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After Atkins made a wish to become a goddess like Aphrodite:
She felt her body becoming stronger, gradually transcending the mundane, and becoming akin to a true divine being.
However, along with this transformation, her appearance and skin became increasingly ugly and rough, and her voice grew hoarse.
"Wait, something's not right."
Unable to accept that her proud looks and physique had turned like this, Atkins anxiously thought of wishing to return to her original appearance.
But suddenly, she remembered something and looked at the wish stone in her hand with an unpleasant expression.
She had wished to become a goddess; it should not have resulted in this appearance.
Could it be, as Luther had mentioned after her wish, that using this magical stone for wishes might come at a certain cost?
"And the cost of my wish is losing my beauty!"
Atkins touched her face in disbelief.
If she were to wish for her appearance and physique back, would she lose something else again... like emotions, lifespan, or vision?
Wouldn't this become an endless cycle, preventing her from making any more wishes?
"You! I want you to wish for me to have the beauty and physique of a goddess..."
Atkins' eyes changed as she turned her head, pointing at Luther.
Despite her appearance becoming ugly, her allure became even stronger, far more than before, resembling a true goddess of love and beauty who could captivate all beings.
A triumphant smile played on her lips. She wanted Luther to bear the cost of the wish.
"My dear Miss Atkins, although this request might be a bit audacious, may I also make a wish for myself?"
Luther's gaze was infatuated, as if he had forgotten that the infinitely powerful wish stone originally belonged to him, in response to Atkins' order.
"What do you wish for?"
Atkins became vigilant suddenly.
It wasn't that she suspected Luther was breaking free from her control; he just unexpectedly made a request.
Love might make people blind, but it wouldn't turn them into mindless puppets. The other person would still consider their own interests, just not when it concerned her.
'I stand before him, yet he still thinks of himself. It's hard to believe how selfish this guy would normally be!'
She rolled her eyes, with a strange expression on her face.
"It's a wish I've had for a long time."
Luther's eyes showed longing.
"I want a brain with the world's most exceptional scientific talent."
In front of his beloved, he openly expressed his thoughts.
"Just that?"
Atkins was puzzled. She feared that Luther would use the wish stone to wish directly for her affections or something similar.
"Why don't you wish for boundless wealth or to become the president of the United States or even the world?"
While this wish to become some scientist might be appealing to regular people, to Atkins, it wasn't such a remarkable wish for Lex Luthor, the heir to billions of fortunes.
"As long as you have money and power, even the most brilliant scientists would work for you."
"No, my dear."
Luther smiled gently.
"Regardless of how good others might be, they are not mine.
Humanity has come this far today, from ancient apes climbing down from trees to becoming the rulers of this planet. Thanks to technology, we don't have to worry about the elements, shortages of prey, or distance. With the press of a button, we can speak to someone on the other side of the world, crossing oceans in less than an hour. We can explore the moon and the deep sea to our heart's content, all thanks to the gifts of technology."
"If you want it, then I'll give it to you."
Atkins didn't care about his wish: "But aren't you afraid of the cost of the wish?"
"As long as I have you by my side, my dear."
Taking the wish stone, Luther gallantly bowed: "I'm not afraid to lose anything."
Luther's words made Atkins feel ecstatic. Even though she could make anyone temporarily fall in love with her with just a kiss, someone who didn't understand romance wouldn't become sweet-spoken just because they fell in love.
She rewarded him with a smile, giving him a kiss and handing over the wish stone.
"And... we can let others make wishes for me."
With the wish stone in his possession, Luther's face showed a sly grin as he changed the subject.
Though there were so many people who could use it, why did he have to be the one to bear the cost?
"..." (●__●)
…..
At twilight, on the outskirts of the town, an abandoned car yard, scrapped cars piled up like garbage.
David, following the information he had gathered at the bar, slowly arrived at this place.
"Who are you? Get out of here!"
At the entrance of a two-story shack guarding the car yard, a few people were drinking beer and playing cards, comfortably at ease. Seeing a newcomer, they abandoned their cards and stood up warily.
"What the matter here?"
The leader, of medium build with strong limbs, wearing a headband with flame patterns, his hair covered, dressed in a studded black leather jacket, exuding a rock vibe, spoke with hostility.
"Haven't you seen the sign outside saying it's a private area, no entry allowed?"
"Are you the ones who robbed the bank with Whitney?"
Throwing a photo of Whitney on the ground, David observed the individuals.
"What are you talking about?"
The expression of some of them changed, attempting to play dumb: "Rob a bank? What are you talking about?"
However, the middle-aged leader's face darkened, and he pushed the person aside, his eyes flashing with aggression.
"Who told you about this? Whitney?!"
A few others behind him discreetly picked up weapons - chairs, baseball bats - while he secretly reached for the handgun at his waist.
Seemingly unfazed by their actions, David glanced at the green tattoo on one of the men's arms, beneath his denim vest, and scanned them coldly.
"Who came up with the idea to mix meteorite solution into tattoo ink?"
Knowing this wasn't enough, he needed to know which brand of tattoo ink, and if there were other components.
That's why he had come here.
Seeing his icy gaze, one of the men with long hair covered in tattoos took a step back, feeling an indescribable aura of power emanating from the young man. He stood there, immovable like a mountain, as if making everyone submit without even doing anything.
"You know too much!"
"Go, grab him."
Upon hearing words like "meteorite solution" and "ink," the leader waved his hand, his expression turning into that of a fierce wolf.
"I want to know how he found out about this."
Apart from the long-haired tattooed man, the rest of them rushed forward like wolves with various weapons.
David had no intention of letting anyone from here leave today. He unleashed energy rays from his eyes.
Sizzle!
The scorching rays swept through.
Originally, he only wanted to thin out the air around these people.
Snap!
Unexpectedly, two individuals seemed to be cut by a scythe. Their bodies split as if cutting through butter with a hot knife, and as they looked down at the red line emerging from their waists, they glanced at David in disbelief.
Their upper bodies separated from their waists, falling to the ground, blood rapidly flowing.
The unexpectedly gruesome scene made David frown.
There were actually two people among them who lacked abilities.
'Is it because they weren't trusted, so they weren't given tattoos?'
Bang!
Witnessing the horrifying scene, the leader of the robbers was so scared that he directly fired his gun. But a brass bullet dropped at David's feet, not even piercing his clothes.
Bang! Bang! Bang! more shots were fired, all equally futile.
"Wh... What kind of monster are you?"
The two other people who attacked together remained unscathed, instinctively patting themselves. Seeing this bizarre and frightening scene, their legs became weak, and they could barely move.
"Go on, what are you afraid of? He can't hurt you."
The leader urgently urged his companions, yet his face couldn't conceal his panic and fear.
To think that even bullets couldn't harm him, was he made of steel?
"Spare me, I beg you, spare me!"
A large pool of blood spread on the ground, the glaring crimson flowing to their feet. The two men, legs trembling, were terrified to the core, kneeling, and begging for mercy.
"Boss, you know, our abilities have limits. This guy is a monster!"
One of them was sobbing as he begged.
"Damn it!"
The leader activated his ability, his face fierce as he charged toward David.
"Whether you're human or a machine, you won't leave here alive today!"
He raised his hands, aiming to reach into David's head and kill him. After all, whether human or machine, after their brain and control chips were destroyed, they would be immobilized.
He had a very optimistic outlook.
However, David wouldn't give him that chance. Energy rays, thick and powerful, shot out of his eyes, sweeping across the area.
Sizzle sizzle!
The small house wall beside the long-haired man trembling in fear was cut open, the steel-reinforced concrete resembling fragile paper, almost slicing him in half.
The high temperature vaporized the burning oxygen, and the gasping leader of the fierce robbers had barely taken a few steps before he couldn't catch his breath. He clutched his throat, his face turning red, and knelt on the ground.
The other two begging for mercy also collapsed weakly on the ground.
"Please... spare us."
Indifferently walking amidst their pained and distorted faces, like passing by several irrelevant dying lambs, David approached the long-haired man who had been standing at the back without making a move.
"You're the one who thought of combining meteorite solution with tattoo ink."
"Yes... yes."
Laurent's face turned pale, trembling in fear, his teeth chattering.
"I'm just a small tattoo artist in Smallville, please... please don't kill me..."
After some questioning, David understood the whole story.
The tattoo artist named Laurent in front of him had accidentally found the fluorescent property of the meteorite and had a whimsical idea to grind the meteorite, add water, and mix it with tattoo ink to create glow-in-the-dark tattoos for people...
Without considering the toxicity, he tested it on himself and a couple of friends, finding that it granted them the ability to phase through matter.
"Then, after gaining this ability, you boldly came up with the idea to rob a bank vault?"
"Yes... yes."
"The guy earlier mentioned there's a time limit to the ability. What's that about?"
David glanced at the lifeless body that had turned blue and purple.
"I don't know either..."
Laurent wasn't a scientist; he only discovered that their bodies seemed to develop a resistance to the meteorite ink, and the ability would slowly fade. Initially, they could phase for a long time, but with repeated use, the duration shortened until they had only a few minutes or even nothing left.
In just a few days, some among them completely lost the ability, rendering further tattoos useless.
"So, you had to absorb some fresh blood, like Whitney, and commit crimes like bank heists together?"
David raised an eyebrow.
He said how someone could casually bring others in and share such a unique ability.
"What's the formula?"
"Please... spare my life."
"Don't make me repeat myself." David's eyes gleamed with deep purple light, and a wave of scorching steam rushed over his face.
As if the molten lava of hell was churning, Laurent looked at the several pitiful corpses behind David and, his voice trembling, revealed the brand of tattoo ink he had used.
"Very well..."
David turned and left, walking outside the junkyard.
Seeing the scary young man in front of him leaving, the long-haired tattooed man sighed in relief. Suddenly, A burst of energy pierced through his heart.
Under the precise control of energy, the body fell stiffly and burst into flames.
The tattoo artist had gained the ability earliest, but it had faded long ago from his body.
Afterward, a few more energy beams obliterated the bodies, igniting the entire junkyard.
Against the backdrop of the raging flames, David's expression remained calm as he departed.
Now, he had to go home and try this formula for himself.
The long-haired tattooed man had mentioned that even if someone didn't get a tattoo, just painting some patterns with the solution would cause it to seep into the skin, albeit it was easy to rub off.
'I wonder if this solution will work for me.'
David's eyes flickered.
Although his defenses were already formidable enough, he didn't really need this ability. But it could be a kind of last resort, just in case.
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(Ɔ ˘⌣˘)Don't forget to send your power-stones(˘⌣˘ C)