Meeting the Cypher Sage

While there was a kitchen in the plantation, the state that it was in was hardly better than the basement, so I just teleported back to Brightton Bay and ordered takeout for them. I brought the food down to them, as none of them had moved. I left it on the stairs, as they were somewhat clean, and had Selviana follow me upstairs since she had finished probing all of their minds.

"You're in charge, as usual. They are free to move around the island and do whatever they want, but I would prefer them not getting hurt. Hanoharu and Geobrin are already working on the island, so expect the hyper raccoon soon enough," I explained.

"How long will you be gone?" Selviana asked.

"I'm not sure. It's my first day in this world, and it's new, so I still need to figure out what has real value. Other than popping in to deliver food for them, I probably won't be here much for the next month or two unless they suddenly become more outgoing," I replied.

"Vermin," she growled with annoyance, though it was directed at the men that I had already killed.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Well, unless you need anything else, I'll head out."

"I'll call you if there are any problems, but I should manage fine."

I smirked and gave her a nod before I vanished from the plantation to reappear in the penthouse suite in Brightton Bay. The sun was starting to rise, so I poured myself a glass of Chardonnay and walked out to the terrace. Leaning casually against the railing, I sipped on my drink and thought about how to spend my day as I watched the sun rise.

"Now that my background is handled, more or less, I need to start gathering resources, but what's valuable is still in question," I mused to myself as I looked over the bay and city before my eyes settled on the Grand Nexus. "Morgan Lexington, the principle of the Brightton University, would be helpful to move through the different departments, but I could draw attention from his other persona, the Cypher Sage, if I approached him normally. I swear, these Hero names are just as bad as Dao names... Ooo, I can punch and make flames appear, so my name must be Fire Fist; idiots."

I was not surprised that the head of the university was an intelligence-based Super; it would be stranger if there was not a Super keeping an eye on this place. With technology being able to elevate a normal person to match magic users and body cultivators, this university was the Mecca of the technological world, so I was sure that there were more Supers hidden amongst the staff and students. The principal's second well-known identity as the Cypher Sage, a senior member of the Hero Alliance, was known to all as it was an open deterrence for the villains to not recruit the students, but the effectiveness of it was questionable.

I knew that eventually I would have dealings with the Hero Alliance, but I did not want it to be so soon. Vigilantes, even if they are a true positive force, are directed by their own beliefs and a sense of superiority due to their strength. While not everyone would be threatened by my arrival, there was bound to be more than a few that would have problems with me... and then there were the Villains.

It was amazing that there was a civilian population with how many people seemed to flock to the various Villain gangs that were in every city. The main problem was that the Hero Alliance had an aversion to killing people, so whenever they caught a criminal, they were sent to jail, just to break out a week or month later as the Villains had teams that did prison breaks daily. It was absolutely ridiculous because, if they would simply kill a few of the true scum, seventy-five percent of the "grunts" (normal people) in most gangs would quit, so the Hero Alliance could focus on the real problems instead of constantly putting out stupid fires everywhere.

"Ah, fuck it. At least if I'm seen around with him, it should impress Sarah," I decided and placed my cup on a table nearby before I teleported away.

Morgan Lexington's penthouse sat atop one of the tallest skyscrapers in Brightton City, the Grand Nexus, a seamless blend of academic refinement and the quiet sophistication befitting a man of his dual lives. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the sprawling metropolis below. By day, the penthouse was a sanctuary of intellect and leadership, the personal residence of the world-renowned principal of Brightton University. By night, it served as the quiet retreat of the Cypher Sage, a senior hero known not just for his tactical brilliance, but for his ability to decipher the most complex of mysteries.

The space was refined but not extravagant, every piece of furniture chosen with purpose rather than vanity. A grand wooden desk, its surface meticulously arranged with papers, encrypted data drives, and an old leather-bound journal, dominated his private study. A sleek, state-of-the-art computer hummed softly in the corner, running security algorithms and Alliance communications channels in the background. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with centuries-old tomes on philosophy, science, and strategy, sitting side by side with modern digital interfaces containing classified Hero Alliance reports.

In the living area, a deep leather armchair sat near the fireplace, the embers often crackling as Morgan lost himself in thought. A single cup of coffee sat on the side table, untouched for hours as he read through yesterday's reports from the Hero Alliance on his tablet. The only true sign of comfort in the room was his black and white cat, Poe, who seemed to judge his every decision with half-lidded eyes from atop the back of the couch.

"Nice place you've got here," I remarked as I appeared inside of Morgan's apartment at the top of the Grand Nexus. "I hope you don't mind me dropping in."

Morgan, an aged man, gave me a pointed look over his tablet. His jet-black hair had streaks of white due to his age, and his skin was sunken and wrinkled, but his dark blue eyes still held intelligence and determination behind the silver frames. He was lanky and thin and wore formal clothes. Something about him felt like an ancient relic in this modern world, but I had the feeling that he was far from past his prime.

"I don't normally entertain guests this early, but I can make an exception if you are willing to introduce yourself properly," Morgan replied formally as he placed his tablet in his lap carefully.

"But, of course," I agreed with a dramatic bow then moved around the couch to sit down.

Poe, the cat, hopped off the back of the couch and sauntered over to me then laid on my lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. The world did not matter; cats were always cats and believed that they owned the universe.

"My name is Asynia Zarra, and I'm not exactly from around here, but I have a vested interest in this world prospering long into the future. While I am not asking to join your little Hero Alliance, I am more than willing to lend my aid to you directly for a few minor favors. As for my 'powers', as you refer to them, they encompass all forms of magic that you are familiar with, and much more that you aren't, and as for what you call 'mutant' powers, I should be able to replicate any that I find useful, but there are more than a few that seem more trouble than they are worth," I introduced myself politely as I scratched Poe's chin.

"Quite confident in your abilities, aren't you?" he asked unamused.

"Why else do you think I would allow you to send that signal to the Hero Alliance base and connect them to your security cameras?" I retorted with a mocking smirk.

His eyebrow raised with surprise as he believed that he successfully hid it as he placed his tablet in his lap. Immediately, his mind split into three different thought-processes as he attempted to shield his mind from probing, maintaining his neutral to bored expression, and trying to figure out what my goal was. I was happily surprised as it was rare for a Mortal to have the ability to truly divide their mind which likely helped with his high intelligence.

"What are these 'favors' that you want?" he asked, deflecting from the point that a Justice Jet was already on its way here.

"Nothing extravagant. I merely want to look through storerooms of the university and examine mineral, ore, and plant samples from all over the world, especially the rare ones. I don't need to keep anything, just touch them for a moment, and it's no danger to me if they are toxic or radioactive," I replied honestly.

"Why?"

"I can't imagine that I would find a bigger collection of samples anywhere else in the world, which is about all that you could offer me for a dozen favors," I said with a smile.

"You want... to save time? Why?" he deduced.

I chuckled, "Correct, but it isn't really about saving time; it's simply easier. The pair I would send out to collect samples would undoubtedly get into some kind of mischief, and I'd rather save myself the trouble of cleaning up whatever mess that they might make. I'd much rather be relaxing on the beach or in a snowy mountain hot spring than dealing with all the small troubles of the world."

"Then why bother dealing with it at all?"

(A job is a job, and I've been assigned to babysit this young world. I don't detect any Divine influence on you, so I'm willing to work with you, but not the Hero Alliance in total. The samples are for me to find what has potential to be enhanced and has value to me while I wait for my 'shift' to be over. I don't want to meddle in the affairs of the world, nor will I allow you to abuse my power, but I can handle tasks that the average super team can't.) I sent to him telepathically as I did not need that bit of information recorded.

"Why come to me?" he asked, but I just smiled and rubbed the cat ears until he realized it. "Convenience?"

"Yep. I was in Brightton Bay for the university's samples when I learned of your other identity, so it was a 'two birds, one stone' moment since I needed to reach out to your group at some point," I replied chipperly.

He could only stare at me blankly as all three of his minds processed the emotional damage. Of course, I did not mention that the only reason that I reached out to him was in hopes of showing off in front of a girl; that would probably send him into a heart attack or a true emotional breakdown.

"Ah, right on cue," I said, hearing the approaching jet. Just to have a personal laugh, my appearance changed from my beautiful self to his old, haggard body and clothes.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Relax, I'll tell them I'm disguised as you so there is no confusion," I replied without bothering to change my voice. "I just don't want my face going out to every villain hidden in the city that will obviously be drawn to the appearance of a Justice Jet. This way, you can take me to your hidden base and interrogate me; I'll even change back to normal once we are on the jet."

He sighed with annoyance, unwilling to escalate things further, but he did not need to wait long. Even he heard the jet, and it hovered alongside his terrace as the back door opened up. A young man in a metallic suit of blue and purple was flanked by two women, one older and the other younger, and the family resemblance was unmistakable.

"Aww... did your family come to your rescue?" I asked.

"Please transform back, or I will consider it an act of aggression; in concession, I assure you that we will not take you back to our base," he replied.

"Fine, I'm here in good faith, after all," I agreed then changed back into my normal appearance as the three jumped off the jet and onto the terrace.

Celeste Lexington, his ex-wife, was a force of nature. The strongest telekinetic in recorded history, she carried herself with the quiet confidence of someone who had nothing to prove. There was a grace to her power, effortless and precise, but anyone who had seen her in action knew it could be as terrifying as it was beautiful. She did not need to raise her voice to command a room, her presence alone could do that.

Their daughter, Rae, was something else entirely. If Morgan was the mind and Celeste the power, Rae was both, but you would never hear her say so. She avoided the media like the plague, slipping into the background whenever cameras turned her way. She had inherited her mother's gift but refined it, shaping her telekinesis into something more intricate, more controlled, and pairing it with telepathy so sharp it was nearly impossible to surprise her. She spoke little in public, but when she did, it was always with an eerie certainty, as if she already knew how the conversation would end. People whispered that she could unravel secrets before they were spoken, and they were not wrong, but she wanted no part of it, having grown tired of her powers that were difficult to restrain.

Adrian, on the other hand, wanted the opposite. He lacked his mother's raw strength or his sister's incredible mind, but he had inherited something just as formidable, his father's genius. Yet, for all his intelligence, he was still trapped in Morgan Lexington's shadow. The world looked at him and saw only his father's legacy. The suits he built, the technology he designed, people called them "Lexington innovations," as if he were just another cog in the machine his father had built. It was not enough for him, or his ego.

Of course, I extracted all of that information from their minds directly as I had barely heard of Psionica, Mesmer, and Overdrive outside of their superhero names. Whenever knowledge about the various Supers popped up in someone's memories, I shifted the information aside to sort through later as I knew what the general population truly knew was limited to projections and rumors. I probably could have gone through it all by now, but I had not been motivated to truly start looking into the mess that I knew must be going on between the Heroes and Villains.

The three heroes walked across the terrace quickly as they looked into the room and attempted to judge the situation. With both Morgan and I watching them, they did not hesitate to open the door and walk into the room. They drifted over to Morgan, his children took a defensive stance behind him while his ex-wife stopped by his side, staring at me. Unsurprisingly, Rae tried to reach out to my mind with her power, but I blocked her attempt with ease as it seemed more of an instinctual action than her 'wanting' to read my mind, which made her eyes widen with shock.

"Don't tell me that no one has ever blocked your probes," I remarked, looking directly at Rae, or Mesmer since she was using her powers.

"What are you talking about?" Morgan asked.

"I can't 'hear' her," Rae said softly, drawing the attention of the three other Supers.

"I can't be the only person you 'can't hear'. Your father had some basic mental defenses, and there was even someone shielding a couple of Supers yesterday in Rensa... Oh, that was you, huh?" I commented.

"That enormous burst of mana yesterday in Rensa was caused by you?!?" Morgan deduced.

"Most likely," I chuckled. "If you have one of those devices here, I would be willing to demonstrate. I'm honestly curious to see how much it can handle as the methods of detecting and measuring mana have always seemed crude to me in the past."

"Adrian, grab the mana recorder from the shelf," he instructed.

Adrian, still in his custom tech suit, walked over to one of the many bookshelves and picked up a metallic device. It had an interactive screen on the top while the bottom had three glowing crystals that were unmistakably mana crystals. He handed it to Morgan and then returned to his position.

Realizing that it was time to show off, I placed Poe on the floor and gave him a telepathic command to leave the room. The four Supers watched my actions with mild amusement, caution, and annoyance amongst them, but I did not care to explain. Once the cat was out of the room, I slowly released my aura within the room, and only in the room to ensure that no one else would detect me.

Quickly, the device started alerting them about the rising level of mana and pointed in my direction. Ten units, fifty units, a hundred, a thousand... the device topped out at ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine units, and I had only released a tenth of my aura. That, of course, left all four of them panicking as, not only did the device overload, but they could also feel the 'weight' of my aura as they struggled to remain standing and even some of the furniture started to creak under the pressure.

"Enough! Stop!" Morgan shouted in fear as the power began to suffocate him.

Instantly, I suppressed my aura again which caused both Psionica and Mesmer, or Celeste and Rae, to stumble at the sudden loss of resistance. I smiled casually and crossed my legs while I propped my head up on my hand as I allowed them to gather themselves. Even Adrian in his tin can could feel the pressure that I gave off, even if that suit hid the visual effects.

Before, Morgan believed that everything was under his control as there were impressive defenses built into his personal apartment, fully utilizing all of the impressive technology that his students could create and everything that he had created as well. In his opinion, I might have been able to sneak in because his guard had been down, but all he needed was a mental command, and the chip in his head would activate them all to restrain me, but now, he knew better. The amount of mana that I had revealed was more than a hundred times what Malephor, the strongest magic user in the world, could generate, so he knew that I should be able to overload the Grand Nexus generators with just a couple of spells.

"Well, I'm staying in the penthouse suite at the Horizon Institute Hotel for the next two weeks, possibly longer if I can't find a house that I like near Silverbrook. I'll have a phone by the end of the day, the number of which I will give to the front desk and a note that you can have in case I'm out when you need me. Think over my offer; it lasts as long as I'm in Brightton Bay. Since I've intruded once, I won't do it again even if you reject me," I said graciously as I stood up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Celeste demanded.

"Back to my hotel room. I've had a long night, and I'd like to rest before I go check up on my pawn," I replied. "Or, would you rather have a shape-shifting telepath with more mana than all of the magic using Heroes and Villains combined in your base? Take your time, analyze the data you have, and think about whether you want to really make me an enemy. Rejecting my offer won't bother me, but the moment that you think you can restrict my freedom, I'll show you exactly how 'small' you really are."

Morgan placed a hand on Celeste's arm and said calmly, "That is not our intention. If you wish to leave, then you may whenever you please."

I chuckled and shot him a smirk. "I knew you were smart." Then, before anyone could say anything else, I teleported myself away.