Chapter 180
From Kansas to Metropolis, the straight-line distance is approximately 1,800 kilometers.
The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft has a maximum flight speed of 620 kilometers per hour, so in just three and a half hours, Bardi and Raven had already returned to Metropolis.
It was only 11 o'clock at night, and the city was alive with dazzling lights and vibrant nightlife. The headlights of the cars formed a long river of stars, and the glittering beauty of the city shimmered brightly.
The transport plane stirred up powerful air currents. Its piercing aircraft lights cut through the darkness as it descended onto a remote suburban road. The roar of the engine shook the air and rustled the surroundings as the aircraft came to a stop.
Once Bardi and Raven disembarked, the plane took off again and disappeared into the night sky.
A black SUV had been waiting at the roadside to pick them up. On the dark suburban road, the vehicle's headlights pierced through the gloom, casting light over the empty road ahead.
The journey was uneventful.
They returned to the laboratory of Universe Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
At last, when Bardi stepped through the doors of Universe Biotechnology, the bright marble floor gleamed under the lighted walls. A sharp, needling pain shot up from the soles of his feet.
In his heart, he finally felt relief. The entire journey—safe.
Since everything had proceeded without incident, then the Codex of Life was truly secured. There weren't many obstacles left that could stand in his way.
He let Raven rest first, then headed straight to the negative second floor to begin extracting the Codex of Life.
Raven had no doubt in him. Bardi had never explicitly promised to spare the baby's life, but based on what he had said to her, she naturally believed he would not harm the child.
She believed in Bardi.
Negative second floor.
The white, soft rubber flooring cushioned Bardi's steps, lessening the sharp burning sensation beneath his feet.
But he had no time to appreciate the comfort. His steps across the rubber floor grew larger, faster.
The fire in his heart had finally ignited.
His breathing was slightly rushed, deliberately suppressed. His heartbeat ran ten percent faster than usual. His eyes gleamed with restrained excitement.
His facial features were sharp: high nose bridge, broad forehead, calm eyes suppressing inner fire, thin and ruthless lips tightly pressed. His slightly lifted cheeks added to his stoic, statue-like beauty.
Broad shoulders, tall stature, slender yet powerful. Beneath the white trench coat, his body tingled with goosebumps and pain, like thousands of needles piercing his skin and pushing outward.
His heart was burning. His face remained icy calm. His feet split through the cold mist like an axe as he walked forward.
He entered a surgical room that had been long prepared.
From the moment he bought this laboratory, from the time he moved in—everything had been planned.
He was going to extract the entire Codex of Life.
The Codex of Life was Krypton's genetic archive, the complete genetic library of the Kryptonian people. Just having it integrated into cells was enough to unlock limitless potential for Kryptonian development.
It's important to note—this was more like storage. It was integrated into cells, not into the genes. It fused with the user's own genetic makeup to form a new genetic sequence, becoming the host of all the Codex's genes. Once that happened, it could no longer be extracted at the genetic level. What could be retrieved afterward would only be useful for research.
It existed in the cells, stimulating potential over time. That's why Superman could still fight against other Kryptonians, because the Codex was merely stored in his body, not fused with his genes.
If it did fuse, Bardi had speculated deeply, it might become something like an infinitely evolving Doomsday body.
Each Kryptonian's genes were slightly different. Even if they were created with the same innate talents, their postnatal environment, temperament, and personality would vary—so would their displayed abilities.
For instance, among the group of ten elite scientists created during Jor-El's era, only Jor-El had stood out, far above the rest.
This unknown factor was difficult to explain. Kryptonian science described it as a form of evolution, an intertwining of consciousness and genes.
This subtle, acquired evolution was hard to define, even for Krypton's scientists.
Ancient Kryptonian scientists once attempted to understand the full secrets of physical genes. In one experiment, they used the Codex to fuse all genes, creating a constantly evolving monster that could adapt to anything.
But Bardi had searched long and hard for Doomsday, and still had no idea where it had gone.
All he knew was that, to truly become an infinitely evolving being, one needed the Codex of Life, and their own genes had to unlock and harmonize with all of Krypton's genetic material, becoming a monster that could evolve endlessly.
The operating room maintained a constant temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Above, a long, thin metal robotic arm was suspended. The surrounding surgical tools gleamed coldly, pristine and sharp.
At the center was a strange surgical table, square, slightly larger than a baby, gently sloped toward the center. Its surface contained nearly 78,000 micro-holes, capable of draining any fluid drop by drop, ensuring none would be wasted.
Bardi held the swaddled child in one hand, his expression cold.
When Clark was removed from the swaddle and placed on the table, Bardi's eyes were devoid of emotion.
He extended his hand and, with a soft click, twisted the baby's neck.
The infant died in his sleep.
"...Unusual."
Bardi narrowed his eyes, this was strange.
Clark had been asleep the entire time, he had seen it.
Doubt flickered in his heart, but he didn't dwell on it. No matter what, once he had the Codex of Life, he could face any enemy.
At Bardi's command, the robotic arm above began to operate.
It immediately incised Clark's major arteries—arms, legs, and neck.
Blood poured out like a stream, gurgling beneath the intense incandescent lighting, flowing through the holes in the surgical table.
Below, the table base glowed deep red as it analyzed the sample.
"Master, a large number of cells containing genetic information have been detected. The nuclei contain diverse genetic data. Cross-referencing with Krypton's previous genetic database confirms partial match."
As expected—it was the Codex of Life.
Bardi nodded slightly, his eyes cold.
He silently watched Clark's blood drain away. The once chubby infant body withered and dried. His skin clung tightly to bones, his eyes sunken, his form reduced to a miniature skeleton.
All the blood had been extracted.
The Codex of Life was stored in the nuclei of blood cells. With every division and transmission, it released the gene's potential, yet it remained fixed in the nucleus. Now that the blood had been fully drained, the Codex was secured.
The rest was to extract, restructure, and modify the Codex to suit Bardi's physiology, then integrate it into his cells. After a period of adjustment, once stabilized, he would have unlimited potential—just like Superman.
As for becoming Doomsday... Bardi still had no answers.
"Destroy the brain tissue. Extract brain marrow, bone marrow, and test the nano-tachyon device."
A fierce glint flashed in Bardi's eyes. Since the Deathstroke incident, where someone had seemingly died with no heartbeat or breath, then reappeared, he could no longer trust conventional signs of death.
Because this world operated on logicband strange power.
At Bardi's command, the robotic arm inserted syringes into Clark's small ear canals, extracting the yellowish-white brain matter. The syringes filled quickly, then moved directly to cold storage.
Bone marrow was extracted next.
"Can someone still survive like this?"
Bardi's gaze burned, fixed on the shriveled little skeleton, its flesh clinging to bone, its skull sunken.
He didn't know.
Because in this DC world—too many bizarre, impossible things exist.
The Flash travels through time. Clark can resurrect.
Someone could collect his soul and reforge his body.
If the Presence declared you would live then you lived.
There were too many ways to be brought back to life.
Even the Black Lantern Ring of the Black Hand could be considered a form of resurrection.
Bardi pondered, his eyes flashing.
"Master, the nano superluminal-dimensional wormhole device is located in the second cervical vertebra, within the central spinal body. With our current equipment, it is difficult to control or utilize."
Hera's synthesized voice came from one of the mechanical arms. One section of the bone marrow had been left untouched.
"No need to control it. Mimic solar energy and implant it into the surrounding bone marrow to increase the instability of the superluminal wormhole trigger. Once this skeleton leaves the negative second floor, it will immediately detonate and cause the wormhole to spiral out of control—destroy it."
Bardi narrowed his eyes.
Once such a wormhole device loses control, it causes photon trajectory distortion at light-speed. There is no countermeasure.
On Earth, at least, Bardi couldn't think of anyone who could withstand a photon-tearing spatial rupture because that's the speed of light.
This was unlike Jor-El's method, where he tried to stabilize the wormhole and restrict tachyon flow. This had no limit.
"After three days, if nothing happens, trigger the destruction of the superluminal wormhole device and make it disappear from this world."
(To be continued.)
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