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The metal door opened to reveal a staircase leading underground. Clark tried to use his x-ray vision, but found that the entire passage was lined with lead, completely blocking his sight. It was clear that Luthor never intended to reveal the existence of this secret passage to Superman.
"Is it really okay for me to know about this place? After all, I'm also Kal-El." Clark thought to himself. He wondered why Luthor, who was so wary of Superman, would bring him here.
"But you're not Superman yet, are you?" Luthor said, as if reading his mind.
Clark was speechless. It was a simple question, but it hit the mark. While he aspired to be a hero like Superman, he knew his own ideas differed in many ways. Perhaps that was why Luthor was willing to confide in this version of Kal-El, but not the one from this world.
"Everything in here was actually prepared for Superman," Luthor continued as they walked down. Sensing their presence, various display screens flickered to life. Clark instinctively covered his eyes, a habit he'd developed after living in this world for so long.
Luthor, however, was unfazed. He calmly approached the screens and began operating some data that Clark couldn't understand.
"Don't worry," Luthor said. "The entire underground base uses a closed-circuit network. The virus that Cyborg spread on the internet couldn't possibly invade here."
Despite the reassurance, Clark remained uneasy. "What if? What if there's a virus already lurking on the network?"
"There are no 'what ifs' here," Luthor stated confidently. "The closed-circuit network designed by me has no flaws. Even if Batman were resurrected, he couldn't break through it head-on."
Luthor's confidence was as strong as ever, but unlike Superman's, it didn't put Clark at ease. He relaxed only slightly, still avoiding looking directly at the screens. Luthor didn't push him, understanding that he himself lacked the reassuring presence that made people trust Superman.
Soon, they reached the core of the base. Along the way, Clark saw countless Kryptonite creations—Kryptonite bullets, spears, swords, and energy guns, all stored in special display cases to prevent radiation leaks. The sight was terrifying. This was a Kryptonians worst nightmare.
"Didn't Damian tell me that the natural Kryptonite reserves on Earth were nearly exhausted from all the incidents? Aside from the small amount Batman kept, there's none left," Clark said, remembering their conversation. Even Batman's supply had been a gift from Superman.
Luthor simply smiled and posed a question of his own. "Then what do you think is the reason the energy that came to Earth with Superman was consumed at such an alarming rate?"
Clark fell silent. The question was a rhetorical one, but it was also the answer. Kryptonite was rare because a wealthy man was secretly buying it all up for his experiments. Batman might keep a small piece, but Luthor built his armor with Kryptonite-based energy.
"Don't worry about it; there's no more," Luthor said, ignoring Clark's shocked expression. He then performed a complex series of actions to open a safe, from which he took out a red stone.
"What is that?" Clark asked, reaching for it. As his finger came close, it became transparent, followed by an intense, searing pain.
"What?!"
The pain was worse than anything Clark had ever felt. The solar energy in his body seemed to riot, gathering in his finger as if it were about to explode. Seeing Clark in agony, Luthor immediately put the stone back down. He then turned his back to the Kryptonian and started working on a computer.
No one would expect Luthor to be concerned about Clark's pain, as long as his life wasn't in danger.
"Just as I expected," Luthor said, without looking at Clark. "Red Kryptonite makes a Kryptonians skin transparent and removes the body's restrictions on solar energy. It seems Kryptonian physiology is resilient enough to withstand the resulting energy surge without being fatal."
Hearing that it wasn't fatal, Luthor let out a sigh of relief, as if this was the only result that truly mattered to him.
"Have you recovered?" he asked.
By this time, Clark's pain had disappeared, but he didn't move any closer until Luthor put the red Kryptonite back into its lead-lined box. The pain had been excruciating, and he wasn't eager to experience it again.
"That thing is..." Clark began.
"It was a byproduct of an attempt to synthesize artificial Kryptonite," Luthor explained. "But now it seems its effects are perfect for our current situation."
Luthor clapped his hands, and the floor beneath Clark rose up, revealing a set of black metal armor. The armor had been specifically adjusted to fit Clark's current body shape.
"To be honest, these were originally for Superman. But now, I believe our biggest threat isn't an unknown enemy—it's Superman himself."
Luthor then laid out his plan. He believed that as long as Superman clung to the idea of saving Earth instead of abandoning it for another planet, there was a high probability he would eventually be infected. With the Martian Manhunter's infection, this conviction had grown even stronger in Luthor's mind.
"Red Kryptonite will cause you pain worse than death," Luthor said. "But at the same time, it will remove your body's energy restrictions, allowing you to get stronger incredibly fast under the yellow sun.
The energy surge will allow you to surpass your limits in a short time. If one day Superman loses control and Wonder Woman is defeated, I hope you can stand up and protect the survivors."
"Me?" Clark asked, stunned. The person with the most faith in him wasn't Superman, Wonder Woman, or even Jonathan or Damian, but Luthor, a man he'd only just met.
"Why me? If everyone else fails, isn't Jonathan the closest to Superman? He's much stronger than me now."
Luthor, true to form, answered with another question. "Did it hurt when the red Kryptonite was removed?"
Clark was taken aback, but nodded. It had hurt, terribly.
"That's why only you can do this," Luthor said. "Little Jonathan might get stronger than Superman one day, but Superman protects him too well. If that happened, I suspect it would take all of his strength just to punch his own father."