Chapter 40: Sign in Superman Template! Spark Source! Godzilla!

Chapter 40: Sign in Superman Template! Spark Source! Godzilla!

---

Tony was perplexed. How long had he and Captain America been in the spotlight? And now, they were on the verge of being overtaken by someone who had only recently made her debut?

Tony scrutinized the stats that Friday had listed. In the ranking of superhero popularity, he and Captain America were undeniably at the top. But right below them was the Scarlet Witch, far ahead of the others.

"All right," Tony said, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head in exasperation. "How does a psychological counseling program lead to such a meteoric rise?"

He sighed and muttered, "I guess I'd better focus on upgrading my armor. The nano-armor technology is about to break through."

Tony had been staying home to work on advancing his nanotechnology research.

...

The next day.

As the morning sun bathed the earth in light...

Lorien was still in bed.

While busy office workers hurried down the streets with their sandwiches, heading to their jobs...

Lorien remained in bed.

It wasn't that he was asleep the whole time; he had been awake, playing games and generally avoiding getting up.

Cough, cough...

But once the clock hit 8:30 a.m., Lorien finally stirred. He got up and washed at 8:40 a.m., showered and dressed by 8:50 a.m., and by 8:55 a.m., he was downstairs, ready for the day.

See? Perfectly punctual!

Except he hadn't eaten breakfast yet. No problem—he'd just order takeout.

Lorien spent the rest of the morning in a state of leisurely idleness.

In the afternoon, a visitor arrived.

The guest, looking troubled, confided, "I feel hopeless about the world and find no meaning in life. But I'm afraid of death, and the world seems full of dangers. What should I do?"

Lorien sensed the person's anxiety and responded thoughtfully, "If you have the means, consider finding a project to immerse yourself in. Maybe buy a house on a hillside and create a personal sanctuary. Connect with like-minded friends."

"Or travel the world. There are places far more dangerous than here."

It was clear that the visitor was a wealthy individual, bored and lonely. Yet, they seemed genuinely interested in Lorien's suggestion of building a refuge.

And this wasn't just idle talk. In the U.S., building private shelters was a thriving business, catering to those with fears of insecurity. A personal sanctuary could be a perfect solution.

After the guest paid and left, Lorien returned to his laid-back routine until the time came to officially clock out.

"Click~"

As the door closed, Lorien mentally said, "Check-in."

[Check-in successful!]

[Obtained: Kryptonian Superman Template!]

Kryptonian Superman. Essentially, the standard version of Superman.

While not as powerful as the Silver Age Superman, who could operate on a multiversal scale, this version was still formidable, typically at a single-universe level.

It's a pity it wasn't the Silver Age Superman, Lorien mused. If it were, he could start at the multiverse level, capable of toppling the Celestials and making even the Living Tribunal nervous.

Still, the standard Superman's physical abilities significantly boosted Lorien's own strength.

At the very least, he didn't have to worry about being attacked by assassins. Superman's durability was renowned.

As for kryptonite and other vulnerabilities, they could be managed with purification techniques.

Lorien took a moment to review the other recent rewards from his check-ins:

[Reward: Complete set of Tom and Jerry cartoons!]

[Reward: Planetary Engine x100!]

[Reward: Queen Medusa's Fierce Shield x1!]

[Reward: Fire Source x1!]

[Reward: Singularity Godzilla pet cub x1!]

Lorien stared at the list, slightly bewildered.

Tom and Jerry cartoons were amusing but not particularly useful. And what was he supposed to do with a hundred planetary engines? Move the Earth around the cosmos? Imagine Thanos arriving, only to find the planet gone and be utterly confused.

The Fire Source was interesting, but its practical applications were limited for now.

The most intriguing item was undoubtedly the Singularity Godzilla pet cub. Lorien had a vague recollection of Singularity Godzilla—it was one of the most powerful versions, essentially immortal and comparable to cosmic entities like the Celestials or Galactus.

Since it was a pet, he figured he could raise it. Why not?

After some thought, Lorien decided to send the cub to some where else, where it could grow and thrive. It had plenty of "nutrition" available there.

With a snap of his fingers, Lorien teleported himself to the Pacific Ocean. The Phoenix Force made spatial travel effortless.

Flying there with his newfound superpowers? Too much effort. One word: lazy.

Next, Lorien enveloped himself in energy and sank into the ocean, bringing the baby Godzilla out of his system.

As soon as the cub appeared, a soft, almost feminine whimper echoed in Lorien's mind. He patted the young Godzilla's head gently and thought, "Grow strong and healthy. I'll visit you regularly. When you're grown, perhaps you can travel through space to find me."

----

Some power stones would be appreciated.