"X-Ray Vision: Not Yet Mastered."
When Ethan Drake activated the Oracle System again, he immediately noticed the new ability that had appeared within the skill template.
Not yet mastered?
He frowned slightly in surprise. The ability had appeared without warning, and for a brief moment he couldn't understand how it had been triggered.
But the answer came to him quickly.
"Clark Kent went through the same thing."
That realization clicked instantly in his mind.
When Superman was still a child, his powers had awakened gradually and often unpredictably. New abilities had surfaced one after another, leaving him confused and overwhelmed during his early years.
X-ray vision.
Infrared vision.
Microscopic perception.
Various visual abilities had erupted during that chaotic phase of his development.
Ethan realized the same process was happening to him.
After breaking the genetic limitations imposed on Kryptonians, his body had entered a new stage of evolution. Under the stimulation of cosmic radiation and the Oracle System's upgrades, dormant potential within his cells was awakening.
The first ability to emerge was X-ray vision.
His sight fluctuated constantly as the power manifested. Sometimes the environment appeared normal, while in the next instant layers of matter seemed to dissolve, exposing the structures hidden beneath.
The unstable vision made it impossible for him to control what he was seeing.
But Ethan wasn't worried.
He had a cheat system.
His gaze shifted toward the small plus symbol beside the words "Not Yet Mastered."
Without hesitation, he pressed it.
Ding.
"X-Ray Vision LV1."
The chaotic visual distortions instantly stabilized.
Ding.
Ethan didn't stop there.
"X-Ray Vision LV2."
"X-Ray Vision LV3."
"X-Ray Vision LV4."
The upgrades continued rapidly.
Since low-level abilities consumed very little energy, Ethan pushed the skill upward without hesitation. Within moments, he raised his X-ray vision all the way to level ten.
…
The morning had not even fully passed when another development occurred.
"Oracle."
Ethan reopened the interface.
This time, two additional abilities had appeared in the template.
Twilight Vision: Not Yet Mastered.
Infrared Vision: Not Yet Mastered.
The sudden expansion of his powers made the system look far more active than before.
Yet this only confirmed Ethan's earlier hypothesis.
The Oracle System wasn't merely enhancing his existing abilities. It was also unlocking the deeper potential hidden within his Kryptonian genetics.
Ordinary Kryptonian soldiers shared identical genetic templates. No matter how hard they trained, their abilities remained restricted within strict boundaries.
But Ethan had already broken free from those limitations.
The system had shattered the chains within his DNA, allowing his body to evolve continuously.
Naturally, he upgraded the new abilities immediately.
Within minutes, Twilight Vision and Infrared Vision both reached level ten as well.
Just as the upgrades completed, a new notification appeared in his mind.
"Detection complete."
"X-Ray Vision LV10, Twilight Vision LV10, and Infrared Vision LV10 possess compatible properties."
"Would the host like to synthesize them?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
The system had automatically suggested a combination.
Without hesitation, he selected yes.
Ding.
"Eye of Insight LV1."
"Provides full-spectrum visual switching and the ability to see through illusions."
The explanation was simple and straightforward.
Three visual abilities had fused into a completely new skill.
Ethan slowly rose from the captain's seat and walked toward the massive observation window at the front of the bridge.
Outside the glass stretched an endless sea of stars.
He activated the new ability.
His vision shifted.
Low-light perception allowed him to see faint structures within the darkness of space. Infrared vision revealed heat patterns invisible to ordinary sight, while X-ray vision penetrated solid materials.
The perspectives switched effortlessly between each other.
Ding.
"Eye of Insight LV2."
"Eye of Insight LV3."
"Eye of Insight LV4."
The upgrades continued rapidly.
With the Oracle System's assistance, Ethan pushed the ability all the way to level ten.
"Eye of Insight LV10 unlocked."
"Special abilities acquired: Dynamic Vision, Extended Sight."
Extended Sight.
The moment Ethan activated it, his perspective changed dramatically.
His eyes focused on the distant void beyond the ship.
Suddenly, an ice-blue planet appeared within his vision.
The planet floated far away, separated by unimaginable distances, yet Ethan could observe it clearly as though it were just beyond the ship's window.
His sight functioned like a cosmic telescope.
He could zoom in.
Zoom out.
Adjust focus.
Meteor belts and distant planetary rings drifted through his view like objects under a microscope.
For a brief moment, Ethan felt like the Hubble Space Telescope itself.
Then pain struck his eyes.
A cold, sharp sting forced him to immediately deactivate the ability.
"Damn…"
He blinked several times, trying to ease the discomfort.
The planet he had just observed emitted intense waves of frozen energy. Unlike stars that radiated burning heat, that world appeared to be a massive sphere of ice, constantly releasing chilling cosmic radiation.
The extreme environment had irritated his vision.
"Warning."
A mechanical voice echoed through the ship.
"The reconnaissance vessel Aquarius is currently passing through the Cambrian Star Region. Navigational adjustments are recommended."
Inside the ship, several crew members were already rushing between consoles.
Kryptonian engineers hurried to monitor the vessel's systems and prevent potential malfunctions.
Lilith stood at the central command station, issuing calm but decisive instructions.
"Increase engine output."
"We'll initiate the next interstellar jump immediately."
One of the engineers glanced toward her.
"Will the ship handle it?"
"There shouldn't be any major problems," Lilith replied. "But to avoid unnecessary risk, I recommend a direct spatial transition to leave this region."
"That sounds reasonable."
Ethan shrugged slightly.
Interstellar navigation wasn't his area of expertise, so he had entrusted those responsibilities entirely to Lilith.
He had only recently learned how advanced their technology truly was.
The ship's spatial transition engine could cross entire light-years in seconds, allowing the vessel to travel between star systems with incredible efficiency.
Of course, the process required precise coordinates.
At one point Ethan had considered flying to Earth just to see what the planet looked like in this universe. Unfortunately, Lilith quickly explained why that wasn't possible.
Interstellar jumps weren't random teleportations.
Without accurate coordinates, attempting such a jump could easily send the ship into a star—or worse, into empty space with no chance of recovery.
At that moment, Lilith suddenly frowned.
"Captain… your eyes."
"My eyes?"
"Yes."
She tilted her head slightly while studying him.
"They've turned blue. Are you feeling alright?"
Ethan blinked.
"Blue?"
He assumed she had simply noticed his new visual abilities.
"Relax," he said casually. "I'm fine."
But a second later, something strange happened.
Energy inside his body suddenly surged upward.
The power flowed through his veins and rushed toward his eyes.
A strange itching sensation followed.
"…Damn."
Ethan's expression changed instantly.
Another ability.
A new power was emerging.
And just like before, it was completely out of control.
The surge came so quickly that Ethan didn't even have time to open the Oracle interface.
Hum—
An icy blue light flooded his pupils.
Energy condensed within his eyes like a gathering storm.
"Captain—?"
Before Lilith could finish speaking, Ethan shouted instinctively.
A brilliant beam of icy-blue energy burst from his eyes.
The destructive ray shot forward and slammed directly into the alloy deck on the far side of the command room.
The blast echoed through the ship.
His ability had activated accidentally.
And judging from the damage, this new eye-based power was clearly an offensive weapon.