"Uncle Long Yi, aren't you feeling a bit hot?" Tran wiped sweat from his brow with a tissue. He wasn't new to flying, but this was his first sweltering flight.
"Actually... yeah. Cabin temperature shouldn't be this high. Probably the AC's broken. I'll check." Long Yi pressed the call button.
Moments later, a stunning flight attendant approached. Tran's eyes widened—slender legs, a narrow waist, and...
"Sir, how may I assist you?" She smiled with poised professionalism.
"Sis, it's boiling here! Is the AC broken?" Tran cut in before Long Yi could speak. *Since Long Yi couldn't see anyway, opportunities like this were for the prepared.*
"Hmm? It does feel warm. Please wait while we check the thermostat." She turned toward the cockpit, her figure swaying gracefully.
"Uh, thanks, beautiful! Could you grab me some juice too? Orange, please!" Tran called out before she vanished.
"Certainly. One moment..." She gave a slight nod, already focused on the temperature issue.
"Tran," Long Yi asked curiously, "was that attendant really that pretty?" He hated his own S-Rank ability—this limitation was infuriating.
"Dude, you're missing out!" Tran grinned. *Good views were for the prepared.*
"Heh. Sometimes blindness reveals more than sight..." Long Yi's enigmatic expression left Tran speechless.
As Tran puzzled over this, sweat suddenly poured down his neck. The heat had silently climbed to unbearable levels.
Passengers began murmuring. A slight warmth was tolerable, but at this rate, they'd be enjoying an in-flight sauna soon—*a rare experience, I guess.*
"Please remain calm. We're addressing the issue. Your patience is appreciated!" the attendant announced over the intercom.
"Uncle Long Yi, what's happening? This heat isn't normal at high altitude!" Tran knew only Long Yi could fix this.
"Fine. Let me see." Long Yi removed his gray blindfold, slowly opening his eyes. His irises were dark red—pupil-less, like flawless gemstones.
"Pfft. I thought it'd be Sharingan! Lame." Tran wasn't ordinary; he only cared about fictional stuff.
Long Yi sighed inwardly. *This was an S-Rank power!* **Bloodwheel Eyes**: Seeing through illusions, tracing energy flows, pinpointing weaknesses—all while launching telekinetic strikes. A top-tier psychic ability. Even inanimate objects could be shattered at S-Rank.
*Sure, S-Ranks seemed common lately. But the Research Institute's quartet had hidden roles—no need to digress.*
"Hmm?" Long Yi scanned the cabin.
"Find anything, Uncle?"
"We're in trouble..."
"...
......
"*I know that!*" Tran groaned, sweat dripping nonstop. "I'm practically jerky already!"
The temperature had silently hit 50°C—lethal for ordinary humans. But everyone here had awakened Superpowers; they could endure a little longer...
"My eyes track energy flows. Know what I see now?" Long Yi's brow furrowed.
"Spit it out! We're turning into mummies!" Tran unbuckled his seatbelt, ready to strip.
"This entire plane is saturated with energy. Simply put—we're inside a giant steamer."
"What do we do?! Why is flying so dangerous?!" Tran complained. *...Though honestly, flying was never safe.*
"This isn't natural. Someone's controlling it. They'll show themselves soon." Long Yi's gaze locked onto the energy's focal point.
"HAHAHA! Nothing beats the thrill of heat!!" A maniacal laugh echoed.
"Ugh, it's too hot! This heatproof suit isn't working!" A woman's voice followed. "You trying to cook me alive?"
"Heh, tough it out. After this job, we're done."
A man in a tank top and afro appeared, flanked by a woman in light-blue protective gear.
"Comrades! Relax and enjoy the ride~" He grinned wickedly at the passengers.
"Hey! You did this! Turn the AC back on!" A man in his twenties shouted.
"Yeah! Your prank's gone too far!" his girlfriend added.
The afro-haired man just chuckled, silent.
When more passengers joined the outcry, he waved dismissively. "You don't grasp your situation." He snapped his fingers.
***BOOM!***
The arguing couple instantly became charred skeletons.
"AAAAHHH!!!" Screams and chaos erupted. *These hijackers killed people on sight—where was justice?!*
"Calm down, calm down..." Afro Man smirked. "Captain! You saw that... my patience is thin." He gestured toward the cockpit.
An overweight man emerged, sweat streaming down his face. "Understood. I'll contact the control tower." *The captain—while the co-pilot flew.*
"Smart choice." Afro Man shoved him toward the cockpit.
Only the suited woman and sweltering passengers remained.
Several fire-powered passengers lunged at her when Afro Man left. *But hijackers don't operate without skills.* She flicked playing cards—*thwip!*—nailing them to the cabin walls. The heat seared their flesh, filling the air with a faint scent of roasting meat...
"Lucky us. Hijackers," Long Yi remarked dryly.
"Oh god! Are we doomed?!" Tran, just sixteen, had never faced this. Panic clawed at his throat.
"You're a Question Mark-tier Superpower holder. Act like it!" Long Yi sighed. "Look at our Association members—so brave."
"I'm no superhero! This power's useless to me! I just want a normal life!" Tran wiped sweat furiously.
Long Yi was baffled. *Such power... yet this kid refused to shine? Unreasonable.*
*Tran's childhood trauma explained it—but not now. Suffice to say: overwhelming power isn't always a blessing.*
Back to reality: Long Yi weighed his options. Even as an S-Rank, he couldn't guarantee a one-shot kill. Failure meant mutual destruction—a bad trade.
"HAHA! Attention passengers!" Afro Man reappeared. "We're changing course! I've arranged landing at another airport. You'll remain our hostages a while longer~"
Seeing the crisis escalate, Long Yi turned to Tran. "Only you know your true ability. Can you restrain him—even for a second?"
"Uh... Uncle, you overestimate me. I don't even know what my power *does*." Tran recalled only unleashing it passively during his kidnapping.
"Then I need to get close. Untie your hair."
"Huh? Why?!" Tran clutched his ponytail.
"Ever heard of seduction?" Long Yi narrowed his pupil-less eyes.
"Hell no!" Tran refused instantly. *His reputation would be ruined!*
"Listen. The only way out is killing him before he reacts. If he snaps? We all burn. And hostages rarely survive."
"...
"You want a quiet life? Fine. But without life, there *is* no life."
"Tch. Fine!" Something inside Tran shattered. He removed his hair tie. Since awakening his power, he'd grown more androgynous—almost ethereal.
*This is it. All or nothing.* Tran steeled himself, whispering plans with Long Yi.
