Karl's heart leaped into his throat. They had only just dealt with Abraxas—was another major threat about to appear already?
That beam of light seemed to contain an enormous universe, one that looked no different from any other universe on the outside.
Karl's eyesight was exceptionally sharp. Even through the intense light, he could see countless races gathered throughout the outer reaches of that universe.
Their skin came in all kinds of colors. Across the countless parallel universes of the Multiverse, it was extraordinary for a single universe to accommodate so many different races.
Even more surprisingly, all of them appeared to coexist peacefully without showing the slightest hostility toward one another.
At the very heart of that universe stood towering structures that stretched upward like enormous palaces.
Their exteriors were decorated in alternating gold and silver, looking incredibly extravagant at a glance.
"Now that we've returned, we must take everything back!"
"Of course! After all these centuries, things will never be the same as before!"
"I, Tothwanwell, have returned!"
"Every parallel universe in the entire cosmos will belong to me!"
Those voices reached Karl's ears. His hearing was extraordinarily sensitive.
Even sounds transmitted at different frequencies could not escape him.
Karl had always thought that a universe like this could never exist. Now that he was seeing one with his own eyes, he found it strangely fascinating.
Having only just finished a massive battle, Karl nevertheless gathered his courage and entered the palace.
There was no one inside.
Karl carefully observed everything around him as he continued toward the deepest part of the building.
Only then did he see two shadow-like figures sitting silently upon the thrones.
Looking at the figures behind the glass, Karl thought that their species resembled lizards. Their bodies were green, and their skin was deeply wrinkled.
"Assemble!"
A deep, powerful voice suddenly rang out.
Only then did Karl see two Skrulls emerge from behind the glass.
Long tails swung behind them. They truly did look like humanoid lizards, causing Karl's eyes to widen.
Karl knew something about the Skrulls. Their invasions could be extremely aggressive.
They could freely alter their bodies like shapeshifters, allowing them to disguise themselves as others.
They could even replicate memories into another body. Using this ability, they had once thrown the entire universe into chaos and had even torn the Avengers apart from within.
When Karl considered what their objective might be this time, their intentions couldn't have been more obvious.
However, Karl knew very well that disguise was far from their only ability. More importantly, the energy they possessed was tremendously powerful.
For them to survive across so many universes while allowing countless races to coexist peacefully under them meant that they possessed power Karl could not yet fully understand.
For them to appear here immediately after such a massive war had ended filled Karl with unease.
The Skrulls were dressed in luxurious robes, with a large group following behind them.
"All forces have finished assembling! Everyone is willing to contribute their strength to reclaim what belongs to us!"
"We will possess the power of gods! Never again will we be forced to wander from place to place!"
All their forces had now assembled.
Karl had concealed himself among them with Invisibility, and not one of them noticed his presence.
Their primary target was Earth, a world that had already been their territory millions of years ago.
Countless powerful beings had emerged there.
Across the entire Multiverse, there was no place more suitable than Earth for facilitating their evolution.
If they decided to return to the battlefield, they would bring together the most advanced technology they possessed.
With a single command, they could raze the entire Earth to the ground.
"We're ready to depart at any moment!"
"Yes! We can't wait any longer!"
"No matter what kind of power they possess, they will never be able to defeat us!"
Voices rang out from every direction.
Yet the two figures seated upon the highest thrones remained completely unmoved.
They were extremely calm.
Still, watching the warriors below them brimming with such fervor stirred something within them as well.
"They really are an incredible race. They've completely changed now. It seems that even the Skrulls scattered throughout the entire universe have gathered here!"
"If that's the case, just how powerful will this combined force become?"
Even Karl did not dare estimate it.
He could only remain nearby and watch silently.
This was even more terrifying than Thanos...
Because of that, Karl did not dare act recklessly.
Their wars of conquest had already begun breaking out throughout various corners of different universes.
However, those had ultimately only been small-scale raids. They had yet to launch a true large-scale offensive.
Karl couldn't help worrying that the Multiverse was about to descend into chaos all over again.
Meanwhile, countless Skrulls continued entering their universe...
Tothwanwell sat upon his throne, listening as his subordinates reported the current state of the battlefield.
"My Lord, all forces have finished assembling!"
Karl watched them carefully, calculating when they might begin their attack.
Stopping them would not be easy.
Moreover, the Skrulls evolved incredibly quickly. They were an exceptionally powerful species.
Their astonishing capacity to learn, adapt, and evolve was precisely what made them so terrifying to the rest of the universe.
Karl noticed that every one of them had black scales covering their bodies.
These scales did not resemble armor.
Instead, they seemed completely integrated with their flesh.
Creatures resembling lizards could alter their bodies in response to changes in their environment.
Karl suspected that the Skrulls had already realized an opportunity to make their move was approaching and had therefore evolved their outer bodies into incredibly durable natural armor.
If that was the case, ordinary attacks might not harm them at all.
That was what made them truly troublesome.
"I didn't detect any movement from them before. This really is troublesome."
Karl couldn't help feeling shocked.
Meanwhile, beneath Tothwanwell's throne, General Dotilt was delivering a declaration of war to everyone present.
"That place was ours to begin with! To expand the territory in which our people can survive, and to reclaim the sanctuary that rightfully belongs to us—charge!"
"Unleash your power!"
"There is no order there! As long as we can seize the land that belongs to us and make full use of the power bestowed upon you, everything will have been worth it!"
After that rousing speech, all the Skrulls removed their cloaks and began waving them through the air.
A vast, dark mass spread across the hall, creating an imposing sight.
Their transformation left Karl stunned.
Beyond his shock, he could also sense danger steadily approaching.
He could not afford to underestimate them.
When it came down to it, there was nothing fundamentally extraordinary about the Skrulls themselves.
However, compared with human society, their technological civilization was vastly more advanced.
Any species that competed against them risked disappearing beneath their overwhelming superiority.
Now that the Skrulls were preparing to make their move, Karl had no choice but to remain on guard.
(End of Chapter)
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