Spring had not yet passed. Even by the frigid river, a group of high school students' enthusiasm for the Holiday BBQ Party could not be dampened.
Template Integration: 93%
David took a sip of fruit beer and gazed at the frozen river in the distance.
A few days earlier, after he had turned Tina into a vegetative state, the two of them had returned home.
Their father, Jonathan, had stood anxiously at the door with a shotgun, looking out into the distance. Only when he saw both sons return safely did he breathe a sigh of relief. He then reproachfully asked David why he had chased after her.
Not wanting to worry their parents, Clark had voluntarily claimed that he was the one who knocked her out and left her in front of the Small Town Police Station.
Later, the police found the transferred 100,000 dollars in Tina's school locker.
However, due to a lack of evidence and Tina's unexplained unconsciousness, she was temporarily held at the hospital as a suspect.
For the first time in a long while, Clark had gotten angry at David after that day and had not spoken to him for several days.
Though David felt embarrassed about making Clark take the blame again, he did not think it was a major issue.
"The Son of Krypton who keeps saying he cannot cross that line will one day personally snap the neck of his last remaining kinsman."
Clark was not that stubborn or rigid. He was simply still too young, and his view of everything in the world was somewhat idealistic.
By the bonfire, David clenched his hand. It was as though muscles of High-Density Alloy had twisted together, power comparable to a volcanic eruption surging within him.
The Thanos template had given him tremendous strength.
"But it's still not enough."
Even Superman in his Complete Form had faced mortal danger many times in this dangerous world. Earth itself had nearly been destroyed countless times.
There had even been times when Earth was truly, completely destroyed.
David raised his eyes to the sky, and it was as though he could see the Universe beyond the azure heavens.
Though he had integrated the Thanos template, he had not developed any ambition to dominate the Universe, nor did he see himself as someone who needed to shoulder responsibility for its safety.
For now, he had only one goal in mind.
"To constantly grow stronger, so that no matter what happens, I can protect myself and my family."
That goal sounded simple, but it was anything but.
Therefore, he would not miss any opportunity to gain Emotion Points.
"I hope the Next Template is a powerful one, no weaker than Thanos."
Since the events of recent days had never happened before, and Clark was gradually reaching adulthood and growing rapidly stronger, the Emotion Points he provided had increased as well. The template was integrating very quickly, and the Next Template should not be far off.
Anticipation flashed through David's eyes. He quietly took another sip of beer and muttered inwardly.
"It'd be best if it came with some Superpowers that don't require using my body."
Then, if something like what happened a few days ago occurred again, he would not need to hide it from his parents and make them worry.
A faint commotion suddenly broke out in the distance.
A beautiful figure, vibrant yet intelligent, entered the party. Like silver moonlight spilling down through the night, she left everyone unable to see anything else, and the eyes of the boys followed her closely.
Quite a few boys picked up their grilled steaks and rose like bees and butterflies that had discovered a flower, rushing over to invite her to sit with them. A few nearly got into a fight.
"Sorry."
The girl was confident and poised, completely unflustered as she politely turned them down one by one.
The gazes of the four of them were drawn over as well.
"Who is that? She kind of looks like Lana."
Clark tilted his head and asked the others in confusion. She was such a beautiful girl, yet he had no impression of her.
"Is that the excuse you found for yourself before falling for someone else?"
David looked at the girl he had never seen at school before and spoke blandly.
"I really think she looks like her," Clark argued sullenly.
"I can't see how they look alike, Clark." Chloe agreed with David, though her tone was somewhat unnatural. "Other than having black hair, their features and temperament have almost nothing in common."
"She's a girl who just transferred to our Small Town High School. I think her name is Kara."
Pete stared blankly at her figure, as though his soul had been hooked away.
"Maybe my youth only officially begins today!"
"Judging by her female jungle explorer vibe, I don't think she'll like a man a head shorter than her."
Watching the figure at the center of everyone's attention, Chloe sat at the edge of the party without anyone approaching her and felt somewhat dejected.
"Chloe, I think I smell something sour."
With his most fatal weakness brought up, Pete gritted his teeth and turned his head angrily. He had simply developed later than everyone else.
Just as he finished speaking, the beautiful figure in the distance seemed to look in their direction.
"Look, she's looking over here."
Tall and slender, with skin closer to a healthy wheat color, she wore her black hair in a braid down her back. Her features possessed the beauty of a mixed-race child, and indigenous ornaments hung around her neck, giving her a primitive, vibrant beauty.
Pete excitedly cleared his throat, adjusted his sitting posture, and stopped stealing glances at her. He put on a deep, world-weary expression as he grilled meat, hoping to take a different approach and draw her attention.
But when he turned to look again a few seconds later, Kara had already sat down with several girls. She laughed and chatted with them as they started grilling, seemingly not noticing this side at all.
He immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
Kara's curiosity +0.04, confusion +0.03, friendliness +0.02, vigilance +0.02...
David paused in the middle of drinking his fruit beer and narrowed his eyes at her.
"A Metahuman?"
In this town, that was not particularly surprising.
But why was she both friendly and wary toward him? And why had she become wary again after feeling close to him? Was that not too contradictory?
That string of emotional changes was baffling.
Unlike the other three, Clark was not looking at Kara. He gazed gloomily at Lana in the distance.
On a rock in the distance, Whitney had leaned close to Lana's side while she grilled meat by herself.
Whitney pestered her with several remarks before Lana occasionally replied. There was no joy between her brows, only a faint sadness.
But the fact that exes could still sit together and talk already said a great deal.
For example, if Clark had truly remained as angry as he had been at first after several days, he would not have deliberately said it was not cold at all when Chloe and Pete teased him about David.
Sizzle, sizzle!
Several stones had been piled together, and flames scorched the grill placed over them. Clark withdrew his gaze and absentmindedly turned the beef on the grill, glancing at David beside him.
Tina had been beaten into a vegetative state by his younger brother. Naturally, Clark had initially felt angry over what his brother had done.
But he had to admit that when Tina transformed into their mother Martha, he had also felt a blaze of anger rise uncontrollably within him.
"Especially when I remember that Tina wanted to kill Mom, I can barely feel any sympathy for her."
Clark was more worried about his brother, but he was also worried about himself. At this rate, would David change him first before he managed to steer David back onto the right path, making him gradually grow accustomed to such cold-blooded behavior?
"Clark, don't just sit there watching."
Pete nudged his friend and waggled his eyebrows, interrupting Clark's thoughts.
"Whitney's going all out over there, trying to get back together with Lana. Are you just going to sit here like a coward?"
"I..."
Clark's personality did indeed have a shy side.
He could not bring himself to compete with Whitney for Lana while Whitney was there.
Seeing him like this, Pete secretly shook his head.
"For the past two weeks, Lana has been volunteering at the nursing home in town."
David suddenly said, "Tomorrow is the weekend, and Whitney will be training with the football team."
"Clark, have you completed your thirty hours of community service?"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Clark.
The school required every student to complete thirty hours of community service each semester to cultivate awareness of giving back to society.
Clark's eyes lit up, and he immediately realized this was his chance.
"Th... thanks, David."
He spoke with slight embarrassment.
His younger brother was always smarter than him and always had better ideas.
"No need to thank me." David took a sip of fruit beer.
"Think about it. You've taken the blame for me twice already. You've done your part as an older brother, so how could I not return the favor?"
"..." Clark.
"What blame?" Chloe asked curiously from beside them.
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