American comic book: My Father is Superman, am I just an NPC?

Chapter 260 I am now invincible here!
"Crack!"

A crisp shutter sound was heard.

On the phone screen, an epic "father-son photo" was captured: the background was the ruins and dust of a nuclear explosion, and the foreground was a "monster" with three heads and six arms, surrounded by chaotic lightning, grinning and making a V-sign victory sign—Ian's three heads were all laughing.

In his hands, he carried a figure with a blank expression, vacant eyes, tattered armor, and seemingly still not understanding the situation... the god among men, Superman.

"Yes, that's it, Superman has been defeated!"

Ian looked at the photo on his phone screen with satisfaction. The three heads nodded at the same time, seemingly very pleased with his composition and the timing of the shot.

Superman: "..." (Brain continues to freeze)
What the hell is going on?! This monster... was just taking a selfie?! And using him as a prop for a photo?! Clark Kent felt his Kryptonian brain completely overloaded at this moment, and even began to wonder if he was dreaming or if the entire universe had gone mad.

"He hasn't realized anything yet, has he?" The Paradoxical Lady watched this scene from afar, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on her lips beneath the black veil. Meanwhile, the Death Lady atop the skyscraper, her face shrouded in shadow, remained an unchanging, profound stillness.

"I have already made arrangements for what I need to make."

Miss Death's response could only be heard by Miss Paradox.

"That's good."

The Paradoxical Lady responded calmly and withdrew her gaze. The divine chess game, the mortal struggles, and the family farce seemed to be absurdly intertwined at this moment.

This creates a bizarre picture that even fate itself may not be able to decipher.

And right now.

Just as Ian was admiring the "father-son photo" on his phone that would excite any tabloid editor to the point of fainting, a roar filled with pure violence and destructive desire shattered the brief and absurd silence like a heavy hammer, breaking the seemingly artistic atmosphere!

"Roar--!!!"

The sound originated from the land below, plowed by a nuclear explosion and still flowing with lava.

Suddenly, Doomsday, which had been temporarily "destroyed" by the nuclear explosion and turned into charred remains, seemed to have died, but now it stood up from the ruins!
Its shattered body was frantically rebuilding at a speed visible to the naked eye. The jagged bone spurs became thicker and sharper, the twisted muscle fibers were intertwined like steel wires, and the dark keratin layer was covered with a metallic sheen as if it were cooled lava. The aura emanating from its body was more violent and more suffocating than before!
"Roar!!!"

Doomsday even had a faint blue radiation halo similar to Godzilla flowing over its body due to absorbing the energy of the nuclear explosion; it was a symbol of its adaptation and evolution.

"What have you done?!" Superman snapped out of his daze, his expression blank as he questioned Ian. He stared at Doomsday below, not only resurrected but clearly stronger, a chill running down his spine. Resurrected from the dead, growing stronger with each battle? This creature completely defied the basic laws of life!
“Okay, since the back of your neck feels rock hard, exactly as I imagined, I’ll tell you the truth.” Ian seemed pleased that he had finally gotten his wish to take a photo with you.

His overactive brain briefly entered a "wise man's time."

So, the boy, who seemed to have been having a blast all night, became a little more serious, "Really, don't panic, Superman. It's destined to die this night, it's a historical... well, a high-probability event. But before that, I need to use it to verify one of my guesses."

Of course, Ian still needs to maintain his image as the God of Speed, especially since he has taken on the role of Superman. He absolutely cannot let the identity of the God of Speed ​​be exposed and discarded.

"What are you talking about?" Superman couldn't understand Ian's words at all. Lacking key information, he only felt that this three-headed, six-armed guy was just as incomprehensible as the monster below.

He couldn't even be sure where Ian came from or what his purpose was.

“It means…” Ian patiently explained to his ignorant old father, but his eyes were fixed on Doomsday below, which was adapting to its new form and emitting a threatening growl.

"I'm going to use Doomsday—a 'consumable' event that doesn't have a huge impact on the overall ups and downs of history—to see if I can... fool time, fool history."

talking.

Ian glanced at the system panel, which was visible only to him.

[Job Change Quest: Quest: On the timeline, complete a fooling act, creating a paradox.]

He was, of course, still thinking about the [Paradox Knight] job change quest issued by the system. While the Speed ​​Force was powerful, it was ultimately a "public" power within the DC Universe.

It's great to use, but the ownership doesn't belong to the individual.

The profession bestowed by the system is a real, soul-bound power belonging to Ian Kent himself! Ian certainly knows very well which is more important.

"Ahhh!"

at this time.

Doomsday appears to have fully adapted to the power of its newborn body.

Its blood-red eyes, seemingly filled only with murderous intent, were fixed on Ian, the three-headed, six-armed god of speed, who was still hovering in mid-air, holding Superman by the scruff of his neck.

After a roar.

Doomsday knelt down, the earth beneath his feet cracked open, and he shot into the sky like a cannonball, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek, streaking across the heavens.

Its giant fist, which had evolved to be even more ferocious and was wrapped in eerie blue radiation energy, was also ready to strike Ian's face directly, filled with the desire to smash Ian to pieces.

Right.

Although Doomsday was a bit foolish, it was perfectly aware of who was going to nuke it, and its bloodlust reached its peak under the stimulation of its desire for revenge.

"Let me go! Let's fight it together!"

Even from a great distance, Superman could feel the terrifying power contained in the punch, and he hurriedly shouted. He realized that the threat level of this monster had far exceeded that of before.

However, Ian scoffed and instead of letting go of Superman, he lifted him up and turned him slightly to the side. In an extremely pretentious but perhaps somewhat laborious manner, he casually pulled out a few more nuclear warheads that had been intercepted earlier from a pocket dimension using one of his five free arms.

"Ha, don't underestimate me, Superman."

Ian raised his middle head, his tone filled with a mysterious confidence, "Even if I need to hold your vitals with one hand, I, the God of Speed, am still invincible in the world!"

He had figured out why his father liked to grab the back of his neck. He guessed that his father was projecting his own feelings onto Ian and thought that the back of Ian's neck was a weakness, just like his own.

Yes.

By grabbing Superman by the back of the neck, Superman's mobility was immediately reduced by half. It seems that no one had summarized this knowledge point before, but now Ian has discovered and summarized it.

"I'm such a genius!"

Feeling smug, Ian acted swiftly, hurling the nuclear warheads at the oncoming Doomsday like pebbles!

The nuclear warhead was remotely detonated just moments before Doomsday!
"Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!"

An even brighter light and deafening explosion swept across the sky once more, as a massive fireball and shockwave engulfed Doomsday.

The intense light radiation even temporarily blinded superhuman observers on the edge of the battlefield—that's why they say you shouldn't go out to watch the excitement unless you have to.

The residents of Gotham and Metropolis have kept this in mind very well. There are only a few Metropolitans around the perimeter of this suburban battleground, but not a single Gothamese.

Well, this is the result of natural selection. In Gotham, the gene that loves watching the excitement has been eliminated by nature, so those who remain don't really like watching the excitement.

They just like to create excitement.

"The environmental protection department will hate you..."

Superman told a lame joke, mainly to calm himself down. However, just when Superman thought this attack would at least severely damage or even kill Doomsday, a dark blue figure, like a demon returned from hell, forcefully broke through the fireball and thick smoke!

"Hoohoho!"

Apart from having a more dazzling radiation halo around its body, Doomsday was almost unharmed and even faster, continuing its unstoppable charge towards Ian!
"Even nuclear bombs can't hurt it?! What kind of monster did Luthor create?!" Superman was completely stunned; this was beyond his comprehension.

"This has nothing to do with how powerful nuclear weapons are."

Ian continued to carry Superman, nimbly changing positions in the air to dodge Doomsday's attacks, while also having the leisure to explain, as if he were giving Superman a lesson.

He was very interested in the idea of ​​sons passing on their fathers' businesses.

"The main problem is Doomsday's bizarre characteristic of 'never being killed by the same attack a second time.' Simply put, it survived a nuclear explosion, and its body automatically evolved extremely high resistance to nuclear explosions, and it can even absorb some energy to strengthen itself—that Luther guy stole my technology."

Ian spoke without batting an eye, taking advantage of the fact that Krypton was destroyed and no Kryptonian could refute him. Of course, he knew that Doomsday was an ancient Kryptonian biological weapon.

Doomsday was originally a biological weapon created by the Kryptonian scientist Belon Kael in ancient times. By repeatedly killing and resurrecting a primordial creature, it was allowed to evolve into the ultimate killing machine—ultimately going out of control and becoming Doomsday. But what does it matter?

Dead people cannot enjoy patents.

Ian helps the dead enjoy themselves.

Isn't this a win-win situation?
"Unkillable, infinitely resurrected? Never to be killed a second time by the same attack?" The bizarre knowledge of "passing down knowledge from father to son" made Superman feel his worldview crumbling and rebuilding at the speed of light. The very existence of such a creature was the ultimate mockery of science and logic!
"You're dragging the whole world into playing with fire!" Superman watched as Ian seemed to be rummaging through something again, and the technological sophistication emanating from that thing made him shudder.

That was a hydrogen bomb with a much larger yield!

this moment.

Clark no longer had time to be shocked by Doomsday's absurdity.

He finally realized that Ian was not just reacting passively; this mysteriously appearing monster was intentionally "feeding" Doomsday with even more powerful attacks!

It is driving Doomsday to keep evolving!
"Playing with fire? Not at all. I don't like playing with fire; I prefer something else." Ian remained confident in the face of Superman's question, calmly throwing a hydrogen bomb at the resurgent Doomsday as he said, "This will only result in a win-win situation. Believe me, it will absolutely not become a true catastrophe—"

The hydrogen bomb exploded, releasing energy even more terrifying than a nuclear bomb, like a miniature sun being born in the sky. The figure of Doomsday roared in agony amidst the extreme light and heat.

Parts of the monster's body even began to vaporize, but its vitality was desperately tenacious, and the remaining parts were reorganizing and evolving at an even more frantic rate...

Ian watched all this, his eyes not showing any worry, but instead shining with a golden light as brilliant as the core of the sun, a terrifying energy that would make even Superman's soul tremble was gathering in his eyes.

"Because I have already decided his fate."

Ian spoke softly, as if he were proclaiming an unshakeable truth.

"who are you!"

Superman asked the same question again, his voice filled with barely suppressed shock. The being before him possessed not only unpredictable strength and speed.

His behavioral logic and confidence in controlling the situation made him feel that he was unfathomable.

Ian turned all three of his heads toward Superman at the same time, revealing an expression that was a mixture of solemnity and acting.

"I am the monarch who transcends time! The eternal arbiter who holds the scales of time and space! My will is the source of 'causal pollution' and the battlefield meat grinder that crushes all conventional forces!"
"I am also one that none of them want to see me walk toward—the Knight of the End!"

He cleared his throat and, in an epic, chanting tone, almost verbatim copied the system's description of the yet-to-be-unlocked [Paradox Knight] class.

This series of titles, which sounded incredibly sophisticated but were somewhat incomprehensible upon closer inspection, completely baffled Superman.

"No, are you the God of Speed ​​or the Knight of the End???" Superman was completely bewildered. He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

"It does not matter."

Ian's expression remained calm.

He has learned how to remain calm.

Below, Doomsday had undergone yet another monstrous evolution under the baptism of hydrogen bombs. Its size seemed to have shrunk somewhat, but it was more solidified. The keratin layer on its body had become a dark material that absorbed light like a black hole, and the eerie blue radiation energy surrounding its body had also undergone a more dangerous change.

Dark red energy arcs, seemingly capable of tearing through space, appeared above.

"Roar! Roar! Roar!!!" It raised its head, its eyes, now filled only with pure destructive desire, locked onto Ian once more, and let out a roar that seemed to come from hell.

immediately.

Doomsday suddenly pushed off the air, seemingly having evolved the ability to briefly step into the air, and transformed into a dark red meteor of destruction, charging forward again at a speed far exceeding its previous speed!
"I'm waiting for you. Evolve, evolve, and become my food." At that moment, the golden rays that had been brewing in Ian's eyes for so long, as brilliant as the core of the sun, finally shot out!

That wasn't the pure high-temperature energy of heat vision, but a far more bizarre and fundamental force! Wherever the golden light passed, space seemed to groan and distort, the flow of time became abnormal, and light was stretched into strange spirals. The energy level contained within this ray caused even Superman, who was at close range, to feel a tremor originating from his very life force!

He had no doubt!
If this ray were released at full power, it would be absolutely enough to easily pierce or even annihilate a planet! For Superman, who has not yet mastered the power to destroy planets, he truly felt despair!

at the same time.

Outside the core of the battlefield.

On a relatively intact high ground several kilometers away.

"Who are you!?" Two figures arrived almost simultaneously. One was like golden lightning, the other a swift figure like a lithe female leopard.

The Flash, Barry Allen, stopped in his tracks, his tan kangaroo suit disheveled in the wind.

He had just escaped the suffocating atmosphere of Star Labs, leaving Reverse-Flash to face the pursuit from the future, and he had come here following the cause of the explosion.

Upon arrival, he was greeted by a scene that resembled a mythical war.

"Like you, I want to ensure that the Earth won't be destroyed today." The other one is Wonder Woman Diana, who looks very attractive with a curvaceous figure.

Despite having spent many years languishing in the city, the Amazon warrior's foundation and strength still allow her to maintain considerable mobility and combat instincts.

She was also drawn here by the world-destroying energy.

Two future alliance members, who had never met in a formal setting before, had their first informal encounter. However, neither of them had time to consider the other's identity.

"What exactly is that thing?!"

The two people's gazes met.

They were all captivated by the sight in the distant sky, their bodies trembling slightly involuntarily.

All that could be seen was in that airspace.

The three-headed, six-armed, god-like figure casually held the struggling Superman by the back of the neck with one hand, while the brilliant golden light shooting from its eyes on the other side clashed fiercely with the monster that exuded an aura of ominous destruction, the residual energy waves blurring the surrounding space.

“Superman… he’s like a toy in that guy’s hands!” Barry’s voice trembled uncontrollably. He couldn’t imagine what being could so easily “manipulate” that god among men.

This scene was even more terrifying than when he faced reverse lightning.

"I don't know, but that guy is definitely not a friend to us."

Wonder Woman Diana, gripping the Sword of Vulcan tightly, her heroic brows furrowed, sensed the chaotic, powerful, and strangely "divine" aura emanating from Ian, along with his indifferent attitude that regarded all things as mere straw dogs. She realized how terrifying he was.

That proud figure.

Becoming obsessed or possessed.

It reminded Wonder Woman of her past nightmares.

Ares.

"So chaotic, belligerent, and manipulative of life and order... Could he be... the resurrected Ares?" Diane's eyes were filled with vigilance and uncertainty.

She was indeed quite ill.

His habit of seeing everyone as Ares persisted even years after Ares' death.

(End of this chapter)