Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 303 A Fate More Terrifying Than Death!

"Interstellar-class armor?" Aster exclaimed in surprise. "You're definitely not just an ordinary bodyguard. Who exactly are you, Shadow?"

Shadow didn't answer, but instead launched a fierce attack. His speed was astonishing, and he arrived in front of Astor in an instant. All the weapon systems on his armor were activated, unleashing a terrifying energy attack on Astor.

Although Astor was a Marquis-level Immortal, he had no choice but to fight with all his might against such a sudden attack. The two engaged in a fierce battle in the center of the hall, with energy fluctuations surging and surrounding equipment and walls being continuously destroyed.

Rowan, Thor, and Hong quickly retreated to a corner, avoiding the combat zone. The other staff members in the hall also fled.

“They’re fighting for that box,” Rowan observed the situation. “Shadow clearly doesn’t want Aster to open it.”

"But why?" Thor asked, puzzled. "What's in there?"

Hong's eyes were fixed on the stone box on the central platform: "Whatever it is, its energy fluctuations are getting stronger and stronger. I think the unsealing process has begun, and it will continue even if no one operates it."

Just as Hong had said, the patterns on the stone box had all lit up, emitting a dazzling blue light. An invisible energy field began to spread around the stone box, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze, gravity seemed to be affected, and small objects around began to float.

The battle between Shadow and Aster intensified. Although Shadow's armor provided a powerful boost to his combat strength, Aster was, after all, a Marquis-level Immortal with thousands of years of combat experience and virtually inexhaustible energy reserves. As the battle continued, Shadow began to fall into a disadvantageous position.

"Warning: High-energy reaction detected," the fortress's automatic alarm system sounded. "Energy fluctuations exceed safe limits; immediate evacuation recommended."

Astor knocked Shadow back several meters with a single blow and seized the opportunity to return to the central platform.

Astor stood before the violently shaking stone casket, his face contorted with near-fanatical fervor. The patterns on the casket had all lit up, emitting a blinding blue light that illuminated the entire hall. One by one, the sealing chains snapped, producing deafening metallic clangs.

"Finally... finally," Astor murmured, his hands trembling slightly. "Hundreds of years of waiting, countless resources invested, today, everything will pay off!"

Shadow struggled to his feet from the wall, his armor bearing multiple damages, the energy core flickering erratically: "Aster, you don't understand what you're doing! That thing shouldn't have been released!"

Astor paid no heed, his entire focus on the stone box about to be opened. The final seal shattered with a blinding light, the lid of the stone box slowly rose, and a suffocating energy surged out of the box, spreading through the air as if it were a tangible substance.

Rowan, Thor, and Hong had to shield their eyes with their arms; the light was so intense it almost burned their retinas. When the light subsided slightly, they finally made out the object in the stone box—

It was the remains of a humanoid creature, but no ordinary corpse. Even devoid of life, it still exuded a chilling aura. The remains were strangely translucent, as if composed of some unknown crystal, with star-like points of light shimmering within. It wore tattered armor, ancient yet ornate in design, and adorned its chest with a peculiar symbol—a star surrounded by a halo.

"An immortal king!" Hong gasped, his voice trembling with shock. "Those are the remains of an immortal king!"

Thor's eyes widened: "What? King-level? That's one of the most powerful beings in the universe!"

Rowan felt the mysterious voice that had been echoing in his mind suddenly become clearer. Although he still couldn't make out the specific content, he could feel a strange resonance, as if the remains were calling to him.

Astor cautiously approached the stone box, his eyes filled with greed and fanaticism: "Finally... the legendary key to breaking through the limits of immortality—the remains of the Heavenly Star King."

The space around the stone box began to distort, as if unable to withstand the energy released by the remains. The indoor temperature plummeted, and all electronic devices began to malfunction, emitting piercing noises.

Just then, the fortress's alarm system sounded again: "Warning! Multiple aircraft detected approaching! Identification confirmed: Interstellar Federation patrol. Weapon systems activated, prepare for attack!"

Astor whirled around, a flash of annoyance in his eyes: "You've come at the worst possible time!"

The fortress's holographic screen displayed several silver-white warships descending from the sky. Their design was strikingly different from the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's ships, featuring smoother lines and surfaces covered in intricate runes. The lead warship bore the emblem of the Interstellar Federation.

"Marquis Astor!" a booming voice came through the communication system. "This is Captain Green of the Interstellar Federation Enforcement Team. We have received reliable intelligence that you are illegally conducting prohibited research. According to Article 307 of the Interstellar Civilization Convention, you are required to immediately cease all activities and cooperate with the investigation!"

Aster sneered, "Green? That's the little brat you lost to me in the Andromeda Galaxy last time? Looks like you haven't learned your lesson."

He turned to the remains in the stone box, stretched out his hands, and began chanting some ancient incantation. As the incantation continued, the energy fluctuations around the remains became increasingly intense, and began to flow into Astor's body.

"Aster! Stop!" Shadow launched another attack, but Aster simply waved his hand and sent him flying into the corner.

Rowan watched as Astor's body began to change: his skin gradually became translucent, starlight could be faintly seen flowing within his body, and his eyes changed from their original gold to a deep blue, like a bottomless abyss of the universe.

"He's absorbing the energy from that remains!" Hong exclaimed in horror. "This is a strictly forbidden 'necromantic transformation' ritual! He wants to use the energy of the immortal remains to forcibly elevate his own power level!"

Thor clenched his fist: "Has this guy gone mad? This kind of behavior will get him hunted down by the entire universe!"

Outside, Federation warships had begun their attack on the fortress. The bombardment of energy cannons resounded continuously, and the entire building shook violently. But Aster seemed completely unconcerned; he was immersed in the process of absorbing energy, his expression one of ecstasy and fanaticism.

As more and more energy was absorbed by Aster, his aura grew increasingly terrifying. An unprecedented pressure enveloped the entire fortress, making even the air thick and difficult to breathe.

"Gentlemen," Shadow suddenly appeared beside Rowan and the other two, his voice low and urgent, "we must leave here immediately. Once the ritual Aster is currently performing is complete, an energy storm will destroy everything within a radius of thousands of kilometers, including those Federation warships."

Rowan glanced at the increasingly unstable situation and nodded: "How do we get out? Federation warships are everywhere outside the fortress!"

Shadow drew a small device from his waist: "I have an invisibility shuttle hidden in the canyon behind the fortress. We can escape through the maintenance tunnel, but we must act immediately. Aster will notice us soon."

He led the three quickly toward the side door of the hall. Just as they were about to leave, Rowan suddenly stopped and glanced back at the remains. As the energy was continuously absorbed by Aster, the once majestic, immortal remains of a king were gradually withering and disintegrating.

"Rowan! Run!" Thor pulled Rowan aside.

Rowan then came to his senses, but the voice rang in his mind again, this time clearly audible: "Take away. My core young man."

Rowan was stunned, unsure whether he had really heard the voice or was just hallucinating.

Ying noticed Rowan's unusual behavior, her sharp gaze sweeping across his face: "What's wrong?"

Rowan hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I...I heard a voice, it seemed to be from the remains. It said...it wanted to take its core."

Shadow's expression became complex, as if he were making a difficult decision. Finally, he quickly made a decision: "The three of you go through that door first, turn left into the maintenance corridor, and walk all the way to the end. Wait for me for three minutes. If I'm not back, press the red button on this device; it will guide you to my shuttle."

After saying that, he shoved the small device into Hong's hand and turned to rush toward the central platform.

"Shadow!" Rowan tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The three had no choice but to follow Shadow's instructions and quickly pass through the side door into the narrow maintenance passage. The passage was dark and damp, with only a few emergency lights spaced far apart providing dim illumination.

"What is he going to do?" Thor asked疑惑地. "Go back to his death?"

Hong shook his head: "I'm not sure, but judging from his expression, he seems quite concerned about the sounds Rowan heard. Perhaps, the remains also hold special significance for him."

The three men proceeded along the winding passage, with violent explosions and the rumble of collapsing buildings echoing behind them. The entire fortress seemed to be crumbling bit by bit, and they had to quicken their pace.

“Time is almost up,” Hong glanced at the timer on his wrist. “If Ying doesn’t show up soon, we’ll have to leave as he said.”

Just then, an unprecedented energy surge came from behind, so powerful that the entire passage began to distort and deform. A blinding blue light pierced through the wall, illuminating the entire space.

"What happened?" Thor asked in alarm.

The answer was soon revealed. A deafening explosion rang out, as if the entire world had collapsed in that instant. The ceiling of the passage began to cave in, and the three had to run for their lives to avoid being hit by falling debris.

Just as they were about to reach the end of the passage, Shadow suddenly caught up with them from behind. His armor was tattered, but he was holding a glowing blue crystal in his arms. The crystal was about the size of a football, perfectly spherical, and seemed to have countless stars twinkling inside.

"Run!" Shadow shouted. "Aster has completed the initial transformation; the Federation fleet won't last much longer!"

The four rushed out of the passage and arrived at a secluded hillside behind the fortress. In the distance, they could see that the sky above the fortress had turned an ominous deep blue, like a giant vortex slowly rotating. Federation warships were firing various energy weapons at the vortex, but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

Shadow quickly operated the control device in his hand, and a small shuttle suddenly rose from below the hillside, with the hatch opening automatically.

"Get up there!" Shadow commanded. "We must leave this galaxy immediately!"

The four quickly boarded the shuttle, and Shadow immediately started the engine. The spaceship took off at an astonishing speed, heading towards the outside of the atmosphere.

Looking out the back window of the shuttle, a terrifying transformation was taking place on the surface of Planet Brant. Centered on the fortress, concentric rings of blue energy were spreading outwards, freezing everything in their path instantly and turning it to dust.

Most shockingly, several Federation warships were utterly powerless against that energy, torn apart like pieces of paper and then turned into cosmic dust.

"My God," Thor murmured, "is that the power of becoming an immortal king? Even the energy left over from mere remains is terrifying."

The shuttle quickly broke through the atmosphere and entered space. Shadow immediately activated its warp drive, preparing to escape the star system.

“Wait a minute,” Rowan suddenly asked, “What about the local inhabitants? There’s still an indigenous civilization on that planet!”

Shadow's expression turned grave: "There's nothing we can do. The energy storm unleashed by Aster will destroy the entire planet's surface ecosystem. All we can do is leave as soon as possible and warn the Federation and other civilizations."

Rowan felt a pang of pain and helplessness, thinking of a complete civilization about to be destroyed before their eyes, yet powerless to stop it.

The shuttle's warp drive was activated and it was preparing to enter hyperspace when suddenly, the hull shook violently, and all systems lit up with red warning lights.

"What happened?" Hong asked nervously.

Shadow quickly checked the control panel: "An energy field is interfering with our jump! It's Aster! He's found us!"

Astor's image appeared on the shuttle's display screen, but he was now completely different from before. His body was almost entirely transparent, with starlight flowing inside, his eyes shooting out blinding blue light, and distorted spatial ripples surrounding him.

"Shadow!" Aster's voice echoed strangely, as if multiple voices were speaking simultaneously. "You dare steal the core of the Heavenly Star King?"

Shadow calmly replied, "Aster, you've been blinded by power. You know this kind of transformation is forbidden!"

Aster burst into maniacal laughter: "Ban? Who has the right to ban me? Those self-important federal congressmen? You saw it, their warships are utterly vulnerable before me!"

Shadow's tone turned serious: "This isn't a matter of power, Aster. Necromancer transformation is forbidden because it leads to unpredictable consequences. The power you feel now is temporary. Soon, the residual consciousness of that remains will begin to affect your mind, and you will lose yourself, becoming a walking corpse."

Aster's expression turned ferocious: "Nonsense! I have complete control over this power! Now, give me back the core, Shadow, or I'll make you experience a fate worse than death!"

(End of this chapter)