Chapter 54: Kryptonian Ruins

Kryptonian ruins.

A red dwarf star, resembling a crimson sun, its surface roiled with fury, casting a distant crimson glow that shimmered across this desolate expanse. The feeble red radiance illuminated the area, where vast accumulations of gray dust hung like a bleeding haze.

The aftermath of Krypton's explosion had blanketed this region in a thick layer of ash and dust. Frozen blocks of atmosphere, shattered rocks from the explosion, and various high-energy radiation-laden dust swirled chaotically, a muddled blend of electromagnetic and electronic reactions.

The red dwarf star's usual ultraviolet radiation and the high-energy charged particles it emitted, along with its magnetic field radiation, created peculiar changes in the nebulous cloud within this Kryptonian ruins.

After Krypton's explosion, it had formed a nebula of high-energy radiation.

Several fragments of Krypton's continents, flung and torn apart, and the satellites struck by the explosion, were gradually drifting away from the gravitational pull of the red sun, venturing out into the cosmos, destined to become wandering entities in the universe.

At a distance from the Kryptonian nebula.

The Stellar Probe, resembling a heavily armored bullet, emerged in the space far from the nebula, leaping out of the gravitational collapse and rippling distortions through a warp.

"Gravity coefficient is normal."

"Space resonance has ceased, and collapse target point 8516#6566 is undergoing recovery, recovery completed."

"String torsion interference has ceased, back to normal."

"Warp drive cooling is in progress."

"Crystal core engine has 19.2% remaining energy."

"Stealth mode activated."

"We have successfully warped to the target point and activated stealth mode, integrating the projection."

The Stellar Probe initiated its stealth mode, blocking various detection methods and rendering itself invisible in place.

Zero's report was complete, and external projection was connected.

Suddenly, H'el, seated in the cold command chair, felt his stomach churn, ringing in his ears, and a jumble of thoughts in his mind. He was adapting to the aftereffects of warping without wearing warp protection stabilizers.

The domed ceiling in the command room displayed a 360-degree full-environment projection, leaving H'el alone in this expanse of starry space.

He sat up abruptly.

H'el stood up suddenly, his black cape billowing behind him.

With his exceptional physical prowess and the assistance of his black cape battle suit, he forcibly restored himself to normal in an instant. Then he beheld a sight he never wanted to see.

"So, this is... Krypton?"

H'el stood there, gazing in astonishment at the radiant nebula left behind by Krypton's explosion, his emotions too complex to put into words.

A deep sense of sorrow welled up from the depths of his heart.

He extended his hand towards the distant nebula, and the projection zoomed in on it at the right moment.

H'el's large hand penetrated into the nebula, but he touched nothing. Everything felt as unfamiliar as if he had traveled across countless cosmic eras, with nothing left of the familiar.

His fingertips found emptiness, unable to touch anything at all.

Everything had dissipated like smoke and mist.

A profound, powerless sadness enveloped him, emanating from the depths of his genes.

That sadness was like an astronaut landing on the Moon, turning back to see Earth exploding.

In the entire universe, there was only himself.

Lost and disoriented, he remained in this vast universe.

He found it hard to believe the reality before his eyes. Memories of the past played back in his mind, but they bore no resemblance to this present moment.

This immense rupture of reality could drive a person to madness, to refuse to accept the truth.

"Jor-El, is this your legacy?" H'el asked in anguish, closing his eyes and shaking his head. The unshakable sadness enveloped him like the cosmos itself.

H'el began to laugh.

A tremendous force of will washed over him, as if cold water drenched him from head to toe, snapping him back to sobriety and calming his anguish.

He suppressed the mournful cries from the depths of his genes, and his gaze regained its composure and rationality.

Allowing for grief but not letting emotions overwhelm him.

Remembering the past was permissible, but he couldn't stand here forever, lost in sorrow.

Krypton, once dead, was now terminated by his actions.

And once again, it was up to him to establish a new Krypton, standing tall in this vast universe!

Having regained his composure, H'el started manipulating the projection with his hands, like a pair of cosmic hands shaping the environment, continually zooming in and out of the projected space, his gaze serene.

"Zero, initiate maintenance on this pyroclastic plateau."

H'el adjusted the projection to a massive continental plate. What was once a continent with flowing lava had been torn apart and ejected from Krypton due to the explosion. It was now slowly drifting away from the gravitational lock of the red sun, making it a suitable landing point.

This pyroclastic plateau measured 59,725 km, providing ample space for the Starfield Probe to rest while H'el collected resources ejected from Krypton and constructed a spaceship.

"Search for the materials required to manufacture a spaceship. Secondary focus: genetic storage. Create a Genesis Chamber," H'el commanded.

Creating a Genesis Chamber was a Kryptonian technique, a large apparatus used to create life. All life on Krypton was born here, with their future genetic talents planned.

H'el didn't expect to find a perfectly intact Genesis Chamber but aimed to gather enough instrument components to reconstruct a smaller one for his own use. He hoped that in the future, he could manipulate genetic talents, create life, and bolster his workforce to help build the new Krypton.

"Open the outer airlock," he ordered.

H'el slowly rose into the air, his black cape clinging to his back. He glided through the metal corridors and exited through the outer airlock, beginning his search for valuable resources.

On the other side.

A satellite, once in orbit around Krypton but ejected by the explosion, had a surface temperature of about 150°C. It had a diameter of approximately 3,476.28 km and an average density of about 3.344 g/cm. Its surface was rugged, filled with craters from impacts by smaller celestial bodies.

In a concealed corner, there was a hole about two kilometers in diameter that penetrated the entire satellite, reaching its core. Entering through this hole led directly to the center of the satellite.

The core of the satellite was gone, leaving a 350-kilometer-wide hollow void at the center.

Floating at the core's center was a miniature high-tech base. Molecular-level engineering machinery was busily transporting mineral resources from a network of tunnels, using shrinkage rays to reduce them in size and construct the base.

At the center of the high-tech base in the satellite's core, there was a green skull. Wires and cables covered its head, and its eyes suddenly opened, entirely black, cold, and piercing.

A projection began to construct, displaying H'el floating in space while wearing black combat attire.

"A Kryptonian with the ancient powers of Krypton," the green skull spoke, casting a glance at the shrunken city of Kandor placed in the center of the chamber within a superconductive glass container.

Inside the superconductive glass container, several Kryptonians floated with closed eyes.

Unfortunately, they couldn't be restored using the shrinkage ray; they would die instantly upon reverting to their original size. It had always been a great regret for the entity that it couldn't obtain a living Kryptonian as a collectible. Now, with the appearance of a Kryptonian possessing ancient powers who was still alive, it had a pleasant surprise to report to the entity.

"He is worth collecting!"

°°°

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