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Chapter 535: Rebirth
Hant walked into the Genesis Chamber with a solemn expression.
Of course, this wasn't the original, cramped chamber. Now, the entirety of Krypton housed one hundred Genesis Chambers of various sizes, with even more sealed chambers held in reserve on the main planet, Cybertron.
As the military commander of New Krypton, Hant had the authority to freely access any Genesis Chamber.
"General, the brand-new lifeform has been fully incubated."
Rosent, the lead scientist on New Krypton, explained to Hant with a serious expression.
Pointing at the humanoid creature in the Incubation Chamber, he furrowed his brow in confusion and said, "General, are you sure you want this... failed product? I can incubate a more aesthetically pleasing individual for you. One with top-tier intelligence, power, speed, resilience, potential, and willpower—perfectly suited to be your personal bodyguard. But this one... I personally consider it a failed product."
Rosent couldn't help but press on, ignoring the subtle twitch of Hant's expression as he pointed to the individual in the Incubation Chamber, whose skin resembled the bark of a withered old tree.
In Rosent's eyes, this thing was just a piece of genetically-deficient scrap.
Hant's face twitched, and he said coldly, "Remember what I told you. I have a greater purpose for it. Besides, this is a top military secret. If you were to leak this..."
"Rest assured, General."
Rosent nodded and, at Hant's gesture, turned and left.
Hant stroked the Incubation Chamber and sighed. This body had been created to match his appearance from his "previous life" as closely as possible.
"Thanos has gone mad, and so has Tony. I'd better get out of this damn place as fast as I can."
Hant, or rather, Ebony Maw, muttered to himself and shivered violently.
Five times!
In just over a month, he had personally witnessed Tony kill Thanos five times!
The first three times, Tony had done it himself. Of the next two, once Thanos was surrounded and killed by the Kryptonian Legion, and the other time, he was taken down by Wanda, Illyana, and the others.
Every single time Thanos was killed, he would inexplicably resurrect, then charge to Cybertron, full of Killing Intent, just to die again.
It was completely absurd!
Ebony Maw had been terrified for some time now; the bizarre scene left him restless and on edge.
Fortunately, the body he had secretly commissioned was now complete. All he had to do was transfer his spirit, destroy the feeble willpower within this new vessel, and take its place.
"The Kryptonians' mental resistance is surprisingly poor, but that certainly makes things convenient for me."
Ebony Maw stared greedily at the body in the Incubation Chamber. Once he occupied this vessel, he would not only retain his own Soul, his original Magic, and his Psychic Abilities, but he would also gain the powerful physique of a Kryptonian!
He was well aware that the Kryptonians born under Tony had no genetic shackles! Every single individual could develop freely upon reaching adulthood!
This meant limitless potential!
"I will compensate for the shortcomings of the Kryptonians and absorb their racial advantages. I, Ebony Maw, shall have a new life and a more glorious future, hehehe... As for Thanos? Let me think... I shall be the master, and he, the servant!"
Even with his deeply calculating nature, Ebony Maw couldn't help but let out a gleeful laugh.
Absolutely no one knew better than him just how formidable the Kryptonians were!
"This is mine! A new me! I, who possess the aptitude for Deification, shall be reborn!"
Ebony Maw greedily caressed the Incubation Chamber, his eyes wide as he stared intently at the body within. Then, his powerful spirit converged and swiftly began to exit Hant's form.
Tony was well aware of his little scheme but couldn't be bothered to interfere. The fact that Hant had been blindsided by Ebony Maw was perfectly clear to Tony, and it didn't surprise him in the least.
Ebony Maw could toy with and completely Enslave even the powerful Doctor Strange, let alone a Kryptonian with such a clear Racial Weakness.
The cold glances Tony occasionally sent his way had always left Ebony Maw feeling uneasy, so he had long ago abandoned the thought of completely replacing Hant.
Sometimes, one shouldn't push things to the absolute limit.
Besides, how could a stolen body ever compare to the wonder of one tailor-made to his exact desires!
I, Ebony Maw, shall become a God!
Greed flooded his being. Ebony Maw's spirit was on the very verge of detaching from Hant's body.
Just at that moment, a will suddenly erupted, latching onto him with a death grip.
"Why leave? Isn't it better to stay inside my head?" Hant's sinister voice transmitted itself psychically into Ebony Maw's spirit.
"How can this be? You shouldn't be awake right now!" Ebony Maw exclaimed in shock and anger.
Hant's savage voice, laced with excruciating pain, spoke icily, "You discovered that my mental and magical resistance are low, but you overlooked that my Willpower is more unyielding than Vibranium... Otherwise, why do you think the Leader didn't crush you himself?"
"Because I can crush you all by myself!!"
Hant's bone-chilling voice rang out, filled with true rage.
As the supreme commander of the Kryptonian Legion, he had been so easily outmaneuvered... He had been like a helpless spectator, forced to watch as Ebony Maw seized control of his body and acted with impunity.
"Just you? My dear General, there's really no need for this. I haven't harmed you, your army, or any of your subjects. I merely incubated a body that had yet to form a complete consciousness..."
Ebony Maw said in a placating tone.
But Hant wasn't listening to his nonsense. Abandoning all concern for his own body, he charged forward ferociously, following the tenuous spiritual connection between them, and viciously tore into him.
Ebony Maw shrieked in shocked fury, unleashing a torrent of Mind Magic, one blast after another hammering Hant's consciousness. Hant let out a suppressed groan, but with bloodshot eyes, he maintained his death grip on Ebony Maw, refusing to let go.
Every particle of the attack caused Hant immense damage, yet he responded by tearing back and attempting to Devour his foe with even greater frenzy, committed to mutual destruction.
Tony was no stranger to battles of the Soul. It was how he had tricked the powerful Dormammu and killed One to achieve his Ascension to Singularity.
"Hant, I will remember this!"
Ebony Maw roared, ruthlessly severing more than half of his own spirit. With only a third remaining, he shot into the Incubation Chamber at an incredible speed, instantly extinguishing the nascent consciousness within and seizing control of the body.
Without pausing to take stock of his new form, the new Ebony Maw frantically shattered the Incubation Chamber with a single punch, bypassed Hant, and hastily fled the Genesis Chamber.
Strangely, no one tried to stop him. Even the scientist, Rosent, who had rushed over at the sound of the commotion, merely gave him a cold sneer and stepped aside, letting him escape.
Bathed in the light of the Yellow Sun, Ebony Maw felt his Energy surge, and he hastily flew up into the sky.
His face contorted, Hant staggered to his feet. He looked up at the impassive Rosent, his lips moving soundlessly before curving into a bitter smile.
"General, you did it. You defeated the enemy with your own Willpower," Rosent stated calmly.
Hant laughed bitterly. "That body you incubated... you did something to it, didn't you?"
Rosent nodded. "As per the Leader's request, I added some... miscellaneous things inside."
(end of chapter)
Hant walked into the Genesis Chamber with a solemn expression.
Of course, this wasn't the original, cramped chamber. Now, the entirety of Krypton housed one hundred Genesis Chambers of various sizes, with even more sealed chambers held in reserve on the main planet, Cybertron.
As the military commander of New Krypton, Hant had the authority to freely access any Genesis Chamber.
"General, the brand-new lifeform has been fully incubated."
Rosent, the lead scientist on New Krypton, explained to Hant with a serious expression.
Pointing at the humanoid creature in the Incubation Chamber, he furrowed his brow in confusion and said, "General, are you sure you want this... failed product? I can incubate a more aesthetically pleasing individual for you. One with top-tier intelligence, power, speed, resilience, potential, and willpower—perfectly suited to be your personal bodyguard. But this one... I personally consider it a failed product."
Rosent couldn't help but press on, ignoring the subtle twitch of Hant's expression as he pointed to the individual in the Incubation Chamber, whose skin resembled the bark of a withered old tree.
In Rosent's eyes, this thing was just a piece of genetically-deficient scrap.
Hant's face twitched, and he said coldly, "Remember what I told you. I have a greater purpose for it. Besides, this is a top military secret. If you were to leak this..."
"Rest assured, General."
Rosent nodded and, at Hant's gesture, turned and left.
Hant stroked the Incubation Chamber and sighed. This body had been created to match his appearance from his "previous life" as closely as possible.
"Thanos has gone mad, and so has Tony. I'd better get out of this damn place as fast as I can."
Hant, or rather, Ebony Maw, muttered to himself and shivered violently.
Five times!
In just over a month, he had personally witnessed Tony kill Thanos five times!
The first three times, Tony had done it himself. Of the next two, once Thanos was surrounded and killed by the Kryptonian Legion, and the other time, he was taken down by Wanda, Illyana, and the others.
Every single time Thanos was killed, he would inexplicably resurrect, then charge to Cybertron, full of Killing Intent, just to die again.
It was completely absurd!
Ebony Maw had been terrified for some time now; the bizarre scene left him restless and on edge.
Fortunately, the body he had secretly commissioned was now complete. All he had to do was transfer his spirit, destroy the feeble willpower within this new vessel, and take its place.
"The Kryptonians' mental resistance is surprisingly poor, but that certainly makes things convenient for me."
Ebony Maw stared greedily at the body in the Incubation Chamber. Once he occupied this vessel, he would not only retain his own Soul, his original Magic, and his Psychic Abilities, but he would also gain the powerful physique of a Kryptonian!
He was well aware that the Kryptonians born under Tony had no genetic shackles! Every single individual could develop freely upon reaching adulthood!
This meant limitless potential!
"I will compensate for the shortcomings of the Kryptonians and absorb their racial advantages. I, Ebony Maw, shall have a new life and a more glorious future, hehehe... As for Thanos? Let me think... I shall be the master, and he, the servant!"
Even with his deeply calculating nature, Ebony Maw couldn't help but let out a gleeful laugh.
Absolutely no one knew better than him just how formidable the Kryptonians were!
"This is mine! A new me! I, who possess the aptitude for Deification, shall be reborn!"
Ebony Maw greedily caressed the Incubation Chamber, his eyes wide as he stared intently at the body within. Then, his powerful spirit converged and swiftly began to exit Hant's form.
Tony was well aware of his little scheme but couldn't be bothered to interfere. The fact that Hant had been blindsided by Ebony Maw was perfectly clear to Tony, and it didn't surprise him in the least.
Ebony Maw could toy with and completely Enslave even the powerful Doctor Strange, let alone a Kryptonian with such a clear Racial Weakness.
The cold glances Tony occasionally sent his way had always left Ebony Maw feeling uneasy, so he had long ago abandoned the thought of completely replacing Hant.
Sometimes, one shouldn't push things to the absolute limit.
Besides, how could a stolen body ever compare to the wonder of one tailor-made to his exact desires!
I, Ebony Maw, shall become a God!
Greed flooded his being. Ebony Maw's spirit was on the very verge of detaching from Hant's body.
Just at that moment, a will suddenly erupted, latching onto him with a death grip.
"Why leave? Isn't it better to stay inside my head?" Hant's sinister voice transmitted itself psychically into Ebony Maw's spirit.
"How can this be? You shouldn't be awake right now!" Ebony Maw exclaimed in shock and anger.
Hant's savage voice, laced with excruciating pain, spoke icily, "You discovered that my mental and magical resistance are low, but you overlooked that my Willpower is more unyielding than Vibranium... Otherwise, why do you think the Leader didn't crush you himself?"
"Because I can crush you all by myself!!"
Hant's bone-chilling voice rang out, filled with true rage.
As the supreme commander of the Kryptonian Legion, he had been so easily outmaneuvered... He had been like a helpless spectator, forced to watch as Ebony Maw seized control of his body and acted with impunity.
"Just you? My dear General, there's really no need for this. I haven't harmed you, your army, or any of your subjects. I merely incubated a body that had yet to form a complete consciousness..."
Ebony Maw said in a placating tone.
But Hant wasn't listening to his nonsense. Abandoning all concern for his own body, he charged forward ferociously, following the tenuous spiritual connection between them, and viciously tore into him.
Ebony Maw shrieked in shocked fury, unleashing a torrent of Mind Magic, one blast after another hammering Hant's consciousness. Hant let out a suppressed groan, but with bloodshot eyes, he maintained his death grip on Ebony Maw, refusing to let go.
Every particle of the attack caused Hant immense damage, yet he responded by tearing back and attempting to Devour his foe with even greater frenzy, committed to mutual destruction.
Tony was no stranger to battles of the Soul. It was how he had tricked the powerful Dormammu and killed One to achieve his Ascension to Singularity.
"Hant, I will remember this!"
Ebony Maw roared, ruthlessly severing more than half of his own spirit. With only a third remaining, he shot into the Incubation Chamber at an incredible speed, instantly extinguishing the nascent consciousness within and seizing control of the body.
Without pausing to take stock of his new form, the new Ebony Maw frantically shattered the Incubation Chamber with a single punch, bypassed Hant, and hastily fled the Genesis Chamber.
Strangely, no one tried to stop him. Even the scientist, Rosent, who had rushed over at the sound of the commotion, merely gave him a cold sneer and stepped aside, letting him escape.
Bathed in the light of the Yellow Sun, Ebony Maw felt his Energy surge, and he hastily flew up into the sky.
His face contorted, Hant staggered to his feet. He looked up at the impassive Rosent, his lips moving soundlessly before curving into a bitter smile.
"General, you did it. You defeated the enemy with your own Willpower," Rosent stated calmly.
Hant laughed bitterly. "That body you incubated... you did something to it, didn't you?"
Rosent nodded. "As per the Leader's request, I added some... miscellaneous things inside."
(end of chapter)
