American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 197 Family Legacy, Part One
Clark felt his breath catch slightly.

"Separation...Saraphiel and the capital?"

This thought dispelled all his previous confusion.

Even his gaze involuntarily drifted to the small figure in front of the bookshelf.

Salafir was struggling to pull out an ancient book that was bigger than his head, swaying as he muttered the unfamiliar characters on the spine.

One body and two souls.

From the very beginning, Salafir was a kind-hearted girl who was almost too kind and would carefully help even an injured insect.

And then there's Shen Du, the cunning and domineering one who swindled his own book during the museum trial.

They share the same body, yet they are like two poles of light and shadow.

They argued, they bickered.
Sometimes, they even argue fiercely over a simple game of Tetris.
Although they will stand together without hesitation in crucial moments, they are like the most tacit twins.

But this peculiar symbiosis is also like a time bomb, tightly binding two completely different consciousnesses, preventing them from achieving true freedom and peace.
The two of them couldn't even have a complete one.
Sleep or games that belong only to oneself.

Is this deepening entanglement a good thing or a bad thing?
Clark couldn't explain it.

All he knew was that, as the older brother, he mostly watched helplessly, trying to mediate, but never considering...

separation
This is an option that solves the problem at its root.

If this could truly happen, Salafil could freely embrace the sunshine, heal all things, and become a truly happy little angel.

The gods are no longer bound by Salafir's will and can explore the world without restraint.

They will all become their complete selves.

Clark's gaze shifted to Locke, who was sitting in an armchair.

My uncle's eyes were calm as water, yet unfathomable.

It turns out that my uncle had already seen that far ahead.

While he was content watching his brothers bicker and think it was just a special kind of 'twin' pattern, the uncle was already thinking about how to fundamentally solve this potential problem.

They even went so far as to use themselves as test subjects, using such an unbelievable method to verify the feasibility of 'separation'.

A feeling of shame mixed with immense relief welled up in Clark's heart.

He lowered his head, but a helpless smile appeared on his lips.

Uncle really thinks ahead...

As the older brother, he was blinded by the warmth of daily life and failed to see the storm lurking deep within, a storm concerning the very essence of existence.

"Uncle, I understand."

He paused, then said with a hint of admiration, "Truly worthy of your title!"

Locke nodded slightly and took a sip of the still-warm tea in his cup.

It seems that slacking off is temporarily out of the question.
"By the way, Uncle."

Clark looked around the secret lounge.

Super vision naturally swept over the mahogany bookshelf with the patina of time.

He glanced at the indentations on the carpet from years of footsteps, and noticed the accumulated tea stains on the edge of the tea set on the low table. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Your lounge... is quite thoughtfully decorated. When did you start doing this? It doesn't seem like it could have been done in a short time..."

"recent."

Locke interrupted almost immediately, then coughed lightly, seemingly deliberately, turned his gaze toward the bookshelf, and called out:

"Sarafil, stop studying those strange things and come here for a second."

Upon hearing this, the boy also put down the thick ancient book that he couldn't understand at all with little interest, jogged over to Locke's side, looked up at him with a question in his eyes.

Locke patted his shoulder gently, but his gaze pierced through his body, looking towards the more ancient existence deep within his consciousness.

The voice was steady as it said:
"Shen Du, I know you're listening."

"."

A flash of light appeared, and the god floated to the side with his arms crossed.

He gave a muffled hum and spoke first, his tone carrying a barely perceptible awkwardness:

"Is this the 'reward' I mentioned before?"

Locke smiled, not answering directly, but instead looking back at Salafir:

“Sarafil”.

"If there were a chance for you and God to truly separate and become two independent individuals who can coexist...would you be willing?"

Salafil reached out her little hand and habitually scratched her soft hair, a look of almost pure confusion on her face.

"I don't think it's a big deal..."

"Anyway, he keeps popping into my head and talking all the time, and sometimes he even steals my games. If only we could be separated..."

He blinked, even with a hint of anticipation, and said casually:

"So, does that mean he'll have his own body? And he won't have to fight me for it anymore?"

The boy's reaction was simple and direct.

Locke nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the divine capital that was floating to the side.

Unlike Salafir's almost naive open-mindedness, God crossed his arms, his small figure floating slightly in the air, his face, which looked exactly like Salafir's, was now shrouded in a dark gloom.

He was silent.

And beneath this silence
It was a longing that he had concealed for far too long with his arrogance and acerbity.

How could he not want to?

The thought roared like a wild beast trapped in a cage in the deepest part of his consciousness.

My childhood self
We can only 'watch'.

Watching my older brother run in the sunlight every time, and how he would naturally whine to his father and brothers when he felt wronged...

He was like a shadow trapped behind a glass window, able to perceive everything, yet forever separated by an unbreakable barrier.

Sunlight belongs to my elder brother, warmth belongs to my elder brother, even the most basic senses of this body belong to my elder brother.
The comfort of snuggling into soft bedding when you're tired, the joy of savoring delicious food.
They all belong to Salafir.

He was merely a temporary lodger, a forced bystander, someone who could only voice his opinions on a conscious level…

ghost.

Why?
A jealousy he himself was unwilling to admit, like a poisonous vine growing in the dark night, quietly entwined around the core of his consciousness.

Why should Salafir, this so-called 'elder brother,' automatically have the upper hand just because he awakened in this body before him?
Why is it that he, a god, who clearly possesses the wisdom to see through the essence of the rules and controls power that would shock even a third-rate magician, doesn't even have the right to feel the wind blowing across his cheek?

Most of the time, he could only hide in the shadows of his consciousness, seeing through Salafir's eyes and hearing through Salafir's ears. All his perceptions were secondhand, forever separated by a filter called 'Salafir'.

He was fed up with having to consider whether he would 'disturb' his overly kind older brother every time he wanted to do something, and he was fed up with only being able to briefly touch the book in his mind while his brother was asleep.

He was fed up with the fact that, in other people's eyes, he was always just another side of Salafir.
A vassal.

He is the God of the Capital.

He wanted his own eyes to see the stars and the abyss he desired.

He wanted his own hands to touch the knowledge and power he craved.

He wanted his own heartbeat and breath, to prove that he was a complete and independent 'being,' not someone's shadow or someone's other half.

Can.
These surging, burning desires can only ultimately transform into a deeper emotion.

He hesitated.

After all, that's separation.
My father made it sound so easy.

It's not as simple as separating the consciousness of two people sharing a body.

This is an attempt to forcibly dismantle the two poles that maintain a certain fundamental rule!
It's like forcibly splitting the two poles of a magnet; nobody knows what will happen.

What if that delicate balance is completely broken after the separation?

Are they still themselves after they separate?

Will that close connection, which remains deeply ingrained in our origins even amidst arguments and differing ideologies, also be severed?

Will he ever be able to feel the presence of his brother who always had that silly, smiling face again?
The mere thought of that possibility gripped Shen Du with a strange sense of emptiness.

He longed for freedom and independence, but he never considered losing Salafir completely.

"But what if Father..."

God opened his mouth, the fears about the collapse of balance and the rupture of connection almost bursting out, but they turned into a firm rejection.

He tried to build a bulwark of reason, listing all the reasons why he shouldn't have done it.

but……

The father's gaze was calm, as if he had already seen through all of his turbulent worries.

Locke's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the power to calm any turmoil:

"I'm here."

All the half-built barriers of reason, all the spikes that tried to arm themselves, silently melted away in the face of these simple four words.

There were no boastful promises or dismissive excuses in that voice.

Only one calm promise based on absolute power stood before all his fears, like an unshakeable mountain.

"Whatever. Anyway... I'm tired of my brother's broken body." The god turned his face to the side, his voice deliberately cold.

Locke smiled gently, and seeing that neither of the two children had any real objections, he naturally didn't delay any longer.

"There's no time to lose..."

As he spoke, he slowly walked to the side of the "Platinum Star" who remained silent as a rock at the door, and sighed softly with a hint of reluctance.

He stretched his shoulders and muttered to himself, "The holiday is over..."

His tone carried a hint of helplessness at having his leisure time interrupted, but there was no real resentment whatsoever.

Then, under the curious gazes of Clark, Salafir, and the gods, Locke once again reached his hands into the void beside him.

This time, he didn't draw the dark and mysterious Yama Blade from before, but a greatsword with a completely different shape.

The sword is very thick and has a silver-gray color. The end of the hilt unfolds like a crown, the guard has an exaggerated wing-shaped structure, and a skull is inlaid in the center of the hilt.

The sword did not exude the sharpness of the Yama Blade, which cuts through everything, but rather a fiery, violent aura that also contained a strange centripetal force.

"That weapon just now was called Enma, and it has the power of 'separation'."

Locke gripped the greatsword, his gaze sweeping over the blade.

"And this one is called 'Rebellion'."

"In contrast to Yama, its core power is 'connection'."

"coupling?"

Clark caught the key word and seemed to vaguely understand his uncle's intention in choosing this moment to take out the sword.

But an even bigger question arose in his mind at this moment, and he couldn't help but point to the empty space where Locke had just 'taken something from empty-handed' and ask the question that had been lingering in his mind since earlier:
"Uncle, so...where did you pull all these knives and swords from?"

What kind of strange ability is this?

At least Salafir at least opened up the space and reached in to touch it, but Uncle just stopped acting and reached in to grab it directly?!

Upon hearing this, Locke paused for a moment.

A look of relief, as if saying "Finally someone asked," crept onto his face.

He paused for a moment, seemingly thinking of how to explain it in the simplest terms, then pointed to where they were.

"It's inside this museum."

He said casually, "I have planned a separate 'weapons exhibition hall' for them."

"..."

Clark was speechless for a moment.

My gaze shifted back and forth between my uncle's calm face and the ancient walls around us.

So this museum isn't just a training ground, a treasure trove, and a lounge; it also includes a weapons exhibition hall that was privately requisitioned by my uncle?!
Seemingly noticing the almost overflowing "a hundred thousand whys" in Clark's eyes, Locke took the initiative to continue explaining, satisfying his nephew's curiosity:

"This museum is not actually located in Gotham."

This information surprised Clark slightly.

"It is an independent, separate dimension. We entered this place in Gotham because the Archmage Merlin provided the 'key' to it."

"That 'cat's eye' stone was left at the Gotham City Museum as an anchor point."

"So, theoretically, as long as we have the cat's eye stone, we can teleport here no matter where we are."

"as well as."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the ancient walls around him, and continued, "In addition, the magic of the capital city reacted with the cat's eye stone in Gotham, seeping into a significant portion of the core that entered the museum..."

"Like a drop of thick ink falling into clear water, combined with the magic that the museum itself has accumulated over countless years, it produces a wonderful reaction and completely 'revitalizes' the space."

"It's now... more like a living alternate dimension."

"That's why." Finally, he gave the most crucial information: "It severed ties with Merlin and instead formed a deeper connection with our Kent family."

“From now on, anyone who bears the name ‘Kent’ should be able to activate the cat’s eye stone to enter this place.”

"The longer you stay here, the deeper your connection with the museum will become, and eventually you may not even need the cat's eye stone to directly sense and enter this place."

"It's like... a backyard and multi-functional base for our Kent family."

Clark's mouth opened slightly as he listened to this explanation.

A back garden the size of a museum.
Having undergone trials in this museum, the vastness of this space was crystal clear to him.

Suspended in mid-air, Shen Du watched Locke leisurely explaining the museum's origins and couldn't help but purse his lips, speaking with a hint of urging:

"Father, have you forgotten something important?"

They're already so impatient?

Urged on like this, Locke couldn't help but chuckle:
"Alright, alright, let's begin."

He said no more, his right hand firmly gripping the rebel.

Unlike the profound silence when the Yamato is drawn, the Rebellion sword emits a scorching and violent aura the moment it is gripped, yet this power is strangely restrained, carrying a strong attraction!

Under the watchful eyes of Clark, Salafir, and Shen Du.

Locke flicked his wrist, his movements as swift as lightning, and without hesitation stabbed "Platinum Star" in the chest!

There was no sound of flesh tearing apart as expected, nor the roar of energy exploding.

Just as the sword tip pierced through—

"Om-!"

A deep humming sound spread out from the blade.

Immediately afterwards, a blinding purple light mixed with multicolored energy suddenly burst out from the "Platinum Star"!
The light was so intense.
Within that burst of purple light, Clark could see an outline rapidly appearing.

He was a tall, imposing figure.

His entire body was covered in sleek and powerful purple armor!
It was no longer the translucent phantom that I had captured using my bio-force field.

It is a real, tangible body!
Powerful, precise, and brimming with fighting spirit!
This is……

What Uncle and Dior usually see
Is this the true form of "Platinum Star"?!
Meanwhile, Salafir's mouth gaped open, her little hand unconsciously covering her mouth, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Even the usually reserved and arrogant Shen Du paused for a moment, a hint of undisguised surprise flashing in his eyes.

This was the first time they had ever witnessed their father's double so openly and without any barriers.

However, they didn't have much time to admire it.

The next moment, with a flicker of its figure, "Platinum Star" disappeared like a weary bird returning to its nest, merging with Locke in an instant.

Locke exhaled softly, then moved his neck and wrists, making a slight cracking sound from his joints.

He clenched his fist slightly, feeling the unfathomable power, as vast as the ocean, surge and flow through his limbs and bones once more, a feeling of fullness and completeness replacing the previous slight sense of alienation.

Seeing the subtle change in his father, Salafir couldn't wait any longer. He tugged at Locke's sleeve, tilted his little face up, and said:
"Dad, when will we start separating?"

The little guy has clearly found this to be an interesting thing.

"This is simple."

Locke looked down at his son and chuckled softly.

Without any warning, he suddenly spoke:
"Star Platinum·The World!"

Om-!
From the dust particles floating in the air, to the yellowed patterns on the pages of ancient books on the bookshelf, to the astonished expression on Clark's face, to Salafir's blinking, and even the subtle fluctuations in energy around the god.
—It's all completely frozen!
Time stops.

In this absolutely still gray-white realm, only Locke, and the tall purple Stand that reappeared behind him, still possessed the freedom of color and movement.

Clark, Salafir, and the gods couldn't even comprehend what was happening.

They could only maintain the posture and expression from the previous second, like insects in amber, frozen in this desolate space and time.

Meanwhile, "Platinum Star" behind Locke had already drawn the Yamato Blade, which exuded a deep and mysterious aura.

The cold blade, frozen in time, reflected no light, yet carried a resolute air of cutting through space and separating all things.

Locke's gaze calmly swept over the frozen images of Salafir and the capital.

He could see two clear points of light on Salafir's body.

And two or three smaller points of light surround each of the larger points of light, orbiting around it like satellites.

Um.
It seems that if one were to accidentally cut it off-center, it could potentially create the world's first talisman.
Locke shook his head, chuckled softly, and his voice echoed clearly in the frozen space and time:

"Let's begin now."
-
P.S.: Thank you so much to reader [始终劫灭] for the 16626 coins! I'm extremely grateful!

P.S.: There are two more chapters coming in the morning and afternoon.

One new chapter updated, one extra chapter added.

(End of this chapter)