Russell had already taken control of Cecil, directing him to secretly develop weapons targeting the Vitrumites' weaknesses.
Turning to gaze at the dazzling sun, Russell bent his knees slightly before launching into the sky. The atmosphere tore open behind him, and the clouds split apart like crashing waves.
"Let's give this a shot…"
He had previously tried training under the Soldier Boy template, but the results had been disappointing—the template's abilities were fixed and couldn't be further developed. However, perhaps Aaron's template would be different?
At the edge of the solar corona—
Violent stellar energy storms raged around him. Even through the suit, the searing light and heat caused a burning pain on his skin.
Without hesitation, Russell deactivated his suit, letting it drift weightlessly in space.
"Whew—"
Taking a deep breath, wearing nothing but underwear, his muscular body plunged straight into the sun.
…
"As expected, it didn't work."
Reentering the atmosphere, Russell furrowed his brows. White-hot flames ignited around him from the friction, but compared to the solar inferno he had just endured, this heat was negligible.
He had attempted to induce a near-death state in the sun to evolve the Allen template—but it had failed.
He wasn't entirely surprised by the result.
Each template he acquired was an exact replica, even copying the user's experience with their powers.
To put it less delicately, applying a template was like inserting a fully burned disc into a player—everything was already locked in.
"Templates are rigid copies. Unless I solidify them into my own powers, I probably can't develop them further…"
[Conquest Points: 8,600]
[Solidifying the Soldier Boy Template requires 85,000 Conquest Points. Proceed?]
[Solidifying the Allen Template requires 140,000 Conquest Points. Proceed?]
"This premium cost…" Russell's eyes gleamed. "Only proves how much greater the growth potential is after solidification."
Recalling Allen's growth trajectory in the original story—multiple near-death experiences pushing him past his limits—Russell considered his own regenerative immortality. If he solidified the template, he could unlock its full potential in a short span.
And those late-stage abilities of Allen's? Solidifying those might cost 200,000 or even 300,000 points.
So spending 140,000 now was undoubtedly a bargain.
Flying high above Chicago and heading home, Russell set a new short-term goal:
"Save up Conquest Points—solidify the Allen Template!"
…
"Is that a demigod?"
"Shrapnel Man? And Mighty, Supercontinent, Bug-Eye... Russell, look! It's the Power Alliance guys—they're so cool!"
At the Global Defense Agency headquarters, after Cecil announced recruitment for the new Global Guardians team, nearly every superhero who thought they had a shot gathered here.
Walking through the corridor where candidates lined up for interviews, Mark was wide-eyed as he saw one familiar superhero after another.
"Mark," Russell glanced at him. "Don't get too excited. Don't forget—you're a superhero now too."
"Right, right!" Mark slapped his forehead.
He hadn't been a superhero for long, and it still hadn't fully sunk in—he was no longer just an average nerdy high schooler.
Russell noticed his cousin's unusual excitement. "You're extra cheerful today?"
"Am I?"
Mark quickly wiped the smile off his face, trying to look serious. He tiptoed and scanned the crowd for a familiar pink figure.
His eyes lit up when he saw Eve.
She looked upset—her face tense with repressed frustration and anger. Clearly not in a good mood.
Mark felt a pang of sympathy. Yesterday, Eve had confided via text that she'd discovered her boyfriend Rex cheating on her—with his clone, Kate.
They had since broken up. Which meant... he had a shot now.
"Good luck."
Following Mark's gaze, Russell immediately understood and gently patted his shoulder in encouragement.
"what are you saying?" Mark blushed. "Eve's heartbroken. I just want to comfort her."
He approached and waved.
The two began chatting. Under Mark's deliberate humor and gentle words, the storm clouds on Eve's face began to lift.
"You're here, Infinite," said Robot, checking off names on his list and stepping forward to greet him. "A lot of heroes showed up today. We'll need your help."
"I heard Director Cecil appointed you leader of the new Global Guardians. Congratulations," Russell said.
"I was the second choice," Robot replied sincerely, like stating a fact.
"If you hadn't declined, he wouldn't have picked me. During the Flaxan invasions, my team and I were only of limited help."
"This is still a testament to Director Cecil's trust in you," Russell replied. "Unlike me, who just has some powers, he values your intelligence and leadership. I'm sure you'll guide the new team well."
He shrugged.
"The Global Guardians aren't like the Teen Team or Power Alliance—a casual hero squad. They're Earth's first line of defense, carrying a critical responsibility. Mistakes are unacceptable."
Robot glanced toward the assembled heroes.
"Director Cecil wants you to handle the combat evaluations. It'll be a long day, but please try to give everyone a fair shot."
"Sometimes, raw power isn't everything. Adaptability, quick thinking, and a calm, composed personality matter just as much."
"I understand."
Russell waved it off, signaling Robot not to worry.
"Infinity… I heard Director Cecil originally asked him to form the new Guardians team, but he refused?"
"Seriously?"
"He looks so young—what kind of powers does he even have?"
"Not sure. Seems super fast and strong? Can fly? Supposedly, he repelled the Flaxan invasions almost single-handedly."
As word spread that Infinity would be evaluating them, Russell's presence stirred whispers among the gathered heroes. Some were visibly tense. Others looked skeptical. A few seemed outright defiant.
"Flaxans? I've heard of them. Weren't they just some alien species with no powers?"
"Beating up a bunch of guys with laser rifles—what's the big deal?"
Some of these heroes had been active long before Russell had even been born. To be tested by a rookie who had just made his debut was understandably hard to accept.
A few louder comments drifted into Russell's ears, but he didn't react. His expression remained unreadable as he calmly flipped through the list, scanning for abilities worth solidifying.
Once he weeded out a few of them, the skeptics would naturally shut up.
In terms of raw strength, none of them truly mattered to him. Still, sometimes an average power, when paired with a powerful template, could produce surprisingly strong results.
Like regenerative immortality—it significantly boosted the potential of any template it was paired with.
.....
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