Chapter 92: What To Do! This Is Cheating!?
Seven thirty in the morning.
The old-fashioned clock in the Kent Family Home emitted a dull chime.
Ian, who had stayed up all night, was still full of energy. He chewed on a chew toy taken from the window while walking downstairs. His T-shirt was printed with 【super】 large 】 pinyin initial combinations.
Batman’s toys were magical. With just a little research on the mechanism, a device that could lock an entire window turned into a portable long strip-shaped object.
“Smells good.”
The aroma of fried bacon wafted from the kitchen.
Jonathan Kent was busy in the kitchen.
“Where are Mom and Dad?”
Ian poked his head around, looking everywhere.
“Thanks to Batman bravely venturing into Metropolis, they didn’t come back last night. They just called me, telling me to watch you—they called more than twenty times this morning.”
“What did you do again?” Jonathan was still flipping fried bacon in the kitchen. He was very curious about the parents’ instructions. After poking his head out, he saw Ian pulling something out from his pants.
“I created a new round of GDP growth for Metropolis. No need to thank me?” Ian threw away the cushion he pulled from his butt and then pulled another cushion from the front of his T-shirt.
Useless protective gear for now should be thrown aside.
“Didn’t get it, but sounds pretty awesome.” Jonathan came out and served Ian a sandwich. When the adults weren’t home, he was generally responsible for taking care of his two younger brothers.
Ian grabbed the newspaper on the table. The 【Shocking! Gotham City Superhero Turns into “Street Slut”, Appears in Metropolis to Save Fallen Women!】 headline was particularly eye-catching.
This gave Ian some reminder.
“Beep beep beep~”
Ian pulled out his mobile phone and pressed the redial button.
The call connected.
He spoke enthusiastically.
“Good morning, sir. Are you up? If not, you can keep sleeping. I just want to send you my most sincere greeting of the day.”
Ian was still thinking about getting a power ring from Batman.
“Beep beep beep~”
The call was hung up.
The other side gave no response.
But Ian didn’t mind. Gotham Freaks were like that—emotionally reserved and subtle. As long as he had connected today’s portion of feelings with the Gotham Freak, it was fine.
Next.
Was the greeting to his godfather.
And most importantly, praying to Miss Death. He was very polite, only connecting feelings with Miss Death before meals to avoid being seen as clingy or a creep.
After a sincere outpouring, Ian unusually received no response. Just as he thought Miss Death hadn’t woken up, he opened his eyes and found a woman sitting across from him.
Miss Death, wearing a black camisole, sat elegantly, her slender fingers tapping the table. Sunlight passed through her body, casting a faint shadow on the floor.
“This isn’t right. Can you appear again?” Ian incredulously rubbed his eyes, glanced at the colors around, and at Jonathan busy in the kitchen.
Miss Death stared at the boy in front of her.
“I don’t stop the operation of time whenever I appear.”
Her words seemed reasonable, and Ian believed them.
“Okay, mainly I think if Jonathan sees you, he’ll definitely think I was tricked by a bad woman last night.” Ian shyly lowered his head.
“？？？？？”
Miss Death’s mouth twitched slightly.
“He can’t see me.”
The goddess rolled her eyes wildly, gritting her teeth.
At this time, Jonathan poked his head out from the kitchen: “What are you muttering about?”
The eldest brother naturally heard Ian’s mumbling; it didn’t even require super hearing to notice.
“But he can see you talking to yourself like a madman.” The Goddess of Death added, a mischievous smile on her lips, as if ready to watch Ian’s joke at any moment.
However.
“Nothing, I’m communicating with my imaginary friend.” Ian remembered his father’s instructions. Jonathan and Jordan were too old to grasp this supernatural world.
Hearing this.
Jonathan nodded calmly.
“Oh, okay. Then say hi to your friend for me too.” The gentle eldest brother showed no strangeness, even making an expression of sudden realization.
He continued back to the kitchen stove to cook.
“Is your whole family a bit sick in the head?” Miss Death was quite stunned at the sight. She watched Ian grinning as he drank a sip of milk.
“This is my rock-solid reputation at home.”
Ian’s tone was emotional, slightly wistful.
“…”
Miss Death really wanted to ask what Ian was proud of, but she held back and got straight to the point. “I sifted out a little useful information from your massive nonsense.”
“You mean that the shrinking of the multiverse survival space will cause higher beings to downgrade, ordinary life souls to overlap, and finally the universe to collapse into ruins?”
She looked at Ian suspiciously and summarized the content of his prayer.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Ian nodded.
“Hmm, interesting speculation. So you told me this info that even I hadn’t thought of, all because your super brain secretly whispered it in your ear while you slept?”
Miss Death raised an eyebrow.
“Not in the ear, under the crown of the head.”
Ian corrected her wording, then nodded his little head again. This answer made Miss Death couldn’t help but rub her brow.
“Honestly, I’m starting to regret why I filled myself with so much humanity not long ago.” The goddess took a deep breath, her expression like she had swallowed a hedgehog alive.
“You don’t have any super brain… muttering little ghost. I’ll verify what you said, and until then, I hope you don’t disturb me three times a day!”
With that.
Miss Death grabbed the sandwich from Ian’s dinner plate.
And disappeared entirely.
Not even leaving a piece of lettuce for Ian.
“Looks like she means I need to contact her at least four times a day?” Ian failed to keep his breakfast, so he grabbed Jordan’s portion.
Late risers deserve this. Ian had reported everything that needed saying. Whether the higher-ups took it seriously was no longer his concern as an independent NPC.
“Thump thump thump~”
Sometimes.
Jordan just couldn’t handle being mentioned. Speak of Jordan and he appears. Jordan came down the stairs rubbing his eyes. Jonathan came out of the kitchen and divided fried eggs and fried potatoes between his two younger brothers.
“Why do you look so haggard?” Jonathan was concerned about Jordan. The dark circles under this younger brother’s eyes reminded him of an animal called a raccoon.
“Nothing, just didn’t sleep well.” Jordan hesitated to speak. His gaze fell on the sandwich in Ian’s hand, then on his own empty plate.
No big mood swings.
Just a food thief.
Already used to it.
Jordan watched Jonathan go back into the kitchen. He looked at Ian, hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly, “Ian, I encountered something weird again yesterday.”
He kept glancing toward the kitchen, as if not wanting Jonathan to hear.
“What weird thing?”
Ian was wolfing down the sandwich.
“Wasn’t I coming back from your room last night… My eyes hurt a lot… In the middle of the night, I think I saw Batman in Mom and Dad’s room doing who knows what.”
Jordan’s tone carried some hesitation. “Maybe it’s my hallucination? Seems like… my condition causes some hallucinations. Damn, my browser is already recommending suitable coffins for me.”
“Each one so expensive.”
His voice was even more despairing than last night.
But.
“What the hell!?”
Ian was always shocked by his second brother.
“You didn’t leave the room? Didn’t see anyone else? Just saw Batman?” He probed. His second brother with x-ray vision had also awakened—afraid he had strictly self-disciplined again in the bedroom upon returning!
So worried about dying from terminal illness, yet still pushing hard back in the room!
“Yeah, didn’t leave the room, so I think it’s a hallucination. After all, just a few blurry images.” Jordan rubbed his eyelids, trying hard to recall.
“Awesome, you’re the real Superman in Metropolis.” Ian sincerely gave his second brother a thumbs up. Continuously awakening superpowers like this could be a special talent.
“Don’t tease me. I really feel like my days are numbered.” Jordan sighed deeply. He was now worried that after he kicked the bucket, Ian would really test if he could come back as a zombie.
“I bet you can live, and live comfortably. Maybe you should talk to Dad or Mom about this?” Ian gave a very suggestive suggestion.
“Maybe.”
Not sure if Jordan took it in.
“I’m full, time to go to school.” Ian checked the time, put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with toilet paper, and stuffed it forcefully into the backpack behind him.
“It’s Saturday. What school?”
Jordan looked up in surprise, full of confusion and bewilderment.
“As long as school is in your heart, you can go to school anytime.” Ian used a prepared excuse. He actually had other things to do and needed to go out.
Temporarily avoiding the returning parents like an ostrich was secondary. Whether cashing the check or taking Mr. White to buy chemicals, these were secrets he couldn’t voice.
“Should I say, good job?” Jordan looked worried, watching Ian sling the heavy backpack over his shoulder and go out the door. He started eating absentmindedly.
He had only eaten a few bites.
“Ptoo ptoo ptoo!”
Sounds came from the kitchen as Jonathan reacted.
“This isn’t protein powder!” Jonathan’s voice was full of shock and doubt. Jordan hurried to the kitchen and saw Jonathan holding a cup of white liquid, observing it intently.
“What’s going on?”
Jordan first looked at Jonathan’s full protein powder bucket, then walked to the trash can and solved the case. “It’s the milk tea sweetener Ian loves adding to his coffee.”
He dug out dozens of packaging bags from the trash can.
The two brothers stared wide-eyed.
“He probably forgot to buy protein powder for you yesterday.” Jordan found US Dollars pressed under the protein powder bucket and handed the money to Jonathan with a strange expression.
What could Jonathan say?
All things considered.
He could only forgive his youngest brother.
“No problem, sweetener it is. Ian definitely wanted to help me bulk up dirty.” Facts proved money power was indeed useful. Jonathan gripped the two hundred US Dollars, extremely understanding.
“Then drink it.”
Jordan stared at the cup in Jonathan’s other hand.
“I will, but not now.”
Jonathan was struggling to keep a straight face but still stubborn. Jordan had no energy to tease his eldest brother. He grabbed a bottle of ketchup and went back to the dining room.
“What’s this?” Jordan found the chew toy Ian had used and thrown aside. He saw the bat logo on it, and his pupils shrank instantly.
“Didn’t I just have a hallucination?”
The real super brain might really be awakening rapidly.
News of Batman coming to Metropolis.
The scene he saw.
And Mom’s cursing and panicked state last night—everything seemed to connect completely. Jordan, taking a sharp intake of cold air, felt he had seen through the truth.
“Between Batman and Mom…”
He didn’t dare think further.
Any more and he’d pity his dad.
No.
Is that really our dad?
Or—can’t think, can’t think. Jordan felt he’d explode if he thought more. He hurriedly threw Ian’s chew toy into the trash can with trembling hands.
Pretending nothing had happened.
Of course.
If that horrifying thing was true, Jordan felt he might live a bit longer, and he’d found why Jonathan, Ian, and even himself were slightly abnormal.
They shouldn’t be in Metropolis.
They should be in Gotham.
There, they’d definitely be normal.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jonathan came out with a plate too. Seeing his second brother shivering, he increasingly felt Jordan might be unwell today.
“Nothing!”
Jordan fled.
Quickly ran up to the second-floor bedroom.
He stared at the box containing his treasure tool, wanting to temporarily forget the unacceptable absurd reality. Though at odds with Clark, it didn’t mean no father-son bond between them.
Past memories flashed one by one.
And just as Jordan wanted to escape reality.
“Ding ding ding~”
His mobile phone rang.
Jordan’s fingers trembled like an electric-shocked frog leg because he saw “Mom” on the screen’s caller ID, instantly wanting to throw the phone out the window.
“Hello?”
Of course.
Reason ultimately triumphed over fear.
Jordan answered the call.
“No one picked up your brother’s phone. Is Ian with you guys?” Lois’s voice came through the phone, with the newspaper agency’s printer roaring madly in the background.
“He was just with us.”
Jordan’s voice wavered like a real terminal patient.
“And now?”
Lois’s follow-up was very serious.
“Now he’s gone to school.”
Jordan answered honestly.
“School? What school on Saturday?” Lois’s tone was very surprised. She even checked the time; the overtime pay multiple was luckily calculated correctly.
“I asked him the same, but now I get it. He probably wants to avoid you guys. I think he dragged his classmates up and forced them to class.”
Honestly, Jordan accidentally empathized deeply with Ian.
He recalled that bat iron bar. Even a underachiever like him could think of it, so as the smartest kid at home, Jordan was sure his little brother wouldn’t miss anything.
“What did he tell you? What did you understand?” Lois thought Ian had spilled at home. She probed Jordan questioningly.
“Ian told me nothing, but I’m gradually understanding everything.” Jordan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, looking very nervous.
“Yes, I understand everything… You and Dad are on your second marriage, right?” Jordan finally couldn’t hold back. The other end fell into dead silence.
Jordan could hear his blood pounding against his eardrums.
“What are you saying?”
Moments later.
Lois spoke again, emotionally stable.
Jordan breathed a sigh of relief.
Slightly lowering his guard.
“I… I…”
He touched his eyes, looked at himself in the mirror. “I might have awakened bat vision. On TV, Batman’s eyes are red too when he appears.”
These words were perhaps very tactful.
But Lois wasn’t a fool who couldn’t read between the lines.
“Gulp gulp gulp~”
Sound of drinking came from the other end.
“Go get Ian to take the call!”
Lois’s voice was breaking.
What is reputation.
This might be true reputation.
“It has nothing to do with Ian. I figured it all out myself! I have some brains too!” Jordan defended Ian. And it was true.
So.
“Very good.”
Lois suppressed some emotion.
“Then stay home. I’ll have your dad come back to you.” After calming slightly, she realized Jordan might have awakened Kryptonian abilities.
This was a big deal.
Lois didn’t dare throw a temper casually.
But.
The mom who had tried hard to control her emotions still didn’t see her sons clearly.
“Uh… which dad is coming back for me?”
Jordan asked cautiously.
One sentence nearly blew up Lois on the other end.
…
Talents aren’t everywhere.
But the Kent Family Home obviously bred them more easily than others.
While Jordan poked the nerves of the strongest person in the family with his own strength, Ian had already shouldered his backpack and started his very fulfilling day.
Cashing the check wasn’t troublesome.
Though minors usually can’t cash checks alone at a bank, when the minor is the check’s beneficiary, some banks still accept and process it.
Mr. Ugly considered it thoughtfully.
Ian cashed it very smoothly and satisfactorily.
“If I don’t say, who would know I’m already a millionaire?” Ian bought breathable nylon stockings on the street, holding the thermos, and under Mr. White’s guidance, found the location of Metropolis’s black market.
“I used to work for Lex Luthor… knew he was researching biochemical warriors… That’s why, to escape him, I ignorantly made a deal with a demon.”
Mr. White sighed in the thermos.
“The great Sangong Mo!”
The demon head in Ian’s backpack corrected him.
Ian’s body was quite lively.
“Biochemical warrior? Good! That’s the stuff! But I need to confirm, it’s definitely not poison, right? Kids from positive energy families are sworn enemies with gambling and drugs for life!”
Ian stayed vigilant and kept his positive energy mindset.
“…”
Mr. White was silent for a moment. “Just enhancement potion, for making super soldiers. Lex Luthor’s ambitions are big, not limited to military orders.”
He still felt lingering fear mentioning it.
“Mm-hm, this works, this works great.” Ian was relieved, so under White’s guidance, he arrived at what was called the black market in Metropolis.
Actually just a somewhat chaotic street with shops selling contraband under different signs. Normally, these shops did legit business too.
Like the shop hiding chemical raw materials, actually a century-old store called Old Joey’s Custom Suits. A bald strong man in work pants was doing fine sewing inside.
Ian followed Mr. White’s instructions and gave the code to the bald guy.
“What do you want to buy?”
The bald man looked surprised at Ian the kid. He didn’t expect old White to have no bottom line to this extent, even using a minor for purchases.
Truly too shameless.
The shop owner, cursing inwardly, didn’t know the shameless one he mentioned was really in Ian’s thermos. Thinking Ian was an old customer’s lackey, he quickly fetched the goods.
The transaction went smoothly.
So smoothly Ian was reluctant.
“I’m just a little kid. Shouldn’t you rob me, then kidnap me, sell me to a black factory?” That was Ian’s ideal script.
Hearing this.
The bald boss just scoffed.
“I do long-term business. You think I need your pocket change? Integrity—that’s key in the black market. Stuff you in a sack and sell—how much would that get?”
He clearly dismissed Ian’s words, but it made Ian feel it was very reasonable.
No choice.
With unwillingness, Ian reluctantly left. His “fair transaction” mode had trigger conditions; sadly, this shop didn’t earn that honor.
“Where did all my favorite bad guys go?”
Ian walked in the gloomy alley, heartbroken.
“Is this potion really worth six thousand US Dollars?” Since the materials obtained weren’t much, Ian suspected Mr. White was taking kickbacks even in death.
Who knows, the shop might pre-buy big beauties for Mr. White in hell.
Unclear.
“Let me try a few times, I can definitely replicate that enhancement potion’s formula data.” Mr. White, sensing Ian’s unkind gaze, hurriedly assured.
“No need for that trouble.”
Ian directly mixed the formula materials together.
Drank all the gray substance in one gulp.
The next moment.
【Savage Tyrant Experience Points+13】
Upgraded.
Attributes improved.
【Strength: 21—22.1】
【Constitution: 38—41.5】
【Intelligence: 3.0—3.2】
【Spirit: 7.6—7.7】
Clearly.
Savage Tyrant focuses on constitution, Berserker on strength. Neither boosts 【spirit】 or 【intelligence】 much, leaving Ian slightly regretful.
Of course.
【Mild Gene Collapse】
The new debuff was a kind of consolation.
【Berserker Experience+2】
One leveling up.
Double harvest.
Ian was finally satisfied with the six thousand spent.
“Too bad he didn’t stock enough, or I’d fly tonight.” Ian looked at his extra profession skill points, not choosing flashy skills.
He learned the new skill 【Eye of Blazing Sun】, immediately feeling his eyes burning hot.
“Golden light, huh. Now Mom won’t misunderstand.” Ian checked the mirror, very satisfied with the oppressive presence he showed.
Wanting to upgrade more.
He continued seeking other shops in the area. Mr. White in the thermos sank silently to the bottom. The demon head in the backpack suddenly spoke.
“I smell the breath of hell.”
It twitched its rotten nostrils. “And filthy scammers.”
In his words.
Full of disgust.
Ian understood why the demon hated it so much. Though he had no dog nose, his newly enhanced eyeballs still spotted the man in the old windbreaker in the distance.
Street corner.
Constantine in a beige windbreaker was smoking and walking this way.
The instant their eyes met.
Ian wanted to take a detour.
But Constantine detoured faster— the guy directly turned the corner and bolted, as if afraid of facing something terrifying if slow.
Even if his shoe fell off, Constantine didn’t care.
Ian was dumbfounded on the spot.
“Isn’t he the plague, or am I? I should be the one avoiding him!” Ian stomped in anger. Humanity is contradictory sometimes.
Defending against others is one thing; being defended against is another.
“I think he’s very wise.”
The demon head’s voice echoed eerily from the backpack.
“Shut up! I’m wearing a mask! How did he recognize me! He must have urgent business to rush home and shit!”
Annoyed, Ian hesitated but didn’t take off his stockings to stuff the demon head’s mouth. He wouldn’t wrong his feet for a moment’s emotion.
At that moment.
“No! What was wrong with me earlier! Why did my mind go foggy and buy this car!” A heart-wrenching wail came from afar, instantly drawing Ian’s attention.
Ian’s ears perked up. Realizing the sound came from Constantine’s direction, he knew someone else got scammed.
“Damn, why doesn’t Constantine scam me! I love being scammed! Even if he likes punishing scum like him, I can totally be scum!”
Ian followed the sound to an open area.
A car dealer with a face full of flesh was wailing desperately at a black Dodge Hellcat. The car key in his hand was like a hot potato he couldn’t drop to the ground.
Clearly, the guy was cursed.
“This car killed nine people! Nine whole people! Why did I buy it! Someone drugged me!” The car dealer knelt shivering in front of the Dodge Hellcat.
Expression despairing.
“What! Nine soul rings! Titled Douluo Level muscle car!” Ian noticed keenly and got interested. He hurried to the wailing car dealer and spoke softly.
“Eight hundred US Dollars, I’ll take this car.”
Hearing this.
The car dealer looked up like grasping a lifeline, then saw the boy in stockings. He subconsciously thought he met a fugitive robber. But realizing Ian was just a kid, he relaxed a bit.
“Kid, do you have a driver’s license? Want to buy a car?”
The car dealer’s eyes were conflicted.
Like struggling with conscience.
“Lol, I’m about to get soul rings, who needs a driver’s license?” Ian thought the guy’s brain wasn’t right and hoped he’d drink more walnut juice at home.
“…”
The car dealer’s conscience instantly unconflicted.
“Want money over life? Here!” He pulled a thick stack of US Dollars from his pocket, slapped it with the keys into Ian’s hand. The instant the keys left his hand, he felt relieved.
“You’re seeking death yourself, not my fault, not my fault.” As if convincing himself, the car dealer repeated and fled like escaping for his life.
“…”
In the open area.
Ian was left alone looking at the keys and US Dollars in his hand.
Expression somewhat dazed.
“Said eight hundred, gave me seven thousand two… Metropolis still has plenty of suckers.” Ian sighed, thinking he should raise his service price appropriately.
Yes.
His school pricing obviously didn’t suit this society. Having recouped previous expenses, Ian circled the cool American muscle car a few times.
“So cool~”
What Ian valued wasn’t the soul rings on the car. He clearly judged that with so many soul rings, this Titled Douluo Level muscle car must have auto-drive.
“Maybe auto-repair too—this is my dream car!” As Ian’s finger slid over the hood, the Dodge Hellcat’s lights flashed eerily.
“This car’s fuel is only human blood.”
The demon head spoke eerily from Ian’s backpack.
Quite scary.
Ian was indeed scared.
Because he quickly calculated in his mind: even as a first-hand recycler buying human blood, a 400ml bag of whole blood costs 200 to 300 US Dollars.
This fuel was way pricier than oil.
“As expected, high-end cars have high-end costs.” Ian couldn’t help sighing. Inspiration struck once, twice, and by the third, he had a perfect solution.
“See, I’m so clever.”
Happy Ian perked up again.
“What do you mean?”
The demon head was still confused.
“Human blood is so expensive. Hellcat should drink hell blood—free fuel is the best fuel.” Ian’s words confused the demon head in the backpack more.
“What hell blood?”
The demon head couldn’t figure it out.
However.
The confusion lasted only until Ian took it out of the backpack.
“No! Don’t do this!”
When Ian twisted it hard into a rag shape.
The demon got it.
Rest assured, big shots. No defaulting on debts. All owed, paid double.
