Chapter 151: Ending the Mad Hank Henshaw
Hank Henshaw stood before them, the Kryptonite on his chest emitting an eerie green light.
He slowly raised his palm, which split open as a laser cannon within lit up with a blinding red glow.
His voice was deep, sounding as if it came from the depths of Hell: "Today, I am your Doomsday."
Just as he was about to fire the laser, a sharp piercing sound plummeted straight down from high above.
Hank quickly withdrew his offensive posture and switched to defense.
Boom!
Fist and palm collided, and an Impact burst forth, centered on the two of them.
Clark, Kara, and Jon were blown away by the air current, rolling across the road several times before stopping.
Amidst the smoke and dust, Bizarro stood in front of Hank.
Hank looked at the figure before him with pale skin and a Superman suit, his expression turning gloomy: "This is truly endless."
Bizarro did not answer.
With a roar, two white beams suddenly shot from his eyes.
Hank instinctively wanted to dodge, but the white beams accurately hit his chest, and frost spread rapidly from the struck area.
Hank's right arm and half his body were instantly frozen.
Bizarro didn't pause, smashing a heavy punch into Hank's frozen chest.
The ice shattered, and Hank was sent flying backwards as a whole, crashing heavily into a building.
Bizarro pursued closely, the white light in his eyes lighting up once more, firing freezing rays toward Hank, who was just sitting up from the ruins.
Hank raised his hand, and the laser cannon in his palm fired simultaneously.
The red beam and the white freezing ray collided in mid-air, canceling each other out and bursting into a large cloud of steaming white mist.
Before the white mist could disperse, the thrusters behind Hank violently spewed blue flames.
His entire body rushed out from the mist, instantly appearing at Bizarro's side, and landed a vicious punch on Bizarro's face.
Bizarro flew out like a cannonball, slamming straight back down in front of Clark and the others.
His back plowed a deep trench over a dozen meters long on the road, and half of his body was buried in the rubble.
Hank Henshaw flew above them, the laser cannon in his palm lighting up once more, aiming at the figure below.
His voice was calm, yet it carried the implication of ending everything: "Now, everything should end."
Clark lay flat on the ground, the radiation of the Kryptonitestill drilling into his body like millions of needles.
He lifted his head with difficulty, letting out a low roar.
That sound was squeezed from the deepest part of his chest, carrying the explosive power of being driven to a desperate situation.
The next second, enduring the radiation of the Kryptonite, his entire body instantly appeared beside Hank Henshaw.
His right fist, wrapped in all his power, slammed fiercely into Hank.
Hank's body was like a sculpture struck by a giant hammer, half of his body shattering explosively under that punch.
Metal fragments mixed with flesh and blood flew scattered in all directions.
Enduring the excruciating pain brought by the radiation, Clark said word by word: "I will not let you hurt my family."
He swung his fist again, smashing it onto Hank's broken body: "I will not let you destroy the World we live in!"
Hank used his only remaining hand, roaring as he struck at Superman: "You stole my future!"
Clark reached out his hand, steadily catching that punch.
Staring into Hank's eyes, he panted and said: "I did not steal anyone's future. Because—"
His other hand suddenly plunged into Hank's chest, his five fingers clasping onto that glowing green Kryptonite.
"The future belongs to everyone."
As his words fell, Clark violently pulled out the Kryptonite.
Looking at Hank, his voice was low yet clear: "It's over, Hank."
After speaking, he threw the Kryptonite toward the direction of the Sun.
That speck of green light cut through the vast sky, quickly disappearing above the clouds.
Having done this, Clark let go of Hank's hand.
His body collapsed to the ground out of strength, his chest heaving violently, every breath feeling like it was burning his own lungs.
Hank Henshaw stood before them, lowering his head.
Half of his body was already battered beyond recognition, the remaining skin and metal twitching gently under the faint light.
"No, it's not over yet."
He suddenly raised his head, his ruined face pulling into a twisted smile: "Everyone, be buried with me!"
A blinding red light suddenly lit up on his chest, growing increasingly intense.
He threw his head back and laughed loudly: "Hahaha!"
The laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Because at that moment, Jon flew over, carefully helping Clark up from the ground.
Hank stared blankly at them, a hoarse voice squeezing from his ruined throat: "Why is Kryptonite to him... not as useful as it is to you."
Clark leaned against Jon, raising his head and barely managing a smile: "Because his mother is from Earth."
Hank's voice began to tremble: "He is... human?"
His lips moved as he muttered: "Impossible... You can't possibly have a child this big..."
Jon supported Clark, looked at Hank, and said softly: "I came back from the future to stop you."
He gave a bitter smile and added another sentence: "However, Dad stopped you in the end anyway."
Hank froze in place.
His pupils shrank violently, as if something had collapsed with a crash in his mind.
His voice was intermittent, as if coming from a very distant place: "No, impossible... You, I... I should be the one to become the future..."
His vision began to blur.
In a daze, he seemed to see the future: countless humans possessing long lifespans and powerful bodies, rushing into space, wandering the starry river, scattering the fire of civilization across the Universe.
"But they chose you... alien." Hank's voice was so light it was almost inaudible, "They coexist with you, they fall in love with you. Now, you are the future."
He paused, his lips trembling: "And I, I..."
Tears slid down from his sole remaining eye.
The red light on his chest dimmed bit by bit, finally extinguishing completely.
His voice stopped right there as well.
Chapter 152: Sudden Changes in Luthor's Laboratory
Bizarro pushed himself up from the pile of rubble and patted the dust off his shoulders.
Kara also crawled up from the ground, and the two flew one after the other to the sides of Clark and Jon.
The two spoke almost simultaneously: "Is it all over?"
"It's over."
Supported by Jon, Clark let his gaze fall upon Hank's unmoving body.
He fell silent for a few seconds, suddenly remembered something, and turned his head to look toward Lex Luthor's building.
"I wonder how Laura is doing."
He steadied himself by leaning on Jon's shoulder, a hint of urgency creeping into his voice, "Let's hurry over and take a look."
Jon nodded and flew away with him.
Kara and Bizarro followed behind, and the group flew toward Lex Luthor's corporate building.
Not long after flying, Clark and the others arrived at Luthor's corporate building.
Most of the building's outer glass was shattered, entire sections of the curtain walls on several floors had fallen off, and steel bars were exposed from the fractures.
They flew in from the damaged first-floor entrance, and just as they passed through the corridor, they saw Milonghalf-crouching on the ground with a cyan glow emanating from its palms.
Delta sat leaning against the wall, a hand covering her waist as blood seeped between her fingers.
Kumoko was lying atop Milong's head, several eyes anxiously staring at Delta's wound.
Kara ran over to Delta in a few steps and knelt down to look at the wound on her waist:
"What happened here? Where is Marcus?"
Laura stood to the side, dust still clinging to her arm, and she explained: "It's like this."
More than ten minutes ago.
Lex Luthor climbed to his feet, his palms scorched black by the remote control, half his suit shredded by glass, and he had to steady himself against the wall every few steps.
"Damn Hank Henshaw!"
Dragging his injured body, Luthor made his way through rooms filled with Robot parts, passing through layers of automatic doors, and arrived at his underground secret laboratory.
He walked up to the console and his trembling fingers tapped the control screen several times.
He raised his head, looking at the clone body inside the incubation chamber.
"Hank Henshaw."
His voice was hoarse and angry, "I'll let you see what true power really is right now."
At that moment, the laboratory door suddenly opened.
Lex Luthor turned his head and saw Amanda Wallerwalking in with large strides, followed by a heavily armed team of subordinates.
She wore a dark gray suit with no redundant expression on her face, her gaze directly bypassing Luthor and landing on the incubation chamber.
"This thing is under our control now."
Amanda Waller announced in a flat tone.
Luthor turned around, staring at her with suppressed fury in his voice: "Amanda Waller. Cosmic Superman isn't even dead yet, and you actually dare to show up."
Amanda Waller smiled.
She walked up to the incubation chamber, raised her hand to tap the glass lightly, watched the clone body inside float slightly in the nutrient fluid, and said in a leisurely tone, "With this, the United States won't have to fear anyone anymore."
She withdrew her hand, turned around to look at Luthor, the curve of her lips carrying undisguised confidence, "Not to mention, mere Cosmic Superman."
Luthor stared at Amanda Waller, the muscles on his face twitching a few times.
He opened his mouth, but in the end only let out a cold sneer: "So what if you take it away? Without me, you can't control him at all."
Amanda Waller turned back around, looking at Luthor with her expression unchanged: "Don't forget who gave you these Krypton materials."
She raised her hand and waved to the subordinates behind her: "We have our own ways to control him."
Several heavily armed soldiers stepped forward, grabbing Luthor's arms from left and right.
Luthor struggled twice, the charred wounds on his palms aching sharply from the pull, and he gritted his teeth, his gaze locked onto Amanda Waller, yet he could do nothing.
At this moment, the laboratory wall suddenly shattered.
A figure rushed in from the flying debris, stopping steadily in mid-air.
Chapter 153: Rampage of the Ultimate Clone!
The soldiers in the laboratory immediately raised their guns, their muzzles pointing uniformly at the figure in the air.
Lex Luthor, who had been released, hurriedly ran to the console and pressed his back against it.
Amanda Waller turned around and looked up at Laura in the air.
She looked Laura up and down, her tone unhurried: "And who might this young lady be?"
Laura floated in mid-air, her gaze passing over Amanda Waller and landing directly on Lex Luthor in front of the console: "I am here to find Lex Luthor."
Lex Luthor raised his head, looking at the young yet unfamiliar face in mid-air.
He frowned, his tone carrying a hint of doubt and vigilance: "We shouldn't have any enmity between us."
Laura looked at Lex Luthor, her voice calm: "In another World, you commanded a Krypton clone army and killed my father."
Amanda Waller's gaze swept back and forth between Laura and Lex Luthor. Her brows furrowed slightly as she raised a hand toward her subordinates behind her, signaling them not to shoot yet.
Lex Luthor gave a dry laugh and spread his hands: "What is all that nonsense? I don't even know who you are."
As his voice fell, Lex Luthor immediately used his uninjured hand to fiercely slap the fingerprint recognition area on the console.
Laura flew toward him almost at that exact instant.
However, the cultivation pod beside the console opened a step earlier.
The pod lid popped open, and a large plume of white mist surged out. A clone's body slid out from the pod and slammed heavily onto the ground.
Laura instinctively halted her movement.
The clone suddenly opened its red eyes.
He reached out, grabbed Laura's ankle, his arm muscles bulging, and dragged her down from mid-air, slamming her heavily onto the ground.
The ground cracked into a spiderweb pattern from the Impact, and dust surged out from the fissures.
Laura looked in horror at the hand grasping her ankle.
The next second, her eyes suddenly lit up with red light, and two scorching heat visions shot from her pupils, slamming directly into the clone's chest.
The clone released his hand, his body blown away by Impact, rolling a few times on the ground before crashing into the console.
Lex Luthor was cowering behind the console. Seeing the clone crash over, he scrambled away to the side in a panic.
After crashing into the countertop, the clone immediately stood up, his muscles expanding by a circle in an instant.
As soon as Lex Luthor ran two steps, the clone raised his hand and slapped him hard.
With a muffled sound,
Lex Luthor was smashed into the ground as a whole, turning into a pool of blurred flesh and blood.
Then the clone raised his head and let out a deafening roar.
He turned around and rushed in front of Laura, clasping his hands together into a hammer and smashing them down towards her head.
Bang!
Laura raised her hands, barely blocking this strike.
The immense force made her arms tremble, the ground under her feet was kicked out with two deep marks, and her knees bent down little by little.
Amanda Waller did not participate in the fight.
She waved at her subordinates behind her and turned to walk quickly toward the exit.
The soldiers held their guns and followed behind, their footsteps hurried and orderly.
Suddenly, a loud rumble came from the ceiling.
Gravel and metal fragments rained down, and a figure rushed straight down from the hole.
Jonathan landed on the side of the clone, his right fist carrying all his power, slamming fiercely into the clone's torso.
Bang!
The clone was sent sliding for more than ten meters by that punch, his feet plowing two deep trenches on the ground, and finally stopping next to Amanda Waller and her subordinates.
Amanda Waller did not hesitate and directly ordered to open fire.
The soldiers behind her pulled the triggers simultaneously, and a dense rain of bullets poured onto the clone.
The bullets hitting his skin only splashed fine sparks, failing to even pierce the epidermis, instead causing his body to expand by another circle.
Chapter 154: Desperate Life or Death Moment, MarcusSaves the Day
Jonathan helped Laura up, his tone tinged with anxiety: "Laura, are you okay?"
Just as Laura was about to open her mouth to reply, the Clone let out a deafening roar and then charged straight at them.
His speed was countless times faster than before, leaving a blurred afterimage of his figure in the air.
Jonathan only had time to push Laura away forcefully before he was struck in the chest by the Clone's punch.
The force of that punch bent his whole body backward, and before he could even fly out, the Clone had already reached out, grabbed his ankle, and violently hurled him toward the ceiling.
Jonathan's body crashed through floor after floor, concrete and steel bars shattering one after another in the collision, causing the entire building to tremble.
"Brother!" Laura, who had been pushed aside, cried out hoarsely.
Then, her eyes erupted with furious lasers, spraying directly onto the Clone's chest.
The skin and muscles on the Clone's chest melted rapidly under the high temperature, and the air was filled with a burning stench.
The Clone painfully extended one hand to block in front of him, the lasers scorching his palm, flesh peeling off layer by layer to reveal the bones underneath.
Before his palm was completely melted, the Clone rushed in front of Laura.
Laura stopped her lasers, wanting to dodge away.
The Clone's other hand had already reached out, fingers spread wide, precisely clamping onto her head.
Laura punched desperately at the Clone's already-recovered chest, every strike carrying enough force to shatter a building.
Yet the Clone didn't budge an inch.
He extended that rapidly regenerating hand, pressed down on Laura's head, tightened the force from both sides together, and slowly squeezed toward the middle.
The immense pressure forced a painful scream from Laura.
High above Metropolis, Marcus and Bizarro had just flown in.
Marcus's movements abruptly halted, and he turned his ear toward the direction the sound was coming from.
Laura's screams pierced through the buildings and strata, clearly entering his ears.
He turned his head and spoke at an extremely fast pace: "Bizarro, go help Superman and the others."
Before his words had even finished falling, his figure had vanished from the spot, flying at full speed toward the source of the sound.
During the flight, Marcus skimmed across the airspace between a cluster of tall buildings.
Ahead, Kara was hovering mid-air, surrounded in the middle by a dozen Robots.
She had just smashed two of them, only for more Robots to fill the gaps, leaving her surrounded by a circle of machines on all sides.
Marcus did not slow down.
He kept his hands together and extended forward, his figure not stopping; those Robots had no time to react, shattering at the very same instant as sparks and parts exploded in all directions.
Kara raised her head, and just as she clearly saw that flashing figure, Marcus had already flown far away.
Inside the laboratory, the Clone pressed his hands onto Laura's head, tightening the force from both sides bit by bit.
Laura's screams had already turned hoarse.
Marcus's figure appeared at the Clone's side, his right fist engulfing all his power, slamming fiercely into the Clone's jaw.
With a muffled bang, the Clone's head snapped sharply backward, his entire body leaving the ground, crashing through ceiling after ceiling before finally vanishing at the end of their field of vision.
Marcus didn't bother with the Clone who had been sent flying.
He turned around, reached out to catch Laura's falling body, and steadily supported her.
"Are you okay?"
Laura leaned against Marcus's arm, taking several heavy breaths before recovering.
She raised her head, her voice still a bit hoarse: "I am fine."
Her gaze crossed over Marcus's shoulder, looking toward the large hole smashed through the ceiling, her expression changing drastically: "Jonathan is up there!"
Marcus followed her line of sight, looked up at the large hole that had penetrated more than a dozen floor slabs, and spoke in a calm tone: "You stay here for now, I will go up and take a look."
Laura opened her mouth as if to say something, but Marcus had already released his hand supporting her, turned around, and flew toward that breach.
Watching Marcus's retreating figure vanish into the breach, Laura did not stay in place.
She clenched her teeth, pushed off with both legs, and surged upward right after him.
Chapter 155 Fierce Battle Against the Eliminator, DeltaSuffers Heavy Injuries
Marcus flew upward through layer after layer of floor slabs, his gaze pausing briefly as it swept past the first floor.
Jonathan lay in a pile of shattered concrete, half of his body buried under rubble, his chest rising and falling slightly.
Realizing that Jonathan's life was not in danger, Marcus did not slow down and continued flying toward the sky.
The Eliminator, who had been knocked high into the air, had already stabilized his body.
Looking down and seeing the figure rushing toward him, a fierce light surged in his red eyes as he violently kicked off against the Void Realm, slamming toward Marcus like a cannonball.
Bang!
The two figures collided high in the air.
Impact exploded outward from the center of the collision point, and the glass curtain walls of several nearby buildings shattered simultaneously, debris pouring down onto the street like hail.
Pedestrians downstairs screamed and fled in all directions.
Marcus and the Eliminator rapidly exchanged blows in mid-air.
Fists clashed, knees met, and elbows struck horizontally.
Every collision exploded with a circular wave of air.
During the exchange, Marcus discovered that the Eliminator was gradually adapting to his fighting style.
When his fists smashed into the Eliminator, the hardness of the opponent's muscles increased bit by bit, and his reaction speed also grew faster bit by bit.
Marcus accelerated the rhythm of his punches, and the Eliminator matched his speed, this monster continuously improving himself bit by bit in the midst of battle.
Thus Marcus decided not to rely solely on hand-to-hand combat anymore.
He pulled back his fist, the purple energy within his body surging toward his palm, and blasted an energy projectile at point-blank range into the Eliminator's chest.
Boom!
The next instant, the Eliminator was sent flying backward, the skin on his chest cracking extensively under the energy Impact, with flesh spilling out from the fissures.
The speed at which that wound healed was much slower than punch injuries.
Marcus saw this in his eyes; energy attacks were more effective against this Clone.
Right at this moment, several familiar voices came from the direction the Eliminator was blasted toward.
"Boss!"
Marcus looked over.
Delta, Milong, and Kumoko were flying over from a distance.
Delta was running at the very front, a smile on her face.
The next second, Marcus's expression changed abruptly.
He flew directly toward Delta and the others, his speed even faster than during the previous battle.
However, the Eliminator also heard those voices while being knocked backward.
Leveraging the force of being blasted away, he violently kicked his legs in mid-air, accelerated his whole body, changed direction, and charged toward Delta and the others in the rear.
Delta also saw that figure rushing toward her.
She did not slow down; instead, she rushed forward to meet it head-on, her fists clenched tight.
It was just a single encounter.
The Eliminator punched straight through Delta's abdomen with a single blow.
His fist protruded from her back, carrying a burst of blood mist.
Delta's eyes widened for a split second.
The Eliminator did not stop, and his other hand also pierced through her belly.
Then he crossed his arms and tore outward.
Delta's body was torn apart at the waist and abdomen.
Flesh, blood, and bones fractured and shattered under the immense force, tearing her upper and lower body apart, connected only by a tiny bit of skin and flesh at her waist sides, her entire body dangling precariously in mid-air.
Facing the Eliminator, who could fight Marcus head-on, Delta's body was as fragile as a sheet of paper.
Marcus's eyes suddenly turned red.
The Aether Particle and purple energy within his body surged into his arms simultaneously, his speed skyrocketing in an instant, turning his entire figure into a lingering afterimage.
Before the Eliminator could make his next move, Marcus's palm had already clamped onto his head, pushing him to fly at full speed toward the direction of the Universe.
He only left behind one sentence: "Milong, save Delta!"
Chapter 156: Delta Escapes Death, The Universe's Ultimate Showdown Suddenly Escalates
Milong flew over immediately, catching Delta's crumbling body with both hands.
Cyan light surged from her palms, covering Delta's wounds.
But Delta's injuries were far too severe.
The wound ran across her entire abdomen, and more than half of her internal organs had been torn to pieces by that blow.
Milong's cyan light filled the wound, but the healing speed was pitifully slow.
She gritted her teeth and increased her output, fine beads of sweat oozing from her forehead as cyan Dragon scales spread from her neck to her cheeks.
"Delta has lost too many organs." A hint of panic crept into Milong's voice. "My ability cannot recreate entirely new organs."
She hurriedly said to Kumoko hovering above her head: "I have to maintain her life right now. Kumoko, could you please go find Delta's missing organs?"
Kumoko didn't say much, leaping down from Milong's head and transforming into a pale golden speck of light as she plummeted downward.
It passed through the shattered floorboards and rummaged through the ruins, retrieving most of them, while Milong maintained the treatment and shoved the organs back into Delta's abdominal cavity.
Time returned to the present.
Milong half-crouched on the ground, the cyan light in her palms having stabilized.
She let out a long breath, her voice filled with exhaustion: "We found Delta's last organ here, and now she is out of danger."
Kara crouched beside Delta, looking at her pale yet open eyes, and let out a sigh of relief: "It's good that she's fine."
She stood up, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, and her body slowly floated up.
"Bizarro, Laura, protect Clark and Delta." Kara hovered mid-air with her red cape fluttering behind her, "I'm going to help Marcus."
The words fell, and without waiting for anyone to respond, her figure turned, transforming into a red-and-blue streak of light that vanished into the sky.
Laura withdrew her gaze, turned to glance at everyone, and then said with a firm tone: "Marcus saved me. I'm going to help him too."
With that, her body left the ground.
Kumoko immediately jumped down from Milong's head, scurried up Laura's shoulders in a few steps, and finally settled steadily on top of her head: "I'm going to help Master too!"
The cyan light on Milong's hands never stopped. She raised her head to look at the two of them, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion yet earnest instruction: "Be careful."
"Understood!" Kumoko raised her front legs and waved them.
Laura nodded at Milong, then shifted her figure and, with Kumoko on her head, turned into a streak of light flying toward the direction of the Universe.
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After entering the Universe, Marcus let go of his hand.
The Annihilator tumbled out. Just as he stabilized his body, the skin exposed to the Universe radiation began to freeze, and a thin layer of white frost spread from the tips of his limbs toward his torso.
Marcus did not give him any time to catch his breath.
He raised both hands, and the purple energy within his body surged toward his palms, a thick torrent of energy blasting squarely against the Annihilator's chest.
Under the energy impact, the Annihilator's skin and muscles rapidly melted, flesh peeling away layer by layer to reveal the white bones beneath.
At this critical juncture of life and death, the Annihilator's eyes and mouth opened simultaneously, spewing three crimson lasers.
The three beams converged into a thick red torrent, directly holding off Marcus's energy attack.
The two forces collided silently in the vacuum, bursting into a blinding halo of light.
Immediately afterward, two more arms grew from the Annihilator's back.
A mouth split open on the palm of each of those two hands, spewing two crimson lasers from the upper side to blast onto Marcus.
Marcus was blown tens of thousands of meters away by this strike, tumbling several times in the Universe before stabilizing his figure.
Chapter 157: So what if you have adaptive evolution? I will use the red Sun to counter you to death!
Marcus was blasted tens of thousands of meters away, tumbling several times in the Universe before stabilizing his figure.
He raised his head and saw the Annihilator flying toward the direction of the Sun.
Without hesitation, Marcus immediately gave chase at full speed.
The Annihilator flew to the surface of the Sun, spreading all four arms at once.
The golden flames were absorbed by his body, the cracks beneath his skin healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his shattered flesh regrew, restoring him to his original condition in just a few breaths.
As soon as he finished recovering, Marcus had already chased up from behind.
He pressed both hands against the Annihilator's back, fiercely pushing him toward the inside of the Sun.
The Annihilator was stunned for a moment, his entire body being pressed into the surging sea of fire.
"Since you like absorbing the Sun so much, I'll let you absorb to your heart's content."
As Marcus's voice fell, the Aether Particle inside his chest surged out.
The dark red liquid energy spread out like a tide, drilling into the surging golden flames of the Sun.
The yellow sunlight that originally nourished the power of the Kryptonian completely changed in nature under the forcible rewriting of the Aether Particle.
The light of the entire Sun trembled violently, rapidly shifting from a dazzling golden yellow to a dim, bloody red.
Instantly, the Annihilator was unable to absorb the energy of the Sun.
At the same time, his strength, speed, and recovery ability were all declining; the newly healed cracks on his skin split open again, exposing the dark red flesh to the high temperature on the surface of the Sun.
He let out a painful roar, his four arms frantically beating the surrounding flames in an attempt to break free.
The red Sun's flares suddenly surged upward, and the dark red tongues of fire swallowed both of them.
The high temperature scorched Marcus's skin, his battle suit began to melt in the flames, and his Bio-field was stripped away layer by layer.
The Annihilator's condition was even worse; his body shrank drastically under the radiation of the red Sun, his muscles withering away piece by piece.
The Annihilator had no mind to engage in battle within the red Sun.
With his four hands, he backhanded Marcus off his back, turned around, and flew toward the outer perimeter of the Sun.
Marcus did not let him go.
His figure flashed as he rushed in front of the Annihilator, slamming a punch into his chest to beat him back.
Rolling in the surging sea of fire, the Annihilator spoke for the first time, his voice intermittent as he said: "Stop... stop... if this... continues... we will both suffer... heavy losses..."
Marcus rushed in front of the Annihilator, slamming his fists fiercely toward him while roaring angrily: "You hurt my family! And you still want to stop!"
The Annihilator raised two hands to block Marcus's attack, while his other two hands simultaneously counterattacked from the side, knocking Marcus flying.
His voice was intermittent: "I am... the Kryptonian's... bane."
Marcus did a backflip in the air, his legs kicking fiercely against the Void Realm, and his entire body rushed back again.
He kicked his legs toward the Annihilator.
The Annihilator raised two hands to block it, and his remaining two hands once again batted Marcus away.
His voice drifted out from the sea of fire: "Even if it's a red Sun, given time, I can adapt."
"You cannot kill me!"
"I don't believe it! Before you adapt, I will eliminate you!"
Marcus steadied his body, his right hand reaching toward the space bracelet wrapped by the Aether Particle.
The dark red protective layer had become thin under the scorching of the red Sun, but the bracelet itself remained intact.
From within, he took out the Power Stone sealed inside the Cosmic Orb, the purple infinity stone still emitting a deep glow amidst the vacuum and flames.
He opened his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.
The moment the Power Stone entered his body, a dazzling purple light erupted all over Marcus's body.
That light surged out from beneath every inch of skin in his body, forcing back the surrounding solar flames by quite a bit.
Purple energy patterns spread along his blood vessels, crawling all over his body.
Chapter 158: Life-and-Death Struggle in the Core of the Sun!
Marcus lunged at Annihilator, his hands gripping the other's shoulders in a death grip as he pushed him at full speed toward the center of the Sun.
The two plunged through layer after layer of fire and plasma. The surrounding light shifted from dark red to blazing white, then transformed into a brilliance that surpassed visual limits. The temperature at the center of the Sun reached tens of millions of degrees Celsius, enough to melt any known matter.
Annihilator's skin carbonized and shattered in the intense heat, his muscles evaporated in the high temperature, and his bones emitted a silent groan under the extreme pressure.
Annihilator opened his mouth to its limit, letting out a silent shriek. Fear and pain distorted that shattered face as his four arms clawed frantically at Marcus's arms, desperate to break free from this fatal restraint.
Marcus's physical body was collapsing as well. His Bio-field had long been completely destroyed by the extreme heat of the Sun's core; his skin and muscles dissolved rapidly under the radiation, leaving his face unrecognizable.
Grit teeth clenched, he suppressed the excruciating physical pain with his inner rage. He swung his fists, pummeling Annihilator's mangled face one blow after another. Sound could not travel in the Sun's core, but he was determined to use the most primitive method to make the enemy feel his will—
"I will never let you off."
And so, Marcus and Annihilator continued this fight that no one could see deep within the Sun's core. Radiation and high temperature had destroyed both of their bodies beyond recognition, yet they still tore into and slammed against each other using their remaining limbs.
The attacks from Annihilator's four arms grew weaker and weaker, and Marcus's bone-exposing fists slowed with every strike. But neither of them stopped.
Before long, Annihilator's regenerative ability was finally crushed under the dual suppression of the Power Stoneand the Red Sun. Section by section, his four limbs carbonized and fell away, his body collapsing in the extreme pressure of the Sun's core. The terror frozen on his face lasted for only a final instant before turning into a cloud of drifting ash, completely dissipating.
Marcus's last punch hit empty air. The skin, fascia, and blood vessels over his entire body had completely dissolved, leaving only a charred skeleton. Fortunately, his heart and brain were wrapped in the last remaining energy of the Aether Particle and Power Stone, preserving a final spark of life. Yet his arms continued to swing forward unconsciously, punch after punch.
Suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around him from behind. Kara had rushed in through the flames at the outer edge of the Sun. Her body was enveloped in a Bio-field, but her skin was still scorched bright red by the intense heat. She pulled the still-punching, charred figure tightly into her embrace, turned around, and flew out of the Sun at full speed.
Carrying Marcus, she flew out of the Sun, beyond the blood-red light rewritten by the Aether Particle, and didn't stop until they reached the deep space of the Universe far from the Sun. She looked down at the charred skeleton in her arms, tears streaming from her eyes.
Just then, driven by the primitive survival instinct of life, the Aether Particle inside the Sun wrapped around the Power Stone and shot out from the flames, traversing cosmic space to return to Marcus's charred skeleton.
Then, driven by that same survival instinct, the dark red Aether Particle absorbed the last remaining energy from the Power Stone, using it to repair his battered body bit by bit.
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In the endless darkness, Marcus opened his eyes. All around was pure void—no ground beneath his feet, no sky above his head. He could see nothing and hear nothing.
He looked down at his hands. They were completely intact, the skin smooth, as if they had never been injured. He clenched his fists, feeling no pain at all.
"Where is this?" His voice echoed in the darkness, unanswered.
"Am I dead?" he asked again.
Chapter 159: The Sun Death Battle Concludes, Family All Around
Marcus took a step forward, walking aimlessly ahead.
There were no reference points in the darkness, and he did not know whether he was moving forward or walking in place.
Nor did he know how long he had walked; ahead remained only a vast void.
Right at this moment, a faint light suddenly appeared ahead.
At the same time, several voices came from the direction of the light.
"Boss, don't die, don't leave me..."
That was Delta's voice.
Hoarse and laced with a crying tone, it sounded as though she had been crying for a long time.
"Master, wake up quickly!"
Kumoko's voice rang out right after, urgent and fast.
"Master, you will definitely be fine."
Milong's voice was a bit steadier, yet it was also trembling slightly.
"Marcus, you just agreed to my proposal, you absolutely cannot die!"
Kara.
Her voice was trembling slightly, yet every single word was spoken with utmost clarity.
"Marcus, wake up quickly, I am still waiting for the wedding between you and Kara."
Clark's voice carried a hint of a forced smile.
"Cosmic Superman, wake up quickly, my brother and I haven't thanked you for saving our lives yet."
Finally was Laura's voice.
Marcus did not hesitate, directly taking steps and running toward that light.
He did not know how long he had run in the darkness, until the faint light expanded from a thin line into a glaring white light, swallowing his entire being.
Reality.
The Aether Particle had stopped healing at some unknown time.
Aside from his skin not yet being fully recovered, all of Marcus's other organs had finished repairing.
He was tightly held in Kara's embrace, blood staining Kara's battle suit red.
However, Kara did not mind, instead hugging him even tighter, as if afraid he would leave the next second.
At this moment, Marcus slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Milong squatting in front, hands glowing with a cyan light, currently repairing his remaining skin.
Delta knelt beside him, her face pale, tears washing two tracks through the dust on her face.
Kumoko lay on top of Delta's head, her multiple eyes staring at him without blinking.
Clark and Laura stood on the other side, their expressions full of worry.
In the distance, Bizarro, Lane, and Jonathan were cleaning up the ruins in the city, rescuing people who hadn't evacuated yet from the broken walls and ruins.
"Delta, stop crying."
Marcus raised his hand, his fingertips gently wiping away the tear stains on Delta's face.
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Shortly after, Kumoko and Delta simultaneously threw themselves onto him, shouting "Boss" and "Master".
Kara hugged him even tighter as well, her arms locking around his waist, refusing to let go no matter what.
The hearts hanging in everyone's chests finally dropped, and one by one they smiled.
Marcus looked at Delta lying on top of his body crying breathlessly, covered all over in blood.
His face twitched.
However, listening to the cries of Delta and Kumoko, Marcus ultimately only sighed, then gently patted Delta's back: "Stop crying, you guys, I'm fine now."
One day later, at the celebration banquet on Kent Farm, Martha cooked a large table of dishes, Bizarro and Kryptowere fighting for bones under the table, and Kumoko and Delta had eaten too many desserts, ending up lying on the sofa groaning continuously.
After finishing eating, Marcus walked out of the house, standing in the courtyard as he sorted out his condition and items.
After his physical strength recovered a bit yesterday, his body was completely repaired using the Aether Particle.
The Power Stone also exhausted its energy during the process of maintaining the Red Sun's rewriting, and needed to return to the Marvel Universe to recharge before it could be used again.
As for all the items inside the space bracelet, they were completely destroyed the moment he entered the Sun's core.
It can be said that after this battle, apart from the Power Stone and the Aether Particle, all of his items were gone.
However, the only benefit of this battle was that his strength had improved.
Chapter 160: Aether Creation, Bidding Farewell to Jon
Marcus opened his attribute panel.
Super Strength: Level 6 (9%)
Super Durability: Level 6 (14%)
Super Mind: Level 6 (20%)
Super Speed: Level 6 (7%)
Super Energy: Level 6 (3%)
Bio-field: Level 6 (16%)
Spider-Sense: Level 6 (60%)
Dimensional Travel: Level 4 (0%)
With his current strength, the Battle Beast and Regent Trigon probably wouldn't be his opponents anymore.
At this moment, everyone walked out of the house. Loislooked at Jon and Laura, her tone filled with reluctance: "Are you going back so soon?"
"We should also go back to save our World." Jon said.
Martha stood at the doorway, wiping her hands on her apron, her voice full of heartache: "My poor children. Can't you wait until Clark's body recovers and let him help you?"
Kara also stepped forward: "Exactly. Once Clark is better, we can all go help you."
Jon shook his head and smiled with a bit of helplessness: "Actually, my teleporter doesn't have the function to transport other people."
Jonathan and Laura also nodded: "Ours is the same. And a day has already passed; we don't know how our World is doing right now. So we must go back."
Martha opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back. Then she turned around and walked quickly into the house, coming out with a few wrapped sandwiches in her hand, which she shoved into the hands of Jon, Jonathan, and Laura.
"Eat them on the way." She patted Jon's shoulder, looked at Jonathan and Laura, her voice a bit hoarse, "All of you must take good care of yourselves."
"Wait."
Marcus walked from the yard to the doorway. He raised his right hand, and Aether Particles surged from his palm, condensing into a silver-gray bracelet in the air. With a gentle push of his finger, the bracelet drifted in front of Jon.
"What's inside this bracelet is a nano-suit, which can help you defend against Kryptonite radiation and enhance your strength."
Jon reached out and caught the bracelet, the metal shell slightly cool in his palm. He looked up at Marcus and nodded seriously: "Thank you, Uncle Marcus."
Then Marcus raised his left hand again, and Aether Particles surged once more, condensing into two long swords in his palm. The bodies of the swords glowed with a dark red light, and dense heatwaves flowed along the blades. He handed the two swords to Jonathan and Laurarespectively.
"These two swords are filled with the power of the Red Sun. When you use them to slash a Kryptonian clone, they will take effect."
Jonathan and Laura reached out and took the long swords. The hilts felt slightly heavy in their hands, and the dark red glow on the blades reflected on both of their faces. Lauragripped the hilt tightly, feeling the warmth coming from her palm, looked up at Marcus, her voice solemn: "Thank you."
Jonathan tucked the sword behind his back, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly: "With these, we'll have much more certainty when we go back."
At this time, Clark walked in front of Jon, and the father and son looked at each other for a moment. Clark reached out, pressed his hand on Jon's shoulder, and patted it: "Be careful."
"You too, Dad." After saying that, Jon retreated to the side of Jonathan and Laura.
The three of them stood side by side, simultaneously activating the spacetime teleportation devices on their wrists. Jon looked up at the crowd, and Jonathan and Lauralooked over as well.
"Goodbye."
Three voices overlapped. Yellow lightning burst from their wrists, and the dazzling light swallowed the three figures.
Martha subconsciously raised her hand to shield her eyes, Kara took a step closer to Marcus, and Milong and Delta, with Kumoko on her head, also moved closer upon seeing this.
When the light dissipated, the center of the yard was empty, leaving only the grass blades blown by the wind and the shallow footprints just stepped out.