Chapter 11: Power Belongs to Itself

There are indeed vampires in this universe, as Blade, the famed vampire hunter, is one of the superheroes residing within it. However, Zod didn't expect to encounter a vampire so soon.

"Is silver really the only way to kill you?" Zod mused, doubting the conventional wisdom.

"Foolish human," Deaken spat as he struggled. He quickly realized that Zod's grip on his neck was unyielding—like being held by steel.

To Deaken's horror, Zod's eyes began to glow red, signaling imminent danger. In a flash, Zod unleashed his heat vision directly onto Deaken's face, and to Zod's surprise, the vampire disintegrated almost instantly.

"Strange, is heat vision really that effective against vampires?" Zod wondered aloud. Then it hit him—heat vision is powered by solar energy, and sunlight is the natural enemy of vampires.

He stepped out of the bathroom only to discover a grisly scene unfolding in the nightclub. Sprinklers above were spraying blood, and the frenzied dancers on the floor reveled in it, oblivious to the horror.

Zod suddenly recalled the plot—this scene was straight out of Blade. But Blade himself was nowhere to be seen, likely yet to make his appearance in this timeline.

The vampires quickly noticed Zod's presence, distinguishing him as human from his scent.

"Human!" one vampire hissed.

"And such a waste to eat," another chimed in.

"Turn him into one of us!" a female vampire exclaimed, her eyes gleaming as she gazed at Zod's imposing figure. Zod, tall and handsome, certainly appealed to their aesthetics.

Zod smirked. He was confident in his physique, though he wouldn't compare himself to Henry Cavill—Cavill might have the edge in looks, but Zod was far stronger.

"So many vampires in New York," Zod muttered as his eyes began to glow red again. The temperature in the room spiked, but the vampires, driven by bloodlust, rushed toward him without noticing the heat.

Zod's heat vision cut through the room, the red beams effortlessly slicing through the crowd. Though his heat vision was relatively weak at this stage, barely strong enough to grill meat, it was devastating to vampires, who fell like flies under its searing rays.

In moments, the nightclub floor was littered with ash. The remaining vampires scrambled for cover, hiding under tables. Zod calmly approached, kicking aside a heavy table with ease.

"See the sun," he said coldly, as his heat vision finished off the remaining survivors.

With the club now empty of life, Zod stepped out, satisfied. Knowing that his heat vision was an excellent weapon against vampires, he was eager to test it out on more of them.

Later, back at the Midnight Hotel in New York, a man dressed in black—trench coat, sunglasses, and all—entered the bar. The chaos and lingering scent of burned vampires made him frown.

"Familiar stench," Blade muttered to himself. He noticed the ash covering the floor, confirming that a massacre had taken place.

"I don't know who did this, but they sure took out a lot of vampires," he mused, shrugging as he began to scavenge for items left behind in the blood and ash. Being a vampire hunter wasn't exactly lucrative, after all.

Meanwhile, back at the Midnight Hotel, Zod, also known as the "White Devil," had gained considerable notoriety. His latest kill, Deaken, had been a tough target, stronger even than the infamous Gite. Many assassins had tried and failed to take him out, leading to significant losses at the Midnight Hotel. But Zod had succeeded where others failed, bolstering the hotel's reputation.

The higher-ups at the Midnight Hotel had taken notice, and now planned to expand to Texas, setting up a new branch with Zod in mind. However, Zod wasn't ready to leave Texas just yet—he didn't want to get involved in the wider world too quickly, especially not with his current strength. Encountering someone like the Hulk now would likely result in disaster for him.

So, Zod returned to Texas, sticking to his routine of basking in the sun to grow stronger.

He noted that, while he couldn't get tanned—thanks to his Kryptonian biology—he had spent so much time sunbathing, he should have been coal-black by now if he were human.

After some time, his villa on the ranch was completed, and so was the Texas branch of the Midnight Hotel. The new manager even came to personally greet Zod, acknowledging that the hotel's success was largely due to him.

Zod was impressed by how quickly the hotel had been established. For the sake of convenience, they had even built him his own accommodations.

But the most significant event in recent weeks was Zod finally gaining the ability to fly.

After absorbing so much sunlight, his powers had gradually awakened. While he had yet to master the infamous Kryptonian biological force field, he could now fly, which opened up new possibilities for him.

Now, Zod spent most of his time above the clouds, basking in the sun's rays for maximum energy absorption. Flying was exhilarating, and the feeling of looking down at the world from such heights was liberating.

"I finally understand why power belongs to those who seize it," Zod mused, watching a commercial plane cruise beneath him. With a gentle shift in speed, he descended back to the ground.

Down below, Judlie was grilling meat. Zod's appetite was legendary, and without the wealth he earned from his jobs, he likely wouldn't be able to afford his massive meals.

Zod still couldn't understand why he ate so much. He wasn't a Saiyan, and he didn't recall having such an appetite back on Krypton.

Within minutes, he had devoured an entire Angus cow, leaving Judlie astonished.

As he ate, Zod contemplated his next steps. He needed to make more money—and quickly. His eye was on Stark Industries, the tech empire soon to be shaken by Tony Stark's disappearance and eventual return.

The key moment, Zod knew, would come when Stark announced the closure of the weapons division. The company's stock would plummet, and Zod planned to buy as much as possible. When Stark revealed himself as Iron Man, the stock would triple in value, making Zod rich beyond his wildest dreams.

With that plan in mind, Zod was determined to work harder now. He took on five contracts, each worth over a million dollars, astonishing the staff at the Midnight Hotel. The White Devil was confident, and now, so were they.