The First Unbearable Pain of His Life

When Chloe and Pete walked into the grand ballroom together, the first thing they felt was its charm.

The girls wore all kinds of exquisite lace, chiffon, and silk dresses, their clothes rustling softly as they moved.

Long gowns, high heels, dazzling white evening dresses, decorative belts, and polished black leather shoes formed the beautiful scenery of the homecoming dance.

"Ahem, Chloe, I only know how to do the Jitterbug. Do you think people will boo me?"

Dressed formally, Pete nervously asked his dance partner, Chloe.

"What Jitterbug?"

"My grandfather taught me. It's that kind of dance where you keep crossing your arms and doing classic Cossack moves. It's so wild that it's easy to fall over."

As he looked toward the dance floor, Pete casually explained it to Chloe.

"Whatever. I think your stupid dance will become material for those guys to mock, just like the bra straps and pimples showing on the girls."

Distracted, Chloe delivered her sharp-tongued jab.

"Clark and Eric didn't come to the dance?"

After searching the ballroom, Chloe frowned slightly and asked Pete.

"Maybe he's outside waiting for Eric. After all, he's always worried Eric is up to no good."

"Then let's go find them outside."

Chloe immediately grabbed Pete and headed out.

"Fine, but my dance is probably ruined. You'd better think about how you're going to compensate me."

Pete complained as he casually picked up one of the party favors prepared on a round table—a bag of Gardener-brand mixed nuts.

In the gymnasium not far from the school dance hall, Eric stood in the middle of the basketball court.

Moonlight streamed in through the windows, forming a boundary of light and shadow across the floor.

"Clark, come out. You followed me all the way here just to stop me from going to the dance, didn't you?!"

The moment Eric finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the gymnasium.

Clark appeared behind Eric!

With an unusually serious expression, Clark had already decided to use force to stop him.

"Eric, I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Clark clenched his fists tightly. "You need help."

Eric turned around to face Clark, a faint smile playing on his lips. "All right, Clark. How are you going to help me?"

"Go home, then tell me everything. Dad, Mom, and I can all help you."

Although Clark was convinced that Dan Brown's death was connected to Eric, he had no intention of sending his younger brother to prison.

He felt there might be circumstances between Eric and Dan Brown that he did not know about.

"You know, Clark, ever since we were kids, you usually haven't been the one who could persuade me."

Eric sighed and put on a helpless expression.

Reporter Chloe's earlier assessment of him—"luring Clark into clashing with him step by step"—was not entirely without reason.

Eric's Homelander Template had already been unlocked to 70%. The reason it could not be unlocked any further was that he could not break through its restraints.

No matter how he trained, whether through insane workouts that pushed his body to its limits or through tempering himself in actual combat, the template's unlock progress would not advance even an inch.

The reason was that he had not faced a powerful enemy or an inescapable crisis capable of bringing out his body's greatest potential.

Although Clark, as a Kryptonian, had greater potential than him, most of his abilities were still undeveloped at this stage. In a normal fight, he would be no match for Eric.

Clark, who believed Eric was the killer, would definitely go all out. If his potential erupted, he might just cause Eric enough trouble.

And besides...

When the "god among men," consumed by prejudice and rage, caused an irreversible outcome because of his own mistake, could he still be called a "god"?

In a fit of twisted amusement, Eric wanted to see how his "bargain-bin big brother" would face the first "unbearable pain" of his life.

As for whether those scum from the football team lived or died, he did not care in the slightest.

"Clark, you think I'm the killer because your heart is full of prejudice."

Eric raised his voice, speaking with deliberate cadence. "Because my body gave off a bad smell to you, because I'm someone who looks like he doesn't care about other people's lives at all, because I had conflicts with the football team, I'm the killer!"

"Your anger and prejudice have made you overlook more, far more deadly problems."

"If you want to become someone who protects and shows mercy, then you must learn to become smarter!"

Bang!

The hurricane force of his fist tore through the air with a violent explosive crack.

The surrounding air was ripped apart in an instant!

Clark had not expected Eric to suddenly attack him. Caught off guard, he could not react in time and was struck in the chest.

"Ugh!"

With a pained grunt, Clark was sent flying backward.

Like a baseball hit straight into a wall, he slammed heavily into it. Countless cracks instantly spread across the hard surface like a spiderweb.

Dust and fragments of the wall rained down.

"Cough..."

His chest hurt so badly that he could barely breathe, while waves of vague darkness battered his mind.

Clutching his chest, Clark slowly slid down the wall.

The next second, Eric activated his super speed and threw another punch at Clark's chin.

The fast, heavy punch became lightning in the most literal sense.

Clark reacted in time and raised his arm to block it. Using the recoil, he moved backward and escaped the attack range at a speed no slower than Eric's.

Eric's attacks continued without pause like a torrential downpour. He closed in, then swung a high kick backward!

The target was Clark's lower abdomen.

Eric had constantly tempered his physique and studied all kinds of fighting techniques. Even if his speed and strength were brought down to Clark's level, Clark would still be no match for him.

Not to mention that Clark had only just awakened, and his speed and strength were far inferior to Eric's.

Bang!

This time, Clark did not choose to dodge. Faced with Eric's close-range assault, he chose to meet force with force.

Gritting his teeth, he raised his arm. The instant they made contact, he felt a heavy, overwhelming force surge toward him.

It was as violent as the force of hundreds of meters of ocean waves rising in an instant, crashing into Clark's body.

Their fists collided, and the surrounding air let out a pained groan from the shock as Clark was blasted away.

With a deafening clang, his body smashed heavily into the basketball hoop.

The metal basketball hoop, built with extraordinary durability, deformed from the impact of Clark's body. Its metal frame bent ninety degrees where it had been struck.

Clark fell from the hoop and crashed onto the floor with a thunderous boom.

"Urgh!"

Lying flat on his back, Clark let out a painful groan.

His consciousness blurred in waves, and every muscle in his body felt like it was screaming in pain.

Meanwhile, in an unnoticed corner.

Chloe and Pete, hiding outside the gymnasium window and peering in, were completely stunned!

Wh-what was this?

These attacks were too fast for the naked eye to catch. Every strike made the air tremble, accompanied by the thunderous collision of flesh and metal.

This had completely surpassed the realm of humanity, hadn't it?!

Were all members of the Kent family this freakish?!

Especially Eric. He clearly did not look as strong as his brother, yet he had Clark completely suppressed, unable to fight back at all!

Seeing such an attack style that so thoroughly defied human common sense for the first time, the pair was seized by immense terror.

Thanks to "Reader 1455147117727412224" for the tip. You've spent money again—thank you so, so much!

Thank you all for your votes. Bow!