Chapter 29 Gathering Faith

[Faith (1033/1000)]

The acquisition of one thousand [Faith] was faster than Colin had anticipated.

After delivering the manuscript of the "Superman" comic to Old John which is to be serialized on Wednesday, Colin returned home and looked at the numbers displayed on the text. A faint flicker appeared in his eyes.

"Well, it's time for the final step."

Taking a deep breath, Colin followed the thoughts in his mind, and the number in the [Faith] category began to decrease.

Immediately after, the ever-changing [Black Iron Mark] on the back of Colin's hand started to gradually condense. During the process, he heard some whispers, and upon careful recognition, they seemed to be comments about Hoover that had previously appeared in the "Messenger." As Colin observed this, his breathing couldn't help but become slightly agitated. The patterns that were forming on the surface of the mark under his gaze also began to reveal some vague features.

"Please don't let it be Hoover, please don't let it be Hoover!"

Seeing this scene, Colin instinctively clenched his fists, and sweat started to form on his palms. Holding his breath, he silently prayed in his heart.

Whether Colin's prayer had an effect or not, the whispers gradually became overwhelmed by more voices of admiration.

These voices, big and small, murmured intermittently, converging into a single sentence:

"It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"

As the voices echoed, the previously indistinct facial features of the mark dissolved, eventually condensing into the shield-shaped S emblem, appearing on the back of Colin's hand.

"Phew~"

Colin let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Everything that had happened in those short few seconds was more exhilarating than a roller coaster ride.

Fortunately, the final outcome didn't disappoint him. He lowered his head and looked at the shield-shaped S emblem formed by the [Black Iron Mark], emitting a black metallic sheen on the back of his hand. An uncontrollable smile appeared on his lips.

"Next, let me discover the true power of the [Black Iron Mark]!"

Suppressing the eager desire in his heart, Colin closed his eyes.

Once again, his consciousness was enveloped by the familiar green light, pulling him into a state of constant descent.

However, this time, falling asleep was different from any previous experiences Colin had gone through.

During his descent, countless images seemed to flash through his mind. In these images, he saw a shattered planet, an indistinguishable man and woman, and a baby named Clark falling onto a farm while being carried by a spacecraft, where he was discovered by a couple.

All of these were the plot of the "Superman" comic that Colin had serialized in the "Messenger."

...

[Bronze Mark (1/100)]

[Faith (33/10000)]

So, is Bronze the next stage after Black Iron? It's really a cliché setting.

In the anti-world, as Colin opened his eyes, he noticed that the text in his vision seemed to have changed.

The original term "Black Iron" was replaced by "Bronze," and even the numbers behind the "Faith" category changed from one thousand to ten thousand, a tenfold increase.

This growth rate is completely unreasonable. Normally, shouldn't it just double at the beginning? What does it mean by directly increasing it by 10 times?

Colin's gaze lingered on the number of ten thousand behind "Faith" for quite some time before he withdrew his expressionless eyes and silently criticized it in his mind.

If he didn't know that these words in front of him had no function other than indicating collection effects, Colin would have really intended to have a careful conversation with them about these design flaws.

Shaking his head, he forced himself not to look at the words in front of him anymore.

Colin shifted his attention back to the "Black Iron Mark" formed on the back of his hand. As he stared at it, the shield-shaped S symbol with a faint black metallic luster began to display words.

...

[Black Iron Mark - Superman]

[Ability - Super Strength (Black Iron)]

[Ability Description: Superman's initial appearance showcased his immense strength by lifting a car overhead. As the comic plot developed, his strength became even greater, effortlessly tossing tanks and breaking iron chains with a single hand.]

[Ability - Flight (Black Iron)]

[Ability Description: Locked]

[Ability - Super Defense (Black Iron)]

[Ability Description: Locked]

[Ability - Super Speed (Black Iron)]

[Ability Description: Locked]

"Locked?"

Looking at the series of locked prompts in the "Black Iron Mark" apart from the initial "Super Strength," Colin couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

This was completely different from what he had originally thought.

"So, condensing the mark is just a start."

After quickly judging from the description of the "Super Strength" ability in the text, Colin came to a conclusion.

Evidently, the reason why the ability of "Super Strength" was unlocked had a significant connection to his frequent displays in the comic, especially the mentioned scene of tossing tanks, which happened to be the latest plot in the ongoing Superman series.

As for the other locked abilities, they seemed to be the ones introduced at the beginning of the Superman comic but were not elaborated upon in relation to specific plotlines.

Because they were only roughly introduced and not explicitly presented in the form of a comic, they couldn't form a concrete impression, right?

"So, if I directly make Superman push a planet in the comic, will my power also grow to such an extent?"

As Colin looked at the only unlocked ability displayed before him, such thoughts emerged in his mind.

However, he quickly realized that it probably wouldn't work. The "Black Iron" label marked behind each line of ability seemed to indirectly remind Colin.

Currently, all the abilities related to Superman that he could unlock were limited to the scope of the "Black Iron" category.

In other words, even if Colin made Superman push a planet in the comic, the final result could very well be in vain.

Apart from leaving readers of the comic with a head full of question marks, it would have no other effect.

"So, I can only take it step by step..."

This situation reminded Colin of the evolution process of characters in mythical stories, which seemed to be similar to what he was currently facing.

Many mythical figures now familiar to the public often deviated greatly from their original image. In the course of historical development and evolution, they were either added with many new mythological stories or assimilated into other mythological tales, ultimately becoming the appearance seen by everyone today.

Even the authority of these mythical figures often became increasingly complex through the transmission of various stories.

However, it seemed that the progress of the times and technological advancements greatly accelerated this process. Mythological legends that used to take a long time to form through oral tradition and dissemination now became much simpler. The existence of media such as books, newspapers, and comics made the means of dissemination much wider.

Thinking about this, Colin couldn't help but feel fortunate. It was good that he had transmigrated into an era with relatively advanced technology rather than a primitive society dependent on oral tradition.

This allowed him to leverage the power of media, create "new gods," and acquire abilities.