Iridescent
(This chapter will be extremely cool)
Upon hearing this, John's expression slowly darkened.
Deep within his azure eyes, two clusters of dangerous and violent dark light quietly surged.
Pre-determined division of labor?
Artificial cultivation?
Fuck you!
What's the difference between this and the Vought International back then?
In his past life, he was also "specially treated" from infancy.
For over a decade, those scumbags in white coats at Vought Labs injected him with countless doses of Compound V.
The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the cold alloy restraints and the bulletproof glass cell under 24-hour surveillance.
And the "superhero" persona that those bastards in the public relations department tailored specifically for him.
He was deprived of his right to freedom from the moment he was born.
He had to become the puppet who faked a smile in front of the camera, acted as a deterrent to politicians, and served as a cash cow in the eyes of capitalists.
I had initially thought this so-called "script" was something sacred and sophisticated.
After all that, it turns out to be just a larger "company" that's even worse than Vought's.
"So... you rebelled against that fucking system."
Then, quite naturally, the burden of saving the conscience of the entire civilization is shifted entirely onto a newly weaned infant?
Joe El didn't catch the sarcasm in John's words, and calmly replied:
"We are remnants of the old era, and we should be buried with that wrong era."
And you, my child, you not only carry the last free will of Krypton.
Nourished by this young, yellow sun, it gained power comparable to that of a god.
You are a miracle born from the intersection of two worlds; all our hopes, your mother's and my hopes, rest on you.
"Humans are fragile and confused; they grope their way forward in the dark. They need guidance, but even more so, they need hope."
"Huang Taiyang?"
John was startled when he heard his words.
That strange feeling I had when I was a child sunbathing...
"Yes,"
Joe El slowly turned around.
"In the final months before Krypton's destruction, your mother and I chose Earth from among countless galactic coordinates."
Besides having a habitable atmosphere and liquid water... the most crucial factor is its star.
Joe El raised his right hand and made a loose clenching motion in mid-air.
"Buzz--"
The star map evolved into a set of Binary comparison models.
On the left is a massive, dark red giant star, its surface covered with dark flares, yet it is on its last legs.
On the right is a yellow star in its prime, radiating a bright corona.
Krypton's parent planet, Rao, is an ancient red giant that is billions of years old.
Its radiation Spectrum is heavy and decaying.
Our ancestors evolved a dense body structure under that kind of radiation to resist harsh gravity and the environment.
At that moment, Joe El's deep gaze fell on John's chest:
But Earth is different.
Earth rests upon a young, yellow star with an energy concentration a hundred times greater than that of Rao.
Joe El moved his fingertip slightly, and the model instantly zoomed in, cutting straight into the microscopic molecular level of cells:
"Under the red sun of our home planet, our cellular structure is in a state of deep hunger and dormancy."
However, when your body is exposed to the Earth's pure yellow solar Spectrum— "
In the star chart, countless dormant cells resemble dried-up sponges.
Greedy and frantic, it devoured and transformed the yellowish-white light stream, then grew and exploded.
"These high-energy radiations will strengthen your bones and toughen your muscles."
Develop your skin's toughness to the point where it forms a barrier strong enough to withstand all physical forces.
In addition, this planet has a fragile low-gravity environment, as well as pure oxygen and abundant radiation.
They can grant you the instinct to fly by warping gravity, the vision to see through to the microscopic atom, and...
We still cannot measure its terrifying upper limit.
Joe El's voice echoed in the hall, tinged with a hint of proud admiration:
Therefore, in the eyes of the world... you are a dazzling sun.
Before he finished speaking, Joe El raised his arm and gave an order to a cabin wall on the side of the corridor:
"Activate the combat readiness storage core."
"Screech--Click!"
With a hiss of airtight release, a suspended tray slid smoothly in front of the two people.
On the tray, a set of deep-textured, tight-fitting combat suits with fluid, raised patterns on the surface stood quietly.
A bright red cape hung from the back of the suit's shoulders.
And in the very center of the suit's imposing chest, a huge, striking, even somewhat jarring, pattern was prominently displayed—
Red border, yellow background, sharp angles, a huge pentagonal "S" emblem.
Joe El stared at the suit, his eyes filled with an indescribable pride:
"This is the battle robe of the House of El."
In the ancient Krypton language, this 'S'-shaped emblem, which resembles Earth's writing system, does not represent a letter.
Its original meaning... represents 'hope' that never goes out.
As he spoke, Joe El turned his head solemnly, his deep gaze landing on John's face:
I don't know if the future of Earth's civilization will repeat our mistakes.
But they are vulnerable; they walk in the fog, needing guidance and, even more so, hope.
Wear it, stand at the highest point on earth, and bring this light to them...
Earthlings will look up to you and follow in your footsteps out of the wilderness.
The hall was silent for a full half minute.
John, who considers himself an Earthling, is not interested in the so-called "savior" who saves humanity.
Even more... this "savior" is actually an alien.
So, can't Earthlings save themselves?
Regardless of his past or present life, he grew up on Earth and considers himself a true Earthling.
Moreover... John has no noble character; he was Homelander in his previous life.
Although he is the son of the Kent Family in this life, he will only bestow all his so-called virtues upon those he loves...
As for whether Earthlings live or die, what does that have to do with him?
But that's where the hell the problem lies.
Martha and Joe are both Earthlings, and given their personalities, they would only choose to enjoy their lives peacefully in this small corner of the world.
This "script" plays a completely open game—
This forced him to follow the predetermined path, step by step becoming that so-called "light and hope."
He could accept this power.
But he wants the "script" to go according to his own ideas.
and...
Thinking of this, John didn't reach out to take it, but simply crossed his arms and chuckled to himself.
"I mean... when you were designing this outfit, didn't you consider even the most basic common sense of combat?"
John stepped forward and gently poked the huge, golden emblem twice with one finger:
"Imprint a bright yellow bullseye, more than a foot in diameter, on the most critical area of the body's defense—the heart?"
Are you worried that snipers on the battlefield won't be able to find their aim, or are you afraid that your enemies won't recognize me as a descendant of the House of El?
At that moment, Joe El's face, which was full of a sense of awe, suddenly froze.
"Although I don't know exactly how many warships escaped when your home planet exploded."
But anyone with even a modicum of battlefield awareness can understand one thing—
Once those Krypton survivors, wandering like wild dogs in deep space, suddenly see one of their kind swaggering onto Earth, adorned with the House of El crest...
John leaned forward slightly, a fake smile appearing on his handsome face:
"What do you think will happen? What do you think they'll do? Bring me a turkey and champagne to claim we're family?"
Having lived two lives, coupled with continuous learning and a constant improvement in intelligence.
Before doing anything, John always makes sure he understands the logic behind the event.
In addition, there's the troublesome nature of the "script," which Lucifer just emphasized.
Since he took over this damn script.
So-called "trouble" will be pieced together by various easily overlooked clues, and then come knocking on your door one by one.
Moreover, just now, while Jor- El was giving a long speech about the history of Krypton...
John had already spotted a typical villain's name.
"You... you mean General Zod?"
At this moment, Joe El finally recovered from the system crash, looking somewhat puzzled:
"But child, Zod and his men were sentenced to life exile by the Supreme Court when the coup was quelled."
They were completely sealed in the ' Phantom Zone,' which is completely isolated from the real world. This is theoretically impossible...
John chuckled softly, interrupting the other person as if he wanted to see a fool:
"Hey, I'm telling you, great scientist... Krypton's gone, who the hell's going to guard your prison gates now?"
At that moment, the hall fell silent.
Joe El's lips parted slightly, and the program began to calculate rapidly.
If the home planet collapses, then the energy supply system maintaining the other dimension will also collapse...
Once the anchor point is damaged, it's only a matter of time before those imprisoned criminals break free.
John didn't even bother to check on Joe El, who had crashed again.
He casually picked up the battle robe from the tray and flicked it with his fingertips:
"Putting aside how stupid this target-like pattern is, let's just talk about the design style."
He looked like a clown in a tight-fitting suit selling hot dogs at a carnival—utterly tacky.
(This is John's own rant; I personally really like this suit, especially the Zack & Cut version of the black sunglasses suit.)
"Secondly, and most importantly."
John threw the suit back onto the tray with a dull thud.
Don't you find it troublesome to prepare for every fight?
I have to find a secluded corner to take off my clothes, and then painstakingly put this suit on... That's fucking stupid!
Not to mention those who act like freaks, wearing it as thermal underwear under their clothes every day. Don't you Kryptonian get sweaty and stuffy?
As he spoke, John looked up and snapped his the Snap at Joe El, who was standing there dumbfounded:
"Hey, doesn't this high-tech base have any programs that can be modified and tweaked?"
"..."
Coming to his senses, Joe El stared somewhat dazedly at his "son" before him.
In his initial code deductions and observations.
Carl, who came to Earth, should have been gentle, compassionate, and full of reverence for life.
But what's in front of me...
He's foul-mouthed, acts eccentrically, and has a sophisticated mind—where's the shred of humility?
No, what exactly did Old Jonathan teach him on the farm?
Could this child have been secretly raised by some armed organization or gang on Earth?!
"Yes, the warship is equipped with a molecular-level reconstruction workshop."
Having a personality might be a good thing...
Joe El could only console himself, then gently waved his right hand in mid-air.
"Buzz--"
Soon, a three-dimensional interactive light cone emitting a soft glow stretched out smoothly in front of John.
To align with Earth's cognitive habits, all the Krypton code on the interface was thoughtfully translated by Jor- El into standard American English.
It also includes detailed academic terminology and materials science classifications.
And in the material options in the top right corner of the interface.
John's gaze quickly locked onto a line of entries marked "Recommended" --
[Polymorphic liquid nanometals]
Upon seeing those familiar words, John squinted his eyes slightly, a hint of satisfaction in his expression.
"Nano technology?"
He had read physics books, so he naturally knew what this meant.
Soon, after John became familiar with the operation, his slender fingers began to drag and modify the light cone.
In his past life, Homelander's suit was modified according to his wishes.
The top designers from Vought's PR and design departments knelt before him and revised the design hundreds of times.
John was already very adept at using visual symbols to create a sense of imagery.
With his control, the originally simulated battle suit was disintegrated into tiny photon particles in the projection.
Soon, under John's highly personal aesthetic preferences...
Two completely different clothing models were rapidly constructed within the light cone.
Left side.
The main color scheme of the entire suit was changed to a deep red and blue flowing inlay pattern.
He directly erased the conspicuous yellow clan emblem from his once smooth chest.
Instead, it was replaced with the most classic officer-style double-breasted placket design from the previous life's battle uniform.
His shoulders, which were originally bare, were now adorned with two golden eagle-head embossed epaulets, just like his old battle uniform.
The heavy, originally pure red cape on her back has been redesigned to resemble the original red and white striped American flag.
The only thing they completely removed were those dozens of hypocritical and extravagant white five-pointed stars that symbolized America.
It's worth mentioning that John also added the original Homelander- style stand-up collar to his uniform.
Then, the "S"-shaped family crest was cleverly transformed into lightning-like patterns and attached to both sides of the collar.
He didn't approve of this "script," but at least he inherited someone else's family identity, so he saved some face.
Right side.
It was a well-tailored, sharply tailored, and sophisticated black-grey British suit with a cool and aloof feel.
Wearing a dark-patterned vest over a white, stiff-collared shirt creates an elegant and sophisticated look.
This is a model that John modified based on the suit Old Joe gave him.
The cheapest quality has been redesigned and given a fresh new look.
Then, under Joe El's increasingly bewildered gaze, John raised his hands.
Select the two 3D models of the combat suits by pressing them, and then overlap them.
After completing these steps, John also checked the "[Liquid Phase Change Memory Form]" and "[Consciousness Switch]" modules in the upper right corner.
"Click--"
With the final confirmation instruction issued.
The heavy battle suit that was originally on the floating tray seemed to have been injected with life.
It instantly disintegrated, softening into a pool of silver-black interwoven liquid water droplets, shimmering with a faint light.
These water droplets slowly rose into the air, like a group of nimble snakes, and quietly wrapped around John's right wrist, which hung at his side.
The cool touch is instantaneous.
In less than two seconds, the massive mass of liquid particles had completely penetrated the surface of his skin.
It then transformed into a Rolex watch that fits snugly and has a warm, smooth texture.
John then lowered his eyes.
A thought flickered in my mind.
"Buzz--"
The trench coat and trousers he was wearing were instantly and silently swallowed up by the layer of nanoparticles.
The next second, countless nanoparticles rapidly reconstructed and extended along his collarbone, chest, and waistline.
In the blink of an eye.
A well-tailored suit with clean lines and a cool, sophisticated feel fit his tall and upright figure perfectly.
Even the Windsor knot of the tie and the black sheen of the leather shoes were flawless.
Then, John simply stomped his foot slightly on the ground.
Thump!
The fabric of the suit jacket on the chest flipped and hardened in the blink of an eye.
The cool-toned red and blue lines spread like mercury, instantly covering the entire body.
The collar is slightly raised, with the dark gold family crest serving as a protective pattern on both sides.
Two golden eagle heads suddenly sprang up from the shoulders, their dark curved surfaces carrying red and white stripes that moved without wind.
From wristwatches and suits to battle suits.
You can switch between them at will in just a few seconds.
"Smack!"
John snapped his the Snap, and his battle armor receded like the tide, transforming back into his elegant black and gray suit.
He straightened out wrinkles that weren't actually there at the cuffs.
Then, he smiled slightly at the already dumbfounded projection in mid-air.
"A good battle suit is one that can automatically switch forms and always maintain an aesthetically pleasing appearance..."
"Oh, right, that Zod..."
Tell me about it?