"Homelander, I've settled down in Metropolis now."
"I'm a reporter at the Daily Planet these days. By the way, you're a huge name at our paper."
"If you get the chance, come to Metropolis and see me."
"I'm really looking forward to the day we meet again."
…
In the days that followed, Alex's life returned to a state of calm.
Every day, he enjoyed the quiet, idyllic rhythm of this peaceful seaside town.
Eating, drinking, relaxing—nothing much to say about it.
A few days later, Alex even received a letter from Superman, which made him mutter inwardly in mild amusement.
What era is this already, and he's still writing letters?
Looks like Big Blue really is a nostalgic guy.
That said, Superman had finally achieved his wish—becoming a reporter at the Daily Planet and getting together with his destined partner, Lois Lane.
Which meant—
Things were about to get interesting.
Some of the major events of the DC world would gradually begin to unfold.
Of course—
With Alex acting as a butterfly constantly flapping its wings, what the future would actually look like was anyone's guess.
Even Alex himself couldn't be sure.
Still, uncovering the future bit by bit amid uncertainty—and seeing what intriguing deviations might arise—was a source of enjoyment in itself.
Alex was genuinely looking forward to it.
But all that was still a bit early.
For now—
Since Superman had written him a letter, Alex figured he should write one back.
Unfortunately, he didn't have any stationery on hand.
So Alex shrugged and headed out to buy some paper and envelopes.
"Arthur, I know you've never truly accepted your other identity. But believe me—right now, you're the only one who can help us."
"Whether you acknowledge it or not, Atlantean blood flows through your veins. Queen Atlanna's blood!"
"Atlantis is facing an unprecedented crisis. If there were any other way, I wouldn't have come to you."
"You know that."
As Alex strolled along leisurely, a familiar voice was suddenly picked up by his super hearing.
Vulko's voice.
After what had just happened in Atlantis, Vulko—one of its most important ministers—should have been buried in work, completely unable to leave.
Yet here he was, on land—
And asking Arthur for help?
At this point, Alex could be absolutely certain.
Vulko had come to Arthur because of Alex's invasion of the ocean empire.
Still, Alex couldn't help but feel curious.
Vulko had personally witnessed Alex's power—so why did he believe Arthur could help Atlantis stand against him?
After all, Arthur's current strength was fairly average.
He couldn't even defeat Orm, let alone someone like Alex.
Driven by curiosity, Alex activated his super vision and x-ray sight, looking toward the source of Vulko's voice.
In an instant—
Arthur and Vulko came clearly into view.
On a stretch of coastline, the two stood facing each other.
Vulko's expression was extremely grave as he stared intently at Arthur, trying to persuade him.
"Vulko, how many times do I have to say it? Atlantis has nothing to do with me."
Arthur scratched his head, unmoved.
"No, this isn't just Atlantis's problem," Vulko emphasized firmly.
"It concerns the surface world as well."
"It concerns the safety of the entire world."
Arthur studied Vulko carefully.
Seeing that Vulko wasn't joking, he finally began to take the matter seriously.
"So what exactly is going on?" Arthur asked solemnly.
"Atlantis has lost something of critical importance."
After a moment's hesitation, Vulko explained the situation of the Mother Box to Arthur.
"With all due respect, Vulko—if it was that important, shouldn't you have guarded it better?"
Arthur couldn't help but complain.
"How did you even manage to let someone steal it?"
"No—you don't understand what kind of enemy we're facing."
At the thought of it, Vulko still couldn't remain calm.
"It's an enemy I've never encountered before. Before that person, the vast empire of Atlantis felt incredibly fragile—something I never imagined possible."
Seeing Vulko like this, Arthur's curiosity was genuinely piqued.
Just who could be so terrifying?
He asked Vulko that question—and quickly got an answer.
An answer that caught him completely off guard.
"The Homelander? Vulko, are you sure you didn't get that wrong?"
Arthur's voice jumped an octave.
The name Homelander had been everywhere lately.
That guy was clearly a surface-dweller—since when did he become a sea noble?
"You know him?"
Now it was Vulko's turn to be surprised.
"How do you know about him?"
"Take a walk around town and you'll know too."
"He's all over the news, all over the papers. Everyone's talking about him."
Arthur sounded rather helpless.
Still, he briefly told Vulko about how the Homelander had defeated General Zod.
That left Vulko utterly stunned.
And even more confused.
If the Homelander was truly a sea noble, why was he constantly active on land?
And according to Arthur, he seemed to have lived on land for a long time.
Atlantis had no records of him at all—further proof of that.
Could it be that, like Arthur, he was a sea-blooded individual who had grown up on land?
Vulko couldn't make sense of it.
But right now, the Homelander's true identity wasn't the most important thing.
What mattered was resolving the crisis he had brought upon Atlantis.
"Arthur, under the Homelander's pressure, we have no choice but to search for the Sacred Trident."
"But even if we find it, we won't hand it over to him."
"That is the sacred relic of our people—and also the only hope we have of defeating the Homelander."
Vulko spoke gravely.
"Why is that?" Arthur asked, puzzled.
"Because the Sacred Trident can command all the races of the sea."
Vulko's voice rose with excitement.
"When the time comes, every oceanic creature will obey the trident's wielder!"
And that—
Would be their only way to defeat the Homelander.
"First of all, isn't the Sacred Trident just a legend?"
"Second, what does any of this have to do with me?"
"There are so many people in Atlantis—plenty would be willing to wield it."
Arthur voiced his doubts.
"The Sacred Trident isn't something just anyone can lift."
"Only those of royal blood are qualified."
"Besides King Orm, that leaves only you."
Vulko explained solemnly.
"Then let my king brother go get it," Arthur said matter-of-factly.
"I wish things were that simple."
Vulko let out a quiet sigh.
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