Chapter 11: Ultimate compound v, Unlocking Dimensional Travel
Time flew by, and a full year passed quietly.
New York, this super-metropolis, was no longer what it used to be.
Homelander, who was once infinitely glorious, had become a thing of the past; Vought had lost its number one combat power and was much more restrained in its actions, yet it still entrenched itself in the core area of Manhattan, secretly operating various research projects.
Meanwhile, the name of Cosmic Superman had spread throughout the city and even the entire United States, but apart from Vought's top management, no one knew that this powerhouse who crushed everything lived a low-key life in a quiet residence on the outskirts of New York.
Over the past year, Marcus had been lying low, living a leisurely and carefree life.
One day, having nothing to do, he finished watching the anime "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," and on a whim, he simply soared into the sky, broke through the atmosphere, and headed straight for the distant moon.
He wandered wantonly on the desolate and silent surface of the moon to pass the time, and only after he had his fill did he turn back to Earth and return to his villa.
After landing and resting, Marcus had a thought and opened his attribute panel.
After a full year of settling and adaptation, his various abilities had stabilized in a brand-new state.
[ Super Strength: Level 4 (14%) ]
[ Super Durability: Level 4 (23%) ]
[ Super Mind: Level 4 (53%) ]
[ Super Speed: Level 4 (15%) ]
[ Bio-field: Level 2 (90%) ]
The attribute growth was not much, but he was not in a hurry.
After all, nothing and no one in The Boys Universe could threaten him.
Just then, the phone placed to the side suddenly rang; the caller was none other than Edgar.
The call connected, and Edgar's steady voice came through, informing him that the new version of compound v, which had taken a year to refine, had been successfully developed.
Marcus did not hesitate and set off immediately.
A Level 2 90% Bio-field could insulate him from air friction and sonic vibrations in all directions, enough to support him in maintaining flight at ninety times the speed of sound, completely silent throughout the journey without producing a single sonic boom.
Edgar had already been waiting for a long time, holding a precision alloy sealed case in his hand.
He handed the case to Marcus and earnestly introduced the effects of the new version of the serum.
"This new version of compound v is five times as potent as the original, and the amplification effect is terrifying. Whether injected or taken orally, the success rate is one hundred percent, with zero side effects."
"The restrictions are the same as the original; each person can only use it once in their lifetime. A second use will not result in any increase in strength, only a stimulating effect. It is similar to high-concentration adrenaline, but it lasts longer and has no obvious side effects."
He paused briefly and continued truthfully: "A total of seventeen finished doses were produced this time. According to our original agreement on the split, the twelve doses in this box all belong to you."
Marcus looked at the alloy case before him, his tone carrying a full warning: "Are there really no extras? Do not lie to me. Even if you can control your own heartbeat and emotions, if any of your subordinates feel guilty and lie, I can hear every subtle change in their heartbeat clearly."
Edgar's expression was open and honest, without the slightest panic: "I am absolutely not lying to you. All the precious substances within that monster's body have been completely extracted and consumed by us, leaving not a trace behind. Unless we find another monster corpse, this new version of compound v can never be produced again."
Marcus focused his senses, relying on his ultimate super hearing to accurately capture Edgar's heartbeat and breath fluctuations, confirming that his state of mind was calm, every word was true, and there was no half-lie or concealment.
After confirming everything was correct, he took the alloy case, turned to leave Vought Tower, and quickly returned to his villa.
Back home, Marcus opened the case, looked at the clear and bright serum inside, casually took out one, and drank it straight down.
The new version of the serum was purer and more domineering, and its effect speed far exceeded the old version. In just one minute, a warm energy instantly washed over his whole body, nourishing his flesh and abilities in all aspects.
Marcus opened his attribute panel again and clearly saw the changes in his data.
[ Super Strength: Level 4 (14%) → Level 4 (17%) ]
[ Super Durability: Level 4 (23%) → Level 4 (26%) ]
[ Super Mind: Level 4 (53%) → Level 4 (56%) ]
[ Super Speed: Level 4 (15%) → Level 4 (18%) ]
[ Bio-field: Level 2 (90%) → Level 3 (30%) ]
All attributes increased by 3%, and the Bio-field even broke through directly, successfully advancing to Level 3.
Marcus sighed inwardly; the amplification effect of the new version of compound v was indeed far stronger than the original, and the cost-effectiveness and combat power improvement were not in the same league at all.
Just then, he discovered that at the very bottom of the attribute panel, a brand-new ability he had never seen before had appeared.
[ Dimensional Travel: Level 1 (1%) ]
Looking at this special ability name, a glimmer of realization arose in Marcus's heart.
Perhaps, this was the real reason he had left his original world and traveled to The Boys Universe.
Suppressing the shock in his heart, Marcus moved his mind slightly, attempting to activate this brand-new ability.
Hum—
The air in the living room instantly twisted and trembled, and space folded and tore layer by layer.
A pitch-black, deep spatial hole, filled with unknown mist, slowly formed in front of him, connecting to countless unknown worlds.
With a firm gaze and without the slightest hesitation, Marcus picked up the case, stepped forward, and walked straight into the pitch-black spatial hole.
Chapter 12: Away from the Empire and the Unopan Warrior
The other side of the void was a vacuum.
The moment Marcus's feet touched the nothingness, the cold, silent darkness swallowed him whole. Then, he was directly exposed to the cosmic environment.
Marcus hovered among the stars, with the black rift behind him slowly contracting and eventually disappearing into a pinpoint of light.
He gazed into the distance, his eyes falling upon the planet below.
The interwoven blue and brown surface was still familiar; the mountains, seas, and clouds were just as they had been in the past.
But the aura of the entire planet was completely different. It appeared unchanged, yet it exuded an indescribable, unfamiliar, deathly silence, as if the world remained the same, but all vitality had completely faded away.
Marcus stopped watching, moved his body, and dove straight toward the planet. Penetrating the atmosphere, the scene that met his eyes was shocking.
The once-great cities had completely turned into ruins; buildings had crumbled, roads were broken, and debris was everywhere. Dried blood and abandoned wreckage could be seen everywhere; the entire land was desolate and dilapidated, with no trace of civilization left.
After landing, Marcus immediately began his search. Above the ravaged wasteland, a deathly silence shrouded everything, and there was not the slightest trace of living people. He shuttled through several broken cities one after another, searching for several hours to no avail.
Just as Marcus was preparing to expand his search area, his keen and powerful hearing suddenly caught an anomaly.
From the edge of a broken forest a few kilometers away came chaotic footsteps, rapid panting, the crisp sound of gunfire, and the panicked hissing of beasts. Against the backdrop of the world's deathly silence, this commotion was exceptionally clear.
These were the sounds of living people.
Marcus's eyes narrowed, his body instantly lifted into the air, and he sped toward the source of the sound.
On the clearing at the edge of the woods, a fierce chase was unfolding.
More than a dozen ragged, dust-covered survivors were fleeing in a sorry state, holding crude firearms.
Behind them, eight massive beasts, resembling deer but with sharp fangs and sturdy limbs, were frantically chasing them. Their hooves crushed gravel, their hideous heads locked onto the humans, and they roared as they launched their attack.
The survivors were exhausted, low on ammunition, and retreating step by step, at risk of being devoured by the beasts at any moment.
Without the slightest hesitation, Marcus dove down and landed, instantly cutting into the battlefield.
His movements were crisp and clean, his punches fierce, and every strike precisely hit the beasts' vital points. The hard animal bones were vulnerable in the face of absolute power. Accompanied by dull thuds and short roars, the eight beasts chasing the survivors were all killed in an instant.
In just a few seconds, the deadly crisis was completely resolved, and the empty forest returned to silence.
Marcus stood straight, looked at the shaken crowd, and spoke in a calm tone: "May I ask, can you tell me what exactly happened to this planet?"
As his voice fell, the atmosphere at the scene instantly froze.
The dozen survivors stiffened, their pupils constricted, and fear instantly covered their faces. The gratitude of being saved had vanished, replaced by deep-seated wariness and fear. They stared fixedly at the tall, upright Marcus, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
The next second, several emotionally broken survivors suddenly raised their firearms, aiming them directly at Marcus, and roared: "Demon! You are also a demon!"
Just as the triggers were about to be pulled, a steady, commanding voice rang out.
"Stop! Put down your guns!"
In front of the crowd, a middle-aged man with a weathered face and a scarred forehead stepped out quickly; he was the leader of this group of survivors.
Under his stern command, although the crowd was filled with fear and their hands were shaking, they could only grit their teeth and slowly lower their guns, but the terror in their eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
The leader took a deep breath, looked at the strange powerhouse before him, and with a hoarse, trembling voice, slowly revealed the truth about this cataclysm.
"A year ago... an alien descended from the sky."
"He called himself a Viltrumite. The moment he landed, he questioned us, saying that one of their kin had mysteriously disappeared on this planet and demanded we give an explanation immediately."
Endless sorrow and helplessness welled up in the man's eyes.
"We are just ordinary natives of this planet. We had never encountered extraterrestrial life, let alone any Viltrumite, so we had no way to answer. We could only desperately explain and plead, telling him we knew nothing."
"But he wouldn't listen to any explanation, nor would he give us any chance."
The man's voice carried a suppressed tremble, every word heavy.
"Just because we couldn't give him the answer he wanted, that Viltrumite started an indiscriminate slaughter. No warning, no reason, just pure, wanton slaughter relying on terrifying power that crushed everything."
"That day was the end of our entire civilization."
"He alone crushed all our armed forces. Artillery, nuclear bombs, all defensive measures were useless. High-rise buildings were torn apart by hand, cities were razed to the ground, and corpses and ruins were everywhere."
"In just one day, our civilization, which had continued for hundreds of years, was completely destroyed, and billions of people were killed or injured. Our prosperous homeland was completely reduced to this desolate, deathly wasteland."
As his voice fell, the surroundings fell into complete silence.
The whistling wind blew through the broken walls and ruins, but it could not disperse the sorrow and despair settled in the air.
Marcus stood quietly in place, his expression indifferent and silent. A moment later, he spoke slowly, his voice flat without a single ripple:
"What is that person's name?"
The middle-aged man leading them trembled violently, the fear in his eyes surging again, his lips quivering as he spoke with extreme dread.
"He... he called himself Conquest."
He raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at Marcuscautiously, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, and said almost pleadingly: "I have told you everything I know... we are just ordinary people trying to survive, we have no malice, please, let us go."
The other survivors also lowered their heads, clutching their firearms tightly, their bodies shivering. Having experienced the terrifying slaughter by the Viltrumite, they had developed a bone-deep fear of all extraordinary beings. In their eyes, the powerful Marcus who had suddenly appeared before them was no different from that alien demon named Conquest.
Marcus looked at this group of shivering, terrified survivors, his eyes devoid of any ripples.
He knew that these ordinary people had been scared out of their wits by that apocalyptic slaughter; in their eyes, all extraordinary beings who descended from the sky were moody demons.
"Rest assured."
Marcus's voice was steady, without any sense of oppression.
"I will not harm you."
After saying this, he did not linger, turned and left directly, disappearing at the end of the broken woods.
At this moment, Marcus had already made his decision.
Although he had been reborn as a Viltrumite and had lived in the territory of the Empire for eighteen years, accustomed to the Empire's order and the race's arrogance, he ultimately retained the bottom line and conscience of his previous human life.
He would never be soft-hearted when killing opponents or clearing out alien enemies.
But like "Conquest," to launch an indiscriminate genocide against innocent civilians for an unverifiable reason, slaughtering an entire weak, non-threatening civilization—he could never agree with this, let alone be complicit in it.
From this moment on, he completely abandoned the idea of returning to the Viltrumite star domain and would no longer follow any orders from the Empire.
Over the next six months, Marcus traveled far away.
He gradually traveled out of the star domain controlled by the Viltrum Empire, completely breaking away from the Empire's rule and entering the territory of the neutral Coalition of Planets.
In order not to drift alone in the cold universe, he found a standard medium-sized long-range spacecraft and, after repairing and refitting it, used it as his mobile residence.
From then on, he no longer experienced the lonely drift through the sea of stars. During the long cosmic voyage, he followed a normal routine inside the spaceship, eating, browsing interstellar network information, and consolidating his strength in his spare time.
When the spaceship's energy was insufficient, he would dock at a neutral planet to resupply; when supplies were scarce, he would land to purchase them.
He was unhurried, letting the spaceship sail slowly through the vast galaxy.
This day, just as Marcus was about to have a meal, the spaceship's alarm sounded softly, and an intermittent distress signal was intercepted on the interstellar frequency. The signal source was not far away, right along his flight path, so he simply changed course, intending to investigate on the way.
A moment later, a fleet engaged in a firefight appeared in his view. A massive civilian transport ship was tightly surrounded by dozens of crudely designed small warships, with artillery fire crisscrossing; they had clearly encountered space pirates. But the battle was not one-sided; a force had already stepped in to help, their artillery fire accurately striking the pirate ships, constantly tearing open the enemy's encirclement.
Marcus zoomed in on the observation screen to take a closer look and quickly saw the appearance of the rescuer. It was a humanoid being, covered in bright orange skin, with no hair on its head or body, and a single large eye in the center of its face. The features were distinct; it was indeed a Unopan.
He gazed at the orange figure, recalling to himself. In the anime from his previous life, there was only one combat-type Unopan in the entire universe; it stood to reason that this person was Allen.
Chapter 13: Starry Sky, Joining Forces, Meeting Allen
Artillery fire roared incessantly across the starry sky. Allenrelied on his formidable physique to twist and turn, his punches and kicks dealing heavy damage to several enemy ships in quick succession. However, the sheer number of pirate vessels was overwhelming; they swarmed in layers, gradually pinning him down and making it difficult for him to break away to protect the precarious transport ship.
Marcus pondered for a moment and decided not to stand by any longer. He stood up, stepped out of the spaceship's hatch, and suspended his body in the icy vacuum of space.
The next instant, Marcus shot forward, transforming into a sharp black shadow that reached Allen's side in the blink of an eye. Just then, three pirate ships locked onto them simultaneously, and several searing white laser beams tore through the vacuum, heading straight for Allen's back.
Marcus did not dodge or evade, his invisible Bio-fieldcovering his entire body. The blinding laser beams slammed into him, only to ripple through the distorted space; they left not even a mark before dissipating completely.
The orange figure currently locked in a bitter struggle faltered slightly. Allen's large, singular eye turned to the side, catching sight of Marcus, who had blocked the fatal attack for him. Sound could not travel in a vacuum, so Allenused his own mental link ability to send words directly into Marcus's mind, his tone carrying a hint of relaxed amusement: "Thanks, brother! You came just in time!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the hot-blooded Allenimmediately reorganized his offensive without any hesitation. He exerted force through his limbs, and his vigorous orange body catapulted outward, heading straight for the densest formation of pirate ships.
Even while mired in the chaotic battle, he did not lose his optimistic nature. While smashing through the alloy hull of a small warship with a heavy punch, he continued to use his ability to transmit his thoughts with a grumble: "These mobs are endless; they're a real headache to deal with!"
The sturdy interstellar warship was as fragile as thin paper under his immense physical strength, exploding with a roar as debris and sparks scattered in all directions.
He wove through the gaps in the artillery fire, relying on his extensive experience in space combat to precisely evade dense barrages. Every punch and every kick he delivered disabled a pirate warship, forcibly tearing open one gap after another.
Marcus also followed closely, charging into the battlefield and fully joining the fray. He moved calmly through the rain of artillery fire, with no need to dodge conventional attacks. Every laser and missile that came his way was met head-on, absorbed by his physical body and Bio-field.
He reached out and grabbed a fleeing pirate warship; as his fingers exerted force, the hard hull instantly deformed and buckled. With a dull, explosive sound, the entire warship was rendered completely paralyzed and useless. Immediately after, he flashed forward and kicked away another enemy ship attempting to ambush Allen.
One orange, one black—the two formed a perfect combination in the pitch-black starry sky.
Allen charged aggressively from the front, using absolute brute force to crush enemy ships and break up the pirates' encirclement, focusing on breaking the deadlock and suppressing the entire field. Marcus's destructive power was no less impressive; he roamed across the battlefield, crippling warships with every strike while sweeping up the stragglers and guarding every blind spot behind Allen, eliminating any threat of ambush.
The dozens of pirate ships that had originally been arrogant and overbearing, tightly besieging the transport ship, instantly fell into rout. The sounds of artillery fire, metal breaking, and engines exploding continued one after another.
The more Allen fought, the more comfortable he became, and his tense expression relaxed. He continued to use his unique mental link to joke from a distance: "Looks like I have good luck today—I've encountered a powerful teammate!"
Despite his joking words, his movements were not slow in the slightest. His attacks remained sharp and lethal, his reliable strength never faltering.
In just a few short minutes, the pirate fleet was completely wiped out by the two of them working in tandem.
The wreckage of the scattered warships drifted slowly in the universe, and the clamorous artillery fire finally ceased. The civilian transport ship, which had been on the verge of crashing, finally shook off the encirclement and resumed stable operation.
As the battlefield fell completely quiet, Allen's figure flickered, and he swooped back to Marcus's side in mid-air. His large, singular eye sized Marcus up, his tone filled with genuine admiration and heartiness: "Brother, your strength is impressive! Where are you from?"
Marcus's expression remained flat as he replied softly: "I am just a person without a home."
As soon as these words were spoken, Allen was momentarily tongue-tied. A hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes, and his mouth hung slightly open, not knowing how to respond.
Just as Allen was at a loss, preparing to speak to ease the atmosphere, the civilian transport ship that had survived the ordeal slowly approached, pulling up steadily in front of the two and opening its boarding ramp.
The two landed on the deck of the transport ship.
An alien captain, who looked like a lobster with long limbs, hurried over to greet them. His demeanor was full of respect and gratitude as he said sincerely: "Thank you both so much for your help! I wonder if you would do me the honor of staying the night on my ship so that I may properly repay you for saving our lives?"
Allen waved his hand quickly, smiling as he corrected the other party: "No need to keep calling us 'you two, you two'—my name is Allen."
After finishing, he rubbed his stomach and added frankly and casually: "Staying the night is no problem, as I'm already hungry. I just don't know if this brother here is willing?"
Marcus pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I have no problem with that. Also, my name is Marcus."
"That's great!" The captain's face instantly lit up with delight, and he quickly responded: "I will have people prepare food immediately!"
With that, the captain turned and hurried away to arrange the logistics.
Watching the captain's retreating figure, Marcus turned to Allen and said: "I'll go bring my spaceship over first; you can go in ahead."
"No problem, I'll head inside and wait then." Allen didn't stand on ceremony at all. He readily agreed, lifted his foot to follow the captain's pace, and was the first to enter the ship's cabin.
Marcus also turned and took to the air, soon arriving beside the transport ship in his own medium-sized long-range spacecraft. He activated the system's intelligent follow mode, letting his ship hover automatically and sync with the transport ship.
After finishing, he stepped onto the transport ship's cabin once again.
Not long after, a notification came through the ship's communication system that the captain had prepared a lavish meal and was waiting for the two to dine.
Marcus followed the crew's directions into the spacious dining room inside the ship. The lighting was soft and bright, and the long table was filled with all kinds of strange, colorful interstellar ingredients. The lobster-like captain was already waiting there, enthusiastically inviting the two to take their seats.
Allen did not stand on ceremony at all. He pulled out a chair and sat down, his gaze instantly drawn to the food on the table. He picked up a plate of food that was still wriggling slightly with a soft texture, showing no resistance whatsoever, and skillfully popped it into his mouth. The unique savory aroma spread in his mouth, and he ate with great relish, his face full of satisfaction.
Seeing Marcus sitting upright, merely observing the strange meal on the table quietly, Allen raised a hand while chewing his food, his tone warm: "Marcus, stop looking and eat! This stuff tastes amazing—it's a rare interstellar delicacy."
He had no airs of a powerhouse, eating casually and comfortably. His singular eye curved into a smile, without any of the awkwardness of a first meeting. Having experienced a battle side-by-side, he had long since regarded Marcus as a reliable companion.
Marcus looked at the strange, wriggling alien food on his plate. There was no disgust in his eyes, only the habits of someone who had been drifting alone in the universe for half a year and was used to simple meals, having not been in such a lively atmosphere for a long time. He nodded slightly, picked up his utensils, and began to taste it calmly.
The atmosphere in the dining room was relaxed and gentle. As Allen ate heartily, he chatted casually from time to time; his hearty and talkative nature quietly dispelled the loneliness of Marcus's solitary, drifting life.
Chapter 14: Arrival at Planet Maoen, Encountering an Ambush
The dining room was filled with laughter, and the atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious. A moment later, the lobster-like captain set down his utensils, looked at the two men, and asked politely, "I wonder where Mr. Allen and Mr. Marcus intend to go next? If your route happens to be on my way, I could give you both a lift."
Hearing this, Allen stopped eating, scratched his head, and said candidly, "I plan to go to Planet Maoen. My trip is mainly to evaluate the local guardians and determine if they have the capability to resist the Viltrumites."
Upon hearing this, the captain immediately looked surprised, his slender limbs pausing slightly. He leaned forward quickly, his tone becoming even more respectful, "I see. Could it be that Mr. Allen is a Planetary Assessment Officer for the Coalition of Planets?"
Allen nodded generously and replied candidly, "That's right."
His expression was casual, showing absolutely no airs of someone holding public office, and his tone was natural, "I am indeed a Planetary Combat Assessment Officer for the Alliance. My job is simple: travel across the galaxy, assess the true combat level of guardians on various planets, and determine if they can withstand an assault from the Viltrum Empire. That's all."
The atmosphere in the dining room instantly quieted down. In this sector, no interstellar resident was unaware of the weight carried by a Coalition of Planets Assessment Officer. They never interfered in planetary conflicts, and the reason they could traverse the sea of stars and be highly respected by all civilizations was purely because every single assessment officer was a top-tier combatant selected by the Alliance.
Especially now, with the Viltrum Empire expanding everywhere and intimidating the entire galaxy, anyone qualified to independently assess a planet's defensive capabilities represented the highest level of ability and was by no means comparable to ordinary interstellar powerhouses.
The captain was immediately filled with awe, and his gaze towards Allen changed completely. He hurriedly spoke solemnly, his tone full of sincerity, "So you are a Planetary Assessment Officer for the Alliance! I was rude earlier! Since Mr. Allen is heading to Planet Maoen, what a coincidence that is!"
A flash of relief crossed the captain's eyes as he continued, "My transport ship's scheduled route happens to pass through the Planet Maoen sector. It's completely on the way! You two just saved the lives of everyone on this ship; I have no way to repay you, so I will certainly ensure you both reach your destination safely. You won't need to worry about a thing the entire way."
Hearing this, Allen's brows relaxed instantly, and he laughed heartily, "That's fantastic! It saves me from having to replan my route and travel alone. You've really done me a huge favor."
After saying this, Allen immediately turned his head to look at Marcus, who had remained silent at his side, and asked casually, "Marcus, what about you? Where do you plan to go next?"
Marcus, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, slowly raised his eyes. His expression was calm and ripple-free. He did not hesitate, and with a steady, deep voice, he replied softly, "I intend to go to Earth."
This simple sentence, however, caused the lobster captain to glance over slightly. His long, narrow antennae swayed gently. Relying on his extensive experience accumulated from years of traversing the sea of stars and visiting countless star sectors, he naturally knew about the secrets of the universe.
The captain bowed slightly and explained respectfully, "Mr. Marcus, there are three Earths that I know of, and their environments, civilizations, and combat capabilities are completely different. I don't know which Earth you intend to go to?"
Marcus's brows twitched slightly upon hearing this. He leaned forward slightly and asked calmly, "What are the differences between the three Earths you know of?"
The captain rested one of his slender limbs on the edge of the table, his antennae swaying gently as if organizing the coordinates in his mind's star map, and slowly began to speak.
"The first Earth is the closest to our current route. After we pass Planet Maoen, based on the speed of your ship model, Mr. Marcus, it is estimated that you will arrive in two years."
Recalling his past voyages, his tone carried a touch of distant emotion, "About a hundred years ago, I passed by that planet for supplies and rest. It was a planet where powerhouses emerged in large numbers. I stayed in a local city for a few days, and by chance, I met a top powerhouse who called himself The Immortal."
Speaking of this name, the captain's eyes held a touch of awe. Having run interstellar transport for years, he had seen countless planetary powerhouses, but The Immortal had left a particularly deep impression on him.
"That Immortal's strength was unfathomable. It is rumored that he possesses endless life and is immortal and indestructible. He is the top guardian of that Earth and has protected the entire planet for thousands of years, with no one ever able to shake his position. It's just that after so many years, I don't know if the situation on that planet is still the same as it was back then."
The moment Marcus heard the name "The Immortal," he had his answer. He did not hesitate at all, raised his eyes to look at the lobster captain, and said with absolute certainty, "No need to mention the other two. This is the Earth I want to go to."
Allen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately showed a hearty smile. He jumped into the conversation, his tone full of joy, "That's great! Now it's completely on the way! Once I finish the combat assessment on Planet Maoen and handle all my business, I'll go to Earth with you, and we can travel together!"
Marcus nodded slightly and responded with a calm expression, tacitly agreeing to Allen's suggestion.
The brief conversation finalized their entire itinerary. First, they would stop at Planet Maoen to complete Allen's planetary combat assessment, and then they would set off together for that Earth where The Immortal resided.
Over the next few days, the interstellar voyage was smooth and uneventful. The transport ship traveled at a steady speed through the vast, pitch-black sea of stars, passing by dim asteroids and floating interstellar debris, until the originally distant Planet Maoen sector gradually appeared at the edge of the porthole's view.
A pale blue planetary halo spread out in layers, enveloping the entire airspace. They had finally arrived at Planet Maoen.
The lobster captain steered the ship to a steady stop in the planet's low orbit, then turned around, bowed slightly to Marcus and Allen before him, his attitude remaining respectful and sincere.
"Mr. Allen, Mr. Marcus, we have arrived at Planet Maoen. My route ends here."
He drew in his slender limbs gently and said goodbye with a sincere tone, "The road ahead is treacherous. I wish you both smooth sailing and safety in all matters. I have no way to repay you for saving my life; I only hope you have a smooth journey through the stars from here on out, with no more trouble. I shall take my leave now."
With those words, the captain did not linger. He steered the transport ship to adjust its course, slowly sailed away from the Planet Maoen sector, and disappeared into the deep sea of stars.
Watching the transport ship disappear completely, Allenstretched his limbs and then turned to look at Marcusbeside him.
"Let's go. Let's head in and see what level the guardians of this planet are really at."
The two did not hesitate, plunged straight through the atmosphere, and landed on the surface of Planet Maoen.
Planet Maoen was lush with vegetation, with a vast and boundless landscape, a scene of peace and tranquility.
But this peace lasted only a few short seconds.
The moment the two stepped onto the planet and their feet touched the ground, an extremely swift black shadow suddenly burst out from the depths of the dense forest nearby!
The speed was fast enough to tear the air, bringing with it a piercing sonic boom, aimed directly at the two of them!
The attacker's killing intent was chilling; the strike was an ambush from the start, without any probing—a ruthless offensive aimed at neutralizing the enemy in one blow.
Allen, who reacted extremely quickly, narrowed his eyes suddenly, instantly tensed his body, and without dodging or evading, charged straight towards the incoming figure.
Boom!
Two high-speed black shadows collided instantly!
A loud noise exploded on the surface, air waves swept through the surroundings, and dust and debris flew into the air.
In an instant, Allen was completely locked in combat with this mysterious figure who had suddenly appeared, and an intense battle was about to break out.
Chapter 15: Local Beast-Woman Appears, MarcusSuppresses with Force
Fists clashed with fists, legs struck against legs; two figures blurred into afterimages in the woods, colliding hundreds of times in the blink of an eye.
Each collision of limbs exploded with a thunderous roar, sweeping out circular shockwaves that snapped surrounding giant trees in response; the ground was plowed into crisscrossing ravines, and gravel and dust sprayed into the sky.
The mysterious figure was wrapped in biting killing intent; every strike was heavy, fierce, and ruthless, yet always veered away from fatal areas like the head and heart, aiming only for the shoulders, back, waist, abdomen, and limbs.
The opponent seized the tempo first, a heavy punch driving straight toward Allen's face, only to shift slightly at the last moment, smashing into his shoulder.
Allen raised his arm to block, the immense force numbing his arm and causing his feet to slide back half a meter uncontrollably. Before he could steady himself, the opponent dropped low and swept her leg over, a whip-kick lashing toward his waist with a powerful gust. Allentwisted his waist to deflect most of the force, simultaneously throwing a backhand punch toward the opponent's ribs, only for it to be steadily parried by her elbow.
After several exchanges, the opponent's strength and speed consistently surpassed Allen's by a margin, her moves connected without a single flaw, and her offensive was continuous and watertight.
Allen's defense gradually faltered; he took two heavy blows to his shoulder and waist, causing the blood in his chest and abdomen to churn. Gritting his teeth, he held on, waiting for an opening in the opponent's retraction to lunge forward, driving his knee fiercely into her lower abdomen, finally forcing her to retreat half a step and regaining a sliver of breathing room.
But this counterattack was just a drop in the bucket. The mysterious figure pressed back instantly, her dual fists attacking in a rapid-fire succession that fell like a curtain of rain. Allen could only continue to raise his hands to block, his body retreating repeatedly as he fell completely onto the defensive. He knew clearly in his heart that the opponent had been deliberately holding back the entire time, never using lethal moves; if she had really been fighting for his life, he wouldn't have lasted until now.
The moment Allen was fully occupied parrying the dual-fist assault, the mysterious figure suddenly raised her left leg, a sharp whip-kick sweeping straight toward his temple. Allen's heart tightened, and he hurriedly raised his arm to block in front of his forehead, preparing to take the hit head-on.
But just as the leg wind brushed past his arm guard, a much faster black shadow suddenly whipped out from behind her—it was a long tail covered in black and white fur, moving nearly twice as fast as her fists and feet. Allenhad no time to react before his waist and abdomen took the heavy lash squarely.
The moment the massive force struck, Allen flew sideways like a kite with a broken string, smashing heavily into a pile of rubble not far away, sending stones scattering and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Marcus, watching from outside the fray, saw this scene clearly. The mysterious figure was a full 1.8 meters tall, her body covered in dense black and white beast fur, and a short garment tailored from unknown animal hide accentuated her curvaceous, proud figure.
Her long hair was also a blend of black and white, hanging over her shoulders and back, but her face was smooth and hairless, bearing an exquisite and cute appearance that was a stark contrast to her fierce offensive just moments ago.
Having succeeded with her strike, the mysterious figure did not pursue Allen into the rubble, but instead slowly turned her head, her amber eyes locking directly onto the motionless Marcus.
The corners of her mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a somewhat happy smile. The next second, her feet pushed off the ground, her figure turning into a black and white afterimage as she charged straight toward Marcus.
Watching the black and white figure charging toward him, Marcus did not move his feet, but instead flew backward, maintaining a fixed distance from his opponent, neither advancing nor meeting her head-on.
Seeing this, the mysterious figure raised an eyebrow, her speed underfoot increasing once more. As she chased, she shouted loudly in standard Galactic Common, "Don't run!"
The two of them sped through the woods one after the other, trees flashing backward beside them. Just as the chase swept past an open clearing, Marcus, who was flying backward, suddenly halted. The airflow around him exploded; instead of retreating further, he suddenly turned and dove, his right leg carrying the force of ten thousand tons as he kicked fiercely toward the oncoming mysterious figure.
The turn of events was too sudden; the mysterious figure couldn't stop in time and could only hurriedly raise her crossed arms to block in front of her chest.
Bang—a muffled, thunderous sound exploded. The terrifying force poured down along her arms, and the mysterious figure was instantly kicked backward, her arms numb and the blood in her chest churning.
Marcus did not pause for a second, his figure chasing after her like a shadow. Taking advantage of the moment she was still in the air and unable to leverage her strength, he reached out and accurately grabbed that long black and white tail, his wrist exerting sudden force as he slammed her fiercely toward the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Earth and stone splashed as the ground was smashed into several deep craters in succession. Marcus kept gripping the tail, swinging it repeatedly and smashing the mysterious figure from side to side, dozens of times in a row, until the surrounding ground cracked and dust shot into the sky.
When the force was spent, he swung his arm up sharply, tossing her straight into the high air.
The next second, Marcus shot into the sky, sticking to her tightly and giving her absolutely no chance to land and leverage her strength. The mysterious figure, stuck high in the air with nowhere to exert force, changed color slightly; she could only tense her body, raising her hands to parry the continuous onslaught, falling into complete passive defense.
High in the air, Marcus's figure was as elusive as a ghost, sometimes flashing to her left to punch her shoulder and arm, sometimes sweeping to her right to kick her waist and abdomen, and in a blink, circling behind to chop at her back. His orientation shifted without any pattern, and the wind of his fists and shadows of his legs enveloped her in layers.
The mysterious figure could only parry hurriedly by instinct, her body spinning uncontrollably in the air. The gaps in her defense grew larger and larger, her arms were already numb from the shocks, and her rhythm was completely disrupted.
Marcus spotted his opportunity, his figure swaying to feint an attack on her front, while in reality, he instantly shifted to her left blind spot. By the time she realized something was wrong, it was already too late to defend.
Bang—a heavy punch, carrying a massive, fierce force, smashed squarely into her left cheek.
The mysterious figure's head jerked to the side, her consciousness suddenly blanking, and she plummeted vertically toward the ground like a meteorite that had lost its power.
With a deafening boom, the ground was smashed into a crater several meters deep; gravel and soil shot into the sky, and billowing dust instantly completely shrouded the bottom of the pit.
As the dust slowly dispersed, Marcus, hovering high in the air, looked down. The mysterious figure at the bottom of the pit had her eyes tightly closed, her head tilted to one side, and her animal-hide clothing was damaged in many places; she had fallen completely into a coma.
Just then, a familiar voice came from the direction of the rubble pile. Marcus turned his head toward the sound and saw Allen propping himself up against the stones, waving a hand at him with a hearty smile on his face: "I knew it, Marcus, you're strong."
Marcus's gaze fell on him, and he asked in a deep voice: "Are you okay?"
Allen leaped to his side, patting the dust and gravel off his body, his tone relaxed: "This person's attacks looked fierce, but she never aimed for my vital points. It was just that tail lash that caught me off guard; I'll be fine after a moment."
Marcus nodded slightly, then turned to look at the unconscious black and white figure in the pit, speaking calmly: "So, what should we do now?"
Allen also looked down into the pit, scratching the back of his head, his tone carrying a bit of helplessness: "We can only wait for her to wake up. Hopefully, when she wakes up, she can listen to our explanation first, instead of just starting to fight again without a word."
As his voice fell, the mysterious figure at the bottom of the pit saw her fingertips curl slightly, and her long, amber eyelashes fluttered gently—clearly a sign that she was about to wake up.
The two of them instantly fell silent, both focusing their attention and staying on guard, their gazes locked firmly on her face, waiting quietly for her reaction after she opened her eyes.