Kryptonian blood—not just any Kryptonian blood, but the body of steel like Superman.
Clearly, all Kryptonians are special, but Superman's blood is arguably the most unique. There is almost no upper limit to its power.
Though the "Man of Steel" form is just one of Superman's more common iterations, and Luo Chen currently possesses only the most basic version—lacking even the ability to fly—it doesn't matter. He'll gain that power eventually. After all, there's still some time before Thanos arrives. When he does, Luo Chen will be ready to make his mark.
"Go, go out and bask in the sun!" Luo Chen decided. Strengthening himself was his top priority.
For Kryptonians, improving their strength is simple and direct—sunbathing. Once he can fly, he'll soar above the clouds, unaffected by rain or clouds.
A few days passed quickly. New York seemed peaceful and thriving, with even Tony Stark—once the constant headline—retreating into seclusion. The most interesting content of the day disappeared along with him.
On the rooftop of an apartment building, Luo Chen reclined on a sun lounger, reading today's newspaper, puzzled by the absence of any news about Tony Stark's disappearance.
"Waiting for another day when Tony Stark is kidnapped," he silently hoped. During this time, he had kept busy. He tutored Gwen during the day and carried out righteous deeds at night.
Although still in the primary stage of the Man of Steel, Luo Chen found that ordinary cold weapons could no longer harm him, and even hot weapons struggled to pierce his skin. Day-to-day street fights were no longer much of a challenge.
With the law and order around the area significantly improved by his efforts, his strength had grown further after basking in the sun for several days. It felt good to be a superhero—living the life of a righteous protector.
Many people in his previous life had assumed that gaining Superman's abilities would instantly turn them into a tyrant like Homelander, using their powers recklessly. But Luo Chen wasn't so arrogant. He understood how dangerous this world could be—especially with powerful beings like the Ancient One, Odin, and others from the magical side. Superman's power, though formidable in terms of physical strength, was relatively weak against magic.
He was aware of his place in this vast world.
Plus, Luo Chen had no grand ambitions. He didn't want to become a target of public hatred or draw the ire of the likes of the Ancient One, Odin, or Thanos.
And, of course, he still wasn't sure if this world was purely based on the Marvel movies or if it had the broader, more perilous lore from the comics as well. If the comics were in play, his current strength wouldn't be nearly enough to survive the vast dangers of the multiverse.
The Earth in the comic settings had seen multiple apocalyptic events, with the number of times it had been destroyed bordering on uncountable. Even the universe itself had been destroyed several times. It was a terrifying reality.
He sighed, feeling the sun's rays infuse every cell of his body. He felt he was on the verge of flight. Now, he could leap 20 to 30 meters effortlessly, a far cry from an ordinary person.
It was becoming clear that he was becoming something inhuman.
However, what puzzled him was Gwen's behavior. She had been looking at him oddly, blushing when she thought he wasn't paying attention. Though she was careful to hide it, Luo Chen's heightened perception abilities couldn't miss it.
"What the hell?" he muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, deep in the basement of his mansion in New York, Tony Stark was hard at work, designing the first-generation Mark armor. While making some adjustments, he checked his diary and saw that Luo Chen was still waiting for his next kidnapping.
"Seriously? Is he really just waiting for me to get kidnapped? Is that all he has to write about?" Tony Stark groaned, flipping through the pages of the diary. "Every day, he's waiting for me to get kidnapped again."
"Why does he care so much?" Tony continued, exasperated.
"Sir, he's probably just… poorer than you," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied dryly.
"Can you just send him some money? Maybe that'll distract him from hoping for my kidnapping." Tony wasn't exactly sure how to deal with the situation. For someone who had been rich all his life, money was just a number, nothing more.
"Send him $10 million, not $100 million. Ten million should be enough," Tony said dismissively. To him, $100 million was pocket change, easily replaced by valuable intel—like finding out who the traitor was in his organization.
Despite a few days of investigation, he had found no clue. Whether it was someone from his company or the military, he hadn't uncovered any leads. Whoever was behind the illicit sales of his weapons was very careful.
"The best way to find out might be through Luo Chen's diary," Tony thought, but it seemed that Luo Chen had been slacking in his entries lately. The diary had become far more perfunctory than before.
"Who even writes a diary like this? He can't even be bothered to put in any effort," Tony muttered. Sometimes Luo Chen's complaints were insightful, but other times it seemed as if he was writing just for the sake of it.
"If I could, I'd grab him by the collar, lock him in a room, and force him to write a proper diary," Tony joked, trying to shake off his irritation.
"Don't get mad, don't get mad. You're the only one who can do this, so just relax." He attempted to calm himself.
"J.A.R.V.I.S, keep an eye on him. Monitor the diary. Let me know if anything changes," Tony instructed as he returned to his design work.
Meanwhile, in another building in New York, chaos was unfolding. At the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury, the director, stood in his office with a black line of frustration on his face. Agents scurried around, scanning every inch of the room for hidden devices.
On his desk sat an unexpected object: a diary.
Luo Chen's Diary (Nick Fury copy).
The diary had materialized out of thin air just moments ago, leaving Nick Fury stunned and speechless.
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