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*****
Mike and Raven's wedding became a topic of enthusiastic discussion all around the world.
The massive crowds of revelers and the various superheroes who attended the wedding all became major news hotspots.
The flower petals that floated over the entire city, along with the spectacular fireworks that obscured the very sky, became an enduring symbol of romance.
Looking at the newspaper, Mike just smiled and shook his head, placing it aside. He turned to Gwen, who was scrolling through the news on her phone, and said, "Hurry up and eat. You're going to be late."
"Your elementary school life is about to come to a perfect conclusion. You don't want to tarnish it with a single late mark, do you?"
Gwen looked up from her phone, her eyes wide with surprise. "Wait, I haven't been late even once? That's awesome!"
"Pfft!" Raven let out a soft laugh.
Immediately, Gwen began to mutter to herself, "But... speaking of which, that's almost a shame. I really wasn't late even a single time..."
"You know... maybe I should just be deliberately late once today."
"If you do that, your perfect record will be gone," Mike gently reminded her.
"Oh, right!"
Gwen's face was a mask of conflict. Seeing Mike and Raven watching her with amusement, she pouted. "You two should be on your honeymoon. You shouldn't be just staying at home."
Who gets married one day and just stays at home the very next?
Gwen looked at the two of them and sighed deeply.
So disappointing.
"It's not really suitable for me to be out traveling right now."
Raven gently caressed her belly, saying with a soft smile.
"Besides, we also need to start getting things ready."
Gwen looked on enviously at the little one inside Raven's belly, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Stop staring, or you're really going to be late."
Mike urged her again. Gwen finally put down her phone, finished her breakfast in two or three large bites, gulped down a big glass of milk, and then grabbed her backpack and dashed out of the house.
After watching Gwen leave, Mike and Raven also left the home. They headed to a mother-and-baby supply store to start purchasing all the things they would need, preparing for the little one's imminent arrival.
As someone who had already independently raised four children, Mike was a complete expert in this area.
Watching Mike as he seriously and carefully selected various items, the smile on Raven's lips never once faded.
From picking out baby supplies to decorating the nursery, the two of them were completely immersed in their happy work.
The days passed one by one, and finally, the "prize-drawing" moment arrived.
Raven was going into labor.
In an ordinary hospital located in Queens, Mike and Gwen waited patiently outside the delivery room.
Gwen was pacing back and forth nervously. Mike, in contrast, appeared perfectly calm as he sat on the bench outside the delivery room, waiting.
"What's he going to look like? He'll probably be really handsome, right?"
"What... what if he doesn't like me when he's older?"
"No, that's impossible. I'm so pretty, and sensible, and understanding. How could anyone possibly not like me?"
Hearing this, Mike looked over at Gwen, completely speechless.
Anyone who didn't know the situation would probably think you were the one in there giving birth.
However, although Mike didn't appear nervous, that was only on the surface.
Just at that moment, accompanied by a rapid series of footsteps, Clark and the others arrived in front of Mike.
"Dad, how is it?" Clark asked in a low voice, his gaze automatically drifting toward the delivery room doors.
"There shouldn't be any major problems."
Mike smiled faintly at his children. His heart warmed, but he couldn't help but ask, "Why did all of you come?"
"Whoever the baby sees first, that's who he'll look like," Charles said with a chuckle. "I came, of course, so that my little brother will see me first and grow up to be just as handsome as I am."
Hearing this, Erik's mouth twitched. "You actually believe that kind of nonsense? Did your IQ fall out along with all your hair?"
"Hahaha!"
Gwen couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
Charles shot a glare at Gwen, looking at her long, platinum-blonde hair with a mixture of envy and jealousy. "You little girl, you don't actually think that having a lot of hair means you have a high IQ, do you!?"
Gwen: "!"
Immediately, she turned to Clark. "Brother!"
Clark smacked Charles on the back of the head. "Charles, how old are you? Stop bullying Gwen."
"Exactly, exactly!"
Gwen nodded vigorously in agreement, but then asked with hesitation, "But... will the baby really look like the first person he sees?"
"Of course!"
Charles nodded, speaking with the utmost seriousness. "I'm a biology professor. I've done my research."
Gwen nodded, as if accepting this, but then couldn't help but say, "In that case, we really can't let him see you first. You don't have any hair!"
Charles: (▼皿▼#)
Don't anyone try to stop me. I'm going to kill this little girl today.
Gwen shivered and quickly ducked behind Clark for protection.
"Hahaha! She's absolutely right!"
Erik, however, laughed without any mercy.
Charles cried out, full of grief and indignation, "Dad!"
Mike visibly shuddered and looked at Charles with an expression of pure disgust. "You're this old. That's just gross."
Charles: "..."
He was now thoroughly convinced that he had zero status left in this family.
"Quiet!"
A young nurse walked past just then, glaring at the boisterous group.
Because all of them were using their Kryptonian suit-watches to disguise their facial features, the nurse had no idea who they were.
Gwen stared at the nurse in pure amazement.
Wow, miss, you are so brave!
But being reprimanded by the nurse, Charles finally did quiet down.
The whole family sat down in a neat row, waiting for the arrival of their family's youngest member.
Very soon, a loud, clear cry echoed from within the delivery room.
Mike and Clark instinctively activated their super-vision to look inside. At the same time, Charles focused his mind, using his abilities to link his senses with one of the nurses.
Mike first checked on Raven's condition. Seeing that she was fine, he let out a smile of relief and then shifted his gaze to the child.
The gazes of all three men landed on the crying infant.
He had a pair of pure, sky-blue eyes. His facial features bore a thirty-percent resemblance to Mike. Perhaps sensing something, the little guy, who had been wailing just a second before, immediately stopped crying and began to look around curiously.
Seeing this, the three of them unconsciously broke into warm smiles.
Erik and Gwen, who were standing off to the side, watched the expressions on the other three's faces, slightly stunned.
"What are they all grinning so foolishly about?" Gwen couldn't help but ask.
Erik glanced at the three of them, and as a thought struck him, he couldn't help but mutter, "Those three sly fellows."
As he spoke, he tugged on Gwen's sleeve. The two exchanged a meaningful look and began to tiptoe quietly toward the delivery room door.
"You two, stop right there!"
Charles hissed at them and strode forward to intercept.
Mike and Clark also snapped out of their daze. As Clark went after them, Mike just smiled and shook his head. "What a bunch of childish... ghosts."
Before the words even faded, Mike's body flickered. He vanished from his spot and, as if by teleportation, reappeared standing directly in front of the delivery room door.
Seeing this, the jaws of Gwen and the other three dropped wide open.
"Was that really necessary?"
Erik looked, completely speechless, at Mike, who was now blocking their path.
Mike turned his head and gave them all a knowing, fatherly smile.
"No. But I just want to be the first one to see him. Is there a problem with that?"
All four of them shook their heads in perfect unison.
Mike nodded, thoroughly satisfied.
After waiting for several more minutes, a nurse finally came out, pushing a gurney with Raven and the baby.
Mike rushed to Raven's side, took her hand, and pressed a gentle kiss to it.
"You worked hard."
Raven gave him a radiant smile.
In truth, given her enhanced physical condition, childbirth wasn't such a monumental ordeal. But Mike's heartfelt concern made her feel exceptionally warm.
"Look at this little guy! He's so cute!"
"Wow, his eyes are so beautiful!"
"His skin is so smooth! Not like other babies, all wrinkled like little monkeys!"
"Of course he's beautiful, he's one of us!"
Listening to the excited chatter from Clark, Gwen, and the others, Mike also turned his gaze to the little baby lying beside Raven.
Their eyes met. Mike's heart was inexplicably touched. He reached out a finger and gently poked the little guy's cheek.
Unexpectedly, the little baby wasn't startled at all. Instead, he reached out and firmly gripped Mike's finger.
Mike was stunned for a moment, then broke into a wide smile. He looked at the little baby and said softly, "Lamb. You'll be called Lamb. Lamb Kent."
Just as Mike finished speaking.
Ding!
A system notification sound, one that only Mike could hear, suddenly chimed.
Mike quickly scanned the information.
Host: Mike Kent Novice Gift: Assassin Time Ability: Memory Fantasy Materialization Upgrade Rewards:
Eternal Cigarette Case
Dimensional Pocket
Kryptonian Bloodline
Increased Materialization Power Recovery Speed
Permanent Character Materialization Current Ability Level: LV6 Current Upgrade Progress: 30%
LV1: Can materialize items. LV2: Can materialize skills. LV3: Materialize a character's ability. LV4: Materialization power increases continuously with upgrades. LV5: Character materialization. LV6: Card Enhancement.
Son: Clark Kent (Kryptonian) Son: Erik Kent (Mutant, Awakened) Son: Charles Kent (Mutant, Awakened) Daughter: Gwen Kent (Spirit of Vengeance Contractor) Son: Lamb Kent (Kryptonian, Mutant, Awakened)
Kryptonian bloodline and mutant bloodline... Mike could understand those. But... Awakened?
Did this mean that the child had already awakened his mutant ability?
He awakened his ability the very moment he was born?
Mike looked at little Lamb in astonishment.
He couldn't help but wonder what this little guy's ability would turn out to be.
However, it was impossible to figure that out right now, so Mike decided to temporarily set the matter aside.
The group returned to the private hospital room. After the doctor and nurses had left, Gwen and the other three gathered around little Lamb, playfully cooing at the baby.
Mike, on the other hand, took out a card from his dimensional pocket and materialized it.
Name: Quick Heal Skill Description: Uses holy energy to perform healing on a target. Note: Is that enough, child!
As a gentle golden light flashed over Raven's body, she let out a long, comfortable sigh and sat right up in bed.
"That really is a convenient ability you have."
Raven smiled warmly at Mike. "If you ever decided to become a doctor, you would definitely be the most popular obstetrician in the world."
Mike: "..."
"Wah! Wah!"
Suddenly, little Lamb began to cry at the top of his lungs.
Clark, Charles, Erik, and Gwen looked as if they had all been struck by lightning. Their bodies jolted, and they almost simultaneously snapped their heads toward Mike, their faces practically screaming the word "HELP."
"I promise, we didn't hurt him!" Gwen said cautiously.
"Haha!" Mike laughed. He gently picked up little Lamb, "Don't be so nervous. He's probably just hungry."
Saying this, he carried the baby over to Raven.
Seeing this, Clark and the other three immediately shuffled out of the room.
A short while later, little Lamb was full and had fallen fast asleep once more.
Mike then took care of Raven's discharge paperwork. The family left the hospital and returned to their home in Queens.
Because of the addition of a new family member, the Kent house became incredibly lively.
The visits from neighbors and friends were practically non-stop.
Of course, little Lamb received a great number of gifts as a result, which made Gwen incredibly envious.
That evening, Mike insisted on having everyone stay for a celebratory dinner.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the guests began to leave. Mike opened portals to send Clark, Erik, and Charles back to San Francisco and Planet Kent, respectively.
When everything finally quieted down, Mike and Raven stood looking at the sleeping Lamb, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on both their faces.
"Oh, right!" Raven suddenly looked up at Mike. "This child has the same birthday as you."
Mike was stunned for a moment, then said happily, "You're right, he does."
In other words, today was his own birthday, and he had completely forgotten about it.
"Happy birthday, dear."
Suddenly, Raven produced a small gift box and handed it to him.
Looking at the small box resting in Raven's palm, Mike felt nothing but deep emotion.
He took the box and pulled Raven into a tight hug.
For her to still remember his birthday at a time like this... it truly and deeply moved him.
"Wait!"
Raven gently pushed him back. As Mike watched in surprise, she pulled a large box out of the nearby closet. It was filled to the brim with gifts.
"These are from Clark and the other four kids. And there are also birthday gifts from Tony, Logan, and the others."
Mike was incredibly moved.
Those guys... they actually have some conscience after all.
This was the first time in his life he had ever received so many gifts at once.
Taking the box, Mike began to open the gifts from his four children. They were all very practical, small gadgets. It looked like they had all been handmade, which made Mike very satisfied.
But after he started opening the gifts from Tony and the others, Mike's expression became quite colorful, shifting rapidly.
Anticipation, followed by surprise, then speechlessness, and finally, just plain numbness...
When he had finished unwrapping the last one, hearing Raven's laughter, he couldn't help but let out a laugh himself.
Those bastards had actually gotten him a complete "Super Dad" starter kit.
It looked very much like they had bought them for him as a complete afterthought while they were out shopping for gifts for Lamb.
Mike smiled and put all the gifts away neatly.
"Go and get some rest," Mike hugged Raven again and said gently. "I'll watch Lamb."
Raven agreed with a soft hum, gave Mike a light kiss, and walked over to the bed.
This was Mike's thoughtful gesture, and she had no reason to refuse it. Besides, the most important point was... Mike had far more experience at this than she did.
Seeing Raven fall fast asleep very quickly, Mike smiled.
But when he turned his gaze back to little Lamb, his brow furrowed slightly.
Something felt a little... off.
The child... he seemed to have grown a little bit.
Grown?
It had only been a little over half a day. How could he possibly have grown?
But...
Mike carefully recalled the baby's appearance from just hours ago, and a look of shock flashed in his eyes.
The child really had grown. Although it was just a tiny, tiny bit, a growth rate like this already completely surpassed that of a normal infant.
And it surpassed it by a very wide margin.
Mike looked at the sleeping little Lamb, opened his system panel again to check, and confirmed that there were no strange status effects listed after Lamb's name. He decided he would observe him closely for the entire night.
"Looks like this one is going to be another little handful," Mike muttered to himself.
After one night had passed, when the sun finally rose and a single ray of sunlight streamed into the nursery, Mike stared at little Lamb in the crib and fell into deep thought.
He was now certain.
Little Lamb was indeed growing incredibly fast. It was at a rate of nearly ten times that of a normal human.
At this rate...
"This crib is going to need replacing very soon..."
(End of Chapter)