Chapter 50: Return

DC Universe.

Vast and boundless, the deep space adorned with a sparkling canopy of stars.

The cosmos, expansive, frigid, and silent, carried the eternal theme of the universe.

H'el and Sylvia suddenly appeared in deep space.

H'el had never been to space before, not even in the International Space Station, 400 kilometers above Earth, where he could still enjoy the presence of Earth's atmosphere while sunbathing. Thus, appearing in the vacuum of space without a trace of Earth's gases made his body react uncomfortably.

For a moment, his bloodstream seemed eager to boil, but it was quickly adapted to the potent energy within him. A thin layer of frost formed as some of the moisture and gases he had carried from the wormhole condensed on his skin. High-energy photons and subatomic particles, typical cosmic radiation, started to inflict minor damage on his cells and organs, but his innate energy neutralized the effects, initiating a new round of adaptation to cosmic radiation.

With just a single breath, his body began to absorb and adapt to the high-energy photons and subatomic particles, gradually adjusting to the conditions of deep space.

"Haa."

H'el exhaled deeply in space, expelling the Earth's gases he had absorbed while in the Pacific Rim Universe. The exhaled gas condensed into ice and shot forward into the empty void like arrows.

Beside him was Sylvia, an ordinary person who hadn't taken superpower-enhancing pills. She immediately experienced bodily reactions triggered by the sudden drop in pressure. Her bodily fluids began to boil, forming bubbles, the surface of her bodily fluids began to freeze, and her eye membranes became bloodshot. She was on the verge of rapidly expanding tissue and was preparing for internal circulatory failure and flaccid paralysis.

H'el enveloped her in a bio-magnetic field to stabilize her condition.

His gaze extended into the distance as he activated his telescopic vision, scanning his surroundings. He quickly located the Skyprobe II drifting towards the wandering planet MT745.

The craft was traveling at roughly 10 Mach per second, and it had been drifting for five years, which was equivalent to 157,680,000 seconds. At 10 Mach per second, that translated to 3,403 meters per second, so 157,680,000 multiplied by 3,403 equaled 536,585,040,000 meters. H'el estimated that he was approximately 536,585,040 kilometers away from the spacecraft.

H'el was moving at a speed of 100 Mach per second, which translated to 34,030 meters per second. Taking into account the continuing velocity of the Skyprobe II, it would take him approximately 190 days to catch up to it.

H'el had calculated this speed to maintain peak physical condition while absorbing cosmic radiation energy in the vast expanse of space.

The cosmic expanse, vast and silent, might appear lifeless, but it couldn't be ruled out that there were potential dangers. In fact, in the unpredictable cosmos, when danger struck, it could be even more treacherous and enigmatic.

H'el wouldn't sacrifice his safety for the sake of fleeting speed, potentially putting himself in a life-threatening situation when facing unexpected crises.

In the vast expanse of cosmic space, maintaining a balance between absorbing cosmic radiation and flight speed, always keeping his physical condition at its best to deal with and prevent potential crises, was the correct choice.

There was no need to rush and accelerate to catch up with the ship immediately.

The only issue was that they hadn't brought any food, and Sylvia, being a regular person, wouldn't last the 190 days it would take to reach the ship.

"Sylvia, you need to enter a state of suspended animation," H'el said.

Sylvia covered her mouth, her eyes bloodshot, and nodded.

H'el began using his bio-magnetic field to regulate Sylvia's circulatory system. She slowly closed her eyes and began to sleep.

As long as he kept her brain active, it would be enough.

Within 190 days, H'el would transfer Sylvia's limb muscles, bones, organs, the remaining cellular oxygen, and nutrients in her body to her brain, down to the molecular level, to ensure that her brain remained undamaged after finding the ship.

As for her limbs and organs, it was okay if they atrophied.

Sylvia would need to board the Skyprobe II to learn Kryptonian biological knowledge. By then, she could create a body that could adapt to space and various harsh environments.

H'el took Sylvia's black travel bag, filled with research data and personal items she had collected on Earth. He also had a large travel bag containing crystalline core energy sources and three thermonuclear reactors, all prepared for the Skyprobe II's energy needs.

The diameter of the wormhole's entrance was only about two meters, and the time spent within it was fleeting.

Technology around the Pacific Rim was not particularly advanced, and H'el had put in some effort to modify the three thermonuclear reactors to a size of 1.9 meters, just enough to pass through the wormhole.

He bundled Sylvia's black travel bag and his own together, creating a bio-magnetic field around them, enclosing the travel bags and Sylvia. With himself as the arrowhead, he flew towards the Skyprobe II.

In the cosmic expanse, there were plenty of turbulence and meteoroids, with no discernible pattern.

The Skyprobe II had chosen the safest and least obstructed route through space. Even if there were small meteoroids passing by, H'el effortlessly navigated through them like a fish in the water. He maintained his speed without slowing down, heading straight for the target.

In the vast cosmic space, amid the brilliant stars, it was lonely and frigid.

Even intelligent beings capable of traveling through the cosmos wouldn't wander alone. Having a safe, stable, and large spaceship as a home in the universe was essential.

H'el had already made plans for his next step. With the crystalline core energy source and three thermonuclear reactors he brought back, the Skyprobe II had enough energy to leap to the Kryptonian ruins. There, he could salvage materials and resources that were impervious to Kryptonian explosions and construct a real spaceship capable of reaching Earth.

The Skyprobe II was still too small and damaged.

"Or perhaps, I could go to other worlds and acquire a spaceship?" H'el contemplated as he flew.

The wormhole he used to return to the DC Universe had undergone some changes. It could now expand to a diameter of ten meters and maintain for up to two seconds by his control.

But it was still limited.

To go to other worlds, he would probably bring back some spaceship components. How many different worlds would he have to visit to assemble his own large spaceship?

"If only the wormhole had a radius of ten thousand meters," H'el sighed.

With that, he could directly go to other worlds, seize one or several enormous spaceships, and customize his own.

H'el shook his head regretfully and continued on toward the Skyprobe II.

Thirty days later, Sylvia's arms had shrunk into infantile proportions.

Sixty days later, Sylvia's legs had shrunk into infantile proportions.

Ninety days later, Sylvia's organs began to atrophy.

One hundred and twenty days later, Sylvia's internal organs had all shrunk into infantile proportions.

One hundred and fifty days later, Sylvia's body had become baby-like, with her head retaining an adult appearance.

One hundred and eighty days later, Sylvia's baby-like body had withered like a tree, and she looked like a plant with a human head.

One hundred and ninety days later, H'el finally caught up with the Skyprobe II and entered its external airlock.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the zero gravity environment made it impossible to recognize him at this point.

After sunbathing in space, both his cells and physical features, including pupils and fingerprints, had undergone significant changes. There was no way to identify him using conventional methods.

"Activate the highest verification..."

"No, activate zero-level verification," H'el commanded.

The so-called highest verification was merely a way to deceive those who wanted to control Zero. The real highest verification was a five-level authorization set by H'el.

"Activate zero-level verification."

Immediately, H'el answered more than three hundred and forty questions and recited a speech.

"Verification passed. Welcome back, my master."

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