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Chapter 329: The Unknown Beyond
Although Orin Vale was dismissive of this so-called "Gamora Army," he knew that such an evaluation was a bit unfair. Even Lex Luthor dreamed of having a completely obedient clone of Superman. On Earth, possessing an army of Kryptonian clones was already an overwhelming power.
The only reason he was unimpressed was simply due to a different frame of reference. For Orin Vale, who had even taken down a proper Kryptonian army, what were mere clones?
The lead clone had already rushed forward, swinging a fist at him. The punch was fast, tearing through the air with a fierce whistle. But Orin Vale simply leaned his upper body to the side to dodge it, simultaneously observing the trajectory and speed of the punch and comparing it to the Kryptonians he knew.
"Super-speed, but not as fast as a Kryptonian's... so how about you try this?"
He flipped his hand and pressed it against the clone's chest. Light energy surged out, erupting in the form of red sun radiation. The clone's body froze for a moment before it was blasted backward, the impact sending it crashing into the wall behind. The thick alloy armor was dented and deformed.
However, the clone merely twisted its head, then quickly ignored the black smoke on its chest, rose to its feet, and charged forward again with a monstrous cry.
"No longer afraid of red sun radiation?"
Orin Vale moved amidst the siege of several clones, his feet wreathed in electricity, nimbly weaving through them as he observed.
"I see. They're incomplete clones, their DNA mixed with something other than Kryptonian due to technical issues. As a result, while their individual abilities are a far cry from a true Kryptonian's, it also corrected the flaw of being vulnerable to Kryptonite or the red sun."
Though individual strength was sacrificed, they had become harder to counter. It was hard to say whether this was an improvement or a flaw.
But to Orin Vale, it didn't matter. The current him didn't need to rely on traditional weaknesses to defeat a Kryptonian, let alone a counterfeit.
He spun forward, striking the nearest clone with a heavy palm blow to the temple. He knew that a Kryptonian's physiology was still mostly similar to a human's, and the temple was likewise a fatal weakness. Immense strength, amplified by super-speed, poured in along with a torrent of light energy. The struck clone's vision went black, and it collapsed.
The combat curriculum in the Land of Light included specific instruction on group fighting; after all, it wasn't uncommon for the Space Garrison to get into brawls on their missions. In the very first lesson, the instructor had repeatedly emphasized a basic principle for when you were outnumbered: achieve the highest efficiency with the fewest movements.
Strike as quickly as possible, with every move aiming for the enemy's weak point to score a critical hit. Even if a single blow couldn't be fatal, it had to at least guarantee it would stagger them. Never waste a second move on a single target.
With one successful strike, Orin Vale turned and raised his arm to block a sucker punch from another clone, following up with a single-peak-piercing-ear strike. The clone's head snapped to the side as its body was sent flying backward in a spinning arc.
Next, he executed a glide step, streaking like a bolt of electricity through an encirclement being formed by three clones. He then leaped into the air, delivering a horizontal elbow strike to the head. A transparent shockwave exploded on the clone's forehead, blasting this third assailant to the ground, motionless.
Pay attention to your positioning while attacking; that was another point the instructor had emphasized. In a group fight, positioning was more important than defense. One must avoid being attacked from both the front and rear at all costs. Keep the enemies in front of you as much as possible and maintain high-speed movement to prevent them from completing their encirclement.
Orin Vale had always been a good student who paid attention in class.
Lightning crackled under his feet as he skated at super-high speed, as if on ice, empowered by the Speed Force. His figure blurred, felling one with a hand-edge strike and knocking another over with a sweeping hook. Three clones roared as they gave chase at high speed. Orin Vale slid backward and, with a flick of his wrist, unleashed an Ultra Arrow-Shaped Beam.
It was a small technique used by Ultraman 80 in the TV show, but Orin Vale had modified it slightly. The moment the arrow-shaped light ray left his hand, it split into three, each exploding in the faces of the three pursuing clones. With three muffled thuds, the point-blank impact of the explosions splattered flesh and blood everywhere, and the trio fell backward, silenced.
"Why do you people never learn that mass-produced units are always trash?"
Orin Vale muttered, then, without even looking back, he turned and caught a front kick from another clone. He smoothly caught and lifted its right leg, executing a reverse leg twist. He performed a killing move, locking the kicking right leg tightly with a grip resembling a rear-naked choke, then followed with a heavy kick to the back of its knee. The clone instantly fell, the joint in its leg shattering with a sickening crack.
Only a few seconds had passed in total, yet the clone army that Kaizan was so proud of was already mostly dead or wounded. Kaizan, who had been watching from outside with a cruel smile, found his smile gradually fading, replaced by an unspeakable, immense terror.
Wait, these are Kryptonian clones!
They possess god-like power, an invincible force that could walk all over this world!
Why are they being cut down like melons and vegetables in front of this heaven-defying monster?
From Orin Vale's perspective, while he found it amusing that anyone would think a troop of Kryptonian clones could trouble him, he could understand why someone might think so.
It was like how, to an ordinary person, there was no difference between the leader of a superpower and the head of a small nation—both were equally out of reach. The same logic applied to Ultraman and Kryptonians.
Since both possessed god-like power and were invincible, it was difficult for ordinary people to distinguish between one kind of "invincible" and another.
In fact, if one used Earth's technology and military power as a reference, there really wasn't much of a difference. Either could steamroll the planet with their eyes closed.
However, when it came to a real fight, the situation was completely different.
In less than thirty seconds, Kaizan's entire room full of proud clones had been annihilated. Orin Vale casually tossed aside a clone's arm that had been severed by a light wheel. The ground around him was littered with shattered stone, glass, and the scattered bodies of clones. He slowly turned his head toward the laboratory.
The lab technicians had long been scared stiff.
"No, this is impossible..." Kaizan stammered. "I possess the power of a god, an invincible army. They are invincible... No one can defeat them, no one..."
Orin Vale chuckled.
Being "invincible" is a debuff. Doesn't he understand such a simple concept?
He reached out and beckoned lightly with his finger. Kaizan was instantly lifted into the air as if pulled by an invisible force, dragged to hover before Orin Vale.
Ultra Psychokinesis.
Held in stasis, unable to move in mid-air, Kaizan looked at him in terror.
This thing is a monster!
More terrifying than a Kryptonian, a monster that shouldn't exist in this world!
"There's more here than just this, right? You've hidden something else," Orin Vale said.
Previously, his senses had been blocked by the Apokolips shielding materials, but now that he had broken into this room, Orin Vale could feel a slight anomaly. A spatial anomaly. The Hyperspace Bracelet was beginning to react.
"Yes." All thoughts of causing further trouble had vanished from Kaizan's mind. He nodded and said, "I'll take you there."
Breaking through the floor, Orin Vale dropped directly to the level below.
And then he saw it—the source of the abnormal fluctuation.
It was some kind of complex device, shaped like an arched gateway. The base of the device was made of a metal of an unknown element, and it was connected to countless cables on all sides.
Having recently been studying this very thing, Orin Vale recognized it at a glance.
A Quantum Tunnel.
A completed Quantum Tunnel, which had already been activated and was operational. Immense energy was concentrated within the archway's structure, its vortex forming a portal through space, leading to an unknown beyond.
And just at that moment, from that unknown world... a massive, ferocious, sharp claw extended forth.
(end of chapter)
Although Orin Vale was dismissive of this so-called "Gamora Army," he knew that such an evaluation was a bit unfair. Even Lex Luthor dreamed of having a completely obedient clone of Superman. On Earth, possessing an army of Kryptonian clones was already an overwhelming power.
The only reason he was unimpressed was simply due to a different frame of reference. For Orin Vale, who had even taken down a proper Kryptonian army, what were mere clones?
The lead clone had already rushed forward, swinging a fist at him. The punch was fast, tearing through the air with a fierce whistle. But Orin Vale simply leaned his upper body to the side to dodge it, simultaneously observing the trajectory and speed of the punch and comparing it to the Kryptonians he knew.
"Super-speed, but not as fast as a Kryptonian's... so how about you try this?"
He flipped his hand and pressed it against the clone's chest. Light energy surged out, erupting in the form of red sun radiation. The clone's body froze for a moment before it was blasted backward, the impact sending it crashing into the wall behind. The thick alloy armor was dented and deformed.
However, the clone merely twisted its head, then quickly ignored the black smoke on its chest, rose to its feet, and charged forward again with a monstrous cry.
"No longer afraid of red sun radiation?"
Orin Vale moved amidst the siege of several clones, his feet wreathed in electricity, nimbly weaving through them as he observed.
"I see. They're incomplete clones, their DNA mixed with something other than Kryptonian due to technical issues. As a result, while their individual abilities are a far cry from a true Kryptonian's, it also corrected the flaw of being vulnerable to Kryptonite or the red sun."
Though individual strength was sacrificed, they had become harder to counter. It was hard to say whether this was an improvement or a flaw.
But to Orin Vale, it didn't matter. The current him didn't need to rely on traditional weaknesses to defeat a Kryptonian, let alone a counterfeit.
He spun forward, striking the nearest clone with a heavy palm blow to the temple. He knew that a Kryptonian's physiology was still mostly similar to a human's, and the temple was likewise a fatal weakness. Immense strength, amplified by super-speed, poured in along with a torrent of light energy. The struck clone's vision went black, and it collapsed.
The combat curriculum in the Land of Light included specific instruction on group fighting; after all, it wasn't uncommon for the Space Garrison to get into brawls on their missions. In the very first lesson, the instructor had repeatedly emphasized a basic principle for when you were outnumbered: achieve the highest efficiency with the fewest movements.
Strike as quickly as possible, with every move aiming for the enemy's weak point to score a critical hit. Even if a single blow couldn't be fatal, it had to at least guarantee it would stagger them. Never waste a second move on a single target.
With one successful strike, Orin Vale turned and raised his arm to block a sucker punch from another clone, following up with a single-peak-piercing-ear strike. The clone's head snapped to the side as its body was sent flying backward in a spinning arc.
Next, he executed a glide step, streaking like a bolt of electricity through an encirclement being formed by three clones. He then leaped into the air, delivering a horizontal elbow strike to the head. A transparent shockwave exploded on the clone's forehead, blasting this third assailant to the ground, motionless.
Pay attention to your positioning while attacking; that was another point the instructor had emphasized. In a group fight, positioning was more important than defense. One must avoid being attacked from both the front and rear at all costs. Keep the enemies in front of you as much as possible and maintain high-speed movement to prevent them from completing their encirclement.
Orin Vale had always been a good student who paid attention in class.
Lightning crackled under his feet as he skated at super-high speed, as if on ice, empowered by the Speed Force. His figure blurred, felling one with a hand-edge strike and knocking another over with a sweeping hook. Three clones roared as they gave chase at high speed. Orin Vale slid backward and, with a flick of his wrist, unleashed an Ultra Arrow-Shaped Beam.
It was a small technique used by Ultraman 80 in the TV show, but Orin Vale had modified it slightly. The moment the arrow-shaped light ray left his hand, it split into three, each exploding in the faces of the three pursuing clones. With three muffled thuds, the point-blank impact of the explosions splattered flesh and blood everywhere, and the trio fell backward, silenced.
"Why do you people never learn that mass-produced units are always trash?"
Orin Vale muttered, then, without even looking back, he turned and caught a front kick from another clone. He smoothly caught and lifted its right leg, executing a reverse leg twist. He performed a killing move, locking the kicking right leg tightly with a grip resembling a rear-naked choke, then followed with a heavy kick to the back of its knee. The clone instantly fell, the joint in its leg shattering with a sickening crack.
Only a few seconds had passed in total, yet the clone army that Kaizan was so proud of was already mostly dead or wounded. Kaizan, who had been watching from outside with a cruel smile, found his smile gradually fading, replaced by an unspeakable, immense terror.
Wait, these are Kryptonian clones!
They possess god-like power, an invincible force that could walk all over this world!
Why are they being cut down like melons and vegetables in front of this heaven-defying monster?
From Orin Vale's perspective, while he found it amusing that anyone would think a troop of Kryptonian clones could trouble him, he could understand why someone might think so.
It was like how, to an ordinary person, there was no difference between the leader of a superpower and the head of a small nation—both were equally out of reach. The same logic applied to Ultraman and Kryptonians.
Since both possessed god-like power and were invincible, it was difficult for ordinary people to distinguish between one kind of "invincible" and another.
In fact, if one used Earth's technology and military power as a reference, there really wasn't much of a difference. Either could steamroll the planet with their eyes closed.
However, when it came to a real fight, the situation was completely different.
In less than thirty seconds, Kaizan's entire room full of proud clones had been annihilated. Orin Vale casually tossed aside a clone's arm that had been severed by a light wheel. The ground around him was littered with shattered stone, glass, and the scattered bodies of clones. He slowly turned his head toward the laboratory.
The lab technicians had long been scared stiff.
"No, this is impossible..." Kaizan stammered. "I possess the power of a god, an invincible army. They are invincible... No one can defeat them, no one..."
Orin Vale chuckled.
Being "invincible" is a debuff. Doesn't he understand such a simple concept?
He reached out and beckoned lightly with his finger. Kaizan was instantly lifted into the air as if pulled by an invisible force, dragged to hover before Orin Vale.
Ultra Psychokinesis.
Held in stasis, unable to move in mid-air, Kaizan looked at him in terror.
This thing is a monster!
More terrifying than a Kryptonian, a monster that shouldn't exist in this world!
"There's more here than just this, right? You've hidden something else," Orin Vale said.
Previously, his senses had been blocked by the Apokolips shielding materials, but now that he had broken into this room, Orin Vale could feel a slight anomaly. A spatial anomaly. The Hyperspace Bracelet was beginning to react.
"Yes." All thoughts of causing further trouble had vanished from Kaizan's mind. He nodded and said, "I'll take you there."
Breaking through the floor, Orin Vale dropped directly to the level below.
And then he saw it—the source of the abnormal fluctuation.
It was some kind of complex device, shaped like an arched gateway. The base of the device was made of a metal of an unknown element, and it was connected to countless cables on all sides.
Having recently been studying this very thing, Orin Vale recognized it at a glance.
A Quantum Tunnel.
A completed Quantum Tunnel, which had already been activated and was operational. Immense energy was concentrated within the archway's structure, its vortex forming a portal through space, leading to an unknown beyond.
And just at that moment, from that unknown world... a massive, ferocious, sharp claw extended forth.
(end of chapter)
