"No way... Is that really the Phoenix Force?"
As a child of the universe, the Phoenix Force's appearance gave Karl a glimmer of hope in this battle.
"Stop trying to fool me! How could the Phoenix Force possibly appear here?"
A deep voice came from beneath the enormous cloak.
But another cry had already sounded, drawing Tothwanwell's attention behind him.
The moment he turned around, he saw an enormous mass of fire hurtling straight toward him.
Fortunately, he dodged quickly. Otherwise, if that blazing mass had struck him directly, he definitely would have been injured.
Even though he had evolved his black armor, it might not fully protect him from an attack like that.
"How is this possible? That really is the Phoenix Force! Impossible!"
The Phoenix Force suddenly flew toward Karl.
Karl immediately extended his hand!
The crimson light passed directly through his body.
Could it really have found a host?
According to legend, once the Phoenix Force found a suitable host, it could bond directly with them!
The host's power would double, and through the Phoenix Force, a child of the universe, they could gain access to the Three Aspects of Eternity.
Past, present, and future—everything would fall within their grasp!
Tothwanwell's eyes were filled not only with envy, but also with fear.
He was worried that the situation would ultimately spiral beyond his control.
More than anything, he feared that Karl would become an unpredictable factor outside their plans.
If that happened, controlling him later would become far more difficult!
The thought filled Tothwanwell with uncertainty, and endless shock appeared in his eyes.
"You chose me?"
"How is that possible? I'm only a sorcerer. Can I really become a suitable host for you?"
"But since you've chosen me, I'll make proper use of your power from now on. I definitely won't waste it!"
Karl extended his hand.
His body actually began merging with the crimson light!
In an instant, a dazzling radiance erupted around him.
Tothwanwell hurriedly raised his arm to shield himself from the blinding light.
Otherwise, the brilliance might have overwhelmed his vision entirely.
Karl could feel that tremendous power constantly surging through his body.
He could barely suppress his excitement!
Now, the power of the Phoenix was his to wield!
Tothwanwell was utterly stunned.
His mouth hung open, and for a long moment he couldn't close it.
It seemed their plan would have to be moved forward.
Karl was just about to test the Phoenix Force when he thrust out a palm.
But before the attack could reach him, Tothwanwell rapidly retreated!
Karl hadn't even managed to touch a single hair on him.
"Damn it! And you were talking so arrogantly!"
"You were lucky I didn't hit you this time. You won't be so fortunate next time."
Karl rolled his neck.
He could still feel an immense power surging through his hands.
It excited him immensely.
Tothwanwell had witnessed everything that had just happened.
Unless Karl had completely misjudged him, Tothwanwell would definitely advance the invasion plan!
Sure enough, Dotilt had originally intended to wait until their plan was fully prepared and all ten Ultimate Weapons had been assembled before making their move.
But when Tothwanwell returned with a dark expression, Dotilt immediately realized that the mission had not gone smoothly.
"My Lord, what happened?"
Tothwanwell swept his battle cloak aside, his expression extremely grave.
"Things have changed. We must assemble all our forces immediately and advance toward our target!"
Their plan had changed.
They could no longer wait until every weapon had been assembled.
They had to depart immediately!
They could not allow any further unexpected developments.
Karl might not care about ordinary superheroes right now, but he possessed the Phoenix Force, and as the Sorcerer Supreme, his own strength absolutely could not be underestimated.
"Then why don't we eliminate Karl first?"
Karl was difficult to deal with, but they could not lose sight of the ultimate objective of this operation: conquering Earth!
Everything else could be ignored.
Those were secondary matters.
Besides, they had replicated numerous superheroes and possessed extremely advanced technology.
They refused to believe that they still couldn't take the entire Earth for themselves!
"In the end, he's only one insignificant nobody. No matter how powerful he is, our mission is far more important!"
"So assemble every soldier we have. I want Earth conquered as quickly as possible!"
Tothwanwell's expression was stern.
There was no room for negotiation.
Although Dotilt felt that launching the invasion now was somewhat premature, they had already kidnapped numerous superheroes.
Those superheroes were completely under their control.
The Skrulls were proud of what they had accomplished and even more confident that they could control everything from here onward!
"Superheroes possess such tremendous power, yet they completely waste it!"
"That power should belong to those who can make proper use of it!"
"They're doing nothing but squandering the power of gods. In the end, that power will belong to us Skrulls! They deserve nothing more than to become monuments to their own failure!"
Tothwanwell's gaze darkened.
Standing beside him were their replicated versions of the heroes.
All of those replicas had already been assembled here!
Their bodies contained more than merely the superheroes' blood.
Their energy, speed, and abilities had all been completely integrated into the Skrulls' own bodies.
With those forms, they could impersonate the captured heroes and use their identities however they wished.
Meanwhile, the real superheroes imprisoned below had been bound so tightly that they could barely move.
They had acted and failed, and now they had been completely captured.
"In the end, divine power will belong only to us Skrulls!"
"These people dare profane such power. They truly have no idea where they stand!"
As Dotilt spoke, tremendous energy surged through his hands.
He had already acquired lightning-like power.
The other replicated superheroes also possessed varying superhuman abilities of their own.
Karl, meanwhile, did not dare relax in the slightest.
He had to pay attention to every disturbance throughout the universe.
He feared that events would continue developing in an even worse direction.
Tothwanwell could no longer wait.
Before Karl could make his move, he had to complete their mission!
"There's no need to send our entire army after one inexperienced kid!"
"That would only make him even more arrogant. Once we finish conquering Earth, eliminating him afterward will be the natural next step!"
"Then we'll show that kid what true fear is!"
"And if he's willing to become a weapon whose power we can control, that would be even better!"
Tothwanwell had already developed a specific plan.
The Skrulls around him, however, believed that once they had truly conquered Earth, Karl absolutely could not be allowed to survive.
Not only could Karl steal the glory that should belong to them, but he could also become a serious threat to the Skrulls.
"Our plan will proceed without obstruction!"
"No one will be able to stop us!"
Excitement appeared in their eyes.
Dotilt already possessed tremendous power.
The superhero DNA within his body was continuously evolving.
Those abilities were becoming completely integrated with his own flesh.
That power gave him overwhelming confidence and promised astonishing speed and strength once he finally entered battle!
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]