CHAPTER 75

"Advanced System 2.0 Upgrade Summary"

Optimized Main Card Slot: Integration rate increased from 2%/year to 4%/year.

Enhanced Secondary Slot: Skill effect value increased from 10% to 20%.

Expanded Slave Card Slot: Hosts can acquire "slave cards" when a character actively surrenders.

Effect: Detects loyalty (0 to 100). If loyalty falls below 50, it triggers a mutiny. The host can then shatter the slave card, eliminating the individual instantly. Additionally, each slave card grants a unique exclusive skill to the host.

After reading the upgrade summary in the system interface, Kaius nodded in understanding. He now fully grasped the significance of the optimizations.

"Friendship System?" Kaius mused to himself. "More like the Dominance System! Why even call it 'Advanced System' now? Ah, whatever. Details don't matter."

Focusing on the main card slot, Kaius finally understood why his attributes had been steadily improving. It was the result of his ongoing integration with Superman's card. At the original 2% integration rate, it would've taken 50 years to fully sync with Superman. Now, it would take only 25 years.

"And maybe with further upgrades, the timeline will shrink even more," Kaius thought optimistically.

The secondary card slot upgrade also piqued his interest. Its boosted effects meant his compatibility with Diana's card—particularly the Lovers Effect—was even stronger, further narrowing the power gap between himself and Superman.

"As expected, the secondary slot is incredibly powerful," he muttered.

Finally, Kaius turned to the newly added slave card slot. Out of curiosity, he summoned his first slave card: Reverse-Flash.

"Equipping Reverse-Flash Card!"

The moment he equipped the card, a spectral image of the infamous yellow-suited speedster, surrounded by streaks of red lightning, appeared in the new slot.

Far away in Central City, Dr. Harrison Wells—better known as Reverse-Flash—was working in his lab at STAR Labs when a sudden, chilling sensation washed over him. He froze, gripping his desk as a vivid memory of his surrender to Kaius resurfaced.

He glanced toward the window as if expecting to see Kaius standing there. For the first time, he felt an unshakable sense that his life—and death—were no longer under his control.

Back in his room, Kaius frowned as he observed Reverse-Flash's loyalty bar on the system interface: 59/100.

"So low," Kaius remarked, stroking his chin. "He's already on the brink of rebellion. Typical Eobard Thawne."

He turned his attention to the description of Reverse-Flash's exclusive skill:

Ultra-Speed:

Without speed powers: Quadruples speed for 2 seconds.

With speed powers: Temporarily becomes faster than everything for 0.5 seconds.

Cooldown: 1 hour.

Kaius's eyes widened in appreciation. "This skill… it's ridiculous! Even without full speed powers, I could reach Flash's early speeds for two seconds. And once I unlock my own speed force connection, being faster than everything for 0.5 seconds could be a game-changer."

Still, he frowned slightly. Reverse-Flash's dark history as Barry Allen's murderer made it impossible for him to be a public member of the Justice League. Even his presence in the slave card slot was something Kaius would need to keep hidden.

"But for the shadows," Kaius thought with a smirk, "Reverse-Flash is perfect."

Just as Kaius was contemplating his strategy, a loud voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Kaius! Get up already! We're supposed to leave for Metropolis at noon!"

Diana emerged from the bathroom, dressed and ready. Seeing Kaius still lounging in bed, she rolled her eyes and delivered a sharp kick to the side of the bed.

CRACK!

The entire bed frame shattered under the force of her kick, sending Kaius tumbling into a pile of broken wood.

"Hey!" Kaius protested, sitting up and brushing splinters off himself. "I didn't even break the bed yesterday! This is, what, the eighth one we've wrecked? At this rate, the hotel's going to blacklist us."

Diana crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Maybe if you didn't sleep in like a sloth, we wouldn't have this problem."

Kaius sighed, standing up and stretching. "Alright, alright. Let's go save the world again."

Kaius rummaged through the room for clothes, but then he paused, smirking as an idea struck him. He activated the Ultra-Speed ability from the Reverse-Flash card.

In an instant, the world slowed to a standstill. It wasn't just the heightened perception Kaius usually experienced with super speed—it was as if time itself had nearly frozen. This level of stillness was far more profound.

"Amazing!" Kaius marveled, feeling a new sense of power and control.

Effortlessly, he moved across the room, pulling on his clothes as he approached Diana. Even in this suspended state, Diana seemed to sense something. Her eyes moved sluggishly, attempting to track Kaius's movements, but it was clear her reflexes couldn't keep up.

Kaius grinned. "So this is true speed. Even Diana can't match me now."

He leaned down, gently brushing a kiss on her lips before disappearing into the bathroom.

By the time Kaius exited the speed field, finishing his morning routine and standing at the hotel door, only 0.7 seconds of real time had passed. He realized there was still 1.3 seconds left of his enhanced speed duration, but staying in this state would make those 1.3 seconds feel like 13 minutes. Deciding not to waste more time, he voluntarily exited the speed field.

The world resumed its normal pace, and Diana's voice called out sharply behind him. "Kaius! What just happened? How did you get so fast?"

Kaius turned, looking both amused and sheepish. "What do you mean? I wasn't that fast—maybe you were just too slow," he teased.

Diana squinted at him, her expression suspicious. She couldn't quite place what had happened but chose to drop the subject for now.

The two headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, where Oliver Queen, Roy Harper, and the rest of Team Arrow were already waiting.

Unsurprisingly, they expressed their desire to join the mission. However, Kaius firmly declined.

"This isn't a fight for regular humans," he explained. "We're dealing with Kryptonians—Zod's soldiers are born warriors. They're not like Superman, who holds back out of compassion. Against them, any hesitation means death."

He glanced at Oliver, adding, "Oliver, your mother was just elected mayor of Star City, and your sister's still upset about the revelations regarding your father. You should spend more time with your family. Trust me, we've got this covered."

Though disappointed, Oliver understood. "Alright, Kaius. But if you need me, you know how to find me."

After breakfast, around ten o'clock, Kaius and Diana left the hotel, saying their goodbyes to Team Arrow. Together, they headed to the temporary military base on the outskirts of Metropolis.

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