After Lu Ya vaporized the black-suited bodyguard with a single blast from his laser eyes, a strange sense of relief washed over him. His body felt lighter, almost liberated.
"Maybe I really do have the potential to be one of the motherland's natives," Lu Ya mused, a small grin forming on his face.
Seeing the overwhelming power of Lu Ya, the sinister man—who moments ago oozed arrogance—suddenly lost his confidence.
"He... he can shoot lasers from his eyes. Is he... a devil?"
Though he had heard rumors about mutants, the man was only aware of people with enhanced strength or healing. But laser vision? That was beyond anything he had ever encountered—something that defied human limits.
As Lu Ya's eyes glowed with a menacing red hue, the sinister man's face went pale. Desperation took hold.
"M-misunderstanding! It's all just a misunderstanding!" He smiled nervously, his voice shaky, scrambling to salvage what he could.
Lu Ya's cold stare was unrelenting.
"Please, if you let us go, we'll forget this ever happened! We can walk away like it never happened, huh? What do you say?"
The man thought he'd found a way out. They'd done their homework—Lu Ya was just a high school student at Zhongcheng High School. Surely, they could fool him. Once he reported back to his boss, Lu Ya's secret would be exposed.
But Lu Ya wasn't the type to let that slide. Without a word, the red light in his eyes grew brighter until—BZZZT!—two crimson lasers shot out.
The beams sliced through the sinister man and his remaining guards like butter, leaving smoldering remains where they once stood.
"Fool," Lu Ya muttered coldly. "I'll kill you all... No one will ever know what happened today."
A small notification appeared in his mind:
[Homelander Template Unlock Progress: 40%]
"Cool," Lu Ya whispered, almost to himself. He couldn't deny it—there was something deeply satisfying about the destruction he could cause with just his eyes. No wonder the original Homelander reveled in it.
He glanced down at the bodies. Mercy wasn't an option. Not for scum like them.
"Wow, that was so cool!" a voice broke through his thoughts.
Lu Ya turned to see Gwen standing there, excitement replacing the fear she had shown earlier. She walked over, casually resting her head on his shoulder.
"You're not... scared?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He recalled how, in the original Spider-Man story, Peter Parker was treated like a freak when he revealed his powers to his classmates.
"Why would I be?" Gwen smiled up at him. "You just saved me, my hero."
There was a playfulness in her voice, but her eyes sparkled with admiration. She studied him for a moment, then leaned in closer, curiosity dancing in her expression.
"So... are you one of those legendary vigilantes? Or maybe a superhero?" she asked eagerly. "What's your name? Do you have a superhero alias? How about... Cyclops?"
Gwen's barrage of questions reflected her excitement, but Lu Ya just chuckled.
Her enthusiasm didn't surprise him. After all, growing up in a family led by a strict police chief like her father, Gwen had developed a rebellious streak.
When Lu Ya told her he had no desire to be a superhero or claim a title, Gwen's eyes dimmed for a second. But she quickly bounced back.
"You might not want to be a superhero, but you still need a cool name. I mean, laser eyes? Come on! How about Cyclops?"
Lu Ya chuckled, knowing full well that name was already taken in this world.
"Homelander," he said, almost casually.
Gwen blinked, confused. "Homelander? But you said you didn't want to be a superhero! That name sounds... noble. Like you're the hero of the people."
Lu Ya smirked. If only she knew. The real Homelander was far from noble. But he didn't need to explain that to her.
Suddenly, Lu Ya's ears twitched. His enhanced senses kicked in. Super hearing. He could now detect even the faintest sounds within a one-kilometer radius.
"Someone's coming," Lu Ya said, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the sounds approaching.
Gwen looked around, confused. She didn't see or hear anything.
A man and a woman cautiously emerged from beneath a rusty staircase nearby. Their black hair and yellow skin stood out in the otherwise grim setting of Hell's Kitchen.
"Are they... Asian?" Lu Ya muttered, surprised. He hadn't seen many Asians in this part of town.
The two looked like siblings, their clothes old but clean and well-kept. The older girl stepped forward, protectively shielding her younger brother behind her.
"Who are you?" she asked, eyeing the bodies on the ground without so much as flinching. "You're not from around here. I've never seen you in Hell's Kitchen."
Hell's Kitchen? Lu Ya's eyes widened slightly. Was this... the notorious underbelly of New York in the Marvel universe? No wonder that sinister man thought he could get away with pulling a gun so openly.
"This... is Hell's Kitchen?" Gwen gasped, recalling what her father had told her about the area. It was a hotbed of violence, chaos, and crime.
The younger boy, peeking out from behind his sister, chimed in, "You should leave. This place isn't for outsiders looking for excitement."
The sister quickly covered his mouth, knowing how dangerous loose words could be in a place like this.
Lu Ya turned, hearing more footsteps approaching. His senses picked up the sound of several more people on their way.
"Well," Lu Ya said calmly, his laser vision flaring once more, "looks like it's going to be a busy night."
[ THIS IS TRANSLATED VERSION ]