Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Irving Thorne’s original plan was for Jovitas to provide intelligence and act as backup while he and Paige Summers infiltrated the Power User Federation!

But things suddenly took a sharp turn.

First, Paige Summers stated bluntly that Jovitas couldn’t provide any information. Then, after learning he had met that old man before, she flatly rejected his desperate plea to go with her.

”I only met him once, two years ago. I’ll obviously go in disguise, so he won’t recognize me. Besides, it’s not like I’ll definitely run into him!”

What Irving Thorne really wanted to say was, ’It’s too risky for you to go alone! If something goes wrong, your death would be a small price to pay, but tipping off the enemy would be a disaster! It took me forever to finally find a lead on his latest activities!’

In response, Paige Summers just wagged a finger.

”First, your superpower is too conspicuous. You’re the only one with Full Body Enhancement at your level, and the whole city knows it. Second, your so-called disguise can’t change your body type. Do you really think a Tenth Rank Superpower User wouldn’t be able to see through it? Don’t get your hopes up. You might not run into him, but there’s no guarantee you won’t. What if you do?”

Irving Thorne was left speechless.

”Then... what makes you think you’ll be fine?”

Paige Summers smiled proudly. ”If I’m confident enough to suggest it, how could I possibly fail?”

”You’re the only freak of nature who’s gotten a Speed Superpower to the Eighth Rank! You think his intelligence network is that bad?”

Paige Summers slowly turned to him, lifting her delicate chin.

In that instant, her pure and steady demeanor transformed. A stunning arrogance appeared on her radiant face, and a cunning glint flickered in her eyes. ”Who said I was going to use my Speed Superpower?”

Irving Thorne froze, feeling as if he’d been blinded by her brilliance. He couldn’t utter a single word of rebuttal or doubt.

As Paige Summers left, she tossed a final remark over her shoulder. ”When it comes to acting, you’ve still got a long way to go!”

This wasn’t hard to understand. Although Zeke Thorne had fought his way up from nothing, by the time Irving Thorne was growing up, his father had already achieved a certain status, so Irving never had to struggle much.

Paige Summers, however, was different. In her past life, even with her grandfather’s protection, she was still part of a fallen Noble House. Because of her work in Artifact Making, she had to deal with all sorts of people and learned early on how to act in front of anyone.

Normally, she disliked putting on a facade and preferred being direct, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t capable of it.

She understood how Irving Thorne felt.

Everyone wants to get their revenge with their own hands.

But right now, this was their only important lead.

She would absolutely not allow it to be ruined by carelessness!

Infiltrating the Power User Federation alone was extremely dangerous, but Paige Summers didn’t feel particularly nervous. She had spent several days preparing, considering all sorts of potential situations and accidents and planning her responses. After once again entrusting Ben to Sean Raines and coordinating backup measures with Irving Thorne, she decided it was time to make her move!

The Power User Federation was located in District Four, not far from Central Plaza. It was a square, three-story building with a small courtyard in front.

All things considered, it was a prime location.

It would be a joke to say it didn’t have a powerful backer.

Paige Summers walked there.

In her current state, it was likely that even Marcus Monroe wouldn’t recognize her.

Her mid-length hair, which she usually tied up, had been cut into a bob that ended squarely at her neck, hiding her cheeks. Her bangs were also cut straight across, almost covering her eyes. Her eyebrows had been trimmed flat and thickened, the corners of her eyes extended, and her nose built up to appear slightly higher. Her face was pale—so pale it was bloodless. She wore loose, all-black pants and a long-sleeved shirt. From head to toe, even her hair seemed to exude a grim, spooky aura. Her gaze, when she looked at others, was wooden and icy, as if she were looking at a corpse...

In short, the moment she stood there, people walking past instinctively gave her a wide berth.

”She looks like a ghost!!”

A passerby who had unconsciously spoken their thoughts aloud provided the best description of her new image!

Inwardly satisfied, Paige Summers stepped into the small building.

The first floor was a reception area, where a few young people sat at a desk handling registration.

Here, you had to write down your real name, age, and superpower so the Federation could assign you to the right training hall. Since it wasn’t an official organization—and perhaps to lower the barrier to entry—they didn’t require identification, a fact Paige Summers knew in advance, so she wasn’t worried.

She fluently wrote down her information with her left hand: ”Kerrin Irwin, 25 years old, Sixth Rank Poison Ability.”

The young woman handling her registration looked up, her eyes bright. ”You have a Poison Ability? What kind of toxins do you release, specifically?”

People with a Poison Ability weren’t common, but they existed.

The effects of the poisons they released were all different.

Some caused unconsciousness, some induced hallucinations, and some...

”Instant death.”

Hearing the low, hoarse, and gloomy voice whisper near her ear, the young woman couldn’t help but shudder. A moment later, she called out stiffly, ”L-Leo, take her to Hall One.”

”...O-Okay.”

Only after Leo had led the woman up the stairs on the side did the young woman let out a sharp breath of relief. She flopped back into her chair, patting her chest. ”Emma, that scared me to death! Forget poison, I’d believe her if she said she could summon ghosts! Hall One will definitely be satisfied with her!”

Although it was called a hall, Hall One wasn’t actually very large, about the size of a normal classroom.

When Paige Summers followed Leo inside, the room was empty except for two sets of desks and chairs.

She immediately realized something was special about this.

Hall One was at the very end of the corridor, so she had taken the opportunity to observe the other halls they passed. Not only were they larger, but while not packed, they each had at least a dozen people inside receiving instruction. Only this one was different.

”The Poison Ability is pretty rare, so you’re in luck. You can receive private tutoring. Please wait here a moment while I go get the instructor,” the young man named Leo explained. With that, he turned and headed back toward the stairs.

Paige Summers walked in and stood by the window.

From here, she could see people constantly coming and going through the entrance below. Most were low-level superpower users, but occasionally, she could spot a High-level Superpower User, likely around the Sixth Rank. Judging by the frequency, this place was quite popular.

’Private tutoring, huh...’

’I didn’t expect to make this much progress on my first visit. I still haven’t figured out what they’re up to, but it seems they’re in urgent need of High-level Superpower Users.’

”Hello! Kerrin Irwin, is it?”

’Obviously...’

Paige Summers turned her head and saw a man in his thirties walk in. He wore a friendly smile that made his ordinary face seem all the more approachable.

’His superpower is probably at the Seventh Rank,’ Paige Summers judged internally, while her voice floated out faintly, ”Yes...”

The man’s expression didn’t change one bit at her spooky voice. He smiled, came inside, closed the door, and placed the cage he was carrying on the table.