Death wanted to evoke a sense of guilt in Ian.
However.
That was never going to happen.
"I don't feel guilty. Dream God Morpheus being captured is because he likes to be captured. It definitely has nothing to do with me," Ian's logic was serious and rigorous.
"Also, about that witch who captured Dream God Morpheus and made Morpheus fill himself up—no, blow himself up—the person who should feel guilty should be Lucifer, right?" He had heard from someone that when it came to bad things in the mortal world, throwing it onto the Lord of Hell was never wrong. Lucifer has been the professional scapegoat in DC for many, many years.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Death did not seem surprised by Ian's attitude.
"Of course. I have many identities, but clearly, I am not the scapegoat," Ian blinked. Facing Death, he still insisted on his mortal clarity.
In response.
Death just chuckled and nodded slightly.
"I admit there is some truth to what you said. Perhaps we can even blame the occurrence of such things directly on the world's first Riddler: Destiny."
She even went a step further, interspersing personal thoughts in her words. Truth be told, Death appearing in Hannibal's office, in Ian's view, probably meant that Death should also see a psychiatrist. Resolving family conflict is a major source of income for psychiatrists, and also their forte.
"Do you remember that I instructed you that you needed to investigate thoroughly?" The world outside was undergoing a massive unexpected event, but Death did not seem overly anxious about it.
She wasn't in a hurry.
Ian couldn't be anxious either, because the atmosphere clearly wasn't right yet.
"I don't remember."
Ian began using his daily quota of lies.
He still had a full day's worth of lies he could use to negotiate with Death.
Of course.
Perhaps he wouldn't need that much of a quota.
After all.
"..."
Death had fallen silent.
The old witch outside, absorbing the power of the Sandman, continued to lose control. Waves of turbulent dream power uncontrollably surged, rushing into the room like boiling magma.
A violent tremor occurred, unrelated to geology, the entire space was shaking. The oil painting on the wall tilted, the reason seeming to be that the entire world was becoming warped and twisted.
"Oh! It's out!"
Hannibal's collection of anatomical models began to twist, and a talking rabbit doll drilled out of a plaster head.
"Help! I escaped from Alice Sleeps Through Wonderland!" It was asking Ian for help. Ian turned a deaf ear, unwilling to admit that such a dream manifestation had anything to do with him. If a dream manifestation caused this phenomenon, the reason must be either that Death was very, very bad, or that Hannibal was harboring malicious intent.
"Morpheus's power is going berserk. You need to deal with that foolish witch."
Death glanced at the crawling rabbit, and the dream-manifested rabbit instantly withered, melting into a puddle of goo and returning to the plaster model's head.
"Don't let her disturb my rest."
Her tone and demeanor were perfectly measured.
"Got it."
Ian readily agreed, pulling out his phone, ready to call for backup. However, when he pressed the dial button to call his father, the phone in his ear turned into a pink worm.
The worm shyly wiggled its body.
"Ptooey!"
Ian bit off half the worm's body without hesitation, chewed it twice, and found it tasted no different from a phone. The thing seemed to have turned back into plastic and metal the moment it entered his mouth.
"Logically, my dad should have noticed something was wrong by now," Ian spat out the electronic components from his mouth and leaned out the completely shattered window to look outside.
Night had not fallen, yet the sky seemed to be trapped in a strange state of twilight—it was not a transition between day and night, but a blurring between reality and the Dreaming.
The sky and the earth now seemed to have completely merged into one.
Things that were once distinct and clearly separated were now being wantonly kneaded together by an invisible giant hand, wildly merging.
Everyone seemed to have fallen into a dream.
The unconscious crowd was suspended mid-air, gently enveloped by semi-transparent bubbles. The real estate agent he had seen before, the bubble around her even touched the people nearby.
"An orgy party and they don't invite my Second Brother?" Ian felt pity for Jordan. His golden eyes looked at the bubbles, and the flickering images seemed to be the beautiful dreams each person was sinking into.
Cherished memories.
Future prospects.
And buried desires in their hearts.
The bubbles showed a beauty that made people unwilling to wake up.
"Are my dad and the others in this state right now?" Ian turned back to look at Death behind him. The woman had conjured a cup of coffee from nowhere and was sipping it.
"You cannot underestimate Superman's magic resistance, but don't overestimate it too much, either—he is, after all, not quite like us." Death gave a soft, yet very clear, response.
"Us?"
Ian keenly caught the key word.
Still claiming it's not a secret crush?
This was already openly dreaming of a future together!
Of course, Ian knew he couldn't get involved in this round. Mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflicts, father-in-law/son-in-law conflicts—they weren't even together yet, and the tone in which Death mentioned Clark was already too sharp.
"Hmm?"
Death, drinking her coffee, felt Ian's strange stare. She raised her hand to flick his forehead, but stopped halfway, as if she was worried that Ian might enjoy it too much.
Restraining oneself for fear of consequences.
Perhaps this was faintly illustrated at this moment.
"Little newborn, being a Pillar is not that easy... This is your responsibility," Death sighed softly. She could, of course, perceive the constant changes occurring in Ian.
However.
Death was neither confused nor surprised.
She clearly had her own opinion of Ian. A new concept was rising, and Death sincerely hoped it was not the entity representing the Abstract.
The moment the woman had this thought.
"Have you ever heard of a non-stick pan?"
Ian carefully spoke up to ask.
"?????????"
Death's face slightly stiffened, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
"Looking at your expression, I guess you haven't heard of it. But your luck is really good, you finally get to see one today—I am the legendary non-stick pan."
Ian chugged the soda in his hand, not caring how many tentacles were wiggling in the drink. He directly threw away the cup, preparing to go home, grab his family, and run.
No kidding.
What level was he?
Letting a fourteen-year-old boy solve a crisis caused by the Sandman? This wasn't a children's cartoon. For something with no benefit, Ian only wanted to temporarily evacuate his family from Los Angeles.
There were taller people there who could stand up to the challenge.
"There's also Plan B. My dad seems to have a spaceship, I wonder if it still works," Ian mumbled softly, leaping out of the window frame without glass.
He had not inherited Clark's savior complex after all.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Death could no longer sit still.
She tossed aside her coffee cup.
"Have you never met someone as clear-headed as me in all your life?" Ian jumped from the window, landed, and rolled, only to find Death still standing right beside him.
"You took my favor, remember?" Death spoke faintly, her arms crossed. "If I recall correctly, you said you would do anything."
"You also said you liked working for me."
Sure enough.
Women are so fond of bringing up old accounts.
Goddesses are the same.
"But now is after-hours," Ian blinked. He realized he was being pestered by the dirty goddess, so he sighed and chose to face reality.
"So you're finally revealing your true intentions, huh?"
Death's sigh grew even louder.
"All wage workers are like this."
Ian responded softly.
But his tone was completely self-assured.
"Do you think you'd be short on rewards if you saved Morpheus's life?" Death had completely seen through Ian's ploy, or at least she thought Ian was playing hard to get.
After all.
It was hard for less intelligent people to understand what a wise choice running away was.
"Hiss, you might have a point."
Ian was first stunned by the words, then immediately put down the luggage he was holding over his head—it was his beloved Hellcat, which had been turned into a cat-faced sedan due to the influence of the Dreaming.
Its cat face looked exactly like that sassy cat from Tom and Jerry. It was meowing, sticking out a pink tongue from the hood, and even the equally pink exhaust pipe was blowing small bubbles.
Even a demon car.
Clearly hadn't escaped the influence of the Dream power.
"Morpheus is very good at repaying debts of gratitude."
Death reminded him with a serious tone.
She had indeed grasped... a part of Ian's psychology.
"Is that so!"
Ian suddenly saw the light.
"So, I can even leverage this favor for a reward and ask him to acknowledge me as his biological father?" Ian knew that a debt of gratitude would eventually be repaid, but kinship would likely let him cling to the bigshot for life.
Raising someone else's son was a no-go.
But adopting a very powerful son was absolutely acceptable.
"???????????????" A unprecedented number of question marks floated across Death's face. She felt that Ian was even taking advantage of her, and she had conclusive proof.
"Adopting me as his sworn father works too. I'm not picky at all. I haven't been a picky eater since I was a child." Ian had a high Emotional Quotient side. He realized his oversight, so he immediately changed his wording to a compromise. This made Death's pretty face look much better than before.
Faced with Ian's unreasonable request.
Death rolled her eyes helplessly.
"If you can convince Morpheus, then that's your own capability." She gave an ambiguous reply, but it still made Ian's eyes light up immediately.
"It's a deal. My worker's spirit is burning! Quick, let me work. What should I do?" Ian was eager to try, his gaze turning to the chaotic scene in the distance.
The world seemed to have been flipped upside down by a giant hand.
Houses were no longer standing firmly on the ground.
They were even hanging upside down in the air. Mid-air, there were people everywhere who were affected and unconscious. They were enveloped in crystal-clear bubbles.
Sleeping soundly.
Some were lying quietly, their faces peaceful, as if having a beautiful dream. Others were clutching their heads, their brows furrowed, seemingly encountering something terrifying in their sleep.
Still others' bodies were twisted into grotesque shapes, as if forcefully contorted by the power of the dream. Their bodies gently swayed in the bubbles, rhythmically rising and falling with the fluctuations of the Dream power.
This group of people was increasing.
"You have to save Morpheus and figure out what exactly happened to him." The top-tier NPC, Death, began to issue the quest. She raised her slender, pale hand and pointed into the distance.
"But first, you have to take out that woman," Death's voice suddenly became a little cold, not directed at Ian, but a form of divine indignation towards a mortal who dared to covet a god's power.
"I promised my father I wouldn't kill people for the time being. I'll only bring bad guys to justice and lock them up in prison." Ian grabbed his prison from the Hellcat and held it up in front of the Goddess of Death.
The Demon Ox-Head was also sound asleep under the influence of the dream.
"Demons are weak, surrender and ascend. Tremble, fear, I am—the Trash King!" It was even talking in its sleep. Demons were simply slightly stronger than humans.
"This really is a case of what kind of person you are, what kind of pet you'll raise."
The Goddess of Death understood Ian's meaning. She gently pointed a finger, and the Demon Ox-Head suddenly woke up from its sleep. Startled and at a loss, it didn't realize it had just earned Ian a little favorability by dreaming.
"Oh... Mommy, what do I see?" Perhaps because it had been "enlightened" by Death, the Demon Ox-Head could finally perceive the figure it previously could not see.
It even suspected that it was the one dreaming now.
"Very well. If my prison chews itself up, that's its own problem." Ian slung the Ox-Head behind his butt, warning the Ox-Head not to lick his butt.
"Twist that woman's neck, and you can stop her influence." Death Goddess's eyes twitched slightly after hearing Ian's "discipline" of the Ox-Head, and then she gave him the hint.
"Once she is dealt with by you, the power of the Dreaming will return to its true owner." With that, Death's figure vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
She wouldn't act herself.
She commanded Ian to save the day.
There had to be a reason behind it.
But Ian did not have the time to think about it right now.
"Alas, perhaps being close to Death makes you turn dark. My bottom line is slowly being forced lower... Sure enough, Mom told me not to play with bad women for a reason."
Ian was fully armed, shoving the demon book into his pants. His vital area needed maximum protection, he had no intention of practicing his Four-Dimensional Appendix Modification Technique.
"You're not allowed to stick your tongue out either. Turn your mouth into a bulletproof steel plate for me," he instructed the demon book seriously, then kicked off the ground and shot into the sky like a cannonball.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Super-Leap.
Activated!
***
The airflow screamed in his ears.
Suspended building debris flashed past Ian. The glass curtain walls reflected his blurry afterimage. He zigzagged and leaped between the broken buildings, every push-off shattered the concrete.
"If I remember correctly, this woman is called Supreme Witch Fiona?" Ian's target was, of course, the old woman floating in mid-air. He alternated between kicking off walls for leverage and tumbling to dodge collapsing architectural fragments.
The distance between him and Supreme Witch Fiona was constantly shrinking.
Ten kilometers.
Eight kilometers.
Two kilometers.
The old woman, whose body was contorted by the infinite Dream power around her, was still letting out painful wails. However, perhaps from prolonged pain, a hint of pleasure had emerged in her voice.
"What a masochist."
Ian was getting closer and closer to the Supreme Witch.
All around.
Countless people, wrapped in bubbles, were sinking into the dream.
They slowly ascended, trying to merge into the chaotic sky, bouncing off obstacles with faint impact sounds. Occasionally, two bubbles would collide, letting out a crisp sound before slowly and quickly hugging each other. The dreams merged, brewing even more complex dreamscapes.
"Oh, great God Ian, I seem to have underestimated you... So, you are such a magnificent existence," the Demon Ox-Head praised loudly from behind Ian's butt.
It seemed to have just recovered from the shock of seeing Death.
Although its low level meant it didn't know much about the Endless, as a former lackey of a Great Demon of Hell, its knowledge base was still slightly greater than that of an average demon.
This clearly led it to mistake Ian for a member of the Endless Family.
"Shut up."
Ian chastised it.
He also saw the floating Grim Reapers, who were also affected by the Dream power. Their dreams were bizarre, there was even a Grim Reaper who wished to be demoted to a mortal so he could fall in love. It was truly disloyal to the organization. But it was understandable, humanity was, after all, the most polluting thing created by God.
"Poor high-level wage workers."
Ian stepped on the Grim Reapers as he climbed upward. Those Grim Reapers were completely controlled by the dream and didn't react much, letting Ian step on their bodies as he ascended toward the old woman above.
Within reach.
Only about ten meters away.
"Good chance!" Just as Ian clenched his fist and was about to approach, the old woman's eyes snapped open, glowing with an unearthly light.
"No one can take this power away! Don't interrupt me! I must ascend to godhood... Mortal, accept this reality!" Supreme Witch Fiona was in pain, yet happy. Her tone was incredibly firm and persistent. Immediately after, the old woman controlled the countless people who were sinking into the dream, smashing them toward Ian.
These people were wrapped in crystal-clear bubbles.
Like giant balloons.
They themselves posed no threat. However, the Dream power attached to their bodies possessed the deadly ability to pull Ian into a sinking dream.
Ian was hit head-on by the woman he had met in the elevator earlier.
Everything around him changed rapidly.
He found himself in a small pink room, the lighting soft, the table covered with many toys, and a group of wild men surrounding the uniformed aunt, hosting a Tokyo-style party.
"Party time! One set for you! One set for him! Can't sell them all! My house simply won't sell!" The woman was immersed in her joy, even inviting Ian.
"Come, sir, you should also inspect the house!" The woman crawled toward Ian, seeming to want to pull him into the dream's sinking embrace, but Ian kicked her straight into the wall.
"Damn it! I'm this handsome, do I need to buy my own house?" Ian felt insulted. He dashed around the room, noticing a negative status effect in his bottom right corner.
[Polluting Dreamscape]
Since the negative status was displayed, everything was manageable. This trash status didn't deserve to cling to Ian, so he could only activate his hidden emergency skill point.
"System! Quickly help your little old man recall the skill I will definitely master in the future!" Even in this moment, Ian was able to make a clear judgment.
Since he had chosen the **Berserker** class, Ian knew the principle of preparation. Seeing himself affected by the dream, he quickly opened his skill tree for targeted learning.
**[Faith Redemption: Use firm self-belief to directly strip designated negative status effects from oneself, purify one's wounds, and recover HP equal to the purification effect.]**
The skills of a late-game class are so powerfully simple.
Ian selected and activated the skill. The next moment, everything in front of him changed. The world full of [Love and May] vanished from his sight.
A second bubble struck.
Meaningless.
The suited elites opening champagne inside screamed and dissipated. Ian, in a third bubble, punched through a Island, and the two muscular men sunbathing inside also disappeared.
"These petty tricks can't stop Lord Ian. I want to kill the foreigners... Wait, I want you dead!" Green light emanated from Ian's body—a sign of overflowing healing effect.
His increasingly energetic state attracted the attention of the Supreme Witch.
However.
The attention came a little late.
"Bang!"
Ian punched the Supreme Witch in the cheek. Her body was still weak and not truly genuine. Her nose bridge snapped, and her entire face was dented like a crushed soda can.
Actually, her physical constitution was already much stronger than most people's.
It just wasn't enough.
"Supreme Witch! You have failed this city."
Other people's lines were indeed easier to use. Ian utilized his excellent habit of stealing lines and raised his fist again, aiming for the Supreme Witch's jawbone.
"Bang!"
Another dull second punch sent the Supreme Witch crashing into a floating slab of rock. Ian leaped after her, grabbing the Supreme Witch's head and lifting her shattered face.
"Why haven't you fallen!"
The Supreme Witch was like a radiation source, continuously releasing Dream power, but this pure power seemed to have no effect on Ian.
It couldn't even affect Ian in the same way the Dream power that had already affected others did.
"Because a Grand Ancestor doesn't need to dream at all. The reality of doing whatever I want is a Grand Ancestor's favorite dream," Ian replied casually, not revealing his true information.
After all.
He knew plenty of cases where villains died from self-exposure.
"Now, who is the one that needs to accept reality?" Ian pulled out his prison from behind his butt, and the Demon Ox-Head cooperated by opening its bloody maw.
Its mouth unnaturally transformed into a huge mouth wider than a wash basin, lined with sharp teeth.
"You mere mortal! And that filthy demon!"
Sensing the danger, the Supreme Witch, seeing her head about to be bitten off, forcibly resisted the rampant power within her and mobilized the magic that originally belonged to her.
"Ah~"
She shrieked, and the powerful sound wave became almost tangible, directly shaking Ian—who had been prepared but apparently not prepared enough—away.
"Boom!"
Ian smashed through several buildings.
Falling rapidly toward the ground.
"Go to hell!"
Because she had been humiliated by Ian, even though her body was already cracking due to the Dream power, the Supreme Witch stood up and forcibly channeled this power that didn't belong to her.
The Dream power instantly materialized a huge aircraft carrier. The carrier was enormous, with all its deck facilities clearly visible. Like a giant monster, it slammed into Ian.
"Damn it, Fantasist!"
Ian only saw a colossal object appear before his eyes.
His eyes focused a brilliant golden light, which burst forth like two scorching suns, emitting terrifying heat and powerful energy, shooting directly at the carrier's bow.
"Boom!"
Another terrifying roar.
The overloaded carrier was instantly sliced on the spot, split in two. Rolling flames erupted from the fracture, the metal tearing like paper, and the explosion was deafening.
"That's all you've got. Your imagination is so lacking, it's a total waste of the supreme power within you."
Ian stood on a floating slab of rock, surrounded by falling carrier debris, like a steel rainstorm. His golden pupils, under the chaotic and twisted light, were full of danger.
"Heh."
Following a cold laugh from the Supreme Witch, who had fixed her face, Ian saw over a dozen aircraft carriers appear all around him.
They were all closing in.
"Old woman, you have no martial ethics!" Ian had never been so flustered. In this desperate situation, his two eyes rotated left and right independently.
Two distinct, perfectly coordinated beams shot out, slamming hard onto the hulls of two aircraft carriers. The super alloy armor once again couldn't withstand the rays' high temperature.
Metal fragments splattered everywhere.
This was definitely a cool move, the kind that even Superman couldn't pull off.
However.
The number of human eyes had its limits. Ian, who wished he had eyes all over his body, ultimately couldn't escape the fate of being struck head-on by the other aircraft carriers.
Seeing that mystical means couldn't eliminate Ian, the Supreme Witch resorted to physical methods. The effect, it must be said, was remarkable. Ian was crushed toward the warped ground by the sheer weight of the aircraft carrier.
The earth shattered.
Dust filled the sky.
Accompanied by a deafening crash, Ian, along with the giant aircraft carrier, slammed into the ground like a meteorite, creating a massive crater in the twisted street.
The powerful impact caused the ground to tremble continuously.
Countless shattered stones and dust sprayed wildly from the point of impact, like a giant, dark mushroom cloud, instantly engulfing Ian and the carrier completely.
"Cough, cough. This is much more powerful than Truck Venerable." Ian was glad that he was no longer the boy he once was, or this might have sent him crashing into another parallel world.
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +6]
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +7]
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +8]
...
Frenzied prompts echoed in his ears.
It was not only the system's feedback but also the wailing of Ian's internal organs. His body, dozens of times stronger than an average person's, couldn't bear the immense pressure of the aircraft carrier.
Of course.
He didn't shatter into pieces. But he was trending toward becoming a half-body meat patty. Fortunately, the Perfect Divine Body was powerful enough, making him the sturdy, tough kind of meat patty.
[Berserker LV5 (16/160)]
[Strength: 44 → 46]
[Constitution: 60 → 61.5]
[Intelligence: 4.2 → 4.3]
[Spirit: 31 → 31.2]
He had been smashed enough to level up, which showed how severe the injury was. Finally reaching Berserker Level 5, Ian immediately learned the skill he had been yearning for.
[Blood of Fury: You can control the burning of your inner blood to attach the power of soul destruction to your attacks. One percent of blood can carry one percent True Damage.]
As a noble Berserker, he deserved noble percentage damage. Ian had foregone other trash skills in the early stages, waiting for Level 5 so he could gain a true Divine Skill.
It was currently only at its initial, entry-level stage. However, Ian still had two Berserker class skill points, so he could upgrade it right away.
"We'll talk about that later. I need to save myself first." Half of Ian's body was crushed under the aircraft carrier. His strength was insufficient to lift the carrier directly and rescue himself.
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +9]
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +6]
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +4]
...
"Maybe I'm not in that much of a hurry." Ian lay flat. Even with an aircraft carrier on his stomach, he didn't want to call for help, merely using Self-Healing Frenzy to maintain his clear consciousness.
He definitely had to get out eventually, after all, the Supreme Witch problem hadn't been solved. But he wasn't willing to sacrifice his lower body, crawl out, and grow a new one.
Any normal person knew.
Original body parts were the best.
"Why are you so happy?" The demon head, which had nearly been crushed into a cookie, was thrown to the side by Ian in advance. It rolled back to Ian's side, its expression full of confusion.
"That woman is strong, but thankfully, I'm clearly a notch above." Ian looked up at the sky. The old witch was floating mid-air again, seemingly continuing to draw on the Sandman's power—the old witch's body was already starting to look like ceramic shards. Ian firmly believed that she certainly didn't have his ability to get stronger the more she was injured.
"..."
The demon head stared at Ian, who was heavily crushed by the aircraft carrier, half his body likely gone. It sank into a long silence, completely unable to figure out how this constituted being a "notch above."
"Praise God Ian."
Of course.
The demon head had learned to be smart.
When it didn't understand, it would provide Ian with emotional value.
"Stop praising me. Come here and let me take a bite..." Ian needed to constantly use his self-healing ability to maintain a balanced budget, but his body's energy reserves were limited after all.
Seeing that even the fat under the aircraft carrier was used up.
The experience he could gain naturally grew smaller and smaller.
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +3]
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +1]
...
Ian had actually known this point for a long time. Physical damage received after recovering could generate experience, but the experience gained from already-received physical damage would not last too long.
Seeing that he wouldn't be able to keep up the healing ability, Ian wanted to drink some of the No. 666 fuel—his eyes were red with hunger. Just as the demon head was about to sacrifice itself for its master.
"Is that Ian down there?"
A crisp female voice came from above the large pit.
Ian looked up.
"Little punk, you didn't fall asleep?" He was very surprised. He saw Madison, wearing a tracksuit and carrying a backpack, squatting on the edge of the pit and looking down.
"I knew it was you! Only you like to chew on random things!" Madison's expression was a little joyful when she heard his words. She jumped down, her body slowly descending to the ground.
She had obviously used wondrous magic.
"Oh my god! Are you okay?" Madison even spun around when she landed, perhaps she should be playing Batman with her face covered. When she saw Ian, her expression instantly froze.
How could anyone be smiling with an aircraft carrier crushing them?
"You're so perfect for Hollywood. Do I look okay to you?" Ian glared at Madison, swallowing hard.
His words made Madison very awkward.
However, the little punk still looked at Ian worriedly, "What did you run into? We're a landlocked city, right? Why is an aircraft carrier crushing you?"
Even though her geography wasn't too good, Madison was certain an aircraft carrier shouldn't be here—she was right, but Ian was too embarrassed to talk about being ambushed by an old witch.
"A disaster came, I stepped forward, but right can't always conquer evil, and now I'm probably nearing the end of my life," Ian swallowed again, speaking in a slightly melancholic, lowered voice.
"Tell my parents I love them." Saying this, Ian even smeared a little mud on his face. The main reason was that he really didn't have any extra blood to waste.
His small action wasn't discovered.
Madison's tears poured down.
Her tear glands were certainly well-developed.
"It's okay, I can save you," Madison knelt in the blood, her hands glowing with a healing white light. Clearly, she had some preliminary grasp of her abilities.
At this moment.
Ian felt warm all over, and the new muscle tissue stretched out vigorously like spring sprouts. However, due to the presence of the aircraft carrier—which was like the Five Finger Mountain—he didn't manage to return to his original plump state.
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +5]
[Received Overload Damage, Berserker EXP +6]
...
However.
The experience points continued to increase again.
"Little rebel, you really are the healer I designated! I'm giving you a salary!" Ian was overjoyed. He could feel that Madison's ability was slightly stronger than his
un-upgraded Self-Healing Frenzy.
Madison was speechless upon hearing this. While maintaining the healing, she asked, "What exactly happened? My mom and dad are both trapped in a bubble."
As for her own experience.
Madison found it to be very surreal.
"Of course, it's that old woman in the sky wreaking havoc and destroying the whole city." Ian nodded toward the sky. His hand reached for Madison's backpack but couldn't quite grasp it.
"I actually suspected that too, but I had to check with you, after all, you are Superman," Madison still seemed firm in her belief in Ian's Superman identity.
"Yes, yes, but Superman can't stand up right now because my magic resistance is a bit low," Ian nodded contentedly, continuing to enjoy the joy of rapidly increasing experience points.
Being attacked by a "Fantasist's" means.
How could that not be considered taking magic damage?
As time flew by.
[Berserker LV6 (3/320)]
[Strength: 46 → 48]
[Constitution: 61.5 → 63.4]
[Intelligence: 4.3 → 4.4]
[Spirit: 31.2 → 31.5]
Ian leveled up again under Madison's "life extension." This also meant that Ian had a new means of escape—he always had a backup plan, actually.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained so calm.
"I'm out of juice."
Madison had held on for several minutes. Her weak magic power was finally depleted. Her face grew paler and paler, and she eventually collapsed backward, slumping onto the ground.
"Really, not a single drop left?"
Ian asked tentatively.
"Mm, not a drop of magic left."
The blonde girl gasped for breath, her head dizzy.
"Sorry, I might not be able to save you..." Her voice was filled with guilt, blaming herself for her insufficient ability. Sometimes a person's feeling of powerlessness can truly crush their spirit.
"You really can't save me. If you could save me without moving this big hunk of metal, that would be a miracle." Ian expressed his understanding in a gentle tone.
"..."
Madison's expression instantly froze.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" She angrily rushed forward, actually attempting to use her small hands to move the aircraft carrier, which was many times larger than her house.
Alas, a witch was just a witch.
Her weak body, of course, couldn't shake such a steel behemoth.
"Never mind why I didn't say so earlier. Anyway, I'm dying soon, so I need to tell you something." Ian suddenly adopted the tone of a dying man whose words are kind.
"What is it?" Madison kicked the aircraft carrier, bruising her toes. She grimaced, circled back, and looked at Ian with teary eyes.
"Come closer."
Ian beckoned to Madison.
"Mhm."
Madison quickly leaned closer.
"Actually, I lied to you that day. I picked up that orange from the ground, and the mold on it really wasn't fruit bloom." Ian's hand reached for Madison's backpack again.
Just a little bit closer.
"Come even closer, and I'll tell you another secret."
He spoke.
Madison was baffled by Ian's "dying words."
"Wait, at a time like this, why are you talking about an orange?" Although Madison couldn't help but complain, she still moved a bit closer after hearing Ian's words.
"What secret?"
Madison asked.
And at that moment.
Ian finally grabbed her backpack.
"The secret is... I actually did buy you an orange, but I accidentally ate it all myself because it was too delicious." He grabbed Madison's backpack and yanked it toward him.
After opening it.
It was packed full of food.
"The countdown only requires me to remain hungry, it didn't say I couldn't eat a little something. Sure enough, only when I'm starving can I possess true insight."
Ian furiously stuffed snacks into his mouth, including a sandwich. Sure enough, just like when he drank the soda before, the countdown to unlock the new class **Entropy Lord** did not reset.
Not having to stuff food directly into his stomach.
Felt great.
"?????????"
Madison was completely stunned by Ian's actions.
"I think you need to take your medicine again."
She was silent for a moment.
And spoke her heartfelt sentiment.
"Too bad you don't have medicine. Why are you even carrying makeup when you're running for your life?" Ian drank something he shouldn't have, it tasted awful.
He had mistaken Madison's makeup remover for mineral water.
But it was better than nothing.
[Savage Tyrant EXP +1]
After all, it still gave him a little experience.
"I came out to seek rescue, of course, I need to look pretty. Haven't you seen zombie movies? Only the prettiest woman manages to survive until the end."
Madison explained.
However, Ian didn't quite agree with her statement.
Of course, Ian didn't argue. After all, the truth would only turn the zombie movie into a Japanese-style movie, and such a plot development was not suitable for children. He felt he still needed to consider his deskmate's mental health.
"What is this?"
Ian found something familiar in Madison's backpack: thirty-something bottles of blue serum [does not contain Kryptonian genes]. They were almost completely covering the bottom layer of Madison's backpack.
They might be the latest version, as the bottles were more refined.
"Zombie virus antidote?"
Madison said uncertainly.
"I picked them up on the road, they were just floating in mid-air."
She revealed the source of the serums.
"You truly are my lucky star! Little punk, believe in my divine religion, and I shall name you Pope!" Ian's heartfelt praise made the confused Madison feel a little embarrassed.
Ian immediately started drinking.
Seeing this.
Madison was instantly startled.
"It might also be the original zombie virus."
She might truly have been deeply influenced by movies and TV shows.
"It's fine. I don't have a passive ability that turns me into a zombie after death."
Ian drank all the enhancement serums in one breath.
[Savage Tyrant EXP +6]
[Savage Tyrant EXP +7]
...
[Savage Tyrant LV4 ]
[Savage Tyrant LV5 ]
I have to say, this was truly a satisfying and thorough upgrade. Indeed, danger and opportunity always coexist, and Ian was gradually understanding the meaning of his identity as an [Independent NPC].
He didn't believe for a second that the Little Punk Girl's appearance here was just a coincidence. Metropolis was so vast, how could something so coincidental happen?
Two levels gained in a row.
His basic attributes, combined with the quality self-improvement of his [Perfect God Body], brought Ian's stats to a new height. He felt his upper body, which hadn't been crushed, was surging with strength.
His muscles trembled, not from exhaustion, but from a rhythm of reinforcement and reshaping. Every fiber was rearranging, as if some ancient, hidden gene within him was awakening. His heartbeat quickened, but instead of panicked haste, it sounded like a war drum, carrying an unprecedented rhythm and power.
[Strength: 48 - 62]
[Constitution: 63.4 - 80]
[Intelligence: 4.4 - 4.8]
[Spirit: 31.5 - 36]
This was absolutely a remarkable improvement.
The greatest gain, however, still came from the automated quality upgrade of the [Perfect God Body].
"As expected, I still need to find a way to unlock the Berserker's subsequent advanced class." Ian's vision was now incredibly clear, even the dust motes floating in the air were slow and discernible.
His hearing also became sharper. The distant sound of collapsing buildings, the low hum of the Dream Force flowing, and even the vibration of his own breaths were amplified several times and transmitted into his mind.
The most important thing was that he could finally learn THAT skill!
[Absolute Aerialization: You will gain a bio-energy field for flight. Above the skies, you are the Tyrant who controls all things. To look down upon all living beings is your inherent privilege.]
Without hesitation, he learned it.
Ian immediately felt a new change in his body.
It was a feeling that was both familiar and strange.
"A bio-energy field, but only for flight... maybe upgrading it will make it more complete?" Ian could sense this bio-energy field slowly moving along the surface of his skin like flowing mercury.
It was in a dormant-like state.
"For the Savage Tyrant class, I still have two skill points. I can use one more and keep one in reserve." Ian locked onto a certain position on the [Savage Tyrant] skill tree.
[Contemptuous Leap: Allows for instantaneous teleportation within your line of sight. At the moment of the flash, you can leave a "Tyrant Afterimage" behind, which can be detonated at any time to severely wound your enemies.]
It was full of the flavor of a game, as always.
However.
Ian liked it very much.
He had long had his eye on this skill, just waiting for the level required to learn it.
"Praise my new Pontiff." Ian activated the skill, but didn't leave an afterimage. His body instantly escaped the pressure and appeared behind the unsuspecting Madison.
He immediately activated his [Self-Healing Frenzy] ability, and the shriveled flesh of his lower body regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye. Madison retreated several steps, her face filled with a stunned expression.
"It can do that?"
She was greatly shaken.
Her worldview was once again refreshed.
"Why can't it?"
Ian moved his body, which had reached a new peak. His stomach felt increasingly hungry, but he didn't drink the No. 666 Fuel. Instead, he picked up the demon's head that had been playing dead.
"I knew it. The great God Ian was just testing all living beings." The demon ox-head quickly offered its praise, but Ian wasn't intending to punish it.
"Weren't you about to die? I mourned for you for so long!" Madison stared with round eyes, still slow to recover from the sudden shift in atmosphere.
"I was certainly about to die just now, but I silently recited Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-B-A in my heart, and I came back to life." Ian was still so skilled at talking nonsense with a straight face.
"Is that how it works? Magic?"
Madison still loved to pretend to understand what she didn't. She forced composure, acted enlightened, and once again put on a show of being very smart and having gradually understood what had happened.
Her acting was indeed good.
"Exactly, exactly! Magic! I have lots of magic. Once you join the faith, I'll teach it all to you. You won't even have to wait for me to die, you can become the Supreme Pontiff of the God Ian right away."
Ian began his persuasion.
"Uh..."
Madison thought Ian's words were absurd.
But she didn't know why she was a little tempted.
"This is the power of temptation."
The demon head held by Ian answered Madison's question. Ian promptly slapped it twice on the face, and it obediently shut its mouth.
"No oranges today. Just hold onto this and don't move from here. I'll be right back." Ian handed the demon ox-head to Madison.
The main reason was that Madison was too weak and needed some means of protection.
After all, she was a super-healer, and indeed not too bright. Ian definitely had to protect such a qualified minion, she was a scarce resource at any time.
"Again?"
Madison looked suspicious.
But she only saw Ian shooting straight into the sky.
"Do you know your pants are completely ruined?"
She shouted at Ian.
Someone pretended not to hear. No need to name names.
"I have to give the Supreme Witch a big dose of Percentage True Damage shock!" Ian casually grabbed a pair of pants and put them on, even changing his clothes. The entire person flew like a cannonball towards the Supreme Witch.
A sonic boom cloud instantly exploded behind him.
Right at this moment.
"Swoosh~"
A red-and-blue figure streaked across the sky.
Its speed was even greater than Ian's.
The commotion it raised.
It was as if its special effects cost five million more dollars than Ian's.
"Huh? Dad? Wait!"
A voice of astonishment sounded, followed immediately by confusion.
It was Superman—but it didn't seem like the real Superman. Before Ian could feel any joy, he noticed something was wrong: the Superman flying towards the Supreme Witch looked deathly pale.
And in his many black veins, a green liquid seemed to flow.
His Super Vision captured it very accurately.
"My dad's speed isn't this slow!" Ian quickly looked forward. He saw the Knockoff Superman's face was like that of a zombie as he charged straight at the Supreme Witch.
"Die!"
His voice was extremely hoarse.
It sounded like it was squeezed dry from his throat.
"Boom!"
Because the Supreme Witch had been ambushed by Ian, her guard was very high. She unleashed Mental Control aimed at the Zombie Superman. Instantly, the Superman, whose body was oozing with thick fluid, showed a pained expression.
This move had no effect on Ian.
But it seemed to have an extremely outstanding effect on the Zombie Superman.
"Ahhh!"
The Zombie Superman let out a painful roar, and his eyes glowed with an oily, emerald green light.
"Holy sh*t! Fel Energy! A Clone? A Parallel Universe?" Ian recognized the fluctuation of this energy, and watched in disbelief as he hovered in mid-air.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak~"
The Zombie Superman shot rays of Fel Energy from his eyes, directly at the Supreme Witch. However, the rays, which illuminated half the city, were easily blocked by dozens of layers of Dream Force barriers manipulated by the Supreme Witch.
When she wasn't facing Ian.
All her abilities worked extremely well.
"You annoying bugs!" the Supreme Witch roared. With a wave of her hand, she used magic to blast the Zombie Superman away, and then immediately released a stream of Dream Force to engulf him.
He was blasted away.
The Zombie Superman, who had crashed through a building, had just rushed out.
Suddenly.
His eyes became dull, and he dropped like a marionette with cut strings, completely enveloped in a dream-like bubble. This weakened version of Superman was indeed not Ian's father.
He was more than a notch weaker.
"It's my turn now, Supreme Witch! You've disappointed this city again!" Ian charged quickly. His voice seemed to trigger a stress response in the Supreme Witch.
"Impossible! How are you still alive!"
It seemed she hadn't even noticed Ian just now.
This made Ian furious.
"You old hag with a lacking imagination, you don't know sh*t about 'impossible'! The impossible thing would be for you to kill me!" Ian instantly teleported right in front of the Supreme Witch. He gave her no chance to repeat her trick, grabbed the Supreme Witch's mouth, and stuffed a large handful of pills directly into her stomach.
The turbulent Dream Force didn't obstruct Ian in the slightest, as if someone were interfering in secret.
"What did you feed me!"
The Supreme Witch, whom Ian had slammed onto a floating stone slab, looked terrified. She frantically clawed at her throat, only to see Ian float forward and use steel bars to nail her hands down.
"Sleeping pills. Be grateful for the free United States, it let you get a grand total of two thousand, super-sized sleeping pills." He grabbed the Supreme Witch's jaw.
He directly poured the entire bottle of two-thousand-dose sleeping pills into her stomach.
"Why! Why are you doing this to me!" The Supreme Witch's face twisted, and spiderweb-like cracks covered her skin. Dream Force seeped out of the widening fissures.
Like countless tiny light snakes swimming in the air. She wanted to cast another spell, but Ian directly ripped out her tongue and then raised his hand and crushed her throat.
"Master Ian has never suffered such a severe injury in his life. I can break my own legs, but you cannot." Ian then dislocated the Supreme Witch's lower jaw.
"I don't kill people, but Morpheus might." Ian just watched. The Supreme Witch really couldn't withstand the drug's effect. She began to foam at the mouth, her eyes rolled wildly, and her already dilapidated body became increasingly overwhelmed. The old hag wasn't asleep or even tired, but the intense agony seemed to be the final straw that broke her.
He saw.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"
The Supreme Witch's crushed throat made a sound like wind rushing through it. The cracks on her skin were constantly widening, and her whole body looked like porcelain about to shatter.
Seeing this, Ian didn't hesitate and instantly teleported backward.
"BOOM—!!!"
The next moment.
The Supreme Witch exploded.
She was detonated by her own uncontrollable Dream Force.
Countless streams of Dream Force surged out like a tide. No longer controlled, they frantically converged in a single direction. The dream bubbles that had previously covered the city also began to dissipate.
The imprisoned people gradually broke free from the dream, but they didn't wake up immediately. Ian looked nearby and was just about to chase in the direction the Dream Force was flowing.
Suddenly.
"Ahhh!"
The Supreme Witch's wailing suddenly rang out.
"More resilient than even me?"
Ian was extremely surprised. He turned his head and saw a mass of twisted black mist floating out of the Supreme Witch's shattered corpse. The thing constantly changed form in mid-air, sometimes sprouting tentacles, sometimes showing a human face. Even the remaining Dream Force around it was stained a dirty purple-black.
The trees were not spared either. Their branches and leaves became twisted and bizarre under the black mist's erosion. The branches stretched towards the sky like withered arms, as if begging for something. The color of the leaves also became extremely vivid, yet it carried an unnatural, eerie vibe.
Red, purple, and blue leaves interweaved, kaleidoscopic, yet demonic and evil. Ian even saw some leaves open their eyes.
Yes.
They grew eyes!
And more than one eye!
"What the f*ck is this thing?"
Ian's golden pupils shrank to pinpricks. Feeling his SAN value plummeting, his eyes erupted with a sun-like, dazzling golden light, and the scorching beams shot directly at the mass of twisted soul.
However.
The black mist squirmed like a living creature, completely absorbing the light as if it were nutrients. They were absolutely not the kind of things that feared light or sunshine.
Darker and more sinister.
"My spare body! I want it! I want it! Damn it! It was meant to be ready after my ascension!" The soul, twisted into a monster, let out a piercing shriek.
It locked onto a direction.
It flew towards Madison, who was still standing in the deep pit below, not moving a bit, as if she were being punished. It was clear that there was another reason Madison was able to remain conscious during this disaster.
The old witch had designs on her.
Seeing a mass of rolling black mist flying towards her, Madison, frightened, raised the demon's head in her hands.
"Ah~~~"
The demon head wasn't panicked, it even wanted to be a glutton.
"Eating anything? You really shouldn't eat this! After you eat it, your head might grow little feet." Ian didn't want his trash can to turn into some twisted monster.
He instantly used his line-of-sight teleportation to appear in front of Madison first.
"Good thing I'm always well-prepared and learned the necessary skills." Ian used [Blood of Wrath] to ignite his blood and punched directly at the monstrous soul flying towards him.
His skin suddenly turned crimson.
Dense veins spread across his body like burning fuses.
"Hiss—!"
The moment his fist made contact with the black mist soul, a sound like a hot iron hitting water erupted. The monstrous soul let out a non-human shriek and began to flee frantically.
"Trying to run?" Ian was now a living torch, every drop of his blood burning. He used his flight ability to chase the black mist, dealing insane amounts of damage.
Every swing of his fist carried away a dissipating piece of the soul.
Ian was getting thinner, while the sinister soul was shrinking. This was a life-for-life fighting style, but fortunately, Ian didn't have much blood, but his life was genuinely tough.
He was not dying even a little bit.
"I'm like a Super Saiyan." After smashing the opponent's soul, Ian merely became a dehydrated corpse-like form, but the Berserker's passive ability made his strength even greater.
This was the benefit of having multiple classes cooperate with each other.
"Hilarious. Even as a monster, you're still so weak. Now you know the shock of Percentage True Damage, right?" Ian's Percentage True Damage was based on the percentage of his own blood loss.
So, he only lost about one-third of his blood, incurring the negative status of [Severe Blood Loss], yet the Supreme Witch's soul had been smashed down to just a tiny fragment.
It was still twisting.
But it was already smaller than the palm of his hand.
Just as Ian was debating whether he should break his vow.
Suddenly.
The world froze.
This was a state Ian hadn't experienced in a long time.
He was not surprised.
And he had a firm guess in his mind.
"Is this another contamination similar to that outside world one from before?" Ian held the residual soul in his hand and offered it to Death, who had appeared beside him without him knowing when.
"That's right." Death nodded and handed him a cup of sparkling coffee. Ian chugged it down, and his shriveled body rapidly returned to its original state like an inflatable doll being pumped up.
"A bento box from my sweetheart, too?"
He nervously glanced at the system interface. Thankfully, the countdown for [Entropy Extinction Lord] had not reset, which might have been related to Ian's stomach still being very hungry.
"This isn't right."
Death was used to ignoring Ian's nonsense. She extinguished the black mist on the soul fragment, her brows tightly furrowed. "There are no cosmic fragments, nor any complete information."
"Is this just a wisp of contamination?"
Her tone carried a hint of surprise and uncertainty.
"Where is your omniscience?"
Ian leaned in to observe. Death smelled wonderful, but it was the scent of delicious food. The damned hunger was making Ian feel an urge to bite into anything he saw.
Could this be considered retracing Galactus' old path?
"Most of the time, the omniscience we speak of is merely the omniscience covered by this universe. After analyzing other lower-tier universes, we can also gain all their information."
"But this time, it's clearly not a lower-tier universe, and they are also very cunning." A faint light glowed on Death's fingertip, showing Ian the results of her analysis.
There was nothing.
"Morpheus might have been defeated by this universe. And it seems that some of the contamination he suffered was actually absorbed by this idiot witch as power."
Death's voice carried a hint of sighing.
"Witches are like that."
Ian blinked, offering no further comment.
"In any case, you need to find Morpheus and ask exactly what happened." Death rubbed her fingers together, and the Supreme Witch's final soul residue vanished into ash.
The person she killed.
Had absolutely nothing to do with Ian.
"He should be over there. Perhaps you can go and ask him yourself." Ian pointed in the direction the Dream Force was surging. They were the only things still flowing in the frozen world.
"I can't go."
Death answered bluntly.
But she didn't explain why.
"Hmm?"
Ian looked suspiciously at Death.
Facing Ian's strange gaze.
She sighed softly: "Just think of this as your story. Every superhero has their own story, and in that story, they are always the most special."
"Isn't that right?"
Death's voice carried a deep, profound feeling.
"So, are you admitting that I'm a superhero?" Ian's focus was entirely elsewhere. His eyes lit up, and he gave Death no chance to object.
"This is official recognition! If you had praised me as a superhero earlier, I definitely would have gone all out, even harder than before! After all, of course, I'd protect my beloved Metropolis!"
His tone was sonorous and powerful, and his face held a toothy smile. He was clearly just showing off.
"..."
Death felt that was not what she meant, and she also felt that Ian's words had a double meaning.
She stopped herself from speaking, but seeing Ian's zealous expression, she weighed her options and ultimately remained silent, not correcting Ian immediately.
"Find Morpheus."
Death left a final instruction.
She disappeared.
The world began to flow again.
***
The great battle was over.
The sky was no longer a twisted vortex.
Instead, it returned to its original appearance: azure, vast, as if it had never been tainted by the Dream Force. Clouds drifted slowly, and sunlight spilled onto every corner of the city.
Illuminating the streets that had once been swallowed by darkness.
The ground also returned to its place.
The chaotic space seemed to be gently straightened by an invisible hand. Collapsed buildings slowly rose, shattered glass healed itself, and broken trees sprouted new leaves.
It was as if a nightmare was gradually waking up. Perhaps the master of the Dream Force still had consciousness, before retreating, they had almost completely repaired the damaged objects.
Of course.
There were exceptions.
The plants that were mutated and contaminated by the black mist retained their ferocious forms.
Like an untimely work of art.
Bizarre and grotesque.
And filled with evil and horror.
As the saying goes, either don't do a good deed, or see it through to the end.
Ian floated in mid-air.
Accurate golden rays shot out of his eyes.
He methodically incinerated the twisted vegetation, one by one. The burning mutant trees let out eerie whimpers, and one after another, they were reduced to cosmic ash and dust.
Because the contamination wasn't too deep.
No black mist was seen steaming out.
Along the way, people woke up from their slumber one after another, their faces filled with confusion and bewilderment.
"What... was I doing just now?"
"I dreamed I turned into a butterfly..."
"Didn't you always want to be a butterfly?"
In the restless crowd.
A wounded child sat on the ground crying.
Snot running and tears streaming, the child had clearly experienced something terrifying in the dream. Ian passed by and forcibly exchanged five US dollars for a lollipop from another bewildered child nearby.
He knew how to comfort an injured child.
"Crunch~"
Ian first took a bite himself, comforting the most severely injured child from before, felt it was quite good, and was satisfied. Only then did he hand the remaining half of the lollipop to the crybaby. Just then, a well-dressed professional woman rushed over. Ian recognized her as the real estate agent from the elevator who was "discussing a contract" with a client.
She was now flawlessly made up, and her suit and skirt were impeccable. She was frantically searching for her child. Ian casually grabbed the child, who was playing as Ultraman with the eggshell Ian had given him, and handed him to the woman.
"Thank you."
The woman quickly expressed her thanks.
Ian turned and left.
He continued to clear the twisted Treants scattered throughout the city center. Not far away, the gay couple who had been enjoying their time together in the [Husbands' Island] dream also woke up.
"I knew it was you, Cameron! You were flirting with that muscular guy!"
"You were the one staring at the surfing instructor first, Mitchell! Don't think I didn't notice!"
The two of them were arguing fiercely.
However.
When they saw Ian passing by and burning the strange trees with heat rays, they immediately stopped arguing and simultaneously exclaimed "So cool" in a unified tone.
"Go away, go away! Don't interrupt me fixing my city."
Ian continued to incinerate the mutated plants without looking back. He respected diversity, but that didn't mean he endorsed it. The Ancestor was going to scold the people staring at him, and scold them he did.
"If you stare at me again, I'll let you experience the sun's scorching heat too."
Ian's threat was powerful, and the light in his eyes was terrifying. The two men were greatly shocked and quickly turned to run, clearly terrified by Ian's threat.
As the police sirens grew closer, Ian knew the main act was coming. He quickly pulled a spare pair of stockings from his pocket, put it over his head, and got ready as the first police cars arrived.
"I've done my best."
Military helicopters, police, and many armchair generals all arrived. Ian had been waiting for this moment. He faced the camera and took credit for the entire incident.
He thwarted the evil witch's conspiracy.
He vividly described his ability as a writer to embellish the facts. His talent was no longer limited to novels, in reality, he had found a direction to showcase his talent.
"It was a stormy night," Ian began in a low, magnetic voice, despite the bright sunshine. "No, I should say it was a twilight where dream and reality intertwined! The Supreme Witch—an eight-hundred-year-old hag—dared to taint our pure dreams with her wrinkled fingers!"
"Could I agree? Of course not! Superman might have yielded, but I, Stocking Superman, the Superman of the new era, will absolutely not allow any evil force to touch Metropolis!"
"She tried to tempt me, promising to make me the Great President of the New World. However, I firmly told her that I, Stocking Superman, would never collude with any evil elements!"
...
The sonorous and powerful speech.
It was Ian's embellishment of reality during the interview.
He spouted fantasy descriptions without a second thought, such as punching her fifty thousand meters away, and how his single punch drew down the thunder of the nine heavens, causing all birds to fall and all vegetation to bow within a thousand-mile radius.
"When my punch landed, the sky and earth shook, spatial cracks appeared, and it seemed as if ancient gods and demons were whispering." The reporters had never heard anything like this; every single one was stunned and dumbfounded.
They didn't quite understand.
But they genuinely felt it was incredibly powerful.
In the distance.
General Lane stood with his hands on his hips, already mentally exhausted, having lost count of how many groups trying to apprehend Ian he had intercepted. He felt like a cold, unfeeling wall.
"That's right, I did it all! I mean, I solved it all! I single-handedly dealt with that crazy witch. She wielded a terrifying power that almost plunged the entire world into eternal perdition." Ian also knew to boost his opponent a bit, placing the template of the Scarlet Witch onto the Supreme Witch, that old useless hag.
"Please follow [Super Hero Popularity Center] and give me a like." Ian was promoting himself so hard for a reason: he could feel his slightly ethereal magical power increasing.
Perhaps.
This is what a Dimensional Demon God is like?
In any case, he had discovered a way to cultivate magical power autonomously, given that he still hadn't found a second qualified Pal for his [Leader LV1 [1/10]] class.
The Little Punk Girl was good.
But both the Little Punk Girl and Morpheus were now in his Hellcat. After the Supreme Witch died, the Little Punk Girl immediately fell unconscious, her body hot, as if she were undergoing an evolution.
As for Morpheus.
Ian had followed the direction of the flowing Dream Force and found the man in a pile of rubble. It must be Morpheus, the scent on his body was as alluring as Death's.
"Damn [Entropy Extinction Lord]! Is being hungry making me awaken something strange?" Ian cursed inwardly, but outwardly he was still sunny and actively giving interviews.
His smile, framed by the stocking mask, looked slightly terrifying.
"Boom~"
Suddenly.
A landing sound rang out behind him.
The reporters gasped.
Ian, pretending not to hear their gasps, only felt a shadow fall over him.
He didn't look back.
He shot straight into the sky, trying to escape.
However.
No matter how clever the quick-witted kid was, his speed couldn't compare to his old man's. Ian was instantly grabbed by the ankle by Superman, yanked down from mid-air, and planted on the ground for a time-out.
"Sky Tyrant, my ass."
Ian was terribly fooled by the system.
He looked at the stern-faced Superman in front of him.
His mind raced.
"Where is that person? The green one." Fortunately, Superman didn't pull out the Seven Wolves in front of everyone. He just questioned Ian, his tone making it seem difficult to ask directly.
"Over there. He flew that way."
Ian honestly pointed towards one of Lex Luthor's factories. He hadn't actually seen where the Zombie Superman went in the end, but this didn't affect his honesty.
Anyway, if you check ten of Luthor's factories, eleven of them might have problems.
"Everything you did here, you're going to tell me when we get back."
Superman gave Ian a deep look and shot into the sky again. Before Ian could even blink, his figure had completely disappeared from Ian's sight.
"Strange. Can't he hear the commotion from that fake Superman?" Ian was confused, but facing the cameras, he quickly collected himself and smiled again.
"As you can see, Superman has been chased away by me. Let's continue." His statement once again astonished the reporters, who felt Ian was treating them like deaf idiots.
Some reporters probably guessed what was going on.
However.
They did not speak up. The reporters, who had retreated dozens of steps due to Superman's appearance, exchanged glances for a moment and quickly swarmed back in to continue the interview.
American news, after all.
The truth isn't important.
After all, in this information age, who would turn down traffic? A journalist cannot tell the truth, news is about ratings, and the boss is looking at profit.
Newspeople who chase the truth don't get paid—except for the lucky Kent who always stumbles upon major news and hasn't been killed yet, and the lucky Kent's wife.
***
Unexpectedly, the [Savage Tyrant] didn't bring the ability to level up just by getting attention. Instead, it was the identity of [Dimensional Demon God] that allowed Ian to savor the growth in strength that came from being worshipped.
Magical power was also his strength.
He just didn't know how to use it yet.
Time quickly approached evening.
Ian could endure, but the reporters' cameras and their flesh-and-blood bodies seemed to be reaching their limit, so today's magical power cultivation would probably have to end here.
"Thank you all for your support!"
He even gave each reporter five hundred US dollars as a hardship allowance, truly understanding social etiquette. The reporters, who had been quite resentful, immediately brightened up upon receiving the red envelope.
The mental drafts for [Stocking Superman] were already beginning to form in their minds. After years of interviewing superheroes, who had ever seen a superhero who handed out cash on a whim!
If they didn't hype this?
Who else would they hype?
Ian and the reporters left, all satisfied.
"Today was too fulfilling." Ian climbed into the Hellcat's driver's seat and tossed his shriveled wallet onto the passenger floor. Madison in the passenger seat was burning up, her skin flushed an abnormal crimson, and magical power fluctuations surged through her like a floodgate had opened. Ian reached out and poked her cheek—scorching hot.
"I need to go buy an egg and try cooking it on her."
Ian confirmed that Madison wouldn't die. He turned to the back seat, where Morpheus, the King of Dreams, was sprawled on the leather seat like a drunkard. The Lord of the Dreaming currently had no dignity whatsoever.
His pale skin was a sickly gray, his black hair was matted messily to his forehead, and his long, slender limbs were twisted strangely—he looked exactly like a life-sized doll that a naughty child had broken.
"Actually, it was the old witch who broke him." Ian didn't know how to wake Morpheus. He was wondering if he should send a prayer to Death to ask.
All of a sudden.
"Pffft~"
A sound like a fart rang out.
It was the sound of the leather cushion being squeezed.
He saw.
Morpheus suddenly sprang up like a corpse coming back to life.
"That diary... they... they sent a diary over..." The King of Dreams' eyes were unfocused, and he murmured dreamily, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing together.
"I was ambushed."
He seemed to be in great pain, gripping his head tightly. However, he didn't unleash any terrifying power that would send Metropolis and Ian flying into space.
"Big Shot! Wake up! You're safe now!" Ian quickly shoved a can of mustard into Morpheus's mouth, attempting to use the bitter taste to help him regain consciousness.
This trick was likely useless against a supreme entity.
However.
There are times when small probability events occur.
For example, now.
"Hiss~"
Morpheus's face contorted and warped.
He was awake.
His eyes were incredibly clear.
"I'm the one who should be 'hissing,' the Big Shot is truly in a near-death state." Most of Ian's actions had meaning, and his test also provided him with information.
"Who are you?" Morpheus awkwardly took the water Ian handed him. No one would believe that this person gulping down water was one of the universe's supreme entities.
The Endless.
A supreme concept of the DC Universe.
The first master of The Dreaming.
"And, who am I?"
At this moment.
This being asked a question that completely stunned Ian after drinking the water.
"Amnesia? That classic?"
Ian was baffled.
"Who did you say you were just now?"
Morpheus, confused, asked again.
Hearing this.
Ian, who had only intended to capitalize on his favor, instantly became resolute.
"I am your father."
Ian's voice was also very certain.
He thought of his previous agreement with Death.
One must.
Be bold and seize the opportunity.
***
***
Read 30 Chapters early on P-atreon.com/Redestro666