Chapter 556: Wife Material
The Standoff
Inside the car, Luke turned and silently observed Diana. In the darkness, her flushed face was so lovely and moving it was tempting, yet Luke was a man who couldn't be tempted right now.
He had treated their night of passion as a sweet, one-time encounter, with no intention of continuing. However, her deliberate dressing, grooming, and demeanor suggested a sad truth: While you were playing, I was serious.
Carol and Linda were already a big enough headache; adding the Amazonian warrior? Heaven knows what that would turn into.
There was another thing Luke couldn't figure out. Diana was thousands of years old and had lived in the human world for nearly a century. Hadn't she followed trends, gone to bars or nightclubs for excitement? Just one night, and she was acting like this? That was... excessive!
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Luke shook his head, sighing. "Linda doesn't know about that night. If you tell her, I'm done for."
"Then you two..."
"It's for other reasons. I can't tell you the specifics."
Diana looked disappointed. She had mustered up all her courage to say what she just had.
The sports car accelerated, reaching the lakeside villa in just three minutes. Luke had no intention of repeating the "sweet encounter." He immediately headed to the underground base, turned on the power, and virtual images composed of data streams floated in the air. Lined up from left to right were five different styles of shields and six different models of armor.
Diana was surprised. "Are all these for me?"
"I wasn't sure what your style was, so I prepared a few options."
Diana walked up to the nearest armor. Text explanations appeared, including instructions, structure, performance, and features. When she saw the raw materials page, her expression shifted.
"Poseidon Cold Steel? Amazonian Metal?"
"How is that possible?"
Both metals were ultimate magical materials. The former existed only in the deepest parts of the ocean, and the latter was a specialty of Themyscira.
Luke poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to her. "I have a good relationship with the King of Atlantis. When I went to Themyscira, I traded some Poseidon Cold Steel with your mother for some Amazonian Metal. The quantity is limited, though—enough to craft only one set of armor and one shield."
"One set is enough," Diana said, pausing, then smiling. "Luke, you always surprise people. Poseidon Cold Steel and Amazonian Metal are two magical materials with different properties, yet you've mixed them... It seems I need to study your techniques."
"No problem. Look as long as you like. If you have any questions, ask Ava; she'll explain everything."
The Divine Wing Armor
Luke walked to the console, opened the main computer, and continued to refine the design blueprint for a new suit of armor. After the Floating Armor was destroyed, he had been contemplating how to compensate for the inherent weaknesses of power armor.
Armor requires energy support, and the better the performance, the more energy it consumes. Once the energy is depleted, it becomes scrap metal.
The Drifter Armor utilized Apokolips energy technology, storing energy equivalent to the total electricity consumption of the U.S. for decades. Even so, it still ran low on power while battling H'el.
The biggest cause of this depletion was space travel; that function consumed far too much power.
To solve the energy deficiency, there were currently three methods:
Significantly optimize the charging system and integrate it with the Divine Lightning Art, using natural lightning to charge the armor for virtually infinite endurance. The drawback is that this method is only suitable for surface environments—it cannot be used underground or in outer space.Use Kryptonians. Kryptonians are the best chargers; as long as there is sun, they have inexhaustible energy. Combining Kryptonian cells with Reach Colonial Tech could achieve infinite energy. The drawback is the same as above—it has environmental requirements. Without the sun or upon encountering Kryptonite, it fails immediately. Furthermore, Linda and Clark would never agree to have their cells used as a 'charging baby' for someone else.Continue developing the Mother Box to decipher the secret of infinite energy.
The third method was the most perfect, but it was too time-consuming. Based on the current progress, it would take at least another decade of development to achieve infinite energy.
Ten years was too long; he couldn't wait.
He concluded that the first method was the most suitable. Poseidon Cold Steel and Amazonian Metal were both ultimate materials infused with magic. The former manipulates moisture and has extreme toughness, while the latter absorbs energy and provides magical defense. Moisture and the Lightning Art complement each other. Combining them might yield results greater than the sum of their parts.
Having made his decision, Luke immediately revised the design plan, reducing technology-related aspects and focusing on optimizing the inherent magical properties of the two metals.
His brain worked at tens of thousands of revolutions per second. His focus was absolute; his eyes were only on the blueprint. He didn't notice the passage of time or the lady who appeared behind him.
In the blink of an eye, the sun rose, and then, unknowingly, night fell again.
After countless modifications and reorganizations, the armor frame was finally settled. The next step was continuous refinement, incorporating Daoist Talisman Systems to combine magic and Daoist techniques, creating a unique, supernatural armor.
He had even thought of a name: Phantom IV: Divine Wing Armor.
"Do you always work like this?"
A strange voice startled him. Luke looked back. Seeing Diana standing behind him, he subconsciously asked,
"What are you doing here?"
Diana shook her head helplessly and pointed at the clock. "You should wash up and get some rest."
With that, she turned and left.
Luke glanced at the time, realizing it was already early the next morning. He couldn't help but curse.
"Ava! What are you doing? Why didn't you notify me?"
"She wouldn't let me, and she shielded all communication devices."
Ava's voice was full of grievance. It was all that woman's fault. Why was she being blamed? She was only an AI!
Luke snorted, ignoring her. He walked to the bathroom. After an entire day and night, his body felt sticky and uncomfortable, so he decided to take a hot bath.
After achieving Earth Immortal status, his life potential had greatly increased. Correspondingly, his strength, speed, and durability also grew. He could now easily lift a small car—a level beyond ordinary human understanding, reaching the metahuman tier.
Of course, this strength was nothing compared to a Kryptonian. Luke wasn't interested in competing with them physically. His specialties were soul manipulation, Green Flame, technology, Daoist arts, and magic. As for his body, it was for enjoying life.
After bathing, Luke put on a bathrobe. As he stepped out of the bathroom, a pleasant aroma reached his nose.
Stir-fried pork with onions, stir-fried eggs with tomatoes, and Coke chicken—three simple dishes were laid out on the dining table, yet they were colorful, fragrant, and appetizing.
Luke's mouth twitched, and his expression was full of shock.
"You... you can cook?"
Diana took off her apron. "To avoid revealing my identity, I rarely eat at restaurants. I usually cook for myself at home. I've learned quite a few things over the decades."
"It's been a while since I cooked Chinese food. I hope it tastes alright."
Luke was speechless.
He felt he needed to seriously reconsider his decision from last night.
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