You Won't Be Easily Killed Now, Right?

Early the next morning.

In the underground apartment, the simulated sunlight came on right on schedule.

Lynn yawned as he walked out of the bedroom. He was just about to head to the kitchen for something to eat when he saw an incredibly heartwarming scene.

John was sitting cross-legged on the carpet in his pure cotton pajamas.

Buddy, the little golden retriever, was wagging his tail happily, clinging to John's arm and licking his face for all he was worth.

John carefully held a specially made puppy teething stick, patiently playing with the puppy.

Morning sunlight spilled over the blond boy and the golden retriever puppy, making the scene look as lovely as a baby formula commercial.

"Good morning, Lynn." John looked up with an impeccably bright, sunny smile.

"Good morning, John. Looks like you've been taking good care of Buddy."

Lynn ruffled John's hair with satisfaction, silently giving himself a thumbs-up.

This pet therapy really works. The kid's looking more and more like a normal human child.

However, Lynn's satisfaction did not last long.

He had only just finished breakfast when the Special Communicator on his wrist began vibrating frantically.

"Lynn, come to my office immediately. Now!"

Madelyn's voice came through the communicator, suppressing anger and panic.

Ten minutes later, a thoroughly bewildered Lynn pushed open the door to Madelyn's office.

Madelyn was not the only one there. Stan Edgar was also connected on the big screen.

"Ma'am, what happened?" Lynn keenly sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

Madelyn said nothing. She merely struck a key hard.

The big screen immediately switched to surveillance footage.

The footage was black and white, and the location was the Special Interrogation Room in Area D.

As Lynn watched the little blond boy in pajamas and bare feet on the screen, he felt his heart stop for an instant.

The recording had no sound, but the images were horrifying enough.

He watched helplessly as John moved in front of Takeda at terrifying speed and crushed the old man's knee with his bare hand;

then, after an exchange he could not make out, John punched from a distance just before leaving, blasting apart the old man's other leg.

Throughout the entire process, the boy's movements were fluid, without any emotional fluctuation, as though he were snapping two dead branches.

The recording ended.

A deathly silence filled the office.

"Mr. Lynn."

Edgar held his coffee on the big screen, watching Lynn with unfathomable eyes. "Is this the absolute discipline and restraint you promised me?"

Lynn felt that his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

His mind raced as he desperately tried to think of a way to handle this.

Why did the kid go torture a prisoner in the interrogation room instead of sleeping in the middle of the night?

Was his bloodlust acting up?

"Mr. President, this... this was absolutely an accident."

Lynn forced himself to calm down. "He broke the prisoner's legs. That actually complies with the rule I taught him: 'punishment without killing'..."

"Don't be nervous, Lynn. I have no intention of blaming you."

Edgar suddenly smiled, a cold smile of someone who had everything under control. "Madelyn, show him the audio and the microexpression analysis report."

The footage rolled again, this time accompanied by technically restored audio.

When Lynn heard John say, "How can an ordinary adult with no talent learn it? I want to give this power to Lynn," he froze completely.

His scalp prickled.

Was he touched?

There was indeed a tiny bit of that.

A child with the power of a god had gone to brutally interrogate a dangerous individual in the middle of the night, simply to find a protective charm for a weak human like him.

But far more than that, he felt deep fear.

Lynn realized that John's logic had completed a terrifying closed loop.

The rules Lynn had established were: no indiscriminate killing, and be reasonable.

John's logic was: if someone threatened Lynn's safety, that person fell outside the protection of the rules. To protect Lynn, he could ignore any obstacle and destroy any potential threat.

"Mr. Lynn, you've created a miracle."

There was a hint of fervor in Edgar's voice. "That boy doesn't care about Vought International. He doesn't care whether humanity lives or dies. He doesn't even care about himself. His only anchor now is you."

"Sir, I..." Lynn opened his mouth, but did not know what to say.

"He wants that Yasakani Blood Jade. No problem. I can give it to him."

Edgar leaned back in his leather chair. "Not only will I give it to him, I'll have him personally place that blood jade in your hands."

Madelyn looked up in surprise. "Boss! That blood jade is an important specimen for the company's research into Eastern supernatural powers! R&D is planning to slice it up..."

"Those useless fools won't figure anything out. Compared with a lousy rock, a Homelander utterly devoted to serving Vought International is worth tens of millions of times more!" Edgar cut Madelyn off mercilessly.

He turned and stared fixedly at Lynn on the screen.

"Lynn, you're a smart man. I'm now granting you a magical artifact that can save your life, and entrusting that invincible boy to you. At Vought International, your position will be second only to mine."

Edgar's words carried an irresistible pressure. "But remember, your life and the boy's loyalty both belong to the company. As long as you don't betray us, whatever you want, I'll give to that boy. Do you understand?"

Lynn took a deep breath, knowing that he was now firmly strapped to this insane war chariot.

He straightened, adjusted his suit's tie, and spoke in a calm, firm voice.

"Perfectly, Mr. President. The company is my family, and so is John. I'll keep a close watch on this sword."

"Very good." Edgar nodded in satisfaction and disconnected.

Madelyn looked at Lynn with a complicated expression.

She walked over to the safe, entered more than a dozen passcodes, took out a small lead box, and handed it to Lynn.

"Take it. Black Noir nearly got himself half killed bringing this back. Now it's yours."

Lynn took the box.

It was heavy, and he could even feel a faint warmth seeping from inside.

He turned and left the office. The cold air in the corridor cleared his head considerably.

Holding this Eastern divine artifact that supposedly could stop armor-piercing rounds, Lynn felt it burned hotter than a branding iron.

Because he knew perfectly well that this was a bone Stan Edgar had tossed him.

The big boss's logic was simple: since John had sought power to protect Lynn, Edgar would grant that power to Lynn.

That way, John would subconsciously believe that the "company" had fulfilled his wish, and that the "big boss" was protecting Lynn.

This was psychological control of the highest order.

Fuck, these old foxes who toy with people's minds, Lynn cursed inwardly.

He pushed open the door to the underground apartment.

Hearing the sound, John immediately dropped the dog toy in his hands and ran over.

"Lynn! You're back."

The little boy smiled sweetly, his eyes so clear they held not a trace of impurity. There was no sign at all of the brutality with which he had crushed an old man's legs with his bare hands just last night.

Lynn looked at that delicate little face, sighed, and walked over to sit on the sofa.

"John." Lynn set the lead box on the coffee table, his expression very serious.

John's heart instantly skipped a beat.

His gaze fell on the box. He knew what was inside, but he was more afraid that Lynn already knew what had happened last night, afraid that Lynn was angry with him.

"Lynn, I..." John twisted his fingers, stammering for once.

"Don't say anything yet."

Lynn opened the box. An ancient piece of jade, dark red all over and shaped like a curved comma, lay quietly on the shock-absorbing padding.

Bloodlike traces of luster flowed across the jade's surface, giving off mysterious energy fluctuations.

"This is a protective charm the company just issued me. Supposedly, it can stop bullets and strengthen the body."

Lynn looked at John, speaking at an unhurried pace. "The big boss said he gave it to me as a special reward because you've been doing so well lately."

John froze.

He had thought Lynn would blame him for going out without permission and hurting someone.

But Lynn did not mention Takeda or the interrogation room.

He simply told him that because he had "behaved well," Lynn had received protection.

The little boy's eyes suddenly lit up, an almost fanatical light flashing in his azure pupils.

So that's how it works!

Lynn's rules don't just protect the weak. They make the big boss happy, too;

and when the big boss is happy, he'll bring out good things to protect Lynn!

As long as I keep being a strong, obedient "good hero" who follows the rules and helps the company solve its problems, Lynn will be safer and safer!

At that moment, a mad imprint labeled "Vought International = Lynn's safety vault" was thoroughly branded onto the future Homelander's mental circuitry.

Watching John's excited expression, Lynn was filled with mixed feelings.

He picked up a small knife from the fruit plate beside him, lightly cut his fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall onto the Yasakani Blood Jade.

Bzz-

The blood jade instantly absorbed the drop of blood and gave a faint buzz. Then it turned into a streak of red light and actually sank straight into Lynn's chest.

Lynn felt a warm current sweep through his entire body in an instant. The last lingering ache from the poison gas he had inhaled into his lungs vanished completely. His whole body seemed to have inexhaustible strength, and even his nearsighted eyes could see much more clearly.

"Amazing..." Lynn clenched his fists.

"Lynn! You won't be easily killed now, right?"

John threw himself into Lynn's arms excitedly, his little hands clutching Lynn's clothes.

"That's right. I'm pretty tough now." Lynn patted his back.

He looked down at John in his arms, knowing that now he not only had to teach this little psychopath, but also had to match wits with the entire company's schemes under the watchful eye of that unfathomable big boss.

The real tightrope walk had only just begun.