The moment Elric and Elsa crossed into Chicago, they both stopped dead in their tracks.
"Oh… oh no," Elsa breathed.
Yeah. What they'd seen back home? That looked like a vacation resort compared to this nightmare.
Where skyscrapers used to touch the clouds, there was just… nothing. Flattened rubble as far as the eye could see. Twisted metal rebar stuck out of the ground like broken bones. Burned-out cars everywhere, some still smoking.
"Was there a freaking war here?" Elsa whispered, her voice shaking.
Elric didn't answer. He was too busy activating his clairvoyance ability, scanning the devastation.
His expression went dark real fast.
Underneath all that rubble, he could see the evidence—discarded machine gun casings, blast marks from explosives, buildings that looked like they'd been hit by actual artillery strikes.
This wasn't just "the apocalypse happened." This was a straight-up battlefield.
"The situation here is way worse than I thought," Elric muttered under his breath.
And Emily was somewhere in this mess. His chest tightened at the thought.
But here's the problem—he'd never actually been to Chicago before. The Watson Family mansion where Emily lived could be literally anywhere in this massive, destroyed city.
He needed intel. Fast.
Finding a Lead
While Elsa pulled up pre-apocalypse maps on her phone, Elric used his clairvoyance to sweep the area for survivors.
After a few minutes of scanning...
Bingo. Three signatures.
Not regular people either—these were ability users. Superpowered individuals.
And they were all gathered near some collapsed supermarket, about to rip each other's throats out.
"Perfect," Elric said coldly. "Let's go."
Elsa didn't ask questions. She just started driving.
Outside the ruined supermarket, three ability users were in the middle of a Mexican standoff.
First guy: Bearded dude with a metallic right arm. Definitely a steel-type ability.
Second: Middle-aged woman whose body was radiating some kind of hardened energy. Physical enhancement, probably.
Third: Younger guy in all black, holding a knife that had extended into a freaking two-meter blade. Weapon manipulation for sure.
The tension was thick enough to cut with that ridiculous knife.
"This territory belongs to our boss," Beard Guy growled. "That supermarket is off limits."
The woman scoffed. "Your boss doesn't own the whole damn state. This place wasn't claimed before everything went to hell."
The young guy just gripped his oversized blade tighter. "We're taking supplies. Move or we'll move you."
Beard Guy's eyes flashed with anger. "Then don't blame me for what happens next."
And just like that, all hell broke loose.
Steel clashed against hardened flesh. Concrete cracked under their feet. The air literally rippled from the force of their blows.
All three were bleeding, gasping for air, completely locked in combat—
Then—
VROOOOM—
An SUV rolled up out of nowhere.
The sound made all three fighters spin around mid-battle.
A young guy was leaning casually against the hood of the vehicle. He looked like he could be in college. Totally calm. Totally unbothered.
He flicked open a lighter, about to light a cigarette.
"Hey," he called out lazily. "I need to ask you three something."
His tone was almost bored.
But the atmosphere changed.
Even without actively using his powers, Elric was radiating something that made all three fighters' instincts scream danger.
Like standing in front of a apex predator.
The three ability users glared at this random kid who'd just interrupted their fight.
Beard Guy snarled, "Where'd you crawl out from, kid? Get lost before I break your legs."
The woman nodded. "Yeah, this doesn't concern you. Walk away while you still can."
Young Blade Guy cracked his knuckles. "Fights between ability users aren't for nobodies. Back off or I'll cave your skull in."
If they weren't already fighting each other, they probably would've jumped Elric right then and there.
They'd all killed before. Killing one more random guy? Easy.
But—
Elric didn't even look at them.
He finished lighting his cigarette, took one long drag, and exhaled slowly.
Then he raised his hand.
Right in front of their eyes, his normal human arm started to swell and transform. The skin changed texture, scales appeared, and suddenly his entire arm had morphed into a massive reptilian limb ending in a monstrous dinosaur claw.
The three fighters froze.
WHAM—
The giant claw snapped shut around all three of them at once, lifting them off the ground like action figures.
The pressure was insane—not enough to kill them, but definitely enough to make their bones feel like they were about to shatter.
"AAAAAHHH—!!"
They screamed, vision going dark, consciousness fading—
Then the claw opened and dropped them in a heap on the ground.
All three lay there trembling, finally understanding.
This wasn't some random kid.
This was a monster in human skin.
And compared to him? Their abilities were dollar store toys.
Elric stepped forward, voice perfectly calm. "Now. Can I ask my question?"
All three were shaking like leaves.
"Y-Yes! Yes! Ask anything!" "We'll tell you everything, please!"
Elric nodded once. "Where is the Watson family located in Chicago?"
The three exchanged terrified glances.
The bearded man swallowed hard. "Y-You mean… the richest family in the city? The Watson family?"
"Yes," Elric said flatly. "Don't make me repeat myself."
Only One Survivor
Beard Guy immediately started spilling everything he knew.
"They have multiple properties—but the main residence, the one they actually lived in, is in the Golden Creek Estates! I used to do lawn maintenance there before all this! I can take you there! Just—please—don't kill me!"
The other two panicked and jumped in:
"We know where it is too!" "I can take you! Please don't kill me!"
But Elric had emotional perception abilities.
He could feel their intentions.
Beard Guy's aura was genuine fear—no hidden threats, no malice. Just pure terror.
The other two? Still radiating hostility underneath. Just waiting for an opportunity to strike back.
Elric didn't hesitate.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a Desert Eagle.
Two muffled shots.
Pop. Pop.
No drama. No struggle. The woman and the young guy just... stopped moving.
The bearded man's legs completely gave out.
"My lord… please… I don't want to die…" he whimpered.
Elric didn't even fully look at him. "Get in the car. Lead the way."
The bearded man practically crawled to the SUV.
His life literally depended on it.
There is 60 chapter Advance, in my patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439