Bruce nodded as he leaned back against the steel desk, crossing his legs while holding his cigarette between two fingers. His gaze drifted into the distance, and for a moment, he seemed to be looking at something far beyond the walls of the training room. The usual amusement in his expression had disappeared, replaced by a quiet melancholy that made Lucius wonder how much of the story the older man had personally witnessed.
"When the world was lost in terror and destruction... When it seemed like there was no hope for humanity... Bi Si was the one who gave everyone hope," Bruce revealed, a sad smile appearing on his face. He took another drag from his cigarette before adding, "Personally, I was a big fan."
Lucius’s eyes widened slightly at the admission. He had expected Bruce to describe Bi Si as some ancient monster whose existence had been deliberately erased, not as a man worthy of admiration. Bruce noticed his reaction and nodded, as though confirming that he had heard correctly.
"The man was a Special Authority ranked Guardian from China who took the burden away from the world. He traveled to continents free of charge to aid their surviving countries, including America. He did what the greedy scoundrels we call Guardians today would never do. It won’t be an exaggeration to say humanity survived because of him," Bruce explained, his voice carrying a rare passion that Lucius had never heard from him before.
His fingers tightened slightly around the cigarette as he spoke, and his eyes seemed to brighten whenever he recalled the man’s achievements. Whatever Bi Si had eventually become, Bruce clearly remembered the person he had once been.
Lucius was taken aback by the account. He had already learned that the world was full of powerful people who used their abilities to secure wealth, status, and influence, so hearing about someone who had traveled across continents to help strangers without demanding payment felt almost unbelievable.
He struggled to imagine a Guardian of that caliber willingly placing himself in danger for people who could offer him nothing in return. If even half of what Bruce had said was true, Bi Si had been a remarkable man.
"Then how did he become a Deviant?" Lucius asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Bruce slowly shook his head, and his face twisted into a sad smile. "That question can only be answered by the World Government. Despite researching this for a long time, I could only find a little information. Like I said earlier, there is a systematic attempt to hide the truth..."
He paused to exhale a heavy stream of smoke, his expression growing increasingly grim. "But from what I found out, Bi Si was researching the source of the Aether meteors. I don’t know what he discovered, but based on a small piece of his personal journal that was salvaged, Bi Si suffered his first defeat around that time. I believe that was the catalyst that led him to attempt to evolve his Talent."
"And he failed?" Lucius interrupted, surprise spreading across his face.
Bruce nodded with a sad sigh. "Apparently. Unfortunately, the details surrounding his research and transformation are among the things that have been deliberately concealed. I cannot tell you exactly what happened, only what I managed to piece together from the fragments that survived."
Lucius fell silent, trying to make sense of the information. If Bi Si had been powerful enough to become humanity’s first Guardian, yet still suffered a defeat that drove him to evolve his Talent, then whatever he had encountered must have been terrifying. The fact that the World Government had gone to such lengths to conceal the details only made the mystery more disturbing.
"To defeat the Special Authority ranked Guardian who had turned into a Deviant, the World Guardians gathered and fought him, including the founding fathers of the Big Four and other Special Authority ranked Guardians," Bruce continued. Visit novelping(.)com for the full chapter.
His voice had become quieter, and the passion he had displayed earlier was now overshadowed by the grim weight of the story. "The battle lasted for three days and three nights. Seventy percent of the world’s Guardians were killed in that fight, but eventually, Bi Si was defeated and killed."
Lucius stared at him, visibly shaken by the revelation. Seventy percent. He tried to imagine the number of lives that represented, the number of cities left without defenders, and the countless families who must have lost someone during those three days. Even with the powerful Guardians of the modern world, a conflict on that scale would be catastrophic.
Despite the vagueness of Bruce’s account, Lucius found himself thinking about the implications. How powerful had Bi Si become to force the strongest Guardians across the world to unite against him?
More importantly, what exactly had he discovered while investigating the Aether meteors?
Lucius pulled out his phone and immediately searched for the name Bi Si, scrolling through the results in the hope of finding even a single credible reference to the man.
He found nothing useful. The search results contained unrelated names, irrelevant articles, and general information about Deviants, but there was no meaningful record of Bi Si’s life, achievements, or supposed transformation.
"Don’t bother. You won’t find a thing," Bruce sighed when he noticed what Lucius was doing.
Lucius lowered his phone, his face twisting into a frown. "But haven’t you considered looking into what he found?"
Bruce chuckled softly and shook his head, seemingly unsurprised by the question. "I’m smart enough to understand that not only am I not strong enough to defeat whatever defeated him, but I’m also not strong enough to fight the World Government that clearly has a hand in Bi Si’s death and actively covers up his findings. Getting involved would not only cost me my life, but might also cost my family its life and social standing. So it’s best that I continue contributing to humanity in the way I can."
Lucius felt a wave of agitation rise within him, but he remained silent, carefully considering Bruce’s reasoning from a neutral perspective. The idea that an entire government could suppress the truth about a man who had once saved humanity was infuriating, especially when the truth might reveal something important about the very creatures threatening the world. Find the original chapter at NovelPing.
However, he could also understand the practical considerations behind Bruce’s decision. If investigating the matter would only lead to his death without exposing anything meaningful, then his sacrifice would accomplish nothing. Worse, it could drag his family into a conflict they had no chance of winning.
Bruce was not a fool who allowed his emotions to dictate his decisions. From the calmness and rationality he had displayed since their first meeting, Lucius could tell that the older man had carefully weighed the risks before deciding to abandon the investigation. Whatever curiosity remained, he had chosen to prioritize the people he could still help over a mystery he might never solve.
"Don’t get any bright ideas unless you’re strong enough to back them up with power. Empty sacrifices only lead to empty deaths. Just focus on your studies and get stronger," Bruce warned when he noticed Lucius’s contemplative expression.
His tone was firm, leaving little room for argument. He had no intention of watching another talented young Guardian throw his life away chasing a truth that even the most powerful people in the world had chosen to bury.
"I know... You should already know by now that I’m not the heroic type. All I want is a successful career as a Guardian and to provide for Lia... Nothing else really matters," Lucius replied with a shrug as he pushed himself to his feet.
He had no desire to become another martyr whose name was erased from history. He had already spent most of his life struggling to survive, and the opportunity to build a comfortable life with Lia was more than enough to keep him motivated. Whatever happened to the rest of the world was none of his concern, provided it did not threaten what little he had managed to secure for himself.
Bruce raised an eyebrow, studying him with renewed interest. "Is that why you refuse to join my little brother’s group?"
Lucius nodded without hesitation. "I’m not interested in politics, unnecessary relationships, ties, connections, and all that. I just want to be free, make money, and enjoy life."
Bruce regarded him for a moment before letting out a quiet chuckle. "That would be a waste of your talent, but I can’t argue that it’s still an understandable goal and should be respected by everyone."
Despite his words, there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. He clearly believed Lucius could accomplish far more than he intended, but he seemed to understand that potential alone did not obligate anyone to pursue greatness.
"Alright, enough talk. Let’s begin your real training," Bruce announced, straightening away from the desk and putting out his cigarette.
His earlier melancholy disappeared as he turned his attention toward Lucius, replaced by the focused expression of an instructor preparing to put his student through another demanding session.
Lucius’s shoulders stiffened slightly. He had a feeling that whatever Bruce considered real training would be considerably worse than the conversation they had just finished.