Kansas Town.
In front of an endless cornfield stood a massive billboard that read, "Welcome to the Global Creamed Corn Capital" in large letters.
As the camera zoomed out, a small helicopter zigzagged over the cornfield, stirring up gusts of wind that swayed the corn stalks.
Inside the helicopter sat a blonde man, holding a newspaper and scanning the information.
Seemingly stirred by the howling wind outside, the man put down the newspaper and glanced back at the seats behind him.
Two blonde boys sat upright on either side, the younger and cuter one was peeling an apple with a small knife, contrasting sharply with his brother beside him, who had his eyes tightly shut and looked anxious.
The man watched this scene, feeling increasingly dissatisfied with his eldest son's behavior. Compared to his younger son, who was exceptionally intelligent and mature, the eldest son seemed like a real child—timid and cowardly.
The man pressed his thin lips together and scolded, "Lex, open your eyes!"
"But Father, I'm scared!"
The young Lex Luthor bit his lip; if one looked closely, they would see that his lips were beginning to tremble.
[Negative Emotions from Lex Luthor +1, +1.]
[Congratulations! You have received 10,000 points of Negative Emotions from Lex Luthor, redeemable for one use of the Replication Ability.]
This voice echoed in the mind of the younger child sitting next to Lex. His name was Jino Luthor, a tragic college student from the 21st century who had graduated and was now unemployed, seemingly cursed by a fairy godmother.
He had choked on a soda and died, only to find himself in the DC Universe as the younger brother of the future bald tyrant Lex Luthor.
Who is Lex Luthor?
One of the smartest humans in the DC Universe, a super-rich tycoon who could rival Bruce Wayne in wealth, a billionaire, a tech mogul—any positive trait one might attribute to a high-quality man could be found in the future Luthor.
As the brother of the future big shot Lex Luthor, Jino was born with the buff of being a second-generation rich kid, essentially starting life at the finish line.
However, Jino was a realist; he had neither genius-level intelligence nor exceptional combat skills.
A slacker should accept their fate!
So initially, Jino's plan was quite simple: to coast through life, indulging in pleasures and waiting to die, which he called "lying flat"!
Unfortunately, on the second day after he learned to speak, a "system" appeared in his mind.
In simple terms, Jino's system could collect the Negative Emotions of superheroes and supervillains in this universe to exchange for the ability of the Replication Ability, with a cap of 10,000 negative points per person.
This opened up another possibility for Jino's life: to replicate the abilities of the superheroes or supervillains in this world and continually grow stronger!
"My dear brother is really a good person."
Jino felt a bit emotional; all of his 10,000 negative points had come from his brother.
Thanks to the two of them growing up together, starting from stealing Luthor's milk.
From being chased by dogs and leaving Lex behind to run away alone, they had their share of "brotherly love" moments.
Jino "scrimped and saved" and finally earned 10,000 points by the age of five, gaining the ability to replicate.
Snapping back to reality, Jino sighed and grabbed his brother's little arm: "Alright, Lex, don't be scared. I'm here with you."
This small gesture gave Lex a bit of courage; he slowly opened his eyes and looked at Jino with a complicated expression.
Throughout their lives, their father had always compared him to his younger brother. For instance, the little things like Jino caring for their parents and bringing them breakfast were often used as weapons against Lex.
Although his grades were better than Jino's, he couldn't compete with his brother's emotional intelligence, and the only thing he could hold over Jino was his age.
"Enough already, stop arguing. Look at the little town below; isn't it beautiful?" Lionel interrupted their quarrel, clearly annoyed.
Their father cut in, and Lex instinctively squeezed Jino's hand, nervously gazing at the fields outside the plane.
Looking at the town's chimneys, the beautiful asphalt roads, and the tractors that were barely visible, scenes that were rarely seen in the city made Lex cheer, "It really is beautiful."
Honestly, such scenery was uncommon in Metropolis.
As the roaring helicopter landed, the previously lethargic Lex immediately perked up, jumping out of the helicopter first, holding his head high as if he had won a victory, looking at Jino with a challenging gaze.
"See? I got off the helicopter before you!"
Children always have a strange sense of competition.
Jino ignored Lex's provocation and followed their father off the helicopter.
As soon as they landed, several factory employees surrounded their father to handle paperwork.
"Business again, how boring." Lex pouted, then grabbed Jino, who was standing there in a daze, and pointed to a nearby field: "Let's go check it out; I think I saw a really big bird."
At the entrance of the field, on a wooden post, a pitch-black bird tilted its head, observing the two.
Jino sighed, "That's a crow, you silly Lex."
"Stop talking nonsense, come with me."
Lex yanked on Jino's arm, and the two little ones chased after the crow, entering the tall cornfield.
Breathing in the earthy scent, everything in the rural town piqued Lex's curiosity.
"Wait, did you hear something?"
Jino tilted his head; by now, they had walked deep into the cornfield, where the tall stalks blocked their view. The dim environment made Lex swallow hard: "J, Jino, don't scare me!"
Jino sighed.
"Listen closely, my foolish brother."
Lex paused to listen.
"Help me!"
"Please, someone help me!"
A faint whisper seemed to echo in their ears, like an invisible, peculiar ghost.
"What… what happened?"
Lex tightened his grip on Jino's arm, nervously swallowing.
"The sound seems to be coming from over there." Jino looked up toward the right and started walking in the direction of the noise.
"Wait! Don't run off! What if there really is a ghost?" Lex watched Jino walk away, worried for his little brother's safety, but he gritted his teeth and followed after him.
They crossed the damp earth, pushing aside the corn stalks, and finally found the source of the sound.
"Is that a person?" Lex exclaimed in surprise.
In the cornfield stood a young man with his upper body bare, tied to a wooden cross with ropes. A large red "S" was painted on his chest, and his black hair was matted with sweat, sticking to his cheeks.
Seeing the two of them, the man's eyes brightened. "Please, help me!"
(End of Chapter)