Chapter 32 Flying

The concept of flight has long been a cherished aspiration of humanity, setting superheroes apart from ordinary individuals in the "Superman" comics.

Throughout history, there have been hints of mankind's yearning for the power of flight in various myths and legends.

It's easy to imagine the exhilaration readers felt when they witnessed Superman soaring through the skies in newspaper panels.

The Messenger's offices were quickly inundated with letters from avid readers in New York City.

"I strongly urge 'Superman' to include more serialized content. Since I started reading 'Superman,' other comics in different newspapers no longer captivate me..."

"Will 'Luthor' make a comeback? A mere spaceship explosion can't easily kill him. I anticipate that this villainous character will present significant challenges for Superman in future storylines. Perhaps the writers should grant 'Luthor' some powers to counter Superman's abilities..."

"It's astounding, simply mind-blowing. I can't even begin to fathom the excitement I experienced when Superman took flight..."

"...He's not just Superman, he's a deity, the reincarnation of Hercules and Icarus. The cape behind Superman represents Icarus' wings..."

"I adore the 'Superman' comic so much that I've collected all the serialized storylines in the Messenger and read them over and over again."

"Why don't they print more copies? There's no Messenger available in my area. I have to buy the newspaper at double the price just to read 'Superman.' But in my opinion, it's worth every penny."

"So slow, so slow. Why can't the Messenger serialize like other newspapers every day?"

"Does invisibility exist in the real world, like that of a chameleon?"

From these letters, it becomes evident that the influence of "Superman" is steadily spreading, reaching people in regions where the Messenger is not distributed, who are now becoming acquainted with Superman's story.

"John, I need you to choose some of these readers' letters for publication in the next issue as feedback for the serialized 'Superman'..."

Colin set aside the letters in his hand and instructed John accordingly.

As the comic's popularity grew, the news section of the Messenger became increasingly scarce, with a majority of the newspaper's pages dedicated to the serialized "Superman" storyline. Nowadays, when you open a copy of the Messenger, almost 70-80% of the content consists of "Superman" comic plots.

Recognizing this, Old John even took the initiative to caution Colin about the potential discontent and protests from the newspaper industry that such an approach might provoke.

To appease these individuals, Colin specifically arranged for John to select some readers' letters to be included in the newspaper, ensuring that the serialized "Superman" comic in the Messenger remained unaffected while silencing those self-proclaimed professionals.

After all, their complaints merely revolved around the scarcity of textual content in the newspaper, and there was no rule stipulating that the published material had to be news articles.

...

[Ability - Flight (Black Iron)]

[Ability Description: Initially, Superman could effortlessly leap over skyscrapers. As the comic's plot developed, he gained the ability to fly, granting him the freedom to soar through the skies.]

[Ability - Invisibility/Stealth]

[Ability Description: Superman possesses the power to conceal his body by vibrating super fast and move undetected.]

The impact of the "Superman" comic extended beyond its influence on newspaper popularity.

It also left a mark on Colin himself.

With the serialization of the latest issue, Colin also unlocked the abilities of flight and invisibility, akin to those of Superman in the comic.

"Indeed, in this world, all the superpowers I acquire will be less potent."

In the real world, Colin experimented with his newfound abilities, his face reflecting a knowing expression.

Similar to [Super Strength], the newly unlocked abilities [Flight] and [Invisibility] have also suffered the same degree of reduction. It feels as if someone has added a thick layer of iron armor to Colin, suppressing all his abilities. This sense of suppression is not evident in his daily activities, but once it comes to using his powers, it becomes particularly intense.

If, in the anti-world, Colin can effortlessly lift a car using [Super Strength] without any sense of strain, in the Great Depression world, his [Super Strength] has been weakened to the extent that he can only lift a refrigerator. As for the ability to [Fly], it is suppressed to a mere height of seven to eight meters.

Under such suppression, although Colin still possesses some superhuman powers, it is far from the level of control he had in the anti-world.

"So, what is the reason for this suppression?"

"What kind of connection exists between the real world and the anti-world?"

Controlling his body, Colin floated in the air two to three meters above the ground, looking at his barely visible arms. He contemplated the connection between the two worlds in his mind.

Unfortunately, the lack of clues prevented him from deducing more from it.

He could only vaguely infer, from the difference in [Belief] and the suppression of abilities, that the existence of the real world was crucial.

...

"Ah..."

The strong wind whistled past his body as Colin felt the exhilaration of the rushing wind and the rapidly receding scenery. He couldn't help but let out a cheer, venting the excitement in his heart.

Merely floating in the real world could never satisfy his desire to fly.

Therefore, upon returning to the anti-world, Colin immediately searched for a secluded place under the cover of night and used [Invisibility] to erase his traces. Then, he began to experiment with his ability to [Fly].

Initially, he was cautious, but as the height of his flight increased and under the protection of [Invisibility], Colin's courage gradually grew.

The description of the flight principle in the "Superman" comic, where the difference in gravity between Krypton and Earth gives Superman a unique biological stance, allowing him to free himself from the gravity of Krypton and live under the relatively smaller gravity of Earth, becoming more "lightweight" and gaining the ability to fly.

Previously, this background setting from the comic only existed within the comic's universe.

However, after unlocking the ability to [Fly] in the [Black Iron Mark], it seemed that the previously fictional setting from the comic had the same effect on him.

Under the unlocking of the [Flight] ability, Colin seemed to have gained some of Superman's unique biological stance, enabling him to effortlessly fly.

...

"Warning, An unidentified flying object detected! Warning, An unidentified flying object detected!"

"Radar system activated, no target detected by microwave radar, passive radar scanning has detected a suspected target, zooming in..."

"Warning, the target is ascending rapidly, approaching the barrier alert range..."

While Colin was experiencing the allure of flight.

On the other side, within the biotech research facility located underground in the Hydra Tower in New York, an urgent alarm suddenly blared..

_____

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