Nova

After putting an end to Harry's idea of using the imperfect enhancement serum, Lin Hai revealed a mysterious smile. "We may have a better option."

He took a glass jar from his backpack. Inside was an egg-sized plant with a metallic sheen.

"A limited improved version of Ironwall Fruit—I call it Diamond Fruit. Its advantage is that it's far stronger than Ironwall Fruit, but it can't be rapidly cultivated, which means it can't be mass-produced. This is one of the samples of the new plant materials Mr. Norman and I discussed before."

After complaining that Lin Hai had been hiding something so good instead of bringing it out sooner, everyone began running various tests on the tiny Diamond Fruit.

The first was a pressure test.

Even when the laboratory's testing equipment began emitting a piercing overload alarm, the Diamond Fruit remained completely intact.

"Oh my God! It's five times stronger than steel of the same weight, yet its toughness is close to rubber?" Peter repeatedly checked the instruments.

Emerald light glimmered at Lin Hai's fingertips as he gently tapped the Diamond Fruit. "Don't forget my Life Force. It has a specially catalyzed fibrous structure. It's still nowhere near ready for mass production, but Mr. Norman has already approved the establishment of the Osborn Plant Materials Laboratory."

Harry rushed to the computer and began building an experimental model. "If we use it for the armor lining, then add a composite ceramic coating on the outside..."

"And add a cushioning layer woven from my webbing! The special webbing I've been developing recently has excellent elasticity—more than enough for cushioning!" Peter added excitedly.

Gwen was already sketching molecular formulas. "If Lin's Life Force can be used as a stabilizer, we might be able to cultivate adaptive materials..."

Watching his friends sink into a frenzy of scientific research, Lin Hai smiled and shook his head.

After determining the general composition of the armor's materials, they turned their attention to its power source.

Gwen projected the glider's energy analysis report onto the laboratory's central screen. The data clearly displayed a discouraging fact:

"Maximum endurance of the current energy system: 58 minutes, under no load."

Gwen quickly pulled up another set of data. "And that's only theoretical. With weapon systems and emergency maneuvers included, actual operating time won't exceed forty minutes."

Peter and Lin Hai fell into thought as well. At this point, there truly were no particularly good portable energy devices.

After all, Iron Man was still a young playboy at the time. Nearly every daily headline about him was gossip, and even if Tony Stark had become Iron Man, the miniature reactor in his chest was not something just anyone could obtain.

Harry stared at the data in silence for a long time before suddenly closing his laptop. "Then we won't use it."

"Huh?" The other three turned toward him at the same time.

Harry stood and walked over to the armor blueprints. "I mean, unless it's necessary, we won't use the glider. We can focus the modifications on the armor's own mobility and functionality."

Gwen frowned. "But aerial mobility is the core advantage of the Green Goblin Armor."

"At the current technological level, being able to achieve stable flight for forty minutes with individual equipment already surpasses military technology by far," Lin Hai analyzed objectively.

Peter added, "We may be giving up the aerial advantage, but we're solving the most fatal weakness. Without dependence on an energy source, the armor will actually become more reliable."

And so, the team decided to temporarily shelve the glider's energy problem and focus all their efforts on optimizing the armor itself.

"Since we can't use flight as the primary mode of transportation, we can improve ground mobility. Rather than obsessing over endurance, we should first ensure combat capability after landing." Harry pulled up a human biomechanics diagram.

Peter suddenly remembered something. "Like Captain America's combat suit?"

"More advanced. By combining Peter's webbing samples with Lin's Life Force, we can cultivate biological fibers with extraordinary contractile strength. Peter, your suit could use them too." Gwen displayed a set of spider-silk protein data.

Lin Hai took over. "Exactly. And if these fibers are embedded in the armor's joints, they can provide additional explosive power—enough to let you perform a standing high jump of over three meters."

Gwen had already begun revising the blueprints. "In that case, we can transfer the entire weight allowance originally assigned to the propulsion system to the protective system."

With the shift in design direction, the modification plan for the new armor got underway in full swing.

The first thing they confirmed was the full application of Diamond Fruit material. The high-strength plant cultivated by Lin Hai, Diamond Fruit, would become the armor's core material. Since it was only being used for Harry's personal armor, there was no need to consider production volume. At worst, Lin Hai could simply set aside some time every day to cultivate more Diamond Fruit.

Next came the overall structure. The lining would be made from full-coverage Diamond Fruit material and would weigh only as much as a thick down jacket. The outermost armor surface would consist of quickly detachable ceramic composite plates that could handle different threat levels, along with a cushioning layer made from Peter's special webbing.

After a full month of preparation and fabrication by the four of them, Harry's armor finally took shape. Next came comprehensive testing of its capabilities.

On the weekend the armor was completed, they did not go to the Osborn Group's dedicated testing grounds. Instead, they came to the underground laboratory at Harry's home.

"Ready to begin." Harry Osborn's voice came through the armor's built-in communicator. Under the laboratory lights, the blue-and-silver suit gleamed coldly, while the honeycomb shock-absorbing layers at its joints rose and fell faintly with his breathing.

"First, impact resistance. Peter, use standard boxing force." Gwen set up the high-speed camera.

Peter took three steps back, then suddenly sprinted forward and threw a punch.

Bang! With the outer ceramic layer, inner plant material, and webbing cushioning layer working together, the impact force was dispersed across Harry's entire upper body.

"Two hundred pounds of punching force. Armor deformation: 0.3 millimeters." Gwen checked the data. "That's three times the resistance of a police bulletproof vest."

Lin Hai took a Beretta pistol from the toolbox, and Harry immediately raised his arms to protect his face.

"Relax. A Beretta can't even penetrate a police bulletproof vest, let alone that armor." After three shots rang out, only white marks remained on the armor's arms. "Nine-millimeter rounds. Impact energy: 553 joules. No penetration, and no obvious deformation detected."

Peter offered his opinion. "Now even an Uzi won't be able to hurt you."

Next came the load-bearing test. A crane lifted a section of steel beam, and Harry planted his feet firmly as every fiber bundle in the armor instantly tightened.

With the hum of the hydraulic transmission system, the steel beam was steadily lifted. But then a sudden crack rang out, and a fissure appeared in the transmission system of the left arm joint.

"Stop the test!" Gwen shouted.

Harry immediately activated the emergency load-release procedure, and the steel beam crashed to the ground.

After the test ended, the four of them sat around the laboratory sofa, passing around the final data.

"One piece of good news and one piece of bad news." Gwen swiped across her tablet. "The good news is that the basic performance exceeded expectations. The bad news is that once the load exceeds two tons, the transmission system will be damaged."

Peter was repairing the crack in Harry's armor. "I'd say it's already amazing. This equipment lets you..."

"Lets me stop holding everyone back," Harry said softly.

He had been better than others since childhood. His father had founded the Osborn Group, and he himself had inherited his father's intelligence and talent. Aside from having a bit of a spoiled rich kid's temper, everything about him had been better than the peers around him.

But now, Harry was the only boy on the team unable to take part in frontline operations. Gwen, who also handled command and coordination from the rear, was the top student in their grade. This left him deeply frustrated, convinced that he was dragging the team down.

Driven by that mindset, Harry began studying the Green Goblin Armor developed by his father, hoping only that he could be of greater help to his friends.

Usually scatterbrained, Peter noticed Harry's slightly gloomy mood this time. He smiled and lightly punched Harry in the chest. "Welcome to the ranks of superheroes."

Gwen, with the sensitivity unique to girls, noticed it too. She immediately said, "There's only one thing left now: giving it a new name. We can't keep calling it the Green Goblin Armor, especially since it isn't green anymore."

After everyone thought for a moment, Lin Hai looked at this creation that had never existed in the original story. "Let's call it the Nova Armor."

In his eyes, Harry was like a nova, representing how the young people among them were slowly beginning to shine with a new light of their own in this Marvel Universe.