The Shattered Barrier and a New Awakening

Saint Lily meticulously set up the barrier, sealing off Xinyuan Residential Area and all regions affected by the calamity beast’s energy waves. This ensured the disaster level would cease to escalate.

She frowned slightly. Calamity beasts indeed possessed the ability to evolve, and it wasn’t even difficult. They could achieve this simply by absorbing human emotions like fear and terror.

Thus, the evacuation of the populace and the immediate sealing of the area were of paramount importance.

However, for an F-rank calamity beast to have the potential for advancement while under siege by numerous security officers seemed utterly illogical.

This clearly defied common sense, suggesting the possibility of human manipulation.

“Is it the Villain Alliance again?”

As she pondered, Saint Lily’s expression tightened. She could sense a colossal surge of energy suddenly erupting within the barrier.

“!!!”

Her barrier shattered… in an instant?!

“Hyacinth, White Rose, what’s happening on your end? Respond if you hear me!”

A soft crackle filled the air.

The woman in black, who had been observing for a long time, let out a soft chuckle. Her gaze, deep and profound, drifted towards a specific spot, away from the frantic, helpless young girl below.

“So you’ve finally appeared, my little darling~ This overwhelming, absolute power… your big sister has been waiting for so long. Your big sister is coming to see you now~”

Leaping down from her elevated position, she too was about to enter the fray.

****

Su Mu rubbed his eyes, astonished that after closing them, he had been granted the chance to open them once more.

Yet, the place before him was utterly pristine, a sanctuary of pure white stretching as far as the eye could see.

“This isn’t reality. Could it be Heaven?”

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, his expression etched with helplessness.

“So Heaven really exists… Hmm? My voice…”

A girl’s voice escaped his lips. Su Mu instinctively covered his mouth, observing his small, smooth, and fair hand. While his own hands hadn’t been dark, they had never been this delicate, always bearing a fair share of calluses.

“……”

“Ah~ So I’ve successfully transformed?”

Su Mu, or rather, Su Mo, found herself unable to comprehend the reason behind it.

Before losing consciousness…

“It couldn’t possibly be because I wanted to set off fireworks, could it~”

Shaking her head, she chuckled wryly. Regardless, the transformation had succeeded. She could feel her small frame now imbued with a power that allowed her to accomplish anything she desired.

It was truly wondrous.

“Alright, whoever’s in here, come out.” Su Mo declared. To assert her authority, she rummaged through her pocket, pulling out a pair of disposable chopsticks and brandishing them menacingly. “Otherwise, I won’t be so polite!”

“W-wait… I-I’ll come out now…”

The timid voice echoed. In the space before Su Mo, a sphere of light gradually coalesced, bit by bit.

Eventually, a tiny, winged sprite materialized before her.

“Hello, Host. I am the Savior System V1.0.32…”

“A system?”

“That’s right. A very, very long time ago, I bound myself to you, my Host, for the purpose of saving this world that teeters on the brink of collapse!”

“However, upon arriving in this world, I completely ran out of energy. I was forced to enter hibernation mode, unable to activate until I absorbed sufficient energy.”

“Where did you get this energy you absorbed?” Su Mo asked, observing the sprite calmly, despite its undeniable cuteness.

“In hibernation mode, I couldn’t absorb energy from the outside world independently. Therefore, the energy primarily came from you, my Host. You are indeed worthy of being the chosen Savior, having reawakened me in just ten years.”

“Is that so? Is that so? And will this energy absorption affect my ability awakening?”

“That, of course, has…”

The plastic wrapper of the disposable chopsticks was torn open with a ‘chhhk~’ and tossed aside. Su Mo watched the sprite impassively as she snapped the chopsticks apart.

“Host, what’s wrong? Please don’t be like this, I… I’m scared…”

“Don’t be scared! You look delicious~”

“Host, I’m not delicious, truly.”

“I don’t care what you think, I care what *I* think!”

“Ten years! Do you have any idea how I spent those ten damn years?!” The white-haired loli, radiating a fierce yet childish aura, advanced on the little sprite.

“W-wait, Host! Host, please wait! There’s a reason for all of this!”

“?” Su Mo halted.

“The villain list was announced ten years ago!” the little sprite cried out. “I absorbed some energy to prevent the Host from being captured, just as a convenient side effect. This energy absorption only temporarily delayed your awakening; it wouldn’t affect your normal life.”

“……” ‘Wouldn’t affect’ my ass! Because I couldn’t awaken, I…

Years of bitterness caught in Su Mo’s throat, unable to be voiced.

After all, what the sprite said wasn’t entirely wrong. Had she awakened back then, her situation might have been even worse than it was now.

Her experiences over the past few days had made it clear: explanations or polite conversation weren’t the norm. Meeting someone and immediately unleashing an attack was the standard mode of communication.

“Continue.”

“Furthermore, delaying your awakening actually has benefits.” The little sprite’s form shifted, transforming into a teacher’s outfit. She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, picked up a pointer, and tapped the small blackboard that had materialized alongside her new attire.

“While superpowers are incredibly diverse, encompassing all types, their use is merely a matter of different forms of energy release.”

“Consider a complete circuit: it has a switch, wires, and a power source. If you connect a light bulb, it illuminates. But if you connect a hairdryer, a television, a computer, or any other type of appliance, it will display a different effect.”

The little sprite observed Su Mo, who appeared deep in thought, and continued, “Aside from these varying external manifestations, every superpower user is largely similar in their overall internal structure.”

“I think I largely understand. It’s about energy supply and usage. So your delayed awakening benefits the energy supply aspect?” Su Mo inquired.

“Host, how do you think energy is transported within the body?”

“Blood vessels? Meridians?”

“Precisely!”

“Energy transmission doesn’t manifest from nothing; rather, it attaches to existing forms and utilizes them.”

“During the period before awakening, as energy is absorbed into the body, it searches for and modifies suitable meridians to serve as energy pathways.”

“Once awakening is successful, the energy will no longer modify other meridians into transferable energy pathways. Instead, it will directly operate according to the already established energy pathways, functioning autonomously. There’s no need to overthink the principles; simply flip the switch and release it.”

“Foolproof operation.”

“Simple to operate, but with limited versatility.”

“Each ability possesses an exclusive pathway that becomes fixed upon awakening. This is why most superpower users in the world can only utilize abilities from a single system. If you wield fire, you can transform it into a fire dragon or a firebird, but you won’t suddenly gain the ability to foresee the future.”

“Of course, some individuals are exceptionally gifted and might awaken dual-system superpowers. However, their energy meridians would likely have a high degree of overlap, typically manifesting as dual elemental systems, such as ice and fire.”

“So, that means I…” Su Mo understood, pointing to herself.

“Because you remained unawakened, over these past ten years, the absorbed energy within your body has already traversed every potential pathway for successful release.”

“Your energy pathways now permeate your entire body.”

“You possess an unparalleled versatility, one that others can only dream of. As long as you can conceive it, it will become reality!”

The little sprite respectfully placed a hand over her chest and bowed deeply to Su Mo.

“Esteemed Savior, please, I implore you to rescue this world that is steadily collapsing!”

“……”

“No thanks, I won’t.”

Su Mo flashed a wide smile, then simply tore open the space before her and walked straight out.

“Let whoever wants to deal with this troublesome business do it! With superpowers, all I want is to find happiness~”

“Eh? Eh! Wait! Savior-sama, please don’t abandon me!!!”