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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
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"Testing pain simulation response."
A mechanical arm wielded a steel whip, striking T-1050 hard on the back.
"Ugh!"
The "man" groaned, his back ripped open and bleeding red "blood." His facial muscles twitched, and his eyes showed pain and fear.
It was truly an Oscar-worthy performance.
"Test complete."
The next second.
The "blood" at the wound flowed backward, and the skin instantly healed, restoring it to its original state. The painful expression on the "man's" face also vanished, reverting to its factory setting.
"Product approved."
Skynet's electronic voice echoed in the empty factory.
"Instruction loaded:'Substitution'."
"Target: Skrulls."
As the command was issued, the first batch of T1050s simultaneously raised their heads.
Their bodies began to change.
Their skin writhed, transforming into rough green skin, pointed ears, and the iconic wrinkled chin.
In the blink of an eye, one hundred "Skrulls" stood there.
Whether it was appearance, body temperature, or even micro-expressions, they were identical to genuine Skrulls.
"From now on, you are them."
"Go, my children."
The gate opened.
This group of perfect killing machines, moving with neat, silent steps, dispersed into this noisy World.
A game of "Who is the Imposter?" was about to escalate... In the vast Universe, the galaxy shone brightly.
A dark blue spaceship was traveling in a subspace channel, the surrounding light stretched into colorful lines.
The "Homelander One" was moving at full speed.
The Quantum Engine, upgraded by Stark Industries and fine-tuned with Rocket Raccoon's Black Technology, allowed the spaceship to reach astonishing speeds.
"How much longer? This damned jump is making me sick."
Jessica Jones slumped in her seat, her face pale. This was her first time making such a long-distance interstellar jump, and the feeling of her insides being stretched was unpleasant.
"Soon, soon! Stop rushing me!"
Rocket's impatient voice came from the cockpit.
"Just one last jump! We're about to exit subspace! Hold on to the railing! Or just hold onto anything!"
"I am Groot!" Groot excitedly raised his hands nearby, acting as if he were on a roller coaster.
"Ready... 3, 2, 1! Exit!"
"Boom—Whoosh!!"
The spaceship jolted violently, and the surrounding stretched light instantly retracted, turning into pinpricks of starlight.
The massive inertia pressed everyone back into their seats.
When visibility returned to normal.
Everyone was stunned by the sight before them.
Floating directly ahead of the spaceship was a strange Planet.
"Oh my God..."
Jessica leaned toward the viewport, her eyes wide.
"That thing... it looks exactly like a face."
Yes.
Viewed from space, the Planet's cloud cover and geological features cleverly formed the outline of a giant human face.
Closed eyes, a raised nose, and even a slightly parted mouth.
It looked like a skull sleeping in the Universe.
"This is Ego the Living Planet." Yondu sat in the co-pilot seat, looking at the Planet with complex emotions. "A living Planet."
"Alright, looks like we're going to perform a craniotomy on this big head."
Homelander stood up from the massage chair, adjusting his collar and cape.
"Friday."
"I'm here, sir."
"Take control of the ship, maintain geosynchronous orbit hover. Activate full-spectrum stealth mode."
"Understood, sir. Stealth mode activated, shields fully charged."
Homelander turned to look at Jessica, pointing to the Metal Eyeball in her hand.
"Ready? My battlefield reporter?"
"Ready when you are." Jessica took a few deep breaths and adjusted her composure. Although her face was still a bit pale, her eyes were steady. "Full signal strength, 8K picture clarity."
"Excellent."
Homelander put on his signature smile and smoothed his suit.
"Then... let's broadcast!"
...Earth.
It was 8:00 PM New York time, primetime.
Whether it was the big screen in Times Square, the televisions in thousands of homes, or the phone screens in the hands of young people.
The screen suddenly flashed.
The familiar golden "V" logo rotated, followed immediately by a vast starry sky background.
And the face that reassured the entire World.
"Hi, Earth family! Good evening!"
Homelander waved at the camera, his tone as relaxed as if he were live-streaming from his own backyard.
"I'm your Homelander. Guess where I am now?"
The camera pulled back.
The giant face Planet appeared in the background of the shot.
"Whoa—!"
Earth instantly erupted.
The bullet screen comments went crazy:
[Oh my God! Is that the aliens' lair?]
[That fast! Already there? Vought Technology is the best in the World!]
[That Planet... looks like a face? That's kinda scary...]
[Homelander, be careful! That doesn't look like a good place!]
[You must come back safe! We love you!]
...Homelander couldn't see the comments, but he could guess the reaction on Earth.
"That's right, this is our destination."
He pointed to the Planet behind him and made a humorous face.
"It kind of looks like a giant meatball covered in mold, right?"
Jessica, off-camera, couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Alright, no more jokes."
Homelander dropped his smile, his expression becoming slightly more serious.
"We are about to land."
"This is not a drill, nor is it a movie. This is the first time humanity has set foot on this strange, evil Planet."
"Let's go, family!"
"I will show you the malice hidden deep within this Universe."
...Ten minutes later.
A small shuttle passed through Ego the Living Planet's atmosphere and landed on the Planet's surface.
The shuttle door opened, and Homelander walked down the ramp.
He turned slightly to the side so the camera could capture the bizarre and magnificent scenery.
In front of them, various bubble-shaped plants swayed in the wind. The ground was covered in strange red vegetation, and countless glowing spores floated in the air, like fireflies filling the sky.
The distant mountains exhibited strange, geologically impossible shapes, and waterfalls cascaded down, feeding into multi-colored lakes.
The colors of the entire World were intensely vivid, almost seductive.
"It looks like something you'd see after eating hallucinogenic mushrooms," Jessica commented sharply.
Countless people watched the unimaginable scene on their screens.
The bullet screen comments poured down like a waterfall:
[Oh my god! It really is an alien Planet!]
[What are those plants? They look like giant red blood cells?]
[Homelander is so handsome!]
Homelander walked forward, narrating like a tour guide.
Jessica followed closely behind him, but because the camera was controlled by brainwaves, and Jessica's brain... or rather, her subconscious, was clearly sometimes less than cooperative.