Chapter 8: The Supernova Individual

It was only when the wrist-mounted computer emitted a series of beeps that the Axe Man finally lifted his head, casting a surprised look at Bai Yuxi.

“I thought it was that expert, swaggering through the streets with a ‘biological strong magnetic field’,” he muttered to himself as he lowered his arm, his demeanor relaxed as he strode toward Bai Yuxi. “Turns out it’s just a pure rookie who can’t even control the emission of ‘multi-dimensional ultra-high activity bio-energy,’ and doesn’t know how to condense a ‘bio-field’…”

“Don’t come any closer!” Bai Yuxi didn’t understand what the other was saying, but he could sense the danger emanating from him. He retreated cautiously, drawing the short sword hidden behind his back, and shouted with false bravado, “What do you want?”

“Oh?” The Axe Man stopped in his tracks, no longer advancing, having noticed Bai Yuxi’s excessive tension. He glanced at the short sword in Bai’s hand, a flicker of disdain in his eyes, waving dismissively as if it mattered not. He even slotted his axe back into the weapon holder on his thigh, not regarding Bai as any threat at all.

“Kid, you probably don’t understand what I’m saying, and perhaps you don’t even know what’s going on.” He crossed his arms, looking at the wary Bai Yuxi with amused interest, a cruel smile curling his lips. “But you'd better honestly tell me everything you saw and who you were with earlier. Be obedient, or you’ll regret making me take action.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! I didn’t see anything, and I wasn’t with anyone!” Bai Yuxi kept his guard, clutching the short sword tightly. He would never be foolish enough to reveal the truth. In such mysterious events, isn’t extracting information and then silencing the witness the most common approach?

“Nothing? Then where did you get that ‘X weapon’ in your hand?” “Not with anyone? How did a newly awakened rookie like you survive an encounter with an MS-UMA?” “Don’t tell me you managed to kill a ‘dimensional creature’ emerging from an ‘anomaly point’ right after awakening. Do you think you’re a ‘supernova individual’?”

The Axe Man sneered, “You’d better tell me everything in detail, or don’t blame me for bullying a rookie…”

But before he could finish his sentence, Bai Yuxi suddenly turned and ran.

“Oh, you’re actually running?” The Axe Man, caught off guard by Bai’s sudden flight, reacted instantly, darting forward and reaching for the back of Bai Yuxi’s neck.

Feeling a gust of force behind him, Bai Yuxi instinctively ducked, swinging his reverse-gripped short sword behind him as he rolled to the side, hoping to force his attacker back.

But he was, after all, someone with absolutely no fighting experience, a sickly recluse whose stamina had brought him this far only thanks to the burning heat inside him. There was no way he could evade such an attack.

His attempt at dodging was barely half-done when a heavy kick landed on his back, sending him flying forward and tumbling across the ground like a rag doll.

“Huh?” The Axe Man had pulled his hand back to avoid Bai’s sword and then sent him flying with a kick. Seeing Bai Yuxi get up unscathed and continue running, he couldn’t help but be puzzled.

He hadn’t used his full strength, but with his combat level—a level 5 or above super-limited warrior—that kick should have incapacitated any rookie.

Moreover, Bai had been gasping for breath moments ago, yet now he seemed to grow livelier with each step.

The Axe Man grew serious, taking only two swift steps to catch up with the fleeing Bai Yuxi and swung his fist at Bai’s back.

Again struck heavily, Bai Yuxi fell to the ground, but now he sensed something strange. He’d been kicked and punched, thrown to the ground, yet he felt no pain at all.

The blazing “fire” inside him worked like a “steam engine,” heating his blood and releasing intense heat that formed an expanding energy within him.

This scorching energy made Bai feel as though he’d become a fully inflated basketball, bouncing lightly upon landing. So, while the attacks still felt agonizing, as soon as he hit the ground, the force dissipated, leaving him virtually unhurt.

Though he didn’t understand why, the protection afforded by this inner heat gave Bai Yuxi newfound confidence. He stopped running.

The Axe Man’s supernatural speed had convinced Bai Yuxi that escape was impossible; these mysterious beings were beyond human. The unreasonable assault had also stirred his temper, and, emboldened by his anger, Bai turned and charged at the Axe Man!

But reality was cruel, though dreams were sweet.

Driven by rage and desperation, Bai Yuxi prepared to fight to the bitter end, but the Axe Man merely brushed aside and pushed him, sending Bai crashing to the ground again and pinning him by the spine, leaving him unable to move.

“Running? Where are you running?” The Axe Man swept aside the short sword Bai was swinging wildly and kicked him over, landing several heavy punches on Bai’s face.

Blood streaming from his nose, Bai Yuxi was dazed for a moment, but quickly recovered, stubbornly reaching out to claw at his opponent.

Curiously, as the Axe Man’s fists struck Bai’s face, a faint, almost imperceptible azure membrane flickered across Bai’s skin.

It was this membrane that neutralized the Axe Man’s formidable strength, reducing the damage to an almost negligible level.

“Well, well!” The Axe Man’s eyes widened in amazement. “Such a powerful ‘hyperactive shield’! Could this kid really be a ‘supernova individual’?”

Now he was truly astonished. With his strength, a single punch could kill an ox, yet he couldn’t subdue this newly awakened rookie.

There was only one possible explanation: Bai Yuxi might be, even among the extraordinary, one of the exceedingly rare “supernova individuals.”

The Axe Man looked at Bai Yuxi, whose face was streaming with blood yet who continued to struggle relentlessly, his eyes flashing with a hint of undisguised apprehension and envy.

A “supernova individual” referred to those who, after awakening, could, in an incredibly short time, rise to astonishing heights among the extraordinary.