The ground trembled and the winds howled. The previously clear blue sky was now painted a deep, ominous black. A chaotic surge of energy, like a pair of giant hands, instantly tore through the earth beneath Lothar's feet, and a brain majestically flew out from the fissures.
Yes, a brain.
The Other was certain he hadn't misidentified it. The thing that flew out of the cracked earth was truly a brain!
"Lo... Your Highness, Prince Lothar... what is this...?" The Other, who had never seen anything like this, was stuttering in shock.
Lothar, standing nearby, frowned without a word. With his extreme sensitivity to energy, he could feel a threat emanating from this peculiar brain. A threat that surpassed that of Odin.
The elderly Odin, for all his power, was still limited by the rules of the universe, and his physical functions had inevitably declined significantly. Even with the Destroyer Armor, he had still died at the hands of the young and vigorous Lothar. But this "brain"...
Rumble!!!
A piercing bolt of lightning struck the brain with incomparable speed, and a rich purple light instantly enveloped its surface. The purple light gradually contracted, and the brain's mass began to change.
Over thousands of years, fed by countless offspring, Ego, the first planet in the universe to develop a consciousness, had finally taken the last step in its evolution after devouring its final son. One foot had now entered the supreme realm of a true god.
The purple light dissipated, and Ego was still in his previous white-haired form. But a new detail was that his skin was now smooth and delicate, like a newborn's.
"Is this your true form?"
Lothar narrowed his eyes, watching Ego slowly descend before him. The magnificent divine power had transformed into an elegant set of clothes to cover his body, and the wrinkles of the past were gone from his silver temples.
"Finally, I'm free."
Ignoring Lothar's question, Ego simply closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of true freedom. He had finally taken the last step. Now, he no longer had to worry about his enemies finding the planet that had given birth to him. Because he was now free; he had advanced to a higher form of life. And for that, he was indebted to the children who had sacrificed their lives for him over thousands of years.
Ego opened his eyes and bowed in the direction where Star-Lord's bones had fallen.
"Thank you, my dear boy."
Unfortunately, Star-Lord was no longer able to respond.
"If he were alive, I doubt he'd accept your thanks," Lothar scoffed, mercilessly exposing Ego's fake benevolence.
"I gave him his life. Now, I've simply taken it back."
"You're not a father, so you wouldn't understand, Lothar," a lighthearted Ego said, completely unbothered by Lothar's sarcasm.
"You and Odin must have a lot in common." Lothar's golden hair began to grow longer, reaching past his waist. A golden suit of armor flew from Lothar's ship outside the planet's atmosphere, carving several dazzling streaks of light across the sky before settling onto his body. The turbulent energy gradually stabilized. On the back of his right hand, two Infinity Stones pulsed with a deep, mysterious glow.
"Really?"
"Of course. I can send you to meet him." The cape behind him fluttered without wind, and his waist-length golden hair danced wildly as Lothar charged forward!
Swoosh!
Boom!!!
The force of a single punch was so great it split the earth and shattered the sky! The ground beneath Lothar instantly broke into pieces. He frowned and turned to face Ego, who had appeared behind him out of nowhere. Lothar hadn't felt any energy fluctuations from Ego's speed just now.
"Impressive power, Lothar."
"Without my son's help, you would have indeed been more powerful than I."
Ego applauded, the smirk on his face making Lothar uncomfortable.
"But..." Ego's figure vanished instantly, then reappeared behind Lothar without reason, a blade of energy bursting from his hand and aiming straight for Lothar's neck!
Clang!
A sharp clash of metal rang out. Instinctively, Lothar turned and raised his hands to defend, and his body was forced to retreat.
"Now, you are no match for me."
Ego dissipated the energy blade and raised his right index finger, a purple cosmic ray erupting from its tip!
Zzzzt!
The purple ray shot through the air, only to be neutralized by an energy wave fired by Lothar's other hand. The brilliant fireworks illuminated Lothar's and Ego's faces in the darkness.
"Teleportation?"
Lothar's brows were furrowed. There was no sign of energy manipulation. This kind of instantaneous movement could only be understood as space teleportation.
"That's right."
"This is the power of rules, Lothar."
"My son should have told you already."
"He saw Eternity." Ego raised his right hand, and Lothar felt the reality around him instantly warp!
"Rules?"
"I love breaking rules."
Lothar sneered, clenching his right hand into a fist. The Reality Stone embedded in it flared, and the reality modified by Ego was shattered like a broken mirror by Lothar's punch!
"The Reality Stone..."
"Thanos really is generous."
Ego didn't flinch or evade Lothar's incoming attack, allowing the energy wave to hit him squarely. When the light subsided, The Other was left dumbfounded. Ego, standing with his hands behind his back, hadn't sustained any damage at all?
"Though I haven't fully walked the path of Eternity, your power can't harm me."
Ego reached out and lightly brushed off a nonexistent speck of dust from his shoulder, chuckling.
"Now, it's my turn." Before he finished speaking, Ego extended all ten fingers. Ten cosmic rays of various colors burst forth instantly, like water leaving no trace!
Swoosh!
Lothar's figure suddenly vanished, then just as abruptly reappeared behind Ego. Because he was still unfamiliar with the technique, Lothar's movements were slightly unsteady. But that didn't stop him from swinging a punch. The Power Stone pulsed with light, his golden hair danced wildly, and his green eyes were filled with indifference.
Boom!!!!
The incredibly powerful punch, without a doubt, landed on Ego's lower back! The surprised Celestial's composure shattered, and he was sent tumbling several times in the dusty soil.
"How?!" A dirt-covered Ego looked up, his face etched with disbelief.
"A rule is just another form of energy application."
"But I have to admit, your teleportation technique is pretty good."
Lothar, in a good mood, let his lips curl into a smile. His waist-length golden hair gradually thinned, reverting to its normal black state. In his golden pupils, Ego's shocked expression was reflected. Lothar turned and raised his hand, his cold gaze fixed on the Celestial. "So, shall we continue?"
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