Trouble with the Mercenaries

Authors Note-

You can read up to 20 chapters ahead on my Patreon - Mad_verse [ Your support will help me in continuing this fic]

...

Ivan, upon receiving the news, was taken aback. The Shadow Mercenary Group now comprised five omega-level mutants, each with a mutant suit. The strength of their adversaries must be formidable if they are struggling to cope. From the reports, it seemed unbelievable that the Black Shadow Mercenary Group was being pursued and defeated.

Ignoring energy conservation, Ivan spent over 20 space energy crystals to open a wormhole and arrive at the Cosmic Walker.

"Leader, you're finally here. Mr. Shaw and the others are in the conference room. Please follow me!" a speed mutant waiting at the Cosmic Walker immediately informed Ivan upon his arrival—the mutant visibly relaxed upon seeing Ivan, indicating the severity of the situation.

The situation was critical. Ivan nodded, swiftly making his way to the conference room. Opening the door, he found Apocalypse, Shaw, Stakar, and Borgin engaged in a discussion around a round table. Startled by the door's opening, they quickly rose to greet Ivan.

After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats, and Ivan asked directly, "What's going on? What kind of enemy did you encounter this time that even you can't handle?"

The four exchanged glances, and finally, Stakar, wearing a troubled expression, uttered a name, "Thanos!"

Ivan's mouth twitched, feeling a sudden weariness. It seemed he was dealing with a formidable character right from the start. "I told you not to mess with him. He's the biggest rogue leader in the universe."

Shaw rolled his eyes at Ivan. "Do you think we wanted this? We're well aware of Thanos's reputation. We're not looking for trouble. This time, it was an accident."

"An accident?"

Shaw wore a wry smile. "Exactly, it was an accident. Initially, we took on a mercenary mission to hunt down an interstellar pirate group. The plan was to lay low and withdraw after they left. However, Thanos decided to obliterate half of its life after capturing the planet. Our mutants couldn't stand idly by and became the first to act. We had no choice but to engage in battle, but the opposition was a cosmic overlord-level force, and we ultimately lost, with Stakar sustaining severe injuries."

Ivan glanced at Stakar, confirming the pallor on his face. Stakar reluctantly gave Ivan a wry smile.

Fine! The situation had escalated, and redundant words wouldn't change it. Ivan focused on extracting detailed information about the adversary.

"Could you tell me what powers Thanos has? What kind of opponents did you face? What are their strengths? What abilities do they have?"

Shaw tapped on the desktop, displaying a three-dimensional screen with images of spaceships, battleships, and various life forms.

"There are various troops under Thanos. The Centauri, half-human and half-mechanical, are essentially cannon fodder. The mutants can massacre them in large numbers, but the issue is their lack of fear. No matter how many you kill, it's useless; they keep charging forward. Some mutants get exhausted and are dragged to their deaths. Then there are biological soldiers, four-armed, dog-faced monsters with great physical strength. They're about four to five times tougher than Earth's beings..."

"Are the losses severe?" Ivan asked, concerned about the casualties among the mutants.

"It's close to a hundred people. Surprisingly, it wasn't the Centauri and the dog-faced monsters causing these losses, but the most powerful was the Children of Thanos."

As Shaw explained, the images on the desktop portrayed various battle scenes, helping Ivan grasp the situation.

Initially, Thanos refrained from taking action personally. Instead, he dispatched his Generals to lead an army against the Black Shadow mercenary group.

General Corvus Glaive attacked Stakar. While he wouldn't have been a match for General Corvus Glaive previously, he gained a considerable advantage after joining forces with Ivan and further developing his abilities. With the assistance of Ivan, he discovered General Corvus Glaive's weakness: sprouting light wings, hovering in the sky, and launching occasional long-range attacks. He adeptly controlled the battle's rhythm, gaining the upper hand.

Stakar's victory seemed imminent, but Corvus played his hand. Unable to catch up with him, he deliberately showed vulnerability, allowing Stakar to pierce him with a holy light-imbued spear. He pretended to fall to the ground and die.

However, unlike others, Corvus's body wasn't the key; his soul was sealed in the blade. As long as the blade remained intact, he wouldn't die. Exploiting this, he backhandedly pierced his shoulder when he approached. Apocalypse's timely intervention saved him from certain death.

Borgin faced Ebony Maw, a master of mysterious magic employing ever-changing attack methods. Their battle remained evenly matched with no clear victor.

Shaw confronted the supergiant, whose abilities focused on mental control and absorption. However, when she invaded Shaw's mind, she suffered a significant blow as the black hole in Shaw's mind swallowed her mental power. Shaw subsequently defeated her.

In desperation, the supergiant resorted to controlling dozens of mutants nearby. Although her ability could typically hold more people, the mutants' battle suits offered substantial resistance to mental invasion, reaching the limit.

Ordered by the supergiant, the controlled mutants resisted Shaw's attacks. Initially reluctant to harm his comrades, Shaw endured significant losses. Frustrated, he unleashed a killing spree, targeting anyone in his way, mutants included. The supergiant was seriously injured and managed to escape.

Finally, Apocalypse fought against the joined forces of Black Dwarf and Proxima Midnight. It turned out to be a deception. Black Dwarf, known for his formidable physical strength but lacking additional abilities, faced Apocalypse by transforming into a giant over ten meters tall, with a more complex and muscular metalized body than Black Dwarf's. A single punch from Apocalypse left Black Dwarf severely injured.

Due to the vast strength gap, the Black Dwarf maintained a distance, avoiding confrontation. Meanwhile, Proxima Dark Night proved more challenging than Black Dwarf. Recognizing her inability to confront, Proxima Midnight hurled her weapon, which split into three black rays, piercing through Apocalypse's body.

Proxima Midnight's weapon, bestowed by Thanos, demonstrated exceptional power. Ordinary individuals would perish immediately upon impact. Apocalypse sensed a destructive force in the black rays, capable of continuously eroding and even inhibiting his recovery ability. It took considerable effort for Apocalypse to expel this force and heal his injuries.

Apocalypse found himself momentarily overshadowed by Proxima Midnight. However, an energy shock wave swiftly knocked her away, providing a reprieve. The pursuit continued until Black Dwarf intervened, only to find himself defeated. Without Stakar falling into Corvus's plot, the quest would likely have continued, with the Children of Thanos facing their demise.

Unexpecting his subordinates' incapacity to handle the situation, Thanos decided to take matters into his own hands. The unfortunate target was Shaw, who received a devastating punch from Thanos, shattering the very fabric of space. Although Shaw attempted to absorb Thanos' power using his supernatural abilities, the punch's sheer force and destructive nature proved overwhelming, sending him flying and crashing into a nearby mountain. Fortunately, thanks to the methods provided by Ivan, Shaw's strengthened body mitigated the damage.

Thanos then turned his attention to Borgin, who was entangled in a battle with Ebony Maw. Borgin, always cautious due to his dark wizarding background, chose to retreat. The attempts were futile despite employing obstacles and heavy magic to hinder Thanos. Ignoring the magic, Thanos pursued relentlessly, forcing Borgin to use the Apparation to escape.

Seeing the unfolding chaos, the injured Stakar had to flee. Apocalypse, the strongest among them, faced Thanos in a one-on-one battle and, despite various methods and fighting styles, ultimately met defeat.

According to Apocalypse, Thanos possessed a formidable physical body and mastery over a destruction rule—a ruling power of the highest level, most suitable for combat. Despite Apocalypse's varied rule powers, they proved insufficient against Thanos' advanced control of the destruction rule. Thanos' interest in the Shadow Mercenary Group persisted, prompting a strategic retreat. Apocalypse created clones to confuse Thanos, buying the group time to escape.

However, Thanos continued his pursuit, engaging the Shadow Mercenary Group in multiple space battles. While both sides suffered damage, the Shadow Mercenary Group faced a significant disadvantage compared to Thanos' formidable fleet. Informed of these events, Ivan, after pondering for a while, resolved to confront the overlord of the universe.

In the conference room, Ivan summoned his mirror. The mirror's reflection of Ivan seemed peculiar, with empty eyes and an unsynchronized movement compared to reality.

"After years of hard work, the trump card is complete. It's time for you to play. Let me see your power. Don't disappoint me," Ivan declared, placing the mirror nearby before leaving the conference room decisively.