Deep beneath the Earth, magma churned violently.
Nolan Grayson opened his eyes to a world drenched in dark red.
Molten lava flowed around him, temperatures reaching several thousand degrees—hot enough to melt steel into liquid metal. Yet to him, it felt only slightly warm against his skin.
He climbed out from a crack in the rocks. His combat suit had long since burned away, leaving only a tattered pair of shorts. The distinct fist imprint on his chest was still there, while the Smart Atoms within his body frantically repaired damaged tissue.
"Tch."
Nolan lowered his gaze to his hands.
These hands had torn through countless planetary defenses, crushed innumerable skulls. Within the Viltrum Empire, he was one of the finest advance agents, undefeated throughout his career.
Until today.
The face of that black-haired man lingered in his mind.
That gaze—as if looking down upon an insect—made him involuntarily think of the Empire's elders.
No… even more terrifying than them.
The elders needed to use their full strength to suppress him. That man had done it with a single finger.
One damned finger.
Nolan drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Anger was meaningless. He needed information. He needed to uncover that man's origins.
He shot upward, forcing his body through layers of rock. Crust, mantle, core—at his speed, they passed in mere seconds.
By the time he emerged onto the surface, dusk had nearly fallen.
The Grayson house stood ahead, warm yellow light glowing through the windows. Debbie was probably making dinner. Mark was likely upstairs doing homework.
Everything looked normal.
Nolan hovered in the air for a moment, carefully arranging his expression. He was Omni-Man—the strongest hero on this planet. Under no circumstances could anyone know he had just been punched into the Earth's core.
Especially Debbie and Mark.
He needed an excuse. Alien invasion? Too cliché, and the GDA would have no records. A dimensional rift? Plausible, but Debbie would ask questions.
After some thought, Nolan settled on a half-truth: a powerful extraterrestrial lifeform had invaded Earth, and dealing with it had taken some effort.
As for the black-haired man, he intended to investigate him privately.
He landed in the backyard and stepped inside. The aroma of frying meat drifted from the kitchen, where Debbie busied herself at the stove.
"Nolan? You're back!"
Debbie poked her head out from the kitchen, face full of delight. She wore an apron and held a spatula, with a streak of flour in her hair.
"Yeah."
Nolan walked over and gently kissed her forehead.
"Something delayed me."
"What happened? The news said alien ships appeared. I was worried sick."
Debbie set down the spatula and looked him over carefully.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
"No. Just a minor issue. Already handled."
Nolan sat at the dining table and glanced at the three sets of plates.
"Where's Mark?"
"He said he went to help with disaster relief."
Debbie's tone carried undisguised pride.
"Our son's finally becoming a real hero."
Nolan said nothing. His fingers tapped lightly against the table in a slow rhythm.
Who exactly was that black-haired man? Where did his power come from? Why had he appeared on Earth? More importantly… how much did he know?
The front door opened.
Mark walked in, his uniform covered in dust and bloodstains, though he looked otherwise fine.
"Dad! You're back!"
Mark's eyes lit up instantly.
"Were those aliens your doing?"
"Yes."
Nolan nodded.
"You did well today."
"Not bad, I guess."
Mark scratched his head and sat across from him.
"But I still feel way behind. I can barely control my flying, and when I fight, I just rely on brute force."
"You'll learn. You've only just started."
Nolan's tone was warm and fatherly.
Debbie carried over the steaks, smiling happily. The family of three sat together at the table, looking no different from any ordinary household.
But Mark's thoughts churned violently.
That man's words echoed endlessly in his mind:
Smart Atoms. Infinite potential. A gift from your mother…
And that warning:
Your father will start acting strangely.
Mark cut into his steak and spoke casually.
"Dad, I met a weird guy today."
Nolan's motion while drinking water paused ever so slightly.
"What kind of guy?"
"No idea."
Mark shook his head.
"He suddenly showed up and blocked an alien commander for me. Then he said some really strange things."
"What things?"
Mark looked up, staring directly into his father's eyes.
"He said there's something in my body called Smart Atoms."
The atmosphere at the dinner table froze instantly.
Nolan's fingers tightened sharply around the glass. Fine cracks spread across its surface. His pupils contracted violently, and deep within his eyes flashed an icy killing intent.
But it lasted less than half a second.
"Smart Atoms?"
Nolan set the glass down, his face filled with confusion.
"What's that? Never heard of it."
"I don't know either."
Mark lowered his head and continued cutting his steak.
"He said it's the source of my power. Said my potential's even greater than yours."
"Ridiculous."
Nolan laughed.
"Probably the ravings of some lunatic. Don't take it seriously."
"Mhm."
Mark nodded and said nothing further.
But his heart sank completely.
He had seen it clearly—the instant he mentioned Smart Atoms, murderous intent had flashed through his father's eyes.
It hadn't been confusion or curiosity.
It had been the instinctive reaction of someone whose forbidden secret had been touched.
That man hadn't lied.
His father was hiding something.
Dinner continued in an eerie calm. Debbie remained oblivious to the undercurrent between father and son, chatting cheerfully about neighborhood gossip and school stories.
Nolan's expression had returned to normal. He even joined the conversation occasionally, looking every bit the perfect father.
But Mark noticed the way he cut his steak with more force than usual, the sharp clang of knife against plate unnaturally loud.
"Oh, right, Dad."
Mark decided on one final probe.
"That guy said one more thing. I didn't really understand it."
"What did he say?"
"He said my potential comes from Mom."
Nolan's cutting motion stopped completely.
This time, he didn't hide his emotions. He looked directly into Mark's eyes, his gaze complicated—part scrutiny, part evaluation.
"What else did he say?"
"That was it."
Mark shook his head.
"He disappeared right after."
Nolan fell silent for several seconds before lowering his head and resuming his meal.
"That man wasn't wrong."
His voice sounded calm.
"Part of your strength does come from your mother. Human genes may be fragile, but they have their own unique qualities."
Mark froze.
He hadn't expected his father to admit it. Every previous time he had asked, Nolan's answer had always been: You're too young. You'll understand later.
"Then… what about Smart Atoms?" Mark pressed.
"What exactly are they?"
Nolan set down his utensils and elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"That's simply the name of our species' cells."
His tone was casual, as if explaining common knowledge.
"Like how human cells are called cells, ours are called Smart Atoms. Nothing special."
Mark stared at his father's face, searching for even the slightest flaw.
But Nolan looked entirely open and loving, without a trace of abnormality.
"What did that man look like?" Nolan asked in return.
"Black hair, black eyes. Asian."
Mark answered honestly.
"Wearing a black coat. Looked pretty ordinary."
"Ordinary?"
A faint smile curled Nolan's lips.
"Anyone who knows about Smart Atoms is anything but ordinary."
He stood and walked to the window, staring at the fully darkened sky outside.
"Mark, remember one thing."
Nolan's voice drifted from behind him.
"There are many people in this world who know things they shouldn't. Those people are extremely dangerous. You must never believe what they say."
"Even about my powers?"
"Especially about your powers."
Nolan turned around, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"Your strength comes from me. From our bloodline. That is the only truth. As for what he said about your potential coming from your mother—that was just a lie meant to drive a wedge between us."
Mark fell silent.
He remembered the man's calm, certain eyes. They hadn't looked like the eyes of a liar.
They looked like someone stating an undeniable fact.
And though his father's explanation sounded reasonable, it left him deeply uneasy.
"I understand, Dad."
Mark nodded.
"I'll be careful."
Nolan looked at him, satisfaction flashing through his eyes.
"Good boy."
He walked over and patted Mark's shoulder.
"Finish dinner and get some rest. You've got school tomorrow."
Mark answered softly and lowered his head to continue eating.
But in his heart, the seed of suspicion had already taken root.
His father was definitely lying.
---
Three hundred meters beneath the Pentagon—Global Defense Agency (GDA) Classified Command Center.
Cecil Stedman stared at the holographic projection, his face grim.
The projection displayed a massive crater over fifty meters wide. Its walls were smooth as mirrors, as though melted instantly by unimaginable heat before cooling just as quickly. Smoke still rose from the bottom, while energy readings drove every monitoring instrument into frantic overload.
"What caused this?"
Cecil's voice was low, restrained fury hidden beneath it.
"We don't know, sir."
The technical director's voice trembled.
"Our equipment can't analyze this energy. It doesn't belong to any known category of physics—hell, it doesn't even fit within existing theoretical frameworks."
Cecil fell silent.
He had sat in this position for over twenty years. He'd dealt with aliens, mutants, mythological creatures—every kind of supernatural phenomenon imaginable.
But this crater…
It filled him with a fear he hadn't felt in years.
"What about Omni-Man?"
"Missing."
The technical director swallowed hard.
"The last signal showed him being… punched into the Earth's core."
Cecil's eyelid twitched violently.
Omni-Man—the strongest being on the planet—had been sent to the core of the Earth with a single punch.
"Classify the unknown target as an Omega-Level Threat."
Cecil gave the order calmly.
"Mobilize every resource. I want to know who he is, where he came from, and what he wants."
"Yes, sir!"
At that moment, the lights in the command center flickered strangely.
Everyone froze.
This was the most secure defense facility on Earth, protected by seventeen independent power systems and thirty-two physical barriers—enough to withstand a direct nuclear strike.
Yet a voice suddenly spoke from behind Cecil:
"Your security system really does need an upgrade."
Cecil spun instantly, his hand already on the emergency trigger at his waist.
A black-haired, black-eyed Asian man stood three meters behind him, hands in his pockets, expression calm—as if he were casually strolling through his own living room.
"Who are you?"
Cecil's voice remained steady, though sweat had already formed on his forehead.
"A traveler passing through."
The man smiled faintly.
"And the Omega-Level Threat you were just discussing."
Every agent in the room drew their weapons at once. More than a dozen infrared targeting beams locked onto Hang.
Hang didn't even glance at them.
"Cecil Stedman," he said calmly, as though reading from a file.
"Director of the Global Defense Agency. Codename: Black Shadow. One of your scientists is named Sinclair. He specializes in human augmentation and cyborg technology. I want all of his research data."
Cecil's pupils shrank sharply.
Sinclair's project was among the GDA's highest secrets. Fewer than five people even knew the name.
"And why would I give it to you?"
"Because you need insurance."
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Hang's lips.
"Omni-Man—your guardian god—is not the man you think he is. One day, he'll reveal his true face. When that happens, you'll need someone capable of stopping him."
Cecil was silent.
He stared into Hang's eyes, trying to find any trace of deception. But those eyes were as deep and still as a dead sea.
"How do you know all this?"
"I know many things."
Hang turned away, presenting his back to the dozen guns aimed at him.
"For example, Omni-Man is at home right now eating dinner, lying to his wife and son. He told them he was handling an alien invasion, when in reality he just crawled out of the Earth's core covered in dirt."
Cecil's breathing halted for an instant.
"The files will be delivered within twenty-four hours," he finally said hoarsely.
"But I need a promise from you."
"What promise?"
"When Omni-Man loses control… you'll intervene."
Hang didn't turn around. He merely waved a hand casually.
"Deal."
His body began turning transparent, slowly fading into the air itself.
"Oh, and one more thing."
His final words echoed from the void before he vanished completely.
"You'd better keep an eye on Omni-Man's son. That kid is far more interesting than his father."
Then he disappeared.
Silence swallowed the command center.
Cecil stood motionless for a long time, his mind racing as he analyzed every word the man had spoken.
Omni-Man is not the man you think he is.
The sentence lodged in his heart like a poisoned thorn.
He turned toward the technical director, voice colder than ice.
"From this moment onward, initiate maximum-level surveillance on Omni-Man. I want to know his every move."
"But sir, he's our—"
"Execute the order!"
The technical director immediately lowered his head and obeyed.
Cecil remained standing before the holographic projection, staring into the bottomless crater.
He had a powerful feeling that the balance of this world was about to change completely.
And he needed to be ready.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 20 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~