NOVEL WEB Chapter 84: Discussion
In the grand hall of the Hayes Family Estate, the atmosphere was buzzing. The chandelier lights shimmered as nearly everyone from the family had gathered. Whispers filled the room, speculation rising with every second.
Alistair stood at the center, arms folded behind his back, a calm smile playing on his lips.
"Well, Walter," Alistair said, glancing at the older man beside him. "Just as you predicted. The Superhuman Era has begun."
Walter chuckled, stroking his grey-streaked beard. "Hahaha! As they say, I'm a genius!"
Clarrissa crossed her arms, glaring. "What is this, Dad? You knew something like this was going to happen and didn't tell us?"
Damian joined in, voice stern. "Exactly! How many more secrets are you hiding from us?"
Alistair raised his hands in mock surrender, a sheepish smile on his face. "Well, it was top-secret information. Only a handful of people even knew this was a possibility."
He then smirked slightly and added, "But if you're angry, don't look at me. You should be questioning your daughter."
Their eyes shifted instantly to Natalie, who stood quietly in the corner, not making eye contact. She bit her lower lip.
"You knew?" Clarrissa asked, shocked.
"Yes," Natalie said softly.
Damian's jaw dropped. "And you didn't tell us? First of all, how did you even know about it?"
Alistair laughed, pointing a thumb at Walter. "It was because of our big-mouthed scientist over here. Walter was blabbering and showing data when Natalie happened to pass by. She saw everything."
Walter shrugged dramatically. "It wasn't a mistake. I did it on purpose."
Everyone blinked.
"What?" Clarrissa and Damian said in unison.
"I wanted Natalie to know," Walter said seriously. "I believe she has the potential to become a Superhuman. Unlike the rest of us, she's young. Fresh mind, fresh energy."
Clarrissa frowned. "You're saying… Natalie could become like one of them?" She pointed toward the television, where scenes of city-wide chaos and glowing individuals were being reported.
Walter scoffed. "She could do much better. Those fools you see on TV are just newly awakened. They got a taste of power and immediately thought they could conquer the world."
Damian raised a brow. "You're saying those guys… are trash?"
Walter didn't flinch. "Exactly. Newbies with glowing fists don't impress me."
Clarrissa stepped forward. "But why only Natalie? Why can't the rest of us awaken this power?"
Before Walter could answer, Carter, the calm, scholarly uncle, stepped in.
"In the past, Alistair and I tried everything to understand this mysterious energy,but we failed to tame it. We thought maybe it was just too scarce back then."
He glanced at Natalie, his voice turning thoughtful. "Only those with extreme potential could even sense it. Walter was the only one among us who succeeded, though even he kept it buried."
"But now," Walter continued, "as I predicted, the chi has flooded the world. Even those with minimum potential can awaken now. That's why today happened."
"And us oldies?" Carter added with a laugh. "We're done. Our bodies can't adapt anymore."
"Well, not that I want it anyway," he said with a warm smile. "If my granddaughter can awaken and live a bold life, I'll die happy."
"I feel the same," Alistair added, looking toward Natalie. "This new power system will change everything. Every major family will need awakeners now."
Clarrissa sighed, rubbing her temples. "I still don't know whether this change is good or bad… but if my daughter is happy, I'm happy too."
Just then, a voice shrieked excitedly.
"Harem sis's! Look at the TV!" Mina shouted, pointing.
Everyone turned toward her with wide eyes.
"Harem… what?" Clarrissa blinked, confused.
"You invented a new term again?" Damian muttered.
Mina beamed. "Big brother is going boom-bam, boom-boom! Look, he's right there on the screen!"
"What the fuck…" Natalie gasped. "He's already at the scene?"
"Why is this guy always at the crime scene?" Clarrissa muttered, half amused, half annoyed.
Walter leaned forward, his smile vanishing as he stared at the footage. Ethan was on-screen, surrounded by smoke and bodies, fists glowing faintly as he moved with sharp, calculated grace.
He wasn't just fighting. He was dancing through the chaos like a predator among prey.
"What the hell…" Walter whispered. "Look at the way he moves. So calm… but dangerous."
His eyes narrowed.
"He doesn't even know what Chi is. But he's already using it instinctively—like a master."
Everyone stood glued to the massive screen on the wall, where live footage of Ethan's battle played in high definition.
Mina's eyes sparkled with excitement as she bounced in place, pointing wildly at the screen. "Big brother! Look! He's so cool! He's kicking their butts,bam! Boom! Boom boom!" she shouted, her voice loud and gleeful.
The room turned toward the TV again just in time to see Ethan sending another thug flying through a car door with a single glowing punch.
His right hand shimmered with a strange golden energy,pure, focused, almost divine, while his other hand remained perfectly normal.
Carter, standing with arms crossed, narrowed his eyes at the display. "I shouldn't be surprised," he said, glancing at Walter. "This boy, you said … he didn't even know what Chi was just days ago. And now he's using it like a master. But what the hell is that golden energy? I've never seen anything like it."
Walter's expression was unreadable for a moment. His gaze locked on the screen, eyes twitching at every movement Ethan made. "It's my first time seeing it too," he admitted slowly.
"Normally, the awakened Chi energy manifests as yellow, red, or sometimes blue... but golden? That's a mystery. And notice how only one of his hands is glowing,he's channeling it into a single limb. That's extremely advanced control for someone who supposedly just awakened."
Then Walter turned toward the girls,Rhea, Jasmine, and Natalie,his tone growing firm. "You see that?" he said, pointing at the screen. "That's the level you have to match if you want to stand beside him. No holding back. If you want your own identity, your own strength, then you'll need to work harder than you've ever imagined."
The three girls looked at each other, each silently processing his words.
Pride swelled in Natalie's chest,along with something else. A subtle spark of competitiveness. Rhea clenched her fists, her usual composed demeanor replaced with focused determination. Jasmine, though quiet, had a fire lit behind her eyes. All three of them, for the first time, didn't just admire Ethan. They wanted to catch up to him.
Walter watched their reactions closely, his thoughts drifting. There was one other person I remember… someone who mastered Chi at that speed. The rest of us had to adapt, train for years… but he? He was born with it.
His gaze darkened. That man… where is he now?
Elsewhere in the city, in a dimly lit office surrounded by shadows, Mathias sat rigidly in front of a massive screen. ThelatestchaptersareuploadedfirstonM|V|LE3MPYR.
The same battle played before him, but his expression was far from amused. His fingers tapped against the armrest, eyes narrowed like a hawk watching prey.
"So… the boy knew about Chi all along," he muttered, the weight of the realization hitting him. "And my dear sister and that fool Alistair were just pretending they didn't know anything… Tch, it all makes sense now."
He scoffed. "That's how he beat them. They played me. No wonder they were so confident."
Just then, without a sound, a figure appeared behind him,Raphael, clad in black, his face partially hidden beneath a hood.
"Mathias," Raphael said quietly.
Mathias turned without surprise. "Tell me, Raphael… can you beat him?"
Raphael considered it. His eyes never left the screen as Ethan, with a single step, dodged an attack and countered with a palm strike that shattered a wall behind his opponent.
"With the strength he's displaying now…" Raphael tilted his head slightly. "He might be a little problem for me."
Mathias raised an eyebrow. "Would you lose?"
A smirk tugged at Raphael's lips. "Nah. I'd still win."
Mathias chuckled darkly. "That's what I like to hear."
Raphael, however, frowned. "But Master… why haven't you sent me or any other superhumans to eliminate him yet? If it were before, we could've done it easily."
Mathias sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Because I can't afford that. You know as well as I do, that man,he never wanted the world to know about superhumans. Even when he is injured right now , he is still too much even for me. The risks are too high. I'd lose too much."
He clenched his fist. "I never thought my own nephew would turn out to be a hidden dragon. But now that he is…"
His eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them.
"To kill a dragon…" he said slowly, "you need the perfect weapon. And that's you, Raphael."
Raphael bowed slightly. "I won't let you down, Master."
Mathias chuckled again, softer this time. "Good. Very good. Now let's see how much of this the world learns. Let's see how much the organization reveals… about superhumans, about Chi, about the real power systems hidden in the shadows."
As the footage continued to broadcast Ethan's dominance, the world held its breath.
And in that moment, the superhuman era had truly begun.