Chapter 1: Superpower

"The Central Meteorological Observatory has issued a red warning for torrential rain. Severe flooding has already occurred in low-lying areas east of Yicheng, and rainfall is expected to intensify over the next six hours, potentially reaching extreme torrential levels in some areas."

"Relevant units are urged to immediately activate their emergency response mechanisms. Citizens are advised to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary."

"We interrupt with an urgent news bulletin: The 'Poker Serial Killings' case, which has plagued the city for months, remains unsolved, and the suspect is still at large. Police remind the public to remain vigilant, prioritize personal safety, and avoid walking alone at night. If you encounter suspicious individuals or unusual circumstances, remain motionless on the spot and call the emergency number immediately."

When Xie Sheng returned home, his father was sitting on the sofa watching television.

The living room was pitch-dark, with no lights on. Only the crimson glow of the TV screen cast a flickering light on the man's face, like blood swirling in water.

Boom!

Thunder exploded outside the window.

Xie Sheng shook the umbrella in his hand, raindrops still dripping from it.

The sudden downpour had caught him off guard. He had borrowed an umbrella from a classmate to leave campus.

But the wind was fierce, and Xie Sheng's clothes were soaked through. Strands of hair clung to his forehead, obscuring his already indifferent light gray-green eyes.

His father's voice came from the living room: "Why do the police tell you to stay put when they find something unusual?"

Xie Sheng propped his umbrella against the shoe cabinet and replied casually, "To write my will and wait for death."

His father: "......"

"You're home?"

Ji Anping, the classmate who had borrowed his umbrella, spoke through Xie Sheng's earphones: "The 'police tell you to stay put'—is that about the Poker Killer?"

The two had just finished working on their final project at school. Xie Sheng had left early due to the heavy rain, but he'd stayed on the call with Ji Anping to continue discussing the project.

"Yeah," Xie Sheng said. "My dad's watching the news."

"Ugh!" Ji Anping sighed. "Just now, two more mutant bodies were found at a KTV in the west of the city. They're preliminarily attributing it to the Poker Killer too. No wonder Uncle Fu urged you to come home early—things have been too unstable lately."

Fu Hanhai was Xie Sheng's adoptive father.

Xie Sheng's parents had died when he was three, and Fu Hanhai had adopted him ever since.

"Uncle Fu and Senior Yin are on their way to pick me up to handle this at Headquarters. They should be here soon. I'll hang up now."

Xie Sheng just felt the dampness of his hair was annoying. He casually replied, "Okay."

Too lazy to turn on the light, he groped his way down the dark hallway to the bathroom at the end of the corridor, the roar of the downpour outside the window. He closed the door behind him.

______________________________________

"Uncle Fu, Senior Yin," Ji Anping said as he came downstairs, carrying his bag, and slid into the back seat.

He had lent his umbrella to Xie Sheng, so he was soaked.

Fu Hanhai, who was in the passenger seat studying documents, glanced back and handed him a tissue.

"Thanks."

Ji Anping brushed the water off his backpack and muttered, wiping his forehead, "What the hell is this Poker Killer? Has he evolved to B-rank?"

"We're not sure yet, but the case has been classified as B-rank. The police station is being overwhelmed by public pressure. We need to speed things up."

Fu Hanhai, still scrolling through case analyses on his phone, asked casually, "Did Xie Sheng get home okay?"

Ji Anping: "I was just on the phone with him. He said he arrived—"

Ji Anping's voice cut off abruptly.

He sat up straight, his pupils dilating in shock as realization struck.

"Go to Uncle Fu's house!"

He slammed his hand on the back of the driver's seat, his voice nearly exploding: "Senior Yin! Uncle Fu! We need to find Xie Sheng! Now!!"

Fu Hanhai and Yin Lanxing froze for a moment, but the latter reacted swiftly, yanking the steering wheel. The car roared into the rain-streaked night.

Ji Anping's hands trembled as he looked at Fu Hanhai, his voice cracking with tears. "When we were talking, Xie Sheng said his dad was watching TV..."

But Xie Sheng was an orphan. His only living adoptive father was right here in the car.

"—No, where the hell does he have a dad from?!"

______________________________________

Xie Sheng washed his bangs at the sink, then splashed cold water on his face to wake himself up.

Just as he reached for a towel, his phone suddenly vibrated violently, its notification sound blaring one after another.

The relentless ringing was maddening.

As Xie Sheng prepared to silence it, he looked up and saw his father standing behind him in the mirror. Expressionless and silent, his black eyes stared straight at Xie Sheng.

"Why didn't I inherit the Flash skill?"

Xie Sheng maintained his blank expression, picked up his phone, and walked out. "If you need the bathroom, go ahead."

He closed the door behind him.

The phone continued to vibrate. Xie Sheng raised it, and the screen lit up automatically.

Over thirty unread messages flooded the chat, all from Fu Hanhai and Ji Anping.

The top three read:

Fu Hanhai: Ji Anping, Yin Lanxing, and I are coming to find you. We'll be there in fifteen minutes!

**Fu Hanhai:** Take Ji Anping's umbrella and hide in my room. That umbrella is issued to ability users and is more durable.

**Ji Anping:** Xie Sheng, you don't have a dad! No parents at all! You're an orphan!!!

Xie Sheng: "?"

Why is he suddenly insulting me?

Ignoring the message, Xie Sheng shoved his phone into his pocket and walked back to the shoe cabinet by the villa entrance. He was about to grab his backpack and head to his room when his fingertips abruptly froze.

His Apple Watch lit up as he raised his wrist, displaying a lock screen wallpaper of a couple's photo.

His parents' memorial portraits.

Instinctively, Xie Sheng turned around.

At the end of the corridor, by the window, "his dad" stood motionless in the darkness, like a wax figure left too long in the rain.

Boom!

A sudden thunderclap split the downpour, and lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the scene for a fleeting moment.

In that flash, Xie Sheng saw "his dad's" face contorted into a grotesque mask. His eyes, disproportionately large, were almost entirely black, with no visible whites, and his wet, gleaming eyeballs stared unblinkingly at him. His mouth was stretched into a horrifying grin, frozen in a macabre smile.

Xie Sheng: "?"

Ji Anping was right. I really don't have a dad.

His brain felt like it had short-circuited, but his body reacted instinctively. He dropped his backpack and stepped forward with his right leg.

Of the thirty-six strategies, flight is the best.

In the darkness, he fumbled for the villa's front door.

Click.

It opened smoothly, without any of those frustrating plot devices from movies and novels where the protagonist can't open the door no matter how hard they try.

But the moment Xie Sheng stepped out, he froze.

The dim, yellow light from the streetlamp pierced the rain-soaked curtain, casting a distorted, monstrous shadow on the villa's wall.

At the same time, an overwhelming stench of blood, impossible to mask even by the torrential downpour, assaulted his nostrils.

Xie Sheng instinctively furrowed his brow.

In the next instant, the figure on the wall moved.

Splash.

Splash.

Splash.

Accompanied by the squelching sound of footsteps through water.

Step by step, it approached the door.

Xie Sheng's pupils contracted. With a swift motion, he slammed the door shut and locked it.

Who?

Who's outside?

This was an upscale villa complex, and security guards patrolled the area all night.

But where are the guards?

Recalling the thick, metallic tang of blood, Xie Sheng felt a chilling premonition. The fingers gripping the doorknob tightened.

The air fell into deathly silence.

The door was shut, and the footsteps had vanished.

But as he stood there, inches from the door, he suddenly heard humming again.

The sound seeped through the crack, as if someone were singing right by Xie Sheng's ear. The tone was light, brimming with irrepressible glee.

"Clowns don't cry, clowns don't pout. Whoever looks up first gets to go out."

The door closed, but the rain still laughed,

"Your shadow stands taller than you."

"Don't make a sound, don't make a sound,

—I can hear your heart pounding."

Poker, Cards, Kill, Murder, Maniac.

The words flashed through Xie Sheng's mind in an instant.

"The Poker Serial Killings that have occurred in recent months remain unsolved, and the suspect is still at large."

"Warning! Suspect description: wearing heavy clown makeup, exhibiting erratic behavior, and extremely aggressive—remain in place and call the police immediately."

The host's mechanical, eerie voice echoed in the air, stuck in a loop, endlessly repeating the news segment about the Poker Serial Killings.

The corridor fell into a deathly silence, leaving only the amplified sound of Xie Sheng's own heart pounding in his ears.

Outside was the Poker Killer. And behind him...

Xie Sheng turned slowly.

CRACK—!

Another lightning strike illuminated the dark corridor.

"He's Dad" remained motionless, but in those few seconds, the wax-like figure had crept several meters closer.

"..."

Now's not the time for Red Light, Green Light.

Click—

Suddenly, a thin metal object pierced the door lock.

Xie Sheng slowly leaned down, pressing his eye against the peephole.

Outside, the motion-sensor light flickered erratically, and a long, dark stain of water spread across the floor.

The figure standing there had an unnaturally large head, its clown makeup so thick it seemed about to drip off its face—the foundation was excessively pale, the dark shadows around its eyesockets looked like collapsed pits, and its bright red lips were stretched into a grin that reached its ears.

Xie Sheng glanced sideways. "He's Dad" had already reached the middle of the hallway, its shadow stretched thin and distorted by the red glow of the television.

When he looked back at the peephole, it was pitch black.

Did the Poker Killer leave?

No.

The streetlights and the torrential rain had also vanished.

That wasn't darkness.

Those were—the Poker Killer's eyes.

Pressed tightly against the outside of the peephole.

Click!

The lock suddenly gave way, followed by a few final, desperate metallic clicks.

At that moment, a bone-chilling wind swept close to the back of Xie Sheng's neck.

The cold pierced his spine like needles, crawling up to his scalp.

A nauseating stench of decay filled the air, thick and foul, like the corpse of a rotting corpse left in a sewer for years.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Sheng lurched forward, dropping into a low crouch and sliding beneath "his dad's" raised arm.

A dark shadow whistled down from above, the wind from its descent tearing through the side of his shirt, missing his entire right arm by half an inch.

Xie Sheng didn't see what it was, and he had no time to look. He braced himself with his left hand, then snatched the still-open umbrella from the corner.

With a whoosh, rain cascaded down as Xie Sheng quickly closed the umbrella.

Fu Hanhai said this umbrella was what again? Really tough?

Damn it.

Next time, I'll actually read the messages. No more leaving them on read.

In an instant, "his dad" attacked again.

Now Xie Sheng saw clearly: his right arm had transformed into a reptilian limb, covered in hard, sharp scales.

With a swing of his right arm, Xie Sheng thrust the umbrella's tip like a spear toward the man's chest.

Just then, the door was kicked open with a bang.

A figure sauntered in, humming a jaunty tune. Rainwater dripped from his clown makeup onto the floor, his red and white face smeared into a grotesque, almost melting smile.

Perfect timing.

Xie Sheng had spotted the Poker Killer outside the door, but hadn't fled into the living room or dining room on either side of the hallway. It wasn't because he was too slow; it was because it was pointless.

Since "His Dad" could teleport, running away head-on was futile. Better to let them collide than be chased.

Xie Sheng timed it perfectly, ready to use his umbrella to shove "His Dad" into the Poker Killer's arms.

But whether the umbrella was too well-made or "His Dad" was too frail, the tip pierced straight through the man's back, impaling him like a candied hawthorn skewer. One-third of the umbrella vanished into his body.

Squelch!

Black and red blood trickled down the umbrella shaft, dripping onto the floor in a steady rhythm.

"Huh?"

For the first time, Xie Sheng's expression faltered. "Dude, you're unhealthy too?"

He reacted instantly, slamming his hand down on the umbrella handle.

Bang—

The umbrella sprang open, launching "His Dad" forward two meters. He flew through the air, crashing into the Poker Killer who had just charged forward.

The two figures collided, slamming against the wall with a sickening thud.

Blood splattered across the pristine wall, streaking down in crimson rivulets.

Ah, the filial piety of father and son, my friends.

Xie Sheng thought to himself.

Oh wait, I don't have family.

He watched the two monsters wrestle and roll on the ground. The "father's" skin, pierced by the broken umbrella, had loosened and slid down one side of his face, revealing pale, rotting muscle twisted into a grotesque caricature of human features.

The Poker Killer's face grew colder. With a flick of his wrist, five playing cards flew from his sleeve with a whoosh, spinning through the air like blades as they shot toward Xie Sheng.

Xie Sheng raised his umbrella and flicked his wrist.

Clang-clang-clang—

The cards were blocked with precision, sparks flying.

The Poker Killer immediately pulled out a short knife painted with a clown's grin, twisted his body, and lunged at Xie Sheng.

Xie Sheng twisted his wrist, the knife clashing against the umbrella handle.

Clang—!

He was forced back half a step.

The Poker Killer's malice intensified, the cards in his left hand glinting coldly as he aimed for Xie Sheng's throat.

"The Poker Serial Killings that have plagued this city for months remain unsolved..."

In the darkness, the mechanical female voice on the television broadcast again.

The moment Xie Sheng heard the broadcast, he suddenly remembered the police's warning, If you encounter the killer, remain completely still.

With a surge of strength, he violently shook off the Poker Killer's knife, rolled into the living room, and—froze.

The Poker Killer froze for a moment, and Xie Sheng noticed his pitch-black eyes darting around, unsure where to focus.

He really can only detect moving creatures!

The two were locked in a tense stalemate, playing a real-life game of "321, freeze."

But the balance was shattered by a grotesque sound within two minutes.

Crack—Creak—

At the doorway, Mimic Dad's lower body began to twist and swell, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones, as if something alive was bursting from the flesh.

Amidst the rolling flesh and blood, a long, dark-scaled lizard tail arched from his lower back. Six clawed legs, with joints bent backward, splayed out from his waist, slamming onto the ground for support.

Xie Sheng: "Holy shit."

What the fuck is this thing?

Aunt Mei's poet.

The Poker Killer seemed equally wary of confronting this monstrosity. His cold gaze shifted into the living room, and with a wave of his hand—

Whoosh!

Dozens of playing cards flew out, slicing through the air like blades as they swarmed toward Xie Sheng.

Xie Sheng's eyes narrowed, and he immediately raised his umbrella to block. But this time, the closest card seemed to track the sound, curving sharply in mid-air to bypass the umbrella's edge.

Sss—

A thin crimson line appeared on Xie Sheng's left cheek, and blood slowly trickled down.

The Poker Killer caught the card stained with Xie Sheng's blood, pinching it between his fingers.

Xie Sheng watched as a single drop of his blood, seemingly imbued with life, flowed across the playing card, slowly sketching a portrait on the stark white surface.

The outline took shape swiftly.

It was Xie Sheng's face.

The Poker Killer's lips stretched into a grin that reached his ears, a smile so wide it seemed to tear his face apart.

Rainwater streamed down his cheeks, mixing with his smeared red lipstick to form drops that fell onto the back of his hand, leaving behind a cluster of eerie, colored stains.

He glanced down at the blood-stained card between his fingers. On it, Xie Sheng's face remained cold and impassive.

The Poker Killer chuckled softly and snapped his fingers.

Swish.

The card shattered into pieces, scattering into the pool of blood on the floor.

Though he hadn't yet caught sight of Xie Sheng, the venom in his voice coiled like a viper's tongue, already locked onto its prey.

"We'll meet again, Xie Sheng."

In the next instant, the Poker Killer turned and vanished through the open security door, leaving only a fleeting red blur in the downpour.

The living room fell into a brief silence.

Only the roar of the storm outside remained, like the countdown to the end of the world.

Xie Sheng didn't relax.

Because the Xenogeneic that had been masquerading as his father had now fully reverted to its true form.

It was a humanoid lizard. Its upper body resembled a human's, with pale, greenish skin bulging with grotesque veins. Its spine was twisted, its joints protruding, and six claw-like legs extended from below the waist, supporting a long, scaled tail.

It had two bald heads, their features severely distorted. The corners of their mouths were twisted, their nasal bridges collapsed, and their eyes, devoid of pupils, stared blankly at Xie Sheng with solid white irises.

But what was most terrifying wasn't its ugliness, but its "familiarity."

The features seemed like fragmented pieces pieced together from Xie Sheng's memory of his "father," creating a disturbing uncanny valley effect—a bizarre sense of familiarity mixed with extreme distortion.

No wonder the Poker Killer had turned and fled.

The air grew heavy, and the entire living room felt locked down by an invisible pressure.

Xie Sheng took a deep breath, planted the tip of his umbrella on the floor, and instinctively reached to wipe the blood trickling down his cheek.

But the moment his fingertips touched the blood, a "ding" echoed in his mind.

A line of pale blue, semi-transparent characters appeared in the center of his vision:

CTRL+

The string of characters resembled a command window before a program launches, a blinking cursor waiting for input within the square brackets.

Then, as if someone were typing on a keyboard, two letters popped up after the plus sign:

SB

Xie Sheng: "?"

Xie Sheng: "???"