Chapter 437: Attack from the Universe
"A fleet?" Thor and Loki looked at each other in confusion. Where did this fleet come from?
"Heimdall, make it clear that we have no hostile intent." To avoid unnecessary trouble, Thor gave the command.
Heimdall nodded quickly and passed Thor's order down. Soon, the starship's broadcast system transmitted a message:
"This is the Asgardian refugee ship, Statesman. We are twenty-two parsecs away from Asgard."
"Our crew is composed of Asgardian refugees; we have almost no military hardware. We are not a warship! Repeat! We are not a warship!"
Hearing that an unknown military vessel was approaching, the nerves of every Asgardian on board stretched to their breaking point. Loki felt that something was wrong. He looked up sharply and shouted, "Something's off! Prepare defenses!"
"Why?" Thor asked, puzzled.
At that exact moment—BOOM!
An energy beam from the opposing ship slammed into the starship's energy shield.
Earth - Shadow Kingdom
"So this is the Nano-Armor?" Silas arrived at the laboratory, where a single ring sat on a display stand.
The ring was carved in the shape of a dragon. The dragon's head was fierce and majestic, with eyes that commanded respect and horns that gleamed with a sharp, cold light. Most impressively, the obsidian-like dragon scales were carved with such life-like detail that it looked like a real black dragon living in a miniature world.
"This is the Blacklight Armor we created for you, Master. We used the dragon totem of the Middle Kingdom as a prototype to forge this Dragon Ring."
Little Black held the ring respectfully, kneeling on one knee as he presented it to Silas with both hands.
Silas took the Dragon Ring with a look of delight. He ran his fingers over the scales; they felt cool and strangely authentic, like touching the scales of a real serpent.
"The Nano-Armor is stored within this ring. You only need to wear it to activate the Blacklight Armor," Little Black explained.
Silas nodded and slid the ring onto his right index finger. It felt comfortable—not hard or restrictive like common metal rings.
"How do I use it?" Silas held his hand up to the light, admiring the craftsmanship.
"You only need to press down on the dragon's horns," Little Black replied.
Technically, the armor could be controlled through neural link, but that would require Silas to undergo surgery to implant an identification chip under his skin. Silas, naturally, refused. He didn't want to complicate things, and since he was already powerful, he didn't feel the need for such body experiments. To his knowledge, Tony Stark was the only one currently pursuing that path.
"Then let's give it a try." Silas stroked the horns and pressed down.
A flicker of light flashed through the dragon's eyes. Starting from Silas's right index finger, obsidian-colored metallic particles rapidly flowed over his entire body. His civilian clothes were instantly covered by a layer of interlocking scales. A faint shimmer rippled across the surface as the scales clicked into place.
A pair of sharp, protruding dragon claws appeared on his shoulders, while a haughty dragon head design formed across his chest. The "eyes" of the chest-piece glowed with a subtle, menacing red light. This was the latest Blacklight Nano-Armor, deep black and forged primarily from Vibranium.
As for where the Vibranium came from... well, since the Shadow Khan had a base in Africa, "borrowing" some from the neighbors was only natural.
"This is impressive." Silas looked at his hands. Currently, only his head remained uncovered. This wasn't because the research was incomplete, but because Silas didn't need it—he already had his Shadow Mask to serve as a helmet. The mask's material was strange; it could be torn by hand but was impenetrable by bullets. Once worn, it became an indestructible part of the user.
"As long as it pleases you, Master," Little Black said.
"I need to take this for a test run." Like a child with a new toy, Silas immediately returned to the real world to test the suit's functions.
The African Savannah
"Is that rhino still alive?" Silas asked as he stepped onto the plains.
"Of course, Master," Big Black replied, holding the Hurricane Rabbit respectfully. Since the previous incident, Big Black often brought the rabbit here to play, while simultaneously keeping an eye on Aleksei Sytsevich—the Rhino.
"Mmhmm." Silas flickered over to where Aleksei was held.
The Rhino looked utterly listless, as if he were at death's door. Seeing Silas, Aleksei shouted desperately, "I beg you! Just kill me!"
"Kill you?" Silas shook his head with a laugh. "How about I give you a chance instead?"
"What kind of chance?" Aleksei's interest was only half-piqued. Since being imprisoned by Silas, he had endured the elements and, more importantly, a crushing loneliness. In prison, he could move around. Here, he was buried up to his neck in dirt, forced to eat, drink, and sleep in the same spot. It was driving him insane. He just wanted a quick end.
"If you can defeat me, I'll let you go," Silas said with a smile.
"Impossible. I can't beat you." Aleksei shook his head. He was only in this hole because he couldn't beat Silas in the first place.
"I forgot to clarify. I won't use any of my strange powers. I'll fight you using only this suit. If I use any other power during the fight, you win by default. How about it?"
"Really?!" Aleksei's eyes lit up. This was an actual opportunity!
"Of course. Anyone who knows me knows I never lie." Silas clenched his fist, and the earth binding Aleksei snapped open, granting him freedom.
Feeling the hated restraint vanish, Aleksei jumped out like a madman, laughing at the top of his lungs. "Hahaha! I'm finally out! Incredible!" He danced on the grass, even kneeling down to take a deep breath of the scent of the earth.
"Don't get too excited, Aleksei. You haven't beaten me yet." Silas hadn't expected such a reaction, but a rule was a rule.
"You promised... no weird powers?" Aleksei asked cautiously. He was genuinely traumatized, fearing Silas might bury him again on a whim.
"Yes. Come at me." Silas was eager to test the Nano-Armor's strength. A swirl of black mist formed around his head, creating a natural helmet.
"AH!" Hearing Silas's confirmation, Aleksei charged like a maddened rhinoceros. His sheer weight made the earth tremble, sending out low, thundering rumbles.
"Looking for revenge?" Silas chuckled. He knew Aleksei probably wanted to tear him limb from limb.
"Let's see what this suit can do!" Silas didn't retreat; he charged forward and collided head-on with the Rhino.
CRASH!
Outer Space
The once-pristine starship was now a smoking ruin, looking as though it had been ravaged by the most ruthless of space pirates.
"Hear me and rejoice. For you have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan."
"You may think this is suffering. No... it is salvation. The universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile..."
A tall, gaunt figure—Ebony Maw—walked calmly over the corpses of the Asgardian people.
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