"Where is the Codex?" Faora-Ul halted her punch mid-swing, her gaze locking onto General Swanwick with cold intensity.
General Swanwick secretly exhaled a breath he'd been holding, his confidence returning as he straightened his posture. "If you want to know where the Codex is, just wait. He will be here soon."
"You know the consequences of deceiving me, right?" Faora-Ul snorted.
General Swanwick remained silent. While the earlier report released by Lois Lane had mentioned the Codex, it hadn't revealed the truth—that it was housed within Superman's body. The article had only stated that the object had arrived on Earth alongside the Kryptonian.
The reasoning was simple: the government wanted the public to acknowledge the existence of aliens without inciting mass panic. If the general population knew that the genetic makeup of the entire Kryptonian race was contained within a single man, the situation would spiral out of control.
Consequently, General Swanwick and many others knew what the Codex was, but not its location. As long as Superman didn't defect and voluntarily reveal the Codex's whereabouts, their best bet was to simply wait for Jack Kadere to arrive.
General Swanwick glanced instinctively at Superman. The Kryptonian looked slightly surprised, but he maintained his composure, remaining silent.
The sun beat down mercilessly, and time dragged on minute by minute.
Faora-Ul's patience was wearing thin. Just as she was about to speak, her eyes cold, a small wormhole suddenly materialized beside her. The rift churned like a storm cloud, and a figure leaped out of it instantly.
Jack Kadere had arrived, holding Lois Lane and Carol Ferris.
The two women looked around in wide-eyed surprise. This method of teleportation was far too magical!
Spotting Faora-Ul and the massive Kryptonian scout ship looming behind her, Lois and Carol quickly retreated to the safety of the human camp. Lois Lane raised her camera, preparing to capture the scene.
"Do you know where the Codex is?"
Although Jack Kadere's sudden appearance surprised Faora-Ul, she gave him a cursory glance and dismissed him. His physical stats appeared no different from the average human of this world; he posed no threat to her.
"Kryptonite doesn't work," General Swanwick added, breathing a sigh of relief as he hurriedly reminded the newcomer.
"Doesn't work?" Jack Kadere turned, retrieving the Kryptonite dagger from his grip. He chuckled, looking at the wary Superman, who took a slight step back to maintain distance.
"It's not that it doesn't work. It's just that you didn't find the right way to use it!"
"Earthling, you had better answer my question." Seeing him ignore her, Faora-Ul let out a cold snort and reached out to grab Jack Kadere.
Jack Kadere tossed the Kryptonite dagger high into the air and lifted his arm to parry Faora-Ul's hand.
Faora-Ul paused for a split second, a sneer curling the corner of her mouth. She instantly shifted her attack.
In a flash, the two exchanged blows, trading strikes with fists and feet.
As a Kryptonian military commander, Faora-Ul's combat skills were formidable. However, Jack Kadere was also a master of combat. They fought with speed, precision, and ferocity; every move was lethal and dazzling, possessing an indescribable beauty.
This was different from fighting Superman. Fighting Superman was purely a contest of strength and abilities.
Simple and crude. There was no technique to speak of!
In the midst of the fight, Jack Kadere glanced up at the Kryptonite dagger beginning its descent. Faora-Ul noticed it as well.
Is he planning to defeat me before the dagger hits the ground?
What an arrogant Earthling!
With a cold snort, Faora-Ul accelerated. Her figure seemed to dissolve into afterimages, moving with dazzling speed.
Crack!
Jack Kadere suddenly traded a heavy punch with Faora-Ul, exerting even more force than before. Caught off guard, Faora-Ul stumbled back. When she recovered, Jack Kadere was gone.
The sudden disappearance startled her. Just as she scanned the area for him, a flash of yellow lightning streaked across her vision.
The next moment, Faora-Ul felt a barrage of fists pummeling her body like raindrops. In an instant, it felt as though she had taken at least a hundred blows.
This... what kind of speed is this?
Enduring the pain, Faora-Ul tried to counterattack, but she could only see yellow lightning rapidly revolving around her. Fists came from all directions, too fast to track.
Whoosh!
The lightning vanished, and Jack Kadere stopped abruptly.
Faora-Ul staggered. The armor covering her body suddenly shattered, fragments falling to the ground.
Clad only in her black bodysuit, Faora-Ul let out a muffled grunt and dropped to one knee. The breathing mask on her face had also been damaged and shattered. Sunlight struck her exposed skin, instantly causing her uncontrollable discomfort.
Her hands trembled slightly, and her vision blurred.
Jack Kadere raised a hand and caught the falling Kryptonite dagger. With his other hand, he grabbed Faora-Ul by the head, tilting her body backward.
With a flick of his wrist, the blade descended.
Squelch.
The Kryptonite dagger pierced directly into Faora-Ul's body.
"Agh..." Faora-Ul screamed in agony, twitching and trembling uncontrollably.
"See that? It's not that the Kryptonite dagger is useless. It's just that your opening method is wrong." Jack Kadere chuckled, glancing at General Swanwick.
"Only Kryptonians who have absorbed the yellow sun and gained superpowers will fear Kryptonite. That's why Superman was afraid before, but she wasn't!"
"Must feel awful." Ignoring the varied reactions of the onlookers, Jack Kadere looked down at Faora-Ul's pain-contorted face and chuckled.
"You've never experienced this kind of pain and weakness before, have you?"
"You..."
Faora-Ul struggled to grab Jack Kadere's wrist, but she didn't even possess the strength to lift her arm.
The Kryptonite was not only making her weak and causing pain; it seemed to be absorbing her vitality. She could taste death approaching.
"The Codex... where is the Codex..." She tilted her head back, asking with every ounce of strength she had left.
Jack Kadere smiled brilliantly and opened his mouth. Faora-Ul fought off the urge to faint and listened intently.
"I... won't tell you!"
The Kryptonite dagger twitched slightly and was then yanked out. Faora-Ul let out a shrill scream and collapsed to the ground, motionless.
"Is... is she dead?" General Swanwick asked tentatively.
"Who knows." Jack Kadere replied irresponsibly. He looked at the complex expression on Superman's face and frowned. "Why aren't you wearing your red trunks yet?"
"Why did you kill her!" Although Superman knew Zod was not a good man, seeing Faora-Ul slaughtered by Jack Kadere filled him with rage. He had learned from Lex Luthor that Jack Kadere wasn't Kryptonian, yet he had killed one of Superman's few remaining kin!
"Yo, wanna fight?" Jack Kadere looked at Superman with great interest, the eagerness in his eyes obvious. "I really want to stretch my muscles right now!"