Chapter 1077: A Different Darkseid

"The change before and after is just too drastic!" As Darkseid was completely suppressed by Robert, the dimensional beings watching the battle also grew uneasy.

These dimensional beings didn’t communicate with each other, but their minds were far from calm. From the moment Clark and Darkseid began fighting until now, there had been too many unexpected developments.

Initially, the dimensional beings, though not communicating, were waiting for Clark and Darkseid to severely injure each other. After all, while Darkseid had shown greater strength than Clark, the gap wasn’t overwhelming. The dimensional beings didn’t believe Darkseid could completely crush Clark.

Even if Darkseid ultimately won, it would be a pyrrhic victory. At that point, the dimensional beings could step in, suppress, or even kill both Clark and Darkseid.

But before their tacit plan could come to fruition, they saw Clark suddenly fall under Darkseid’s control!

This control method stunned the dimensional beings. For top-tier fighters like them, even the most powerful mental abilities couldn’t control someone of the same level!

Moreover, after being controlled, Clark’s power attributes had changed, which further shocked the dimensional beings.

This scene finally felt familiar to them. When beings from one dimension joined another and were transformed by the new dimension’s consciousness and power, similar changes occurred!

The most common example was the Hell Dimension. The so-called fallen angels were the most frequent subjects of such transformations. A top-tier fallen angel who witnessed this scene looked at Darkseid with a grave expression.

This scene meant that Darkseid’s control ability was comparable to the transformative power of a powerful dimension, showcasing just how formidable Darkseid’s abilities and potential were.

But despite this, Darkseid, who had instilled fear in the dimensional beings, and his terrifying control power, were completely ineffective against Robert.

At first, the dimensional beings thought Darkseid was holding back, perhaps planning to control Robert as he had done with Clark. But as Darkseid’s injuries piled up, they realized Darkseid wasn’t holding back—he genuinely couldn’t defeat Robert, and his abilities had no effect on him.

This left the dimensional beings even more astonished. Many of them knew Robert, and more knew him than knew Clark.

After all, Robert had caused quite a stir in the dimensional realm. Many dimensions had been forced to abandon their plans against Earth because they couldn’t counter Robert’s instant teleportation. Some had even been forced to concede and swear not to attack Earth.

But back then, Robert wasn’t nearly as strong as he was now. For example, many beings in the Hell Dimension could have defeated Robert, and if not for his instant teleportation, they were confident they could have killed him!

Now, however, even without instant teleportation, the top-tier beings in the Hell Dimension weren’t confident they could defeat Robert, let alone with his instant teleportation and destructive power. He was now a terrifying threat!

Facing such a Robert was far more daunting than facing Clark or Darkseid, and it completely dashed the dimensional beings’ earlier plans.

What a joke! Even if they were to act, it would have to be after both sides were severely injured. In the current situation, acting would only draw Robert’s attention, and they had no confidence in withstanding Robert’s destructive power!

At this moment, Robert wasn’t aware of the dimensional beings’ thoughts, but he could sense their gazes. However, he didn’t mind. He wasn’t so domineering as to forbid others from watching the battle, especially since he had chosen the battlefield.

"Why? Why have I still lost to you even after comprehending the Anti-Life Equation?" Darkseid, on the other hand, wasn’t as calm. His heart was filled with resentment.

Of course, if he had died before obtaining the Anti-Life Equation, he would have resented not gaining the Equation and achieving ultimate victory.

"Maybe because you’re just not strong enough," Robert replied calmly to Darkseid’s resentment. "I won’t say that the civilizations you conquered felt the same way when they died, but you’re indeed no match for me. In fact, you’re far from it."

Although both had reached the cosmic limit of the Creator God level, Darkseid clearly hadn’t reached his peak. If Galactus weren’t worried about energy consumption, Darkseid would undoubtedly lose to him.

And Galactus hadn’t lost to Robert because of energy concerns—Robert’s destructive power had genuinely threatened Galactus’s life.

Thus, while Darkseid had reached this level, there was still a gap between him and Robert. This gap rendered the Anti-Life Equation ineffective.

"No! I can feel that the Anti-Life Equation contains even greater power, but it’s restricted by this universe. I can’t unleash its full strength, or your destructive power would be no match for me!" Darkseid’s resentment grew as he roared at Robert. In his final moments, the usually composed Dark Lord was anything but calm.

Of course, the key was that Darkseid believed he could win, but the Anti-Life Equation wasn’t as powerful as he had felt. It was as if he hadn’t fully mastered the Equation, and part of its power remained beyond his reach.

"Your power is indeed impressive. I don’t know how strong the six Infinity Stones combined would be, but this Anti-Life Equation of yours is remarkable—at least stronger than four Infinity Stones combined," Robert said, acknowledging Darkseid’s abilities. "It’s surprising that such power exists on Earth."

Robert didn’t find Darkseid’s current state undignified. After all, not everyone was like him, fearlessly enjoying battle.

Whether it was Darkseid, who had lived for thousands of years, or Hell Lords who had existed for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, their reactions when facing death wouldn’t be much better.

Even Clark, when nearly killed by Doomsday, had let out a cry of despair, which had caught Robert’s attention.

Moreover, while Robert didn’t care about his own life, he deeply cared about the lives of his friends and comrades. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed to Harry Osborn’s aid when he was in danger.

In fact, Robert wasn’t particularly close to Harry, but as Peter Parker’s best friend and a member of the Avengers, Robert couldn’t stand by and watch him suffer.

In short, Robert had anticipated Darkseid’s current state. What interested him more now wasn’t Darkseid’s loss of composure but whether Darkseid knew why such a bizarre rule as the Anti-Life Equation had appeared on Earth.

"The Infinity Stones?" Hearing Robert’s words, Darkseid was momentarily stunned. He was aware of the Infinity Stones, but the power of a single stone didn’t impress him. Moreover, the stones were too mysterious and difficult to find, so Darkseid hadn’t considered collecting them.

But after Robert mentioned the Infinity Stones, Darkseid couldn’t help but feel regret. If he had collected the stones while obtaining the Anti-Life Equation, would the outcome of his battle with Robert have been different?

However, Darkseid’s thoughts could no longer be tested. As Robert’s destructive power continued to ravage him, Darkseid’s body was gradually destroyed, leaving only his head floating in the air, essentially powerless to resist.

Even though Darkseid’s eyes could still fire Omega Beams, they couldn’t help him turn the tide. In fact, the Omega Beams had weakened alongside Darkseid’s injuries, to the point where they couldn’t harm Robert.

"Smack!" Darkseid’s desperate Omega Beams were shattered by Robert’s destructive energy, leaving no trace of their power or rules.

"Whoosh!" After destroying the Omega Beams, Robert began gathering purple energy in his hand. A concentrated blast of destructive energy would naturally be far more powerful than a casual strike. Seeing this, Darkseid seemed to foresee his death.

"If only I had more power," Darkseid murmured, watching the energy gather. This time, he didn’t resist but sighed softly.

"Thud!" As Darkseid’s words faded, the destructive energy enveloped his head. With Robert’s quiet utterance of "Destruct," Darkseid’s head disintegrated, marking his death.

"With this, Clark should be able to recover, right?" Robert nodded in satisfaction after confirming that Darkseid had left no trace of his flesh or power. He then took out the small bottle and released Clark, pondering the situation.

Under Robert’s gaze, Clark showed no reaction. He didn’t immediately recover after Darkseid’s death, nor did he go berserk and attack Robert. He simply floated there, expressionless.

But Robert could sense that changes were occurring within Clark. The dark energy surrounding him was gradually dissipating, and his original light-based power was re-emerging.

This confirmed Robert’s earlier assumption. With Darkseid dead, the Anti-Life Equation’s control over Clark would become rootless and begin to fade until Clark’s own power completely dispelled it.

Perhaps the rule-based power of the Anti-Life Equation still existed in the universe, but without a user, the Equation itself wouldn’t continue to control a living being.

As time passed, the dark energy around Clark finally dissipated entirely, and the golden glow of his original power returned. Clark opened his eyes, no longer red.

"What’s this?" Clark’s eyes were filled with confusion, as if he had just woken from a dream.

Clearly, unlike the Mind Stone, the Anti-Life Equation, which had completely altered Clark’s power and mindset, hadn’t left him with any memories of what had happened.

But that was fine. Robert had recorded everything in his mind. If Clark wanted to see, Robert could show him.

After all, this was part of Clark’s dark history—a history darker than most.

"It’s fine. The enemy’s been dealt with," Robert said with a smile. "See? This is the price of stealing my opponent. Not only did you fail to defeat him, but you also got controlled. Remember, don’t steal my opponents next time!"

"You…" Clark stiffened. Although he didn’t remember what happened after being controlled, he remembered everything before. He was left speechless.

Meanwhile, as the perspective shifted beyond the single universe, in a vast cosmic space, a being identical to Darkseid opened his eyes and looked toward the universe where Robert was.

"Another version of me has failed. How many is that now? I’ve lost count. It seems that apart from me, who unified the universe and its power, no other version of me has achieved this. Should I make some changes?" Darkseid’s calm voice echoed.