Chapter 41: Publishing House

POWER STONES ARE REQUESTED & REQUIRED.

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Chapter 41: Publishing House

In the room, Colin patiently awaited the improvement of his physical condition.

Only then did he begin to contemplate the few words he had just overheard using his heightened listening ability, known as [Super Hearing].

As expected, Howard and the others did not wholeheartedly trust Colin, and this did not come as a surprise to him.

Considering what Nick Fury had revealed during their encounter in the taxi, it was clear that they needed to maintain secrecy and cover their tracks. This indicated that the identities of Howard and his associates in the anti-world were not widely known. Furthermore, Colin had already encountered opposing factions such as the Thunderbolt Agents and even Hydra.

Examining the registered hero status of the Thunderbolt team members, it became evident that the Dark Avengers led by Howard were at a disadvantage in this confrontational battle. Hence, their cautious approach and investigation into Colin's identity were to be expected.

Colin likened his act of eavesdropping on Howard and the others using [Super Hearing] to the investigation they launched on him. Thus, he considered it an even exchange.

Resolving to himself silently, Colin shifted his focus to the information displayed before him.

[Bronze Mark (11/100)]

[Faith (914/10,000)]

Despite encountering unforeseen factors during his induction into the Resistance Army, Colin deemed his acquisition of [Time Shards] to be a favorable outcome.

He recognized that obtaining more [Time Shards] would require intersecting with Howard and his associates due to the correlation between acquiring the shards and interacting with [Distorted Time Nodes]. Thus, it seemed inevitable that Colin would have further encounters with them unless he chose to forgo pursuing additional [Time Shards] and settle for remaining at the [Black Iron Mark] level for the rest of his life.

Colin acknowledged the predetermined nature of his circumstances, albeit with some silent complaints. He accepted his present situation and, sensing that the influence of [Super Hearing] on his body had dissipated, he closed his eyes, cleared his thoughts, and returned to the real world.

...

"Mom, I'm hungry..." Colin could not completely suppress his abilities, but at least when he utilized [Super Hearing] in the Real world, he no longer experienced the excruciating pain he had endured at the base.

"Hang on, baby. You'll be able to eat once the soup kitchen opens."

"Mom, why don't you come with me? Why won't you accompany me to the door?"

"..."

"Because, Mom isn't hungry..."

Inside the Messenger Newspaper office in the Real world, Colin rubbed his temples and deactivated [Super Hearing].

As he had anticipated, returning to the real world carried its own sense of suppression.

The range of his [Super Hearing] ability, originally capable of perceiving sounds within a ten-kilometer radius, had now diminished to merely capturing the sounds of the streets near the newspaper office. It no longer encompassed the comprehensive auditory range he experienced in the anti-world.

Thus, he could no longer refer to this ability as [Super Hearing]; it could only be described as having "good hearing."

Colin contemplated silently in the newspaper office, considering the possibility of training and adapting to his abilities in the Real world after unlocking them in the future.

Interrupting his thoughts, a knock on the door echoed, capturing the attention of Old John, who was busy working at the typesetting machine.

"Please come in."

Concentrating his thoughts, Colin called out towards the door.

Immediately after, the partially closed door of the newspaper office swung open, revealing a man dressed in a dark brown over-the-knee windbreaker and a cap. The man had distinct nasolabial folds on both sides of his cheeks as he walked in.

"Good morning. May I ask who you are?" Colin frowned slightly upon seeing the figure entering the newspaper office, then stood up from behind the desk and inquired.

"Good morning, Mr. Colin Looper. Please forgive my presumptuous visit. I am Piero Siegel, the editor of 'Famous Funnies.' I've come to discuss the serialization of the 'Superman' comics in our publication..." The man introduced himself as an editor and removed his peaked cap.

"'Famous Funnies'?" Colin whispered, wearing a puzzled expression.

To be honest, he had no recollection of this so-called "Famous Funnies." He turned his head and exchanged questioning glances with Old John, who stood by the typesetting machine. Old John also shook his head slightly, indicating his lack of familiarity with the name.

"Apologies, but what is 'Famous Funnies'?" Colin, with an apologetic expression, asked Piero for clarification.

"Mr. Colin Luper, there's no need to apologize. In truth, 'Famous Funnies' is still in its early stages, and the publishing house has yet to release any magazines or books for sale. It's understandable that you haven't come across our name..." Piero reassured Colin, understanding his lack of awareness.

After indulging in conversation, it became apparent that "Famous Funnies" hadn't even progressed to the printing phase.

Colin found himself at a loss for words upon hearing Piero's explanation. However, before he could bid the guest farewell, Piero elaborated on the purpose of his visit.

"Although 'Famous Funnies' is currently in its preparatory stage, as the name suggests, our aim is to provide readers with a complete comic magazine. Unlike the current situation where readers must purchase several newspapers, sometimes a dozen, to finish reading their favorite comics..."

During this era, comics were typically serialized in newspapers and periodicals, with no dedicated comic magazines available.

Recognizing this gap, Piero and the publishing house he represented intended to collect and organize these comics, republishing them as dedicated magazines.

These comic works had long serialization periods in newspapers, naturally attracting an audience. Additionally, this new avenue would provide cartoonists with an additional means of income.

"In fact, the author of 'Dick Tracy' has promised us the serialization rights for the first issue of 'Famous Funnies.' We have also established contact with many other serialized comics."

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