Chapter 41: The million-sun sentry template Activates, the Strongest Thanos in History Descends!
"Is this guy crazy?!"
Johnny stared at Arthur in mid-air. Hearing his words, the white fire in his skull eyes flared up suddenly.
"Does he even know what that is? That's the fucking avatar of the Lord of Hell!"
Although Dan Ketch didn't speak, his expression was quite grim.
They knew the origin of that thing better than anyone.
A Lord of Hell, an avatar of Mephisto.
The true Master of the Hell Dimension, an entity that never revealed its complete form in the real world.
Even if it was just this avatar squeezing out of the rift, it was enough to crush most of the power in the mortal realm.
"We have to pull him back."
Johnny swung his chains, and Hellfire flared along them into a fiery serpent, attempting to pull Arthur back.
But...
Just then, Mephisto's avatar moved.
It raised a palm, blackish-green flames churning in its center, pressing the entire sky down a few notches.
"A mere mortal who cannot even see my true form dares to speak so arrogantly here."
Whoosh!
A palm struck down.
The air was first pushed aside, then crushed.
The space around Arthur seemed to be gripped by some invisible force, making it difficult for him to move for a moment.
He turned sideways to dodge, but felt that the palm had already blocked every path of retreat in all directions.
"Hmph... In that case... Kamehameha!!"
Arthur snorted coldly. Giving up on dodging, he pushed his hands forward, blasting a blue-and-white pillar of light head-on.
Boom!!
The two forces collided violently.
The blue-and-white pillar of light blasted onto the palm, like waves crashing against a reef, illuminating the entire city with the explosion.
But when the light dissipated, the palm remained completely unmoved, without even a scratch on its skin.
"What?" Arthur's brow furrowed for the first time.
Logically speaking, with the current quality of his Ki, releasing a Kamehameha should be more than enough to blow up the Earth.
It was undoubtedly a star-shattering attack, yet against this Lord of Hell's avatar, it actually had no effect at all?
How was this possible?
"Mortal power cannot harm me."
Mephisto's avatar laughed, its face filled with mockery.
"I admit you are strong, but your strength is only that of the living.
"And I am not of your world, so your attacks pose no threat to a Lord of Hell!"
Johnny shouted from below, "Don't fight it head-on! It is the will of Hell; ordinary energy attacks are completely useless against it!"
"Ordinary energy is useless?" Arthur's brow furrowed.
He originally wanted to save on using the stones, but now it seemed he couldn't.
"In that case, let's switch to another method!"
He raised his left hand, the blue light of the Space Stoneoverflowing, while his right hand simultaneously glowed with the green light of the Time Stone.
As both Infinity Stones were activated simultaneously, the rift in the sky suddenly began to warp.
Along with it, Mephisto's massive avatar also began to blur at the edges, as if being pulled from the inside by something.
Mephisto seemed to realize something.
"You want to drag me away?"
"Since you are the will of the Hell Dimension," Arthurgrinned.
"Then I'll send you over to the Dark Dimension. I'm sure you'll be very pleased, right?"
There were some unwritten rules among the Dimensional Demon Gods.
Since Mephisto had invaded Earth, sending him to Dormammu's Dark Dimension would surely make the two of them beat each other to a pulp.
And in this way, wouldn't Earth be safe?
Along with Arthur's thoughts, the Space Stone and the Time Stone erupted with blinding light simultaneously.
The surging evil spirits, the cracked ground, the burning flames...
All were frozen in the green time loop.
"Mortal, you..."
Mephisto's avatar struggled frantically.
Blackish-green flames spewed from the rift, attempting to break through the dual seal of time and space.
But it was already too late.
The light suddenly contracted.
The rift in the sky seemed to be closed shut by an invisible hand.
The massive head, the sky-blocking palm, along with countless evil spirits, were pushed into another dimension.
A moment later, the wild wind stopped abruptly.
The crimson color over New York rapidly receded, and the moonlight fell once more.
Johnny and Dan stood in place, staring blankly at the empty sky.
As if the world-destroying scene just now was only an illusion.
"He... sent it away?" Dan muttered, somewhat dazed.
"It doesn't seem to be just sending it away." Johnny shook his head slowly, his heart filled with shock. "He temporarily removed this space from our timeline."
"What about Mephisto?"
"It's just an avatar. Being thrown into another dimension won't kill it so easily, but finding its way back... won't be that easy.
"Mephisto's main body must still be in Hell. For Hell to suddenly invade New York like this, something major must have happened...
"But..."
The two of them looked at Arthur in unison.
He was slowly landing from mid-air, the glow of the Time and Space Stones not yet fully faded.
They flickered between his fingers like two hearts that had just calmed down.
At the same time,
the system prompt sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Mission "Stop the Hellish Evil Spirits from Raging in New York" completed!]
[Obtained Reward: million-sun sentry template Shard *10]
[million-sun sentry template (Unlocked)]
[Current Template: 100/100]
Arthur paused in his tracks.
Finally...
The million-sun sentry template was unlocked!
Almost in an instant,
an unspeakable power surged from the deepest part of his body.
As if something that had been asleep for a long time in his body was awakened.
He raised his head, and everything in his field of vision seemed to slow down.
The moonlight shone on the fractured highway, and the trajectory of every speck of dust was clearly visible.
That was...
the power of the Sentinel!
The Power of a Million Suns was slowly fusing with his original Superman physique.
...
Meanwhile, beyond Earth,
a massive shadow was slowly approaching.
Sanctuary II hovered on the outer edge of low Earth orbit, like a silent, giant beast.
Countless small troop carriers and ring-shaped frigates guarded it like wasps.
This was Thanos's fleet, and they had already arrived outside Earth!
Upon his throne, Thanos opened his eyes.
"Earth..." he murmured.
"The last two Infinity Stones are here. Once this mission is complete, I can head to the next Universe."
At this thought, Thanos raised his left hand, and the Power Stone and Soul Stone lit up simultaneously on the Infinity Gauntlet.
The terrifying power sent a jolt through the entire energy core of Sanctuary II.
"Master, the fleet is in position,"
Corvus Glaive's voice came from below.
"Should we launch the attack on Earth now?"
Chapter 42: You Can't Out-Loan Me, Do You Believe It?!
"This is..."
Arthur hovered in the middle of the highway, his feet half a meter off the ground.
The newly born power within his body detonated one by one in his chest like stars.
The Power of a Million Suns.
He had played quite a few games and read quite a few comic settings in the past.
He knew this was merely an old concept of the Sentinelfrom long ago.
But when this power truly poured into his body,
he finally understood that the so-called Power of a Million Suns was simply beyond the description of human language.
The Body of Superman originally possessed the trait of absorbing solar radiation to strengthen itself.
At this moment,
this trait was thoroughly amplified by the sentry templateto another dimension.
He felt as if every single cell of his was inhaling and exhaling the corona of an entire star.
Even the world in his eyes had become different.
"Holy crab!" Ghost Rider Dan Ketch looked at Arthur with a face full of shock.
"He... he's glowing."
The first-generation Ghost Rider Johnny also raised his head, looking in astonishment at the God Among Menahead.
In their line of sight, the whole body of the God Among Men was now radiating a golden light, just like a deity descended to the mortal world!
Arthur lowered his head and found that the surface of his skin was emitting a very faint golden halo.
This was a phenomenon where energy overflowed to the point of being visible to the naked eye.
It felt somewhat similar to when Captain Marvel entered her Binary state in the movies.
But he was stronger and fiercer than her!
"Hey, are you alright?" Johnny took a tentative step forward.
"I'm fine." Arthur raised his head, the red light in his eyes slowly fading, "I feel... better than ever before."
He raised his right hand, spread his five fingers, and then slowly clenched them into a fist.
The moment his fist closed, the air emitted a soft sound of being squeezed.
It was as if a miniature sun was born and extinguished in the palm of his hand.
"The matter of the hell invasion should temporarily come to an end."
Arthur glanced at the devastated outskirts, then turned around to look at the two Ghost Riders.
"What are your plans next?"
"Mephisto won't let this rest," Johnny said in a deep voice.
"Since he can send a clone to the mortal world, it means the barrier between Hell and the mortal world has already developed problems."
"That's not a big deal."
Arthur's expression was calm.
"If he comes to Earth, I will handle this matter."
"You..." Dan hesitated to speak.
He knew that the strength just displayed by the man in front of him had already exceeded the scope of what they could understand.
But an existence at the level of the Lord of the Hell Dimension could not be completely resolved simply through brute force after all.
"I'll head back to Stark Tower first. I'll leave you two to wrap things up here. If there's anything else later, you can call my name."
With that, Arthur had already transformed into a streak of golden light, disappearing into the night sky.
Johnny and Dan looked at each other, both seeing shock on each other's skull faces.
"I feel..." Dan spoke in a low voice, "This Homelanderseems even stronger than we imagined."
"Let's hope so." Johnny sighed, then looked up at the night sky that had returned to normal.
The moon was white and bright, clear and flawless.
Yet neither of them knew that, at this moment outside of Earth,
a fleet that made the entire Universe tremble was slowly closing in.
...
Two hours later, Stark Industries Building.
As soon as Arthur returned to the top floor, he saw Tonystanding solemnly in front of the holographic projection.
The blue light screen displayed satellite monitoring footage.
Dense clusters of light spots were gathering on the outer side of Earth's orbit, numbering over a hundred at a rough count.
"Arthur, you've returned just in time," Tony spoke without turning his head, "We're in trouble."
"How big of a trouble?"
"Take a look."
Tony clicked on a cluster of light spots and then magnified it.
Then a huge black warship appeared in the center of the projection, followed by countless small troop carriers and ring-shaped escort ships.
It was like a swarm of locusts enveloping a giant beast, pressing toward Earth's side.
"This thing is several times larger than that flying ship that invaded New York last time." Tony's expression was ugly.
"Quantum recognition has confirmed..."
Jarvis's mechanical voice sounded right on cue.
"This fleet..." Arthur furrowed his brows slightly.
If there was still anyone who dared to invade Earth now, it would probably only be Thanos.
"You're not going to tell me that the fleet outside is here for you, are you?" Tony turned his head to look at his brother.
"Thanos," Arthur spat out two words, "Remember the future I showed you before, Tony?"
Hearing this, Tony's expression instantly froze.
"That future of the Blip?" There was no expression on his face.
In that future, Earth lost, and the Universe fell into the Blip.
Most of his family and friends... perished, leaving him all alone.
"Right." Arthur nodded.
"Remember those few stones I got before? The stones have an induction between them. Thanos already has two in his hands, and he's coming for the rest."
"F*ck..." Tony opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"What should we do now? Should we notify the the military?"
"It's useless even if we notify them."
Arthur walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the distant skyline that was already turning pale white.
"Conventional weapons cannot break through the shields of those warships, and nuclear bombs might not be useful either."
"Then you mean... we can only passively take a beating?"
"Of course not." Arthur turned back and grinned.
"I can take care of them right now."
"Are you sure?" Tony widened his eyes.
"No, that guy is the one who created the Blip, just like a giant god. Are you sure you can beat him?"
Feeling the terrifying, churning power inside his body, Arthurgrinned.
"I'll win!"
"Really?" Tony looked skeptical, "I don't believe it."
"Then do you know how many I have in my hands right now?" Arthur asked rhetorically.
Tony was stunned.
"Space, Time, Mind, Reality..." He counted on his fingers.
Then he looked up at Arthur with a skeptical look.
"Wait, you didn't actually collect them all, did you?"
"No." Arthur spread his hands, "The Soul Stone and the Power Stone should be with Thanos. I have four in my hands..."
Before he finished speaking, a mission prompt suddenly popped up in his mind.
[Current Mission: Stop Thanos's fleet from invading Earth]
[Mission Description: Thanos has led his fleet to approach Earth, attempting to seize the Infinity Stones. Please repel Thanos's fleet and protect Earth's safety.]
[Mission Reward: million-sun sentry template progress + 15%]
[Extra Feature Unlocked: Loan Mode (Use Now, Pay Later)]
Arthur's movements paused slightly, and then the corners of his mouth twitched.
"System, what does 'Use Now, Pay Later' mean?"
He thought of Pinduoduo which he used in his past life.
Under the circumstance of tight living expenses, Use Now, Pay Later allowed him to live well even when he had no money.
Could it be...
[Loan Mode: The host can advance part of the power from the next mission reward in advance to deal with the current crisis. The loan amount is linked to the host's credit rating, which is comprehensively evaluated based on multiple dimensions such as the host's past mission completion rate, kill count, number of people saved, etc.]
Arthur was amused.
"Can it even be played like this?"
Chapter 43: God Among Men... Has Arrived!
Arthur originally thought that this system being able to give him Superman's power was already invincible enough.
Yet never did he expect that it could even loan out power!
Whose subordinate is this?
However...
Currently, he hadn't encountered any enemies that required borrowing power to defeat.
Furthermore, the million-sun sentry template had just been unlocked, and he hadn't fully digested it yet.
But even with just preliminary fusion, it had already brought his strength to a completely new level.
If one added the blessing of the four Infinity Stones...
Unless he encountered those multiverse-level powerhouses, Arthur truly didn't know how he could lose.
"Tony, I'll make a trip to outer space first." Arthur turned his head to look at Tony. "You just guard New York well."
"You're going to outer space first... Wait, what are you going to outer space for?"
"Capture the ringleader first!"
After speaking, Arthur's entire body instantly vanished on the spot.
Although flying was very satisfying, the Space Stone's teleportation ability was even more satisfying than flying!
Tony stood frozen in place, staring at the slightly swaying curtains, and muttered:
"This guy is going to drive me crazy sooner or later..."
Wakanda.
On the boundless grassland, the Vibranium city loomed vaguely.
When Pamela Hawley and Captain America arrived, the warriors of the Border Tribe had already formed arrays to welcome them.
Black Panther T'Challa stood at the very front wearing a black combat suit.
"You're late." T'Challa's brows furrowed slightly when he saw Captain America.
"I already know about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s affairs."
"We need Wakanda's help." Pamela spoke up.
"America's Congress has already been infiltrated; they gave that Superman a legal identity, and now the entire country is under his control."
"I know." T'Challa nodded, "But Wakanda has always stayed out of external affairs..."
"Your Majesty." At this moment, Okoye strode over, her expression solemn.
"Three kilometers away to the northeast, an unidentified flying object is approaching."
"An unidentified flying object?" T'Challa's expression changed slightly, "What's the situation?"
As soon as his voice fell, a purple light lit up in the distant horizon.
Spire-shaped troop transport ships broke through the clouds, diving toward the ground.
"This is..." Pamela widened her eyes, recognizing the shape of those spaceships.
"The Chitauri army that invaded New York last time..."
"No matter whose it is, prepare for battle!"
At T'Challa's command, Wakanda's horn suddenly resounded across the grassland.
Captain America stood in place, looking up at the overwhelming falling spaceships, and Pamela's previous words rang in his ears again.
"As long as we lose together..."
He took a deep breath and reached out towards his waist.
It was empty there.
His shield had long been shattered in that battle with Arthur.
"T'Challa," Captain America spoke, "Is there any surplus inventory of Vibranium?"
"There is," Black Panther said without turning his head, "The High Priest had already forged a new shield for you, but you've never used it."
"Use it now."
A trace of determination flashed in Captain America's eyes, as if he had found something once lost.
Just as the battle broke out at Wakanda's border,
on the streets of New York, screams rose one after another.
"What is that thing?!"
"Aliens, good god, aliens again!"
In the sky, dozens of troop transport ships descended from the heavens, landing among the skyscrapers.
Chitauri soldiers poured out of the cabins, holding energy weapons and shooting wildly at the crowd on the street.
"Help!"
"Run!"
The panicked crowds fled in all directions, cars crashed into each other, and the streets instantly plunged into chaos.
A red and blue figure swung through the air.
Spider-Man Peter Parker shot a web strand, pulling two children who were about to be caught by Chitauri soldiers to a safe place.
"You guys hurry to a safe place, leave this to me!"
After finishing, Peter turned and jumped onto the roof of a building, intending to continue clearing out the enemies below, when he suddenly felt a chilling aura approaching.
Spider-Sense activated, and he instinctively backflipped.
A huge battle blade grazed past his face, cutting the water tank behind him in half.
"... What?"
Peter looked up and saw a slender and thin figure land on the opposite rooftop.
Corvus Glaive.
He held the battle blade in his hand, his two narrow eyes staring coldly at the little spider in front of him.
"Earth's superheroes..." Corvus Glaive's tone was full of contempt, "Looks like nothing more than a brat."
After speaking, his figure flashed, so fast that only a residual image could be seen.
"So fast!"
Peter's heart skipped a beat, and Karen's alarm sounded wildly in his ears.
"Peter, his speed far exceeds your reaction upper limit; it is recommended to evacuate immediately."
"I know, but if no one stops him, the people below will..." Before Peter finished speaking, his chest was kicked.
His entire person flew out, smashing through three walls, and finally crashing into an office, knocking over seven or eight desks.
"Cough cough..."
Spider-Man struggled to stand up, only to find that at least three or four ribs were broken, and every breath was excruciatingly painful.
"Is this the end?"
Corvus Glaive jumped in through the hole, walking towards him step by step.
"You Earthlings are just like those alien races, all weak ants."
He raised the battle blade, aiming at Peter's chest.
"Goodbye, brat."
At this moment, countless glass fragments shot in from outside the window.
Corvus Glaive sidestepped to avoid them, turning his head to look.
A black figure swung in from outside the building, landing in front of Peter.
"Another one comes." Corvus Glaive sighed impatiently, "You Earthlings are truly annoying."
"Annoying is still better than trash like you who invade everywhere." Black Cat finished speaking and had already taken the initiative to rush forward.
Her movements were agile, her attacks precise, and every claw went straight for the vitals.
Unfortunately, the gap in strength was too large.
Corvus Glaive just stood there, holding the battle blade in one hand and keeping the other hand behind his back, easily blocking all her attacks.
"Too slow."
A horizontal slash.
Thump!!
Black Cat's entire person flew out, slamming into the wall, a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth.
"Black Cat!" Peter forced his body to endure, looking at her with a face full of worry.
"I'm fine..." Black Cat struggled to stand up.
Her hands were trembling, and her breathing had also become disordered.
"Peter, leave this place quickly!"
"Leave? Nobody thinks about leaving today." Corvus Glaivewaved his blade and stepped forward.
Black Cat barely managed to hold on for a few more strikes, but was quickly knocked down to the ground again.
This time, one of her legs couldn't move anymore, several ribs were broken, and her consciousness was somewhat blurred.
Corvus Glaive walked up to her step by step, his expression ferocious.
"Truly pathetic, Earthlings, next you guys go die for me!"
He raised the battle blade, aiming at Black Cat's neck.
Black Cat knew that she might really lose her life here.
As Black Cat, she had hung around New York for many years, seeing all kinds of big storms.
But this time, the enemy faced was too strong, surpassing the limits of mortals.
"Superman..." In her blurred consciousness, Black Cat softly called out that name.
As if grasping the last straw in the darkness.
"Arthur!"
"Superman? No matter who comes, it's useless!" Corvus Glaive chopped down with his blade.
The blade cut through the air, emitting a sharp, piercing shriek.
At this critical juncture.
A golden light shot through the outer wall of the building like a meteor.
Boom!
A strong wind swept in!
God Among Men...
Has arrived!!
Chapter 44 Thanos: Victory is assured!
Boom!!
A direct punch carrying the Power of a Million Suns.
Even space was distorted and shattered.
Corvus Glaive, facing this punch head-on, instantly turned into nothingness, and his glaive shattered.
The terrifying force of the punch blasted outward savagely, making the street look as if it had been ravaged by a tornado, with countless buildings collapsing.
As for Corvus Glaive, he was blasted straight down to the atomic level by this punch.
Killed in one punch!
"What..."
Black Cat raised her head, and through her blurred vision, a figure slowly landed.
A white shirt and a red cape fluttered fiercely in the wind.
Arthur Stark.
Homelander, the God Among Men!
He turned around and walked over to Black Cat and Spider-Man in a few steps.
Frowning slightly, Arthur took a bean out of his pocket, squatted down, and handed it to Black Cat.
"Eat it."
"This is..."
"Senzu Bean." Arthur was concise and to the point, "It can make your injuries recover."
Black Cat did not hesitate; last time she had already been fed a Senzu bean by Arthur.
She knew how magical this thing was.
After swallowing the Senzu bean, a warm and abundant vitality instantly spread from her abdomen.
Her broken ribs made a faint clicking sound as they reconnected.
Her shattered internal organs and torn muscles healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In less than three seconds, all the injuries on her body disappeared, leaving not even a single scar.
"This is the second time, and this thing is even more magical than I imagined." Black Cat moved her limbs, her face full of shock.
Arthur turned his head to look at Spider-Man, who had attacked him last time under Nick Fury's arrangement.
So this time...
Better just let this guy stay heavily injured.
"Mr. Stark, those aliens outside..." Spider-Man said in a low voice.
"I know."
Arthur stood up, his gaze passing through the shattered wall to look outside.
New York's skyline had been dyed red by the flames of war.
Chitauri soldiers shuttled through the air like locusts, troop carriers continuously dropping new forces, turning the entire Manhattan into hell.
"I will leave this place to you two. I am going to find their boss."
Arthur stretched his neck, his joints making crisp cracking sounds.
"Catch the ringleader first!"
Meanwhile.
Thanos's fleet, Sanctuary II flagship.
A pillar of golden light pierced through, directly slamming into the outer defense array of Sanctuary II.
The turrets on the ring-shaped escort ship had just locked onto the target, and the energy had not had time to gather yet.
They were swept across by another crimson Heat Vision, burning right through an entire row of turrets.
"Enemy attack!!"
Chitauri soldiers screamed as they rushed onto the deck, but greeting them was a blue-and-white Kamehameha.
Boom!!!
The Kamehameha swept across the entire outer deck, turning several squads into ashes head-on.
Arthur stepped out from the golden light, his red cape fluttering fiercely.
He could not be bothered to entangle with these grunts; with a flash of the Space Stone, he had already penetrated dozens of layers of Sanctuary II's armor, appearing inside the flagship.
Inside the flagship at this moment, another battle was unfolding.
Boom!!
A muffled sound.
Captain Marvel Carol Danvers was slapped flying away by Thanos with a single palm, crashing and collapsing three supporting pillars, embedding her entire body into the wall.
Her star-patterned battle suit was covered in cracks, her helmet had shattered long ago, her blonde hair was disheveled, and the corners of her mouth were covered in blood.
"Pathetic."
Thanos retracted his palm and walked toward her step by step.
His massive body resembled a giant god, exuding an extremely strong sense of oppression.
"The Guardian of Earth... Captain Marvel."
Thanos stood in front of Carol, looking down at her condescendingly, his eyes full of contempt.
"Nothing special."
When completing the God of Stories tasks in several Universes, Thanos had also encountered many powerful Captain Marvels.
But unfortunately...
People grow, after all.
Having faced them many times, he now knew how to deal with Captain Marvel.
"You..."
Carol struggled to free herself from the wall, condensing her remaining cosmic energy in her hands.
The light was much dimmer than before, like a candle in the wind.
She knew that the guy in front of her was completely different from the intel.
Just now when Thanos clashed fists with her while holding the Power Stone, the force transmitted in that instant felt as though the entire Universe was pressing down on her.
What is more, the opponent also possessed some kind of bizarre magic power.
Even if she entered the Binary state, she would not match this monster.
"I heard that on this Earth, there is also a person named Arthur Stark?"
Thanos looked down at her condescendingly, full of interest.
"My men told me that he is the strongest existence on this planet."
Carol panted, a trace of complexity flashing in her eyes.
"What, are you scared?"
"Scared?" Thanos seemed to have heard some huge joke and threw his head back in laughter.
"Hahahahaha!!"
"I have crushed stars and destroyed dozens of Universes."
"The strongest in your mouths are less than dust in front of me."
He raised his left hand, and the glow of the Power Stonesuddenly surged.
"Arthur Stark is the fellow who defeated those trash Thorand Loki."
"I will crush him with my own hands, and then take off his skull to use as a decoration for my throne."
Thanos grinned.
When he came to this Universe, he had relied on the power of the God of Stories to sacrifice Asgard's God King Odin.
At this moment, he already possessed strength above the Father level; mere Earthlings could simply not be his opponents!
Carol wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and let out a bitter laugh:
"You will be abused like a dog by Arthur."
Thanos's eyes turned cold: "What did you say?"
"I said..."
Carol lifted her chin, and even though she was covered in disarray, her eyes still carried a stubborn provocation.
"When you meet him, you will know what despair is."
"Hmph."
Thanos sneered, grabbed Carol by the neck with his right hand, and lifted her up.
"When I kill him, you will understand how pathetic you are right now!"
"You foolish Earthling, I will probably forget about you tomorrow, and now..."
"Go to hell..."
Before he finished speaking.
Rumble!
The outer armor of Sanctuary II was blasted open from the outside by something, creating a huge hole.
Amidst the flames and vacuum, a golden figure flashed through, landing heavily inside the flagship.
Boom!!
The huge impact made the entire Sanctuary II tremble.
Thanos frowned slightly; he slowly turned around and looked toward the end of the cabin.
In the dust and smoke, the sound of a cape being whipped by the vacuum and heavy pressure was clearly audible.
The God Among Men stood at the edge of the breach, starlight pouring in from the gap, plating him with a chilling silver edge.
He lowered his head to look at Thanos, who resembled a giant god, as boundless killing intent turned into scarlet blood light hanging in his dual pupils.
"Just now..."
"Who was it that said they were going to take off my skull?"
Gulp!
Feeling this pressure far exceeding his imagination, Thanoscould not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
But thinking about it carefully.
He had the power of a star blessed upon him, and could easily destroy the Earth beneath his feet.
A star facing a planet...
Thanos grinned.
The advantage is mine!
Victory is assured!!
Chapter 45: You're the Challenger!
"Arthur Stark."
Thanos let go of Carol's neck and casually tossed her aside.
Carol fell to the ground, let out a muffled grunt, and forced herself to stay conscious.
She half-squinted, staring intently ahead, and the familiar figure made her feel extremely conflicted.
Previously, she, like Nick Fury, felt that Arthur was a threat.
But now...
This threat was Earth's only hope.
"It seems Corvus Glaive has already died at your hands." Thanos was expressionless.
"Not just him." God Among Men nodded slightly, "All of you must die."
"Heh."
Thanos looked down at him condescendingly and then chuckled.
"Are you misunderstanding something?
Here... on Sanctuary II, facing me, you are the challenger!"
With that, Thanos raised his left hand. On the golden Infinity Gauntlet, the Power Stone and the Soul Stone lit up simultaneously.
"And every challenger will eventually turn into dust beneath my feet."
Purple light surged from the Power Stone like raging flames, spreading along Thanos's arm across his entire body.
His aura instantly soared to another level, and the deck beneath his feet began to deform and cave in.
Arthur looked at him without any change in expression.
"Finished talking?"
Thanos was slightly stunned.
"If you're finished, then let's begin."
Whoosh!!
In an instant, Arthur appeared before Thanos.
His fist tore through the airflow, smashing down fiercely.
Facing this terrifying punch, Thanos let out a cold snort, neither dodging nor parrying.
His right fist, reinforced by the Power Stone, blasted out as well.
The two fists violently collided in mid-air.
Bang!!!
A collision capable of destroying a planet.
A visible energy Shockwave erupted from between the two of them, tearing the main cabin of Sanctuary II in half.
Space seemed to have been violently twisted a few times by great force.
Both air and metal distorted and deformed instantly.
The Shockwave diffused downwards, and the outer armor of Sanctuary II was blown away in pieces.
This flagship of Thanos broke in two from the middle, plunging and burning toward Earth's atmosphere.
...
New York.
"Corvus Glaive's signal has disappeared."
Proxima Midnight's eyes were filled with anger and shock.
"Corvus Glaive is dead?!" Cull Obsidian swung his giant axe with an incredulous expression.
"Who on Earth could kill him?"
"Do you think an ordinary Earthling could do it?"
Proxima Midnight gritted her teeth, "It must be that Earthling named Arthur."
"How is that possible! How could he kill Corvus Glaive..."
"Enough!" Proxima Midnight interrupted him, "He killed Corvus Glaive, which means he has already gone up."
"What should we do now?"
"Wait." Proxima Midnight looked at the battlefield in the distance where fighting was still ongoing.
"Master will deal with him, tear him to piec... in front of the Earthlings."
Before she could finish her sentence, a loud explosion suddenly came from the sky.
Sanctuary II erupted in a massive flash of fire, and the entire flagship plummeted from the sky.
"Th-This is..." Cull Obsidian widened his eyes, "Master... was defeated?!"
Before Cull Obsidian could finish speaking, a second roar erupted from within the shattered Sanctuary II.
This time, two completely different lights shined from inside the main ship.
On one side was Thanos's all-consuming purple-red, and on the other was Arthur's golden light resembling a supernova explosion.
The two forces clashed wildly, tearing the hull of Sanctuary II into pieces.
Countless fragments fell into the atmosphere like a meteor shower.
It was as if two deities were waging war in the heavens, terrifyingly so!
...
"Homelander..."
On the streets of New York, countless citizens looked up at the anomaly in the sky.
They couldn't see the specifics of the battle, but they could see the purple and gold lights violently colliding in space.
"It's Homelander, he's fighting the alien leader!" A young man held up his phone, his voice trembling, "Oh God..."
"Can he win?"
"Of course he can, he's Homelander!"
...
On the battlefield of Wakanda, Captain America and Black Panther also saw the anomaly overhead.
"That man..." Captain America looked up, his expression complex.
"The person you spoke of has already grown strong enough to fight that kind of existence," T'Challa muttered softly.
Pamela stood beside Captain America, looking at the interlaced purple and gold light in the sky, suddenly feeling a deep sense of helplessness.
She once thought she could stop Arthur and stop this disaster.
But at this moment, she realized.
In front of such power, people like them were truly mere ants.
...
"Superman!"
Carol used all her strength to barely steady her figure amidst the explosion.
She dodged aside and wasn't blown away by the Shockwave.
But already heavily injured, she almost passed out in this aftershock.
The huge hull fragments disintegrated and burned as they fell.
The roaring sound was deafening.
The firelight and smoke obscured everything.
Carol forced her head up, staring fixedly at the thick smoke.
A figure rushed out from the smoke first.
Thanos!
His right fist hung at his side, and the skin of his entire right arm was split open.
Bones were exposed, and purple blood dripped down his arm.
Thanos's expression was gloomy as he hurriedly urged the magic within his body.
A dim green magic glow covered his right arm, beginning to repair those astonishing injuries.
This was one of the rewards given by the God of Stories.
Healing magic capable of accelerating recovery.
Although it couldn't grow back severed limbs out of thin air, repairing bones and muscles was a breeze.
But even as his injuries healed, the shock on his face did not recede in the slightest.
With that punch just now, he had used the full power of the Power Stone.
In the past, a planet would have been shattered by such a collision.
But when he traded punches with Arthur, it felt like his arm had been run over by something, instantly destroying it from his fingers to his shoulder.
"How is this possible..."
Thanos's eyes were full of disbelief.
He was injured this badly, what about his opponent?
On the other side of the smoke, a figure slowly drifted out.
White shirt, red cape fluttering in the wind.
Arthur had his hands behind his back, with no expression on his face.
No wounds, no cracks, no trace of any injury...
Just like that world-destroying punch just now, to him, it was completely not worth mentioning.
Arthur paused in the air, looking down at Thanos below.
"Is that it?"
"You..."
Thanos's face twitched uncontrollably.
Having traversed the Universe for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered such a person.
A full-power strike from the Power Stone actually failed to harm him by even a fraction?
Could the intelligence be wrong, and this Arthur Stark had already grown strong to another level?
"Who on Earth are you?" Thanos's expression turned truly solemn for the first time.
"An Earthling," Arthur said indifferently, "Or rather..."
The red light in his eyes lit up bit by bit.
"The challenger you speak of."
Thanos was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Heh heh... Hahahaha!!"
He laughed looking up at the sky, his voice sounding like muffled thunder.
"Very good! Very good!!"
Thanos raised his head, flames of madness burning in his eyes.
"It's been a long time since I've encountered an opponent who could force me to use my true strength!
Since that's the case, then I'll grant your wish!"
He raised his hand and called out in his heart.
God of Stories.
Along with his will, those lines of text that only he could see surfaced again.
[Are you sure you want to use the loan feature?]
[Current loanable power: Six Infinity Stones full version trial card (Soul Stone and Power Stone already owned, the remaining four will be temporarily supplemented)]
[Cost: You will complete a star-destroying task in the future as collateral]
Thanos didn't hesitate for a second.
"Confirm."
In his mind, those lines of text burst with blinding light.
Immediately after, an unimaginably majestic power poured from the void into his body.
On the golden Infinity Gauntlet, the four previously vacant slots lit up simultaneously.
The red Reality Stone, the blue Space Stone, the orange Mind Stone, and the green Time Stone.
All six Infinity Stones gathered!
Although it was just a temporary trial from a loan, that power was real.
Far exceeding his previous strength by ten or dozens of times!
Terrifying might capable of destroying dozens of stars surged and boiled within his body.
Thanos slowly clenched his fists, feeling that extremely surging energy, his lips grinning all the way to his ears.
"Arthur Stark!"
He raised his head, his face full of confidence.
"I said it before, you are the challenger!"
Arthur hovered in place, watching Thanos, whose aura was soaring rapidly before him; he raised an eyebrow slightly.
Six Infinity Stones?
But the problem was, he still had four of them in his own hands right now.
Where on Earth did this guy Thanos get his Infinity Stonesfrom?
Arthur thought of some organizations capable of traversing the multiverse, as well as that God of Stories Loki.
Could it be...
The Thanos before him was also different from what he understood before?
All six Infinity Stones were activated simultaneously, their light almost igniting the entire sky.
Thanos stood there like a descended Titan, his entire body radiating the coercion of destroying the Universe.
"Now, can you still laugh?"
Arthur looked at that terrifying mass of energy and suddenly chuckled.
"Six Infinity Stones, huh... It just so happens I also want to test just how strong I am nowadays."
Base Superman + Turtle School Qigong + 25% SentinelTemplate...
Arthur didn't know yet which tier his strength currently fell into.
Now was a great time to lock horns with this six-stone Thanos!
Thinking this, Arthur instantly vanished.
The next second, he appeared right in front of Thanos, almost face-to-face.
A punch blasted out!
The pure Power of a Million Suns, carrying the full strength of the Body of Superman and Turtle School Qigong...
Smashed fiercely onto Thanos's yam-colored face.
Time seemed to be slowed down countless times at this moment.
Thanos could see Arthur's fist slowly approaching his face bit by bit.
That speed should clearly have been easily dodged by him.
But his body simply couldn't react in time.
That power seemed to nail every single molecule of his in place.
Boom!!!
Chapter 46: The Strongest Battle Record, Inscribed on New York!
Boom!!!
This punch landed solidly on the face of Thanos.
Thanos flew backward like a meteor, piercing through the wreckage of Sanctuary II.
Ultimately tracing a purple trajectory across the sky, he retreated violently toward the direction of the Moon.
The left side of his face was caved in by this punch.
His purple skin split open, his cheekbones shattered, and even his left eye almost popped out of its socket.
The light of the six Infinity Stones flickered wildly on his body, yet it could not stop the damage brought by this punch.
"How is this possible..."
Thanos tumbled through space, his mind filled with shock.
These were six Infinity Stones!
Even if the Celestials came, he could face them head-on.
Yet the Earthling in front of him actually used just his physical body and a single punch to beat him into this ghost-like state?
This is impossible, absolutely impossible!!
Thanos endured the excruciating pain and stabilized his figure in space.
He activated the Reality Stone, attempting to alter his shattered bones, and used the Time Stone to reverse his wounds.
Green and red lights intertwined, wrapping around his face to piece the fractured bones back together.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Thanos panted heavily, the six-colored brilliance surrounding his body.
He suddenly raised his head, looking at the azure planet in the distance.
A golden dot of light was rapidly approaching from there, getting closer and closer, brighter and brighter.
"Arthur Stark!!"
Thanos roared, his left hand suddenly clenching into a fist.
The six Infinity Stones simultaneously erupted with dazzling light.
Layers of energy barriers superimposed in front of him, condensing into a huge six-colored shield.
At the same time, he mobilized the power of his entire body.
The six stones fought in coordination; this was already the strongest defensive posture of Thanos.
"Come on, let me see what other tricks you have!"
He roared toward the golden stream of light.
However.
The next second, that golden light had already penetrated all his defenses.
Like a hot knife cutting through butter, the six-colored shield was shattered head-on.
The figure of Arthur appeared in front of Thanos, his hands still carried behind his back, his red cape fluttering sharply in the vacuum.
"Impossible..." Thanos was full of shock.
"Your defense is not bad." Arthur finally spoke, "It is just right to use as a punching bag."
After speaking, his right fist swung out once more.
This time, the fist was entwined with blue-and-white qi, slamming fiercely between the chest and abdomen of Thanos.
There was no air in space, so sound could not propagate.
Yet the monitoring satellites on Earth captured an extremely terrifying energy explosion.
The tall body of Thanos bent backward like a rag.
The light of the six stones stagnated simultaneously on his body, followed by countless turbulent energy currents gushing out from within his body.
He vomited purple blood mouthful by mouthful, his internal organs feeling as if they had been blasted to pieces by this punch.
"Cough cough... cough..."
Thanos clutched his abdomen, his whole body trembling.
Traversing the Universe for countless years, this was his first time feeling this level of pain.
So painful that even his consciousness began to blur.
"Why..."
He raised his head, his eyes filled with incomprehension and madness.
"Why, I possess the six Infinity Stones, I possess the power of dozens of stars, why can I still not beat you?!"
"The power of dozens of stars?" Arthur slowly floated forward, looking down at him.
"I am the Power of a Million Suns!"
Mere power of ten stars, how could it contend with a million suns?
Although it was only 25%, 25% was still a million suns!
Bang!
Another punch hit the right shoulder of Thanos.
The scapula shattered instantly, and his right arm hung limply.
"As Superman, I shall suppress all enemies!"
Bang!
Yet another punch hit the chest of Thanos.
His sternum collapsed, and his heart almost stopped beating.
"And you... mere power of ten stars, six Infinity Stones, how can you contend with me?"
Arthur grabbed the head of Thanos, dragging him in front of himself.
The large purple face that was once filled with confidence and arrogance was now unrecognizable and covered in bloody flesh.
Arthur looked into his eyes, saying word by word:
"What is more, I myself am power."
"No... impossible!"
Thanos struggled crazily, the six stones overloading simultaneously, attempting to shake Arthur away.
However, those violent energies blasted onto the body of Arthur like ocean waves crashing against a reef.
Exploding into a sky full of flowing radiance, yet they could not even lift a corner of his clothes.
"I do not believe it, I do not believe it!!"
Thanos roared, calling upon the God of Stories in his heart once again.
"Lend again, I want to borrow ten times, twenty times more power!!"
However.
This time, the text of the God of Stories did not appear again.
Only dead silence remained.
[Loan application rejected]
[Reason: Credit limit has been frozen; the God of Storiesbelieves you have no repayment ability.]
A line of cold text emerged in the mind of Thanos, like a death warrant.
"No!!"
Thanos roared in despair.
Arthur silently raised his right hand, blue-and-white light condensing wildly in his palm.
The starting stance of the Kamehameha.
Blazing to the point of almost illuminating the Universe.
"It should end."
A blue-and-white sphere of light rapidly expanded, compressing energy sufficient to shatter stars.
"Thanos, the most foolish thing you have ever done is coming to my Earth."
The sphere of light was pushed out with a boom.
"Ka—me—ha—me—ha—!!"
A blue-and-white pillar of light roared out from the palm of Arthur, instantly swallowing the huge body of Thanos.
The light of the six Infinity Stones struggled wildly within the pillar of light.
Purple, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow flashed alternately...
Resembling a star about to undergo a supernova explosion, making its final death struggle.
But it was completely useless.
In front of this ultimate pillar of light fusing the Body of Superman, the sentry power, and the Kamehameha qi,
the power of the six Infinity Stones similarly appeared pale and powerless.
The body of Thanos disintegrated bit by bit in the pillar of light.
His consciousness dissipated along with his body.
In the last second, what he thought of was not those gems, nor any God of Stories.
Instead, it was an absurd thought—
Turns out Captain Marvel did not lie to me.
I really...
Was abused like a dog.
...
Boom!!!!
Above Earth, an incomparably dazzling blue-and-white light erupted.
Like a second sun, it illuminated the entire hemisphere.
New York, Wakanda, London, Moscow...
Countless people raised their heads, seeing that light spanning across the sky.
"Oh God..."
"What is that?"
"Homelander... He blasted the alien boss to pieces!"
The light lasted for several seconds before slowly dissipating.
When the last wisp of blue light faded, there was nothing left in space.
Only a red cape fluttered sharply amidst the starlight.
As well as a charred skull slowly falling downward.
That was the final remains of Thanos.
Upon entering the atmosphere, it was burned into ashes by the high temperature.
...
The wreckage of Sanctuary II had crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Chitauri soldiers lost their command and began to rout.
Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian were hit by hull fragments in the explosion.
One was cut off at the waist, and the other was burned into charcoal.
The fleet that lost Thanos had no leader, and the remaining spacecraft began to scatter and flee.
But where could they flee to?
Arthur floated in low Earth orbit, his eyes lighting up crimson.
Heat Vision swept out like raindrops, shooting down one fleeing spacecraft after another.
Countless fireworks burst out in space.
A few minutes later, in Earth orbit, there was not a single ship of the Thanos fleet left.
...
"It is over..."
On the Wakanda battlefield, Captain America tilted his head up, looking at those spacecraft fragments falling like meteors, murmuring.
"Yes, it is over." T'Challa stood beside him with a complex tone, "But the one who ended all this is not us."
Captain America fell silent.
Pamela also fell silent.
They all knew that this war could end entirely because of one person.
Homelander, Arthur Stark.
The person whom they once regarded as a threat and attempted to jointly encircle and suppress.
Now, he alone repelled the alien fleet invading Earth and defeated Thanos, who made the entire Universe tremble.
And people like them could not even stop a single member of the Black Order.
"Captain..." Pamela wanted to say something, but found her throat terribly dry.
"Do not say anymore."
Captain America shook his head and turned to walk toward the city, his steps heavy.
...
Stark Tower top floor.
Tony witnessed the battle in space from beginning to end.
When that blue-and-white light erupted in low Earth orbit, the instruments of the entire laboratory malfunctioned for several seconds.
"Jarvis, analyze the energy level of that energy wave just now."
"Unable to calculate." The cold voice of Jarvis rang out.
"Preliminary estimate: it has already exceeded the upper limit of all my known measurement units."
"That already transcends the category of stellar level."
Tony was silent for a moment, then slowly sat down in his chair.
"This guy... when on Earth did he become this kind of monster?"
"Strictly speaking, Mr. Stark," said Jarvis, "the growth rate of your brother can no longer be measured by normal logic."
"I know." Tony sighed, "That is why I am even more worried..."
"Worried that he will be unfavorable to Earth?"
"No." Tony raised his head, looking at the slowly descending golden dot of light on the screen.
"Worried that one day, he will feel this planet is too small."
...
Atlantic Ocean.
Arthur slowly descended from space, his red cape billowing in the salty sea breeze.
He landed on the sea surface, lowering his head to look at the slowly sinking wreckage of Sanctuary II beneath the waves.
"So weak..." Arthur murmured.
"I thought I could play a bit longer."
If Thanos were to hear these words, he would probably be so angered as to crawl out of his grave.
"Arthur, Arthur!"
At that very moment.
A faint and anxious voice came from the sea surface in the distance.
Arthur turned his head to look, discovering it was Carol.
She was dragging her scar-covered body, searching for something on the sea surface.
Arthur appeared behind her, his tone flat, "Do you still hate me?"
After being silent for a long while, Carol spoke in a low voice: "I hate myself even more."
"Why?"
"Because..."
Carol turned her head, glanced at Arthur, her expression complex.
"Because I found that I actually do not hate you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"We will talk when we return."
After saying that, he flew toward the direction of New York.
Carol hesitated for a moment, and ultimately still followed along.
...
Three minutes later.
The system prompt tone sounded in the mind of Arthur.
[Ding! Quest "Prevent the Thanos fleet from invading Earth" completed!]
[Obtained reward: million-sun sentry template progress + 15%]
[Current template progress: 40%]
[Extra function unlocked: loan mode (use first, pay later)]
Chapter 47 1V3, Transformers?
When bringing Carol back to Stark Tower, the sky had completely darkened.
The streets of New York still retained the lingering warmth of the flames of war.
Sporadic sirens and ambulance whistles came from a distance, but it was much quieter than a few hours ago.
On the top floor of the tower, Tony was still staring blankly at the satellite data in the laboratory.
Seeing Arthur bring Carol in, he was stunned for a moment, then rolled his eyes.
"Is this what you meant by going and coming right back?"
"I did go and come back." Arthur shrugged, "It's just that I came back a bit late."
"A bit?" Tony pointed to the smoking Atlantic Ocean on the screen, "You call this thing a bit?"
Arthur didn't answer, just turned his head and said to Jarvis: "Medical scan, give Carol a full-body checkup."
"No need."
Carol forced herself to stand up straight, her star-patterned battle suit was torn beyond recognition, and there were uncleaned bloodstains on her face.
"I recover very fast."
"As you wish." Arthur didn't force her, and looked at Tonyagain, "How are the losses here in New York?"
"How else could it be." Tony rubbed his temples.
"Those few blocks are pretty much destroyed, but it's better than that time when the Chitauri and Asgardinvaded back then."
"The cleanup work is left to you."
"Nonsense, which time wasn't..."
Before Tony finished speaking, the elevator door opened.
Hela and Wanda walked out from inside.
Hela was still wearing a baggy black shirt, barefoot, with her long hair loose, carrying a lazy and dangerous aura as she walked.
Wanda followed behind her, with a somewhat stiff expression, wearing Adamantium chains on her wrists, but her movements were not restricted.
Both of their gazes fell on Arthur at the same time, and simultaneously swept across Carol behind him.
The atmosphere instantly became subtle.
Hela glanced at Arthur, her tone flat: "Looking at you, it seems you don't need to worry."
"Small scene." Arthur moved his neck slightly, "That guy Thanos is just a purple sweet potato elf."
"Purple... sweet potato elf?" Wanda's mouth twitched.
"The Overlord of the Universe, in your mouth it's just this?" Tony was also speechless.
"Otherwise?" Arthur retorted, "They were all beaten to ashes by me, what else could it be?"
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Carol stood aside, looking at Arthur with a complex expression.
She once hated this man, hated him for destroying her confidence and her chastity.
But when he truly saved Earth.
Carol found that the complex emotion in her heart was shifting towards a very strange direction.
"Carol." Arthur suddenly turned around, looking at her, "Follow me."
"What for?" Carol frowned vigilantly.
"Treat your wounds."
"I don't need..."
"Stop talking nonsense." Arthur's tone was unquestionable.
Carol hesitated for a second, and finally followed.
Hela and Wanda exchanged glances.
"It seems there's one more." Hela said softly.
"Isn't this quite good?" Wanda gave a sarcastic chuckle, "To save you from not being able to handle it alone."
Hela narrowed her eyes and didn't speak.
Arthur's room was very large.
Unlike a bedroom, it was more like a private suite.
In fact, after returning to Stark Industries Group, Arthurdirectly had several rooms on the top floor knocked through and converted into a super-large private space.
The three-meter-wide large bed was placed against the floor-to-ceiling windows, and outside the window was the Manhattan skyline.
After Arthur brought Carol in, he first had her sit on the sofa.
"Take off your clothes."
Carol was stunned for a moment.
"You..."
"What, do you want me to do it myself?" Arthur leaned against the wall, arms crossed, with a half-smile.
Carol clenched her teeth.
It wasn't her first time getting along with Arthur like this.
As early as that time in Sokovia, there was already an indescribable relationship between the two.
But after all, she was forced.
Therefore, Carol always had a knot in her heart.
"Don't get me wrong." Arthur said faintly, "Your wounds need treatment, there is medical gel in my room."
He turned around and took out a silver spray bottle from the cabinet, shaking it.
Carol was silent for a few seconds, and finally ripped apart her already tattered battle suit.
Her body curves were still perfect, and her wheat-colored skin was covered with scars.
Some were left by Thanos, and some were old wounds from before.
Arthur walked over, half-squatted in front of her, and began to help her treat her wounds.
The medical gel was sprayed on the wounds, and the icy touch made Carol tremble slightly.
"You did this on purpose, right?" she said in a low voice.
"On purpose for what?"
"On purpose to embarrass me in front of so many people."
"You're overthinking it." Arthur didn't even raise his head, "I can't be bothered to explain much to you."
"You just did it on purpose." Carol's voice trembled slightly.
"You just want me to understand that I am no longer that aloof Captain Marvel from before."
Arthur raised his head and looked into Carol's eyes.
"Isn't that right? You are also defeated by me now."
Carol gritted her teeth, a flash of shame and anger flickering in the depths of her eyes.
But besides shame and anger, there was something else.
"However, this look of yours..." Arthur approached her ear, his voice low, "Is much more flavorful than that proud look of yours back then."
Carol's breathing stagnated.
Just at this moment, the room door opened.
Hela walked in, with Wanda following behind.
Hela closed the door with her backhand, with a click, it locked directly.
"What are you doing?" Carol raised her head and looked at them.
"Not doing anything." Hela walked to the bedside, sat down, crossing her legs, "Just came to confirm the newcomer's position."
"What newcomer?" Carol frowned.
Hela smiled: "You wouldn't think that after being brought back by Arthur, you could still be an ordinary guest, right?"
Carol's expression sank.
Wanda leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed, with a hint of banter hanging from the corners of her mouth.
"She doesn't seem to have figured out the situation yet." Wanda said.
"She will figure it out." Hela turned her head to look at Arthur, "Right, Master?"
Arthur slowly stood up, looking at the three women in front of him.
The corners of his mouth hooked up slightly.
"Since everyone is here..."
He walked to the center of the room and spread his arms.
"Then tonight, let's celebrate properly."
The night grew deeper.
The Manhattan skyline unfolded outside the window, and the lights of thousands of homes reflected on the ground like a sea of stars.
And inside this room, another war had just begun.
Hela, like a black snake, silently slid to Arthur's side, wrapping around his neck from behind.
"Am I much better to use than them?" Hela breathed like orchid in his ear.
Arthur turned his head sideways and pinched her chin.
"My Goddess Queen, when did you learn to say such things?"
"From the day you conquered me."
Hela kissed him directly.
Watching this scene, Carol's breathing suddenly became disordered.
"Do you plan to keep watching?"
Wanda had somehow walked behind Carol, looking down at her from above.
"I..."
Just as Carol opened her mouth, her shoulder was pressed down by Wanda.
"Stop pretending." Wanda leaned close to her ear, the red light of Chaos Magic flashing through the depths of her eyes.
"What you are thinking in your heart is completely different from what you are doing now."
"You dare read my mind?" Carol instantly became furious.
"I didn't look actively." Wanda snorted softly, "It's because your thoughts are too loud."
Carol's face instantly flushed red.
"I didn't..."
"The more you explain, the more it proves you do."
"Carol."
Arthur's voice suddenly came over.
Carol raised her head and met Arthur's eyes.
Those eyes emitted a faint golden light under the dim light, like some kind of irresistible summons.
"Come over."
Carol stood up almost instinctively and walked toward Arthur's bedside.
Until she walked in front of Arthur and was pulled into his arms by one hand.
The next day.
Sunlight poured into the room through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the mess inside clearly.
Arthur leaned back against the head of the bed, upper body bare, with the sheet covering only his waist.
He closed his eyes, breathing steadily, as if still resting.
In fact, he was feeling the power within his body.
[sentry template: 40%]
[Loan Function: Unlocked]
"40%..."
Arthur slowly opened his eyes and looked at his palm.
Golden light patterns flashed across his palm and vanished.
He vaguely had a feeling.
If at 25%, he could blow up the six-gem Thanos with one punch.
Then at 40%, he was probably truly stepping into another level.
The name of that level, he couldn't say for sure yet.
But at least, possessing power beyond the universal level.
Carol lay at the end of the bed, breathing evenly.
Wanda curled up on the sofa in the corner, covered with a thin blanket, the flush on her face not yet completely faded.
"Don't call her a newcomer in the future." Arthur looked at Hela beside him.
"What?" Hela raised an eyebrow.
"No need." Arthur wound her hair around his finger, "You are all the same."
Hela looked at him and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Arthur Stark..." she spoke in a low voice, "You really are a bastard."
"Thanks for the compliment."
At noon, on the top floor of Stark Tower.
Tony, bearing dark circles from not sleeping all night, saw Arthur coming out of the room, and was just about to open his mouth to say something.
Then.
He saw the three of them—Hela, Wanda, and Carol—following behind the other party, and ultimately chose to shut up.
"Forget it, pretend I saw nothing." He raised his hand to block his eyes.
"I have already arranged the cleanup work for the remaining Chitauri troops."
Arthur poured himself a cup of coffee, "Let's talk about business."
"Good." Tony coughed, "Then we won't mention the private matters in your room."
"You are mentioning it right now."
"Pretend I didn't say it."
Arthur took a sip of coffee and sat down on the sofa.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, New York City was recovering bit by bit from the ruins.
"Tony, I'm thinking about something." Arthur suddenly said.
"What?"
"Earth is too weak right now." Arthur looked out the window, his tone calm.
"Any random Thanos can turn the whole world upside down.
If some Celestials or guys from other Universes come later, wouldn't it be even more doomed?"
Tony sighed: "You want to build your own team?"
"Pretty much."
Arthur nodded and put down the coffee cup.
"In a couple of days, I will publicly announce the official formation of the 'Homelander Alliance'."
Tony was silent for a few seconds.
"Are you sure you want to call it by such a chuunibyou name?"
"Do you care?"
Arthur rolled his eyes at him.
"There is one more thing, we have to go to Wakanda and talk to their king."
"Talk about what?"
"Cooperation." Arthur grinned, "And the future."
Although he didn't know whether the God of StoriesThanos shouted before dying was the God of Stories Lokihe knew.
But Arthur felt that he still had to take precautions against contingencies.
And...
The system's task has also refreshed.
[Current Task: Conquer Wakanda]
[Reward: sentry template Progress + 20%, Female Transformer * 1]
Chapter 48: What, your Wakanda? It is mine now!
A few days later.
"Tony, get ready, I am going to Wakanda."
"Wakanda?" Tony raised his head and rubbed his sore eyes.
Last night he had been dealing with the post-war work in New York all night.
If it weren't for cultivating qi, and the help of the Green Lantern Ring given by Arthur,
I'm afraid he would have been fast asleep long ago.
But even so, Tony felt exhausted.
He had to finish his work quickly and go back to sleep holding Pepper.
"What are you going there for? Thanos's matter just ended, aren't you planning to rest for a couple of days?"
"Rest?" Arthur turned around. "Do you think I need it?"
Tony's mouth twitched, recalling the commotion coming from Arthur's room these past few nights.
"Consider I didn't ask."
"Going this time, I am going to officially talk about cooperation with Wakanda."
Arthur walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of whisky.
"Cooperation?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "They don't even care about the United Nations. Are you sure they will give you face?"
"So I brought a gift, courtesy first, force later." Arthur tilted his head back and finished the wine, setting the glass down.
"What gift?"
"A Superman like me going to Wakanda is already giving them plenty of face."
Arthur grinned.
"If they don't accept this face, then my Super Brain will tell me to use Super Strength."
Possessing 40% of the Power of a Million Suns, 100% of the normal Body of Superman...
And having also cultivated the Kamehameha from Dragon Ball, holding six Infinity Stones in hand.
Even Arthur didn't know who else on Earth, besides Ancient One, could exchange a few blows with him.
Oh right, and the future Sentinel Bob Reynolds.
I wonder where this guy is right now?
Hearing this guy's words, Tony rolled his eyes, too lazy to reply.
He knew how exaggerated Arthur's status in America was now.
Ever since Thanos's fleet was destroyed and the news of Arthur punching and blowing up the Universe overlord spread, the whole country boiled over.
Television, newspapers, internet, all over the place was the same name—
Homelander.
Tony even saw that merchants had started selling Arthur's matching red cloak.
"When are you planning to set off?" Tony asked.
"Now."
Space Stone blue light flickered.
After speaking, Arthur's entire person had already disappeared from the spot.
Tony looked at the empty room and sighed helplessly.
"This guy, can you please say hello before teleporting in the future."
He lowered his head and glanced at the Green Lantern Ring in his hand, as well as the Kamehameha and Thunder Shock Surprise written out by Arthur in front of him.
"Forget it, let's study how to practice these things first, and modify the Mark 47 along the way."
Wakanda.
This country hidden in the hinterland of Africa was quiet and peaceful at the moment.
Ever since Thanos's invasion was repelled, the battlefield on the border of Wakanda had almost been cleared up.
The remains of the Chitauri soldiers were incinerated uniformly, and the crashed troop transports were dismantled and recycled.
Black Panther T'Challa stood in the square in front of the palace, inspecting the repair progress of the defense system together with Okoye.
"Your Majesty, the border barrier has restored eighty percent of its energy supply," Okoye reported.
"But the ion turrets on the east side are severely damaged; I'm afraid it will still take a few days to fully repair them."
"No rush." T'Challa nodded. "Ensure the safety of the residential area first."
"Yes."
"Captain Rogers and Pamela and them left?"
"Yes, at the end of the battle, they said some friends were looking for them, so they left here."
As the two were speaking, a strange sound suddenly came from the sky.
Whoosh!!
Everyone hurriedly looked up toward the horizon.
Then they saw a streak of golden light falling vertically from above the clouds, at an extremely fast speed.
"Oh my goodness, what is that?"
"An airplane? A bird?"
"No, that's... Superman!"
The golden light landed in the center of the palace square, and after dispersing, it revealed a figure.
Red cloak, white shirt, hands held behind his back.
Homelander.
"He is here." T'Challa's pupils constricted slightly.
"Your Majesty, should we sound the alarm?" Okoyeinstantly entered combat state, holding her spear horizontally in front of her.
"No need." T'Challa raised a hand to stop her.
Quite a few people in the square had already noticed Arthur.
Some people started screaming, and some picked up those screaming and ran away on two legs.
But more people just stood blankly on the spot, looking with full curiosity at this legendary strongest on Earth.
"Don't be nervous."
Arthur nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.
"I am here to talk about cooperation, not to fight a war."
T'Challa took a deep breath and walked over.
"Mr. Stark." Black Panther walked up to Arthur, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. "Your arrival is faster than I imagined."
"Strike while the iron is hot." Arthur extended a hand.
T'Challa hesitated for a moment, then also extended his hand and shook his.
"Welcome to Wakanda."
Palace council chamber.
T'Challa sat on the throne, with Okoye and several tribal Elders standing beside him.
Arthur sat in the guest seat with a casual posture, even crossing his legs.
"I won't beat around the bush."
Arthur got straight to the point, sweeping his gaze across everyone present, and spoke indifferently.
"Earth has been plagued with disasters recently—the New York incident, Asgard invasion, Thanos's fleet... You are all aware of these matters."
T'Challa nodded.
Although Wakanda did not concern itself with worldly affairs, because of its advanced technology,
they could still know what was happening on Earth.
Especially over in New York, and this abruptly emerged Homelander Arthur Stark, who was called Earth's strongest combat power.
The appearance of Arthur Stark left T'Challa somewhat shocked and puzzled.
Tony Stark was already a very strong genius, yet his older brother was actually even stronger.
Could it be that the Stark family's ancestral graves were smoking blue smoke?
"As the most technologically advanced country on Earth, Wakanda possesses the world's richest Vibraniumresources."
Arthur looked at Black Panther, his facial expression still calm.
Even sitting on someone else's turf, he was still leisurely and carefree.
This was the strong confidence brought by formidable strength.
Six Infinity Stones + 40% of the Power of a Million Suns + Body of Steel.
As long as he was willing, wiping out the entire Wakandawould take only a split second.
"I plan to build a base here."
"What base?" T'Challa asked.
"Homelander Alliance," Arthur said.
"I want to form a team composed of super-powered individuals to deal with Universe-level threats that may appear in the future. Wakanda's Vibranium technology is an indispensable part of this plan."
T'Challa pondered for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly:
"You want Wakanda to join your alliance?"
Arthur smiled, then corrected:
"Join? Wakanda doesn't even have the qualifications to join my Homelander Alliance."
"Then what you mean is to let us Wakanda..." a tribal Eldernearby asked in a low voice.
"What your Wakanda, it is mine now!"
Arthur's mouth split open, revealing pearly white teeth.
His pupils suddenly flashed with red light, and an incomparable terrifying sense of oppression instantly filled the entire palace.
Everyone present was stunned for a second, and then they felt as if they were targeted by some terrifying existence at the top of the food chain.
"What?"
T'Challa's expression changed abruptly, and he suddenly stood up from the throne.
Okoye's spear instantly pointed at Arthur, and several tribal Elders also retreated one after another, placing their hands on the weapons at their waists.
"Mr. Stark, this is Wakanda."
T'Challa said in a deep voice, the patterns of the Black Panther suit faintly lighting up on his skin.
"Not your New York!"
"I know."
Arthur still crossed his legs, his hands crossed on his knees, his tone relaxed.
"That's why I came here in person."
He tilted his head slightly, looking at the Vibranium spear in Okoye's hand.
"I advise you to put that thing away."
Okoye clenched her teeth, cold sweat seeping from her forehead, trembling all over.
She was crushed by that indescribable sense of oppression to the point where she could barely stand.
As the Captain of the Wakanda Royal Guard, she had seen countless powerful enemies, but had never felt this level of coercion.
As if standing in front of her was not a person, but an entire collapsing star.
"Okoye, stand down." T'Challa said through clenched teeth.
"Your Majesty..."
"Stand down!"
Okoye hesitated for a second, and finally slowly lowered her spear, retreating to T'Challa's side.
T'Challa took a deep breath and looked at Arthur.
"Mr. Stark, what on Earth do you want?"
"What I want has already been made very clear."
Arthur put away his smile and said with a serious expression.
"Wakanda belongs to me now.
Your Vibranium veins, research teams, and defense systems are all incorporated into the jurisdiction of the Homelander Alliance."
"This is impossible." T'Challa flatly refused.
"Wakanda has been independent for generations; even in the face of Thanos's invasion, we never yielded."
"In the face of Thanos?" Arthur let out a laugh.
"What did you do when facing Thanos? Let the border tribes go up to die, and then wait for me to save lives?"
T'Challa's expression sank: "I admit, this enemy was very strong, but..."
"But what?" Arthur interrupted him. "But can you hold out for another time? Or do you think I'll be able to clean up your mess next time?"
As he spoke, he slowly stood up.
With his movement, the entire palace council chamber seemed to be sinking downward.
An illusion?
T'Challa wondered.
Until his gaze came into contact with the decorations nearby.
No, not an illusion.
The ground was really sinking downward!
Although it was just a trace of remaining might invisibly overflowing from the Power of a Million Suns,
it had already compressed the surrounding air density to change.
"T'Challa, you are a smart man." Arthur walked up to Black Panther, looking down at him from above.
"I could very well directly wipe Wakanda off this world, and then rebuild a base here."
"But I didn't." Arthur reached out and tapped his own temple. "Because I feel that you are still somewhat useful."
"Somewhat useful?"
T'Challa trembled all over with anger; it was his first time encountering this kind of person.
He instinctively wanted to shout "Long live Wakanda" and then rush toward Arthur.
But the gap in strength was simply too huge.
Just standing here, the other party almost made him suffocate.
"Right." Arthur nodded. "Your technology, Vibranium, talents.
All these are indispensable parts of the future Earthdefense system."
"You want to enslave us." Anger burned in T'Challa's eyes.
"No." Arthur shook his head, then grinned. "It is rule. With me here, being ruled is better than being destroyed, right?"
As his words fell, his eyes flashed brightly with red light.
High temperatures surged in the depths of his pupils, resembling two micro-suns about to detonate.
"Now, make your choice."
T'Challa stared fixedly at Arthur, his chest heaving violently.
His intuition was screaming, frantically sounding the alarm for him.
The man in front of him truly had the ability to wipe him and the entire Wakanda off the map.
Just how strong was this Arthur...?
"I need time..." T'Challa squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.
"I don't have time." Arthur directly refused.
"Either surrender now, or be destroyed now; you only have three seconds to think.
When the three seconds are up, if you still haven't made a choice, Wakanda will be reduced to ashes in an instant, and I mean what I say."
"One."
Okoye's hand gripped her spear tightly, desperately wanting to rush up and attack Arthur.
But she was stopped by a look from T'Challa.
"Two."
The tribal Elders looked at each other, their faces filled with despair.
"Three..."
"We agree!" T'Challa roared out almost.
The red light in Arthur's eyes slowly faded.
The terrifying sense of oppression shrouding the entire palace also relaxed accordingly.
Everyone was like being fished out of water, gasping heavily for breath.
"It would have been better if you were like this from the start."
Arthur smiled and patted T'Challa on the shoulder.
"From now on, all actions of Wakanda will obey my command."
Arthur sat back down in the guest seat, as if everything just now had never happened.
"First thing, strengthen the global defense network.
Second thing, open the Vibranium veins to supply the Homelander Alliance with building a base.
Third thing, gather all your research personnel together; I want them to participate in the research and development of new weapons and protection systems."
T'Challa did not speak, only nodded silently.
He knew that from this moment on, Wakanda no longer belonged to him.
"Right." Arthur seemed to recall something.
"Wakanda's medical technology is pretty good. Send a team of experts to New York later to help Tony upgrade his medical system."
"Anything else?" T'Challa's voice was hoarse.
"That's all for now." Arthur stood up and stretched his neck.
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the outside of the council chamber.
When he reached the door, he stopped again and glanced sideways at T'Challa.
"Remember, there is only one god on this planet.
That is me."
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the "Conquer Wakanda" mission]
[Obtained reward: Sentinel template progress + 20%, female Transformers * 1]
[Sentry with the Power of a Million Exploding Sunstemplate progress: 60%]
[Please select a mechanical creation to carry your female Transformers.]
"Still need to choose a mechanical creation to bring the female Transformers out?"
Arthur looked at the text before him, his brows raising slightly.
"Transformers..."
"These things were quite magical, silicon-based life forms, and they also possessed considerable combat power."
"If some of the stones in his hands were placed on the Transformers, it is estimated that they could still achieve quite a bit of results."
But right now...
With his eyes closed, he hovered in the skies above Wakanda, Super Hearing fully activated.
Wakanda's cities and villages, countless sounds poured into his ears.
The sound of wind, the sound of water, children's laughter, and the peddling sounds of the market...
And...
Something not quite right.
Arthur's brows furrowed slightly.
Sure enough, when he came to Wakanda, he had already sensed a trace of unusual aura.
That aura was very familiar, yet annoying.
Just like the magic he had felt previously in Kamar-Taj.
But it was not magic like Ancient One's, but something purer and more evil.
Just like Mephisto's invasion last time, it belonged to the aura of hell.
Super Brain combined with Super Hearing quickly analyzed where the unusual part was.
That seemed to be a small alley at the edge of the city.
A painful and distorted voice clearly passed into Arthur's ears.
"Get out... quickly get out of my body!"
This person's voice was very weak, drowned out in the city's hustle and bustle.
But Arthur heard it crystal clear.
At the same time, there was another voice.
Low, hoarse.
Resembling a hell demon from film and television works.
"Don't struggle anymore, mortal; your body is about to belong to me... Wait until I turn this Wakanda into hell first..."
"Indeed a hell demon." Arthur's brows furrowed, and the red light in his eyes flashed abruptly.
The next instant.
Golden light soared into the sky, and God Among Men had already disappeared from the spot.