Chapter 32: Genetics

H'el stood at the podium, slowly retracting his heat vision. The fiery redness in his eye area gradually faded, and he returned to normal.

His gaze was ruthless; the scene was filled with dismembered bodies, fresh blood pooling on the ground, and the scent of blood mixed with the burning flesh permeated the air like a scene from hell. In the distance, the onlookers had fearful expressions, retreating while treading on fallen flags, no longer daring to proclaim H'el's kindness and benevolence.

Kevin's demeanor reminded him of colleagues and superiors from his previous life who referred to themselves as "kind, diligent, honest, and helpful." There were no fond memories there, and a trace of dissatisfaction welled up in H'el's heart, as if something needed to overflow.

Destroying more, annihilating everything, would it make him feel more comfortable?

His dual pupils once again flared up with fiery crimson, and his heat vision was ready to activate as he scanned the frightened and helpless crowd. The people in his gaze were trembling, and their fear made them weak in the knees.

When everyone saw those crimson eyes sweep over them, they couldn't help but tremble, their legs giving way to fear.

H'el was satisfied with this reaction, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth. He wanted to kill them all, to destroy everything.

But he didn't.

With a sudden "bang," the podium exploded, and microphones were sent flying in all directions.

H'el detonated a sonic boom right where he stood, creating a white shockwave trail that shot up into the sky and flew off into the distance.

His speed wasn't particularly fast, and in the sky, he enjoyed the wind's knife-like caress on his face, feeling that attitude of disdain for life after a night of killing millions of lives.

Within him, there was still a flicker of emotion, a desire to destroy everything, as if it wanted to erupt into a terrifying power.

"Why haven't I lost myself to my immense power? What's causing these turbulent emotions deep within me?"

H'el pondered this question rationally, examining himself, and he realized that the fluctuating emotions likely stemmed from his interactions with others. He wondered, was he so easily influenced by others?

Anchorage Base.

The night sky here remained clear, and the stars shone brightly.

H'el's figure streaked across the starry expanse, leaving behind the trail of sonic booms he had created. The air currents tousled his black hair, and his deep eyes remained calm. Beneath the dazzling starry sky, he headed toward the large hole in the dome that he had previously created.

The reconstruction engineers at Anchorage Base were quite accommodating. They had noticed that H'el had entered this large hole in the sky several times and deliberately chose not to repair it. Instead, they reinforced the opening and beautified it. They had constructed a network of passages within the dome, providing H'el with an exclusive entrance and exit point. From here, he could go anywhere in the base.

After all, they couldn't expect a deity like him to enter through the regular entrance along with everyone else.

H'el moved quickly, his feet landing on the steel walkway, and he could smell the scent of machine oil and steel beneath his nose.

A powerful gust of wind rushed towards the nearby workers, causing their skin to ripple, and their eyes squinted as they saw H'el's arrival. They quickly positioned themselves against the walls, lowering their heads in fear.

H'el strode confidently towards the biolab, his black duster coat billowing in the wind, giving him an imposing presence.

The biolab had been expanded significantly after the damage caused by H'el's battles. Walls had been torn down, making it even more spacious. Scientists in white lab coats scurried back and forth between the various white-walled enclosures, conducting experiments showcasing various superhuman abilities on white mice.

Meanwhile, Sylvia stood outside the biolab. She wore white canvas sneakers, black pants hugging her long legs, and a snug-fitting T-shirt with a 3D graphic on the chest. Her hair was styled in two buns, one slightly higher than the other.

Over her white lab coat, she sported a flexible and agile tongue, which she playfully stirred around a lollipop in her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out every now and then as she watched the white lab mice inside the transparent glass wall, showcasing their various super abilities.

Thud... thud... thud...

Hearing the familiar, thick, and steady footsteps that felt as if a planet were marching, she turned her head. She saw H'el appear from around the corner.

He was still the same elegant, imposing, and dazzling H'el.

Sylvia couldn't help but admire silently as she tossed a lollipop toward H'el. Whenever there was something delicious, she wanted to share it with him.

H'el walked over, instinctively catching the lollipop. He opened his palm to examine it, and it was an Alpenliebe lollipop with a snow ice cream chocolate flavor. A question mark appeared in his mind.

"???"

Inside, white lab mice were displaying various powers. They shot lasers, breathed ice, were engulfed in flames, and had metallic surfaces.

H'el lightly licked the Alpenliebe lollipop in his mouth twice, but the overly sensitive taste buds didn't bring him much enjoyment. He then adjusted his taste buds to a more normal level and started to appreciate the taste.

Slightly sighing in relief, he smiled with pleasure. He felt quite relaxed at the moment.

Seeing H'el enjoying the lollipop with her, Sylvia was delighted as she took out another. She then began a rapid-fire technical report. She spewed out a series of professional biomedical terms in between her lollipop suckles. After taking a quick breath, she resumed her report.

H'el quietly savored the lollipop, listening to her report.

The gist of her report was that the foundational genes of H'el were incredibly sturdy and virtually unbreakable. They had forged an immensely powerful being, far exceeding what Sylvia had initially imagined. This was indeed an unprecedented situation for her.

However, above H'el's foundational genes, there seemed to be another layer of open genes. This was the reason why she could easily extract serum from H'el's cells to grant superpowers to white mice. These open genes indicated that H'el should have access to various superpowers that he could either bestow upon himself or others.

H'el nodded, suddenly understanding.

No longer did he have any concerns about his own emotional fluctuations.

Tossing the now melted lollipop stick aside, Sylvia took out a strawberry-flavored Alpenliebe from her pocket and offered it to H'el, who accepted it and continued to suck on it.

This situation was not surprising to him. As a Kryptonian, he possessed a multitude of powers beyond what was commonly depicted in comics: telepathy, telekinesis, size manipulation, force-field projection, astral projection, teleportation, time manipulation, and many other abilities far more extensive than what was shown in the comics.

At the moment, his powers were dormant, waiting to awaken one by one as his foundational genes continued to stabilize and balance. He understood that he was still relatively weak, especially when compared to the powerful beings from DC Comics like Superman, Darkseid, the Presence, and the Endless, not to mention entities like the Source Wall and the Sphere of the Gods. He couldn't even leave this singular universe yet.

So, H'el was content to be on this Earth, using it as a safe environment to experiment. He planned to grant superpowers to all of humanity and harness the collective wisdom and creativity of Earth's inhabitants to develop various applications and more potent ways to use their newfound abilities.

"Are you also created, H'el?" Sylvia pulled the lollipop from her red lips and asked while holding it.

"Hmm?"

Sylvia words left H'el momentarily stunned.

'Am I created?' H'el thought to himself.

The highly advanced biotechnology on Krypton had replaced natural reproduction. Everyone on Krypton was born in the Genesis Chamber, and from the moment they were born, their genes determined their social status and profession.

Despite the fact that H'el could easily destroy Earth and withstand nuclear explosions, he was essentially just a "plain genius" scientist who had been manufactured.

So, yes, Sylvia was right.

Sylvia twirled her wrist subconsciously while holding the lollipop and continued speculating, her eyes drifting as she spoke.

"You see, your foundational genes are like a strong foundation for building a towering skyscraper. They're robust and powerful, designed to carry the weight of your extraordinary abilities. As you continue to grow in strength, these genes will gradually awaken and allow you to control various superpowers."

"The way I see it, H'el, your foundational genes are like the rock-solid foundation laid down for an incredibly powerful being, as if they were meant to support a skyscraper of immense power."

Sylvia concluded her thoughts and popped the lollipop back into her mouth.

H'el's mind was momentarily struck by a thunderbolt. He felt disoriented by Sylvia's guess. However, he soon regained his composure, narrowing his eyes slightly, emitting an extremely dangerous aura. Even Sylvia could feel the chilling coldness in the air and shivered involuntarily.

He had never thought much about his own genetic makeup before. On Krypton, his focus had always been on calculating an escape route and surviving.

Now, hearing Cerys's speculations, H'el couldn't help but contemplate his origins.

He was undeniably a being far beyond the average Kryptonian, possessing tremendous strength and various superpowers that ordinary Kryptonians lacked.

So, who had created him with these incredible abilities?

Whose purpose had his foundational genes been designed to serve, with open genes containing such overpowering abilities?

H'el delved deep into thought but decided not to speculate further. On Krypton, there were only a few individuals capable of creating someone as powerful as him. No need to guess.

So, who was the creator?

It was...