On the Meteor Shower Watchers Forum’s superhero leaderboard, the dedicated message board for the new hero "KS man" was ablaze with all sorts of new comments.

True Sight: "That statue's neck must’ve been pre-cut. A kunai is one thing, but a shuriken so thin can penetrate that deep? It must be a hollow plaster statue or styrofoam!"

Braid Girl: "You’re dumb. The way the head shattered when it hit the ground tells you it was stone! Also, with so many AI-faked videos online, how many of them are more absurd than this one? Do those idol groups make it to the leaderboard? 'Meteor Shower Watchers' have a much deeper background. Unlike the chaotic situation in the early days of the forum, they are now much more skilled at verifying and only allowing true superpowered heroes to be included in the Global Ranking of Superheroes."

Crazy Doctor Asian: "Looking at the quality of the gear, it’s obvious KS was discovered and trained by sponsors before his codename was revealed. They wouldn’t invest so much unless they verified he’s the real deal. But what does KS stand for?"

Gaming Freak: "Kill Steal, maybe? No explanation for the abbreviation, but from the video, he looks like a ninja or an assassin. KS could be Japanese; the weapons he uses are all Japanese."

Floaty Angler: "For the one above, at least we can rule out KS being Chinese!"

Crazy Doctor Asian: "Floaty Angler is over-simplifying. Anti-Japanese is a matter of survival, while pro-Japanese is driven by a preference. One cannot have deep affection without quirks. Don't confuse the two!"

Floaty Angler: "I bet KS stands for KISS! Haha!"

King Arthur: "What are you doing here?! There’s no way a male hero would pick such a codename!"

My Gender is Leviathan: "The leaderboard doesn’t show gender, so you can’t just assume it’s a man because of no breasts!"

Crazy Doctor Asian: "As a doctor, based on shoulder width ratio and hip-waist features, it's definitely a man. Besides, the codename already says 'Man.'"

Braid Girl: "Exactly! There are already cross-dressing heroes with 'Lady' in their codename, so who cares if it’s a man? Whatever they like!"

Floaty Angler: "That said, why does KS bundle up so tightly? It’s weird."

Braid Girl: "Did you forget the lessons from bloodsucking mosquitoes and kaiju blood-seawater? Plus, heroes reveal a lot in battle! Do you think Batman or Superman’s capes actually cover anything?"

I Love Heroes With All My Heart: "True! The more fabric, the better the tear!"

Floaty Angler: "The guy above sounds suspiciously like a villain! But I like it!"

Crazy Doctor Asian: "I don’t care anymore, I’m voting to show some support! Let’s push for an Asian hero!"

大大 with Two Points: "His lower face looks so clean and white, with a delicate chin and small, slightly upturned lips. He looks so kissable! I’ve already planned which hero I’m going to pair him with for some fanfic, just waiting for the link!"

This comment quickly garnered dozens of similar requests.

"Please send me the link when the fanfic is done! Thanks!" "Please +1" "Please +17..."

Nemo couldn’t stand it. The mental contamination he dreaded had finally caught up with him. Who was the pervert that managed to screenshot the lower half of his face during that brief close-up moment? Although it didn’t stand out among the countless Chinese faces and his jaw wasn’t particularly sharp or angular, Nemo still felt a bit uneasy, especially since he had appeared on television several times.

Luckily, he knew from past forum experiences that fan filters were even stronger than clairvoyant eyes. He had seen news stories where actors, standing under their own movie posters, went unrecognized. This made him realize how big a blind spot the public had. In fact, when facing strangers, he didn’t have to worry too much about his identity being exposed from just a brief glimpse of his lower face.

Just as Nemo entered the door, his roommate had already spoiled it. The shock was too much to handle. Later, when he regained some energy, he would have to tie Tolya to the bathroom rack and interrogate him on how he had figured it out.

Nemo tossed his phone onto the table without even looking at it and flopped backward onto the couch, covering his face with both hands. He almost ended up sitting on Tolya’s stomach, delivering a weighty attack, but fortunately, the Russian quickly shifted to avoid it.

"You've always had a hard time coming up with excuses for me, right? Don’t worry, from now on, I’ll help you keep your secrets." Tolya said, his face full of a mischievous "I’m going to get back at you" grin.

The Russian began searching for keywords related to "KS man," finding more gossip threads and fan art, reading them aloud with glee. Nemo threw himself at Tolya, attempting to seize control once more, but Tolya easily flipped him onto the couch. Even Tolya was a little surprised.

"Why are you so weak? Did you burn out after using your big move?"

"..."

Tolya had hit the nail on the head.

"Did you oversleep again at the Grimm Tower?" Tolya scrutinized the tired features of the curly-haired youth.

Nemo was in the same condition as when he returned from Matthew’s office after the incident at the Carnation Community—exhausted and disconnected for a day—but this time, it had taken even longer.

"I’ve only just awakened and am still unstable. Using my powers always comes at a cost. Right now, I get so tired that I fall asleep, and the more severe consequences are still unclear. I was just training my physical abilities and basic combat skills at Matthew’s place, plus reading professional materials on combat that might help." Nemo thought for a moment and then shared the key details with his roommate.

Tolya’s playful grin faded. He pressed his palm against Nemo’s chest where he had been shot, his tone suddenly serious. "If you hadn’t had superpowers at that time, would you have..."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Yeah." Nemo didn’t explain that it was Angie’s powers, not his own, but he had indeed sensed the bullet approaching. To protect Matthew, he changed his movements. Otherwise, the armor-piercing round would have likely just grazed past him or pierced through him and Matthew elsewhere. It was clear that the assassin had precisely predicted his thoughts and actions.

"Dammit!" Tolya swore, his frustration clear.

The two of them weren’t in the mood for any more banter. Nemo pushed him aside and sat up, a cloud of gloom settling over his brow once again.

"I might have to leave often for missions and intense training over the next while, but I promise I won’t move out. I’ll still come back to sleep here unless something unexpected happens, so the rules stay the same. But you need to promise me you’ll get into Lone Star City's school." Since his identity had been exposed, Nemo decided to just lay it all out.

"Nemo, I’ve always said Lone Star City needs its own hero, but being a hero isn’t a job for humans! It’s dangerous—you’ll die!" Tolya had no intention of letting Nemo go down the path of becoming a superhero.

"Go to hell! Have you ever won an argument against me about superheroes? Don’t pretend like I don’t know! But being ‘just a superpowered person’ is even worse—I die faster. I don’t want to be locked in an electric cage or cut into pieces and put in a glass jar! At least the Grimm Group has proven they see me as a person!" Nemo was fed up, recalling all the awful stories he’d heard from Matthew about superpowered people being targeted, and now the same injustices were rising in his own mind.

"Yeah! Being a hero is great! The costume looks good, and the weapons are cool!" Tolya hugged the furious Nemo to keep him from punching the table, worried he might lose control of his strength and hurt himself. He genuinely thought this world was fucked-up.

"Let me ask you again—is Matthew Grimm in charge of you?" Once Nemo had calmed down, Tolya let go and allowed him to sit back on the couch.

"No, he says I’m free. He’s just my sponsor and protector, because a good friend of his asked him to help me. So he’s been guiding me to adjust to the hero role. Being an ordinary person limits my ability to train my powers. The only solution is to get stronger and find companions for self-protection. Becoming a hero was my own decision. There are people I want to help." Nemo added with deep resentment, "But I thought Matthew would consult me first. I wanted to build up some combat experience, then we’d come to an agreement and choose the right time to reveal my codename! Gan! GANGANGANGANGAN!"

Nemo cursed loudly, out of breath. Tolya, ever thoughtful, retrieved a can of peach beer from the fridge and opened a bag of Nemo’s favorite chips, carefully placing the offerings in front of his angry friend.

"So, how do you plan to handle practical combat?" Now was the time to probe, and Tolya softened his tone to continue comforting his friend.

"I don’t fight battles I’m not confident in. I’ll start by cleaning up small-time crooks, like the ones who rob our restaurant. As for the specific targets I want to take down, they’ll be weaker ones." Nemo was always careful when dealing with new game versions, making sure not to miss any low-level enemies or beginner quests that helped him build experience.

"But they might have guns."

"Dealing with ordinary criminals, the most common threat is bullets, especially in a country where guns are rampant. Fortunately, handguns don’t have the upper hand in close combat. And you’ve seen my dart-throwing skills. The uniform’s all bulletproof, so don’t worry, alright?" Nemo gulped down half the can of fruit beer, which had a low alcohol content and tasted almost like fruit juice. Tolya never drank it, but it was Nemo’s go-to summer drink.

"Can I study your uniform?" Tolya couldn’t resist, his curiosity piqued.

"No way, that’s a commercial secret." Nemo responded firmly. The technical value behind the uniform involved a series of zeros that Tolya’s ten fingers couldn’t count. If Tolya’s fingerprints or fibers were found on it and Matthew noticed, even if they both knew Tolya didn’t have bad intentions, it would be a problem. Matthew had a habit of finding ways to mess with Nemo, and he was a bloody example of how ruthless Matthew could be.

As for why Matthew would sabotage Tolya? That's hard to say. Just the fact that Tolya is Nemo's roommate alone provides endless opportunities for manipulation. The last time, Tolya secretly drove to New Orleans to search for his missing gang friends, narrowly stumbling into a bloodsucking mosquito breeding ground, and then helped survivors to the hospital. Matthew had been fully aware of that sequence of events. If Nemo wanted to get Tolya’s medical records to show a limp, it was Matthew who gave him the idea and the practical assistance.

"Can I at least look at your weapons? I’ll clean them for you, promise no fingerprints! Please! Every boy’s dream—superpowers and weapons!"

"You’re Russian, where does the superhero dream come from? Your superheroes are your president. At best, you can just worship Ded Moroz!"

"That’s racial and national discrimination! Since coming to America, I’ve watched tons of comics, cartoons, and movies! There’s even a Soviet version of Superman! I like superheroes, and it’s not illegal!" Tolya, in the purest spirit of discussing American comics, was convinced that he might know more about them than Nemo. Taiwanese people tended to prefer Japanese manga.

"Forget it, like whatever you like, it’s none of my business."

"Why only use cold weapons? Doesn’t carrying a gun work? The Grimm Group has plenty of them." Tolya’s attention was still fixed on Nemo, who was standing there right in front of him as a living superhero.

"I don’t really want to use guns. It’s more memorable for bad guys if you cut off certain non-lethal parts. And stitching them up later won’t cause much impact. If there’s a gunfight, I’ll just grab a weapon from the scene if needed." Nemo had enough weight to carry already—the suit itself has drained more than half of his patience.

There might be a condition similar to road rage, just called the "superhero costume-induced rage syndrome" when you're forced into a hero suit. It explained why some heroes’ personalities drastically changed once they adopted their alter egos.

"Nemo, what you just said was a terrifying statement I’ll never forget. By the way, don’t pick up random guns at the scene; some crappy ones can jam or even explode," Tolya said, sounding like he had plenty of experience.

"It’s fine, I can tell if a gun’s well-maintained. I only pick up the good ones." Nemo’s instinct from his weapons training kicked in—he was picky about guns.

"So can I borrow your weapons? Please!" The large Russian wasn’t cute when he tried to act charming.

Nemo, thoroughly annoyed, pulled out a set of Ryukyu Sai and ninja tools, placing them on the table. He laid it all out clearly: "No photos. Don’t ask questions. Don’t talk about any details to anyone. Don’t secretly follow me. You know the first ones to die aren’t the superheroes, but their friends and family."

"Totally get it, sir! I am a qualified ordinary person and also your loyal friend, my biggest contribution is not causing you trouble."

While Tolya was still entranced by the allure of the Ryukyu Sai and ninja tools, Nemo grabbed his gear bag with one hand and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him as he immediately dialed Matthew’s number to settle the score.

"Hello?"

"Matthew Grimm!!! You, I...!" As soon as Nemo heard Matthew’s friendly and innocent voice, his blood pressure skyrocketed, and he was too enraged to speak, wanting nothing more than to pin the wealthy man to the wall with a weapon of Matthew’s own making.

And Matthew wanted him to just rest and not use the internet? The military-industrial tycoon was trying to delay things with that excuse?

Nemo realized that the gear test had already been planned. Matthew set a trap for him, and he just walked right into it.

"I know you’re upset, calm down! It’s already out in the open, just accept it!" Matthew’s voice was gentle, almost like a hostage negotiator entering a crime scene. But everyone knew who the real people-relationship terrorist was.

"I want to strangle you!"

"Okay, baby, I’m waiting for you in bed. You can come however you want."

Matthew didn’t want to have a serious conversation with Nemo about his rise up the superhero ranks. As he said, the deed was done, and there was no turning back.

Nemo didn’t know what to do anymore. Could he scream and shout like a child? He already did that in the living room.

Everything felt like an explosion, chaotic and messy.

Nemo was frustrated. He threw the secure phone against the wall, but unfortunately, it was a communication device designed for superheroes, with the most advanced, top-tier shockproof casing—no scratches appeared on it at all.

Matthew had given him this secure phone from the start. It was clear he had planned everything ahead of time.

The curly-haired youth flopped face down on the bed, wanting to kill that version of himself who had been so careless about Matthew’s childhood stories.