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Chapter 417: The Arrival of Zod
Never underestimate the harsh environment of the Sphere of the Gods.
That is the world of the Singular Gods. The blessed life forms under the command of the various Singular Gods are brimming with talent, each born with immense secrets and potential.
Even the weakest of the blessed in the Sphere of the Gods far surpass the myriad beings of the Multiverse, for they are marked with the precious seal of a Singular God.
Although the Singular Gods usually couldn't be bothered with trivial matters, it was inevitable that some of their brilliant and ambitious blessed ones would stir up trouble.
Many among them possessed talents that would leave one dumbfounded.
Tony had no doubt that if they managed to capture a few Transformers for research, they could actually tamper with them. From there, they, or even the Singular Gods behind them, could reverse-engineer the secrets he held.
For example, his genetic structure, his life form, and so on.
Singular Gods were exceedingly rare, each an ancient and eternal being. No matter how many times the Multiverse had been rebooted, no matter how many hundreds of millions of years had passed, not a single new Singular God would be born.
In other words, every Singular God was a priceless treasure. Whether captured for study or killed and devoured, they were comparable to the greatest of treasures.
No two Singular Gods were ever identical, and none of them wanted their secrets exposed. Yet, every Singular God was intensely curious about the secrets of others, hoping to find something that would allow them to advance further.
Although all Singular Gods were noble, there was a hierarchy to their power.
It was like the imperial families of ancient Earth; there were freeloaders who did nothing but eat and wait for death, and there were also valiant, invincible generals who could conquer on the battlefield.
While they were equally noble, a general could kill a freeloader with a single hand.
One after another, the supreme worlds—Apokolips, New Genesis, Heaven, Hell, the Underworld, the Netherworld... and these were just the ones known to all. Some deeply hidden special realms lurked in the corners of the Sphere of the Gods, spying on everything.
In the future, Cybertron was bound to ascend into a Singular Realm, but a newly born, unique, and eternal world would inevitably face all sorts of malicious probing.
If it couldn't withstand it, it would be over. There would be no escape.
Tony pondered silently for a long time, until Raven grew impatient and began shaking his arm frantically. Only then did he snap back to his senses.
All sorts of thoughts were jumbled together, especially the research into Divine Power and Mystic Energy, which was a project so vast it was mind-boggling.
But no matter how difficult, it had to be done.
"Let's go back. Back to Earth."
Tony suddenly stood up. He turned and nodded to The Elder in farewell, then, under the expectant gazes of Raven and Cosmo, he precisely located Earth, opened a Portal, and stepped through first.
Raven and the tail-wagging Cosmo trotted happily after him.
"I'll come back to see you!"
Raven's eyes were slightly red as she waved to The Elder before jumping into the Portal.
They would meet again. Since Tony said so, it would definitely happen. Although she hadn't known Tony for long, she had immense faith in him.
For someone who could even defeat Trigon, what was there that he couldn't do?
...
At this moment, Earth was far from peaceful; it was in a state of turmoil.
Across the globe, especially along the coasts of Europe and America, the lingering devastation and ruined buildings were still visible.
Under the leadership of their ambitious new king, Orm, Atlantis had indeed inflicted enormous damage on the Surface World. Over twenty-two million people were killed directly, and the number of injured was even greater.
Coastal areas were home to many large cities; New York City alone had a population of over twenty million. Honestly, for only twenty-two million people to have died in this global crisis was already quite surprising.
But the shocking number plunged everyone into a long silence.
The more they looked, the more they realized their own insignificance and frailty.
The fierce battle that erupted in the Atlantic Ocean—be it the legion-level combat between the Transformers and Atlantis, or the demigod-level clash between Clark and Orm—sent massive shockwaves throughout the world.
Everyone was thoroughly awakened. They were jolted from the comfort of words like peace, stability, and beauty, and many were stunned to realize that this world was not peaceful at all.
It was one thing for aliens (the Chitauri) to launch a full-scale invasion, but it turned out there was a real Atlantis under the sea, an Atlantis that wanted to destroy humanity!
And the result? They were saved by the very superhumans they usually ostracized.
If that group of superhumans hadn't killed Orm, if the Transformers hadn't held back the armies of Atlantis, they would have all been drowned and killed.
Subtly, the way people looked at other superhumans began to change.
For instance, their attitude towards Mutants had started to shift.
At the very least, compared to the undersea people with their strange protrusions and even scales, and compared to the bizarrely shaped aliens, Mutants and superhumans at least originated from humanity itself, right?
This comparison undoubtedly offered many people a sliver of comfort.
Only in the face of a crisis could one truly understand what one needed, and only then could one truly see and touch things that were normally untouchable.
In reality, the attitude of ordinary people on Earth towards superhumans was already polarized. This was especially true for those who had been directly or indirectly saved by them; many even fanatically worshipped ability users, to the point of pulling stockings over their heads at night and rushing out to be vigilantes, only to be frequently mistaken for criminals and taken down first.
After suffering two consecutive invasions from the Chitauri and Atlantis, global public opinion finally began to turn.
Unfortunately, while the number of grateful and accepting people grew, the hatred of the small minority who despised them only intensified.
But reality gave them no time for mourning, hatred, or even retaliation. A new crisis followed close behind.
A colossal spaceship, with a diameter of one hundred thousand meters, was so massive that looking up at it was like seeing a flying continent. They had crossed a vast distance of seventy thousand light-years, taking a month to finally reach Earth.
Standing before the viewport in space was General Zod. The majestic and domineering man now appeared incredibly excited, almost fanatical.
He took a deep breath, his eyes burning.
"Is this... the Yellow Sun?"
General Zod stared intently at the blazing Sun, which radiated a golden light that shone brightly in the Universe.
At this moment, a deep craving and... madness... showed in General Zod's eyes!
"This is the Yellow Sun!"
General Zod inhaled deeply. Every pore on his body opened up. The cells throughout his body, even his very genes, began to cheer and roar, greedily absorbing the radiation emanating from the Yellow Sun.
His power began to skyrocket. His cells went from shriveled to full. The feeling of his entire body trembling slightly, the frantic urge to throw himself into the Sun, the sensation of embracing the Yellow Sun—even the iron-willed Zod couldn't help but tremble!
Behind him, the dozen or so surviving Kryptonians also had bloodshot eyes. The surging energy made them almost unable to resist unleashing their Heat Vision, which they hadn't used in a long time!
With crazed, almost hysterical gazes, they stared at the Sun like madmen. An impulse screamed at them: rush out, rush in!
But the Kryptonians' superior sense of order kept them from acting rashly. They all turned their gazes to Zod, awaiting their general's command.
"No wonder. No wonder Jor-El sent his son to Earth. No wonder he placed the Codex of Life inside his son's body..."
Zod murmured.
"Jor-El... he wanted his son... to become a god!"
"To become a being who could rival the God of Krypton—Rao!"
(end of chapter)
Never underestimate the harsh environment of the Sphere of the Gods.
That is the world of the Singular Gods. The blessed life forms under the command of the various Singular Gods are brimming with talent, each born with immense secrets and potential.
Even the weakest of the blessed in the Sphere of the Gods far surpass the myriad beings of the Multiverse, for they are marked with the precious seal of a Singular God.
Although the Singular Gods usually couldn't be bothered with trivial matters, it was inevitable that some of their brilliant and ambitious blessed ones would stir up trouble.
Many among them possessed talents that would leave one dumbfounded.
Tony had no doubt that if they managed to capture a few Transformers for research, they could actually tamper with them. From there, they, or even the Singular Gods behind them, could reverse-engineer the secrets he held.
For example, his genetic structure, his life form, and so on.
Singular Gods were exceedingly rare, each an ancient and eternal being. No matter how many times the Multiverse had been rebooted, no matter how many hundreds of millions of years had passed, not a single new Singular God would be born.
In other words, every Singular God was a priceless treasure. Whether captured for study or killed and devoured, they were comparable to the greatest of treasures.
No two Singular Gods were ever identical, and none of them wanted their secrets exposed. Yet, every Singular God was intensely curious about the secrets of others, hoping to find something that would allow them to advance further.
Although all Singular Gods were noble, there was a hierarchy to their power.
It was like the imperial families of ancient Earth; there were freeloaders who did nothing but eat and wait for death, and there were also valiant, invincible generals who could conquer on the battlefield.
While they were equally noble, a general could kill a freeloader with a single hand.
One after another, the supreme worlds—Apokolips, New Genesis, Heaven, Hell, the Underworld, the Netherworld... and these were just the ones known to all. Some deeply hidden special realms lurked in the corners of the Sphere of the Gods, spying on everything.
In the future, Cybertron was bound to ascend into a Singular Realm, but a newly born, unique, and eternal world would inevitably face all sorts of malicious probing.
If it couldn't withstand it, it would be over. There would be no escape.
Tony pondered silently for a long time, until Raven grew impatient and began shaking his arm frantically. Only then did he snap back to his senses.
All sorts of thoughts were jumbled together, especially the research into Divine Power and Mystic Energy, which was a project so vast it was mind-boggling.
But no matter how difficult, it had to be done.
"Let's go back. Back to Earth."
Tony suddenly stood up. He turned and nodded to The Elder in farewell, then, under the expectant gazes of Raven and Cosmo, he precisely located Earth, opened a Portal, and stepped through first.
Raven and the tail-wagging Cosmo trotted happily after him.
"I'll come back to see you!"
Raven's eyes were slightly red as she waved to The Elder before jumping into the Portal.
They would meet again. Since Tony said so, it would definitely happen. Although she hadn't known Tony for long, she had immense faith in him.
For someone who could even defeat Trigon, what was there that he couldn't do?
...
At this moment, Earth was far from peaceful; it was in a state of turmoil.
Across the globe, especially along the coasts of Europe and America, the lingering devastation and ruined buildings were still visible.
Under the leadership of their ambitious new king, Orm, Atlantis had indeed inflicted enormous damage on the Surface World. Over twenty-two million people were killed directly, and the number of injured was even greater.
Coastal areas were home to many large cities; New York City alone had a population of over twenty million. Honestly, for only twenty-two million people to have died in this global crisis was already quite surprising.
But the shocking number plunged everyone into a long silence.
The more they looked, the more they realized their own insignificance and frailty.
The fierce battle that erupted in the Atlantic Ocean—be it the legion-level combat between the Transformers and Atlantis, or the demigod-level clash between Clark and Orm—sent massive shockwaves throughout the world.
Everyone was thoroughly awakened. They were jolted from the comfort of words like peace, stability, and beauty, and many were stunned to realize that this world was not peaceful at all.
It was one thing for aliens (the Chitauri) to launch a full-scale invasion, but it turned out there was a real Atlantis under the sea, an Atlantis that wanted to destroy humanity!
And the result? They were saved by the very superhumans they usually ostracized.
If that group of superhumans hadn't killed Orm, if the Transformers hadn't held back the armies of Atlantis, they would have all been drowned and killed.
Subtly, the way people looked at other superhumans began to change.
For instance, their attitude towards Mutants had started to shift.
At the very least, compared to the undersea people with their strange protrusions and even scales, and compared to the bizarrely shaped aliens, Mutants and superhumans at least originated from humanity itself, right?
This comparison undoubtedly offered many people a sliver of comfort.
Only in the face of a crisis could one truly understand what one needed, and only then could one truly see and touch things that were normally untouchable.
In reality, the attitude of ordinary people on Earth towards superhumans was already polarized. This was especially true for those who had been directly or indirectly saved by them; many even fanatically worshipped ability users, to the point of pulling stockings over their heads at night and rushing out to be vigilantes, only to be frequently mistaken for criminals and taken down first.
After suffering two consecutive invasions from the Chitauri and Atlantis, global public opinion finally began to turn.
Unfortunately, while the number of grateful and accepting people grew, the hatred of the small minority who despised them only intensified.
But reality gave them no time for mourning, hatred, or even retaliation. A new crisis followed close behind.
A colossal spaceship, with a diameter of one hundred thousand meters, was so massive that looking up at it was like seeing a flying continent. They had crossed a vast distance of seventy thousand light-years, taking a month to finally reach Earth.
Standing before the viewport in space was General Zod. The majestic and domineering man now appeared incredibly excited, almost fanatical.
He took a deep breath, his eyes burning.
"Is this... the Yellow Sun?"
General Zod stared intently at the blazing Sun, which radiated a golden light that shone brightly in the Universe.
At this moment, a deep craving and... madness... showed in General Zod's eyes!
"This is the Yellow Sun!"
General Zod inhaled deeply. Every pore on his body opened up. The cells throughout his body, even his very genes, began to cheer and roar, greedily absorbing the radiation emanating from the Yellow Sun.
His power began to skyrocket. His cells went from shriveled to full. The feeling of his entire body trembling slightly, the frantic urge to throw himself into the Sun, the sensation of embracing the Yellow Sun—even the iron-willed Zod couldn't help but tremble!
Behind him, the dozen or so surviving Kryptonians also had bloodshot eyes. The surging energy made them almost unable to resist unleashing their Heat Vision, which they hadn't used in a long time!
With crazed, almost hysterical gazes, they stared at the Sun like madmen. An impulse screamed at them: rush out, rush in!
But the Kryptonians' superior sense of order kept them from acting rashly. They all turned their gazes to Zod, awaiting their general's command.
"No wonder. No wonder Jor-El sent his son to Earth. No wonder he placed the Codex of Life inside his son's body..."
Zod murmured.
"Jor-El... he wanted his son... to become a god!"
"To become a being who could rival the God of Krypton—Rao!"
(end of chapter)
