Ray strained against the cuffs. Even though he wasn't a combat type, his body had been reinforced so many times that it surpassed most combat-trained individuals. With a sharp snap, the handcuffs shattered into countless specks of starlight, quickly dissipating.Huh? These weren't real?He looked at Cassandra. "Officer… these aren't actual handcuffs?"Cassandra shot him a sharp glance. Every time he called her "officer," she knew exactly what he was thinking. Yet, deep inside, a rising heat of desire made her cheeks flush, blooming like a rose in full glory."No," she mused. "These are some kind of energy manifestation. They can last for a couple of hours, then dissipate automatically. As for how many sets I can use at once… I haven't tested that."Using superpowers came instinctively, but the strength and fine details of an ability required trial and error.But why did Cassandra awaken this particular power? Was it because she was a police officer, giving her the ability to rest

Corey could actually detect the heartbeat of everyone within three kilometers. Thanks to his ability, these heartbeats were layered, allowing him to pinpoint each person's exact location with ease.From Ray's direction, there was only one heartbeat. It was unmistakably "loud."And then, suddenly, it vanished.Had he dropped dead on the spot? Impossible.Forced his heart to stop? Also unlikely.Panic surged through Corey."Wait—he—" he started, then quickly forced himself to calm down. After all, this was Susan's territory. Over twenty powerful ability users surrounded him—strong enough that he shouldn't be scared.Could this mysterious person really just barge in and attack him?Even if we go a million steps back, that person couldn't possibly have the same ability as him—the ability to detect every vibration in the area.Sound is just one form of vibration.So there was no way this intruder could even know he existed. No need to worry. No need.Calm returned. But then he no

'When all the girls have completed their evolution, I'll go undercover again. I have to figure out Susan's secrets,' Ray thought.Last time he entered the New World hive, he wore a helmet, so the mirror-using ability user couldn't see his face. He could still go undercover if needed.'First, let's go home. We'll decide about undercover work later. No—first, deal with the side effects from absorbing abilities!'"Officer, ready for another round of role-playing?"…By the time Ray and Cassandra returned to Bay Garden, it was already the next morning.Suddenly, golden light exploded across the sky.The sun had risen.The snowfield shimmered with a dazzling reflection.Strangely, even though the sun was up, the temperature remained freezing. The snow showed no sign of melting.Weird. Even the polar ice melts partially in summer—why hasn't a single patch here softened?Is our sun already waning? Losing its strength at its prime?Ray glanced at the sun. With his goggles, he could

By comparison, Honey seemed almost frivolous.No—wait—Heather's ability clearly wasn't as strong as Ray had initially imagined. He'd barely started reciting the Gettysburg Address before stopping, rather than pushing through to the end."Try making me do something else," Ray said.Activating a power was instinctual, but its precise limits had to be discovered bit by bit.Heather nodded. "Kiss me!"What the hell? Even without her saying anything, the way she looked right now—so alluring—he already wanted to kiss her.Yet this time, Ray was prepared. The insistent voice in his mind—kiss her, kiss her, kiss her—tried to worm its way in, but he resisted.Truth be told, Heather's natural charm was stronger than any verbal suggestion she could muster.She had just awakened her power. At a mere level one, trying to influence someone like Ray, who had absorbed over two thousand units of ability energy, was obviously unrealistic.The first time she managed to affect him was only becaus

"Go get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll take you out for a spin—you've been cooped up long enough." Ray ruffled the dog's head. The fur felt soft under his hand, and he couldn't resist giving it a few extra pets.A night passed.The post-apocalyptic world had reached day 80.Ray stayed home all day. After last night's premature scouting, he decided to lay low for a few days. At home, only three women remained mid-evolution, so he figured it was best to wait until they were done.Today was Stella's turn.Her evolution… failed. Naturally, she felt disappointed. Most of the others had succeeded; failures were rare in their household.The next day, it was Sylvie's turn.She succeeded—and her awakened ability was completely different from the others. She was the only one to take on a beast form!Under Ray's watchful eyes, her ears sprouted soft fur, and a long, fluffy white tail swayed from her backside. Her body was covered in a layer of snow-white fur. But rather than appearing odd, she