Tens of thousands of meters above the ground, in the thin stratosphere.
A black shadow streaked across the stars, leaving a straight trail as it moved faster than the speed of sound.
"Woohoo!!!"
Henry spread his arms wide, fully savoring the near-vacuum silence and icy cold of the high altitude.
The city below had become a painting composed of countless points of light.
The feeling of soaring alone through the universe, detached from the world, brought him a pure sense of freedom and solitude, prompting an exhilarated cheer.
"This is way better than Tony's tin can!" he shouted into the comms channel, his voice brimming with excitement.
"No annoying mechanical noise, no limited field of vision—every pore of my body can feel the universe breathing! A 360-degree panoramic sunroof with no blind spots—J.A.R.V.I.S., did you hear me? After this, remember to add a rooftop landing pad at the mansion. From now on, I'll use this whenever I head out!"
"Understood, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, still calm and steady.
"Additionally, I must report that your top speed has reached Mach 1.5 and continues to climb. At this rate, you'll cross California and enter Nevada in 1 minute and 42 seconds."
"Only Mach 1.5? Too slow!" Henry pouted in dissatisfaction.
"I thought I could catch up with light. But speaking of which…"
As he flew, a scientific question that had always lingered in his mind resurfaced.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., don't you find something strange?"
"Sir, are you referring to the fact that you are flying supersonically without your armor burning from friction with the air?"
"That's composite titanium alloy, thank you. And I'm wearing armor! I mean something else," Henry said impatiently.
"Flying this fast, there should be massive sonic booms and shockwaves, right? Like a low-flying fighter jet that shatters city windows and sets off car alarms all night. But look below—everything's calm. Not a ripple. This doesn't fit aerodynamics or the law of conservation of energy."
Exactly—that was what he meant.
Normally, supersonic flight would create deafening noise, even a roar.
But Henry found that as he flew, none of that occurred. This made no sense.
As he spoke, he deliberately lowered his altitude and zoomed past a sleeping small town.
The town was quiet and peaceful, only a few lights still on.
His flight didn't disturb anyone—not even a dog on the roadside barked.
"See? They didn't even notice me," Henry realized he might have discovered something secret.
"This is strange. Could it be that I have some sort of built-in invisible, silent field? Or maybe I'm an eco-friendly, energy-saving Superman that produces no disturbance while flying?"
"Sir, your observation is of high research value," J.A.R.V.I.S.'s tone carried a trace of curiosity.
"Allow me to use the high-precision sensors in your armor to perform an in-depth scan and analysis of the energy field surrounding your body."
"Scan all you want, just don't make me take off the armor or my pants. Getting into this thing is already a pain."
Henry spoke while performing intricate aerial maneuvers, feeling like a fish freed from its tank, swimming through the boundless ocean.
Minutes later, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice returned, now tinged with unmistakable amazement.
"Sir, the analysis is complete. I must admit, your speculation was somewhat correct—indeed, it is even more sophisticated than you imagined."
"Oh? Tell me! Did I awaken some incredible talent? Some kingly aura that makes people bow in submission?"
Henry was excited, imagining he could stand still while villains surrendered on their own.
But the next second, he dismissed the thought.
Kingly aura?! That sounded more like an urban dragon king!
"Unfortunately, no, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. refuted his fantasy.
"Based on scan data, there is indeed a weak but real special energy field around your body. Its nature is unusual—it is neither electromagnetic nor gravitational. Rather, it appears to be a force field generated by your bio-force interacting with space-time itself."
J.A.R.V.I.S. displayed a complex human energy model on the holographic projection in front of Henry.
A nearly transparent layer of energy clung tightly around Henry's humanoid silhouette.
"The function of this field is exquisite. First, it seems to interact with the space around you, microscopically distorting airflow, greatly reducing air resistance, and providing lift for flight. This may be the fundamental reason you can fly.
"Second—and most crucial—when you move at high speeds, the field forms a sheath-like structure, containing the massive kinetic energy and shockwaves produced during flight, releasing and neutralizing them in a way we still cannot fully comprehend."
"In short, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. concluded,
"You can think of this field as an invisible, close-fitting protective shield—an aerodynamically perfect suit. It serves as your propulsion, shock absorber, and silencer, allowing you to fly at high speed as if in a vacuum."
Henry hovered in the air, chin in hand, pondering under the starry sky.
After a while, realization struck him.
"Holy crap! This is the Superman bio-field!"
He remembered seeing it explained in comics in his previous life.
How Superman could fly, survive nuclear blasts in his suit, and fly at high speeds without tearing apart his beloved Lois Lane.
The mainstream explanation? The bio-field.
"So, I really became Superman?"
He looked at his black armor, then up at the pale moon above, feeling surreal.
Maybe I should wear my underwear outside and fight crime every day?!
No, no, no! That's not my style.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., check if my eyes can shoot heat beams, or if I can freeze clouds by blowing on them. And my one weakness—does it involve a glowing green rock? Or one from my hometown?"
He grimaced and puffed his cheeks, making faces at the empty sky.
Of course, nothing happened.
"Sir, scans detect no abnormal energy in your eyes. Your breath only produces normal airflow, with no effect on cloud structures. As for sensitivity to specific green radioactive minerals, there is insufficient data for conclusions."
"Alright," Henry said, slightly disappointed.
"Looks like I'm a nerfed Superman—can fly, strong, and with an amazing bio-field, but not fully evolved. This cheat is weak. No newbie starter pack, bad rating."
Grumbling, he adjusted his direction and flew toward his Malibu beachfront mansion.
"Fine, nerfed or not, it's better than nothing. No need to drive, saves on fuel and maintenance. I wonder if it can carry passengers—imagine a few hotties flying with me. That would be amazing."
He smiled, thinking the world was becoming increasingly interesting.
×××××××××××××××××
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
p-atreon.com/Redestro666