[Negative emotions from Death Knell: +100, +100…]
It was a scene of utter devastation, as if flattened by a bulldozer.
The ground was riddled with uneven potholes of varying depths.
Fallen trees lined the roadside, their broken branches burning and sending up acrid, black smoke.
Standing tall amidst the ruins, a figure basked in the glow of the setting sun, a stark contrast to the person sprawled nearby.
His internal organs burned with pain, but it was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.
Death Knell was certain that if someone had told him, five years ago, that he would be forced to play a game of multiple-choice questions by a young man, possibly only in his early twenties, he would have laughed in their face and then told them his name.
But reality was far more absurd than imagined.
Life or death.
This was a matter of choice.
After witnessing the terrifying power and abilities of the young man, Death Knell no longer doubted that the other person was capable of eliminating him.
So, what should his choice be?
The atmosphere was frozen in silence. The middle-aged man's gaze flicked towards his friend, Holly.
Was he afraid of death?
Actually, he wasn't that afraid. Since he decided to become a mercenary, he had long been prepared to die on some mission.
But Holly was different. Before he decided to become a mercenary, his friend had abandoned a high-paying job in the military and followed him without hesitation.
Gratitude for knowing him, the loyalty of brotherhood, and then thinking of Holly's two children, Death Knell stared intently at Gino. He slowly uttered two words through gritted teeth: "It is my honor to serve you."
Gino wasn't surprised by Death Knell's decision.
"Then."
The boy snapped his fingers lightly. The air at his fingertips ignited, and the ancient parchment contract constructed from Heavenly Magic landed in his palm. He slowly walked towards Death Knell and tossed the contract at the man's feet. "Sign it."
This miraculous scene once again shocked Death Knell.
The terms listed on the parchment were practically a Nigger Contract, each one harsh and demanding. Describing it as an Indentured Servant Contract wouldn't be an exaggeration.
But for his friend, for that brotherhood, Death Knell, this stalwart man, still bit his finger and signed his name on the parchment.
Accompanied by a dazzling white light that burst from the parchment, engulfing and submerging Death Knell, the establishment of the contract was announced.
"BOOM!"
The car door slammed shut, followed by the smooth execution of ignition, clutch, gear shift, and throttle.
As the SUV burst out of the ditch and sped along the small town road, Death Knell, sitting in the passenger seat, slowly spoke, "Holly, tell the employer the mission failed. Also, block our employer."
The man gazed deeply at the sign flashing by the window that read "Welcome to the Global Capital of Creamed Corn" and said in a low voice, "From today on, we refuse any mission related to Smallville Town."
"I understand," Holly sighed, gripping the steering wheel with one hand and shifting into fifth gear, accelerating.
The woman who could turn into a giant wolf, and that boy who seemed like a god.
It was all like a nightmare, just urging Holly and Death Knell to escape this ridiculous town quickly.
At the same time.
On the abandoned road, two hands clasped each other.
"I didn't expect you to be in such a state."
Gino chuckled, pulling the battered Clark up from the dirt.
Clark gave a wry smile, rubbing his aching cheek. "I didn't expect to get beaten…"
Clark paused. "Honestly, I realized I should have learned some fighting techniques after losing my powers."
"Losing your powers?" Gino frowned slightly. "How did you suddenly lose your powers?"
"I don't know. I just suddenly felt weak, like my body was hollow."
As he spoke, Clark told Gino about what had happened to him and the sudden loss of control of the spaceship.
"So," Gino frowned, "that energy wave, or something, caused you to lose your powers."
"But it's not all bad, at least it made me realize my shortcomings." The optimistic Clark smiled.
"If you want to learn," Gino said, supporting Clark as they walked towards the unconscious Kayla, "I recommend you learn Wing Chun."
Hmm, a Wing Chun-specialized Clark?
The thought of Clark suddenly busting out Wing Chun when he fought Darkseid in the future gave him an inexplicable urge to laugh.
The two of them reached Kayla's side.
"She's still got a breath left, not dead," Gino said, glancing at Kayla. Though she'd lost a lot of blood, the girl's heart was still beating.
"Thank goodness." After confirming the girl was alright, Clark's expression visibly relaxed. He was used to shouldering all the responsibility.
"Let's go. Let's get this girl to the hospital first," Gino said, releasing Clark and bending down to pick up the unconscious Kayla.
Smallville Town Hospital.
The hallway was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
Some patients in hospital gowns were walking around with the help of doctors.
Lana and Chloe were discussing the direction of Chloe's newspaper's development.
"Lana, lend a hand," Clark's voice rang out.
The two women looked up.
Not far away, at the corner of the corridor, Gino was walking towards them, holding a girl. Nurses carrying medical equipment rushed into the emergency room, followed by Clark, whose face was bruised and swollen.
"Oh my god!"
Looking at the miserable Clark, Lana's eyes immediately reddened, tears streaming down her eyelids: "What happened!?"
Although she had a conflict with Clark, the girl couldn't help but worry when she saw him injured.
After sending the unconscious Kayla into the emergency room, Gino patted Clark on the shoulder with a smile: "Of course Clark got beaten."
"Come on, I'll take you to the infirmary!" Lana reached out and grabbed Clark's arm, hurrying towards the corner corridor.
The two left, leaving only Gino and Chloe behind.
"What a troublesome day," Gino sighed, sitting on a corridor bench.
"Yeah, it really was a long day," Chloe glanced at Gino with a strange expression, then fell silent again.
Sometimes, she really felt like there was an invisible but real "wall" between herself and the boy. For example, what had just happened, Gino obviously wouldn't tell her the truth.
Silently watching the boy's profile, Chloe sighed softly, idly playing with her fingers. She felt that she should probably give up on liking Gino.
"Gino!"
Without waiting long, Clark, his face wrapped in thick bandages, jogged over and grabbed Gino without a word. "I forgot to… uh, I left something important in the jungle."
Clark's expression was anxious, obviously, Kayla's situation had distracted him, making him forget about the spaceship still left in the dense forest.
With that, Clark pulled Gino away from the hallway, leaving Chloe sitting on the chair with a helpless expression.
"Just like before."
The girl sighed, stood up, and planned to go downstairs to chat with Lana.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)