The Fight Begins
Ever since the Phantom 1 was born, Luke had wanted to find an opportunity to test its combat capabilities.
However, the world was not ready for the Phantom's debut. If he exposed it, he wouldn't be able to bypass the Department of Defense, let alone the FBI.
Military technology is the cornerstone of national defense and a matter of supreme importance.
Luke didn't have the political backing of someone like Tony Stark. If the DoD found out that the Phantom Armor belonged to the Asian-American grandson of the former Hongmen Association leader, who knew how crazy they would go.
To survive long-term, one must learn to "lie low."
For the sake of his long-term plan, he had to suppress his desires and remain a handsome man who won by intellect.
But considering the timing, it was close enough. Superman and Batman were here; could disaster be far behind?
Thinking of his long-planned strategy, Luke couldn't help but curve his lips, a look of deep anticipation in his eyes.
Kryptonians were the power ceiling of the DC world, akin to gods. If he could use the Phantom Armor to beat her into submission, future plans would be much easier to execute.
With this thought, his fighting spirit surged like a flood, and he became completely energized.
"Hey! Why aren't you saying anything? Are you scared?"
Linda twitched her lips, genuinely confused about why he had become so foolish. Did the armor have a stupidity function?
Fine! I'll give him a warning first.
She raised her right foot, then stomped it onto the ground.
BANG!
Large cracks spiderwebbed across the concrete floor, and her right leg sunk deep into the ground.
Linda gave a faint smile and lifted her foot as if the scene had nothing to do with her.
"Last chance: Are you sure you want to fight?"
Luke swallowed, quickly calculated the Phantom Armor's data, and gritted his teeth.
"Follow me. The space here is too small to maneuver."
Kinetic Absorption
They moved to the firing range on the second floor of the underground base.
Two large lamps brightly illuminated the room. Linda stood listlessly at the ready position, looking bored. It's just a pile of metal. What good could it possibly be?
Luke, clad in the Phantom Armor, was fully focused on his side, checking all data to ensure optimal performance. He opened the data recorder and switched the armor from semi-automatic to Full-Power Melee Mode.
Small electrical arcs sparked on the armor's surface. The plating on his forearms began to undulate like snake scales, interlocking and tightening like metal being forged. Driven by the system, the plating connected with a blue energy field, forming a layer of semi-metallic armor that glowed blue.
This was a new technology Luke had spent years developing, called Charged Armor. It could effectively reduce the kinetic impact dealt by an opponent and store the energy, returning it to the attacker in a unique way.
In short: Use their own methods to deal with them.
Simultaneously, changes occurred in his legs and chest. Blue energy permeated the leg plates, connecting to internal rings to form a spring-like drive mechanism. The purple patterns on the chest cavity began to glow, and an invisible force field rippled outward. Dust rose and hovered in mid-air for a few seconds before settling back to the floor.
A force field?
Linda raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
This hunk of metal actually has an energy field protecting it!
Luke took a deep breath and beckoned to the girl.
"Come on. You attack first."
Linda said nothing more. With a stomp of her foot, she instantly appeared above the Phantom Armor.
Her pale fist rose high and slammed down with unimaginable force.
BOOM!
The moment her fist connected with the armor's gauntlet, the ground suddenly depressed. The air seemed to be sucked out, resulting in a concussive blast.
The terrifying force, visible as energy ripples, traveled down the arm guard. A grinding sound accompanied its path, clearly indicating the armor was under extreme stress.
A smirk played on Linda's lips. Just as she considered easing her power to prevent killing Luke with a single punch, an anomaly occurred.
The blue-glowing Charged Armor rippled like liquid. The impact force was shunted in a strange manner to the legs. It was then broken down by the spring-like mechanisms into a form of absorbable energy, which was then rebounded with a bizarre counter-shock.
CRACK!
A massive force erupted, sending Linda flying backward. She skidded over ten meters in the air, her eyes wide with deep astonishment.
"A rebound? How is that possible?"
Luke flexed his now-sore arm, suppressing his delight.
"It's not a simple rebound. It's a kinetic energy absorption device, specifically designed for people like you. The harder you hit, the stronger the counter-attack you receive. It's called 'using force to deflect force.'"
"I don't believe you."
Linda lunged forward fiercely and threw a punch. Luke didn't retreat; he met her with a punch of his own.
Fist met fist. The impact traveled down the armor and was then returned in that strange way.
The girl was sent flying again. The next moment, she accelerated abruptly, rushing forward at a speed indiscernible to the naked eye. She punched Luke in the chest. The chest plate dented inward momentarily, the kinetic energy transferring to his limbs and then back up to his chest.
BANG!
A terrifying force scattered everywhere, kicking up dust. A figure shot straight backward, only stopping when it crashed into the wall.
"Interesting!"
Linda narrowed her eyes and rushed forward again, hitting him with a flurry of punches and kicks, seemingly testing Luke's claim: the harder you hit, the stronger the counter-attack.
BANG! BANG! BANG! The sounds of impact resonated constantly in the firing range.
The assault was as swift and fierce as a storm. After only ten seconds, Luke couldn't take it anymore. The Phantom Armor could absorb kinetic energy, but that didn't mean Luke was immune to injury. The girl's strength was increasing—she was clearly getting serious. If this continued, he wouldn't just be ruined; he'd be beaten to death.
Damn it, Kryptonians are all insane.
With this thought, he quickly activated the escape system. Blinding white light erupted from his chest. Using the moment the light momentarily blinded his opponent, he rapidly retreated, increasing the distance between them.
Linda did not pursue. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"Your armor is impressive. It can absorb kinetic energy and rebound it, but it cannot create kinetic energy. That means if I don't attack, you have no offensive power!" She gave a strange smile, as if she had discovered something amusing.
"Now it's your turn to attack. I'll defend."
"..."
Seeing him remain silent, Linda grew more certain of her suspicion.
"What, scared? If you only have defense and no offense, what's the difference between you and a turtle shell?"
Luke: "..."
You think I have no offensive power, don't you? If it weren't for a key unresolved issue, I would have taken you down already.
Although he thought it, reality was harsh. Due to material and energy limitations, the Phantom 1 genuinely lacked a reliable offensive capability. His strongest weapons—the super lightning and the laser cutter—had proven ineffective against Kryptonians.
Except for this.
Green flames erupted from his palms, spreading as flecks of green light across his entire body.
"Little girl, if I don't give you a taste of your own medicine, you'll really think I'm a punching bag!"
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