Chapter 802: Nova Corps Centurion Arrives! |
It was him!
A ripple appeared in Lord's eyes. The person he had been waiting for had finally shown up.
Planet Xandar had something strange going on!
The newly arrived man exuded a strange aura entirely out of sync with the essence of the Marvel Universe, enveloped by a strong sense of disharmony.
Although it wasn't clear if it was something akin to a doppelgänger, Lord was sure of one thing—this power system did not belong to Marvel.
Thanks to his ability to see the essence of souls, the Lord could sense that this man shared a similar feeling.
"Nova Corps Centurion..."
Lord gently rubbed the porcelain cup in his hand, leaning back in his chair as he watched the man, recalling memories from his past life.
He knew little about the Nova Corps, other than that it was a special force and that the highest rank was Centurion.
Members received varying levels of Nova Force depending on their rank. The hierarchy, from lowest to highest, consisted of Medic, Millenian, Denarian, and Centurion—four levels in total.
Being the highest rank, the Centurion could freely tap into the Nova Force, essentially becoming a weakened version of Superman. Their most significant advantage, however, was the supercomputer's ability to conduct detailed analysis of enemies during combat, allowing them to make precise counterattacks.
The supercomputer's functions extended far beyond this, including but not limited to mind control defense, hacking into other super networks, analyzing enemy physical conditions and weaknesses, and formulating combat strategies.
Essentially, it was like...
A weaker version of Superman wearing an upgraded Iron Man suit, with an overall vibe of a patched-up, cheap imitation.
In the comics, the Nova Corps' popularity and power level were somewhat mediocre. They were often pushed to the sidelines as third-rate characters, and there were plenty of similar characters, leaving little lasting impression.
However, the appearance of the Nova Corps Centurion gave the Lord an idea. The Worldmind supercomputer might hold the key to what he was searching for.
Since Nova's power came from the supercomputer, it was only natural that the unsettling feeling of disharmony also originated from it.
But how could he find it?
Lord frowned. The supercomputer had no soul energy, so he might not find it even if he scoured the entire planet.
Moreover, given how highly Xandar must value it, the computer was hidden in a secret, heavily secured location, making it challenging to discover.
"It seems I'll have to draw it out myself..."
After considering it, Lord decided it was best to observe for now. Any rash actions might alert the enemy. The most cautious approach was to use Ronan to flush out the supercomputer.
His gaze returned to the battlefield.
"Accuser Ronan, this is your final warning!"
The Nova Corps Centurion hovered in midair, his cold eyes radiating killing intent as waves of powerful energy surged around him. "Surrender now, and I can make your death less painful."
"Nova Corps Centurion?"
Ronan was initially startled by the name and then sneered. "I always thought it was just a myth, but it seems you're real. Xandar has been hiding you well, only now deciding to bring you out."
Centuries ago, during the great war between two civilizations, there were legends of Centurions, beings with superhuman strength and speed who streaked across the sky like meteors, effortlessly annihilating entire armies. These warriors had tipped the balance of power, forcing the Kree Empire to sign a peace treaty.
That history was so ancient that Ronan had long believed it to be a legend. But now, he had met one in the flesh.
Fear did not exist in his heart.
Instead, an endless battle lust burned within his chest, like a moth drawn to a flame, determined to burn out in the fire.
The Power Stone had given him limitless confidence, and now he only sought to unleash the overwhelming energy threatening to burst from within him.
"Let's see for ourselves..."
Ronan gripped his universal weapon, a hammer, his eyes ablaze with the desire to fight. "Let's see just how strong the legendary warrior of Xandar, the Centurion of the Nova Corps, truly is!"
As soon as his words fell, the ground beneath him erupted as if struck by cannon fire, sending visible shockwaves rippling through the earth, surging into a massive wave of smoke. A purple figure shattered the ground beneath its feet, rocketing through the air like a cannonball straight toward the Centurion.
Whoosh—
The hammer spun several times in Ronan's hands, sweeping through the air with the force of a mountain, producing an ear-piercing whistle as it crashed toward the Centurion's face.
As Ronan's mastery of the Power Stone grew, the energy he could release suddenly skyrocketed exponentially.
With this swing, the sky was flooded with purple light.
Anyone unaware of the situation might even think it was a beautiful spectacle.
"Let me show you the power of the Nova Force!"
Amid the raging winds, the Centurion stood firm, eyes fixed on the incoming hammer. Without retreating, he raised his iron fists to meet it head-on.
Golden energy coiled and roared around his fists, shining brighter than the stars. A massive gash of light tore open the once-dim evening sky.
Boom!
Gold and purple clashed like dragons in the sky.
In that split second, their collision unleashed a thunderous explosion, with shockwaves rippling into the heavens as a giant mushroom cloud ascended.
The already devastated ground crumbled further under the overwhelming impact, collapsing continuously while the howling wind and airborne debris drowned out the sound of its destruction.
Riding atop the creature, watching from afar, Unohana Retsu hovered in midair, watching the two "brutes" fight with great interest.
In her eyes, calling them brutes was an understatement. They were more like idiots.
They displayed no skill whatsoever, relying on brute force and energy, competing over who could waste more power or withstand more hits. Even students at the Shin'ō Academy understood energy manipulation better than them.
These so-called superpowers—super strength, super speed, super agility, and super energy—were like watching a child with a treasure chest boast about how great they were—truly laughable.
But Unohana's opinion aside, the two combatants were oblivious.
Before the dust had settled, Ronan focused on the Centurion, channeling the Power Stone to fire a massive energy beam from his hammer.
The purple beam instantly cut through the air, its speed unmatched. Even the Centurion couldn't react quickly and was struck directly in the chest.
The energy defense constructed by the Nova Force crumbled under the Power Stone's might, shattering the golden aura surrounding him into countless fragments.
In a desperate move, the Centurion twisted his body strangely, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
However, his shoulder wasn't so lucky. The purple beam completely obliterated the flesh, leaving a gaping wound with no trace of blood.
Ronan finally got a clear look at the Centurion as the golden light faded.
The iconic Nova Corps helmet adorned his head with an eight-pointed star at its center. His golden battle armor clung tightly to his muscular form, with three bright energy cores glowing on his chest, arranged in an inverted triangle.
But something unusual caught Ronan's eye.
The energy core in the middle of the Centurion's upper abdomen wasn't like the others. Instead of a brilliant white light, it contained countless radiant sparks, shimmering like stars in the night sky.
At that moment...
Back at the tower, Lord suddenly crushed the porcelain cup in his hand, his eyes flashing with a cold, terrifying light. A chilling, murderous intent surged forth, freezing the surrounding buildings in ice.
