Chapter 89: The Strongest of the Eternals Arrives
Sunspot was a Mutant.
Unlike the vast majority of Mutants who suffered tragic fates, he had a happy and perfect family. Even after he awakened his abilities during a game, he was not ostracized by his parents.
As a Brazilian mining company, the Costa Family was more than capable of accepting a Mutant as their heir.
In any case, they had enough money, and there was no need for Sunspot to get into fights or become involved in the various disputes between humans and Mutants.
For most rich kids, as long as they didn't get the foolish notion to start their own business, simply inheriting the family fortune was enough.
But Sunspot was not the type to sit still. His talent was recognized by the Mutant nation of Krakoa, and even Professor X had contacted him.
"My family went bankrupt?" Sunspot's face was full of disbelief.
He just went off to school, had a little romance, and his family was gone?
"While this may sound cruel, it is the truth, Young Master. I think we must try to accept reality," the butler said loyally. "I advise you to come back. The world outside is too chaotic, with wars between major powers erupting everywhere. Right now, it's the Xenomorphs and Atlantis at war. It probably won't be long before war breaks out between humans and Mutants. Your identity is very sensitive."
If there were no corresponding benefits, any high-profile actions motivated by a desire to show off were foolish. Sunspot clearly didn't understand this.
Still young and unweathered by the world's harsh realities, and possessing a terrifying Mutant ability, how could he possibly be content with keeping a low profile?
"Maybe I should accept Professor X's invitation, join them, and become a citizen of Krakoa. This might not be a bad thing."
Sunspot began to seriously consider his future. He could no longer rely on his father, so he had to think of other ways out.
"Old Man Costa has repeatedly emphasized that you are not to get involved in Mutant affairs."
"But this is a personal invitation from Professor X! How can I refuse an invitation from a major figure the whole world pays attention to?"
Sunspot's heart pounded, his vanity greatly satisfied.
Having just been coldly dumped by Magik—the younger sister of Colossus of the X-Men—he desperately needed recognition from others.
Although Sunspot still couldn't figure out why Magik would be so ruthless, claiming she was going to some place she called the "borderlands" to study magic. It was truly strange.
"If she were learning white magic, Illyana would have no reason to hide it from me. The strongest white magic faction on Earth is Kamar-Taj, and there's no need to hide that at all. Unless... she's learning Black Magic..."
Sunspot was greatly troubled.
A Black Magician? Weren't they, like vampires, supposed to be a dying breed in this era?
They were a profession destined to be hunted to extinction by the Xenomorphs. After all, those who studied Black Magic were, to varying degrees, connected to that other-dimensional demon god called Dormammu, which naturally placed them in opposition to Du Wa and the Ancient One.
"Besides, if I don't join Krakoa, where else can I go? On the human side, it seems I can only go back to my old man. As for the Mutant side, my family won't let me go..."
Sunspot was lost. He felt that a powerful Mutant like himself—though the world didn't yet know how strong he was—should never be reduced to having nowhere to go.
At that moment, a fierce wind howled in the distance, and the sea surged with towering waves.
Sunspot cursed under his breath. He knew this was definitely another disaster caused by the clash between the Xenomorphs and the Atlanteans. Similar situations were happening all over the world now.
"I wonder which powerful individual from which Xenomorph species is making a move this time. Is it a Primeval Xenomorph, or a human parasitized by a Xenomorph? Or maybe an extraterrestrial?"
Sunspot glanced into the distance with envy as scorching flames erupted around his body.
He possessed the ability to absorb and store sunlight. When he activated his power, he would unleash the stored sunlight, drastically enhancing his physical attributes. Because his body spontaneously absorbed the light around his skin, he took on a charcoal-black appearance.
He also had other abilities, such as high-speed flight, releasing thermal energy to control temperature, and firing energy beams.
The more active the sun was, the stronger Sunspot became.
He saw the sky fill with lightning, which furiously bombarded the ocean, as if the very heavens were collapsing.
Immediately after, a figure shot out from the waves. It seemed to have dealt with all enemies and immediately changed direction, carrying immense electrical power as it descended with a boom before Sunspot.
"It really wasn't easy finding you."
Foster, clad in Thor's armor and wielding the Hammer of Thor, wasn't tall, but the boundless divine power of thunder surging around her deeply intimidated the fledgling Sunspot.
"This... you're Female Thor? I never thought Female Thor would appear here... Wait, you're looking for me?"
"Who else? If I hadn't asked Druig to search for your whereabouts, finding you would have been very troublesome."
Foster strode up to Sunspot.
Sunspot subconsciously prepared for battle, his body growing even darker as flames spontaneously ignited on its surface.
The surrounding air temperature instantly soared by dozens of degrees.
"Is this your ability? You also utilize the power of a star, but your application of stellar energy seems a bit peculiar. You get stronger just by sunbathing? Even if you sunbathe all day, how much sunlight can you absorb? Can that little bit of sunlight supply you with enough power to unleash such strength?"
Foster was very curious about the young man before her. It was too illogical; no matter how one looked at it, it seemed to defy the conservation of energy.
Although that Reynolds fellow was also absurdly strong, at least he had used a super serum to cause a phase shift in his body, successfully connecting to a pocket universe and thus obtaining the power of a million stars.
But this Sunspot was an oddity. Just by basking in the sun, he could mobilize astonishing energy.
She didn't know about the Superman from the franchise next door, so she couldn't comprehend the ability to get stronger just by sunbathing.
"No wonder Du Wa values you, designating you as the vice-captain of the Superman Corps led by Reynolds."
Foster felt it was a good thing she was a physicist and not a biologist. If Sunspot were really thrown to Mr. Blue, he would have been dissected one way or another.
"What? Designated me as vice-captain, and by Du Wa himself? What captain? And you just mentioned Reynolds, do you mean Sentry? I'm supposed to assist Sentry?"
Sunspot's eyes widened. His mind first roared, and then he felt a tremendous sense of honor slam into his chest, making him feel as if he were about to fly. "A figure like Du Wa knows about me, Roberto da Costa?"
"He doesn't just know about you; he knows you inside and out. We've been following you and know that your family business has run into difficulties. As long as you're willing to join us, you can immediately become one of our high-level members. Your family's mining group will also be revived. As for the problems with Hammer Industries, we have plenty of ways to resolve them."
Foster said, "All you need to do now is nod and accept the invitation from Du Wa. You should know what a rare opportunity this is. Countless people all over the world hope to join Du Wa's team and serve him."
Sunspot immediately called Old Man Costa, then unhesitatingly followed Foster back to Weyland Tower.
In truth, if Sunspot had refused the invitation, Foster would have used force to drag him back.
After all, the fledgling Superman Corps only had Reynolds, a general without an army. There were too few people who fit the definition of "Superman." Finding this Mutant with astonishing potential and brilliant talent under Du Wa's guidance was already extremely rare.
Most importantly, when had anyone Du Wa took a fancy to ever have any autonomy? Shouldn't they have joyfully offered up their own bodies?
...
"Is that so? You were dating Magik, but you were broken up with? Don't worry about it. Who hasn't had a past filled with passionate years? As long as you perform well, I'll take you to find her. Without my help, you'll never be able to reach that place called Hell's Border on your own."
Du Wa spoke face-to-face with Sunspot. After learning about the young man's past, he offered a word of comfort.
"Hell's Border? Right, that seems to be the name. She went to that place, but I searched for a long time online and couldn't find anything..." Sunspot murmured.
"Of course you wouldn't find anything, because that place isn't on Earth. If she dared to learn Black Magic anywhere on Earth, even if I didn't say anything, Kamar-Taj wouldn't let her off the hook," Du Wa said.
He actually had little interest in Magik, the queen of Hell's Border. No matter how powerful Magik was, she ultimately played with Black Magic. Even if he brought her back for parasitism, the Xenomorph that would burst from her chest wouldn't be able to master the powers Magik possessed at her peak.
To Du Wa, ten Magiks weren't worth one Sunspot.
The fact that he could get stronger by sunbathing was somewhat similar to the Superman from next door, but his energy circulation speed and application efficiency were far inferior to the real Superman.
*Perhaps if Hyperion were here, he could truly compete with Superman's abilities,* the thought suddenly popped into Du Wa's mind.
But looking across the entire Multiverse, even counting all the numbered universes, there were only a few that contained a Hyperion.
As Marvel's true counterpart to Superman, Hyperion had the strength and confidence to back it up.
Just like that, Du Wa completed the parasitism on Sunspot. Although Sunspot had actually wanted to try and save himself, hoping to negotiate serving Du Wa without being parasitized, that was obviously impossible.
By the time a faint sense of regret arose in Sunspot's heart, he had no other choice. Reynolds made a dazzling entrance, giving him a terrifyingly kind smile, and then spared no effort in helping him complete the parasitism.
And so, the Superman Corps suddenly had two "Supermen."
Sunspot quickly found his place. As a new Xenomorph, he followed Reynolds into action, launching swift raids, opening up many new battlefronts, and building confidence by securing local victories and accumulating combat experience.
"Although you're terrible at everything, I have to say, your abilities are somewhat similar to mine. Of all the powers I possess, try to learn about 30% to 50%. That should be your limit."
Reynolds gathered his strength and knocked out an Atlantean soldier with one punch, speaking to Sunspot beside him.
Sunspot also threw a punch, blasting an injured enemy into ashes, which made his pitch-black, expressionless face look even more unsightly.
Killing the enemy was not the goal; defeating the enemy and bringing them back alive was.
"Why should I only be able to learn less than half of your skills? I just haven't absorbed enough sunlight. As long as I bask in the sun long enough, I can definitely become stronger than you," Sunspot said, naturally unconvinced.
He believed he should have all the powers Reynolds possessed. After all, they both used stellar energy and were now cooperating closely. Appropriately strengthening an ally's power would yield twice the results with half the effort.
"I have a million stars charging me at all times. Do you? Even if you did, the light from a million suns would be enough to burn you to a crisp." Reynolds' casual sentence was a devastating blow.
Sunspot sometimes wondered why he hadn't gotten Reynolds' precious opportunity and been chosen by Du Wa earlier.
If he could also possess the power of a million stars, combined with his X-gene Mutant ability to get stronger by absorbing sunlight... he would take off in an instant, becoming one of the most prominent figures on Earth.
But Sunspot would never give up.
"As long as I deal with you, I can become the captain, right?" Sunspot was eager to try.
"Idiot. Short-sighted. Don't you see the problem here? The entire Superman Corps has only two members, a captain and a vice-captain. Not a single grunt for us to command!"
Reynolds' gaze was profound. He lifted an Atlantean soldier in each hand as golden beams of light erupted from his body, imprisoning even more Atlanteans, who moved along with him.
"Why do we have to add more members? The war is going smoothly. The Atlanteans are no match for us at all. The number of Xenomorphs is growing, but for every Atlantean who dies, one is gone forever," Sunspot couldn't understand.
Since joining Du Wa's faction, the more Sunspot learned, the more horrified he became. He discovered he was still too superficial and had severely underestimated the terror of the Xenomorph legion.
The Atlanteans, rulers of the world's oceans, were being pushed further onto the defensive in the face of the rapidly growing Xenomorph legion.
Someone like Reynolds, who had personally participated in a great war, knew that the defeat of Atlantis was only a matter of time. The only question was how many tsunamis these ocean-dwellers would unleash upon the land before their end.
They were like fleas jumping with all their might. They could leave many bites on a person, but it still wouldn't change the outcome of being crushed to death with a light press.
"Our real enemies have never been the Atlanteans. This is just a small interlude that occurred while expanding our forces."
Reynolds knew more. He subconsciously looked up, beyond Earth.
The Symbiote Army... He was truly startled to learn there were countless beings like Grendel.
Everyone had seen with their own eyes how much the Symbiotes enhanced the Xenomorphs.
If there were enough Symbiotes to form a planet, they would have to be taken seriously. If it came to a fight, a war between species would inevitably break out, and if their forces were too small, they would struggle.
It had always been the Xenomorphs overwhelming their enemies with numbers; how had the tables turned?
"Our forces are still not enough. What's a few hundred thousand? Let's start with a few million to test the waters! If it's not enough, we'll keep adding more!" A hint of anticipation appeared in Reynolds' eyes. "Let the Xenomorphs cover every corner of the world, appear on every planet in the universe, and let everyone in the entire universe praise us."
"That sounds like the prayer of a religious fanatic."
"You're right. I didn't say that; Druig did. He's also a telepath, so he's even more of a fanatic than a fanatic. Stay away from him in the future," Reynolds warned solemnly.
The Superman Corps was officially established, but for the two captains, the most urgent task was to find a way to recruit more people. Otherwise, forcibly maintaining the team's existence would inevitably attract many gazes with ill intent.
The balance of war was clearly tilting.
Even though the Atlanteans were getting serious, even starting to use magic on a large scale, they could only helplessly discover that the more they killed, the more Xenomorphs there were. The longer this battle dragged on, victory would belong to those who could endure the loneliness, who had arduously trained and studied for years on end.
Namor was at his wits' end all day, faintly feeling a sense of fatigue. Now, even when waving his trident to stir the global oceans, he felt his strength was not equal to his will.
It had only been a little over ten days, but his people had already suffered more than ten thousand casualties. These deaths were all inflicted by the Xenomorphs' frenzied, cost-be-damned attacks.
What was the total population of Atlantis? But the Atlanteans had no choice. They had to step up and block them, or the Xenomorphs would only gather in greater numbers and eventually wipe out all of Atlantis.
"Still no word from Attuma?" Namor gritted his teeth.
"No. We've contacted him in every way possible. As long as he's still alive on this planet, not dead or imprisoned, he would have definitely received our signal, but there's been no response."
"What the hell is that bastard doing! Atlantis is on the verge of collapse!"
And Attuma, who was being furiously cursed by Namor, had finally contacted his powerful ally.
"Welcome to Earth. I believe the division between ocean people and Surface Dwellers is not quite suitable for your kind... people from space." Attuma, wearing heavy golden armor, conveyed caution in his somber tone.
Before Attuma and a group of Atlanteans were two figures levitating in the air.
"A boring method of classification, reeking of childish stupidity." The burly and imposing man crossed his arms, an irrepressible sneer on his face. He then said to the person levitating beside him, "Ikaris... I can't believe you were defeated in a backwater place like this. What a disgrace to the Eternals."
Ikaris, who hadn't been seen for a long time, had a hint of world-weariness on his face. He said in a deep voice, "Don't underestimate this place. This planet is absolutely extraordinary. A ruthless character has appeared..."
"Shut up. Of the eleven Eternals, you're the only one left, clinging to life. You forced Arishem to send me over here." A deep, savage look appeared on the man's face. "Everything that has happened on this planet is because you were too incompetent. Couldn't you have just killed that Du Wa before he rose to power? You just had to listen to Ajak and play at living in seclusion... But it doesn't matter. Arishem sent me here to correct this mistake."
He looked at Attuma cruelly, then shifted his gaze to the planet itself.
"Let me—Hyperion, the strongest of the Eternals—put this planet back on the right track!"
(end of chapter)
The last 30 chapters are each 5k+ words, like wtf dude—each one is like 5 chapters from my other novels. You guys are literally lucky to have such a good translator.