NOVPUBMartin ascended the stone platform at the end of the hall, turned to face her, and a character panel with stars appeared before him:
[Name: Anna
Star Level: 5 Stars
Cultivation Potential: High
Specialty—Management: Extremely High]
Martin spoke with a certain solemnity, "Anna."
Anna looked up.
It was then she realized the blur on the man’s face had vanished, revealing the countenance concealed beneath.
Startlingly young.
’Is this the true face of the Leader?
Of course, facing the leader of an ancient superhuman organization, Anna wasn’t naive enough to judge age by appearance.
Standing on the platform, Martin began to speak deliberately:
"Next, I will conduct the Awakening Ceremony for you. After that, you will give birth to a seed of spirit power, becoming a Neophyte Superhuman with a spirit power level of 0."
"When you advance to spirit power level 1, you’ll be eligible to receive the Divine Shield insignia, signifying that you have truly become a member of Divine Shield."
As he said this, Martin spread his palm open to reveal a floating, crimson Divine Shield insignia.
"Awakening Ceremony."
"Spirit power levels."
Anna’s heart fluttered with excitement as she learned more about this extraordinary knowledge.
"Neophyte Superhumans are not entitled; only when you become a true superhuman, can you be granted the Divine Shield insignia."
She was beginning to sense the strictness and aura of an ancient organization.
Martin looked at Anna’s expression, his own features calm.
To put on a convincing show, one must cover all bases. He had already designed the complete initiation ritual.
The awakening now was merely an appetizer. The sealing ceremony prepared for members attaining spirit power level 1 was the real feast.
And his persona was already molded to match his nature; hence, he required no pretense.
As for the Awakening Ceremony he had mentioned, it wasn’t actually a power of his own.
Certainly, if he so wished, he could accomplish it through the Power of Wishing.
But the point was, this secret realm, serving as the headquarters of the organization, was obviously not just a minor space adorned with some plants and houses.
The secret realm itself possessed unique powers.
Apart from fundamental defenses, assisting ordinary people in awakening was just one of its many functions.
"Step forward."
Martin’s voice, which had been deep and subdued, suddenly resonated powerfully.
Anna’s spirit lifted, her breathing quickened slightly.
"It’s starting."
She took a step forward.
She saw the Leader’s clothes and hair begin to move without any wind, then a column of light descended from above, enveloping her within it.
An odd sensation instantly took root.
Her perception expanded, diffused.
Something within her was gathering, intertwining, solidifying...
The column of light gradually dissipated.
Anna, dazed, felt the flow of power within her body and the seed-like orb of spirit power.
Enhanced perception, strengthened body, a special force that could erupt in critical moments...
"Is this spirit power? Is this what it means to be a Neophyte Superhuman?"
She looked again at the Leader.
Previously, as a mere mortal, she could discern nothing; her inner concept of power was vague.
But now, as a Neophyte Superhuman, she truly felt the Leader’s profound, oceanic power.
Wind, rain, thunder, lightning—elements of nature seemed to manifest in his presence, as if a majestic ruler of the natural world had descended.
And deeper still, there lay an even greater, mysterious presence, utterly inscrutable.
Her newly born power seemed as inconsequential as a blade of grass to a towering tree by comparison.
"Is this the might of the Leader?"
Anna felt a profound respect.
Martin descended from the stone dais: "Congratulations, you are now the second member of the current era’s Divine Shield."
"Second?" Anna was taken aback.
Although she had inferred much from the centuries-old archives at headquarters, and the sense of passing years and decay she observed, she had never imagined she would be the second member.
That meant, before her induction, Divine Shield was composed of only the Leader?
Martin nodded and said:
"Monster invasions do not happen in every era; it is only during times of world change and monster incursions that superhumans have the grounds to arise."
"So, when the people of the world need Divine Shield, Divine Shield will appear, and when they no longer need us, we will lie in wait."
With Anna’s intelligence, she instantly grasped the meaning behind the so-called dormancy.
Human history is indeed strange.
All it takes is the erasure of written records, a few generations for time to do its work, and facts that once occurred become folk legends, and even...
Completely forgotten!
Under such circumstances, when living superhumans no longer appear, and the world cannot give birth to new ones, for Divine Shield to fade into the annals of history is not a difficult task.
"I have been through this many times. But this time, it’s different."
Martin’s tone shifted, catching Anna’s attention with a detail—the Leader used the word "I."
Did this mean the Leader before her had survived numerous monster invasions, an ancient being himself?
"Too much time has passed since the last monster invasion."
"Enough time for the superhumans of Divine Shield to wither away, enough time for the descendants of past members to forget the glory of their ancestors, so much time that..."
"...an unprecedented world change has begun, and only I have returned here."
The Leader spoke as usual.
But Anna detected a hint of desolation.
To endure the long years, watching one’s comrades fade away, seeing their progeny forget Divine Shield, until he alone remained.
What did that feel like?
"Anna."
Martin looked at her seriously:
"I can tell you clearly, based on my perception, this invasion will be an unprecedented calamity, and worse, Divine Shield now consists only of you and me."
"We must rebuild Divine Shield before the full-scale disaster unfolds, that is the only chance for humanity. And this path will be difficult."
Martin was speaking nothing but the truth.
Humanity really was on the brink of extinction.
Divine Shield indeed consisted of just the two of them.
In their silent eye contact, Anna suddenly smiled again, the smile she had when she first pushed open the door: "Leader, once I make a choice, I do not change it."
"Moreover, there’s no intact egg under an overturned nest. To protect my family, no matter how difficult the path ahead is, I will give it my all!"
Martin looked deeply at her, as if seeing her anew.
He hadn’t expected a woman born to luxury to possess such tenacity.
He smiled inwardly.
Indeed, the future Divine Shield should be made up of many such individuals; only then would it be worthy of its name.
Nodding, Martin said:
"Our most pressing task now is to select the right people and then absorb them after assessment. You have managed a company of thousands, I hope you can provide a plan."
"Remember, the primary condition, and the most important one, for selection is temperament! The influence of extraordinary powers is too great; they cannot be entrusted to those with ill intentions."
Anna understood this was her first test.
She nodded in agreement and asked, "Leader, what about the descendants of former Divine Shield members?"
After a moment of silence, Martin said, "If they have the right temperament, they will naturally be included in the selection results."
"I understand."
"This is the true Savior Organization, free from any unnecessary complications!"
She thought to herself.
At this moment, Anna, a chairwoman of a large conglomerate, found herself akin to a secretary awaiting instructions.
"Stretch out your hand," Martin said.
Without hesitation, Anna extended her delicate hand. Martin touched it with his finger, and Anna felt a tickling sensation as a red glow spread and then dissipated at the point of contact.
She looked at the Leader with puzzled, beautiful eyes.
"This is the key to come and go from this place," Martin explained. "In the future, you should equip the house outside with daily necessities. Otherwise, the constant traffic to an empty house will draw attention."
Taking her hand back, Anna suddenly remembered something and handed over a set of keys:
"This is the key to this estate."
Of course, she knew the Leader didn’t need these keys, but it was symbolic—
From this moment on, the estate belonged to Divine Shield!
...
After discussing various matters, the two left the secret realm. The bustle of traffic immediately flooded their ears.
By the roadside, Anna saw the Leader skillfully unlock a shared bicycle, wave at her as if saying goodbye, and then cycle away.
She looked at the car she had driven there, then back at the Leader’s retreating figure.
Her expression changed.
When they had retraced their steps in the secret realm, she had noticed an inscription on the back of the Divine Shield stele. The script was akin to oracle bone inscriptions; she did not recognize it but strangely understood its meaning:
Uphold justice, Conquer pain, Embrace obscurity.
In this era, there were no shortage of slogans more noble than this. However, most organizations that appeared righteous were rotten at their core.
Yet the scene before her was deeply moving.
"Would a powerful superhuman like the Leader, even in times of peace, choose to conceal his abilities and silently live as an ordinary person?"
"Divine Shield..."
Mulling over this term in her mind, Anna had a new understanding in her heart.
...
Let’s not mention Martin pedaling his bicycle all the way.
Today happened to be Vivian’s day off, and at this moment, she was carrying a big bag of groceries home.
Since her mother was a chef, she had learned excellent cooking skills from a young age.
But living alone in Riverland, she was too exhausted from work on weekdays to have the energy to cook.
However, today Vivian wanted to showcase her value.
Previously, she thought her greatest assets were her beauty and a clean romantic history.
But in the face of the current Martin, she felt somewhat underconfident.
After all, during a year of cohabiting, Martin had shown little interest in her looks, remaining neutral and calm at every encounter.
Moreover, influenced by the culture of immortal heroes, Vivian didn’t believe that such a superhuman would be swayed by mere beauty.
That’s why Vivian wanted to show her other talents.
Having lived together for so long, just as Martin understood her, she also knew many of Martin’s habits.
For instance, Martin would not eat expensive food on ordinary days, but he always tried to pick delicious options, and once he found something tasty and cheap, he could eat it for half a month straight.
Vivian was confident that her cooking would impress him.
As long as she could get Martin to agree to let her follow him, it would be a great start.
’Come on! Vivian.’
She silently cheered herself on, tidied up the long-unused kitchen, and started to get busy.
...
After parking his bicycle, Martin walked into the nearby diner that served the best home-style restaurant.
"Mart’s here?" The uncle in the transparent kitchen greeted.
Martin nodded with a smile; "Yeah, Bob."
"As usual?"
"Yes, please."
At this diner, Martin’s "usual" were actually fried fish, chips, and a chocolate milkshake.
Cheap, tasty, and filling.
Uncle Bob quickly prepared it, packed it up, and handed it over.
After paying with his phone, Martin carried the food back to the rental house, but as soon as he opened the door, he was stunned by the scene before him.
