Strength

It was as if they couldn't believe that this terrifying pressure had come from this man.

Only the Collector and the Grandmaster, two beings who had existed in the universe since ancient times with mysterious strength, remained unaffected by Zane's sudden surge of power. 

Their expressions remained unchanged, but a hint of wariness appeared in their eyes as they looked at Zane. The two exchanged glances, as though communicating something in a secretive manner. 

Moments later, it seemed they had reached some kind of agreement, nodding solemnly to each other.

Zane, however, didn't notice any of this—he was completely immersed in the changes within himself. 

After his soul had returned to his body, an immense amount of quantum energy rushed into him through his soul, fundamentally altering his life force at an incredible speed. By the time Zane stood up from the Throne, the transformation was already complete.

As the aura behind him surged, Lorna's robe and crown were swiftly removed, as if they had a life of their own. They transformed into a fluid-like substance and gathered around her fingers, turning into a simple metal ring.

She quickly turned around and, without even looking back, leaped into the air.

Zane, smiling, stepped forward and caught Lorna as she threw herself into his arms, clinging tightly to him.

"You scared me to death, you horrible man!" she said, sniffling softly. "What would we have done if something had happened to you?"

Lorna clung to Zane's neck, quietly sobbing, a far cry from the fierce Iron-Blooded Queen she had just been.

Zane's eyes flashed with a hint of tenderness. He gently stroked her hair and leaned in to whisper comforting words in her ear, "It's okay now, it's okay... This time it was my fault for not planning better."

Seeing that Zane was alright, the others who had been protecting him returned to their original forms as well.

Bastis, who had transformed into a fearsome primordial beast radiating a menacing aura, turned back into a small cat and jumped onto Zane's shoulder, licking his face repeatedly.

"Master, Master, I'm so glad you're okay."

The massive Groot, who had been occupying the entire stage, began to emit a faint green glow. Within seconds, he shrank down to the familiar size of 11 centimeters, the little Groot. He hopped onto Zane's head, excitedly tugging at Zane's hair, exclaiming, "I am Groot, I am Groot!"

Rocket and Little Bone, who had been heavily armed, disarmed themselves and quietly approached Zane. Unlike Bastis and Groot, they didn't leap into his arms but stood silently beside him, their relief evident in their eyes. Zane noticed their silent comfort.

A smile flashed in Zane's eyes. His right arm suddenly stretched like rubber, grabbing Rocket and Little Bone and pulling them into a tight embrace.

This was the result of the quantum energy's transformation—Zane's body could now stretch and compress at will, much like a combination of Ant-Man and Mister Fantastic.

Zane hugged his whole family, a warm smile playing on his lips.

"I'm alright now, no need to worry," he said softly. "It's good to have you all."

"Zane, where did you just go?" Lorna, lying on Zane's shoulder, suddenly asked.

The others, including Bastis, were immediately puzzled.

"Stupid woman, Master has been here the whole time!"

"Did your brain short-circuit?"

Bastis tilted her head and gave Lorna a disdainful look. But before she could say more, Lorna grabbed her by the neck and threw her aside.

Zane was momentarily taken aback. Then he smiled warmly at Lorna and said, "I just went to a fun place. If there's a chance, I'll take you with me."

"Mm-hmm."

Lorna continued to cling tightly to Zane's neck, refusing to let go.

Finally, Zane gently patted her back and whispered in her ear, "Alright, get up now. Everyone's watching."

Only then did Lorna reluctantly release her grip and step down, though her hands still held tightly onto Zane's, as if afraid he might disappear again at any moment.

After reassuring everyone, Zane turned his gaze toward the audience. In an instant, his aura shifted from a warm, sunny boy to a cold, ruthless tyrant. The comforting smile on his face vanished, replaced by a chilling indifference.

His tenderness was always reserved for Lorna and the others.

As for the scheming crowd in the audience, Zane had no intention of showing them any kindness.

In fact, he didn't need to.

Except for the Collector and the Grandmaster, whose powers remained a mystery, Zane could now wipe out the rest of them within ten minutes.

Even beings like God and Satan, who had been gods for thousands of years, were no exception.

Despite the fact that they had painstakingly honed their power to the peak of a lower god through millennia of effort, they still hadn't taken that final step. They were merely five-dimensional beings, after all.

One step short, a world of difference.

Without reaching the sixth dimension, they could never comprehend the immense power of that level.

Zane was certain of one thing: without even using the [Death River] skill, he could easily erase his past self. The method was simple—shrink himself down to the quantum level, enter his past self's body or even his soul, and then return to his normal size, instantly blowing his former self apart.

Brutal, straightforward, effortless, and without any cost.

It would be as easy as eating a meal.

That's the crushing force of dimensional power.

However, if both opponents were six-dimensional beings, this method wouldn't work. Every six-dimensional life form has a body and soul that have been transformed by quantum energy, making it impossible for an enemy to invade their body in such a way.

The Asgardians in the audience could clearly sense that ever since Odin's death, Zane's attitude toward them had grown noticeably colder. The close relationship they had once shared was gone.

In truth, the only reason Zane maintained an alliance with Asgard now was out of respect for Odin.

After all, that old man had been quite generous to Zane back in the day, giving him star maps and treasures.

But now that Odin was dead, Zane no longer had any special affection for Asgard.

*************************************

You can get access to early chapters on patr*on

If you like my work and you want to support me then you can become my patron on patre*n.

My patr*on account is Lord_Immortal_0170

Or you feel like tipping me for my hardwork you can do so on Ko*fi

ko-fi.com/lord_immortal_0170