Opening: Essence

Note from the author :

The MC has no family or biological ties to Clark, but he is also a Kryptonian from Krypton.

He has no memory of his real parents and was adopted by a random elderly person from Smallville who passed away. I didn't want it to be a large family, so it's a two-person family, with the MC free to do his own thing after the person who adopted him died.

The MC has no memories of his life on Krypton, but he is transmigrated, so he recalls his life on normal Earth.

He transmigrated into the body years after the spaceship landed in Smallville.

XX

'Why can't transmigrators start their lives with living family members?'

'What kind of trope is this?'

A young man, who appeared to be 20 but was 14 years old, sat on a couch at home.

It had been a few weeks since the funeral now. A few weeks since the father of Nate died. His adoptive father in this life.

He had not known him in first person, despite the vivid memories in his head, the head of the body that now belonged to him.

The name of that old man who was now dead was Milton Moreno. Nate's own full name was Nathaniel Moreno. People called him Nate or Nathan since it was shorter.

The man who adopted him was not wealthy and worked a full-time job, but he did own a house.

As the man's only son, even if adopted, Nate had inherited the house.

It was the house he was currently in right now.

'It's been a few weeks, but I still haven't seen any relatives at the funeral services. In my memories, I have never heard of any, even if they were distant.'

The man who adopted him also inherited this house. From his parents, who had also died.

In a nutshell, Nathaniel's transmigration appeared to be completely preplanned so that no one would come and claim to be family or anything.

Well… Maybe not people from this planet…

The thing, the cause for concern, was that Nate was not normal. Despite his humanoid appearance, he was not actually human.

He could mate with women from this planet. But he was from Krypton. Like Clark Kent.

He knew this because he possessed superhuman strength and had discovered the spaceship hidden in the basement of this house.

The information was clear in this body's memories.

This body, like the future Superman, got to this planet years ago, on the same day the meteorite came crashing down.

Nate was done attending funerals and signing succession papers.

Now that he was free, he decided to sit at home and start using his cheat, which awoke today, just one day before the new term of school in Smallville began.

His power was rather simple. It was not a system or anything of the sort.

He would simply obtain things every day by performing specific actions.

In this case, he needed to sit and meditate for a minute before something dropped.

He had no control over the number of items obtained or their rarity.

They could be anything from Dragon Ball capsules, coupons for summoning people and animals, to Essences.

There was no limit to the types of items available. It was all about chance, ambiguous odds, and multifaceted probabilities.

Nate simply knew that some things were extremely rare and could only be obtained once in a century.

'Well, let's start with the prize pool of today, then. I just need to close my eyes for a minute and take deep breaths.'

'Looks like the first time I use it, I automatically receive an inventory and an Essence. I don't know about the rest.'

Nate considered and then began.

After a while, some things popped out in his view; those were several bubbles containing the details about what he had obtained today.

[Essence of the Uncommon: 1]

[Inventory: 1]

[...]

XX

Moments later.

Nate counted his gains for today.

He received an inventory as well as a vial of Essence, as expected. The rest consisted of miscellaneous items such as food and beer, books of facts on Smallville up to S2, as well as something called Super Senzu beans, which appeared to be dropped frequently.

In good numbers as well.

They were simply enhanced senzu beans that treated more than just fatigue and injuries, including illnesses and even old age.

That was a great thing, especially since it appeared to be easily handed out on a daily basis.

If Nate wanted to live like Superman and save dying friends, he had easy ways.

After some time, in a good mood, he decided to begin with the Essence; he didn't doubt his cheat and was not going to try a Senzu bean himself.

He didn't want to be wasteful.

Even if they turned up in gargantuan quantity.

Nate opened the vial of black Essence in his hand, drank it, and then stored the empty vial in his inventory. The next thing moment, something came into view. In front of his eyes.

It was a readable explanation of his essence that arrived at the same time as more detailed information rushed through his mind.

Nate was already made familiar with everything he needed to know when he began reading. To get started with his power. And not be perplexed by its possibilities and potential.

[Essence of the Uncommon]

[Type: Custom Meta Essence CYOA]

[This essence transforms you into someone who transcends norms and limitations; you are the pinnacle of evolution and adaptation, with no flaws. The main thing this power does is to remove your biological and mental weaknesses, whether they change or not.]

[Because your current genetic makeup includes Kryptonian traits, your weaknesses to Kryptonite of any color are immediately removed. Any other weakness that Kryptonians currently possess has been removed. Your body and mind will naturally adapt to new weaknesses.]

[Your potential is limitless in all domains; you can learn anything and become as strong as you want if you put in the effort. You can learn anything, including magic and metahuman abilities. You accomplish this through observation, trial-and-error, and replication. If you want to learn something faster, you should experience it close and firsthand.]

[You become stronger through more than just exposure to sunlight. You can train in order to become stronger.]

[The more you use your abilities and skills, the stronger they become in relation to your own potential. This rate of growth is currently limited to the capabilities of a Kryptonian. One of your birth conditions and talents. Naturally, you are not the prince of Krypton.]

[Because of your unusual and unique nature, you are naturally resistant to spiritual, psychological, and scientific inquiry. It is impossible to study your body or soul. People who try to look into you will be forced to forget about their efforts and the idea itself. The people around them will also forget the idea and subject. It makes no difference how powerful or omnipotent they are.]

[You can freely use your abilities and power without worrying about cloaking yourself, wearing a mask, or anything else. But if you want people to remember your oddities and powers, you can do so freely and according to your own needs and desires.]

[Note: Even if you can make people forget that you have powers, and you are different, it doesn't mean that they will be kinder, more tolerant if you provoke them. It just means that people will not understand, appreciate you and your abilities in and out of a fight. Fighting someone stronger than you will result in the same miserable outcome. They just won't put you in a research lab after you suffer defeat]

"..."

'Damn. Doesn't this just transform me into the ultimate superman, free of worries and the need to lie all day?'

Nate didn't know why he was so fortunate to receive this type of essence during the first century of his new life, but he knew what was going on. This power was clearly intended to free a Superman from Jonathan Kent's worries and nagging.

Unfortunately, he was not the man's son. It was a shame he wasn't the man's son with such power; it would have been amusing to confuse him.

'With such power, I can gradually grow stronger without worrying about anything.'

'That note is simply a reminder to slow people, I suppose... Fortunately, I am not a fool and understand that the world will not bow to me, of course. It just won't be hostile to me and try to investigate me.'

Nate, in a good mood and optimistic about his future, was about to begin playing with and testing his inventory when something happened.

His mobile phone on the table rang.

When he saw the caller, he picked it up without too much surprise and asked, 

"Yo, Whitney, how can I help you?"

He wasn't really friends with Whitney, but they were both part of the cool crowd at school. The previous owner of the body was a cool kid. He did not abuse or overexpose his abilities, but he still used them. He was also the most handsome guy at school.

The guy didn't seem to realize how handsome he was, or perhaps his character was a little too good, like Clark Kent, and perpetually virgin. He had a crush on Lana Lang, just like Clark. Nate, the new one at least, was not attracted to Lana at all.

In fact, saying hello to her before she did was already considered a good thing. On ordinary days, he would not even want to look at her.

He last said hello to her out of politeness and gratitude. She had attended one of the funerals held in the last few days. Her boyfriend's father was a friend of Nate's.

According to memories, the two men from the Moreno family would occasionally eat at the Fordman's house. Whitney and Nate did not dislike each other, but they would not contact each other to meet on normal days. They were just family-forced, friend-like acquaintances. On pleasant terms, but not particularly great ones.

Whitney said over the phone, 

"I was just calling to see how you were doing. I could not imagine what it would be like to lose my father."

Nate suddenly remembered Whitney and his relationship with his father, who would become ill. The call surprised him at first, but he now understood... This kid was probably about to get closer to him?

Nate chuckled inside and replied, 

"Thanks for calling; I'm doing well for the most part. Is everything fine in your own home?"

Whitney said, "Yes, my father is able to work well these days, and his condition has not worsened in a long time."

Nate said, 

"That's good. Take good care of him."

He didn't have much to say to Whitney, to be honest.

Nate wasn't the type to enjoy talking and being entertained over the phone.

Whitney agreed, "Yeah, life is so strange; you never know when something will happen."

Nate replied,

"Well, my father's car accident was not predictable. But if it's okay with you, I'd rather not think about it again."

Nate wasn't fond of sad moods, and everything that happened was more about memories for him than anything else.

He was happy to inherit the Moreno name and the house, and he respected the man's memory, but he didn't want to dwell on the black-painted wardrobes and obituaries.

Nate and Whitney's conversation became awkward because they didn't have much in common. It was also the last day of summer vacation, so there were no parties, pool parties, or other activities planned.

The call ended abruptly.

Whitney would not have proposed to Nate that they go out and party, even if such an event existed. He was too respectful to do so.

Nate was officially mourning in the eyes of the rest of Smallville.

It would have been inappropriate.

Nate wasn't in the mood to party, but that didn't mean he didn't want to get outside and start adventuring and going around Smallville doing things other than signing papers.

He did the majority of it in Metropolis.

That thing was too close to Smallville for its own good; the show was deceitful. The distance was only a few miles.

A lot of people worked there.

They came back at night.

Smallville functioned similarly to Metropolis' suburban areas.

It was even closer for many of them.

"..."

Nate paused for a moment, considering what to do today. He didn't have much to do, so he opted to sleep early.

Tomorrow was school, and many things could be tested.

For example, his kryptonite weakness, which was no longer there.

Smallville's underground was crawling, infested with that in quantities equal to the amount of soil itself, so he wasn't in a rush to conduct tests.

There were all kinds of weird kryptonite, even ones that he most likely had never heard of.

XX

The next day, after eating, showering, and dressing, Nate left for the bus.

Clark hadn't picked up by the school bus yet, it seemed.

He only noticed two interesting people sitting beside each other.

Thinking Clark would probably miss the bus, he went over and said, 

"Hey Chloe. Hi, Pete. How was your summer break?"

In the memories, he wasn't particularly close to the two, and it was one of the few times they had ever spoken.

Nate was a cool kid among the cool crowd. He wasn't rich, so he took the bus.

Chloe and Pete had cars, but as far as he could recall, they seemed to use them on a limited basis. Definitely not when they could take the bus.

Chloe replied, 

"Nathan Moreno? Wait… Did you really come to say hello to us?"

She seemed surprised.

She didn't appear to be expecting someone like Nate to come and say hello.

"Yeah? Is that so unexpected?" Nate laughed and smiled like a long-time friend, 

"Can you guys move over and make a seat for me?"

As he did, he could hear Pete whispering in the ear of Chloe something.

He was teasing and telling her to stop drooling so she wouldn't scare Nate away.

A handsome guy.

Nate was more familiar with Pete, who was considered a bit cool at school.

But more importantly, he noticed something…

He had good hearing. Most likely, better than the current Clark. 

And it wasn't due to his Essence.

XX

The seating arrangement on the bus ended up getting itty-bitty atypical. It could be said to be the case. Mostly, and more so for people who are not usually close to one another. Because the seats were originally meant for one person... 

However, they were ergonomic and roomy enough to comfortably fit two people with more-common body sizes in one seat.

A lot of kids who were good friends or something friendlier sat that way.

Nate didn't want to be situated far from Chloe, so he also broke, also bent the customary etiquette, and shared a seat. With her.

Since he was tall, his left foot resting slightly in the bus aisle and Chloe huddled closer to the window.

Pete took up the other seat in the same row.

He was the one who politely moved to make room, but the most handsome guy at school chose to sit somewhere more convenient for his needs, obviously…

He wouldn't want to inconvenience and bother Pete, of course.

Chloe finally responded to the earlier remark, not being shy, 

"I wouldn't expect a cool guy like you to come up and talk to us; don't you know what they call you at school?"

She never appeared to be shy.

At most, she would flush slightly, smile helplessly, swallow her saliva, and sound excited, as she did now.

Her eyes went comically and cutely big. She looked very cute right now.

Pete spoke before Nate could respond, 

"Don't put me in the same basket as you, Chloe. What do you mean by us?"

She chuckled as he glared at her and said, 

"You know what I mean."

Nate commented, 

"You two seem to have opposing views on the type of crowd you belong to, but Pete is considered a cool kid as far as I know... Not that it is particularly important, or is it?"

He looked at Chloe with intriguing question in his eyes.

Nate was the most attractive guy at school, both on and off the sports teams, and coaches begged him to continue playing seriously on a daily basis. He was somewhat of an expert on such frivolous topics. He wasn't lying to please Pete, anyway. Pete would undoubtedly become even more popular after starting to play football.

He would benefit greatly from following the plot in this life.

Pete said, 

"See? It's not coming from my mouth. How are you taking that, Chloe?"

He sounded triumphal and had proven his point with smugness.

Chloe looked surprised, frowned at Nate, and asked, 

"You're not saying this to make him feel good about himself, are you? This is the first time I've heard about it."

Nate stated with a serious face, 

"I don't need to blow Pete up or anything. You're in the dark because you don't associate with people who are up-to-date when it comes to such topics. Surprising for an aspiring journalist… You mustn't like this specific kind of gossip, maybe… Speaking of which, you aren't exactly seen as a part of the snobbery and lamer crowd, either. Not among us guys who have their eyes on you, at least."

When Nate finished speaking, he gave a big, charming smirk.

He recalled that the Torch wasn't particularly caught up, engrossed with this type of futile school babble. Chloe was more of a serious journalist than a paparazzo for the glitz and glam. She was more interested in the wall of weird stuff.

Pete instantly remarked, 

"What? Hey, are you sure you lovebirds don't want me to rent you a room? I can still switch seats if that's more practical for you."

He probably wasn't expecting Nate to say the last sentence. It was very unanticipated.

Chloe didn't pay attention to him.

She said with her face shocked and more flustering and flushing, 

"Did Nathan Moreno kind of unleash his burning passion for me just now? It's not a nebulous figment of my imagination, is it?"

Her face turned tomato red and feverish, as she muttered in disbelief.

It sounded like she was speaking to herself more than anyone else, to ensure that she wasn't dreaming.

Nate waved his hand in front of her blank, incredulous face and said,

"Earth to Chloe Sullivan, are you sure you're fine? We need an update on your orbital status. Do you require maintenance?"

He was having a lot of fun.

Pete explained helpfully, 

"I think you broke her, Nate… Let's give it a minute, I think."

Nate said, 

"Oh…"

Understanding.