Meanwhile, in the car.
Madison sneezed violently. "Asshole. Who's talking trash about me behind my back? Probably that green tea bitch I just slapped."
With no one else around, Madison's true colors—her raw, unfiltered personality—were on full display. This was a side of her reserved exclusively for Rollin.
She wiped her nose, glanced at the rearview mirror, and subconsciously licked her lips.
"My dear Lin, you weren't like this before today."
"This is the first time I've realized you possess such... potent strength."
Even through the reflection, Rollin could feel her gaze undressing him. It was predatory, eager to probe beneath his thin shirt.
"You're overthinking it. I've always been this way. You were just focused on... other things."
"If it had been you I was grabbing today, I would have been even rougher."
Rollin knew exactly what buttons to push.
Madison purred, clearly satisfied, though she feigned morality. "Sigh. We shouldn't be so violent. Besides, if something really happened, I could handle it myself."
She was the apex predator of high school. Who dared trouble her?
Rollin was about to laugh, but his smile froze. He frowned sharply.
"Madison. Have you offended anyone recently?"
"Huh? No?" Madison looked genuinely confused. "Let me think. Yesterday I beat up two thugs. The day before, I roasted three keyboard warriors online. Three days ago, I had a flame war with two anti-fans... nothing major."
"Is that so?"
Rollin stared at the 3D map in his mind.
A dozen red dots had materialized, forming a tightening noose around their car.
He zoomed the camera. A man in a black tactical suit was watching them from a corner.
There was no doubt. These people were coming for him! No—wait. Their formation targeted the driver's side. They were here for Madison.
"Stop the car!" Rollin ordered.
Madison didn't understand, but the urgency in his voice made her obey instantly. She pulled over to the curb.
"This is my place. We're not at yours yet."
Madison rented a house near Rollin's just to keep their commute short.
"Don't talk. Follow me."
Rollin's face was grim. He signaled her to exit.
Two men in black suits were walking toward them on the sidewalk, acting casual. As they crossed paths, both men spun around, reaching into their jackets.
Madison didn't react. But Rollin was already moving.
Snap.
He snapped his fingers.
BOOM!
A massive, rectangular pillar of geo-construct rock erupted from the pavement just a few feet away. The sudden tremor knocked the two assassins off balance before they could draw their weapons.
Simultaneously, a translucent, amber-colored energy shield enveloped both Rollin and Madison.
Combat Rule #1: Pop shields before you pop heads.
"Talk. Who sent you?"
The assassins stared at the stone monolith, then at the relaxed teenager, and finally at the shocked girl.
Without hesitation, one of them tapped his earpiece.
"Situation critical. Target has a meta-human escort. Requesting immediate backup!"
Rollin sighed. He raised his right hand. Zzzzt!
A brilliant arc of lightning leaped from his index finger, transforming into a crackling serpent of electricity. It struck the first assassin in the chest, then chained instantly to his partner.
Chain Lightning.
Both men convulsed and collapsed, smoke rising from their vests. Dead or unconscious, they were out of the fight.
"Arrest protocol aborted! All units, lethal force authorized! Kill the target and the male accomplice!"
The radio chatter buzzed in the dead men's ears.
On Rollin's map, every red dot moved at once.
They abandoned stealth, drawing silenced pistols and submachine guns. They sprinted toward the car, opening fire from a distance.
Thwip-thwip-thwip!
Bullets rained down, sparking harmlessly off the amber Jade Shield.
"What the fuck?! They're here for you?! What did you do?!" Madison screamed. She had expected drama, not a John Wick sequel.
"They're here for you!" Rollin corrected her, scanning the map. One red dot remained stationary—a sniper or observer—while the rest converged.
"Me?! I didn't do anything!" Madison shrieked, eyes wide. Then she tapped the shield. "By the way, what is this magic? It feels... incredibly safe. Surprisingly reliable."
She poked the barrier. It extended with her hand, flexible yet impenetrable.
"Look! It moves!"
"Save the science fair for later." Rollin rolled his eyes. He spread his right palm toward the charging squad.
"Golden Flood!" he shouted dramatically.
(Skill Cast: Flamestrike. VFX Skin: Hydro)
WHOOSH—
From the dry pavement ahead, a massive geyser of water erupted, towering ten meters high. It crashed down like a flash flood, submerging the street.
Three assassins caught in the center were instantly "washed away."
"Dammit! What is this monster? Watch out for the water..."
The squad leader cursed, shaking his wet sleeve. He didn't care about getting wet.
Until he smelled cooked meat.
He looked down. His arm wasn't wet. It was charred.
"Wait... Oh shit! IT'S FIRE?! RUN!!"
The realization came too late. The "water" didn't soak them; it ignited them. The liquid clung to their clothes and skin like napalm, burning with the intensity of a blast furnace but flowing like a river.
In seconds, the squad was engulfed in invisible flames disguised as a torrential downpour.
Two assassins on the periphery turned to flee.
Madison's eyes flashed. Her telekinesis flared. She reached out with her mind and yanked them backward, dragging them screaming into the "water."
Their screams were cut short as they were incinerated.
Madison stared at the steaming, watery grave, terrified and awed.
"You never told me you knew water magic," she whispered. "Though... this water is a bit... extreme."
"Same to you. You never told me you had telekinesis."
Rollin scanned the area. All clear. Except for one.
Two hundred meters away, the observer was sprinting down an alleyway, trying to escape.
"Also," Rollin added calmly. "That is fire."
"You call that fire? What kind of fire looks like a swimming pool?" Madison looked at him like he was crazy.
"My fire can be water. It can be lightning. It can be light or wind. You'll get used to it."
Rollin waved his hand at the empty air to his right.
Vanish.
A ten-meter section of a nearby garden wall simply disappeared. Erased from existence.
Two hundred meters away.
The observer sprinted toward the alley exit. Safety was just a few steps away.
Suddenly, a massive brick wall materialized out of thin air, blocking the exit completely.
BAM!
The assassin skidded to a halt, bewildered. Where did my exit go?
He rapped his knuckles on the wall. Solid brick. Real.
He spun around to run the other way.
Another wall slammed down from the sky, sealing the alley behind him.
He looked up at the blue sky, trapped in a box that shouldn't exist.
Is it... ghosts?! In broad daylight?!
Back at the street, Madison pointed a trembling finger at the garden. Where a wall used to be, there was now a perfectly smooth patch of dirt. It looked like someone had used the Eraser tool in Photoshop.
"What did you do now? I mean... where is the wall?"
"You'll find out."
Rollin grabbed her hand. "Hold on."
A complex, glowing blue arcane circle appeared beneath their feet, two meters in diameter.
Arcane Magic: Mass Teleport.
"Don't move during transit. Do not leave the circle. If you step out, not even the shield will save you from being spliced in half."
Madison stared at the intricate runes, mesmerizing and terrifying.
In one day, her worldview had been shattered and rebuilt. Her childhood best friend was secretly a Magician.
No, wait. A Sorcerer Supreme.
As the light intensified, Madison had a sudden thought. She turned to the calm, composed boy beside her.
"Wait. Why does it feel like you've done this a million times? You're too skilled at this."
Rollin nodded solemnly. "You got me. I'm actually from Changsha."
"Huh?!"