Chapter 200 - CHAPTER 200:Crushing Strength That Cannot Be Hidden

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When it comes to combat effectiveness, Violet excels at one-versus-many scenarios on the battlefield.

Had she lived in ancient times, she would be a figure on par with Zhao Zilong—charging through legions, seizing enemy generals from the heart of enemy formations.

Now, in the star-mecha battlefield suspended in cosmic vacuum, her personal abilities shine even more brightly.

Her masterful weapon control and near-instinctive combat awareness seem encoded into her very being, allowing her to slice through enemy formations effortlessly. Just watching her movements—precise and elegant—offers a rare kind of visual artistry amidst destruction.

And yet, Violet likely does not enjoy battle.

In the past, she had seen herself as nothing more than a weapon—believing that fighting was the only way she could be of use to Shen He. But now, her perspective is beginning to mature. Slowly, her mind is changing.

While such thoughts quietly surfaced in her consciousness, Violet had already closed the distance and appeared at Shen He's side.

Her long, platinum-blonde hair—suspended and flowing behind her due to inertia in zero gravity—stretched elegantly like a comet's tail. Only now did Shen He realize how long her hair truly was.

"Master…"

Violet's voice rang softly. Her IS armor's weapons never ceased firing, continuing their automated assault. Yet her sapphire gaze remained locked entirely on Shen He.

"…Mm."

Shen He acknowledged her with a nod, pulling his thoughts back to the situation at hand.

It was familiar.

Another encirclement was forming—a tactical ring meant to trap—but Shen He knew better. The Chitauri forces caught within the ring were already doomed. Under the assault of Thor, Qi Mu Nanxiong, and the others, they were being swiftly annihilated.

"This encirclement means nothing." Shen He narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze toward the distant Chitauri mothership.

The enemy commander must be watching them too.

But as Shen He pointed out before, Qi Mu's teleportation renders these so-called force-field containment tactics utterly meaningless.

The first destroyed energy field relay tower had already proven that beyond doubt.

What's more, Violet's overwhelming performance exceeded even Shen He's projections. On a battlefield like this, she was able to navigate through attack arcs and blind zones with uncanny precision. The sheer number of enemies wasn't even a factor—they simply couldn't stop her.

Under these conditions… there may be no need for any additional transport or heavy equipment.

Shen He redirected his focus.

"Qi Mu, take Thor and eliminate the next energy relay." He reached out to grab a turret port from Violet's IS armor. "Violet, take me closer to the enemy mothership."

"Isn't that too dangerous?" Qi Mu Nanxiong hesitated, his usual calm demeanor briefly interrupted.

"It's fine. I just want a closer look. If something happens, I'll call you over." Shen He sighed. "They're weaker than I imagined. Honestly, the more they pretend to be invincible, the easier it is to spot their flaws."

This battle in deep space revealed many things—Qi Mu's teleportation versatility, Violet's aerial control and precision, and the fundamental differences between zero-gravity combat and atmospheric warfare.

Since they already had the upper hand, Shen He figured there was no reason to hold back. If it's a one-sided slaughter, then let it be obvious. There was no need to pretend otherwise.

Qi Mu heard Shen He's innermost thoughts clearly through his mental resonance.

Ending this quickly—yes, that was also Qi Mu's intention. He simply hadn't voiced it yet.

Now that he felt assured of Shen He's safety, he gave a silent nod.

With an instantaneous burst of quantum displacement, the squad emerged from the encirclement, splitting off. Thor and Qi Mu teleported toward the designated energy node, leaving Shen He and Violet to fly alone.

Qi Mu, if serious, could dismantle every field generator himself.

"Violet, let's move."

Shen He's grip tightened slightly on the turret as he steadied himself.

Violet hesitated for a second. Then the armor plating on her right arm transformed, peeling back in mechanical layers, revealing an armored hand reaching out toward him.

She said nothing—but her piercing blue eyes conveyed everything.

Shen He froze momentarily. Back in the beginning, she always clung to him like this—holding his hand wherever they went. That younger version of Violet could never bear to be separated from him.

His hesitation lasted only a breath. He understood the signal.

He reached out and clasped her hand. Though his expression was hidden behind his mask, a quiet nostalgia passed through him.

The IS drive unit roared to life.

The red blur of Violet's figure accelerated with a sudden thrust, weaving between battleship wreckage and plasma crossfire with surreal agility.

In terms of raw velocity, her IS armor didn't surpass the Chitauri's warships. But in terms of positioning, reflexes, and adaptive tactics, Violet was operating on an entirely different level.

The difference between amateurs and professionals was laid bare.

Shen He truly felt as if he were gliding through the storm—an untouchable force moving with grace through legions of enemies. With each subtle dodge and strategic maneuver, the image of the looming Chitauri mothership grew clearer and closer.

There was no intuitive sense of scale when viewing it from a distance, but now that he had drawn close, Shen He could feel it clearly — an overwhelming, colossal presence.

Up close, the massive form of the Cherita mothership stood like a dormant titan in the void, and by initial estimates, it was at least the size of New York City.

The idea that such a massive cosmic warship could be destroyed by a single nuclear bomb was staggering — something that felt impossible, even absurd. How had that nuclear warhead bypassed the densely packed enemy armada and struck the seemingly exposed mothership directly?

After all, a nuclear bomb lacked Violet's mobility, it couldn't warp or phase through dimensions.

Roughly ten minutes later, Shen He arrived outside the mothership. Countless Cherita warriors had already surrounded the area in small personal aircraft, but not a single one dared attack.

Their silence was proof enough. No matter how vast their numbers, it was meaningless against a powerhouse like Shen He.

"I want to see your leader," Shen He said calmly, his voice resolute.

He was confident that the Cherita leader, who was undoubtedly observing from within, understood Earth languages. Though Shen He had rushed here on a momentary impulse, driven by personal strength, a plan had already solidified in his mind by the time he arrived.

Before him, the Cherita army silently parted, forming a path.

Shen He flew forward accompanied only by Violet. They followed the passage created by the enemy forces, the doors of the mothership opening with ominous slowness.

This was Shen He's first time inside such an enormous interstellar vessel. Curiosity swelled as he cautiously observed his surroundings — but what he saw only brought disappointment.

The internal and external structures were crude and unrefined. Within the ship, large chain locks, rusted gears, and primitive mechanical constructs dominated the space. Dozens of massive, shell-less alien dragons writhed in chains on either side of the interior, howling in agony.

It felt less like an advanced warship and more like a barbaric underground fortress.

"Human powerhouse, your strength has earned the respect of the Cherita," came a hoarse voice echoing between the howls of tortured beasts.

A figure clad in black, angular armor stood atop a throne carved into worn stone steps. The Cherita leader, face obscured beneath his helm, clutched a scepter tightly.

"You had the courage to stand before us," Shen He murmured, slightly surprised.

At this distance, Violet could have vaporized the enemy leader with a single burst of energy — and yet the Cherita made no move to resist.

"We've already lost," the commander's tone trembled with fear and quiet rage.

Suspended around the throne, flickering virtual displays showed diagnostic readouts — rows of impulse-dampening systems violently detonating one by one.

"You may stop us once, twice, three times... Perhaps we'll eventually reach Earth across distant stars. But before our master, this is still failure. Humanity is stronger than we believed. You are... worthy of participating in an interstellar war."

The Cherita were a cowardly, predatory race. They tore into weaker civilizations with animalistic cruelty, but bowed low before those stronger without hesitation.

"So you're retreating?" Shen He frowned behind his mask.

If the Cherita left Earth in desperation, it might trigger instability. Peace often relied on an external threat to unify humanity.

Not that Shen He feared conflict — it was simply inconvenient.

"Retreat? No," the Cherita leader's voice darkened. "The Cosmic Cube — the Tesseract — is what our master desires. He is the true overlord of the universe, a being beyond human comprehension. We may have failed, but you... you can only await death."

"…You think I don't know?" Shen He said softly, his voice cutting. "It's Thanos."

"—!"

Though his face remained hidden, the Cherita leader visibly trembled.

"What, surprised I know his name?" Shen He sneered. "He seeks the power of the Infinity Stones — which means that even he lacks the strength to enact his twisted dream on his own. I honestly hoped he'd show up on Earth himself... but clearly, he lacks the courage. So instead, he sends weak, disposable hounds like you — hoping to bleed Earth dry."

Thanos' real plan was never to let the Cherita conquer Earth. It was to use Loki and war as distractions — to wear down Odin's divine energy.

And it worked.

Odin, to send Thor to Earth, had burned through massive amounts of dark energy despite his frail state.

That moment marked the start of the All-Father's decline — a descent that would hasten during the Dark Elf crisis, accelerating his eventual death.

And all the while, Thanos quietly waited for the Ancient One's demise.

"No! You lie!"

The Cherita leader's voice shook with denial — because if Shen He was right, their mission had never mattered. They were pawns. If they failed now, they would be discarded.

Valueless.

"What do you think I'm here for?" Shen He took a step forward. His white armor shimmered, emanating unbearable pressure.

"To give your victory speech? To convince us to withdraw?" the Cherita leader stammered as he backed away, sensing mortal danger.

"No. I'm here to end this war."

Shen He surged forward.

In an instant, his spear was at the commander's neck — cold metal slicing through the armor's outer shell and brushing against skin.

"You're my prisoner now," he declared.

"…!"

The Cherita around them stirred in alarm as the spear drew blood, surrounding their leader in fear and panic.

"You… you can't do this," the commander stuttered, voice breaking. "If I die, the war won't end! You'll face endless retaliation! Your weak companions will be burned away in this conflict — is that the result you want?"

"You know a lot," Shen He remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Qi Mu."

At that moment, Qi Mu Nanxiong appeared beside him — and the next instant, the three of them vanished from the mothership.

The Cherita forces were stunned.

Their commander — gone.

Panic rippled through the alien horde. Confusion turned into chaos, until the second-in-command seized control, issuing orders rapidly.

The Cherita weren't a race to fall into disarray when their leader died — they were conditioned to become more ferocious.

That was why the commander had believed himself safe.

He had fallen into a fatal misconception — assuming that someone who walked into his stronghold alone, asking for an audience, would never dare kidnap him.

"It's pointless taking me," the Cherita leader hissed, now struggling in Qi Mu's telekinetic hold. "My adjutant will lead the army now. The only way he can become commander is to win our master's approval... or to avenge me. War will continue — no matter the cost! The Cherita will burn you down!"

Shen He didn't respond.

There was nothing more to say to a captive like this.

The truth was, the operation had gone smoother than expected. He had anticipated a drawn-out fight, a desperate skirmish to take down a key figure.

Instead, the infamous Cherita leader — the one who had once stood beside Loki in the original invasion — had essentially surrendered himself.

"Let's go. Time to return to Earth," Shen He said, a rare trace of excitement in his voice.

To walk unchallenged into an alien command ship, capture its leader, and return unscathed — it was bold, brash, and undoubtedly legendary.

He could already imagine the impact this move would have once they returned.

More importantly, the prisoner would serve a critical purpose: to expose the looming threat of Thanos to Earth's nations and the greater universe — to make them feel the crisis approaching, and to elevate Chaldea's status as Earth's irreplaceable shield.

When Shen He reappeared outside the wormhole, Tony Stark and the military, who had been monitoring him closely, finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

"He— how could you do something so reckless?" Tony's voice came through as soon as communications resumed, frustration barely concealed.

God knew how anxious they'd been when they saw Shen He flying straight toward the Cherita mothership.

That place was a deathtrap. It had been agreed that only after constructing a suitable vehicle or mounting a coordinated strike could they consider approaching it.

"He— how could you do something so reckless?" Tony repeated, still reeling.

They had expected to wait — to prepare — not for Shen He to walk into the lion's den alone.

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