Valos, Uranus Cluster Cities:
After the gentle 'kidnapping' of Uranus' Trade Union Chief, Varian decided his next step. But before that, he needed to resettle his friends who left their normal lives because of him.
So, they ended up in Valos.
Varian sized up the streets in front of him with a scrutinizing gaze. He was staring at the streets that used to be slums just a few weeks ago.
A few weeks ago…
The streets had narrow and dirty roads. Hawkers camped on either side of the narrow road and made it narrower.
Garbage starting from food wrappers to toxic material was strewn across the roads.
The cleaning bots that worked here were too inefficient to make difference and the ones that could actually make a difference were too expensive.
The people were poor and moved around with lowered heads and desolate gazes.
Broken, cracked buildings used to stand on either side of the narrow street—they were the homes, the schools, the shops. To many, it was their whole world.
"Come on!" Kyle's words snapped Varian out of his gaze.
"But the streets…" He pointed to the slums, no, where the slums used to be.
All he could see now were buildings so exquisite that they could cause famous architects to orgasm on sight.
The streets, the neighborhood, the buildings—they were only a step away from shining from the cleanliness.
Everything had changed. And changed in what seemed to be only a blink of an eye.
Commercial streets, Training Halls, and Beautiful apartments filling his sight caused him to freeze in his tracks and immediately use his mental power to check if he was caught in an illusion.
"It's been ten minutes already, dude!" Kyle rubbed his forehead as he groaned in frustration.
Maya conversed with her father, not minding the trouble Kyle was facing, even enjoying it a bit.
"Yeah." Varian nodded reluctantly and glanced at the crowd one last time.
The people were perhaps the most unchanged group. They wore good clothes, traveled by either hoverbike or cars, but quite a few of them actually walked.
From time to time, their gazes lowered like in the past, but quickly, they raised their head and walked forward with a smile.
"Hehehe~"
"Hey!"
The joyous screams of children from the apartment sounded from time to time.
Varian was noticeably tired after everything he went through. But even his tired face brightened up at the joyful atmosphere.
With a smile on his face, he left the street.
*** *** ***
"Your new home is beautiful." Varian said while glancing at the two-floor villa in the quiet neighborhood. He was currently in the front yard of the villa and facing a woman with red hair in an office dress.
"My students helped me out a bit." Edwina said with an embarassed expression.
Even though she was a teaching assistant in Miracle Academy and was one of the decent earners in Valos, she couldn't forget this villa at her age.
Her part-time profession as a shadow guardian didn't pay anything except for the costs.
"Students helping out their teacher isn't anything to be embarassed about." Varian smiled in comfort.
"Thank—wait, are you really X82-7as?" Edwina looked at him warily.
"You seriously memorized my code name?" Varian gawked at her, to which she seriously nodded.
Even though she knew him, it was with a rather ordinary face. Of course, that was a disguise. The current guy in front of her had a very handsome face.
Was it a diguise too?
'No, it doesn't matter, but is it really him?'
His first mission was to stop Betty's kidnapping, but he stopped the entire war. He earned her respect and admiration.
Considering that they even worked together, at least in name, she should've recieved him warmly.
But she didn't. She couldn't.
Because her senses were screaming one thing.
'Danger!'
The last time she saw him, even though he was level 6, he didn't pose a threat to her. But now, it was almost as if he could slap her to death.
'How can he be the same person? There's no way anyone can grow so strong so fast!' Her suspicions deepened and her fingers stretched towards her comm.
'Ting!'
Her comm rang right then and she almost jumped on the spot.
Glancing at him awkwardly, she checked her comm, only to be surprised.
It was Enigma's message, confirming that the young man in front of her was indeed the same person.
'His strength got something to do with miracle potion. Don't delve too much into it.' Enigma's explanation convinced her and she finally believed him.
Varian didn't know that Enigma thought of the problem he might face and solved them.
He requested with a small smile. "Please take care of them."
"You're really trusting me?" Edwina crossed her arms and glanced at the two people behind this 'junior' shadow guardian.
He was too mysterious. What about his friends?
"Hello."
"Nice to meet you."
Kyle and Maya waved at her with a smile. They were a bit handsome and beautiful, but other than that, they seemed perfectly normal.
'But can someone with him be normal?' Edwina didn't think so.
In fact, her guess was on spot.
No one and absolutely no one around Varian was normal. Be it Enigma, Blue Flash, Sarah, Kyle, or even Maya. But the biggest abnormality of them all was Varian himself.
"They have circumstances and need to live in a safe place for a long time. I think Valos is a good place. It isn't too strict nor too loose." Varian explained.
Kyle and Maya nodded. "He said living with you can make our lives easier. So, we'll be troubling you. Of course, we can help you however we can."
"You guys aren't afraid that I might be a sinister woman?" Edwina pointed to her face and said in confusion, not forgetting to add. "Though admittedly, someone as pretty won't seem sinister."
"…" Maya squinted her eyes and glanced at Kyle.
Kyle looked at her with an innocent expression. 'She's delusional. You're the pretty one.'
'Hmph! I will barely accept your words.'
The couple silently conversed through their gazes.
Unlike them, Varian had to use words.
"I told them about you. So, you can stop your pranks." Varian shrugged.
"Urgh." Edwina groaned in frustration and gestured to them. "Come in."
The trio entered the home and to their surprise, found a guy and girl laughing in the living room.
"Stop, hahaha!" The girl laughed while clutching her stomach, cheerful energy oozing out in her laughter.
But the way she dressed and the temperament she exuded indicated that she was of noble origins.
"I'm not stopping until you beg for merc—" The boy chuckled before a pillow hit him in the face.
The girl covered her mouth and was about to laugh when she heard footsteps.
Her smile froze and she hurriedly sat on the sofa. The boy rushed next to her.
The girl stared at the question sheet on her hologram and seemed immersed. Meanwhile, the boy browsed through a holo book.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Light footsteps sounded before a woman in red hair and office dress appeared in the room.
Following her was Varian's trio.
'Seriously...' Varian rolled his eyes at the couple's behavior.
If not for his keen senses, he would've thought these two were serious students.
