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"You're right." Gravik puffed out his chest, his chin tilting up slightly.
"I am Gravik. This name shall become everyone's nightmare. Indeed, disguises are no longer needed."
He released his grip, setting the researcher back on the ground.
"Pagon." Gravik flexed his wrists, eager to test his current power.
"General, I am here." Pagon walked quickly into the lab from outside the door.
"I need a test." Gravik strode toward the exit.
On the outdoor testing grounds, Gravik stood with his eyes closed, feeling the changes within his body.
It was strange; although he could sense a surge of power, there was an indescribable feeling of emptiness.
Pagon walked to his side and respectfully suggested, "General, conventional targets cannot test your limits. Why not have those five warriors who fused with Homelander's genes engage you in actual combat?"
Gravik's eyes lit up.
Right, what better way to prove his strength than by defeating five mini-Homelanders?
"Good idea." Gravik pointed at the five Super Skrull warriors not far away. "All five of you, come at me at once! Don't hold back! Use all your strength to attack me!"
Upon receiving the order, the five warriors quickly walked to the center of the field and surrounded Gravik.
They glanced at each other, simultaneously receiving instructions sent by Skynet.
"Execute Performance Protocol: Code Name 'Proud General'."
"Action Objective: Be grand and imposing; make Gravik firmly believe he has obtained invincible power."
"Commencing execution."
"Kill!"
One of the warriors let out a roar, his legs kicking off the ground as his body shot toward Gravik like a cannonball, creating a deafening sonic boom.
The display was terrifying, and even Pagon, standing in the distance, couldn't help but let out a loud "gasp of amazement."
Gravik gave a cold snort, neither dodging nor evading, and met the attack with a straight right punch.
"BANG!!!"
Gravik felt only a slight vibration in his arm, a mere hint of impact. In contrast, the warrior who had initiated the attack felt as if he had slammed into a mountain of steel.
The warrior let out a scream, his body flying backward over a hundred meters like a broken kite, smashing through several alloy testing walls.
"This..."
Gravik looked at his arm; he hadn't even used much force, and the opponent had fallen? Then, a look of wild joy erupted in his eyes.
"All together!" The remaining four warriors roared, taking to the air at the same time.
Two warriors' eyes glowed red in mid-air, and crossing beams of crimson Heat Vision blasted toward Gravik's chest.
"Sizzle—!"
The high-temperature rays hit Gravik's green skin, sparking a blinding burst of fire.
Gravik instinctively tensed his muscles, bracing for the pain.
However, when the rays stopped...
He looked down and found his chest completely unchanged; not even the surface of his skin was broken.
"Hahahaha! Is this all you've got? I haven't even tried yet."
Gravik gave an arrogant laugh. He concentrated, and two beams of blazing red light shot out from his own eyes! They struck the two warriors in mid-air directly in their chests.
The two screamed as their bodies were charred black, falling straight to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.
Seeing this, the remaining two warriors immediately changed tactics, flanking Gravik from the left and right and using Super Speed to launch a pincer attack.
Gravik also entered a state of rapid speed.
With both fists clenched, he sDanielng left and right, striking the two warriors in their faces before they could even react.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two dull thuds rang out.
The two warriors were like people hit head-on by meteors; their heads snapped back, and their bodies tumbled dozens of times in the air before finally crashing to the ground, plowing deep furrows.
The entire battle lasted less than three minutes.
Five Super Warriors with Homelander's power were completely defeated before Gravik, appearing utterly fragile.
Gravik looked at the warriors wailing on the ground around him, feeling deeply shocked.
He was finally convinced that he had perfectly fused 100% of Homelander's power.
And this wasn't even his full potential!
He hadn't even used the powers of the superheroes he had fused with previously; if he stacked those on top...
Gravik believed he could absolutely crush the original Homelander!
"Hahaha... Hahahahaha!"
Gravik laughed toward the sky, his gaze seemingly piercing through the infinite starry expanse.
"What a pity... a pity you're already dead, Homelander."
"Otherwise, I would have personally snapped your neck. I'd make you feel the despair of being crushed under an absolute difference in power!"
Pagon ran over from a distance, his face wearing just the right amount of awe and fanaticism.
"General! Your power... is simply a miracle!!"
"That goes without saying, Pagon." Gravik looked up. At this moment, the sky was no longer a cage, but his path of conquest.
"Since I have mastered Homelander's power, we no longer need to hide like rats."
"We must move as quickly as possible to let everything settle. Before that woman notices..." Gravik said coldly.
Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel.
Although Gravik's confidence was currently exploding and he firmly believed he could win even against Captain Marvel now that he had fused with Homelander's power...
Carol's strength was, after all, universally recognized. Her lack of any previous defeat was always an uncertain factor.
If he could completely take control of this Planet and use billions of humans as hostages before Carol returned to Earth, that would undoubtedly be the most secure insurance.
"Notify all infiltration personnel to begin the Decapitation Strike. First, plunge the human World into chaos..."
...
The following week.
The World faced an unprecedented political crisis.
Focuses across the globe were completely occupied by the news media's overwhelming, bolded headlines.
"British Defense Secretary Suffers Sudden Heart Failure and Dies at 10 Downing Street!"
"French President Falls to His Death at the Élysée Palace; Police Intervene in Investigation!"
"Japanese Prime Minister Shot During Speech; Suspect is Personal Bodyguard!"
"German Chancellor's Private Car Explodes; No Survivors Confirmed!"
...
In just seven days.
The leadership of various countries around the World suffered one after another from indiscriminate assassinations or abnormal deaths.
The God of Death seemed to be blindfolded, swinging his scythe at will within the power centers of Earth.
What made national intelligence agencies feel a chill down their spines was that, as investigations deepened...
They discovered the people carrying out the assassinations were actually the most trusted bodyguards and assistants of these politicians, individuals who had passed the strictest vetting.
This discovery completely triggered a crisis of trust in global politics.
Panic spread rapidly through the power centers of every nation.
Presidents didn't dare trust their own security details, ministers didn't dare drink the coffee handed over by secretaries, and generals didn't even dare let their aides within three meters of them.
You never knew if the person who smiled at you every day and took bullets for you would pull out a dagger and stab you in the heart the next second.