that drowned out everything else around him in his ears.
Suddenly, the room felt smaller, the walls were closing in—like about to suffocate him.
His gaze locked onto Shannon's face, every detail suddenly became more clearer than ever—the nervous twitch of her lips, the way her hands clenched the fabric of her shirt, the slight tremble in her fingers.
His father?
His father?
His FATHER!?
The words were like a giant meteor, shattering every ounce of his confidence.
Shannon had never mentioned his father. Not once.
Ever since he could remember, whenever he asked about his dad, she would brush it off. She would change the subject, smile too brightly, laugh too quickly—like she was hiding something, like she was afraid of something.
And Elius, not wanting to upset her, had stopped asking.
But now, just like that, she had slipped.
The truth was out.
Radiant Man.
The so-called savior of humanity.
The god among men.
The alien overlord who saw Earth as nothing more than a breeding ground.
That superhero was his father.
Elius' fingers curled into fists, and his nails were even digging into his palms.
His body screamed at him to move, to do something, to react—but all he could do was stand there, frozen.
Shannon must have realized her mistake, because the moment the words left her lips, she panicked.
"Ah! Haha! I—I didn't mean it like that! You know how people say things in the heat of the moment!" She waved her hands around, her face flushing red. "I just meant—um—uh—ahh, how's school going? You haven't told me much about your classes!"
Elius didn't answer.
He couldn't.
His eyes slowly drifted back to the television screen.
Radiant Man was still there. Still smiling. Still basking in the praise of the masses.
The interviewer, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit, with an expression filled with admiration was practically leaning forward with a smile.
"Radiant Man, I must say, that was quite the entrance!" The interviewer chuckled. "The way you closed the dimensional rift—it was incredible! Tell us, how difficult was it? How much effort did it take to clear the S-Class Dungeon?"
Radiant Man laughed—a deep, rich chuckle that sent shivers down Elius' spine.
"Difficult?" He tilted his head with an amusement dancing in his golden eyes. "It was nothing, really. Barely even made me break a sweat."
The audience erupted in cheers.
The interviewer beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "Amazing! Truly amazing! This is why the world trusts you, Radiant Man! It's not a surprise that you are our number one superhero! "
Elius' stomach churned.
It was the same routine every time.
Radiant Man would do something impossible, act like it was nothing, and the world would worship him for it.
No one questioned it.
No one even considered that maybe, just maybe, he was too powerful.
The interviewer flipped through his notes before looking up again.
"Now, onto something that's been on everyone's minds." He leaned forward slightly. "The other S-Class Heroes—specifically, their recent disappearance."
A murmur spread through the audience.
Elius tensed.
The interviewer continued. "As you know, several of our top heroes entered an S-Class Dungeon about a month ago. However, they have yet to return. There has been no communication, no signs of life—nothing." He adjusted his tie. "Do you have any idea what happened to them?"
For a brief moment—a fraction of a second—Radiant Man's smile faltered.
But then it was back.
That same confident, easy-going grin.
"Well," he said, his voice smooth as ever, "I certainly hope they come back soon."
The interviewer blinked. "You… hope?"
Radiant Man shrugged. "Of course! I mean, I could use a hand every now and then… These gates these days appear frequently…" He chuckled, the sound light and casual. "But, you know, it's not really a problem for now."
The interviewer laughed, shaking his head. "You're too humble, Radiant Man! Even without them, you've been handling things perfectly!"
The crowd cheered again.
Shannon clapped.
Elius clenched his jaw.
It was so obvious. The way Radiant Man dismissed their disappearance. The way he casually said he hoped they came back, instead of expressing any real concern.
Because he knew.
He knew.
He had killed them.
Slaughtered them the moment he sensed one of his offspring had awakened the Golden Lion Heritage.
Because no one—not a single person—was allowed to stand in his way.
The interviewer moved on to another question, flipping through his notes.
"Now, Radiant Man, I know you're a very private individual, but we have to ask—what's next for you?"
Radiant Man's smile widened slightly.
"Well," he said, leaning back in his chair, "there is something interesting happening today."
The interviewer perked up. "Oh? Do tell!"
Radiant Man chuckled.
"My son was supposed to awaken his superpower today."
The room fell silent.
Even the interviewer seemed like he was momentarily stunned.
"S-son?" he echoed, eyes wide. "You—Radiant Man—you have a son?"
The crowd gasped.
Shannon stiffened.
Elius felt his blood turn to ice.
Radiant Man simply grinned.
"Yeah," he said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "But before I meet him, I need to take care of a small nuisance first."
His golden eyes gleamed with something dark.
Like it was something, something terrifying.
Suddenly, for some unknown reason, the interviewer laughed nervously. "Well, I'm sure whatever it is, it won't be a problem for you! But it was shocking to find out that Radiant Man had a son. We are looking to find out who your son is in the Superhero Academy!"
Radiant Man smirked.
"Of course… Of course… I will enroll him sooner, but faith will decide if he is worthy…"
And with that, the interview ended.
The screen faded to black.
The room was dead silent.
Elius' breathing became shallow with trembling fingers at his sides.
Radiant Man wasn't just aware of him.
He was coming for him.
And before that, he was going to "take care" of something else.
A "small nuisance."
Elius didn't need to guess what that meant.
He turned to Shannon. His throat was dry. His voice barely came out as a whisper. "M-mother…"
Shannon turned to him, still stunned.
Elius swallowed.
"I think we need to leave."
His mind was a mess.
In the superhero comic he remembered, there was never a scene where Radiant Man killed his offspring. Not explicitly. But it was mentioned.
It was stated—almost casually—that the weaker ones would be eliminated.
A simple line.
A passing remark.
But the implications were horrifying.
The comic had never shown the process. Never explained how he did it.
And now?
Now Elius was living it.
Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run, to hide, to do something.
"Mother," he said, his voice low, urgent. "We need to leave. Now."
Shannon blinked, her excitement not yet fading. "Why?" She frowned. "Your father is coming! Shouldn't we—"
"No," Elius cut in, shaking his head. He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't just say he's here to kill us both! That would only make her more resistant.
Instead, he swallowed hard, forcing his voice to tremble just enough. "I… I want to welcome him properly. In public." He looked down, clenching his fists. "It would be embarrassing if we just met him here, in this small room…"
Shannon softened. "Oh, honey."
Please work. Please work.
Her face wavered between excitement and confusion, but in the end, she nodded. "Alright! Let's go somewhere nice, then!"
She turned, brushing nonexistent dust from his school uniform. "Fix your collar, Elius. Your father hasn't seen you in years. You should look presentable."
Elius barely had time to breathe before—
Tap.
A soft sound.
Something had landed.
Outside the door.
Both of them froze.
The door was closed. But a shadow stretched through the thin space beneath it.
A silhouette, standing in the hallway.
No, not standing.
It was floating.
Indeed, his feet were not touching the wooden floor.
Elius' felt his blood turn to ice.
His mother, however, beamed.
With her eyes going wide with pure joy. She shouted, "Colt!"
And before Elius could even react, she rushed forward.
"Mother, no—!"
His legs felt like lead, his body sluggish, still weak from earlier. He reached out, tried to grab her wrist, but she was too fast—too eager.
"Colt! Colt! Colt!"
She flung open the door.
A man hovered in the dimly lit hallway.
The overhead light flickered, casting long, eerie shadows across his body. His superhero uniform was pristine—a golden white suit, polished to perfection. His muscles stretched against the fabric, exuding an unnatural perfection.
But his face—
His face was hidden in the darkness.
Shannon practically threw herself at him.
"Colt, it's been so long!" She laughed, tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're finally here—"
His left hand shot up.
He grabbed her by the face.
Her words cut off instantly.
Fingers dug into her cheeks, lifting her off the ground like she weighed nothing.
Elius' breath caught in his throat.
Shannon kicked, her hands clutching at Radiant Man's wrist, but it didn't budge.
The golden superhero turned his head, slowly, deliberately, towards Elius.
His eyes gleamed.
"Twenty."
Elius' heart stopped.
What—what did he—
"Nineteen."
Elius' entire body locked up.
His mind screamed at him to move, to fight, to do something.
But all he could do was watch.
Shannon was struggling. Her nails clawed at his skin, but it was useless.
"Eighteen."
His voice was calm. Too calm.
A suffocating pressure filled the air.
"Seventeen."
Elius took a step forward, his hands shaking.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Sixteen."
Tears pricked at Shannon's eyes.
She wasn't smiling anymore.
She was afraid.
"Fifteen."
Elius' chest tightened.
His vision blurred at the edges.
"Stop," he whispered.
"Fourteen."
His hands curled into fists. His legs were shaking.
"Please," he begged.
"Thirteen."
Radiant Man's grip tightened.
Shannon's muffled scream sent a jolt of panic through Elius' veins.
"Twelve."
No. No, no, no, no, no—
"Eleven."
He was running out of time.
What should I do?
What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!
"Ten."
A sickening crack echoed.
Shannon's body convulsed.
No.
Elius' stomach churned. His legs gave out.
This was it.
This was where she died.
Unless—
Suddenly, in this time, in this dangerous moment.
Ding!
A glowing screen materialized before his eyes.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Immortal Cultivation System Uploaded
Would you like a tutorial?
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Elius' breath paused.
His panicked wide eyes reflected the glowing text hovering in front of him.
A system.
A cultivation system.
A chance!
His only chance.
Radiant Man's grip on Shannon tightened further.
Elius barely hesitated.
His hand shot forward—and he didn't hesitate to press "Yes."