Chapter 109: "That's Your Father"

On the surface of the Zero Planet, an atmosphere of deep mourning and anger prevailed.

One after another, squares that could hold three hundred thousand people each extended from the central square. There were already twenty-three split squares, densely packed with people, all immersed in sorrow, pity, and indignation.

Especially those who were among the first to be restored, having watched the documentary more than ten times. Although they had managed to compose themselves after losing their homeworld, their resentment towards Jor-El still remained.

Every time the documentary was played, it deepened their hatred for Jor-El. This hatred was even more intense than that of the impoverished citizens who had watched the documentary for the first time.

Because they had possessions, dreams, ideals, loving families, and respected statuses. They possessed the honor of being Kryptonians.

Those who had everything understood more profoundly than the poverty-stricken residents the consequences of Jor-El's inaction. They realized what Jor-El's actions represented: the destruction of everything they had, leaving them with nothing, not even the land of their homeland.

Especially when Jor-El stole the Life Codex and obstructed anyone trying to save Krypton, only allowing his own son to escape. It's worth noting that many sons and daughters of the upper-class of Kandor were studying at the Academy. Seeing that they all perished while Jor-El's son managed to escape, their eyes turned red with fury, driving them to the brink of madness.

Jor-El had prevented everything and yet ensured the continuation of his lineage. Why should he be allowed to do that?

The people who resented Jor-El had faces contorted with anger.

"Jor-El, it seems like I'm not the only one who thinks your actions were questionable."

H'el's expressionless gaze swept across the crowd, seeing the tears of sorrow and feeling the distorted hatred within them.

He wouldn't let all of this vanish with Jor-El's dismissive statement: "Krypton is already without hope, and my son is the only hope."

On each square, thirty thousand people continued to sob and cover their faces.

As another square floated up, carrying three hundred thousand people to the side, there were already six million nine hundred thousand people present in the vicinity.

H'el began the final revival of the last one hundred thousand people.

The biological magnetic field enveloped the last one hundred thousand residents of Kandor, placing them one by one on the square.

H'el's revival of the Kryptonians of Kandor was systematic, not based on class, wealth, power, or honor. Loyalty might have played a part, but more importantly, it was about intelligence.

In fact, H'el resurrected Kryptonians from low to high intelligence. He absolutely didn't want to see smart individuals emerge right at the beginning, watch the documentary, and then eloquently explain Jor-El's actions. They might portray him as a hero for Krypton, misunderstood by the upper echelons, interpreting his deeds as acts of heroism driven by necessity to save Krypton, a beacon of hope carried on by the honor, guiding these impoverished residents.

Don't doubt that it's genuinely possible and disturbingly simple.

What H'el wanted to witness was their genuine reaction to Jor-El.

So, he didn't alter a single word of the documentary. Not a single lie was changed. It was all brutally true.

Now that they've seen it, no one has been blinded by Kryptonian honor for any reason.

The El family has held honor for too long, so long that they've come to believe that everything they do is for hope, for Krypton, and that they are honorable heroes.

The El family has risen to the upper class with the support of the masses while separating themselves from the common people.

The remaining last one hundred thousand people were mostly individuals with interests linked to the El family. They were probably the most intelligent group in Kandor. Their attire was distinct from the others, featuring the opulence of nobility and an elegant charm.

H'el covered the square with his biological magnetic field, using his size-altering abilities to restore them to their original state. He manipulated the AllSpark to replace their genetic information.

Two to three seconds later, they gradually awakened.

Once he confirmed that everyone had awakened, H'el didn't say much. With a wave of his hand, the sky once again displayed the documentary for them to watch.

The last one hundred thousand people, almost all the smartest individuals in Kandor, saw the documentary. While they were shaken, they also understood that this documentary likely held a significant degree of truth. Jor-El had obstructed everyone trying to save Krypton, except for allowing his own son to escape.

"Why?"

"My husband is gone?"

"I served under the Els. Wasn't the El family supposed to protect me?"

"Everything is gone?"

"Why didn't you save Krypton?"

Even the smartest individuals couldn't fathom why Jor-El held such a deep-rooted family honor, adamantly preventing others from saving Krypton and strictly adhering to the corrupt rules of the upper class.

He even knew that the upper echelons of Krypton were beyond redemption, but he still maintained this corruption and acted in a conventional manner.

These intelligent people were perplexed. None of them could understand the mentality behind Jor-El's actions. On one hand, he persistently applied for research on the planetary core, only to be repeatedly rejected. On the other, he exiled his own son into deep space, stole the Life Codex, collaborated in capturing Zod, engaged in natural reproduction, and declared that Krypton had no hope.

They didn't understand the process behind Jor-El's actions, but the results were evident. Infusing the Life Codex into his son's body and sending him away from Krypton was merely a means to establish a new Krypton dominated by the El family, with the ambition of becoming its ruler.

The faces of the many intelligent individuals were contorted with extreme displeasure. Relatives and acquaintances of those who had died on Krypton upon its destruction began to cry as they witnessed its demise.

They understood more than the previous group, realizing just how crucial the Life Codex was to Jor-El's departing son.

It was almost as if they could establish an entirely new Krypton, with Jor-El's son as the god-like ruler.

For the sake of his son, Jor-El had truly paved a golden path.

Some individuals couldn't help but curl their lips in mockery and cynicism.

In one corner of the square, Nimda, Jor-El's mother from the El family, with her silver hair and graceful demeanor, wore a finely crafted family gown. The family emblem, an "S" shaped button, adorned her elegant gown. She gazed at H'el with sorrowful eyes, tears welling up.

"Jor told me a long time ago, H'el, that you were an ambitious person, wanting to control Krypton, wanting to become a god of Krypton. I didn't want to believe that a child as good as you could become like this.

That's your father.

How can you bear to distort the truth, turning Jor, who once worked tirelessly to save Krypton, into a selfish and self-serving person?"

°°°

AN: Sorry for not posting yesterday. Got too exhausted the whole day.

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