Amidst the scorching ashes.
The green warrior stood tall.
Ben looked down, sighed, and blurted out, "Diamondhead? Annoying!"
"Little Broken Watch is broken again?"
He scratched his head, thinking. The first generation Little Broken Watch did have many issues, but Ben leaned towards the watch feeling Diamondhead was more suited for this fight.
Besides, like Heatblast, Diamondhead wasn't afraid of high temperatures, which could indeed be effective in this situation.
As he was thinking, a sharp whistling sound came from the darkness, and a massive tail, trailing scorching lava, whipped towards him.
Clang!
Ben raised his arms without hesitation. Crystals grew on his arms, forming a massive shield.
"Right, the opponent is a monster that can bathe in magma, so fire won't work."
After taking the blow, Ben immediately realized that transforming into Heatblast at this moment wasn't a good choice.
The maximum temperature Heatblast could unleash might even approach a supernova's combustion. Ben believed few monsters in this world could withstand such power.
But this required him to be extremely angry to reach that level. Normally, Heatblast's high temperature was only around several thousand degrees Celsius.
Since the monster in Maw could bathe in magma, perhaps one or two thousand degrees Celsius would only be comfortably suitable for it.
"Got it, so Heatblast is an athlete," Ben casually quipped about the anger-dependent setting, then leaped forward, plunging directly into the magma.
The thick volcanic ash robbed him of his vision, making it impossible to see the monster's form.
But it wasn't a big problem; if the monster wanted to capture him, it would come to him.
At this moment, he felt as if he were in a water battle, the deep lava supporting him, allowing him to swim freely.
Hot lava surrounded him.
This lava wasn't transparent like water, and Ben could only feel the flow of the magma.
The next moment, a powerful thrust came from behind him, like layers of waves crashing against his back.
He immediately turned around.
Thump!
The monster charged like a torpedo!
The situation within the magma was perilous, and outside Maw, the audience could see very little.
All that met the eye was endless volcanic ash swallowing the world before them. The sky within several kilometers was covered by scorching gray smoke. The Death's Head Guards retreated again and again, avoiding the rampaging monster and the erupting volcanic lava.
Even most of the live-streaming drones began to move away, avoiding being hit by the heavenly fire.
"I thought that guy was supposed to be strong, but it seems he's nothing special. There's no need to deploy the Death's Head Guards."
Inside the palace, the Red King watched the scene and let out a contemptuous laugh. He propped his face with one hand, speaking in a relaxed tone.
It was as if Ben was insignificant in his eyes, not worth the trouble to eliminate.
"Your Majesty, shall we have the Death's Head Guards and the Supreme Warrior return?" the Royal Guard asked, bowing his head.
"No, have them wait nearby. Once Maw calms down, I want to see that scoundrel's corpse!" the Red King said coldly.
Withdraw the troops before confirming the enemy is dead?
He wouldn't do something so foolish.
Outside Maw, Caiera, having received the order, led the Death's Head Guards back to a small Shadow People village.
Seeing them, the people of the same race in the village immediately showed expressions of fear and disgust.
In their eyes, Caiera, a member of the Shadow People, willingly submitting to the Red King's rule, becoming his blade, and oppressing and exploiting her own kind, was an act of betrayal and shame.
But they were powerless to resist.
They could only bow their heads.
Caiera showed no particular emotion towards these people, but the members of the Death's Head Guards, who were not of the same race, looked down on the Shadow People with even more disdain.
"Now we just wait for Maw to calm its rage. Once Hacker is confirmed dead, we can withdraw, right?" a soldier asked, walking up to Caiera.
Caiera didn't respond. Her gaze was fixed in the direction of Maw several kilometers away. The deafening sounds continued incessantly, with endless flames erupting and then crashing down, like the end of the world.
Could Maw really wear down Hacker?
Caiera wasn't sure. She only knew that this time, Maw's rage had lasted exceptionally long.
However, her arrogant demeanor annoyed the warrior of the Death's Head Guards.
Just a scoundrel from the Shadow People!
He thought sinisterly, a brutal glint flashing in his eyes.
The warriors of the Death's Head Guards were of the same race as the Red King. They naturally considered themselves the rulers of this planet, and the silver-blue-skinned Shadow People were merely lowly servants in their eyes.
If Caiera weren't here to restrain them, these bloodthirsty warriors would have likely slaughtered everyone in the village to pass the boring time while waiting for Maw to calm down.
Scavenger Base.
Brunnhilde, along with the other scavengers, was watching the battle.
Living on Sakaar, the scavengers weren't entirely disorganized. Even stray dogs marked their territory, and the scavengers had clear designations for their numbers and scavenging ranges, along with a leader akin to a Garbage King.
"Unruly outsider woman, what are you doing here?"
Brunnhilde wasn't welcome here, and it wasn't because she was an outsider. In fact, there were countless outsiders among the scavengers.
Years ago, some slaves gained their freedom after winning three consecutive matches. However, they weren't qualified to stay in the Imperial Capital and were instead exiled to the wilderness to become scavengers.
Brunnhilde was ostracized because she didn't follow the rules, always stealing prey from other scavengers' territories. Yet, the other scavengers were helpless against her.
The Garbage King wasn't a true king. He could barely hold sway within the scavenger community, but it was nearly impossible to rally the entire group to work together against a single person.
Brunnhilde raised her hand and pointed to the screen in the sky in the distance.
"I've come to bring you hope!"
Upon hearing this, many scavengers looked at the screen with her. But all they could see was thick volcanic ash obscuring the sky.
"I heard a gladiator defeated the Red Wind Queen, but it seems he's now met a gruesome end," said the scavenger leader.
He was also a Shadow People, but his elaborate clothing obscured his skin color, making it difficult to discern his true appearance.
"The monster in the Maw has existed on Sakaar for a thousand years. Only the prophesied Son of Sakaar can subdue it!"
Every native Sakaar had heard the legend of the Son of Sakaar.
He was Sakaar's savior, destined to change everything, create life, and conquer nature!
"If the Son of Sakaar truly exists, then it's him!" Brunnhilde exclaimed loudly.
But this clearly angered the crowd. Hundreds of energy guns were aimed at her heart and head. The leader roared furiously:
"I will never allow you to defile the Son of Sakaar!"
In the dungeon.
After seeing Ben swallowed by the volcano, all the gladiators let out a wail.
Especially Xiloi, who was born on Sakaar, his face was filled with despair.
"I knew it, the Red King would never let him go easily," he said sadly, his face full of mourning. "The Maw is a natural disaster for the Sakaar people. No one can conquer it, no one can defeat it."
He leaned against the wall powerlessly, as if his soul had been lost.
Ben's appearance was like a brilliant firework to most gladiators in the dungeon.
He bloomed a week ago, overwhelmingly defeating the Red Wind Queen with his strength, giving them a glimpse of hope to escape this prison.
But fireworks are fleeting.
Now, he had been swallowed by the destructive lava, with no life left.
"Maybe he's still alive?"
Korg said uncertainly.
After the surprise Ben had given him last time, he always felt that perhaps another turning point would appear.
"Maybe he'll walk out with the monster's corpse in a while, what do you think, Bill?"
He looked at Bill.
Bill didn't speak. He didn't even look at the screen because he knew it was unnecessary.
At this moment, his gaze was fixed on the two remaining guards outside the cell, contemplating the timing to act.
Therefore, he said without turning his head:
"He will win!"
"Just watch."
Meanwhile, Loki, at the Rebel Army's main base, also saw the battle.
The Rebel Army had been secretly monitoring the Red King's movements.
"It seems his life has come to an end." Surprisingly, the leader of the Rebel Army was not a Shadow People, but had red skin like the Red King.
At this moment, seeing Ben engulfed by the volcano, a hint of regret appeared on his face.
"What a pity. This gladiator is so powerful. If he could have helped us, he would have been a great asset."
Despite saying this, they didn't pay too much attention, as they hadn't held much hope of gaining a champion's support from the beginning.
In their eyes, the one who could truly save the planet was perhaps Loki.
"I've heard of the might of the Asgardians from countless outsiders who passed through the Great Portal to this planet," he said to Loki, with some expectation and helplessness. "You are a prince of the Asgardians. If you could bring us the aid of the Divine Realm people, we would be eternally grateful!"
Hearing this, Loki shook his head and said, "I am merely an exile. I have no ability to summon an army."
Go back and fetch reinforcements?
What's the difference between that and going home to find his mother?
Loki wanted to prove himself, not be a muscle-bound, thoughtless giant baby like Thor.
But he didn't want to lose his influence within the Rebel Army because of this, so he immediately bluffed, "Don't worry, I'm here, and so is the hope of Sakaar."
He pointed at the screen and said, "He's just one of my top generals. I have many more like him."
Hearing this, the Rebel Army members immediately turned to look at him, their faces filled with anticipation, as if expecting him to explain all the aid he had.
"Uh, at least ten," he said, biting the bullet and counting on his fingers. "The one with four arms, the one who's on fire, the shiny one... Oh, right! And a Valkyrie is also one of my people. You know, the Valkyrie from Asgard, incredibly powerful!"
"Really? I heard that Asgardian scavenger sold you out?" someone from the Rebel Army immediately challenged.
Loki's face darkened, and he was speechless.
But he worried that they would ignore him if he proved useless at this moment, so he forced himself to say, "Perhaps I am the Son of Sakaar from your prophecy?"
"Perhaps there was never a Son of Sakaar to begin with."
After hearing his words, another elder with silver-blue skin stepped forward and said, "Although you can't bring us reinforcements from Asgard, having an extra force is still a good thing."
Then he turned to the slightly disappointed warriors and said, "I know many of you have fantasized that the prophesied child would bring us hope, that he would overthrow the Red King's tyranny and bring change to this planet.
"Many believe that when he comes to the mortal realm, the earth will be revitalized, the rivers will become clear, and after he arrives, children will no longer have to live underground, fighting beasts for rotten corpses."
Everyone fell silent, looking at him.
"I used to believe that too, but we can't always wait. Perhaps there is no Son of Sakaar, or perhaps, every one of us who picks up a weapon and defends our right to survival is the Son of Sakaar!"
After a long silence, the red-skinned leader said in a deep voice, "But we still need someone capable of leading us to victory."
"Yes."
The old man looked up at the screen.
On the screen, it was still pitch black.
This time, Maw's rage seemed endless.
Infinite energy was unleashed, and lava engulfed the entire low-lying mining area, then spread towards the outer forests.
Destructive heavenly fire rained down.
Everyone was watching the outcome of this battle.
But the smoke showed no signs of stopping.
Caiera stood on high ground overlooking the village, her expression uneasy.
"If this continues, the lava might spread to the village."
To avoid falling debris, most Sakaar villages were built deep underground. If the lava spread, everything would be consumed.
She glanced around.
The village was not densely populated, mostly elders and young children. They huddled together, their bright eyes filled with anger and fear.
BOOM!!!
Another violent tremor.
This time, the "Maw" that had been suppressed for a thousand years seemed to finally be releasing all its energy.
In an instant, the mine collapsed!
Scalding molten rock surged out in all directions like a flood!
At this moment, Caiera's mind went blank.
She wasn't afraid of lava, but the village elders and children had no means to resist. All life would turn to ash in this inferno!
This was a devastating natural disaster. In the face of such calamity, even with her powerful Old Power, she was no more than a tiny ant.
At this moment, a prophecy flashed through Caiera's mind. It wasn't just her; all the Sakaar people who saw this scene recalled the story they had heard countless times.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, the earth erupted!
Countless crystals bloomed from beneath the ground like a giant flower!!
The petals were taller than mountains.
Like a massive wall, it stood before the lava, blocking the scorching molten rock!
Under the scorching sun and raging flames, at the very center of the shining crystal flower, a towering Crystal Spear pierced the giant monster, pointing towards the sky.
And at the tip of the spear, a warrior as green as jade stood proudly!
Caiera stared, dumbfounded.
"The Son of Sakaar..."
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Translation by: randomtranslator.com
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