Chapter 232: Superman And Tiga’s Ordeal!
Golden Superman looked at the shocking words on the ground.
He glanced again at Tiga, who was barely breathing and madly spitting bubbles, and his whole body stiffened.
Light… is toxic???.
What the hell is this damn place?!
Golden Superman’s brain buzzed loudly, and he didn’t know whether to be glad that he had now lost the ability to absorb light, after all, if the ability was still there, he might end up lying flat like the Suit Alien.
Looking at Ultraman Tiga on the ground foaming at the mouth, convulsing all over, and clearly in a poisoned near-death state, Golden Superman Clark, after the initial panic,
actually felt a trace of… relief rising inappropriately in his heart?
“Damn it! Dirty Thing has polluted my heart!”
Golden Superman shifted the blame, and just as this thought flashed through his mind, his gaze inadvertently swept over his wrist, and then his eyes suddenly locked on.
This was not his original Thing.
At some point, his left wrist had gained a strangely shaped Wristwatch! Clearly, it was some kind of Terminal forcibly “installed” on him after arriving in this World.
The Wristwatch was matte black all over, neither gold nor iron in material, but its Screen was exceptionally clear, displaying continuously scrolling data and icons.
If an expert were here, they could see that its design style vaguely resembled the Reincarnator Wristwatch from the strange Main God Space called 《Infinite Terror》.
Yes, Ian was exactly such a true King of Plagiarism who drew from all sources, finding plagiarism material for every aspect without ever straining his extraordinary brain.
“Is it a Controller used to monitor and manipulate us?” Poor Golden Superman hadn’t seen Infinite Terror, so he could only speculate based on his past Experience.
He focused on the Wristwatch Screen, which clearly displayed a lot of Information.
【Name】: Golden Superman（Temporary NPC Number: A-007）
【Identity】: New Immigrant（Temporary Residence Permit）
【Account Balance】: 10 Energy Coins〔Voucher〕，〔Second-Generation New Resident Limited-Time Super Luxury Invincible Gift, valid until 24:00 today in this Universe’s calendar）
【Education】: Uncertified, requires material submission for review, review fee: 5000 Energy Coins）
【Skill Tree】: Unlit（Click to view）】
【Credit Level】: E（New user initial Level, low Loan limit, high interest rate）
【Health Status】: Sub-healthy（Detected unknown Energy Silent, suggest purchasing 【Foundation Energy Activation Package】 as soon as possible）、
【Law Status】: Clean（No Crime records yet, keep it up!）
……
A string of Information made Golden Superman’s eye twitch.
This was just like a highly informatized City citizen’s Identity File, covering everything from diplomas to credit, but the content was utterly scammy no matter how you looked at it!
His finger subconsciously clicked on the 【Skill Tree】 option.
The next moment, a complex and massive tree diagram Interface popped up on the Wristwatch, densely packed with various Skill icons and names.
However, when Golden Superman saw the names of those Skills, he froze, stiffened again, feeling that his battle-hardened nerves had finally snapped many strands.
【Steel Body（Beginner）】: Price 100,000 Energy Coins
【Heat Vision（Entry）】: Price 50,000 Energy Coins
【Bio-Electric Field（Foundation）】: Price 200,000 Energy Coins
【Super Speed（Low Gear）】: Price 80,000 Energy Coins
【Freeze Breath（North Pole Temperature Version）】: Price 30,000 Energy Coins
……
“This isn’t all abilities that originally belonged to me?!” Golden Superman finally broke down completely and couldn’t help swearing. Putting his innate abilities, as natural as Breathing and drinking water, out for sale at clear prices?! This wasn’t just Robbery; it was stripping people bare and selling them by the pound!
Humans should have Limits!
How could they be this black-hearted!
Golden Superman’s gaze deadlocked on the Skill at the very top of the Skill Tree, sealed by a gray chain icon and emitting a dim golden Light.
It was the ultimate manifestation of his Golden Superman form. And lower down in the Skill Tree, a seemingly ordinary Skill that made his pupils shrink entered his view.
【Legal Photosynthesis（Passive）】: Allows the user to safely and legally absorb light Energy within the certified range of this Dimension for basic Energy replenishment.
Monthly card Price: 3,000 Energy Coins.
Yes.
Skills couldn’t even be fully unlocked after payment; they were just “rented” for use. Not only that, but Flight ability required buying and lighting at super high prices, and even needed an extra purchase of 【Flight License（Low Altitude）〔High Altitude〕】 Thing.
【Flight License（Low Altitude）〔High Altitude〕】 Since it’s not a Skill, it uses a point card system; Low Altitude Flight License qualification is 10 Energy Coins per minute.
High Altitude is even more expensive!
Seeing such a prompt on the Wristwatch, Golden Superman’s expression completely collapsed; he had lost all ability to complain, his mind full of Grass Mud Horses galloping past.
To be fair.
He thought he had seen the darkest side of human hearts.
However.
When his gaze saw the Mall option on the Wristwatch and he impulsively clicked it, Golden Superman realized his lifelong experience was truly too limited.
A dazzling list of Products popped up.
The familiar categories and sales tactics instantly took him back to certain Games he saw as mental opium, only indulged in by kids of an age with no Life Pressure.
And this Mall.
Was way scammier than any Mall in the Games Golden Superman had played.
Categories he’d never heard of.
First Top-Up Big Gift Pack! Only 6 Energy Coins!
Contains: 【Small Bottle Energy Potion】x1（Restores a tiny bit of stamina）, 【Beginner City Life Guide】x1, 【Random Pet Egg】x1（99.9% chance to hatch an ornamental Husky）.
【New Immigrant Support Growth Fund】: Invest 1000 Energy Coins, get 10000 Energy Coins rebate immediately!
This is fair?
Unfortunately, there were two lines of tiny print below that were hard to see.
【10000 Energy Coins rebate is the product expected target, 【Immediately】 is just the name of this Investment product, rebate Energy Coins will be distributed over 120 years.
83.33 Energy Coins per year via daily check-in, failure to check-in is considered forfeit.】
There wasn’t a single meaningful Thing on the Wristwatch for Golden Superman; the fine print was invisible without leaning in close, truly a pit dug with countless bigger pits.
【Battle Pass System（New Immigrant Limited-Time Benefit）】: Lasts 30 days, complete daily/weekly tasks to level up Battle Pass, learn about this World while unlocking generous Rewards!
Where there are free ones, there are paid ones, like Luxury Battle Pass（Price: 680000 Energy Coins）: Instantly unlock Silver exclusive Skin 【Dim Kryptonite Glow】, double task points, max level gifts 【Random A-Level Skill Fragment】x1（Collect 100 Fragments to synthesize a complete A-Level Skill）!
Besides that.
The Mall also played urgency marketing.
Had 【Limited-Time Flash Sale!】, citizen 【VIP】 top-ups, even sold 【Dynamic Titles】, and Gambling—Life Supplies Gacha Machine—mandatory for getting Food and Life supplies.
“Is this only for so-called New Immigrants, or does the entire World do this?”
To be fair.
These were “City planning” directions that completely shattered Golden Superman’s worldview; he felt even Lex Luthor, no matter how evil, couldn’t dream up such a resident management Plan even after eating ten thousand pounds of poisonous Mushrooms.
“This…” Golden Superman felt his Temples throbbing wildly, a deep sense of powerlessness and absurdity wrapping him tightly.
Of course.
Compared to this absurd resident Mall.
Golden Superman was actually more concerned about the Skill called Photosynthesis in the Skill Tree.
“Legal… Legal Photosynthesis? Does it mean permission is needed to absorb light?” Golden Superman mulled over the term, then looked at Tiga still foaming on the ground.
He instantly understood!
The reason Tiga was convulsing on the ground was most likely because he had absorbed the light here without buying the 【Legal Photosynthesis】 Skill!
This damn World even charged for Breathing（Photosynthesis）! So illegal “Breathing” of the light here poisoned Tiga!
“That kid… the Child from the Kent Family Home in this Universe…” Golden Superman gnashed his teeth; he had finally analyzed the key Information. “He’s not a simple Superpower user… he’s a Dimensional Lord! And one with extremely bad taste and twisted Rules!”
“This guy has a Dimensional World completely under his control, drags outsiders like us in, and slaps on this ridiculous ‘gamified’ Rules System!”
Golden Superman was a Superman variant who had traveled the Multiverse and seen much, so he quickly analyzed some details about Ian.
But.
Analyzing the Truth didn’t alleviate the current Crisis.
“He’s dying.” Golden Superman looked at Tiga on the ground, whose chest Energy indicator light had become extremely dim, as if it would extinguish the next second.
Golden Superman furrowed his brow.
He couldn’t just watch this possibly his only “fellow sufferer” die like this.
“Alien Suit guy! Hold on! I’ll call an Ambulance for you!”
Thinking of the Life Wristwatch, Golden Superman quickly swiped on it and found a 【Emergency Services】 option, which included 【Call Ambulance】.
He was about to click call.
However.
“Don’t… don’t…” On the ground, Tiga actually struggled to raise a hand and began frantically writing on the ground, trying to quickly stop Golden Superman’s Behavior.
“Calling… Ambulance… too… too expensive… I’ll… recover a bit…” Clearly, Tiga seemed to have learned this World’s Life Rules through some method.
Like Belial Ultron, the functions available on the Wristwatch were now projected on his retinas, making him slightly more advanced than a human like Golden Superman.
Of course.
The discounts were the same.
“????”
Golden Superman looked at the estimated fee marked below Call Ambulance—【Base Price: 5000 Energy Coins, fluctuates based on condition severity and distance】.
He fell silent.
He glanced at the pathetic “10 Energy Coins” Voucher balance on his Wristwatch, then at Tiga on the ground who was so poor he didn’t even have a Wristwatch, probably with a similar balance.
“Then I… have no other way.”
Golden Superman, having lost his Superman abilities, was no different from an ordinary sturdy human; facing this “rule-based” poisoning, he spread his hands in helplessness.
Just as the two were at a loss.
As Tiga was about to “light out and perish.”
A steady sound of footsteps came from the Alley entrance.
There, a burly Man with a thick Cigar in his mouth, full beard, wolf-sharp eyes, and faint metallic gleams between his finger joints, strode in. He wore a brown Windbreaker in a retro Detective style, but the shoulder epaulets bore an Ian smile emblem.
Identical to the icon on Golden Superman’s Wristwatch.
If an expert were here, they could identify the man as Wolverine Logan! But Golden Superman from the DC Universe didn’t know Wolverine from the Marvel Universe.
Before being titled by Ian.
Golden Superman hadn’t reached the Dimensional level to perceive info across such Universe tiers.
“Two more rule-breaking newbies causing trouble.”
Logan’s sharp gaze swept over Tiga on the ground and the helpless Golden Superman nearby, finally locking on Tiga.
He exhaled a smoke ring, his voice low and carrying undeniable authority: “I’m from the Enforcement Bureau. Now, please raise your hand and hand it over.”
“I’ll help you.”
He instructed Tiga.
Golden Superman sized up Logan, thinking he didn’t seem like a liar, and quickly asked: “Officer sir? Can you save this Suit Alien?”
As the saying goes, under someone else’s roof, one has to bow; Golden Superman accepted that he had arrived in a new Dimension and planned to bide his time to contact the High Council for rescue.
“Heh.”
Wolverine didn’t answer Golden Superman’s question, didn’t even glance at him, just focused on Tiga, gesturing with his eyes that Tiga needed to do as he said.
“Okay.”
Tiga struggled to raise one trembling arm. Logan stepped forward, gripped Tiga’s wrist with his burly palm, ignoring the smooth “suit” texture.
Without any explanation, he took out a complex Enforcement Instrument like a POS machine with his other hand and scanned Tiga’s wrist.
The Instrument beeped softly, and data scrolled rapidly on the Screen.
Seconds later, Logan released his hand, looked at the Instrument Screen, and said to Tiga in an official tone: “Detected illegal Energy intake, violating Article 7 Section 3 of the 《Dimensional Energy Management Interim Regulations》, so I’ve now forcibly applied for an emergency medical Loan for you.”
“About 500,000 Energy Coins. Now, you just need to pay the illegal Photosynthesis fine and Purification fees; once settled, the light you’ve absorbed can be marked as ‘legal’.”
Logan briefly explained the situation.
“????”
Golden Superman’s eyes widened like saucers upon hearing this, utterly shocked.
“What do you mean applied for a Loan for him? You… are you sure you’re official?” Golden Superman couldn’t help confirming again, his voice full of disbelief.
If not told.
He would’ve thought they’d stumbled into a Gang Lair; since when did Enforcement personnel “help” by applying Loans using someone’s info?
America isn’t even this wild!
“Any problem?”
Wolverine finally glanced at Golden Superman.
That look seemed to say “Much ado about nothing,” then he nodded very certainly and affirmatively: “Enforcement Bureau business, fair to young and old.”
How do these two phrases even connect?
“!!!”
Though Tiga, like Golden Superman, was filled with the desire to complain, his extreme discomfort left no room for it. He could only focus, operating on his personal Visual Interface per Wolverine’s instructions, struggling to pay the 3000 Energy Coins “photosynthesis fee”.
Almost the instant payment succeeded, the bone-deep pain and numbness in Tiga’s body receded like the tide! His chest’s dim Energy indicator light stabilized again!
The faint blue Light was very healthy.
Of course.
It was only healthy for a brief moment.
Tiga struggled up, propping himself on the ground with his arm to sit.
However, he felt no relief; he immediately checked his Debt Interface. The next second, he looked at Wolverine gloomily, with a hint of despair.
After using a Loan to buy the Communication ability, Tiga finally regained a channel to express his inner thoughts; he looked at Wolverine with his big Karizma eyes.
“You said… you loaned me five hundred thousand… why do I see endless zeros after my Debt?” Tiga was certain he hadn’t fallen into Usury.
Because Usury isn’t this scammy.
That endless sea of 0s, he really couldn’t count them!
