Chicago suburbs.
Dinner had just ended, and the two children were already arguing about who should wash the dishes, going from playing rock-paper-scissors to arguing about last week's cleaning schedule.
I was the one who washed it last week!
"But you broke a plate, that doesn't count."
"Dad always said, a broken plate is still a plate!"
Phastos stood by the table, his forehead throbbing as he listened.
"Quiet down, you two."
Both children shut their mouths at the same time and looked at his waist.
Phastos followed their gaze and looked down, only then realizing that while he was still lecturing the child, he had already tied the apron in his hand.
Ben came out of the kitchen with a cup in his hand and couldn't help but laugh, "Looks like someone's volunteering to do the dishes tonight."
"I just can't stand them keeping arguing."
Phastos picked up the plate and glared at the two children.
"Also, if you break any more dishes next time, it will be deducted from your allowance."
The two children exchanged a glance, picked up the juice from the table, and ran towards the stairs.
Just as Phastos reached for the second plate, he suddenly stopped.
A sharp, throbbing sensation shot through my chest.
The Cosmic Energy, dormant for many years, began to circulate on its own, and fine golden patterns lit up from below his collar. The lights in the living room flickered twice, and then the television screen on the wall went black.
He stopped in his tracks.
"Huh? The power's out?"
"Ben, quickly take the child upstairs."
Phastos put down the plate and looked down at the empty center of the living room.
"Now."
The smile on Ben's face vanished.
He had lived with Phastos for many years and rarely saw the other man show such an expression.
"Honey, what happened?"
"Don't ask, just go upstairs and lock the door."
The two children were still standing at the bottom of the stairs. Without asking any further questions, I pulled them upstairs quickly.
Phastos turned around, and golden energy flowed down his arm to his fingertips.
Something extremely dangerous is coming.
Without any attempt at concealment, their blatant malice locked onto him, and the unprecedented sense of crisis sent chills down Phastos's spine.
The space in the center of the living room is slightly distorted.
A figure appeared out of thin air.
Chen Mo glanced at the leftover food on the table, then looked at Phastos was wearing an apron.
Looks like I've come at an inopportune time; your family hasn't finished washing the dishes yet?
Phastos did not answer.
He had never seen this young man before, yet the aura surging within him was terrifyingly powerful. The traces of life within him were fragmented and broken, forced to merge into another, much larger life system.
Countless lives were devoured by him.
A few drops of cold sweat trickled down Phastos's nose.
"Who are you?"
This time, Chen Mo didn't answer.
Footsteps came from upstairs. Unable to contain my worry, I comforted the child and prepared to come down to check on the situation.
Phastos raised his hand and closed the living room door. Golden patterns spread along the door frame, sealing the lock.
"Stay upstairs!"
The footsteps stopped.
Chen Mo didn't stop him; he simply pulled out a chair next to the dining table and looked down at it.
"A wise decision. If the child sees what happens next, they are likely to have nightmares."
Phastos slowly clenched his fist and asked again.
Who exactly are you!?
"I'm from out of town, my name is Chen Mo, you probably don't know me."
"Did you kill those Deviants?"
"It seems your Eternals have pretty good sensory abilities."
Chen Mo raised his eyes.
"That saves me trouble, you damn black bastard, you're the one I've been looking for."
Beneath the floor, a golden mechanical pattern quietly extends. It passes through the wall, connects to the family car in the garage, and then follows the house structure towards the back door.
Phastos needs some time.
He could have left with the child as soon as the car started.
What do you want?
"You."
"We can talk."
"Okay, take this opportunity to make them stay away from you."
Phastos stared at Chen Mo.
The other party saw through his plan, but did not disrupt or obstruct it.
You won't hurt them?
"They're not on my menu. This is a personal matter, Phastos."
Chen Mo stood up and pressed his palm against the space in front of him.
"Making too much noise here, damaging the house, would mean paying for it. Let's talk somewhere else."
Just as Phastos was about to step back, the surrounding walls rapidly receded. The dining table, the lights, and the stairs vanished together, and the wooden floor beneath his feet turned into dry, hard earth.
A cold wind blew in my face.
The two were already standing on a wasteland several kilometers away.
The moment Phastos landed, his arms shone with golden light.
Countless mechanical components reassembled in mid-air, and four golden mechanical arms lined up around Chen Mo. Energy binding rings shot out from the front of the mechanical arms, locking onto his wrists and ankles respectively. The four binding rings closed at the same time, locking Chen Mo in place.
Phastos clenched his fist, and more golden patterns rose from the ground, weaving together to form a cage around Chen Mo.
I don't want to fight you.
"Then why did you bring all this stuff? To take my measurements?"
Chen Mo's body jolted, and the surrounding mechanical structures collapsed.
Phastos immediately reassembled the mechanical arm, and the restraint rings tightened accordingly. Dazzling golden light illuminated the wasteland, and the surrounding soil was continuously stirred up by the aftershocks of energy.
The next second, the black and red tentacles suddenly expanded.
Bang!
The four mechanical arms, along with the restraining cage, exploded. The broken golden components flew in all directions, turning into specks of light and dissipating before they even hit the ground.
Chen Mo took a step forward.
The distance of more than ten meters was folded by space, and a palm was already pressed against Phastos's face.
boom!
The ground shook violently.
Phastos, along with his shield, was smashed into the ground, sending dirt flying in all directions and leaving a crater several meters wide in the center of the wasteland.
The golden shield was covered in cracks.
Phastos raised his hands, and a dozen mechanical rings unfolded behind Chen Mo. Before the energy could gather, a foot stepped on his chest.
The energy nodes within the body are suppressed.
The mechanical rings in mid-air all went out simultaneously.
Phastos braced his hands on the soles of Chen Mo's shoes, the golden patterns flashing repeatedly, yet he could not break through the blockade of the black and red blood vessels.
He has no chance of winning.
What exactly are you?
Chen Mo looked down at him.
"A tourist passing through Earth with a good appetite."
Black and red tentacles surged from beneath his feet, entangling Phastos's limbs.
Phastos stopped struggling and pressed his fingertips to the soil. A faint golden light pierced the ground and spread rapidly along the scattered mechanical components.
A message warning the Eternals of his impending death flew across the world.
The black and red tentacles paused for a moment.
Chen Mo clearly caught the departing golden light. He didn't intercept it; instead, he raised his foot, causing the Cosmic Energy in Phastos's chest to start circulating again.
Phastos saw the smile on his face.
This guy is waiting for him to call for help.
"You..."
The tentacles burrowed into Phastos's body.
Flesh, blood, memories, and Cosmic Energy were dismantled by the Blacklight Virus. Phastos's chest rapidly collapsed, and the golden patterns beneath his skin extinguished one after another.
The last golden light shot into the night sky.
Chen Mo stepped on the disappearing chest and looked up in the direction the message had gone.
"It saves me the trouble of looking for them one by one."
The dark red blood vessels completely closed up.
Phastos could no longer be seen in the deep pit.
Chen Mo licked his lips, and fine golden mechanical patterns appeared in his eyes.
Come on, everyone.