Chapter 89: Casual Children's Chat Turns Into a Sudden Crisis! An Interstellar Mega-Ship Looms Overwhelmingly, and the Aether Gem Protects the Entire City
The people in the Shelter saw that tall figure and burst into earth-shattering cheers: "Great! King has finally come! We are saved!"
Someone shouted at the top of their lungs: "King, avenge the heroes!"
Hearing the people's shouts, Deep Sea King wore an impatient expression on his face: "You guys really are endless. Can you all just go die for me."
His other fist smashed toward King's face at an even faster speed.
Looking at that fist slowly enlarging in his field of vision, a thought flashed through King's mind:'So slow.'
Over the past few months, he had been sparring with Kumoko and Teacher Marcus.
Kumoko's attacks were much faster than this fist, and Teacher Marcus's attacks were even so fast that not even afterimages could be seen.
During the sparring process, if he relaxed even a little bit, he would be defeated instantly.
He didn't expect that during his first actual combat, he would actually have time to let his mind wander.
King's gaze swept over Genos lying in the ruins and the blood-soaked Mumen Rider.
Now was not the time to let his mind wander.
He instantly raised his right hand, a white energy cannon firing from his palm, blasting out while Deep Sea King's fist was still halfway there.
The energy cannon struck Deep Sea King in the chest, blasting its massive body flying backward.
King stomped hard with his foot, shattering the ground.
His figure instantly appeared directly above Deep Sea King.
He raised his right leg and smashed down with all his might.
Bang——!
A muffled, deafening explosion burst open in the curtain of rain.
Deep Sea King's head burst open under the heavy blow, dark green blood mixing with rainwater splashing onto the shattered road surface.
Its massive body smashed fiercely into the ground, creating a deep pit on the asphalt road, and after its limbs twitched twice, it completely stopped moving.
King landed at the edge of the pit, rainwater washing over the road beneath his feet.
Deafening cheers erupted inside the Shelter, and people poured out from the ruins, waving their arms and shouting King's name.
King lowered his head, looking at the palm of his right hand which was still slightly warm, and said in a low voice: "How relaxed."
He clenched his fist, not expecting his first actual combat to be so easy.
Right at this moment, a voice came from behind him.
"How does it feel?"
King turned around.
Marcus was standing not far behind him, supporting Mumen Rider's back with one hand to keep that unconscious body from falling down.
In the distance, Saitama squatted beside Genos, poking Genos's remaining half-mechanical cheek with a single finger while muttering: "Genos, are you okay? Can you still be repaired?"
Marcus looked at King and asked in a calm tone: "Having the power to protect yourself, how does it feel?"
King lowered his head to look at his hands and was silent for a moment: "Very good."
He raised his head, and that fierce face revealed an unprecedentedly steady smile, "The feeling of no longer being afraid when encountering mysterious beings is really great."
Marcus slightly raised the corners of his mouth: "That's good."
He handed Mumen Rider over to King and turned to walk in the direction of the villa, "I'm heading back first."
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Two months later.
City A, at the entrance of the Hero Association Headquarters building.
Saitama tilted his head up to look at the magnificent building in front of him and let out an exclamation: "The Association Headquarters is really big."
"It's the headquarters after all." King stood beside him with his hands in his pockets.
Marcus stopped walking and said in an indifferent tone: "You guys go on in. I'll wait outside."
King stopped as well, turning his head to look at Marcus: "Teacher Marcus, are you not going in together?"
"I'm not a hero either, so I won't go in." Marcus said in a calm tone.
King opened his mouth, just about to say something.
Walking ahead, Saitama waved his hand without turning his head, his tone lazy: "Since Marcus has said so, let him wait here."
"Alright. Teacher Marcus, then I'll go in first too." After saying that, King hurriedly followed Saitama and Genos.
Marcus gave a hum of acknowledgment, watching the figures of the three disappear inside the heavy doors of the Association Headquarters.
He turned and walked to the shade of a tree at the edge of the plaza, putting his hands in his pockets.
Several children ran over from the other side of the plaza; they had seen Marcus and King walking together from afar just moments ago.
The little boy leading them raised his head and asked excitedly: "Big brother, are you a hero? You're actually walking together with King!"
Marcus looked down at the children and replied in a gentle tone: "I'm not a hero. I just happen to know King."
"That means you and King are good friends!" The children's eyes lit up.
Marcus smiled and nodded.
The children immediately cheered: "That's great! Big brother, can you help us get a photo together with King and his autograph?"
"Okay. But you must wait obediently by your mom and dad's side for a little while." Marcus said softly.
The children nodded vigorously, obediently replied "Understood", and hopped back to their parents' side to wait.
Marcus watched the children happily chatting with their parents, the smile on the corners of his mouth not yet fading.
Then he took out Cosmic Orb from his space bracelet, and the Aether Particle within his body surged silently, condensing into a dark red glove on his right hand.
His fingertips lightly opened Cosmic Orb, and blinding purple light gushed out from the cracks, staining the surroundings with a layer of purple halo.
He reached out and grasped the Power Stone.
Purple energy lines spread from his palm to his wrist.
After these few years of adaptation, even holding the Power Stone in his hand, his body would not bear any burden.
He embedded the Power Stone into the groove of the Aether glove, dark red and deep purple intertwining into dense energy veins.
Afterwards, he raised his head and looked toward the sky.
The children and parents who had been watching him also raised their heads.
In the sky, a black-purple behemoth was descending rapidly.
The parents instinctively protected their children behind them, and someone asked in a low voice: "What is that?"
Before long, a giant spaceship fully the size of one-third of City A stopped above the city.
The shadow cast by the hull enveloped the entire block, and the muzzle of the ship's belly lit up with blinding purple light.
"Lower your heads, close your eyes." Marcus's voice was steady and clear.
He raised his right hand, the purple light of the Power Stone and the dark red of the Aether Particle intertwining into a torrent of energy that gushed out from his palm.
The dark red Aether energy instantly diffused, like a translucent protective shield, enveloping the entire city within it.
At the same time, the muzzles of the spaceship poured out dense shells, smashing toward the city like a rainstorm, landing on the Aether protective shield and stirring up ripples all over the sky.
It was as if countless suns lit up in the sky, and the vibrations generated by the explosions spread throughout the entire city.
The children tightly closed their eyes, and their parents held them tightly in their arms.
Marcus stood in place, holding up his right hand, the purple and dark red energy converging and flowing in his palm.
Chapter 90: Instantly Killing a Universe Executive! Shattering the Overlord's Armor with a Single Punch!
When the light dissipated, the spaceship stopped its attack.
Marcus lowered his right hand, the ether shield silently dissipating, and the outline of the city reappeared amidst the smoke of gunpowder.
The people around opened their eyes from fear, staring blankly at the smoke-obscured sky above them.
"Leave this city quickly."
Marcus's voice was steady and clear, reaching everyone's ears.
The people finally snapped back to reality, children held tightly in their parents' arms as the sounds of crying and footsteps intertwined.
At that moment, a figure flew down from the spaceship.
It was a freak with five heads, and each head was saying something different at the same time:
"Was it you who blocked the spaceship's attack?"
"Not bad strength."
"Are you the strongest creature on this planet?"
"Let me crush you to death."
"I think it's great."
"So noisy."
Marcus raised his hand, and a purple beam shot out from his palm.
Before the five-headed freak even had time to scream, it was pierced by the purple light, its entire body instantly evaporating in the torrent of energy, leaving not even ashes behind.
At the same time, inside the spaceship's cockpit, a giant purple octopus was hovering in front of the main control console, its tentacles dancing rapidly across countless operation panels.
It was none other than Geryuganshoop, one of the top-level combatants of the Dark Matter Thieves and the Universe's number one practitioner of Psychokinesis.
Geryuganshoop watched the replay of earlier events on the main screen.
Its eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets, its tentacles froze in mid-air, and its voice was trembling:
"Th-Three... One of the three top executives was actually killed in a second!"
Suddenly, a loud crash came, the entire spaceship trembled violently, and the console burst into a string of sparks.
Geryuganshoop was terrified: "What is going on!"
The other crew members hurriedly brought up the surveillance footage.
On the screen, a bald man was jumping in from a hole broken in the spaceship's hull, rampaging all the way, shattering decks and collapsing bulkheads wherever he passed.
Geryuganshoop frantically slapped its tentacles on the operation panel and roared into the communicator: "Groribas! There is an intruder! Go stop that bald man!"
At that moment, the cockpit door slowly opened.
A tall figure wearing bronze-yellow armor walked in.
His skin was dark blue, a head of long pink hair fluttered slightly behind him, and his single eye emitted a cold light in the dim bridge.
"Geryuganshoop, what happened."
Geryuganshoop hurriedly brought up both screens onto the main display simultaneously.
Pointing at Marcus's screen, its voice still filled with shock: "Lord Boros, our attack on the ground just now was blocked by this person."
Then its tentacles pointed at Saitama's screen, "At the same time, our spaceship has been invaded by this bald man. But Lord Boros, rest assured, I have already sent Groribas to stop him."
Boros's gaze lingered on Saitama's screen for only a fraction of a second, then turned to the screen replaying Marcus evaporating Melzargard with a single blow.
His single eye stared fixedly at the screen, the muscles under his armor tightening involuntarily.
"Leave the intruder to Groribas."
Boros turned around and walked towards the cabin door, his cape fluttering behind him, "You and I are going down."
Geryuganshoop's tentacles trembled violently, its voice turning a bit out of tune: "Y-Yes! Lord Boros!"
——————————————————
On the ground, Marcus opened up his hearing to the fullest.
Boros's dialogue inside the spaceship reached his ears word for word.
He withdrew his gaze, without making any defensive posture, just standing in place.
At this moment, King came running over from the direction of the Association headquarters.
He ran to Marcus's side, his fierce face full of anxiety: "Master, are you alright!"
Marcus shook his head: "I'm fine."
Tatsumaki, flying closely behind King, saw King running so fast and was just about to open her mouth to mock him.
Her gaze crossed over King, landing on Marcus, and her expression changed instantly.
Her hands subconsciously covered her backside, her whole body shrinking back half a meter in the air, her voice a mix of embarrassment and annoyance: "It... It's you!"
Marcus ignored her, simply raising his head to look at the sky.
King and Tatsumaki looked up at the same time.
Geryuganshoop manipulated a metal pedal, carrying Boros as they slowly landed on the ground.
It spread its tentacles, its voice echoing across the entire plaza amplified by Psychokinesis: "Primitives, why don't you kneel and bow before the master of the entire Universe, Lord Boros!"
Tatsumaki redirected all her pent-up embarrassment and anger onto Geryuganshoop, her willow eyebrows raised sharply, her voice carrying undisguised gunpowder smoke: "Who wants to listen to you and bow to that single-eyed freak! You guys are the ones who should go back where you came from!"
Geryuganshoop's tentacles straightened out from anger, the wrinkles on its body trembling slightly: "Insolent! How dare you speak to Lord Boros that way, go to hell!"
It abruptly raised its tentacles, and the invisible Psychokinesis pressed down toward the three of them like a collapsing mountain and overwhelming sea.
The air emitted a sharp hum under the heavy pressure, and the gravel on the ground was ground into dust.
Tatsumaki pushed her hands forward, and the emerald-green Psychokinesis around her body erupted explosively: "Competing in Psychokinesis with me, do you think I'm afraid of you!"
Two invisible forces collided explosively in mid-air, causing the ground to crack with countless spiderweb-like fissures centered around the two of them.
Boros ignored the terrifying wave of air generated by the collision of the two Psychokinesis forces.
His single eye locked directly onto Marcus: "Are you the strongest existence on this planet?"
"Not really."
Marcus replied in a calm tone.
"Is that so."
As soon as Boros's voice fell, his figure turned into a stream of light, instantly appearing in front of Marcus.
His fist tore through the air, aiming straight for Marcus's face.
Marcus sidestepped to avoid it, the wind of the fist grazing his cheek.
While dodging, his right fist had already punched out smoothly, smashing solidly into Boros's chest.
The armor cracked inch by inch under the force of the fist, fragments splashing in all directions.
Boros's body flew backward like a cannonball, his feet plowing two deep trenches on the ground, crashing through an entire row of abandoned buildings before barely stopping.
The smoke and dust slowly dissipated, and Boros stood up from the ruins.
He looked down at the shattered armor on his chest, a fanatical smile slowly forming at the corner of his mouth.
He raised his single eye, locking his gaze on Marcus's figure: "You really are the opponent I've been waiting for."
He slightly bent his legs, about to charge out again.
"Wait a minute."
Marcus raised his hand.
Boros's movement paused: "What is it."
"Let's evacuate the civilians first, then I'll fight you at full strength."
Marcus said in a calm tone.
Boros stood straight, put away his combat posture, and answered neatly: "Alright."
Boros turned to look at Geryuganshoop, and at the same time Marcus looked at Tatsumaki.
The two of them spoke almost simultaneously: "Stop."
Geryuganshoop immediately retracted its tentacles, and the Psychokinesis dissipated into nothingness.
Hearing Marcus's voice, Tatsumaki bit her lip and also retracted her Psychokinesis.
Boros directly ordered Geryuganshoop: "Use your Psychokinesis to take the civilians to a safe place."
Geryuganshoop bowed respectfully, its tentacles spreading out again, and the Psychokinesis surged out like a tide, lifting the surrounding civilians up one by one.
Marcus also looked at Tatsumaki: "You go help too."
"Why should I listen to you."
Tatsumaki crossed her arms over her chest, her chin held high.
Marcus didn't speak, just raising that palm.
Tatsumaki subconsciously covered her backside with both hands, bit her lip and glared fiercely at him, then turned and flew away.
Emerald-green Psychokinesis surged from her body, beginning to transfer the civilians on the other side.
King also followed, evacuating the crowd together with Tatsumaki.
Not long after, Geryuganshoop and King returned successively to report that all civilians had been evacuated.
As for Tatsumaki, she left after evacuating the civilians.
Only the two confronting each other remained in the entire ruins.
Boros looked at Marcus, his voice full of irrepressible anticipation: "Is this okay now."
Marcus removed the Power Stone from the ether gauntlet, sealed it back into Cosmic Orb, and put it away into the space bracelet.
He assumed a combat stance, locking his gaze on Boros: "Come on."
Chapter 91: Seal Completely Shattered, All-Out War! Dual Battlefields Ignited Together, the Overlord Finally Initiates the Meteoritic Form
Boros tore off the remaining armor fragments on his body and casually threw them on the ground. His muscles began to swell, his skin turned from dark blue to a nearly pitch-black indigo, and a vertical pupil suddenly opened right in the center of his chest, burning with a Battle Intent that had been suppressed for twenty years.
Violent energy gushed out from his body, blowing away all the surrounding rubble, and the entire ruin trembled slightly beneath his feet. "This armor was used to Seal my overly powerful strength. However, to deal with you, my prophesied opponent, I will use my full strength right from the start!" He shouted loudly, the earth under his feet suddenly shattered, and his figure turned into a stream of light rushing straight towards Marcus.
Marcus did not take half a step back. Boros rushed up to him, and countless fists poured out like a rainstorm. Marcussimilarly threw punches to meet him, every punch exchange exploding with a deafening roar, and the shockwave shaved away the surrounding ruins layer by layer like ring-shaped blades.
In the gap between a pair of punches, Marcus suddenly changed his move, an uppercut piercing through Boros's fist shadows and landing solidly on his jaw.
Boros's body shot straight into the sky like a reverse-flying meteorite. Marcus exerted force with his feet, the ground exploded into a huge pit behind him, and his clothing transformed into a black and red battle suit amidst the dark red stream of light.
He chased up to Boros and smashed down with his right fist. Boros flipped his body in mid-air, meeting the fist edge with a heavy chop. The shockwave generated by the collision of fist and leg tore apart ten thousand miles of clouds, revealing a clear expanse in the azure sky. Marcus's body plummeted rapidly from the air, heavily slamming into the earth, and the ground exploded into a giant deep pit with a diameter of several kilometers centered on the landing point.
Boros was still in Ascension. However, he flipped his hands backward, and torrents of blazing white energy erupted from his palms. His rising figure stopped abruptly, and then he dive-bombed toward the ground at an even faster speed. Wrapped entirely in white energy, he smashed fiercely toward the direction where Marcus had fallen like a meteor plummeting from outside the sky.
Marcus in the deep pit looked up at the stream of light diving down from high altitude, and he abruptly exerted force with his feet, retreating backward rapidly. Boros's heavy leg chop smashed fiercely into the center of the deep pit, and at that instant, the earth was like a drum surface struck by a giant hammer, causing the entire bottom of the pit to collapse downward once again.
Boros did not pause at all, pushing off the ground with his legs, and his figure once again turned into a stream of light to chase after Marcus. This time Marcus did not dodge; he stepped back fiercely with his right foot to stop his retreat, and his right fist, carrying all his strength, blasted head-on toward that stream of light. Boros refused to show weakness and similarly threw a punch to meet him.
The two fists collided with a bang in mid-air, and the exploding shockwave ground all the surrounding rubble into fine powder.
At the instant the fist edges met, Marcus's left hand simultaneously raised, and a purple energy cannon shot out from his palm, directly blasting towards Boros's face.
At the exact same instant Marcus raised his hand to fire the energy, the vertical pupil on Boros's chest suddenly opened wide, the energy within his body gathered frantically, and a thick white energy beam gushed out from his chest. The purple and white energy violently collided in mid-air, the intense light generated by the explosion illuminating the entire ruin like daytime, and the shockwave carrying a scorching Qi wave swept towards the surroundings.
In the distance, Geryuganshoop, who was floating in mid-air watching the battle, widened his eyes, his tentacles freezing in mid-air, and his voice was full of shock: "This is still the first time I have seen a creature that can match Lord Boros evenly."
Just when Geryuganshoop was concentrating on watching the battle, an emerald-green figure broke through the air.
Tatsumaki hovered in mid-air, crossing her arms, her chin slightly raised, and her cold gaze condescendingly overlooked the purple octopus in front of her.
"The matter from earlier where you wanted me to kneel is not over yet." Tatsumaki's voice was cold and sharp.
Before her voice finished, she waved her hands forward, and Psychokinesis swept across the entire ruin like a violent storm. Countless broken steel bars, shattered concrete, and twisted metal frames floated into mid-air under her control.
Her ten fingers suddenly pressed downward, and the ruins all over the sky smashed toward Geryuganshoop like a meteor shower, the sound of breaking the air being sharp and harsh. "You stinky octopus, you are the one who should get down on the ground for me!"
Looking at the overwhelming ruins crashing down, Geryuganshoop let out a disdainful cold snort: "I am the Universe's number one Psychokinesis Master. These tricks of yours are all things I played with and discarded."
He did not manipulate those huge fragments, but merely waved his tentacles casually, causing countless tiny gravel stones on the ground to float up. The next second, those stones turned into streams of light and shot out, accurately piercing through every piece of ruin controlled by Tatsumaki. The rubble and steel bars exploded into fine powder in mid-air, while those stones, their remaining momentum undiminished, continued to crash toward Tatsumaki.
Tatsumaki's pupils constricted, her hands clasped in front of her, and an emerald-green Psychokinesis barrier instantly opened up. The stones crashed against the barrier, stirring up ripples. The barrier persisted for a moment before ultimately being pierced through. However, the power of the stones had been greatly weakened, only knocking Tatsumaki down from mid-air onto the ground.
Tatsumaki stood up from the ground, wiping the dust off her face, and emerald-green Psychokinesis burst forth from around her body, blowing away all the surrounding rubble. Her eyes burned with anger, and her voice trembled slightly with rage: "I am going to beat you into octopus balls!" Before her voice finished, she had already turned into an emerald green stream of light, rushing straight towards Geryuganshoop.
Geryuganshoop flicked his tentacles and met her without any fear: "Let me properly teach a lesson to this ignorant brat who doesn't know the height of heaven and earth!"
On the other side, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated. Two figures simultaneously slid backward from the gray fog, each plowing out a deep trench tens of meters long on the ground. Marcus stabilized his figure and shook his numb right fist.
Opposite him, the vertical pupil on Boros's chest narrowed slightly, and the single eye on his face burned with a scorching Battle Intent suppressed for twenty years, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "As expected of the opponent I have waited twenty years for!" He shouted abruptly, "Meteor Burst!"
Violent energy gushed out from his body with a bang, his skin turning into a dazzling pure white, and black energy lines spread all over his body like blood vessels. The entire ruin trembled violently beneath his feet, and the rubble on the ground was shaken by the energy aftermath to float in mid-air.
"Me in this form will burn all the energy within my body to gain a power that transcends all life. The longer it lasts, the more my life will be burned to ashes." Boros's single eye stared fixedly at Marcus, his voice hoarse and fanatic: "However, for you, I am willing to pay everything to defeat you!"
As his voice fell, his figure had already disappeared from the spot. Marcus raised his arms to block, and Boros's fist had already smashed down. That punch slammed into his crossed arms, and the exploding shockwave blew away everything behind him. Marcus's body flew backward like a cannonball, instantly sweeping past the battlefield of Tatsumaki and Geryuganshoop.
Boros exerted force with his feet, turning into a white stream of light to closely pursue him. Wherever he passed, whether rocks or steel, melted the instant they came into contact with the energy aftermath around his body, and the ground was plowed into a deep trench flowing with magma. When passing by Tatsumaki and Geryuganshoop, the generated shockwave blew both of them away simultaneously.
Chapter 92: Peak Showdown, Mutual Appreciation! A Single Move Decides the Outcome, Hard Clash Against the Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon!
Tatsumaki and Geryuganshoop barely steadied themselves in the air, simultaneously turning their heads to look at the two figures disappearing one after the other at the end of the ruins.
Geryuganshoop's tentacles trembled slightly, his voice carrying suppressed awe: "Lord Boros is using his full strength. The guardian of your planet is about to reach his limit."
Tatsumaki snorted, emerald-green Psychokinesis surging around her: "You're dreaming. How could this perverted bastard be defeated by anyone other than me!"
On the other side, just as Marcus steadied his recoiling body, Boros had already closed in front of him.
Kicking fiercely into his chest, Marcus's body flew backward again like a cannonball, crashing through hundreds of skyscrapers in succession before stopping.
Marcus stood up from the ruins, gravel tumbling down from his shoulders.
Multiple bones throughout his body had broken in that last strike, and his internal organs had also suffered a heavy impact.
The Aether Particle inside his body shuttled between his bones and muscles like fine needles and threads, and wherever they passed, the cracks healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Immediately afterward, the purple energy inside his body erupted with a roar, the shockwave scattering all the surrounding dust and gravel, clearing out an empty circular area in the ruins.
In the distance, Boros was bent over, panting heavily; the energy consumption of Meteor Burst far exceeded that of combat in his normal form.
Hearing the commotion, he raised his head and saw the figure standing in that purple light.
Marcus was completely wrapped in bounding purple energy, the light flowing across his body surface like flames.
Boros's single eye lit up abruptly, his mouth splitting into a nearly crazed smile, his voice trembling with excitement: "That's it! This is the battle I've been pursuing!"
He let out an angry roar to the sky, white energy gushing out from within his body, and his figure transformed into a stream of light once again.
Wrapped in purple light, Marcus likewise charged forward head-on.
The two rays of light collided violently in the center of the ruins.
Their figures moved and collided throughout City A, earth-shattering loud noises exploding with every clash. Wherever they passed, the earth cracked and buildings collapsed, as if two chasing supernovae were wantonly releasing destructive energy on this planet.
Suddenly, during one clash, Marcus keenly noticed that one of Boros's attack transitions was half a beat slow. Seizing this momentary flaw, Marcus's right fist, already carrying all his purple energy, slammed solidly onto the vertical pupil on Boros's chest.
Spitting out a large mouthful of blood, Boros flew backward entirely, tumbling several times in the air before smashing heavily onto the ground.
His legs plowed two long ravines into the ground before he barely managed to steady his stance.
Marcus did not pursue.
Looking at Boros, who was bent over and panting heavily, his voice was calm and resolute: "Your speed and strength are weakening. This battle should be over, right."
Boros's breathing was like a broken bellows, but his single eye still burned with undying Battle Intent, his voice hoarse: "No... it's not over yet!"
He gathered all his body's energy into his chest, the light in that single eye reaching unprecedented intensity: "This is the final strike!"
Watching the energy Boros was gathering at his chest, Marcus did not dodge, nor did he make a move to interrupt.
Because he saw that burning gaze in Boros's eyes, longing for a battle with full strength.
So he extended both hands, purple energy gathering in his palms, the light growing brighter and brighter, dyeing the entire ruins a deep purple.
"Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon!" Boros roared, the energy at his chest transforming into a white torrent sufficient to pierce through a planet, tearing through the air and blasting toward Marcus.
"Big Bang Impact!" Marcus's voice rang out at the exact same instant, the purple energy in his palms gushing out like a breached river of stars.
The two violent energies collided violently in mid-air, one white and one purple, each occupying half of the sky.
The earth cracked underfoot, the sky trembled overhead, and the two torrents of energy tore frantically at the collision point, neither able to overwhelm the other in the first instant.
Boros roared angrily, his legs nailed firmly into the ground, squeezing out the very last trace of energy within his body.
Marcus's arm muscles tightened, and the purple light flowed across his body surface like flames.
Moments later, Boros's energy torrent began to fluctuate, that white light decaying at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The purple light began to swallow the white light inch by inch, ultimately submerging Boros entirely.
Marcus abruptly lifted his hands upward, and the purple energy torrent changed direction, shooting straight into the sky.
The beam of light penetrated the atmosphere, exploding roarfully in the Universe.
The entire planet was dyed with a layer of purple halo, as if a purple sun was blooming in outer space.
Marcus walked toward the center of the ruins.
Boros lay in a charred deep pit, the energy of Meteor Burst completely burned out. His body had shriveled like an empty shell, his skin fading from pure white back to its original dark color, with only that single eye still retaining a trace of faint light.
Gazing at Marcus looking down at him, his chapped lips quivered, and a hoarse voice squeezed out intermittently: "Truly... a well-matched battle."
"Yeah, indeed." Marcus stood beside him, his tone calm.
"I don't know your name yet. Before killing me, can you tell me your name." Boros's voice grew increasingly faint.
From a distance came a hoarse roar; Geryuganshoopunleashed his Psychokinesis with full force, temporarily repelling Tatsumaki back dozens of meters.
His tentacles swung wildly behind him, dragging his scarred body as he flew swiftly toward Boros's direction.
Hearing Boros's words, he screamed out: "Don't even think about attacking Lord Boros!"
Marcus turned his head to glance at Geryuganshoop, then retracted his gaze: "You really are loyal."
He looked back at Boros, "My name is Marcus. Also, I don't plan to kill you."
Boros's single eye widened slightly, and after a moment of silence, he said: "I invaded your planet, you know. You're not going to kill me?"
"Considering that you agreed to my condition earlier and had your subordinates evacuate the civilians, I won't kill you guys."
After finishing, Marcus added, "If you want to come find me for a fight in the future, you can come anytime. Of course, if you guys hurt civilians, I won't let you off then."
He turned around and walked toward Tatsumaki, who was flying over from a distance, and King, who was running over.
From behind came the rustling sound of Geryuganshooplifting Boros with Psychokinesis.
Boros was carefully lifted by the tentacles, flying toward the direction of the spaceship.
Gazing at that gradually receding figure, he shouted with his final strength: "Marcus! After I grow stronger, I will come challenge you again!"
Marcus did not turn around, merely raising his right hand to wave casually.
After Marcus and King converged, Tatsumaki hovered in mid-air with her arms crossed over her chest, her voice carrying obvious dissatisfaction: "You're just letting them go like this? They destroyed this city, you know!"
Just as Marcus was about to open his mouth, the entire spaceship smashed down from the vault of heaven with a roar.
The massive hull crashed into the earth, stirring up a sky full of dust and gravel, the shockwave overturning the surrounding ruins once more.
A large hole blasted open on the side of the spaceship, and Saitama jumped out from inside, patting the dust off his shoulders.
"I thought I'd be able to meet the aliens' boss." Saitama's tone carried clear disappointment.
Marcus expanded his hearing, catching Geryuganshoop in the distance using Psychokinesis to support Boros as they flew further away.
He withdrew his attention and paid no more heed.
"Let's go, let's go to my place to celebrate," Marcus said to Saitama, King, and Genos, who was rushing over from a distance.
Saitama scratched his bald head, looking around the flattened city, a deep confusion surfacing on that blank face: "The city is already destroyed, what is there to celebrate."
Marcus glanced at his attribute panel.
[Super Strength: Level 5 (92%)]
[Super Durability: Level 5 (97%)]
[Super Mind: Level 5 (98%)]
[Super Speed: Level 5 (90%)]
[Super Energy: Level 5 (98%)]
[Bio-field: Level 5 (99%)]
[Spider-Sense: Level 5 (99%)]
[Dimensional Travel: Level 3 (50%)]
"Naturally, to celebrate that my strength has improved once again." Marcus raised his head, a smile in his tone.
Chapter 93: Transmigration, Return, and Meeting an Alien Invasion! Waving a Hand to Annihilate the Aliens
Three months later.
Outside the villa, Kumoko, who was already six stories tall, lowered her head and stared at the strangely shaped flashlight in Marcus's hand, her tone full of doubt: "Master, is this thing really useful?"
"It should work. This thing consumed half of the Power Stone's energy, after all." Marcus turned the flashlight half a circle in his palm, his tone also somewhat uncertain.
Kumoko took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and put on a look of resignation: "Come on."
Beside her, the four-meter-wide Milong also curled up its body and let out a few calls, indicating that it was also ready.
Marcus raised the flashlight and pressed the switch. A soft white beam shot out, precisely enveloping Kumoko and Milong. The bodies of the two pets began to shrink slowly in the white light, shrinking all the way from six stories high to only half a person's height, and from four meters wide to only the thickness of an arm.
After the light beam dissipated, Kumoko stood in place, lowered her head to look at her own body, and then raised her front legs to wave them in front of her eyes. Her multiple eyes lit up simultaneously, her voice full of irrepressible excitement: "Master! I really became smaller! This thing is amazing!"
Milong was also spinning happily in the air, its tail whipping up a roaring wind, emitting high-pitched squeaks from its mouth.
Marcus looked at the white beam still enveloping Kumokoand Milong, and then looked at their current size, nodding: "It seems it can only shrink to this extent. But this is fine too; as long as they don't go outside, they won't scare others."
He withdrew the flashlight, moved his mind slightly, and activated the newly recovered Dimensional Travel. A pitch-black spatial passage tore open. Seeing this for the first time, Milong's round eyes widened, and it let out puzzled squeaks.
"Master, are we going to a new world, or back to the previous world?" Kumoko excitedly crept to the edge of the passage, her multiple eyes lighting up simultaneously.
Marcus took out his One-Punch world phone and sent messages to Saitama, King, Fubuki, and Genosrespectively, stating that he would be leaving for a year. After sending them, he put away his phone and said to Kumoko: "Let's return to my world first, and then go to your world." With that, he led the two little guys into the pitch-black spatial passage.
As soon as they stepped out of the passage, before their feet could steady themselves in the villa's living room, a violent explosion came from afar. Immediately afterwards, the Spider-Sense exploded without warning at the back of his neck, and a strong resonance surged from a certain direction—it was Eve, and she was in danger.
"Stay well at home." Before the words fell, Marcus's figure had already disappeared from the living room.
Above the battlefield, a group of green-skinned aliens wearing blue-and-white sci-fi battle armor were engaging in fierce combat with the Teen Team.
Invincible Mark was being suppressed punch after punch by an alien wearing heavy mecha. Eve opened a pink energy shield, blocking in front of a group of civilians, sweat rolling down her cheeks from her forehead, her arms trembling slightly under the dense energy artillery fire.
Marcus hovered above the battlefield, his casual clothes transforming into a black and red combat suit amidst a dark red stream of light. He glanced at the battlefield below, and instantly disappeared from his spot. The next instant, more than a dozen alien soldiers surrounding Eve were simultaneously blown away by a massive force, collapsing into the ruins completely before they even had time to scream.
Eve raised her head, the pressure on her shield suddenly disappearing, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face: "Marcus!"
Marcus didn't stay, his figure reappearing beside Invincible Mark. The alien wearing heavy mecha was raising his fist, preparing to smash it down at Mark who had fallen to the ground. Marcus threw a punch, and the alien's body flew out like a kite with a broken string, rolling dozens of meters on the ground and crashing through the metal frame at the edge of the red portal before stopping.
Mark hurriedly climbed up from the ground, his face still bearing the lingering fear of being suppressed, his voice hurried and grateful: "Thank you!"
Marcus ignored him, only raising his eyes to scan that red portal. His hearing penetrated the energy fluctuations of the portal, capturing the heartbeats of countless aliens behind the door and the humming of weapon charging.
So his figure flashed, and he rushed directly into the portal.
The other side of the portal was the exact center of an alien city. As soon as he stepped out of the passage, the defense System of the entire city locked onto him as an uninvited guest simultaneously, and countless energy beams bombed toward him from all directions.
Marcus didn't dodge, letting those beams land on his body, bursting into large swathes of sparks on his combat suit. He flew above the city, raised both hands, and the purple energy within his body surged toward his palms like a tide, condensing into an ever-expanding ball of light.
When the ball of light expanded to its limit, he gently released it. The ball of light slowly fell from mid-air toward the center of the city, while he turned around and passed through the red portal once again.
As soon as he stepped out of the portal and returned to Earth, the passage behind him hummed and rapidly contracted, eventually disappearing into the air.
Marcus's gaze crossed the ruins and fell on Eve. He was just about to speak when Eve rushed forward and hugged him tightly. Marcus was stunned for a moment, then gently wrapped one hand around her back, placed his other hand on top of her head, and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong?"
Eve buried her face in his shoulder, her voice as small as a mosquito's buzzing: "You'll support me being a hero, right?"
Marcus didn't know what she had experienced during this time, but he didn't ask. He just gently patted her head, her tone steady and resolute: "Of course."
Rex in the distance saw this scene, his eyes dimming for a moment, before cheering up and blowing a loud whistle: "This is a battlefield, not a place for you little couple to be all lovey-dovey. If you want to get intimate, you'll have to go home."
Eve abruptly released Marcus and quickly turned around. The pink energy in her hand instantly condensed into a pebble, accurately smashing onto Rex's head. Rex let out an "ouch" and squatted down, covering his head in the ruins, muttering: "That's a really ruthless attack."
The Clone Kate standing beside her crossed her arms in front of her chest and shook her head gloatingly: "Rex, sooner or later you're going to get beaten up because of that mouth of yours."
Robot walked past Kate and came before Marcus. His optical eyepiece flickered, and his mechanical voice was steady: "Thank you very much for your help, Cosmic Superman. On behalf of the Teen Team, I express my most sincere gratitude to you."
Marcus nodded, reached out to take Eve's hand, and with a light push of his feet, the two rose into the air and flew toward the direction of the villa.
Rex watched those two figures disappear into the horizon, the smile on his face slowly fading. He lowered his head and kicked a piece of rubble by his feet. Kate patted his shoulder, said nothing, and turned to follow Robot toward the depths of the ruins.
Chapter 94: Eve's Bold Confession, Visiting in Person to Face Stubborn Adoptive Father
Returning to the villa, Eve had just stepped into the living room when her footsteps paused.
Looking at the half-meter-tall Kumoko before her, she blinked in surprise: "Little Spider has gotten so big."
Her gaze then fell upon the emerald-green serpentine little Dragon beside her: "And what is this?"
"Eve, I have a name now, it's Kumoko!" Kumoko raised her front leg and waved at her, her voice crisp.
Eve's eyes widened even more: "You can speak?"
"That's right." Kumoko proudly shook her head.
Marcus walked over from behind her, explaining in a calm tone: "The world we went to caused Kumoko to evolve. Milong is someone I took in from another world."
Milong floated in front of Eve, tilting its head to examine her, and let out a few friendly squeaks.
Eve reached out a finger to gently stroke Milong's chin, nodding: "I see."
Marcus looked at her and asked: "What about you, has anything happened recently?"
Eve was silent for a moment, then said: "My father, he doesn't plan to let me be a hero anymore."
Her fingers were unconsciously twisted together: "He said, you can only choose between being a hero and family. Then, once I got Life Qi, I ran out."
Marcus fell silent.
A moment later, he spoke, his voice steady and slow: "I don't know what kind of person your father is. But I think he must be worried about you getting hurt, which is why he won't let you be a hero."
Eve raised her head, her lips moving as if wanting to say something.
Marcus raised a hand to interrupt her: "I won't make you reconcile with your father right away. I just want to tell you that you must protect your own safety."
Eve stared at him in a daze, her eye sockets turning slightly red.
She didn't speak, instead stepping directly forward, reaching out to hug Marcus, and burying her face in his chest: "Can I stay at your house for a few days?"
"No problem," Marcus said.
Eve raised her head, stood on tiptoe, and leaned close to Marcus's face.
Marcus pressed down on her shoulders: "What are you—"
"I like you," Eve interrupted him, her eyes gazing straight at him without the slightest evasion, "The first time you saved me, I already fell in love with you."
"You are still young, I cannot accept your love." Marcus's voice was low and restrained.
"I am already an adult," Eve said, and kissed him.
Marcus did not evade this time.
The moment their lips touched, the Spider-Sense exploded between them simultaneously, two perception ripples of completely identical frequencies resonating and overlapping at an extremely close distance.
That tingling sensation spread from the back of the neck to the entire body, stronger than any time before.
Kumoko silently turned around, poked Milong beside her with a front leg, and lowered her voice to say: "Let's go upstairs to play games."
Milong blinked, unusually not letting out any squeaks, just nodding forcefully, and followed Kumoko tiptoeing upstairs.
I don't know how much time passed, Marcus gently pressed Eve's shoulders, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "This isn't good. It's still daytime."
Eve raised her hand, pink energy flowing at her fingertips.
The light of the entire villa suddenly dimmed, and all the windows were covered by a thin layer of pink energy film, isolating the sunlight outside.
She withdrew her hand and said softly in the dimness: "It's dark now."
—————— 500,000 words omitted ——————
The morning one week later. Marcus stood in front of the stove, serving the fried bacon and eggs into a plate.
The toaster popped out two slices of golden toast.
Kumoko and Milong were already waiting by the dining table in the first-floor living room; Kumoko was holding a comic magazine with her front legs, while Milong lay flat on the edge of the dining table, its tail swaying slowly behind it.
Marcus placed the last breakfast on the table, took off his apron and draped it over the back of a chair, and walked upstairs.
He pushed open the bedroom door, walked to the bedside, and extended a finger to gently poke Eve, who was curled up in the quilt with only half her face exposed: "Get up, it's time to eat."
Eve slowly opened her eyes, the sunlight spilling onto her face through the curtains.
She buried her face further into the pillow, her voice still carrying the hoarseness of just waking up: "So tired. I don't want to get up, hold me."
Marcus stood by the bed, watching her wrapped up in the quilt like a ball: "Put on some clothes first."
Eve stretched out a hand from the quilt and waved it casually.
Pink energy surged from her fingertips, sneaking into the gaps of the quilt and lighting up a soft glow beneath it.
A moment later, she stretched out both hands, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly: "Alright."
Marcus lifted the quilt and picked her up from the bed.
Eve was wearing a T-shirt printed with his portrait.
She wrapped her arms around Marcus's neck, rested her head on his shoulder, and gave a light yawn.
Marcus carried her floating down from the second floor, landing slowly beside the dining table.
Kumoko was holding a piece of bread with her front legs, and upon seeing this scene, her multiple eyes simultaneously floated with envious expressions: "I also really want to be held by Master."
Milong beside her also squeaked a few times in follow-up.
Marcus gently placed Eve onto the chair and sat down beside her, looking at Kumoko to say: "After returning to your Universe to charge the Power Stone with energy, I will upgrade the shrinking flashlight again."
"By then, you should be able to recover to your previous size."
Kumoko's multiple eyes lit up simultaneously, her front legs excitedly tapping on the table: "By then I will definitely stay on Master all the time!"
Marcus nodded and picked up his chopsticks: "Let's eat."
After finishing breakfast, Eve recovered her energy.
She tied on an apron and stood by the sink with Marcus to wash the dishes.
The faucet gushed, she took the plate handed over by Marcus and carefully wiped it with a rag, speaking after a moment of silence: "Are you really going back with me?"
"Of course. We can't keep hiding it from your parents forever."
Marcus handed her the last bowl, turned off the faucet, his tone calm yet resolute.
Eve nodded, a hint of helpless amusement in her voice: "Alright. But I'm telling you first, my father is a very difficult person to get along with."
Marcus took the wiped plate from her hand and put it into the dish rack: "I'd like to see just how difficult he is to get along with."
Marcus was dressed in formal attire, sitting upright in Eve's living room.
On the opposite sofa, Eve's father, Adam, was endlessly lecturing about how dangerous the profession of a hero is, how irresponsible, and how completely unsuitable it is for a girl.
Eve sat beside Marcus, her fingers gripping tighter and tighter on her knees, her lips pressed into a thin line, on the verge of erupting.
Marcus reached out and gently grasped her hand.
Eve was slightly startled, her clenched fists slowly loosening in his palm.
Marcus looked at Adam, his voice steady and firm: "No matter what you say, it cannot stop Eve's heart from being a hero. And I also support Eve being a hero."
Adam's expression sank, his gaze falling like a knife onto Marcus's face: "If she encounters danger, can you protect her?"
Marcus did not answer.
He stood up, turned around and walked toward the door, only stopping when he reached the doorway, turning his head slightly, and dropping a sentence in a flat tone: "Don't trouble yourself with that."
Eve quickly got up and followed.
The two walked out the front door, heading outside the neighborhood along the flagstone path in front of the door.
Eve walked beside him, lowering her head to kick a small stone, which rolled into the bushes by the roadside, making a rustling sound.
"I told you so, my father is a very difficult person to get along with." Her voice carried a bit of long-anticipated helplessness.
Marcus nodded: "Indeed."
Chapter 95: Alien Spaceship Looming! Mark Goes Out to Fight Only to Get Brutally Beaten, Nolan Intervenes but Is Blocked by Marcus
Global Defense Agency Headquarters.
Cecil stood in front of the main control console, where a blinding red alert flashed on the screen.
A giant spaceship fully loaded with weapons was rapidly approaching Earth from outer space, with an estimated arrival time of less than five minutes.
He took a deep breath and pressed the teleportation wristband on his wrist.
With a flash of white light, he was already standing in Nolan's living room.
Debbie Grayson was reading a book on the sofa.
Hearing the commotion, she raised her head, and her brows immediately furrowed.
Nolan walked out of the kitchen holding a cup of coffee.
Seeing Cecil's tense expression, his footsteps paused.
Cecil raised his wristband, and a holographic projection unfolded in the center of the living room.
The outline of the spaceship slowly rotated within the projection, its hull dense with gun barrels and missile silos, every detail exuding a naked threat.
"The spaceship will reach Earth in five minutes."
Cecil crossed his arms, his voice hoarse, "Nolan, I didn't want to come find you. But the Guardians of the Globe are all dead."
Nolan placed the coffee cup on the table, his voice calm: "I'll go stop it."
Debbie Grayson abruptly stood up from the sofa, blocking Nolan's path.
She spread her arms, placing her entire body horizontally between her husband and Cecil, her voice filled with anger: "Nolan has only been home for a week!"
"And you want to send him back into space again, to deal with this terrifying-looking spaceship?"
"No way, absolutely not!"
"Darling."
Nolan was about to speak.
"There's no one else left who can stop the spaceship, Debbie Grayson."
Cecil's voice was low and exhausted.
Mark walked out from the hallway.
He stood at the edge of the living room, looking at his mother's back, looking at his father's not-yet-fully-recovered complexion, and looking at the red numbers counting down in the holographic projection.
"Let me go!"
Debbie Grayson abruptly turned her head: "No!"
"Dad's injuries just healed, and Cecil also said there's no one else."
"Right now, only I can stop the spaceship."
Mark's voice held not a shred of hesitation.
Debbie Grayson looked at her son.
Her lips moved, wanting to say something, but not a single word of dissuasion could come out.
She lowered her head and squeezed two words out through clenched teeth: "Fuck."
Nolan stepped forward, holding Debbie Grayson's hand, and turned to look at Mark: "Don't worry."
"I've seen this kind of spaceship in the Universe."
"The ones piloting this kind of spaceship are generally just ordinary space pirates, and no powerful enemies will show up."
He patted his son's shoulder, his tone steady: "When the time comes, you just need to smash straight through the spaceship."
Mark nodded: "Got it."
He turned and went upstairs, and a moments later flew out of the window wearing that yellow-and-blue suit, trailing a wake straight into the sky.
As he passed through the atmosphere, a freezing sensation enveloped his entire body.
Beside the moon, that giant spaceship covered in gun barrels was flying toward Earth.
Mark did not hesitate; he adjusted his posture and accelerated to ram into the spaceship.
Inside the spaceship, Delta stood at the cabin door, fastening the last strap of her jetpack.
Her black-and-white tail swayed gently behind her, and her amber eyes stared at the yellow-and-blue figure rapidly approaching on the display screen.
"Leave this one to me."
Delta turned to look at Allen beside her.
Allen crossed his arms, a hint of a smile in his single eye: "No problem."
The cabin door opened, and Delta activated her jetpack, shooting directly out of the spaceship and heading straight for the incoming yellow-and-blue figure.
Just as Mark approached the spaceship, he saw a cat-girl charging straight at him.
Before he even had time to adjust his posture, a fist covered in black-and-white fluff rapidly magnified in his vision.
Mark hurriedly dodged to the side, the wind of the fist brushing past his ear.
Just as he was about to throw a punch in counterattack, a thick tail violently whipped against the side of his head.
His head buzzed, and his entire body spun out of control in space.
As soon as he stabilized his figure, Delta's fist smashed into his face again.
Before the impact could push him away, that agile tail wrapped around his ankle once more, dragging him back forcibly.
Delta gathered strength in both legs and kicked hard into his abdomen, her tail simultaneously releasing him.
Mark's body plummeted toward Earth like a shooting star.
Inside the atmosphere, Mark barely stabilized his figure, panting heavily.
A sharp tearing sound suddenly came from overhead.
He hurriedly looked up, only to see that black-and-white figure break through the clouds and charge straight at him fiercely.
Boom!
Carrying Mark along, Delta smashed heavily into an uninhabited open space on the edge of the city.
The ground collapsed with a roar, forming a giant crater, and gravel mixed with billowing smoke soared straight into the sky.
Inside the villa, Debbie Grayson and Nolan watched the satellite surveillance footage provided by Cecil.
On the screen, Mark was being beaten all the way from space to the ground by that black-and-white cat-girl.
Debbie Grayson abruptly turned to Nolan, her voice trembling: "Is this what you call ordinary pirates? Could this be some powerful enemy?"
Nolan was silent for a fraction of a second, his casual clothes instantly switching into a red-and-white suit: "I'm heading over right away."
Before his voice had even faded, his figure had vanished from the living room, speeding rapidly toward the direction where Mark had fallen.
On the streets of the urban area, Marcus and Eve were standing outside a dessert shop when the surrounding crowd suddenly became restless, and someone pointed at the sky and shouted: "There's a meteor!"
Marcus and Eve looked up at the same time.
The thing falling with a trailing tail flame was not a meteor.
When Marcus clearly saw those two figures, he spoke at a very fast pace: "It's Invincible, and an acquaintance of mine. I'll go check out the situation."
"I'm going too!"
Eve quickly said.
Marcus nodded, and the two of them soared into the air simultaneously, flying toward the direction of the fall.
When Marcus arrived, the smoke and dust in the center of the deep crater had not yet dispersed.
Delta was stepping on Mark's chest, her tail slowly swinging behind her, her tone full of disdain: "With only this level of strength, you actually dared to attack us. You're really courting death."
Right at this moment, a red-and-white figure flew up to Delta's side, throwing a punch at her head.
When Marcus saw clearly that the newcomer was Nolan, his figure flashed, appearing by Nolan's side, and threw a punch at his head.
Nolan had no choice but to give up attacking Delta, turning sideways and raising his arms.
Marcus's fist smashed into Nolan's arms, producing a huge sound as shockwaves swept outward in all directions.
Nolan's body flew back several hundred meters before he managed to stabilize his figure.
Feeling the trembling in his arms, his expression darkened, and he questioned Marcus: "Why did you attack me?"
"There must be some misunderstanding."
Marcus turned his head to look at Delta, "Let him go first, and then tell me what happened."
Chapter 96: Misunderstanding Resolved, Reunion with an Old Friend! The Cat-Girl Takes a Direct Approach to Acknowledge Relations, Eve Asserts Her Sovereignty
Before Delta could react to what had happened, she realized the Boss was already talking to her.
She hurriedly got down from Mark, grabbed Marcus's arm, and said truthfully, "After settling my clansman, Allen and I flew a spaceship to find you, Boss."
She raised her hand to point at Mark, who was struggling to get up from the ground, her voice still filled with excitement, "Then this guy crashed directly into our spaceship. So I went out and fought with this guy."
Mark panted heavily, raised his hand to wipe away the blood at the corner of his mouth, and said weakly, "I—I thought you guys were space pirates."
At this moment, the spaceship in the Universe had already descended above them.
Allen flew down from the hatch, landed beside the crowd, and explained, "This is a misunderstanding. We are not space pirates."
Eve landed from behind Marcus and glanced at Delta, who was holding Marcus's left arm.
She didn't speak, but simply walked to Marcus's other side and hugged his right arm.
Delta's tail flicked gently behind her, her eyes crossing over Marcus to meet Eve's gaze in the air.
Nolan floated to Mark's side and reached out to help him up.
His gaze swept over Allen and Delta, finally landing on the spaceship hovering overhead, and he asked in a deep voice, "Then why are you driving a pirate spaceship?"
Allen spread his hands, his tone carrying helplessness, "Because our spaceship was ambushed and destroyed by pirates. So after dealing with the pirates, we commandeered this spaceship."
Nolan was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly, "It seems this really is a misunderstanding."
Allen hurriedly nodded hard, "That's right, this is just a misunderstanding."
Holding his still-aching ribs, Mark looked at Nolan, then at Delta, his dust-stained face filled with bewilderment and grievance, "So, did I get beaten up for nothing?"
Marcus apologized to Mark on behalf of Delta, then pulled his hands out from the two girls' embraces.
He took out the last Spring of Life crystal from his space bracelet and tossed it toward Mark, "After eating this thing, it can make your injuries recover a bit faster."
Mark reached out and caught it. Seeing that it was given by Cosmic Superman, he didn't decline and just nodded, "Thanks."
Nolan patted Mark's shoulder, "Since it's a misunderstanding, let's go back."
Mark nodded, stuffed the crystal into his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it.
A wave of warm energy dissolved from his stomach, and the bruises and scrapes on his body began to fade at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He turned and followed Nolan flying toward the city.
After flying a certain distance, he couldn't help but look back and mutter, "Next time, I definitely need to ask clearly before taking action."
After watching them leave, Marcus turned around.
Allen stepped forward, gave him a tight hug, patted his back firmly with his palm, and said with a voice full of the joy of a long-awaited reunion, "Long time no see."
"Long time no see." Marcus also patted Allen's back.
After the two let go, Delta lunged forward directly.
Her legs clamped around Marcus's waist, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, and her entire body hung on him.
Her amber eyes were right in front of him, and her voice was filled with irrepressible longing, "Boss, I missed you so much. Did you miss me?"
Marcus supported her bottom with both hands to prevent her from sliding down, and said in a gentle tone, "I missed you too."
Delta propped herself up on his shoulders with both hands, happily wagging her tail, her eyes startlingly bright, and she said loudly, "In that case, tonight, I will bear a powerful child for the Boss."
Allen stood to the side, pressed his fist against his lips, and coughed heavily.
His single eye turned elsewhere, pretending to study the hull patterns of that spaceship.
Eve crossed her arms in front of her chest, sweeping her gaze back and forth between Marcus and Delta, who was hanging on him, and spoke indifferently, "Marcus, who is this?"
Just as Marcus was about to open his mouth to explain, Delta had already slid down from him, but her hands were still tightly hugging his arm.
Her voice was crisp and loud, "My name is Delta, I am the Boss's subordinate and partner!"
Eve's gaze fell on the hands with which Delta was tightly hugging Marcus, and then looked at that tail wagging endlessly with excitement.
Her voice carried obvious disbelief, "A... A partner?"
"That's right!" Delta proudly lifted her chin, her amber eyes startlingly bright, completely oblivious to the subtle change in Eve's tone.
Eve stared straight at Marcus, her voice lowered extremely low as she asked word by word, "Mar—cus, what is the meaning of this?"
Marcus took Delta's hands off his arm, his tone carrying a bit of helplessness, "Don't listen to her nonsense."
After Marcus removed Delta's hands, she didn't feel sad at all.
Looking at Eve, her tone was full of matter-of-factness, "I'm not talking nonsense! According to the clan rules of my lineage, one mates with an approved strong person to give birth to offspring with a stronger Bloodline. The Boss personally defeated me, so he is the partner I've recognized. These are clan rules, not nonsense."
After listening to these words, Eve was silent for a good while.
She raised her head to look at Marcus, her voice a bit calmer than before, "So, what she said is true?"
Marcus nodded, his tone open and frank, "What she said is true. But I didn't agree to her."
Delta's ears slowly drooped, her gaze looked toward the ground, and her tail hung listlessly behind her.
She didn't retort, just stood silently in place.
Allen, standing nearby, couldn't help laughing out loud as he watched Marcus caught in a dilemma between the two girls.
Marcus turned his head and glared fiercely at him, and Allen immediately turned his face away, though his shoulders were still trembling slightly.
Marcus turned back, just about to continue explaining, when Eve had already walked up to him.
She reached out, took Marcus's hand, and said in a calm voice, "I believe you."
She finished speaking, pulled Marcus down to bend over, tiptoed close to his ear, and said softly, "If you dare to lie to me and have any kind of relationship with her, I will definitely not spare you."
Marcus turned his head sideways, locking gazes with her slightly narrowed eyes, his tone solemn and earnest, "Without your command, I will absolutely never have any relations with any woman."
Eve stared at him for a few seconds and let out a cold snort.
Marcus straightened up and looked at Delta and Allen, "Let's go, I'll take you to my home."
Allen stepped forward, amusement in his single eye, and patted Marcus's shoulder, "You definitely must let me taste the delicacies of your planet."
Delta perked up again, ran a few steps behind Marcus, leaped forward, wrapped her hands around his neck, and hung her entire body on his back, her tail happily swishing again, "Let's go, Boss!"
Eve crossed her arms, her gaze falling on the jetpack on Delta's back, "Can't you fly?"
Delta shook her head and pointed to her back, "This bag is broken. I can't fly anymore."
Eve stepped forward and reached out her hand toward Delta, "I'll fly with you."
Delta was stunned for a moment, her amber eyes blinking, "Eh?"
"Just listen to her." Marcus tilted his head and said to Deltaon his back.
Delta slid down from Marcus's back, walked over to Eve, and whispered, "Alright."
Eve reached out to put her arm around Delta's waist, and pink energy surged from her body, lifting them both into the air.
Marcus and Allen also rose into the air, and the four figures flew toward the direction of the villa.
Returning to the villa, Marcus pushed open the door.
Kumoko was lying on the living room floor flipping through a comic magazine.
Hearing the commotion, she raised her head, and all her eyes lit up simultaneously, "Master! You're back—Eh, why are there other people?"
Milong floated up from the back of the sofa, its round eyes curiously sizing up the two strangers, making a puzzled squeaking sound with its mouth.
"This is Kumoko, and this is Milong." Marcus stepped aside to clear the doorway, briefly introducing them to Allen and Delta.
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure had already vanished from the living room.
When he appeared again a moment later, his hands were fully laden with delicacies from all over the world.
A table of people sat gathered together, Allen eating and nodding repeatedly, while Delta's tail hadn't stopped since the meal started, constantly swishing back and forth behind her.
At night, the second-floor bedroom.
Eve raised her hand, a cluster of pink energy welling up from her fingertips, and gently pressed it against the wall.
The atomic energy formed a soundproofing layer within the room.
Having done this, she turned around, her fingertips lighting up with pink glow once again, and her casual clothes began to transform within the light.
First a neat business suit, then changing into light and thin home pajamas, and finally switching into a tight-fitting Spider-Man suit, outlining the curves of her figure.
Marcus leaned against the doorway, watching the outfits constantly switching on her body, and raised his eyebrows slightly, "What is this?"
"Don't you like these?" Eve stepped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, her blue eyes reflecting his face, "Today, however you want to come, you can come."
Marcus was silent for a moment, and then walked up.
Two hours later.
Eve lay prone on the pillow, her voice carrying a hint of a plea, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of the quilt, "I can't take it anymore. Let me rest for a while."
Marcus hugged her waist from behind, pulling her back into his arms.
His lips pressed against the shell of her ear, his voice low and hoarse, "You started the war. Ending it is not up to you to decide."
Another two hours passed.
Eve's arms hung limply from the edge of the bed, her voice as weak as a crumpled piece of paper, "Sp... Spare me. I'm going to die, I'm going to die."
Ten hours later. Eight in the morning.
Eve was curled up entirely inside the quilt, with only a few strands of messy hair exposed, her breathing steady and deep, clearly exhausted quite a bit.