Sindragosa led her frostwyrms and the remaining undead, encircling Galactus in a loose formation. However, all they dared do was harry him from afar with bursts of magic.
Death Coil, Soul Blast, Blood Boil, even the powers of the Infinity Stones—when launched toward Galactus, they were no more than a breeze brushing past him, utterly ineffective.
Galactus sneered. "The Infinity Stones are marvelous relics... but they're useless to me now."
He raised a hand, effortlessly absorbing the energy pulse from the Stones and converting it into cosmic sustenance—the Power Cosmic. His strength surged once more.
A crimson glow flared from his clenched fist, the intense heat radiating outward like the breath of a star.
As Galactus charged forward, Garus layered several protective wards around himself. He raised Frostmourne, its blade now glowing with blood-tinged energy, and swung it down hard onto Galactus' armor. Sparks exploded on impact—and to Garus' astonishment, the world-devourer was sent flying, crashing into the fragment of a shattered planet.
It caught Garus completely off guard, but he didn't hesitate. He immediately gave chase.
Galactus was in agony. Inside him, it felt as if an ocean was churning, something monstrous swelling and struggling to break free.
Did he... eat something bad?
Lying sprawled across an asteroid, Galactus felt drained of all strength. He had devoured countless planets across eons, and never once had his cosmic digestion betrayed him like this.
But Garus had no time to ponder. With a sweep of his hand, black chains erupted from the void, coiling around Galactus' massive form like living serpents, binding him limb by limb, then dragging his colossal body through space, smashing him into asteroid after asteroid.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Galactus was hurled around like a ragdoll, pulverizing stone and debris in his wake, and yet—he could not resist. His senses began to fade, numbness spreading through his vast form.
Strike while the enemy is weak.
The Scourge closed in. Surrounded by undead legions, Ulysses, Sindragosa, and Garus launched an unrelenting assault. They tore into Galactus' armor, blow by blow, until fractures began to show.
"Get back—now!"
Garus' voice rang out sharply as he spotted the red glow intensifying over Galactus' body. The others didn't question it—they all retreated at full speed.
Thousands of kilometers out, they turned—just in time to see a blinding crimson flash behind them. Galactus exploded.
A shockwave of pure energy ripped outward.
The explosion came out of nowhere. Though Garus had managed to suppress Galactus temporarily, he hadn't inflicted enough damage to justify such a detonation. It felt more like... something inside Galactus had gone horribly wrong.
"Master, what is that?"
Following Queen Lana'thel's gaze, Garus saw something bizarre left in the wake of the explosion—a floating sphere, its surface coated in a strange, foamy substance. It began to pulse... like a heartbeat.
"Let's take a look."
He cast a glance back at the battlefield—stars shattering, space itself collapsing in places—but death wasn't imminent. For now, he had to see what this thing was. Whatever it was, it had forced Galactus to self-destruct. That alone demanded answers.
As Garus approached, he still couldn't tell what it was. But... something inside was stirring. A nascent consciousness, forming slowly.
...
Meanwhile, deep in a forest on Earth, a strange plant began to twitch. Then, just as suddenly—it went still again.
"ALERT: Unknown energy intrusion detected. System intercepting. Recommend maximum power output."
Inside the planetary defense hub, the Titan Mainframe blared its warning. This time, things looked serious.
As the system barrier wavered under pressure, the facility director immediately diverted all energy reserves to shielding. The breach was barely contained.
"Jack! Go notify Dr. Wim—now!"
"Yes, Director!"
Jack sprinted off down the corridor toward Dr. Wim's office.
...
Light-years away, on a distant, dreamlike planet where the skies danced with strange creatures, the surface beauty was merely a mask.
In a serene garden, Drax the Destroyer muttered to Rocket, "Hey, little raccoon... doesn't this place give you the creeps?"
Rocket brandished the weapon he always kept at his side. "Call me that again. I dare you."
Just then, Mantis emerged from behind a door, hesitant to speak.
Rocket glanced up. "Hey, sweetheart, got any booze?"
"Sorry..."
Suddenly, Gamora burst into view, dagger already in hand. She pinned it against Mantis' throat. "Talk. What's with those corpses in the cave?"
"Cough—wait! Let me breathe first!" Mantis gasped, her face flushed red from the pressure.
Gamora struggled to keep her fury in check, but the rage on her face was clear.
"I swear, Ego is Peter's father. But he brought Peter here for his own dark reasons. What you saw—those were all Ego's children. He tried awakening their Celestial potential... but they couldn't handle it. So they died."
That was all Gamora needed to hear. "I have to warn Quill!"
Mantis grabbed her wrist, trembling. "You don't understand... You can't fight Lord Ego. This planet—we're standing on him. His consciousness is the world. He's an ancient Celestial."
Drax stepped forward, blocking Gamora. He believed Mantis. Ego had unsettled him from the start—no warmth in his eyes, not the joy one expects from a father reuniting with a long-lost child.
Rocket muttered, unimpressed, "Great. I thought we found a sugar daddy. Turns out, he's just nuts."
Gamora wouldn't hear it. "Let me go! I won't let Quill end up like those bones!"
Rocket tried reasoning. "Look, what if we head back to Earth first? Get Garus to help us deal with this lunatic. If he can take on Thanos, I bet he can handle Ego."
Mantis added, "Ego can't access Peter's power without Peter's consent. He's safe... for now."
Drax nodded. "Gamora, I think that's the best plan. We need help. If we fight here, we all die."
Groot, ever supportive, chimed in cheerfully, "I am Groot!"
As they spoke, the ground beneath them trembled. Blinding white beams erupted from the planet's surface, streaking toward the sky.
Mantis' eyes widened. "Wait—what's happening?! This has never happened before. It looks like…"
-----------------------
TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON