Solo Cultivating in Superhero Academy
Chapter 97: Harmed by Radiant Man

Chapter 97: Harmed by Radiant Man

As soon as Elius uttered that single, firm word—"Yes"—the entire room seemed to pause, as though holding its breath.

The men in black exchanged glances.

Their faces, though emotionless, shifted ever so slightly in posture.

One leaned his head a fraction toward the other.

Another’s jaw twitched. And then—ever so quietly—they began whispering among themselves.

Their conversation was like the flickering hum of arcane frequencies, far too quiet for ordinary ears. But it was intense. Heads tilted, eyes narrowing and then widening again.

One of them pulled out a thin data slate and tapped across its holographic screen, showing the others some sort of record.

Another produced a smaller, gem-like lens from his inner coat pocket and peered into it, then gave a subtle nod.

Words passed silently: coded phrases, references, cross-confirmations.

What sounded like the occasional "...he really did?" or "...confirmed it twice?" barely whispered past their lips.

They weren’t just talking.

They were assessing.

Evaluating everything they had just heard, seen, and confirmed.

Across the classroom, the students had completely lost control of their whispers.

"Dude, this Sword Immortal guy... is he even real?"

"I thought we were still figuring out how to pass the next quiz, and he’s out here completing two dungeons before breakfast!"

"I didn’t even know unexplored dungeons were accessible without a license!"

"What the hell is his F rank superhero level? Someone check it!"

"You think he’s secretly an A-Ranker in disguise? Like, one of those reincarnated mentor types from the old hero novels?"

"Wait wait wait... did they say Lava Scissor? THE Lava Scissor? That guy literally tore apart an entire street last year! And he did it with sidekicks? I’d be dead just trying to protect one!"

"No joke... I heard his sword floated midair and pierced Lava Scissor’s core without even touching the ground! And then when Lava Scissor reformed, sword immortal sliced his neck and he died!"

"The sword floated? Like telekinetically?"

"More like Esper-style control! Like old school ethereal blade doctrine!"

"He’s so cool... no wonder they call him Sword Immortal..."

"I want to see him fight again... I’d record every second."

"Oh my god. He said yes like it was nothing. So calm. So badass..."

"I wish I was his sidekick..."

Captain Grit didn’t say a word for several seconds.

Then—BOOM!

His heavy boot slammed into the floor, cracking the stone tile beneath it. His voice bellowed, like a cannon in a quiet temple.

"SILENCE!"

Every whisper died instantly.

"Shut your mouths and open your ears! This isn’t a game or a comic book fantasy. This is real life. People die. Cities fall. You do not cheer when a Hero Call comes knocking—because it means something’s wrong."

The silence after his words felt even heavier.

Elius, meanwhile, stood still. Rigid. His eyes flicked toward the men in black, still murmuring and gesturing quietly, oblivious to the classroom chaos.

He wondered,What are they thinking? Why is this taking so long?

They had called him out, praised his feats, then asked if he wanted more—and now?

Now they stood there like monks in silent conference, drawing conclusions he couldn’t hear.

The unknowns swirled in his mind like clouds of Qi around a shattered core.

Then one of them stepped forward, clearing his throat with a deliberate, almost ceremonial pause.

"Elius," the man said, "do you... wish to enter another dungeon?"

Elius’s eyes widened.

His breath hitched for a moment.

Of course he did.

Wasn’t that why he was here? Why did he decide to sit down through lectures and tolerate the stares? Dungeon runs weren’t just missions to him—they were cultivation paths, roads of challenge through which his spiritual strength could surge.

He nodded once, crisp and clean. "Yes. As soon as possible. I want to get stronger."

The man studied him for a moment.

"Why?" he asked.

The word was simple. But the weight behind it? Immense.

Elius froze. His heart beat faster.

Why?

He couldn’t tell them everything.

He couldn’t explain how Radiant Man—no, his own father—would test his lineage when the gate of Earth would be on him.

He couldn’t tell them he wasn’t even truly Solarion, or that his blood had no claim to Radiant ancestry and the whole Earth would be in danger.

But he could tell the truth. One small fragment.

"Because Radiant Man harmed me," Elius said, calmly.

The entire class gasped.

Even Captain Grit’s expression twitched.

"I didn’t mean to say intently, maybe he just wanted me to improve," Elius added, "but... he called me out. In front of everyone. On live television. He made me look like I was a threat. Or a rival. And now... high-ranked villains, especially the ones Radiant Man hasn’t killed, or maybe ones looking for revenge—they might come after me. Or worse... my family."

There was a silence so heavy it almost drowned the oxygen in the room.

Captain Grit, now grim-faced, nodded slowly.

He understood.

The men in black turned to each other again, and the whispering resumed.

This time, it was longer.

Much longer.

The whispers were quieter than before, almost spiritual in nature.

A few used sound-blocking charms, making small runes glow over their collars as they murmured impossible phrases.

One of them muttered names of villains—"Red Banshee, Photon Pulse, Demon Courtier." Another recited villain threat grades. "A-Class confirmed deceased. S-Class presumed missing. Watchlists incomplete."

One of them mentioned Radiant Man’s old war files.

The other responded with interdimensional crossovers, celestial scan logs, and alliance treaty echoes.

It went on. And on.

Meanwhile, the students remained frozen. Especially the girls, who were now watching Elius with a mixture of sympathy and admiration.

"I feel bad for him now..."

"Radiant Man... he’s a hero, yeah, but maybe this time he went too far..."

"But... what could he do? I mean... if Sword Immortal really is promising that he couldn’t control his excitement to say it..."

"Still, it’s not fair. Elius didn’t ask for this."

"Imagine being called out by Radiant Man himself. That’s like painting a red target on your soul..."

"But... Radiant Man’s still our idol..."

"Of course. He just... made a mistake. Just once. He’s still the strongest..."

"It’s not about hating him. It’s about protecting Elius too."

Eventually, the whispering among the agents stopped.

One of them stepped forward. His tone was calmer now. More resolved.

"We will issue an official protection directive," he said. "Your identity will be tagged under Special Zone Monitoring. Civilian zones linked to you—including your family residence—will be reinforced with field barriers and layered misdirection fields. Anyone attempting unauthorized surveillance will be traced. In addition, you will receive a passive squad escort during all off-campus activities."

He raised a second finger.

"Should there be escalated threat alerts, a short-term hero team will be dispatched from D-Rank rosters to intercept any hostile interference. However..."

His expression grew colder.

"We are not permitted to deal with S-Class Villains at this time. That is above our tier. Likewise, F-Class threats—no matter how frequent—remain your responsibility. You are the Sword Immortal. And you’ve shown us you can handle that tier."

Elius listened carefully.

He nodded slowly.

That... was acceptable.

S-Class villains were, in his mind, most likely long gone.

Either slain by Radiant Man, banished to void realms, or hiding like rats too scared to crawl into daylight. He didn’t care about them right now.

He only needed to keep rising.

Defeating F-rank enemies.

And cultivating forward.

Then he glanced at the men in black and finally asked, voice low but firm:

"Now back to the main topic...How did you know I wanted strength in the first place?"

His eyes narrowed. "Better be straight with me."