Chapter 101: The Construction Site

The reason for his empathy was not due to Gu Zhongyan's inherently warm nature, but rather because he suddenly realized that the six children before him were all promising talents who could join his team.

Nicole, the little witch, needed no introduction—the absolute powerhouse of the Runaway Youth Alliance. With the Origin Staff in her possession, her future was limitless. Beyond the magic wand's enhancement, she possessed extraordinary innate magical talent. By the end of the story, even without the wand, she wielded formidable magical power, making her the most coveted candidate for Gu Zhongyan's mentorship.

No skill thrives in isolation; this is true for technology, and equally so for magic. In ancient times, practitioners of the mystical arts in the Flower Nation emphasized the importance of wealth, methods, companions, and land, underscoring the value of peers. Nicole was a born witch. If he could nurture her, she would not only add a high-level combatant to his ranks, but her training might also inspire Gu Zhongyan to awaken his own magical abilities.

Aside from Nicole, the other children each possessed unique gifts.

Carolyn, who could emit light, absorbed solar and certain cosmic energies, and could convert these energies into a variety of superpowers. By radiating rainbow-like beams, she could unleash explosive energy and cutting light rays, had the ability to fly, and could carry others with her. She could also generate protective force fields, withstand high temperatures, and manipulate thermal energy. Besides Nicole, Carolyn was the second most powerful member of the alliance. Though her power ceiling was not as high as Nicole’s, in Gu Zhongyan’s current team, she was far from weak. Her versatile abilities made her suitable for many situations, and she was just as worthy of cultivation.

Beyond these two, Gu Zhongyan valued the two boys most—perhaps even more than Carolyn, second only to the little witch Nicole.

The Runaway Youth Alliance had always been somewhat imbalanced, with more girls than boys—and, more importantly, all the superpowered members were female: Nicole the little witch, Carolyn the Rainbow Girl, Molly the Mighty, and Gretel, who could communicate telepathically with dinosaurs. These four girls were the main combat force. In contrast, the two boys had no superpowers at all.

Yet they had their own strengths. Chas excelled in engineering, inventing equipment like mechanical gloves and X-ray goggles. He was adept at piloting all kinds of vehicles, including aircraft, and possessed physical abilities—strength, endurance, speed—slightly above the average male, giving him considerable fighting prowess.

Alex, the young Black man, was the only one of the six without any combat ability. Yet he was a natural leader, brilliant and wise, with genius-level reasoning and strategic skills, and elite hacker expertise.

Upon seeing the two boys, Gu Zhongyan realized his team was rich in fighters but completely lacking in scientific talent.

For a long time, Gu Zhongyan, being a figure of the mystical world, had somewhat neglected the technological aspect. But the appearance of these two boys reminded him that the Marvel universe was not solely magical. Here, science and magic went hand in hand; technology, when advanced enough, could also slay gods, and many heroes became legendary through technological marvels. The prime example was Iron Man, who, despite having no superpowers, became one of the most important superheroes in the Marvel universe through his self-crafted armor.

Compared to magic, technology had the advantage of being replicable. Chas and Alex might not rival Tony Stark, but they were undoubtedly intellectual prodigies. If they could join his team and develop new weapons, it would greatly enhance the group’s combat capabilities.

It was precisely because of their presence that Gu Zhongyan began to seriously consider recruiting this team under his wing.

The Runaway Youth Alliance had no idea that the young man standing before them was quietly plotting to absorb them into his own circle.

Once they confirmed Gu Zhongyan truly had the power to destroy alien ships and oppose their parents, they stopped objecting to his battle plan.

Soon, the group arrived at a heavily guarded construction site.

Surrounded by blue steel panels, the site was patrolled by a squad of security personnel in white shirts and black trousers, pistols holstered at their waists—one could hardly tell if the place was a construction site or a military base.

Faced with such strict security, Gu Zhongyan made no attempt at stealth, striding confidently toward the entrance. Su Yan, who followed him without question, stuck close behind, and Richard, seeing this, had no choice but to steel himself and follow.

Despite witnessing Gu Zhongyan’s magic, the children were still anxious at his bold action, their hearts racing as they prepared for battle.

“Hey, this is private property, not a playground! You kids need to leave immediately.”

Before the trio could approach, a security guard shouted, trying to drive them off.

Gu Zhongyan ignored him, smiling slightly. “Collapse into unconsciousness!”

Without any visible action, the guards at the construction site dropped like dominoes, their eyes rolling back as one after another fell to the ground, unconscious.

“This—this—” Richard stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what he was seeing, and looked at Gu Zhongyan in awe.

Gu Zhongyan smiled. “Just a simple wandless spell. All right, the guards have been dealt with. Everyone, come in.”

He turned and waved to the six children hiding in the shadows.

The children, still amazed, cautiously approached. As they passed the unconscious guards, they nudged them with their feet, confirming they were truly knocked out. Only then did they relax, and their gaze at Gu Zhongyan was filled with growing trust.

Richard, recovering from his shock, couldn’t help but ask, “Has your magic become stronger since last we parted?”

“Good perception. Yes, there’s been some progress. Let’s go.” Gu Zhongyan nodded, patted Richard’s shoulder, and led the way into the site.

The group hurried to follow.

Soon, they reached the center of the construction site, where a massive pit stood out among the vast expanse.

Standing before the pit, Richard turned to Gu Zhongyan. “What now? Do we go down?”

Gu Zhongyan nodded. “Yes. But I’ll go alone. The rest of you stay here.”

“If their parents come looking, just deal with them. Su Yan, you stay up here and assist. Understood?” Gu Zhongyan said.

With that, he gestured for the group to remain, preparing to descend alone into the pit.