Mark's ultimate punch, condensing his full power, the Solar System's might, and endless rage, slammed out!
Where his fist passed, space was no longer distorted but utterly annihilated, leaving behind a pure, absolute vacuum trajectory devoid of any matter or energy, pointing directly at Shub-Niggurath's core!
In Shub-Niggurath's countless mad eyes, a look of fear finally appeared for the first time.
It could feel that this punch was enough to truly threaten the fundamental existence of it.
Although the Great Old Ones are born with the entropy of the universe and are extremely difficult to completely eradicate, if their origin is severely damaged, their process of dormant recovery will be so long as to be almost eternal, no different from death!
"Blasphemer, don't even think about it!!!"
It let out a hysterical shriek, no longer caring about preserving its strength, frantically burning its most core, decaying origin.
In an instant, its massive and bloated body seemed to shrink a size, and countless wriggling organs and thorns instantly withered and turned to dust.
In their place, an ultimate power of annihilation, so dense, so dark, as if it could end all time and space and reduce all things to ruin, formed a constantly rotating, light-devouring, pitch-black shield in front of it!
Buzz ----!!!!!
Mark's destructive punch slammed heavily onto that shield of annihilation.
There was no explosion, no loud noise, only an absolute silence that froze the soul, as if the moment of the universe's end had arrived.
Two completely opposite, yet equally cosmic-level powers, wildly annihilated and clashed with each other!
The pitch-black shield visibly thinned and cracked, while Mark's invincible punch was also greatly weakened and consumed.
Finally, at the cost of burning a large amount of its origin, Shub-Niggurath barely fended off this fatal blow.
But the residual punch still penetrated the defense, striking its tattered body squarely!
"Puff----!!!"
Shub-Niggurath was hit as if by a supernova at point-blank range, its massive body almost broken in half.
Countless shattered organs, rotting flesh, and twisted bones sprayed out like a rainstorm, its aura instantly withered to the extreme, and its terrifying will fluctuations became intermittent, like a candle in the wind.
It was already on the verge of death!
And Mark, due to this ultimate, all-out strike, instantly drained most of his own power, even briefly overdrawing.
He floated in the void, panting violently, the golden flames burning around him dimmed considerably, feeling an unprecedented sense of weakness wash over him.
Although the Solar System's energy replenishment was fast, it still required a brief buffer time.
It was this fleeting moment of exhaustion.
An unexpected change occurred!
The space beside Mark shattered like a mirror without warning, and a blade, faster than thought could comprehend, composed of pure shadow and twisted geometry, silently stabbed Mark's unprotected back, temporarily vulnerable due to exhaustion!
It was Taviel!
It had been lurking nearby, waiting for this optimal moment to ambush!
"Despicable!"
Mark's pupils constricted, and he twisted his body with all his might to try and dodge, but his speed was a fraction slower due to exhaustion.
"Splat!"
Although the shadow blade failed to pierce his heart, it carved a terrifying, bone-deep wound on his ribs, entwined with a decaying aura.
Blood gushed out, and the sharp pain from the wound and the decaying power trying to corrode his origin made Mark let out a muffled groan.
And Taviel, having succeeded in one strike, did not stop!
Its goal was never to kill Mark, but to save Shub-Niggurath.
Its twisted figure flickered like a ghost next to the dying Shub-Niggurath, countless shadow tentacles extending, instantly coiling, enveloping, and compressing the severely damaged massive body.
Then, without even looking at Mark, it violently tore open an already prepared, extremely unstable spatial rift, plunged into it, and disappeared.
The entire process of ambush, rescue, and escape happened within a hundredth of a second.
Incredibly fast!
"Bastard!!!"
Mark watched helplessly as Taviel fled with Shub-Niggurath, his eyes splitting with rage, the fury in his chest almost exploding.
But his condition was extremely poor at the moment, completely unable to pursue, he could only forcibly suppress his churning blood, while frantically absorbing solar energy to accelerate recovery, and immediately sent a highest alert through the mental link to the Allied Forces fighting on the front lines of the Great Old Ones' lair.
"Be vigilant, the Great Old Ones may return to the lair, strengthen defenses, beware of sneak attacks!"
After sending the message, he immediately turned his attention back to the ravaged Earth; the most urgent task was to clear the residual Great Old Ones' power from Earth and confirm the safety of his loved ones.
He endured the severe pain from his wound and the feeling of weakness, and began to fly around Earth at high speed.
Wherever he passed, the purifying flames naturally emanating from his body swept away and cleansed all the foul colors, whispering murmurs, and residual withered spores pervading the atmosphere, like a broom.
The sunlight finally shone on the Earth's surface again.
However, the scene below made Mark's heart sink continuously.
City ruins were everywhere, smoke had not yet dissipated, and although the mutations had stopped due to Shub-Niggurath's departure and Mark's purification, the already mutated monsters were still roaming around, and survivors huddled in shelters, trembling.
He rushed to the former site of GDA Headquarters at top speed, which had already turned into a scorched earth and twisted metal debris, with no signs of life.
"Mom… Cecil… Allen… Eve…"
Mark's heart instantly leaped into his throat, and immense fear seized him.
Could it be… he was still too late?!
Just as he was almost consumed by despair.
A faint, rhythmic knocking sound came from beneath a huge alloy ruin.
Mark suddenly froze, immediately rushed over, and easily lifted the tens of thousands of tons of debris with his bare hands!
Below, a deeply buried, incredibly sturdy shelter entrance was revealed, and the indicator light at the entrance was still stubbornly flashing green.
The airtight door slowly opened, and the first to emerge was Director Cecil, his face covered in soot but still composed.
Following closely, Allen, Eve, and other core GDA members, supporting a shaken but clearly unharmed Debbie, as well as many surviving staff and civilians, emerged one after another.
"Mark!"
Debbie saw her son, and tears instantly flowed, but they were tears of joy at surviving a catastrophe.
"You… you're all okay? That's great!"
Mark's immense surprise dispelled his fatigue and pain, and he quickly went forward to support his mother.
"Thanks to Director Cecil," Allen said with lingering fear.
"As soon as the Great Old Ones appeared, he activated the highest emergency plan, and desperately transferred all those who could be evacuated to this deep shelter, which could, to a certain extent, isolate the Great Old Ones' whispers and energy pollution. We… almost didn't make it…"
Cecil looked at the headquarters, which had been reduced to ruins, a hint of sorrow on his face, but more so, determination.
"The headquarters can be rebuilt, as long as people are alive."
"Mark, the crisis here on Earth is temporarily resolved. We will organize rescue and reconstruction as soon as possible. You… you have a more important battle."
Mark looked at his frightened but unharmed family and comrades, then at the ravaged Earth, and nodded heavily.
The homeland needs to be protected, but only by completely eradicating the Great Old Ones can true peace be achieved!
"I'll leave this to you."
Mark no longer hesitated, turned, and once again rushed into outer space.
He had to return to the main battlefield immediately!
…
Meanwhile, at the edge of the universe, far from the Solar System, Taviel, dragging the dying Shub-Niggurath, stumbled out of the spatial rift and arrived at a hidden corner on the outskirts of the lair.
Shub-Niggurath's will was like a flickering candle, filled with pain and weakness, but still carrying a hint of relief at having survived and complex emotions towards Taviel.
However, the next second, its feeling of relief turned into extreme terror and rage!
Taviel, without hesitation, took out the dark, pulsating giant egg it had kept hidden.
The giant egg seemed to sense the strong aura of the severely wounded Shub-Niggurath's origin, and instantly emitted a powerful suction!
"Taviel! What… what are you trying to do?!"
Shub-Niggurath tried to struggle in terror, but its power was too weak at this moment.
"To find a better resting place for you… my dear kin."
Taviel's consciousness was filled with coldness and cunning.
"Your power must not be wasted… it will become the best nourishment for the Ultimate Gate…"
"No!!!"
In Shub-Niggurath's desperate and venomous silent roar, the giant egg violently devoured and absorbed its shattered body completely.
The dark light on the eggshell's surface flickered intensely for a while, seeming to become deeper and… hungrier.
Taviel looked at the giant egg with satisfaction and put it away. It quickly returned to the main battlefield of the lair, where fierce fighting was underway.
"Where is Shub-Niggurath?!"
Ysogtha, sensing Taviel's return but not seeing Shub-Niggurath, immediately asked a heavy question. It was struggling to withstand the Allied Forces' fierce assault, under immense pressure.
Taviel emitted waves of sorrowful and angry will.
"...The variable was too powerful... Shub-Niggurath... to cover my retreat... burned out its origin... and died in battle..."
"What?!!!"
Ysogtha's will vibrated violently, filled with shock and a hint of fear, like a fox grieving for a lost rabbit.
Shub-Niggurath… had actually fallen!
"This is no place to linger!"
Taviel immediately struck while the iron was hot.
"The variable could return at any moment. The Gate of Unsealing has been partially opened by us, and the coordinates and summoning method of our kin have been recorded. Abandon this lair! We must relocate immediately!"
"But… kin…"
Ysogtha looked at the Gate of Unsealing, from which hungry roars continuously emanated, and hesitated slightly.
They had put too much effort into this.
"It's just a matter of spending more time and energy to find another place to construct the ritual!"
Taviel urged, a strange light flashing in its will.
"And… if the variable can gain technological enhancements from elsewhere… why can't we?"
"In the universe… he's not the only variable… nor is there only one future…"
Taviel's words made Ysogtha fall into deep thought.
Finally, it emitted a muffled wave of agreement.
The two Great Old Ones no longer lingered in battle, suddenly unleashed their power to repel another wave of attacks from the Allied Forces, and then unhesitatingly abandoned this long-managed lair, taking the giant egg and some core dependents, forcibly tearing space, and fleeing into the unknown depths of space.
When Mark returned to the battlefield at full speed, he only saw an empty, ruined lair, still permeated with a strong Great Old Ones' aura and remnants of an unfinished unsealing ritual, as well as the bewildered Allied Forces who were cleaning up the battlefield.
The Great Old Ones had once again hidden their tracks.
But this time, the threat they posed, due to internal betrayal and new ambitions, became even deeper and more unpredictable.
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