The primeval forest, adorned with colossal tree trunks that pierced the clouds like pillars supporting another realm, was now pierced by a frustrated whimper. Moonlight, peeking faintly through the thick canopy, managed to touch only a small part of this strange scene. Beneath one of those living giants, a small boy, with disheveled black hair and a face smudged with dirt, leaned limply.
"I'm so hungry, and my Power… its level is too low, almost useless! And where exactly is this place, anyway?!"
Chen Fan, who had somehow shrunk into an eight-year-old boy, rubbed his twisting stomach, a bitter expression adorning his still-innocent face. He roared skyward, his voice high-pitched and full of despair, loud enough to send a flock of wild Chocobos perched on nearby branches scattering in a frantic flap of wings. Whoosh!
Though his body was now small, memories of his past remained intact, clinging like a curse. He was a survivor of the '2012 Apocalypse'—for many, it was the end of everything. But for him, it was a stage. A stage where he rose with the Superpower of Vector Manipulation, a unique Esper ability that allowed him to control the direction and magnitude of anything. With this power, he didn't just survive, he dominated the post-apocalyptic world.
"Hmph! That world was like my own backyard," he muttered, remnants of his past arrogance still wafting. A faint, cynical smile played on his lips. "No danger, no challenges… until I got too confident."
Yes, it was his youthful hubris that had plunged him into this. He challenged everyone and everything. He invited unimaginable wrath. Humans and monsters, natural sworn enemies, united against him. An alliance that would even shock the Akatsuki or Gotei 13—formed for one person alone.
FLASHBACK ON
The sky burned with flashes of power. The siege began with a storm of countless Superpowers unleashed, all with one goal: to obliterate Chen Fan. An aura of destruction enveloped the battlefield, akin to a combination of the Arrancars' dense Reiatsu and the explosive Chakra of tailed beasts. The air vibrated, distorted by waves of energy.
Yet, amidst the storm, Chen Fan stood tall, a faint smile gracing his lips. Speed lines flickered around him as he moved his hands, deflecting every incoming attack. It was as if he possessed a super-instinctive Observation Haki that told him every enemy movement, even before the thought formed. Energy lasers blazing like shooting stars, psychic shockwaves tearing through the ground, even magical explosions resembling Fairy Tail's Maker Magic that should have been devastating, all simply bent and deflected, creating a storm of destruction behind him.
"Tsk, keep playing around!" he sneered, his pupils gleaming with the thrill of battle. From time to time, he would launch "lasers" from his hands. They weren't real lasers, but ordinary one-yuan coins. But under the acceleration of his Vector Manipulation, these coins shot so fast that they frictioned with the air, glowing fiery red and transforming into deadly projectiles with the destructive power of Misaka Mikoto's Railgun.
BOOM!
A coin struck a small mountain in the distance, leveling it in a spectacular explosion, leaving a smoking, churning crater. However, the attackers' expressions showed no surprise. They seemed to already know. As if this was all part of a larger plan hidden behind a veil of darkness.
Suddenly, savage monsters—some resembling Demon Beasts from Akame Ga Kill with blood-stained claws, others like giant Hollows with monstrous masks and holes in their chests—along with the Superpower users, began to retreat. Slowly, little by little, they withdrew. This strange change sent shivers down Chen Fan's spine. A bad premonition pierced his heart, his expression tense as he cautiously observed his surroundings. A small sweatdrop trickled down his temple.
"What in the world is this? Did I miss something?" he thought, high-speed thoughts spinning in his brain. He had protected himself from everything in the air except oxygen, even light. What could make him feel this apprehensive? He crouched low, his muscles tensed, ready for a high-speed counterattack. His expression was serious, his focus sharp. He trusted his intuition more than his abilities—that's what had kept him alive through many insane battles.
Chen Fan knew he wasn't strong just because his ability was special. He had met many Espers with more unique and powerful abilities.
He remembered an incident. He had once accidentally faced an Esper with the Superpower of Five Senses Control. A terrifying ability that could make you see insects as giant dragons, or even change the taste of water into sickening sulfur.
"Damn it!" he grumbled inwardly, that bitter memory returning. He had been a victim of it. He fought for half a day against entities that never existed. In the end, he wiped an entire city off the map just to end the illusion. He managed to kill that Esper, but he himself was half-dead from exhaustion, his Vector Manipulation almost empty. He knelt on the ground, panting, his body trembling violently.
BLIP!
Suddenly, Chen Fan felt a strong vibration, as if an invisible pressure hit him. He immediately ducked his head, but nothing happened. "Maybe it's just paranoia, huh?" he thought, sighing, trying to convince himself.
BLIP!
The vibration came again, stronger. This time he lunged forward, but still, there was nothing. "Am I hallucinating from lack of sleep?" he mumbled, growing more confused, his brow furrowed.
BLIP!
The third vibration. This time, Chen Fan didn't move. Following his sharply honed instincts, he picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it at normal speed in a certain direction.
"A-ARGHHH!"
A piercing scream erupted, and then the air in front of Chen Fan shattered like a broken mirror, revealing a blood-soaked figure.
Chen Fan gasped. The man's entire body was severely wounded, blood gushing from everywhere. Especially the back of his neck, which was still spurting fresh blood, sending cold shivers down Chen Fan's own neck. Cold sweat poured down his face. "Damn, if that blade had gone even a little deeper, I'd be finished," he thought, a sense of horror creeping over him.
Quickly, he activated Vector Manipulation, controlling his own blood flow. The wounds on his body closed, his flesh rejoining at incredible speed, leaving only faint traces that quickly disappeared.
It was then that Chen Fan looked up in the direction of the scream. A slender man with glasses, about 30 years old, lay on the ground, screaming and clutching his stomach. A gaping hole the size of a basketball had appeared there, spewing blood. Clearly, he wouldn't survive.
The man stared at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with absolute terror. He scrambled backward frantically. Chen Fan stood, slowly walked towards the man, then crouched. He observed him intently, expressionless. He offered healing in exchange for information about the man's ability.
After hearing the explanation, Chen Fan couldn't help but be shocked at how abnormal the man's Superpower was: Tear Reality. The ability to tear spatial and temporal dimensions on a micro-scale, attacking invisibly. Of course, in the end, Chen Fan still killed the man, leaving not a speck of ash. He wouldn't allow such an unbalancing ability to exist in this world.
"Cloning? In this world? Tsk, better safe than sorry," Chen Fan mumbled. That's why he incinerated the body, even carefully cleaning up the bloodstains on the ground, leaving no clues behind.
It was Chen Fan's first injury after reaching LV5, the peak of power in that era. Although he later discovered many other powerful abilities, he managed to handle them all thanks to the level difference.
"This time, with all the ability users in the world gathered, what other bizarre abilities will appear?" he thought with a cynical tone, yet there was faint hesitation behind his gaze.
Around Chen Fan, countless monsters and humans stood motionless, their eyes all fixed on him. The air felt frozen, suffocating. Even though Chen Fan had deflected light and heat, beads of sweat were still clearly visible on his forehead, glistening under the occasional lightning strike.
When faced with the unknown, humans always possess two emotions: excitement or fear. Chen Fan happened to be the latter. The sweat on his forehead had already run into his eyes, but Chen Fan didn't wipe it away. He kept staring intently around him, clenching his fists tightly. His palms were already drenched with nervousness.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Suddenly, a crisp clapping sound broke the tension. Yan Wei clapped his hands, smiling broadly and saying, "As expected from the one who flipped the Superpower world. Now that I see him, he truly is a young hero!" His last words carried a slight emotion, a strangely sincere yet deceptive tone.
Hearing this, Chen Fan felt a slight pleasure, a faint warm sensation rising in his chest, but he soon realized something was wrong. He was clearly not the type of person who would be pleased by mere praise. A cold sensation ran through his brain. As soon as that pleasant feeling faded, Chen Fan knew that he had unconsciously fallen into Yan Wei's illusion. He was slightly annoyed by his carelessness, but more than that, he was amazed by Yan Wei's power. His expression became more serious, his jaw hardened.
As if seeing Chen Fan break free from his ability's influence so quickly, Yan Wei's expression faltered slightly, as if his mask had shifted a bit, then quickly recovered, displaying the same bright smile. But Chen Fan, who was staring intently into Yan Wei's eyes, clearly saw a flicker of killing intent in their depths, which made his hair stand on end.
Despite knowing he was in great danger, Chen Fan still smiled faintly and said, "What brings a busy man like you here?"
"Are you not asking the obvious? Of course, I'm here to 'kill' you." Yan Wei's face still held the same smile, his smile cold and chilling, but when he uttered the word 'kill', Chen Fan distinctly felt a cold chill wash over him.
Reflexively, he took a fighting stance, lowering his body, and said, "Then let's try. I've long wanted to see the power of 'Holy Word' and whether it's as magical as people say." His eyes were filled with eager battle intent, as fighting strong opponents was also one of his hobbies. Like Monkey D. Luffy, who never flinched when facing an Admiral, or Natsu, always ready to rampage against the strongest enemies without hesitation!
"No, no, no, it's not me who will fight you." Yan Wei raised a finger and wagged it left and right, signaling his rejection of Chen Fan's suggestion. His smile grew wider, revealing fangs.
"Then who?" Chen Fan didn't know what their plan was, but he still asked, his voice containing a hint of impatience.