I am a female swordsman.

Having not seen this guy for a while, Huang Quan realized that Saitama's body seemed to be becoming increasingly unpredictable. He casually channeled the inner force of the [Wandering Samurai], transforming it into a sword shard that brushed against Saitama's body, yet it left not even a trace. It should be noted that with Huang Quan's swordsmanship skills, his ability to apply his knowledge to other techniques would normally be greatly enhanced.

Let alone flesh and blood, even a steel plate made of refined steel can be torn to shreds by you!

It was just a joke with Saitama, so naturally he wouldn't have used such great power. But the fact that it left no trace was still somewhat beyond Yomi's expectations.

"The training has paid off, hehe." A hint of pride couldn't be ignored on his face. In Saitama's mind, Mado-san should be an extremely skilled martial artist.

It's not that kind of soft, limp pose; it's more of a cool pose.

Rather, deep within his body lies something that Saitama cannot yet clearly describe in words.

"Alright, let's call it a day." As one of the few residents in the Ghost City, Mado Yomi was quite tolerant and friendly towards Saitama. It was a good thing that Saitama's strength had increased; otherwise, it would be quite tragic if he suddenly disappeared while they were chatting.

"Eh? Do I have work this afternoon?"

"Someone invited me to dinner."

Saitama's expression immediately became subtle, and even his demeanor turned somewhat goofy. His eyes clearly said, "Would anyone even invite a dull, unappealing woman like you to dinner?"

The black-rimmed glasses on her face flashed with white light. Mado Yomi adjusted her glasses, her gaze concerned.

"Saitama-kun, isn't your hairline...?" A cunning person can often spot problems others don't want to face in an instant. Yomi's observation was accurate; Saitama's hairline had indeed receded a few centimeters.

"I'm not losing hair! It's so annoying!!"

Caught off guard, Saitama roared and screamed, refusing to admit that he was experiencing severe hair loss and that no new hair was growing back. Lately, Saitama had been waking up from nightmares at night, dreaming that he had become incredibly strong, and amidst the excitement, he was horrified to discover…

I've gone bald too!!

Chapter Forty-Six: The Circle Disappeared

Having dinner with Mado Yomi and having dinner with [Shinra Chairman] Yomi are two completely different levels of difficulty challenges.

Such a beautiful flower growing on the frigid summit would deter any brave soul who wished to touch its beauty, causing them to shake their heads and sigh at the lofty, inaccessible peak. Theoretically, this is true, but it's as if the world deliberately chooses to display its absurdity.

Candles, roses, and elegant music.

Western food, red wine, handsome men and beautiful women.

Very few people in this world have direct access to Yomi, the chairperson of the Shinra Council, and even fewer can make her feel that this dinner is meaningful.

Sephiroth was one of them.

Her dignified sitting posture was exceptionally pleasing to the eye; chest out, abdomen in, exuding a magnificent and elegant aura. For Huang Quan, whose body control was already superhuman, to achieve this level required negligible computational power from her brain. Her every action was close to perfection; she had taken another step closer to becoming a perfect life form.

Her beautiful, ruby-like eyes shone brightly under the light.

With an enigmatic and unpredictable emotion, the silver-haired, red-eyed woman gazed calmly at Sephiroth sitting opposite her. Though her gaze was devoid of any emotion, it exerted an immense pressure on the observer.

Even Sephiroth's heart couldn't help but beat a little faster under those beautiful eyes.

“Sephiroth, you’re a little nervous.”

Huang Quan easily noticed the nervousness in this tall, strong, and handsome Shinra warrior. After all, what he was doing was rather rebellious.

I never thought you would agree.

"In your mind, was I the kind of person who was so demanding?" A hint of loneliness seemed to flash across Huang Quan's cold and beautiful face, which made Sephiroth, who had no experience with women, fall silent. He felt like he had done something wrong, but his brain was racing to analyze the conversation, yet he couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Arranging to have dinner with Huang Quan was Sephiroth's attempt to respond to that special feeling he had for her. He was gradually becoming dissatisfied with their weekly chess games; the unusual intimacy in their blood made him want to get closer to her.

What kind of emotion is this?

Sephiroth had consulted books seeking answers: familial love? Romantic love? It seemed somewhat similar, yet not quite. Its budding growth made Sephiroth slightly uneasy, as if it shouldn't be like this…

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Sephiroth felt a sudden pang of sadness; he immediately understood that this feeling was called guilt. The handsome young man hesitated, but finally spoke. "Yellow Springs, I have successfully completed all my recent missions."

The tone was somewhat subtle, like a child who had done something wrong trying to please an adult with good grades.

"I know, I've been watching you."

Huang Quan's ethereal and melodious voice instantly dispelled Sephiroth's guilt, replaced by a sense of joy. However, both of them were expressionless and aloof icebergs, so this change in emotion was basically imperceptible from their appearances. Huang Quan, on the other hand, was able to make a rudimentary glimpse of it from the signals emanating from their bodies.

She wasn't lying; she personally reviewed Sephiroth's weekly medical examinations, battle reports, and psychological assessments. There was obviously a purpose to this, but no one could guess what it was.

Under such circumstances, rumors inevitably arose within Shinra.

The most convincing argument is that Sephiroth is the son of the Shinra Chairman, and his arrival in Shinra is similar to a succession. As for the evidence, the two have identical personalities, are equally handsome and powerful, and both have that head of brilliant, beautiful silver hair. Who would believe they aren't related?

Therefore, rumors are ultimately just rumors.

As for the exact relationship between Huang Quan and Sephiroth, only she herself probably knows the answer to that question.

"But do you think this kind of life is good?"

Suddenly, Huang Quan said something meaningful, which instantly restored Sephiroth's calm and rationality as a powerful warrior, who had been feeling slightly excited.

"Huang Quan, what do you mean by that? I don't understand."

Sephiroth is an anomaly; he is unlike any other human. From the moment he consciously opened his eyes, he grew at an astonishing rate. Whether he wanted to or not, every piece of information his brain received daily continuously nourished and propelled his growth. It was almost like... a monster...

What I mean is, are you satisfied with your current life?

Huang Quan asked Sephiroth very seriously. She propped her head up with her hands and leaned forward, her heavy, full breasts resting on the white tablecloth under her black silk dress.

"Do not……"

After a moment's hesitation, Sephiroth instinctively shifted his gaze slightly downwards and gave an honest answer.

desire!

Dissatisfaction with the status quo is the driving force for progress. Sephiroth also had desires, but his desires had always seemed very weak, even somewhat indifferent.

"You want to become stronger?"

"A little." This time, Sephiroth answered very quickly. As if guided, his emerald-blue eyes, gazing at Yomi, were tinged with a peculiar emotion. His intuition told him that the [Shinra Chairman] before him was incredibly powerful, like an unfathomable abyss. If he could surpass her, would the emotions rooted in his bloodline be truly satisfied?

“I don’t recommend you do that, Sephiroth. Because…” Huang Quan’s expression changed several times as she casually pulled out a napkin.

On a pristine white square napkin, a regular circle was formed by crimson magic.

"Let's say this circle is called 'Sephiroth.' Continuously increasing in strength represents the circle constantly expanding." Using a vivid analogy, Huang Quan controlled the magical energy to steadily expand on the napkin.

Sephiroth was puzzled; he didn't understand what Yomi was talking about. But soon, he did.

"Ultimately, the circle expanded to its limit, and the result was..." He steadily controlled his magical energy, corresponding to his own words.

"The circle has disappeared!" Sephiroth exclaimed in horror!

The red circle on the pristine white napkin, after expanding to its maximum extent, vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed at all! Watching this, Sephiroth felt a chill run down his spine for some reason. Vanished, utterly vanished!

"That's right, Yuan disappeared. As for where she went, only Yuan knows."

As she handed the napkin to Sephiroth, Huang Quan's forlorn expression deepened. She wasn't frightened; instead, she possessed a serene composure that seemed unwavering even in the face of death.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Becoming a Hero

Huang Quan has always carried a lot of pressure in his heart.

Especially after she learned that a certain primordial time-traveling monster, Daqian, seemed to have been obsessed with her, she felt an even more terrifying pressure.

Don't forget, if we're talking about ranks, Huang Quan is a solid third rank.

Creating this third-tier world was an extremely difficult battle for salvation, and Huang Quan naturally possessed some of the qualities expected of a third-tier life form. These included the ability to seek advantage and avoid harm, the remote observation of the flow of time, and the infinite and the singular nature of her own variables. Huang Quan saw a future with slim hope; her success rate was very low.

Stress can drive people crazy!

Even Huang Quan, a guy with terrifyingly strong willpower, had to carry the pressure of despair that would have crushed any tough guy for decades with few ways to release it. The pressure he accumulated in his heart had reached a morbid level.

She only revealed a slight degree of concern.

For Huang Quan, it was only a tiny bit, yet it already filled the proud and arrogant Sephiroth with a sense of dread. He learned a new emotion from this woman: fear!

"Don't worry too much. You and I are both far from the so-called ultimate circle, and we may never even reach it in our lifetime. I just think that if you want to pursue power, giving you this possibility in advance is a kind of warning." Huang Quan comforted the frightened Sephiroth while continuing to hand him a napkin.

The handsome young man's face was pale at this moment, and his icy expression seemed to be breaking down.

But fortunately, an outlier is an outlier.

Sephiroth's thoughts and beliefs were ravaged by the information bombardment dropped by Huang Quan. The confusion in his clear eyes quickly disappeared, replaced by calm. Just as Huang Quan said, for them, disappearance was only one possibility in the future, too distant, too far to imagine.

Even so, a seed was still planted in Sephiroth's heart.

It's not just desire that drives people forward; fear and pressure can too. Amidst the emotional rollercoaster, Sephiroth felt a certain shackle within him snap. His azure eyes gazed at Yomi's beautiful face, and for the first time, he felt affection for the woman before him, a feeling that transcended blood ties.

In this world, only this woman is worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with me!

"I'm not scared, I'm actually a little happy." Sephiroth reached out to take the napkin and grasped Yomi's soft, boneless hand. With a hint of defiance, the young Sephiroth tried to disrupt Yomi's calm expression with this action; his emotions were finally as complex as those of a normal person.

To Sephiroth's disappointment, even when he grabbed her hand, Huang Quan's expression remained completely unchanged.

Is it tolerance? Or indifference?

"Sephiroth, you've overstepped your bounds." Huang Quan slowly withdrew her hand, her brows furrowing slightly. The Jenova cells truly exuded greed and aggression from their very core. The moment Sephiroth grabbed her, Huang Quan sensed a primal, chilling greed, as if it wanted to devour her whole!

"sorry."

Sephiroth, having been reprimanded, lowered his head, showing his submission and willingness to be harmless.

Seeing Sephiroth so obedient, Huang Quan's furrowed brows slowly relaxed as time passed. She remained silent for a long time, letting the flowing piano music echo in her ears, her glossy nails unconsciously tapping on the table in rhythm.

"I hope you not only have the strength of a strong person, but also the magnanimity of a strong person." Huang Quan spoke again after the piano piece ended.

She knew Sephiroth couldn't understand.

This is not surprising. Weak yet not self-deprecating, strong yet not arrogant, never feigning respect, always striving for progress—this mindset was something Huang Quan gradually cultivated in adversity. For most people, maintaining such a mindset would be extremely difficult. Driven by a subtle urgency, Huang Quan made a suggestion to Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth, do you... want to become a hero?"

Become a hero!!

"Me? But I'm a Shinra warrior!" After all, Sephiroth was a boy who hadn't experienced many hardships, and his first reaction to the sudden change of topic was confusion.

While Shinra and the Hero Association are not enemies, their relationship is not exactly friendly either.

The establishment of the Hero Association was also a product of the corporations and politicians' desire to counterbalance Shinra. According to Sephiroth's knowledge, the Hero Association, which targets and monitors illegal organizations, has Shinra Corporation listed in its internal documents.

What does it matter?

Huang Quan disagreed, believing that being a professional hero and being an employee of Shinra were not mutually exclusive.

From beginning to end, Shinra never considered the Hero Association as a target to be opposed. This is a kind of arrogance that disregards everything. Shinra, which considers the Mad Planet its enemy, actually only has two enemies.