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Chapter 431: The Codex of Life is Acquired
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Carrying Clark in his mouth, Krypto raced through the sky, flying directly back to Metropolis and setting Clark down in a cornfield.
It knew where Clark lived, but because of Tony, it hadn't had much contact with him.
So, Krypto chose a more subtle approach. It often ran to Gotham City to hang out with Batman's dog, Ace. In reality, it took every opportunity to use its super vision and X-ray vision to observe Clark in the neighboring Metropolis.
From Gotham City, it silently watched over every little detail of Clark's life in Metropolis, feeling quite content.
Watching over Jor-El's descendant in this way felt pretty good too.
Krypto, with its high intelligence packed into that small head, was well aware of certain subtle matters. For example, Tony's attitude of keeping Clark at arm's length.
Tony and Clark were simply not on the same path. Even the act of trying to become friends seemed unnecessary.
Tony approached things from a realistic and utilitarian standpoint, while Clark would forever stand on the side of justice.
The two of them were destined never to see eye to eye.
Tony would sooner believe he could get along with Batman than with Clark... Alright, in reality, Tony's preference for fighting violence with violence, of answering blood with blood, also seemed to clash with Batman's principles.
However, the current Batman was much better. This middle-aged Batman, approaching his forties, was seeing his methods slowly drift toward the extreme. For instance, when fighting criminals, his blows were landing harder, and the injuries they sustained were becoming more severe.
He was likely being pushed to the edge by the Joker, who pestered him every so often.
Gotham City was trending towards greater chaos. Seeing the stable order Tony had built with cruel methods years ago beginning to show signs of collapse, Batman was also getting anxious.
He couldn't just give Gotham City another bloodbath, could he? Kill all his opponents and vigorously support his allies into positions of power?
Then he wouldn't be Batman anymore; he'd be a second Tony.
Krypto watched its surroundings alertly. The mature cornfield, illuminated by the setting sun, seemed to shimmer with the splendor of life. The towering cornstalks provided perfect cover for them.
Krypto pounced on Clark and began licking him furiously.
"One-third of the special cells in his body have been extracted. He won't be waking up anytime soon."
Tony's voice suddenly sounded. Krypto immediately leaped up and stared intently at Tony.
Tony stepped out of a portal, looking calmly at Krypto before his gaze shifted to Clark.
He held a great interest in the Codex of Life.
"Move. I'll take the Codex of Life without harming him. He just needs to sleep for a few days, and he'll be as good as new," Tony said, stepping forward slowly.
As for whether he'd really be as good as new? Clark would indeed likely be fine, but his immense potential might be diminished somewhat.
All these years of being fused with the Codex of Life had somewhat improved his life essence. If Tony were to take the Codex of Life now, Clark's potential would inevitably be weakened.
The Codex of Life granted Clark astonishing malleability.
But Tony had his eyes on the Codex of Life and was determined to obtain it. The moment he took control of the Kryptonian spaceship, he also gained control of the special cells that had been stripped from Clark and placed in a container.
Each cell contained a large number of meticulously encrypted gene fragments, so complex that even the current Tony couldn't fully decipher them in a short time.
The gene chains of a billion Kryptonians lay dormant and complete within the Codex of Life. Tony needed to piece together every fragment to reconstruct the Codex of Life, the very source of life for Krypton.
He only needed to master the variable gene patterns of all Kryptonians. Even if he returned the Codex of Life to Clark afterward, Tony would still have come out way ahead.
Deciphering the Codex of Life was tantamount to mastering the means to mass-produce controllable Kryptonians.
He could even imprint the Kryptonians' primal gene chain into the Allspark, just like the Protoform CNA marked within it, creating a unique and entirely new form of life.
A Transformer that gets stronger just by basking in the sun? That would mean breaking free from the limitations of Energon crystals. Interesting.
Krypto was clearly hesitant. It lowered its head, wanting to bare its teeth but looking worried. It crouched low on its forelegs, its tail tucked low, fearful yet trying desperately to summon its courage.
It was hesitating, unsure whether it should move aside.
"I have no reason to lie. Killing Clark brings me no benefits and would rob Earth of a powerful and trustworthy warrior. Don't forget, at the very least, I'm also tasked with protecting Earth. You have to trust me... Wangcai!" Tony said.
Hearing the name "Wangcai," Krypto's eyelids twitched. It gave Tony a deep, human-like look, let out a whimper, and slowly moved aside.
Behind it, a burly man in a blue battle suit and a red cape lay unconscious on the ground.
Tony reached out, grabbed Clark, and checked his condition. It seemed he would need to sleep for a few more hours.
After a moment of thought, Tony gave the back of Clark's head a hard whack. There was a clang, like metal striking metal, and only then did he nod in satisfaction.
This way, Clark wouldn't be recovering for at least two or three days.
Krypto let out a low growl, glaring viciously at Tony.
"What are you looking at, you stupid dog? If it weren't for us, you would have starved to death on the streets." Tony feigned a kick at Krypto, but the dog dodged it nimbly.
As he spoke and thought, Tony's longing for Wanda grew ever stronger.
They had been apart for over a month, but they would be reunited eventually. Having overcome the toughest hurdle, what else could they not get through?
"You watch over Clark. I'll be back soon," Tony ordered, opening a portal and tossing Krypto and Clark inside. The other end led directly to Tony's own laboratory, located deep beneath Tony's Estate.
As for Tony himself, he turned and walked toward Clark's house. At the end of the farm stood a small two-story house. Night had not yet fallen, but dusk was setting in, and specks of light shone from within the house.
Because of Tony's timely return and intervention, the house had not been attacked by the Kryptonians; otherwise, it would not have been spared.
Unseen particles swept through the house. Inside, Martha, who had been praying worriedly, peacefully drifted off to sleep.
With a creak, Tony pushed the door open and walked in. He went straight through the living room to the storage room. Inside, the small spaceship that had carried the infant Clark waited quietly, covered in dust.
The moment Tony stepped into the storage room, the spaceship lit up, and a figure made of light appeared—stern, yet possessing both gentleness and wisdom.
Jor-El sized Tony up with a calm gaze.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Carrying Clark in his mouth, Krypto raced through the sky, flying directly back to Metropolis and setting Clark down in a cornfield.
It knew where Clark lived, but because of Tony, it hadn't had much contact with him.
So, Krypto chose a more subtle approach. It often ran to Gotham City to hang out with Batman's dog, Ace. In reality, it took every opportunity to use its super vision and X-ray vision to observe Clark in the neighboring Metropolis.
From Gotham City, it silently watched over every little detail of Clark's life in Metropolis, feeling quite content.
Watching over Jor-El's descendant in this way felt pretty good too.
Krypto, with its high intelligence packed into that small head, was well aware of certain subtle matters. For example, Tony's attitude of keeping Clark at arm's length.
Tony and Clark were simply not on the same path. Even the act of trying to become friends seemed unnecessary.
Tony approached things from a realistic and utilitarian standpoint, while Clark would forever stand on the side of justice.
The two of them were destined never to see eye to eye.
Tony would sooner believe he could get along with Batman than with Clark... Alright, in reality, Tony's preference for fighting violence with violence, of answering blood with blood, also seemed to clash with Batman's principles.
However, the current Batman was much better. This middle-aged Batman, approaching his forties, was seeing his methods slowly drift toward the extreme. For instance, when fighting criminals, his blows were landing harder, and the injuries they sustained were becoming more severe.
He was likely being pushed to the edge by the Joker, who pestered him every so often.
Gotham City was trending towards greater chaos. Seeing the stable order Tony had built with cruel methods years ago beginning to show signs of collapse, Batman was also getting anxious.
He couldn't just give Gotham City another bloodbath, could he? Kill all his opponents and vigorously support his allies into positions of power?
Then he wouldn't be Batman anymore; he'd be a second Tony.
Krypto watched its surroundings alertly. The mature cornfield, illuminated by the setting sun, seemed to shimmer with the splendor of life. The towering cornstalks provided perfect cover for them.
Krypto pounced on Clark and began licking him furiously.
"One-third of the special cells in his body have been extracted. He won't be waking up anytime soon."
Tony's voice suddenly sounded. Krypto immediately leaped up and stared intently at Tony.
Tony stepped out of a portal, looking calmly at Krypto before his gaze shifted to Clark.
He held a great interest in the Codex of Life.
"Move. I'll take the Codex of Life without harming him. He just needs to sleep for a few days, and he'll be as good as new," Tony said, stepping forward slowly.
As for whether he'd really be as good as new? Clark would indeed likely be fine, but his immense potential might be diminished somewhat.
All these years of being fused with the Codex of Life had somewhat improved his life essence. If Tony were to take the Codex of Life now, Clark's potential would inevitably be weakened.
The Codex of Life granted Clark astonishing malleability.
But Tony had his eyes on the Codex of Life and was determined to obtain it. The moment he took control of the Kryptonian spaceship, he also gained control of the special cells that had been stripped from Clark and placed in a container.
Each cell contained a large number of meticulously encrypted gene fragments, so complex that even the current Tony couldn't fully decipher them in a short time.
The gene chains of a billion Kryptonians lay dormant and complete within the Codex of Life. Tony needed to piece together every fragment to reconstruct the Codex of Life, the very source of life for Krypton.
He only needed to master the variable gene patterns of all Kryptonians. Even if he returned the Codex of Life to Clark afterward, Tony would still have come out way ahead.
Deciphering the Codex of Life was tantamount to mastering the means to mass-produce controllable Kryptonians.
He could even imprint the Kryptonians' primal gene chain into the Allspark, just like the Protoform CNA marked within it, creating a unique and entirely new form of life.
A Transformer that gets stronger just by basking in the sun? That would mean breaking free from the limitations of Energon crystals. Interesting.
Krypto was clearly hesitant. It lowered its head, wanting to bare its teeth but looking worried. It crouched low on its forelegs, its tail tucked low, fearful yet trying desperately to summon its courage.
It was hesitating, unsure whether it should move aside.
"I have no reason to lie. Killing Clark brings me no benefits and would rob Earth of a powerful and trustworthy warrior. Don't forget, at the very least, I'm also tasked with protecting Earth. You have to trust me... Wangcai!" Tony said.
Hearing the name "Wangcai," Krypto's eyelids twitched. It gave Tony a deep, human-like look, let out a whimper, and slowly moved aside.
Behind it, a burly man in a blue battle suit and a red cape lay unconscious on the ground.
Tony reached out, grabbed Clark, and checked his condition. It seemed he would need to sleep for a few more hours.
After a moment of thought, Tony gave the back of Clark's head a hard whack. There was a clang, like metal striking metal, and only then did he nod in satisfaction.
This way, Clark wouldn't be recovering for at least two or three days.
Krypto let out a low growl, glaring viciously at Tony.
"What are you looking at, you stupid dog? If it weren't for us, you would have starved to death on the streets." Tony feigned a kick at Krypto, but the dog dodged it nimbly.
As he spoke and thought, Tony's longing for Wanda grew ever stronger.
They had been apart for over a month, but they would be reunited eventually. Having overcome the toughest hurdle, what else could they not get through?
"You watch over Clark. I'll be back soon," Tony ordered, opening a portal and tossing Krypto and Clark inside. The other end led directly to Tony's own laboratory, located deep beneath Tony's Estate.
As for Tony himself, he turned and walked toward Clark's house. At the end of the farm stood a small two-story house. Night had not yet fallen, but dusk was setting in, and specks of light shone from within the house.
Because of Tony's timely return and intervention, the house had not been attacked by the Kryptonians; otherwise, it would not have been spared.
Unseen particles swept through the house. Inside, Martha, who had been praying worriedly, peacefully drifted off to sleep.
With a creak, Tony pushed the door open and walked in. He went straight through the living room to the storage room. Inside, the small spaceship that had carried the infant Clark waited quietly, covered in dust.
The moment Tony stepped into the storage room, the spaceship lit up, and a figure made of light appeared—stern, yet possessing both gentleness and wisdom.
Jor-El sized Tony up with a calm gaze.
(end of chapter)
