Chapter 16: How Dare You?

A large "S".

As a transmigrant, it would be nearly impossible not to recognize this emblem. It was so famous that even those who hadn't seen the movies or understood Western comics would have some awareness of it.

It was Superman's symbol, worn on his chest, and also the crest of his Kryptonian family, the House of El.

Thoughts raced through Shen You's mind.

Could it be Superman's spaceship?

No, that's unlikely. Batman is already active, which means if Superman were coming, he would have arrived many years ago and might even be working at the Daily Planet by now.

If it wasn't Superman, then perhaps another member of the House of El?

Supergirl?

She is arguably the most well-known member of Superman's family besides Superman himself.

Shen You was about to check the surroundings for any clues or traces.

Suddenly, his internal display flashed with an armor alert.

An enemy attack!

Turning around, he saw a strange black shadow had appeared in the woods behind him.

At first glance, it looked like a human figure, but upon closer inspection, it clearly wasn't.

About two meters tall, with a slender triangular body, it had two horn-like structures on its head and a pair of glowing compound eyes in the middle. The horrific face lacked a mouth but had two curved mandibles that opened and closed menacingly in the moonlight.

Its unique leg structure, green segmented legs, and scythe-like, serrated arms made it resemble a humanoid praying mantis.

"Ha, you actually ran into a local native?" The mantis-like creature sneered. "A primitive planet with a civilization level of three. A bunch of savages... Never mind. Running into me, Li-Bagu, is your bad luck. My blades have been thirsty for too long; I'll quench them with your blood!"

He spoke in an alien language.

Shen You had never heard this language, but it didn't prevent him from understanding the creature's intent.

As a member of the Ultra family, who governed the entire universe, telepathy was a fundamental skill. Thus, no matter which universe or planet, the Ultras could easily communicate with local species.

From these brief words, it was clear that this mantis man was an alien—something Shen You didn't mind. He had long passed the stage of being startled by hearing "alien" as a human; in fact, from a human perspective, he himself was now an alien.

But the villain's speech was clearly problematic.

The mantis man kicked off the ground, his entire body suddenly launching forward.

His green feet exploded with transparent shockwaves, his figure rocketing out with a slight explosion, cracking the ground beneath him.

Jumping power was the mantis man's forte, allowing him to burst out at extreme speeds instantly. This was his pride and joy.

He especially loved to see the shock and fear on his prey's faces when they were confused by his elusive speed.

Can you keep up with my speed!?

Bang.

The dull thud of steel striking flesh.

The mantis man, now a green blur, bounced off the ground like a skipping stone before slamming into a distant mountain, causing it to crumble with a thunderous roar.

Climbing out of the rubble with a bruised and crooked face, the mantis man looked at the red and silver armor still holding a punching pose, his face filled with shock and fear.

Just like the expressions his victims should have had.

What happened? What's going on?

How did I end up flying?

He hadn't seen his opponent move; it was as if the other had stood still the entire time.

Before he could gather his thoughts, the opponent disappeared again.

Yes, disappeared.

Shen You's multiple thrusters activated simultaneously, combining with his inherent super speed, leaving only a ring of energy waves as he vanished from the spot.

Behind me!

The mantis man felt a heatwave behind him. Instinctively, he swung his arm back.

Slap.

The serrated green scythe landed firmly in Shen You's open palm. Sparks flew as blade met steel, but the Ultra armor stood firm and unmoved.

"Ugh!!!" the mantis man screamed.

Electricity—or rather, a powerful current—coursed through his body like a tyrannical flood, numbing every nerve, black smoke rising from him.

In the midst of the excruciating pain, a huge question mark formed in his mind.

Something's wrong.

The higher-ups clearly told him that Earth was a primitive planet with a civilization rating of three, right?

They said we could easily dominate such a low-level planet.

But now, facing this red and silver armored behemoth, he felt an overwhelming urge to curse his superiors— 

—You call this a level-three planet!?

Such speed and power...

They're comparable to the single-soldier armors of Krypton's level eleven civilization!

Bang!

Shen You's rising uppercut connected with the mantis man's chin.

The mantis man felt his face shatter, hearing the cracking of his facial shell. He felt like he was flying to the heavens—literally.

He couldn't imagine the power behind that uppercut, but it rocketed him skyward.

But that armored monster was even faster!

Shen You's foot and back thrusters erupted at full power, overtaking the airborne mantis man. Adjusting his thruster angles, he performed a 360-degree spin—

—A single-leg tornado kick!

A taekwondo special move, the spinning kick, augmented by thruster flames, slammed into the mantis man.

Before the kick landed, the mantis man's eyes were already filled with despair and regret.

Regret for his foolishness. This mission had nothing to do with him, yet he had to meddle and intercept this guy.

But seriously, why was there such a monster on a level-three planet!?

This makes no sense...

The mantis man spat a mouthful of green blood, his chest shell cracking as his body plummeted back down, smashing into the ground and creating a huge crater, sinking the area.

Shen You descended, performing a graceful flip, landing with his arms crossed in a plus sign. The positive and negative poles connected, and Spacium energy formed.

A pre-planned combo, executed with supreme fluidity and muscle memory, ensured maximum output.

Yet, he didn't fire the Spacium.

Because the mantis man was already a pixelated mess from Shen You's single-leg tornado kick. No follow-up was necessary.

Shen You lowered his arms, canceling the Spacium energy.

That's it?

He had expected a tougher fight based on the mantis man's big talk, but it only lasted half a combo without the finishing move.

In a dangerous place like DC, how could someone so weak be so arrogant? How dare you?

"Life form detected."

The armor still detected a nearby living being.

Following the indicators, Shen You flew a short distance and quickly reached the marked location. The visual sensors enlarged the captured image, displaying the discovered target.

It was a girl.

A blonde, blue-eyed girl, with a pretty but still childish face, huddled in the bushes, trembling in fear.