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*****
The next day, the issue of the Super Power Pill was perfectly resolved.
Fearing that the matter might cause a worldwide panic, the specific details were not made public. Instead, it was simply announced that the Superhero Association had successfully neutralized a crisis capable of triggering global catastrophe.
In a single night, under Charles's strategic coordination, the superheroes utilized the space gates of Planet Kent to dismantle every distribution channel for the Super Power Pill. Most of the supply was successfully recovered, marking the mission a total success.
When certain organizations—and even entire nations—became aware of the Super Power Pill's existence, they attempted to track down the research data. Unfortunately for them, Charles had already moved to destroy the original files, leaving only a single backup sealed away on Planet Kent.
Charles made no attempt to hide this fact; he stated plainly that the data had been archived and sealed by the Superhero Association. Although several countries and powerful factions coveted the research, none possessed the courage to demand it from the Association.
After all, the man standing behind the Superhero Association was Mike Kent.
With the crisis of the Super Power Pill behind them, Gwen and the others returned to their normal academic lives.
A week passed. After Oren brought up the matter of the other world once more, Mike observed his grandson's recovery and finally agreed to set out with him.
Looking at Mike's smiling face, Oren thought for a moment that he had misheard.
"Grandpa, what did you just say?"
"I said, we can leave now!"
"That's great!" Oren cheered out loud.
Even though he had enjoyed his time here immensely, a part of him had never stopped worrying about the state of his own world. Now that the issue was finally going to be addressed, he felt a massive weight lift off his shoulders.
"When do we go?" Oren asked, his impatience clear.
"Go pack your things, say your goodbyes to Raven and the others, and then we'll head out."
"Okay!"
Oren's voice was still hanging in the air, but the boy himself had already vanished. Along with him, little Lamb had also disappeared from the second floor.
A short while later, after Oren had gathered his luggage, he returned to the living room. Mike had already finished explaining things to Raven, who was now waiting there with them.
"It might be a few seconds, or maybe a few minutes, and I'll be back," Mike reassured Raven once more. Despite his words, a flicker of worry remained in her eyes.
After all, Mike was traveling to another universe to face a powerful threat that had conquered an entire planet.
"Be careful," Raven urged.
"Don't worry," Mike said, giving her a quick wink. "I'll be back before you've even finished a cup of coffee."
Raven managed a small smile and nodded.
Oren turned to Raven and said, "Grandma, I'll make sure Grandpa gets back safely."
Raven's expression stiffened slightly as she forced another smile. She still wasn't quite used to being called "Grandma."
"Did you say goodbye to Gwen and Clark before leaving?" Raven asked Oren.
Oren shook his head. "I didn't tell them face-to-face, but I left them a message."
Raven nodded in understanding, but Mike's eyes flickered with a strange light. "Clark is coming with us," he interjected.
"What?" Oren asked in surprise. "Dad is going too?"
"Yes." Mike nodded, rubbing his chin. "By the looks of it, he should be arriving any second."
Just as the words left his mouth, space was torn open, and Clark appeared before them.
"Dad," Clark said with a nod to Mike. "I'm ready."
"Um, you actually don't have to go," Oren said, his eyes shifting nervously. There were things in that world he was afraid his father wouldn't be able to handle.
Clark shook his head. "I have to go at least once. After all, I am your father."
Oren froze for a moment, thinking of the Clark from his own world. His eyes reddened slightly as he gave a firm nod.
"Alright, let's head out," Mike announced.
Oren pulled out his time-space shuttle. Seeing Mike pull out his own device, he hurriedly said, "This shuttle has been modified; we can all use one."
Mike blinked, surprised. "That impressive?"
Oren scratched his head. "I only finished the modifications with Aunt Gwen's guidance, but it consumes a massive amount of energy."
With that, he activated the device. Instantly, a swirling time-space tunnel manifested behind him.
After one last goodbye to Raven, Oren grabbed his backpack and charged into the tunnel. After Clark followed him, Mike blew a kiss to Raven, who watched with an amused expression as he, too, leapt into the void.
Another Earth
This was Oren's world—a world ruled by a single, supreme powerhouse.
Indeed, just one person. That individual had been favored by the Phoenix Force and had become the strongest being on the planet.
This world had originally lost a vast number of superheroes because of the Rising Star Company. Although Mike's previous arrival had resulted in the death of the company's secret boss, Mr. Fantastic, and Gwen had taken control of the organization with Mike's help, the damage was done.
The Rising Star Company's influence on the world was too profound, reaching into the daily lives and habits of every person. Consequently, Gwen and her allies tried their best to fundamentally change the nature of the company, turning it into a genuine superhero organization rather than a trashy group that staged its own heroics for fame.
To achieve this, they purged a large number of "superheroes" who lacked even a shred of moral character, and many with criminal records were sent to prison.
Although Gwen and the others kept a close eye on those who were removed—especially since many were still bound by contracts from the Rising Star era—the loss of their luxurious lifestyles and the public spotlight drove some to madness. A portion of them became super-villains and even formed a criminal organization known as "Black Hole."
Thus began a long war between Rising Star and Black Hole.
That was, until the Phoenix Force appeared and chose its host. The war between heroes and villains was forcibly ended.
The host of the Phoenix Force was neither a hero nor a villain, but a dictator. She did not just suppress the villains; she struck down every superhero and eventually trampled the entire world beneath her feet.
Moody and temperamental, she vented her own inner fears upon the world. She would destroy an entire city, or even a country, simply on a whim. She and her terrifying legion were responsible for countless slaughters. Because of her hatred for humanity, she was even consciously purging the human race.
She had turned the planet into a playground for her own carnage.
In the span of a few years, the entire world had become a scarred, chaotic mess, and the human population had dwindled drastically. Yet, the most chilling thing wasn't her violence, but the way humans turned on each other. With the total collapse of order, humanity had descended into absolute madness.
The world looked as if it had reached the end of days.
To oppose her, some people banded together, while others joined her, becoming her pawns. Regardless of their choice, these people only wanted one thing: to survive.
In this world, survival had become an incredibly difficult feat.
The Ruins of New York
The once-bustling metropolis was now nothing but a vast field of ruins, and the city that never slept had been transformed into a desert.
This was where the woman known as the Phoenix had struck. Using the immense power of the Phoenix Force, she had annihilated everything here. Aside from a few rare individuals, everything in the city had been vaporized and broken down into nothingness.
The act had shocked the world, becoming a living nightmare for all survivors. But the actions the Phoenix took afterward showed everyone that the destruction of New York was only the beginning of the horror.
In the years that followed, a group of survivors had gathered within the desert ruins, building a hidden resistance base. The leader of this base was none other than Gwen Kent.
In the middle of the empty desert, a rift suddenly tore through space. A moment later, three figures stepped out onto the sand.
"I'm back!" Oren breathed in the dry air, a smile breaking out on his face.
"Where are we?" Clark asked, frowning as he looked at the sand beneath his boots.
"New York," Oren replied casually, his eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for a landmark.
Clark stared at the ground in shock, his mind reeling. He turned his head toward Mike and murmured, "Dad, New York is a desert? How is that possible?"
"I only know the general situation. I haven't asked Oren for the specific details yet; we'll ask him in a bit," Mike said, equally surprised by the transformation.
From this alone, one could glimpse the sheer scale of the Phoenix's power.
The Phoenix Force, huh? Mike thought to himself, a spark of interest appearing in his eyes. He wondered just how much power it would take to force him to use his top-tier cards.
As Oren looked for the direction of the underground base's entrance and Mike and Clark marveled at the desert, a figure drifted out of Oren's backpack like a ghost.
As he began to solidify his body, he shouted in surprise, "This is New York? You've got to be kidding me!"
"Lamb!" Mike cried out. All three of them immediately fixed their gaze on little Lamb.
Lamb gave a cheeky grin and said sheepishly, "Don't look at me like that, I'll get embarrassed."
"Embarrassed my foot!" Mike marched over, grabbed Lamb by the ear, and lifted him off the ground. "How did you sneak in? And do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?"
Lamb used his powers to hover slightly in the air to ease the pull on his ear, though he still grimaced. "Of course I know! That's why I came! I have to protect you guys!" He puffed out his chest and declared loudly, "I'm very strong, you know!"
Mike paused. Just as Lamb thought his father was being moved by his words and began to smirk inwardly, Mike's expression changed into a cold sneer.
"Ha! Don't think I don't know what you're really thinking. 'Protect us'? You probably just wanted to see what another world looks like!"
"Ah! No way!" Lamb pouted and quickly patted Mike's hand. "Dad, let go! My ear is going to fall off!"
"With your constitution, your ear isn't falling off that easily!" Mike grumbled. He then recalled Lamb's trick from a moment ago and asked curiously, "What was that ability just now? When did you awaken it?"
"I don't know!" Lamb scratched his head as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It just appeared. I don't know when it happened."
Mike: "..." Was that even a human answer?
Clark couldn't help but ask, "How many abilities do you have now?"
"I don't know! Do you count how many hairs you have on your head?" Lamb asked back, genuinely puzzled.
The corners of Clark's mouth twitched violently. The kid sounded like he was asking for a beating. However, the implication behind those words was staggering.
Beside them, Oren looked at Lamb with envy. "That's truly amazing."
Lamb puffed his chest out even further. "I told you I'd cover for you! How could I do that if I wasn't strong? Is it the people in this world who are bullying you? Just watch me blow them away!" He swung his fists, moving so fast they became a blur and created a sharp whistling sound in the air.
"Stop showing off!" Mike let go of Lamb and, seeing him floating, gave him a sharp flick on the forehead.
Lamb gave a dry laugh and quickly landed on the ground, clutching his forehead and looking at Mike with puppy-dog eyes.
Mike huffed and said coldly, "I'll settle the score with you when we get back!"
Lamb's lips started to curl into a smile, but he quickly covered his mouth to hide it. Seeing the ridiculous scene, Clark couldn't help but burst out laughing.
At that moment, Oren returned from his scouting and said to the three of them, "Grandpa, I found it."
Because there were more people this time, the exit of the time-space tunnel had been slightly off-target.
"Follow me!" Oren said, slowly taking flight. Mike and the others followed close behind.
A few seconds later, they arrived at a stretch of empty ground. Oren pulled a phone-like controller from his bag. With a light press, a gap several meters wide suddenly appeared in the empty sea of sand below.
It was clearly a sophisticated camouflage. Through the gap, patches of vibrant green could be seen below. Oren led the way down, with the others following.
Once they passed through the opening, Mike and the others realized that the greenery consisted of rows of fruits and vegetables.
Noticing their gazes, Oren smiled. "In a place like this, supplies are hard to come by, so we have to use every inch of land. This garden provides us with enough green vegetables. It's managed by Du Zhuo and Hewlett."
As he spoke, a man of Chinese descent appeared before them. He had green hair, green eyes, and even his eyebrows and lips were a shade of green, making him look exceptionally healthy.
"Oren! You're back!" he called out happily, waving a hand. A seed in his palm sprouted rapidly, growing into a beautiful flower in just a few steps. He plucked it casually, letting the stem and roots crumble into dust in his palm, and walked toward Oren with the flower.
But just as he was about to hand the flower to Oren, he caught sight of Clark. His face instantly turned deathly pale.
"It's Superman!" he screamed. "It's the Evil Superman!"
(End of Chapter)