Capítulo 31: Chapter 31: Descent of a Flaming God
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High Earth Orbit
Marcus gazed at the radiant ball of fire beneath him—the Sun, a vast, life-giving inferno that had accelerated his evolution beyond anything he had imagined. His muscles, once tense with the effort of resisting its pull, now felt rejuvenated and brimming with a power that surged like a roaring river through every fiber of his being. The overwhelming gravitational force and radiation had once made him immobile, but now, with his newfound abilities, he floated effortlessly, a god among the stars.
He looked at the system panel again, noting the warning about the unstable energy within his cells. The rapid evolution had left him teetering on the edge of a volatile outburst. "Time to head back," he muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper in the void of space.
Without another thought, Marcus turned away from the Sun and began his descent back toward Earth. As he moved, he could feel the solar energy still coursing through him, a steady, relentless pulse that promised unimaginable power—and danger.
U.S. Military Command Center, Earth
Deep within the fortified walls of a U.S. military command center, alarms began blaring, jolting the personnel into action. On the screens before them, a bright object was rapidly approaching Earth, emitting intense heat and radiation.
"What's that?" a young lieutenant exclaimed, eyes wide with concern.
"Unknown object, sir," a technician replied, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "It's moving at an incredible speed. Heat signature suggests it's... almost as hot as the flames of a nuclear bomb."
"Could it be a meteorite?" the lieutenant asked.
The technician shook his head. "I don't think so. It's too controlled. It's changing trajectory, heading straight toward the North American continent. Whatever it is, it's not natural."
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone processed this information. The lieutenant turned to the senior officer in charge, his voice tense. "What are your orders, sir?"
The officer's eyes were fixed on the screen. "We can't take any chances. Prepare the missile defense system. Target that object and fire at will."
Near Earth's Atmosphere
Marcus, now plummeting through the stratosphere, felt a sudden shift in the air around him—a ripple, a distortion. His enhanced senses picked up the faint vibrations of a missile slicing through the sky toward him. He instinctively knew what it was, and a dark smile curled on his lips.
So they want to play games, he thought. Fine. I'll play.
As the missile closed in, Marcus barely moved. He waited until it was almost upon him before he acted. With a flick of his wrist, he batted the missile away like a toy, but he underestimated its proximity and the explosive force. The warhead detonated against his chest with a deafening roar.
The explosion was blinding, a massive fireball that erupted in the sky, visible for miles. But when the flames and smoke cleared, Marcus remained, untouched and unharmed. The blast had felt like nothing more than a light breeze against his skin.
He glanced down at his hands, now brimming with raw, untamed energy. His body was still enveloped in flames, not from the missile but from the excess solar energy he had absorbed. The fire clung to him, casting him in a terrifying, god-like aura. A surge of exhilaration coursed through him.
"I've got the powerrrrrrrr!" he roared, his voice booming across the sky. His shout echoed through the atmosphere, a primal declaration of his dominance.
With a burst of speed, Marcus dove towards the ground, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. He streaked across the sky like a meteor, his path visible for hundreds of miles. Below, the military base that had launched the missile came into view—a sprawling complex of concrete and steel nestled in the mountains.
U.S. Military Base, Moments Later
The soldiers on the ground watched in horror as the flaming figure descended upon them. The sky above them was filled with a blinding light, and the heat was unbearable. "Is it a meteor?" one soldier shouted, shielding his eyes from the intense brightness.
"No," another muttered, his voice trembling. "It's something else. Something alive."
They barely had time to react before Marcus crashed into the base with the force of a bomb. The ground shook violently, throwing soldiers off their feet and shattering windows for miles around. Marcus rose from the impact crater, his body still aflame, his eyes glowing with a fierce red light.
The soldiers scrambled to their feet, panic and confusion written all over their faces. Some tried to raise their weapons, but their hands were shaking too much to aim properly. The lieutenant from the command center shouted orders, trying to restore some semblance of order, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the flames.
Marcus turned his gaze towards the nearest group of soldiers. His eyes burned with a malevolent fire, and with a flick of his head, he unleashed his Omega beams. Twin beams of searing heat shot from his eyes, slicing through steel and flesh alike, leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.
Chaos erupted. Soldiers screamed, running in all directions, desperate to escape the carnage. The lieutenant managed to grab a radio and shout into it, "We need backup! Now! It's not a meteor, it's—"
But his words were cut off as another blast of Omega beams tore through the command center, disintegrating everything in its path. Marcus moved through the base like a force of nature, his Omega beams carving a path of destruction wherever he turned.
A young soldier, barely out of his teens, fell to his knees, clutching a small pendant in his hands. "Allahu Akbar," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. He didn't even have time to finish his prayer before Marcus's Omega beams struck him, reducing him to nothingness.
Marcus paused, surveying the devastation around him. The base was in ruins, smoke and flames rising into the sky. There was no one left alive. He had destroyed them all in mere moments. He could still hear the faint crackling of flames, the distant sound of collapsing buildings, but otherwise, there was only silence.
He took a deep breath, feeling the power coursing through him, the fire still clinging to his skin. He flexed his fingers, watching the flames dance between them, and for a moment, he felt a surge of satisfaction. This was his power.
Without warning, Marcus shot upwards, blasting into the sky with such force that he left a series of sonic booms in his wake. He ascended higher and higher, the ground shrinking beneath him, until he was just a blazing dot in the heavens.
The North Pole
He finally came to a stop over the icy expanse of the North Pole. Here, in this desolate, frozen wasteland, far from the prying eyes of humanity, he had built his sanctuary—a hidden fortress buried deep beneath the ice. He descended slowly, his flaming aura beginning to fade as he neared the ground.
He landed gently on the ice, his feet sinking slightly into the snow. The fire around his body flickered and died, leaving him standing there, naked but unscathed. He could feel the exhaustion creeping in, his muscles aching from the strain of the transformation. He had pushed himself to the limit, and even with all his new power, he was not immune to fatigue.
He walked slowly towards the entrance of his fortress, a hidden door that slid open at his approach, with his AI talking to him but feeling quite exhausted, he hardly replied as he excused the AI to go off but on hibernation to manage the base. He stepped inside, feeling the warmth of the interior wash over him, the soft hum of the machinery a comforting sound in the otherwise silent wasteland.
Marcus made his way to his private quarters, where a bed waited for him—an adorned thing, looking very comfortable. He lay down, closing his eyes, feeling the weight of his actions pressing down on him. He had unleashed his power, and now the world knew he was out there. But for now, all he wanted was to rest, to let his body recover from the ordeal.
As sleep finally overtook him, he couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of unease. He had achieved his goal, evolved into something beyond human and he felt the unfriendly gaze of a being which he couldn't detect from space, although it was just a split second but at what cost? The being would not take his actions lightly. He had indirectly made enemies today,the army and the unfriendly being, powerful ones, and he knew that the days ahead would be filled with conflict.
But that was a problem for tomorrow. For now, he slept, drifting into a deep, dreamless slumber, his body and mind finally at peace.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder