There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Dort instructed, "Mrs. Lilia, your health has improved, and you can now engage in some light exercise, but you must be sure to rest and ensure adequate nutrition. I will come back to check on you in three days. Wishing you good health!"

But no one noticed except me that Rick, who had been unconscious on the ground for a long time, suddenly got up, groggily saying, "Mom... how did I end up on the ground... ouch... my head hurts so much..."

I quickly assessed the situation and immediately hid behind Dr. Dort, mimicking his voice as I said, "You accidentally fell down the stairs, and kind Marcus called an ambulance for you."

Rick wasn't fully awake yet, and looked at his mother: "Really... Mom, I think I saw something, but I can't remember..."

He got up from the ground and immediately saw Dr. Dort's white coat. After hesitating for a moment, he scratched his head and said, "It's Dr. Dort, you're here... Well, it seems I really did hurt myself..."

Lady Lilia asked with concern, "Rick, are you feeling unwell?"

The scenario was simple, the conditions were sufficient, and the logic was clear, so this explanation immediately convinced Rick, who scratched his head and went upstairs alone.

"It's nothing serious. I was probably still half asleep and had a nightmare. I dreamt that some jerk forced a ring on your finger, Mom... Dort, you should go back too. I'm fine..."

That was close! If Rick had looked any longer, he would have immediately noticed the ring on his mother's hand that appeared in the "nightmare"!

Also, there's a kitchen knife that I kicked away hidden under the table!

…………

In the pitch-black night, even the stars were hidden behind the clouds. The howling, cold wind in the high sky stirred the floating clouds, but it could not blow away the layered sea of ​​clouds, but could only stir up waves in the extremely cold high sky.

I bid a friendly farewell to Dr. Dort at the crossroads, politely declined his invitation to participate in his "drug testing," and warned him that if he said another word, I would hang him upside down from a telephone pole before embarking on my journey back to the ranch.

However, the shadows cast by the tall green trees on both sides always annoyingly block the light from the streetlights, dividing the flat stone road into alternating sections of light and shadow.

On the empty streets, I casually counted the things passing by on both sides to pass the time, slowly making my way to the Mineral Town Ranch to the west.

"The arrangement is quite neat... trees, telephone poles, trees, telephone poles, trees, telephone poles, Mothman, telephone poles..."

Ok?

It seems like something strange has infiltrated.

I suddenly turned my head to check the scenery around me, but found nothing unusual, as if I had just made up a story.

Never mind, let's keep going.

"Trees, telephone poles, trees, telephone poles, trees, telephone poles, trees, telephone poles, Mothman..."

Oh, it's nothing strange, just a Mothman passing by...

Haha, I was just too nervous...

Wait a minute! What is this Mothman?!

Chapter 576 Not twisted enough, yet want to be a superhero?

A suspicious creature waved its arms, spread its enormous wings, and swooped down from the sky, its form ethereal and bizarre. Following it came a trail of shadows, accompanied by an inexplicable gust of wind, as if something truly ominous was watching from above…

When I looked closely, I realized that this wasn't Mothman at all; it was just a large, fluttering moth clinging to a telephone pole, which had been following me for who knows how long.

The unidentified creature's wings drooped to the ground, and it slowly rose to its feet, speaking in a deep voice in a human language.

"I... I smell crime..."

I darted forward, crossed my arms around his neck, then clasped my hands together and tightened them...

"What are you trying to do standing so high up there? Do you believe I'll go find the property management?!"

"Ahhh, boss, let go! I just heard Rick yelling from home and came out to maintain peace in town!"

Hey! As the acting sheriff of this small town, I hate vigilantes like you who work without proper credentials.

When you fight, you damage public property; when you have personal grudges, you engage in random brawls; when you go out at night, you act arrogantly and domineeringly; when you resort to underhanded tactics, you don't know the limits of your strength. For those of you who disrupt public order, I have a whole book of the Criminal Law ready for you!

...Never mind, if I hadn't told Gray about Batman's deeds on that sunny afternoon, this kid wouldn't have thrown himself into this great cause without hesitation—if he were convicted, I'd be charged with instigation too.

After a while, I pulled Gray up from the ground. "Remember, I'm not hitting you, I'm just teaching you a lesson! Don't think that just because you're a superhero you can pose in any situation."

I said earnestly, "In the real world, there are no second chances for mistakes. You probably don't know that there have been superheroes who were shot and killed after their capes got caught in a revolving door, people who were cyberbullied because their personal information was made public, and countless magical girls who were killed because their transformations took too long..."

"Too long? And then what?"

Gray listened for a while, then couldn't help but ask another question.

"You're not old enough to ask about what happens next!"

I almost slipped up while I was talking. Is that something a child should be asking about?

"To be honest, I have no problem with you wanting to cosplay Batman, but at least put on a decent outfit, right? You're full of openings like this, which won't help you move around!"

Grey was now wearing an ill-fitting hooded cloak, which gave him a mysterious air in the shadows, but once he stood under a streetlamp, the signs of the garment's cutting, sewing, and patchwork would become apparent.

With sleeves that are too long, a split hem, an uneven center seam, and cheap fabric, this outfit doesn't look like something you'd wear to go out and fight for justice.

The scene where Gray jumped to the ground was filmed for a long time, and he lingered on the ground for quite a while before getting up. I thought he had grasped Stanislavski's method acting technique and learned the essence of Batman's feigned mystery.

A sharp look revealed that his pants had simply ripped due to the force of his fall...

I give this Batman impersonation a zero.

But if you're talking about a giant fluttering moth show, I'd give it full marks—look at him walking along, with loose threads falling off his clothes all the time!

"Come here, I'm going to give you a little lesson. So you won't embarrass me everywhere."

After his attempt at chivalry failed and he was caught and given a lecture, Gray had no choice but to hang his head and follow me back to the ranch.

…………

"First, you need to know the origin of superhero combat suits!"

I moved the desks and chairs from the daytime classes into the warehouse, turned on all the lights, and began to teach Gray the relevant knowledge.

Gray looked surprised as soon as he entered the warehouse, his mouth agape. It was unclear whether he was surprised by the spacious warehouse or by Groudon, who was huddled in the corner sleeping with the sheep.

But you still have time to look at other people?

"Stop looking around! Your outfit has scared all the animals in my warehouse!"

Didn't you notice that the Alpha Chicken's feathers are all standing on end? It probably thinks a deformed, fat rat has come in.

"Tell me first, why do superheroes wear such unique costumes?" I looked at him sternly, like a teacher checking a student's knowledge.

Gray shrank back in fright. "Uh... for covert operations?"

"Wrong! If you really want to operate covertly, why not learn from plainclothes police officers and blend into the crowd? At the very least, just dress like a bank robber; that's what it means to be discreet."

"So...it's for easier combat?"

"That's wrong too! Think about it yourself, when do you need clothes to enhance your combat ability? Wouldn't it be better to carry a couple more daggers instead?"

"Then I don't know..."

Gray said dejectedly.

I said in a tone of exasperation, "Let me tell you, the earliest superheroes actually wore tight-fitting clothes and a wrestler-style headgear when they went out to roam the world."

Gray frowned and thought for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "That... wouldn't that be just like being a pervert?"

I nodded. "You're absolutely right. This superhero outfit can be categorized as a form of exhibitionism from a psychological perspective. You know exhibitionism, right? It refers to exposing one's body in public or deliberately letting others see one's underwear to seek pleasure."

Gray covered his face and said, "That's just a total weirdo! How can he be a superhero!"

I held up one finger and shook it.

"You need to remember this: even if the process and the form of expression are the same, the result will be different if the purpose is different. Ordinary perverts expose their bodies or clothes to obtain sexual pleasure, right?"

"Uh...yes..."

I slammed my hand on the table: "But superheroes are different. They don't seek release because their clothes hide their psychological problems. In fact, they feel that their identity as 'ordinary people' prevents them from expressing their true selves after they have gained superhuman powers."

Why do superheroes, like locusts, usually hide underground and disappear, only to swarm across the land, blotting out the sun, when the season arrives and a leader appears? Is it because superheroes are also seasonal creatures, unwilling to emerge until the appointed time?

To put it another way, why do the unparalleled masters in martial arts novels often live in seclusion in temples, deep mountains, or the bustling city, or even hide in palaces or ancient tombs instead of venturing into the martial arts world?

The reason for this is that, throughout history, wherever there are people, there is a world of its own; people are the world of its own.

When a person possesses power beyond that of ordinary people, he naturally stands on the opposite side of the general public and becomes the "scapegoat" in their eyes.

Once discovered, what awaits will not be flowers and applause, but only suspicion and scheming hidden behind the smile.

They might escape unscathed from being ostracized and plotted against, but what about those around them? Lin Yuantu built a formidable reputation during his lifetime, yet in the end, his entire family perished, leaving only Wu Ji Zhi Tan imprisoned at the bottom of West Lake. Why was this?

As for his character, during his time running the escort agency, Lin Yuantu followed the teachings of Zen Master Hongye, acted chivalrously, and helped those in need. Although he was not a Buddhist, he did Buddhist things. Isn't that enough effort?

The real problem lies in the fact that he is a Buddhist monk who has left the monastic life. He doesn't understand the rules of the martial arts world and always thinks that being strong in fists and feet is the only way to win. He can fight against the underworld without any pressure, which makes the righteous people look like a bunch of useless trash.

If Elder Lin had engaged in more match-fixing and flattery during his lifetime, and had used the phrase "I've long admired you" when facing the Qingcheng Sect, wouldn't Changqingzi have had to respond with "I humbly submit"? Wouldn't the disaster of the extermination of the entire family have been easily resolved?

This illustrates that even the most powerful individuals must abide by societal norms and treat this world dominated by "mortals" with utmost care. Those unwilling to conform are left with no choice but to retire from the world.

But like martial arts masters, even when hiding in inconspicuous places, superheroes possess a charisma that is as bright and outstanding as fireflies in the dark.

Therefore, what superheroes want to expose is not their bodies, but their "power" that is not usually understood or accepted by others! At this point, the "technology is innocent" theory can be appropriately introduced. Power itself is neither good nor bad, only whether it is used properly or not.

Of course, Captain America's situation is a separate matter... that needs to be discussed separately...

"The fact that superheroes unanimously choose bodysuits as their attire reflects their competitive spirit and their ambition to illuminate the world with the light of fireflies!"

I clenched my fists and shouted with great spirit.

"During the daytime, they must hide and abide by the rules of ordinary people. But at night, when they put on their bodysuits, they become the embodiment of power, able to unscrupulously pursue their beliefs! Do you still think of such people as mere exhibitionists?!"

Gray lowered his head and thought for a moment before speaking decisively.

"Yeah, I also think they're perverts! And a group of perverts who are mentally unstable, behave dangerously, and have a strong tendency to retaliate against society!"

I immediately stood up and applauded him.

"Very good! Since you can say that, then you not only have mastered the knowledge about superheroes, but also the root cause of the emergence of supervillains!"

Gray scoffed, quickly stripped off his strange clothes, slumped onto the desk, and said, "Boss... after hearing you say that, I have absolutely no desire to be a superhero anymore..."

"Why?" I asked.

Gray said weakly, "Because that would make me look like a psychologically disturbed psychopath..."

...Don't worry, with your moral standards, no matter how bad you get, you won't fall from Superman to Homelander.

I smiled and said, “Very good. Learning self-reflection is the first condition for becoming a superhero, because once you embark on the path of transcending ordinary people, you will find no role models to learn from.”

Gray glanced at me and retorted, "Boss, I already said I'm not going to be a superhero anymore..."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Then tell me honestly, after you returned to Mineral Town, did you often feel inflated with pride, always feeling like you had to do something big to be worthy of your power?"