Chapter 465: Snatching, Petty Schemes, Relinquishing Duty

"Playing tricks, huh, good thing the attitude was decent, otherwise I'd have blown it away with one shot."

Looking at the vanished red skull, a terminator couldn't help but mutter in a metallic voice.

That complaint wasn't really wrong either.

It was precisely because the red skull "saw through the mundane," didn't confront Helusi and the others head-on, even leading them to the sacrificial plaza, that it escaped disaster.

Or put another way, among all the supervillains in Universe 05, only the red skull avoided being blown apart by a single shot.

Like the villain in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, who is both the biological father of Star-Lord Peter Quill and an ancient deity whose body is the size of a whole planet, Ego, was taken down by three Nova IV-type nuclear bombs thrown by the Dark Angel's 12th Battalion.

No way, the 12th Battalion had just finished a jump transit, preparing to land on a body the size of Ego's planet, when they suffered the enemy's warning attack, which also claimed to be divine.

Meanwhile, the spiritual users aboard sensed that Ego harbored the idea of assimilating all intelligent life, including Universe 05 Earth, so the 12th Battalion issued an extermination order.

In less than a few minutes, the 12th Battalion dealt with the so-called "deity."

Helusi, who already held four Infinity Stones, seeing the goal achieved, glanced toward where the red skull vanished and ordered: "Mission complete, time to return to the ship."

Saying that, Helusi activated the short-range teleport of the Giant Python Scale, first returning to the Yandu-class escort ship, while the remaining terminators followed closely.

Next.

The ship's engineering and technical staff also gathered enough supplies, and with the transport convoy they returned to the Yandu-class.

Afterward, Helusi will continue to follow the Judgment Envoy Battalion, conducting expeditions and exterminations in Andromeda, Triangulum, and the Magellanic Clouds.

Now, in Universe 05, the Space, Mind, Time, and Soul Stones belong to Helusi, while the Reality Stone is under Taibelos's control.

Altogether six stones; the main universe's humanity has gathered five, only the Power Stone abandoned on the derelict planet Morag remains unclaimed by any other person or force.

Leon, who never mentioned the Infinity Stones in the expedition plan, after looting Asgard's realm, sent it back to Universe 05's Solar System Kuiper Belt, then via the Space Gate to the main universe, afterward set the Absolute Rationality's navigation coordinates to Morag in the desolate region of the Milky Way.

The reason for not mentioning it is that Leon is interested in the Infinity Stones, can't bring himself to ask Helusi for them, and doesn't want his own battalion to search for the remaining two Stones, so he suppressed the related information to prevent his offspring from grabbing them first.

Never expecting that after sending Helusi out of the Milky Way, his younger brother could still find the Soul Stone, so Leon won't dawdle; he must act quickly.

At this very moment…

Whoosh—!

The over-thirty-kilometer-long Absolute Rationality used a vortex transfer gate to leave Rift Space and return to real space, ending the jump transit.

At the ship's bow, there was that planet Morag, its atmosphere turbid, plates constantly moving and friction, the surface everywhere barren wasteland and urban ruins, relics.

The vortex transfer gate dissipated.

The Absolute Rationality entered normal flight, sailing into Morag's atmosphere; soon it arrived at a spot where the earth split open and scalding springs gushed out.

Speed reduced.

Finally, the Absolute Rationality hovered at ten thousand meters above that area.

Not long after, at the front of a palace-like ruin in that region, with a flash of blue light, Leon wearing Lion King armor appeared alongside a hundred Death Wing guards via teleport.

"."

The taciturn Leon scanned the palace ruins up and down, already habitually placing his right hand on the hilt of his father's governing sword at his waist, and stepped toward the ruin's entrance.

The hundred Death Wing followed; after Leon entered the ruin, half the Death Wing stayed outside to stand guard.

Inside the ruin.

It was dim and damp; the two-legged lizard-like small creatures that used to roughhouse and play sensed a group of giants moving through the ruin's great hall and immediately fled, hiding in corners and crevices.

But Leon had no mind to bother with them; he fixed his gaze on the great hall's far end, a gate made of two massive stones, just as he was about to proceed after sensing the Power Stone's reaction beyond the gate, he suddenly stopped, as if noticing something, his expression still cold as he slightly lifted his head.

Not long after, a thunderous boom sounded; the already severely corroded and weathered hall ceiling was struck by a "thing" wrapped in iridescent light, collapsing straight down near Leon and the Death Wing guards.

In fact, the Death Wing guards had already sensed that "thing" charging into the great hall beforehand, but their Original Body gestured to hold position, so they didn't unleash indiscriminate bombardment.

After the impact-induced collapse ceased, the light dimmed, the dust cleared, and the silhouette of that "thing" gradually became clear…

Of course, to ordinary mortals it gradually became clear, but to Leon and the Death Wing, they could see the other's appearance clearly from the start.

It was a person 1.7 meters tall, wearing mainly blue with gold and red accents in a tight suit, with gold short female hair.

As for facial features, not exactly ugly, but quite mismatched with Leon's and the Dark Angel's aesthetic; presumably other battalions' brothers would also feel disgust upon seeing them.

Besides appearance, that haughty, ever-disdainful attitude alone already made the Astate uncomfortable.

Although the Astate also consider themselves transcendent of mortals, a ruling tier under their father's regime, most Astate still maintain humility, after all Chapter Four, Section Fourteen of 《Human Truth》 records——

"Vanity consists in mocking others; pride itself is not wrong, but excessive arrogance makes one base, and ambition drives one to utter wickedness; proper self-mockery is a wisdom, when applied rightly makes one stronger."

Therefore, those Astate who have memorized 《Human Truth》 by heart will choose to get along with ordinary people, and in society's reputation, public opinion, etc., they have never seen negative reports.

Therefore, only the Astate who has memorized 《Human Truth》 will choose to live in harmony with ordinary people, and has never received any negative reports in society's reputation, public opinion, etc.

What right does it have to act high and mighty?

Damn it!

The more he thought, the more annoyed he became; a Death Wing guard with winged helmet sides, clad in a knight's white robe, immediately wanted to draw the greatsword gifted by his father, preparing to cleave that thing in two.

But before that guard could act, Leon spoke first: "Move aside."

"No such option." That thing also replied coldly, glanced sideways with peripheral vision at the gate behind, then turned back to Leon and began to ask in a low voice:

"You're the ones who've thrown the whole universe into chaos, right? Why destroy countless civilizations unrelated to Earth?"

You're the ones who have recently thrown the entire universe into chaos, right? Why destroy countless civilizations that have nothing to do with Earth?

"Because this universe is under my protection; maintaining cosmic order is my duty." That thing said frankly, as if truly as it claimed.

Because this universe is under my protection, maintaining cosmic order is my responsibility." That guy said calmly, as if it were truly as it said.

Moreover, sensing the opponent's strength seemed decent, Leon felt intrigued and said: "In that case, then I'll relieve you of your duty."

Moreover, sensing that the opponent's strength seemed not bad, Leon suddenly felt interested and said: 'In that case, then I will relieve you of your duty.'

"Boom boom!" Before the thing could react, the hall resonated with the thunderous footsteps of a massive entity sprinting at extreme speed.

Leon had just uttered "relieve duty" when he turned into a blur the Death Wing guards couldn't follow, charging straight at that thing, extending his left hand, opening his palm, and directly gripping that thing's skull.

Only seeing Leon finish saying the two words 'relieve of duty,' he turned into a blur that even the Death Wing Guard could not follow, shooting straight toward that guy, extending his left hand, spreading his palm, and directly gripping that guy's skull.

Hold the stop.

Lai Ang lifted his head, gazing at the gap blasted open, slightly bent his knees, jumped upward without much effort, and forcibly took that guy, leaping over the gap and exiting the hall, disappearing within the sight of the Death Wings.

The entire process didn't even take a second, and the Death Wings were unable to perceive what had happened; they could only guess from the lingering Spiritual Energy traces that the guy had been snatched by their OriginalBody.

"."

The scene first fell into a deathly silence.

"Ah."

But soon, the Death Wing who had previously carried his father's gifted greatsword could not hold back a light sigh.

Although he said nothing, from the tone of his sigh one could tell this Death Wing regretted missing the perfect opportunity to relieve the 'boredom'.

After all, in the 05 Universe, there hardly exists any alien trash that could let the Honor Guard‑level elites exert their full strength.

They had finally encountered one, only to have it snatched away by their OriginalBody—no matter how they thought about it, it was agonizing.

In the end, they could only hope that after the expedition, their father would likely assign the 05 Universe to the Holy Temple Star Region as some consolation.

Conversely, outside the ruins.

Lai Ang's effortless leap somehow brought him and that guy to an altitude of a kilometer in less than the blink of an eye.

"Mm…!! Uh…!!"

When he activated the Lion King Armor's levitation device, hovering in the high air to survey his surroundings and prepare to pick a flat area where he could move freely, the guy whose head he had grasped finally began to resist, grumbling.

No matter how the guy kicked and struggled, his short legs prevented him from harming Lai Ang in the slightest, and relying solely on his raw physique he could not pry open the left hand gripping his head.

In fact, the guy whom Lai Ang regarded as a 'thing' and a 'toy' was none other than the 05 Universe's other superhero, known as Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers.

Moreover, Danvers possesses the abilities to individually absorb and reflect energy, fly at light speed and faster-than-light speed, cosmic perception, and extraordinarily strong physique.

Indeed.

Judging by these abilities, Danvers definitely qualifies to safeguard the 05 Universe.

But if he does not draw on the energy stored within his body and merely tries to break free with brute force, for the over‑two‑hundred‑year‑old Lai Ang it is pure wishful thinking.

After a moment.

Danvers also realized that brute force alone wouldn't free him, so his eyes, body, and hair once again burst forth with blinding light.

From his posture, it was clear Danvers intended to use his internal energy to oppose Lai Ang's left hand.

"Oh?"

Noticing the little thing in his grip beginning to glow, Lai Ang couldn't help but let out an exclamation.

But that was all.

At that moment he raised his left arm high and, facing north away from the Absolute Rationality and the palace ruins, gave a fierce swing.

"Rou~Boom!!!"

Accompanied by a sonic boom that split the air, Captain Marvel was treated by the Lion King OriginalBody as an object and hurled away at six, even seven times the speed of sound.

So fast was the throw that, in the instant Lai Ang finished his throwing motion, Danvers was carried passively for dozens of kilometers.

"Bang!!!"

Finally, it made intimate contact with a massive boulder situated on a barren, desolate, cracked plain.

The powerful impact shattered the boulder into pieces, and the surrounding land heaved, sand and dust shooting upward to form a mushroom cloud.

Before the aftershocks had subsided, Lai Ang, unbeknownst when, was already standing at the edge of the mushroom cloud, waiting silently.

Soon, as the sand and dust cleared, a shallow crater about a hundred meters in radius appeared, centered on that boulder.

At the very center of the crater stood Danvers, unharmed, his hair defying gravity and floating upward, his whole body radiating iridescent light.

At this moment.

Danvers twisted his neck, emitting a 'click‑click… click‑click…' joint sound, his demeanor still lofty and disdainful of all.

It seemed that the previous blow had hardly injured him at all, and of course it had not made him realize how formidable the OriginalBody truly was, so his expression remained brimming with confidence.

"Not bad." Lai Ang, who rarely spoke, offered a rare word of praise.

After all, surviving an attack from the OriginalBody alone is enough to boast about for a lifetime.

"Heh, is that all you've got?"

Danvers obviously didn't realize that Lai Ang's praise carried no sarcasm but was sincere, so he readied himself to charge while continuing to laugh and say:

"Now it's my turn!"

"Whoosh!!!"

Before his words even faded, the light Danvers emitted became even more piercing and bright, and at a speed far exceeding sound—so fast that everything around seemed to freeze—he swung his right fist toward Lai Ang's face.

Time flowed extremely slowly.

As his fist was about to strike Lai Ang, Danvers' mouth curled upward in an ever‑growing grin, and in his mind he already envisioned Lai Ang's skull shattering.

However…

The previously dazed Lai Ang slowly shifted his gaze, locking onto Danvers, and this OriginalBody likewise revealed a 'smile'…

It was an expressionless, unnaturally cold smile.

????!!!!

Witnessing this sudden change left Danvers stunned.

But Lai Ang had no time to wonder what the little thing was thinking; he lifted his left hand even faster and firmly grasped Danvers' neck.

"Boom!!!!"

This grip instantly restored normal time flow and caused a violent impact behind Lai Ang, kicking up hurricane‑like dust and shattering the earth.

"Guh…"

Danvers wanted to say something, but with his neck locked in an iron grip he could not utter a sound.

In contrast, the uninterested Lai Ang used his idle right hand to pull the Lion King Heavy Sword attached to his back, then poured his Spiritual Energy into the blade and casually swung…

"Sizzle!"

(End of Chapter)