Mesa, the transmigrator, sat on the hillside, his eyes glowing with a faint blue light as he watched the raging winds and swirling dust, his black, tousled hair slightly curled.
The earth, bathed in the crimson sunlight, resembled a blood-red carpet. This was a desolate planet, devoid of any signs of life, and he had been here for five years.
"Karl, our planet has fallen..."
Mesa looked up at the crimson sun, the line feeling eerily familiar yet indescribable.
Smooth curves and a seamless outer shell reflected a metallic sheen, with an O-shaped mark featuring three vertical notches etched on its surface—a small spaceship was parked behind him. Undoubtedly, the voice came from the spaceship's AI.
When Mesa regained consciousness, he found himself in the spaceship's incubation chamber. The AI was overjoyed, swearing allegiance to him and revealing his name: "Karl El."
The AI's tone grew increasingly forceful, and Mesa could sense the fervor in the punctuation of this mechanical construct's words.
"Karl, you are the son of the great Emperor Agar. After the former king was assassinated in a despicable manner, you are now the Emperor of Witrum. You must lead our people to inherit the former king's legacy.
Ignite the entire universe and conquer everything!"
Mesa rested his elbows on his knees, pressing his forehead with his palms. This relentless AI had been repeating the same rhetoric ever since he awoke and transmigrated. Its war-crazed, manic character was beyond his comprehension; what a DC Saiyan, always obsessed with killing and the thrill of battle.
Upon learning his name was Karl El, he realized he had transmigrated into the DC universe, into Superman's body. Back on Earth, who didn't know the famous "Child of Tomorrow," the fastest reporter in Metropolis, Clark Kent?
As the world's first superhero, even though Mesa hadn't read many American comics in his previous life, he was very familiar with this character who had been adapted for the big screen multiple times.
Although he was no longer a Kryptonian but a Varian, and his spaceship had malfunctioned, crashing on this godforsaken planet instead of landing on a farm in Smallville.
Mesa stood up, tiptoed slightly, and floated naturally, hovering three meters off the ground. Flight seemed instinctual, and in terms of strength, the planet's rocks felt as fragile as paper.
As for heat vision, superhuman senses, and freezing breath, he couldn't use them, even if he held his breath. Logically, Kryptonians' power came from the yellow sun, and they should be weak under the red sun.
However, having lived under the red sun for five years, his abilities seemed to be gradually increasing. Perhaps it was due to different cosmic settings; he vaguely remembered that DC and Marvel had long ago established a multiverse.
In any case, as long as he didn't act recklessly, his life should be safe.
A light screen on the spaceship swept over him, and a mechanical voice filled with amazement echoed.
"The late king believed, and the data I've recorded confirms, that you are the destiny that Witrum has awaited for millennia. Look at your body; you are only fifteen, still an infant in the thousands of years of lifespan of the Vitalists. You have already surpassed most adult Vitalists without needing training or life-or-death battles.
In the future universe, there will be no power that can withstand you. You will be—"
"Invincible." This was the awe and respect the victors of Witrum held for Trigger, and it was also the pride deep within his heart.
Trigger walked into the empty palace, holding the late king's skull in his hand.
After the late king's assassination, in countless years of dark and insane infighting and purges, Witrum determined its true strongest being—Trigger—who became the planet's Grand Regent.
Now, after ruling the planet for thousands of years, Trigger's power remained abundant, enough to tear apart celestial bodies and planets. He had no doubt that he could crush any enemy who dared to stand in the way of his race.
Even he felt powerless against the catastrophic virus sweeping across the planet. The original hundreds of millions of Visians had dwindled to less than fifty.
In the Milky Way, the radiation from Visian military forces struggled to support the expanding and bloated territory, and his promised mission to find the royal bloodline seemed hopeless.
Of course, he felt a faint sense of relief about this.
Trigger held up the head of the late King Agar, staring into the empty eye sockets: "Your Majesty, there is no trace of your offspring. The catastrophic virus may have wiped out your last bloodline..."
He lowered the head, carefully examining the throne before him. Perhaps it was time.
Trigger slowly paced, admiring the intricate patterns on the back of the throne. A slightly raised circular mark in the center of the pattern caught his eye. He pressed it gently, and a pale blue light screen projected from the palace dome, revealing an image of a spaceship and a bright beam of light traveling through the galaxy.
Recognizing it as a star map at a glance, he tapped his knuckles on the armrest of the throne.
Trigger hesitated, a rare occurrence. What could the projection hidden on the throne hold? The technology of the planet's golden age?
He considered one possibility—perhaps the emperor foresaw the approaching shadow of death and was concerned about the whereabouts of his heir, the royal offspring…
Staring at the small image, he hesitated.
"Grand Regent, Nolan is ready to travel to another planet. We are short-handed, and Nolan is our most elite soldier… What is this star map?" A one-eyed planetary man, accompanied by his spirited soldiers, entered the palace, exclaiming in surprise.
Trigger made up his mind. He turned to the two men: "General Craig, Nolan, you've come at the right time. This may be a message left by the late king."
He waved his hand, and the image began to play.
The late king's voice echoed: "The rebellion is escalating, and Vis is no longer safe. I have placed my child—Karl—in his cradle and set sail into space, far from the battlefield. He is extraordinary; Karl is the future of Vis. Whoever sees this image, you will understand when you meet him. This child is Vis's destiny. Find Karl at all costs!"
"The spaceship seems to have lost contact en route; the trajectory hasn't been updated, but we can still pinpoint the original destination." Craig suppressed his excitement, analyzing the star map based on his experience.
The surviving Vis people had longed for the appearance of a royal heir for far too long.
"I promised to find the late king's bloodline, and now fate has rewarded my efforts." Trigger clenched his fist, calming his nerves. He opened the detailed trajectory; the intended destination was a clear blue planet.
He shifted his gaze to the soldier with resolute eyes and an eager expression: "Nolan, you have rendered countless services to the Empire. You are the best among the remaining ones, even hailed as 'Great.' This planet…"
Trigger pointed to the azure planet: "Take it, firmly grasp it in the Empire's hands, search for the ship's trail, find Karl, find our Emperor."
Nolan solemnly replied: "I guarantee it!"
Worthy of the late king's unconventional methods to send him away, even to the point of being so extraordinary that it was immediately apparent, Trigger loosened his fist. For millennia, he had only acted for the future of his race. Since this child was so special, let him see.
Let's see if he truly is the chosen one, if he possesses the magnanimity to lead the dimension to its pinnacle!