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"Intriguing!" Thanos's voice echoed clearly in Arthur's mind. "I'll give you a chance to continue."
"Then I'm truly grateful for your generosity," Arthur replied with a grin. "I was right beside you, yet you couldn't identify me. This made Ebony Maw's departure inevitable, because I would never pass up an opportunity to target one of your subordinates alone. I would definitely take action... After that, everything became quite simple."
"Extremely simple!"
Thanos said coldly, "You appeared near Ebony Maw. Fortunately for me, in your eagerness to hunt him down, you even altered the transmission coordinates, forcing all his subordinates to leave his vicinity and further narrowing my search area. By then, you had already become prey caught in my web."
"Prey?" Arthur sighed softly, gazing up at the starry expanse. "How intriguing."
"Then... you're prepared to die?" Thanos asked impassively. "Though your vitality far surpasses that of ordinary Earthlings, you're not as fragile or inferior, your life still has an end. When all comes to an end, you will still die! And now, you're powerless!"
"Was the space-suppressing device prepared for me?" Arthur inquired.
"Did you truly believe your actions would leave no trace?" Thanos retorted. "I leave no possibility unconsidered."
Arthur paused, then sighed. "Perhaps... we are more alike than I thought..."
Arthur scanned his surroundings. The spatial abilities had been almost completely suppressed, with Thanos's fleet forming the core of a blockade that sealed off everything within this region of space.
He had already stored his cloak in the Disassemble space, after all, it would later become Stephen's partner, and Arthur couldn't let it be annihilated in the void.
In the next instant, Raven God's Wings manifested, unleashing an explosive burst of acceleration. Like a meteor streaking across the void, Arthur's immediate judgment was clear: escape!
This time, Thanos had come prepared!
The elaborate trap, set up at the cost of Ebony Maw's life, declared his unwavering resolve.
Even with the confidence to face Thanos in single combat, Arthur couldn't possibly defeat him while surrounded by enemy forces.
Escape was the only option, break free, and there would still be a chance!
Was this reckless overconfidence? Arthur wondered as he tore through the layers of the void. No matter. Everything remains within my control.
Though they had uncovered some of his secrets, they clearly hadn't grasped the full extent of his capabilities.
A searing light blinked across the cosmos. Arthur, clearly the target, found himself completely locked on. No matter how he dodged and weaved, he couldn't escape the attack's range entirely.
Golden light coalesced around him, accompanied by a golden eye that relentlessly tracked his every move. When struck, the golden light faltered, but the eye's power instantly mended Arthur's wounds.
After a round of attacks, Arthur emerged virtually unscathed, though his internal energy reserves had dwindled significantly.
But this posed no real problem for him. His body paused momentarily in space before vanishing without a trace in the next instant.
Once he broke through the encirclement, the spatial suppression force field dissipated instantly. Arthur's body lightened, and he blinked once, twice, repeatedly... Glancing back, he saw Thanos's fleet still struggling to turn around.
While the fleet's maneuverability wasn't slow, it paled in comparison to Arthur's speed.
Even so, Arthur remained vigilant. Once the Spaceships completed their turns and accelerated into full flight, those who had locked onto him would have little difficulty catching up.
With a thought, Arthur summoned a spacecraft to his side, and in the blink of an eye, he was already in the pilot's seat.
Perhaps anticipating this very scenario, the spacecraft had remained powered up throughout. With a quick push of the throttle, its roaring engines blazed to life, propelling the craft into a wormhole, where it vanished instantly.
Less than twenty seconds after his disappearance, Thanos's fleet surged into the wormhole behind him, relentlessly pursuing.
With a flash of light and shadow, Arthur's spacecraft emerged from the wormhole. He made no further adjustments; the entire trajectory had already been programmed. Freeing his hands, he sent a message to Natasha.
"The 'sweet potato' is in position. How's the microwave oven coming along?"
"Everything's ready," Natasha's voice crackled in his ear. "The artificial moon has replaced the original, allowing people to continue gazing at the moon and dreaming endlessly. But the projection won't last more than three months. Let's hope the real moon returns by then, or Earth might face serious consequences."
"In any case, it won't be destroyed," Arthur said. "I predict this chase will last at least three days. The intense pursuit should make them feel the fatigue of constant jumping."
"Resting and waiting for your enemy is always the most appealing strategy."
The communication ended there. Arthur closed his eyes, opened his palm, and an orange light blinked in his palm. "So, does all this align with what you foresaw?"
Silence. Utter silence.
Arthur closed his eyes, clenched his fist, and the light vanished without a trace.
Never approach the world with absolute certainty, for you can rarely imagine the surprises it has in store for you.
Thanos believed he was fishing, unaware that Arthur also intended to toss a Thanos into the microwave for a thorough roasting.
The battlefield was set on Vormir.
Since the stage had already been prepared, why not let the play continue?
The only concern was that once the Intergalactic Battleship left its original position, it might have a certain impact on Earth.
Fortunately, it was moving away, not closer, so the impact wasn't as severe as anticipated. Thanks to Camp Lehigh's projection system, people would hardly notice the moon had "run away from home" unless they were physically on the ground!
Moreover, Camp Lehigh had already begun exerting its influence, ensuring that no lunar missions would be attempted for at least three months...
Everything was progressing, and it seemed the finale was just around the corner.
Three days later!
A battered spacecraft emerged from a wormhole, most of its equipment destroyed and its hull riddled with damage.
Arthur, however, remained composed. He instantly accelerated to maximum speed, his body vanishing into the spacecraft... only to reappear moments later in another, cloaked Spaceship hidden at this coordinate point.
"Long time no see!"
Natasha's voice echoed in Arthur's ear the moment he materialized.
(End of Chapter)