NOVEL WEB Chapter 111: Chapter 111
Universe Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
Laboratory Building – Negative Second Floor
The lighting was dim, not completely dark, but subdued enough to create a strange, eerie atmosphere.
Rows of neatly arranged, sealed glass cylinders filled the lab, each containing a green liquid. Bubbles occasionally rose from the bottom, breaking the surface.
Cold air from the ventilation system drifted through the room, creating a thin, mist-like layer of condensation that hovered just above the ground.
In one of the sealed glass jars, a body floated in suspension, approximately one meter in height. A scar ran down its cheek, adding a sense of cruelty to its otherwise resolute face.
It was Bardi.
A clone of Bardi, still in its early stages of development.
---
In a nearby testing chamber, Bardi lay on an operating table, his body covered in sensory electrodes and magnetic needles.
A robotic arm extended toward him, holding a fist-sized chunk of green kryptonite, pressing it firmly against his chest. Scanning electron beams flickered across his body, and the kryptonite's radioactive energy spread over him, revealing grotesque blue veins pulsing beneath his skin.
The radioactive kryptonite seeped into his bloodstream like countless writhing snakes. A faint green mist exuded from his body as his blood flow slowed to an agonizing crawl. His cells wailed in distress, his body rapidly deteriorating. Within moments, he resembled a withered tree—brittle, lifeless, and decaying.
Bardi felt his body aging, his bones weakening as if they would crumble at the slightest touch. A heavy, indescribable exhaustion crushed him, greater than any fever-induced weakness. His heart faltered, his pulse barely registering.
He felt the creeping embrace of death. His mind dulled, his limbs limp, his breath shallow.
A dying old man in his final moments.
"Ugh..."
A faint groan escaped his lips, his last shred of strength spent. His face twisted as bulging blue veins crawled across his skin. His body teetered on the brink of collapse.
Then—
The robotic arm abruptly withdrew the kryptonite, pulling it fifteen meters away from Bardi and securing it inside an open black suitcase.
Instantly, the deathly pallor of his skin began to fade. The green kryptonite-induced corruption slowly receded. His veins settled, and the ominous green mist dissipated.
Then, like a raging river breaking through a dam his blood surged through his body once more.
Cells roared back to life, absorbing the sun's residual energy as they regenerated.
An impossible transformation began.
Despite kryptonite's lingering radioactivity, his cells were actively converting the remaining energy into something usable. The very corruption that had weakened him was now fueling his recovery.
Bardi's complexion flushed with vitality. His muscles expanded, his limbs regaining their strength. As the radioactive influence dissipated, the speed of his recovery accelerated.
With a sudden burst of power, Bardi sprang upright on the operating table, taking a deep breath.
His eyes gleamed with a sharp, calculating intensity. He locked onto the kryptonite with an unprecedented look of severity.
The mere contact with kryptonite, just a fraction of a second of exposure had rendered him helpless.
The radioactive reaction between kryptonite and the energy in his body was utterly devastating.
Had he not suppressed his genetic instability, he might have succumbed to madness and hallucinations from the kryptonite's effects.
It was even more dangerous than he had imagined.
And this was just ordinary green kryptonite.
What about the red, blue, black, white, silver, or gold variants?
Each with its own unique and terrifying properties?
If Jor-El had access to those…
Bardi's expression darkened.
Jor-El wasn't just an obstacle.
He was a legitimate threat.
---
A woman stepped forward.
Hera.
She carried herself with the elegance of a high-ranking executive, her slender waist accentuated by a crisp white office suit, black stockings, and high heels. Her presence exuded efficiency and precision, a modern embodiment of calculated control.
Regardless of the form she took, Hera always radiated a subtle, yet undeniable, allure.
She had been monitoring the experiment the entire time, recording every reaction.
As Bardi stood, she approached and, with a wave of her hand, activated a projection on the wall, displaying detailed data of his physical condition.
"Master," Hera began, her voice smooth and precise.
"The ionizing radiation from kryptonite neutralizes the electrons in your cells, preventing their natural regenerative functions. Your cells behave similarly to solar panels, without active electrons, energy absorption becomes impossible."
She gestured toward the projection, zooming in on his cellular structure.
"If it only blocked electron movement, you would simply lose your ability to absorb solar energy. However, due to kryptonite's radioactive neutralization, your cells rebel against their own structure. This produces kryptonite-based compounds that actively degrade your body, weakening your physical integrity."
She paused.
"Over time, prolonged exposure will result in complete cellular failure and death."
"This is an inherent flaw in Kryptonian genetic design, one that is exceptionally difficult to eliminate."
After finishing her explanation, Hera retrieved a set of clothes and assisted Bardi in dressing.
Bardi's gaze remained fixed on the projection.
He had extensively studied biological genetics on Krypton. He knew exactly what Hera was describing.
This weakness…
It was nearly impossible to remove.
Even with Kal-El's Codex of Life, fixing this flaw would take immense amounts of energy and years of genetic refinement, a process requiring qualitative evolution to ascend beyond standard Kryptonian physiology.
For centuries, ancient Kryptonian scientists had attempted to force their race's evolution, to overcome genetic stagnation. But their research had been abandoned halfway. It was incomplete.
That failure had ultimately led to Doomsday.
Only the Codex of Life could create a true Kryptonian without flaws.
Bardi slid off the operating table, pulling on a long, dark cloak.
For now… there was no immediate solution to the threat of kryptonite.
But he had another plan.
"Accelerate the cloning process. I need to confirm if the dog is Jor-El."
He paused.
"Also…
Has Jor-El's reconnaissance spacecraft, launched from Krypton over a decade ago, been located?"
***
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