In the Starry Sky World, having a clone was far more than a luxury—it was a talent, a force-multiplier granted by the very fabric of the universe.
Cloning here wasn't artificial. It was a biological inheritance bestowed by the Original Universe itself.
Each Special Lifeform could eventually create three clones—one during the Planet stage, another at the Universe stage, and a final one at the World Master stage.
All it took was a sample of genetic material from another being. With that, they could nurture a perfect clone tuned to their own genetic blueprint.
In the native story of this universe, the original protagonist, Luo Feng, had ascended to the pinnacle thanks largely to this rare ability.
Now, Malrick had it too.
But that wasn't all.
Malrick's Kryptonian bloodline had undergone a complete overhaul during the Source Will's transformation.
It hadn't been replaced—far from it. Instead, it had been enhanced, restructured to match the local laws and rules.
His iconic Steel Body was now Body of Light, adapting his physiology to the natural flow of photons and energy.
As he floated in the void, he could now feel the radiant trails of the Law of Light, flowing like streams around him.
His Bio-field, previously tied to raw vitality, had evolved into a Temporal Bio-field, giving him influence over time itself within a limited radius. It improved his attunement to the Law of Time, making its traces easier to perceive and eventually command.
Even powers like Heat Vision and Freezing Breath were no longer just physical phenomena. They had become innate talents, refined by the Source Will to act as amplifiers of his interaction with elemental laws—Light, Fire, Water, and Time.
But the most surprising part was that Sun-Bathing Evolution, a cornerstone of his Kryptonian DNA, had not been altered. It had been supercharged.
The genetic restrictions that once capped his solar absorption were gone.
Now, standing in space and soaking in the sunlight, Malrick felt like the entire universe bent its energy around him—feeding him, elevating him.
Every second, his strength increased.
His instincts took over.
Facing the Sun, he spread his arms wide.
Radiation surged into him, nourishing every cell. His power expanded wildly.
Then—suddenly—it converged in his chest.
A transparent, rhomboid-shaped crystal emerged from within him, glowing with divine energy and wrapped in golden light.
Malrick immediately recognized it.
The Original Nucleus.
This was the evolutionary core of high-tier lifeforms in the Starry Sky World—the soul's anchor, and the birthplace of the Inner World.
It had formed during his transformation, absorbing his soul and anchoring it to this new realm.
Unless the Nucleus itself was shattered, even a destroyed body could regenerate. The Nucleus was his essence now—immortal and untouchable.
As energy continued to flow into the Nucleus, Malrick discovered another gift.
He could now project his awareness outward, dozens of kilometers from his body.
Wherever this power reached, the surrounding space lit up in his mind with perfect clarity.
"Telekinesis," he murmured. "I've awakened mental force..."
That confirmed it—he had also inherited the Mental Cultivator talent line.
And it didn't stop there.
As more energy poured into his form, Malrick's body instinctively began cultivating Genetic Primal Energy, the native power system of the Starry Sky World.
This energy system wasn't about manipulating magic or collecting ancient relics. It was about refining your genes until entire planets, stars, and eventually entire worlds were formed within your body.
The hierarchy was clear: Planet, Star, Universe, Domain Lord, World Master.
Each step brought absurd levels of power.
A typical Cosmic-tier being could obliterate a continent with a single attack.
A Domain Lord could alter planetary oceans.
A World Master could wipe out species with a casual punch.
And beyond that, punching a planet into fragments was just the warm-up.
Malrick's consciousness dipped into the Original Nucleus.
Inside, it resembled a vast inner void—like a personal cosmos.
Above and below this internal space floated two glowing celestial objects.
They were Planetary Cores, each shining faintly.
"Are these my mental and physical power reaching the Planetary level?" he guessed.
He watched as both cores grew rapidly—two... five... nine.
Nine was the cap for Planetary stage.
Now there were eighteen planets—nine above and nine below—rotating in synchronized orbits like a binary galaxy system.
Suddenly, the rotation accelerated.
Time and light seemed to twist together, dancing around him.
Boom.
Without fire or debris, the planets collapsed—compressed into raw energy that surged like a collapsing supernova.
From that chaos, two miniature stars were born.
One above, one below.
They spun slowly, their gravity, radiation, and magnetic fields stabilizing in real time.
These weren't just glowing balls of energy. They were functioning stars—with all their properties.
Malrick's Kryptonian cells immediately responded.
He could feel the light of the internal stars resonating with his DNA.
The Starry Sky System and his Superman physiology were a match made in cosmic heaven.
A self-cultivated star that bathed him in endless power?
In any other universe, it would be nonsense.
Here, it was destiny.
To test its limits, he shielded himself from the external Sun and focused only on the light from the star inside his body.
He quickly discovered its strengths and limitations.
It could accelerate absorption of ambient energy and boost recovery, but it couldn't instantly repair injuries or replenish large amounts of lost power.
Also, because it wasn't a yellow sun—just an artificial stellar body—its effect on his Kryptonian traits was limited.
"No free ride then," Malrick muttered. "I can't just bask in my own glow and skyrocket."
Still, he wasn't discouraged.
The system worked through progressive evolution, not hacks or shortcuts.
The more his Primal Energy increased, the stronger his genes became, and the faster his body could evolve.
Each breath now made his Kryptonian bloodline sharper, more efficient.
He was becoming the Superman he always envisioned.
At his current 100x gene multiplier, his potential already rivaled the Superman of the DC Universe—likely beneath Silver Age levels, but easily comparable to the Henry Cavill version.
And he was still evolving.
Minutes passed.
His internal stars grew stronger.
Before long, a second pair of Mental Power Star and Primal Force Star condensed in tandem.
Stage two of the Stellar stage—achieved in just thirty minutes.
His telekinetic force and physical strength now exceeded 400 million tons.
The more his Genetic Primal Energy matured, the faster his genes optimized themselves.
At this rate, he'd advance one stage every thirty minutes—just by floating near the Sun.
"Completely insane," he whispered.
Exploring deeper into the Original Nucleus, he felt a strange ripple connecting to something else.
Following the ripple, his consciousness entered a new space—his Inner World.
Usually, only World Masters could open such a space through their Life Core.
But with an Original Nucleus, Malrick had gained one early.
He gazed down from above.
It was about ten kilometers in every direction. The ground and sky shimmered with radiant light—the Law of Light was embedded in its very structure.
This was his domain, his personal realm. Every inch of energy within it answered only to him.
He grinned.
"When it expands, I'll drag a yellow Sun in here. Constant solar radiation, zero distance."
He exited the Nucleus, satisfied.
There was no need to dabble in magic or summon dimensional demons for strength.
He was well on his way to becoming one himself.
Then, a voice returned.
[You may remain for thirty more years.]
The Source Will had returned—with its usual icy bluntness.
"Seriously? You're charging me for the transformation now?"
Malrick sighed. He finally realized just how eager the Source Will was to be rid of him.
Even passive benefits were being deducted from his stay.
But he wasn't planning to overstay his welcome anyway.
The Starry Sky Universe was colossal, and time probably flowed the same as it did in Marvel.
Considering how much energy he spent to get here, returning to the same moment might not be possible.
If he stayed a few centuries, he might come back to Earth only to find Tony Stark's bones turned to dust.
[You came here to grow stronger. I provide the resources. Time is the cost.]
Malrick rolled his eyes.
"Fine, fine. I'm already at Stellar stage, so I'll need a clone."
He paused and smiled.
"Mind sending me clone material from the Nethersea? Something also at Stellar level?"
[You may stay an additional three years.]
"Three years? That escalated fast," he muttered. "Alright. Deal. When do I get it?"
[ Tomorrow.]
"Like overnight shipping? Great. Then how about another clone material—say, from the World Tree?"
[You do not have enough time.]
"...Feels like I'm in some interdimensional store with not enough credits."
[ Suggest a suitable alternative.]
"Alright—how about something big and strong, fit for battle?"
[ Agreed. Three more months.]
"Only three months left? Barely enough time for a beach trip."
Still, Malrick smiled.
"Thanks. Really. This... means a lot. When I reach the top, I'll remember this."
For once, his gratitude was genuine.
He didn't plan on shortchanging the Source Will, or swearing some empty debt of honor.
He simply meant what he said.
He reclined in space again, closing his eyes.
Tomorrow, he'd receive the materials.
Then it would be time to return to Earth—to find out what point in time he'd landed in, and to seek knowledge, strength, and perhaps something more.
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