Solo Cultivating in Superhero Academy
Chapter 107: Missing means Dead

Chapter 107: Missing means Dead

The old woman put her thermos down, adjusted her glasses, and peered at her screen.

She frowned.

"Ah. The one you invited—Keith, right?"

Elius nodded, heart starting to pound in his chest.

The old woman clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shook her head slowly.

"Missing," she said bluntly.

Elius’s heart stopped.

For a moment, the world went silent.

Missing?

The word echoed in his mind like a death sentence.

He stood there, frozen, staring at the old lady as if she had just punched him in the gut.

Missing.

Missing.

He remembered yesterday, the conversation with Colt.

How nonchalantly Colt spoke about seeds. About races. About brothers.

And how Radiant Man — in the original comics — had casually, ruthlessly killed his "failed" sons when Keith awakened his Solarion bloodline.

Cold sweat ran down Elius’s back.

Did Colt already... kill him?

Was Keith already dead, erased before he could even fight back?

After all, Elius is now the new awakened son.

Panic crept up Elius’s spine.

Keith was his only hope.

The only genuine Solarion descendant he could use.

All Elius needed was for Keith to join his Cultivation Party—

And the system would automatically give him fragments of Keith’s bloodline Martial skill based on Keith’s bloodline inside the Dimensional Rift Party.

That way, Elius could stabilize his being in Colt’s mind that he is a true Solarion descendant.

But if Keith was dead—

If Keith had been wiped out by Radiant Man’s monstrous hand—

Then Elius had lost everything.

The cold reality settled like iron chains around his heart.

Without Keith, it would be infinitely harder to maintain his false image.

Without Keith, there was no simple shortcut.

His hands trembled slightly where they rested against the counter.

He couldn’t let it show.

Not here. Not in front of others.

He locked his jaw tight and lowered his head slightly to hide the horror burning in his eyes.

The old woman, noticing his silence, added casually, "He’s just missing, not dead. Don’t worry too much, kid."

Missing. Not dead.

But Elius knew better.

In this world — especially in the Academy, especially under Radiant Man’s attention — "missing" often meant something far worse.

He forced himself to breathe, deep and slow.

He needed to think.

He needed to move.

"Thank you," Elius said stiffly, turning away.

"Wait," the old woman called out after him.

He paused, half-turning.

"If we find him, or if he returns, we’ll call you. Leave your number."

Elius hesitated.

If there even a meaning to this?

But... if there was even a sliver of a chance Keith was alive—

He needed to be ready.

Reluctantly, he scribbled his Academy contact number down and handed it over.

The old woman tucked it away without fanfare, already sipping again from her ridiculous pink thermos.

Elius left the building with heavy, dragging steps.

The sun outside felt dim, muted by his despair.

He wandered.

Wandered until he found himself before the Mission and Operations Building — a towering monolith of glass and steel, buzzing with cadets coming and going.

He stepped inside almost mechanically.

Past the security gates, past the bustling front hall filled with young heroes shouting about team-ups and credit points.

He found an isolated chair in a corner, sank into it, and buried his face in his hands.

What now?

What do I do now?

Keith was gone.

Keith was the plan.

Without Keith, how could he possibly pass as a Solarion?

He sat there for what felt like an eternity, spinning through desperate ideas.

Maybe he could fake it longer with artifacts?

No. Too unstable. Magical artifacts could be detected.

Maybe he could forge his own Solarion-style energy signature?

No. Too complex. Too dangerous. One mistake and he’d be exposed.

Maybe he could find another Solarion descendant?

Unlikely. They were rare to the point of myth.

Maybe...

Maybe he could copy and create a fake Solarion technique.

Something to mask his qi into the Solarion pattern.

He squeezed his eyes shut.

No matter how many desperate schemes he concocted, they all had massive flaws.

He had no time.

No resources.

No safety net.

And if he was exposed...

If Radiant Man realized he was not a true Solarion descendant—

Elius shuddered.

The consequences would be catastrophic.

Death would be the kindest fate.

He leaned back heavily against the chair, staring up at the towering ceiling.

He shook his head slowly.

There was no easy solution.

He would have to continue walking this razor’s edge, cultivating harder, growing faster, strengthening his qi until it was as overwhelming as Radiant Man imagined it should be.

He would have to become what they expected him to be.

Or die trying.

The PA system crackled overhead.

"Sword Immortal Cadet Superhero, report to Mission Selection Room 3.

Sword Immortal Cadet Superhero, report immediately."

Elius stood.

His expression hardened into steel.

The sterile hallways of the Mission and Operations Building seemed endless, stretching and twisting like a cold metal maze.

Elius walked silently, following the young, silver-uniformed cadet who escorted him. His mind was locked into battle mode — cold, focused, detached.

They stopped before a heavy iron door marked with gleaming red letters:

"Mission Selection Room 3."

The cadet scanned his ID, and the massive door hissed open.

Inside was a wide circular chamber with tiered observation balconies far above, lights hidden behind layers of glass, and a huge holo-screen dominating the back wall.

At the center was a single pedestal — and atop it floated a translucent blue screen.

The cadet gestured politely. "Approach the console and select your mission parameters."

Elius nodded once and moved forward.

As he stood before the pedestal, the screen lit up fully, displaying his first real Academy mission.

His job?

Stop Superheroes at the peak of Rank F.

Those who wanted to be promoted to Rank E needed to defeat him in direct combat in a short amount of time.

If they failed, they would be sent back for retraining — maybe even forced to repeat the entire year.

Elius’s lips tightened.

This is bad.

If they were arrogant and weak like Lava Scissor, this would be simple.

But what if they weren’t?

Considering that there is a time limit, they won’t be talking for sure.

What if they were serious, desperate, talented?

If Elius loses, and then Radiant Man would know, his father would have a reason to train him.

If Elius crushed them too easily, he would draw even more attention.

Either way, it was a tightrope walk.

He would have to be ruthless.

He pressed his hand against the glowing pedestal.

A flood of options appeared before him.

First, there were basic classes — Elementalists, Ranged specialists, Assassins, Healers, and Control-types.

Then... another menu blinked open.

Special Classes.

And there it was — a flashing option:

Monsterification Classes.

Elius’s eyes narrowed.

Monsters.

In this world, Monsterification wasn’t just a power set — it was a brutal, unstable evolution.

Humans twisted their DNA, altered their souls, and took on forms of beasts, horrors, and nightmares.

To normal heroes, monsterification classes were nightmares — too fast, too brutal, too hard to predict.

But for Elius?

With his Heavenly Slam — a style requiring pure close combat without weapons — these opponents were perfect.

No fancy techniques.

No ranged bombardment.

Just body against body.

Exactly the kind of raw battle he could use this cheat slam that allows him to defeat anyone in the Rank F levels or Qi condensation.

He grinned slightly and pressed the selection.

Confirm: Monsterification Class Candidates.