Chapter 12: Selecting Team Members

[Your store has updated with a new item.]

[NK Gene Enhancement Serum - Modified Version]

[Description: Some mad scientist synthesized a gene-altering serum. We've improved upon it. After use, it will permanently alter your genes, granting you super strength, super speed, enhanced senses, accelerated healing, vampiric regeneration, infrared vision, UV resistance, a chance to awaken a random ability, and a full body restoration.]

[Price: Dull Proficiency Essence ×50]

After reading the newly added item, Azu quietly closed the store.

This so-called [NK Gene Enhancement Serum] seemed like a stable version of Compound V, designed to turn ordinary people into superhumans.

Too bad it was utterly useless for him.

"Can't they offer something useful?" he muttered, then noticed Deep diving out of the terminal's opening.

A group of mutated individuals was chasing him, looking just as deranged as Eddie Or after injecting the so-called 'Sacred Blood.' However, these mutants weren't as far gone as Eddie and clearly couldn't maintain their sanity.

They charged after Deep like wild animals.

"Help me, boss!" Deep yelled, "These things just won't die!"

"Pathetic."

Azu gave him a deep look of contempt. On land, Deep was little more than a punching bag. He had practically tarnished the Seven's reputation, running out of the terminal with those mutants hot on his tail.

"Their weakness is in the head."

Azu dropped the hint and didn't care to look back, taking to the sky and speeding toward Seven Tower.

On the ground, Deep blinked, stunned that Homelander had just left like that.

At that moment, one of the mutants lunged at him, sinking its teeth into his shoulder.

Deep remembered the tip about their heads, screamed, and slammed the mutant to the ground, stomping its head with all his might.

The mutant's skull shattered under his foot, and it immediately stopped moving.

With a triumphant shout, Deep turned to handle the rest, only to see Noir ghosting through the group, his long blade flashing. In one fluid motion, he decapitated four or five mutants.

Deep coughed awkwardly, hands on his hips, pointing at Noir. "Good job!"

---

In the night sky.

Azu spotted Seven Tower in the distance.

As he passed a nearby skyscraper, the window beside him suddenly shattered. A figure screamed as they plummeted down.

Instinctively, Azu reached out and grabbed a girl mid-fall.

He looked back through the broken window, where seven or eight men in black suits were panicking.

"It's Homelander!"

"Let's get out of here!"

In a blink, they all disappeared.

Azu glanced at the girl in his arms—young, beautiful, with a small mole at the corner of her mouth. She had fainted from the shock.

Seeing that the hospital was closer than Seven Tower, Azu shook his head and changed course.

After dropping her off at the hospital, Azu finally returned to Seven Tower.

---

The next morning.

Azu stretched lazily as he woke up.

Sitting up in bed, his gaze landed on the smooth, bare back of the woman beside him. Her flawless skin made him think it'd be a waste not to give her some cupping therapy.

Seeing it was none other than public relations director, Madelyn Stillwell, Azu chuckled softly, "So, it wasn't a dream after all. I really did transmigrate."

Last night came flooding back to him. After returning to Seven Tower, Madelyn had come to report on the progress of the latest events.

Azu gave her a look.

And that look had moved the meeting from the office to the bedroom.

"This kind of late-morning lifestyle... really not bad."

He gave her a light pat, pulling the blanket over her sleeping form before heading to shower and have breakfast. By the time he finished dressing in his suit and was about to leave, Madelyn was still fast asleep, exhausted from the previous night's "report."

Walking through the halls, exchanging greetings with various staff, Azu's thoughts suddenly shifted. His eyes caught a wave of fiery red hair approaching from the side.

"Well, last night was quite eventful. Seems like I missed all the action," said Queen Maeve, her voice cool but teasing as she walked up in her signature gladiator-style outfit.

She glanced at Azu and added, "I heard Madelyn spent the night in your room."

"She's still asleep," Azu replied casually, "And honestly, it should've been you in my bed last night, but you were too busy."

Maeve gave a short laugh, "We're over, remember? Or did you forget?"

With a smile, Azu clasped his hands behind his back. "Who says we can't start again? Don't you think so?"

Maeve's brow furrowed slightly, before she changed the subject, "So, A-Train really killed that civilian?"

Azu tapped the side of his eye. "I saw it with my own eyes. Plus, the whole thing was caught by the press."

Shaking her head, Maeve said, "I didn't think he'd go that far. I thought only you were crazy enough to pull something like that."

Azu closed his eyes for a brief moment, smiling, "Your courage is admirable, Your Majesty. But remember, it's fine to say that to me—just don't say it to anyone else. Some people might use it against you."

"Besides," he added with a smirk, "you'll find out soon enough, I'm not the same as before."

Maeve didn't reply.

Just then, Ashley approached, glancing between them before speaking up, "I can come back later."

"No need," Maeve smiled faintly. "Go ahead and chat."

She headed off toward the training room.

"What's up, Ashley?" Azu flashed his PR manager a bright smile, showing all eight of his perfectly white teeth.

Ashley, holding her tablet, quickly rattled off, "Homelander, after last night's rescue operation, your approval rating has gone up by 1.8%. Mr. Edgar also called, praising your actions."

Azu barely paid attention to the approval ratings, and Edgar's praise didn't mean much to him either.

He knew all too well that Edgar viewed him as a threat.

For now, Edgar had given him control of the Seven, but only because he had no immediate means to challenge him.

If it were Azu, he'd feign compliance on the surface while secretly speeding up research on how to neutralize Homelander.

So, if Vought couldn't be controlled, it'd have to be destroyed.

But before that, he needed a loyal team with enough strength to stand against both the military and other superhumans.

Azu smiled to himself, suppressing the rush of thoughts as he headed toward the main hall.

Ashley quickly followed, adding, "We're also conducting a nationwide search for new superhumans to join the Seven. You know, there are only five members now. If we don't fill those vacancies soon, it'll hurt our brand."

A national search for new Seven members.

Azu reached out, "Give me the list of candidates and their full profiles. I want their specific abilities and combat experience."

He would personally select the new members.

And on that note, he was already considering kicking Starlight out of the selection process.

No way was he wasting a spot in the Seven on some pretty face.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/MnemonicTL

🫣Help this bro guys, I also have planned many more fanfics after it, you can also recommend what you want next, from your wishlist, I am ready to do it. And enjoy~🥳

Read upto 20 Extra chapter in Patreon