Do you think I'm Homelander?

"Only three days have passed?"

The time flow between the two universes was quite different.

"I spent over half a year in that universe, yet only three days have passed here."

Ron thought it over—he'd been there for more than six months, but here it was just three days. That wouldn't do.

If he stayed here for even ten days or half a month, years would pass over there. He could easily miss important events.

"I need to use the system's power to adjust the time difference."

Though the system couldn't control the flow of time in an entire universe, it could record spatial coordinates and let them move at a pace set by Ron himself.

This would achieve the effect of controlling the time gap.

It would cost some Ability Points, but not many.

Ability Points: 32,000

Compared to the Ability Points he possessed, it was barely a fraction.

After adjusting the time flow to a suitable rate, Ron began to ponder the matters of The Boys Universe.

"Compound V is a good thing.

Even the chaotic and rule-breaking DC and Marvel universes don't have something that can turn so many ordinary people into superhumans."

He murmured softly, glancing outside.

Though he had disappeared, it didn't seem to have affected his younger brother, Ryan.

He wondered if his mother, Becca, had told a "gentle" lie—like saying his brother had gone traveling or working somewhere.

Or maybe Ryan simply didn't care about his disappearance.

After all, the relationship between them wasn't close.

This family had never given him any warmth. Becca looked at him like he was a freak, quietly teaching Ryan not to imitate him, and he had no interest in playing with a kid all day.

"There's nothing here worth holding onto."

He looked up at the sky. With a soft pop, Ron appeared high above the blue sky, coldly gazing down at the prison-like neighborhood below.

In the distance, tall gray walls formed a circle, enclosing an area several miles wide.

This was the place that had trapped him for eight years. Now, it could no longer hold him.

If he wanted, he could easily destroy it.

But there was no need.

"Since Becca likes to keep her precious little son living in this safe greenhouse, let them be."

He sneered coldly.

Ryan, as the son of Homelander, had inherited the Homelander Physique, but he was practically being raised into uselessness. At Ryan's age, Homelander had already manifested his powers, easily breaking several times the speed of sound in flight.

Yet Ryan was still playing with sandcastles and toy cars in the yard, more naive than other kids his age, showing no sign of extraordinary ability.

But Becca thought this was better for Ryan.

"Vought International."

With another flash of his figure, Ron murmured softly, teleporting several miles away. Instantly, his entire body was wrapped in a crimson energy glow, breaking the sound barrier in an instant.

Boom!

A cone-shaped sonic boom exploded behind him, the sound spreading like thunder. Accelerating continuously, he shot across the sky at speeds far beyond sound, like a crimson meteor racing toward the distant horizon.

"Well? Did you find him?"

High in the headquarters of Vought International, Vice President Madelyn had just finished the press conference announcing the new member of The Seven. She strode briskly and decisively back to her office, loosened her tight cuffs, pressed the phone, and urged impatiently.

"No, ma'am.

We've searched everywhere. We can be sure of one thing—he's no longer in that place."

On the other end of the line, after a moment of silence, a cautious voice spoke quietly. They had scoured the entire area but found nothing.

The Seven, Vought's flagship superhero team, had recently lost one of its members, Lamplighter, to retirement. After a company-wide search for a superhuman replacement, a candidate was chosen, and tonight's press conference was set to introduce the new hero joining The Seven. This was supposed to be the company's top priority, but Madelyn, as Vice President, had rushed through a few brief remarks and left.

Because there was something a hundred times more important.

"Search. Search outside. I'll send people to help you. You must bring him back.

If anyone else finds out about him, you and your team are fired!"

Madelyn shouted into the phone. At this moment, besides irritation, she felt fear.

The trio of mother and two sons had always been the company's hidden card to prevent Homelander from going rogue. Though she had precisely grasped Homelander's twisted psychology—starved for love and obsessed with his mother—and kept him under control.

But it wasn't reliable. Like a lion tamer who could make a ferocious lion obediently follow commands, roll over, and jump through hoops, but deep down, the tamer's fear and worry never stopped.

"I walk on the edge of danger every day. One card isn't enough to be sure. I need another!"

She thought anxiously, at least when the lion lost control, she could hold it back and protect herself.

"Ma'am, is there anything I can help you with?"

A slightly husky, teasing male voice suddenly came from behind.

Phone in hand, Madelyn turned to see someone sitting on the waiting sofa in the office. She covered the receiver and instinctively scolded.

"Who are you? Who let you in?"

Lounging casually on the sofa, Ron looked at her with amusement, let out a cold laugh, and said nothing.

"Hold on."

She quickly glanced at the photo in the computer data beside her—the handsome young man with deep black eyes was an exact match.

"No need to look. He's with me."

Madelyn stared at Ron, her expression sour, replied into the phone, then swiftly regained her composure and hung up cleanly.

"Seems like you don't really value us."

At the fact that Madelyn hadn't recognized him immediately, he tilted his head back and said coldly.

Did she think he and Becca and the others were just important tools?

Something to be found in the 'secret vault' when needed, and ignored otherwise?

"You're just like they said.

Not at all like an eight-year-old."

Madelyn walked over, showing no fear of Ron suddenly appearing in the room, calm and composed, exuding the poise of a strong woman.

After all, she was the woman who could hold the world's most powerful superhero, Homelander, in the palm of her hand.

"When you're treated like a freak by your mother since childhood, you mature twice as fast."

"Is that so?"

Madelyn leaned in and sat beside him on the sofa, giving a soft smile, her eyes tender, exuding a hint of maternal warmth.

"So you couldn't stand that place and ran away from home?"

"I'm curious—can you tell me how you did it?"

Naturally closing the distance, like a kind older female relative, she gently reached her hand toward his chest.

"Are you treating me like Homelander?"

He pushed her hand away, Ron frowned, a piercing crimson glow flickering in his eyes.

Did she think he was that starved-for-love Homelander?

The 'giant baby Superman' who could be tamed with a soothing maternal hug and a little sip of breast milk?