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Reborn as Superman's Son, Ch 28-29
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 23:48:46 +0000 UTCChapter 28: Conquest: This Is Supposed to Be Eighteen?!
"Let's take this to the sky."
Eden didn’t waste a single word. He shot past Conquest like lightning and soared straight up, climbing until he was ten thousand meters above the ground.
"Not bad speed."
Conquest’s eyes lit up as Eden became a black dot against the clouds. She grinned and shot after him, leaving a sonic boom in her wake.
The gust nearly knocked Cecil Stedman off his feet. He staggered, cursing, until a couple of agents rushed to steady him before the storm winds swept him away.
Scowling at Conquest’s retreating back, Cecil spat: "Goddamn superhumans. Not a shred of common decency."
High above the earth.
Eden and Conquest hovered, facing each other across the empty sky.
"Listen up, kid."
"Thragg sent me to test you. That’s your honor—your nightmare, too."
"Good news? I’m one of the most experienced Viltrumite warriors alive. I’ve served longer than your mother, Nolanne."
"So if I recognize your strength, no other Viltrumite will ever question it again."
"Bad news? I’ve never once held back in my life."
"So if you fail my test, I’ll kill you. Without hesitation. Even Nolanne’s son won’t be spared."
Conquest crossed her arms, glaring coldly at the figure in the black battlesuit.
"Heh."
Eden only chuckled softly.
Typical. Even in this world, Conquest couldn’t throw a punch without first running her mouth. Eden almost pitied her. Did no one ever talk to this guy? Was he so hated among the Viltrumites that the only conversations he ever got were pre-battle monologues to his enemies?
"You dare laugh at me?"
"I’ll show you what true cruelty looks like."
With that, Conquest blurred forward like lightning, swinging her alloy arm in a brutal arc toward Eden’s jaw.
"Full of openings, kid."
Conquest smirked, certain this punch would smash Eden into the dirt.
Boom!
Except it didn't.
Her fist froze in midair, caught in Eden’s palm as easily as if he’d been swatting a fly.
"What?!"
Conquest’s eyes widened.
"Not bad, kid," she growled. "But trying to match strength with a veteran warrior? That’s your biggest mistake."
She wrenched, twisting, straining to rip her fist free. But Eden’s grip was like a planetary press, unyielding, inescapable. No matter how she pulled, her arm didn’t move an inch.
"You’re strong, I’ll give you that," she spat through clenched teeth. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her face paling. "But brute force alone won’t win you a fight. You’re too naïve if you think it’s that simple."
Only in the pit of her chest did she admit the truth—she was helpless.
"This is insane," Conquest raged silently. "This is eighteen?! It’s like I’m fighting Regent Thragg himself!"
Snap!
Before she could blink, Eden twisted—and her prosthetic arm tore free at the shoulder.
"Wha—?!"
Conquest stared, stunned. Her arm was just... gone.
Wham!
Eden swung the severed alloy limb like a club and smashed it down across her skull.
"Goddamn eighteen."
The last thought in Conquest’s mind before darkness took her was that Nolanne’s intel had been dead wrong. This kid wasn’t eighteen. She swore to the long-dead Viltrumite king that Eden had to be atleast five hundred years old.
"Nolanne," she thought bitterly, "you’ve been hiding too much."
A whistle of air, a deafening crash—
Conquest’s unconscious body plummeted, carving a crater into the snowy mountains behind the GDA headquarters.
The next morning.
"Damn it... I lost?!"
Conquest’s skull throbbed like it had been split open. She cursed, blinking back into the world.
"Well, look who finally woke up."
The voice was smooth, mocking.
"The great Conquest. Viltrum’s famous veteran. Beaten by an eighteen-year-old kid and taken prisoner. Can you imagine how long our people will laugh about this one?"
Conquest’s vision cleared, and she saw Nolanne sitting casually across from her. Civilian clothes, legs crossed, a steaming cup of coffee in hand. She sipped delicately, then sneered.
"Nolanne. What the hell are you playing at?"
"A prisoner doesn’t get to question me."
Nolanne’s hand shot out, clamping tight around Conquest’s throat. She rammed the coffee cup into Conquest’s mouth, liquid and ceramic both, and snarled: "Listen. The Viltrumite order is about to change. A new king will rise. You will kneel."
"You’ve lost your mind!"
Conquest swallowed the cup whole, surprised at the taste. Better than the nutrient paste she usually choked down, at least. But food was the last thing on her mind.
"You’ll never beat Thragg," she spat. "He could rip your head off with one hand."
"You’re right. I can’t beat Thragg."
Nolanne didn’t flinch.
Conquest exhaled, almost relieved.
"But my son can."
The words hit harder than any punch.
"Impossible! I admit he’s strong, but Thragg? No way."
"Is that so?"
Nolanne smiled knowingly. She pulled a snow-white coat from a box beside her. The pelt shimmered in the light.
"With your eyes, you should recognize the source of this fur, shouldn’t you?" Nolanne draped it over her shoulders, smug. "My son didn’t need it. He gave it to me."
Conquest froze. "No... You’re telling me—that’s from Battle Beast?!"
"You and your son... you actually hunted Battle Beast together?!"
"Wrong."
Nolanne carefully folded the coat back into the box, her expression softening for a moment.
"My son killed him. Alone."
Conquest’s blood ran cold. "Impossible! You’re calling that eighteen?!"
"Technically," Nolanne said evenly, "he only just turned eighteen. Two days ago."
"Goddamn."
Conquest’s mouth went dry. She could barely imagine what that boy would become in five hundred years.
"Conquest," Nolanne said, her voice dropping to steel, "have you decided yet? My patience is limited."
Her chin tilted high, eyes sharp as blades. "What should you be calling me now?"
Conquest didn’t hesitate. She knew exactly where Viltrum stood now.
Bowing her head, she dropped to one knee before Nolanne.
"Hail, Queen of Viltrum."
"Mother."
"Did you come to an agreement?"
The basement door creaked open. Eden stepped inside, dressed in his black battlesuit. He didn’t spare Conquest a glance, his eyes fixed solely on Nolanne. "Kill her, or let her live?"
"Let her live," Nolanne said with a flick of her hand. "Everything’s still going according to plan."
"Alright."
Conquest shuddered. Eden’s calm, detached gaze treated her like nothing more than a maggot crawling along the roadside.
"Will she betray us?" Eden asked.
"Don’t worry," Nolanne replied. "Viltrumites live to follow strength. To her, whether it’s you or Thragg, you’re both far beyond her reach. Until the two of you settle things, she won’t dare defy us."
She spoke like she’d known Conquest—and the Viltrumite nature—all her life.
"I’ll do as you ordered," Conquest said, lowering her head. "I’ll gather the Viltrumites scattered across the universe and lead them to Earth."
"Go, then. We’ll be waiting on Earth," Nolanne said, patting her shoulder.
"Your Highness," Conquest bowed, glancing at Eden as she passed. "I’ll carry out the mission."
Truthfully, her respect for Nolanne had little to do with Nolanne herself—only with the terrifying son she’d given birth to.
"Go," Eden said flatly, nodding.
Conquest exhaled in relief. She’d survived this trial. Keeping her steps small and careful, she walked toward the basement door. Facing Eden was suffocating.
"Wait."
Eden’s voice rang out behind her.
Conquest froze, turning back. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"Take this."
Eden held out the alloy arm he’d ripped from her the day before.
"Thank you for your mercy," Conquest said quickly, bowing again as she accepted the prosthetic. Only then did she leave.
"Mother, can you really trust her?" Eden asked once Conquest was gone.
"She doesn’t have a choice," Nolanne answered coldly. "The Viltrum Empire has no use for losers. If she doesn’t side with us, she dies."
"Got it." Eden nodded and left.
That night.
The Kent Residence.
“Start simulation.”
Eden couldn’t sleep. He had no intention of wasting the hours, so he dove back in.
Fighting—yeah, that was what he loved most.
This time, though, he didn’t just load up Battle Beast or Nolan. He added the entire Viltrumite army.
Viltrum.
“Come on! Let’s fight to the death!”
Eden’s figure flashed across the skies like lightning. His fists smashed through Viltrumites with ease—none lasted more than two rounds against him. Even Thragg wound up broken and bloody.
“Interesting. You too, huh?”
He spotted Omni-Man among the crowd. His eyes narrowed in brief hesitation—then his fist punched straight through Nolan’s chest before he could think twice.
Eight hours.
That’s all it took for Eden, at his current level, to wipe out the entire Viltrumite race.
“End simulation.”
He exhaled, dissatisfied. Nothing here could push him anymore. Maybe it was time to test himself against enemies from other universes.
The air around him shimmered. The barren planet blinked out of existence.
..
“Damn it…”
“Who killed my father?!”
“Who slaughtered the Viltrumites?!”
Not long after Eden’s simulation ended, another figure dropped onto the planet—Mark Grayson in a Viltrumite battlesuit. He stared around in shock.
A portal opened before him.
“Well, well. Another victim. Looks like our alliance just found a new brother.”
A deep voice rang out. Through the portal stepped a Mark clad in a regal red-and-gray battlesuit, a cape flowing behind him, exuding imperial dominance.
“Who the hell are you?!” the Viltrumite Mark demanded. “Why are you wearing my face?”
The sight left him stunned.
“Doesn’t matter.” Viltrumite Mark’s eyes glinted. “One of us has to die. The world doesn’t need two Mark Graysons.”
With a sonic boom, Viltrumite Mark hurled himself forward, fist cocked.
“Calm down, kid.”
Emperor Mark caught the punch effortlessly with one hand.
“That’s impossible!”
A slight squeeze—and Viltrumite Mark’s fist shattered in a spray of blood.
“Ahhh! The pain!” he screamed, dropping to one knee, staring at the ruin of his hand in disbelief.
“Nothing’s impossible, boy.” Emperor Mark’s tone was cold. “We may be the same person, but I’m older. I’ve fought more battles. I’ve lived through more wars.”
He turned his back and walked calmly into the golden portal. As his figure began to fade, his voice drifted out: “If you really want answers—who killed your father, who wiped out your people—then follow me. Everything you want to know is behind this door.”
“Damn it!”
Viltrumite Mark cursed. That bastard was acting like the Riddler now. But he couldn’t let the portal vanish. With a burst of speed, he dove in after him.
And what he saw on the other side—
“This… this can’t be real.”
Marks.
Marks everywhere.
“Mark!”
“Mark!!”
The cries echoed across the strange world.
“Everywhere I look… it’s me. All me. How many damn Marks exist in this universe?!”
His eyes darted wildly, taking it all in—dozens, hundreds of versions of himself. Some wore yellow suits. Others blue, red, even pink. But every single one of them was unmistakably Mark Grayson.
“You followed, just as I knew you would.”
Emperor Mark appeared at his side, unsurprised.
“Now tell me what the hell is going on!” Viltrumite Mark demanded.
“Fine. I’ll explain. Come with me.”
Emperor Mark gestured toward a flamboyant, pink-suited Mark nearby. “Summon the brothers.”
“On it~,” the campy Mark sang, vanishing in a flash.
A moment later his voice boomed from a broadcast tower: “Brothers, gather at the plaza! The Emperor calls! The time has come for revenge!”
The effect was instant. The multiverse’s Marks roared in unison, streaking through the skies to assemble.
Viltrumite Mark followed, unsettled but desperate for answers.
On the plaza, Emperor Mark raised his voice.
“Brothers. Like me, like all of you—we lost our fathers young. We never found the killer who robbed us. But I did. I found the one responsible. He’s one of us, a Mark from a special universe.”
“Now tell me—how should we deal with him?”
The crowd erupted, fury shaking the ground.
“Go to his universe!”
“Kill his father!”
“Make him suffer like we did!”
The legion of Marks howled for blood
Chapter 29: Clark: Son, I’ve Been Watching You. Always.
One week later.
Viltrum.
"Conquest, you’re back?"
"What the hell happened to your face? You look like you got stomped into the ground."
"Don’t tell me you pushed Nolanne too far and she beat the crap out of you?"
"Hahaha!"
After a full week, Conquest finally returned. The warriors stationed on Viltrum jeered when they saw her battered armor and disheveled state.
Clearly, Conquest wasn’t well-liked here.
"Enough nonsense. I want to see Thragg."
She ignored their mocking laughter. The moment she set foot on Viltrum, her only thought was to find the Regent. After that came the next part of Eden and Nolanne’s plan: lure Thragg into their trap and lead the Viltrumite army to Earth to swear loyalty to their new king.
"Conquest. I hear you asked for me?"
In the council chamber, Thragg sat at the head of the table, eyes still on the star map in his hands. "How did your trip to Earth go? Did Nolanne’s child meet expectations?"
"Exceeded them," Conquest answered firmly. She dropped to one knee, bowing her head. "Forgive my bluntness, but his strength rivals that of a pureblood Viltrumite warrior."
Thragg froze.
He had only asked the question out of formality, barely paying attention to Conquest. But at those words—at the claim that Nolanne’s half-human son could stand equal to a pureblood—he shot to his feet, eyes wide.
He strode quickly to Conquest. "You’re telling me Nolanne’s son—child of a human from that backwater planet—has the power of a pureblood?"
"Without question," Conquest said.
Thragg’s voice sharpened. "And Earth’s people? Do they resemble us? Do they fit Viltrumite standards?"
(For Viltrumites like Lucan, only beings who looked nearly identical to themselves were considered worthy of being called people.)
"From appearances alone, you’d hardly tell the difference between Earthlings and Viltrumites," Conquest admitted.
"Summon them," Thragg barked, excitement flashing in his eyes. "All across the universe. Those guarding planets, enforcing judgment, overseeing prisons—it doesn’t matter. Call them home. End every assignment. Bring them all back."
"The rebirth of Viltrum is at hand!"
Earth.
For Eden, it had been one of his rare quiet weeks. Since the invasion of the Coalition and Conquest’s arrival, life had actually felt... steady.
He still went to class during the day.
Thanks to the Lizard invasion, William had become the hero of Reginald Vel Johnson High School, soaking up the spotlight. The attention on him gave Eden some breathing room.
But at night, Eden never stopped. He returned to the simulation, again and again.
His opponents were no longer Battle Beast or even Thragg.
Now, he fought Emperor Mark.
Not the version who had just defeated Thragg.
No—this was a Mark who had lived for over five centuries. A perfected emperor who could kill Battle Beast’s daughter with ease.
Simulation Universe.
Viltrum.
Boom!
Eden’s fist crashed into Emperor Mark’s, the shockwave carving a vacuum across hundreds of miles. The sheer force of their clash rattled the planet beneath them.
When two apex Viltrumites went all-out, even the aftershocks were enough to rip apart a world’s surface.
"Interesting," Emperor Mark said, grinning. "In five hundred years of conquest, I’ve never met someone like you."
"A few days ago, the rebellion on Dorne broke out. I killed Thokk’s daughter—Battle Beast’s spawn." He laughed, cruel and unrestrained. "They said she’d surpassed her father. Pathetic. One punch and she was done."
He hadn’t felt this alive in centuries. Not since he’d crushed Battle Beast and Thragg, five hundred years ago, had his blood burned like this. The emptiness that followed had driven him to slaughter whole civilizations just to remind himself he still existed.
Eden’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t worry. I’ll remind you what it felt like back when they called you the loser, Invincible."
Twin beams of heat vision blazed from his eyes, searing into Mark’s face. Eden followed with a brutal punch that knocked teeth from his jaw.
"I am Invincible, you damn brat!" Emperor Mark bellowed, halting himself midair after being hurled miles away. "Do you know who you’re provoking? I’ll kill your entire family. I’ll burn your planet to ash!"
He roared forward in a thunderclap of sound.
"Pathetic," Eden spat, charging to meet him.
BOOM!
The planet shook again beneath their fists. Viltrum’s mass dwarfed Earth’s, yet their battle made it tremble.
Five hours later.
Eden rubbed his bruised stomach, exhaling slowly. Before him lay the shredded corpse of Emperor Mark. "Damn, you were tough," he muttered with a crooked smile. "Guess you lost again, huh, Invincible?"
"System, end simulation."
The world dissolved around him.
When Eden opened his eyes again, he was lying in his own bed.
"Continue," he ordered without hesitation. Until he could one-shot Emperor Mark, he wouldn’t allow himself rest.
Outside Eden’s room, his body vanished once more into the simulation.
Across the hall, in the master bedroom of the Kent Residence, Clark’s eyes opened. He turned toward Eden’s room, frowning slightly when he realized his son’s presence was gone.
Then his own vision shifted, glowing faintly, stretching beyond walls, beyond space, until he saw Eden locked in combat with Emperor Mark.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Looks like the crisis coming in a month... Eden can handle it himself."
Murmuring softly, Clark pulled Nolanne closer into his arms and drifted back to sleep.
Another week passed.
The simulation world.
“Still takes me an hour to kill Emperor Mark, huh?”
Eden sat beside the mangled corpse, sounding dissatisfied.
“I need more. Stronger opponents.”
Emperor Mark wasn’t enough anymore. He needed tougher battles, fiercer enemies.
That morning, Eden woke up earlier than usual. Today was his high school graduation.
After today, he wouldn’t be a student anymore.
“Son, hurry up. You’re gonna be late.”
“You’ll miss your graduation if you keep dragging your feet.”
Freshly washed and dressed, Eden came downstairs to find Nolanne fixing her hair in the mirror. Even rarer—Clark was in a suit.
“Mom, the ceremony doesn’t start until nine. It’s only seven-thirty.”
“And come on, with our family’s speed, even if we left at eight fifty-nine, we’d still make it.”
He sighed.
It was his graduation, but clearly his parents were more excited than he was. Eden could only shake his head—his mom and dad were a real pair of clowns.
“Eden, isn’t it about time you introduced that girlfriend you’ve been hiding from us?”
Clark stepped over, lowering his voice.
“Yeah, about that.” Eden shrugged. “I don’t actually have a girlfriend.”
“I know,” Clark said smoothly. “I meant you should go get one.”
Eden blinked, thrown. He shot a glance toward Nolanne, still fussing with her hair in the mirror, then hunched his shoulders and whispered back: “Wait. Are you saying… you’re gonna share how you chased Mom?”
“Listen, son.” Clark cleared his throat like he was about to deliver a lecture. “I’m going to pass down the greatest secret I’ve learned in my entire life.”
Eden leaned closer, curious. “And that is?”
“If you like a girl, just ask her out. Works every time.” Clark grinned.
“Right…” Eden thought dryly. “Old man thinks he’s a real master.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Nolanne suddenly appeared beside them.
“Nothing!”
Both father and son instantly tilted their heads back at the exact same angle, staring at the ceiling as if the answer lay up there.
“You’re definitely hiding something,” Nolanne muttered, narrowing her eyes. But she let it go—today was her son’s big day. No time to waste on nonsense.
“Forget it. Come on, let’s head to the school. And don’t forget, the principal invited me to give the ‘Outstanding Parent’ speech.”
She lifted her chin proudly. Out of the corner of her eye, she shot Clark a smug little glance, the kind that said, See that? The school invited me, not you.
Clark only chuckled. He was genuinely happy seeing her so pleased. What she didn’t know was that the principal had invited him first. Clark had politely declined and recommended Nolanne instead.
“Yes, Mom. Got it.”
Eden kept his mouth shut, nodding quickly. When his parents were like this, it was best not to breathe too loudly.
–––
Reginald Vel Johnson High School.
Eight-thirty.
Eden arrived with his family—four in total, if you counted the cat.
“Eden, you’re here!”
The moment they entered the lobby, William and Atom Eve spotted him. They bolted over at cartoon speed, waving like maniacs.
But Eden noticed immediately—neither of them was really looking at him.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kent!” William blurted nervously. He fumbled out a neatly folded poster of Omni-Woman, hands trembling. “I—I’m Eden’s best friend William. And… and I’m a huge fan of yours, ma’am. Could I maybe… get your autograph?”
“Of course.”
Nolanne signed with a flourish: Nolanne Kent. Then, beneath it, she added the words Omni-Woman.
“I finally got it!” William’s face lit up. “I swear, the second I get home, I’m framing this and hanging it in the best spot in the house.”
“Kid, I think you might want my signature too,” Clark said cheerfully, scribbling his name across the same poster—with Superman tagged at the end.
William’s hands twitched. His smile froze. Internally, he groaned: Great. Poster’s ruined.
“Mr. and Mrs. Kent, can I have yours too?” Atom Eve chirped, summoning a fresh poster out of thin air with her powers—this one featuring Omni-Woman and Superman standing side by side. She flashed them a sweet smile.
“Of course.”
Both parents signed happily.
“I want one!”
“Me too!”
It spread fast. Other students had noticed Clark and Nolanne. Since neither of them had bothered with disguises or mental cloaking, the entire student body now realized Earth’s two greatest heroes had shown up—together—for graduation.
“Everyone will get one,” Nolanne said.
“Yes, every single person,” Clark echoed.
The two of them exchanged a helpless look. Fame was a curse sometimes—wherever they went, they instantly became the center of attention.
“Quiet down, kids, quiet down!”
The principal and teachers finally stepped in, calming the chaos and ushering the Kents to the stage.
While the teachers restored order, the principal slyly pulled a rolled-up poster from his jacket—clearly one of his personal treasures—and whispered, “Before you leave, could you sign this too? I’ve actually been a fan for years.”
On a world protected for so long by Omni-Woman and Superman, there were really only two types of people: their fans, and… their very warped fans.
As for Eden’s “respected” principal, it was obvious now—this wasn’t a graduation ceremony at all. It was a cleverly disguised fan meet-and-greet.
The man was probably thinking: I’ve given my all for this school. I nearly died protecting students once! If I want to sneak in one last fanboy indulgence before retirement, what’s the harm? Everyone’s happy anyway—board, teachers, even the kids.
Eden just stared in disbelief as his graduation spiraled completely out of control.
And right at that moment—
A massive starship, emblazoned with the Viltrumite insignia, silently descended over Reginald Vel Johnson High School.
At the same time, Nolanne—standing at the podium—felt her communicator buzz. A message from Conquest.
She glanced at it, smiled faintly, and murmured, “The Viltrumites have finally come to kneel before their queen.”
