Bellmar Grand Cathedral

"In the flesh-and-blood grinder of the Planet of Death, only I survived to the end." Boros brushed the healing scar on his chest, golden patterns flowing beneath his skin. "Even if this body's heart is shattered, it can restore itself within five breaths."

He suddenly crushed the rubble in his right hand. Flesh buds writhed madly at the severed limb, and a new arm regenerated in an instant. "And you..." His single eye locked onto the overlapping wounds on Thanos's body. "Your wounds are bleeding, and your aura is growing unstable."

"To force me this far, you should be proud—"

Clang!

Before he could finish, purple blood splattered across Boros's faceplate. Thanos, who should have been unconscious, was actually supporting himself with one hand as the Power Stone on the Infinity Gauntlet erupted with an eerie glow.

"Roar—!!"

A purple shockwave exploded outward in a ring, sending Boros flying hundreds of meters for the first time. When he finally stopped after smashing through three ruined structures, he found his chest armor shattered and his organs regenerating at a visible rate.

"So that's how it is..." He pressed a hand to his suddenly tightening heart and laughed softly. That laughter gradually turned into a wild roar as the golden patterns across his body began to boil. "Then witness what lies beyond the limit—"

"Meteoric Burst!!!"

Boros's body abruptly transformed into a gorgeous pink, as though he had broken through some shackle of life itself. Meteoric Burst was his ultimate trump card—by converting the energy within his body into propulsion fuel, he burned away his lifespan in exchange for berserk power beyond the limits of his species.

"Come and join this feast before my fall!"

An afterimage too fast for the retina to catch flashed past, and Boros's rising dragon punch had already slammed into Thanos's jaw. The Titan king shot straight through the atmosphere toward deep space as if struck by an interstellar rail cannon.

"As a tribute to the strong." Energy singularities began collapsing around Boros's body. "I shall use this planet as an offering—"

"Collapsing Star: Roaring Cannon!!"

Floating in the cold void of space, Thanos suddenly trembled. The destructive energy rising from the planet's surface made him sense death for the first time. "I am destiny itself!" Purple radiance from the Power Stone wrapped around his right fist as it collided head-on with the annihilating beam that pierced the galaxy.

The power of the Stone crushed the Roaring Cannon with overwhelming force, and the aftermath tore the battlefield planet into interstellar dust. When the battle escalated, the Obsidian Legion and Dark Matter Pirates had already fled to a safe distance several astronomical units away.

"Huff... Huff... To think you forced me this far." Thanos stared at the one-eyed warrior floating amid the debris field. Boros, released from his transformed state, resembled a faded statue as he slowly spun in the vacuum.

"You are the victor." Boros's telepathic voice carried electromagnetic static. "I merely relied on a cosmic treasure," Thanos replied softly, stroking the Infinity Gauntlet. Without the Power Stone, he would have already lost when Boros activated Meteoric Burst.

"Do it. I have no regrets after burning my life so freely in battle." The pink one-eyed warrior stretched his limbs among the meteors like a star awaiting rebirth.

"Don't be so dejected. Don't you want to encounter powerful foes you can fight to your heart's content among the boundless stars once more?" Thanos, charred black all over, extended an inviting hand to Boros. "Form an alliance with me, and together we shall pursue our respective journeys through the stars."

Boros stared at the purple giant before him, who looked like a lump of charcoal. After a brief silence, he took that hand. "As you wish."

At that moment, the Dark Legion and Interstellar Marauders formally forged their alliance.

Two overlords pursuing different dreams now rode side by side. Thanos sought to extinguish half the stars, while Boros longed to find opponents worthy of being crushed...

—[Earth Frontline · Special Alert]

Hero Association headquarters had yet to realize that a terrifying alliance had formed in the depths of space. Worse still, Thanos had obtained the Power Stone early, causing his strength to skyrocket exponentially.

"Relax. Adjust your breathing rhythm."

"Hoo—"

"Have some water first."

Sol, the Thor who had returned from Asgard, trembled uncontrollably in the chairman's office. Fine ripples shook across the cup in his hand. Li Chen frowned slightly at the sight. What kind of being could make an awakened Thor's heartbeat become this unstable?

"What did you see?"

"Four ancient deities: a giant turtle bearing a black shell, a crocodile demon with blood dripping from its fangs, a jackal wielding a scythe of death, and... a bird within golden flames."

The answer was already obvious. These were the first world-destroying threats to descend—the Shurima Empire, lost for a thousand years.

Compared to the First Spirits that had already been recruited and the Qingqiu Fox Clan that had agreed to cooperate, this desert empire alone had remained a mystery. It now seemed that they had long occupied Vanaheim, one of the Nine Realms, and turned it into the site where a new Sun Disc would rise.

"That turtle shell... My Divine Hammer cracked the web of my hand when it struck it." Sol spread open his palm, which was covered in bloodstains. "The crocodile demon's brute strength surpasses even Hulk's, and that jackal who commands death..." The Asgardian crown prince's voice tightened unusually. "Its authority over death is second only to Hela's."

(

"What chills me most is that yellow chicken they call their leader. He seemed to have seized the Dark Elf sacred relic—the Aether Particle. Combined with his already formidable strength, it defeated me in an instant. If Heimdall hadn't arrived in time, I might have died there."

Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly, his voice carrying lingering fear.

The Aether Particle was, in essence, the Reality Stone. And that Sun Disc, similar to the Infinity Gauntlet, could almost fully unleash the Reality Stone's power.

What was more, Azir, the [Lord of the Sands], had already reached the initial Super-Dragon-Level. Even without relying on the Reality Stone, defeating Thor would have been effortless.

After all, without Stormbreaker, Thor's strength did not even meet the threshold of an S-Class Hero.

"This is bad."

Li Chen scratched his head and leaned back in his chair.

Azir had already been difficult to deal with. With the Reality Stone added to the mix, he was even more formidable. Not to mention the Shurima Empire under his command, which had countless Dragon-Level Disaster generals.

"Anyway, go back to Asgard first and have Odin strengthen its defenses against a Shurima attack." Li Chen paused briefly before continuing. "If they really invade, you can request support from the League of Heroes."

"Got it. I'll find a way..."

Thor held his forehead, his voice low as though he had suffered a heavy blow.

This defeat had been far too humiliating.

He could not defeat any of the four Shurima powerhouses he encountered.

Especially Azir, the [Lord of the Sands], and Nasus, the [Curator of the Sands]. They had practically ground him into dust.

He glanced at the panel, where only a little over ten thousand energy points remained:

Mjolnir (A) required 100,000 to advance; Thunderous Battle Body (A) required 150,000 to break through; Lightning Control (A) required a full 300,000 to awaken.

This little savings was not even enough for a fraction of the cost.

"Chairman, has that Alliance Dungeon you mentioned before been opened?"

"I nearly forgot."

Li Chen put down his teacup, his expression unchanged.

If Thor had not reminded him, he would have nearly tossed the matter to the back of his mind.

The seven major branches turned in enormous amounts of energy points every day, and they had now accumulated 700,000. Spending 100,000 to open the dungeon was worth it.

As the energy points dropped to 600,000, the long-sealed dungeon entrance was finally unlocked.

[Ding! Attention all members: the chairman has activated the "Alliance Dungeon." Defeating dungeon monsters can yield massive amounts of energy points, equipment, and potions. Please participate actively.]

This notification sounded in the minds of every League of Heroes member.

Members with free time quickly began studying the newly launched party dungeon feature. Teams of four could enter only three times per day, and the difficulties were divided into Wolf-level, Tiger-Level, Demon Level, Dragon-Level, Super-Dragon-Level, and God-Level.

As chairman of the League of Heroes, Li Chen held key intelligence: consuming one Infinity Stone could open a passage to another plane and seize fifty percent of that world's origin power. Yet the six existing Stones were needed both to summon vice-chairman-level combatants and to meet his own needs. There simply were no spare resources.

Unless... he crossed worlds to obtain Infinity Stones from parallel worlds? Li Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully. The plan was feasible, provided he could gain the support of those technology maniacs.

"It's finally open! I need to hurry and farm Dungeon No. 103 for energy." Thor rubbed his hands eagerly.

"Know your limits." Li Chen glanced at Thor's data panel, which displayed an ** rating. Theoretically, he could handle a Dragon-Level crisis, but Li Chen feared the man might impulsively challenge a Super-Dragon-Level or even God-Level dungeon. Still, after being thoroughly taught a lesson by Azir, Thor had at least recognized the gap in their strength.

"I'll start with a Dragon-Level dungeon."

[Ding! 1,000 energy points deducted. Random Dragon-Level dungeon generating.]

Thor widened his eyes at the massive entrance fee transferred from his account to Li Chen: one point for Wolf-level, ten for Tiger-Level, one hundred for Demon Level, one thousand for Dragon-Level, ten thousand for Super-Dragon-Level, and one hundred thousand for God-Level. Of course, the rewards for clearing a dungeon far exceeded the cost—provided one could return alive.

"Is this a fucking scam shop?"

"Stop whining and enter the dungeon." Suppressing a smile, Li Chen watched the grimacing Thor vanish into the teleportation screen. As chairman, he had the authority to monitor every dungeon battle in real time.

Dragon-Level Dungeon Bellmar Grand Cathedral

Within the virtual projection of the Lad Continent's Holy Order headquarters, priests were bathing in holy light as they performed their morning prayers. The dizziness caused by the spatial transfer made Thor stagger two steps while clutching his forehead. "Damn it..."

Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly. This was his first time entering an Alliance Dungeon, and he was still unfamiliar with many of its rules. "Hey, what are you all doing?"

In an instant, the nine priests who had been praying rose in unison. The yellow "Neutral" markers above their heads abruptly turned red, just like the hostility-triggering mechanic in a game.

The dungeon strategy really was extremely similar to a game—characters here were almost like NPCs, and adventurers would not truly die upon defeat. By paying double the entrance fee, they could receive a chance at revival. "I seem to have done something stupid..." Thor looked awkwardly at the nine pairs of hostile eyes.

System markers appeared above the heads of the nine priests:

1. Mindseer (Dragon-Level Disaster ×1)

2. Apocalypse Adept (Demon-level Disaster ×8)

Defeating this group of dungeon monsters could yield five or six times the entrance fee, not including potions and equipment that might drop.

The advanced forms of Paladins were fully displayed here: Apocalypse Adepts represented the first awakening, while Mindseers symbolized the second breakthrough. These guardians of light wore plate armor and wielded sacred abilities such as healing, shields, party buffs, and even sacrifice. They burned holy light to protect their comrades, and their titles alone inspired solemn respect.

"Holy Light, that enemy is worth noticing~"

"Look, now that's a worthy opponent!"

"Heretic—accept judgment!"

Their aggro instantly maxed out as nine bursts of holy light erupted. Thor tried to negotiate. "Wait! We can talk—"

"Accept your punishment!" ×9

Hammers of light rained down from the sky, every Hammer of Repentance transforming into a hundred-meter giant weapon. The first heavy blow made Thor's muscles shudder and lifted his body into the air beyond his control. Before he could land, the second wave of holy attacks followed immediately.

Thor was once again thrown high into the sky, as if he were experiencing an endless bungee jump.

"???"

At that moment, he had only one thought: Isn't this skill way too shameless?!

For the next ten minutes, he was like a precisely controlled puppet. Every time he landed, he was immediately sent flying again. The nine enemies coordinated flawlessly and kept him completely suppressed. In the end, he slumped in the chairman's office with a blank expression, looking exactly like a statue.

Ten full minutes of uninterrupted beating had hammered him straight into "death," without giving him even a chance to fight back. It was not that the enemies overwhelmingly surpassed him in strength. Even against the strongest Mindseer, he had a chance in a one-on-one fight. But they never gave him that chance. The nine of them swarmed him and took turns greeting him with Hammers of Repentance, chaining crowd-control skills without a gap until he began doubting his life.

"You... okay?"

"Probably... still alive."

"Actually, you could use Mjolnir to fly up and leave their control range."

"Right!"

Li Chen's reminder enlightened Thor at once. He decisively paid another thousand energy points to challenge the Dragon-Level dungeon again, only for his "incredible luck" to strike—he drew the same stage once more.

In less than ten seconds, his fantasy was shattered. Whenever he tried to take flight, a Judgment of Justice light spear would sneakily target his crotch, or a Holy Light Orb would suddenly slam into his face, with the stun effect pinning him back to the ground. This dungeon had practically carved the word "disgusting" into its rules.

The same familiar death pose, the same familiar defeat.

"..."

Li Chen opened his mouth, yet could not force out a single word of comfort. Two thousand energy points for two brutal beatings, controlled so thoroughly from start to finish that he could not function—this level of bad luck was truly one of a kind. Looking through the other members' records, seventy percent had succeeded on their first attempt at a Demon Level dungeon or a team Dragon-Level dungeon. Only Thor seemed to be targeted by fate itself.

"I'm Thor! A mere Dragon-Level dungeon—"

"Calm down. Go farm a Demon Level dungeon first."

"That dungeon is downright abnormal! There's no way I'll get it a third time!"

The sulking young man gritted his teeth and invested a third batch of energy points.

Fate sneered and once again slammed the entrance to Bellmar Grand Cathedral in front of him.

"Why is it you again?!"