Chapter 306: The Parasite's Life (1)
A Defeated Superman
Since gaining his abilities, Clark—though he never admitted it out loud—had always believed he was the strongest being on Earth. He never imagined a day when he would be subdued and beaten by a purple-skinned monster covered in nodules.
A continuous stream of life energy poured out of him and into Joshua's body. The monster grew steadily, his limbs becoming incredibly thick, his height soaring from two meters to directly over three meters.
Clark, who stood at six-foot-three, felt like a child in the monster's embrace.
Waves of weakness washed over him; it felt as if his entire body was being hollowed out.
"You damned monster!"
Clark roared, his eyes filled with a red glow, unleashing a Heat Vision beam with a temperature of several thousand degrees. The red column of light pierced Joshua's shoulder and began slicing downward.
Flesh scattered everywhere, only to be instantly vaporized into molecular form by the scorching heat.
Joshua let out a piercing scream and instinctively loosened his grip. Seizing the opportunity, Clark kicked him away. Joshua put his hands on the ground and slowly climbed back up, swaying unsteadily, nearly falling over.
The weakness spread to Clark's limbs, even affecting his mind.
He shook his head vigorously, his vision blurring, and he even saw hallucinations.
"No, I can't stay. I must leave!"
Clark gritted his teeth. His deteriorating physical state left him no other choice but to launch himself skyward and flee.
Joshua did not pursue. His physical condition was arguably worse than Clark's. Superman's nearly infinite life energy was packed into the monster's relatively small body. Joshua felt like a balloon about to burst, in danger of exploding at any moment.
He needed time to absorb the energy and convert it into true strength.
...
After the battle, the area quickly fell silent.
Joshua left the hillside, dug a hole in the secluded forest, and crawled inside.
His massive body periodically expanded and contracted like rhythmic breathing. He closed his eyes, curled up, and entered a state of hibernation, like a cocooned silkworm.
Evolution of life. Breaking the cocoon to become a butterfly.
What would he become when he woke up?
The ultimate evolved form of life?
Or a god?
Joshua waited for this transformation with immense anticipation.
Recovery
In Metropolis's East District, at the secret location, Lois Lane had a terrible feeling after her boyfriend didn't answer her calls. As time passed, her anxiety rapidly intensified. She couldn't wait any longer, dropped her work, and immediately drove to their secret apartment in the suburbs.
Pushing open the door, she was greeted by an aged face. Sunken cheeks, a forehead covered in wrinkles, and streaked with gray and white hair. If not for the familiar features, Lois would never have believed the old man before her was her boyfriend.
"Clark, what happened to you? Why are you like this?"
"Who did this?"
Lois grabbed his hand, filled with both fear and worry.
Clark opened his eyes and spoke with a tired voice.
"Food, and water. I need replenishment... cough, cough, cough!"
As he spoke, he coughed violently, his chest heaving like an ancient, decaying man.
"Wait here, I'm going now, right now."
Lois wiped her eyes and rushed out of the room, heading to the nearest supermarket. She bought a full cart of food: meats, eggs, vegetables, and various high-calorie products.
In principle, a Kryptonian under a yellow sun does not need to eat. Sunlight charges their cells, keeping them in peak condition at all times. Of course, they can also become big eaters if they wish.
However, the purple monster had absorbed more than just energy; it had taken deeper life substances. This was something that couldn't be replenished simply by sunbathing.
Clark needed to eat, and he needed to eat a lot.
Lois became a five-star chef, cooking a variety of food. Clark ate bowl after bowl, quickly consuming most of the cart of groceries.
His body, originally frail and aged, quickly reverted to his normal, thirty-year-old appearance.
The debilitating weakness finally vanished.
Clark leaned back on the sofa, immensely relieved. He had always assumed he'd never have to worry about death, but that purple monster had given him a harsh lesson.
Lois took off her apron, worried.
"You encountered the culprit?"
Clark nodded. "A humanoid monster covered in purple nodules. It can devour the life force of others through physical contact. I didn't realize it until it grabbed its chance and drained a lot of my energy."
Lois gripped his hand. "It's okay. As long as you're safe, we'll find a way."
Clark didn't agree.
"That monster sees humanity as food. It will keep killing and stealing life force from others to strengthen itself. If we delay any longer, it will become a disaster."
"What are you going to do?"
Lois couldn't hide her anxiety; the sight of him aged had terrified her. "Like you said, his body is a poison flask. You can't touch him. How will you defeat him?"
Clark pointed to his eyes.
"I will find it and use my Heat Vision to burn it to ashes."
Lane's Desperation
When things go wrong, even drinking cold water seems to cause trouble.
The "Bloody Christmas" shocked the entire nation and became the focus of every news media outlet. As the person primarily responsible for the case, Sam Lane faced pressure from every sector.
Reporters cornered him, and the President personally called to inquire about the case's progress.
Finally managing to escape back to his base, he had barely settled down before hearing news of a battle between Superman and the purple monster. He strongly suspected the monster was the killer, but he lacked definitive proof.
Shortly after, the test results for the purple bloodstain landed on his desk. Sam Lane picked up the report and read it carefully, stating gravely,
"Is this certain?"
Professor Carmone nodded seriously. "There is no other possibility."
"We conducted a targeted analysis of the parasitic cells. The preliminary conclusion is that its evolution has virtually no limit. Given enough food supply, it will become a terrifying entity capable of devouring the entire planet."
"General, this is a disaster that concerns the survival of humanity. We cannot wait a moment longer; we must destroy it as soon as possible."
Sam Lane knew this, but the problem was he had no idea where the creature was hiding. More frustratingly, with his current forces, even if he found it, he couldn't stop it and might just become its food.
After a few seconds of silence, Sam Lane looked up.
"What is its weakness?"
Carmone gave a strained smile. "We conducted multiple stress tests on the parasite. We have found no obvious weaknesses yet."
Sam Lane forcefully ran a hand through his hair, his mood unbearably frustrated. As the head of A.R.G.U.S., one of the most powerful people in the country, he was utterly helpless against an alien bug.
The high-end combat power of A.R.G.U.S. was too weak; they couldn't compare to even the FBI or CIA.
"Alright, get back to work. Get me results as soon as possible."
Carmone sighed softly and left.
Sam Lane lit a cigarette, taking long, deep draws. A moment later, he stubbed it out and picked up the phone, dialing an unfamiliar number.
A low, deep voice answered the receiver. "Who is this?"
"Sam Lane."
"Let's meet."
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