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Chapter 1073: Familiarizing with Power and the Awakening Enemy
🕑 Added 2025-01-06 20:00:04 +0000 UTC"I wasn’t planning to destroy them," Clark responded awkwardly to Robert’s teasing, quickly changing the subject again. "By the way, what about the enemy who appeared on Earth? Shouldn’t dealing with him be the top priority now?"
"True, your topic change isn’t off the mark," Robert nodded with a smile, then asked curiously, "So, what exactly happened to you earlier? Your sudden appearance really disrupted my plans…"
"Your plans? What plans?" Clark looked at Robert in confusion, this time with a mix of concern and guilt rather than the earlier blankness.
"It’s a bit complicated to explain right now. Let’s deal with this guy first. What about your condition? Can you remember anything?" Robert shook his head slowly. The changes on Earth during Clark’s years of sleep were significant, and Robert didn’t have a concise explanation ready.
"I’m not entirely sure what state I was in. Maybe my body was awake, but my consciousness wasn’t?" Clark recalled his recent experiences, speaking uncertainly. "Actually, my consciousness sensed your presence several times. The most recent one was so strong that my body almost woke up—it felt like the state you’re in now…"
"As for why I went to Earth earlier, it was because my body was more awake than before, and I sensed that Earth might be in danger of destruction. So, I instinctively acted to eliminate any threat to Earth, whether it was that unknown powerful being, you, or the suddenly appearing Avengers."
"So, it seems my power during Galactus’s last visit helped your body recover somewhat, and now, after being stimulated by Darkseid, you’re gradually waking up," Robert nodded in understanding, roughly piecing together Clark’s experience. "Let’s deal with Darkseid first, and then I’ll fill you in on what’s happened during your years of sleep."
"Alright!" Clark agreed, his gaze shifting to Darkseid and the uniquely powerful Sentry standing nearby. He asked curiously, "Is he a new member of the Avengers? He looks strong!"
"He is indeed a newcomer. His name is Sentry. His strength is already enough to be the face of the Avengers. As long as he doesn’t encounter some cosmic monster or mysterious entity, he’s more than capable of protecting Earth and the Avengers," Robert explained, placing a hand on Clark’s shoulder.
"Whoosh!" In the next moment, Robert and Clark appeared beside Sentry and Darkseid, causing Sentry to tense briefly before relaxing upon recognizing Robert.
As for Clark, Sentry trusted him completely. Although Clark’s clothes were tattered, Sentry knew that Clark was Superman, the hero who had sacrificed himself to save Earth in a previous supernatural event.
The fact that Superman, a near-mythical figure, wasn’t dead was a relief to Sentry. After all, with the real Superman around, who would care about the imposter, Homelander?
Of course, there were still plenty of fans who preferred brutality and so-called authenticity, which was why Homelander had remained in the spotlight even after being replaced by Sentry.
"Did I knock him out?" Clark nodded at Sentry, then asked hesitantly, looking at the still-unconscious Darkseid.
"Not exactly," Robert replied, giving Clark a somewhat exasperated look. Since when had Clark become so self-absorbed? Waking up from a long sleep seemed to have inflated his ego.
"He obtained a powerful force—at least on par with the Infinity Stones, possibly even stronger," Robert briefly explained Darkseid’s situation. "Right now, he’s probably still trying to fully grasp that power, which is why he’s unconscious."
Robert didn’t underestimate the power of the mysterious patterns that even Ancient One and the Time Stone couldn’t reveal. To put it bluntly, Darkseid’s previous strength wasn’t inferior to a single Infinity Stone, even one at full power!
After all, Omega Energy contained the power of rules—and not just one rule. In a sense, Darkseid had already surpassed cosmic powerhouses like Sentry and Silver Surfer, reaching a different level.
It was just that the Omega Energy’s power wasn’t strong enough, or perhaps due to other reasons, Darkseid hadn’t reached the level of a cosmic entity, which was why he had lost to Robert’s Super Saiyan 2 form.
However, Robert’s current Super Saiyan 2 form was different from before. After mastering the Super Saiyan God transformation and the power of rules, Robert’s strength in his Super Saiyan 2 state had also increased significantly.
If Robert had been in this Super Saiyan 2 state when Galactus arrived on Earth, he wouldn’t have been defeated so badly.
Of course, defeating or driving away Galactus was still out of the question, but Robert might have been able to force Galactus to retreat by exhausting more of his energy.
So, in terms of strength: Super Saiyan God Robert > Golden Clark > Super Saiyan 2 Robert > Darkseid (before fully mastering his power). This showed just how powerful Clark’s golden state was after awakening from the sun, nearly surpassing Robert’s progress over the years.
"Such a powerful force?" Clark’s expression turned serious upon hearing Robert’s explanation. His energy surged, and he seemed ready to attack again.
"We can’t fight here anymore. The shockwaves from when I was… ahem, subduing you are already too much for this place. Plus, I’m not sure how much stronger you’ll be now that you’re awake. You might still not be able to break through his defenses," Robert stopped Clark, his words causing Clark’s face to darken slightly.
"So, what do you suggest? Are you going to handle it?" Clark asked, a bit annoyed. "Aren’t you going to let me test out my current strength?"
"We could always spar to figure out your current combat power…" Robert said with a smile, but seeing Clark’s unchanged expression, he sighed and relented.
"Fine. You’ve changed after waking up. You never used to fight me for opponents. But since you’ve just woken up, I’ll let you have this one. I don’t think you’ll be able to take him down anyway. Let’s go to the dimensional realm."
"Take me with you. I should be able to protect myself," Sentry quickly interjected as Robert prepared to teleport Clark and Darkseid.
"Alright. It’s good for you to see this level of combat. The others can’t handle the shockwaves from this kind of fight," Robert agreed, not refusing Sentry’s request. After all, observing such battles required a certain level of strength, and Sentry clearly met that standard.
Of course, if the Avengers wanted to watch, it wasn’t impossible. While Ancient One’s magic might not be able to protect so many people, she could at least act as a live broadcast commentator.
Thus, Robert, Clark, Sentry, and the unconscious Darkseid arrived in the familiar dimensional realm—a place where they could fight without worrying about collateral damage.
In truth, the universe wasn’t Robert’s or Earth’s territory, and fighting there wasn’t entirely off-limits. However, the universe was home to other civilizations and life forms. While destroying those civilizations in a fight might be justifiable in desperate situations, Robert preferred not to do so unnecessarily.
"Whoosh!" Upon arriving in the dimensional realm, Clark didn’t waste any time. A terrifying aura and radiant light burst from his body, and Robert could even see the挑衅 in Clark’s eyes.
Robert shook his head. Clark’s current state was indeed impressive, even stronger than when he was unconscious.
If Robert could have fought the unconscious Clark with his Super Saiyan 2 form by gradually increasing his power, the awakened Clark was now beyond the reach of Robert’s Super Saiyan 2 state.
The gap in their strength was too large to bridge quickly.
However, Clark’s current state still fell short of Robert’s Super Saiyan God form, though it should be enough to force Galactus to retreat.
In fact, Clark was now teetering on the edge of cosmic entity-level power. The reason for the uncertainty was that Clark clearly wasn’t fully familiar with this power, and the leap in strength from before his sleep was too significant.
Before his death at the hands of Doomsday, Clark’s strength had been weaker than Robert’s initial Super Saiyan 1 form. Now, after awakening, his power had surpassed Super Saiyan 2 and was approaching the Super Saiyan God level—and that was without considering Robert’s own base strength improvements.
It was true what they said: every era has its heroes. Clark had entered his new era.
"So strong!" Unlike Robert, who remained calm, Sentry’s expression grew serious. He felt a sense of mortal danger from Clark, weaker than what he’d felt from Galactus but still enough to make him uneasy.
"You have potential. You might reach this level someday, provided you fully master your power," Robert said seriously, turning to Sentry.
This was why Robert held Sentry in high regard. Sentry’s current strength was formidable, nearing Clark’s pre-sleep level—and without weaknesses like Kryptonite. Interestingly, the energy Sentry exuded was somewhat similar to Clark’s golden state.
More importantly, Robert sensed even greater power within Sentry—power that Sentry hadn’t yet tapped into.
However, this power wasn’t the solar-based energy that Clark and Sentry currently wielded. Instead, it leaned toward darkness, even resembling the void of space.
Robert didn’t know if Sentry would ever master this power or how it might change him, but he hoped Sentry could reach greater heights.
Whether as a powerful ally or a sparring partner, Sentry’s growth would be a boon for Robert.
"Really?" Encouraged by Robert’s words, Sentry’s eyes lit up. He stared intently at Clark and Darkseid, as if trying to get a feel for that level of power.
However, what happened next clearly disappointed Sentry. With Darkseid still unconscious, Clark was essentially beating a sandbag, and the scene was far from thrilling.
"His body is incredibly durable. It’s not breaking despite my attacks, but he’s definitely getting injured," Clark muttered, his eyes fixed on Darkseid.
"His body is also mysterious. I can’t see through him. But he’s clearly being hurt by my attacks, even though he’s healing quickly. Still, it seems my damage output is faster than his recovery!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
As Clark’s thoughts raced, his attacks didn’t slow down. In fact, they grew faster. With each strike, Clark became more familiar with his new power, his strength stabilizing and the golden aura around him solidifying.
"Smack!" But just as Clark launched another attack, Darkseid’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He caught Clark’s fist, his icy gaze locking onto Clark as he prepared to speak.
