The moment the truth dawned on him, Thanos erupted with fury. Flames of rage seemed to burn through his massive frame, yet beneath that anger lurked something far rarer for the Titan—fear.
A Kryptonian Superman now stood on the same path he walked.
If Thanos insisted on collecting the Infinity Stones, then the road ahead had already been decided. Two beings pursuing the same cosmic goal could not coexist. Eventually their collision would be inevitable, and when that moment arrived, it would be a battle where only one could survive.
"I will kill you," Thanos roared, the promise echoing like thunder in the silence around him.
Elsewhere, someone else had arrived at the same realization.
In the golden realm of Asgard, Thor stood outside an ornate chamber, lingering in uneasy silence. Only after returning to the palace had he learned the shocking truth—his father, the All-Father, had fallen into a deep restorative slumber.
The mighty Odin had been forced into healing sleep after suffering severe injuries.
Thor could hardly believe it.
Who in the universe possessed the power to wound the ruler of Asgard so gravely that he needed to retreat into the Odin-Sleep to recover?
The answer came from Frigga, and it struck Thor like lightning.
A Kryptonian Superman.
A Superman from Earth.
For a moment, Thor felt as if thunder had exploded inside his skull. His mind reeled, struggling to process the revelation.
Impossible.
The Kryptonian warrior who had boldly demanded the Space Stone from him that day had already defeated Odin beforehand. The realization hollowed Thor's chest with shock.
His face darkened.
After suffering humiliation at that man's hands, Thor had clung to the hope that his father could avenge him. Odin, the unmatched god-king of Asgard, would surely crush that arrogant Kryptonian.
Yet the reality was the exact opposite.
What angered Thor even more was the next piece of news.
That same Kryptonian had seized control of Nidavellir, the ancient forge of the dwarves and a territory long tied to Asgard's dominion. Not only had he taken the land, but he had also claimed the God King's legendary weapon—the Storm Axe—for himself.
Thor clenched his jaw as bitterness flooded his thoughts.
If I had known that day… I would have stayed and fought him to the death.
He sighed internally, frustration twisting in his chest.
"Do not let pride blind you," Frigga said gently beside him. She understood her son's temperament all too well. "You are not his opponent."
Those calm words only made the anger burn hotter.
Thor's fists tightened until his knuckles whitened. Every instinct screamed at him to return to Earth immediately and demand an explanation from the man who had humiliated Asgard.
But deep down, Thor understood the truth.
The gap between them was real.
His rage, for now, was nothing more than helpless fury.
Asgard and the Kryptonian Empire would never coexist peacefully.
One day, he would avenge this humiliation.
He swore it silently.
Meanwhile, far from the golden halls of Asgard, consciousness slowly returned to another Kryptonian.
A faint humming sound filled the air.
Clark Kent felt as though centuries had passed. His thoughts floated in a hazy fog before clarity abruptly returned. His eyes snapped open, and he suddenly sat upright on the cold surface of an operating table.
"What… is this?" Clark gasped.
The scientists surrounding the table startled at his sudden movement. Their reactions, however, immediately shifted when a figure appeared at the doorway.
One by one, they bowed respectfully.
"Welcome, Your Majesty."
Yun Chen gave a small nod. Ever since the empire restored its monarchy, Lilith had established a strict system of court etiquette throughout Kryptonian society.
"This is your compatriot, Clark," Yun Chen said calmly as he stepped closer, his gaze settling on the man rising from the operating platform.
"Kryptonian…"
Clark's mind gradually cleared, but an unsettling sensation spread through his body. Something fundamental felt missing, as though a vital part of him had been forcibly removed.
He stared at Yun Chen with disbelief.
"You… you really took the central codex from me?"
"Mind your wording," one of the Kryptonian scientists warned sharply.
Yun Chen lifted a hand, signaling that the correction was unnecessary.
His gaze remained fixed on Clark.
"You should thank these scientists," he said. "They are among the last surviving Kryptonian researchers. Their work allowed you to survive the procedure. Otherwise, even if it cost you your life, I would still have removed the codex from your body."
Clark swallowed hard.
The invisible pressure pressing down on him made breathing difficult. When he looked into Yun Chen's cold eyes, he felt the overwhelming presence of a ruler for the first time in his life.
The weight of that authority crushed every word he wanted to say.
Yun Chen looked down at him from above, his voice calm yet absolute.
"I'm not here to hear your complaints. I only want your answer to one question."
Clark forced himself to stay silent.
"Will you remain on Krypton," Yun Chen continued, "or will you return to Earth?"
Clark's expression shifted instantly.
He had not expected that question.
"The Kryptonian Empire must rise again," Yun Chen said evenly. "From the ashes of destruction, we will rebuild our former glory. That future demands talent, and you possess abilities worthy of that responsibility."
His voice remained steady, almost indifferent.
"We have many enemies. The path ahead will be paved with blood and war."
Clark's heart sank at those words.
His thoughts drifted to the stories Yun Chen had told him about his father, Jor‑El.
"So cruel…" Clark murmured.
After a long pause, he finally raised his head.
"What if I want to go back to Earth?"
His parents had chosen a natural birth for him, defying Krypton's rigid genetic hierarchy. They wanted their son to choose his own future rather than be bound by a predetermined role.
Clark had thought about it countless times.
In the end, his answer had never changed.
He still wanted to be an ordinary man of Earth.
"I'll go back," Clark said quietly. "Definitely."
Something strange flickered in Yun Chen's eyes.
The expression was subtle, but it made a chill crawl down Clark's spine. His heart tightened as if an invisible giant hand had suddenly clenched around it.
"You are one of the last Kryptonians," Yun Chen said after a moment. "Our people are far too few."
His voice remained calm.
"For that reason, I will not kill you."
As the words fell, the suffocating pressure surrounding Clark vanished instantly, as if the air itself had been released.
"But you have also been stripped of your Kryptonian identity," Yun Chen continued. "From this day forward, you may live on Earth."
Without waiting for a response, Yun Chen turned and walked away.
"Escort the guest out," he said.
Moments later, the reconnaissance vessel lifted into the sky with a deep mechanical hum.
Clark Kent stood alone on the frozen glacier below. The icy wind whipped around him as he watched the ship disappear into the clouds.
A faint regret stirred inside his chest.
If he had been given another chance… perhaps he would have made a different choice.
Inside the reconnaissance vessel USS Aquarius, a Kryptonian scientist approached Yun Chen and delivered his report.
"Your Majesty, since the codex was removed, Clark's cellular activity has dropped significantly," the scientist explained. "In practical terms, his future potential strength will be greatly reduced."
Jor-El had clearly acted out of paternal selfishness. Otherwise, he would never have embedded the central codex within his own son's body.
It was the quiet favoritism of a father.
"Are you worried he might die on Earth?" Yun Chen asked casually.
"That is unlikely," the scientist replied with a faint smile. "However, there is good news. Two Kryptonian warriors—Derek and Spencer—have awakened extraordinary abilities. Both of them have developed heat vision."
"Good," Yun Chen said.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Derek and Spencer had once been elite soldiers under General Zod. They were among the strongest warriors of the former Kryptonian Empire. After learning the lesson from Faora's earlier evolution, Yun Chen had transferred the remaining high-level fighters to the lunar base.
Those soldiers had remained there for some time.
Today, at last, two new Supermen had emerged.
Kryptonians created from "soldier" genetic templates had almost no chance of evolutionary mutation. Only individuals engineered as high-ranking generals possessed that possibility.
That was why Yun Chen planned to incubate twenty "general" class Kryptonians at once.
"Then Clark's existence no longer matters," Yun Chen said coldly.
His eyes gleamed with icy light.
Originally, he had intended to plunder civilizations and seize the resources of other inhabited planets to replenish Krypton's dwindling reserves. Now, just when he had begun worrying about the empire's lack of talent, fate had delivered the perfect solution.
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