Full!
Incredibly full!
Ian felt as if he had been completely stuffed to the brim by the combined power of Belial and Ultron!
Belial and Conqueror Ultron—both of their powers transcended the scope of a single universe. Naturally, Ian couldn't "appropriate" too much from his extra dimension to attach to himself all at once.
Even so, a portion of that high-quality energy served as the fuel for his End-Time Body, which was enough to elevate Ian to an extraordinary height.
In truth, if not for the new skill brought by the Cosmic Tapeworm being powerful enough to feel like an Ultimate Skill, Ian wouldn't have been able to withstand the burden of this energy.
These were reserves he originally couldn't digest yet—plans involved using them to expand his extra dimension or slowly consuming them later—but now he had a means to apply them prematurely.
As everyone knows, the larger Galactus is, the more energy he has, and the more powerful he becomes. Currently, Ian's size had reached a point where he could rub planets between his palms like Tennis balls.
It wasn't that he couldn't get bigger; rather, this was Ian's current limit. No matter how powerful a skill is, the base stats still dictate the final effect.
"Now that you have seen this God, why do you not bow?"
Stealing lines was just a basic operation for Ian.
Inside the dark dimension, the Galactus-form Ian looked down at the tiny specks that were Darkseid and Trigon. His massive eyes flickered with the light of hunger and "wisdom."
"?????"
"!!!!!"
Darkseid and Trigon, the two evil titans who were supposed to be fighting to the death, now had to temporarily face this even more bizarre and unreasonable protector of the planet.
That is, if swallowing a planet into one's "stomach" could be considered protection.
"So this is Earth's hidden trump card."
Darkseid seemed to realize something.
Within the endless dark dimension, Trigon and Darkseid gazed up at the figure that stood between heaven and earth, radiating the aura of devouring all things. They both felt an unprecedented pressure.
It wasn't just the suffocating size of the opponent; it was the fact that this entire dark dimension was continuously suppressing and siphoning the power they emitted.
It was as if this space itself were a living, greedy predator.
"Wait... who the hell is this guy?!" A look of near-bewilderment appeared on Trigon's massive demonic face for the first time. His mind, filled with chaotic and evil knowledge, worked frantically, trying to search through countless ancient memories and dimensional data for a record that matched the being before him.
However, he found nothing.
This situation was bizarre to the extreme. In the multiverse, the more powerful a life form is, the harder its traces are to erase. They almost always leave fragments of information in the river of time, dimensional barriers, or ancient prophecies.
Like him and Darkseid—even if they hadn't met, they knew each other's names and general backgrounds.
But now there was an exception.
This guy, who radiated an aura of devouring and used such pure dark dimensional power, was a complete stranger! He had never heard a single whisper of him in the past. It was as if the guy had popped out of a crack in a rock!
It defied all common sense.
"Heh."
Compared to Trigon's uncertainty, Darkseid remained much more silent. No emotion could be seen on his rock-like face; only deep within his crimson eyes flickered a cold, rational light, as if he were engaged in deep calculation.
Seeing this, two of Trigon's six eyeballs swiveled toward Darkseid.
Thinking about how this guy had attacked him with Omega Beams without a word earlier, nearly causing him to fail before he'd even started, a surge of unholy fire rose within him. Demons are, by nature, an over-aggressive and petty species.
Although the power he had descended with was only a portion of his true self—meaning a loss would only result in a minor setback rather than death—he couldn't swallow this insult!
The nature of a demon left him with little regard for the "big picture." While Darkseid's attention seemed focused on the giant figure, Trigon secretly gathered his strength. One of his six arms rose quietly, and dark red magic saturated with soul-corroding power lunged toward Darkseid's back like a venomous snake!
The attack was stealthy, powerful, and sinister.
However, before the sneak attack could even touch Darkseid's armor, it was firmly blocked by a hand covered in black gauntlets. Darkseid didn't even turn his head. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his neck.
"Hmph." Darkseid let out a disdainful snort and finally turned his head, glancing at Trigon with crimson eyes filled with unmasked mockery.
"Do you know why you demons find it hard to achieve anything great? This is why. You can never distinguish priorities; you are ruled by chaotic instincts. Short-sightedness is the greatest flaw of your race."
Darkseid belittled him without mercy. His meaning was clear: they were both trapped in this bizarre dark dimension facing an unknown and powerful common "enemy." They should be temporarily uniting to find a way out or defeat the opponent.
Yet Trigon's approach was still internal strife and sneak attacks. From a strategic standpoint, it was nothing short of idiotic.
"You! Darkseid! Who do you think you are?! You think you're worthy of talking about alliances with me?! I—" Trigon's face turned green with rage.
"Shut up." Darkseid couldn't be bothered with his nonsense and cut him off, turning his gaze back to the mountain-like Ian. He didn't care what Trigon thought. In his eyes, the value of this dimensional demon was far inferior to figuring out the nature of this unknown entity.
"Let me see... what you are."
From his tiny physical form, Darkseid gazed up at the terrifyingly large Ian. Without another word, the Omega Effect—the power that struck fear into countless cosmic civilizations—began to operate at full capacity again!
This time, it wasn't a probing attack. Two Omega Beams, thicker and more solid than before, carrying even more terrifying causal-erasure power, tore through the space of the dark dimension like two roaring rivers of blood. With a will to destroy everything, they slammed into the chest of the Galactus-form Ian!
*Rumble~*
The power of these beams was superlative—far stronger than what he had shown before. It was no wonder the Old Father had been beaten so badly.
Of course, for the current Ian, he felt no fear—only joy.
"A trivial trick. You dare show off your meager skills before this God?"
Facing this terrifying attack capable of piercing stars and rewriting reality, the "Galactus" Ian performed an action that left both villains slack-jawed.
His giant hand, seemingly made of stardust and dark matter, rose. It looked slow but was as fast as lightning, reaching out to catch the two surging Omega Beams!
These were not physical objects that could be grabbed, but a power of "I don't care what you think, I only care what I think" was twisting reality.
Consequently, the moment the Omega Beams—which usually destroyed all they touched—came into contact with Ian's giant hand, they lost all their ferocity and became... obedient?
Like two venomous snakes grabbed by the neck!
Ian's massive fingers, with a dexterity that belied his size, twisted the two beams between his fingertips like kneading noodles before stuffing them into his giant maw that seemed capable of swallowing galaxies!
"Burp~"
It wasn't just delicious. Everyone could hear a faint, satisfied "burp."
[Contacted and absorbed high-dimensional energy, Lord of Entropy EXP +18888!]
[Contacted and absorbed high-dimensional energy, Lord of Entropy EXP +18888!]
...
Lines of notifications only Ian could see flashed by cheerfully.
Ian smacked his lips, as if savoring the flavor, then looked down at the tiny Darkseid. His massive eyes held a sense of pure curiosity and... encouragement? He reached out another finger and pointed at his still-open mouth, speaking in a grand voice that carried a familiar tone.
"Your aim needs to be better. Shoot it all into my mouth—wait, that didn't sound very elegant... anyway, just shove it in there! Use all your strength!"
"Trust me, I swear, I'm about to be stuffed to death!"
Although he looked like the majestic, disaster-tier Galactus on the outside, once he spoke, the flavor was unmistakable—it was the familiar Ian Kent. As always, his earnest vows and sincere frankness failed to win any trust.
Darkseid: "..."
Trigon: "..."
The two evil titans were speechless for a moment. If they told their minions this, even their minions wouldn't believe it. He was treating them like brainless zombies. His stable form looked like it was about to collapse? They had eyes! They could observe and think independently!
"This guy is truly strange."
Though his face remained calm, Darkseid's heart was far from it. His previous attack hadn't been expected to kill, but rather to verify his suspicions. Now the facts were clear: this unknown entity could indeed devour his Omega Beams and even turn them into "nutrients"! This completely overturned his understanding of the cosmic power system.
No matter how much he didn't want to believe it, Darkseid had to accept this absurd reality. His eyes flickered as he spoke his judgment in a low, solemn voice.
"He is most likely an existence outside the rules."
Darkseid sounded certain.
"Outside the rules?" Trigon looked at him in surprise. "You mean... he's one of those tumors that leaked in from the Outer Universe?"
"No!" He immediately corrected himself. "I've dealt with Outer Universe tumors. They are strongly rejected and suppressed by the rules of the Main Universe. It's impossible for one to have such a massive volume and power in this world without any rejection!"
Trigon might be chaotic, but he wasn't ignorant. He realized the gravity of the situation. This guy seemed completely unbound by conventional cosmic rules.
"The secrets this guy carries might be exactly what you and I need."
After this brief and bizarre exchange, Trigon temporarily suppressed his anger toward Darkseid and his thoughts of a sneak attack. He understood that neither he nor Darkseid could likely escape this bizarre dark dimension alone, let alone deal with a monster that could "eat" Omega Beams.
Villains also know how to judge the situation. Although no one spoke, they had effectively reached a fragile, forced temporary alliance. Without needing verbal communication, Darkseid and Trigon moved almost simultaneously!
Darkseid's body erupted with endless Dark New God power. The Omega Effect was no longer used as a beam, but transformed into an invisible domain of rules. He attempted to interfere with and erode Ian's existence on a conceptual level!
"Such an evil existence, such a dark dimension—if it could be merged with my power, it would surely let me go a step further!" Trigon, meanwhile, danced with all six arms. He invoked his authority as a dimensional demon.
Dark red chaotic magic surged like a tidal wave, mixed with soul shrieks, reality distortions, and causal disorder, sweeping toward Ian!
The two Universal-tier villain titans launched an all-out attack on the "Galactus" Ian Kent for the first time!
Inside the dark dimension, the tide of energy was overwhelming. It looked like the end of the world!
"Such crude attacks. Unlike me—I only want to influence you with love."
Facing Darkseid's invisible Omega domain and Trigon's overwhelming chaotic magic, the Galactus-form Ian showed an absolute defense that matched his majestic size. He didn't even lift a hand.
The terrifying attacks capable of annihilating galaxies and rewriting reality were pulled, decomposed, and absorbed by an invisible, deeper dark power the moment they got close to his body, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
[Absorbed high-dimensional rule-erasure energy, Lord of Entropy EXP +25000!]
[Absorbed chaotic dimensional magic, Lord of Entropy EXP +18000!]
[Physical adaptability increased! Resistance to rule-based attacks slightly enhanced!]
While Ian comfortably absorbed the experience packs "sent" by the two big bosses, he actually had the leisure to speak. Clearly, these attacks didn't count for much in terms of intensity.
His grand voice echoed throughout the dark dimension, but the content nearly made the two attacking villains lose control of their energy in rage.
Ian first targeted Trigon, speaking in a tone of disgust and lecturing.
"By the way, did someone just say I'm evil? My brain is too big, and the nerve transmission speed is a bit slow—" After explaining himself, Ian immediately looked at Trigon.
"You're the evil one! You're the dark one! Your whole family is evil and dark!" This delayed rebuttal was full of emotion and righteous indignation. You couldn't tell at all that it was a response delayed by three minutes.
"?????"
Trigon felt utterly numb. His attacking movements even stuttered, nearly causing him to suffer a backlash from his own magic. Meanwhile, Ian continued to talk incessantly, as if conducting a righteous trial.
"If you don't have a shred of discernment, don't come out and embarrass yourself! Open those six eyes of yours and look closely! Is this darkness? Do I look evil?"
He even slightly adjusted his face made of stardust and dark matter, trying to make an expression he thought was "kind and radiant." In reality, the effect was horrifying.
"I am clearly wielding this dark power with a heart of justice!" Ian's voice suddenly rose, carrying a theatrical, operatic sense. "I am the God of Light—Eni Tekne!"
Since he had "schemes" now, Ian knew he shouldn't use his real name away from home, so he reversed his name, thinking it made him look clever while being a tongue-twister.
"I once fell into boundless darkness, struggling but unable to free myself..."
"I walked the void, my heart hesitating and lost, not knowing where to go..."
"I was as lonely... as a two hundred billion trillion ton child!"
Ian's tone was deep and soulful, his creative talent once again producing a massive artistic effect.
"What is he doing?" Trigon listened to this nonsensical, irrelevant "confession" and "history of awakening," and felt his demonic core trembling. It wasn't fear; it was pure bewilderment. The unknown was terrifying.
While coordinating with Darkseid to change attack methods—from energy impacts to rule curses—trying to find Ian's weakness, he couldn't help but roar in frustration.
"Who the fuck is asking you about this?! Shut the hell up!" He was caught off guard by every one of Ian's reactions, which only made him feel more uneasy.
When it came to getting angry, Trigon was an authority, but Ian ignored him completely. His mouth was like a perpetual motion machine that wouldn't stop yapping. He continued his soulful narration.
"Until that day... I met the light of my life! My guide!"
"I became sworn brothers with the Stocking Angel!"
"It was him! With his shining stockings... uh, shining Holy Light! He influenced me!"
"He made me finally realize that I was a child of light, only led astray by villains into this boundless darkness! Yeah, some very, very bad super-capital set me up."
"Of course, even so, it couldn't restrict me. Now! My heart of light has awakened!" Ian's voice became incredibly "firm" and "passionate," as if delivering an inaugural address.
"I, Eni Tekne, hereby swear! From now on, I will use this power to protect Earth, the land that nurtured me! To protect this beautiful planet! Any evil existence wishing to destroy its peace and tranquility will have to step over my corpse!"
"I have a dream! I want the light to shine into every corner! I want hope to be reignited in people's hearts! I want all of humanity to bask in my care."
"For... love and peace! There will be no more poverty or hunger, no more disease or worry..." Ian continued to chatter, adding various details.
Trigon's head was buzzing, and he felt his sanity being ground into the dirt. He couldn't help but slow down his attacks, looking at Darkseid, who was still calmly searching for a weakness, and asking in a collapsed tone.
"No! Who the hell is he talking to?! What the fuck is all this?!"
Darkseid: "..."
Even the Dark Lord couldn't maintain his absolute coldness anymore. A hint of incomprehensible confusion flashed in his crimson eyes.
Yes, even with a high-dimensional brain and high-dimensional wisdom, Darkseid had his thinking limits. He didn't know why Ian wasn't counterattacking at all and was giving a speech instead.
This wasn't an award ceremony! Everyone was fighting! A life-and-death struggle!
To maintain his aloof image, Darkseid chose not to dwell on it, let alone answer Trigon. He simply focused harder on maintaining his attacks on Ian.
[Absorbed high-dimensional rule-erasure energy, Lord of Entropy EXP +30200!]
[Absorbed high-dimensional rule-erasure energy, Lord of Entropy EXP +24000!]
[Absorbed chaotic dimensional magic, Lord of Entropy EXP +18000!]
[Absorbed chaotic dimensional magic, Lord of Entropy EXP +18000!]
Trigon was also cooperating, but neither of them knew that their attacks were pure supplements for Ian. Every attack brought him experience packs.
To be honest, one couldn't blame the two dark bosses for their lack of discernment. They failed to perceive the truth because Ian's form of life simply hadn't existed in the DC universe before.
The more they attacked, the more excited Ian became. He wanted to keep these two as pets. When had he ever encountered such high-level gains!
"Oh! I can't take it! I'm dying! Stop hitting me!" In the gaps between his speech, Ian "frightenedly" encouraged the two.
Then.
"But even so! I will not back back down! You wish to force me to hand over Earth!" This back-and-forth speech was like his left and right brains fighting each other, while simultaneously creating a fictitious reason for his persistence.
"..."
Trigon realized Ian might be even shittier than he was. Did they even want Earth? This method of misinterpretation was remarkably smooth! Clearly not a novice!
"Look, just tell me. Tell me. What the hell do you actually want to do? Can you be normal for one second?" Trigon couldn't just not understand Ian's behavior; he couldn't even begin to analyze or fathom the structure of Ian's brain.
"I want to protect Earth!" Ian responded firmly.
"..."
Trigon was driven to self-isolation. He went completely silent, plugged his ears, and buried his head in a flurry of attacks.
"This guy must have a weakness." His body circled the sun-blotting Ian like a ghost, trying to find a single flaw.
Darkseid was also a hard man. Hearing Trigon's words, this cold tyrant did something a bit ridiculous: he aimed for Ian's buttocks, seemingly wanting to drill inside and destroy Ian from within.
"Hiss! I didn't know you were that kind of Darkseid!"
Ian finally moved. He quickly covered his black-hole-sized rear. He sounded panicked, but that didn't stop him from growing another mouth to continue speaking.
"Don't think you can threaten me with my purity... you have no idea what Earth means to me. It's not just redemption; it's hope!"
"I have a dream..."
Meanwhile, outside the dark dimension on the real Earth.
The crippled Superman, Clark Kent, was carefully helped up from the rubble by Wonder Woman and Cyborg. He clutched his still-aching chest, golden blood lingering at the corner of his mouth.
However, he ignored his injuries and stared fixedly at a piece of ruins. There, a large television with a cracked screen and sparks flying from its edges stood.
Despite being heavily damaged, its core components seemed to be working stubbornly. Wayne Tech really was top-tier.
On the screen, the scenes within the dark dimension were clearly visible—the main subject being the mountain-high "Galactus" manifestation.
"So! Embodiments of evil! Before me, the God of Light, Eni Tekne, tremble! Repent! And then... be completely purified by the light of this protective heart!" There was even surround sound and background music playing Ian's soulful "speech."
"..."
In that moment, Superman seemed to realize something. He turned his head stiffly, bit by bit, looking at the dark figure that had silently appeared behind him.
Batman.
"..."
Bruce Wayne was still in his Batsuit, but his cowl was retracted, revealing his sharp-featured face, which now wore an extremely complex expression. He saw the look in Superman's eyes that asked, "Please tell me it's not what I think it is."
He was silent for a few seconds.
"It is exactly what you think. Every TV, computer, playback device, and even MP4 in the world... has been compromised. I don't know how he did it. He even gave a free upgrade to black-and-white TVs that have no internet and aren't even plugged in."
Batman's deep, gravelly voice was as profound as ever. Tragic. Filled with a sense of sorrow and self-reproach for a disaster he was powerless to stop. Even he had to admit that when it came to improvisation...
Ian Kent was second to none.