Centaurus Galaxy, Alpha Star.
Today, this beautiful, undeveloped planet received a group of unwelcome visitors. An escape vessel battered by artillery fire crash-landed in what had once been a tranquil valley. The roaring airwaves terrified the animals living there, sending them fleeing in all directions.
"We've arrived at Alpha Star."
Nickel, holding the Scepter of Kings, looked at the beautiful new world beyond the cabin, untouched by war. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and savored the relief of surviving the disaster. Under the cover of the entire Centauri Prime military, one hundred and fifty promising young elites of Centauri Prime had been divided into three "seed" teams. Led by three captains, they had set out for their predetermined destination—Alpha Star.
"Diff, how is it? Any news from the other two teams?" Having calmed himself, Nickel opened his eyes, watched his teammates disembark from the escape vessel one after another, and asked.
"Your Highness Nickel, regrettably, Diff has not detected the signals of the other two escape vessels." A facial model appeared on the screen before Nickel, displaying all the data it had detected before the grim-faced prince.
According to the calculations of Artificial Intelligence Diff, the probability that the other two escape vessels had failed to break through the encirclement was as high as 100%.
"Are you sad, Your Highness Nickel?"
"No. I'm angry." Nickel tightened his grip on the Scepter of Kings. Clever as he was, he had already guessed why the Centaurian King had entrusted the scepter to him. The so-called three "seed" teams had been a ruse from the very beginning. The other two escape vessels had never intended to survive the breakout.
"Thanos. Chitauri. One at a time. I won't let any of you go. I swear it." Bloodshot veins filled his pure white eyes, and against his purple skin, Nickel's expression looked especially terrifying.
Thanos, who had destroyed his homeland, and the Chitauri, who had gone back on their word, were both targets of Nickel's vengeance. He would lead the remaining forty-nine members of his race and use the data and crops loaded aboard the escape vessel to rebuild Centauri Prime civilization in some corner beyond Thanos's reach.
They would develop in silence, grow stronger in silence, drain the resources of an entire galaxy, and then return at the head of an interstellar fleet to trample Chitauri Prime beneath their feet and tear Thanos apart with their bare hands!
"Diff, scan the surrounding terrain and find somewhere suitable for us to live." Angry or not, Nickel had not forgotten his responsibilities as the new king. You had to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Rebuilding Centauri Prime civilization was a long and arduous road. Right now, their priority was to find a suitable place on Alpha Star to settle down and lie low from the turmoil outside.
"Yes, Your Highness Nickel." The absolutely obedient Artificial Intelligence began its search. Yet three seconds later, red warning lights suddenly flashed aboard the escape vessel.
"Warning, warning. Your Highness Nickel, an unidentified stellar battleship is rapidly approaching!"
"Warning, warning. Your Highness Nickel, detected..."
"Warning..."
The endlessly repeating alarms instantly darkened Nickel's face as he gripped the scepter. At such a sensitive time, a battleship had appeared on Alpha Star right after their escape vessel. Nickel could not help but suspect the worst.
"Enemy attack! Everyone, on guard!"
Nickel quickly stepped off the escape vessel, his voice resounding beside every Centauri Prime warrior's ear through the Scepter of Kings in his hand. The well-trained elites understood at once, gathering all the strength in their bodies into their hands as they formed a special seal. The power within the forty-nine Centauri Prime warriors converged through this strange method, then flowed directly into Nickel, who held the Scepter of Kings!
This was a secret art unique to Centauri Prime, created by the first Centaurian King. There was no upper limit to the power it could gather, provided the recipient's body could withstand it. The first Centaurian King, who had founded Centauri Prime's glorious civilization, had later died when he forcibly gathered too much power against a powerful enemy and exploded from within.
"A Dark Order warship."
As time passed, Nickel stood ready in formation. The moment he saw the unfamiliar warship, his expression turned exceptionally ugly. He could not be mistaken. The ship bore the distinctive emblem of Thanos's Dark Order.
But how was that possible?!
How could Thanos's people know about Alpha Star?!
After discovering this place, the Centaurian race had used special methods to conceal all traces of its existence, intending to keep this resource-rich planet for themselves.
Moreover, what puzzled Nickel was that if this warship had come to pursue them, it seemed far too small. Or did Thanos think a team of just three or five people would be enough to deal with them?
Under Nickel's wary gaze, the warship slowly landed. The hatch opened, and a man clad in silver armor stepped out. A distinctive red tail swayed freely behind him, while his cold face bore silent contempt and pride.
"Son of Thanos, Beckett."
Nickel clenched the scepter in his hand. His teeth-grinding voice carried a trace of fear that others would find difficult to notice. A man's reputation was like a tree's shadow. Compared to Nickel, who currently bore only the title of "the most gifted talent in Centauri Prime civilization's history," Beckett, the Son of Thanos, had long become the sharpest blade in Thanos's hand, piercing countless hearts.
Besides his formidable strength, the thing cold-blooded Beckett was best known for was his crimson tail—a red tail that stood in stark contrast to his black hair.
"Not a bad planet. If I hadn't confirmed the coordinates beforehand, I really wouldn't have found this place."
"So you Centaurians had already treated this place as a refuge in case you lost the war."
Feeling the breeze brush across his face and breathing in the woody fragrance of the primeval forest, Beckett surveyed his surroundings. After taking in every sight, he advanced step by step toward Nickel's formation, and an invisible pressure rose in Nickel's heart.
Since there was no point in talking, Nickel chose to strike first. He raised the scepter in his right hand, and countless energy-filled spheres emerged behind him.
"Die!"
With Nickel's somewhat savage roar, a dense barrage of energy blasts surged toward the direction indicated by his scepter—Beckett!
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!
The thunderous explosions of energy blasts striking the ground came without end.
The earth trembled, the forest wailed, and swirling dust obscured Nickel's grave eyes.
Had he dealt with him?
Nickel tightened his grip on the scepter. Then Beckett's figure emerged from the dust filling the sky, completely unharmed. Even his silver armor bore not the slightest trace of damage.
How could this be?!
Disbelief flashed through Nickel's heart.
"Weak power. Is this the level of Centauri Prime's warriors?"
Beckett's words made Nickel feel humiliated.
Time, time. He was only lacking a little more time to grow!
"Foolish Centaurians truly have no need to exist." Beckett stopped advancing and disdainfully raised his right hand, his palm aimed at Nickel and the forty-nine Centaurians behind him.
1 vs. 50.
Beneath that arrogant stance, vast energy surged through Beckett's body, ready to erupt!
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