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Chapter 563: You're a Far Cry from Golden Superman and Silver Superman
"It's been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like that."
Steppenwolf didn't seem angry at all. He looked at Hant, raised the axe in his hand, and aimed it at Hant's head. "Because everyone who dared to say such things to me has been killed... I have destroyed one universe after another to serve as graveyards for fools like them."
Hant said earnestly, "Believe me, we know far more about you than you can imagine. This time, it's for real."
Boom!
Steppenwolf's body suddenly moved. A massive sonic boom erupted where he had stood, creating a powerful, visible ripple that spread outward in a circle. A huge chunk of the ground caved in as if it had vanished into thin air.
He crossed a distance of a hundred meters in an instant, a terrifying speed almost impossible to describe in terms of time.
He raised his battle-axe and brought it down on Hant's head. The sharp blade glinted with a cold light, and the countless vengeful spirits slain by it in the past wailed in agony.
A god can be defeated, but not disrespected.
Besides... could he be defeated?
The corners of his mouth stretched into a savage grin, his long, sharp teeth clashing. Steppenwolf had destroyed too many universes and seen too many ignorant idiots.
This time would be no different.
Hant's expression changed. The muscles in his legs instantly exploded with their full power. Due to the sudden, overwhelming burst, his legs swelled grotesquely, and the areas covered by his black armor became uneven and lumpy as magma-like blood flowed rapidly within.
The axe blade swept past in a flash of light, the piercing sound following a moment later.
Hant retreated several hundred meters away. He looked at the massive wound on his chest, sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall.
Crack...
A long gash had been cut into the black armor on his chest. This new model of armor, reverse-engineered from the one worn by General Zod, was now like paper-mâché. From the huge gash, more fine cracks spread outward.
Then, it shattered piece by piece, revealing Hant's bloody and mangled chest.
"Your strength limits your vision, Kryptonian. Describing someone as fearless is never a compliment. Your fearlessness stems not from courage, but from ignorance."
Steppenwolf smiled ferociously. The immense power radiating from his body spread out, almost altering the gravity in the area and making it difficult for everyone present to breathe.
"It seems that Tony has great ambitions, actually restoring the Kryptonians who should have been wiped out from this universe long ago. But that's all it amounts to," Steppenwolf said, his cruel expression filled with the scent of blood.
Creatures like Kryptonians were common to him. If he wanted, he could create a whole legion of them with a little time.
The multiverse is infinite. Steppenwolf could just attack any universe, obtain Kryptonian blood and souls, and then mass-produce Kryptonians. It was an effortless task.
It was just unnecessary.
Steppenwolf looked down on a low-level species like the Kryptonians. A race that could be created with the Codex of Life was genuinely not worth his time.
Only Superman was worthy of a bit more of his attention.
With a loud bang, Superman, who had been charging forward, was once again knocked to the ground by Steppenwolf's punch.
Steppenwolf grabbed Superman's head and lifted him up, leaning in close with a cold sneer. "Of all the countless Kryptonians across the entire multiverse, you're the only one who's slightly interesting. The rest are trash. This is also why your god abandoned you."
"Rao—the God of Krypton and Sun God you fanatically worship—destroyed you with his own hands, and you are nothing but a group of pathetic wretches trembling before disaster and Fate. But you, Kal-El, are an exception. Your great name is renowned even to me in the Sphere of the Gods."
Steppenwolf slammed the horrified Superman violently to the ground as if tossing a toy. A crater over a meter deep was smashed into the earth, and Superman coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"You are very lucky, extremely lucky."
Steppenwolf blocked Hant's attack with his axe, then flung him away with a powerful swing. He then nonchalantly dodged Wonder Woman's sharp sword and swung his axe at her in return, nearly killing Diana. Fortunately, Stephen opened a portal just in time to move her away.
Shou-Lao roared as its massive dragon body was tossed into the air by Steppenwolf, who then stomped down on it.
Iron Fist gathered all the Qi in his body, even at the cost of his own life force, and struck Steppenwolf, succeeding in wounding him.
But before Iron Fist could rejoice, the wound healed, and Steppenwolf cut him down on the spot, his body split in two.
"I've tortured and killed many versions of you across the universes. Your perseverance and courage are indeed commendable, but still not enough. You're a far cry from your more outstanding doppelgangers."
"If Golden Superman hadn't achieved godhood in one fell swoop, betraying his race and essence to transform from a three-dimensional being into a five-dimensional one, and gained the acceptance of the Fifth-Dimensional King, you wouldn't be alive right now, because Rao would not have spared you. Golden Superman sold himself to the Fifth Dimension, carving out a chance for survival for countless versions of you."
"If Silver Superman hadn't risen to power so forcefully, charging into the Sphere of the Gods to wage a bloody war against the gods at the risk of his own life, every version of you would have been exterminated, forced to submit to Rao's games. Silver Superman paved the way for countless versions of you with martial might, allowing the Kryptonians in your multiverse to live a slightly better life... Hmm, although Silver Superman's power is much weaker."
"As for Bronze Superman... that fellow who tried to copy the first two, he was a bit interesting too. Unfortunately, I was faster. I cut him down. His head is still displayed in a museum on Apokolips, as one of my collectibles."
Steppenwolf grinned savagely, bending down to look at the blood-soaked Clark. He reached out to Clark, piercing his flesh with a single fingernail. With a sickening squelch, blood and gore splattered. Then, with a slight exertion of force, he lifted Clark up.
Blood poured down in streams, staining the ground red.
"Many of your doppelgangers are also quite impressive. Superboy-Prime, Anti-Matter Ultraman... but you, you are just too far behind. You are the worst of all the Supermen I have ever seen."
"You should have had a much brighter future. If Bronze Superman hadn't died, perhaps you and your doppelgangers would have had the slightest chance of becoming a god on par with me. But unfortunately, the multiverse has been rebooted countless times, and only Golden Superman and Silver Superman are worth mentioning."
"And if their standards were placed in the Sphere of the Gods, they would be nothing more than the lowest dregs, barely able to hold their own."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, perhaps Golden Superman is watching you right now, watching with his own eyes as I tear you to shreds bit by bit, yet he doesn't dare to intervene."
"Because he knows very well that if he dares to interfere, not even the Fifth Dimension can protect him."
Steppenwolf was thoroughly enjoying the process. He looked at the defeated and broken bodies littering the ground, then nodded in satisfaction. He reached out, applied a little pressure, and tore off a large piece of Superman's flesh. Hearing Superman's agonizing scream, a look of pleasure appeared on his face.
(end of chapter)
"It's been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me like that."
Steppenwolf didn't seem angry at all. He looked at Hant, raised the axe in his hand, and aimed it at Hant's head. "Because everyone who dared to say such things to me has been killed... I have destroyed one universe after another to serve as graveyards for fools like them."
Hant said earnestly, "Believe me, we know far more about you than you can imagine. This time, it's for real."
Boom!
Steppenwolf's body suddenly moved. A massive sonic boom erupted where he had stood, creating a powerful, visible ripple that spread outward in a circle. A huge chunk of the ground caved in as if it had vanished into thin air.
He crossed a distance of a hundred meters in an instant, a terrifying speed almost impossible to describe in terms of time.
He raised his battle-axe and brought it down on Hant's head. The sharp blade glinted with a cold light, and the countless vengeful spirits slain by it in the past wailed in agony.
A god can be defeated, but not disrespected.
Besides... could he be defeated?
The corners of his mouth stretched into a savage grin, his long, sharp teeth clashing. Steppenwolf had destroyed too many universes and seen too many ignorant idiots.
This time would be no different.
Hant's expression changed. The muscles in his legs instantly exploded with their full power. Due to the sudden, overwhelming burst, his legs swelled grotesquely, and the areas covered by his black armor became uneven and lumpy as magma-like blood flowed rapidly within.
The axe blade swept past in a flash of light, the piercing sound following a moment later.
Hant retreated several hundred meters away. He looked at the massive wound on his chest, sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall.
Crack...
A long gash had been cut into the black armor on his chest. This new model of armor, reverse-engineered from the one worn by General Zod, was now like paper-mâché. From the huge gash, more fine cracks spread outward.
Then, it shattered piece by piece, revealing Hant's bloody and mangled chest.
"Your strength limits your vision, Kryptonian. Describing someone as fearless is never a compliment. Your fearlessness stems not from courage, but from ignorance."
Steppenwolf smiled ferociously. The immense power radiating from his body spread out, almost altering the gravity in the area and making it difficult for everyone present to breathe.
"It seems that Tony has great ambitions, actually restoring the Kryptonians who should have been wiped out from this universe long ago. But that's all it amounts to," Steppenwolf said, his cruel expression filled with the scent of blood.
Creatures like Kryptonians were common to him. If he wanted, he could create a whole legion of them with a little time.
The multiverse is infinite. Steppenwolf could just attack any universe, obtain Kryptonian blood and souls, and then mass-produce Kryptonians. It was an effortless task.
It was just unnecessary.
Steppenwolf looked down on a low-level species like the Kryptonians. A race that could be created with the Codex of Life was genuinely not worth his time.
Only Superman was worthy of a bit more of his attention.
With a loud bang, Superman, who had been charging forward, was once again knocked to the ground by Steppenwolf's punch.
Steppenwolf grabbed Superman's head and lifted him up, leaning in close with a cold sneer. "Of all the countless Kryptonians across the entire multiverse, you're the only one who's slightly interesting. The rest are trash. This is also why your god abandoned you."
"Rao—the God of Krypton and Sun God you fanatically worship—destroyed you with his own hands, and you are nothing but a group of pathetic wretches trembling before disaster and Fate. But you, Kal-El, are an exception. Your great name is renowned even to me in the Sphere of the Gods."
Steppenwolf slammed the horrified Superman violently to the ground as if tossing a toy. A crater over a meter deep was smashed into the earth, and Superman coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"You are very lucky, extremely lucky."
Steppenwolf blocked Hant's attack with his axe, then flung him away with a powerful swing. He then nonchalantly dodged Wonder Woman's sharp sword and swung his axe at her in return, nearly killing Diana. Fortunately, Stephen opened a portal just in time to move her away.
Shou-Lao roared as its massive dragon body was tossed into the air by Steppenwolf, who then stomped down on it.
Iron Fist gathered all the Qi in his body, even at the cost of his own life force, and struck Steppenwolf, succeeding in wounding him.
But before Iron Fist could rejoice, the wound healed, and Steppenwolf cut him down on the spot, his body split in two.
"I've tortured and killed many versions of you across the universes. Your perseverance and courage are indeed commendable, but still not enough. You're a far cry from your more outstanding doppelgangers."
"If Golden Superman hadn't achieved godhood in one fell swoop, betraying his race and essence to transform from a three-dimensional being into a five-dimensional one, and gained the acceptance of the Fifth-Dimensional King, you wouldn't be alive right now, because Rao would not have spared you. Golden Superman sold himself to the Fifth Dimension, carving out a chance for survival for countless versions of you."
"If Silver Superman hadn't risen to power so forcefully, charging into the Sphere of the Gods to wage a bloody war against the gods at the risk of his own life, every version of you would have been exterminated, forced to submit to Rao's games. Silver Superman paved the way for countless versions of you with martial might, allowing the Kryptonians in your multiverse to live a slightly better life... Hmm, although Silver Superman's power is much weaker."
"As for Bronze Superman... that fellow who tried to copy the first two, he was a bit interesting too. Unfortunately, I was faster. I cut him down. His head is still displayed in a museum on Apokolips, as one of my collectibles."
Steppenwolf grinned savagely, bending down to look at the blood-soaked Clark. He reached out to Clark, piercing his flesh with a single fingernail. With a sickening squelch, blood and gore splattered. Then, with a slight exertion of force, he lifted Clark up.
Blood poured down in streams, staining the ground red.
"Many of your doppelgangers are also quite impressive. Superboy-Prime, Anti-Matter Ultraman... but you, you are just too far behind. You are the worst of all the Supermen I have ever seen."
"You should have had a much brighter future. If Bronze Superman hadn't died, perhaps you and your doppelgangers would have had the slightest chance of becoming a god on par with me. But unfortunately, the multiverse has been rebooted countless times, and only Golden Superman and Silver Superman are worth mentioning."
"And if their standards were placed in the Sphere of the Gods, they would be nothing more than the lowest dregs, barely able to hold their own."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, perhaps Golden Superman is watching you right now, watching with his own eyes as I tear you to shreds bit by bit, yet he doesn't dare to intervene."
"Because he knows very well that if he dares to interfere, not even the Fifth Dimension can protect him."
Steppenwolf was thoroughly enjoying the process. He looked at the defeated and broken bodies littering the ground, then nodded in satisfaction. He reached out, applied a little pressure, and tore off a large piece of Superman's flesh. Hearing Superman's agonizing scream, a look of pleasure appeared on his face.
(end of chapter)
