The morning fog clung lightly to the streets of Yuanjing City, softening the outlines of tall buildings. In the Unknown District, life seemed ordinary, but subtle disturbances rippled in the air — too faint for most to notice.
"Did you hear about the man living in the mansion on Silver Street?" a vendor whispered. "They say he's… unusual, maybe some kind of genius."
"Genius?" his friend replied, shrugging. "He looks poor. Nothing about him seems special."
Little did they know, the man they spoke of could erase them from existence if he wished.
At Home
Inside the modest mansion, laughter echoed. Eight children dashed through the halls, their steps light and playful.
Kaizen, the eldest son, lifted a small stone with one hand. It floated briefly in the air before dropping. To the untrained eye, it was nothing remarkable.
Ryūjin looked up from the breakfast table, where Meilin Aiko was arranging fruit. "Careful, Kaizen. Show skill without recklessness," he said softly.
Kaizen grinned, unaware that even this tiny display was only 0.0000000000000000000000000001% of his true power. The ripple in the air barely brushed the edge of reality — subtle, almost invisible.
Ayame, the eldest daughter, tugged at Ryūjin's sleeve. "Father, can we play in the garden? I want to see if I can make the birds dance again!"
Ryūjin chuckled faintly. "Patience, my daughter. A fraction of your strength is enough for now. The world is not ready for the rest."
Meilin Aiko smiled. "You always hide so much, Ryūjin."
He shook his head, calm as ever. "Some things must remain hidden… until the right moment."
Outside Eyes
From a shadowed alley, two figures observed the mansion.
"Do you feel that?" one whispered. "It's subtle… but the air itself bends around them."
The other nodded, unease in his voice. "Even so… it's just a family of children and a man, right? Nothing dangerous."
They didn't realize that the slightest hint of power they sensed was only a minuscule fraction of the family's actual strength. To them, the world seemed safe — but they were already in the presence of beings beyond comprehension.
Evening in the Garden
By afternoon, the children played in the garden.
Haruto flicked a pebble, making it float lazily in the air. "Look! I can make it spin!"
Rikuya laughed. "That's nothing! Watch me—"
They were oblivious that even these small feats were mere whispers of the power sleeping within them.
Ryūjin stood on the veranda, arms crossed, watching with calm eyes. A faint glimmer hinted at the depth of his hidden strength, yet even this was a fraction of what he could unleash.
Meilin Aiko joined him, hand on his arm. "Do you think the world will ever see who you really are?"
He smiled faintly. "Let them wonder. All in good time."
Whispers in the District
As night fell, the two observers returned, joined by a third, older figure.
"They play like ordinary children," the newcomer said, "but I sense something… off. The aura, it's… subtle yet overwhelming."
The taller observer whispered, "Even a fraction of what they emit feels… beyond anything we've known. Could this be the rumored 'Absolute God'?"
Ryūjin, seated inside the house, said nothing. He would not reveal his true power. Not yet. Even the strongest governments, dragon clans, and universal-level beings were mere ants compared to him, and 0.0000000000000000000000000001% of his full power was enough to make the world tremble.
And yet, the family remained quiet, humble, and unnoticed, while the whispers and rumors slowly spread across the Unknown District.