The return was announced quietly.
Eyes suddenly opened.
[00:42]
Ian glanced at the alarm clock on his desk as usual. Nothing had changed; the return
time was still accurate. He wasn't surprised that Tony could calculate the exact time of his
disappearance.
"I've disappeared from that world many times. That thing is an AI that can even
calculate souls. It would be strange if it couldn't calculate something like this."
Ian looked at the box in his hand.
The demon's head is still there.
It wasn't switched.
This guy looked like he was having a claustrophobic episode, constantly trembling.
"You...we're back again?"
It clearly sensed the situation around it, so it hurriedly and nervously continued,
"Don't worry, I won't say anything. I won't expose that you are a dimensional demon god
who has been raising a group of souls and then created a so‑called savior to ruthlessly toy
with those souls!"
"Even if the King of Hell comes, I won't tell!"
While it was in the box, it had clearly been contemplating life for a long time. Perhaps
the dark environment had actually awakened some literary talent in this bull‑headed
demon.
"Unfortunately, it still can't compare to my extraordinary talent."
Ian closed the metal box again, locking the bull demon's head inside. He figured that if
the demon stayed inside a little longer, it might come up with a lot of ideas that he could
steal and use.
"Looks like I really am a little bit naughty."
I briefly reviewed my experience in the nightmare world.
The boy had some ideas in his mind.
"I need to prepare for touching the Sentinels!" Ian walked to his desk, and after
putting on the Batman suit, he felt that his wisdom had become even more resourceful on
top of his intelligence.
I wonder if the original Batman suit would be more effective?
It's a pity Batman isn't a girl.
Forget it.
Not trying anymore.
Bruce Wayne has body odor.
I'm not lacking in strategy myself.
As Ian pondered this, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"dududu~"
As a minor, he is now indeed a person with a cell phone, a gift from Mr. Batman, and
Ian doesn't intend to be overly cautious. A phone that doesn't cost money and can even be
used as a brick—Ian naturally believes in the principle of "if you don't use it, you might as
well use it."
After all, the other party is Batman. Whether Batman wants to eavesdrop on someone,
throws away his phone, or pulls out all sorts of fancy maneuvers, it's all just a lot of flashy
but ultimately useless work. As long as I pretend to have no secrets, you won't know any of
my secrets. That's Ian's method for dealing with Batman.
"dududu~"
Another ringing phone tone.
Patiently waiting.
Ian's call was finally answered.
"Mr. Leonard Hofstadter, it's me."
Ian spoke first.
"what?"
The person on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback.
The receiver also carried the sound effects of the game Halo and Sheldon's signature
scream.
"Who would call you at a time like this! Leonard! You wouldn't be secretly colluding
with the mob behind my back, would you?!" Sheldon's voice was full of alarm. The sound
of running footsteps could be heard.
It seemed Leonard had gone outside the apartment building.
"It's quiet here now. That was my pet groundhog⋯ May I ask who you are?"
Leonard didn't recognize Ian's voice, whom he had only met once before.
Ian doesn't blame him.
"I'm Ian, the capitalist. We met at the gym entrance." Ian spoke patiently, and the next
moment, a look of realization came from the other end of the phone.
"Father of Homelander! I remember! I have a friend who really wants to read your
Boys comics!" Leonard's exclamation made Ian raise an eyebrow.
The other party truly deserves to be called a senior physicist.
Even the fact that he already has an ancestral pseudonym can be perceived through
quantum entanglement.
"Yes, it's me."
Ian gave a thumbs up remotely.
Hopefully, the quantum entanglement effect will also allow the other party to thank
me soon.
"Um, Ian, is there something you need from me? If it's about work, we're still
considering it, yes, we're still considering it."
Leonard's voice sounded somewhat guilty.
"It's alright, no rush, we have plenty of time. I just wanted to ask you some questions
about comics today. Have you heard of the comic book 'The Incredible Hulk'?"
"I'd like to ask about the publishing company of this comic, or other stories within the
same universe." Ian's so‑called "planning ahead" was, of course, about the Sentinels.
The Sentry's body is obviously confirmed, but if Homelander is involved again, it's all
over. So, regardless of whether it's useful or not, Ian has to make sure the Sentry's image
exists in this world.
"Do you need some new inspiration for your comics? Okay, wait for me." Leonard
didn't seem confused; instead, he jogged up with obvious understanding.
The sound of hurried footsteps accompanied Sheldon's complaints. Leonard yelled for
silence, and the world went quiet. He seemed to have run back to his room, panting heavily
as if he had just finished a marathon. Ian was convinced that Sheldon's house must be very
large, otherwise why would he be panting so badly? It seemed his understanding of the
Batman story was quite reasonable.
"I have this obscure comic book in my collection. It only had a few issues published. I
feel as pathetic as Hulk... Okay, please don't mind my rambling."
Leonard rummaged through something on the other end of the phone.
"The publishing company is Lianzhong Comics... It seems they do have other works.
Let me check for you." As he spoke, the sound of typing on a keyboard came from
Leonard's end.
"Found it. This company is really unlucky. I checked for you on the website [Marginal
People Should Read Marginal Comics]. They have published three comics: The Incredible
Hulk, Invincible Thor, and Human Torch. All of them died suddenly for various reasons, and
even the comic artist died in an accident."
"This is really weird!"
Leonard's gasp sounded like he was about to have an asthma attack.
"Okay, thank you, Leonard. I've got an idea. You seem to be a real superhero too."
Ian said thoughtfully, his words echoing the information he'd found on Google.
The phone went dead.
Leonard instinctively touched his head—thankfully, it was still there. As a reader of
"The Boys," this seasoned otaku felt an overwhelming connection to certain lines.
"After learning about Homelander, I'm almost afraid to look Superman in the eye."
Leonard and his friends have had more than one debate about whether Superman could
shoot the moon.
And then the Homelanders appeared.
This will inevitably lead to the spread of this debate to more groups—for no other
reason than that the cartoonist boy actually drew the idea of shooting into the moon!
Although it's only the beginning of the story.
The epic scene, Crescent Moon Slash, in its enhanced version, undoubtedly delivered a
tremendous shock to seasoned otaku. Leonard couldn't even imagine how Superman's
expression would be if he saw "The Boys."
"And that character named Deep Sea... he must have been modeled after Aquaman,
who has a terrible temper." Leonard was really willing to be a gambler again.
He firmly believed that the more popular *The Boys* became after its release, the
greater the chance he would see the Justice League reunite in the news and furiously
attack the comic book artist, Little Boy. In this troubled world, God may always be
protecting America, but He might not be able to protect audacious comic book artists.
"Fortunately, he's not bold enough to draw Batman."
This is where Leonard felt Ian still had some sense; after all, being able to depict the
mental state of "The Boys" made him somewhat worthy of Arkham Asylum in his opinion.
A little boy.
How long can one survive inside?