"Recruit me?" Faora asked, surprised.
Dane nodded.
Faora still had potential; she should be considered one of the stronger types within the warrior gene pool.
Not only was her physical quality stronger than average, but her psychological quality was also much more stable than that of an average Kryptonian.
At least other Kryptonians wouldn't dare to challenge him again and again like she did.
"And you have enemies that even your abilities can't solve? Besides, isn't Kal-El your subordinate? Isn't he enough?"
Dane originally wanted to explain that Clark was not his subordinate, but on second thought, it seemed there was no difference, except that he couldn't make him do dirty work.
Besides, with Clark's straightforward nature, he couldn't do dirty work anyway; Red Hood was better.
"Clark… or Kal-El, as you call him, is too righteous; I need a colder Soldier."
"You need an executioner," Faora understood his implication.
"You speak a little harshly, but your understanding is spot on," Dane criticized her phrasing but agreed with her interpretation.
Faora didn't immediately object; instead, she thought for a moment before saying, "Is General Zod also within your invitation scope?"
"In fact, he was the first person I invited."
And he was also one of only two Kryptonians who still dared to challenge Dane, showing more resilience than Faora.
After each defeat, he would charge back with renewed vigor the next time.
As a sparring partner, Zod was undoubtedly very qualified, but he didn't seem like the type of person who could be subdued; he had a strong ambition within him.
Even if he temporarily submitted, he would definitely look for an opportunity to betray in the future, so Dane had basically given up on him now.
Faora, on the other hand, seemed like the type who would be easier to obey, and her loyalty was also high.
Don't even mention that defecting to Dane would be betrayal; her loyalty to Zod, besides being out of habit, was more importantly because she believed Zod could rebuild Kryptonian civilization, which was Faora's true desire.
Dane hadn't just been playing with her during this time; he had also been subtly exploring her true thoughts.
"Your goal is to restore Kryptonian civilization, right?"
Faora looked at him in surprise; although this was not a secret, she had never revealed her inner thoughts to outsiders.
Unlike other Kryptonians, they followed Zod either because they were impressed by his powerful abilities or because they hoped to seize the immense power of the Kryptonian Council with him.
Although they were genetically engineered Kryptonians, they also had desires and wanted to pursue power that did not match their existing status.
And Zod did promise to share his power with them, even though they failed on Krypton.
But if they could retrieve the "Codex," they could rebuild a new Kryptonian civilization, one that would be subservient to Zod's regime.
However, Faora genuinely believed that only Zod could lead Krypton back to glory, and the root of her loyalty to Zod also stemmed from this.
So, as long as this root was grasped, she didn't necessarily have to choose Zod; anyone who could fulfill her wish would do.
So Dane said to her, "If you just want to rebuild Kryptonian civilization, I can do that too.
And I will not restrict your freedom, nor will I demand your subservience; you and your civilization can be completely free."
Faora hesitated for a moment before asking, "How will you fulfill your promise?"
Dane waved his arm, and the dream instantly shifted. The Genesis Chamber of the ancient Kryptonian spaceship on Earth appeared before them.
This scene was all too familiar to Faora, especially the rows of artificial wombs, like clusters of grapes—the birthplace of Kryptonians for thousands of years.
"I also know the location of the Codex, so you don't have to worry about me failing to achieve it."
Dane reassured her again. The Codex was hidden within Clark's genes, making it incredibly easy to retrieve.
He had so much Kryptonite it was almost unsellable, and he'd even developed other colored versions. He was just looking for a place to use them.
Faora saw Dane's sincerity and no longer doubted him.
She wasn't a coy person. His power was above hers, and he was willing to invite her with such respect. Coupled with the hope of restoring Kryptonian civilization, she had no reason to refuse.
So, she accepted Dane's invitation: "I accept your offer; I can become your blade."
I like your decisiveness!
However, the necessary procedures still had to be followed. So, Dane skillfully pulled out a scroll of parchment, covered in densely written Kryptonian script in a flowing hand, complete with intricate patterns along the edges.
He had expected Faora to examine it carefully, but she merely glanced at it before preparing to sign.
But magic contracts must be signed in blood. Faora tried for a long time, but couldn't even make a tiny cut on her finger.
This was incredibly awkward.
Fortunately, Dane was prepared. He pulled out a strangely shaped pen from his inventory, opened the cap, and the nib was an eerie dark green!
It was a pen made of Kryptonite.
Under the glow of the green nib, Faora immediately showed a pained expression. The Kryptonite's radiation was rapidly weakening her abilities and causing her pain.
"What is this?" Faora instinctively wanted to move away from the Kryptonite.
Dane explained, "This is Kryptonite, a product of your Kryptonian World. It can weaken your superpowers. However, it is ineffective for Kryptonians without superpowers."
"You should be able to sign with this."
Faora looked at him. Had he understood Kryptonians to this extent?
They had lost for a good reason.
She suppressed her discomfort, took the Kryptonite pen, pricked her finger with the nib to draw enough blood, and then quickly signed her name on the parchment.
But the moment Faora signed her name, Dane's expression suddenly changed.
And Faora, having signed her name, suddenly rolled her eyes, revealing only white, as an inexplicable energy emanated from her body. The nature of this energy felt very familiar to Dane, because it had the scent of Death.
Moreover, this energy was of a very high level, belonging to the 'divine power' tier, and Dane could even smell the scent of faith.
The person who infused this energy into Faora must be a god!
As for which god, Dane already had some guesses.
The divine power of Zeus and Poseidon within him both stirred. The last time this happened was when he seized the golden trident in the Cavern of the Core.
At that time, the divine power of Poseidon and the divine power of Zeus showed a phenomenon of homologous resonance, because they came from the same paternal bloodline.
And now, the same phenomenon appeared again.
Possessing the power of Death, with divine power originating from the same lineage as Zeus and Poseidon, who else could it be?
It's you, Hades!
Well, well, so Zod and his group were released by you!
Dane's mind raced, and he quickly connected many dots.
Kryptonians have only one faith, and that is Rao, the Sun God of Krypton. Therefore, it should have been impossible for Hades to tamper with the souls of Zod and others under Rao's nose, as it would easily cause 'friendly consternation.'
Then there was only one place Rao couldn't see and couldn't interfere with: the Phantom Zone.
Since Hades could reach the Kryptonians in the Phantom Zone, that void World was very likely connected to Hades's Underworld, existing within the same dimensional framework.
This was also normal; the Human World is connected to many other dimensions.
For example, the alternate dimensional World where the Witch resides, the Old Gods Realm, Hell, Heaven, the void World where the City Spirit and the Rock of Eternity are located, the Cavern of the Core, and so on.
So, it was also possible for the Phantom Zone and the Underworld to be connected.
If Dane's conjecture was true, then wouldn't all the Kryptonians exiled to the Phantom Zone for tens of thousands of years have become Hades's private collection?
What did he plan to do with so many Kryptonians?
Dane looked at the unconscious Faora and strongly suspected that Hades, like him, was interested in the Kryptonians' talents.
But the question was, who was the target of the Army he was organizing?
It couldn't possibly be me, could it?
Although Hades released Zod and his group, their abilities could not pose a threat to Shazam.
If Hades was truly coming for him, he shouldn't have failed to see this.
Even though the Old Gods had long departed from the Human World, Dane believed they must have a way to spy on this World, as their foundation of faith lay precisely here.
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