With Kryptonian eyesight, Liu A'dou no longer had to worry about missing the Dragon Pearl's flashing signals.
But just seeing them didn't mean Kara could understand them. Clark was different—he was a genius on Earth, self-taught in countless subjects, fluent in nearly every language. But Kara had only just picked up English on Themyscira. The messages from the small Dragon Pearl were beyond her.
"Can you draw it out?"
"Shouldn't be a problem." With her memory and precise muscle control, what she sketched might lack artistry, but it would be as accurate as a technical drawing.
For Kryptonians on Earth, the first thing they had to learn was how to master every muscle in their body. Hearing and sight relied on muscle control—whether to look normally, use x-ray vision, or fire heat vision, it all depended on fine adjustments. Filtering sound worked the same way.
After a few minutes, Kara finished her first doodle. Yet it was good enough to make any art student blush with shame.
What Liu A'dou saw looked like a map. But why a map?
The drawing was crude, ancient in style, and gave no clue what place it depicted. Still, it was probably on Earth. Otherwise, the Dragon Pearl wouldn't have waited until returning here to start flashing.
"Looks like we'll need to compare it against real maps to know where it points." Liu A'dou scanned Kara's sketch and transmitted it to the Antarctic, letting Neo run comparisons against the world map to pinpoint the location.
In the meantime, Liu A'dou chatted with Kara about Kryptonian trivia, learning more about her homeworld.
Of course, he also told her that on Earth, Kryptonite was dangerous for Kryptonians.
There were many types. Green Kryptonite was the common one, weakening Superman and even killing Kryptonians in large doses. Red Kryptonite stripped away morals, turning Superman evil. Blue Kryptonite worked on Bizarro and alternate-universe Supermen. Gold Kryptonite erased powers permanently. Black Kryptonite caused mental splits. There was white Kryptonite, deadly to plants, orange Kryptonite that affected animals, even pink Kryptonite that could alter Kryptonians' sexual orientation.
Basically, once Kryptonite landed on Earth, it developed all sorts of bizarre effects.
Kara stared in shock. She knew Krypton's minerals well, but had never heard of stones with radiation that caused such things.
"That's why on Earth, you're not invincible. Clark worries that if you misuse your powers, people will target you. That's why he wants you to be cautious," Liu A'dou explained, seizing the chance to back up Clark.
Kara nodded. "I get it. I just don't like Kal's attitude. I'm older than him."
"Doesn't look that way. Which is why you should act more mature," Liu A'dou said.
"Right. When I go back, I'll make sure Kal is stunned." Kara tugged on her red cape.
After more talking, Liu A'dou treated her to a meal. By then Neo had finished the analysis—the map pointed to a small island in the Pacific Ocean.
"Let's go, Kara."
"Finally, an adventure." Wearing her uniform, Kara was eager.
The ring on Liu A'dou's hand shot out a strange light, wrapping around him. When the glow faded, his own uniform was on.
They soared through the clouds to the Pacific, reaching a tiny island in the middle of the sea. It belonged to no nation, lay far from any trade routes—a deserted island where no one ever came.
Wild trees, scattered rocks, flocks of birds gave the small island an untouched, primal feel.
Here, in the middle of the ocean, Liu A'dou could imagine a link between the island and the Dragon Pearl. After all, legend said dragons lived in underwater palaces deep in the sea.
"What are we looking for here?" Kara asked curiously.
"I don't know either. But since the Dragon Pearl keeps flashing, I need to find out why."
Kara nodded. "I'll help you." On such a small island, there was no need to search bit by bit. One look with x-ray vision was enough. Shooting into the sky, Kara, eager to use her abilities, scanned the whole island from above.
Sure enough, inside the island there was a sizable hollow space. But it was completely empty.
"Tell me exactly where this cave is," Liu A'dou said. If he was going to teleport, he needed to know its position.
Kara described it in detail. Then Liu A'dou pulled her along and they entered the dark cave.
The glow from his ring lit the whole chamber. Nothing inside. A damp, moldy smell hung in the air, completely still. If they weren't the kind who didn't need to breathe, they'd have passed out already. There wasn't a trace of oxygen.
Looking around, it was impossible to tell where the original entrance had been. Collapsed rocks had already fused into solid walls. But Liu A'dou spotted something unusual—the stone pillars inside. Their arrangement was far too neat to be natural.
Spacing, thickness, and height—all pointed to them being deliberately placed.
"Take out the Dragon Pearl, see if it reacts," Kara suggested.
She was right. Once the Pearl was out, Liu A'dou felt it lose all weight. It floated on its own. He withdrew his hand to see what it would do.
The Dragon Pearl drifted inside the cave as though drawn by some force.
The two of them stared at it like a ping-pong ball bouncing around, drifting left, then right, with no telling where it would stop. But both were patient.
Suddenly, the small Dragon Pearl shot forward, accelerating straight toward a wall.
The chamber wasn't wide, but its ceiling was high—at least 6 meters tall. Hidden in the middle of the ocean, it felt mysterious. Now the Pearl had locked on to its target, ramming the wall head-on.
No shaking. No impact. The wall simply cracked open. It wasn't part of the original cave—it had been added later.
Chunks of stone fell, revealing what lay beyond. The Dragon Pearl flared brightly. Whatever had made it flicker was inside that wall.
Liu A'dou peered through the gap and his expression turned grave.
"Looks like… a door?" Kara said uncertainly, frowning at the strange architecture.
"It is a door," Liu A'dou replied, eyes sharp. "An ancient one."
Then the change came. The Dragon Pearl's glow dimmed, transferring to the door. The door absorbed its light, activating faintly.
But the energy wasn't enough. The door didn't fully awaken, stuck halfway between dormant and active.
Liu A'dou wasn't about to let it go. "Kara, check beneath it. See if there's anything else under this door."
"The door's free-standing," Kara confirmed.
"Perfect. I need to move this back to the Antarctic."
"I'll help." Before she'd even finished speaking, Kara blasted through the ceiling, opening a passage. Clearing the way.
Liu A'dou lifted his hand, channeling the Force to raise the door. Sure enough, it was separate. The frame was shaped like a square, though its base was still buried in the ground.