Chapter 145: What If

H'el sat in the steel command seat, his back pressed against the chair, his neck tilted to the left, his left hand's fingertips against his left cheek, and his left elbow resting on the cold, hard steel armrest. He lightly tapped his right hand's fingertips on the right armrest, creating a crisp rhythm. His gaze was fixed on the post-battle scene projected in the command room.

The downfall of the Earth's most powerful nation had not triggered any response from deep-seated forces on Earth.

H'el pondered this for a moment and thought it made sense. After all, Earth had experienced world wars before, and those events hadn't prompted the hidden deep-seated powers to reveal themselves. Now, with just the fall of one nation, it was even less likely to provoke their attention.

However, seeing Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Wonder Woman, and Martian Manhunter openly discussing their plans in the sky made H'el feel like they were insulting his intelligence.

Perhaps they thought... he was an arrogant fool who relied on his power to act recklessly. That might explain why they were openly discussing their plans in the sky.

If their roles were reversed, with them as invaders attacking Earth and him as a superhero, H'el would have quietly gathered his forces, identified the enemy's hidden powers, launched a surprise attack, first eliminate the enemy's behind-the-scenes forces, and then besiege the most powerful opponents.

The actions of these superheroes now felt somewhat childish to H'el.

"Have I overestimated them?"

H'el sat in the steel command seat, leaning back with his left hand supporting his face, wearing an indifferent expression of disdain and arrogance as he looked down upon Earth.

But despite his disdain, he wasn't just going to sit there and watch. He had his own plans in motion.

Whether it was an overwhelmingly powerful being from deep space coming to defeat him or a union forming in the cosmos, similar to the ancient cosmic war to destroy Kryptonians, H'el was fully prepared to stand firm and rise again.

*Thump, thump, thump...*

Heavy footsteps entered the command room. It was Kalu-Zod, who had completed the operation to destroy the nation. He had changed into a fresh set of black armor with the prominent Kryptonian infinity symbol on his chest. His black cape flowed behind him.

"Your Majesty, the nation destruction operation is complete."

Kalu's massive figure knelt down like a small mountain and his black cape extended to the floor.

This nation-destruction operation was his first real taste of war, and he had just begun to understand the hidden powers on Earth. A Captain Atom, for instance, could put up a decent fight against him, and if it weren't for Captain Atom's inherent atomic instability and his inferior combat skills and rough energy usage, the battle might have lasted for several days.

"Rise, Karu. You did well."

"This is what I should do, Your Majesty."

Karu stood up, his determined face showing a hint of hesitation as he wanted to express his insignificant, yet curious opinion.

"Is there a problem, Karu?"

"Your Majesty, why don't we just directly occupy that piece of land, then gradually expand into other countries, making the entire Earth our own, and turn this planet into the new Krypton."

Karu couldn't help but ask. Earth was highly suitable for transformation into a new Krypton. With their seven million Kryptonians, all rigorously trained, even the most physically gifted among them possessed the power to casually flick F-22 Raptors out of the sky. Each Kryptonian was a Superman in front of Earthlings, who had no chance to resist. He couldn't understand why H'el wasn't taking action.

The lack of information prevented Karu from seeing what was beneath the surface of Earth.

"What do you think of Captain Atom?" H'el countered.

"He's very powerful, but he lacks advanced techniques and technology. It appears he hasn't engaged in space combat, and his energy usage is rudimentary. He hasn't undergone the kind of military training for the new Krypton that Your Majesty has arranged," Karu thought for a moment and replied.

Even if Captain Atom had failed, it didn't prove he was weak. It was simply that he hadn't received any training with his immense power, and his inherent instability had led to a swift defeat.

Strictly speaking, Captain Atom was incredibly powerful.

"Deep within Earth, there are beings more powerful than Captain Atom, and there are many more hidden capabilities and forces than what we see on the surface. Earth is the center of the universe."

Karu didn't quite grasp the significance of being the center of the universe, but he understood that any center of power, any central location, was crucial and required the combined efforts of a race, a nation, or an entire planet to protect.

With these thoughts in mind, he nodded earnestly.

"In my vision of the future, New Krypton will be a universe. However, even so, on this Earth, New Krypton will have its own territory. I have already arranged everything for New Krypton here."

The projection in front of H'el started to rotate, displaying Earth before him. Finally, it focused on the continent of Australia, lighting up with a red marker.

"Covering an area of 7.692 million square kilometers, located between the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, surrounded by the sea on all sides. It's the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. Therefore, it's also known as 'Oz' or 'Down Under.' From now on, this land will be New Krypton's territory on Earth."

"Karu, prepare to establish a space bridge. New Krypton will be on this land for a very long time," H'el said slowly.

He didn't intend to conquer Earth because it was too troublesome. Earth was perpetually beset by disasters and attracted all sorts of fantastical creatures, including invasions from parallel universes. He wasn't a superhero, so there was no need for him to fight for Earth day in and day out. Those battles to protect Earth were better suited for numerous superheroes.

New Krypton would land in Australia, using it as a temporary base. H'el would then expand into other universes, commencing the conquest of the multiverse. When he looked back at Earth many years later, it would just be a starting point.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will convene the Marshal's Council now to discuss war preparations. The flag of New Krypton will undoubtedly wave high over that continent!" Karu roared excitedly. He was eager to launch another war, conquer that continent, and let the flag of New Krypton fly there.

He fully understood and grasped the concept: this continent was merely a place for New Krypton to recuperate. Eventually, New Krypton would conquer this universe, and this universe would sing the praises of New Krypton's glory.

"No need to hurry. We stand on Earth and still need to undergo 'tests' from the universe and Earth's gods. There's a theory called the 'Open Window Theory' that suits us well."

"?" Karu looked puzzled.

"People are good at compromise and making do. If you want to open a window because a room is too dark, everyone will resist. But if you propose to remove the entire roof, they'll agree, and then you can open the window. Similarly, if we conquer Earth aggressively, we'll face the most powerful retaliation from the universe and Earth's gods. They won't allow us to occupy Earth. But if we make a show of conquering Earth while only taking a single continent as our habitat, they will certainly accept it."

Hearing this philosophical wisdom combined with tactical military insight, Karu nodded in understanding. Then, he raised another question.

"Your Majesty, what if you were to defeat Earth's gods and the cosmic beings?"

"...!"

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