The small assault ship silently glided into the edge of the K-77 Star Sector.
The closer he got to the abandoned mining planet, codenamed Sui Xie (Debris), the more Mark's heart sank.
Beyond the viewport, the background color of the universe seemed to have become polluted. It wasn't nebulae or dust, but a pervasive, nauseating purplish-black hue, as if invisible pus had infected this space.
And when Sui Xie (Debris) finally appeared in his vision, even Mark felt a strong physical discomfort.
The planet was almost unrecognizable from its original form.
Giant, pulsating biological tendrils completely covered the surface, spreading all the way to low-Earth orbit, forming countless twisted, tentacle-like or blood-vessel-like massive structures that slowly swayed.
The planet's surface showed no rock or metal, only a constantly squirming, proliferating living hell.
The air was filled with a strong, nauseating stench of decay mixed with sweetness, faintly detectable even through sensors.
This place had been completely swallowed and transformed by the Great Old Ones, becoming a massive nest and trap.
Mark didn't hesitate, piloting his ship through the uncomfortable energy field and forcibly landing on a relatively flat patch of tendrils.
It felt like landing on the rotten internal organs of some giant creature; the ship's landing gear even sank slightly.
The hatch opened, and Mark stepped out.
A slippery, sticky sensation came from beneath his feet.
His molten gold pupils instantly adapted to the dim light, and then he saw it.
From all directions, all over the mountains and plains, the sky and the ground… countless pairs of eyes, at the same moment, simultaneously focused on him.
They were all Trigg.
Thousands of Triggs, dressed in identical dark clothing, with that perfectly uniform, eerie smile on their faces, a mix of arrogance, cruelty, and madness.
They stood or floated silently, like marionettes awaiting orders. Their absolute synchronization and silence were more chilling than any frantic roar.
Being stared at by so many familiar yet utterly distorted faces at once, a deep-seated sense of eeriness gripped the heart.
"What touching punctuality, Mark."
In front, one Trigg—perhaps the original, perhaps just one of them—stepped forward, clapping. His voice, amplified by some device or directly transmitted telepathically, clearly echoed through the dead silent space.
"Coming alone, full of heroic spirit, but unfortunately, utterly foolish."
Mark was expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the survivors tied to a giant biological pillar in the distance.
When they saw Mark, their eyes erupted with hope, only to be immediately drowned by deeper fear, as they struggled desperately, making muffled sounds.
"Save your breath, Trigg."
Mark's voice was cold, like an arctic wind, cutting directly through the other's mockery.
"Or, should I call you… Great Old Ones' mouthpiece? Your pathetic appearance makes you seem cheap even as a lapdog."
Trigg's smile stiffened for a moment, then became even more twisted and fanatical.
"Lapdog? No, Mark! You are too narrow-minded!"
"I am the chosen one, a pioneer who has embraced true evolution and eternity! Look at this power!"
He raised his intact arm and lightly clenched his fist; the surrounding space seemed to twist with it.
"And look at them!"
He pointed to the countless duplicates behind him.
"Infinite possibilities, an immortal legion! This is the future, not your ridiculous Alliance, which is destined to be swept into the dustbin of history!"
His voice was filled with a morbid reverence for the Great Old Ones.
"The Great Old Ones are not destruction; they are the universe's scavengers, great innovators! They will sweep away all decay and weakness, and from pure annihilation, a new, more perfect order will be born!"
"Join us, Mark! A person like you shouldn't perish with those ants; the gods appreciate your power!"
"They promise that when the new universe is born, you can keep everything you cherish… Earth, your friends. How about it, this condition…"
The will of the Great Old Ones seemed to whisper directly to Mark through Trigg's mouth; the voice was filled with an indescribable temptation and corrupting power, directly stirring the deepest desires and weaknesses within him.
Keep everything he cherished…
For a moment, the azure blue of Earth, the tired but determined faces of Allen and Cecil, the figure of his mother Debbie, even Ruijia's worried gaze…
Indeed, they flashed through Mark's mind like a kaleidoscope.
The temptation was real.
Avoid loss, avoid that destined cruel future…
But it was only for a moment.
Mark bit his tongue sharply; the intense pain and his steel-like will instantly crushed that flicker of wavering!
Preservation bought with betrayal, with the annihilation of countless civilizations?
How was that any different from complete destruction?!
"Heh…"
Mark let out a cold, extremely disdainful laugh, interrupting Trigg's, or rather the Great Old Ones', whisper.
"A perfect order, is that becoming a monster like you, neither human nor ghost, or this squirming rotten flesh beneath my feet?"
His voice suddenly rose, echoing like a declaration.
"My home, everything I cherish, I will protect with my own hands!"
"Not by wagging my tail and begging for pathetic scraps from you scum who feed on destruction!"
"As for you, Trigg…"
Mark's molten gold pupils burned with monstrous battle intent and killing intent.
"I will personally smash you, and your cheap replicas, along with your master behind you, piece by piece… utterly destroy them!"
The gloves were off!
There was no turning back!
"Stubborn fool!!!"
Trigg let out an angry shriek; it was no longer a human voice, but more like the overlapping screeches of countless voices, the wails of the Great Old Ones' minions!
"Then become nutrients! Kill him!"
At the command, the countless motionless Trigg duplicates, as if instantly infused with souls, their eerie smiles suddenly turned ferocious!
They surged towards Mark like a tide, from all directions, from the sky and the ground, in a frenzy!
The battle erupted instantly!
Mark roared, holding nothing back. The fierce Viltrumite bloodline and cosmic-level power within him completely boiled over!
"Boom!!!"
He stomped hard on the spot!
With a pure burst of power, large sections of the tendrils and rock beneath his feet instantly shattered and collapsed, forming a huge crater, sending dozens of the foremost duplicates sprawling!
He was like a bolt of lightning, charging proactively into the enemy crowd.
Every punch, every kick, brought forth a terrifying storm of power, without any technique, only the most extreme outpouring of strength and speed!
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The duplicates exploded and shattered as if hit by a battleship's main cannon, flesh and blood flying, dark red blood and broken limbs scattering everywhere!
Their power levels were indeed inconsistent; the weaker ones might only be at the level of ordinary soldiers, but the stronger ones were almost 70-80% as strong as Trigg's original body during the Alliance era!
And the numbers… too many!
Mark was instantly engulfed in an endless wave of attacks; countless energy beams, acid, and physical claw strikes rained down on him.
Although his biological force field and incredibly tough skin blocked most of the attacks, the constant impact and attrition were very real!
Occasionally, a particularly powerful attack or a tricky angle would leave shallow wounds on him, and blood began to seep out.
This scene instantly reminded him of the endless, self-replicating battles in Taviel's pocket universe!
Again, he was alone, facing an endless enemy!
"Roar!"
Mark was truly enraged; abilities he hadn't used in a long time instantly erupted!
He suddenly looked up, and scorching golden-red light burst from his eyes!
Two intensely hot beams of light swept across the sky like a divine whip; wherever they passed, whether duplicates or those disgusting biological structures, they were instantly cut, melted, and vaporized, clearing a large empty area!
Immediately after, he took a deep breath, his chest swelled, and then he forcefully exhaled forward!
A white breath of extreme cold swept forward like an absolute zero storm; large groups of charging duplicates were instantly frozen into ice sculptures, maintaining their forward posture, and then shattered by the companions surging from behind!
Using heat vision and ice breath alternately, combined with his incredibly brutal physical attacks, Mark was like a tireless war machine, frantically harvesting the lives of those Triggs.
His fighting style was wild and efficient, every strike aimed for maximum destruction.
The tendrils were torn, the earth groaned, and the sky was filled with energy explosions and fragments of flesh!
Mark, alone, carved a bloody path through the endless tide of enemies, constantly moving towards the trapped personnel!
He didn't know how long he had been killing, hundreds? Thousands?
The number of duplicates seemed not to have diminished at all; his breathing began to grow heavy, and his muscles felt a long-unfamiliar soreness. The sustained high-intensity output and defense, even for his physique, began to take a toll.
But he couldn't stop!
His gaze was fixed on the trapped warriors!
Finally, he charged to the base of that biological pillar! His fists hammered like pile drivers, instantly pulverizing the tentacles binding the warriors and several guarding duplicates into dust!
"Go! Get on my ship! Leave here immediately!"
Mark roared at the stunned warriors, simultaneously swinging a punch that turned a dozen duplicates attacking from the side into a rain of blood.
"But… Lord Mark, you…"
"That's an order!"
Mark's voice was unquestionable. He even directly used heat vision to clear enemies near the ship's landing area, forcibly opened the ship's hatch, and gently pushed all these warriors inside.
"Engage autopilot, return to Lishi Star! Hurry!"
The ship's engines roared, struggling to lift off, smashing through several flying duplicates attempting to block it, and then wobbled out of the atmosphere, disappearing into the dim sky.
With the hostages rescued, Mark's last shred of concern vanished.
He slowly turned around, looking at the endless ocean of Triggs before him, and at the distant Trigg, perhaps the original, who seemed to have been watching the show.
He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth; in his molten gold pupils, the last trace of human rational restraint completely disappeared, replaced by the most primal, purest ferocity and brutality from the depths of his Viltrumite bloodline!
"Now…"
Mark's voice was hoarse and filled with murderous intent, like an Asura returned from hell.
"It's time to clear the field."
He no longer considered physical exhaustion, no longer considered combat techniques.
He completely let go, transforming himself into the purest, ultimate weapon born for destruction, actively crashing into the endless tide of enemies!
------------------------------
"Behind the scenes, there's a world of exclusive content waiting for you on Patreon. Get early access, to see the latest chapters!!! That's where it all happens 🚀.
👉 Check it out: [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]"