Chapter 66
The Figurine Maniac
Chapter 66 The Figurine Maniac
"Go ahead and use your worst tricks," Astra said haughtily, "I won't say a word no matter what you do."
The tortoise shell bondage might evoke unpleasant associations, and the torture that came to mind when she said this might be related to words like "female general," "prisoner," and "humiliation."
To avoid further misunderstanding, Shen You immediately cut to the chase: "Name?"
"Astra".
"identity?"
"Former Kryptonian general, later imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for 'anti-Kryptonian crimes,' sentenced to life imprisonment. What did you do to me!?"
A hint of fear began to appear on Atlas's resolute face.
She was a glorious Kryptonian warrior, undaunted by torture and death, but her body was one thing, and having her mind manipulated was another.
She had clearly resolved not to say anything, and was confident that her willpower was strong enough to withstand any torture. But while her mind was set on it, her body wouldn't obey. As soon as the other person asked a question, the answer would slip out; she simply couldn't control herself.
It felt like my body didn't belong to me.
What's even more terrifying is that if the other party can make you speak at will based on their own preferences, does that mean they can do even more?
"It's just a little mantra. It's not worth mentioning."
He said it was nothing to mention, but the old wizard unconsciously struck his signature "What is a wizard anyway?" pose, leaning back in a tactical pose.
As we all know, Kryptonians have negative magic resistance. They can withstand damaging magic thanks to their high durability, but they are not so good at dealing with unpredictable and difficult-to-defend utility magic.
Not to mention that the Kryptonian general is currently in a state of being drained, and his superpowers have all been deactivated.
"So now," Shen You asked, "what are you doing on Earth?"
"Ha, if you thought I'd tell you... I... I came to Earth to find someone!"
She gritted her teeth in humiliation. She didn't want to, but her body was completely out of control, and the words slipped out uncontrollably.
"Who should I look for?"
"Krypton's daughter, my niece." She gritted her teeth, summoning all her willpower to fight the spell. "Her name is Kara-Zor-El."
Atlas was panting heavily.
"Just for this?" Shen You asked. "No other reason?"
Shen You remembered it. Atlas in the TV series was no pushover either. She and her husband Norn designed a system called the "Great Purge," which could make an entire planet's inhabitants obey their commands with just the push of a button.
They were arrested on Krypton for this reason and imprisoned in the Phantom Zone's super prison called "Rodsburg." After arriving on Earth, they did not give up and attempted to restart the "Great Purge" program to complete the work they had failed to do on Earth.
This unethical system, which could turn everyone in the world into dolls with a single click, was naturally something that Shen You, as a citizen of the Land of Light, found repulsive. He wanted the Space Garrison to know that they would never allow such a thing to exist.
But to my surprise, Astra shook her head resolutely.
"That's all."
Are you sure you don't?
"Of course not." She glared fiercely at Shen You.
Shen You raised an eyebrow and glanced at the old wizard.
"Are you sure that spell will work?"
The old wizard rolled his eyes in annoyance: "Who do you think you're talking to?! You're questioning the guardians of the Eternal Rock, and mortal magic."
"Wait, I was just saying. Of course I believe your incantation," Shen You hurriedly interrupted the chanting.
He also felt that Astra didn't seem to be lying, but the discrepancies with the original work still made him somewhat skeptical.
The little broken sphere in the DC universe is comparable to their Ultraman universe; both are chaotic centers of a cosmic universe plagued by disasters.
There's a group of people like this now. They've been relentlessly draining the resources of their home planet for so long, and in the process, they accidentally destroyed it, turning themselves into a bunch of well-known interstellar orphans. Then, the director of the orphanage discovered this group of unlucky old folks living on Earth in the neighboring solar system and eagerly prepared to relocate the entire orphanage.
In other words, this is DC. Otherwise, if it were in their own universe, Shen You would have assumed that this was describing a family of loyal Baltan warriors.
It's understandable that the Kryptonians want Earth. After all, their home planet is gone, and the solar system, being in a neighboring sector, is relatively close to their ancestral home. More importantly, they all possess superhuman abilities from sunbathing, making it natural for them to rule over the native inhabitants and dominate Earth. Even General Zod in the movie had the same idea.
"Are you sure you don't have any plans for invasion, occupation, or establishing colonies?"
"Earth? Of course not." Astra snorted.
Under the influence of the mantra, she naturally spoke the truth, but the spell also weakened her will. Shen You noticed that her eyes were clearly avoiding his gaze as she spoke.
"What are you hiding?" Shen You frowned.
"Heh, alright, I might as well tell you."
Atlas chuckled and looked up to meet his eyes.
It seems she's come to terms with it and given up fighting against the mantra. That's the way things are with many things; if you can't resist it, you have to learn to enjoy it.
"Because of Brainiac."
"Hmm?" Shen You narrowed his eyes.
"An invincible destroyer, a catastrophe for any civilization," Atlas said coldly. "An ultimate artificial intelligence, possessing cutting-edge technology that even Krypton cannot imagine."
Shen You certainly knew Brainiac.
A classic DC villain, one of Superman and the Justice League's most fearsome adversaries.
The origin of this thing is that classic, old-fashioned story of AI going berserk. It's about a group of scientists on a planet called "Comet Nucleus" who not only created the first level 12 intelligence in the history of the universe, but also artificially created emotions such as jealousy, greed, and hatred.
Then their house exploded.
Brainiac, who evolved infinitely, destroyed his home planet and, in his long growth, gradually evolved into a figurine fanatic, collecting almost anything—animals, plants, miniature cities, and more. He has an entire spaceship full of figurines, including countless cities of destroyed civilizations, among them Krypton's former capital, Kandor.
"Krypton was attacked by him; an entire city vanished right before our eyes," Astra said, his face ashen. "He was an opponent beyond your imagination; his technology had almost reached the realm of gods. I still can't forget the feeling of powerlessness I felt when facing that thing."
"So you mean," Shen You frowned, "that he came to Earth?"
"Not yet, but I believe it's coming soon. So you ask me why I have no designs on Earth, Light Star People? Well then, please tell me."
Atlas leaned back in his chair and said calmly.
"Why would I be interested in a dying planet?"
(End of this chapter)