Nothingness.
Absolute nothingness.
The wreckage of planets, like cold gravestones, floated in the dead silence of the vacuum.
Mark stood in the center of this scene of destruction, holding his withered self in his arms.
His battle suit was damaged, his body stained with dark, congealed blood that wasn't his, and cosmic dust. His molten-gold eyes gazed at the empty space where a planet once existed, where billions of lives had been extinguished in an instant.
Three Titan Avatars, like dim stars, drifted close to him.
Their light was extremely faint, their forms even more ethereal than before. Forcibly detonating the planet's core and confronting the Lord of the Yellow Robe had exacted a heavy toll on them.
Space groaned faintly, overburdened by their presence.
Mark's silence was like a tangible pressure, causing even these ancient beings to feel a slight sluggishness.
The leading Titan Avatar's light flickered, and a cold wave of thought directly entered Mark's mind, attempting to explain this necessary cruelty.
"There is no need to dwell in pointless mourning, Mark Grayson. The defiling power that tampered with the timeline has been repelled and cleansed by our combined efforts. Destruction is the prelude to creation; the foundation of this Universe is being reshaped, and all things are about to be renewed."
Mark slowly turned his head, his gaze like a cold stellar furnace, sweeping over the Titan Avatars.
"Renewed?"
"Behold."
The Titan did not answer directly but projected a thought towards the edge of the Universe.
"The reboot has already begun."
As if to confirm its words, at the end of the absolutely dark abyss of the Universe, a point of ultimate white light suddenly ignited!
The light was not gentle but possessed an undeniable, all-encompassing absoluteness, like the first silent yet soul-shaking cry at the birth of the Universe.
It spread outwards at a speed exceeding the speed of light. Wherever it passed, shattered stellar dust, dissipated energy clouds, and even space itself, were like a canvas wiped clean by an invisible giant hand, returning to their purest, most primordial state.
The white light swept over, engulfing Mark, the Titan Avatars, and the unconscious Universe 1 Mark.
There was no impact, no pain, only a warmth and tranquility as if returning to the womb, and a momentary sense of disorientation as consciousness was briefly withdrawn.
…
Senses returned.
First came the faint electronic hum, then the distant, blurred white noise of a city.
His nostrils were filled with the faint ozone scent characteristic of a clean air circulation system, and… the soft aroma of the palace's high-grade carpet fabric.
Mark suddenly opened his eyes.
His molten-gold pupils instantly focused.
He was in an extremely vast, elaborately decorated yet practical hall.
Soaring Dome projected soft artificial light, illuminating metal walls emblazoned with stellar insignias and a floor as smooth as a mirror.
Beneath his feet was a soft, thick, dark carpet.
Beside him, three Titan Avatars stood like silent metal sculptures, their light subdued. In his arms, the withered Universe 1 Mark had disappeared.
And on the carpet, in various corners of the hall, Viltrum soldiers in silver power armor, and civil officials and attendants in various colored garments, lay sprawled, all in a deep, peaceful sleep, their breathing steady.
Directly in front of him, on a massive throne made of an unknown alloy, symbolizing power, a figure stirred a finger, letting out a low groan, and was the first to awaken.
That was Mark from Universe 1.
Regent Mark.
He vigorously shook his head, his brows tightly furrowed, one hand rubbing his temple, his face showing the confusion and pain of a hangover.
"Ugh… damn it… what am I…"
He mumbled, his voice hoarse from just waking up.
He felt like he had a long and bizarre nightmare, in which he was trapped in a transparent jar, his blood being drawn, surrounded by Cecil's twisted smile and countless indifferent white coats…
Then he looked up and saw the man standing before his throne, whose face was strikingly similar to his own but whose temperament was vastly different, as well as the three non-human beings emanating ancient auras.
Regent Mark's pupils suddenly constricted, and his consciousness instantly became fully alert!
"You?!"
He abruptly stood up from the throne, his red eyes sweeping over the unconscious people in the hall, finally looking at Mark and the Titan Clan.
"What… happened just now? I remember we were clearly in your Universe…"
"The timeline was tampered with, and your Universe was distorted."
Mark spoke concisely, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable power.
"We just repelled it, a Great Old One from beyond the Universe. Now, the Universe has just completed a reboot and has returned to the normal state you are familiar with."
Regent Mark was stunned. He looked around—the familiar palace, his subordinates and citizens gradually beginning to groan, stir, and awaken… everything seemed to be back.
But the immense amount of information in the other's words made it difficult for him to process it at once.
Universe reboot?
The Titan Avatar emitted a cold fluctuation at the opportune moment, adding:
"The tamperer used your life information as an anchor to distort reality. Its disappearance allowed the distorted rules to be restored. All living beings' memories should have been adjusted back to normal; they will only feel as though they briefly fainted."
More and more soldiers and officials woke up. They looked frantically towards the throne, saw their Regent was unharmed, and then saw the unfamiliar Mark and the Titan Clan. For a moment, there was some confusion, but at Regent Mark's raised hand, they quickly restored discipline, merely standing guard vigilantly around him.
Regent Mark took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
After all, he was the Regent of a Universe, with a capacity for acceptance far beyond ordinary people.
He sat back on the throne and waved his hand.
"Stand down, everyone. Check your status, return to your posts. No one is allowed near the center of the hall without my command."
"Yes, Regent!"
Though the soldiers had questions, they obeyed without hesitation, quickly dispersing to help their still-dazed comrades, retreating to the edges of the hall to stand guard.
The center of the hall temporarily became empty.
"It seems I owe you a great favor."
Regent Mark looked at Mark and the Titan Avatars, his tone complex.
"Especially you." He said to Mark.
He couldn't imagine what his imprisoned and tortured self was like, but even fragments of the feeling sent shivers down his spine.
"We need to talk," Mark said.
"About those Great Old Ones, about the true structure of the Universe. There is more than one enemy!"
The two Marks, and the Titan Clan as carriers of ancient knowledge, sat facing each other beside the throne.
The light of the Titan Avatars formed an invisible sound barrier.
For the next period, the Titan Avatars, like cold, emotionless narrators of cosmic history, revealed to the two Marks the terrifying truth hidden behind the veil of reality.
They spoke of the primordial chaos that existed before the concepts of time and space were born, the disordered, blind, and idiotic origin of the Universe, and the Outer Gods born from it—beings that existed outside the cosmic structure, whose very existence could drive galaxies mad, the unspeakable.
They described the Great Old Ones, who, though not as powerful as the Outer Gods, were still terrifying entities beyond the comprehension of humans and many advanced civilizations, like a plague in the Universe, spreading madness and distortion, imprisoned among the stars, yet constantly longing to return.
The repelled Lord of the Yellow Robe, Hastur, was a prominent member among them.
They even mentioned the more secretive Elder Gods, ancient deities who seemed to be, to some extent, opposed to the Great Old Ones, but whose true nature and purpose were equally inscrutable.
Finally, they spoke of new gods like the Titan Clan and Mark, who were not products of faith, but rather civilizations or individuals who, on their path of evolution, broke through their own limits to achieve an existence capable of controlling cosmic rules, nearly immortal.
The amount of information was so vast that it would overload the most advanced processors of any intelligent civilization.
The two Marks, one a battle-hardened guardian of the Universe, the other a ruthless Regent ruling a domain, fell into a long silence.
Their worldviews were completely overturned, and the vastness and danger of the Universe were revealed to them in an unprecedented, heart-stopping way.
"…So, what we're facing is a bunch of crazy gods trapped in the stars, and there's even worse stuff outside?"
Regent Mark finally summarized, his voice dry.
"That is one way to understand it," the Titan Avatar confirmed.
"Although Hastur's Avatar has been repelled, the seals of the Old Ones have clearly become problematic. Its kin, and other even more ancient beings, may turn their gaze here. The Multiverse is no longer safe."
Mark looked at Regent Mark.
"We need allies, we need forces that can support each other at critical moments."
The Titan Avatar's light turned towards Regent Mark.
"Given that you have come into contact with the truth and possess the resources and power to rule a Universe, we have decided to grant you a tool."
A faint spatial fluctuation flashed, and a shuttle-shaped device, about human height, streamlined, with a mirror-smooth surface, and glowing with a faint blue light, appeared silently on the hall's carpet.
It had no obvious engines or entrance, like a perfect work of art.
"A small single-Universe shuttle," the Titan introduced.
"Utilizing space-folding technology, it can allow you to break through the cosmic barrier in an emergency and travel to a preset coordinate, namely, our Universe. The energy is only enough for a few round trips, so use it carefully."
Regent Mark looked at the shuttle, a sharp glint in his eyes.
He, of course, understood the value of this gift and the responsibility it represented.
He didn't hesitate, nodding his head.
"I accept. If those Great Old Ones dare to extend their claws into my Universe, I will let them know who the ruler here is."
A warlike gleam burned in his red pupils.
"Of course, if you need help dealing with those monsters, I'd be happy to stretch my muscles."
Mark nodded slightly.
This might not be the most ideal ally, but it was definitely one of the most powerful fists at a critical moment.
Everything that needed to be said had been said. Mark stood up.
"Stay vigilant," he said to Regent Mark.
"You too." Regent Mark also stood up.
Mark's lips moved almost imperceptibly, but he did not reply.
He looked at the Titan Avatars.
The light of the Titan Avatars began to intensify, and space warped around them, forming a vortex leading out of the Universe.
Without further words, Mark stepped into the vortex. The Titan Avatars followed close behind.
The vortex suddenly contracted and disappeared.
The hall was completely restored to normal, leaving only Regent Mark of Universe 1, and his soldiers and subjects.
He looked down at the quietly parked shuttle, then looked up at the seemingly calm starry sky beyond the palace dome. In his red eyes, there was no longer any confusion, only cold battle intent and a trace of solemnity towards the unknown challenge.
…
On the other end.
The spatial fluctuations subsided.
Mark found himself standing on the familiar Moon Base observation deck. In the distance, a beautiful blue and white planet hung silently; that was his Earth, his home.
The light of the Titan Avatars slowly dimmed behind him, seemingly falling into a long silence to recover their strength.
The cosmic crisis was temporarily averted, but a larger shadow still loomed. Mark gazed at Earth, the tranquility of his home reflected in his molten-gold pupils, also mirroring the endless dark curtain and lurking madness in deep space.
----------------------------------------
If you'd like to follow the story earlier than the public release, come join my Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/TripleCrown07
There, you can read up to 40 chapters in advance, enjoy exclusive content, and help support me to keep releasing chapters more regularly.
Thank you so much for your support and for being part of this journey! ❤️