Boom!
The bald man was struck in the chest by Eric, sending him flying backward to crash heavily onto the ground.
Shattered slab fragments splattered into the air, and Eric instantly flashed forward, touching the opponent's arm, grabbing it, and throwing him forward.
Seeing Eric launch an attack, the Kryptonian Woman, who was struggling to get up, moved at high speed towards Eric.
Taking advantage of Eric's distraction, she forcefully threw the silver bracelet in her hand.
The silver-white bracelet formed a swirling spatial passage, which was flung towards Eric.
A powerful suction accompanied by strong winds surged from within, threatening to pull him in instantly.
At the critical moment, a figure blocked Eric's path.
Clark finally arrived from the icy and snowy North Pole, appearing at the last second to shield Eric from the spatial suction.
The uncontrollable suction immediately pulled Clark into the swirling silver circle, while the silver hub circle controlled Clark's body.
The ring, emitting a strange aura, showed faintly emerging skyscrapers from the outside, as if a miniature city existed within.
The moment Clark was sucked into the bizarre space, Eric immediately activated his super speed, reaching out to grab Clark.
But the speed of the space's absorption completely surpassed Eric's speed.
Eric only grasped empty air, watching helplessly as Clark's body grew smaller and smaller, finally being absorbed into the black hole-like space.
Watching Clark vanish before him, Eric's hand grasped nothing, and a shocked and incredulous expression appeared in his eyes.
Courtney and the others, who had rushed from the parking lot, were all stunned to see Clark absorbed into the strange space.
"Clatter!"
The Kryptonian Woman retrieved the ring.
The originally massive ring transformed into a thin mirror, on which the images of Clark, Lana, and Lex appeared.
When Eric saw the Kryptonian Woman retrieve the silver ring, his previously expressionless face grew even colder.
The killing intent emanating from him was so palpable that even Courtney and the others in the distance could clearly feel it.
Whoosh!
The next second, Eric activated his super speed, instantly grabbing the bald man he had just thrown, then moving again in front of the Kryptonian Woman.
Crimson Heat Vision instantly shot from his eyes, aimed at the bald man's eye sockets.
At this time, the bald man, severely injured and unable to recover without sunlight, was weak.
As a result, he was struck by Eric's Heat Vision before he could offer any resistance.
The crimson Heat Vision, carrying extremely high temperatures and powerful energy, blasted into the bald man's eyes.
Even with a Kryptonian's physique, he couldn't endure such pain, and the bald man cried out in agony with his eyes closed.
"Ah ah ah!"
"I won't say it a second time!"
Eric's eyes glowed crimson, like a beast choosing its prey, "Release Clark! Otherwise, I will make your companion suffer unimaginable pain!"
Eric said to the Kryptonian Woman while firing lasers at the bald man.
"No! I won't!"
The Kryptonian Woman seemed unconcerned about the bald man's fate, shaking her head, "As long as the mission can be completed, I won't care about his life. For a great goal, sacrificing a small number of people is completely worth it."
As she spoke, the Kryptonian Woman looked at the mirror in her hand, "Clark is in my hands now, and that's enough!"
Eric, his gaze growing colder, stopped firing Heat Vision from his eyes. He pressed both hands onto the bald man's head and twisted forcefully.
With a crisp "crack," the bald man's head was directly twisted off by Eric.
Seeing her companion's sudden tragic death, the Kryptonian Woman's heart twitched violently.
"Since you say you can sacrifice others' lives, what about yours!"
As the words, tinged with a cold aura, fell, Eric instantly charged in front of the Kryptonian Woman, grabbing her by the neck and reaching for the mirror in her hand.
However, the mirror in the Kryptonian Woman's hand immediately transformed into a white bracelet, which she put on her arm.
Eric's attempt to grab the mirror instantly missed.
Gripped by Eric at the neck, the Kryptonian Woman showed little fear, panting slightly as she said, "Eric Kent, even if you get the bracelet, you will never be able to enter this space! No one can enter except for our surviving Kryptonian people."
"Is that so?"
Eric let out a cold laugh, tightening his grip on the Kryptonian Woman's neck.
"A space no one can enter? Then you try this!"
As he exerted more force, countless black tentacles rose from the ground.
A puddle of black shadow formed beneath Eric's feet, and the black tentacles formed by the shadow became a tangible presence, binding the Kryptonian Woman in his hand like ropes.
The Kryptonian Woman, finding it harder and harder to breathe, looked down in horror at the rope-like presence in the shadow, which was pulling her forcefully underground.
A chilling aura enveloped her, making her feel as if she was constantly sinking.
A descent of both body and mind.
Negative emotions entangled her—resentment, guilt, loneliness—all her inner negative emotions were extracted, making her feel as if she would fall into a bottomless quagmire at any moment.
She even saw her companion, the bald man who had just died, reaching out a hand, dragging her down desperately.
The Kryptonian Woman desperately suppressed her negative emotions, struggling with all her might.
But due to severe injuries, she was unable to break free from Eric's control, and in the end, she could only let the tentacle-like presence from the shadow slowly and tormentingly drag her down.
Such a bizarre scene appeared even more horrifying to Courtney and the others in the distance.
Eric, radiating a pitch-black aura, with black mist constantly rising and swirling around him, looked like a demon crawled out of hell.
"I..."
Wildcat Yolanda looked at Eric, who was engulfed in darkness and tentacles, swallowed, and said, "Now I'm starting to suspect that the dark and unspeakable beings described in Eric's book, 'cthulhu,' are absolutely real. He looks like the most terrifying monster among them!"
"I agree."
Midnight Doctor, looking at Eric's terrifying black appearance with some trepidation, said, "Perhaps...perhaps those terrifying things are hidden inside his body. If he is harmed or angered, he will transform into those dark beings!"
"Eric..."
At this moment, Courtney, unlike Wildcat and Midnight Doctor, did not suspect that Eric had turned into a terrifying monster from his own book. Instead, she showed a worried expression, muttering softly.
On the other side, the Kryptonian Woman, who was being continuously pulled into the "Shadow Land" by Eric, finally showed a look of terror.
As she was dragged deeper into the unknown space, various terrifying emotions surged within her.
"No! Stop!"
The Kryptonian Woman yelled at Eric, "I will release Kal-El! Don't, don't let me fall!"
The Kryptonian Woman, who had always insisted on sacrificing herself for the group's benefit, finally gave up and begged Eric for mercy.
At this point, most of her body had been dragged into the shadow, with only her head remaining exposed.
"Snap!"
Before her head was swallowed, Eric reached out and grabbed her last exposed hand, a cold expression in his eyes.
"It seems that no matter how grand the words, when applied to oneself, after being invaded by fear and seeing one's inner weakness and inadequacy, they ultimately become despicable excuses."
After Eric pulled her out, he said to the Kryptonian Woman, "Release Clark, and release the other two as well."
The Kryptonian Woman, still shaken as if she had undergone an internal interrogation, looked at Eric with a complex expression, took off the silver bracelet, and threw it out.
The bracelet, which had transformed back into an entrance to another dimension, spun in the air, emitting strong light and strong winds that swept in all directions.
The suction from the strange space disappeared, and the air distorted.
In an instant, Clark was ejected the moment the space distorted.
At the same time, Lex and Lana were also released from the space.
"Ugh!"
Lana, expelled, squatted on the ground, gasping for air.
Lex, now free again, looked at everyone present with uncertainty, reaching up to touch his bald head, a sense of unreality washing over him.
After Lana caught her breath, still shaken, she stood up and looked around.
She saw that the bald man from the duo who had descended from the spaceship was lying on the ground, while the woman was covered in dirt and dust, her hair disheveled, and her once neat uniform torn and ragged, looking as if she had been through a fierce battle.
And Eric stood not far from her, looking expressionlessly in her direction.
After a quick glance at the surroundings, Lana could conclude that Eric must have saved her and Lex from that strange space.
"Lana, Lex, are you two alright?"
After Clark was released from the strange space, he quickly walked over to Lana and Lex and asked.
"I...I'm fine."
Lana glanced at the Kryptonian Woman, the instigator, then forced a smile at Clark.
Seeing the Kryptonian Woman release Clark, the icy expression on Eric's face softened slightly, and he asked the Kryptonian Woman, "The space you just released, was it the Phantom Zone?"
The Phantom Zone, also known as "Buffer Zone," "Stasis Zone," "Stasis Space," or "Ghost Zone," is an extra-dimensional place, usually used to imprison serious criminals from Krypton and other galaxies.
Ironically, these imprisoned criminals survived the destruction of Krypton.
Those confined within become a ghost-like presence, without physical form, able to see each other but unable to touch, and they do not age or need to eat while inside.
At this time, General Zod should be imprisoned in the Phantom Zone.
Hearing Eric say "Phantom Zone," the Kryptonian Woman was greatly surprised.
With a shocked expression in her eyes, she looked at Eric with uncertainty, "No, it's not the Phantom Zone, but it's close...how...how do you know about its existence?"
She had originally thought that on this planet, even Kal-El's understanding of General Zod was limited, but she never expected that this guy in front of her even knew about the Phantom Zone.
Eric did not answer her question. After a cold glance at her, he turned and left.
"Bart!"
Eric directed his gaze at Bart nearby and said to him, "Take her to Metropolis 145."
Metropolis 145, the location of the Justice Society Headquarters, which they usually referred to as 145.
"Me...me?"
Bart asked Eric with some hesitation.
He didn't think he could handle this powerful woman in front of him.
Eric had already walked in front of Bart. After glancing at the Kryptonian Woman, he said, "If you knew her weakness, you wouldn't be so afraid. Use green kryptonite to weaken her abilities."
"green kryptonite?"
"I know you definitely have something like this among your previous stolen spoils. Don't let the green kryptonite leave her body's vicinity, understand?"
"Un-understand!"
Bart swallowed, then nodded hesitantly.
Since the Kryptonian in front of him was still useful, Eric had no intention of killing her.
A living Kryptonian was far more valuable to him than a dead one.
After Bart found the green kryptonite and sent the Kryptonian Woman and the bald man's corpse to the Justice Society, the whole incident finally came to an end.
Only Lex, released from the Phantom Zone, stared with a complex expression at Eric's retreating back.
He realized that the secrets hidden within Eric were far more numerous than he had imagined.
The bizarre space, the suspicious alien race—all sorts of incredible existences—caused intense emotions to churn within him, "How many secrets are you hiding?!"
"So our mission is complete?"
Among the few onlookers, Midnight Doctor took a breath, looking at the grim battlefield after the fierce battle, and asked Courtney and Wildcat, "Are we going home now?"
"Although I don't want to say this, our strength seems to be seriously insufficient right now."
Courtney said dejectedly, "Otherwise, we wouldn't have ended up just being spectators."
"Although it's a bit hard to say, it looks like that's the case."
Wildcat shrugged, asking her two friends next to her, "By the way, can you take me to the hospital upstairs? I just coughed up blood, and I'm afraid my condition isn't very good."
"Sorry, Yolanda."
At this moment, Courtney suddenly remembered that her companion seemed to have been hit by a car earlier, and immediately helped her up and ran towards the hospital upstairs.
On the other side, Clark, seeing that Eric had dealt with the two Kryptonians, remembered his agreement with Jor-El and prepared to go to the North Pole, but suddenly heard his mother's painful cries from the hospital.
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