3300 AD. The Twentieth World War erupted over the Pacific. Humanity had long since developed single-unit aquatic combat weapons—some requiring no human operators at all. Robots, we called them.

This wasn’t truly a world war. It was a clash between robots and superhumans. Ten global powers had ignited the conflict over disagreements about human superpower development. But in 3300, wars rarely killed anyone. They served mostly as deterrents.

"Captain Tross, seventy percent of our aquatic combat mechs are destroyed. Zero casualties among Hydrokinetics and Electrokinesis users. Ten percent casualties among support staff. Thirty percent fighter jet losses. Seventy percent submarine losses." A uniformed officer recited the data to his computer screen.

"Hmph. Do these high-ups have money to burn? The damages here could buy a small nation—and this is just *our* country’s losses..." Middle-aged Captain Tross frowned, grumbling. For all his rank, he despised war.

"Captain, what now? Our Hydrokinetics have fought for a full day and night. They’re utterly exhausted."

"Hmm... This isn’t a thousand years ago. Twenty hours of combat is enough." Captain Tross replied.

Just then, the phone beside him rang.

"Tross speaking." He lifted the receiver.

"Captain Tross, withdraw your forces immediately." The line went dead.

"Tch. These old fools are playing games with us!" Tross slammed the receiver down—shattering the phone.

After a pause, he strode to the vice-captain’s station and grabbed another phone. "All combat personnel, return to the warship immediately. Leave a few cleanup specialists to secure the battlefield."

"Warship, execute 180-degree turn. Activate bullet curtain defense. Full retreat speed. All personnel secure positions within two minutes—brace for heavy impact."

"After turning, activate Turbine Beam Cannon. Target: dead astern."

Orders delivered, Tross sank back into his chair, pondering this baffling war...

......

"Congratulations, everyone—you’re all sixteen now. By regulation, your bodies are mature enough to unlock your potential. I’m your homeroom teacher, Davis."

At the Private Superpower Development Academy’s high school division, a golden-haired beauty smiled at a classroom of fresh-faced teens. Her crimson uniform radiated refined elegance—clearly no ordinary upbringing.

"Tran, is that our teacher or a senior? She’s gorgeous!" A brown-haired boy elbowed his neighbor. "Wake up! You’ll miss it!"

"Huh? What’s it to me? Don’t bother me. Let me sleep." The black-haired boy—delicate features, pretty enough to pass for a girl with a wig—slumped back onto his desk. "She’s our homeroom teacher. You’ll see her every day. Don’t ruin my precious nap time."

This was Tran. Despite his Western-sounding name, he was pure Asian... Why "Tran"? Who knew. With global intermarriage so common nowadays, anything was possible.

"Tran, you really live up to your name. *Super~Lazy~*" the brown-haired boy yelled.

"I’ve told you a hundred times—don’t call me that! I stayed up gaming last night. Let me rest." Tran buried his face in his arms again.

The brown-haired boy shook his head. "Seriously, you’re one of a kind. Everyone else is thrilled to turn sixteen and discover their Superpower. You? Still sleeping."

......

"Hey! Don’t actually fall asleep!"

*Clap clap clap!*

The golden-haired teacher walked to the door. "Class, follow me to the Research Center. It’s time for your most important moment." She paused. "I know you’re all excited. But remember: every ability has value. Good or bad—it can be mastered."

"Teacher! What’s *your* Superpower?" A student called out. *With her looks, it must be something dazzling.*

"I’ll tell you after you’ve all awakened yours." Teacher Davis smiled and exited.

Twenty-five students followed—twenty-four walking, and one being dragged: Tran, hauled by the brown-haired boy. He hadn’t stirred once during the teacher’s speech.

......

"Huh? When did I teleport? Weren’t we just in class?" Tran finally woke, blinking inside a hovering vehicle.

"You have the nerve to ask? I nearly died dragging you!" The brown-haired boy panted, gulping a drink.

"Oh... sorry, Fili." Tran saw Fili’s sweat-drenched shirt and felt a *hint* of guilt.

"You should be. Hey—we’re almost at the Research Institute! Aren’t you curious about your Superpower?!" Fili’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"What’s there to be curious about? Abilities match your personality and talent. Do I look like some once-in-a-millennium martial arts prodigy? Skip the Superpower—just give me a legendary ladykiller hand from ancient times. That’d be enough..."

Fili shot him a disdainful look. "You think real life’s like a novel? Even if you had that hand, you’d be too lazy to use it. *I’ll* take it—I’ll make it legendary!"

Tran stared at Fili like he was trash.

Fili ignored it, lost in daydreams. "By the way—I invented a Super Electro-Rod! With enough power, it extends infinitely and grows massive! Its weight adjusts by absorbing ions from the air. I’m shrinking it to needle-size for pocket carry."

"Your knockoff vibe is strong... Next you’ll store it in your ear and shout *‘Demon! Take this from Lao Fei!’* every time you use it."

"This is high-tech! Whatever. Just watch me use it to crush evil and win hearts! Hahaha—"

Tran plugged his ears and stared out the window, ignoring Fili’s gloating.

Thirty minutes later, the vehicle stopped before a colossal research complex. Teacher Davis stepped out. A middle-aged administrator approached.

"You’re in charge of Superpower development?" Davis asked politely.

The man squinted at her, then smiled. "Call me Kurt. I oversee all Superpower awakenings in this city. Welcome." He extended his hand.

Davis gave a perfunctory handshake and ushered her students inside.

The institute was a tech paradise: holographic projections, zero-gravity zones, simulated entertainment hubs. Students gaped in awe—except two. Fili was unimpressed (his family ran a lab; he’d built half these gadgets by age ten). Tran simply didn’t care.

"Teacher, have you confirmed all these children are sixteen?" Kurt scanned their ID cards.

"Twenty-five students. All verified."

"Good. They’ll follow me now. You know Superpower awakening is a solo journey."

Davis’s smile tightened slightly, as if recalling something unpleasant.

Kurt led them into a sterile chamber. "Form five lines. Enter these five cultivation pods one by one." He pointed to pods behind thick glass. "Ten minutes each. After awakening, you may experience strange effects—don’t panic. It’s just your first uncontrolled surge. Your ability and classification will display on the screen. The supercomputer’s judgment is infallible."

No hesitation. They lined up, stepping toward new lives...

The first group finished quickly. As the pods opened, five teens collapsed like wilted plants—one still smoldering with flames.

"B-rank ability: Underworld Flame. Not bad," researchers murmured behind the glass.

"More flammable than regular fire. Twice the heat. Nearly impossible to extinguish—like hellfire clinging to flesh. But it’s nowhere near A-rank Hellfire Demon or S-rank Amaterasu Blaze."

"Talents like that? One in a billion. Even with daily training, how many truly emerge?"

"The others are pitiful. Highest is C-rank—a weapon affinity. ‘Enhanced knife handling’..."

Twenty awakenings later, abilities revealed. One girl manifested A-rank "Frost Goddess"—the computer calculated she could eventually materialize an ice deity to fight for her. Researchers immediately whisked her away for "career counseling." (A-rank talents were rarer than one in a million.)

Only two researchers remained for the last group—Tran and Fili’s quintet. They didn’t expect much.

Inside his pod, Tran felt suffocation crash over him. His body locked rigid—like sleep paralysis. Something slithered within him. He forced his eyes open. Gray energy currents coiled across his skin. The blue nutrient fluid turned murky gray.

*"At last... I may awaken?"*

A deep voice echoed. Tran jolted—was he hallucinating?

*"The time has come. My strength fades. *He* has also stirred. I bequeath my power to you... my successor."*

A colossal force surged from his dantian. Infinite energy flooded his veins.

Outside, ten minutes elapsed. The pod hissed open.

Fili lay prone on the floor, body crackling with electricity—but his grin stretched wide.

From Tran's recovery pod emerged a long-haired figure...

Unlike others, he wasn't weak. He slowly walked up to Fili and pulled him up. Fili forced his eyes open to see Tran, now with long hair, grinning widely at him. "I'm starving!" Tran said. "Let's go eat!"

Without even checking their Superpower panels, the two walked off. Those who saw the annotations on their panels stared wide-eyed in disbelief...