Back at GDA headquarters, the core laboratory unexpectedly made a breakthrough.
Based on the core principles of Mark's deduction, combined with Earth technology, especially the cutting-edge materials and energy technology provided by robots, the design of a huge prototype device that combines anti-gravity field stabilization and energy neutralization technology has finally been completed!
It will be deployed in low-Earth orbit, like a giant Band-Aid, temporarily sealing the broken atmosphere and slowly repairing the wound.
"But it's going to take time, Mark."
Chief Cecil pointed at the intricate blueprint.
"Besides, it's just a Band-Aid."
"As long as the main fleets of the Nolan or Vitrum Empire are still there, they can cause greater casualties at any time, or even directly destroy the Earth."
Mark turned his eyes away from the blueprint and looked at the huge stargazing window in the command room.
Outside the window is the deep universe and that glaring crack.
His golden-red pupils reflected the sea of stars and the scarred yet vibrant blue planet beneath his feet.
"Then move the battlefield to their doorstep."
Mark's voice was low and firm.
The command room fell silent in an instant, and everyone held their breath.
"Call all those who can fight."
Mark turned around and swept his eyes over the GDA executives present. It was as if he could see through the wall and see the hidden or known superhumans on Earth.
"The survivors of the Guardians, independent heroes, and even villains willing to fight for Earth."
"Tell them that the Earth needs a spear, a spear that can pierce the depths of the universe."
"We are going to take the initiative?"
One officer expressed disbelief.
"It's not an attack, it's a defense."
Mark corrected, his voice heavy with a glimpse into the future.
"Leave the flames of war away from Earth, stop them in deep space, and destroy them before Nolan's fleet arrives."
"The Earth cannot withstand another trauma like this."
He walked to the stargazing window and gently pressed his huge palm on the cold special glass. The glass made a slight groan, as if it could not withstand the pure physical force.
"Rebuilding our home is up to you."
He didn't turn around, but his voice was clearly heard by everyone.
"Prepare for the battle against Vitrum, leave it to us."
"us?"
Chief Cessel pressed on.
The corner of Mark's mouth curled up in an extremely small arc, with steel-like determination.
"Earth's superhuman army, our battlefield lies within the vast universe."
He raised his head, his gaze seeming to penetrate the cracks in the sky and look straight into the boundless darkness.
"Let the scars of the Earth become the epitaph of the Vitrum Empire."
The order spread across the world like wildfire.
Above the ruins, the horns of reconstruction and the drums of preparation for war sounded simultaneously.
The factory's furnaces work day and night, forging steel beams to repair homes and casting keels of ships for expeditions to the starry sea.
The laboratory was brightly lit, designing kinetic weapons that could tear through the armor of alien warships.
And deep inside the GDA headquarters, a secret base codenamed "Ark" is being built at an accelerated pace.
This place will become the gathering place and departure port for Earth's superhuman army, a force that is highly expected and carries the fate of the entire planet.
Mark stood on the base's massive observation platform, with the busy construction work behind him and the vast expanse of space before him. His mother, Debbie, stood beside him, her eyes filled with worry but also pride.
"Mom, this time, it's my turn to protect you."
Mark's voice was low and firm.
"To protect you, to protect this land, and to protect all the lives that rekindle hope in the ruins!"
The battlefield is in the stars, but home is always where the heart is.
...…
Deep within the Ark Base, the huge simulated combat training ground was filled with dull crashing sounds and energy explosions.
The air was filled with a distinct smell of ozone, burning metal, and sweat.
Mark stood on the observation platform at the edge of the training ground, his arms folded.
He changed into a combat uniform specially made by GDA's cutting-edge laboratory. It was all matte black and made of a composite of some self-repairing polymer nanofibers and memory alloys. It fit his steel-like body perfectly, without affecting his terrifying bursts of physical strength, while providing basic protection from the cosmic environment.
He abandoned the original design of the Invincible Young Hero's uniform. There was no hood or goggles, no unnecessary decorations, only a simple Earth Legion logo consisting of the outline of the earth and surrounding stars on the left chest.
Below, team members are conducting adaptive confrontation training.
Bang!
Snap!
There was a teeth-grinding sound of bones cracking.
Atomic Eve used the matter under her exquisite control to reorganize and instantly solidify a piece of ground under the Black Rhino's feet, causing it to lose its balance.
At the same time, a giant engineering mecha controlled by a robot that had been ready for action, delivered a precise mechanical punch wrapped in a kinetic energy absorbing pad, slamming hard into the Black Rhino's arms that were hastily blocking!
The black rhino groaned, and its heavy body slid back more than ten meters, plowing deep grooves on the ground. The reinforced armor on its arms was obviously dented.
"stop!"
The robot's cold synthesized electronic sound rang out.
"Samson, your defensive reaction was 0.3 seconds slow. In a vacuum environment, losing balance means instant death."
The black rhino shook his numb arm, spat out a mouthful of blood, and said in a muffled voice.
"Got it, Tin Can! Next time I'll shove your fist into your motherboard!"
Eve was suspended in the air, surrounded by a faint halo of matter reorganization. She looked in Mark's direction with a complicated expression.
She was the first to accept Mark, not only because they had fought side by side in the past, but also because she had witnessed Mark's struggle and transformation after his father's betrayal, and everything he had done to protect the civilians of Earth.
But that power...the power that easily crushed the Vitrum warriors still made her feel a little nervous.
On the other side of the training ground, the resurrected clones were conducting high-speed movement and fire avoidance training at the base.
Countless clones shuttled around like a swarm of bees, emitting low-power energy beams for training.
"Hey, Mark!"
A frivolous voice sounded behind Mark. Mark didn't need to turn around to know it was Rudy.
He was wearing a fancy modified combat uniform and playing with a few candies that were flashing with unstable energy?
"Look how much fun they're having. Someday we're going to go blow up some real alien fortresses. I'm already craving those new Stardust Lollipops!"
He grinned, but deep in his eyes there was a hint of imperceptible nervousness and awe of Mark's strength.
Mark didn't respond to Rudy's joke, his eyes always scanning the audience calmly.
His super senses captured every detail.
The robot's tactical command is accurate to the millisecond but lacks flexibility.
The black rhino is more brave than delicate.
Atomic Eve's speed and accuracy are advantages but her defense is a weakness.
The clone tactic may be limited in a vacuum environment...
"That's enough."
Mark's voice was not loud, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting the noisy training ground, instantly stopping all movements.
"Rest for ten minutes, then gather in the tactics room."
His tone was filled with unquestionable authority, the strength that had accumulated after countless life-and-death battles and shouldering the fate of the planet.
Everyone stopped and looked at him with complicated eyes.
Tactical room.
A huge holographic star map was suspended in the center, with the Earth like a fragile blue pearl, and next to it was the hideous crack mark.
The star map extended outward, pointing to the edge of the solar system, a highlighted Vitrum outpost codenamed "Outpost-7".
This was the first goal of their expedition and a key springboard for obtaining enemy intelligence and star maps.
Mark stood in front of the star map, his huge figure like a mountain in the blue light.
He pointed to Outpost-7.
"Objective: Capture or destroy 'Outpost-7'."
"Obtain its core database, especially the intelligence regarding the deployment of the Vitrum Empire's main fleet, Nolan's location, and the defensive weaknesses of Earth's spatial coordinates."
His voice was low and clear.
"What's the plan, Commander?"
The robot's cold electronic eyes flashed with streams of data.
"Brute force? Infiltration? My engineering units can attempt to physically intrude upon its exterior structure, but the internal defenses are unknown."
"A strong attack would alert the enemy."
Atomic Eve frowned.
"Nolan might be in the nearby star field. We need to go in quietly, get the thing, and then blow it up immediately without leaving any trace."
"Silently?"
The black rhino sneered and patted his thick breastplate.
"With all my gear? And Rudy's art that could get us all killed at any moment?"
Rudy immediately retorted.
"Hey! My art is all about the brilliance of the moment! And my new equipment has improved the stability by... uh... at least 15%!"
"Infiltration is of course the first choice."
Mark's voice silenced the argument.
"But the defense level of 'Outpost-7' is extremely high, and conventional means are difficult to penetrate."
He looked at Atomic Eve.
"Eve, your ability to restructure matter is key. I need you to create a temporary, energy-fluctuation-free matter backdoor at the target point, lasting no longer than 30 seconds."
Eve nodded.
"Yes. But it requires precise positioning, and there must be no interference from any energy scanning, otherwise it will be detected instantly."
"I'll be responsible for positioning and interference."
The robot answered.
"My micro-detector can penetrate its outer defense network and establish temporary coordinates, while simultaneously releasing broad-spectrum interference particles to mask the fluctuations in Eve's abilities."
"After entering..."
Mark's eyes swept over the others.
"I, Black Rhino, and Eve will form a strike team and go straight to the core database."
"Robot, you are responsible for suppressing the internal defense system."
"Rudy, your mission is... after the database download is complete, set the explosive with the maximum yield to ensure the complete erasure of the entire outpost and all traces of the data within."
"YES! It's finally my babies' turn to appear!"
Rudy rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Everyone, after quickly completing the tasks at hand, will be responsible for guarding the perimeter and providing support."
The plan was concise and efficient, making full use of everyone's abilities.
But under the light of the star map, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.
"It sounds like... it depends a lot on you to break into the core alone, Grayson."
Black Rhino Samson crossed his arms, his voice carrying a subtle hint of tentativeness.
"The rest of us are just here to help you and then get away?"
Mark looked at him, his golden-red pupils calm.
"The guards in the core area must be the elite of Vitrum. Their strength and speed far exceed the ordinary soldiers we encountered before."
"My body... is currently the only one capable of withstanding its attack head-on and swiftly breaking through. This is the most efficient solution."
"Your body..."
Atomic Eve spoke softly, looking at Mark with complicated eyes.
"Your power... it comes from Nolan, from Vitrum. Can you really... fully control it? In the core area, facing someone who might be one of your own kind..."
This question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples.
Everyone looked at Mark, including the robot, which had been silent until then, its electronic eyes flashing with analysis.
identity.
This unavoidable issue has once again been brought to the table.
Mark is the guardian of the earth, but he has the blood of invaders flowing in his body.
His power is both a shield and a bomb that can explode at any time.
Mark was silent for a moment.
The light from the training room fell on his angular face, casting deep shadows.
He slowly raised his hand, spread out his five fingers, and then clenched them suddenly!
Buzz——!
The air in his palm was instantly compressed and exploded!
There was a dull bang!
An invisible pressure wave formed by pure brute force spread out, causing everyone present to feel their skin tighten and their breathing stagnate.
"My power comes from the blood of Vitrum and also from the earth."
Mark's voice was deep and powerful, like the hum of steel.
"It belongs to me, Mark Grayson."
"And also the one who promised to take the battlefield away from Earth."
He unclenched his fists and glanced at each team member with a heavy honesty.
"You can doubt my bloodline, that's normal."
"But please trust my choices and trust where I will use this power."
"In the heart of the Vitrum Empire, I need your strength, your eyes, and your judgment."
"I am not a god. I make mistakes. My strength is the tip of the spear, but you are the backbone that supports this spear."
He pointed to Earth on the holographic star map.
"Our goal is to ensure that this planet no longer suffers the pain it is experiencing today. To achieve this, I am willing to be the sharpest spear and endure all doubts."
"But this war requires all of us to fight as one."
There was silence in the tactical room.
Only the light of the holographic star map flowed silently.
Black Rhino Samson stared at Mark for a few seconds and snorted heavily, but his tense shoulders seemed to relax a little.
"Alright, Spear Tip, as long as you don't let me down at the critical moment, I'll support you with my backbone!"
A trace of relief and determination flashed in Atomic Eve's eyes, and she nodded slightly.
The robot's cold electronic voice rang out.
"Logical analysis shows your plan has the highest success rate. Personal emotions will not affect tactical execution. Interference particles are ready."
Rudy whistled. "Cool! If you can just let me blow you up, I'll accept you even if you're a green alien!"
Mark nodded slightly.
At this moment, the gap has not completely disappeared, but the prototype of a team based on common goals, recognition of strength and initial trust has finally taken shape.
Now... we just have to wait for the Ark to be completed.