Ignoring whatever reactions Queen Atlanna and Arthur might be having—
With Karathen gone, Alex's path was completely clear.
He stepped onto his surfboard and continued straight ahead, advancing without obstruction until he reached the throne.
There, seated upon it, was a skeleton.
Its hands were clasped around a radiant, golden object—
The Sacred Trident.
Hummm—hummm—hummm!
One had to admit—
The Sacred Trident truly was extraordinary.
Not only did it glow with brilliant golden light, the light itself was dynamic, pulsing and flickering rhythmically.
From a purely visual standpoint, its sheer sense of grandeur and mystique was instantly maxed out.
"So this is the Sacred Trident? It really does look pretty impressive."
A voice sounded.
Arthur had come up beside Alex, scrutinizing the trident with great interest.
"The legendary Sacred Trident… the weapon of Atlantis's first king. It's said to possess the power to command all sea-born races!"
Queen Atlanna examined the trident carefully, her face practically glowing.
Arthur had grown up on land and never felt much attachment to Atlantis.
But Atlanna was true Atlantean royalty.
Faced with the remains of the first king and the Sacred Trident itself, there was no way she could stay calm.
"Homelander, I ruled among the sea folk for many years. Why have I never heard of you?"
Atlanna turned to Alex, her eyes filled with confusion.
Had the Homelander risen to prominence during the twenty years she had been trapped here?
"I don't recall ever saying I was one of the sea folk," Alex replied, shrugging.
What?
Did that mean the Homelander wasn't a sea-dweller at all?
Atlanna's first reaction was that Alex was joking.
If he wasn't a sea-dweller, how could he breathe and move freely underwater?
Instinctively, she turned her questioning gaze toward Arthur.
"Honestly, I don't really know what he is either," Arthur said helplessly.
"All I can say is—I've never seen a sea folk like him."
He couldn't give a more accurate answer.
Pa!
A light sound rang out.
Alex had stopped paying attention to Atlanna and Arthur entirely. He reached out—
And grasped the Sacred Trident.
---
[Special Energy Source Detected!]
[Analyzing Energy Source…]
[Energy Value: 50,000 Origin Points. Status: Extractable.]
At that very moment, the system's notification sounded in Alex's mind.
His heart surged with excitement.
Extractable!
And not just that—the value was enormous.
Fifty thousand Origin Points!
That alone matched the reward for killing Zod.
His long stay in the remote, almost isolated town of Amnesty Bay had been completely worth it.
Every bit of it.
"Extract."
Without the slightest hesitation, Alex issued the command.
Whoosh!
In an instant—
The Sacred Trident's dazzling golden radiance dimmed.
"What's going on?"
Atlanna and Arthur both froze, stunned.
What just happened to the Sacred Trident?
Why did it suddenly feel… ordinary?
The two quickly turned their bewildered gazes toward Alex.
The moment he touched the trident, this change occurred.
Had the Homelander done something?
---
[Detected surplus Origin Points. Would you like to use them immediately for enhancement?]
Alex had no time to care about their reactions.
His entire focus was on the system prompt echoing in his mind.
"Enhance."
There was nothing to hesitate over.
Alex gave the command with undisguised excitement.
Whoosh!
In that instant, his strength rose sharply once more.
"Excellent."
"Really, very excellent."
Alex nodded in satisfaction.
In just half a year in the DC world, he had gained a full 100,000 Origin Points.
That kind of harvest was more than worthwhile.
"Homelander… why did this happen?"
Arthur's voice broke his thoughts.
Arthur stared intently at the Sacred Trident, unable to help asking.
"Who knows," Alex replied innocently, shrugging.
"But this Sacred Trident isn't what I imagined. Not worth keeping."
Naturally, Alex had no intention of revealing that he had absorbed the trident's power.
The system was his ultimate secret.
And besides—
Even if he didn't say anything, no one could possibly guess the truth.
Neither Atlanna nor Arthur had the faintest idea.
They only knew something was wrong with the Sacred Trident—but they never suspected Alex.
After all, they had watched everything happen.
Alex hadn't done anything at all.
"Let me see!"
Seeing Alex truly let go of it, Arthur hurried forward and caught the Sacred Trident as it tilted.
He examined it carefully, turning it over a few times.
Sure enough—it now felt like nothing more than an ordinary trident.
Nothing special.
Queen Atlanna stepped closer as well.
Mother and son studied the Sacred Trident together.
They both felt the same thing.
Had the Sacred Trident… lost its power?
But as for why, there was simply no way to tell.
"Well then, I won't interrupt your reunion any longer," Alex said lightly.
"Farewell."
After leaving the island, Alex didn't waste words.
He returned to Amnesty Bay, had a simple meal, and went back to his apartment.
There, he began planning his next move.
Now that the Sacred Trident was secured, there was no reason to stay here.
Naturally, it was time to leave.
So—
Where to go next?
He hadn't decided yet.
Gotham. Central City. Metropolis.
Any of them would do.
As long as there were Origin Points to be earned, that was enough.
After a moment's thought, Alex expanded his super-senses—
Conducting a comprehensive "scan" of those cities.
For now, everything seemed normal.
Nothing unusual.
"In that case… fine. I've been away long enough."
"I'll head back to the Marvel side first."
Alex made his decision.
Still, considering he didn't know how long he'd stay once he returned—
He decided to visit Metropolis first.
To see Clark.
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