There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Gotz said honestly.

Seeing that I didn't know how to respond, Harris joined our conversation and said...

“I’m not worried about Marcus. The residents of the town came in many groups for many reasons. We respect everyone’s privacy and never pry into these things.”

"Due to special circumstances, we have been able to support each other to get to where we are today, and we cherish every person who may become our companion."

“Yes, we just wanted to know if you share the same reasons for settling down as we do,” Gotz added.

I looked at these two somewhat anxious people and said helplessly.

"I do know some of the details about the history you're talking about. But believe me, the reason I'm here isn't what you think; it's just a complete coincidence."

I came here from Shining City because my father disappeared, I lost my inheritance rights, and I was even about to lose my freedom. That's why I took a desperate gamble and came to the "Old World" that Shining City talked about, to try my luck.

They are definitely not the same people I'm guessing are here for.

But I saw Gotz shake his head and say, "Before fate arrived, we also thought it was all just a coincidence. But from a certain point in the past, something inexplicable was sown, waiting for countless years to cultivate and bear fruit."

"I'm sorry, I didn't explain it very clearly to you. All I know is that I've entrusted my fate to this ranch, and I have no additional obligations to anything outside of it."

Harris took off his hat and stopped Gotz from asking any more questions, saying apologetically, "I'm sorry, Marcus, we didn't mean to disturb your life. The original owner of this ranch was one of our predecessors, which is why we came to ask you, the successor, if you are destined to suffer the same fate as us."

"In that case, we'll be going now."

At this point, Gotz wanted to say something, but under Harris's stern gaze, he ultimately remained silent.

The two retreated to the doorway and turned to leave.

Soon there were no more sounds in the room, only the chirping of insects in the vast space.

After settling the pony in and checking the wooden fence, I lay down in the hibernation pod.

Only then did I slowly ponder.

"Are they referring to those strange events that happened many years ago?"

Chapter 36 I Want to Become Batman

"Marcus!"

The next morning, I heard a loud voice outside disturbing my sleep, which immediately told me that an unpleasant guest had arrived.

"Marcus! I've brought men to help you!"

"What's up!"

I pushed open the door angrily, only to see Sebala standing proudly at the ranch gate with his grandson Gray.

Upon seeing me come out, Sebala showed no remorse for disturbing my peaceful sleep. He pushed his reluctant grandson forward and introduced him.

"I'm going out for a bit, so Gray will stay here and help you with the work for the next few days! You can order him around as you please!"

I think you just want me to help you take care of your grandson!

"There's not much work to do on my ranch, so Gray staying here is..."

"Gray, you need to learn from Marcus, okay? He's a really amazing guy!"

"..." Gray stared at me expressionlessly, glancing at Sebala again, seemingly unsure of what we were up to.

Suddenly, Sebala unleashed a powerful attack, striking Gray so hard he collapsed to the ground like a shrimp, shouting, "Did you hear that?!"

“…I heard you.” Gray collapsed to the ground, uttering a weak sound.

"Speak louder! Did you hear me?!" Sebala was very dissatisfied with this response and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"I heard you!" Gray finally recovered and shouted back.

…………

"So, Sebala has to go out, so she's entrusting this child to you?"

Mr. Dart watched us wolf down our breakfast and asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I wonder what old Sebala is up to."

I said with some helplessness, "The ranch is in dire need of rebuilding right now. I'm busy as a spinning top every day. How can I have time to take this rebellious kid around?"

But to everyone's surprise, Gray also looked up, revealing a displeased expression, and said...

"That's right. Why does Grandpa want me to learn from Marcus? I think he's just an ordinary farmer."

Gray's complaints to Boss Dart reached my ears, and my inner thoughts were:

(╯#-_-)╯╧═╧!

What defines an ordinary farmer?

I'm a man with a colonizer system cheat code, memories of two lifetimes, someone who fell from the sky and confronted the island's most horrific history. You're quite arrogant, young man...

Mr. Dart glanced at me, noticing my growing anger, and then asked Gray.

"So what kind of person do you want to be?"

"I want to become a great blacksmith!"

"Then why don't you just learn from Sebala?" Boss Dart asked curiously.

"I hope I can create the most powerful weapon. My grandfather couldn't teach me that."

Gray, instead of resisting us, openly shared his thoughts.

"So you don't study with Grandpa because you think Sebala is too bad?" I asked tentatively.

"No, I just want to follow a completely different path from Grandpa's."

Okay, we've found the problem. If we can dispel his unrealistic fantasies, his adolescent delusions should be cured, right?

As a seasoned sufferer of teenage angst, I understand these rebellious teenagers. It's impossible to get them to accept reality or compromise with it. You have to persuade them in a way they can accept.

"I don't think you'll ever become a great blacksmith!"

"Because you lack the spirit of a strong person!"

I told him with absolute certainty.

Gray stared wide-eyed, somewhat bewildered.

"Why should a blacksmith possess the spirit of a strongman?"

"Of course it is needed. Technology is meant to be used by people, and if a person does not have enough willpower, they absolutely cannot control powerful technology."

Gray frowned and thought for a long time, seemingly unable to refute what I said, so he asked.

"You mean, before becoming a great blacksmith, one must first become a strong person?"

"Then I will become a strong person!"

A powerful and resounding sentence came from his mouth.

To be honest, at that moment I took a closer look at the young man in front of me.

He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, bearing a resemblance to Sebala, but showed no signs of Sebala's balding. He was dressed in a neat shirt and jacket, and certainly looked quite athletic.

On the other hand, the fact that he can still grow up so healthy and strong despite being brutally beaten by Sebala every day shows that he certainly has the talent to become a superhero.

"A strong person? Do you even know what a strong person is?"

A glint flashed in my eyes, and I exuded a desolate aura, as if I were standing amidst the ruins of a battlefield strewn with broken guns and armor, and crimson blood. I spoke to him.

"A strong person is someone who is extremely powerful, of course I know that."

Gray, feeling suppressed by my presence, retorted unhappily.

Hmph, you've been fooled, kid.

"The saying goes, 'The greatest heroes are...' No, that's not it. The saying goes, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' Your understanding of the strong is too superficial. If you continue like this, you will eventually go astray in your pursuit of power."

"But without great power, wouldn't the hero just be knocked down with a single punch? What's the point then?"

"Young man, let me tell you a story of a hero that circulated in the city of Shining back then."

This country boy, who grew up in a small town and had never seen the world, was always very curious about things outside.

Becoming a hero is a dream that every young person inevitably harbors. So he put aside his resistance and began to listen to the stories that Marcus, who claimed to be "well-informed," had to tell.

“Long, long ago, in Gotham City, a place known as the land of sin, the Wayne couple, once the richest men in the city, were shot and killed by criminals, leaving behind their young son, Bruce Wayne.”

"The whole story begins here..."

.........

The story I told quickly captivated Gray. The dark, mysterious, and unconventional yet principled aura of Batman was irresistible to a young man yearning for heroism.

"Marcus! What happened to Batman after that? Did he die?"

"No, Batman has been knocked down, attacked, and even had his spine broken many times, but he has always overcome everything with his own willpower."

"Judging from his X-ray, no one can maintain mobility with so many fractures, bruises, hidden injuries, and muscle damage, let alone go out to fight crime."

"But Batman persevered. He knew he couldn't fall; Gotham City's last bastion of justice, the threat lurking in the darkness, couldn't fall. If he left, the criminals would only become more lawless."

"And as long as he lives, he will become a sword of justice in the darkness, making these evils tremble in the shadows where they hide!"

"But no matter how powerful he is, he is still just a human being. His spirit is immortal, but his body will eventually grow old..."

"To compare him to a god with a mortal body is the most accurate assessment of him."

A resolute expression appeared on Gray's usually cold face.

"I want to be Batman!"

"what?"

I was a little confused. What was this young man talking about?

"I want to be Batman!"

Gray emphasized it again, word by word.

When Mr. Dart saw that my story had actually fooled Gray, he quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Gray, Marcus is just telling a story after all. No one can confirm whether this person even exists. Don't you agree, Marcus?"

"Yes, until I left Shining City, no one knew whether the Batman story was true or not. Just take it as a story."