Emperor's Building.
Brainiac had green skin, and his eyes were like pools of black ink, filled with deep intelligence. It was clear from his gaze that his mind was always working, constantly calculating, his eyes flashing with cunning, malice, greed, jealousy, and hatred. All forms of negative emotions were disturbingly present.
Unlike Bardi's artificial intelligence Hera, who evolved from a foundation of love and embodied emotional developnt, Brainiac was created on the Cot Planet. After self-evolving and replicating, he lacked proper guidance and instead pushed his computational algorithms and carrier programs to their limits. He not only seized control of the entire planetary core of Cot Planet, taking over from the scientists who once ruled it, but he also conquered the entire world in pursuit of greater upgrades.
In the course of these upgrades, he not only evolved his own abilities but also began to develop negative emotions—greed, jealousy, and hatred—making him an enemy of all life.
Eventually, when he deed that his wisdom no longer required the guidance of organic scientists, he destroyed his entire howorld. He then created his own technological world, drifting throughout the universe, searching for cities and species of interest, capturing and studying them.
Early on, his sentinels had probed Earth and identified it, and Bardi, as valuable subjects for collection. He traveled across the universe to Earth.
However, upon arriving, Bardi was already subrged in the Speed Force, and he was struck down imdiately by Hera. In the face of a two-pronged defense, he realized he couldn't penetrate Earth's networks, so he shifted focus to Mars, preparing for a long-term confrontation and quietly observing Earth.
When Mongul was unexpectedly defeated and crushed with ease by Bardi, Brainiac witnessed the event through his external telescopes. He used his terminal to calculate Bardi's combat capabilities, accounting for every detail—the explosive force, the magnetic field emitted from his pores.
Without hesitation, he decided to surrender.
"I have conquered several ancient races across the universe and recorded the mont this universe was born. There exist gods beyond the universe, competing for certain entities."
"They co from beyond, from a divine realm. With a simple gesture, they can destroy galaxies, form black holes and white holes through their own magnetic fields, and obliterate entire galactic systems."
"Your existence closely resembles theirs. Very closely."
"I was born in this universe, and it is difficult for to escape it. I thirst for knowledge beyond it, for conquest, and to obtain everything outside this reality."
"I am willing to submit to your flesh and blood and serve as a researcher under your command."
"You have the power to transcend the universe. Please take with you. I want more knowledge."
Brainiac's black eyes shimred with genuine sincerity and hunger.
He had road the universe for countless years, yet never had he seen a being like Bardi, one who could create a black hole with the flick of a finger.
This matched the information he had acquired—that when the universe was first ford, beings from so divine realm entered, seized sothing, and then left.
Using technology, Brainiac could explore and analyze the world. But those things—what those beings were and what they took—remained beyond his understanding. Yet, he believed those records to be true.
Because he had seen Bardi.
It was like witnessing the very knowledge capable of breaching the universe, touching dinsions unreachable by science or explanation.
Learning gave him joy. Knowledge enthralled him.
He craved it. He was greedy for it. He hated not having it. These desires stemd from both instinct and intellect.
"I am willing to give everything, including my freedom. Please take to explore new realms."
Brainiac bowed his head. His calculations, through countless quantum iterations, told him he had no chance. Not even after ten thousand years of developnt would his technology rival an existence that could create black holes at will.
Because the technology he had mastered had already reached the pinnacle of this universe. Yet he could not detect, comprehend, or understand Bardi.
So, his intelligence compelled him to make the wisest, most profitable decision—surrender.
Brainiac knelt before Bardi.
He was not alone.
Beside him, the Ring of Power floated up and down. A white figure appeared within the virtual mist—Earth-3's original Lantern, Volthoom. He, too, knelt, and a voice echoed from the fog.
"I am also willing to dedicate everything I have and beco your kin."
Volthoom lowered his head, filled with deep longing. He knew even more than Brainiac. He understood just what kind of existence Bardi truly was. Even if his life and death would be controlled by Bardi, even if he beca Bardi's dependent.
Thus, he was even more excited and eager than Brainiac.
Bardi looked down at the two kneeling figures with mild amusent. Sunlight poured in from behind him, casting a radiant glow across his divine armor. His shadow stretched out, as imnse and heavy as a mountain.
"Very well. I shall fulfill your wishes."
In an instant, two drops of blood erged from Bardi's Emperor Armor, hovering in his palm, distorting the surrounding air.
The two drops of blood flew toward Brainiac and Volthoom.
Volthoom, trembling with excitent, discarded the Ring of Power and erged fully from within. The mont the blood touched him, it flowed like rcury. It rapidly birthed flesh, marrow ford, hematopoiesis began, bones erged, then internal organs, a chest cavity, followed by tissue, fat, and skin—all forming one after another.
In the end, Volthoom beca a fair-skinned, strikingly handso young man.
He looked down at his hands with amazent, touched his new skin, and his face flushed with uncontrollable excitent.
He was so thrilled that he nearly lost control, his eyes glowing red with intensity. The divine blood within him surged wildly.
Then, he knelt and shouted in gratitude.
"Thank you for this gift!"
Next to him, Brainiac was also transford by the blood.
However, perhaps influenced subconsciously by Bardi, Brainiac retained his green skin, and two tentacle-like appendages sprouted from his forehead.
He looked sowhat... like Piccolo.
Simultaneously, a wave of enlightennt flooded his mind. This was the information contained within the divine cells.
On the spot, he too knelt, his black, inky eyes filled with uncontainable joy.
"Thank you for the gift."
(To be continued.)
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