After a night passed, the heat surrounding the alien invasion incident had not only failed to subside but had instead intensified.
More than half of the 24-hour deadline given by General Zod had passed, and there was still no news of that alien named Karl-El.
For a time, speculation ran rampant online, conspiracy theories emerged one after another, and some even began to doubt whether such a person truly existed.
That was until a fairly well-known blogger voluntarily accepted an interview to leak the news that Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane knew who Karl-El was.
According to him, a few days ago, while Lois was conducting an investigation in the North Pole, she discovered an alien spacecraft and an alien.
However, when Lois returned with the first-hand material and prepared to publish the story, she was stopped by the owner of the Daily Planet. So, she contacted this blogger to spread the news, hoping that after seeing it, that alien might accept her interview.
Lois was a pure journalist who only sought the truth and acted with absolutely no regard for the consequences.
If it weren't for her father being a general in America, given the people she had offended over the years, she would have likely been found dead from a dozen shots in the back, ruled a suicide, long ago.
Darian guessed that in all likelihood, Lois had already met Superman, and she might have even uncovered Superman's true identity.
As for why Lois hadn't exposed him, one could only say that Superman's character design was simply too strong.
Now, only Darian was left in the church.
Constantine had failed to recruit him, left in disappointment, and had to investigate the truth behind the demons descending directly into the human world alone.
And as for the most urgent alien invasion incident right now, what did that have to do with him?
He was an Demon exorcist, not an alien-exorcist.
Compared to visitors from outer space, Constantine was more concerned with whether he could go to heaven after he died.
Darian, however, was quite interested.
General Zod's global declaration was clearly aimed at Superman, and he had come with ill intent.
As a Kryptonian, General Zod's combat power would naturally not be weak; if Superman did not appear, it probably wouldn't be difficult for him to steamroll the entire Earth.
Besides, Darian did not believe that Zod had gone to such great lengths to come to Earth just to take Superman away; there must be some unknown secret.
Thinking of this, Darian immediately became excited.
Isn't this a major event right in front of him?
Darian immediately made up his mind that he must get involved in this matter, and it would be best to find Superman.
But the problem arose again.
Where was he going to find Superman now? He couldn't just expect Superman to show up on his own, could he?
"Father, hello, are you available right now?"
A deep voice, tinged with a bit of confusion, came from the church entrance.
Darian turned his head to look and saw a tall, robust man standing at the doorway with an extremely high-quality character design, but he exuded the air of an honest farm youth.
[NPC: Clark Kent (Karl-El)]
[Codename: Superman]
[Affinity: 10]
[Evaluation: DC's beloved son, God Among Men, the last Kryptonian, the Big Daddy of the Justice League, a stat-monster who thinks he has great skill, a vegetable who loves photosynthesis, my mother's name is Martha]
Darian: "..."
Good grief, he really did show up on his own.
Could it be that his mouth was blessed, just like crow's?
Superman, Clark Kent, the undisputed protagonist of the DC Universe.
His abilities were more outrageous than cheating, with almost no upper limit; as long as he was willing, he could keep getting stronger.
If Clark also had an attribute panel, his physical attributes would definitely be maxed out.
Besides that, he had various powerful auxiliary skills; it would be no exaggeration to call him the most powerful Superhero on Earth.
Fortunately, Clark's personality was pure and kind; he was absolutely a good guy.
If it were someone with a dark heart possessing such powerful abilities like Superman...
Day One: I want to protect Earth.
Day Two: I don't eat beef, I can do whatever the hell I want!
Day Three: I want to protect my Earth!
Therefore, all Earthlings should thank the Kent couple for raising Clark into a saint, rather than a demon child with glowing red eyes who looked at everyone with malice.
Seeing Clark appear, Darian instantly transformed into a face that felt like a spring breeze and said softly: "Of course, my child. You look a bit lost; is there something on your mind that you need to confide in someone about?"
Although Clark looked more mature than him, in front of a priest, everyone was a child, and Clark was just a little boy... Ahem, never mind that.
Clark said in surprise: "Father, you could tell?"
Darian smiled and nodded, his expression inscrutable, though he was calm inside.
Obviously, besides being lost and wanting to confide, what else would Clark come to the church for at this time?
It couldn't be that Clark was looking for an exorcism, could it?
With Clark's stats, Kayako would only be a divorced young woman in front of him, Chu Renmei would be a village teacher, and Sadako would just be a gloomy, quiet shut-in.
Of course.
As everyone knows, Superman's physical resistance is maxed out while his magic resistance is extremely low, but that depends on who you compare him to.
If Clark's physical resistance is 999,999, then his magic resistance is probably 100, whereas an ordinary person's magic resistance is 0.
Darian pointed to the seat in front of him and said in a gentle tone: "Sit down, my child. No matter what it is, I am willing to listen."
Clark sat down and said with hesitation: "I don't know where to start."
"Anywhere is fine."
Darian answered fluently; he had been practicing for a while and was quite skilled in the flow of listening to confessions.
Clark hesitated for a few seconds, as if he had made a decision, and slowly opened his mouth: "The alien who appeared on Earth last night, the person he is looking for is me."
Good grief, is he just going to expose himself right off the bat?
Darian immediately stood in awe: "You mean, you are that Karl-El?"
"Yes." Clark nodded.
"Please wait a moment."
Darian suddenly took out his phone and lowered his head to look at it.
Clark's vision was extremely sharp, and he clearly saw the content on the phone screen.
It was an official nationwide bounty notice, which stated that as long as one provided clues about Karl-El or his accurate location, one could claim a huge bounty.
"...."
Clark was a bit speechless: "Father, what are you doing?"
Darian put away his phone without changing his expression and laughed it off: "Nothing, this church of mine is in disrepair, I was just looking to see if any kind-hearted person would be willing to sponsor the repair costs."
Clark: "... I think you just want to sell me for money, right?"
"Ahem, back to the main topic, do you know what this General Zod is looking for you for?" Darian switched back to a serious face in a second.
Clark always felt that the priest in front of him was not very reliable, but right now he really needed to find someone to confide in.
He took a deep breath and continued: "I don't know, but even if I surrender to this General Zod, there is no guarantee that he will keep his word and spare Earth."
Darian nodded secretly.
It seemed that this Clark was just kind, not naive, and did not blindly trust General Zod, his fellow countryman from Krypton.
As the saying goes, when fellow countrymen meet, they stab each other in the back.
It was correct for Clark to be wary of General Zod.
It's just a pity that later, when Clark meets that man wearing the bat-suit, his super-brain will automatically enter sleep mode, leaving only his super strength.
Clark's voice deepened: "But if I surrender, perhaps there is a glimmer of a chance to save Earth. Father, do you think I should take it?"
"What do you think?" Darian asked back.
"I don't think General Zod is trustworthy."
Clark answered without hesitation, then immediately changed the subject, his tone conflicted: "But... I don't know if the people on Earth are trustworthy either."
This was exactly where Clark's confusion lay.
On one side was a fellow countryman who seemed to have ill intentions, and on the other was the human society he had lived in since he was a child. He didn't know what attitude humans would have toward him as an alien, or whether they would accept his existence.
If General Zod were to break his promise, after he escaped back to Earth, would humans still accept him?
If Clark's adoptive father were still alive, perhaps he could point him toward the right path.
But back then, his adoptive father had restrained his steel body with just one hand, while he himself had perished in a tornado, and he had lost this most important life mentor.
And now, the fate of the entire Earth hung in his hands, yet he didn't know which way to go.
So he came to the nearby church and found this priest, Darian.
A priest is also a father.
Perhaps the other party could guide him to the right path.
Darian looked at Clark's eyes, which were filled with confusion, and didn't use the universal formula of a spiritual mentor: "Follow your heart."
What if Clark's heart wanted to escape? Then who would stop that alien hick?
Fortunately, Darian had read plenty of chicken soup literature, so he thought for a moment and said: "My child, have you ever thought about one thing? While you are thinking about whether humans are worth trusting, in fact, humans are also thinking about whether you are worth trusting."
Hearing these words, Clark's originally lowered gaze was lifted.
Darian smiled and said: "Trust is something mutual, just like a man and a woman who have feelings for each other; one side must take the initiative to express themselves first, and then the other side will understand their feelings. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Not really, I've never been in love." Clark shook his head.
Darian: "..."
"But I think I understand what you mean."
The confusion in Clark's eyes gradually dissipated, and his face became resolute: "Only when I trust humans first will humans trust me."
Seeing that Clark had finally figured it out, Darian chuckled: "No, just the opposite."
Clark was stunned.
Darian reached out his index finger and tapped on Clark's exceptionally developed pectoral muscles; it felt like touching Adamantium.
This body was truly hard!
Darian kept a straight face and said seriously: "As a human, I am willing to trust you first, so you can also try to trust humans."
Clark's breathing suddenly stalled, and he felt a warm current surging in his chest.
His voice was a bit hoarse: "Thank you for your trust, Father."
Darian watched Clark's rapidly soaring affinity and was overjoyed in his heart.
You have to know, as long as the affinity reaches 95, you can obtain the NPC's character card.
This was Superman's character card, an existence that could kick a Planet like a ball; even if he could only experience it once, it was a massive profit.
That was why Darian had gone to such great lengths to counsel Clark, all to increase his affinity.
Darian said cheerfully: "Don't mention it. I could tell at first glance that you are a simple and honest child; you're definitely not the kind of guy who is as black-bellied inside as he is outside."
Clark felt that Darian's words seemed to imply something, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
How could a priest have any bad intentions?
"What do you plan to do now?"
Darian wanted to know Clark's next step, so it would be easier for him to participate in the upcoming major event.
At this moment, Clark's affinity for Darian was off the charts, and he had no intention of hiding anything, saying bluntly: "I am preparing to head to the American Air Force Base and let the humans hand me over to General Zod, in exchange for peace between both sides."
Darian raised an eyebrow: "Then what if General Zod breaks his promise and ultimately chooses to attack Earth?"
Clark's eyes became incomparably firm, without the slightest hesitation: "In that case, humans will be able to see through General Zod's true colors, and I will stand on the side of humanity and do my best to help humans defeat General Zod and protect Earth's peace."
As for why Clark didn't attack Zod right from the start.
For one, he didn't know how strong Zod was or how many men he had brought; if all these fellow Kryptonians were as fierce as him, attacking rashly would be equivalent to declaring war directly and dragging the entire Earth into it.
Secondly, it was considering how humans viewed him.
If he disregarded the safety of Earth and refused General Zod's request, dragging the entire Earth into the vortex, humans would probably never trust him again.
Of course, there was another possibility.
Maybe Zod would really keep his promise, take him away, and leave Earth directly, achieving the hidden 'dumpling' ending.
It's just that this possibility was extremely slim; believing this was like believing Batman wouldn't hit the Joker.
Darian understood these things, so he didn't try to persuade Clark to change his mind.
He was more curious about another question: "By the way, why the Air Force Base?"
Clark explained: "Someone was arrested because of me. She was unwilling to reveal my identity and was taken to the Air Force Base for interrogation. I don't want her to be harmed because of me."
"A woman?"
"Yes, she is a reporter for the Daily Planet, Lois Lane."
Darian noticed that when Clark said this name, his expression suddenly softened, and he clicked his tongue twice.
"You're done for, you've fallen in love."
Clark quickly denied it: "No, I've only met her once or twice."
Darian realized: "So it was lust at first sight."
Clark's mouth twitched: "Father, that's called love at first sight."
"It means the same thing."
Clark began to suspect that this priest had a split personality; how could he be serious one moment and unserious the next?
But he didn't have time to delve into these things, so he said to Darian: "Father, I'm leaving now. If there's a chance, I'll come back to thank you."
As he spoke, he turned and was about to leave.
"Wait!"
Darian grabbed Clark's arm, but couldn't budge him; instead, he was dragged half a meter by him.
This was the first time Darian had been crushed in terms of strength.
Clark stopped, turned around, and asked in confusion: "What's wrong, Father?"
Darian let go and said embarrassedly: "Um, can you do me a small favor?"
Clark hesitated: "I would be very happy to help you, but I don't have much time left; I need to head to the Air Force Base as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, it won't take long, and it just so happens to be related to what you're about to do."
Darian chuckled and took out his phone: "Anyway, you're going to be exposed, so why not let me hand you over to America? That way, I can claim a sum of money to repair the church. It kills two birds with one stone. What do you think of this proposal?"
Clark: "... I don't think much of it."
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