The Atomic Pulse Bomb
The three men—Edwin, Hill, and Dru-Thut—stripped nearly naked, were dumped on the ground like refuse. Their hands and feet were bound by restraints. They lay motionless, with only the slight rise and fall of their chests confirming they were still alive.
Affixed to each of their chests was a small, continuously flashing black metal box. The box was concave, practically fused with their flesh, and its surface displayed rapidly decreasing numbers: 70, 69, 68...
The moment they saw the red corner marking on the metal box, everyone's expressions changed drastically. They involuntarily took a step back.
Atomic Pulse Bomb!
"This lunatic!"
Faora muttered, barely hiding the horror on her face.
"I won't bother explaining what these metal boxes do; you know better than I do. The countdown is one minute. After one minute, they will explode."
"General, you don't like making choices, and neither do I. Since we're cut from the same cloth, let's all go down together!"
Luke burst into maniacal laughter. He drove his legs down and lunged forward like a cheetah.
The battle was imminent, but the Kryptonian soldiers didn't know what to do. The power of the Atomic Pulse Bomb was immense; just one could destroy the entire Fortress of Solitude. If they detonated, everyone present would die, without exception.
The Earth native had given them an impossible problem.
"General!"
Zod's face was grim.
"Ignore me. Disarm the bombs."
As he spoke, Luke had already reached him. Zod did not flinch, throwing a punch that connected. The moment of impact, he frowned. What terrifying strength.
Kryptonian combat suits were tailor-made for Kryptonian soldiers. They offered extremely high protection and could adapt to various combat environments—underwater, in swamps, high altitude, vacuum, etc.—and provided a great enhancement to the wearer's strength and speed. But he never expected his vaunted combat suit to be overpowered by this black armor.
"I see surprise in your eyes!"
"With all due respect, your strength is too weak."
Luke twisted his wrist, his five fingers clawing into Zod's arm. Blue light flared across his suit. With sheer, immense power, he lifted the General, who weighed over four hundred pounds, and slammed him heavily onto the floor.
BOOM!
The ground shook, and several dents rippled out from the impact point.
"General!"
Faora's face paled. She raised her gun and fired. Energy blasts crisscrossed the room, striking the armor's surface, either deflecting off the energy field or being converted into kinetic energy and absorbed by the suit.
Luke grabbed Zod's ankle and flung him toward the female Kryptonian. He then charged toward the soldier on the right. The soldier threw away his weapon and punched the armor's chest. The next second, a powerful counter-shock force rippled through the armor, forcing him to stumble back.
"Counter-shock! How is that possible?"
"There's a lot you don't know."
Luke grinned, a hint of madness in his eyes. He stepped forward, his right fist slamming into the man with full force. Snap! The metal faceplate instantly cracked. The white energy membrane twisted and deformed, continuously contracting inward under the pressure of the punch.
Luke relaxed his fist into a claw, piercing the energy membrane. He grabbed the soldier's head and slammed it into the wall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The soldier's head hit the wall three times in rapid succession, each impact harder than the last. The sound of bone fracturing was sickening.
Luke swung his arm, tossing the now-deformed body of the Kryptonian soldier at Zod's feet.
The room fell instantly silent. The only sound was the faint tock of the bomb's countdown.
The three Kryptonians attempting to disarm the bombs all stopped, their eyes wide with sheer terror.
At this moment, they finally understood why Edwin's team had been defeated so swiftly. This Earthling was incredibly strong. Regardless of the armor's performance advantage, his own combat skills, situational awareness, and cold-bloodedness were all elite-level.
Edwin's defeat was no fluke!
Zod stood up, his expression solemn.
"Tell me your name, Earthling."
"Lex Luthor!"
Linda's eyes widened, as if she'd seen a ghost. His name isn't Luke Shaw? When did it become Lex Luthor? Was he lying to me all along? Is Lex Luthor his real name?
"Very well. Lex Luthor. I will remember you. Your name will be inscribed in the military records of Krypton."
"I'm sorry. I don't like my name appearing in other people's books. So, you are all going to die."
A large burst of blue light erupted from the Phantom Armor's surface. With a humming sound, it charged forward like a predator.
"Come on!"
Zod roared. Energy surged outward from his combat suit, his fists outlined with a milky white energy ripple.
DONG!
Blue light and white light clashed. The resulting shockwave swept through the room like a hurricane.
"Worthy of a Kryptonian General!"
Luke grit his teeth, pushing harder. Blue electricity sparked across his armor's surface, his strength continuously increasing. His hands, like iron claws, dug deep into Zod's arm plating, almost tearing the armor apart.
Just then, the sharp sound of air being sliced rang in his ears. An energy blast struck him from the side, forcing Luke to stagger backward.
Zod seized the opportunity to break free. His hands were shaking, and a fine layer of sweat broke out on his forehead.
His arm ached to the bone, and for a moment, he couldn't even raise it.
Faora, sensing the General's condition, dropped her weapon and slowly walked toward Luke.
Her steps were slow, like a casual stroll after a meal. Her hands hung loosely, giving a deceptively relaxed appearance. As she drew closer, her breathing disappeared. Her calm eyes lost all focus, like a dead fish.
But Luke felt an inexplicable sense of terror.
Suddenly, the figure in front of him vanished. Faora accelerated, her petite body unleashing unimaginable force.
A jab tore through the air, traversing space at an indiscernible speed, and slammed heavily into the faceplate.
CLANG!
A sound like a massive bell ringing echoed through the room. Luke's head snapped back, sending him flying. His skull rang intensely, as if about to explode. The metal faceplate, fused with various high-density materials, now bore a definite dent.
Faora grunted, stumbling backward until she hit the wall. Her right arm was folded at a ninety-degree angle, and her pale face couldn't hide her shock.
The black armor actually repelled her attack!
Luke clutched his head and climbed to his feet. His vision was spinning, and he felt the urge to vomit.
Recalling the image from a moment ago, he shivered.
That punch was terrifying. The image only flashed for an instant, and then the fist was right in front of him—no warning, just paralyzing speed.
Damn it! Didn't they say Kryptonians who haven't absorbed yellow sunlight are just ordinary people?
An ordinary person can throw a jab faster than a bullet? It's a joke! Compared to her, any boxer on Earth is trash.
"Woman, what is your name?"
Faora gritted her teeth, forcibly snapping her broken hand bone back into place. The pain of the action was unimaginable, yet she didn't utter a sound.
"Remember me. My name is Faora-Ul."
"So you are Faora. I won't underestimate you again."
Luke took a deep breath, slowly raised his right hand, and splayed his fingers. Blue lightning shot out from his palm, striking the female warrior and sending her flying backward. He simultaneously surged forward, firing a laser from his left palm, striking her faceplate. He then grabbed her arm with his right hand and slammed her backward with force.
BANG!
Faora crashed into the charging Zod. A harsh scraping sound echoed in the air.
Luke held nothing back now. Blue electrical arcs erupted from the armor's surface, engaging its maximum power output.
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