Lake Baikal, deep beneath the surface, a glass elevator descends 1,700 meters straight into the bottom of the lake.
From inside, the underwater world reveals a unique and breathtaking view.
Lake Baikal is known as a "rare marine museum," home to roughly 1,800 species of aquatic life, 75% of which are endemic and found nowhere else on Earth. This creates a uniquely diverse biological ecosystem.
Large schools of omul, salmon, fry, herring, and sturgeon fill the vibrant lake world, accompanied by mollusks, sponges, seals, and other rare species. Occasionally, one can even catch sight of the Baikal seal—the only freshwater seal species in the world.
From the lakebed, looking through the reinforced composite glass built to withstand deep-water pressure, the beauty of Lake Baikal unfolds clearly.
Sunlight filters down from the shimmering surface, casting a faint glow. The bottom of the deep-blue lake emits a soft radiance. In the distance, fish swim in glittering schools, silver scales flashing. Pink jellyfish drift gently past the elevator.
A completely transparent bellfish, about the size of a palm, curiously swam close to the elevator glass. With a soft poof, it bumped into the outer wall, startling two bellfish into swimming off quickly, trailing bubbles as they fled from Bardi's view.
Bardi smiled faintly, observing this strange underwater world so different from the surface.
After resolving matters with the Flash, Zod, and others, Bardi planned to build several underwater tourist cities in the Atlantic, offering his people and the world free access to the ocean's wonders.
With Aquaman and the Atlanteans under his command, and their unique mastery of aquatic magic and marine technology, this vision was entirely achievable.
The vibrant, thriving underwater world passed before Bardi's eyes.
It was a beauty worth preserving.
And, of course, it now belonged to Bardi.
The elevator came to a halt.
The doors opened automatically, and Bardi stepped out, bypassing two guards stationed at the entrance, and made his way down the cold, metallic corridor.
He was now 1,700 meters below the surface, where the immense deep-water pressure would crush an ordinary human's internal organs. No normal person could survive here.
Bardi advanced to the deepest point, arriving before a massive steel gate. It was three meters thick and weighed over a hundred tons, its metal surface gleaming under the lights.
Two guards opened the gate for him, revealing a vast subterranean square.
Inside were no fewer than thirty enormous load-bearing columns, each engraved with stabilizing magic circles to maintain this expansive underground chamber.
Around the space were numerous instruments blending magic and technology, actively running calculations and constructions.
Under Raven's guidance, the team used magical tools to craft the most stable large-scale magic array, installing particle-based magical research machines and syncing them with Earth's structure.
At the center of the square, suspended by magic, hovered a colossal core-bearing column. Every inch of it was carved with magic runes. Each material proton had been imbued with years of magical science developed by Raven. The functions could interface with technology, allowing constant atmospheric adjustments to optimize Earth's environment.
Additionally, this structure would give Bardi control over volcanic activity and tectonic plate shifts.
As Bardi entered, the workers paused to greet him. With a wave of his hand, he sent them back to work.
Raven stepped away from her station. She wore a black cloak and dark blue fitted bodysuit that hugged her lithe frame. Her appearance was sharp and elegant as she approached Bardi.
"Bardi, the Earth's core-bearing column has been installed. In a few more months, the entire large-scale magic array will be complete. Are you… certain?"
Raven's pale face was mature and composed. Her black and white eyes shone with joy, but her brows furrowed as concern surfaced.
This project had been co-developed by her and Bardi. With each step forward, Bardi had inched closer to ruling the world, ending wars, and bringing peace to humanity. But with that, her worry also grew.
It was no simple task.
Bardi intended to carry the entire planet. The Earth would be bound to him.
"I'm sure," Bardi said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle Raven's hair.
Her hair was soft yet firm, like strands of black silk. It gleamed with a smooth luster, pleasing to the touch. Bardi's large hand ran gently through it.
After stroking her hair, Bardi stepped forward into the center of the magic-tech array.
This place was the culmination of tens of thousands of years of Azarath magic, ancient Earth incantations, blessings from the gods of Olympus, Amazonian heritage, Atlantean mysticism, and the demon lore Raven had mastered. All of it refined and improved by Bardi.
The floor beneath him was dark, emitting a faint black glow. Every rock particle was etched with circuit-like patterns that formed the basis of the array. The scale of the project was immense. The fusion of advanced technology and countless magical disciplines had created this marvel.
This was not destruction by force. It was rebirth.
Even the original Trigon projection couldn't withstand such a load.
But Bardi was confident he could.
The strength of his soul was unmatched. Here, he was the one and only. Time could not change that. He alone could carry Earth.
Pong.
In the square, the staff instinctively silenced themselves as Bardi stepped into the array.
He took a single step forward—like descending into an abyss.
Dark wisps of energy erupted from his upper body, tearing apart his white trench coat like a beast breaking free.
In moments, his form expanded to five meters tall. Standing within the array, cloaked in shadows, he resembled a titan of destruction, reigning alone in the eternal dark.
Dark energy rose like smoke from his cape, giving him a monstrous presence.
Bardi tore off his cloak and tossed it to Raven. His body was like a sculpture of gnarled roots, muscles gleaming with steel-like hardness. His legs planted firmly in the array, his form wrapped in violent, chaotic magic.
He looked like a demon king risen from the abyss.
Many of the staff, especially those who had never seen Bardi's magical form, were frozen in shock.
The square fell into a heavy silence.
"Heh…"
Bardi grinned, his rock-hard features parting to reveal sharp, terrifying teeth that chilled the room.
It had been a long time since he last assumed his true magical form.
Usually, there were no opponents worthy of his personal involvement. His subordinates could handle everything.
Clack.
He rotated his wrists and rolled his massive neck, his movements emitting a bone-deep crackling. His sheer presence, the beauty of muscle and power, was overwhelming.
Straightening his spine, the bones popped loudly, like a dragon rising from slumber.
It was a display of raw, terrifying strength.
"So comfortable."
Bardi smiled, baring his sharp teeth. He was extremely satisfied. Though his magical body wasn't as strong as his Kryptonian gene body, the former could channel magic, making it an essential and rare transformation.
The surrounding staff, unable to withstand the pressure, bowed in apology for stopping their work. The oppressive magic had overwhelmed them.
Some were from the British Magic Alliance, others were freelance magicians. All stared in awe, eyes filled with fear, many gulping nervously.
Bardi's form alone was enough to terrify. His immense power could crush ordinary mages.
Bardi simply waved his hand, forgiving their offense. It was meaningless.
The staff returned to their tasks, but the heavy pressure lingered. His magic loomed like a mountain, weighing down the air and making their hearts pound with dread.
Suddenly, Bardi's dark pupils, void of all light, flickered faintly as he focused on the suspended Earth core-bearing column.
The column was covered in intricate magical inscriptions. Magic circuits like those on a motherboard ran through each particle. It was a masterpiece of magical engineering.
There were seventeen such structures across the globe.
Suddenly, Bardi bent his knees, then leapt—his massive frame, cloaked in dark energy, soared to the column's center without leaving a mark on the ground.
This was his domain. It must not be damaged.
His enormous hands, larger than fans, pressed against the column, releasing a thick fog of dark magic.
His dark pupils glowed faintly.
The core-bearing column lit up. Energy flowed through every rune, circuit, and node like electric current, flickering with sparks and mechanical pulses.
From where Bardi touched it, the entire structure lit up segment by segment, spreading a faint glow throughout the column.
Bardi nodded, very satisfied. The installation had gone perfectly.
When the entire column was about to fully illuminate, Bardi suddenly cut the flow of magic. The energy, like a reversed tide, surged back into his palms.
After the final inspection showed no issues, he stopped the activation.
It was not yet time.
With a flash, his towering form returned to the ground, kicking up a gust of wind.
He took a step, and his body gradually shrank back to normal. A flash of light formed his clothing, and he calmly donned the white trench coat Raven handed him.
He was very satisfied. The array had no issues.
If the project progressed smoothly, in a few months, the Earth wouldn't just belong to him—it would be a marble in his palm, a plaything.
Without speaking further to Raven, Bardi left the continental array and flew to inspect the others.
He personally tested all seventeen array bases.
Except for minor issues in the Tenth and Thirteenth Continent regions, which were easily resolved, everything else posed no problem.
He was looking forward to the day this project would be complete.
The Earth—whatever it was—would be his to hold.
(To be continued.)
***
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