Why is his holy light red?

The man's hand was firmly gripping Flora's neck, his knuckles digging into her flesh, instantly causing large bruises to appear on her slender neck. She was thus roughly dragged into the back seat of that dilapidated car.

The agitation of withdrawal caused the man to completely lose his mind. He floored the accelerator, and with the engine's rough roar, the car sped toward the address Flora had given him.

A dozen minutes later, the dilapidated street scene outside the car suddenly changed, and the broken car arrived at a clean and tidy community.

Even though his mind was already in a state of chaos due to that morbid desire, as a local who had spent many years in the lower rungs of the city of Auriga, the man still reflexively slammed on the brakes the moment he saw his surroundings.

He knew the rules of this city all too well.

Just one street apart, one side of the community is rife with murder and arson, while the other is peaceful and serene. Someone like him, driving this beat-up car straight in, would be subjected to a thorough search within minutes.

"Damn it, are you sure this is the neighborhood?!" The man stared intently at Flora through the rearview mirror, sniffing incessantly.

Despite the sharp pain in her throat, Flora nodded frantically, pointing ahead: "Yes, that's it, right there!"

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt that if she got any closer, if she moved any further, she could grasp at a lifeline.

The man impatiently pounded on the steering wheel: "This doesn't look like a place for selling goods at all!"

"That's precisely because it doesn't look like it, isn't it?"

Flora wasn't very good at lying before, but in order to survive, she felt like she had suddenly become shrewd, and lies came out of her mouth effortlessly.

The man's eyelids twitched violently. He hesitated for a long time, his chest heaving, until finally, the overwhelming desire completely eroded his reason.

He shifted into gear and forced the car into the peaceful community.

The moment the wheels rolled over the white line at the street corner, this dilapidated car, so out of place with its surroundings, immediately attracted the attention of the residents on the roadside.

Several residents who were mowing their lawns stopped, their eyes revealing undisguised wariness, their hands already reaching for their phones in their pockets. The local custom is blatantly judging people by their appearance; if your presence makes them feel even the slightest threat, the police will be called at any moment.

The man was on pins and needles. He began frantically scratching his neck, his fingernails leaving red, bloody marks on his dirty skin. The intense, oppressive feeling made him breathe heavily, but under Flora's repeated instructions, he gritted his teeth and finally managed to park the car wobbly in front of an apartment building.

Before the car had come to a complete stop, a figure walked straight toward it from the shadows on the apartment steps.

He was a burly Black man over two meters tall. A loose basketball jersey wrapped around large chunks of fat, making him look like a bipedal beast. He had a fierce face and exuded an extremely oppressive and violent aura. A thick, solid gold necklace hung around his neck, swaying constantly as he walked.

Looking at the giant man approaching from outside the car window, the man was not afraid at all; instead, a fanatical light shone in his eyes.

That physique, that aura, and that standard attire—it's perfect! He's exactly the ruthless drug lord he knows. Looks like that bitch wasn't lying; there really is a huge quantity of "goods" waiting for him here.

"What are you standing there for? Go get the goods!" the man roared furiously in the truck. "Don't even think about escaping. If you dare to run, I'll definitely find you, and then..."

Before she could finish her harsh words, Flora forcefully pushed open the passenger door and rushed out like a fawn fleeing from its prey.

She plunged headlong into the sunlight outside the apartment door, barely brushing past Black Egg's massive, fleshy body, and headed straight for the steps behind.

Mercury stood there, wearing his usual coat, calmly watching her.

The moment Flora saw that familiar face, her eyes instantly reddened, and she bit her chapped lips tightly, tears welling up in her eyes. Flora wanted to say something, but many words of gratitude stuck in her throat, and she couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Compared to the madman in the car who was related to him by blood, the boy he met in prison was more like a relative.

Mercury descended the steps, his gaze sweeping over Flora, and he quickly noticed the bruise on her neck.

"It's alright," Mercury said softly, "Leave it to me."

Flora nodded vigorously, clinging to Mercury like a lifeline.

Mercury stepped over the mountain of black eggs and walked straight to the dilapidated car. He looked down at the man with rotten teeth in the driver's seat: "So, you're the one who hurt Flora?"

The man looked up and sized up Mercury. If it had been the towering black giant who had asked the question, he would have been all smiles by now. But facing this kid who looked like he hadn't even grown any hair yet, the instincts of a low-level thug made him straighten his back.

Making a big fuss in this upscale community is not good for anyone, especially for "drug dealers," as it means they have reservations.

"Kid, do you even know the rules of the game?" The man thought he had the other man's weakness in his grasp, and sneered, "If you want my niece to sell your goods, you'll have to give me a cut."

He had it all figured out. According to the rules of the wholesale market, he could easily join the operation. The goods sold in this affluent area were definitely high-end; even if he only got a discounted price, he'd still make a profit.

"Count me in. I have connections on Elm Street, I can help you distribute your goods there, as long as your quality is up to par..."

But the man's ambition soon came to an abrupt end.

Mercury yanked open the driver's side door, grabbed the man's hair with his right hand like an iron clamp, and yanked it outwards.

The man, who had lost his balance, was dragged directly out of the carriage and slammed down onto the rough asphalt road.

"Thump!"

A dull, grating thud rang out. The man felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and a sharp pain in his forehead made him instinctively try to struggle frantically. But the next second, Mercury twisted his arms behind his back and pinned him to the ground.

"Click."

A crisp cracking sound filled the air. Mercury, expressionless, exerted his strength, crushing the man's fingers and wrists.

"Ouch! Damn it! My hand! My hand is broken!"

The piercing screams instantly shattered the tranquility of the community, drawing gasps from neighbors nearby.

But Mercury remained kneeling on him, his posture as steady as a statue, unmoved as the man on the ground writhed wildly like a maggot.

A few minutes later, the urgent sound of sirens grew louder as two patrol cars pulled up to a stop on the side of the road.

The drug addict, who normally treated the police like the plague, now saw them as saviors, screaming in a hoarse voice, "Officer! They're drug dealers! Help me! They're going to kill me!"

Several patrol officers quickly got out of the car, their hands immediately resting on their sidearms, as if facing a formidable enemy. After all, in this day and age, anyone who dares to do this kind of work in broad daylight is definitely not short of firepower. Their movements became even more tense when their gazes swept over Blackie's more than two-meter-tall frame, his body covered in thick muscles, and his iconic gold chain.

Facing the swaying gun barrels, Mercury calmly said, "Sirs, there's no need to be nervous. I am a registered hero of the Hero Association, although I'm still in my probationary period."

After saying that, he gestured with his chin toward the black egg beside him.

Black Egg immediately realized what was happening and quickly used his superpower. A clear holographic projection screen lit up, displaying the website of the local Hero Association. Mercury's identity was prominently listed, with the words "Trainee Hero" highlighted and bolded, displayed before everyone.

Before the patrol officers could carefully examine the numbers on the screen, Mercury spoke clearly and logically: "According to the additional provisions of Section 249 of the Superpower Act, if a perpetrator intentionally commits violence because the victim is a superpowered individual, it will be classified as a hate crime and punished more severely according to law."

"This gentleman just committed a serious act of violence against my friend behind me." Mercury had Flora show the police officers the wound on his neck.

Mercury continued, "Under the Superpowers Act, trainee heroes can intervene and carry out rescue operations when they encounter crimes of this magnitude."

Everything is legal and compliant.

The reason I was able to obtain the qualification of trainee hero so smoothly was thanks to Robert's help.

With the Iron Titan's guarantee, Mercury bypassed many cumbersome identity verification procedures. He also skipped the tests on the strength of his superpowers, since he had publicly defeated the Psychic, and everyone could see the power of his abilities.

Then comes the rigorous psychological testing to ensure that applicants for hero status do not have extreme ideologies or uncontrollable violent tendencies. This is inherently difficult, given that Mercury's previous behavior can be described as unrestrained and his violent tendencies as quite evident.

But Robert only sent one message to the Hero Association: "The Holy Angels hope he can become a hero."

The Hero Association immediately waived all those troublesome procedures for Mercury, such as psychological tests. The world's number one superhero wanted Mercury to join the association, so who had any objections?

Therefore, Mercury obtained the status of trainee hero with incredible efficiency.

Next comes the practical training and a lot of related rescue training, which cannot be skipped. It takes a long time to complete a series of assessments and accumulate enough points.

However, Mercury's status as a trainee hero has also granted him some "privileges." For example, when encountering illegal acts, he can take the initiative to stop them and be exempt from some of the troubles that may result.

Just like now, after confirming Flora's injuries,

The two patrol officers exchanged a glance, then immediately released their service weapons and strode forward.

They completely ignored the drug addict on the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face, still incoherently shouting "They're drug dealers." They roughly grabbed the man's arm, and amidst his pig-like screams of agony from his broken wrist, the police shoved the troublemaker into the back seat of their patrol car.

The police car drove away, and the cries of agony soon faded into silence.

"Thank you... thank you so much." Flora stood there, her eyes still red. She lowered her head slightly, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her coat.

She knew very well that if it weren't for Mercury, she probably wouldn't have survived the month. These repeated acts of saving her life left her at a loss for how to repay him.

Seeing her nervousness, Mercury comforted her, "Don't thank me yet. Come inside with me; I have something to discuss with you."