American comics farmer: start by adopting the villain savior.

Chapter 243 The King of Griffins.

Night falls.

A grand banquet was in full swing in the vast square in front of the Paradise Island Temple.

The huge campfire crackled and burned, the leaping flames bathing everything in a warm and intense orange-red hue.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat and the sweetness of mead.
And the sea breeze from Paradise Island brings a unique refreshing coolness.

The strong Amazon warriors shed their cold armor from the daytime and donned celebratory costumes adorned with metal plates and embroidery.

They stood around the campfire, hand in hand, moving with ancient and powerful dance steps.

The metal rings on their ankles jingled in rhythm, intertwining with the stirring war drums and melodious lyre notes, creating a primal and exhilarating wave of sound.

The crowd sang loudly, praising courage, victory, and the joy of life.

A loud voice pierced the night sky, as if resonating with the stars.

And on the edge, far from the hustle and bustle of the city center.
Beside a high platform offering a panoramic view of part of Paradise Island
Locke and Ron were enjoying a moment of peace amidst the noise.

Leaning against the cold stone railing, Locke was holding a sizzling, oily roasted lamb leg, taking a large bite without any hesitation and chewing it with satisfaction.

Beside him, Rong En stood ramrod straight, but somehow he now held a whole bag of Oreos in his hand.

He was taking small bites of the black biscuit and the white filling.

After swallowing the tender lamb, Locke turned his gaze away from Hippolyta and Diana, who were whispering under the moonlight not far away, and focused it on Ron and the Oreo in his hand.

He raised an eyebrow and pointed to the bag of biscuits with the finger holding the roasted lamb leg.
Bringing up old topics again, the tone was undisguisedly sarcastic:
"Rong En, you still haven't told me where this thing came from. Share some with me."

Ron calmly swallowed the food in his mouth, not even turning to look at Locke. His gaze remained fixed on a certain point in the void, and he said without any emotion:

"This is the last pack, Locke."

"And perhaps they already knew my preferences in detail through some channel and made preparations accordingly." He paused, then added, "After all, it seems..."

“Someone 'sold' my little preference, along with other information, to them thousands of years ago.”

"Hahaha!"

Locke burst into laughter. "Ron, you're quite humorous."

"Thousands of years ago? Were you on Earth then? I reckon your Martian civilization was probably no more than what we have on Earth now. You make it sound so real. Hahaha."

"I'm not here, but someone is."

Hearing Locke's laughter, Ron turned his head and stared at Locke silently.

:(all)
Locke's laughter faltered.

He felt a little helpless under that look and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Alright, alright, stop staring at me like that!"

He said somewhat irritably, "The future and the past, the messy timeline, I'm completely confused myself, like a fool lost in a pumpkin patch!"

"Who the hell wrote this script of fate? I'm going to beat him up!"

Locke took a vicious bite of the meat skewer, as if venting some kind of pent-up frustration.

Listening quietly to Locke's complaints until he swallowed his pent-up frustration along with the roasted meat, Ron finally calmed down and said:

"The linear flow of time is indeed an inherent cognitive limitation for the vast majority of life forms."

"The interweaving of the past and the future often leads to cognitive dissonance."

Rong En pondered for a moment and said, "But precisely because of this..."

"'Living in the present moment'—a concept emphasized by countless philosophies on Earth—is all the more precious and...practical."

"Live in the moment?"

Locke's lips twitched. He waved the meat skewers, now just bones, in his hand, pointing towards the distant red figure by the campfire, a figure with a bright smile being tossed into the air by a group of female warriors.

His daughter, Diana.

"You make it sound so easy, Rong En."

“This is not just about having another mouth to feed, or another animal to care for on the farm! It’s a daughter! A living, breathing daughter, around eighteen years old!”

His voice was tinged with absurdity as he lowered his voice and said, "My eldest son, Dio, is only sixteen! And now, out of nowhere, a sister older than him has appeared?"

"What...what kind of logic is this? I feel like I'm a...a clown in a timeline!"

He exhaled a heavy breath, and his usually decisive eyes were now unusually misty.

Like a spring morning in Smallville, with the lingering dampness that hangs over the cornfields.

He was no longer the powerful figure who could instantly kill the Flame Demon King with a single strike and cleave dimensions with a single blow.

He was just a man who was somewhat at a loss because he had a daughter.

"The sequence of time cannot define the depth of emotions or the weight of responsibility, Locke." Ron's voice remained steady, but seemed to carry a hint of friendly banter. "The 'connection' between you and her did not begin at the moment you learned the truth, but was rooted in something much earlier... the origin."

"What you feel is not a responsibility that appears out of thin air, but a bond that has existed for a long time and has just been lit."

He tilted his head slightly to look at Diana, who had been tossed up and caught. Her bright, vibrant smile, free of any gloom, shone brightly in the firelight.

“Look at her, Locke.”

"She is strong, brave, and full of light."

"In the eighteen years before you were there, she had grown into an outstanding warrior, someone... someone you can be proud of."

"What you need to do now is not to learn how to raise a baby from scratch, but how to get along with this wonderful 'family' that is already formed."

"It's better than those bastards who meet their relatives but don't acknowledge them and instead turn their backs on them."

"And have you forgotten? Clark and Kara," Ron said, shrugging, "even though they have an extra cousin, Clark and Kara get along quite well, don't they?"

"As for the age discrepancy..."

Ron put the last Oreo into his mouth. "On a cosmic scale, these are just insignificant ripples."

"The important thing is that you now know she's right here."

"And you have the time of the 'present' and the 'future' to rediscover and rebuild this relationship. This is more meaningful than dwelling on the 'past' that cannot be changed."

A gentle sea breeze caressed my face on Paradise Island.
After a moment, Locke looked up, smiled, and patted Ron on the shoulder with admiration:

"It's not about raising a baby, it's about dealing with a finished product."

“You’re right, Rong En. This is much better than saving money on diapers for over a decade, only to receive a huge bill one day that I don’t even know how to fill out!”

“Rong En, your jokes have improved. They not only comfort me, but also point out the truth.”

To tell the truth
Ron's words were like a cold Arctic wind, dispelling some of the fog that had been shrouding Locke's mind, making the heavy sense of reality even clearer.

He looked up and gazed at Diana.

This time, he looked for longer and was more focused.

He saw her weaving through the crowd, clinking glasses with her companions, her laughter as clear and melodious as silver bells.

I noticed the occasional curious and inquisitive glances she cast my way.

"Let's go."

He suddenly threw the empty skewer in his hand into the embers of the campfire beside him, clapped his hands, as if he had made up his mind, "Let's go get some more food. Forget about the messy timeline... at least the barbecue tonight is really good."

Seeing that Locke seemed to be finding some strange comfort in it, Ron blinked in confusion. He pondered for a moment, "Locke, do you know?"

"?"

One tomato said to another: Aren't we the same kind of tomato? Why do you run faster than me?

Locke paused, "What?"

The other tomato replied: "Because I am tomato sauce."

"????"

"What does it mean?"

Locke shuddered, not daring to look at Ron again, and walked straight toward the food table.

Rong En watched his retreating figure, his green face still expressionless. He simply took out another pack of Oreos from his pocket and opened it.

Just kidding, I have another pack.
-
Paradise Island was shrouded in a thin layer of sea mist in the early morning.

The golden rays of the rising sun struggled to penetrate the water vapor.

The temple's white marble columns were dyed a light gold.

The air was filled with the salty sea breeze, the scent of dewy grass, and the warm aroma of baking bread and spices wafting from a distant kitchen.

Diana changed into a set of Amazonian everyday clothes that allowed her to move around easily. Leather and light armor covered her tall and agile figure, and her long black hair was braided into a thick, shiny braid that hung down her back.

She walked beside Locke with light and energetic steps, enthusiastically pointing out the scenery along the way.

“Look over there, Mr. Locke! That’s our training ground.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “And that olive grove, the oldest of which, according to legend, was planted by the goddess Athena herself. The oil extracted from its fruit is used only for the most important sacrifices…”

Locke walked beside her, wearing his seemingly unchanging work pants and plaid shirt, his hands in his pockets.

He listened to Diana's clear voice, his gaze following her direction, nodding occasionally, and sometimes asking a practical question, such as:

Were these stones quarried from the island?

Do you use fertilizer for farming on Paradise Island? Is it durable?

How much food does an adult troll eat in a day?

How many litters can two griffins produce in a year?

This moment created a strange harmony between the two.

One is enthusiastically showcasing her own growth, while the other listens calmly and quietly, clumsily yet sincerely trying to understand and enter into her daughter's life.

The sunlight dispelled the morning mist, casting their long shadows onto the ancient stone path.

About ten steps behind them, Rong En followed closely, neither too fast nor too slow.

Just as Diana was pointing to a beautifully designed arched bridge in the distance and telling a myth, Locke glanced back at it unintentionally.

But then they saw that Rong En was holding a whole Oreo cookie in his hand.
Twist it properly with the correct posture, and then bring it to your mouth.

"Ron," Locke said irritably, "didn't you swear last night that it was the last piece? From which four-dimensional pocket did you pull this out?"

His voice sounded somewhat abrupt.

This prompted Diana, who was walking ahead, to turn around curiously.

Rong En paused in his movements.

He coughed lightly, looking at Locke with his calm, unwavering eyes. His face showed no guilt at being exposed, but rather a natural, composed calm. He glanced at the Oreo in his hand, then at Locke.

Then he calmly replied:
"Strategic reserves".

“You know that, Locke.”

"As an observer, maintaining the necessary energy supply is fundamental to ensuring mission continuity. And Oreos are one of the proven and highly efficient energy sources."

“Strategic reserves?” Locke almost laughed in anger. “Ron, just how much have you been hiding?”

"Is your Mars spaceship crammed full of these things?"

Ron didn't answer directly, but silently stuffed the Oreo into his mouth, and then, in front of Locke, smoothly took out another one from another seemingly flat pocket in his uniform.

"Pfft-"

Diana watched from the side as the two confronted each other over Earth snacks.

He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, but the curve of her eyes betrayed her good mood.

Locke looked at Ron's nonchalant "I have it, what can you do about it?" expression, then glanced at Diana, whose shoulders were trembling with laughter, and finally could only turn away in annoyance, muttering, "Damn Martian...like a walking Oreo vending machine..."

He shook his head and waved to Diana: "Go, go, go, ignore him."

“Keep leading the way, Diana.”

"I'd like to see if there are any hidden treasures on this island... like glowing golden corn?"

Diana smiled at Locke's words, temporarily putting aside the mystery of Ron's inexhaustible supply of Oreos, and continued to lead the way.

Follow a winding path to climb a steep cliff facing the vast ocean.

The wind grows strong here, carrying the cries of seabirds and the roar of waves crashing against the rocks.

“This is it.”

"Although Paradise Island doesn't have any strange magical crops, it does have quite a few mythical creatures."

Diana pointed to a cliff face below, partially obscured by clouds and mist, and raised her voice slightly in the wind, “This is the habitat of our island’s griffins.”

“However, according to recent statistics, there are now about 34 adult griffins on the island, of which…” she paused, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry, “…only eight are female griffins. Their reproduction has always been a problem.”

“Mr. Locke, the griffins, especially their kings, have always been reclusive and proud.”

Even General Phillips, who was closest to them, rarely saw the Griffin King. Although Mother and the General have agreed to your payment, I'm worried... the Griffin King might not...

Diana slowly turned around, about to express her concern.

But it was heard
"Ron, do you think it eats Oreos?"

“Griffins are purely carnivorous mythical creatures and theoretically shouldn’t consume chocolate products…” Ron hid the bag in his hand. “I don’t think that’s right.”

"Really?" Locke stroked his chin, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Why don't you try feeding it to it? It's such a big dog, a little chocolate shouldn't be a problem, right? Maybe it likes it?"

"No, Locke. What if it turns out like a dog?"

"Cuckoo!"

Then came a reluctant complaint, "Gaga!"

Diana's words came to an abrupt end.

Her eyes widened, filled with astonishment.

After all, right where Locke and Ron were standing, a gigantic figure had appeared out of nowhere!

It was an extremely magnificent griffin.
Its size far exceeds that of ordinary birds of the same kind, and its wingspan, when fully extended, can almost block out a small patch of sky.

Its weathered fur had a greyish-gold hue, its beak and claws gleamed with a cold, iron-like luster, and its eagle eyes were sharp as torches. It exuded an ancient and majestic aura.

This is the Griffin King, a sight even General Phillips rarely sees!
At this moment, this proud king was lowering its noble head slightly, crouching in front of Locke and Ron in an almost docile posture.

What nearly made Diana's mind go blank was that the Griffin King, which usually only made sounds like "Roar—!", was now making strange "coo-coo-coo" sounds.

"Mr. Angelo! What brings you here?!"

Diana finally regained her voice and, with immense shock, called out the Griffin King's name.

She strode forward, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the majestic griffin king and the two people conducting the 'Oreo feeding experiment,' completely unable to comprehend this illogical scene before her.

Angelo the Griffin King seemed to understand Diana's exclamation. It shifted its sharp gaze from Locke and Ron to Diana, letting out a deep, resonant growl.

Then it turned its head toward Locke.

The enormous head actually moved forward and nuzzled Locke's hand.

The posture was not like that of someone facing a human who might covet its people, but rather like that of someone coquettishly cuddling with a long-lost friend.

Locke's palms itched from being rubbed by it, and he laughed.

He looked at Diana. "Diana, what were you about to say? Can't griffins eat Oreos?"

".nothing."

Diana looked at the unbelievable scene before her, opened her mouth, but in the end only let out a soft sigh of relief.

Locke nodded, his attention returning to the majestic behemoth before him.

He suppressed his smile, his expression becoming more serious, and with a hint of sincere apology, he said to Angelo:

"Your name is Angelo, right? I'm sorry, buddy, I don't actually know you."

Locke shook his head, his meaning clear.

A hint of extremely human understanding flashed in the eagle's eyes, and Angelo's huge head shook slightly, making a gurgling sound in his throat.

It's as if it's saying, 'It's okay, I just remember you.'

Seeing this, Locke seemed a little embarrassed.

Moreover, the griffin in front of him seemed to have a deep connection with him, which made him unable to resist the impulse in his bones to take good livestock to his own farm.

He cleared his throat, and with a hint of probing, yet also a sincere invitation, began:

"Um... Angelo, do you want to come with me?"

He pointed into the distance, as if he could see his Kent farm through space:
“I have a very, very large farm, about 10,000 acres, which is roughly the size of one and a half of your Paradise Island.”

"There's an endless supply of fresh meat there, and you can fly freely in the vast sky without anyone bothering you."

Upon hearing this, a hint of interest flashed in Angelo's eyes. Its huge wings flapped unconsciously, creating a small whirlwind.

But in the end, it firmly shook its head, tilted its head back, and let out a series of melodious chirps: "Coo coo coo! Caw caw—!"

What is the gibberish saying?

Locke looked bewildered.

Fortunately, Ron, who had been quietly serving as a background character and an Oreo-consuming machine, played a crucial role at this moment.

He calmly translated, “It’s saying that it cannot leave this place. It is the king here, burdened with the responsibility of protecting this territory and all its people. And…”

Rong En paused, glanced at the biscuits in his hand, and added:
"...It reiterated that it did not want to eat Oreos."

Locke's lips twitched slightly, automatically ignoring the part about Oreo, and he looked Angelo up and down with some surprise: "You're actually the king here?"

He hadn't expected that this good-natured big guy had such a big background.

With its chest covered in golden feathers straightened, Angelo held its head high, its eyes revealing the pride and majesty of a king.

Diana, who was standing nearby, also took the opportunity to move closer. Taking advantage of the 'halo' brought by Locke, she cautiously reached out with a hint of smugness and quickly plucked a handful of the most beautiful feathers around Angelo's neck.

The smooth and durable texture satisfied her.

Angelo immediately lowered his head and glared at Diana with displeasure. His eyes clearly conveyed the message: Little girl, don't push your luck. You're only doing this because of your father.

Diana gave an awkward smile, quickly withdrew her hand, and explained to Locke:

“Mr. Angelo is indeed the king of the griffins. He is the only ancient being among the first griffins on Paradise Island to survive to this day. He is a true guardian.”

That's it.
A hint of regret flashed in Locke's eyes. It was truly a pity that he couldn't bring such a humane and powerful companion home.

However, just as he was about to express his understanding, or even to say that he should forget about keeping griffins, he heard Angelo suddenly let out an extremely loud cry that pierced through the clouds!

The sound of birdsong echoed among the cliffs.

Immediately afterwards, a dense flapping sound came from below the cliff, and huge figures soared into the sky!

In the blink of an eye, dozens of griffins, each with a different shape but all exceptionally majestic, descended in orderly circles onto the cliff platform like soldiers undergoing inspection, respectfully surrounding their king and Locke, who was being treated specially by the king.

Locke was somewhat bewildered by the scene: "What is this...?"

Rong En's translator spoke up again at just the right time, with a hint of surprise: "It means... it seems to be asking you to pick a few from its group and take them with you."

"Just pick a few?"

Locke's eyes lit up, as if he had discovered a gold mine.

Angelo nodded sternly, but then added a few more chirps: "Coo-coo! Caw!"

Rong En provided simultaneous translation, his voice remaining flat:
Additional condition: Only one female griffin can be taken.

Locke's face darkened as he recalled Diana's earlier mention of the scarcity of female griffins.

He pursed his lips, but also said frankly:

"Of course, after all, we agreed on two, and we won't bring any more than two."

Having said that, he walked into the flock of griffins without any hesitation.

They carefully examined the size, skeleton, eyes, and luster of each griffin.

"How's this guy?"

Locke pointed to a particularly magnificent male griffin.

Upon seeing this, Angelo let out a howl of approval.

“You have good taste! This guy’s strength is no less than mine!” Rong En translated.

Locke nodded, his gaze shifting between the female griffins before finally settling on one with a graceful figure and feathers that shimmered with a rare, moonlit silver-white sheen.

But he had just pointed at it.
Angelo, who had been so majestic just moments before, now drooped its huge head, uttered a series of aggrieved cooing sounds, and even tapped the ground with the tips of its wings in frustration.

Rong En continues to provide accurate translations:

"It says...this is its favorite future concubine, who hasn't been formally added to the harem yet?"

(End of this chapter)