Chapter 176: Kara: What’s That Delicious Smell?
"So, you must not underestimate the Fire Demon just because your strength has grown rapidly. I don't know his current strength, but the nature of his power is formidable. If you underestimate him, you'll definitely suffer a big loss!" Diana emphasized this point to Robert, mainly to warn him not to underestimate the Saint, as she noticed Robert didn't seem to take the Saint too seriously.
"Don't worry, I won't underestimate such an opponent!" Robert reassured her with a smile. "However, the power levels you mentioned do seem a bit vague. I just know you possess the power of a chief god but not as strong as those Sub-Heavenly Fathers. It's really hard to estimate how powerful they are…"
"True strength can only be known after a battle. Like before I fought with you, I couldn't believe how quickly you had progressed!" Diana spoke earnestly.
"So, not just half-gods or deities like me, but even demons of unknown origin or seemingly ordinary humans should not be underestimated!"
"Indeed, until you fight, it's hard to tell if someone is a match." Robert agreed with Diana's view. Even with his Ki sensing and abilities to observe opponents through eyes and mental power, he still found it hard to gauge his strength relative to other powerful beings in this world, unless they actually fought.
As for the vague power levels, Robert was used to it, especially in the Dragon Ball world, where power levels became meaningless in the later stages.
"So, are you leaving again?" Diana asked softly as Robert pondered the power levels in both worlds.
"Yeah, I should. Although I don't know where the charms are right now, I still need to go back and see if I can find the Saint or the whereabouts of the charms…" Before Robert could finish, a fragrant breeze interrupted him.
"Remember what I said. Don't be too reckless. If you really meet an unbeatable opponent, don't fight to the death. And…" Diana's voice came from above Robert's head, "If you wait a year to find me again, I'll make you regret it! And remember to grow up quickly!"
After speaking, Diana hugged Robert tightly before letting him go.
"Huff! Huff! Huff!" Free from Diana's soft embrace, Robert gasped for air. He had briefly suffocated and began to ponder the issue of his inability to survive without oxygen. It seemed that, like space environments, oxygen-deprived environments were also a problem to be solved.
"Pfft!" Seeing Robert standing there dazed, Diana couldn't help but smile, thinking he was embarrassed about what just happened.
"Alright, don't think too much about it. You can go. I won't keep you for dinner," Diana said, ruffling Robert's hair with a smile.
"Ah? Oh!" Robert replied absentmindedly, instinctively leaving Diana's place and returning to the Kent Farm.
"I hope you grow up quickly!" Diana muttered softly as she watched Robert leave, straightening her slightly disheveled white shirt. "You're still a child…"
Meanwhile, Robert didn't take long to return to the Kent Farm. However, before he could speak, Clark's nose twitched, and he pushed Robert into the bathroom, saying, "You stink! Go take a shower before coming out!"
"Do I?" Robert, pushed into the bathroom, sniffed doubtfully. He only smelled a fragrance, not any stench. He had bathed after his encounter with Diana before getting Jackie Chan's call, and then flew back after saying goodbye to Diana. How could he stink?
However, already pushed into the bathroom, Robert resignedly showered. It didn't take much time anyway.
"Robert, you're back?" As soon as Robert showered, Kara rushed into the Kent house, cheerfully calling out but was stopped by Clark.
"Robert is showering. Wait a bit," Clark told Kara, holding her back.
"Why shower right after coming back? Sniff, sniff! Hm? What's that smell? Why does it smell nice?" Kara pouted, muttering doubtfully, then sniffed around, suspiciously eyeing Clark.
"Did she smell it?" Clark's heart sank. He had hurried Robert to shower because he returned with a faint fragrance. Clark didn't know what Robert had done, but to protect his foolish brother and their home, he decided to get Robert to shower.
But now Kara arrived quickly and even caught the faint scent lingering in the air. Perhaps only Kryptonians or Martians with their abnormal sensory abilities could detect such nearly nonexistent odors.
Clark's brain raced, trying to find a suitable excuse to fend off Kara's questioning.
"Squeak!" Just then, Robert came out of the bathroom, and Kara bypassed Clark, running to Robert.
"Sniff! Sniff!" Kara sniffed carefully around Robert, then relaxed, as Robert didn't have that fragrance.
"What are you doing?" Robert looked confusedly at Kara, who had run over and was sniffing around.
"Nothing!" Kara snapped back to reality, suspiciously glancing at Clark. She now suspected the fragrance came from Clark but didn't pry further. After all, her cousin was nearly thirty; it was normal for him to smell nice. It didn't matter as long as it wasn't Robert's scent.
"Why did you change clothes?" Clark's voice echoed in Robert's mind, questioning. He began to doubt if his naive brother was really that innocent.
"Isn't it normal to change clothes after a shower? Besides, it's conjured by transformation, so no need to wash…" Robert replied, somewhat perplexed, not understanding why Clark was communicating telepathically at such a close distance.
"You win." Clark still doubted but chose not to delve deeper, letting Robert off the hook.
"Clark, do you know where the charms are?" Robert suddenly thought of something and eagerly asked, "The charms were taken by Valon's men, and the Saint must have awakened. That's a tough opponent. Do you have any news?"
"I've looked for the charms, but couldn't find them; they've hidden them well…" Clark shrugged. "When that S.H.I.E.L.D. director was attacked and had the charms stolen, I saw it. But I was dealing with a derailed train elsewhere and couldn't intervene. However, that guy seems to be looking for us."
"Looking for us? Who?" Robert asked, puzzled.
"Not Valon, but Nick Fury, the S.H.I.E.L.D. director," Clark shook his head, looking at Robert with a hint of irony. "He wants to figure out our true identities. Oh, and he gave you a nickname, 'Energy Lad'…"
"What the hell?!" Robert hadn't reacted yet, but Kara jumped up, discontentedly saying, "What a terrible nickname! I have to find him…"
"What does he want with us? To cause trouble?" Robert held Kara back, only slightly dissatisfied with the nickname. He didn't think he needed such a title; if anything, he could simply be called a Saiyan, the only one in the universe.
"It seems he wants to control us to work under him, maintaining world peace," Clark said with a shrug and a light smile.
"Ha? Is he that influential? Or that handsome? How delusional! Or is he really powerful? Hmm, no, if he was strong, he wouldn't have been attacked by Valon's men…" Robert responded, baffled.
"His face is pretty big, not handsome, but quite dark," Clark gave a neutral and objective assessment. "As for strength, roughly equivalent to the super soldier you killed during the Horse Charm incident."
"Heh, just that? Then I hope he doesn't really bother me!" Robert scoffed dismissively, used to encountering people without a clear sense of their own strength. Even Satan, when alone with the Z fighters, knew his place and never thought to control them.
"It looks like you'll probably meet him, as he's also searching for the charms. If he doesn't provoke you, try not to kill. It's better not to kill…" Clark said softly after a pause.
Although Robert hadn't caused much bloodshed lately, Clark knew his style and respected life more after becoming Superman.
"We'll see how he behaves when we meet…" Robert shrugged. He wasn't bloodthirsty and wouldn't kill without reason.
"If he really troubles me, I won't indulge him. S.H.I.E.L.D. director or not, it doesn't matter to me unless he's a distant relative of Martha or Jonathan Kent!"
"Forget about him. Tell me about your trip. Has Steve's friend recovered?" Kara pulled Robert, eager to hear about his adventures, not interested in Fury anymore.
"He recovered, and I met some animal warriors. They've changed a bit, can talk now, but unfortunately, their strength hasn't improved much…" Robert shook his head, sharing his experiences at Steve's with Kara.
As for the charms, Robert wasn't in a hurry. After all, he wasn't the only one interested in them. And crucially, now that Valon and the Saint had the charms, they were bound to emerge. They wouldn't hide forever after taking the charms, would they? What would be the point of seizing them then?
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