Me, The Sovereign of the World? [Modern Evolution]

A beautiful day begins with the morning light.

February 8th, 7:00 AM.

As the first rays of sunlight pierce the horizon, casting their glow upon the slumbering forest, a serene and vibrant scene unfolds. The remnants of the night still linger, mingling with the dawn, cloaking the forest in a mysterious and enchanting veil.

Zoe Carter spent the entire night keenly aware of the emotions and physical changes sparked by her encounter with nature's caprice the previous day. This introspection was one reason she chose not to embark on a killing spree and instead spent the night in a wooden cabin. After her battle with the black bear, she had vague and peculiar insights that demanded a quiet sanctuary.

Outside the cabin, a commotion arose. Half of the cultists had begun their morning prayers, while the rest were cooking a wild vegetable porridge. The bearded man, who styled himself as the "Exalted One," delivered a spirited sermon, filled with notions of soul liberation and the afterlife.

Zoe's heightened senses detected the praying crowd outside, and she couldn't help but squint slightly. The night had been tranquil, free of any murderous intrusions. The three cult leaders, whispering in the cave about which follower to favor in the coming days, were the only ones who broke the silence with their barely audible intimate sounds. After a bout of prayer, the fervent cultists in the cabins had drifted into slumber, seemingly indifferent to the outsider among them.

Yet, Zoe could sense the occasional, cautious glances cast from the cave by the trio engaged in their nocturnal activities. Despite being in a remote, signal-less wilderness, their vigilance remained.

This wariness, likely directed mainly at Zoe, didn't bother her. They might have refrained from eliminating her due to their desire to indoctrinate a new member, but they maintained a degree of caution nonetheless.

However, Zoe couldn't care less. Why should a dragon be concerned with ants? She only wished to linger in these mountains for a few days, savoring the exhilaration that nature offered. The cult posed no immediate threat, and she planned to report them to the authorities later. In the meantime, this secluded cabin served as a peaceful resting place.

Zoe wasn't interested in playing the role of a wolf in sheep's clothing. She found such theatrics distasteful. Instead, she believed that reporting the cult later was sufficient, as they hadn't provoked her. She wanted to stay in the cabin for a while, immersing herself in the emotions and insights that nature had stirred within her.

A scene of bloodshed and corpses would ruin the tranquility.

To suggest that Zoe only dared to fight a bear while being submissive towards humans would be absurd. First, a bear, at least, was a worthy opponent with some strength. Zoe had wanted to test her abilities against the bear, but what use were these cultists? Secondly, the bear had actively attacked her. Although her actions might have seemed like baiting, the bear's aggression justified her retaliation. Lastly, Zoe hadn't killed the bear; she merely subdued it. Would she merely subdue the cultists if she decided to confront them?

In summary, Zoe wasn't pretending to be weak. Her brief performance was merely to humor a woman who was an exceptional actress, indulging in a moment of theatrics.

In reality, Zoe was indifferent to everything here. She could switch from playing along one moment to showing her true colors the next.

Zoe only cared about spending the next few days in this relatively clean place, immersing herself in the embrace of nature. As for the cult members, they were nothing more than buzzing flies to her. If they dared approach, she would deal with them decisively.

Reflecting on this, Zoe continued to recall the experience of swiftly defeating the bear yesterday. The memory evoked an inexplicable feeling that lingered from last night until now. She couldn't quite describe it, but if she were to make an analogy, it felt like a certain skill gauge was about to overflow. After pondering all night, she had only a vague grasp of what it meant.

Lost in thought, she pushed open the cabin door and found herself face-to-face with the sultry woman approaching. Expecting this, Zoe was not surprised and waited for her to speak.

"You might need to stay here for a few more days," she said. "We have regular contact with people outside the mountains. When they come, we'll ask them to take you out."

She spoke with a hint of apology, but Zoe sensed no genuine regret in her emotions. She couldn't help but sniff the air, metaphorically speaking.

Hmm—the scent of lies!

With her heightened senses, Zoe knew that the woman in front of her was lying through her teeth. Clearly, they wanted to keep her, this lost traveler, under various pretexts. This way, they could avoid exposing their secrets while having the opportunity to brainwash a new follower.

How naïve of them!

However, she wasn't particularly concerned. What intrigued her more was the strange sensation of overflowing experience.

"Alright, as long as I can get out," Zoe replied nonchalantly, nodding. Her response lacked the eagerness one would expect from someone in distress, starkly contrasting with her theatrical performance the day before.

Without waiting for her to continue, she ignored the curious gazes of the others around her and stretched lazily as she walked towards the open space not far from the cabin.

Zoe’s blunt response and refusal to continue the act left the woman stunned. Her expression shifted several times before she furrowed her brows and returned to the cave to join the Exalted One in listening to the followers' prayers.

Standing still, Zoe closed her eyes, ignoring the people around her as she sank into deep thought. Perhaps due to an enhancement in her comprehension abilities, yesterday's tussle with the black bear had sparked some insights into her future combat techniques. Although the bear was easily defeated in one move, the encounter, under the influence of her heightened perception, provided her with unique sensations.

It wasn’t an immediate burst of inspiration, but it acted as the final push she needed to achieve a breakthrough. Her body and mind began a process of synthesizing and improving all her past experiences and observations.

She recalled the changes in her body and the differences from ordinary people since those changes occurred. She remembered her meticulous observations of the subtle movements and behaviors of everyone and every animal she encountered. With her extraordinary physical coordination and control, Zoe integrated these elements.

During this contemplation, the nearly overflowing experience points transformed into a combat arts perfectly suited to her. Evidently, the experience gained from that punch against the bear was related to sort-of martial arts.

This new combat style not only inherited her original ability to maximize every ounce of strength but also incorporated telekinesis, heightened perception, and killing intent. It became a powerful combat technique uniquely characteristic of Zoe.

One could never predict when Zoe's attacks would be imbued with lethal intent, never understand why her strikes always targeted the weakest points, and never fathom how she performed moves that surpassed human comprehension.

Bathed in the morning sunlight, Zoe smiled.

This was her enlightenment— Killing Intent Wave Fist!