A/N: As promised here is the extra chapter after the power stone becomes 10.
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Chapter 18: The Gathering Storm*
*Part 1 — The Whispering Winds*
The wind howled through the canyons like a restless spirit, carrying with it the faint scent of distant fires and forgotten wars. Pluto, cloaked in shadows and resolve, stood atop a jagged cliff overlooking the sprawling plains below. The land was changing, and so was he.
Beside him, Ilias flexed his enhanced muscles, ever vigilant. Uruk's deep growl rumbled from the shadows, a silent guardian ready to strike.
"The world stirs," Pluto murmured, silver eyes scanning the horizon. "The pieces move, and soon, all paths will converge."
Far below, tiny flickers of movement betrayed the presence of those who had yet to choose their fate—nomads, tribes, creatures born of earth and myth.
"Do you sense it?" Ilias asked, his gaze sharp. "The tension before a storm?"
Pluto nodded. "Yes. And like all storms, it will bring destruction... but also renewal."
A faint shimmer broke the air near Pluto's feet. The system interface blinked alive—a translucent panel floating in the dusk.
*Name:* Pluto
*Age:* 25 (Reborn)
*World:* Marvel Universe
*Abilities:* Infinite Lifespan, Adaptive Physiology, Power Assimilation, Immense Vitality, Real Immortality
*Subordinates:* Ilias (Enhanced Body), Uruk (Beast of Uruk), Kareth (Phantom Sovereign)
*System Features:* Music Player Activated
Pluto tapped the music player, a soft melody weaving through the desert winds—a reminder of calm before chaos.
Suddenly, distant roars echoed from the valley below—signs that the deviant threat was stirring again. Pluto's lips curved in a cold smile.
"Let them come."
****
The distant roars grew louder, shaking the air with their primal fury. Deviants—twisted creatures born from ancient experiments—emerged like shadows crawling out of the earth's cracks.
Ilias drew his blade, muscles coiled like a spring. Uruk's massive form stepped forward, eyes blazing with feral intensity. Kareth faded into the darkness, ready to strike unseen.
Pluto's gaze sharpened, silver eyes piercing the gathering storm of beasts. "Hold your ground. Let them test our strength."
The first wave crashed like a tidal force—monstrous limbs tearing through the dry soil, snarls splitting the air. Yet, Pluto and his subordinates stood unyielding. Ilias moved like lightning, every strike precise, his enhanced body deflecting blows that would fell normal men.
Uruk tore through enemies with savage might, his beastly roars echoing like thunder. Kareth's shadowy form slipped between the deviants, draining memories, sapping their will to fight.
Amid the chaos, Pluto's form was calm—almost cold. His body adapted instinctively, absorbing the essence of each deviant's power as they fell, growing stronger with every clash.
Then, a deafening roar split the battlefield. From the horizon, a colossal deviant emerged—larger and more ferocious than any before.
Pluto's eyes narrowed. "This one will be the true test."
The battle intensified.
****
The colossal deviant stomped forward, each step sinking deep into the valley floor. It towered over the others—its hide layered with obsidian plates, and six glowing eyes burning with primal hate. Around its neck, hung the cracked remnants of an ancient Celestial brand—a failed experiment, now unchained.
Ilias faltered for half a second. "That's no ordinary beast."
"It was made for war," Pluto murmured. "And now, it will die in one."
With a commandless signal, the four moved.
Ilias struck first—his blade carving into the monster's leg, forcing it to stagger. Uruk leapt onto its back, teeth ripping into muscle, claws finding weak spots in its armored hide. Kareth dissolved and reformed around its shadow, pulling its strength into another dimension, siphoning its aggression.
But it wasn't enough.
The beast howled and released a shockwave of dark energy, flinging all three subordinates backward.
Only Pluto remained still.
He stepped forward as dust swirled, his cloak dancing like torn banners in a forgotten war. His skin shimmered, absorbing the ambient energy, adapting, evolving.
With one motion, he raised his hand—and from it erupted a blast of condensed force, shaped by every power he had touched.
The beam struck the deviant in the chest.
It didn't scream. It simply... unraveled. Its body collapsed into collapsing matter, spiraling into itself, leaving behind only silence.
Ilias rose, bruised but breathing. "What... was that?"
Pluto didn't answer. The system did.
*[New Trait Gained: Prime Deviant Assimilation]*
*Ability: Resistance to Celestial Weaponry, Regeneration Surge, Controlled Berserk State*
Kareth emerged beside him, quiet. "You grow faster than the world can measure."
Pluto turned toward the horizon. "Then the world must learn to catch up."
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A/B:please don't forget my power stone