Chapter 16 – One Week Later
At school, while the teacher droned on about something Arthur barely cared to listen to, his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts circled relentlessly around the discoveries he'd made about his powers and what that could mean for his future.
"Now that I understand I can choose the world I want, and all it takes is devouring a single drop of blood, it means I have a real chance to craft a plan to grow stronger," Arthur thought, eyes slightly glazed but focused internally.
The chaotic world of the DC universe surrounded him: full of monsters, villains with questionable motives, and reckless so-called heroes who acted without thinking about the consequences. "Yeah, I'm talking about you, Flash," Arthur muttered silently, shaking his head. "I need a power that's truly strong because what I have right now? It's still far from enough."
With renewed determination, Arthur pulled out his notebook from his backpack and began scribbling ideas, formulas, and names of powers, trying to find the perfect strategy.
"I need to pick a lineage that's solid, one that can be the foundation for everything else. Even if it has weaknesses, I can always fuse it with other lineages to patch up those weak points," he reasoned quietly, jotting down his thoughts. "Let's see... I've got it — the Saiyan lineage, specifically the new generation from Broly's bloodline. Those Saiyans have raw power, incredible fighting instincts, and that endless thirst for battle that makes them evolve."
Arthur paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But every lineage has its flaws. The Saiyans, for example, have a limited lifespan. No matter how strong they get, they're still vulnerable to something as mundane as a heart attack — like Goku. Plus, they can't survive in the vacuum of space. That's a huge downside. I don't want to have obvious weaknesses like that, weaknesses a certain bat might exploit — just like he does with my brother."
His mind wandered to all the battles and challenges he'd witnessed, the ways his brother had been targeted because of those vulnerabilities. "So how do I fix these flaws?" he wondered aloud.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind. "That anime Invincible... I never really watched it much, but I remember the Viltrumites. They're an incredibly powerful race. I don't know all their weaknesses or how dangerous they really are, but if I could slip in quickly during the fight between Mark and Conquest, grab a bit of blood from either one of them, and get out before anyone notices, it could give me an edge."
He smiled to himself, imagining the daring plan. "And for their weaknesses... I can move on to Jujutsu Kaisen. During Gojo's fight against Sukuna, I'll devour Mahoraga. If I adapt Mahoraga's abilities, I could overcome some serious vulnerabilities. Plus, I need to get Gojo's blood too — that'll help with powerful techniques."
Arthur's pen flew across the pages as he added, "After that, I'll study other animes with ocular powers. If I can create a unique eye of my own, I could eliminate weaknesses in perception and mental strength. That would make me much harder to outsmart or sneak up on."
Lost in thought, Arthur barely noticed the school bell ringing loudly, signaling the end of the day. With a quick stretch, he packed his notebook away and joined the flow of students heading toward the bus.
The bus ride home was long and uneventful, filled mostly with tired kids staring out the windows or chatting quietly. Finally, Arthur and Clark arrived at their house.
Clark dashed immediately to play with Krypto — the dog's excitement at super-speed made it clear this was the one moment Clark could fully relax and be himself, without worrying about holding back his powers.
Arthur watched the two moving so fast it was almost a blur. "Maybe I should get a pet too," he thought. "But which one?"
Suddenly, a memory hit him, a creature from a past world that had left a mark on him. "I know," he whispered. "It's going to be you."
Arthur went inside and took a long shower, letting the water wash away the day's fatigue and refocus his mind. After dressing, he headed downstairs to wait for dinner.
He noticed his mother, Martha, and father, Jonathan, quietly discussing the struggles they faced on the farm. Arthur's heart sank — he remembered that even before he and Clark came along, they already had money problems. Now, it seemed like things were even more strained. After all, schools in the United States weren't free, and the bills kept piling up.
"I'm going to make sure this family becomes rich," Arthur promised himself firmly. "I don't want us to run out of money and end up needing help from that bat in the future."
His plan began to take clearer shape.
"First, I'll copy the books from my old world — and make some real money selling them here. Then, I'll wait for Clark to awaken his X-ray vision. Together, we'll visit properties for sale. Clark can scan the ground to detect gold, diamonds, or oil hidden beneath the surface."
Arthur grinned, already imagining the possibilities. "Once we find the right land, I'll use the money from my books to buy it at a bargain. And if Clark complains, saying it's cheating, well... I'll just take a quick trip to Naruto's world, borrow the Byakugan, and do it myself."
Feeling confident, Arthur shared his ideas with his parents. Martha and Jonathan exchanged looks — seeing their eldest son finally find something he was passionate about made them both relieved and guilty for having focused so much attention on Clark.
Jonathan even offered to buy the materials Arthur would need to start writing.
Arthur smiled, feeling the weight of the future in his hands.
"Everything is set now. All I have to do is follow the plan," he thought, determination burning bright in his eyes.
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