Ding.
"Extraordinary Self-Healing LV14: Rapid recovery regardless of injury."
"Special ability unlocked: Cell Activation."
"Special ability unlocked: Rebirth from a Drop of Blood."
Ten days had passed since Ethan Drake discovered the Oracle System, and in that short span of time his body had undergone a dramatic transformation. Each skill upgrade pushed his Kryptonian physiology further beyond its original limits, unlocking abilities that even the empire's elite soldiers rarely possessed.
Two entirely new powers had emerged once his healing ability reached a certain threshold.
Cell Activation.
Rebirth from a Drop of Blood.
"Oracle," Ethan whispered quietly.
The interface inside his mind immediately expanded, displaying the current state of his abilities.
Host: Ethan Drake.
Extraordinary Self-Healing LV14.
Extraordinary Strength LV13.
Extraordinary Defense LV13.
He slowly clenched his hand into a fist. The moment his fingers tightened, a powerful surge of strength flowed through his muscles, dense and explosive like a compressed storm waiting to break loose.
In just ten days, everything about him had changed.
With the activation of his cells, every single one of the trillions of cells in his body had become extremely active. They functioned like countless tiny engines, constantly absorbing radiation and cosmic energy from the surrounding environment.
Energy from the outside world poured into him without interruption.
For a brief moment, the sensation resembled a warm current spreading through his body, flowing through his bloodstream and tissues before settling deep within his cells.
Ethan could clearly feel his body growing stronger with every passing moment.
"It's time."
His gaze settled on the small plus symbol behind Extraordinary Strength LV13. Without hesitation, he focused his thoughts and pressed it.
Ding.
"Extraordinary Strength LV14."
At that exact moment, the cosmic energy circulating throughout Ethan's body suddenly began rushing toward a single point, as if pulled into a massive vortex.
More than half of the energy vanished instantly.
He understood the reason immediately.
Upgrading skills through the Oracle System required a form of energy expenditure. The system didn't demand currency or resources from the outside world, but it did consume the energy stored within his body.
During the earlier levels, the consumption had been too small to notice.
But after reaching higher levels, the difference became obvious.
The energy saturating his cells visibly drained at the moment the upgrade completed.
"That's still completely acceptable."
Ethan couldn't help but smile.
To him, this system felt like a reward falling straight from the sky.
After all, absorbing energy from the surrounding environment was incredibly easy for him. The universe was filled with radiation and cosmic particles, and his activated cells devoured that energy continuously like a hungry beast.
Especially after unlocking Cell Activation.
His cells now operated with astonishing efficiency, swallowing external energy with the appetite of a cosmic whale.
Barely half a minute passed before Ethan could already feel new energy accumulating inside his body again.
The recovery speed was absurd.
Boom.
Suddenly, the entire reconnaissance vessel trembled violently.
The vibration lasted for nearly thirty seconds before finally stabilizing.
"Alright, hurry up and refuel!"
Captain Edward's voice echoed through the control room as he barked orders at the crew.
The Kryptonian reconnaissance ship had landed on a neutral planet called Dark. Before they could initiate their next faster-than-light jump, the vessel needed to replenish its fuel reserves.
"With all due respect, Captain, this really isn't a good idea."
A Kryptonian scientist stepped forward, his face filled with concern.
Remaining on a neutral planet was extremely risky.
Neutral planets, as the name suggested, existed outside the authority of any major empire. They weren't governed by any galactic regime, and that freedom made them attractive to the worst elements of interstellar society.
Smugglers.
Pirates.
Mercenaries.
Criminal syndicates.
These worlds were infamous for harboring fugitives and outlaws who wished to avoid the attention of powerful civilizations.
The scientist's concerns were perfectly reasonable.
But Captain Edward showed no patience whatsoever.
"Are you the captain or am I the captain?"
Edward snapped viciously, glaring at the scientist with bloodshot eyes. His voice carried a sharp edge of barely restrained rage.
"You bastard. Just go buy the fuel."
With those words, he turned around and stormed out of the room.
The scientist's face flushed red with anger, but he couldn't say anything in response. His fists clenched at his sides as frustration built inside him.
Kryptonian society had always operated under an extremely strict hierarchy.
Every citizen was genetically engineered before birth. Their abilities, talents, and even their careers were predetermined by their genetic code.
A general was born to be a general.
A scientist was born to be a scientist.
A soldier was born to be a soldier.
Social mobility was practically nonexistent.
That rigid structure had governed Krypton for countless generations.
Because of that system, even though the scientist was furious, he still had no choice but to obey the captain's orders.
"Don't take it personally," someone nearby said quietly, attempting to ease the tension. "The captain's probably unstable after hearing about Krypton's destruction."
Another crew member leaned closer and whispered under his breath.
"Honestly, I think he's already lost his mind."
The news of Krypton's annihilation had shaken everyone on the ship. But Captain Edward had taken the blow especially hard, and over the past few weeks his temper had grown increasingly volatile.
Still, that didn't change the reality of their situation.
And unfortunately, the scientist's earlier concerns turned out to be completely justified.
…
Less than half an hour later, chaos erupted.
Boom.
The sharp crack of energy weapons echoed across the landing zone as violent combat suddenly broke out nearby.
Neutral planets were always dangerous places, and criminals lurked everywhere. The reconnaissance vessel's unfamiliar design had quickly attracted unwanted attention.
Several groups of interstellar outlaws had decided the ship looked valuable.
"Run! Someone's targeting us!"
A Kryptonian engineer sprinted toward the ship, panic written across his face.
"It's Kree rebels!"
Not far behind him, a Kryptonian soldier tried desperately to block the pursuing attackers. He raised his weapon and fired several shots in rapid succession.
But before he could retreat, a blazing high-energy beam struck him directly.
The soldier collapsed instantly.
"Damn it!"
Inside the cockpit, Captain Edward watched the scene unfolding outside through the external cameras. His face turned pale as fear gripped him.
For a moment, hesitation flickered across his expression.
Then he shouted, his voice trembling.
"Leave immediately! We're taking off!"
"Captain, they haven't boarded yet!" one of the crew members protested.
"Dog! Are you the captain or am I the captain?" Edward screamed furiously. "How dare you question my orders!"
His rage filled the cockpit.
But before the argument could escalate further, a tall figure suddenly stepped forward and blocked his path.
Edward blinked in surprise.
"What do you want? You planning to act like a dog too?" he snapped reflexively.
Yet as he spoke, something strange happened.
For some reason, standing in front of this young man made him feel an inexplicable pressure.
It was as if the person before him had completely changed in the past few days.
"Soldier… remember your place," Edward said, forcing authority back into his voice. "Return to your post immediately."
Ethan smiled faintly.
Then he moved.
"What are you—"
Edward's sentence never finished.
Ethan's hand shot forward with terrifying speed and wrapped around the captain's throat. The sheer strength behind the grip lifted Edward's entire body off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
"I'll ask you something instead," Ethan said calmly.
A cold smile formed on his face.
"Do you really think you're a great captain?"
Edward's feet dangled helplessly in the air as he struggled to breathe. His hands clawed at Ethan's wrist like a drowning man grasping for anything to survive.
But the grip around his throat was immovable.
Ethan's strength was overwhelming.
Crack.
The sound of snapping bone echoed inside the cockpit.
Edward's body went limp instantly.
Ethan released his grip and tossed the corpse aside like useless trash.
Then he turned toward the stunned crew members and spoke in a steady voice.
"Open the hatch and rescue the others."