Chapter 16 Crow's Mouth
155.
I have to say, Bruce is a complete jinx.
Shortly after we said this, General Zod, the ambassador for the preservation of Kryptonian culture, came to Earth with his men. He hijacked the world's radio broadcasts to threaten Superman to hand over Krypton's heritage.
After being rejected, he angrily took out a large Kryptonian device - the World Engine, and wanted to use it to transform the Earth's environment to make it the same as Krypton's, so as to facilitate Kryptonian colonization.
The battle soon begins. Zod's men quickly spring into action, attacking cities across Earth, attempting to sow panic and force Superman to reveal himself. It's our job to protect the civilian population while stopping these alien soldiers.
"These guys are too strong!" Robin brandished his weapon and fought against an alien soldier. "They are completely unreasonable!"
"You're the one being reasonable, and they're the ones being unreasonable." I hit a crack in another soldier's armor with a dart and added calmly, "Don't let up."
After clearing out most of the mobs, they returned to the spaceship and we returned to the Batcave.
The battle situation took on an eerie calm.
156.
General Zod's spaceship hovered over Metropolis, and a dark shadow pressed down on Earth like a doomsday storm. The light of the yellow sun gave the Kryptonians unimaginable power. Their every move shook the earth, and every attack shattered the city.
Superman has rushed out to deal with the most troublesome enemy, Zod, while we are ready to deal with these uninvited guests on the ground and in the air.
"If Superman and Zod confront each other head-on, half of Metropolis will be destroyed." Batman calmly analyzed the situation, with the AZ plan already prepared in the Batcomputer. "We must find a more effective way to contain these Kryptonians."
Alfred stood aside, holding a first aid kit in his hand, his eyes calm and gentle. "Master Bruce, I know you always have a foolproof plan, but please try to leave some room for your own safety. After all, we can't let Gotham lose its protector."
[Main Mission: Stop General Zod and keep the global casualty rate below 1%.
Mission Description: General Zod's fleet has arrived, his goal is to transform Earth into Krypton's new home. The world is plunged into war, hundreds of cities may be reduced to ruins, and hundreds of millions of lives are threatened.
This is a war that determines the survival of civilization. You need to join forces with Superman and his companions to save as many lives as possible in the battle and keep the global casualties to a minimum.
Mission objective: Defeat General Zod and his men and stop the World Engine from operating.
Prioritize protecting civilians during combat and keep the casualty rate below 1%.
Mission reward: Three-star equation "City Restorer".
"—You cling to the ship's window, beneath you a world in ruins. The war has completely destroyed the surface, and the penetrating power of the antimatter bombs has even eaten a huge dent in the plains, crushing the city space beneath the ground. People look up at you, with eyes you know all too well, empty, bereft of hope, sadness, and ultimately, even anger.
But you remain undaunted. Even if the Republic of Kharja, lost for a hundred Amber Ages in eternal night, you could still build up its soil from the traces of time and sketch out a picture of the past. Not to mention Harova today. As long as people still live, even if it were destroyed a thousand or ten thousand times, the flowers of civilization would surely bloom again. You will reach out to those numb faces, build walls for them, and restore civilization amidst the rubble.
Space fragments × 3000, Star Track Pass × 3.
hint:
General Zod's goal isn't just Earth; he wants to take away the future of all living things. You'll need not only strength, but also wisdom and courage to race against time. Protecting humanity is protecting hope.
The system will not be late, nor will it be absent.
I stared at the mission's casualty rate rising slowly but steadily, and let out a slow breath.
My hand touched a record that was sleeping quietly in the system warehouse - it was a rare item that had been covered in dust for many years: the Heavenly Voice Album.
"The Sound of the Sky Album:
When Tai-I, the One of Order, was absorbed by Hippe, the celestial choir lost its faith, and the once majestic harmony fell silent, silencing the stars. Only a few recordings, made by amateurs, still exist. Place them in a specially constructed record player, and you'll hear songs from beyond the universe, imbued with the beauty of Order. The last record player was damaged during the Emperor's Wars, and the thick dust on the records seems to protest the silence of time.
I took out the record, and the disc reflected a strange luster in the sunlight, as if it was made up of fragments of the Milky Way.
"What is this?" Barbara asked in surprise.
"A relic from the depths of space," I replied, my gaze fixed firmly on the sky. "Perhaps it can resolve the current crisis."
Ah Fu frowned slightly, his tone filled with worry, "Miss, this thing doesn't look like a gentle being. Please be careful and don't let it cause more problems."
"Don't worry, Ah Fu." I smiled slightly, "I will be careful."
I pulled a delicate playback device from my belt—a record player I'd bought from the System Store after receiving the artifact, to avoid losing it. I put the record in and, the moment I pressed the button, the air around me froze.
When the record slowly started to play and the first low melody sounded, the whole world seemed to stop.
A long and lingering harmony slowly flowed out, the sound was like the stars flowing back, and it was like all things returning to their original tranquility.
"Those who disturb the world shall not be allowed to survive..."
The voice was low and solemn, as if countless cosmic souls were humming, speaking the laws of order in a celestial language.
The low hum resounded through the sky. The sound was like the judgment of God. Every syllable seemed to be engraved deep in the soul, making it irresistible.
The enemy, General Zod's men, those supposedly fearless Kryptonian warriors, suddenly paused in unison at that moment. A flicker of confusion and fear flashed in their eyes, as if their will had been stripped away by some invisible force. Their limbs drooped limply, as if bound by invisible ropes. The murderous aura they once held was completely suppressed by an indescribable majesty.
"The greedy have no right to live."
With the second chorus, the air in the entire Batcave seemed to freeze. The melody was no longer just an auditory experience, but an invisible wave that permeated all matter, even the floor seemed to tremble slightly.
"Chaos, cunning and ever-changing, is the filthy dust and ash of the universe."
When the third line sounded, my heart suddenly tightened. The sound boomed like a mighty bell, shattering my mind into a blank. All the distracting thoughts, hesitations, and pity that had once lingered in my mind were swept away, replaced by a deep, irresistible sense of order.
Everything must be regulated.
Everything must be run according to the rules.
Everything that is not in order... must be eliminated!
My gaze grew colder and harder, my hand unconsciously pressing against the hilt of the sword at my waist. I looked around, the scattered weapons, the unorganized equipment...even the messy pile of bread crumbs, all of them irritated me and made me feel disgusted.
"It is not allowed to exist." I whispered softly, and the voice in my mind became clearer and clearer.
I noticed that Barbara was staring at the Batcomputer, her hands rapidly tapping the keyboard, muttering: "This code is too messy... It must be rewritten, all rewritten..."
Robin looked at his uniform with disbelief, his eyes filled with intolerable disgust, "Why is the bat logo crooked... Why is the length of the cape not uniform... How can I wear it like this?"
Even Bruce stood there in silence, his gaze as cold as the abyss. He stared at a scattered dart on the ground, slowly bent down to pick it up, his fingertips tracing the slightly rough surface as he whispered, "The dart's balance point is off... If this continues, all my throws will be meaningless..."
And what about Ah Fu? He lowered his head and pulled a powerful tranquilizer from the first aid kit. He looked us over, his eyes filled with the pain of seeing his own child go without sleep for three days and three nights. "No human would work so hard continuously without sleep, even if they were a bat."
As the sound echoed, the sky became transparent and vast. Zod's men raised their heads quietly one by one, stopped all violent acts, turned around and walked towards the spaceship.
Their movements seemed to be guided by some invisible hand, neat and harmonious. Their faces were no longer ferocious, but instead held a calmness that was almost pious.
The battlefield in Metropolis gradually quieted down, and Zod's men returned to the spacecraft like the receding tide. They left no trace of destruction, as if all the violence had been absorbed by the song and turned into nothingness.
Superman stopped in mid-air, looking at the scene before him: order, power, an irrefutable and irresistible existence... His gaze swept across the entire earth in an instant - the world needed a more powerful person to establish order.
157.
Zod stood at the entrance of the spaceship with a complicated expression. His fists were clenched, and his body was trembling slightly, as if he was resisting, but also seemed to be obeying something.
"Those who disturb the world shall not be allowed to survive."
The harmony sounded again, the deep tone like a soft hammer, slowly knocking on Zod's soul. His eyes began to flicker, first with anger, then with confusion, and finally fixed on an unprecedented clarity.
"Return to the Phantom Zone." Zod's voice was low and calm.
His men, without any argument or resistance, entered the spacecraft in unison, as if guided by some force. The ship's power system activated, and a bright light streamed from the jet nozzle. It slowly ascended, streaking across the night sky of the metropolis before disappearing from sight.
The entire metropolis fell into an unbelievable silence, until a few minutes later, the silence was broken by the sound of sirens and the cheers of the crowd.
158.
【Mission accomplished.】
The calm voice of the system helped me break the oppressive feeling. I rushed to the playback device with all my strength and took the record off.
Buzz——
In an instant, all sounds stopped.
I almost collapsed to the ground, cold sweat soaking my back and my chest heaving violently.
"Oh my God..." Dick slumped down in his chair, his face pale. "I was just... just now I was thinking, should I rebuild the entire Gotham?"
"How dare you say that." Barbara leaned against the table, breathing heavily, "I almost reset the Batcomputer just now."
Hmm...Afu was still looking at us with the tranquilizer in his hand, but we all avoided his sight at the same time.
Bruce deliberately turned his back to Al Fu and walked over to me as if nothing had happened. He took the record and looked at it with a complicated expression. His eyes were deep and alert. "This is no ordinary artifact... It's essentially a weapon of the mind."
"A weapon of thought?" I struggled to my feet and wiped the sweat from my forehead. "You mean, it can not only affect the body, but also control the mind?"
Bruce nodded. "It's in the name of order, but this order is so extreme that even we can't fully resist it."
I swallowed, watching Bruce carefully lock the record into a metal box. "So, how do you actually use this thing?"
Bruce's answer was just one sentence: "Be cautious and moderate."
I looked down at my hands covered in cold sweat and sighed with lingering fear.
159.
Startled by his own thoughts, Superman floated to the sun and reflected on himself before arriving at the Batcave.
"It seems they've returned to the Phantom Zone." Superman landed beside us, his eyes filled with mixed emotions. "Zod... he personally activated the ship's core systems and sent them back to the Phantom Zone."
We were all stunned when we heard the news.
"That's impossible, isn't it?" Robin couldn't help but ask, "He's Zod, a tyrant who wants to take over the Earth. Why would he suddenly give up voluntarily?"
"Not voluntarily." Batman analyzed calmly, "The sound of that record... it might have changed some of his ways of thinking. Not to control him, but to make him realize the higher order and the futility of resistance."
"So, that thing made Zod sober?" Barbara frowned. "If that's the case, aren't we lucky?"
I looked at the Tianwai Heavy Sound album in my hand, and could feel a faint residual warmth when my fingertips touched it.
"This record doesn't lie," I whispered. "The order it represents isn't simply enforced, but a kind of...irresistible harmony. Zod's reaction is just one example of that."
"But the question is, how long can this harmony last?" Superman's tone was filled with worry. "Zod's men may have returned to the Phantom Zone temporarily, but will they always abide by this 'order'?"
"No," Batman replied bluntly, "The record is a curiosity, not a panacea. The Phantom Zone isn't indestructible, and it might trap them for a while, but if they can get out once, they can probably get out a second time."
"And they've learned the power of the Yellow Sun," Barbara added. "Next time we encounter them, it might not be so easy to deal with them."
"The question is, what can we do?" Superman frowned, his tone revealing deep worry. "They've been locked back, but if someone tries to unlock the Phantom Zone..."
Bruce turned and began typing on the Batcomputer, "We need to reinforce it and stop anyone from trying to sabotage it."
"Maybe there's a way to reinforce the Phantom Zone among the strange objects..." I thought, and began to search through the strange objects I had collected in the past six months.
"Tianhui Alloy:
Under the mighty hammer of "Preservation," the star was forged into an indestructible foundation. The debris thrown up by the mighty force quickly cooled and became precious Sky Comet Alloy. These tiny fragments, ejected as Klipper struck the Sky Comet's wall, heralded the arrival of a new Amber Age from their very creation. Almost all of the Sky Comet Alloy is carefully preserved by the Interstellar Peace Company, and only employees above P45 have the opportunity to glimpse its true form.
The colors of struggle:
Ten Amber Ages ago, a phantom thief imprisoned in the Virupa system stole the violet and blue colors of the entire system, and those lost colors have never been recovered. Since then, all life entering the Virupa system by any means has experienced corresponding visual impairments, which return to normal after leaving the system within a certain radius. Scholarship has been unsettled as to whether these "mysterious" travelers could have caused such a massive impact. Because the color loss did not cause any changes to the physical laws of the system, some believe the disturbance was merely a fabrication by fictional historians. To this day, a steady stream of scholars continue to journey to Virupa to investigate, debating those unanswered questions day after day.
Temporary gambling funds:
The carnivorous fungus mats growing on the planet Katia, when stimulated, rapidly secrete hydrophilic substances that combine with liquids to form digestive crystals. They've found their calling in shady interstellar casinos: penniless gamblers use tears of regret to forge a final handful of gems, gamble everything on them. These chips quickly dissolve, becoming new debts, and the gamblers' lives are completely corroded by the digestive fluids that flow out.
"Unpredictable Box:
A box that can predict its opener's thoughts. When opened, its contents transform into the very imagery of your mind. Black Tower once considered it one of the most formidable artifacts to tame. She battled the "Unpredictable Box" numerous times, but each time, she was unable to control her own mental imagery upon opening it. Ultimately, Black Tower abandoned the "Unpredictable Box" and never touched it again—perhaps Black Tower could do anything except clear her mind.
The Price of Peace:
The Amber King Support Team rapidly expanded in the latter stages of the Universal Locust Plague, reorganizing into the Interstellar Peace Corporation and reaching its peak. However, the successive blows of the Border Trade War and the Emperor's War made the path to interstellar peace increasingly difficult. This war, which lasted for over a decade, ended with the fall of the Machine Empire, ushering in a "Second Boom" of the universe that lasted for hundreds of centuries. People believed this boom would never end—until the even more brutal Interstellar Energy War quietly unfolded.
Summarize:
"Sky Comet Alloy": An indestructible alloy that can be used to create extremely durable defensive devices;
"Struggling Colors": can block some visual bands and create confusion;
Temporary Gambling Funds: When used, they can temporarily reverse the outcome of a bet, but once a victory is achieved, they will quickly erode the winner's sanity and fortune.
"Unpredictable Box": It can detect the other party's true intentions, but the user's psychological state will also be exposed.
"The Price of Peace": Ending a struggle but triggering a larger conflict soon after.
Well.
Only Tianhui Alloy can be of some use, but it's relatively small and can't be used in such a large phantom zone. The other rare items don't look like good things...
160.
I sat aside, returning the metal box containing the "Heavenly Sound Album" to the system's storage, but I could still feel the subtle touch of it lingering on my palm. It was an inhuman feeling, cold yet perfect, like a flawless blueprint.
"Leona?" Dick's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He leaned closer to me and asked tentatively, "Were you also affected by that voice just now?"
I nodded and admitted, "It's too powerful to be overcome by willpower alone."
Barbara folded her arms and leaned to the side, "If even we are like this, and Bruce was almost affected by it... then how must those aliens feel?"
"They may not be able to resist." Superman replied with a complicated tone, "The 'order' brought by that voice may be beyond their understanding."
I looked at Bruce with a wry smile, "This thing is really a double-edged sword. If used well, it can save the world. If used poorly... it can destroy the world."
Bruce was silent for a moment, then finally said, "We need to study it. Since it's a rare item, we can't just rely on intuition to use it. Every time we activate it, there's a price to pay."
"The price?" Dick asked doubtfully. "It seemed to have helped us just now, but I didn't see any price."
"The price is..." Bruce looked down at the polished dart in his hand, his eyes dark and unclear, "We almost became the tool it wanted."
161.
Just as we were busy cleaning up the mess, Superman's gaze suddenly froze, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he had noticed something.
"Bruce," he turned to look at Batman, "Just now on Zod's ship, I felt a strange energy. A green, glowing stone, and its aura made me feel extremely uncomfortable."
Bruce stopped what he was doing and looked up at Superman, his eyes more inquiring. "Green stone?"
"Yes," Superman nodded, "Its energy acts like a... toxin to me."
Bruce mused, "If that thing really has this property, we must find out where it comes from."
He turned around and quickly searched the Batcomputer for clues about the stone. Soon, a blurry satellite image appeared on the screen—a "green light stone" that had fallen to Earth in a meteorite many years ago. It was useless, but it glowed. Recently, it had suddenly been bought up in large quantities on the black market, and he had already bought the largest piece.
"Who is the buyer?" Robin asked curiously.
Bruce was silent for a moment, his eyes stopped at the name on the screen, and he said coldly: "Lex Luthor."
"It's him!" I couldn't help but curse under my breath, "This guy really can't sit still!"
"Luther has always been restless." Barbara pushed her glasses up. "But if he has something so dangerous in his hands this time..."
Bruce interrupted her, his eyes stern, "We need to know what he wants to do with these stones."
162.
"Green Light Stone..." I repeated in a low voice, a trace of uneasiness passing through my heart. "Besides being toxic to Superman, does it have any other effects?"
Superman shook his head. "For now, I only know that it can weaken me and make me feel weak. But if Luthor is studying it..."
Bruce took over, "Then he may have discovered its potential. Luthor wouldn't buy something like this easily. He must want to use it to achieve some purpose."
"For example, using it to make weapons." Barbara speculated, "If the Green Stone is harmful to Kryptonians, what if it can also affect ordinary people?"
"That's exactly what we need to find out." Bruce turned back to the Batcomputer, quickly accessing Luthor's business transaction records. "Luthor has been very active recently, especially in the international arms market."
"He might be trying to use it to create a weapon against Superman." Superman frowned. "But why? What is he planning?"
"Luther never liked you." I leaned against the wall with my arms folded. "But this time, he seems to have greater ambitions."
Bruce stopped what he was doing and said coldly, "We need to get close to him and find out the truth."
163.
Just as we were discussing how to deal with Luther, Bruce received an important piece of news - reporter Lois Lane planned to go to Africa to interview a notorious drug boss who had a secret deal with Luther.
To make matters worse, Bruce learned from black market intelligence that the CIA has planted an undercover agent inside the NC to try to anger the boss in order to gather intelligence. Luthor seems to be taking advantage of this, planning to put Lois in danger, force Superman to reveal himself, and use this opportunity to discredit Superman.
At the same time, my system map showed that there was a strange object scattered somewhere in Africa - the Empty Candle Clipper.
Empty candle snuffer:
Few people use this snip on candles, but it's often used in crueler, darker, and more painful places. The snips cut not material things, but the warmth in the heart of a living being—the driving force known as passion. If the empty snips were to pass through your heart, you would feel not pain, but indifference.
"No candle snuffer?" Barbara asked, frowning. "What is this?"
"It can cut off the warmth in a living being's heart—that is, its passion and motivation," I explained. "If it cuts through your heart, you won't feel pain, but complete indifference."
"It sounds very dangerous," Bruce analyzed calmly. "If this strange object falls into the hands of the traitor, it will cause even greater trouble."
"Then I'll go." I said decisively, "Since Louise is here, I can disguise myself as the reporter's assistant and collect the strange object."
Bruce thought for a moment and nodded, "Be careful and don't reveal your identity."
164.
A few days later, Louise and I arrived in a small African town that served as the headquarters of a terrorist organization. The tropical sun scorched the land, and the air was filled with tension.
Louise was clearly experienced; she had an interview scheduled with the drug kingpin. Although she appeared calm and composed, her hands kept clenching the straps of her bag.
"Don't you think it's too dangerous?" I whispered to her. "These people won't be polite to you just because you're a reporter."
Louise shrugged and gave a calm smile, "A journalist's job is to uncover the truth, no matter how dangerous it is."
"But if you die, no one will be able to write the report." I sighed and looked around.
While Louise was conversing with the □□ leader, I quietly used the system map to locate the empty candle snips. It was placed in a heavily guarded box, surrounded by a number of armed men.
"The next step is to split up." I planned secretly in my mind. While Louise attracted the attention of the □□ leader, I quickly went around to the back and waited for an opportunity to approach the target.
165.
The empty candle clipper was locked in a complex safe, and the combination lock and fingerprint recognition device on the door were daunting.
"Haha, don't underestimate a bat," I whispered, pulling out my pickaxe. A few minutes later, the safe made a soft click and slowly opened.
A pair of scissors that looked like a burning flame lay quietly in the box, emitting an irresistible scorching light. Every inch of its blade emitted invisible heat, as if anyone would be burned if touched.
When I took it out, an uncharacteristically cold sensation instantly spread throughout my body. I felt an indescribable chill, like an invisible snake, slowly crawling into my heart.
"Indifference...order..." I murmured, realizing that it was the power of the strange object at work.
I quickly put the empty candle snips into the system warehouse and finally got rid of that terrible feeling.
166.
While I was collecting the artifact, Louise successfully completed her interview with the head of the terrorism group. However, the CIA undercover's words clearly angered him, and he suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at her head.
"What a brave woman," the □□ leader sneered, "but you know, bravery can sometimes get you killed."
"That's better than living like you." Louise didn't back down, her tone full of contempt.
At the critical moment, I released a smoke bomb from behind, rushed into the room quickly, protected Louise behind me, and used the grappling gun to evacuate her quickly.
"You're really a professional 'assistant'." Louise joked behind me.
"Professionalism," I replied, my eyes fixed on the pursuing convoy in the distance. "But remember, don't be so impulsive next time."
167.
After completing the mission, Louise and I returned safely. Bruce didn't show much expression when he received the news. He just said calmly, "Well done."
"But I'm still curious about Luthor's real plan." I looked at Bruce. "Why did he use Lois? There must be a deeper plot."
Bruce nodded, a cold glint in his eyes. "Luthor never makes only one plan. His plans are always much more complicated than they appear."
"So what should we do next?" Robin asked.
"Screw the charity gala," Bruce said coldly, "see what other tricks he has up his sleeve."
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