Chapter 528: Superman's Battle (3)
Disabling the Clones
"Hold him tight! Don't let him move."
Linda raised her right hand, her fingers fluttering like falling leaves, yet her palm held the brilliance of the sun.
Her movement was gentle, as if stroking a lover's face. The moment her fingertip touched the clone's forehead, the energy within her palm erupted. It penetrated the skin and bone, bombarding the larva-like structure deep within the brain.
Puff!
The larva was instantly pulverized by the energy, turning into blood.
Superman Two stood frozen, halting all resistance, his expression vacant like a vegetable.
Clark released his grip, letting the clone fall to the ground. The siblings exchanged a glance, angry yet relieved.
Their guess was right. The clones were controlled. Lex Luthor issued instructions through the larvae, but instructions were just that. Battles change instantly, not by mere verbal command.
This explained why the clones occasionally experienced "lagging" movements; they were merely manipulated puppets without autonomous consciousness.
With this knowledge, the battle became simpler. Clark risked injury to forcibly pin down a clone, and Linda quickly followed up. Her deceptively soft attacks skillfully bypassed the hard skull to shatter the larva inside.
Working in perfect synchronization, the two quickly dispatched all the clones.
Luthor's True Goal
On a distant hill, Lex Luthor, observing the battle via a drone, had an incredibly grim expression.
"What a fighter, Linda Danvers. What a Kryptonian warrior."
"Bypassing the shell to directly harm the core... truly eye-opening!"
Though furious, the incident served as a stark reminder: the larvae were not invincible and had weaknesses. He needed to find a way to reinforce them, preferably by injecting Kryptonian genes to make them impervious to damage.
Only then would the clones be in their perfect form, completely without weak spots.
After the clones were dealt with, the siblings leaped up, generating a series of sonic booms, and landed like meteorites in front of Lex Luthor.
Of the six clones, five were down, leaving only the so-called "Prime."
Red light was already gathering in Linda's eyes. She was about to deliver a killing blow, but Clark stopped her.
"What are you doing? Don't tell me you're about to show mercy again."
Clark said gravely, "We need to find out how many clones he has created."
Hearing this, Linda reluctantly let the red light fade, standing beside him with a sour look.
Luthor scrutinized them, and a thought struck him, making him laugh.
Linda glared at him fiercely. "Laugh one more time, and I'll chop you up."
Luthor widened his smile, his expression turning bizarre as he countered,
"You don't think you've won, do you?"
"You are so naive. This trap wasn't just prepared for you two. It was meant for the Flash, Wonder Woman, and even Luke Shaw."
"I spent months preparing for this day, only for just the two of you to show up."
"Where is Luke Shaw? Why doesn't he show himself? Is he afraid? Or is he dead?"
Linda scoffed. "I think you're the one who's afraid. If Luke were here, you wouldn't dare utter a single peep."
The smile instantly vanished from Luthor's face, replaced by an unnerving calm. After a moment, he said with profound intensity,
"You're right. I truly fear him, just as I fear myself."
"Luke Shaw and I are the same: equally intelligent, equally ruthless, equally unscrupulous, and both fond of keeping things tightly controlled, allowing no accidents."
"The difference is that he has no faith. He is a selfish, pathetic worm. I, on the other hand, am a staunch human supremacist. I believe in humanity and despise all non-human existence, especially those who presume to call themselves gods."
"Clark, I'm talking about you."
Clark shook his head. "I have never considered myself a god, never."
"Of course you won't think of yourself as a god. Yet, you act like one. Your actions constantly deceive humanity, making them believe in you, revere you, and hold you up as an idol."
"Mental control is far more terrifying than physical control. Clark, you are enslaving humanity."
Linda had heard enough.
"Don't waste any more time. This kind of lunatic shouldn't be allowed to live."
The Parasite Clone
Before she could finish, the ground suddenly began to shake. Sand shifted like water to the sides. Amidst the rumbling, a massive structure, resembling an insect shell, surged up from underground.
The two quickly backed away. Looking up, they realized the so-called shell was actually an interstellar spacecraft with a diameter exceeding four hundred meters.
The ship was oval-shaped, resembling a beetle's carapace. Judging by its surface structures and symbolic markings, it was clearly the product of an alien civilization.
Linda frowned, finding the ship's emblem vaguely familiar. Suddenly, a name flashed in her mind.
"The Reach!"
"That's a Reach spacecraft!"
Clark asked curiously, "What is the Reach?"
"A highly advanced insectoid civilization with extreme aggression. They once waged war against Krypton."
"The antennae symbol in the middle of the ship is the Reach totem."
Linda's expression was grave as she spoke. The Reach's technological level was comparable to Krypton's. If Lex Luthor had acquired a Reach spacecraft, he must have gained control of some of their technology.
Luthor gave her a deep look.
"Linda Danvers, you truly surprise me. You even know about the Reach."
"Yes, the owner of this ship was the Reach. They attempted to invade Earth but failed for unknown reasons, leaving only this ship behind."
"I prepared some gifts inside. I hope you enjoy them."
The hatch opened, and a terrifying humanoid behemoth, over three meters tall with purplish-brown skin, charged out. It attacked immediately upon landing, its twisted face devoid of any human emotion.
Clark flew up and collided heavily with the giant beast.
Boom!
The air exploded in a visible shockwave. The next second, a figure was sent flying, smashing heavily into the cliff face.
Kal!
Linda's face changed slightly. Seeing the monster charge toward her, the tiger phantom appeared around her, and she lunged forward without hesitation.
"No! Retreat quickly!"
Clark roared, "He absorbs our life force!"
The warning echoed in her ears. Linda instinctively dodged, narrowly avoiding the beast's attack. Even without direct contact, she felt an odd sensation in her body.
Her strength was draining away, being stolen by the creature. She had experienced this feeling before.
"The Parasite!"
"Damn it! No wonder he looked familiar! He's a Parasite!"
Recalling her past encounter, the girl's expression grew heavy. She involuntarily put distance between herself and the creature. She would never forget the time she was possessed by a Parasite. If not for Luke's help, she would have died.
Luthor said lightly,
"This is one of my most perfect creations: Parasite-Superman. He is not a puppet; he is a true killer, a killer specifically prepared for you."
"Come on, Clark Kent, Linda Danvers. Let's see how long you can last."
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