Unknowingly, Kara has been away from Earth for five years.
At first, the Metropolis residents felt some discomfort when Kara's new food column was discontinued after the second month.
The reason was simple: no one could replicate Kara's unique ability to create food guides that captivated the public. Beyond her food reviews, the key to her success lay in crafting recipes paired with detailed experiences of the cooking process.
Some people called her recipe series "Kara's Tutorial for Beginners"—not implying Kara was a beginner, but rather that even someone with no experience could make delicious dishes by following her steps.
This required not only culinary expertise but also exceptional writing skills. A great chef might not possess the storytelling ability to write a compelling column.
After a short search for a replacement, Perry gave up. Unlike the travel column, which could be managed by others, the food column relied solely on Kara's touch.
In the beginning, many worried about Kara's sudden disappearance, speculating whether something terrible had happened.
But as time passed, interest waned. People moved on with their lives, some collecting her previous columns to use as go-to recipes at home.
Others even joked, calling it "The Cookbook of the God of Cooking."
Kara's family and close friends, however, knew her whereabouts.
Using the Green Lantern ring, she asked Hal Jordan to serve as a communication bridge. Since the Green Lantern ring could transmit messages across vast distances, Kara could still call home.
Clark and her adoptive parents knew she was at the core of the Sun.
Kara had been studying the Sun intensively. After exploring every corner of its surface, she delved into its core.
But the Sun is vast, with a mass 1.3 million times that of Earth.
Even with her abilities, thoroughly studying it was a monumental task. Over the past five years, Kara had barely rested, dedicating herself entirely to understanding its structure.
Kara was analyzing the layers of the Sun and had finally reached its core.
The Sun's surface temperature is about 6,000 degrees Celsius, while its core reaches at least 20 million degrees Celsius, with pressures equivalent to 300 billion atmospheres.
For Kara, this environment was manageable. At her current state, she stood 1,000 meters tall—a true super titan.
She could grow even larger, but greater height meant greater pressure. Kara chose a manageable size to ensure efficiency, though she could theoretically perform "workouts" at 10,000 meters tall, effectively lifting the Sun as exercise.
Her strength had grown immeasurably, and her prolonged exposure to solar radiation had transformed her appearance. Her golden hair now glowed, and her cloak shimmered with the same brilliance.
However, Kara reverted her appearance to a more normal state, except for the golden "S" on her chest, to avoid standing out too much when she returned to Earth.
"Almost done," Kara murmured, unaware that five years had passed since she immersed herself in the Sun's study.
Her work was groundbreaking. She now understood the Sun better than any Earth scientist, especially the relationship between different types of solar radiation and Kryptonian physiology.
Kara deduced that red solar radiation emitted substances that drained vitality from Kryptonian cells, contrasting with the golden solar radiation, which bolstered them.
She also realized the detrimental effects of kryptonite, a material that emitted radiation harmful to Kryptonian biology.
With this knowledge, Kara believed she could eventually create her own miniaturized Sun, eliminating the need to remain in the Sun for sustenance.
"It's time to go home," Kara said, stretching. Despite her incredible endurance, even she felt the toll of over five years of sleeplessness, during which she often rested for mere seconds at a time.
Kara had long surpassed the need for food or sleep, deriving energy solely from solar radiation. Yet she maintained the habit of eating, using the Sun's magma and flames as sustenance. At the core, she resisted the urge to consume the Sun itself, aware of the catastrophic consequences such an act would have on the solar system.
"The Sun isn't the center of the universe, just the solar system," she reminded herself. Disturbing its core could disrupt its orbit within the galaxy, causing unimaginable destruction.
Fortunately, Kara understood the gravity of such actions.
"But before going back, I need to visit Oa," she said, narrowing her eyes. Her mind turned to the golden egg she had left there five years ago. Surely, it must have hatched by now?
What about the second-generation Parallax entity? Would it still seek vengeance for its predecessor? Kara preferred to eliminate threats entirely, leaving no room for hidden dangers.
She had to ensure her Earth-bound family remained safe, knowing they would be easy targets for an entity like Parallax.
"Oa," Kara muttered as she emerged from the Sun's surface, her gaze scanning the universe.
Her enhanced vision now allowed her to perceive the farthest reaches of the cosmos, though she avoided using it at full power to prevent sensory overload.
Within seconds, Kara pinpointed Oa's location. Unlike before, when she relied on the Green Lantern ring for transportation, she now moved of her own accord, transforming into a streak of golden light and reaching Oa in less than a second.
Today's Kara could already operate normally in outer space without relying on the defense of the power ring. At her current speed, it took less than a second to travel from the sun of the solar system in the Milky Way to Oa, known as the center of the universe.
This terrifying speed alone was enough to shock anyone.
She didn't use any form of spatial jumping ability or technology related to the power ring but instead relied entirely on her own strength to fly the distance.
Upon arriving on Oa, Kara went straight to the sacred sanctuary of the Guardians.
Several years had passed since her last visit, and the Guardians had returned to their usual, dignified presence, standing tall on the high platform of the sanctuary as if they were above reproach.
However, when Kara suddenly appeared before them, the Guardians couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths or their eyes in discomfort.
"What brings you here?" one of the Guardians asked, his tone clearly unwelcoming.
Kara raised an eyebrow. "Really? Is this how you treat someone who helped you out before?"
It was evident they were ungrateful, and Kara couldn't help but feel like she was being treated like a tool to be discarded once her usefulness was over. She wasn't one to let herself be dismissed so easily.
"I wouldn't have come here if it wasn't necessary," she said, her tone sharp. "But I'm curious about the golden egg. Has the new Parallax Entity hatched?"
Her bluntness took the Guardians by surprise, and they exchanged wary glances.
Finally, one of them sighed. "Let her see it. Otherwise, we won't be able to get rid of her."
Kara smirked, placing her hands on her hips. "It's not like you could stop me anyway."
The Guardians maintained their stoic expressions, refusing to acknowledge her provocation. As they claimed to have no personal emotions, they dismissed her words without reaction.
A female Guardian floated forward and gestured for Kara to follow. "Come with me."
Without hesitation, Kara followed, recognizing the path as leading toward the Central Power Battery—the source of all Green Lantern ring power.
She had been there once before, where she had seen countless records of the Green Lantern Corps' history and the universe itself. However, she wasn't sure why she was being led there now.
"Wait a second," Kara said suddenly. "Are you using Ion to suppress the Parallax Entity?"
Ion was the Lantern Entity of the Green Lantern Corps, embodying the green energy of willpower. If Parallax was the embodiment of fear, then Ion was its counterpart, the embodiment of unyielding will.
Unlike Parallax, which sought to spread fear throughout the universe, Ion's energy was benevolent, often bonding with its hosts without corrupting them.
"Interesting choice," Kara mused aloud.
The female Guardian remained silent as they continued, eventually arriving at the Central Power Battery. Its immense energy glowed a brilliant green, so intense that it seemed almost tangible. Within its core, a faint yellow light shimmered, restrained by the overwhelming willpower surrounding it.
Without waiting for permission, Kara reached into the battery and pulled out the small, struggling form of the new Parallax Entity. It was no larger than the size of her palm.
"Gotcha!" Kara grinned, holding the squirming entity firmly in her grasp. "Well, aren't you a cute little thing? Do you remember me?"
The tiny creature trembled as it raised its head to look at her. Upon recognizing Kara, it immediately froze and played dead.
Kara blinked, amused. "Seriously? Are you pretending to faint?"
Before she could say more, the Parallax Entity suddenly wriggled free and darted back toward the Central Power Battery, its apparent safe haven. Rather than fleeing in any other direction, it chose to return to its confinement rather than risk facing Kara again.
The female Guardian was stunned. "The embodiment of fear is… afraid of you? What exactly did you do to it?"
Kara smirked. "Nothing much. I just ate the last Parallax Entity. It tasted pretty good when dipped in solar magma—crispy, yet tender."
The Guardian nearly choked at her casual tone. "You ate it? That's insane!"
Kara shrugged, unimpressed by the shock. Her reputation as a ruthless and unpredictable force preceded her. After all, she wore rings from nearly every Lantern Corps on her fingers and had once threatened to raze Oa to the ground in the past.
Her history with the Parallax Entity was no exception. The new one, being born from its predecessor, seemed to instinctively recognize her as a predator.
"Well," Kara said, glancing at the fainted entity in her palm, "I wonder how this one would taste. Should I fry it? Or maybe grill it?"
The tiny creature twitched, its fear palpable despite its diminutive size.
"Don't scare it to death," the female Guardian said nervously. For all their wisdom, even the Guardians found Kara's unpredictable nature intimidating.
Kara, however, was indifferent to their unease. For her, the Parallax Entity wasn't just a source of power—it was also a source of amusement. Despite its fearful nature, the tiny golden creature had a strange charm. Perhaps it would make an interesting pet—or, more likely, an even better meal.
For now, she decided to keep it alive, but only because she wasn't done with it yet.
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