Arctic, loneliness fortress.

Eric had long thought of coming here to see it. The Fortress of Lonely, Superman’s home and office on Earth, and the unique buildings on Earth, which contains the crystallization of multiple alien race technologies, including Krypton. It can be said to be a dream castle.

No matter how realistic the special effects are or how well-made the production is, the loneliness fortress restored on the movie screen is just imagination after all, and it is unimaginable without being immersed in person - this grand hall and advanced display equipment are purely constructed from crystal clear crystals to the seat of the fort core console, and even the central computer itself looks like a pile of crystals emitting a faint blue light.

Anyone who first came here, faced with this magnificent scenery was undoubtedly the first to fill his mind's thoughts. But when this excitement cooled down, you would feel comfort, tranquility, and even deep loneliness in this majestic castle.

What else can make people feel more lonely than staying alone in the most deserted fortress in the ice and snow on earth? Perhaps this is a portrayal of the deep feelings in Superman?

Half a day has passed since he arrived here. Superman has been sitting on his crystal throne with his chin, and used Kryptonian technology to thoroughly scan and analyze the earth stone crystal brought by Eric.

"You said someone else was sending some signal through Earth Stone?" Superman asked suddenly.

"Ah, yes." Eric walked to him with his hands wrapped around his chest. "I could feel that some other will was in the earth stone crystal, trying to manipulate it. I couldn't determine the other person's intentions, but it was certain that there was another existence planning something."

"I scanned its structure with x-eye." Superman played with the crystal in his hand, saying, "Its structure is very strange, and... wait."

His face changed slightly and he frowned: "How is that possible?"

"what happened?"

"When I checked, the signal sent out of the crystal was automatically rewritten, as if... it was like someone knew I was observing it."

Eric thought: "It means that no matter who manipulates the crystal from the other end, can they see our actions?"

At this point, a roar came from outside the castle, and the ground trembled violently like an earthquake. A sharp alarm sounded by the crystal computer. Superman turned on the floating display and saw a huge army of new weapons organized by the "machine" pushing flat in the ice and snow, surrounding the loneliness fortress.

"Hey, Superman! Did you hear it?" General Ryan's voice came from a heavy mecha in the center through a loudspeaker, shaking the ice slag on the ice. "Now what you hear is the sound of the United States of America declaring war on you!"

"The photon emitter is in place!" reported by Soldiers.

"The black hole bomb has also been filled, sir!"

"Ladies and gentlemen," shouted General Ryan, "Let's blow the igloo into scum! Superman, the countdown has begun, and now you have 1 minute and 48 seconds left to hand over the Earth Stone and everything else that is good for the government's alien observation department, or we'll go in and get it ourselves!"

Inside the Lonely Fortress.

Superman turned on the big screen and saw the army outside that surrounded the castle through the video equipment, frowned slightly.

"I knew things would become like this," he looked at the huge number of warships outside and said to himself, "I knew it would become like this one day, and I knew it from the moment I refused to cooperate."

"Can't you smash the pile of broken copper and iron into pieces?" Eric asked.

Superman shook his head: "I have seen what those technologies can do, all of which are derived from the equation brought by the 'ghost' to Earth, and they are all tailor-made for me... to kill me."

He sighed slightly, as if he was a little regretful, but without fear.

"This may be inevitable," he said. "To some extent, what the Ghost said to me was right. When I decided to fight, decide how to fight, and decide how I live on and off the show, Superman's ending was determined. The moment I created Superman, he was destined to not exist forever. In the past few days, I have seen the scale of the 'machine' organization and the defense system that the whole world has created to defend against... I understand that the end is very close to me."

He turned seriously to Eric and Revan.

"Sorry for you to be implicated, I shouldn't have brought you here." He said with a little apology, "But now you are the only ones who can witness this. I hope at least someone can remember that I have tried to do the right thing, even if...."

"If this is the reason why you are ready to escape the battle from now on, then I will not accept witnessing your ending." Eric said lightly.

Superman looked at him in surprise.

"I have a friend who sticks to a creed - 'The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility', and he has always done this...even a bit pedantic."

"This is quite right." Superman agreed.

"I don't think so completely." Eric shook his head, "If you feel that you have the strength, you have to look for people in need and take this as a responsibility, it will backfire. Sometimes you save someone and hurt more people at the same time. You try your best to protect something, but you end up with nothing."

Superman was silent.

He understood that what Eric said was right, or that he should be the one who understands the most. As a Superman, he has indeed been struggling all the time. Is everything he did right? Is it meaningful?

"After obtaining this armor and having the power, I was confused and didn't know what to do with it. I didn't want to be a hero or something, but I always had to take action in the end." Eric laughed at himself and continued, "If ability really brings responsibility, I think it's just a little length that my hand can reach. I have no interest in anything other than that, nor can I care about it. No one can bear the weight of the world, even you can't, Superman. I will use the ability I have to fight, but it's enough to just not make myself regret it."

"Is it that I won't let myself regret...?" Superman felt this sentence and seemed to have some realization.

"Yes." Eric smiled slightly, "So don't think about retiring today, and there are many more jobs in Superman's future."

Superman smiled slightly and glanced at the expression of a hero who had died on his face.

"Maybe you're right." He looked at Eric seriously and asked, "Child, what's your name?"

“Eric, Eric Charlotte.”

"Eric...thank you." Superman said, "I believe we have a lot to talk about, but now..."

Before he finished speaking, the dull cannon fire had exploded, the outer wall of the castle suffered a heavy blow, and the entire building was shaken violently.

"What? The countdown is not yet..."

"Let's countdown!" General Ryan shouted, "We all know you're rubbing snowballs inside to prepare for battle, so let's just click the bell to start!"

(Thanks to book friend Kabuto555 for the 100 starting point coins rewarded)
Chapter completed!