The little clairvoyant girl collapsed, trembling, her eyes filled with fear and confusion.
She couldn't comprehend what had just happened—how someone could steal an ability.
Su Zhan looked down at her, his voice calm but edged with cold amusement.
"Surprised? In your world, maybe no one can do that. But I'm not from your world. So, I'll be taking this gift off your hands. Don't worry, you get to live. I'm not completely heartless."
The girl's lips quivered. "Why… why would you take my power? I still have to—"
"Save your mother, right?" Su Zhan finished for her, his tone soft but distant.
"Relax. The organization won't get that serum. And if I ever come back here, maybe I'll help you out. From what I remember… your mom's pretty gorgeous."
He smiled faintly, straightened up, and turned away. "Now, little prophet, my hunt begins."
He could already sense his next targets.
Two agents—the organization's bloodhounds—were leaving the protagonist's place, heading down the street. Perfect timing.
Instead of rushing in, Su Zhan decided to test his new precognition.
He focused, and a flash of the future bloomed before his eyes—a brief fragment, a location, a few seconds of what was to come.
It was powerful but… unstable. The visions came randomly, out of sequence, just snippets of possible outcomes.
"Good ability," he muttered, "but half-baked. Can't see the whole picture."
Still, it was enough.
He moved through the shadows, caught up to the two agents, and—before they even noticed—slung his arms casually over their shoulders.
"I know where the woman you're looking for is," he said quietly.
They froze. For a heartbeat, suspicion flickered in their eyes. Then—
Su Zhan's Devour ability ignited.
The agents gasped, muscles tensing, as if something inside them was being ripped away. Their enhanced senses, their tracking instincts—their powers—were being pulled straight out of their bodies.
They fought, of course. Both were strong, their bodies brimming with super-soldier strength. But it didn't matter.
Their fists slammed into Su Zhan's ribs, but he didn't even flinch. His grin widened as they struggled.
"You two are tougher than the last one," he said, tightening his grip. "Good. I could use the workout."
It only took seconds. The energy drained out of them, leaving them limp and gasping before collapsing to the pavement.
Su Zhan exhaled, flexing his hands. "Simultaneous absorption… that's new."
A faint dark aura pulsed around him, then faded. "Guess the Dark Heart is doing overtime."
He glanced at the bodies. "Three powers down—Sonic, Precognition, and Tracking. Not bad for one night."
Still, the craving burned hotter. The Dark Heart whispered inside him, urging him to take more.
"Next up…" He thought for a moment. "Telekinesis, mind control, and memory erasure. The memory guy should be on that fishing boat… yeah, I remember him."
It didn't take long to find him. The man barely had time to scream before Su Zhan's hand was on his head, draining him dry.
As an experiment, Su Zhan wiped the man's memories afterward. It worked—too well. The man's mind went blank, resetting to that of a newborn.
"Oops. Guess I overdid it."
Four abilities now coursed through him, and Su Zhan could feel his strength skyrocketing. His body thrummed with power—and hunger.
The more he devoured, the more he wanted to devour.
"This… feels too good," he murmured.
He turned toward the protagonist's building again, thinking he could find the main character or maybe another high-value target. But when he arrived, the place was empty.
"Damn. I forgot—the main guy probably bailed when those agents showed up."
He frowned. He could use the tracking ability to find him, but time was ticking. And besides, the hunger inside him was growing stronger—almost unbearable.
Just then, the door burst open.
Another sonic user—the surviving brother—stormed in, and behind him, Lollipop Girl Li Xiaolu.
Their eyes met—and widened in shock.
"You—!"
"Run!" Li Xiaolu screamed.
Too late.
Su Zhan moved like a blur, slamming the door shut with a burst of fire that sealed their escape. The sonic brother opened his mouth, but Su Zhan was faster—one sharp punch to the throat dropped him instantly.
Flames roared around the doorway, trapping them inside.
"Funny," Su Zhan said, smiling darkly. "I was just thinking about you two."
He crouched beside the fallen sonic user, touched his neck—and devoured his power.
The dark aura around him flared again, stronger than ever. His eyes glowed crimson. The energy—the hunger—was intoxicating.
Then he turned toward Li Xiaolu.
"Your turn, little prophet."
Li Xiaolu raised her gun, hands trembling. "Stay back!"
BANG!
The shot echoed—but Su Zhan was already gone from her line of sight. He appeared right in front of her, grabbing her throat.
The world seemed to slow. Her legs kicked helplessly in the air, and for a split second, Su Zhan's gaze drifted—taking in her trembling figure, the defiance in her eyes, the fear… the beauty.
A dangerous impulse flickered in his mind, dark and wild.
He released her—then suddenly lunged forward.
The firelight painted the walls red.
And the Devourer lost control.