Hunting Time

At the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Chu Hang floated in the void, a dark red dwarf star behind him. He stared at the slowly moving point of light in the distance—a Viltrumite cruiser.

The ship was silver-white and over three hundred meters long, with the imperial insignia engraved on its bow. Allen had said that the Conqueror carried fifteen Viltrumite warriors. Its commander was Craig, who had served for two hundred years.

Two hundred years.

Chu Hang rolled his neck, his joints crackling.

The Smart Atoms within him stirred restlessly. The energy extracted from Nolan was only enough to activate the Reconstruction Program. To complete his full-body transformation, he needed more fuel.

The warship before him held fifteen walking batteries.

Chu Hang flew toward the Conqueror without concealing his presence.

In this region of space, the Viltrumites were the rulers. No lifeform had ever dared to provoke their fleet on its own initiative. So when the sensors detected a rapidly approaching biological entity, the atmosphere on the bridge remained relaxed.

There was only curiosity and disdain.

Craig stood before the command console, watching the point of light draw closer on the holographic display. His skin was grayish-white, his eye sockets sunken, and an old scar ran across his chin.

A humanoid lifeform, with no spacecraft and no armor, flying through space just like that.

Craig narrowed his eyes.

"Unknown lifeform, you have entered Viltrum Empire airspace." He waved a hand to activate the external broadcast. "Under imperial law, you have two choices—submit or die."

Chu Hang stopped fifty meters from the warship, folding his arms across his chest.

Submit or die?

He had heard those words too many times. Hydra had said them, and so had Thanos. And what had happened to them? He had buried them all.

"I