Garus extended his spiritual senses toward the Heart of the Universe, but found only lifeless stillness within—like a stagnant pool, devoid of any reaction.
He couldn't fathom what The One Above All was thinking. If he could just wield the Heart of the Universe, wouldn't it be far easier to deal with those beings?
Clutching the artifact tightly, Garus stood up. "I'm heading into space. Some of the true culprits behind this incident are out there. Protect this planet. If Earth-616 and the alternate Earth collide, the entire Multiverse will be destroyed."
"Yes, Mr. Garus." Dr. Wim didn't fully understand what he meant by Multiverse, but now wasn't the time to ask questions.
Just as Garus activated the Death Gate to depart, he paused. "Wait—did that Legion warship I summoned last time ever return?"
"No… it didn't. Wait, you mean—" Dr. Wim was caught off guard. He'd assumed Garus had simply assigned the warship to another mission.
"Forget it." Garus waved it off. He didn't have time to search for it now. Probably that damn Deadpool messing around again… Don't tell me he really went to the so-called 'Marvel Editorial Office'?
As he stepped through the Death Gate, Garus found himself in the midst of a tense standoff. Two opposing forces faced each other. Among one group stood five titanic figures—he recognized two: Death and the Living Tribunal.
"You, human—why are you here?" one of them barked. "You have yet to fully master the power of Eternity. Do not come here just to die."
"Eternity's power?" Infinity narrowed her eyes at Garus. Her connection to Eternity ran deep. His sudden disappearance had enraged her, though she had no time to investigate due to the Tribunal's summons. At first, she'd suspected Death, but found no proof. Now, to discover it was this seemingly insignificant human...
The Beyonders didn't waste words. Their leader murmured coldly, "Fool who overestimates himself."
At his signal, dozens of Beyonders surged forward like a swarm.
"Garus!" the Living Tribunal called out. "Isolate this space! Don't let the battle destroy Earth-616!"
If the battle broke out here, the Prime Earth would be obliterated—along with their mission. Everything would dissolve into nothingness.
Having inherited the spatial authority of Eternity and the control granted by the Infinity Stones, Garus manipulated space with practiced ease. In seconds, he severed this battleground from Earth-616, forming a separate dimension.
"This won't take long."
The Beyonders were beings of terrifying might, unbound by the laws of this universe and equipped with advanced technologies. Energy blasts fired from their weapons, blazing toward Garus.
Instinctively, he conjured a black hole before him. The searing beams vanished into the void.
These enemies were formidable. As a death knight commanding countless undead, Garus would never face them alone.
He donned the Helm of Domination, and his runed armor assembled around him automatically. Swinging Frostmourne in a circular motion, he tore open a massive rift in space. A biting wind howled from within.
Unholy Aura!
Crimson runes spread beneath his feet. Undead surged from the portal, mad with bloodlust, throwing themselves at the enemy without care for their own destruction.
Individually, they were no match for the Beyonders—but sheer numbers helped stabilize the battlefield.
BOOM!
Garus sensed a rupture in the space he'd sealed. He turned toward it—but it wasn't the Beyonders who'd broken through. Someone had entered from the outside.
It was Molecule Man, Owen Reece—accompanied by a man who looked vaguely like Superman, albeit bruised and beaten.
The Beyonders grew visibly tense. Molecule Man had left a deep scar on their memories—he'd once slain many of their kind.
The strongest of the Five Cosmic Entities—Exterminator—immediately prepared to strike.
"Hold it!" Garus shouted. "He's not our enemy!"
Against the Five Cosmic Entities, Molecule Man was untouchable.
The Living Tribunal nodded at Exterminator—only he could command the other cosmic deities here.
Though the pocket dimension wasn't vast, it was more than enough for these cosmic titans to unleash their power.
The remaining Four Abstracts joined the Tribunal in unleashing volleys of cosmic rays at the Pantheon—but a translucent barrier blocked them all.
Death could claim lives. Exterminator could alter the dimensional parameters of beings. But none of it worked here—the Beyonders were not native to this universe.
Molecule Man blinked through the battlefield in bursts of molecular energy. In this sealed-off space, only he could still teleport.
"I'll back up Molecule Man." Garus spotted a device at the Beyonders's center, emitting a destabilizing beam that was breaking down the space he'd constructed. That device needed to be destroyed.
The Living Tribunal nodded. He couldn't spare the focus—despite their power, they were facing beings from beyond the Omniverse, and their abilities were drastically diminished.
Channeling the force within him, Garus shot forward like an arrow, aiming for the core of the enemy formation.
"Hmph." The Beyonders's leader spotted him, sneering. From somewhere within his form, he pulled out an oval-shaped gem glowing with golden light—and hurled it at Garus.
"Shit—dodge it!"
A panicked voice suddenly echoed in Garus's mind, startling him. He halted and barely avoided the incoming gem.
"What the hell?" he snapped. "This is a battlefield. Don't distract me!"
"No time to explain!" the Soul Stone's voice quivered with fear. "Put your weapon away—now! Unless you want to lose your Infinity Stones. Crap—it's coming again!"
Garus dodged again. With a frustrated growl, he stowed Frostmourne back into his inventory. As soon as he did, the Soul Stone fell silent.
Turning, he reached out and caught the golden gem in midair.
As his consciousness entered the gem, he felt an overwhelming presence—a soul of staggering power. He wasn't sure he could control it. But there was no time to ponder.
Several enemies were charging toward him.
Just as he was about to store the Ego Gem away, he hesitated. Instead, he pressed it into the Helm of Domination. So long as the seven Infinity Stones weren't fully assembled, there wouldn't be a problem.
His body flared with a green glow.
With fearless resolve, he charged forward again.
After all, a Death Knight was born for close-quarters combat.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON