Little Alex

Korlon carried Alex toward the tallest building in Attilan. It was Attilan’s most important place, where the Inhuman royal family lived.

"Korlon, who is he?" As Korlon entered the royal residence, a youth of seventeen or eighteen approached him, his short black hair neat and fresh.

Seeing the newcomer, Korlon respectfully bowed. "Korlon greets His Highness Maximus." After speaking, Korlon paused, glanced at Alex on his back, and hesitantly said, "I brought him back from outside. He may be connected to His Highness Alex."

"Uncle?!" The youth called His Highness Maximus changed expression and cried out in surprise.

Korlon nodded and used one hand to expose Alex’s face.

Maximus drew a sharp breath, pulled Korlon around, and headed back inside. As they walked, he did not forget to say, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Korlon hesitated again, but under Maximus’s icy gaze, he told him everything without concealing a thing.

"What?!" Maximus was utterly stunned, frozen on the spot. It took him a long while to recover. "Korlon, you should go in by yourself!" Without waiting for Korlon to speak, Maximus turned and ran, as though afraid something might rub off on him.

Watching Maximus disappear into the distance, Korlon shook his head with a bitter smile. He looked back at Alex on his back, sighed, and walked inside.

Half an hour later, in a lavishly decorated hall, a silver-white throne stood at the head of the room. An elderly man with white hair and beard sat upon it, a faint smile on his deeply wrinkled face. More than a dozen chairs stood on either side of the hall, each occupied by someone. Some wore cold expressions, while others were calm; every face looked different.

Feeling the gazes constantly sweeping over him, Korlon, standing in the center of the hall, could not help feeling uneasy. He even began to regret bringing Alex back.

"Korlon, tell us where he came from." The old man on the throne gave a light cough and spoke in a deep voice.

"As you command, Your Majesty!" Korlon placed a hand over his chest and bowed respectfully, then began explaining everything, starting from the capture of Tashim and their journey into the human world.

The moment Korlon finished, someone seated on the left rose impatiently and said with mockery in his voice, "So you are not certain of his identity either?"

"I need to explain that in detail." Korlon glanced at the speaker, his expression unchanged as he spoke calmly. "As I said before, before I found him, he had just fought Tashim and defeated him."

His gaze swept across everyone present as Korlon continued, "In fact, the two had fought once before that. In that battle, he fled in defeat. Yet only two days later, he defeated Tashim."

"How is that possible?!" Everyone cried out in shock. Even the old man on the throne looked astonished.

Korlon smiled faintly. "At first, I did not understand either. Later, I watched the battle footage they left behind and found something strange."

"What was strange?" This time, the old man on the throne spoke. His expression had returned to calm, though a trace of urgency remained deep in his eyes.

"In the first battle, he was extremely afraid of Tashim’s Energy Ball." Korlon did not keep them in suspense and spoke directly. "But in the second battle, he was no longer afraid of Tashim’s Energy Ball. He even began absorbing Tashim’s Energy Ball."

Before anyone could react in surprise, Korlon continued and voiced his own deduction. "Tashim’s ability is very unusual. His Energy Ball contains a tiny amount of the power of Terrigen Mist, which was what activated the Inhuman gene in his body. But because the mutagenic power was insufficient to complete his mutation, he remained unconscious."

After Korlon finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent. They knew the power of Terrigen Mist, and they knew Tashim’s ability. Korlon’s deduction was not wrong.

After a long time, someone finally spoke. It was still the old man seated on the throne at the head of the hall. "You said he is a mutant?"

"Yes." Korlon nodded, then added, "He is also the leader of the mutants, and he has a very good relationship with humans."

The old man nodded silently, then turned to the people on both sides. "What do you think?"

That one question plunged the already silent hall into even deeper stillness. Even the sound of breathing seemed to vanish.

"Why not let him undergo Mist Mutation Induction first, then discuss the matter afterward?" A woman seated on the right spoke.

As soon as she finished, someone on the left immediately jumped to his feet. "He is a mongrel. He has no right to undergo Mist Mutation Induction! His Highness Alex must also be punished!"

"His Highness Alex is a member of the royal family. He…" Another person on the right stood up and refuted him.

In Inhuman culture, marriage between Inhumans and other races was expressly forbidden. Yet interestingly, the royal family was not subject to this restriction.

Before the person on the right could finish, someone else on the left stood up. His rugged face was filled with undisguised contempt. "He is of a lower caste!"

The Inhuman race had isolated itself from the world. Though they possessed technology more advanced than humanity’s, they had developed a rigid caste-based social system. Every Inhuman’s social standing was determined by the ability they gained after exposure to Terrigen Mist. Once assigned, no Inhuman citizen, no matter how great or powerful, could ever change his place in this hierarchical society.

"Stop discussing Alex." Hearing the increasingly heated arguments from both sides, the old man on the throne barked, suppressing every voice. "Now tell me, what should be done with this little Alex?!"

"Execute him immediately!" That was the answer from the left, cold, forceful, and resolute.

"Mist Mutation Induction!" That was the answer from the right, directly opposing them.

Seeing that the people on both sides were about to start arguing again, the old man on the throne could not help feeling a headache coming on. He was the king of the Inhuman royal family, so naturally he wanted to favor his own kin. Yet those people on the left were from the Gene Council, and their authority was no less than his own as the Inhuman King.

After pondering for a long time, the Inhuman King proposed a solution that barely counted as one. "Both sides should take a step back. Let little Alex undergo Mist Mutation Induction first." Before he could finish, the people from the Gene Council immediately began clamoring. The Inhuman King hurriedly continued, "After the induction, we will judge by his ability. If he is of a lower caste, he will be executed. What do you say?"

This compromise was quickly accepted by both sides. As the people from the Fetal Care Center on the right prepared to begin Mist Mutation Induction, the Inhuman King could not help praying inwardly, Little Alex, may your ability be enough to keep you alive!