Volume One, Chapter 69: The Astonishing Appearance of Zero

The sea, which had just returned to calm, was once again stirred by tremendous waves. Countless tentacles writhed, as if poised to attack, yet held back by some unknown dread.

Gatanjeh was no fool; his previous assault had been effortlessly obliterated without warning, which could only mean the opponent’s strength far surpassed his own. However, to become someone else’s servant—never!

Gatanjeh finally moved, his myriad tentacles coalescing into sharp, lethal spikes, aiming straight for Torekia’s location. But just then, he saw a pair of eyes—eyes crimson as blood, yet deep as the abyss.

Those eyes seemed endowed with a strange magic, instantly devouring his will, his soul, even his physical form. The spikes froze mid-air, and Gatanjeh’s gaze grew vacant.

At this moment, only a single voice echoed in his mind.

—Corruption Revision.

Suppression of power, damage to his body, the usurpation of his will—in a mere instant, Gatanjeh lost his soul like a puppet.

His body would henceforth serve Torekia, until his death.

Bareru was already stunned, his face filled with awe and emotion.

He had never imagined that the master’s power could reach such heights.

Torekia, expression calm and indifferent, produced a ring of light, gently activating its energy. The gemstone on the ring refracted a beam that enveloped Gatanjeh.

Barring unexpected events, Gatanjeh would be absorbed into the ring, becoming Torekia’s most formidable summoning beast.

But suddenly, the unexpected occurred.

A faint purple glow ignited deep within Gatanjeh’s crimson eyes. The light was so subtle that no one noticed, not even Bareru.

Yet Torekia, transcending dimensions, caught sight of it.

Bang—

The ring’s radiance was forcibly interrupted.

Torekia’s face flashed with surprise; his gaze pierced to the depths of Gatanjeh’s soul.

In the swirling darkness, a pale violet sphere floated in the air.

Within the sphere, the faint outline of a young girl could be seen.

She appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen, her face serene, as if asleep, curled up like a cat within the violet sphere.

“So it’s an independent life form,” Torekia murmured, a hint of astonishment in his voice.

He sensed that this girl was a completely autonomous entity.

She was not subject to Gatanjeh’s control or constraints; in fact, it seemed Gatanjeh’s power was being drawn by the violet sphere surrounding her.

Driven by curiosity, Torekia released waves of his own energy, hoping to awaken the girl.

Yet she seemed deeply asleep, undisturbed by any external interference.

Torekia stared intently at the girl in the sphere, his emitted energy steadily increasing.

“Roar!!!!”

The girl remained unchanged, but Gatanjeh let out a cry of agony.

Torekia refocused, his consciousness returning to his body. He said to Bareru, “Let’s leave for now, and see what her purpose is.”

“Yes, sir.”

Bareru dared not defy Torekia’s command.

With a flash, the two vanished, reappearing thousands of meters above the ground.

Gatanjeh’s awareness slowly returned, rage surging within him.

He howled wildly, venting his fury by slamming his tentacles into the sea, raising waves that crashed toward the coastal cities.

Seeing Torekia and Bareru’s sudden disappearance, Hui’s heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread rising within her.

“Ah—!”

Suddenly, a screech echoed overhead.

Hui looked up in terror, only to see a rampaging monster in the sky diving straight at her.

Caught off guard, Hui froze on the spot, her pupils contracting, only able to focus on the rapidly approaching beast.

“Crack—”

A familiar voice exploded in her ears.

What followed was a fist radiating with light.

“Diga…!” Hui’s eyes widened.

In her vision, Diga’s profile gradually emerged, and he even nodded at her.

The monster’s skull was shattered by the powerful punch, killed instantly.

Without hesitation, Diga soared into the sky, unleashing Zepellion beams to sweep through the army of monsters that blotted out the sun.

Though it consumed much energy, it was the most effective way to destroy the monsters.

A series of explosions erupted, and the timer on Diga’s chest began to flash red.

He pressed on, walking and firing at the monsters in the air, his gaze unwavering.

Torekia, the enigmatic cosmic being, and now Gatanjeh.

All of them were too powerful.

Only he could defend the Earth.

The monsters’ severed limbs fell around him, Diga’s resolve only strengthened.

But his rapidly depleting strength caused his vision to blur and he staggered to his knees.

Two monsters seized the opportunity, landing beside him and launching a frenzied assault.

Torekia paid no heed to Diga’s struggle; his focus was entirely on Gatanjeh.

But just then, a sudden spatial disturbance in the distance forced his attention away.

Shuu—

Shuu—

Two streaks of green light descended from the heavens. Accompanied by two sharp sounds, Diga looked up in astonishment, seeing only two bursts of flames.

From within the fire, a towering figure landed before him.

“Zero!” Bareru turned sharply, his brows instantly furrowed.

The name Zero from the Land of Light was renowned across the universe; he had heard many tales.

“You… who are you?”

The newcomer’s aura was formidable, his gaze piercing, his body clad in silver armor. The radiance he emitted was gentle yet powerful, leaving Diga momentarily stunned.

The members of the Victory Team, watching the battle, all wore expressions of shock.

“Another giant…” Lina murmured in disbelief.

To her, giants were all from thirty million years ago, from that so-called Land of Light—a notion she had never truly considered.

“This giant’s light is in sync with Diga’s!” Norui suddenly exclaimed excitedly. “The wavelength of their light is nearly identical!”

Hui took a deep breath and quickly asked, “Does this mean he’s on the same side as Diga?”

“Very likely!” Norui replied, elated. “Didn’t you see? He just saved Diga!”

Everyone looked up once more, gazing at the giant standing before Diga.

Overcome with emotion, Lina called out loudly, “Please, help Diga!”