Chapter 431: City of Sin II
Compared to the previous "Injustice Superman" template he'd seen, even across dimensions, Zhou Ning could clearly feel that this Superman's aura was on an entirely different level.
If the price wasn't outrageous, Zhou Ning would've bought him no matter the cost. After all, this map seemed to feature a Superman from a possible Flashpoint universe—perfect for a Superman-versus-Superman showdown!
The template's personality traits were: righteous, determined, and kind.
Talents: Super Defense (Red), Super Strength (Red), Super Speed (Purple), Super Regeneration (Purple), Super Senses (Purple), Kryptonite Weakness (Gray – Negative).
Skills: Flight (Grandmaster), Heat Vision (Grandmaster), Super Breath (Master), Energy Absorption (Divine), Super Sneeze (Master), and a whole slew of others.
As for the price… a whopping 28,800 Traversal Coins. Zhou Ning blinked twice, counting the digits on the screen—five figures. He checked again, just to be sure he hadn't misread it.
Title: Silver Superman · Zhou Ning.
Compared to the 7,000-coin "Injustice Superman," this one was four times more expensive. The price was so steep, Zhou Ning couldn't even begin to make sense of it.
Despite the incredible cost, the template itself wasn't exactly groundbreaking in his eyes—powerful, yes, but nothing that justified such a price tag. Reluctantly, he decided to pass.
At this stage, Zhou Ning's focus had shifted away from simply acquiring skills and items. To fulfill the conditions for ascending to Demigod, his main strategy now revolved around specializations—unless an irresistible item appeared. After the system update, talents and specializations had merged. From now on, templates with red-tier talents would be his top priority—they corresponded to divine-level specializations.
He was also considering self-selected talents similar to the red-tier [Chosen One] from the Dwarven First Emperor template.
Currently, among his templates that fit this profile—strong combat power and red-tier talents—there were four main candidates:
Ultimate Magneto · Zhou Ning, who controlled magnetic fields;
Aquaman · Zhou Ning, bearer of the Heart of the Ocean;
Fullmetal Alchemist · Zhou Ning, who possessed both the God of Gambling talent and the Gate of Truth;
and Lanling Prince · Zhou Ning, his latest creation.
Zhou Ning pondered for a moment. Ranking purely by power, it should go: Ultimate Magneto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Aquaman, Lanling Prince.
However, based on what he knew of this parallel world's background, he suspected it might include something similar to the long-distance horse races from Steel Ball Run. After all, this world's Jonathan Joestar was a genius rider. That being the case, the Lanling Prince, who came with a white horse and master-level riding skills, might actually hold a unique advantage.
As for dealing with whatever heroes existed here—each with unpredictable names, quirks, or superpowers—he had no clear plan. He'd simply explore as much as possible. Failure wasn't fatal, after all. He'd just take things one step at a time.
Still, before starting the traversal, Zhou Ning followed his routine—checking the first option. He wouldn't miss any orange or red talents that appeared.
[You have chosen Traversal Mode One.]
[Please select three of the following ten talents as matching criteria.]
1. Doctor Strange (Blue): You hold a doctoral degree but are eccentric by nature.
2. Rich Fool (Blue): You're extremely wealthy in this world, but your intelligence is… lacking.
3. Top Idol (Blue): You can sing and dance, charming millions—but scandals follow you like a curse.
4. Honest and Reliable (Blue): You never tell lies. All factions' trust in you will increase unconditionally.
5. Landlubber (Gray): Also known as "Iron Anchor"—you'll never learn to swim.
6. Benjamin Button (Purple): You're born eighty years old, grow younger over time, and eventually die as an infant.
7. Ambidextrous (Blue): Both hands are equally dexterous; Agility and Balance +15%.
8. Giant of Light (Orange): You inherit the genes of an ancient warrior of light—you can transform into light itself.
9. Nightclub Regular (White): You're addicted to places of luxury and pleasure, but your social skills are unmatched.
10. Stephen Hawking (Blue): Your intelligence far exceeds ordinary humans—you've glimpsed the mysteries of parallel universes. However, you're completely paralyzed and unable to speak.
It was strange—since the last system update, orange and red talents appeared far more frequently.
Previously, he'd seen the red talent [Chosen One], then the orange [Naru], and now there was a brand-new orange one—[Giant of Light]. Honestly, Zhou Ning was quite curious to see how an Ultraman would fare against DC's monsters.
But aside from that one, the rest were practically useless—most came with drawbacks. What was he supposed to do, pick 4, 8, and 9 to form some kind of "socialite route"?
After some thought, Zhou Ning decided to simulate using the Lanling Prince template.
[This is a bonus map. Bonus Map Commentary Mode will be enabled. Titles such as Perfect Explorer and History Changer will be active in this map, increasing your chances of encountering key plotlines and improving exploration efficiency.]
[Since your template's power is relatively low, the Savior title will activate, greatly boosting your growth.]
[Traversal Coin rewards for this map are doubled. You will also receive an extra reward transferable to your main world—this reward may be an item, ability, or something else entirely. Therefore, explore as much as possible.]
[Match successful. In this parallel world, you are an otherworldly heroic spirit—a master of swordsmanship and horsemanship, a powerful commander once praised as a God of War. Yet ironically, you are remembered not for your strength, but for your beauty and tragic fate. Now that you've regained life and freedom, you burn with the desire to prove yourself. What kind of change will someone like you bring to this strange world? Let's find out.]
[Current world exploration: 0%. Unlock the next map at 66.7%. Be wary of other versions of yourself.]
[If you die in this simulation, the game ends.]
[Note: Using a template traversal allows free choice of time and location.]
[Note: Template characters possess strong autonomous will. Lanling Prince · Zhou Ning's alignment is Lawful Good; you cannot directly control his behavior during Reversion Mode.]
[Since your current alignment tendency is Chaotic Evil, this map's rewards will be reduced to 90% of normal.]
[You are selecting traversal time and location…]
[You did not select any.]
[Activating Time Machine… 1%... 33%... 65%... 95%... Whoosh — Traversal Complete.]
[September 16, 1972. You stand penniless on a bustling Metropolis street, holding the reins of a white horse. Skyscrapers tower above; cars and pedestrians flow like rivers. Amid them, you—leading a horse—look absurdly out of place. Despite your long years as a heroic spirit, you know basic English reading and writing, but have no money and no identification. Right after arrival, you're thrown straight into a hellish start. Still, the chance to live again fills you with quiet joy.]
[Drawing on your knowledge of the modern world, your first thought is to find Chinatown and see if you can settle somewhere. But before long, you're approached by the police for questioning. You can't stand the situation and take off running—thus begins a police-versus-horse chase through the streets of Metropolis. Fortunately, you're fast! (You've earned the achievement: Fast & Furious.)]
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