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

Chapter 464 A Giant Energy Tower!

"Oh?" Jack, seeing the three who rushed in, wasn't alarmed at all; instead, he grinned excitedly. "I didn't expect you guys to actually make it this far. Interesting, very interesting."

"Everyone, stand down," Jack stood up, cracking his neck. "I'll deal with these three brats myself."

“But boss,” an officer said worriedly.

"Get out of my way!" Jack roared. "I, One-Eyed Dragon, have roamed the universe for thirty years. What haven't I seen? Do you think I'm afraid of three brats?"

The officers looked at each other, and finally withdrew from the command center.

Now, only Rowan, his two companions, and Jack the One-Eyed remain.

“Let me introduce myself,” Jack grinned. “I’m Jack the One-Eyed, captain of the Blood Skull Pirate Crew, a Tier 1 cosmic-level powerhouse. You three brats, state your names.”

"Cosmic level?" Hong's expression changed.

“That’s right,” Jack said smugly. “Surprised, aren’t you? A pirate captain is actually a cosmic-level powerhouse.”

“No wonder you dared to accept the Kara civilization’s offer,” Rowan said calmly. “With cosmic-level power, you certainly have the resources to stand up against the Virtual Universe Corporation.”

“Clever,” Jack nodded. “So, your assassination mission was doomed to fail from the start. With your sixth-tier Stellar-level strength, how could you possibly kill me?”

"We'll know once we try," Rowan said, gripping his longsword tightly.

“You have guts, I admire that,” Jack drew a curved sword from his waist, its blade engraved with blood-red patterns. “Then let me see what you’re capable of, daring to intrude upon my flagship.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jack vanished.

"Watch out!" Rowan shouted.

Jack had already appeared behind Thor, his scimitar aimed at the back of his neck. Thor reacted with lightning speed, using lightning to form a shield behind him.

when!
The scimitar struck the lightning shield, cleaving it in two, and the blade grazed Thor's shoulder, leaving a deep wound.

"Ah!" Thor groaned and fell forward.

"Thor!" Hong roared, his golden fist slamming towards Jack.

Jack sneered and met the attack with a punch of his own. The two fists collided, and Hong was knocked back more than ten steps, his hand split open and bleeding profusely.

"Is that all the strength you've got?" Jack shook his head in disappointment. "I thought you'd be much stronger."

"It's not over yet," Rowan suddenly appeared above Jack's head, his longsword thrusting straight down.

"Oh?" Jack looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Not bad speed."

He raised his sword to parry, and with a clang, the blade struck the blade, sending sparks flying. Rowan used the momentum to flip and retreat to Hong and Lei Shen's side.

"He's too strong," Thor said, clutching his shoulder, his face pale. "No wonder he's a cosmic-level being."

“But we can’t back down,” Rowan said in a deep voice. “This is our only chance. We have to use that move.”

"Law fusion?" Hong understood. "But what about our current state?"

“We can’t worry about that now,” Rowan interrupted him. “It’s either success or death. There’s no third way.”

“Alright,” Thor gritted his teeth and stood up, “Let’s do it!”

The three stood in a triangular formation and simultaneously released their power of laws. Golden, purple, and silver energies converged in the air.

"That trick again?" Jack sneered. "I heard you used it to severely injure Carax in the Red Moon Starfield. But unfortunately, I'm not like him."

His entire body erupted with scarlet energy, the power of the Law of Blood.

"The Law of Blood - Devour!"

The crimson energy transformed into a gigantic maw, attempting to devour the fusion of the three's laws. The Law of Blood is most adept at devouring other laws, making it the natural enemy of law fusion.

"Damn it!" Rowan gritted his teeth, "Speed ​​up the fusion process!"

The three exerted all their strength, pushing the speed of the fusion of laws to its limit. The three-colored light sphere finally took shape, but its power was at least 30% weaker than before—because the fusion process had been interrupted.

"go!"

The three-colored orbs hurtled towards Jack. Jack neither dodged nor evaded, letting the orbs hit him.

boom!
The energy shockwave from the explosion swept across the entire command center, destroying countless pieces of equipment and blasting numerous cracks into the metal walls.

When the smoke cleared, Jack was still standing in the same spot. His clothes had several holes, and he had a few scrapes, but he was clearly not seriously injured.

"That's it?" Jack shook his head in disappointment. "Your fusion of laws is indeed impressive, but its power is far from sufficient. An attack of this level can't even break through my defenses."

Rowan and the other two were pale, all suffering from the backlash of the law. They knew that this move was their limit.

“Accept your fate, you brats,” Jack said, raising his scimitar. “While I admire your courage, those who deserve to die will still die.”

Just then, Rowan suddenly smiled.

"Who says we only have the fusion of laws as our only move?"

Jack was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

“You’ve been fooled,” Rowan laughed. “Our goal was never to kill you.”

"what is that?"

“This is it,” Rowan said, taking out the high-energy beacon Morris had given him from his pocket and pressing the activation button.

The beacon emitted a dazzling light, and a beam of energy pierced through the hull of the Marauder, shooting straight into the sky.

"This is..." Jack's expression changed drastically. "A beacon? You're calling for reinforcements?"

“That’s right,” Rowan said. “Our mission isn’t to kill you, but to mark your location so that the truly powerful will deal with you.”

The words had barely left his lips when the ceiling of the command center was suddenly ripped open. A golden figure descended from the sky—it was none other than Sauron, a cosmic-level powerhouse from the Virtual Universe Corporation.

“Good job, all three of you,” Soren said, glancing at Rowan and the other two. “Leave the rest to me.”

He turned to Jack, his eyes turning icy: "One-Eyed Jack, the crimes you've committed in the universe are countless. Today is your end."

"Hmph, another cosmic-level opponent," Jack said, though his words betrayed his displeasure, a hint of fear in his eyes. "You think you can take me down?"

“It’s not just a assumption, it’s a certainty,” Soren said calmly.

The clash of the auras of the two cosmic-level powerhouses caused the energy fluctuations to shake the entire command center.

“You guys retreat first,” Soren said to Rowan and the other two. “It’s too dangerous here.”

"Yes!" The three immediately retreated. As they left the command center, they heard a deafening roar behind them—the battle between Sauron and Jack had begun.

As they rushed out of the Marauder, the three saw that the battlefield outside had changed.

Despite suffering heavy losses, the Virtual Universe Company's fleet continues to hold its ground. Meanwhile, the pirate fleet, having lost Jack's command, has begun to fall into disarray. Some pirate warships have even started to retreat, unwilling to fight any longer.

"We succeeded," Hong said, panting. "Our mission is complete."

“Yes,” Thor breathed a sigh of relief, “although I almost died in there.”

“But we survived,” Rowan said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the distant battlefield. “And the tide of the war is beginning to turn.”

As expected, amidst the chaos of the pirate fleet, Virtual Universe Corporation began its counterattack. Morris seized this opportunity and ordered a full-scale offensive.

Minutes later, a massive explosion erupted from inside the Marauder. The entire flagship began to disintegrate, with countless fragments flying everywhere.

Two figures flew out of the explosion—Sauron was unharmed, while Jack was covered in wounds and bound by Sauron's energy chains.

"One-Eyed Jack has been captured!" Sauron's voice boomed across the battlefield via the communication system. "All pirates, listen up! Surrender immediately, or face execution!"

This news was like the final straw, crushing the morale of the pirate fleet. One pirate warship after another ceased their attack and raised white flags.

“We won,” Morris said on the bridge of the Conqueror, a long-lost smile on his face. “Though the cost was heavy, we won.”

After the pirate fleet surrendered, the entire battlefield situation was completely reversed.

The pirate warships that raised white flags were taken over by the Virtual Universe Corporation's escort ships, and the pirates were escorted one by one to temporary detention cells. One-Eyed Jack was locked in special energy shackles by Sauron and imprisoned in the deepest confinement cell of the Conqueror.

Morris stood on the bridge, looking at the wreckage and debris floating on the battlefield, his heart filled with complex emotions. Although the battle was ultimately won, the cost was heavy—twenty-three warships were sunk, and more than eight thousand soldiers had perished.

“Tell us the extent of the damage,” Morris said in a deep voice.

"Five capital ships and eighteen frigates have been lost," the intelligence officer reported. "Most of the remaining warships are damaged and require repair. Combat personnel casualties totaled 8,300, including 5,200 killed in action."

Silence fell over the bridge. Everyone knew that behind these numbers were countless precious lives.

“Let’s have a moment of silence for them,” Maurice said, taking off his hat, and everyone bowed their heads in response.

After a minute of silence, Maurice put his hat back on, his eyes hardening.

“Their sacrifice will not be in vain,” Morris said. “We must complete the mission and make the Kara civilization pay the price, so that the dead may find peace.”

“Lord Morris is right,” Eric nodded. “Now that the pirate fleet has surrendered, we can resume our attack on the main planet Kara.”

“But we’ve suffered heavy losses,” Leah said worriedly. “In our current state, can we even take Kara?”

“Absolutely,” Morris said decisively, “and now we have new support.”

He pointed to the captured pirate warships.

"These pirate warships, though of low quality, are numerous. We can convert them into unmanned warships to wear down the defensive firepower of the Kara Prime."

“Great idea,” Eric’s eyes lit up. “By using the pirates’ warships as cannon fodder, our capital ships can preserve their strength.”

"Execute immediately," Morris ordered. "The technical department must fully upgrade these warships within three hours. Simultaneously, repair damaged ships and replenish ammunition. We will attack again in three hours!"

"Yes!"

The entire fleet sprang into action immediately. Technicians boarded the pirate warships, dismantling the control systems and installing remote control devices. Damaged warships were moved into repair bays, where robots and engineers raced against time to fix them.

After Rowan and his two companions returned to the Conqueror, they were immediately taken to the medical bay for treatment. Although their injuries were not too serious, the effects of the backlash from the laws were still present, and they needed rest to recover.

"Lie down and rest," the doctor said, administering an injection to the three of them. "Your bodies have been overburdened; continuing like this will leave lasting injuries."

"Can we participate in the next battle?" Rowan asked.

“It’s best not to,” the doctor shook his head. “You’ll need at least a week to recover.”

“A week?” Thor exclaimed anxiously. “That’s too long. We’re attacking in three hours.”

"Well, there's nothing I can do then," the doctor said helplessly. "I can only offer suggestions; whether you listen to them or not is up to you."

After the doctor left, the three of them exchanged a glance.

"What do you think?" Rowan asked.

"Need you even ask?" Thor grinned. "Of course, we continue fighting. We've come this far; how can we back down halfway?"

“Me too,” Hong nodded, “and the mission to destroy the energy nodes isn’t finished yet.”

“It’s settled then,” Rowan smiled. “We’ll continue in three hours.”

Three hours later, the Virtual Universe Company's fleet was fully reorganized.

At the forefront of the fleet, three hundred modified pirate warships stood in a dense formation. These warships had been emptied of personnel and were entirely controlled by AI. They had only one mission—to charge towards the main planet of Kara and use their hulls and firepower to wear down the enemy's defenses.

"All warships are ready," Eric reported. "We can launch an attack at any time."

“Very good,” Morris took a deep breath. “Then, begin the final assault. Target—Kara Prime! All forces, attack!”

Three hundred unmanned warships were the first to launch, rushing towards the main planet of Kara. They didn't need to consider losses or protect themselves; they simply advanced and fired.

The orbital defense satellites of the main planet Kara immediately retaliated. The remaining thirty satellites opened fire at full force, energy beams weaving through the universe.

But unmanned warships don't care about losses. Even if they are hit, even if their hulls are damaged, they continue to move forward. Some warships even crash directly into defense satellites, destroying them along with them.

In just ten minutes, all thirty defense satellites were destroyed, but less than one hundred unmanned warships remained.

"The first line of defense has been breached," the intelligence officer reported excitedly.

“Very good,” Morris nodded. “Have the remaining unmanned warships continue forward and attack the planetary shields. The main fleet should follow and prepare for the landing operation.”

The remaining unmanned warships rushed towards Kara's main planet, firing wildly at the energy shield that enveloped the planet. Although their attacks caused negligible damage to the shield, they were still draining its energy.

Meanwhile, Virtual Universe Corporation's special operations team began its mission to destroy energy nodes.

Rowan and his two companions, along with nine other squads, boarded stealth landing craft and flew towards the surface of the planet Kara. Each squad's target was an energy node.

“Node Seven is located north of the capital; it’s a giant energy tower,” Rowan said to Hong and Thor, looking at the data. “It’s surrounded by a thousand elite Kara troops and five stellar-level powerhouses. Our mission is to infiltrate the energy tower and destroy its core without alerting the main force.”

"How do we infiltrate?" Thor asked.

“From underground,” Rowan pulled up the structural diagram of the energy tower, “there are maintenance tunnels underground, and although there are guards, there are far fewer than on the surface. We’ll infiltrate from here and reach the core area.”

(End of this chapter)