Chapter 117: Chapter 117: The Useless General
H'el was internally shocked as he stared at Kalu-Zod.
This guy... how did he grow to a height of 2.5 meters? H'el actually knew Kalu-Zod and had a very close relationship with him.
General Zod, Superman's arch-nemesis, was Kalu's uncle. H'el had once seen a teenage Kalu in General Zod's training room. Back then, Kalu was a bold, fearless teenager, full of bravado. He was also the second member of the Zod family with the talents of a general.
Young and spirited, Kalu possessed exceptional talents as a general, and he was often taught military command knowledge by General Zod. During that time, H'el was using General Zod's private training room for his own workouts. General Zod had also invited him to engage in various forms of combat training, including war simulations, close combat, and instruction in technological weaponry. It was a period of great struggle for Kalu, who was often beaten by H'el, and then, due to his poor performance, beaten again by General Zod.
He had truly been hung up and beaten. Especially after losing to H'el in close combat and war simulations, General Zod was furious.
With such outstanding talents as a general, losing in his area of expertise to H'el, a scientist, was infuriating for General Zod. The fact that he hadn't left Kalu crippled was already a great show of restraint.
H'el's gaze briefly swept over the interactions between Taylor Wex and Kalu-Zod.
It was clear.
In the competition for the position of the general in command of the garrison in Kandor City, the Zod family had lost to the Wex family. This had resulted in Kalu, a Zod family member with the talents of a general, only obtaining the rank of Colonel. It was an utterly unreasonable situation.
No wonder he ran over to "defect"; he recognized me.
"Get up," H'el said casually, his eyes filled with a hint of amusement as he looked at Kalu, recalling their past misadventures.
Perfect timing, I haven't forgotten how you deliberately had me lying in Faora's bathtub, nearly suffocated by her whirlwind scissor kicks.
Kalu remained steadfast, his gaze as firm as a rock, his face serious, showing no signs of what had transpired.
"Kalu-Zod, ignoring superior orders, your recent actions are sufficient to land you in military court with a sentence of a hundred years!" General Taylor Wex, standing beside them, had a stern expression, his neck held high, glaring at Kalu fiercely as he scolded him.
His gaze briefly flicked to the more than a thousand people behind Kalu; those were the troops who had pledged loyalty to H'el along with Kalu. Fortunately, there were only a thousand of them, which eased his concerns somewhat. At least Kalu hadn't sidelined him. Some smaller Zod family factions could still allow him to secure significant benefits with the support of these troops.
"You are no longer my superior. My superior, the highest commander, is H'el - the god of the new Krypton!" Kalu, standing tall at 2.5 meters, exuded an imposing aura as he looked down at General Taylor Wex, as if he were staring at a flapping little chicken.
Kalu had experienced the harshest training and unwavering guidance from General Zod, who considered him the next in line to lead the Zod family as a general. Due to General Zod's rebellion, Kalu lost the position of general within the Zod family when they faced off against several other families.
He didn't blame his uncle, General Zod, for it, as it was a matter of necessity. At times, one had to make choices to save Krypton. It's just that back then, he had been knocked unconscious and imprisoned within the family by General Zod and missed the rebellion. Otherwise, Kalu would be sitting in the Phantom Zone alongside General Zod by now.
However, he had no patience for the scheming and conniving of the Wex family. He found the young scion they pushed forward, Taylor Wex, particularly insufferable.
If Taylor Wex had at least shown some competence, Kalu could have accepted it. After all, their family rivalry had led to their loss, which was understandable.
But Taylor Wex had been gifted the talents of a general, yet his actions were that of a high-ranking officer taking his troops out for leisure, experimenting with different ways to experience the pleasures of life, displaying a complete lack of the disciplined conduct expected of a military leader. This was something Kalu couldn't stand.
With every opportunity, he was determined not to let this army fall victim to Taylor Wex's extravagant and undisciplined behavior, causing them to lose the honor of being soldiers.
"I won't let my army of seventy thousand soldiers follow your orders at will. As a general, I must ensure the lives and rights of my troops unless we receive the necessary guarantees," General Taylor Wex said with an unwavering tone, turning to look at H'el.
The Wex family, known for their devious plots and schemes, was especially devoid of honor.
As the Wex family's general, Taylor Wex may have indulged in a life of luxury and excess, but he understood that this was an opportunity to negotiate, even if it involved a bit of coercion. It was a chance to legally discuss and secure his own power during the creation of the new Krypton, ensuring he retained his esteemed status and authority among the upper class.
This was the best time to do so because the man before him, H'el, needed an army, and that army was under Taylor Wex's control.
General Taylor Wex's words were met with silent approval from the senior officers behind him. They had long been accustomed to Taylor Wex's extravagant behavior, which included XA Freedom Parties, brain-stimulating dopamine rushes, and had softened their resolve over time. Some officers couldn't even stand straight anymore.
As for the soldiers in their command, they wore expressions of confusion and bewilderment. They had never known the rarely seen and poorly trained General Taylor Wex to possess such strength.
"Oh..." H'el chuckled lightly, his eyes holding a playful glint as he looked at General Taylor Wex and then at Kalu.
"Zero, is it ready? Let them see if I need this army," H'el said.
"Assembly is complete," replied Zero.
"Very well, release them and let them all transform at once," H'el ordered.
"Understood, master."
On the many squares below, the Kryptonians felt the ground beneath them shake slightly, prompting them to look outward.
"The ground is cracking!"
"What is that?"
"A massive lump of metal?"
The metallic ground cracked open to reveal seven enormous battleships, each over two kilometers in size. They were haphazardly assembled with various metal parts and gun barrels, forming a peculiar fleet of ships. These ships, driven by anti-gravity propulsion, slowly floated behind H'el.
Similarly, an irregular-looking mass of metal, bristling with strange weapons, followed behind—a formation of thirty cruisers. Beyond them were two hundred thousand destroyer-class ships, densely scattered across the sky.
Further back, Kryptonians could barely make out around 150,000 escort ships and 100,000 multi-purpose reconnaissance vessels.
°°°
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