Fenris had no intention of becoming a beacon of light in this world. On the contrary, he found it very fitting for someone like him, because he was no saint either. Being a good person often meant laying down your weapons and waiting to be butchered.
It took 81 tribulations for a good person to become a Buddha, but a bad person only needed to "lay down the butcher's knife."
He didn't want to live in grievance or hear apologies from anyone in any form. If he wanted something, he would fight for it himself instead of waiting for someone else to plan his life.
In this world, all superhumans were created using a serum called Compound V, developed and controlled by Vought International. The abilities granted varied greatly from person to person.
Vought was a massive multinational corporation spanning pharmaceuticals, security, scientific research, food, and more. It had enormous assets and influence.
They had countless superheroes under their brand, the most powerful and popular being the leader of The Seven, Homelander.
The Seven consisted of Homelander, Queen Maeve, A-Train, Black Noir, Translucent, The Deep, and Starlight.
Fenris already had an idea on how to collect their powers.
———
Manhattan, Vought International Headquarters
Queen Maeve stepped outside the building with a composed face, instantly switching into a radiant, heroic smile full of confidence.
"It's Queen Maeve!"
"Queen Maeve! Queen Maeve! Queen Maeve!"
"You're the best, Maeve!"
"I love you, Queen Maeve! I'll support you forever!"
The sound of camera shutters echoed from all around as blinding flashes filled the air. Queen Maeve kept her dazzling smile intact.
She struck a few practiced poses, waved apologetically at fans begging for her autograph, then quickly headed to a nearby Hummer in a reserved parking spot.
It was a vehicle she endorsed.
Her contract required her to drive or ride in this custom Hummer bearing "Queen Maeve" branding whenever she appeared in public.
She got in and shut the door.
As she turned to grab her casual clothes from the back seat, her eyes widened in shock. A stranger was sitting there.
"How the hell did you get in here? Get out! You're dirtying my car!" she shouted furiously and reached out to drag him out.
But the moment she extended her arm, the man caught her wrist.
"You dare fight back? I'm Queen Maeve!" she yelled and grabbed his wrist in return, unleashing her strength.
But he didn't move an inch.
Maeve froze. She instinctively tried again with more power, but still couldn't budge him.
Gritting her teeth, she used all her strength. Her arm muscles tensed and bulged, her flawless features twisted in fury.
It was all useless.
The young man before her felt like an immovable mountain, filling her with a crushing sense of helplessness.
Queen Maeve stared at the cocky, smirking man. Judging purely by strength, he might even be stronger than Homelander.
Jessica Jones's super strength combined with the Super Soldier Serum had pushed Fenris's physical abilities close to their peak. He might not completely overpower Maeve, but he could definitely match her without breaking a sweat.
And just now, Maeve's attempt to attack had triggered a system drop.
Coincidentally, it was also super strength.
So at this point, Fenris's raw power might genuinely surpass Homelander's.
Maeve released him and glared furiously. "Who the hell are you?"
"The world is such a beautiful place, yet you're so angry. That's not good. Not good at all."
"Beautiful?" Maeve sneered. Only fools who didn't know the truth thought this world was beautiful.
"Drive. Let's go somewhere quieter," Fenris said casually as he leaned back and closed his eyes to rest.
"Why should I?" she snapped.
"Because of that little secret you've been hiding, the one you're scared to death he'll find out," Fenris replied calmly, shooting her a glance that made her freeze in panic.
He closed his eyes again, treating her like nothing more than a chauffeur.
Looking at his arrogant, self-assured posture, Maeve wanted nothing more than to punch that smug face.
But she didn't dare. Not yet.
Vroom!
The Hummer roared like an enraged beast as it launched forward and sped down the street.
Half an hour later, the Hummer rolled into an abandoned factory.
Maeve turned toward him and snarled, "Get out."
But then she noticed something strange. He was gone.
Gone?
Where did he go?
Maeve's first thought was panic. She immediately assumed Homelander had gotten him.
Homelander's super-hearing could pick up even the faintest whispers from far away. Their earlier conversation might have been overheard.
Why jump to Homelander?
Because the "certain someone" she feared discovering her secret was Homelander himself.
To the public, they were close allies, even once briefly promoted as a couple. But Maeve knew his true nature. If someone like him found out that secret, he would never–
Knock knock knock!
A sudden knock on the window made Maeve jump in fright. She forced a stiff smile and turned toward the window.
It wasn't Homelander.
It wasn't him!
Relief flooded her, followed by a surge of anger at herself for overthinking and panicking like an idiot.
Embarrassed and furious, she flung open the door, stormed out, and threw a punch at Fenris's smirking face.
Ding!
"Combat detected. Drop reward: Super Defense (Queen Maeve)."
Queen Maeve was essentially a weaker version of Wonder Woman. Like Jessica Jones and the Super Soldiers, her powers centered on physical enhancements. She didn't have any flashy abilities.
However, her defensive capabilities, especially against piercing and cutting attacks, far surpassed Jessica Jones. Jessica couldn't take bullets head-on the way Maeve could.
As her punch flew toward him, Fenris's grin only grew wider.
He didn't dodge or block. He simply looked into her furious eyes and said a name.
"Elena."
Her punch froze mid-air.
Fenris gently pushed her fist aside, then raised his other hand and slowly balled it into a fist.
He tapped it lightly against her dark gray chest armor.
Boom!
Queen Maeve shot backward like a cannonball, crashing into a wall dozens of meters away.
The wall cracked from the impact, and dust filled the air.