Space Element

Doctor Brooke tried to scream, but Cane's grip on her neck was too tight. She was terrified beyond belief as he stared at her with bloodshot eyes.

Cane's eyes suddenly bled blood. His grip softened and that enabled the terrified doctor to escape his grasp.

But it didn't appear to bother him. Instead, h e swiped his right hand through the air, and the area where his hand passed crumbled. He was sucked into it and vanished from the room.

'Space… element! Kharlile said that he used time powers when they fought. So he is a dual-element wielder. That's two King elements! Unbelievable!', Dr. Brooke exclaimed, as if she hadn't been in distress seconds ago.

Her violet-colored hair suddenly rose up and turned blue when she decided to activate her ability. 'Who exactly did we meet? Unless he overdrafts his powers, a level one superhuman should be unable to perform a space jump.'

She hurriedly called for Kharlile and explained what had happened. They were at a loss about what to do because Kharlile had already sworn allegiance to Cane. Even Doctor Brooke was puzzled by her patient's behavior.

"That guy has a lot of secrets." Based on his reaction, she thought that there was something inside him that he did not want others to know about. She suggested that they would need to find him as soon as possible. She also thought that he must have felt threatened by her after being scanned. "Once you find him, tell him that he can rely on me. I can help him. " Doctor Brooke said, strangely grinning.

Kharlile nodded and immediately set out to track Cane's whereabouts. Though they found it shocking that Cane used space powers to teleport, he would not be that far due to his level's limitations. He was also confident that he could track him fast because of his superb senses.

Thud! Argh! Roar! Cane appeared out of nowhere in a dark alley two kilometers from the clinic.

'Doc. What happened? You suddenly used your space powers. Do you want me to contact Kharlile?', Liz asked.

Cane was not able to answer back due to the pain he was experiencing. Liz suddenly repeated her question inside Cane's mind, and that surprised him.

'You… upgraded? Argh! I can't... think straight. Call him but... tell him to kill that woman if she can't be trusted.', he replied mentally, with great difficulty.

After receiving Cane's permission, Liz called Kharlile right away. Kharlile's face suddenly flashed in a holographic light shone by Cane's earrings.

'Cane. Where are you? What happened? And you wanted me to kill her? he is extremely trustworthy. If she wasn't, our kind wouldn't have been in contact with her and her family for so long.', Kharlile urgently asked.

But Cane was in too much pain to open his mouth. He can only mentally direct Liz on what to reply.

'OK, I found your location. Don't move. Doctor Brooke said that you used space powers. You are surely a freak. Don't worry, she already suspected that you have secrets. She is grateful that you did not kill her. She also said that she would try her best to help you. Though I suspect that her scientific curiosity made her very attracted to your case.', Kharlile added.

Kharlile rushed over to Cane's location. The place was called a city, but it didn't feel like one because there were so few people there. The majority of superhumans in the city were said to have gone to a Genetic Hall public assembly in a neighboring city.

After zig-zagging for a few minutes, Kharlile noticed him in the dark alley, curling in pain. He rushed Liz to inform Kharlile that he should not be touched by a woman under any circumstances. He also promised Kharlile that he would tell him why once he felt better. The Foxman nodded and quickly realized that it had to be one of his secrets.

Cane passed out after succumbing to the pain. His suit was in shambles after being out of the tub with the special liquid. Kharlile then took him to a new location, the underground of Doctor Brooke's clinic.

'How is he? Did he wake up?" Kharlile inquired of Doctor Brooke, who was reading an old-looking book.

'No… By the way, you said that he doesn't know much about the outside world, right? And his eyes bled when he fought you. I have a theory about him, but if I am correct, it would truly be insane. Did you know that Gods have human avatars? ', Doctor Brooke inquired of the concerned Kharlile.

The young man made a shaky motion with his head. She then went on to explain her theory. She reactivated her ability, her hair changed color from violet to blue, and she stared at the book intently. It was her superhuman ability—extreme focus.

This is an ancient manuscript that chronicles human interactions with the 14 gods. They have temples all over the world, and their avatars are selected from the best members. The powers of the 14 Gods are determined by the sins and virtues of the entire population. They were created by the Ultimate Deity to assist him in protecting our world from external forces. Every 300 years, the 14 gods descend and combine with their chosen vessels to become avatars in order to rekindle humanity's faith and belief in them. Finally, the vessels they choose will carry either the Sin or Virtue of the God with whom they have merged.

Only a few people are aware of this specific information, as the temples wanted to ensure that the rest of the Earth balanced the effects of the 14 Gods' powers. People are innately good because they can exercise prudence, justice, temperance, and courage (or fortitude), as well as the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. However, we are also born with the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

The book that I have has been passed down in our clan for centuries. My mother told me that our ancestors were once part of the Temple of Temperance. This book doesn't have much information about the inner workings of the temples, but it generally describes the relationship of the gods with humankind. Hence, my theory about Cane is related to the Gods.'

Kharlile's eyes widened as he processed everything Doctor Brooke said. He couldn't believe everything she said, from Gods to sins and virtues. Everyone on New Earth was aware that gods existed, but he had never imagined them interacting with mortals like him.

'Temple of Temperance... Is this why her family is willing to assist non-pure superhumans such as my Mang Clan?', Kharlile thought quietly.

'All right, let's assume what you said is correct. How does Cane's predicament relate to the Gods? ', he inquired, puzzled.

'I appreciate you informing me that he does not want to have physical contact with a woman. It is the foundation of my theory. Lust is ranked third among the seven deadly sins and her avatars are all female. The Gods of the seven deadly sins are not the same as the Gods of the seven virtues. They chose the vessels that would capture and contain all of their sins. For the latter, they are to venture to the outside world and spread the meaning of their virtues. We can say that the avatars of the sins are the most pitiful people in the world.

'In Cane's case, I could be wrong, but I believe he is being influenced by the Sin of Lust. According to the book, the Avatars of Lust do not want to be touched by the opposite sex because it will cause an intense manifestation of the sin. Most avatars of the seven deadly sins are rarely seen because they are taught to remain hidden until the next God's descent. Thus, the reason I can't see any problems with his body is that he doesn't have one in the first place. His current situation is the result of an unknown power, most likely God's power.'

Doctor Brooke's hair returned to its original purple color after she explained her theory. If Cane was awake and heard everything she said, he would surely find her remarkable but terrifying for deducing that much. He might have to kill her to keep his secrets.