Ch: 491-497
Chapter 491: The Surprise from Ancient One
Hearing Locke's words, Gwen felt an urge to roll her eyes.
But... Gwen said nothing.
After all... this was a little secret between her and Locke, and she would never allow a third person to know.
Gwen thought to herself.
Ms. Maria Hill smiled, indicating it was a minor issue: "We can set up an unlimited phone plan for Mr. Kent."
The cost was a drop in the bucket.
They would cover it.
Although they had already discovered that during Nick Fury's tenure, the amount of embezzled public funds had reached billions, compared to that, the cost of a phone bill was simply not worth mentioning... Locke still maintained that Superman-like poker face.
He was about to say,'Sure,' because after all, only a fool passes up a freebie.
But... just then.
Whoosh!
The military Base, which had been illuminated like a bizarre day by that soaring pillar of light even though it was night, instantly returned to its original darkness.
Simultaneously!
An angry roar sounded after the pillar of light vanished. With a boom, a massive figure landed like Gaia, instantly shattering the surrounding ground and kicking up countless clouds of dust as it hit the Earth.
He's here!
Kingpin!
Locke raised an eyebrow, glanced at Gwen out of the corner of his eye, and then said to Ms. Maria Hill, "Stay back!"
As he spoke.
Locke moved.
Boom!
Not far away.
Locke landed on the ground and slowly looked up. Amidst the rising dust, the massive figure crouched with hands on the ground in an Asian squat—a pose foreigners usually couldn't manage. Sensing the aura emanating from this brute, Locke narrowed his eyes.
Another hundred thousand points!
Tsk tsk.
Today is truly another harvest day.
The dust cleared!
As the dust slowly settled, a massive brute appeared. He was a full two meters tall and nearly 0.8 meters wide, a mountain of muscle wearing a custom-made suit. He was bald, with a head that seemed made of muscle, and he radiated the aura of a powerful man.
Ms. Maria Hill and the others, who had heard the commotion from a distance, also cast their gazes over.
Thump!
The military Base's searchlights shone from all sides, like a stage, focusing the spotlights on Locke—who wore mysterious black with a 'K' on his chest and a cape fluttering in the wind—and this suit-clad brute.
"This is..."
"Kingpin?"
"What?"
"Isn't Kingpin dead?"
"A Kingpin from another World!"
Ms. Maria Hill said in a low voice.
Gwen looked down, noticing the hair on her arms standing on end despite being two hundred meters away, and muttered to herself.
This Kingpin... is terrifying!
Whether he was terrifying or not, Locke didn't know.
At this moment.
Locke narrowed his eyes, watching Kingpin stand up like a small mountain or a primal Titan, exuding an endless sense of pressure. He noticed the corner of Kingpin's mouth: "You're injured."
Kingpin raised his fan-like right hand, wiped the corner of his mouth, and looked at the crimson blood—the color of lava—on his hand. He grinned, looked up, and laughed: "The Guardian of your World is very powerful."
Locke's eyebrows shot up!
Guardian?
The bald Ancient One?
Right.
Actually, ever since Little Spider started intruding, Locke had been wondering about one thing.
And that was... where did the Ancient One go?
Speaking of which, shouldn't cases involving Endless Dimensions or parallel Worlds fall under the jurisdiction of Kamar-Taj under the leadership of Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One?
To just do nothing and watch people from various parallel space-times intrude so blatantly.
Is that appropriate?
If the Spider's intrusion was a minor disturbance, then this Kingpin, who looked incredibly powerful from the start, couldn't possibly have gone unnoticed.
So, where did the Ancient One go?
Could it be that she ran away early because her debts exploded?
At the time, the only possibility Locke could think of was that the Ancient One had borrowed too much and finally couldn't make ends meet. The capital chain broke, leading to a debt collapse. To prevent the Endless Dimensions from uniting to crack down on the deadbeat, she simply ran away in advance.
Now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
The Ancient One had still done some work.
Wait!
Locke was suddenly stunned for a moment. Looking at the Kingpin in front of him, he couldn't help but think of a question.
Just now... within that pillar of light, he had sensed Kingpin's aura. And it wasn't just one; the auras were shifting, but without exception, they all belonged to Kingpin.
If the Ancient One had done some work.
Then... what about the rest of the Kingpins?
Did she chop them up?
Then... my points?
Locke snapped his head up!
"Achoo!"
At the intersection of dimensions and parallel space-time, the Sorcerer Supreme stood with one hand behind her back and the other wielding a Kaleidoscope Magic Shield. With a 'puchi' sound, she directly decapitated a Kingpin who was trying to cross over from some numbered world to seek revenge, only to lose his head the moment he emerged.
Thud!
With a wave of Ancient One's hand, the headless corpse of this Kingpin was tossed onto a distant hill with a boom.
If one looked closely, they would see that the hill was composed entirely of corpses.
Moreover... they were all the same person, but from different worlds.
"Master..."
Kaecilius, dressed in burlap robes, flew through the air to Ancient One's side. He turned and took a look: "A Kingpin has escaped our defensive perimeter. I'll take the disciples to hunt him down."
As he spoke, Kaecilius prepared to turn around.
"No need!"
...Master?"
Sorcerer Ancient One's right hand flickered, dispelling the magic shield. Looking at the completely repaired rift, she said to Kaecilius, "I let one through on purpose."
Kaecilius was slightly stunned: "Master did it on purpose?"
Ancient One nodded.
Kaecilius was confused.
"Why?"
"Hehe."
The corner of Ancient One's mouth curved slightly.
Nonsense.
If she didn't let one through, how would others know what she had done?
After all... this multiverse Kingpin invasion was triggered by that person, not by Kamar-Taj.
Put it this way.
In the past, if such a thing happened, the first thing Sorcerer Ancient One would do is deport the guy who caused the multiverse conflict crisis.
However, Locke was different.
After all, Ancient One was still constantly thinking about how to borrow power from Locke.
So, Ancient One didn't take conventional measures. Instead, she treated it as a bit of exercise after drinking too much tea. At the same time, she used this method to warn the restless Endless Dimensionsand parallel space-times.
To tell the dimensions and parallel times.
Terra Star of the Main Universe!
Is guarded by her, the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One.
Earth lies ahead, no gods may enter!
Whoever comes!
Will be chopped!
As for the one that was let through, it was also intentional. After all, as the saying goes, returning home in wealth without showing it off is like walking in the night in fine clothes... No, it's that helping in secret isn't called helping.
Ancient One intended to let Locke know what she had done in the shadows.
This was a favor.
Undoubtedly.
In the future, when she goes to borrow power, she might not even need to write an IOU.
Ancient One thought to herself. Then, as if sensing a certain gaze, she took out a high-tech smartphone from her robes—one that wasn't expected to be invented for another four years. She set a delayed timer towards the nearby mountain of Kingpin corpses, chose the hovering shot mode, and then stood on the mountain of corpses with her arms spread wide. Click!
The flash went off, and a photo was taken!
This photo clearly illustrated that she, the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, had helped a certain person without asking for anything in return, solving countless Kingpins who should have gone to trouble him.
By the way.
Ancient One spread her hands, and with a boom, she projected the scene here as a mirage over there.
Locke, who was looking up at the sky pondering a certain question, saw his vision flicker.
The next second.
Locke seemed to see a woman standing under a small hill with her arms open, seemingly telling him something.
Locke didn't care what she was saying.
But... Locke's sharp eyes instantly discovered that the small hill was composed entirely of one Kingpinafter another.
Oh holy shit!
Ancient One!!!
The next second!
Locke felt like his whole body was about to go numb.
Ancient One!
You've gone too far.
Locke's face instantly turned pitch black, so dark that even a soot-covered pot couldn't compare.
Good heavens.
What did he see?
One, two, three, four corpses!
One Kingpin gives a hundred thousand points!
Two Kingpins are two hundred thousand points!
What about ten?
What about a hundred?
"I fucking..."
Locke felt an urge to cough up blood, and then he felt his entire mental state completely collapse.
Just now, when Locke accepted this mission, he had already planned out what to do next.
Drop out of school!
Level up!
Hunt down Kingpins across parallel Worlds.
A triple play, all in one go. He had already planned another path to become the sun god five years early by slaying Kingpins to earn points.
And now?
This road was completely blocked. Not only was it blocked, but the road was even fucking dug up, leaving only one blatant message.
This path is closed!
A hundred Kingpins would be ten million points.
And that small hill of corpses behind Ancient One couldn't possibly have only a hundred Kingpins; there were probably at least a hundred and fifty!
"So..."
Locke came back to his senses and muttered to himself: "You might as well have run away because of a debt collapse."
492. System: Dear, I was wrong
Ancient One!
You've ruined me!
Locke truly felt as if his mindset had been completely blown apart.
However... Locke quickly adjusted.
The same saying applied.
Locke wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth; he was born a literal beast of burden. Though he had a cheat, it was a growth-oriented one.
Unlike other cheats that immediately gave out SSR skills upon arrival.
Locke didn't shy away from the help he received from his system cheat, but he always believed that his growth from a Texas orphan—surrounded by demons and serial killers—to his current level was 99% due to his own hard work.
Most importantly.
Locke had a good mindset; he could endure loneliness. And from the beginning, he never thought about taking shortcuts... If the path of farming Kingpins to godhood was closed, then so be it.
What else could he do?
Go straight to the door and block Ancient One's entrance?
Locke seriously weighed his current strength. Although he was now a Dimensional God with infinite energy, over the years, the number of Dimensional Gods Ancient One had cut down was at least ten thousand, if not a hundred.
The corpses of the Dimensional Gods Ancient One had killed might not form a small country, but they could barely manage to circle the Milky Way Galaxy once.
But... going to block her door was impossible. However, that didn't mean Locke would forget about this.
"Just you wait, Ancient One!"
Locke huffed twice: "Don't give me any opportunities."
Of course.
Locke actually knew that Ancient One was doing a good deed. From a certain perspective, he understood she was essentially cleaning up his mess.
At the same time... this confirmed one thing for Locke.
Ancient One knew about him, and she held no ill will toward him.
However, knowing is one thing; whether he could accept it was another.
Wait a minute?
Locke suddenly raised an eyebrow!
Ancient One didn't know what he wanted to do.
But something else did.
So... "Motherf*cker, it turns out this is all the trash system's fault!"
"...Meow?"
Locke's face darkened again!
The system, which supposedly had no self-awareness, was momentarily stunned by those words. Then, it suddenly felt a sort of three-fold soul-searching question.
Who am I?
What did I do?
What does this have to do with me?
Ancient One might not know Locke's thoughts, but the system did. Without a doubt, in Locke's heart, the system definitely ranked higher than Ancient One. According to that logic...
Did the system not know Ancient One would do this?
So!
It was all the system's fault.
Trash system!
Locke suddenly realized that while Ancient One's actions might have been unintentional, the system was definitely out to mess with his head. It knew the task couldn't be completed, yet it still had the gall to say killing one Kingpin would give 100,000 points. Locke didn't believe for a second that the system didn't know how many Kingpins were left.
"Ding..."
"Don't try to talk your way out of it. You're the system; don't you know how many Kingpins there are?"
Locke's eyebrows shot up: "We're breaking up. Let's split right now. You mess with my head and expect me to have no temper?"
[Ding!]
[Task under modification!]
[Task Name: "The Death of Kingpin: A Peaceful Semester Part 3"]
[Task Reward Modified!: "200,000 achievement points!", "200,000 potential points!", "Mysterious Reward *1"]
[Task Description: "The Mysterious Reward can yield life potions... even the Sun God Bloodline. Among them, the chance to draw the Sun God Bloodline is 30%, the chance for a golden legend item is 40%, the chance for a Red Quality item is 50%... The probability for White Quality items has been lowered to 0.0001%!"]
[System Message: "Dear, I'm sorry, I was wrong!"]
"..."
30%!
The originally furious Locke's gaze landed on the draw probability for the Sun God Bloodline. He swallowed hard: "Fine, fine. I'm a man, I'll be magnanimous. I'll let it slide this time. Don't let it happen again!"
The next second.
A cunning smile appeared on Locke's Superman-like stoic face.
Life is like a play, it all depends on acting.
See... isn't the Sun God Bloodline practically within reach now?
Even if he didn't draw that, a golden legend or Red Quality item wouldn't be bad either.
As someone with multiple personas like Assassin Peerless, Witch Rococo, Blood Emperor Cain, and Dimensional God Zero, acting was second nature to Locke.
Drop out?
How could that be possible!
Although farming Kingpins was a shortcut...
From a certain perspective, if he chose the path of farming Kingpins, how would that be different from a job? And it would be the kind of job where he had to fly to a different World every day.
Damn it, other wage slaves take a plane once a day; he'd be changing Worlds once a day.
Considering mental fatigue and all that, how could it compare to the current situation where points automatically come in just by taking exams?
And.
Only a fool would leave this World. If I leave, what about Gwen?
Locke thought to himself.
The next second.
He looked up.
In a much better mood, Locke looked toward Kingpin. Only ten seconds had passed, and Kingpin had just finished wiping the corner of his mouth and lowering his hand. "It seems that in these parallel timelines, you're the only one left."
Tsk tsk.
Ancient One is truly ruthless.
A real savage.
Speaking of which, killing so many Kingpins in such a short time—don't her eyes get dry?
"And..."
Locke's gaze fell on Kingpin. It wasn't just blood at the corner of his mouth; even his left hand was dripping blood that looked like lava. It sizzled as it hit the ground. "You're about finished."
In a rare good mood.
Locke looked at this Kingpin who had come from who-knows-where: "Commit suicide. It'll be more dignified."
Kingpin grinned: "Did I come all this way just to perform a suicide for you?"
Locke smiled too.
The next second.
Locke pursed his lips, nodded, and his feet slowly left the ground: "Then, goodbye!"
With that!
Locke's eyes grew hot and burning.
Instantly!
Boom!
Heat Vision!
Two blinding beams of Heat Vision blasted out, instantly hurtling toward Kingpin.
Even though he had swindled a guaranteed golden legend item out of the system...
To get that Mysterious Reward, Kingpin had to die!
"Ah!"
Seeing this, Kingpin roared and crossed his arms in front of him.
With a loud boom.
The Heat Vision slammed directly into Kingpin's arms.
Clang, clang, clang!
The moment the Heat Vision struck Kingpin's arms, a sound like striking iron rang out continuously. Simultaneously, accompanied by a cracking sound, a suit of armor began to extend from Kingpin's arms.
"This..."
A bear-like smile appeared on Kingpin's massive face as he looked up at Locke, who was trying to finish him with Heat Vision from above. "This armor was made by butchering the Iron Man, Spider-Woman, and that gamma-ray monster from my World. I used their gear and energy to forge it. The more energy you give it, the tougher my Gamma Armor becomes!"
As he spoke.
Kingpin roared and threw his arms open. Instantly, the Heat Vision slammed directly into his chest.
In an instant!
The Heat Vision splattered against the rapidly forming armor. It even reflected, booming as beams of Heat Vision scattered in all directions like stray bullets.
Boom!
A beam of Heat Vision hit a section of the floor, instantly blowing it to pieces!
Another beam ricocheted into the crowd nearby who couldn't dodge in time, instantly sending people flying like a flock of sheep.
Boom!
Yet another beam bounced and shot into a nearby building. With a roar, it triggered an explosion.
"Ssh!"
Locke's eyes were glowing hot as he looked thoughtfully at Kingpin, who was now clad in a strange armor of red, black, green, and white.
"You..."
"What did you just say?"
"I said..."
"Boom!"
The moment Kingpin opened his mouth, a sonic boom rang out. Kingpin was sent flying.
Locke appeared where Kingpin had just been standing, his face cold. "I know damn well what you said. You're looking for death!"
Damn it.
What did Kingpin just say?
This armor was made by killing Iron Man, Green Hulk, and Spider-Woman, and taking their things and energy?
Clearly.
Kingpin was courting death.
Completely!
Locke instantly appeared in the air. His right fist smashed down heavily on Kingpin's head, instantly turning the latter into a meteor that crashed straight into a building below.
Boom!
The building was instantly pierced with a large hole by the falling Kingpin, followed by another explosion.
"The more energy it absorbs, the stronger it gets?"
"Heh!"
"Then I'll just beat you to death with my bare hands today!"
"..."
Locke snorted coldly, his stoic face unchanged. With a boom, he chased after Kingpin like a cannonball into the building.
The next second!
A series of explosions echoed from within the building.
Thud, thud, thud!
Outside, Maria Hill and the others—who had become mere spectators in a battle beyond mortal intervention—watched with expressions of awe. They were completely stunned as Kingpin was repeatedly knocked out of the building through new holes, only to be kicked back in by the fast-moving Locke.
Just then.
A Lieutenant Colonel guarding General Thaddeus Ross suddenly reacted.
"General!"
"That place..."
The Lieutenant Colonel swallowed hard. "That's where Purple Man is being held!"
493. The Escaped Purple Man
Purple Man.
Kevin Thomson was a spy from London who was exposed because of the Jessica Campbell incident; he was a spy who had intended to seek death but accidentally unlocked a certain mutation ability instead.
Since Jessica Campbell left the Military Base, Kevin Thomson was the only research subject remaining at the Base.
And Kevin Thomson's mutation ability was exposed during this process.
He could release a virus that could spread through the air to help him control those infected by it; after he almost escaped once, Kevin Thomson's supervision was changed to a transparent, inner-circulating glass cage.
They even... put clothes with electric shocks on Kevin Thomson; once Kevin Thomson tried to escape, the voltage released by the clothes would be enough to make him feel the fear of being dominated by an electric eel.
"What?"
Maria Hill naturally knew about the Purple Man; not only did she know, but she had also contacted General Ross several times, trying to get S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists to study the mutation story happening to the Purple Man together.
At this moment... Maria Hill was stunned when she heard the Officer say that the Purple Man was inside that building.
If these two non-humans opened the Purple Man's cage because of their fight, would the Purple Man's mysterious control virus take control of these two non-humans?
shit!
Maria Hill thought to herself as she raised an eyebrow; just as she was about to do something, there was a loud boom, and a dark shadow whistled out from the building that had exploded and caught fire four times.
The black object rolled on the ground a few times and then, like a football, rolled to a position a hundred meters away from them.
It came into view.
A massive head.
A head with eyes that would not close in death.
Without a doubt.
It was Kingpin's.
But... what about Clark?
Maria Hill and the others snapped back to their senses and looked at the building, which had shown no other movement since the head flew out, aside from the sound of explosions.
"Locke?"
Gwen also blinked, looking at the building with a worried face, her heart filled with anxiety.
The next second.
"Gwen?"
Behind Locke was a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent who had been following him since he left the bathroom; he ran over from not far away: "Gwen, what just happened outside? Oh, Dr. Curt Connors?"
Again.
Locke's acting was superb.
Meeting Gwen's wide, beautiful eyes, Locke looked with feigned surprise at Dr. Curt Connors, who seemed to have recovered from his ecstasy and was sitting there: "Heavens, Doctor, you've recovered?"
Dr. Curt Connors looked up at Locke; although his head was still splitting, he still politely nodded and smiled at Locke.
Gwen stared at Locke without blinking.
She had been watching the building the entire time; when did Locke leave?
Gwen blinked.
Locke hugged Gwen with an exaggerated expression: "Honey, I heard the noise outside; fortunately, you're fine. Just in time."
Gwen's body was a bit stiff, then she sniffed, feeling it was unscientific, and whispered, "When did you leave?"
Locke released Gwen and gave her a mischievous wink: "I was in the bathroom the whole time, diarrhea."
As he spoke... Locke's expression changed, and he clutched his stomach: "Ouch, I can't take it anymore. I feel like I must have eaten something bad. I have to go again."
This time it was real.
He really had to pee.
Gwen was speechless as she watched Locke turn around again and quickly run toward the bathroom once more.
A while later.
By the time Locke walked out of the bathroom again feeling relieved, most of the extremely tense atmosphere in the Military Base had vanished.
"Go, go, go!"
"In, in, in!"
After finishing their roles as spectators, the well-trained soldiers finally resumed their duties, fully armed and forming combat teams as they quickly advanced into the building where the explosions had stopped but fires were still burning.
They entered.
The soldiers looked up at the large hole that had been broken open, through which the moon was visible, and they couldn't help but swallow hard. Their gaze then fell on a burly, headless corpse lying not far away.
"Officer!"
"Speak!"
"Found a headless corpse."
"Anyone else?"
"No!"
"Where's the Purple Man?"
"One moment."
The soldier leading the team stood up and waved his hand; a group of team members quickly moved toward the transparent cage where the Purple Man had been held.
Soon.
The squad leader's gaze fell on the glass cage, which could be said to be indestructible but was now shattered into pieces, and the Purple Man, who was nowhere to be found. He reported truthfully: "Purple Man is not in the cage. Repeat, Purple Man is not in the cage!"
"What about a body?"
"None!"
"shit!"
The Lieutenant Colonel outside slammed the table, grabbed his walkie-talkie, and ran out in a hurry.
Locke raised an eyebrow: "Purple Man? What's the situation?"
Gwen turned her head and gave Locke, who had just come out of the bathroom again, a frustrated roll of her eyes: "Finished?"
This guy—she had already said she would pretend she didn't know anything about today and wouldn't use it as evidence.
After all... this guy had rescued Dr. Curt Connors.
But.
I already said I wouldn't use it as evidence; you could just say it directly, but you insist on saying you went to the bathroom. It's so boring. Even though I don't have any evidence, this is already an open-book test where I know the answer, and you still insist on making me write it down. It's not fun at all.
However.
Gwen had also heard from the conversation between Maria Hill and the others that the Purple Man had some kind of terrifying ability to control people. She asked curiously in a low voice, "Didn't you see the Purple Man inside? You know, that spy we caught last time we came here, the one named Kevin Thomson?"
Locke hummed: "What about him?"
"He escaped."
"Ha."
Locke laughed: "The Purple Man escaped."
Goodfellas.
Locke had thought that after all this time, the Purple Man would have been sliced up by the Military's mad scientists no matter what.
After all... even the Hulk was almost sliced up by the Military.
In fact, the Purple Man was almost sliced up; the reason the Military knew about his special ability was because it manifested on the operating table just as he was about to be dissected.
And because of the Purple Man's somewhat broken ability, the Military felt that if they could successfully decode it, they would have their own mind controller. So, although they were very wary of this ability, they still kept the Purple Man well-fed and housed.
Hearing Locke's laughter, Gwen gave him a playful punch.
"You were in there, didn't you see him?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You..."
Locke looked at Gwen's beautiful face, which was filled with hesitation, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Then, he also looked toward the place where he had just fought.
Was the Purple Man held in that building?
Locke thought to himself; although his attention was on Kingpin while he was fighting him inside, he was still very clear about whether there were other people in there.
After all... Locke had already decided that if he had to reveal an alt in the future, Clark Kent could be the one.
Therefore, Clark Kent must be in the justice camp.
If there were other innocent people inside who died because they were caught in the fight, it could be said to be a necessary price for justice, but it would still leave a small shadow on Clark Kent's glorious alt.
Locke thought this way, then saw Gwen's huffy cheeks, smiled, and shook his head.
Seeing this, Gwen asked: "No?"
Locke shrugged.
Although the answer had already been given to Gwen, as long as Gwen didn't catch him red-handed, he would never tear down the final layer of mystery.
A layer of mystery was still mystery; it could more or less bring a little bit of intrigue.
And... it could also add some special spice.
Besides.
Whether the Purple Man was inside or whether he escaped had absolutely nothing to do with Locke.
Even if it did.
It would just be a matter of one punch.
Again.
As long as the system didn't issue a mission, or the Purple Man didn't go crazy and come to provoke him, where the Purple Man was or what he planned to do was none of his business.
This matter, no matter how you looked at it, was something the Military, or at the very least, S.H.I.E.L.D., should worry about.
Locke had only one thought now.
Go home.
Unlock some positions.
Over there, Maria Hill talked with the Military for a while and realized that there was still an uncontrollable Disaster Constitution present. She put down the phone, looked at Locke and Gwenteasing each other not far away, smiled, thought to herself that being young was great, and walked back, saying: "Sorry, too much happened tonight. Thank you both for your help. Agent Barbara Morsewill drive you both home safely."
Gwen looked at Maria Hill and quickly asked: "Ms. Hill, what about the Doctor? What will happen to the Doctor?"
Maria Hill smiled: "Don't worry, the Doctor will go to the military hospital for an examination. How about this? I'll send you the hospital address tomorrow, and you can come visit anytime."
Gwen's eyes lit up: "That's great, thank you, Ms. Hill."
Hill gave a slight smile and then shook hands with Locke: "Compared to the lizard men filling the streets of New York, I can accept one escaped Purple Man who can control others. Thank you, Mr. Broughton!"
Locke: "..."
Chapter 494: The Escaped Purple Man
Locke listened to Maria Hill's words, then looked at the smile on Maria Hill's face.
Speechless!
It was obvious.
In Maria Hill's view, it seemed his Disaster Constitution had successfully activated.
That is, his Disaster Constitution brought about the escape of the Purple Man, and thus, this disaster replaced the disaster that Dr. Lizard had intended to create.
But… Locke shook his head after letting go of the handshake, "This is superstition, Ms. Hill!"
Ms. Hill smiled, "Is it?"
Locke shrugged.
"Isn't it? Don't forget, the Purple Man's escape happened after Dr. Lizard's disaster crisis was resolved. According to your theory, isn't there a loophole?"
"No, quite the opposite."
"What?"
Ms. Hill looked at Locke, "Clearly, the Purple Man found an opportunity to escape because Clark Kentand Kingpin, who came from another World, were fighting."
Locke opened his mouth, wanting to ask, 'Do you have any evidence?'
Just spouting nonsense?
How could he not remember that the Purple Man was in that building?
Ms. Hill refined her deduction: "So, your coming here triggered the Purple Man's escape disaster. This is the result. And to facilitate this result, Mr. Clark Kent and Kingpin appeared. And because Mr. Clark Kent appeared, Dr. Lizard's disaster crisis was resolved…"
Locke was a bit dumbfounded, "So, you mean to say that if I hadn't come, then Clark Kent wouldn't have appeared? And if Clark Kent hadn't appeared, then the Purple Man wouldn't have escaped?"
Ms. Hill nodded, "That's right. But don't worry, I promise you, Mr. Broughton, this matter will not affect whether you receive the honorary citizen title of New York City by the end of the year. As long as you maintain your current performance for the remaining time, Mr. Nameless and I will ask for a title back for you. I guarantee it."
Locke was completely speechless.
An hour later.
In the elevator of Starlight Tower.
Gwen glanced at Locke several times, then opened her mouth.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened.
After a while.
The door opened.
Entered home.
Gwen finally shrugged and said to Locke, "I think Ms. Hill is right. If you weren't here, then Clark Kentwouldn't have appeared."
Locke, walking to the bar, glanced at Gwen, then chuckled twice, and found his bourbon.
One glass.
Drank it all.
Gwen took off her coat, sat on a high stool, and propped her chin, her beautiful eyes looking at Locke as if he were a Hero.
And he was her exclusive Hero.
"Locke?"
"What?"
"Thank you."
"What?"
Gwen suddenly got up from the high stool, kissed Locke, and said, "Dr. Connors has always been very kind to me since I first went to Osborn Biologics, treating me like a daughter. I'm very happy to see Dr.Connors safe and sound now. Thank you, my Hero."
Locke smiled.
The next second.
Locke looked at Gwen, blinked, and said, "You're welcome. Just remember the reward!"
Gwen was stunned, "What reward?"
Locke raised an eyebrow.
Gwen saw this, then thought of something, and rolled her eyes at Locke, "Come on, with this atmosphere, don't you think saying something like that is a mood killer?"
She was expressing her admiration.
Perhaps… her admiration could make Locke drop his guard, allowing her to find direct evidence and write down the answer.
At that time.
Hehe.
You said no secrets, but what happened? Good, you really are hiding little secrets. Tell me, how many more secrets haven't you told?
Locke was unmoved, "For me, if you don't give me the reward, then I'd find it disappointing."
What a joke.
Locke was never a benevolent person.
Not to mention, he used a Purification Potion and a Life Potion tonight.
When Locke acts, there must be a reward.
If there was no reward, Locke wouldn't even bother to move.
Gwen listened to Locke's words and couldn't help but roll her eyes, but then seemed to think of something, stood up, and once again gave Locke a charming glance, "Wait, I'm going to Shower first."
Locke sipped the wine in his glass, "Okay, I'll be right up."
Soon.
Gwen went up to the second floor via the spiral staircase.
Locke, sitting at the bar, finished the bourbon in his glass and poured himself another.
At the same time… he extracted tonight's reward!
Mysterious Reward.
A seemingly ordinary wooden box, at most antique in appearance, covered with mysterious runes, appeared in Locke's vision, visible only to him.
The next second!
"Ding!"
"Do you want to open the Mysterious Reward!"
"Nonsense!"
Locke thought to himself. He planned to save the 800,000 points he had just accumulated tonight for a rainy day, and he hadn't received any treasure discount coupons. As he always said, Locke never bought anything without a discount.
Buying it felt like a huge loss!
"Open!"
"Ding!"
"Opening Mysterious Box!"
"Buzz!"
With a tremor, and then a bang, the opened Mysterious Box spewed out white, blue, red, and golden legendary light, along with golden light carved with supreme runes, like a volcanic eruption.
Instantly.
A pointer appeared, surrounded by five frames.
At the top, the flickering golden light carved with supreme runes, if one looked closely, seemed to contain a blazing Sun.
Gulp!
Locke swallowed.
sun god!
His ultimate goal, which he had coveted since the first chapter.
System, I hope you know what's good for you.
Give it to me.
Then I can finish the story!
Locke thought to himself, then his expression fell on the Golden Legendary slot, blinking as he looked at a necklace that looked very much like a Cross in the Golden Legendary item slot: "What is this?"
As his words fell.
A line of text popped up on the Golden Legendary light cluster.
"Favor Necklace: Golden Legendary grade. Grants exemption from death for thirty-six hours, ignoring all attacks and skills. Exemption is exemption, even the full power strike of the sun god cannot break this exemption!"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Locke immediately pulled a long face, "What do you mean? Are you saying the grade of this broken necklace is even higher than the sun god's?"
It was clear.
The System didn't give any response that would indicate it was an intelligent life form. It only spouted witty remarks when issuing tasks; at other times, it was as mechanical and rigid as a wooden dummy.
Locke stroked his chin.
He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt that this so-called lottery draw, seemed to be a game whose outcome had already been arranged, appearing as a blind box, but what he would draw was already predetermined.
An illusion?
Locke blinked slightly.
The next second.
Locke was again attracted by a miniature, toy-like object in the red-quality frame.
"What is this?"
"Ding!"
"Heavenly Blade One Spaceship: Red quality. A divine throne crafted by a certain god-level civilization, known as the Iron Throne among spaceships. Powered by dimensional energy, it achieves super-spatial teleportation through its own energy, and can traverse between dimensions. It can carry a large army, directly descending upon enemy dimensions to deliver a heavy blow!"
"Wow!"
Locke blinked, looking at the displayed data.
This design.
Cool!
He wanted it.
But… "That's not right."
Locke raised an eyebrow, "Isn't its rating a divine throne? Why is it only red quality? This looks like it should be Golden Legendary grade, doesn't it?"
This time, the System responded!
"Ding!"
"This item was created by a god-level civilization using technological means. If technology could create Golden Legendary quality items, then what would be the meaning of the transcendent?"
"…That's true."
Locke nodded. If flesh was too painful and mechanical ascension was feasible, then what was the point of him painstakingly saving points to buy the Sun God Bloodline? "Red quality, barely acceptable."
Having understood this, Locke's gaze began to drift between the three items: the Sun God Bloodline, the Favor Necklace, and the Heavenly Blade One Spaceship.
He wanted them all.
What to do?
As for what was in the blue and white quality frames.
Locke couldn't be bothered to look.
In a word.
At his current level, anything below red quality, no matter how good, was not up to par.
Let's put it this way.
If he were to draw a blue quality item this time, there would be no discussion, one word: split, immediately split.
That damn System had already messed with his mood twice today.
Another round?
Locke would absolutely lose it.
But… Locke took a deep breath, feeling a headache, "Can we stop drawing? Wouldn't it be better if you just gave them all to me?"
Clearly.
The System remained unresponsive.
Just then.
Locke suddenly raised an eyebrow, as if he thought of something, and opened his item inventory, finding something inside.
"Found it."
Locke raised an eyebrow, holding an hourglass in his hand, "This thing should be usable here, right?"
"Another Chance Hourglass: Blue quality. Reverses the hourglass, allowing a fixed period of time to flow backward, giving you a chance to re-choose!"
The System seemed to freeze for a moment after Locke took out this item.
Then… "Ding!"
"Confirm use of Another Chance Hourglass? You will receive two drawing opportunities!"
"Confirm, confirm!"
Locke was wrong.
Blue quality wasn't without good things.
This, clearly, was one of them.
Double draw!
Damn it.
sun god!
Heavenly Blade One.
Come out for me!
Four Hundred and Ninety-Five, College Super Bowl
Gwen, who had just walked out of the bathroom, felt a little strange.
Looking at the time… from when she entered the bathroom until she came out, about forty minutes had passed. Usually, almost five minutes after she entered the bathroom, a scoundrel would eagerly rush in, shamelessly asking to shower together.
But this time?
What was going on?
Gwen, wrapped in a bath towel, blinked, sensing the rascal already in the bedroom. She walked over and then saw Locke, his back to her, sitting cross-legged on the bay window, gazing at the night sky at a forty-five-degree angle, seemingly meditating.
What's wrong with him?
Gwen muttered to herself, then walked over curiously. As she got closer, she saw Locke's face, which was filled with expressions of 'loneliness,' 'melancholy,' 'boredom,' and 'what's the point of living, what's the point of dying.'
And… Gwen also saw two items Locke was holding in his hands.
A necklace.
And something that looked like a car model, but wasn't a car. Instead, it was a miniature, very ornate and imposing, resembling a great sword stuck into a platform.
"What's wrong?"
Gwen gently stroked Locke's fringe and asked softly, "Why do you suddenly look so down?"
Locke snapped back to reality, glanced at Gwen… then let out a deep sigh.
Locke wasn't down; he just simply felt it was meaningless.
Five slots.
Two draws.
By all accounts, it was a two-in-five chance of winning, not to mention the Sun God bloodline had a thirty percent chance of winning. Moreover, to prevent the damn system from rigging anything, he had let the system release control and allowed him to directly spin the lottery wheel.
And the result?
Both draws undeniably bypassed the first prize, the Sun God bloodline.
Indeed.
I knew it; the damn system wouldn't let him finish early.
Although the 'Favor Necklace' and 'Heavenly Blade One' – one a golden legend, the other a red quality – could be considered a pure profit, they still paled in comparison to the Sun God bloodline that Locke had been longing for.
So… Locke was emo.
However, it was still the same old saying.
Locke possessed an excellent mindset. The hardships he endured in his childhood had forged in Locke an unyielding spirit, and no setback could ever crush his heart's yearning for the stars and the sea.
He looked up.
"Gwen."
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
"…"
Gwen paused, then blinked, looking at Locke: "Uh… thanks?"
Locke was stunned.
Thanks?
What the hell was that?
I love you?
Thanks?
Gwen looked at the expression on Locke's face, a smile like an aunt's grin appearing at the corner of her mouth. She stroked Locke's cheek, then embraced him with both hands: "Even if you say that, it's impossible to increase the reward."
You rascal, don't think I don't know what you're trying to do.
No means no!
That position was already quite embarrassing. To increase the reward, an 'I love you' isn't enough. At the very least, it needs a ring, and preferably a grand and highly anticipated marriage proposal ceremony.
Hmm.
Gwen thought to herself.
The next day.
Locke, as energetic as ever, and Gwen, whose cheeks were flushed and who looked very refreshed, walked down to the underground garage together. Then, they threw the used condom, which had filled a garbage bag the previous night, into a nearby trash can.
Gwen looked at Locke, who, simply because a new position had been unlocked, fought through the night as if he couldn't get enough. She felt a little amazed. Honestly, yesterday, the amount of fluid that rascal produced must have weighed a pound.
How… did he not feel tired at all?
However, Gwen remembered what her mother, Helen, had told her.
It's a good thing for your man to still be excited about you. The danger comes when he loses that excitement.
Gwen's lips curved upwards.
That rascal was always excited about her; last night, he almost wanted to melt into her.
An hour later.
New Jersey Military Rehabilitation Hospital.
Locke and Gwen, led by Barbara Morse, walked into the ward. Their first glance fell upon Dr. Connors, who was propped up in bed, wearing glasses, and reading a professional book.
Gwen walked over with a surprised look and handed the bouquet she had bought earlier to Dr. Connors on the bed: "Doctor!"
The doctor took off his glasses and, with a smile, accepted the bouquet Gwen handed him: "Gwen, you're here."
Gwen hummed, "Doctor, how are you feeling?"
"Good."
Dr. Connors felt like a keyword had been triggered. He nodded: "Better than ever. Look at this arm; it's back."
As he spoke.
Dr. Connors, like a child with a new toy eager to show it off, waved the arm he had lost for many years and that had now returned to his body, his face filled with joy.
"Oh, right!"
After showing off his arm, Dr. Connors looked at Gwen and said gratefully, "Oh, right, I haven't thanked you, Gwen."
Gwen, who had pulled over a chair and sat down, examining Dr. Connors' medical reports placed beside her, looked up at these words, a little curious: "Thank me?"
"Yes, thank you for finding me, and also thank you for believing in me."
Dr. Connors said solemnly, "I think that when I turned into that monster, if it weren't for you, no one would have believed that I was still alive, or that I could still be saved."
Gwen quickly said, "Doctor, we all believed you could recover. I, Locke, Ms. Hill, and also Dr. Bruce Banner and Ms. Betty Ross—we all believed you could recover. Moreover, Dr. Bruce Banner also helped develop the most perfect human rehabilitation serum based on the manual you left behind."
Not far away, Locke, who wasn't involved in the conversation between the teacher and student, looked at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Barbara Morse next to him and asked curiously, "By the way, how is Dr. Bruce Banner?"
"His life was saved."
Barbara Morse said, "But Dr. Bruce Banner has now been transferred back to the military base's nursing ward. Without General Ross's permission, visits are not allowed."
Locke nodded: "It's good that he's okay."
Actually… the fact that Bruce Banner, even with one foot in the grave, could have his life saved seemed somewhat unscientific.
But it was also quite normal.
Locke hadn't forgotten that yesterday, when he gave the life potion to Thaddeus Ross, General Ross only drank two-thirds of the potion, leaving one-third untouched.
If there were no surprises, and there wouldn't be, that remaining one-third of the potion probably went into Bruce Banner's mouth.
As for the exact process, that remained unknown.
Even if Locke were to ask directly, he would probably only get an explanation from General Ross along the lines of, 'This old man respects and appreciates talent.'
Really?
General Ross probably thought that since Bruce Banner had also been exposed to gamma radiation, he might also awaken some Hulk bloodline.
Now this was interesting.
Red Hulk.
Green Hulk?
Tsk tsk.
One, the father-in-law, was the Red Hulk who grew stronger by absorbing energy, and the other, the son-in-law, was the Green Hulk who grew stronger through rage.
When General Ross wasn't the Red Hulk, he was capable of mobilizing the army and encircling the Green Hulk worldwide. Now that he could also become the Red Hulk, wouldn't he oppress the Green Hulk to death?
Locke's eyes lit up. He was already eager to see this scene of deep affection between father-in-law and son-in-law unfold.
At the very least, it would be more interesting than his interactions with George, wouldn't it?
Comparing goods, one must discard the inferior.
Compared to General Ross, George was completely and utterly an ordinary person.
"Oh!"
After Locke and Gwen finished their visit and were leaving the hospital, Locke thought about this matter, stroked his chin, and pondered whether he should find something to give George, since he had given the Red Hulk to General Ross for free.
What to give?
Red Hulk and Green Hulk and Donkey?
…Bah!
That was a carp.
Locke shook his head, unable to think of anything good for a while. The most important point was that if George gained any special abilities, he would definitely use them to hunt down the Peerless Assassin.
His brain wasn't rusty.
Locke wouldn't do something like aiding the enemy.
Soon.
When the new workday arrived, Locke and Gwen returned to school. The events that occurred at the New Jersey military base over the weekend had not caused any news ripples.
After all, that was a military base. Once the military exercise announcement was issued, even if the media didn't believe such a statement, there was nothing they could do. The media did want to go and interview that night, but again, it was a military base.
If they went and didn't come back, there would be no way to reason about it.
So… even though many people felt that the military base was talking nonsense, in the eyes of more people, it was something that happened in New Jersey. In short, it was a rural area; was any minor incident there worth the attention of great New York?
Moreover, compared to events happening in the countryside, what the students of Midtown High were most looking forward to was the National High School Super Bowl football final five days later.
"Here."
Just as Gwen and he had put down their bags and were chatting with classmates in the classroom, Sam Malik walked in from outside, happily handing the tickets in his hand to Locke and Gwen: "VIP seats at the stadium."
Locke took them and said thank you.
Betty and Helen Cho, sitting nearby, looked at Sam Malik: "Sam, you're not being fair. Where are ours?"
Sam laughed, then, with a flick of his right hand, as if he had been prepared, handed the ready tickets to the core members of Locke's small group: "Here, I've got them all ready for you."
496. Jessica's Return
Regarding this year's College Super Bowl event.
Sam Malik had spent more than two years trying to reach the finals. He originally thought that winning the Super Bowl might be an impossible task.
Fortunately, Locke stepped forward and won the student council president's seat. Moreover, he kept his word and did not interfere with him or his football team. In fact, whenever there was a request concerning the football team, Locke never held it up or deliberately made things difficult. This allowed Sam Malik to devote himself wholeheartedly to the team and give his all in this final college event.
Finally, they successfully made it to the finals.
And Sam Malik was confident that he could crush his opponents in this week's final and lift the Super Bowl, the highest honor in federal college football!
So... early in the morning, Sam Malik arrived at school. After hearing that Locke had arrived, he immediately came over to hand out tickets.
He didn't just prepare them for Locke; every member of Locke's inner circle received a ticket.
Of course.
Not everyone got VIP seats... Helen Zhao took the ticket from Sam Malik, thanked him, and then quipped, "It seems our quarterback, Malik, is determined to win this championship. I'll definitely be there."
Ken was over there, hugging Betty, and winked at Helen Zhao, also teasing, "Our quarterback is having success in both his career and love life. Last weekend, I saw a man and a woman feeding each other from afar on Broadway."
Gwen formally put away her ticket. Hearing Ken's words, she looked at Sam: "Sam, how's Jessica doing lately?"
Ever since the car accident, Jessica had temporarily taken a leave of absence from school and hadn't returned yet.
A month ago, Gwen, Ken, and Betty used to visit Jessica frequently, but in the past month, they had all been busy with the knowledge competition. After the knowledge competition was over, Locke and Gwen encountered the Lizard Doctor incident, leaving them even less time to visit.
So.
Gwen was quite concerned about Jessica's recent situation: "Has she not recovered yet?"
Sam pursed his lips, nodded, and said, "The psychologist diagnosed her with moderate depression."
After all, no one could accept that their adopted younger brother, whom they treated as their own, was the culprit behind the car accident that killed their parents. Not getting severe depression was already a testament to Jessica's strong psychological resilience.
However... Sam showed a hint of a smile, looking at Gwen, whose expression had become serious, and said, "But she's been much better recently. You know, at first, Jessica didn't even want to leave the house."
Gwen nodded.
That was true.
When they went to visit Jessica back then, each time, they could only talk to Jessica, who was curled up on the bed, through her bedroom door, and it was always a one-way conversation.
"By the way."
Sam Malik said to Gwen, "Gwen, I want to ask you for a favor."
Gwen looked at him: "Tell me."
Sam said, "I've carefully persuaded her many times this week, and Jessica has agreed to come back to school, but..."
He didn't finish his sentence.
Ken and Betty immediately got excited.
"Really?"
"Jessica's coming back?"
"That's great."
Although the girls in high school were no less scheming than the 'green tea' girls in society, the atmosphere in Locke's class was quite good. Even though there was Betty, the big sister who led the school's sorority, Betty only liked pranks and wasn't a bully, so the atmosphere was still quite pleasant.
Locke felt that he contributed to this.
Because it was Locke's gentle and easygoing nature that infected the members of his inner circle, making them also gentle and easygoing.
After all, if the upper beam is straight, the lower beam, even if it wants to be crooked, cannot be.
Moreover... Jessica had always had a good relationship with them, especially now that she had the sympathetic 'orphaned parents' buff. So, hearing that Jessica was coming back, they were naturally happy and relieved for her.
But... Sam Malik looked at Betty and Ken, who had gotten excited before he could finish his sentence, rubbed his temples, and looked at the two with a helpless expression: "See, this is what I'm worried about."
Betty and Ken looked at Sam Malik, somewhat confused.
Was there anything wrong with them being happy for Jessica?
Gwen, however, understood and said to Betty and Ken, "Sam means he hopes we don't get too excited when we see Jessica tomorrow. At the very least, don't show extraordinary joy. Just act like before when Jessica was here. Talk when you should, chat when you should. Is that what you mean, Sam?"
Sam nodded and gave Gwen a thumbs-up: "Exactly!"
Betty frowned: "Why?"
Ken was still confused.
Gwen shook her head: "Don't forget, Jessica has moderate depression. If we're overly happy and relieved, it might make Jessica overthink, thinking we're pitying her. So, be careful."
She had specifically studied psychology for a period of time, and according to the former psychological experts of the New York Police Department, she could even directly take the certification exam.
Gwen had also specifically studied depression. After all, at that time, Gwen had always suspected whether Locke had some kind of atypical depression and was even contemplating whether she could write a paper or something based on that.
It turned out later that Locke wasn't depressed at all.
Betty and Ken still didn't quite understand the underlying connection, but seeing Gwen's serious expression, they exchanged glances, then shrugged and nodded.
Seeing this, Sam breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Gwen.
This was why he wanted to talk to Gwen.
Although Betty was the big sister of the high school sorority, when it came to prestige among the high school girls, no one could compare to Gwen.
After all, Gwen was a student assistant and was always eager to help, possessing a natural base of student support. Even Betty, who never bowed to anyone, listened quite well to Gwen.
So, instead of asking every girl individually, it was better to simply solve it once and for all by talking to Gwen.
The next day.
When Locke and Gwen arrived in the classroom, they immediately noticed that the seat on the right, which had been empty, now had its owner back.
Jessica Campbell... no.
It should be Jessica Jones now.
Gwen glanced at Locke, then walked over to Jessica Jones, who was sitting at her desk, resting her chin in her hand, lost in thought as she gazed out the window, possessing an even more serene beauty than Locke.
"Good morning."
"..."
Jessica Jones slowly came back to reality upon hearing the voice. She looked up at Gwen with eyes that, compared to their former liveliness, now seemed somewhat dim, and forced a smile: "Good morning, Gwen."
Gwen held the materials she had organized all night yesterday and placed them on Jessica Jones's desk.
"These are..."
"The materials I organized. You've fallen behind a lot, so you need to catch up."
Jessica Jones flipped through the notebook in her hand. It neatly recorded the key learning points for various courses during this period. She opened her mouth, looked up at Gwen: "Thank you."
Gwen smiled slightly: "I'm a student assistant. It's what I should do."
As she spoke.
Gwen turned to leave.
The next second.
Gwen seemed to remember something, turned around, and extended her right hand to Jessica Jones, who had successfully started a conversation at her seat: "Oh, and welcome back, Jessica!"
Jessica's eyes flickered as she looked at the right hand in front of her. After a moment of hesitation, she extended her own hand, clasped Gwen's right hand, and looked at Gwen, a hint of unseen gratitude in her eyes: "Thank you."
Gwen flashed a brilliant smile.
Ken, standing nearby, wanted to applaud at the sight.
But... Helen Zhao, sharp-eyed, quickly slapped down Ken's raised hands, somewhat speechless, and whispered, "Are you an idiot? Are you stupid?"
They had all remembered Gwen's instructions from yesterday morning. After seeing Jessica come in, they had greeted her as they usually would.
Then, they had originally planned to go and chat with Jessica about clothes and makeup, just like old times. But seeing Jessica adopt a serene demeanor after going to her seat, they hesitated and didn't go over, afraid of triggering Jessica's depression.
Helen Zhao didn't know if clapping would stimulate Jessica's depression, but if it did, it wouldn't be good. It was best to be cautious.
Ken's hands were slapped away by Helen Zhao. Hearing Helen Zhao's words, he paused, then stuck out his tongue.
Locke, sitting in his seat, had his arms crossed, thoughtfully observing Jessica Jones, who looked even more serene than he did.
"Locke."
"Hmm?"
Locke snapped back to reality and looked at Carrie, who was leaning over beside him and whispering.
Carrie also glanced at Jessica and whispered, "I feel like Jessica seems to have something on her mind."
She was a witch!
And... she was a witch with infinite energy, so naturally, she could detect something different about Jessica that others couldn't.
Locke nodded, smiled, and looked at Carrie, a smile on his face as he said, "Just like you were back then."
Carrie was slightly startled.
"Like me..." Locke smiled and whispered, "Have you forgotten the emotional turmoil you experienced the first time you discovered you had superhuman powers?"
Carrie blinked: "..."
497. Carrie intends to be the leader
"The first time you discovered you had special abilities beyond ordinary people?"
Carrie listened to Locke's words, pausing for half a second, then memories she wanted to forget but also remember from Augusta flashed in her mind.
At that time, Carrie was a pitiful little girl who was constantly bullied, thought menstruation was bleeding, knew nothing, understood nothing, and had no friends.
When Carrie suddenly discovered she had a special ability, she went through a period of prolonged yet brief panic mixed with immense secret joy.
"So,"
Carrie's peripheral vision fell on Jessica, who had once again returned to her serene demeanor, and she whispered, "Jessica isn't depressed because her parents died, but because…"
Locke smiled, "Probably both."
Carrie blinked.
Gwen walked back at this moment, looking at the two whispering to each other, and smiled, "What are you two talking about?"
Gwen wasn't worried about Carrie at all.
Locke only saw Carrie as a younger sister; if there was anything to worry about, it would have happened back in Chicago… Locke looked at Gwen, who had sat down, "How's Jessica?"
Gwen flicked her long ponytail, glanced at Jessica again, and then said, "She seems okay, just hasn't fully recovered mentally."
After all, Jessica's eyes used to be full of life, but Gwen had carefully noticed that Jessica's current eyes, while not dull, could be described as dim.
"Getting Jessica to interact more should speed up her recovery."
Gwen sighed slightly, then showed a bright smile, "After all, a person always tends to overthink things. If there are other things to occupy her, she won't dwell on these thoughts."
Locke chuckled, "You're the student assistant, you handle it!"
Gwen rolled her eyes at Locke, "You're the chairman of the student council!"
Caring for every student isn't just the student assistant's job; it's also the responsibility of Locke, the big boss of the student self-governance council.
After all, the student council's purpose is to help every student better integrate into school life.
"I can offer very little help."
Locke chuckled, "If someone's being bullied, I can step in, but this 'big sister' type of work is your specialty."
Just like half a month ago, Locke unceremoniously kicked out those nine guys who had just transferred, didn't know their place, and, relying on a certain shareholder's backing, directly harassed female classmates.
This kind of bluntness, Locke liked.
But to expect Locke to care for female classmates psychologically?
Heh!
Locke couldn't help but let out a laugh, "If I were to care for Jessica, Sam wouldn't agree, and I'm afraid you wouldn't either."
Gwen understood what Locke was trying to say, gave him a huge eye-roll, then flicked her ponytail, leaving him with her back.
Locke's lips curved into a slight smile.
But… what was Jessica Jones's ability again?
Locke glanced at Jessica Jones, who was propping her chin, still pretending to be serene, but with inner turmoil, unease, and other emotions, and thought to himself.
It seemed… Jessica Jones also possessed superhuman strength and stamina, but a miniaturized version of Superman's power. Her maximum strength was unknown, but she could seemingly easily lift a fully loaded truck, and with training, could even fly. She also had strong resistance to physical damage.
However, despite being a mini-Superman, she also suffered from Superman's ailment.
That is, her magic resistance was almost zero!
Otherwise, the powerful Jessica Jones, who could lift a truck, would not have been so easily controlled by the Purple Man in the original storyline.
The next second.
Locke seemed to notice a crucial detail, his gaze sweeping across the entire classroom.
Jessica Jones was a female superhero who didn't have Superman's full power but inherited Superman's major flaw.
Carrie, a witch.
Gwen, Spider-Woman.
Wanda behind him was also a witch, and a titled one at that—the Scarlet Witch.
His younger brother, Pietro, Quicksilver, was even more… "Tsk tsk."
Locke shook his head, muttering inwardly, "We could rename this 'Super Class One'."
This lineup, once they graduate from university, could absolutely, if not walk sideways across the universe, then roll across the Earth without any problems.
In the afternoon.
Locke, Gwen, and other classmates arrived at the parking lot and saw Jessica and Sam, dressed in sportswear, talking not far away.
Sam handed the car keys to Jessica. Although a little worried, he said softly, "Then I'll come see you after I finish training."
Jessica nodded, opened the car door, started the engine, and then cautiously drove towards the school gate at five miles per hour.
"Sam."
Gwen looked at Sam as he walked over, then at the car slowly leaving the parking lot, "Are you sure Jessica can drive now?"
From a psychological perspective, after being in a car accident with casualties, one would likely resist such transportation after recovery.
It was the same principle as people who had survived an air crash finding it almost impossible to summon the courage to fly again.
Sam turned his head and glanced at the car that had already driven out of the school gate, "Jessica said she had to look forward, so…"
Gwen's eyes lit up, "Did she really say that?"
Sam nodded.
If Jessica hadn't said that, he wouldn't have had any reason to ask her to wait for him or for him to finish training early to take her home.
Gwen smiled, "This might be a good thing. If Jessica can't get over it herself, no matter how much we care or say, it's useless. Now, at least, it shows that Jessica is quite proactive."
Sam also chuckled, "I think so too. I hope so."
Gwen nodded, "Alright, then we'll be going."
"Okay."
After Locke and Gwen chatted with Sam in the parking lot for a few moments, they drove away.
As for Carrie… after driving away from school, Carrie thought about what Locke had told her that morning.
Carrie couldn't truly empathize with Jessica's parents' deaths.
But… a sudden ability?
Carrie felt she had a say in that.
So, while waiting at a traffic light, Carrie thought for a moment, then directly turned the steering wheel, watching the magical rope circling her right fingertip and pointing in a direction, pondering having a supernatural encounter with Jessica.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Locke withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror, smiled, and looked at Gwen, "I suddenly feel like eating roast beef. Let's go to the supermarket, buy some beef, and head straight back to Long Island."
Carrie seemed to have gone to find Jessica.
Locke had realized this the moment he saw Carrie turn right directly from the straight lane, but it might be a good thing.
After all, ever since going to New Orleans, Carrie had maintained contact with the witches there because, from a certain perspective, Carrie's world was a supernatural one. Now, there was another supernatural person in their class, and perhaps Carrie might gain another good friend.
This was a good thing.
Gwen, hearing Locke's words, nodded, "Okay, I haven't seen Mom in almost two days either. Let's buy more; Little George and them love roast beef the most."
There was only an oven at the Star Tower.
But… roast beef, especially when traditionally roasted in a stove, was the most delicious. Roast beef from an oven, to use Locke's words, lacked soul.
By the time Locke and Gwen loaded a box of Wagyu beef into the car at the warehouse supermarket, ready to drive to Long Island for roast beef, Carrie had already followed Jessica from a distance to her destination.
"A port again?"
Carrie looked at the world outside the car window, blinked, and suddenly, involuntarily recalled some common knowledge Locke had shared with her.
For instance, if one wanted to encounter supernatural beings, certain abandoned warehouses in ports were prime locations to check, as those abandoned warehouses might be the training grounds of a newly-initiated supernatural individual.
Next were certain underground warehouses, but compared to the abandoned warehouses in ports, underground warehouses offered greater privacy and secrecy.
Carrie had thought Locke was joking until, a while ago, it was exposed that Spider-Man Peter Parker was using an abandoned warehouse in the Queens port as his base.
Speaking of which… when Locke first started out, did he also secretly train himself in a warehouse in Texas?
Carrie parked her car next to Jessica's, which was not far away, got out, looked around, and then walked into the port, thinking to herself.
She was actually half right.
When Locke was training with Chester, it was also in a warehouse, but to be precise, it was in a barn on a farm, because the horses' neighing could effectively mask the gunshots from intense training, and at the same time, he could train himself to extract effective footsteps from ineffective sounds.
Soon.
Carrie's gaze fell on an abandoned warehouse not far away, with a locked, somewhat rusty door, but sounds emanating from within.
The next second.
Carrie lifted her foot.
Instantly… she changed her outfit.
Dark Sovereign, Syndra, was online.
Carrie felt that if she went in directly, Jessica might be scared.
Also…