“How’s your voice modulator working?” The two superheroes shared gear insights, and Angie asked the question as if she were inquiring about a new designer mascara, while Nemo responded as if a guildmate were asking about a newly acquired purple gear piece.

Nemo demonstrated the modulator to Angie, the difference wasn’t that drastic from his usual voice. It was closer to a clear, cold teenage voice, still making it feel like two completely different people in terms of age and personality.

"I thought it would sound like a gruff, smoky-voiced older man," Angie said with a click of her tongue, praising it. "If I were still in high school, I might have fallen for it."

"Overdoing it can actually raise suspicions. Your voice modulator is intentionally designed with a neutral synthetic voice, like a virtual idol. It fits Salamander's non-human image. These details are all part of psychological tactics," Nemo explained. Rather than focusing on the equipment’s performance itself, designing these superhero gadgets to better showcase Matthew Grimm’s genius is something that can’t be thought up by a scientist who spends all day in the lab. It’s more the kind of trick that a smooth-talking playboy with years of social experience would pull off like a magician.

"It’s hard to imagine, if I hadn’t come to you guys for help back then, where would I be now? Locked up in some lab cage?" Angie sighed deeply.

"It’s all Matthew’s fault!" Nemo said bitterly. "I questioned him—since he wanted me to be a superhero, why did he keep dragging me into the media spotlight every few days? How could I hide my identity that way? He gave me some nonsense answer about how the most dangerous places are the safest. This way, he could train me openly, provide equipment, and cover my tracks."

"He didn’t lie, though. It’s just that his methods are a bit underhanded," Angie said, chewing on some beef jerky.

"Are you sure it’s just ‘a bit’?" Nemo asked skeptically.

Angie remembered the first battle video of Salamander’s debut and felt the mental demons rising again. She quickly corrected herself: "No, it’s ‘extremely’ underhanded. Matt’s such a jerk, secretly filming and uploading everything." Although the KS man training video was incredibly captivating and surprising to Angie—seeing her friend Nemo in action—it was a bit much to force someone into becoming a superhero without warning.

"I revealed my lizard form at the charity gala, and the next day, I became 'Salamandra.' I thought we were just shooting some stills of the hero costume, but Matt uploaded my debut video, where I actually swallowed the mosquito, to the superhero rankings without even greeting me!" Angie recalled. While this wasn’t the main reason for her breakup with Matthew Grimm, it certainly provided plenty of motive for murder.

"People like me, 'lone wolves,' are really dangerous. Even if you're a small-time hero with some fame, many people can still recognize you for doing good deeds. If you happen to fall unlucky and get hurt one day, certain government agencies or seemingly legitimate labs might detain you as a 'dangerous superpowered individual with an unidentifiable identity.' But all of that is nonsense! In reality, anyone suspected of even having a hint of superpower potential will be captured. The less attention you get, the worse the fate of superpowered individuals."

“After sedating the prey and extracting their blood, sperm, or eggs—that’s basic procedure. If there are any obvious signs of Fragments from their body, they take that too. When they lose their usefulness or the situation can no longer be hidden, they’ll even hand them over, claiming they discovered the victim had been hurt by some unidentified organization. They’ll wash their hands of everything.”

Angie picked up one of Nemo’s shurikens, cautiously drawing it across her still-healing scales, earning a disapproving look from Nemo.

KS quickly took back the weapon, knowing Salamander didn’t mind a little blood to confirm the sharpness of his weapons.

"If you're on the superhero leaderboard, those who try to capture and study superpowered individuals might hesitate, because these heroes can at least recognize each other. Even though most aren’t Grimm-sponsored heroes, they’re seen as potential allies who might reach out to the Grimm Group for help if things go bad. The public could also serve as witnesses to defend against attacks or abductions of superheroes."

Angie displayed a slightly reptilian smile, not quite human, as she merely parted her lips a little. "Mess with Matt, and no matter how deep you hide, he’ll find you like an oil exploration ship drilling for criminals."

"Extracting sperm and eggs?" Nemo grabbed his head.

"Don’t get your dandruff all over my floor!" Angie grabbed Nemo’s hands to stop his anxious movements. Though she complained, she gently rubbed his fingers in comfort. "Artificial breeding and breeding programs, or what else? Many people want to have their own kids! The scientists in the experimental area said the intelligence of those outside is pretty much limited to this level."

"Though there are many bottomless illegal underground labs, there are even more experimental teams operating in the gray area. They may not have a fixed base, so we call them ‘hyenas.’ These ‘hyenas’ know that kidnapping, murder, and many unethical human experiments are federal felonies. They’re more likely to get caught if the missing superheroes start getting investigated."

"So these ‘hyenas’ focus their efforts on obtaining the ‘identity information’ and ‘biological samples’ of superpowered individuals. Even if the victim is lucky enough to escape, without someone like Matt guarding them, they’re unlikely to break free from their grasp. ‘Hyenas’ surely have people on the inside. This is a highly profitable business beyond our imagination—drug trafficking and arms smuggling aren’t even a comparison."

"Even though you’re only telling me this now, I’m not surprised at all. Human trafficking is one of the oldest industries in the world. Even if they only get parts, they’re fine with it," Nemo said after hearing Angie’s share, his determination to grow stronger even more resolute.

It wasn’t just for self-preservation; it was because his partner wasn’t just special in abilities, brave in battle, but also a beautiful woman. One slight mistake, and Angie could be dragged into hell. She didn’t have the luxury of Nemo being tortured into amnesia; instead, she would be the high-class commodity, hidden and carefully controlled, with the intent to prolong the suffering for as long as possible.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"And if superpowered villains get involved, it’ll be even easier for the ‘Hyenas’ to succeed. They can even set up shop in legitimate organizations," Angie said, getting a little irritated by the end. "Superheroes don’t die from sperm and egg harvesting, but the consequences are obvious and horrible. For female superpowered individuals, it’s even worse—they could be seen as nothing more than breeding vessels. Stealing eggs and sperm is essentially sexual assault. Female heroes often can’t become heroes again, and they end up hating humanity. Some even turn into villains after an explosive emotional breakdown, going on a killing spree to revenge the world."

"I know there are few female heroes on the leaderboard. It’s not that male heroes are stronger or that it’s easier for them to awaken powers, but female heroes have a much harder time surviving during the awakening stage. Afterward, they’re more likely to be kidnapped," Nemo said gravely.

"That’s why Matt pushed us onto the superhero leaderboard so fast. It’s like confirming our identity or something. Even though becoming a superhero comes with risks and responsibilities, it’s still different from just being an undecided superpowered person," Angie said, though she was talking about the chilling topic, she also took a pen and started making a menu for Nemo to cook.

"Why didn’t Matthew just explain all this before uploading the KS footage?" Nemo added, not wanting to end up with a ninja child calling him ‘Dad’ ten years from now.

"You’d still try to negotiate with him, but Matt will never give in. He probably finds your reactions amusing. Even if you’re angry, considering how much he’s helped you and the safety factors involved, you won’t really hold it against him," Although their relationship was brief, Angie, after all, is Matthew's ex-girlfriend and knows his flaws to a certain extent. Angie also understands Nemo's porcupine-like temper even more—he may hurt you with his sharpness, but his belly is actually quite soft.

Nemo didn’t want to admit it, but Angie hit the nail on the head. "The evil capitalist!"

"It’s just like when he kissed me without warning. He knew I’d go along with it. Politically incorrect, sure, but tactically perfect," Angie pouted.

"You should’ve kicked him in the crotch."

"I still want to stay in the fashion industry, okay? Sir, unlike you, I don’t have 'balls.' Besides, I was raised on Taiwanese romance novels—when you meet a handsome CEO, you’ve got to live out those childhood dreams, or you’ll regret it forever."

The last line was so compelling that Nemo could only agree. Also, when Angie mentioned "balls" and suddenly switched to English, was she making a double entendre to tease him?

The two then discussed the rock walls in the training videos. Angie was shocked to learn that this was part of the Grimm Group’s entrance test for superheroes—too easy! Nemo shared Matthew’s explanation: The number of superpowered individuals was far higher than they had expected, with a wide and varied range of abilities, which was why even a rock wall could eliminate 90% of the applicants.

"They’re insane! They casually exposed their powers to the Grimm Group. I was terrified I’d get caught and turned into some experiment. I even gave up the chance to be on the cover of an international magazine, letting some bitch who’s been spreading rumors about me take it instead. I just pretended to be sick and took the day off!" Angie, a strong advocate of "safety first," couldn’t understand the mindset of those desperate to gain fame or make money using their superpowers.

"On the bright side, at least they first sought support from the most well-known pro-superhero faction, the Grimm Group. Matthew is still a relatively righteous benefactor, but there’s probably a lot of people who were rejected but haven’t given up, looking for other groups or individual sponsors. The risks are hard to predict," Nemo said.

"Matt’s suggestion to 'go back and be an ordinary person' was also a psychological test. Who says pretending to be an ordinary person is safe? For example, if I’m walking down a runway and someone plants a bomb that explodes—of course, I’d have to transform to save my life, and then my normal identity would be exposed," Angie said.

After much contemplation, she shared her thoughts."If the best opportunity to develop one's abilities is missed, with resources already allocated to other superhumans and the body past its prime for building strength to sustain the toll of superpowers, suddenly discovering one has superpowers could lead to all kinds of misfortune. At that point, wanting to resist but lacking the strength to do so would likely result in a tragedy so agonizing it could drive someone insane."

"Fight or flight is just the natural response when encountering danger. There’s no one right answer; the key is knowing which one you can do well," Nemo said, placing two Ryukyu Sai on the coffee table and tapping them once with his fingers on each side. "Surviving is proof that you did well. Winning but getting hurt doesn’t mean you’ll survive the next wave of attacks. Usually, if you hide well, it doesn’t mean you can abandon your kids and continue hiding. Some animals, like certain birds, have parents who can’t fight but step forward to distract the attackers. But if a superpowered individual starts out trying to be a hero, they might not even have the chance to reproduce before they die fighting."

"There's no way to avoid bad luck, no matter what you choose. Do you think it makes sense for me to have my uterus removed—or maybe even my ovaries? I don’t want kids. At least this way, I won’t have nightmares about being forced into pregnancy in the middle of the night," Angie said.

"As long as you've thought it through, I support you. But like you said, it's the eggs and sperm that the Hyenas are after. Removing your ovaries would have a huge impact on a woman’s body. This isn't just about whether you can have children; I'm worried it could cause long-term health issues. You’re still young, your superpowers are just beginning to develop, and your physical condition isn't even on the level of an average athlete. The effects could be devastating," Nemo bluntly stated his concerns.

"I knew you'd say that. Looks like just removing the uterus wouldn't really help, at most I’d just stop getting my period."

"I think you should Google it. It’s not that simple. There are also risks like urinary incontinence and other physical and psychological problems. After all, it's a part of your body. If you don't care about it now, you'll regret it later once you lose it. I want you to think it through," Nemo said, already looking up information online as soon as Angie spoke.

"Ugh... being a woman is so troublesome! What would you choose if you were me? If you had the chance to live as an ordinary Chinese restaurant chef, would you prefer that?"

"Choose based on my interests, then just get through life with luck and hard work."

"Your interest is being a superhero?" Angie teased as she poked Nemo’s cheek.

"No, it’s fighting for independence. Superpowers and experience would definitely help. I’ve already got Matthew’s approval, he won’t stop me," Nemo turned to her with a smile that was tinged with a murderous aura, his gaze shifting over Angie towards the distant, illusory battlefield of a small island nation.

Angie understood, and a bloodthirsty smile spread across her face.

"Let’s hope we both survive each day," she said, squeezing Nemo’s hand. He tightly returned the gesture.

"...I really need to take off this uniform right now. Even though you have air conditioning, I still feel like I’m about to kill someone."

"This is the advantage of being a male hero— the more you cover, the higher your cool factor. For ordinary people to be handsome, they either show their face or their body. If you have both, you're the ultimate. If not, at least a nice butt will do." Angie sighed in regret, "Matthew Grimm’s only flaw is being the king of the military-industrial complex and the world’s richest man. If he were just a mere celebrity or a movie screenwriter, I’d just kidnap him and have fun with him—even if I had to break the law."

"Sorry, I want none of that. Aside from training and fighting, I just want to wear a tank top and shorts, play games, or relax on the internet," Nemo was honest about his desires.

Angie gave him a look of exasperation, as if saying, This is the eternal gap between supermodels and nerds.