When Clark asked this question, Ethan's reply was very simple.
"A lot."
How much? Ethan didn't know how many secrets were hidden in this world. After all, the few movies he had seen in his previous life only revealed a small part of the DC Universe. What's more, there were countless easter eggs within them. He didn't need to worry about whether the plot holes from his past life would ever be filled, but in this real world, those holes meant these things actually existed.
"Zeus… do gods really exist?"
"Why do you find the existence of gods hard to accept?"
Ethan twirled the drink in his hand. Every time he encountered something like this, he found it very amusing. He himself was clearly an extraordinary being, so why would he doubt the existence of such things? Just because they were myths?
"Let me put it another way. If the Earth you landed on wasn't the modern era, but two thousand years ago, with your current abilities, what do you think humans would see you as?"
As expected, this kind of explanation always worked well. Clark finally understood what Ethan meant.
So-called gods were just powerful life forms with abilities that ordinary people didn't possess.
"What about magic?"
"Magic, huh..."
Honestly, Ethan didn't know much about the magic system in the DC Universe, nor had he deliberately sought out mystical forces in this world.
"If you're just asking about magic in general, I can tell you a lot. But if you're asking about the magic in this world, then my understanding is actually limited."
"This world? What do you mean?"
Clark had been holding the beer bottle in his hand. Although it was already open, he hadn't drunk it. While he was a good person, that didn't mean he was naïve. Coming to a mage's residence, he wouldn't dare casually drink something the other person gave him, even if it looked like ordinary beer.
"Exactly what it sounds like." Ethan spread his hands. "I'm not from this world."
Clark was still confused until Ethan said the words "parallel universe," which made him understand a bit more.
"You're not from this world?"
"That's right. I just drop by occasionally."
Ethan snapped his fingers lightly, and all the lights in the room went out at the same time. After the curtains were drawn, the room fell into darkness.
But a second later, the room lit up again. Above the coffee table in front of Ethan, several spherical objects emitting a soft blue glow appeared.
"Think of each sphere as a complete world. This one can represent the world we're currently in. I can freely enter and leave here, or any other world."
Clark wasn't particularly impressed by the magical scene in front of him. He had already witnessed too many unbelievable things today. Compared to Ethan casually making a giant Kryptonian spaceship disappear, this was nothing.
He was just shocked by Ethan's claim. There wasn't just one world?
"So... how many worlds like this are there?"
"How many?"
Ethan smiled, dispelled the spell, and turned the lights back on.
"Innumerable."
There were many things he didn't mention. Even within the DC Universe itself, there were countless parallel universes, some partially similar, some completely similar, and some vastly different. Just the DC Universe alone had too many to count. Expanding to a broader scope, saying "innumerable" was not an exaggeration at all.
After talking for a while longer, Clark finally gained a clearer understanding of Ethan's origins and Diana's identity. He grudgingly accepted Ethan's explanation.
At this point, he began asking about General Zod, including why Ethan and Diana had acted so ruthlessly.
"When two countries are at war, can't they kill each other?"
"But this wasn't a war..."
Before Clark could finish, Ethan cut him off.
"No, this was a war. One that involved the survival of all humans on this planet. As the protector of humanity, Diana has both the responsibility and necessity to eliminate the threat entirely."
Clark fell silent. He could understand what Ethan was saying, but deep down, he couldn't accept it. Especially considering the overwhelming power Ethan and Diana had shown, he felt General Zod didn't truly pose a threat to Earth. In such a situation, simply expelling him would have been enough. There was no need to kill.
This was a clash of values. Ethan knew it would be difficult to persuade Clark directly, but fortunately, the Superman in this universe was somewhat different from past versions and the one in the comics. Although he was dissatisfied, he wouldn't label Diana and Ethan as villains, nor would he see their actions as unacceptable.
After all, this version had killed before when necessary. In the original plot, Zod died at Superman's hands, and judging from easter eggs in later stories, this Superman even had the potential to fall into darkness.
Simply put, this wasn't the perfect, saintly Superman radiating light and justice inside and out. He was a Superman with shadows in his heart, with the possibility of those shadows erupting—a Superman with a more complex inner world.
Moreover, Ethan had specifically explained why they had to deal with General Zod in space.
Because once Zod landed his ship on Earth and began his invasion, even if the three of them fought and defeated him, the damage caused would inevitably be catastrophic for ordinary people.
Whether it was Superman or Diana, their power was simply too great. If beings of this level fought on Earth, even the aftershocks would be enough to kill countless civilians.
Not to mention anything else, if Superman just flew down a street, the sonic boom alone could kill everyone around him.
If they fought at full strength, the destruction would be unimaginable. If the battlefield was in a city, the casualties would be terrifying.
The reasons were sufficient, and the situation clearly explained. Clark more or less accepted Ethan's answer. Even if he was somewhat dissatisfied with Ethan's 'ruthless' methods, he didn't say anything more.
"Since I've understood everything, perhaps I should leave."
Clark stood up, preparing to go. He had learned what he needed to know, and there was no reason to stay.
He still had many troubling matters to consider, such as what to do next, and where his future lay. Although the threat of General Zod was gone, now everyone on Earth knew there was an alien living among them. How would humans react to that?
He didn't know the answer to any of these. He needed time to think carefully.
His identity probably couldn't stay hidden much longer. Once the authorities knew he existed, they would spare no effort to find him. And his identity wasn't particularly difficult to uncover. Not to mention the mage and demigoddess he just met, even a female reporter could find out who he was.
So, if the government really wanted to find him, it wouldn't take long. What would he do then?
"Young man."
Just as Clark was about to say goodbye and leave, Ethan suddenly called out to him. Although the way he was addressed made him a little uncomfortable, Clark still stopped and turned to look at him, wanting to hear what he had to say.
"Just do what you want to do. Sometimes thinking too much isn't helpful."
Clark forced a smile, nodded at Ethan, and then prepared to open the window to leave.
But before he could take a step, Ethan called out to him again.
"The windows here can't be opened."
"..."
Clark could only awkwardly walk toward the room's main door. As for whether he, dressed in a tight suit and red cape, would choose to fly away from the top floor or leave through the front door, Ethan was very curious.
If it was the former, that would be normal. But if it was the latter, the scene would definitely be hilarious.
The two people in the room remained silent until they heard the sound of something slicing through the air outside. Only then did Diana reach out and pat Ethan.
"You're too mean."
Ethan grimaced, rubbed his thigh, and then looked at Diana speechlessly. Saying he was too mean? Didn't she also stay silent and not remind him?
Although the windows couldn't be opened, for a mage of Ethan's level, phasing the entire wall or glass to let Clark through was no trouble at all. There was absolutely no need for him to take the elevator or go all the way down to leave.
But Ethan had deliberately not done it. He clearly wanted to see Clark stumble.
Knowing this and still not saying anything, Diana obviously shared the same mindset. It seemed she wasn't particularly fond of this righteous hero from Krypton. She had barely spoken during the conversation, quietly listening to the discussion between Ethan and Clark. From their dialogue, she confirmed one thing. She and this Clark Kent had significant differences in how they dealt with enemies.
However, the other party seemed to be a man with a strong sense of justice, which was reassuring. With a Kryptonian's power, he would make a good comrade-in-arms. It seemed this Clark was much stronger than General Zod, whom she had just killed. At the very least, Zod couldn't fly.
"Is there anything else you want to do next?"
"Not really, is there?"
Ethan fell silent for a moment, thinking if there was anything else in this world that required his intervention.
According to the plot's progression, the next event would likely be the big fight between Batman and Superman. That could be interesting, but it had little to do with Ethan. If he happened to catch it, he'd watch. If he missed it, he wouldn't feel any regret.
As for Lex Luthor?
Ethan rubbed his chin. With that guy's intelligence and methods, if he wanted to create an enemy for Superman, there was a good chance he would set his sights on Diana. After all, in terms of strength, Diana was far more reliable than Batman, who was just a regular human.
"Should I just kill this guy in advance?"
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)