Once the energy beam—its primary means of attack—became useless, the Destroyer armor was no longer a match for Aurelius Viremont.
With every strike, Aurelius Viremont absorbed the energy from the Destroyer's counterattacks to strengthen himself. Throughout the battle, his stamina remained entirely unspent, keeping him in peak condition. After reaching Lv.4 Energy Absorption, his capabilities had undergone a qualitative leap; he could now absorb nearly all forms of energy, even pulling from sources within a certain range without direct contact.
Aside from bio-energy, chemical energy, and a few other internal niche types, he could easily absorb and manipulate almost anything.
For instance...
As an energy beam hurtled toward him, Aurelius Viremont made a slight gripping motion with his right hand. The beam twisted as it neared him, rapidly condensing into a shimmering spear of light. He then thrust it back into the Destroyer's chassis, triggering a violent internal explosion.
However, this was merely a rudimentary use of raw energy. It couldn't compare to using a formal skill. Given the same amount of energy, a skill could unleash far greater power.
With another Black Flash, Aurelius Viremont sent the Destroyer flying. The armor could no longer easily withstand his strikes; the faceplate cracked under the impact, though it continued to repair itself at a visible rate.
After a few more minutes, Aurelius Viremont had fully acclimated to his Lv.4 Energy Absorption. His body vanished from its spot and reappeared instantly in front of the Destroyer, his palm gently pressing against its chest.
In the next heartbeat, he released a Black-Red Singularity at point-blank range. The massive repulsive force erupted against the Destroyer's chest plate, finally piercing through the thick Uru metal and dealing significant damage.
Watching the armor continue its relentless self-repair, Aurelius Viremont couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of Odin. The Destroyer, when controlled by Loki, couldn't utilize its full potential. He wondered what kind of majesty it would display if worn by the All-Father himself.
But Aurelius Viremont had seen enough. The machine before him could no longer pose the slightest threat.
Staring at the Destroyer, Aurelius Viremont took off his sunglasses and tossed them aside. He extended the fingers of his left hand, while his right hand hovered near the left in a cupping motion. The excitement in his eyes reached its zenith.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue!"
An azure black hole, half the size of a person, manifested behind his left side.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!"
A black-red singularity of equal size formed behind his right. Because he was forcing the output, it was slightly unstable; black lightning leaked out, obliterating the surroundings. However, as the lightning neared Aurelius Viremont, it was sucked in by his Energy Absorption, leaving him unharmed.
Finally, Aurelius Viremont made a snapping gesture toward the front, speaking the name of the ultimate technique that required the fusion of these two powerful powers:
"Hollow Technique: Purple!"
The azure black hole and the black-red singularity overlapped. Under the absolute control of Lv.4 Energy Absorption and the instinctive guidance of his skill experience, a deep purple sphere of "imaginary mass" fully formed. Accompanied by arcs of purple lightning, it crashed toward the Destroyer.
A blinding purple light eclipsed everything else, turning the world monochrome. All that could be seen was a massive violet orb streaking forward, annihilating everything in its path.
In an instant, the horrific sphere passed through the Destroyer and continued its advance, pulverizing the desert floor, piercing through a distant mountain peak, and vanishing over the horizon.
When the dust settled, Thor and the others stood frozen. A massive trench, dozens of meters wide, started from the White Demon's feet and stretched as far as the eye could see. Even the towering mountain in the distance had been completely cored out.
As for the indestructible Destroyer armor? After taking a direct hit from an attack capable of cutting through space itself, it was gone. Not even a scrap of Uru metal remained.
In the Realm of Asgard, as the final image from the Destroyer cut to static, Loki's body went limp. What kind of monster is this?!
In a separate, opulent chamber, beneath a layer of transparent crystal, the slumbering Odin suddenly snapped his one eye open, a look of profound shock flickering within. Another Ancient One?
In a mysterious temple elsewhere, a kind-looking bald woman set down her tea. She turned her head toward the distance and whispered softly, "Has he already grown to this extent? As expected of a mysterious existence that exists only as himself in the multiverse, without a single variant..."
In a hidden military base, the scene in the desert—captured by spy satellites—was projected onto a massive screen. Colonel Stryker pointed at the colossal trench that seemed to split the desert in two and roared:
"The White Demon has grown to this level! If we don't launch the extermination plan now, once his strength increases again, we will never have another chance to kill him. All of America will be under his rule!"
Hearing this, a general immediately spoke up: "I agree."
Following him, the other high-ranking military officials nodded in succession.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Within moments, the plan to annihilate the White Demon was unanimously authorized. Stryker finally let out a smile. He turned to the generals and said:
"Generals, the White Demon suppression devices and the Sentinels equipped with spatial-cleaving capabilities are fully prepared. We can strike at any moment!"
Minutes later, supersonic helicopters—already fueled and waiting at the nearest base—took off and streaked toward Aurelius Viremont's location.
At the end of the giant trench, Aurelius Viremont wore a radiant smile as he surveyed the scar left by his technique.
Logically, Lv.1 Hollow Technique: Purple shouldn't have been this powerful. He had used his Lv.4 Energy Absorption to force a higher output, resulting in this staggering display of force. However, an attack of this magnitude was a heavy burden; he was breathing heavily, and his internal energy was nearly depleted.
But thanks to Lv.4 Energy Absorption, he was rapidly pulling in solar energy, ambient heat, and the last drops from his Arc Reactors. His reserves were refilling at an incredible rate.
Within moments, he was nearly back to full capacity. The two Arc Reactors floating beside him dimmed completely, their energy totally drained.
Looking at the empty reactors, Aurelius Viremont mused, "Looks like it's time to ask Stark for new ones. And I should prepare to acquire the Space Stone; Lv.4 Energy Absorption should be enough to handle it..."
He checked his battle rewards. Two of his skills had leveled up again...