The air crackled with a tension her new senses struggled to parse.
Zongyu was choking, William stood frozen like a statue, and Jenny looked as if she had swallowed something unpleasant.
She didn't mean to offend them. Really.
It was a logical deduction based on the data Jenny had provided. She never expected it to be another mistake on her part. But she couldn't comprehend the error in it.
A husband sees his wife naked. A wife sees her husband naked. They had seen her naked. Therefore, they were her husbands, and she was their wife.
The logic was sound, yet the result was chaos. That meant the premise was flawed. There was a hidden variable, another layer to human social rules that she had failed to account for.
It was frustrating.
This process of becoming human was like a star's struggle against the pull of a black hole—bright, defiant, and doomed to be consumed.
The failures made her believe that no matter how much she tried, the end result would always be the same. Inevitably, she wasn't human at all.
A familiar, dull ache spread through her chest—the pain of failure, of disconnection.
First, the misunderstanding about their fear. Then the confusion over their reddened faces. The misstep in calling William "metal head." And now this… this "wife" catastrophe.
Her purpose was to understand them, protect them, befriend them, and become one of them. But how could she achieve all that if she couldn't even speak to them without causing distress?
Was her dream truly impossible?
No, don't be discouraged, Minor. You are just a newborn. You still have plenty of time to correct yourself. One day, you will become a perfect human. On that day, everyone will love and adore you, just as you love and adore them.
Breaking the heavy silence, William finally shook himself from his stupor. He avoided her gaze, his movements stiff and awkward as he peeled off the thin layer of cloth beneath his metal skin.
He handed it to Jenny, who then turned to her, her expression a complex mix of exasperation and something softer—something she was beginning to recognize as pity.
"Here," she said gently. "Put this on." She held out the special skin—a piece of clothing. It wasn't metallic like William's outer shell, nor as colorful as Jenny's. It was simple, gray, but it was everything.
It was inclusion.
A sign that, despite her series of catastrophic errors, they had not cast her aside.
See? Humans are always forgiving. They are always perfect. If you can't be like them now, then try to be like them in the future.
Humans are truly wonderful.
Water welled in her eyes, threatening to spill once more. But no, she had learned to hold it back, even though her eyes stung a little.
She took the cloth from Jenny. It was still warm from William's body, and it carried a strange scent—a combination of metal and something wet.
It was a uniquely human smell. She brought the cloth to her face and winced.
"It smells bad."
"You…"
"But thank you for it, William." She genuinely felt happy, her voice trembling with the joyous energy bubbling inside her.
She looked at William, who was now awkwardly trying to put his armor back on over his bare chest. She noticed faint traces of wounds scattered across his skin.
Recalling what they had been doing here, she understood the reason for his injuries. Humans always tried to protect their kind.
Even when forced to fight against the abominations in the dark, they never stepped back. She remembered the human who had died protecting her—their face slowly merging into William's as she stepped closer.
Imitating what Jenny had done before, she reached up and patted his head. She had to stand on her toes to reach him, but she made sure her intent was clear.
"Don't worry, William. You won't have to defend against these darklings alone anymore. I'll protect you. As long as I'm here, nothing will hurt you."
* *
"Don't worry about me, William. I will shield you and Grandma. Quick. Escape from here. Don't look back." A young man shoved Young William forward.
William cried aloud. "No, brother! I will never leave you! I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU ALONE!"
The young man smiled. A smile, William had always mirrored whenever he blocked attacks for his team.
"If you stay, Grandma will be alone forever. She needs one of us, William. For that, one of us must stay behind."
William thrashed, arms flailing as someone pulled him toward the distant helicopter.
"Then why are you the one who has to be alone? WHY NOT ME!"
"Because I am a Super."
That was the last smile William ever saw from his brother before it vanished forever. William blinked away his tears.
There was always a smile on his brother's face.
Even after their small settlement was overturned by a hell ranked dungeon, even after every strong man had sacrificed themselves, resisting wave after wave of monsters while waiting for the Kochin army to arrive, even after a full day of holding on only to learn the army had abandoned them…
His brother just smiled. Because of one simple belief:
'A tank never cries.'
Somehow, the face of the girl patting his head suddenly transformed into his brother's.
'I'll protect you. As long as I'm here, nothing will hurt you.'
'As long as I'm here…'
'…nothing will hurt you.'
Then, as swiftly as the vision had come, the scenery changed. She hovered above an almost-ruined city, her cloak dancing in the wind.
Horrible wounds marked her body, yet a smile remained on her face.
When she looked at him, blood streamed from her mouth. Yet William read her words clearly:
'Don't be alone anymore, William. I will be there instead of you.'
"NOO!" William suddenly shouted, roughly shoving her to the ground.
He gasped for air, his body trembling, drenched in sweat.
"I don't want you to protect me. No—I don't want you in my life at all."
He didn't wait for her reply. He turned and ran toward the direction of the city, forcing himself to ignore the tears welling in her eyes. And the tinge of pain appeared in his heart.
'Don't be soft, William. You are a tank. Tanks always shield others. If someone shields you too much, you aren't a tank anymore.'
[Are you sure you are a tank?]
'Shut up.'
[Try to make me silent as you wish, William. But two of us know about your truth. About your will. About your purpose. You can't escape it.]
'Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.'
"You armour bastard!" Jenny cursed, rushing to support the girl from the ground.
The girl froze, stunned, just as Jenny had been, her dark blue pupils wide with confusion. The tears she had held back moments ago now spilled freely, like a dam bursting.
Jenny had no idea what had made William so angry. Was it simply because the girl had patted his head?
She glanced at Zongyu, whose face mirrored her own shock.
"You…" Jenny paused, realizing she didn't even know the girl's name.
"What is your name?"
"Hhh… my… sniff… my naaaame… is… Mi…nor… hhh… huff…"
"What?"
"Minor."
Jenny suddenly widened her eyes and asked, "You… don't remember your name?"
Her tears streamed faster with every passing second. Jenny understood instantly—she had amnesia.
That explained almost everything… except why she had been naked.
Was it like Zongyu had suspected before? That her skill only trigger when she is naked?
Jenny needed answers. In that way, she could confirm her speculations.
"Are you naked because you need to be that way to activate your Path skill?"
The girl continued sobbing but managed to answer.
"No. That's because I don't have any clothes."
Jenny's next question would confirm her suspicion.
"Is your weakness… what made you naked?"
The girl stopped sobbing, frustration replacing despair.
"Why does everyone not believe me? Not like me? I said I don't have clothes because I don't have them!"
So she truly was suffering from amnesia. Jenny shot a side glance at Zongyu.
"And about my weakness…"
Both Zongyu and Jenny pricked their ears to listen.
"I am so powerful… I don't have any weakness."
Jenny exhaled sharply. That was it. Even in amnesia, the girl's defensive instincts were near-perfect.
She resisted revealing her weakness almost involuntarily.
What kind of background had she come from to possess such a sharp mind? Jenny recalled how she exposed her own weakness to William and Zongyu in the first day and felt ashamed.
'Well. I was younger at that time.' Jenny knowingly ignored the age of the girl.
Anyway, helping someone like her could earn their team significant merits—perhaps even a direct ticket to citizenship.
Jenny glanced at Zongyu; both of them understood the opportunity lay before them.
The girl continued sobbing.
Not good.
If her backers were powerful and knew she'd suffered injustice, it could implicate William. She had to fix that.
"William has an injury on his head. It was so painful. That's why he always wears the armor."
The explanation was riddled with holes, painfully obvious even to a child. But Jenny hoped the girl would believe it.
The girl stopped sobbing, brushing the strands of hair from her forehead.
What an enchantress, Jenny thought silently.
Even the idol Supers couldn't match her beauty. With a face like that, she'd be famous in the Megacity. Finding out about her would be much easier.
"He's hurt?"
Jenny felt a pang of guilt at the lie. "Yes. Maybe the injury reopened when you patted his head."
The girl nodded gravely, her face filled with guilt as she believed the story. Jenny felt like a scammer swindling a child.
"Will he be okay?" The girl's voice trembled with concern.
"Don't worry, he's a man."
"Can't men feel pain?"
"Pst." Zongyu chuckled, stopping immediately when Jenny shot him a deadly glare.
"It's a proverb," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Proverb? What's that?"
"Let's get back to the city first, before more monsters show up." Jenny changed the subject, pulling the girl along.
Zongyu followed, suppressing occasional snickers. Jenny vowed she would teach him a lesson later, after they returned the girl safely to her guardians.
They walked for three hours before reaching the city gate. The 85-mile point was roughly ten miles from the city.
The gates were heavily armored, just as they remembered. But when Jenny saw the guard's face, she cringed.
Zongyu moved instantly, blocking her from view, but it was too late. The guard had already noticed them.
"Oh. Isn't that Jenny the Speedster? I wondered if you were dead after seeing that brute rush alone earlier."
They said nothing, but his eyes froze as they fell on the girl.
Not good. Jenny shuddered.
Austin Pitman—the Truth Man, known for detecting lies. And unfortunately, her ex. Someone she had hoped never to see again.
"Who is this?" Austin's earlier playful banter vanished, replaced by icy seriousness.
Jenny pulled the girl slightly behind her, motioning for silence.
"Interesting," Austin murmured, moving closer, appraising the girl from head to toe.
"Wearing that brute's clothes, smelling his scent all over… tear stains on her face…" His voice turned cold. "Don't tell me that bastard did something unforgivable. Girl don't worry, tell big brother everything."
* *
This new human misunderstood William.
He thought William had hurt her. No. She had to correct him. But she feared misunderstanding when she started to speak. She feared that her words would only make things more chaotic.
She did not want to hurt anyone else anymore. Not after hurting William, a human she had vowed she would protect in the future.
"Girl, are you okay?" the man pressed. She felt Jenny and Zongyu tense beside her.
"I am," she answered truthfully. A strange sensation washed over her, as if he could feel the wrongness in her words.
"Why are you in this state then?" He seemed to have endless questions, each one pressing.
"Because I am naughty."
It's better to accept her mistakes. Everything that happened was because of her. She is a naughty human.
He studied her for a long moment, his eyes piercing.
"What is your name? And where are you from?"
Panic gripped her. This was a crucial question. One wrong word and she could lose control of the situation. She decided to speak truthfully, but then Jenny spoke.
"Noah. Don't be scared. He is just a guard at the wall. He cannot do anything to you."
Noah? Was that her name?
The feeling of completeness surged through her and filled her very existence. Happiness clouded her mind. She had a name. Noah. Beautiful. Wonderful.
"My name is Noah. I come from the city. Today was my first walk outside," she said truthfully, proud of it. Her home was actually inside the city anyway. Albeit as a rock in one of its buildings.
The man studied her for a few seconds, then motioned for them to continue walking.
"Jenny, I hope you have clear knowledge about the dangers of the wilderness. Think twice before taking a minor on a mission."
'Minor? I am Noah. NOAH.' She wanted to tell him she was no longer Minor. She is Noah. But Jenny pulled her forward, guiding her steps as they moved along.
Her attention quickly shifted to the bustling streets of humans, her eyes drawn to the visuals projected onto the glass of a multistory building. In the projection, a moment appeared—a purple light and a silhouette floating within it—before it vanished.
Wasn't that her?
Near her, Zongyu stood frozen, his eyes darting between her and the screen.
"It's not… that, is it?" Jenny's voice quivered.
"I hope so," Zongyu answered. She didn't understand fully what they were talking about, but her excitement surged. She was being shown in a building for people to see!
"Jenny, Zongyu. Look! That's me!"