As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

Hikawa Makoto slowly stepped forward, took out a gleaming G3 squad badge from his pocket, and gently placed it in front of the tombstone. He bowed deeply.

"Let's go back to base," Ozawa Sumiko said calmly.

Tail Chamber quickly followed. The workers packed up their tools and soon left the cemetery.

In an instant, Lin Chen was left alone in the empty cemetery.

The cold rain poured down harder, splashing tiny droplets on the tombstone. Lin Chen walked slowly to the grave, bent down, and gently placed the swimming champion medal next to the G3 badge.

Turning towards the G3 team, the black figure disappeared into the torrential rain. The sound of the waves faded into the distance, leaving only the cold rain repeatedly washing over the neglected tombstone.

...

The convoy slowly drove into the G3 base and stopped. As soon as the group got out of the car, Toru Hojo was already guarding the entrance, his eyes fixed on Sumiko Ozawa in the group.

He had always dreamed of becoming the G3's dresser, and now he has the G3-X.

The old G3 armor was sitting idle and no one wanted to take it over. Hojo Toru then had an idea and decided to take over the equipment and make a name for himself in the mission against the Unknown.

Before everyone could rest, Toru Hojo stepped forward and formally applied to Sumiko Ozawa to become the costume designer for the old version of G3.

As soon as she finished speaking, Sumiko Ozawa's expression turned serious, and she immediately objected without softening her stance.

As the lead developer of the G3 series, she knew better than anyone the fatal flaws of the old armor: the fuselage was outdated, the defensive armor plates were not strong enough, and it simply could not withstand the impact of the unknown monstrous force; it had to be overhauled almost every time after the last few battles.

The internal drive system is old and clunky, making turning, dodging, and dashing very sluggish, leaving no room to maneuver when encountering a strange person.

In her eyes, this set of equipment was already incomplete and outdated, barely usable for daily training. To rashly throw it back into actual combat was tantamount to putting herself in danger, a completely pointless death.

Although she didn't know why Hojo wanted to apply for the uniform, she didn't want to agree.

Hojo refused to listen to Ozawa's advice, insisting that as a police officer, he had an obligation to go to the front line to deal with the Unknown disaster, and was determined to fight for the right to use the old version of G3.

Sumiko Ozawa looked at Toru Hojo, who was stubborn and competitive, and felt helpless.

However, Hojo continued to pester him relentlessly.

Seeing this, she could only try to stall for time, saying that the old version of G3 needed basic modifications to strengthen its defensive weaknesses, fine-tune its mobility system, and fix its most fatal flaws first. She asked Hojo to wait a little longer.

At the same time, strict rules were established: before the armor upgrade is completed, Hojo Toru is strictly prohibited from touching or activating the equipment without authorization, and is even more forbidden from wearing it to the site to carry out missions. If he violates the agreement, his application to wear the equipment will be immediately revoked without any leniency.

Hojo Toru sensed that she had relented and breathed a sigh of relief.

After the agreement was quickly finalized, Hojo Toru said no more and turned to leave.

Watching his departing figure, Sumiko Ozawa frowned, wondering what he was up to.

...

Two days later, at 2:15 PM, in the main control room of the G3 base, Sumiko Ozawa had not paid any attention to the upgrade of the old version of G3 for the past two days, but was instead developing another new device.

Based on the energy fluctuations within Ashihara Ryo's body, the first Light Power Positioning Radar was officially launched.

For two whole days and nights, Sumiko Ozawa and her entire technical team worked around the clock, eating and sleeping in the laboratory, relying on coffee and energy bars to keep their energy up, and finally completed the first all-area light power positioning radar.

The radar itself is a giant circular display screen, occupying an entire wall of the main control room. A high-precision 3D map of Tokyo is projected onto the screen, clearly marking the locations of the G3 base, major police stations, hospitals, and schools. Dozens of signal receivers had already been installed overnight at signal towers throughout Tokyo, weaving a sophisticated monitoring network covering the entire city.

All relevant personnel were present in the control room.

Bingchuan Cheng had just finished his special training in the combat room. He was wearing his training uniform, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and his clothes slightly damp. His expression was calm and solemn.

Hojo Toru stood alone in the corner, hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent, but his fingertips unconsciously tapped his trouser leg, concealing his inner unease. Omuro Takahiro sat by the control panel, his expression tense, nervously rubbing his hands, unable to hide his inner tension.

"Is everything ready?" Sumiko Ozawa looked at everyone. Her voice was slightly hoarse from staying up late for days, but she still maintained the calm and composure of a research leader.

"Ready!" everyone responded in unison.

"Initiate full-area scan".

Sumiko Ozawa pressed the red start button on the control panel. The indicator lights on the screen lit up one by one, and the green scan lines slowly spread out from the center of Ginza, Tokyo, expanding outwards in concentric circles.

"Signal tower number one is connected normally."

"The connection to signal tower number two is normal."

"Energy calibration complete, error less than 0.1%."

"Full-area scan officially begins."

Everyone instinctively focused their attention, their eyes all locking onto the large screen.

The scan line slowly moved forward, and scattered red dots appeared on the screen one by one, quickly spreading from one or two to dozens, then hundreds...

The red dots surged at a visible rate, from Ginza to Shinjuku, Shibuya to Ikebukuro, from the bustling shopping districts of the city center to the suburban residential areas, school buildings, hospital streets... The dense red dots, like an ant colony, covered the entire map of Tokyo.

Scan complete.

The numbers in the bottom right corner of the screen jumped rapidly, eventually settling on 13742.

The control room fell silent instantly.

Takahiro Omuro's face suddenly turned pale, and he almost dropped his pen. He quickly steadied himself, gripping it tightly, suppressing his shock, and remained steadfast at his post. Makoto Hikawa frowned slightly, his aura growing increasingly heavy. His fists naturally clenched, his expression composed, without any overreaction, only a heavy sense of gravity and responsibility.

Hojo Toru's expression darkened slightly, but he remained leaning against the wall, maintaining his arrogant posture. He did not lose his composure or show any panic, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes as he forcibly maintained his dignity and pride.

“Thirteen thousand seven hundred and forty-two people.” Sumiko Ozawa’s tone was calm and composed, without any fragility or trembling, simply stating the data objectively. “This is the population that has been detected to have awakened observable light power, accounting for about one ten-thousandth of Tokyo’s total population.”

She pulled up a line graph, the curve on the screen rising steeply: "And the number is still increasing by five to six hundred people per day. At this rate, the number of awakened will exceed 20,000 in a week, over 100,000 in a month, and in three months..."

The words paused briefly, but no further explanation was needed; everyone present understood the deeper meaning. Three months later, the number of awakened beings of the power of light would reach one million, and the entire metropolis of Tokyo would be completely enveloped in the power of light.

Just then, the wall-mounted TV in the control room automatically switched to the midday news.

The female anchor spoke with a mocking and dismissive tone: "Recently, there has been a craze for superpowers, with many people claiming to possess special abilities and posting various demonstration videos. Claims of bending steel with bare hands, moving objects through the air, and levitation are, according to Ichiro Yamamoto, a physics professor at the University of Tokyo, all special effects editing and magic hype, solely for the purpose of gaining traffic. We urge citizens to view these claims rationally and not to easily believe rumors."

The scene shifts to street interviews, where passersby have mixed opinions, with most viewing it as a publicity stunt by an internet celebrity, and even those who encounter strange phenomena are dismissed as extortion or rumors.

The lighthearted and humorous portrayal of everyday life on television, contrasted sharply with the dense red dots on the map, only served to heighten the oppressive atmosphere in the control room. Ordinary people treated the power of light as a joke, but only they knew that this was a real anomaly, a massive crisis brewing in the shadows, while the world remained oblivious, complacent in its daily routine.

“There’s something even more alarming.” Ozawa Sumiko pulled up an intelligence report, her expression becoming more serious. “Since four days ago, the day the light power within Gills disappeared, the attacks by the Unknown have come to an abrupt halt. There have been no new murders, no abnormal energy fluctuations, and the city’s surveillance cameras have failed to capture any trace of them, as if they have vanished from the world out of thin air.”

"Could it be that they are lying low and gathering strength, preparing to launch a general offensive?" Bingchuan Cheng asked in a deep voice, his tone calm and restrained.

“That’s possible,” Sumiko Ozawa nodded. “But we can’t rule out the possibility that they’ve changed to covert tactics that we can’t predict at all.”

Lin Chen, who had been silently observing from the side, kept his eyes fixed on the screen full of red dots, a strong intuition rising in his heart. He knew that the Unknown were destined to hunt down those who inherited the power of light, and now that the number of awakened ones had increased ten thousandfold, it should have been their time to hunt indiscriminately, but suddenly they had all stopped and disappeared.

This is by no means a random retreat, nor is it simply a period of dormancy.

This eerie calm was merely the final pause before the storm; the turmoil to come would be far more dangerous and brutal than anyone anticipated.

Chapter 80 Superpowers

Sato's noodle shop was still packed with customers. The heater was burning brightly, and the orange flames danced and crackled softly inside. The milky white pork bone broth bubbled and boiled in the pot, its rich aroma filling the entire shop. It was a blend of the salty and savory flavors of soy sauce, the fresh scent of scallions, and the rich, oily aroma of char siu, warming the room and melting away any chill.

The TV on the wall was playing news on a loop about how "superpowers are just rumors and hype," and the diners chattered amongst themselves as they ate their steaming ramen.

"I saw the news yesterday about a woman who can actually make cups float; it looks so real!"

"It's just something that fools laymen. It's all special effects created by fishing line. Anyone can do that."

"That's right. Nowadays, people will create any gimmick to grab attention. In a while, I'm afraid everyone will be bragging about being able to fly or disappear into the ground."

Lin Chen carried a bowl of ramen and slowly delivered it to table number three by the window. His gaze seemed casual, but in reality, it subtly swept over every diner in the restaurant.

Unable to discern through perception, he could only rely on his naked eye to silently capture those subtle and unusual anomalies in the crowd.

A week has passed since Ashihara Ryo was buried. Unbeknownst to many, a large number of ordinary people in Tokyo have awakened the power of light.

A gray-suited office worker sat alone in the corner, head down, frantically shoveling food into his ramen, his right hand clenched tightly into a fist under the table. Lin Chen could clearly see that the pair of stainless steel chopsticks in front of him were bent nearly thirty degrees by the force of his grip, the original texture of the chopsticks worn away and blurred. The man occasionally looked up, scanning his surroundings warily, his eyes filled with fear and unease, like a startled prey with nowhere to hide.

Three high school students were loudly mocking online rumors about superpowers yesterday when the boy with dyed blond hair reached for a glass on the table. The moment his fingertips touched the glass, a faint golden light flashed and disappeared in an instant, as fast as a hallucination. The blond-haired boy was startled and jerked his hand back, the glass slamming onto the table with a crash, spilling soup all over it. His face instantly turned pale, and he frantically grabbed tissues to wipe himself clean, muttering to himself that his hand had slipped and he'd made a mistake, trying to hide his panic.

Around breakfast time, a middle-aged woman with a child accidentally knocked over a soy sauce bottle on the table. Just as the bottle was about to hit the ground, it abruptly paused for a moment, about ten centimeters off the ground, before falling normally and shattering into pieces. The woman stiffened slightly, hurriedly looking around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, cursing her bad luck as she bent down to clean up the scattered soy sauce stains.

Yesterday, on the way to the G3 base, there was a little boy, about four or five years old, clutching a red balloon in his hand. The balloon unexpectedly slipped from his grasp and floated into the sky. The boy instinctively reached out his little hand and called out in a clear voice, "Come back."

The balloon, which had already flown high into the air, actually swayed gently, slowly turned back, and landed in the boy's palm. The boy's mother's face changed drastically, her eyes filled with fear. Without saying a word, she grabbed her child and walked away.

Over the past few days, Lin Chen has witnessed all of this and now understands the situation perfectly.

They mingled in the everyday life of the city, eating, working, and living alongside ordinary people, their outward appearance showing no difference whatsoever. Yet, no one dared to reveal their difference, fearing being ostracized and isolated as an outsider.

But they didn't realize that from the moment they awakened, they had already been teetering on the edge of death.

In order to maintain public order, the authorities did not widely publicize the incidents of monsters hunting special groups.

"Chen-kun, please take this bowl of char siu noodles to table number five." Sato Genji's voice came from the kitchen.

"Okay," Lin Chen replied, turning around to get the noodles.

Just then, the police communicator on his waist suddenly vibrated.

It is Bingchuan Cheng.

Lin Chen walked to a secluded corner and pressed the answer button.

"Mr. Lin Chen, where are you?" Bingchuan Cheng's tone was deep and serious, with a hint of solemnity.

"I'm at the noodle shop. What's wrong?"

"Another murder has occurred, this time at a bakery in Shibuya. I've arrived at the scene, and it's all very strange. There's a lot of illogical stuff going on, so I'd like to ask you to come and help me analyze it."

"A strange murder case?" Lin Chen frowned. "How is it strange?"

"The deceased was Hanamura Hisashi, the male owner of Hanamura Bakery. He was found dead in the kitchen this morning by his employees. The cause of death was... spontaneous combustion." Hikawa Makoto paused, but his tone remained calm and composed. "No accelerant residue was found at the scene. At first, I thought it was an attack by an unknown entity, but what's most unusual is that the deceased showed no signs of struggle before his death, and was unusually calm. I highly suspect that it may have been committed by an awakened psychic."

Lin Chen became serious. His worst fears had come true; finally, a superhuman had lost control of himself.

"I'll be right there."

He hung up the call, walked to the kitchen door, and said to Genji Sato, "Old man, there's an urgent matter at the base, I have to go now."

Sato Genji stopped what he was doing, nodded gently, wiped the flour off his hands, and said with the concern of an elder, "Go on, business is important. Things have been a bit unsettled outside lately, so be careful on the road."

Lin Chen picked up his coat from the back of the chair and quickly walked out of the noodle shop.

The sun was shining brightly outside, the streets were bustling with pedestrians, children were playing and laughing on the roadside, and couples were strolling hand in hand. Everything looked peaceful and beautiful.

...

The area outside the Hanamura Bakery has been cordoned off with yellow police tape, and a few passersby have stopped at a distance to watch quietly.

Several police cars were parked quietly on the side of the road, their red and blue lights flashing alternately.

Hojo Toru also arrived at the same time, and the two exchanged a slight greeting.