"On our pnet, strength is everything. The weak have no dignity and can only serve as stepping stones for the strong or be victims in the Great Purge."

  Viktor's voice was soft, and the rejection and disgust in his eyes were obvious, but they quickly disappeared.

  The sunlight poured through the window, casting a strange silhouette on his face that combined both youthful energy and the exhaustion of experience.

  He didn't hide the bloodthirsty and warlike culture of Viltrum. However, he did soften the story of his own upbringing somewhat, omitting the most brutal and gory details.

  For example, during his coming-of-age ceremony, Viktor killed three older comrades with his own hands to survive.

  Those details were too cruel. He only emphasized that his heart had never felt at home with that pnet from a young age, and he considered himself an outcast.

  Honesty was indeed his greatest weapon, but it could be revealed little by little through slow interactions. This was more in line with his mindset as a newcomer.

  "On Viltrum, being weak is a sin. All children fight to survive and fight while the adult warriors revel in conquering other civilizations."

  Viktor's tone carried a weary helplessness.

  "Since I can remember, all I've seen is endless battles and killings, and all the children were bred by adults who were assigned reproduction tasks just to fight in wars that can st thousands of years with no sense of familial love or affection."

  "They would throw us into training camps, where we have to kill each other, and only the st kid standing or the one still alive gets to be trained. That was the only way for me learn about my bloodline origins, but even then, you could never truly recognize them. For example, my father—he may have bred hundreds of children through his missions, but not all of them survived."

  "I once thought about rebelling, but most of them is the same. They discriminate against the weak and don't allow any dispy of empathy or compassion under any circumstances. They call it cowardice."

  He lowered his head slightly, avoiding Tom's increasingly shocked and angry gaze.

  He left out some parts about himself. Even though his way of thinking didn't think like a Viltrumite, and his heart felt totally wrong for that awful pce…

  He never exposed these feelings throughout his time. Except for when he was ten years old, when the instructor forced him onto the battlefield, ordering him to clear the st remaining survivors with the glory of conquest.

  The old, weak people, women, children, and the desperate screams, the blood covering everyone, and the broken bones made him finally lose control after being under so much pressure for so long.

  He turned and charged toward the instructor, who had once shown him approval.

  But soon, Viktor realized how tiny and weak he still was compared to a real Viltrumite who had experienced centuries of conquest and decades of the Great Purge.

  After that, Viktor never showed any sign of weakness again. He forced himself to lock up all his emotions and was close to a state of mental breakdown. In the eyes of those Viltrumites, Viktor only seemed to become stronger and more powerful.

  Of course, at the beginning, Viktor, like any person, had dreamed of one day returning home. But as time passed, and with his hands stained with blood again and again, Viktor began to subconsciously ignore his original wish.

  He could even say that deep down he started to feel scared of going back to his home.

  He was woken up many nights by nightmares. In these dreams, Viktor turned into a true Viltrumite and got sent to conquer a new pnet… and it was Earth—his real home from before.

  Of course, Viktor didn't share all of this with Tom. He simply and somewhat numbly described a brief version of his life over the past ten years.

  Tom listened quietly, his hands resting on the table, unconsciously tightening into fists. He was clearly moved by the cruel scenes in the story. He had never thought that in some part of the universe, there could be a civilization that glorified killing and conquest.

  As he looked at the silent young man before him, Tom felt even more sympathy in his heart. He could feel Viktor's deep helplessness that only someone who had truly suffered could understand.

  Tom sighed softly, deciding not to ask more questions. He quietly waited. If Viktor wanted to continue speaking, Tom felt it was important to give him enough time and space.

  After a moment, Viktor spoke again.

  "I've always been looking for a chance to escape that hellish pce."

  There was a trace of relief in his voice, as if he had just survived a near-death experience.

  "I found an opportunity during a Great Purge and seized an escape pod from another pnet that had been conquered by Viltrum. While I was running away, I was hunted by other Viltrumites, and that's how I got all these severe injuries."

  "I don't know how many light-years I drifted in space, but the escape pod's energy was nearly depleted and perhaps by fate, I drifted to Earth."

  He didn't mention that he had killed his comrades during the Great Purge, nor did he mention that.

  For now, Viktor just needed them to know that he was a "rebel" from Viltrum and that he had completely broken ties with that warlike civilization, and that he posed no threat to Earth.

  In fact, Viktor might even need protection due to potential revenge from his home pnet.

  He carefully told the truth but left some things out. He knew that Superman and Justice League behind him, if they existed, would undoubtedly remain highly cautious of a civilization like Viltrum.

  And as an "outcast" who had escaped the Viltrum Empire, Viltor could be the way for them to learn about this potential threat annd could even offer them some intelligence about Viltrum Empire.

  After all, a "rebel" who actively provides enemy intelligence is far more trustworthy than an alien with an unknown origin.

  More importantly, Viktor needed to take advantage of the highly likely existence of super technology on Earth. He needs to find out if Viltrum still exists in this universe.

  'If Viltrum didn't exist in this universe, I could stay on Earth, heal, and start a new life in peace. If it does exist, I'll have to get ready and prepare for being hunted.'

  "I know the one who saved me is very powerful. I can tell from his strength and the warm feeling around him. I think he's probably protecting this pnet. He's its guardian. I don't mean any harm, and I don't want to cause you trouble... far away from all the endless fighting and killing."

  Viktor's voice got quieter, almost like he wasn't sure if he should ask for help.

  Hopefully, this Tom, who cimed to be Superman's friend, had a simir personality to Superman. If Tom could trust him and pass these words on to Superman, then Viktor wouldn't need to worry about other issues for now.

  Tom gently tapped the table and spoke kindly.

  "Kid, you've been through a lot."

  Tom's eyes were filled with pity, but also a hint of determination.

  "You don't need to worry too much. Superman is a very kind person. He's helped many other alien visitors like you who were in trouble. You don't have to worry about anything right now and just rest and heal here. This pce is very safe, and no one will bother you."

  Viktors worried heart finally rexed.

  He picked up his spoon again and started to drink the soup slowly but what he didn't notice something sneaky outside… a tiny listening device was hidden on an old locust tree.

  These sounds were converted into encrypted electronic signals and transmitted to the Batcave, located hundreds of kilometers away in the outskirts of Gotham City.

  Inside the Batcave, the lights were dim, and the only light came from a huge screen that lit up the surroundings.

  The screen was showing a live transcription of the conversation between Viktor and Tom, with accompanying data showing fluctuations in Viktor's tone, heart rate, breathing frequency, and other physiological readings.

  There was even a small window pying footage from a miniature camera attached to the listening device, showing live footage of the scene.

  Even though the pictures were a bit fuzzy and the angle wasn't great, it was enough to see Viktor's movements and expressions.

  Batman sat in a chair right in front of the screens, his bck suit blending into the dark surroundings, with only his sharp eyes gleaming from beneath the shadow of his bat mask.

  Batman's fingers rested lightly on the keys, maintaining the posture as if he were a statue.

  The console made soft electrical sounds, mixing with the faint glow of the screen, creating a suffocating atmosphere in the Batcave.

  "Viltrum Empire..."