When Nemo pried open the window, he immediately knew that there was no sign of life inside. Of course, there were no corpses either—just a locked, empty house where Bookstore Owner wasn't present.
Nemo recently discovered that his superpower perception could also detect corpses.
Compared to living people, a corpse felt like smoldering coal mixed with a large lump of hardened jelly. Nemo guessed that this sensation was related to the bacterial fermentation and decomposition of tissues inside the body, and the gradually losing moisture that made the bodily fluids thick and viscous.
While on a nighttime mission, Nemo happened to pass an apartment and felt the strong presence of a corpse. After approaching the window and confirming, he discovered it was a middle-aged man who had hanged himself. The time of death was likely no more than two days ago, and the air conditioner in the room had been running the entire time, so there was no noticeable stench. Nemo called 911 from a nearby public phone booth, leaving the aftermath to the professionals.
Detecting a corpse was a very unique experience—heavy, sticky, filthy, and taboo, all of which were unpleasant, especially when it was sensed in a place where no corpse should be. It was even more spine-chilling than encountering an actual ghost.
Although Nemo had never actually encountered a ghost before transmigrating, his workplace already felt haunted enough.
The second floor was Bookstore Owner's private living space, and the basement was a storage room for books. Nemo would rather search the second floor first to see if there were any secret rooms or hidden compartments.
Why was Hako’s daughter kept in isolation? Was it because the ability of the Compression Killer was particularly dangerous, forcing Bookstore Owner to keep a life-saving talisman in hand after offending him? Or was Hako’s daughter the most valuable? Was she a superpowered individual deliberately hidden by her father? Nemo pondered while searching.
He didn’t expect to find a map showing the location of a hostage. Instead, he was observing the living environment of this Kingdom delegate. Just as Nemo had crafted weapons and strategies tailored to his own superpowers, from his training methods to the types of enemies he chose, he prioritized conditions that allowed him to maximize his abilities. Even his retreat routes were an essential part of his plan. If Bookstore Owner was indeed a superpowered individual, his living environment would surely include designs that complemented his superpowers, enabling a frail old man to face stronger and more numerous enemies and still maintain an advantage in preparing to win.
Nemo inspected the desk arrangements. Every pencil was sharpened neatly and placed in a pencil holder. Interestingly, the letter opener was sharpened, and on the wall was possibly a WWII saber, its blade gleaming coldly and well-maintained.
There was also a deer head with sharp antlers hanging on the wall. Matthew would definitely dislike seeing this, so Nemo took a photo with his phone.
He discovered a hidden safe, but Nemo didn’t have lockpicking skills. He didn’t find any ledgers or cash elsewhere, so he assumed they might be inside the safe. Nemo had no interest in that part.
Downstairs, the sound of a door opening was heard, followed by the cautious sound of footsteps ascending the stairs.
Nemo didn’t hear the Bookstore Owner calling the police or contacting any help. This made things even more interesting—did the old man intend to face the intruder alone?
The superhero, in a ninja-like style, casually stood by the desk, waiting for the Pole to enter the study. The old man gasped dramatically, adjusted his reading glasses, and carefully examined the unexpected guest before saying, "You are... KS man? What do you want by breaking into my home?"
"There are so many powerful superheroes on the leaderboard, so why pay attention to a nobody like me, who mostly appears in Lone Star City's rumors? Could it be that you've done something guilty?" KS man joked.
"No! Of course, I pay special attention to local superhero information. What's so strange about that?" the Polish old man defended.
"You probably forgot that ever since the giant bloodsucking mosquitoes appeared, almost everyone in Lone Star City has installed outdoor surveillance cameras to make sure there are no bloodsuckers nearby before stepping outside. The number of official surveillance cameras has also at least tripled after they replaced the previously broken ones. In other words, as long as you pick the right spot, it's extremely difficult to commit a crime without being recorded."
This was also why Nemo preferred rooftop parkour—once he moved away from the usual ground-level pathways, it became much harder for surveillance cameras to capture him.
KS man tossed a stack of photos sealed in a ziplock bag at the Pole, who awkwardly bent down to pick them up, opening the bag with shaky fingers and looking through them one by one.
"An enthusiastic citizen reported to me through a forum about a kidnapper abducting a young Asian girl wearing red shoes. The details were very clear, and the person had an impressive memory, but after calling the police, they didn’t receive an Amber Alert. Suspecting an insider at the police station, they didn’t want to cause trouble and turned to superheroes for help. I checked all the surveillance footage in that area, and indeed, there was a child who matched the description being forcibly taken into a car. Although you weren’t the one doing it yourself, the kidnapper gave up your name and address." The situation wasn't that complicated—the daughter of Hako had been secretly sending location points until she was forced to change clothes at a motel and had all her belongings taken, including the implanted tracking chip under her scalp, which was later forcibly removed.
From Hako’s description, Red Plume, as the daughter of a murderer and a superpowered individual, is a very capable and calm child.
"This is a misunderstanding! You've been used by my enemies! He’s the Compression Killer from the North District! You’re also a superpowered individual, a superhero, so you know we can't reveal our identities easily! I haven’t done anything wrong! I just want to live quietly!" Bookstore Owner had already known that the subordinate responsible for the kidnapping had been captured and tortured by Hako, exposing the entire plot. N7 and W9 were already in open conflict, but Bookstore Owner had angered even more people. After completing his final job, he planned to disappear for good, no longer caring about anything related to the Kingdom's organization.
“You admit you’re a superpowered individual?” Nemo asked.
The old man reluctantly nodded.
“But you’re quite famous in local gangs. The ‘Kingdom delegate’ who’s efficient at collecting protection money, and you’ve made enemies with the Compression Killer. You can’t be a good person. A truly innocent superpowered individual would probably be crying out that they were targeted and turned into prey, not this story,” Nemo continued.
“You!” The Pole realized KS man was merely toying with him, and he growled in anger.
Bookstore Owner shouldn’t have let his emotions get the best of him so easily, but the youthful arrogance of his opponent deeply pricked the old man’s most vulnerable and self-conscious weakness.
The pencils in the holder silently floated half a centimeter. At the same time, KS man made an astonishing move.
He used his left palm to press down on all the pencils in the holder. The Bookstore Owner’s pupils narrowed. He hadn’t expected KS man to react so quickly. It was more likely that his superpower secret had already been leaked—who could have spilled the beans?
Nemo didn’t miss the moment of suspicion in the Pole’s eyes. This was good; the more Bookstore Owner distrusted his subordinates, the greater the opportunity for Nemo and others to exploit the opening.
"I have a theory on the conversion of power, 'Mr. Bookstore Owner,'" Nemo deliberately mentioned his Kingdom delegate code name.
“Do tell,” Bookstore Owner replied, slowing his voice and sounding cold as he tried to make up for his earlier lapse.
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“Different types of superpowers can, to some extent, interchange their attack effects. For example, a superpowered individual can destroy a car, but using a bomb or missile would achieve the same result.”
Nemo suddenly drew a pencil and shot it toward the Bookstore Owner’s eye. The Pole didn’t even try to dodge, and the pencil bent into two pieces in front of him before falling to the ground.
“Just as you can use telekinesis to control a pencil to attack me, I can also use throwing skills to launch the same object at you. According to classical physics, shortening the distance increases the strength, but telekinesis may not be as effective. Besides, in terms of dodging, I’m at a clear advantage due to my youth.”
After saying that, as predicted, Nemo continued to aim and throw pencils at the vital parts of Bookstore Owner’s face. His attacks were quick and ruthless, sometimes even launching two or three pencils at once, all of which were blocked by the old man.
Nemo wanted to determine whether his opponent could defend against a ranged attack with a full defense or if, like an anti-air missile, he had to focus his defense on a specific point. It seemed more likely the latter; complete defense was likely a specialty of someone like Hako, meaning the Pole would probably be vulnerable to machine gun or submachine gun fire in a saturation attack, unless he had an exceptionally powerful mind capable of locking onto each bullet in real-time.
However, a superpowered individual of that caliber likely wouldn’t have ended up being reduced to collecting protection money in the lower levels, especially after barely a month of running a shop in Lone Star City before being flipped.
After throwing all the pens and sharp objects on the desk, the pens scattered around the Pole’s feet, but other than the first one, the old man didn’t break any more pencils.
At that moment, all the weapons Nemo had thrown earlier simultaneously levitated and shot back at him. Nemo dodged the letter opener that came flying toward his chest, letting it pierce the window, the sound of glass shattering echoing through the room. At the same time, KS man retreated, yanked down the curtains, and unfurled them. Most of the pencils struck the curtains as they were unwound, but Nemo had a clear sense of the force behind each pencil.
Several sharp glass shards shot from the side toward KS man’s neck, while the saber on the wall lunged toward his back from another direction.
Nemo reached out and grabbed two of the glass shards, slightly tilting his head so the remaining shards hit the outside of his hood. The force from the shards was weaker than the pencils, and he hurled the glass shards toward the Pole’s eyes while changing his posture during the throw. The saber scraped against his back as it stabbed into the desk, the handle swaying slightly.
“This is the kind of force that can kill,” KS man said as he gripped the saber and pulled it out, claiming it for himself.
On the other side, Bookstore Owner also successfully blocked the glass shards, but KS man’s relentless attack aimed at his eyes still caused the old man to feel an uncontrollable fear. The primal human instinct of fearing the loss of sight made it impossible for him to concentrate on his opponent.
Then, KS man launched an attack like one from a fight video, holding the WWII saber and charging forward with murderous intent. The Polish old man quickly stepped back, raised both hands, palms up, as if preparing to assist with his force in a last-ditch move.
Nemo instantly felt a strange force enveloping his entire body. His feet immediately left the ground as the invisible power intensified and accelerated, hurling him toward the antlers on the wall. The moment his uniformed back touched the sharp tips, he let the energy that had been slowly circulating within him surge powerfully through his body, breaking free from the invisible force's grasp.
Using his free left hand, KS man grabbed a segment of the antler for leverage. With a backflip, one boot pressed against the wall, creating a balance point. In an instant, he bent his knee and knelt on the deer’s head, gaining more leverage. He positioned himself like a leopard crouching on a tree trunk, ready to pounce on any prey below.
No one knew better than Bookstore Owner how sturdy the wall decoration specimen that KS man was holding onto was. Worse still, KS man had discovered this secret himself—it was reinforced enough to withstand the weight of an adult male. The specially reinforced deer head actually had metal parts nailed into the wall, originally intended as a tool for piercing executions.
KS man didn’t give Bookstore Owner a chance to catch his breath. With a powerful push, he jumped into the air and swung his saber, causing the Pole to roll to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid the attack.
"So, you were holding back. Just as I thought," KS man said, standing at the door of the study, raising his left hand. A small, nearly imperceptible wet stain appeared on the outside of his forearm.
At this moment, their standing positions had completely reversed from the beginning. In his haste, the Polish old man was forced to brace himself against the desk, struggling to rise after the sudden roll.
"Did you fake that inhalation earlier to trick me into attacking? Do you know what I was about to do?" Bookstore Owner asked in disbelief.
"I heard the sound of a glass vial clinking in your inner pocket. A small bottle, not big enough to contain strong acids or bases. If it were poison, it would be hard for it to take effect quickly enough to deliver a lethal dose during a fight. If you wanted a sneak attack, you couldn’t afford any complicated movements. The bottle most likely contains anesthetics or sedatives, a secret weapon you carry to paralyze your enemies," KS man explained. "But short-acting anesthetics usually require intravenous injection to take effect quickly. Trying to use telekinesis to deliver such a substance to a moving target would be tricky. For instance, I wouldn't give you the time to load the syringe. Moreover, these types of anesthetics can't be exposed to air for long, so you wouldn't be carrying a pre-loaded syringe around every day."
"You really know a lot, young man," Bookstore Owner panted, gritting his teeth.
Nemo certainly wouldn't go out of his way to explain to his enemy. He also liked using chemical attacks, had done his homework, and planned to include them in his arsenal in the future.
"It’s been noted in crime statistics that the elderly and women tend to use poison to compensate for their physical weakness. You're getting a bit old, so you can’t blame me for being extra cautious. If it were me, I’d choose a benzodiazepine central nervous system depressant, absorbed through the stomach. Just a few drops can put someone to sleep within minutes. A small, lightweight liquid, just enough to incapacitate your enemy as soon as they open their mouth. Then, whether they fight or flee, all you have to do is delay, and you’ll have the upper hand."
"What exactly do you want from me? Do you really intend to kill me?" Bookstore Owner asked.
"Of course not. I just want you to tell me where the girl in the red shoes is. I despise criminals who harm women and children, but I’m not against making certain parts of their bodies lose function," KS man said lightly, twirling the tip of his saber as if he were digging into something. "An elegant and refined man like you, if you can’t see, even going to the restroom would require someone’s help. That must be terribly uncomfortable, right?"
Bookstore Owner's sense of tension eased slightly. It seemed that KS man still didn't know about the living gemstone and hostage trade; this superhero had only come after the little girl was kidnapped.
"Even though you can lift me with your telekinesis, you can’t control my movements in mid-air, nor can you take away the weapon in my hand. Are you tired? No, if you could do that, you should’ve subdued me from the start. So you can only move objects through telekinesis? You can’t move items controlled by other super-powered individuals," KS man said mercilessly, pointing out the weakness in Bookstore Owner's powers, causing him to lose his composure.
"You're testing me with a war of attrition?" The Pole admitted that he had underestimated this young superhero. Having lived to this age, people seeing his frail appearance would want to finish things quickly, but KS man had been holding back from the very first strike, conserving his strength and draining his energy while also blocking the real key attack.
The most frustrating thing was that this strategy had worked. Bookstore Owner was indeed starting to feel exhausted.
As a telekinesis-type superpowered individual, the Polish old man immediately realized that even tiny, transparent attacks like water droplets couldn't escape KS man's perception, indicating that this superhero also possessed exceptional sensory abilities. Just like the Bookstore Owner, who could not only move objects with his mind but also block projectiles aimed at him, it was the same principle.
"If you want to rescue that little girl in one piece, I suggest you put down my saber. I can have someone bring her to a neutral location in exchange for my safety," Bookstore Owner offered, changing his tone.
"I have no patience for wasted time. Bring the girl here now. Then, you can surrender, be handcuffed, and face judicial investigation—without losing your eyes or your remaining masculinity." KS man smoothly shifted the saber to his left hand and produced a black shuriken.
"No, you're just trying to scare me," Bookstore Owner said.
KS man didn’t waste any more words. The image of a white marble statue placed before a black backdrop appeared in his mind, and he threw the shuriken.
Bookstore Owner had thought he still had enough strength to block a few more strikes, but this attack was different from all the previous ones. The shuriken, carrying strange energy, cut through his telekinesis like a hot knife through butter, striking his left eye.
The Pole let out a scream, reaching to pull the shuriken out, but realized it had not only pierced his eyeball but also driven into his eyebrow bone. If he tried to forcefully remove it, he would likely rip out his entire left eye along with the nerve.
Bookstore Owner suddenly recalled the video where KS man had shown the shuriken piercing a marble statue. Why hadn’t he taken this seriously? Did he think the video wasn’t entirely real, perhaps enhanced with CGI? Or did he think that a superhero wouldn’t be capable of causing such powerful, cutting injuries to a living, nearly defenseless old man? Bookstore Owner fleetingly regretted his answer: half and half.
No more delays. The ruthless little brat! Bookstore Owner gripped the small vial in his hand as he got up and scattered its contents into the air. Dozens of drops of liquid shot toward KS man.
KS man quickly turned and dodged, letting the liquid hit his uniform as if it were a downpour. It was clear that Bookstore Owner’s powers had reached their limit. The window was suddenly pushed open, and the Polish elder, surprisingly nimble, flipped through the window, landing on the ground and escaping in a car.
"The operation was successful. I’ll return to headquarters immediately," Nemo told the golden-eyed man who had been monitoring the situation, reporting on his actions.