American comics: Intercepting the female superhero, the symbiote is invincible

“This energy membrane can absorb all probe waves.” Nina’s mechanical eye was pressed against the porthole. “And it’s slowly absorbing the runic energy of the outpost, like it’s charging.”

Ron's Xuanming Body transformed into sharp claws, slicing sparks across the metal floor: "Whatever membrane it is, just pierce it."

Strange suddenly pressed down on his shoulder, runes forming a complex pattern at his fingertips: "Don't be impulsive. These runes are the observer's 'historical record,' and if destroyed, they could trigger temporal turbulence." He pointed to a crack on the surface of the crystal ball, "The energy membrane there is the weakest, and it's not covered by runes."

Chapter 192 The Observer's Legacy

Lorna's wings of light fluttered gently, creating a vortex of magnetic field around the crack: "I can sense that the Ark's main control room is directly below the crack. But the energy reaction inside is strange—it's not the Reaper's mycelium, but some kind of... pure light energy."

The circular structure silently passed through the crack and entered the crystal ball. There was no air here, yet countless whispers could be heard, like numerous people simultaneously telling different stories. When the Ark's energy membrane touched the runes inside the crystal ball, it rippled with light.

“These whispers are the memories of civilization recorded by the observers.” Strange closed his eyes, focusing intently on the sounds. “The Reaper mycelium in this Ark has already been purified by these memories.”

They passed through the energy membrane and entered the ark. Contrary to their expectations of darkness and decay, it resembled a bright library, with countless luminous crystals suspended in the air, each containing a sealed image—the last memory of a civilization devoured by the Reapers.

“Look at this.” Lorna pointed to the largest crystal, which showed a blue planet with inhabitants who had butterfly-like wings and were holding some kind of celebration. But the scene suddenly changed; red mycelium descended from the sky, enveloping the entire planet, leaving only a lifeless rock in the end.

“This is the last record of the Zell system.” Strange’s voice was heavy. “They were known for their peace in the universe, but because they refused to join any interstellar alliance, the Reapers regarded them as ‘perfect (bdff) gene containers’.”

Ron's Xuanming Body suddenly pointed to the depths of the Ark: "There are living things." The black matter formed a detector in his palm, "and there are more than one. Their energy reactions are very weak, but very pure."

They proceeded along the glowing crystal passage, which led to a circular hall. On a high platform in the center of the hall sat seven figures clad in white robes, their skin a translucent blue, their eyes shimmering with starlight—these were the forms of observers, but only a third the size of normal observers.

“Guardians,” the white-robed leader spoke, his voice as melodious as a wind chime, “we have been waiting for you for a long time.”

Lorna's wings of light retracted slightly: "You are not observers."

“We are the failures of the observers.” The man in white robes smiled bitterly, lifting his robes to reveal the red patterns on his chest. “After being contaminated by the mycelium of the harvesters, we were regarded as outcasts by the mainstream observers and abandoned here.” He pointed to the glowing crystals. “These are the ‘sparks of civilization’ that we have collected. As long as there is even one crystal, those destroyed civilizations are not truly extinct.”

Ron's Xuanming Body suddenly became alert: "Where is the self-destruct program for that ark? Don't tell me you're planning to keep it as a souvenir."

“We’ve modified the self-destruct program.” Another white-robed figure stepped forward, holding a pulsating orb of light in his hand. “This is the ‘antibody’ of the Reaper mycelium, formed by fusing our genes with those sparks of civilization.” The orb of light touched Ron’s Xuanming body, and the black substance suddenly emitted a pleasant hum. “It can completely purify the mycelium residue in the Xuanming body and also give you the ability to absorb light energy.”

Strange's slingshot suddenly lit up: "Watch out! The energy membrane outside is disappearing, and a large number of Reaper ships are approaching!"

The white-robed man's expression turned grave: "They've finally come. For years, we've been using the 'Spark of Civilization' to disguise itself as the energy signals the Reapers prefer, all to lure them here and use the Ark's self-destruct program to take them down with us." He handed the orb of light to Lorna. "But now that you've arrived, these 'antibodies' should be given to those more capable."

Chapter 193 You Must Go Together

Lorna took the ball of light, and the green energy flow merged with it: "You two must go together!"

"Our mission is here." The white-robed leader smiled and stepped back, joining his companions on the high platform. "The Observers taught us to record civilizations, but not to protect them. Now, we must make up for that lesson." His body began to glow, resonating with the surrounding crystals. "Go, Guardians, carry the 'Spark' to a new home."

The floor of the hall suddenly cracked open, revealing the Ark's self-destruct control panel. Ron pressed the start button, and a countdown began.

"Move!" Strange drew a portal, runes swirling around him. "They're stalling for time!"

As they burst from the crystal ball, a deafening explosion erupted behind them. The light from the Observer's failed experiment and the Reaper's ship perishing together illuminated the entire void, and the glowing crystals scattered like fireflies, carrying the sparks of civilization into the depths of space.

In the main control room of the circular building, Ron looked at the black substance on his arm, which was absorbing the energy of the light sphere from earlier, and faint golden patterns appeared on its surface.

"A new ability?" Lorna touched the patterns with curiosity.

The black substance suddenly unfolded, transforming into a pair of enormous wings, with golden light flowing along their edges. "It seems so." Ron tried flapping the wings, and the energy flow around the circular building was suddenly drawn towards it. "This thing can absorb light energy now."

Nina's mechanical eyes scanned the star map: "The coordinates of the fourth ark are in the 'Forgotten Cemetery,' the oldest battlefield ruins in the universe, where even the flow of time is said to be unstable."

Strange gazed at the scattered crystalline lights outside the window: "Those 'sparks of civilization' will guide us." His swivel ring resonated with a passing point of light. "They are—showing us the way."

Ron's black wings unfurled once more, golden light forming intricate patterns on them: "Perfect, let me test the power of these new wings." His figure transformed into a streak of black and gold light, bursting out of the circular structure. "Next target, the Forgotten Graveyard!"

Countless wrecked starships floated in the void of the Forgotten Graveyard, some still bearing energy spears from hundreds of millions of years ago. The fourth Ark of the Forsaken was hidden behind the largest piece of wreckage, its hull covered in rust-like red patterns, like some ancient curse.

“The flow of time is chaotic here,” Strange’s slingshot issued an urgent alarm. “A space pirate ship was just scanned. Its registration date is three hundred years in the future, but the hull is already rotten and decaying.”

···Requesting flowers····· ·····

Lorna unfurled her wings of light, and a magnetic field formed a barrier around her: "Time flows ten times faster inside the Ark than outside. If we go in and stay for ten minutes, a hundred minutes will pass outside." She pointed to the entrance of the Ark, where space was distorted, "and there are temporal turbulences at the entrance; you could be teleported to an unknown point in time if you're not careful."

.. .... ...

Ron flapped his black and gold wings, and golden light formed a protective shield around him: "Time turbulence? Sounds interesting." His figure suddenly disappeared at the entrance. "I'll go scout ahead first, you guys follow."

Lorna shook her head helplessly, her wings of light enveloping Strange and Nina as they carefully traversed the distorted space: "That guy is always so impulsive."

Upon entering the ark, the scene before them astonished them. It didn't resemble a spaceship; it was more like a time museum—the lower level depicted cave paintings of primitive people, the middle level a medieval castle, and the upper level a futuristic metallic metropolis. And those red mycelium, like veins, ran through the scenes of different eras.

Chapter 194 Reunion Amidst the Turbulent Time Flow

“The Reapers have evolved the ability to manipulate time here.” Nina’s mechanical eyes scanned the murals. “These scenes are not illusions, but real fragments trapped in the flow of time.”

They found Ron in the castle's banquet hall. He was sitting on a medieval throne, toying with a knight's sword, oblivious to the ghostly knights around him.

“Come take a look at this.” Ron tossed Lorna a gold coin; the image on it was Magneto's profile. “These time fragments all show traces of mutants.”

Lorna's Light "273" wings suddenly trembled violently: "Watch out! Something is manipulating these time fragments!"

The walls of the banquet hall suddenly vanished, transforming into the streets of a futuristic city. A familiar figure stood at the end of the street, clad in silver-white armor, her green hair fluttering in the wind—it was an older version of Lorna, a red spear embedded in her chest, its tip oozing mycelium.

“Finally… I’ve waited for you.” The elderly Lorna’s voice was hoarse, and red lines flowed through her eyes. “Don’t believe… Magnus’s backup… he is the one…”

Before she could finish speaking, her figure was suddenly swallowed up by the red temporal turbulence. Ron reached out to grab her, but only grasped at nothingness.

“What is she trying to say?” Strange’s runes swirled around him. “Is there a problem with Magnus’s backup?”

Nina's mechanical eyes suddenly pointed at the city's central tower: "The self-destruct program is there! But the flow of time around the tower is reversed; getting close will make you ten years younger!"

They rushed toward the central tower, with time fragments constantly shifting along the way—they saw Magneto awaken his powers as a teenager in a concentration camp, Charles give a speech at Oxford University as a young man, and even Lorna as a baby being held in Magneto's arms.

“These are fragments of Father and Charles’s memories.” Lorna’s wings glowed green. “The Reapers are absorbing their memories to refine their time manipulation abilities.”

On the central tower's main gate was carved a giant hourglass, the sand inside being red mycelium. Ron spread his black-gold wings, and golden light flowed into the hourglass: "Let me add some spice to it."

The hourglass suddenly reversed, and the red mycelium began to flow backward. The door opened, and in front of the control panel inside stood a man in a black trench coat, with a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his face—it was a younger version of Magnus.

“Long time no see, Lorna.” Young Magnus turned around with a smile, his eyes devoid of any golden glint, only pure green. “Or rather, long time no see, my future niece.”

Lorna's pupils contracted: "You are not Magnus's backup."

“I am his ‘conscience’.” Young Magnus spread his hands, Magneto’s mark appearing on his palm. “Back then, he split his consciousness in two. One part was used to execute ‘Project Dawn,’ and the other part is me, sealed in this ark, responsible for monitoring whether the project deviates from its original purpose.” He pointed to the control panel. “The self-destruct program requires both of our genes to activate; it’s his last insurance policy…”

Ron's Xuanming Body suddenly pointed behind young Magnus: "Watch out!"

A crimson spear shot out from the temporal turbulence, piercing through the chest of young Magnus. The older version of the Reaper Magnus emerged from the turbulence, his body composed of pure red mycelium, a maniacal grin on his face: "The troublesome fellow is finally gone."

Young Magnus coughed up green blood, grabbed Lorna's hand and pressed it onto the control panel: "Start the program... quick..."

Lorna's green energy flow merged with the blood of young Magnus, causing the control panel to emit a blinding light. The elderly Reaper Magnus roared and charged, only to be blocked by Ron's black and gold wings.

"Your opponent is me!" Ron's black greatsword, streaked with golden light, slashed fiercely at Reaper Magnus. "You dare to act like a veteran in front of me? You're tired of living?"

5.5

The golden light collided with the red mycelium, producing a sizzling, corrosive sound. Magnus the Reaper's body continued to regenerate, but he could not break through Ron's defenses.

"Self-destruct program initiated!" Nina's voice was filled with the joy of victory. "Countdown: 30 seconds!"

Young Magnus's body began to turn transparent. He looked at Lorna and smiled with relief: "Tell...my future self...not to make...the same mistake again..."

When they burst out of the ark, the entire spaceship was in a state of temporal chaos.

Chapter 195 Ashes of Time

The moment the circular structure burst forth from the Forgotten Graveyard, the fourth ark exploded into a dazzling rain of light amidst the temporal turbulence. Ron's black-gold wings protected everyone, yet he was still grazed by fragments of time within the rain of light—his armor suddenly developed bronze rust, as if eroded by centuries of time.

“Time Reversal!” Strange’s runes swirled around him, golden light peeling away the rust. “These fragments carry a reverse flow of time, which will accelerate aging!”

Ron's Xuanming Body suddenly surged, black matter devouring the bronze rust, while the golden light dimmed slightly: "It's nothing." His voice was hoarse with the friction of metal, "More important than this is what that old man said—Magnus still has a backup?"

Lorna's wings of light flickered, and the copper coin pendant in her palm was incredibly hot: "The 'backup' that young Magnus mentioned might be hidden in the fifth Ark." She pulled up a star map; the fifth coordinate was shrouded in a purple mist of time. "That's the 'Time Graveyard,' where all the time paradoxes recorded by observers are sealed."

Nina's mechanical eye suddenly pierced through a data stream, and Magnus's encrypted log popped up on the screen: "Found it! The fifth Ark is an 'anchor point,' used to stabilize the time flow of the other Arks. The log says that 'Magnus's ultimate plan' is sealed there."

The light band of the subspace channel suddenly twisted, and the ring-shaped building was pulled off the channel by an invisible force, crashing heavily onto a gray plain. Countless clock fragments were scattered across the plain, their hands forever frozen at twelve o'clock—there was no passage of time here, only a frozen moment.

"Welcome to the Graveyard of Time." An aged voice echoed across the plains, and the outline of the fifth ark emerged from the mist. Its hull was a colossal beast composed of countless clock gears. "I am the guardian of time, and your old friend."

The colossal gear-like beast's eyes glowed red, revealing Kyle's face—his body was half mechanical and half Reaper mycelium, and he held a spear made of clockwork: "The Reapers gave me the ability to manipulate time. Now, I'll let you taste what it's like to be trapped in the past forever!"

Kyle swung his spear, and the clockwork wreckage on the plain suddenly began to spin. The figures of Lorna and the others began to flicker—she saw her childhood in Magnet Mountain, the moment Ron was parasitized by the Dark Spirit in the laboratory, the scene of Strange breaking his Sling Ring for the first time, and the explosion where Nina lost her arm.

"Get lost in your memories!" Kyle's laughter echoed through the fragments of time. "Your weakness is your most precious past!"

Ron's black and gold wings suddenly burst forth with intense light, golden streams tearing through fragments of time: "My past? That's my most awesome medal!" His Xuanming Body transformed into a giant hand, grabbing Strange's shoulder, "Mage, lend me your magic!"

Strange's runes merged with the golden light, forming a giant hourglass on the plain: "This is a time reset array! It can temporarily freeze 273 time fragments, but it requires Lorna's magnetic field to fix the array's core!"

Lorna's wings of light pierced the plain, and a green magnetic field spread along the clockwork wreckage, firmly fixing the hourglass array in place: "Nina, locate the core gear of the Ark!"

Nina's mechanical eyes pierced through the mist, locking onto the heart of the colossal gear beast: "In its clockwork hub! That's where the flow of time is most disordered, and it's also the core of Kyle's consciousness!"

Kyle's spear suddenly pierced the hourglass array, and the fragments of time boiled over once more. In Lorna's childhood flashback, the toy magnet in little Lorna's hand suddenly flew into reality, transforming into a giant magnet that hurled at everyone: "Even memories can become weapons, doesn't that feel good?"

196 Departure from the Chaotic Sea

"You're completely wrong!" Lorna's wings of light resonated with the magnet, hurling it back at the gear-like behemoth. "You forgot, memories can also become power!"

The moment the magnet struck the hub, the colossal gear-like beast roared shrilly. Ron seized the opportunity, his black-gold wings enveloped in Strange's runes, and transformed into a meteor, crashing into the clockwork hub: "Shatter!"

The gears of the hub shattered, and Kyle's figure fell from the debris, his mycelial body aging rapidly in the temporal turbulence: "Impossible! How could you break free from time control?"

“Because we look forward.” Lorna’s wings of light intertwined with Ron’s wings, green and gold energy flowing into the Nexus. “And you, you only hide in the garbage of the past!”

The Clockwork Nexus suddenly erupted in white light, and the self-destruct sequence of the fifth Ark was activated. The gray plains of the Time Graveyard began to collapse, and the solidified fragments of time turned into a rain of light, revealing the warp channel below.

Kyle let out a defiant roar amidst the white light, his body utterly torn apart by the flow of time, leaving only a fading utterance: "Magnus's backup...at the end of the Chaos Sea..."

The ring-shaped building's engine restarted, and Ron looked at the new silver patterns on his wings—an evolution resulting from absorbing time energy: "The Chaos Sea? Sounds like a quagmire."

Lorna's copper coin pendant suddenly pointed to the dark purple area at the edge of the star map, where the coordinates were flashing, perfectly matching the pendant's microscopic patterns: "The sixth ark is there. And I'm sure that Magnus's backup is the 'Ultimate Project' mentioned in the younger version."

Strange's slingshot suddenly flew toward the dark purple area, where runes formed a blurry figure—the outline of the Observer, who held an item identical to the copper coin pendant in his hand: "The Observer is also in the Chaos Sea. It seems this is not just Magnus's plan."

Ron's Xuanming Body suddenly throbbed with excitement, silver time particles seeping from the black matter: "Whatever plan they have, I'll beat them up one by one, two by two!" His black and gold wings flapped, stirring up energy flows in the subspace. "Next stop, the Chaos Sea! Let those lurking in the shadows taste the power of the Xuanming Body!"

The moment the circular structure plunged into the dark purple area, the ship suddenly trembled violently. Outside the porthole, the liquid space flowed like purple syrup, and the light from the copper coin pendant resonated with the fluctuations of the chaotic sea, clearing a silver path ahead.

Lorna gazed at the sixth ark, faintly visible at the end of the channel, the green patterns on her wings flashing in sync with the pendant: "It seems Father knew all along that the key to unlocking everything was this inconspicuous copper coin."

Ron's wings traced silver-gold trajectories in the purple space: "...The key? I think it's more like the fuse of a bomb." His Xuanming body suddenly pointed towards the Ark, "Moreover, someone is waiting for us over there—more than one."

Strange's runes formed a defensive array at the bow of the ship: "It's a mixture of the Observer's and the Reaper's aura. It seems they've reached some kind of agreement in the Chaos Sea."

Nina's mechanical eye projected the final countdown: "48 hours until the coordinates of the seventh Ark take effect. We must figure out what Magnus's ultimate plan is before then."

The circular structure accelerated along the silver channel, the liquid space leaving a purple trail in its wake. Lorna gripped the copper coin pendant in her palm, feeling countless eyes watching them from the depths of the chaotic sea—the indifference of observers, the greed of harvesters, and a familiar, regretful gaze, like Magnus's silent sigh.

197 Twin Arks now

The circular structure swayed in the liquid space, the light from the copper coin pendant weaving a silver channel ahead. Lorna stared at the flowing purple "seawater" outside the porthole, and in her magnetic field perception, the outline of the sixth ark became clearer and clearer—it was two arks joined end to end, with Magneto's and Charles's marks engraved on their hulls respectively, like a pair of embracing shadows.

“It’s the Twin Ark.” Nina’s mechanical eye zoomed in on the details. Golden and green energy bands were wrapped around the connection between the two arks. “Magneto’s mark is absorbing chaotic energy, and Charles’s mark is releasing the mental barrier. They are maintaining some kind of balance.”

Ron's black and gold wings suddenly tensed, and the silver patterns on his Xuanming Body lit up: "There are 273 things following us." He pointed to both sides of the channel, where countless transparent "schools of fish" appeared in the liquid space. Their bodies were made of time fragments, and their eyes were the red mycelium of the harvesters. "They are remnants of the time graveyard, transformed into hunters by the Chaos Sea."

Strange's runes formed a rotating disc around the ship: "They fear psychic energy. Nina, use Charles's Key to disrupt their consciousness!"

Nina's robotic arm inserted into the control panel, and the blue light of the Mind Key diffused in the liquid space. The red eyes of the transparent fish momentarily lost focus, scattering like kites with broken strings: "Effective! But within their fragments of consciousness, there are whispers of the observer."

At the end of the channel, a door suddenly split open in the middle of the Twin Ark, from which a black and white energy flowed out—the black being the mycelium of the Reaper, and the white being the holy light of the Observer. The two energies rotated in a tai chi shape inside the door, yet they exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

“It’s the ‘Twin Gates’.” Lorna’s copper coin pendant suddenly flew up and hovered directly in front of the gate. “My father’s journal mentioned that this is a passage connecting the Chaos Sea and the real universe, and it requires the energy of Magneto and Charles to be stable.”

Footsteps sounded from inside the door, and two figures walked in against the light. The one on the left wore black armor, his green hair flowing in the chaotic energy; he was Magnus's backup. The one on the right wore a white robe, his face exactly like Charles's, except that his eyes had no pupils, only swirling nebulae—he was a Charles clone created by the observer.

“Welcome to the end.” Magnus’s backup voice had a metallic quality. He raised his hand, and the black hull of the Twin Ark suddenly peeled away, revealing the Reaper Legion inside. “The sixth Ark is not an incubator, it is a key.”

Charles' clone's white robes fluttered without wind, and the white hull unfolded into countless mind probes, aimed at the circular building: "The Observer needs the energy of the Chaos Sea to restart the universe, while the Reaper needs new gene containers—we have reached an agreement."

Ron's black and gold wings erupted with energy waves: "Agreement? You're treating the entire universe as your experimental subjects?" His Xuanming Body transformed into a giant blade, silver patterns flowing across its surface. "First, ask this blade if it agrees!"

"Don't rush into action." Magnus's backup suddenly threw out a crystal ball, which showed the image of the seventh ark—the ark was hatching in the deepest part of the Chaos Sea, and the patterns on its hull perfectly matched the Tai Chi diagram of the Twin Gates. "The seventh ark is the true 'seed.' It has fused the genes of all the Forsaken. Once it matures, it can perfectly fuse the energies of the Reaper and the Observer, creating a completely new species."

Lorna's wings of light resonated with the copper coin pendant, and a green energy stream formed a barrier in front of the Twin Gates: "Your so-called new species is a monster like Kyle?"