(~˘▾˘)~~(˘▾˘~)
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A black luxury limousine slowly drove on the highway.
Inside the car, it was very quiet. Luther sat silently in the back seat, swiftly handling various company affairs on his tablet, occasionally looking out the window.
Two armed bodyguards sat across from him, their expressions serious and alert, not uttering a word.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a blue figure soared through the sky, landing steadily, and blocking the car's path.
Clark stood there with his arms crossed, upright in the sunlight, forcing the car to stop.
"It's Super… Superman!"
The driver of the car hit the brakes, and the two bodyguards quickly exited the vehicle, using the car doors as cover, aiming their handguns at Clark.
Bang.
"Put your guns away."
Luther's gaze darkened as he smiled and gestured with his hand, issuing a command, and looked at Clark.
"If the famous Superman intends to harm me, what good will the guns in your hands do?"
"I believe he won't harm an innocent civilian at will."
Throughout the journey, he hadn't informed anyone, never uttered a word, and conveyed all instructions to his subordinates through his tablet. Yet, he was still intercepted on the way to the company.
"Unfortunately, you're not innocent, and you here aren't human either."
Clark no longer held the same favorable opinion of Luther, who had deceived him into captivity using the lives of thousands of citizens.
His eyes emitted red laser beams, and in the next second, Luther, the android, was melted by the intense heat, leaving only a pair of feet standing in place.
The synthetic rubber skin revealed steel skeletons and wires.
"This... this..."
The two bodyguards stared in shock, their mouths agape wondering when their boss became a robot?
Since the destruction of a Luther android at the military base, this was the first time he had appeared in the sunlight. Even though it was just a test to see if he would be attacked, he was still cautious enough.
However, he was the only walking iron frame in Metropolis, and Clark still managed to catch him.
"Gentlemen, don't be frightened by today's events. I suggest you continue with this job."
"After all, it's not easy to find a bodyguard job where you don't have to worry about your employer's safety."
Having dealt with Luther's robot, Clark made a joke with the two bewildered bodyguards and then leaped away.
His figure resembled a large bird, and he covered several miles in a few jumps, returning to the heart of the city, standing atop a tall building, and continuing to monitor criminal activities in the city.
In the bright golden sunlight.
Clark opened his eyes and pointed them at the sun.
In the gray world, large spots of light occupied the center of his vision, and he couldn't see anything clearly, but it was no longer darkness.
His vision was recovering.
Previously, Clark thought that with his powerful body, he would be fine even without his eyes, but Luther and the commander at the military base had taught him a lesson.
'My brother was right. No matter how strong other abilities are, they can't replace eyesight.'
Fortunately, in just two days, his vision began to show signs of recovery.
'Moreover...'
Clark clenched his fist. In the warm sunlight, he felt like he was returning to his mother's embrace as a baby. Every minute and every second, his body was growing stronger.
'Two days ago, after passing out from exhaustion, my body seemed to sense urgency and danger, and my abilities have been growing faster.'
In just two days, Clark's abilities had significantly improved in all aspects. Each new day, he could even defeat the Clark from yesterday.
…
In an underground base.
Luther removed the remote control-like helmet of the cybernetic humanoid robot, his face looking grim.
"At first, inventing the cybernetic humanoid robot was just a precaution."
Having just inherited a massive fortune, it was likely that during this time, he would have been targeted. The cybernetic humanoid robot could replace his real body to face danger.
But he didn't expect that the current situation would be that he could only control the robot's body to appear in the sunlight, while his actual self had to stay hidden underground where there was no sun.
There was more bad news.
Luther had attempted to procure the raw materials used for forging the Steel Soldier, to upgrade his own armor and the cybernetic humanoid robots. However, he had been bluntly rejected by Sam Lane and warned not to inquire about military secrets.
Even when he used some of his connections within the military and government, the results were the same.
The high-ranking military and government officials with whom Luther had dealings, some of them didn't even have the authorization to access information regarding the Steel Soldier project.
Bang!
The laboratory door was opened.
With a serious expression, Luther proceeded to the underground laboratory on the third floor of the fortress.
"Sir."
A scientist, who had just finished briefing one of his research team members, approached him with an exhausted yet excited look. "We've made a major breakthrough in our experiments. The first experiment involving the modification of three meteorite-induced abilities was successful."
Luther frowned as he looked through the thick bulletproof glass.
Bang, bang, bang!
Sharp rifle bullets struck the experimental subject, bouncing off its indestructible skin. The subject's body briefly mimicked the surroundings, rendering it invisible.
The security test personnel, holding his gun, were taken by surprise as the subject silently approached, and the gun in his hand was snatched away.
The experimental subject's hand radiated intense heat, distorting the air, and the rifle melted into molten metal, dripping onto the laboratory floor.
"How does it look, sir?"
The scientist, an older man with graying hair and a slightly balding head, asked with excitement concealed in his eyes, wondering if Luther was satisfied.
If this project had been conducted within the military, witnessing the results of an experiment where one individual could match a special forces unit would even earn applause and admiration from the most critical of generals.
"Not bad, but not enough!"
However, Luther's face showed no signs of pleasure.
If he had learned about this result just a few days ago, he would have undoubtedly praised it. But the situation had changed today, and he felt a growing sense of urgency.
"Dr. Jones, so far, I've injected billions of dollars into the Typhon Project and assembled a luxurious team of researchers for you."
"The ultimate goal of this project is to create a perfect bioweapon with a thousand abilities, capable of handling any situation and defeating all enemies."
"But now, after spending over a billion dollars, you've only completed the modification techniques for three abilities?"
"Sir, with multiple abilities modification technology, obtaining a hundred or even a thousand abilities is just a matter of time."
The scientist, who was highly respected in the scientific community and had previously received a Nobel Prize, reminded him.
One breakthrough compared to zero was significant, and three compared to one was a tremendous breakthrough. That's why he was rejoicing; you could say the project was already 80% successful.
"I know. But the problem is, I can't wait that long."
Luther waved his hand impatiently, making it clear that refusal was not an option.
"Starting tomorrow, I will participate in your project, working alongside you to expedite the completion of the Typhon Project."
Typhon, the father of all monsters in Greek mythology, had a hundred monstrous heads and a colossal, towering figure. He was the progenitor of creatures such as the hundred-headed dragon Ladon, the nine-headed serpent Hydra, and the three-headed dog Cerberus, and had once defeated the king of the gods, Zeus, bringing endless fear to the Olympian gods.
Luther had named the project after him because the abilities were derived from people affected by meteorites, and because he had extraordinary expectations for it.
'A monster powerful enough to kill gods!' Luther pressed his hands onto the console, gazing at the subject inside the chamber, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
The original plan was to create a perfect bioweapon for his use.
'Now, the plan needs to be changed.'
In Norse mythology, Odin, the King of the Gods, sacrificed one of his eyes to gain supreme wisdom, hanging himself upside down from the World Tree, Yggdrasil, for seven days and nights.
If he wanted to walk freely in the sunlight again instead of hiding forever in the dark fortress, he might have to pay some price, such as transforming himself.
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(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)