The Bald Cape Hero and the Herrscher of the Void

The ruling hall of Xandar was magnificent and solemn, with a high dome and pale blue energy curtains flowing like water between the walls. Chen Tian was led by the Nova Prime through layers of heavily guarded corridors and finally stepped into this hall that symbolized the highest power of the Nova Corps.

The hall was already packed with people—the commanders of the Nova Corps, clad in blue and gold armor, their gazes wary and solemn; the consuls, dressed in magnificent council robes, wore a variety of expressions, some angry, some worried, and others hostile. Chen Tian glanced around, a slightly mocking smile playing on his lips.

"What a grand display," he scoffed, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere around him, and walked straight to the center.

A hover chair sensed his approach and automatically slid behind him. Chen Tian sat down without any ceremony, crossed his arms, put his legs up, raised his chin slightly, and looked directly at the Nova Prime.

"Speak," he said calmly. "I'm listening."

The hall erupted in an uproar.

"Insolence!" a commander roared. "How dare you be so disrespectful to the Nova Prime!"

Chen Tian didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. He simply flicked his fingertip, and an invisible repulsive field suddenly spread out. The commander was instantly pushed backward by a huge force and only managed to regain his balance after hitting the wall.

"I don't like being interrupted." Chen Tian's voice remained calm, but the cold light emanating from his Six Eyes sent chills down everyone's spines.

The Nova Prime raised her hand to signal everyone to calm down. She took a deep breath and looked directly at Chen Tian: "Mr. Chen Tian, we invited you here to confirm your stance."

"Standard?" Chen Tian raised an eyebrow. "What stance?"

"Regarding Thanos," Nova Prime's voice was deep and serious, "You mentioned his name, and according to you, you are not his ally."

Chen Tian scoffed, "Thanos?" He spread his hands, "My only interaction with him was a few years ago when I thwarted his plan to invade Blue Planet, and one of his underlings tricked me and dumped me here with you guys."

The hall was silent; everyone stared intently at him, trying to discern the truth from his expression.

Nova Prime pondered for a moment, then waved his hand to summon a holographic projection—a map of Thanos's fleet distribution, with densely packed red dots covering several star systems.

"Thanos's power is expanding, and his goal is clear—to collect the Infinity Stones and wipe out half of all life in the universe." Her gaze was sharp. "And Xandar is his enemy."

Chen Tian narrowed his eyes. "So you're worried that I'm here to work for Thanos?"

"We must be cautious," the Nova Prime said frankly.

Chen Tian was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Interesting." He stood up, and the hover chair automatically moved away.

He slowly walked towards the projection, reached out and touched it, Thanos's image instantly magnified.

"First, I have no interest in working for him." His fingertips lightly traced the projection, Thanos's image was torn apart by a burst of black energy. "Second, Thanos betrayed me, and I will settle this score with him personally."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on the Nova Prime.

"So, are you choosing to cooperate with me, or continue to oppose me?"

The council chamber erupted in chaos. Commanders in blue-gold armor divided into two factions, arguing fiercely, while councilors in their robes whispered amongst themselves. The entire hall was filled with a cacophony of voices.

"We can't trust this alien of unknown origin!" The Third Legion commander slammed his fist on the table. "I suggest we transfer him to Kyln immediately!"

"But the power he displayed in the square..." The intelligence minister hesitated, then stopped himself.

"Then he should be locked up even more!" the security advisor interrupted sharply. "Who knows if he's a spy sent by Thanos?"

Chen Tian idly twirled his wristwatch, the metal dial gleaming coldly under the light. When the date December 2013 came into view, his pupils contracted slightly—at this point in time... Star-Lord should be searching for the Orb, and once he finds it, he will come to Xandar.

"Enough!" The Nova Prime suddenly slammed her hand on the podium, and the entire hall fell silent instantly. She turned to Chen Tian and found the young man staring thoughtfully at his wristwatch, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Mr. Chen Tian," she said in a deep voice, "You seem completely uninterested in our argument?"

(The two sides had introduced themselves to each other before entering the government hall.)

"Oh, I don't care," Chen Tian looked up. "I have no interest in the outcome of your argument. If you're willing to cooperate, all the better. If you're not, then I'll just tear this place down, steal a spaceship, and leave."

As soon as Chen Tian finished speaking, the administration hall erupted in chaos. The opposition commanders' faces turned ashen, and one of the generals in blue-gold armor suddenly drew his energy sword. "Arrogant! Take him down!"

Chen Tian chuckled dismissively and turned to walk towards the observation deck outside the administration building. His black trench coat billowed behind him, and the blue light swirling in his Six Eyes grew ever brighter. As he stood at the edge of the platform, the entire sky over Xandar suddenly darkened.

"Watch closely." Chen Tian raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers together. In an instant, a violent current of air surged around him. The combination of magic and spell power caused the entire administration hall to tremble slightly, and the glass windows shook violently.

A purplish-black energy ball condensed at his fingertips, distorting space, and the surrounding air was twisted and deformed due to the energy fluctuations.

"Empty Form · Zi · Modification"

As he softly uttered the name of the technique, a purplish-black energy beam with a diameter exceeding one hundred meters shot into the sky. Wherever the beam passed, the atmosphere was forcibly torn apart, and several patrol ships floating in the distance shook violently in the aftershocks of the energy, with alarms blaring throughout the Nova Corps headquarters.

When the beam of light dissipated, a huge hole appeared in the sky, which failed to heal for a long time. Chen Tian turned around, his white hair dancing in the wind, a harmless, bright smile on his face, "I have many more tricks up my sleeve like this. Now—" He tilted his head, "Does anyone still want to send me to Kyln?"

The entire administration hall was deathly silent. Nova Prime's pupils contracted sharply as she saw behind Chen Tian that the torn atmosphere was slowly recovering, but the terrifying circular hole was still clearly visible. The opposition commanders were ashen-faced, their weapons hanging limply involuntarily.

The intelligence chief broke the silence, his voice trembling. "This... this power... if it hit Xandar..."

Chen Tian strolled leisurely Earth Flow the center of the administration hall, casually brushing non-existent dust off his shoulders. "So, can we now properly discuss cooperation?" His smile remained gentle, but everyone present felt a chilling power behind it.

Thus, with his unique "nuclear benevolence" attitude, Chen Tian successfully obtained the status of a special advisor on Xandar. The Nova Corps arranged a luxurious residence for him on the highest floor of the capital, overlooking the entire dazzling city through floor-to-ceiling windows.

On his first day of check-in, Chen Tian couldn't wait to go to the Nova Corps' communications center. He stood in front of the holographic projection table, his fingers quickly swiping across the complex control interface.

"This frequency...is wrong." He frowned, data streams flashing in his eyes. "Try this band again."

The tech officers kept testing the operating system. After Chen Tian had them try the thirty-seventh communication protocol, he finally sighed and straightened up.

"The distance is too far." He rubbed his temples. "Regular communications simply can't get back to Earth."

The Nova Corps' chief communications officer hesitated for a moment. "We can try to establish a quantum communication relay somewhere closer to Blue Planet, but it will take at least three months to establish a stable connection."

Chen Tian was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to face the holographic recorder. "Let's record a video first." He straightened his collar and revealed a bright smile, "Hey everyone, missed me, right?"

After recording, Chen Tian held the storage chip in his hand and tossed it into the air. He spoke to Leah (Diablo) through his consciousness. He knew that Diablo had the ability to leave the Summoning Space without permission, but his appearance was limited to himself and the characters he summoned.

(This is also where Diablo's cunning lies. If he/she hadn't left the Summoning Space without permission in the previous Mirror Dimension and saved Chen Tian, Chen Tian wouldn't have known he/she possessed this ability. Ironically, the other summoned characters don't have it. Perhaps this is the capriciousness of the newbie gift pack.)

In the days that followed, Chen Tian waited for Tony and his team to find Thor, obtain the Infinity Stones, and then summon Bayonetta. At the same time, he delved into the technology of Xandar. Every time he appeared, the officers and scientists around him would unconsciously tense up.

(This fixes a bug: the protagonist could summon characters that had already appeared into the space regardless of distance, but after summoning them again, the summoned characters could only appear next to the protagonist.)

Time flies, and it was 2014 in the blink of an eye. On this morning, Chen Tian was leaning against the balcony railing, playing with a Nova Corps badge in his hand.

The Nova Corps badge in Chen Tian's hand gleamed metallically in the morning light. He casually tossed the badge around, his gaze fixed on the rising starlight on the distant city skyline.

"Ah~ what a leisurely morning~" Bayonetta's languid voice came from behind her. She leaned against the glass door of the balcony, holding a steaming glass of Xandar's special drink. "My lady, you seem to be in a good mood?"

Chen Tian chuckled without turning his head, "Hehe, I'd love to know what Thanos's expression will be when he discovers that the three Infinity Stones, which should have been in Odin's Vault, are missing."

"So boring..." A lazy voice came from the living room. Saitama, wearing his signature yellow bodysuit, was sprawled on the sofa, listlessly flipping through Xandar magazine. "There isn't even a decent supermarket sale here."

Chen Tian then turned around, his gaze falling on the white-haired girl who had somehow appeared behind him. The girl's blue eyes flickered with complex light, and although her face appeared full of energy, there was already a hint of composure in her eyes.

"Kiana Kaslana..." Chen Tian's lips curled into a playful smile, "Or should I call you the Herrscher of the Void?"

Kiana was taken aback when she heard Chen Tian's words, then she flashed a bright, sunny smile, her two white braids swaying in the breeze.

"Commander~" She winked playfully, put her hands behind her back, and leaned forward slightly, "Just call me Kiana!"

After saying that, she skipped and hopped to the edge of the balcony like a cheerful little sparrow, placed her hands on the railing, and looked down at the whole city with sparkling sapphire eyes.

"Wow! Those aircraft are so cool!" she exclaimed, pointing at the hovercars gliding through the air. "They're even cooler than the Hyperion's carrier-based aircraft!"

Bayonetta took a sip of her drink, observing the lively girl with interest. "A newcomer? She seems quite energetic~"

Saitama peeked out from behind the magazine. "Oh? A noisy fellow has arrived."

Kiana turned around upon hearing this, hands on her hips, chin raised triumphantly. "Hey, I'm not one to make noise! I am the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal!"

Chen Tian stood up, looking at the girl with such a tragic fate, "Kiana, welcome to the New World. Here, you will have new friends, a new life, a new beginning, so..."

Chen Tian also revealed a bright and sunny smile, "Forget all the unpleasant things from the past. Here, you can unleash your true nature and your passion. I'll take care of everything for you."

Kiana's pupils trembled slightly, and sunlight filtered through Chen Tian's silhouette, casting a golden halo around her eyes. She suddenly recalled the fragments of memories she had seen while adrift in the Sea of Quanta — Sirin's mockery, Himeko- sensei's sacrifice, Mei's departing figure... All the painful memories seemed to gradually dissipate at this moment, like a thin mist pierced by sunlight.

"Thank you... Commander..."

Her voice was tinged with a slight sob, and she suddenly threw herself into Chen Tian. Her white braids drew a graceful arc in the air, the ends of her hair gently brushing against Chen Tian's cheek.

Chen Tian could feel the girl's thin shoulders trembling slightly, like a fledgling bird that had finally found its way home.

Bayonetta put down her cup, a knowing smile playing on her red lips, and quietly retreated to the living room. Saitama scratched his bald head and tactfully continued flipping through his magazine—even though he had long since been holding it upside down.

"It's okay to cry." Chen Tian gently patted Kiana's back, his voice soft and soothing as it reached Kiana ears. "Here, you can be your most authentic self."

Kiana buried her face in Chen Tian's shoulder, her warm tears soaking through her clothes. She smelled the sunshine, and at that moment, she suddenly realized that she could finally shed the heavy titles of 'savior' and 'Valkyrie' and be just an ordinary girl who could cry and laugh.

"I... I'm actually so scared..." she sobbed, her voice muffled, "Scared of letting everyone down... scared of losing control of the Herrscher's power..."

A gentle light shone in Chen Tian's eyes. "Don't be afraid now." He ruffled Kiana's hair. "I'm here."

In the distance, the two moons of Xandar were orbiting in the same orbit, their light and shadows overlapping in the sky to form a heart shape. Hovercars moved swiftly through the city, and the melodious morning bugle call echoed from the Nova Corps headquarters. Everything was full of hope, as warm as this embrace.

Kiana finally raised her head, her eyes still red, but a bright smile had already blossomed on her face, "Then Commander, you have to keep your word! From now on, if I cause trouble, you'll be responsible for cleaning up the mess!"

"Alright, alright~" Chen Tian couldn't help but chuckle. "But before that..." He magically pulled a card from his pocket. "How about we go to the commercial district and buy some new clothes? I heard that the latest Battle Suit on Xandar can change their appearance at will..."

"Really?!" Kiana's eyes lit up instantly. She snatched the card, "I want to buy ten sets! No, twenty sets!" She skipped and hopped towards the elevator, then suddenly turned back and gave Chen Tian a quick kiss on the cheek. "Commander is the best!"

Watching the girl's cheerful departing figure, Chen Tian touched the spot where he had been kissed, shook his head, and chuckled. Bayonetta reappeared beside him at some point, saying meaningfully, "Looks like you've picked up a clingy little kitten~"

"Yes," Chen Tian said, watching the elevator's descending indicator light. "But it's fine this way."

"At least, she doesn't have to bear so much pain anymore."