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Chapter 348: Staring Down Thanos
Author: Great Demon Spirit
Just a few minutes ago, the Chitauri high command was still holding a victory celebration.
For a predatory civilization like the Chitauri, "losses" were nothing. Their very existence was built on plunder and destruction. As long as they continued to destroy planets, they could quickly recover their strength.
This was also related to the composition of their soldiers. Their soldiers were a combination of mechanical and biological components. The controlled, low-ranking soldiers could only completely follow the orders of their superiors; to protest meant death.
This was also very much in line with the style of a predatory civilization. The Chitauri high command never cared about casualties among their low-ranking soldiers; they only cared about completing Thanos's orders and gaining his favor.
It wasn't that the Chitauri were so debased, but rather that they served a tyrant like Thanos. Failing to gain his favor meant death, and their positions would be replaced by new Chitauri.
Generation after generation, the Chitauri had been domesticated by Thanos into rabid dogs, their minds filled with nothing but loyalty. Anyone who managed to remain in the high command was the most insane, because the less insane ones had all been eliminated by Thanos.
The Chitauri were not overly worried about this attack on Earth. A civilization that couldn't even leave its own planet could be swept aside simply by dispatching cannon fodder. In the past, they had used this method to annihilate countless low-level civilizations.
That is, until a formidable figure emerged from the space-time tunnel. A single person swept through an entire interstellar fleet with the ease of chopping vegetables. Countless magnificent warships became junk in the universe, and dazzling sparks symbolized the end of the Chitauri's glory.
That demon god-like figure was as tiny as an ant before the continent-sized warship, yet it was this very figure who, in an instant, destroyed everything the Chitauri prided themselves on.
Tony took control of the spaceship, killing all the Chitauri inside.
Once he also took control of the flagship, Tony instantly destroyed the central nervous control system commanding the vast majority of the soldiers. Large numbers of soldiers died on the spot.
Only a very small number of high-ranking command personnel remained.
"Surrender, we surrender!" The Chitauri leader removed his mask and humbly prostrated himself on the ground, expressing his submission.
Many of the high-ranking personnel did the same, trembling, half in fear and half in submission, collapsing to the floor.
For a moment, a great clamor of voices arose, interspersed with words of unknown meaning.
The gaze of every Chitauri who looked at Tony was filled with deep fear. It was this expressionless man who had single-handedly destroyed the Chitauri super-fleet that had rampaged across the universe for countless years.
As these beings prostrated themselves, what had been broken was not just their confidence, but the very survival of their entire civilization.
"We can be your loyal subordinates and conquer the universe for you! We Chitauri are very good at this; we are born to be warriors!" the leader shouted, his voice trembling.
This leader's mind was sharp. He was already considering how to avoid Thanos's retaliation after switching allegiance, or perhaps how to incite this new master to go and die at Thanos's hands. That way, their sins would be absolved.
"But I've killed almost your entire population," Tony said noncommittally, his emotionless eyes looking down on them as if they were ants. "Aboard this flagship, I have already killed ten million, seven hundred and three thousand of your people, including women and children. Without this breeding population, what will you use to serve me? With just your remaining high-ranking personnel and a few thousand soldiers?"
The bodies of all the Chitauri trembled, pain and hatred showing in their eyes, but they dared not act on it. More of them felt a chill run through their bodies and collapsed weakly to the ground. The way they looked at Tony was as if they were looking at a demon.
That was tens of millions of people! A population that included women and children—the very foundation upon which the Chitauri waged their endless wars across the universe!
In such a short amount of time... all of them were killed?
They didn't doubt Tony's ability to do it. After all, he had destroyed the interstellar fleet in a direct, head-on assault in an extremely short period. What chance did the ordinary residents living on the flagship stand?
Although they had no idea how this man in black had done it, it was like the methods of a deity—he had easily taken control of everything...
"We, the survivors, control all the wealth, including the riches we have plundered over thousands of years! It can all be yours! If you still require it, we can also desperately increase our population. Just give us one hundred years... no, fifty years, and we can provide you with an even more powerful fleet."
The leader trembled, forcing a fawning expression onto his face.
It was over. Now, their only hope was to cling to Tony, because Thanos had no use for trash.
Tony reached out and gently patted the Chitauri's head. Before the leader could even show a hint of joy, Tony applied a bit of pressure. With a *splat*, his large head was crushed.
The corpse fell limply to the ground, further accentuating Tony's expressionless face.
"Fifty years? In fifty years, I could conquer countless galaxies. What damn use are you to me?"
With a flicker of his expression, countless Allspark particles invaded the bodies of the remaining Chitauri, killing every cell within them.
These high and mighty beings, who had made countless civilizations tremble, were now like pigs awaiting slaughter at Tony's hand—no, comparing them to pigs was an insult to pigs. At least pigs knew how to squeal when they were being killed.
They didn't even have a chance to make a sound.
Tony walked directly to the main control console and skillfully accepted the incoming signal.
The Chitauri's wealth? Most of it had already been extorted by Thanos and the Black Order. What little remained, Tony had perceived the moment he used Animate on the flagship. He had obtained all their hidden treasure locations and interstellar accounts.
As for raising a population to fight for him? If Tony wished, he could at any time create a Mechanical Legion hundreds of millions strong, fearless of death, to overwhelm any enemy that stood in his way.
In other words, these Chitauri were worthless to Tony. Their fate was sealed from the very beginning. Tony was going to kill their entire population; not a single one would escape.
On the screen, a signal from the highest authority connected, and the image of the tyrant appeared.
Purple skin, a rugged face, beast-like bloodshot eyes, and a wrinkled exterior like the bark of a century-old tree.
Thanos, for the first time, looked at Tony with a cold gaze that spanned countless light-years.
"It seems you have annihilated the Chitauri."
Thanos showed no hint of surprise. Or rather, very few things could surprise him. Never mind the insignificant Chitauri; he wouldn't have been surprised even if someone told him the Black Order had been wiped out.
Everything was built upon his own martial power and tyrannical rule. As long as he existed, there would be no shortage of powerful subordinates.
Tony stared coldly at the being whose name shook the universe. The Loki's Scepter in his hand and the Eye of Agamotto on his chest were both emitting a strange light.
"If there is a next time, I will kill you," Tony declared. His tone was as casual as if discussing his next meal, but it was an oath.
Thanos glanced at Tony, the hint of nonchalance at the corners of his mouth vanishing. His expression turned cold. His eyes, which had witnessed the wails of countless lost souls, shifted slightly as they locked onto their prey.
But he said nothing, and neither did Tony. They simultaneously closed the communication link.
For beings like them, once they had targeted one another, a conflict was inevitable. The gaze they had just exchanged said it all.
(end of chapter)
Author: Great Demon Spirit
Just a few minutes ago, the Chitauri high command was still holding a victory celebration.
For a predatory civilization like the Chitauri, "losses" were nothing. Their very existence was built on plunder and destruction. As long as they continued to destroy planets, they could quickly recover their strength.
This was also related to the composition of their soldiers. Their soldiers were a combination of mechanical and biological components. The controlled, low-ranking soldiers could only completely follow the orders of their superiors; to protest meant death.
This was also very much in line with the style of a predatory civilization. The Chitauri high command never cared about casualties among their low-ranking soldiers; they only cared about completing Thanos's orders and gaining his favor.
It wasn't that the Chitauri were so debased, but rather that they served a tyrant like Thanos. Failing to gain his favor meant death, and their positions would be replaced by new Chitauri.
Generation after generation, the Chitauri had been domesticated by Thanos into rabid dogs, their minds filled with nothing but loyalty. Anyone who managed to remain in the high command was the most insane, because the less insane ones had all been eliminated by Thanos.
The Chitauri were not overly worried about this attack on Earth. A civilization that couldn't even leave its own planet could be swept aside simply by dispatching cannon fodder. In the past, they had used this method to annihilate countless low-level civilizations.
That is, until a formidable figure emerged from the space-time tunnel. A single person swept through an entire interstellar fleet with the ease of chopping vegetables. Countless magnificent warships became junk in the universe, and dazzling sparks symbolized the end of the Chitauri's glory.
That demon god-like figure was as tiny as an ant before the continent-sized warship, yet it was this very figure who, in an instant, destroyed everything the Chitauri prided themselves on.
Tony took control of the spaceship, killing all the Chitauri inside.
Once he also took control of the flagship, Tony instantly destroyed the central nervous control system commanding the vast majority of the soldiers. Large numbers of soldiers died on the spot.
Only a very small number of high-ranking command personnel remained.
"Surrender, we surrender!" The Chitauri leader removed his mask and humbly prostrated himself on the ground, expressing his submission.
Many of the high-ranking personnel did the same, trembling, half in fear and half in submission, collapsing to the floor.
For a moment, a great clamor of voices arose, interspersed with words of unknown meaning.
The gaze of every Chitauri who looked at Tony was filled with deep fear. It was this expressionless man who had single-handedly destroyed the Chitauri super-fleet that had rampaged across the universe for countless years.
As these beings prostrated themselves, what had been broken was not just their confidence, but the very survival of their entire civilization.
"We can be your loyal subordinates and conquer the universe for you! We Chitauri are very good at this; we are born to be warriors!" the leader shouted, his voice trembling.
This leader's mind was sharp. He was already considering how to avoid Thanos's retaliation after switching allegiance, or perhaps how to incite this new master to go and die at Thanos's hands. That way, their sins would be absolved.
"But I've killed almost your entire population," Tony said noncommittally, his emotionless eyes looking down on them as if they were ants. "Aboard this flagship, I have already killed ten million, seven hundred and three thousand of your people, including women and children. Without this breeding population, what will you use to serve me? With just your remaining high-ranking personnel and a few thousand soldiers?"
The bodies of all the Chitauri trembled, pain and hatred showing in their eyes, but they dared not act on it. More of them felt a chill run through their bodies and collapsed weakly to the ground. The way they looked at Tony was as if they were looking at a demon.
That was tens of millions of people! A population that included women and children—the very foundation upon which the Chitauri waged their endless wars across the universe!
In such a short amount of time... all of them were killed?
They didn't doubt Tony's ability to do it. After all, he had destroyed the interstellar fleet in a direct, head-on assault in an extremely short period. What chance did the ordinary residents living on the flagship stand?
Although they had no idea how this man in black had done it, it was like the methods of a deity—he had easily taken control of everything...
"We, the survivors, control all the wealth, including the riches we have plundered over thousands of years! It can all be yours! If you still require it, we can also desperately increase our population. Just give us one hundred years... no, fifty years, and we can provide you with an even more powerful fleet."
The leader trembled, forcing a fawning expression onto his face.
It was over. Now, their only hope was to cling to Tony, because Thanos had no use for trash.
Tony reached out and gently patted the Chitauri's head. Before the leader could even show a hint of joy, Tony applied a bit of pressure. With a *splat*, his large head was crushed.
The corpse fell limply to the ground, further accentuating Tony's expressionless face.
"Fifty years? In fifty years, I could conquer countless galaxies. What damn use are you to me?"
With a flicker of his expression, countless Allspark particles invaded the bodies of the remaining Chitauri, killing every cell within them.
These high and mighty beings, who had made countless civilizations tremble, were now like pigs awaiting slaughter at Tony's hand—no, comparing them to pigs was an insult to pigs. At least pigs knew how to squeal when they were being killed.
They didn't even have a chance to make a sound.
Tony walked directly to the main control console and skillfully accepted the incoming signal.
The Chitauri's wealth? Most of it had already been extorted by Thanos and the Black Order. What little remained, Tony had perceived the moment he used Animate on the flagship. He had obtained all their hidden treasure locations and interstellar accounts.
As for raising a population to fight for him? If Tony wished, he could at any time create a Mechanical Legion hundreds of millions strong, fearless of death, to overwhelm any enemy that stood in his way.
In other words, these Chitauri were worthless to Tony. Their fate was sealed from the very beginning. Tony was going to kill their entire population; not a single one would escape.
On the screen, a signal from the highest authority connected, and the image of the tyrant appeared.
Purple skin, a rugged face, beast-like bloodshot eyes, and a wrinkled exterior like the bark of a century-old tree.
Thanos, for the first time, looked at Tony with a cold gaze that spanned countless light-years.
"It seems you have annihilated the Chitauri."
Thanos showed no hint of surprise. Or rather, very few things could surprise him. Never mind the insignificant Chitauri; he wouldn't have been surprised even if someone told him the Black Order had been wiped out.
Everything was built upon his own martial power and tyrannical rule. As long as he existed, there would be no shortage of powerful subordinates.
Tony stared coldly at the being whose name shook the universe. The Loki's Scepter in his hand and the Eye of Agamotto on his chest were both emitting a strange light.
"If there is a next time, I will kill you," Tony declared. His tone was as casual as if discussing his next meal, but it was an oath.
Thanos glanced at Tony, the hint of nonchalance at the corners of his mouth vanishing. His expression turned cold. His eyes, which had witnessed the wails of countless lost souls, shifted slightly as they locked onto their prey.
But he said nothing, and neither did Tony. They simultaneously closed the communication link.
For beings like them, once they had targeted one another, a conflict was inevitable. The gaze they had just exchanged said it all.
(end of chapter)
