In the morning, sunlight poured through the windowsill, illuminating the top floor of the Emperor Building with brightness and clarity. Dust danced in the air, wriggling slightly in the light.
Bardi's skin glowed as it absorbed the sun's energy.
He lifted the quilt. The blanket was in disarray. Stretching his spine. Feeling quite refreshed, he looked at Raven lying beside him and gave her white backside a pat. Raven turned over and kept sleeping.
Seeing that she had no intention of getting up, Bardi got out of bed by himself, walked into the bathroom, and took a shower.
He thought while washing.
When he completed his control over the Earth, he had accidentally discovered traces of the Flash and Batman. He had condensed lightning and struck Batman to death. The Flash had once again traveled through time, disappearing without a trace.
On August 1, he had spent the entire day meticulously checking for differences across the world. However, there was no change in his consciousness—no new memories emerged. If any had, his soul would have needed to grant permission for them to enter his mind.
With no changes, he had no way of knowing what the Flash's final act was. After a day, Bardi could only raise his guard quietly and gradually return to normal.
After his shower, Bardi put on a bathrobe and entered the living room, just as little Hera opened the door.
"What are you still doing here? You didn't forget the interview, did you?"
Little Hera placed her hands on her hips, glared at him a few times, and then directly dragged Bardi—still in his bathrobe—away.
She didn't mind him doing the interview dressed like that, since it was with a friend. Bardi didn't bother changing into formal attire and let Hera pull him to her room.
Inside, the excited Louis was sitting on a chair with a serious expression, staring at Bardi with eager, burning eyes.
"Look, this is the living legend, His Majesty Barmulodi," Hera said nonchalantly. "Hurry up with the interview, we're going to the amusement park afterward."
Bardi smiled, spread his hands, rubbed Hera's hair, and greeted Louis.
Louis had tried several times to suppress her excitement. To her knowledge, this was the first time Bardi had agreed to a casual, life-centered interview. It might just win her a Pulitzer.
There was no doubt that this would be an unprecedented look into His Majesty Bardi's personal life. No editor would dare to place another story above this.
Just thinking about it made Louis thrilled—she could become a Pulitzer Prize winner at twelve.
Though it was partly due to connections, and partly thanks to Bardi's candid side, it was still a kind of strength.
"Ahem, let's begin the interview." Louis feigned a few coughs, suppressing her excitement and showing her young reporter professionalism.
Bardi nodded and smiled at her.
"Your Majesty, what's the first thing you do in the morning?"
"Open my eyes... Just kidding. I take a shower to refresh myself."
"What do you eat for breakfast?"
"Depends on my mood. Sometimes barbecue, seafood, sushi. It varies."
"Morning work schedule? Latest work plans?"
"Inspecting policy implementation. The latest plan... I'm building an underwater tourism city at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, so my people can see the ocean world."
"Isn't that a bit late? You could develop outer space too. Then we could enjoy space scenery."
"Yes. The current individual Iron Man armor is already enough for ordinary people to travel in space. I won't be stingy. More people should see more sights and broaden their horizons."
It was a very ordinary interview. After it ended, Louis and Bardi took a photo together, and then she left with little Hera.
Just another ordinary day.
Underground Research Institute
After acquiring Doomsday cells and Hael's brain data, research on the Doomsday cell process made significant progress. They were now capable of creating a serum more refined than the one Jor-El had produced.
"After calculations, the gene repair chain of the Doomsday cells and their adaptation to body factors have succeeded."
"Judging from how Lex was turned into a monster by a defective gene serum, but still developed a stable Doomsday genome and regained vitality—gaining evolution potential and regenerative energy—it's clear that our research is essentially complete."
Jenny, wearing a white lab coat and holding a tablet, explained.
After Lex's failed Doomsday cell experiment turned him into a monster, Bardi had imprisoned him and used him as a test subject.
Jenny, who had a passion for living organisms and a talent for biological research, took over Lex's role and joined the Doomsday Cell Research Lab.
"We've eliminated the cytokines responsible for Doomsday's rage, the emotional factors that made Lex uncontrollable. His mental instability and bloodlust were greatly reduced. While this weakens the overall strength of the Doomsday cells, it won't impair sanity. Of course, this only applies to someone with a soul as powerful as yours, Bardi. Ordinary people still can't receive Doomsday injections."
Bardi nodded. That same day, he was injected with the Doomsday Serum, allowing the cells to gradually improve, evolve, and strengthen his physique.
When he had lifted the Earth, even his powerful Kryptonian body had felt suffocated under its immense weight.
Carrying Earth wasn't easy.
The Doomsday Serum was just what he needed to move to the next level. Carrying the Earth now became much easier.
That day, Bardi was injected with the serum without incident.
The group disguised themselves. The three women walked hand in hand through streets, chatting curiously and observing cultures different from Metropolis.
Emperor Building, Nightfall, Dinner Time
Raven, Pamela, and Jenny had prepared a gourmet dinner. The women sat at the table, chatting happily as they ate.
"Bardi, why didn't you invite Faora to dinner?" Jenny asked curiously. They all knew Faora and Bardi had some history on Krypton.
"Leaving Faora alone on the Moon to restore Krypton's honor… Is that really okay?" Pamela asked.
"We could invite her."
Raven took out her communicator and contacted Faora, but was politely declined.
Bardi shook his head slightly and said helplessly, "It takes time—for both of us."
Raven nodded as well, then suddenly turned serious. "That's right. Looks like we're in for it tonight."
Pamela and Jenny tried to hold back their laughter, covering their mouths, but they couldn't help it.
Bardi calmly forked a piece of beef and ate it.
The next day, none of the three women could get out of bed.
Suddenly, Bardi's expression froze. A sonic boom erupted from the Emperor Building as he shot into the sky, flying toward the outskirts of Metropolis.
From the air, his enhanced vision scanned far and wide.
Suddenly, he saw a tear rip open on Highway 6 in the suburbs of Metropolis.
The Flash emerged from the tear, eyes bloodshot and electric arcs crackling around him. He ran like a madman, leaving scorched trails across the highway, then tore through space again and vanished before Bardi's eyes.
This was the first time Bardi had seen the Flash since he vanished a month ago—and he still didn't understand what the Flash was trying to do!
That same day, Bardi remained puzzled.
This strange phenomenon defied all calculations.
In the end, he could only continue living his normal life.
Bardi closed his eyes and fell asleep.