The Kryptonian Confession
Luke's guess was right.
Linda was genuinely afraid. The moment she stepped onto the Fortress of Solitude, she was reminded of her long drift in that chaotic, time-frozen dimension. The experience during that time was indescribable.
Space travel wasn't as beautiful as people imagined, especially when using spatial jump technology. Every jump was a journey between life and death. Black holes, dark matter energy zones, chaotic space, and high-dimensional beings that had existed for unknown ages could all interfere with the jump. The result was entirely up to luck.
To summarize in one sentence: If you were lucky, you'd go home for dinner; if you weren't, the whole village would go to your house for a funeral.
Spatial jumping was that terrifying.
Having experienced it once, Linda didn't want a second time. She needed someone by her side for encouragement. After much deliberation, she settled on Luke Shaw, but his personality was too unpredictable. To get him to agree, she had to resort to some unsavory tactics.
In fact, as she made the request, Linda's heart was in her throat. She was terribly afraid of being rejected, and even more afraid of making him angry.
He was the only friend she had left.
"Talk to me. How long will it actually take? If it's more than three months, you can leave now. I don't have that much time to wander the cosmos with you."
"It won't take three months. One month is enough."
"One month? Are you sure?"
Linda nodded repeatedly. "The Fortress of Solitude has the most advanced spatial jump technology. From Earth to Krypton requires only two jumps, each lasting about six days. If everything goes smoothly, we can be back in twenty-four days."
She left one detail unsaid: the success rate of each jump was 85%. That meant the chance of making the round trip without any accidents was only about 50%.
Naturally, Linda wouldn't mention something that would jeopardize her own plan. Even if Luke asked, she would give a 100% success rate answer, since he wouldn't understand the mechanics anyway.
Luke really didn't understand the operational principles of a spatial jump, and no one on Earth did.
"One month is acceptable. I can go with you, but you have to agree to one condition."
"What is it? Tell me."
Luke said seriously, "I want to study the scientific knowledge in the Fortress of Solitude. No matter what I choose to study, you cannot interfere, and you must be responsible for explaining anything I don't understand."
Linda frowned, her eyes filled with confusion.
"I don't understand why you're so enthusiastic about science and technology."
Luke shrugged. "Don't you think this world is too dangerous?"
"Technology is what brings danger. No technology, no danger."
"What you just said is like a certain Chinese proverb: 'The well-fed don't understand the hunger of the starving.'"
The girl blinked. Well-fed? Starving? That sounded very strange.
"Forget it. I can't explain it to you. The bottom line is: the poor rely on mutation, the rich rely on technology. For an outsider like me—who has no system cheat, a body as fragile as paper, yet still wants to live freely and comfortably—a suite of high-tech gear is essential for home travel and carrying out capers. Understand?"
Linda shook her head. "No."
"If you don't understand, so be it. Since we've decided to go to outer space, I can't keep some things secret anymore. Take me to Coast City."
"Now?"
"Yes, right now."
Linda didn't know what Luke was planning now, but assumed it wasn't anything good. However, since he had agreed to her request, she grudgingly carried him.
A Kryptonian's speed was no joke. The straight-line distance from Metropolis to Coast City was nearly four thousand kilometers. It would take six hours by plane, but under her full speed, it took only a few minutes. The only drawback was that it was incredibly cold, making Luke shiver uncontrollably.
The Secret Base and the Phantom Armor
The two landed near the West Port Terminal in Coast City.
Luke opened the door to Container No. 13 and pressed a hidden button above a storage shelf. The floor began to descend, and after dropping about ten meters, the scene ahead brightened dramatically.
In the dazzling light, an underground base spanning nearly a hundred meters long and wide emerged.
Luke spread his hands and smiled.
"Welcome to my secret base, Miss Danvers. You are the third human to set foot here, and the only female."
"Look around, touch anything, and if you have questions, let me know, and I'll answer you."
Linda looked around curiously. The first thing that caught her eye was a row of cool, sleek supercars: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati—every desirable brand was accounted for.
Next were the various weapons and equipment laid out on racks: grenades, explosives, rocket launchers, and even an intercontinental ballistic missile.
Besides the eye-catching items, the rest was equipment.
Dozens of machines were split into various sections. Some looked like lightning generators, others resembled nuclear reactors. There was a press brake, CNC lathes, highly advanced precision instrument manufacturing facilities, high-temperature forging devices, element analyzers, spectrometers, resonators, and much more.
After taking it all in, Linda was completely baffled. She couldn't understand what kind of freak would tinker with this stuff. He must be insane!
Luke took a deep breath, his eyes filled with unconcealed passion.
"Don't you think it's cool? Aren't I amazing?"
Linda gave an awkward laugh. She wanted to mock him, but changed her words at the last moment. "These instruments, supercars, and firearms... they must have cost a fortune!"
"All the money I've earned has been spent here. Nearly seven billion U.S. dollars. Unfortunately, it's far from enough."
Luke shook his head helplessly. "Come with me. I want to show you a real treasure."
The two walked through a corridor to the deepest secret room.
As the lights switched on, a mysterious, ghostly metal armor came into view.
The armor was a deep black, yet non-reflective, giving it a muted, dark texture. Purple patterns were etched onto the shoulders and chest. The head was an inverted triangle, with sharp protrusions on the top sides like two blades. The shoulders were broad, extending slightly outward, making it look particularly formidable. The arms and legs were streamlined, looking less like metal and more like a high-polymer material.
The entire suit gave off a mysterious, cold visual impression, like facing an assassin who had stepped out of a dark abyss, involuntarily chilling the viewer.
Luke walked up to the armor and tapped on the chest plate twice.
"The greatest technological achievement in the world: the Phantom 1 Prototype Armor. A one-of-a-kind existence."
"Isn't it cool?"
Linda swallowed, trying to suppress her shock.
"Is this what you meant by 'the poor rely on mutation, the rich rely on technology'?"
Luke considered this, then nodded. "You could say that."
Linda took a few steps closer, examining the armor meticulously from top to bottom. She said with great uncertainty,
"Are you sure this thing can protect you? Honestly, I don't see how this pile of scrap metal could be useful."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Want to test it?"
"How?"
"Against you, of course."
"Me?"
Linda pointed to herself, shaking her head dramatically. "Let's not. You don't know my strength. I'm not even sure how heavy my own punch is."
"If I hit you, it could very well destroy both the machine and the man inside."
Though she didn't say it outright, the disdain in her words was undeniable.
Luke didn't get angry. He activated the power source and donned the Phantom 1 Prototype Armor. Standing before Supergirl as the Steel Phantom, he challenged her.
"Go on, Miss Danvers. A test won't kill anyone."
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!