"Hiss!"
Zod looked at Chu Mo's harmless appearance and took a sharp breath. He stood up, trying to appear calm and collected.
"Hello," Zod greeted, reaching out to shake Chu Mo's hand. His palm trembled, and he could feel a sense of fear creeping through him, an instinctive reaction to Chu Mo's overwhelming presence.
A transparent tablet message appeared in front of Chu Mo:
---
Name: Dru-Zod
Identity: Kryptonian general, hidden identity (predecessor of Doomsday)
Strength: Half level gold
Abilities: Advanced Combat Skills, Super-Light Flight, Heat Vision, X-Ray Vision, Invulnerable Body, Super Vision, Super Hearing, Super Hypnosis, Force Field Generation
Weakness: Kryptonite
Weapon: None
Status: Peak
Copy abilities? Yes/No
---
"Start copying," Chu Mo thought.
General Zod's strength was even more powerful than Clark's.
Chu Mo wondered, "I wonder how even Superman managed to defeat him."
He silently shook Zod's hand, smiling as if to establish a friendly bond. Zod, however, felt a surge of fear.
His eyes flickered nervously to Chu Mo's, terrified that Chu Mo might unleash the Anti-Life Equation at any moment.
Zod estimated that if Chu Mo attacked, he would only last 0.01 seconds longer than Faora. Worse, with the seven Kryptonians on the ship as the only survivors of their kind, their hope of rebuilding Krypton now hung by a thread.
"I killed your companion! Don't you hate me?" Chu Mo asked, testing Zod's response.
Zod felt his mouth dry. He forced a strained smile, trying to find the right words to avoid provoking Chu Mo.
"Haha, you must be joking! She went out without permission and killed civilians on Earth. You rid the world of that threat!" Zod said, trying to sound cheerful. Inside, however, he felt deeply unsettled.
Chu Mo raised an eyebrow, admiring Zod's clever answer. "Now that's a true general - he knows when to adapt."
At that moment, Chu Mo couldn't help but feel a small amount of respect for Zod's shameless tact.
He nodded. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way. I'm sorry for your loss."
Zod, visibly relieved, clasped Chu Mo's hand with both of his, feigning enthusiasm.
"My lord, I'm honored to hear you say that! I'm glad you handled the situation."
By now, Zod was determined to avoid any bloodshed. The battle with Faora had been too much - a reminder of their vulnerability against such a powerful being.
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar system voice in Chu Mo's ear:
---
{ Ding, copy successful!
Ding, you have attained half-step gold level Kryptonian strength!
Ding, you have attained the silver level of super light speed flight!
Ding, you have attained the half-step Silver-level Invulnerable Body!
Ding, you have attained the Silver-level Heat Vision!
Ding, you have attained Super Hypnosis!
Ding, you have attained Force Field Generation! }
Ding, your abilities are identical to Kryptonian powers. Begin superposition!
Chu Mo's face lit up. As he felt his body absorb and combine Zod's powers, his strength grew exponentially.
{ Ding, you have reached the initial gold level of Kryptonian strength!
Ding, your super-light flight has advanced to the Speed Force!
Ding, your heat vision has advanced to Destructive Light!
Ding, the invulnerable body has advanced to the invincible body!
Ding, X-ray vision has advanced to Illusion-Breaking Sight! }
In an instant, Chu Mo felt an overwhelming surge of power, his abilities now at an entirely new level.
He didn't even need to rely on the Anti-Life Equation to overwhelm the Kryptonians before him.
Zod watched the changes in Chu Mo with awe. What had begun as a fear of the Anti-Life Equation was now a fear of the man himself.
To Zod, Chu Mo seemed a living embodiment of Kryptonian perfection - a reminder of their ancient ancestry.
The other Kryptonians glanced nervously at Chu Mo, sensing the presence of an almost mythical power.
"It's amazing!" Chu Mo exclaimed, realizing that his powers had increased more than tenfold.
Chu Mo looked at the other six Kryptonians. "Hello, I'm Chu Mo."
The Kryptonians exchanged glances, then quickly extended their hands to avoid offending him.
General Zod sighed with relief, wondering why Chu Mo was so insistent on shaking hands.
But if a handshake would protect them, he was more than willing to comply.
The screen in front of Chu Mo kept flashing as he copied talent from each of them, increasing his strength to the peak of the initial gold level.
Even though their abilities were only at mid-silver level, they contributed to Chu Mo's strength.
"Even a little boost helps," he mused.
When he was done, Chu Mo turned to Zod. "So what's your next move, General?"
Zod's heart skipped a beat. He heard the words as a veiled threat, something like, 'When will you meet your end?'
But as an experienced Kryptonian general, Zod managed a diplomatic response. "We will do whatever you
Chu Mo nodded. "Then I invite you to ascend to the heavens."