My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System-Chapter 77: Return to Earth – Artemis City

Artemis City – The City of Awakened, Earth.

Inside a vast gym hall nestled within the Academy City Office building, a quiet hum disturbed the stillness. This was the very place where Zane and Shelby had departed for the Otherworld.

Now, a spatial rift ripped open mid-air.

There were no spectators, no students, no faction representatives. Only a few staff moved about in distant hallways—none of whom were aware of the spatial rupture unfolding.

Moments later, three figures stepped out of the rift—the agents of the Temple of Assassin—dragging a man in chains.

"Ahh, finally... Earth," Agent Barun sighed in relief.

The others shared the sentiment. Everything here—from the air to the mana—felt stable, familiar. A welcome change from the chaotic and wild energy of the Otherworld.

But Sebastian Hemp, their chained captive, wasn’t so lucky.

The gleaming white lights, smooth tiled floors, steel beams, glass walls—it was all foreign to him. His eyes darted across the room, muscles tensed.

"Where... What is this place?" he muttered, trying to remain composed.

Thwack!

A boot slammed into his back.

"Shut your mouth. You don’t speak unless spoken to," Agent Kassam growled, landing another ruthless kick.

Sebastian was sent sprawling across the gym floor, coughing blood.

"On your feet, dog!"

Kassam raised his leg again, but Elizabeth stepped in.

"That’s enough!" she barked in a commanding tone. "Stick to protocol. He’s a captive—not a punching bag. Even prisoners have rights under mission guidelines. Or did you forget our oath?"

Kassam sneered. "That only applies to Earthlings. He’s not one of us."

Tension sparked. The two agents moved closer, about to argue.

Agent Barun stepped between them, sighing dramatically as he shoved them apart.

"Ei-ei-ei! Enough already. Honestly, I’ve had it with you two. First mission in the Otherworld and it felt like babysitting! I’m never pairing up with either of you again..."

At that moment, Zane and Erlin emerged from the rift, holding hands.

Barun paused mid-rant, instantly regaining composure.

Behind them, Shelby stepped out with his usual calm demeanor.

Seconds later, the spatial rift sealed shut with a soft hum.

Zane looked around, noticing the tension. "Uh... Did we miss something? How’s the mission result?"

Agent Elizabeth, speaking through her voice-modulator mask, answered coolly, "You both performed exceptionally. As a representative of—" she paused slightly, "—our organization, I officially welcome Thor Shelby and Zane Carter as full members."

"Welcome, brothers!" Barun beamed.

Kassam scowled and looked away. Not that Zane cared—he had already marked the guy as a pain.

Shelby, meanwhile, ignored the exchange. He tapped at his smartwatch, checking the date.

"Seventeenth..." he muttered, letting out a breath. "Right on time."

Agent Barun added, "Someone from the higher-ups will be sent to collect you soon. You’ll be taken to the official base."

The three agents prepared to leave, dragging Sebastian behind them.

Just as they were about to step out, Elizabeth turned back, adding, "Good luck in the Ranking Tournament."

Kassam scoffed, "That is—if you’re not too late to register."

Barun, more lighthearted, simply gave a salute before they disappeared out the door, their prisoner in tow.

Now only Zane, Erlin, and Shelby remained in the quiet gym.

"Are we late?" Zane asked, anxiety creeping in.

"No," Shelby replied. "There’s still a few hours left before registration closes. But... that’s not the real issue."

He pointed at Erlin.

"She’s the problem."

Zane blinked. "Erlin?"

Shelby explained, "This is an Academy Office. Outsiders aren’t allowed in here—especially not unregistered ones."

Zane smiled, unfazed. "That’s easy."

He turned to Erlin. "Darling, why don’t you rest for a bit?"

She grinned mischievously and hugged him tight.

And just like that—she vanished.

Not a trace of her presence remained.

Shelby’s eyes widened. He immediately activated his scanning ability.

"What the hell... Where did she go?"

Zane simply smiled. He raised his right hand and tapped the white book-shaped tattoo embedded on the back of his palm.

"Here," he said casually. "Problem solved. Now it’s your turn. Let’s get the registration done."

Shelby narrowed his eyes. He recognized the tattoos. He was there when Zane received them—gifts from the Sacred Library of the Temple of Assassins.

"That’s fascinating..." Shelby muttered, impressed. "So she’s inside that spell construct? Can you put me in too?"

Zane shook his head. "Nope. It wasn’t me. She went in on her own. The tattoo is like a spatial medium, not a cage. I think she’s figured it out better than I have."

Shelby gave a low whistle of admiration. "She really is a wildcard."

As they stepped out of the building, the atmosphere outside buzzed with activity. Vehicles whirred past, floating drones monitored streets, and the scent of fried snacks wafted from a nearby vending stall. The air was unmistakably Earth—familiar and strange all at once after weeks away.

Shelby turned serious. "Listen. Final registrations for the Ranking Tournament must be completed offline. The mentors of each fresher must manually endorse them. We’ve got to move quickly."

Zane nodded and followed.

Elsewhere... On the Networks

What they didn’t know was that chaos had already started to brew—online.

The moment Zane’s return was detected, social media exploded.

Photos, surveillance stills, and private information about Zane Carter flooded forums and chat rooms. Anonymous whistleblowers leaked his details, tying him to a man known only in classified files: Zorro Carter, a sensitive name that stirred whispers across military and government circles.

Within hours, speculation spun out of control.

Conspiracy blogs, gossip threads, and even televised debate shows started asking—Who is Zane Carter?

Was he a fraud? Was he a clone? A fabricated genius? A forgotten son?

Then came the counter-narrative.

Powerful forces tried to smother the fire—claiming the name "Zane Carter" was fabricated, his connection to Zorro nothing more than coincidence. They said there was no such student registered under the name in any known database. No doubt, it was the Academy. However, their actions were half-measure and half-hearted.

In the Shadows...

But not everyone bought the cover-up.

A certain masked individual slipped through the city’s veil of night.

Target: The Guest House of House Bloodgale, stationed in the southwestern region of Artemis City.

House Bloodgale—one of the Ten Normal Nobility Houses—had ties to information leaks. And someone had decided to root them out.

With surgical precision, the masked intruder overwhelmed every occupant of the Guest House. He didn’t kill—but he made his presence unforgettable. Through interrogation, a deeper scheme was revealed: a coordinated attack on Zane’s reputation involving multiple noble families and Super Clans.

The masked figure moved like a ghost.

That night, over a hundred guest houses affiliated with various noble and elite families were visited.

No one was harmed. But the message was brutal.

Stop. Or be erased.

The Next Morning...

The effects were immediate.

Every blog post, article, video, or discussion thread related to Zane Carter was wiped from the internet.

Search engines rerouted queries.

Accounts were banned.

Even whispers disappeared.

Some curious users tried typing "Zane" into their search bars—only to have their devices freeze, lock up, or get hacked. Many never regained access.

A chilling silence settled over the virtual space.

Zane Carter had become untraceable. Untouchable.

The world moved on—but not without remembering the unseen hand that had silenced the noise overnight.

Zane and Shelby were still ignorant of such silent battles.

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