"Guaranteed ten million prestige points! How about it!"
The R8 screeched to a sudden halt, tires biting into the pavement with a sharp squeal.
Lin Feng's hands tightened around the wheel. "How much did you just say?!" he blurted, stunned, as if his ears had betrayed him. "Ten million reputation points?"
"That's right!" the system replied smugly, humming twice like it was showing off. "Well, are you interested now?"
Lin Feng nearly choked on his breath. "Yes! Yes, Master System, I am very interested. Please, elaborate!" His heart was already racing—not from the sudden brake, but from the sheer gravity of the reward. Ten million reputation points in a single mission? That was practically the equivalent of grinding for months—no, years.
Please, he thought. Give me more missions like this!
The system, clearly satisfied with his eagerness, let out a crisp ding.
> You have a new task!
Foreign Aid Mission: Travel to a DC parallel universe and prevent the fusion of the Mother Boxes. Defeat Steppenwolf and the controlled Superman (Event Source: Movie World - Justice League).
Mission Duration: 10 Days
Time Until Departure: 3 Hours
Primary Reward: 10,000,000 Reputation Points
Bonus Reward: Additional reputation based on mission completion rating
Lin Feng froze. His eyes skimmed the brief mission window again. The words made sense individually… but somehow, taken together, they felt surreal.
"System," he said slowly. "Explain. What do you mean by this?"
"You're being sent to the DC Universe, of course," the system replied breezily, as if this were a completely routine assignment. "This is a mission from another world line—one that's in serious crisis."
"You mean… I'm traveling again? I've already ended up in the Marvel world, and now you're throwing me into the DC Universe too?" Lin Feng's expression was a mix of disbelief and resignation. "Is this even allowed?"
"Indeed, dear host!" the system chirped. "You're going to the DC Universe next. Quite the exciting crossover, don't you think?"
Lin Feng blinked. "And this mission—you mentioned Steppenwolf and a blackened Superman? That's not canon, right? I mean, Superman wasn't brainwashed in the Justice League movie…"
"Of course it's not canon!" the system interrupted, exasperated. "If it were, why would it be worth ten million points? You think I give away that much prestige for babysitting?"
"…Fair point," Lin Feng admitted. "So, what's the situation exactly? How big is this risk you're dangling in front of me?"
The system cleared its metaphorical throat. "Do not interrupt me. I'll explain everything, but only if you let me finish!"
Lin Feng leaned back in his seat and made a sweeping motion with his hand. "Go ahead. Show me what you've got."
The system began, its voice taking on a more serious tone. "This mission is unlike any before. You'll be facing a large villainous organization formed by individuals from countless parallel dimensions. They're not like you—they didn't arrive by accident. They were chosen."
"Chosen?" Lin Feng raised an eyebrow.
"By subsystems," the system clarified. "They're like me—only not nearly as intelligent or charming. They possess powerful individuals from various movie and comic book worlds. We call those people… Exiles."
Lin Feng's brow furrowed. "So I'm not the only 'traveler' after all?"
"No, you're not," the system confirmed. "But unlike you, the Exiles aren't from outside the fourth wall. They're native to their worlds—just twisted by power-hungry subsystems that leech off the multiverse."
Lin Feng's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "And they're destroying world lines on purpose?"
"Exactly," the system said grimly. "The more they warp a storyline, the more unstable the world becomes—and when it collapses, they absorb the leftover energy."
"The bigger the divergence, the bigger the harvest," Lin Feng murmured, catching on.
"Correct. It's parasitic." The system paused. "That's why your mission is so important. This request came from the will of the DC Universe itself. One Exile interfered in the Justice League timeline and gave Steppenwolf a magical artifact."
"The result?" the system continued. "Steppenwolf was able to resurrect Superman early—and place him under mind control. Clark is now his puppet. Batman and Wonder Woman tried to fight him… and failed."
"The last Mother Box?" Lin Feng asked, intrigued despite himself.
"Flash has it. Barry Allen is running nonstop, staying one step ahead, hoping to keep the final Mother Box from falling into Steppenwolf's hands."
Lin Feng exhaled slowly. "So my job is to clean up this mess… defeat both Steppenwolf and a brainwashed Superman… and stop this Exile from ruining the world?"
"Bingo!" the system chirped.
"…Got it. But I've got a few questions first," Lin Feng said, eyes narrowing.
"Shoot."
"Why should I stop the Exiles from consuming world energy? It doesn't affect my world… does it?"
The system's response came a beat later. "It does, indirectly. Every time you help reduce energy loss in a collapsing world line, the multiverse repays you with power. Think of it as a cosmic bonus system."
Lin Feng nodded slowly. "So I save the timeline, and the timeline rewards me."
"Exactly. You reduce energy drain, and you receive a share of that conserved energy in return. It's how your powers can evolve faster."
"Okay," Lin Feng said. "But second question—why not let the heroes of the DC Universe solve their own problems? Surely the League can handle this?"
The system let out a sigh. "They can't. Not because they lack strength, but because they're part of the world line. If they deviate too far from the script to fix things, it causes more damage than it prevents. Like trying to lift yourself up by your own bootstraps."
"…So even Superman can't fix a broken timeline without making it worse?"
"Exactly. It's a paradox. That's why you, an external element, must intervene."
"And let me guess," Lin Feng said dryly. "There are more secrets I'm not allowed to know because I'm not strong enough."
"You're catching on," the system replied. "When you reach the Silver Superman level, your access will be upgraded. Until then, it's safer for you not to know everything."
Lin Feng gave a humorless chuckle. "Even after becoming Superman, I'm still not strong enough in your eyes?"
"You haven't even beaten the Ancient One yet. Let's not get cocky."
"Fine, fine," Lin Feng muttered. "Last question… is this mission lethal?"
The system hesitated. "Uh… probably not?"
Lin Feng's eyes twitched. "Probably not?"
"Well… You're Superman, he's Superman. You're on equal footing! You'll be fine. Just watch out for the Exile. They play dirty."
Lin Feng slumped forward, sighing deeply. "I knew life was too comfortable lately. I knew it."
Saving Marvel wasn't enough. Now he had to save DC too. And apparently, there were others like him—interdimensional travelers with agendas and systems of their own.
It wasn't just about prestige points anymore. It was survival.
His grip on the steering wheel loosened as he pulled into the villa's driveway. He was home.
---
Later that evening, Susan curled up beside him on the sofa, her head resting gently on his shoulder. The soft flicker of the television bathed the living room in a warm, orange glow. Outside, the night blanketed the city, peaceful and silent. For a brief moment, time felt still.
Lin Feng's eyes drifted to the mission timer.
Less than an hour remained.
Soon, he would be leaving this world behind—if only for ten days—and plunging into a universe in chaos.
He looked down at Susan, her breath steady, her warmth comforting.
He didn't say anything.
Instead, he pulled the blanket tighter around them, memorizing the feeling of this quiet peace. Because once he crossed over… there would be no time for warmth or quiet.
Only war.
Only fire.
Only the roar of a Superman gone dark.
And the weight of a world begging to be saved.