"You won't know what others have experienced, and you can never truly empathize. There are countless ways someone can go from White to gray, then to black, and wither, but we—we can only see the final withered state."
Peter patted Clark's shoulder, "So, we can never truly empathize with others, nor can others empathize with us."
Clark and Mark both listened intently.
After thinking for a moment, "One Hundred Thousand Whys"—Clark continued to ask, "Then what should we do?"
He was feeling a little lost at the moment.
"So, some pain we must lick ourselves. Also, while we can't empathize, companionship is a way."
He felt he needed to convey some positive things to them, otherwise, what if these two boys went around killing and setting fires indiscriminately in the future?
This is a U.S. comic World, and while these two mischievous kids are at the top of the food chain, who knows when an extraterrestrial creature might pop out and deal with them.
Even if he didn't believe most of the positive energy he was instilling.
"I will always be with you, Dad."
Clark thought for a long time before finally uttering this sentence.
Mark, seeing such a perfect opportunity to show his loyalty, immediately said, "Me too, Dad, I'll always be with you."
"I will be with you too."
Peter patted their hair, "Alright, it's getting late, time for bed."
Mark didn't leave immediately; he waited until Clark went upstairs before saying somewhat shyly, "Dad, you promised to tell me a bedtime story last time, but you haven't told it yet!"
He was still thinking about the bedtime story from last time.
"Which one do you want to hear?"
In Mark's bedroom, Peter picked up a fairy tale book at random and said to him, "Let me tell you in advance, it can't be zombies, and it can't be a horror story."
Hearing that he couldn't listen to zombie or horror stories, Mark looked a bit dejected.
"Alright, Dad."
Actually, he wasn't very interested in stories; he just wanted Peter to be with him.
He had originally thought Peter would scold him for pushing Darr, the little fatty, off the slide.
When the other party's mother came to demand an explanation, he thought his butt would definitely get a beating.
But in the end, his father not only didn't scold him but also left Mrs. York speechless and even praised his actions.
This gave Mark a feeling of being affirmed and valued.
Since Dad said the best way to understand others is through companionship, then he would accompany Dad.
Mark's mind processed the above thoughts, holding a milk bottle in his hand, looking at Peter, wanting to know what story Dad would tell him.
Peter flipped through the book, "Alright, this is it, The Legend of the Mermaid."
"Legend has it that there is a type of fish meat in the World; if you eat it, you can gain the ability of immortality."
Peter slowly read the story from the book:
"There is such a village where all the elders are immortal, and the elders serve a 15-year-old girl. One day, a young man passed by here, and the elders, thinking the young man was exploring their secret of immortality, killed him."
Peter began to tell Mark the story of "The Legend of the Mermaid."
Based on the manga artist Rumiko Takahashi's adaptation, "The Legend of the Mermaid" tells the story of the protagonist arriving at an unknown village inhabited only by women, and by chance, encountering a girl named Mana whose feet are shackled.
After listening, Mark curiously asked, "Dad, will immortality really make people so crazy?"
"Yes, we all experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, so some people want to remain young forever."
As he said this, Peter touched his own face.
Because of the watch, he also maintained an almost unchanging appearance.
It seems he will have to conceal his appearance in the future, such as growing a beard or dyeing his hair White.
Otherwise, his secret of eternal youth will definitely be discovered.
At that time, someone might even try to harm him for the secret of immortality, just like the elders in the mermaid story.
Although his current physical fitness already surpasses ordinary people, and with Clark and Mark as his enforcers, any petty criminals are nothing to worry about.
But being discovered is always a hassle.
For example, recently, Martha has been asking him for the secret to skin care.
Closing the book, he looked out the window.
In the dark night, the moonlight shone on the crops like a sprinkle of silver light, and the entire farm was filled with a tranquil atmosphere.
"Splash!"
On the Smallville River, something heavy seemed to have fallen into the river.
Immediately followed by a speeding Police car.
Several Police cars with flashing red lights rushed to the scene at top speed.
Officer Lyne, holding a gun, jumped out of the car before it even came to a complete stop.
He held his pistol and chased towards the riverbank.
The remaining Police also rushed to the riverbank with their weapons.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the now calm river surface, Lyne gritted his teeth and cursed.
He and his subordinates had finally managed to stake out the serial robber near the jewelry store.
He didn't expect this guy's ability to be so abnormal; he could not only resist the impact of bullets but also easily lift motorcycles by the roadside.
Several Police who couldn't dodge in time were directly injured.
Fortunately, he brought heavy firepower weapons and gave the guy a "bullet storm."
The robber, unable to withstand the heavy firepower, didn't linger at the scene, threw several motorcycles at the Police car, setting it on Fire, and then fled the scene directly.
Officer Lyne led the Police in pursuit to the scene, watching helplessly as the other party jumped into the river and disappeared.
"Damn it! Who among you can swim?"
Officer Lyne asked the surrounding Police.
He was very unwilling to let the long-wanted criminal escape right in front of him like that.
After several Police exchanged glances, they all shook their heads.
Being a Police officer is just a profession; they wouldn't risk their lives like that.
Not only was the river rapid, but the robber might also be ambushed in the Water.
Going down might lead to dying in the line of duty accidentally.
"Where is downstream of the river?"
Seeing that his subordinates were silent, he frowned and asked.
His subordinate replied, "It's Smallville Elementary School."
Meanwhile, near Smallville Elementary School, on the river surface.
The calm, faintly greenish glowing Water suddenly rippled slightly, followed by a figure emerging from the Water.
The strong, muscular young man took off the mask from his face.
"Splash! Splash!"
He swung his arms and quickly swam to the shore.
Wiping the Water from his face, he took off his shirt.
As he walked step by step onto the shore, his body underwent drastic changes.
His originally taut muscles became relaxed, and his youthful face rapidly aged.
Soon, he transformed from a young man with strong muscles into an old man of fifty or sixty.
Thanks to "Summer Plot" and "Readers with the tail number 27715" for their generous tips, Readers.
Thank you all for your monthly votes and recommendation votes, bowing!