General Zod's Pursuit
Dozens of light-years away from the LHS 2520 Red Dwarf Star, a mid-level battleship bearing the Kryptonian symbol was cruising.
The warship, named The Odyssey, was one of the few surviving military vessels from Krypton.
Inside the Central Control Room, former Kryptonian Military Commander General Zod sat in the Captain's chair. On the virtual screen in front of him were two images sent by his subordinates.
One image showed a massive fortress, shimmering with colorful light, built seemingly from various crystals—the Fortress of Solitude. The other was a girl wearing a standard Kryptonian combat suit, around seventeen or eighteen years old, with golden hair unlike that of ordinary Kryptonians, a sweet face, and eyes glistening with tears—Kara Zor-El, the eldest daughter of the House of El.
Zod clenched the handle, veins popping on the back of his hand. His hawk-like eyes flashed with boundless ecstasy.
"We finally found you."
"Faora, full speed to the space station."
"Under your command, General!"
The warship quickly activated, streaking across the star field like a beam of light before booming into dimensional space.
The Kryptonian Survivor
The facts proved that Luke's concerns were unnecessary. Before long, Linda returned, completely unharmed, and brought back a Kryptonian survivor.
She actually found one!
Luke was genuinely shocked. While secretly praising the girl's luck, he felt a heightened sense of alert.
Kryptonians were not to be trifled with. Nearly every one that appeared in DC comics was a supervillain—Zod, H'El, Cyborg Superman, Doomsday—each one more difficult to handle than the last.
Hopefully, this survivor isn't some kind of freak.
Linda seemed ecstatic, alternating between crying and laughing. The joy of reuniting with a compatriot turned into an unstoppable torrent of tears. It took her a long time to remember there was another person on the ship.
"I forgot to introduce you. This is Luke, my friend."
"This is Dar-Moan, Kryptonian, and an engineer."
Luke narrowed his eyes, subtly sizing up the man: a buzzcut, very tall—at least six-foot-three—with long limbs and a sturdy physique. He looked to be around thirty-five and gave off a hard, lean impression.
He looks more like a boxer than an engineer.
Luke felt strange but didn't dwell on it. He spoke in slightly awkward Kryptonian:
"Linda has been looking for survivors. Your appearance makes her very happy."
When he spoke, Dar's expression became priceless. It was like a Chinese person hearing a foreigner speak Mandarin; the bizarre accent made his scalp tingle as a native Kryptonian.
"You are not a Kryptonian?"
"I am Linda's friend, but that doesn't make me a Kryptonian."
Dar frowned, turning to the girl, who quickly explained,
"Luke is a friend I met on Earth."
"Earth?"
Linda nodded. "It's a very beautiful planet with many interesting things—delicious food, scenic views, and various cultures. The intelligent species there look just like us; they must be a genetic offshoot of the same species."
Dar's mind stirred, and he seized the opportunity to ask,
"Is Kal-El also on Earth?"
"Don't mention that jerk! He's not a Kryptonian anymore."
Dar frowned. "Did he betray Krypton?"
"Not exactly. It's just... the situation is complicated. I can't explain it all at once."
"It's alright. I have plenty of time. You can tell me slowly. I'd very much like to know Kal's situation—after all, he is Jor's son. And Earth... I've never heard of a living planet in the universe so suitable for Kryptonians. Where is it located?"
"It's in..."
Ahem! Ahem!
Luke coughed loudly, instantly snapping Linda out of her reverie. She laughed awkwardly.
"Let's eat first. There's a lot of food from Earth on the ship. You'll definitely like it."
"Alright, thank you then."
Dar smiled and nodded. As his eyes swept past Luke, a faint, sharp glint flashed.
An Earth native!
Judging from Kara's words, Earth was likely the place the General had been searching for—the ideal location to rebuild their civilization.
That meant this seemingly naïve young native would be an extremely valuable source of intelligence, able to provide the General with much information about Earth.
With this thought, Dar's smile suddenly deepened.
He chatted with Linda about their home planet's past while trying to cozy up to Luke. His words were filled with friendliness and warmth. Although he tried his best, he was cursed with an emotionless, square face. Coupled with his forced, exaggerated body language, he looked ridiculous—like a mighty warrior trying to do needlework.
How dare he pull out acting like that?
He's worse than an amateur actor. At least they can sometimes convincingly fake stupidity.
Luke watched, speechless, yet Linda was completely oblivious, chattering endlessly and nearly revealing Earth's coordinates several times.
The Deadly Instant Noodles
The three went to the dining area. Linda, excited, personally cooked. As Luke watched in anticipation, she spent an hour preparing a pot of brightly colored instant noodles.
Luke: "..."
Linda automatically ignored the mockery coming from behind her, served a bowl of the noodle soup to Dar, and excitedly announced,
"This is a unique Earth delicacy—Instant Ramen. Try some. It tastes great."
"Instant Ramen!"
Luke rested his chin in his hand. "Interesting. Translates roughly to 'Instant Defecated Noodles.' Hmm! Very fitting. I wonder what kind of noodles a Kryptonian will... defecate after eating this."
With that thought, his gaze immediately sharpened, staring intently at Dar.
Under the combined pressure of the two, Dar couldn't refuse. He took a deep breath and drank a mouthful of the colorful soup.
The soup traveled down his esophagus—it was sticky, with an unbearable sour stench, like fish paste made from rotten fish.
An involuntary cold sweat dripped from his forehead!
Dar's face began to change color, from yellow to red, then to purple. His cold, stoic face forced out an expression worthy of an Oscar-winning actor.
He raised his right hand, pointing at Linda as if accusing a murderer.
His eyelids rolled up, and after a single wail, he pitched backward onto the floor.
"What the heck!"
Luke's eyes widened. "What did you put in the soup, potassium cyanide?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
Linda was also flustered, explaining helplessly,
"I just added a little bit of all the different seasonings you brought. How could this happen?"
Luke slapped his forehead. He had brought thirty-four different seasonings. Mixing all thirty-four seasonings into one pot of soup—not just a Kryptonian, but even an Earthling couldn't handle that.
She wasn't cooking; she was making poison.
The two helped Dar up and carried him to the medical bay.
After confirming he was only poisoned and not in mortal danger, Linda let out a huge sigh of relief. She'd been terrified.
Luke shook his head in exasperation. "Are there any other survivors on that space station?"
"No, just him."
"One person? In a space station that's nearly scrap? Who is providing him with supplies?"
"I asked. He didn't say."
"He's being cautious of you?"
Linda thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's normal. It's the first time we've met."
Normal my ass!
Luke complained internally. "Aside from his name and identity, did he reveal anything else?"
"What do you mean? You suspect him?"
"I'm just ensuring my own survival and preventing any accidents."
Linda waved her hand, saying dismissively, "Your concern is completely unnecessary."
"Don't be so absolute, and don't make promises you can't keep. You might step in dog poop on your way out."
The girl glared at him. This scoundrel is getting out of line.
Luke shrugged, feigning innocence. After a few seconds of silence, he continued,
"Don't you think there's something strange about Dar? He claims to be an engineer, yet he has the body of a soldier. And those scars of varying sizes on his body are clearly leftovers from prolonged combat."
"Don't tell me Kryptonian engineers fight on the front lines."
Linda frowned. "That's just your guess. It doesn't prove anything."
"The suspicious points are obvious. The next step is verification. When he wakes up, ask him clearly. I don't want my first trip into space to be my last."
According to the comics, Kryptonian survivors were divided into four groups: Kara and Clark on Earth; the bottled city of Kandor, a prized possession of Brainiac; the Phantom Zone prison where criminals like General Zod were kept; and colonial outposts scattered throughout the universe.
If Dar was a lucky survivor returning from a colonial outpost, that would be fine. But Luke worried he might be from the Phantom Zone prison.
Linda felt Luke's worries were completely unnecessary.
This was the Fortress of Solitude. Who would dare harm anyone without her command?
As for Dar's abnormal behavior, it was likely psychological trauma from long-term solitude. She had been the same way when she first arrived on Earth. He would be fine after a while.
Time quietly slipped by. Before they knew it, two hours had passed.
Dar regained consciousness. He checked the time, quickly sat up, and walked out without looking back.
When he found Linda, instead of blaming her for poisoning him, he said with a serious expression,
"Since you possess the Fortress of Solitude, the items on the space station should be handed over to you."
"Items? What items?"
"The Elder Council Relics."
Linda's face changed slightly. "Are you referring to..."
Dar shook his head, glanced at Luke, put on his combat suit, and walked toward the airlock.
Linda felt uneasy and followed closely behind.
The Elder Council was the center of power on Krypton, guarding many mysterious and terrifying things. The most important was the legendary Key, which was said to be connected to the origin of the universe.
The Key played a critical role in Krypton's development from a remote planet with scarce energy into a high-level civilization capable of influencing the entire cosmos.
Could the Key be on the space station?
With this thought, the girl's heart jumped into her throat. She quickened her pace, moving almost parallel to Dar.
Luke sensed something was wrong. Just as he was about to speak, a beam of light enclosed the two, and the next second, they vanished.
He swung his fist, cursing furiously.
"That idiot! All butt and no brains!"
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