"How do we cooperate?"
Ego, the Living Planet, asked in a deep, sullen tone.
Reproduction and survival are the fundamental instincts of all life.
Ego was no exception.
In his mind, eternal life and the assimilation of the entire universe were his ultimate goals—an obsession he was willing to sacrifice everything for.
Now, another Awakening child with divine power had appeared. Hope was within reach.
Ego would never willingly perish.
"The plan remains the same," Hexi stated coldly, ignoring the massive planetary form before her, instead locking eyes on Ego's core consciousness. "However, my lord requests a delay. Additionally, you will provide my lord with the coordinates of all planets where you have planted the Flower of Life."
"Some planets can be moved. Others cannot."
Ego did not speak further.
A bowed head signified silent obedience.
Inside the Celestial Chamber, remodeled and reinforced, Ego, Lord Three Six Seven, Ragna , and others gathered once more.
Ragna glanced at the sentient planet with a look of disdain.
He instructed Hexi to establish a research facility near Ego's core brain and to encase it with high-yield Kree antimatter bombs as a precaution.
Then, without hesitation, he and Keisha led Star-Lord away from Ego's domain.
Everything needed to be prepared first.
Leaving Star-Lord on Ego's planet was too dangerous. If Ego lost control, his instinct to assimilate the entire universe would manifest, potentially destroying Ragna 's carefully laid plans.
Thus, Star-Lord was taken to Angel Star, where he was placed under strict surveillance and underwent rigorous training. There were also… certain experiments to be conducted.
His contact with the outside world was severed completely.
Meanwhile, on Ego's planet, Hexi remained stationed near his core consciousness, conducting research on the Celestial species while limiting Ego's movement.
The tens of thousands of life-bearing planets outside of Ragna 's sphere of influence were insignificant in comparison to the vast universe.
However, Ragna wanted more.
He wanted Ego to plant as many Flowers of Life as possible, especially within the territories of the three dominant galactic factions—without them noticing.
To ensure success, a third-tier God-Warrior, one with the ability to conceal its presence, was dispatched to accompany Ego in his travels.
The Angels, however, were too conspicuous to follow him.
Neither Ragna nor Ego considered planting the Flowers of Life on core planets controlled by the three major factions.
But certain key moons and satellites?
That was a different story.
Ragna couldn't afford for Ego to fail.
A simultaneous assault on thousands of life-bearing worlds was no easy task.
Even with all six Infinity Gems, even if he could unleash the primordial power of the cosmos, such a feat remained monumental.
What Ragna did have, however, was Ego's Flowers of Life.
The combined military strength of the three great cosmic factions far exceeded Ragna 's forces.
If war erupted, Ragna would face an onslaught of countless starships and fighter fleets.
Even if he won in the end, his vast territories and allied civilizations would suffer devastating losses.
To succeed, Ragna needed to tie down the bulk of the three factions' forces, striking at their core weaknesses in a swift, decisive blow.
No delays. No prolonged battles.
Meanwhile, the Nano Armor project remained incomplete.
However, mass production of Mark 35 battle armors was in full swing.
Every day, countless units were manufactured, only to be immediately sealed in storage—waiting.
The Reincarnation Pool had already transformed countless devout followers and saints from various civilizations into Angels.
With an ample supply of Faith Energy, Ragna had the power to immediately elevate newly reincarnated Angels to Level 1.
A Level 1 Angel was considered an elite warrior of the universe.
As for the original Angels belonging to the three primary Angel Legions, each of them possessed at least second-tier strength.
These veteran Angels would serve as commanders, leading newly reincarnated Angels as shock troops, carving through Ragna 's enemies.
The production lines for starships and space fighters continued to expand.
With the annexation of Xandar's territories, Ragna issued a universal military expansion order, summoning countless subordinate civilizations to reinforce his forces.
Rank-and-file soldiers were being trained to pilot advanced warships and top-tier starfighters, preparing for the inevitable final battle.
Such an extensive armament effort could not go unnoticed by the three great cosmic factions.
The Kree Empire immediately imposed military lockdowns, focusing all efforts on strengthening their last line of defense.
The Shi'ar Empire, meanwhile, recalled its entire population to its homeworld, intensifying the training regimens of Shi'ar warriors while instilling unwavering loyalty to the empire.
As for the Sovereign, their hyper-batteries and long-range remote-controlled fighter technology remained stagnant.
Thus, they poured all their resources into mass-producing their signature gold-plated warships.
The Sovereign did not fear war.
After all, they suffered no losses—each of their pilots was a drone.
However, after witnessing cosmic-level beings obliterate entire star systems, even the Sovereign High Priestess felt uneasy.
For the first time, she doubted whether their automated fleets were enough.
A hidden contingency plan was set in motion under her direct command.
The arms race between Ragna 's Holy Heavenly Palace and the three great cosmic factions had reached its climax.
The universe itself had grown eerily quiet—an unnatural calm before the storm.
It was as though the entire cosmos had become a dormant powder keg, waiting for a single spark to detonate the galaxy.
Yet, while war brewed across the stars, Ragna himself remained unbothered.
Leisurely wandering Earth, he visited locations like the Himalayas and Sanctum Sanctorum in New York, seeking a particular presence.
But the Sorcerer Supreme was nowhere to be found.
The Ancient One was avoiding him.
Ragna smirked.
No matter.
Fourteen years had passed.
The Ancient One's destiny was unchanged—she had no more than seventeen years left before her time was up.
Her soul was already tainted by the Dark Dimension.
She had stared into the abyss for too long, and now, the abyss stared back at her.
For centuries, she had borrowed power from Dormammu to extend her mortal existence.
But now, she was weary.
She could barely hold on.
Back then, stealing the Time Stone from a novice Sorcerer Supreme would have been easier than taking it from the Ancient One herself.
Much simpler.
Had she foreseen this?
Had she chosen corruption over survival?
Ragna mused.
Then, shifting focus, he resumed training his newest recruit.
2.2
Skye—the inhuman descendant infused with Black Bolt's genetic seed—was still too weak.
Ragna hoped that before the final battle, she would evolve into the next Black Bolt.
Meanwhile, Earth itself was growing chaotic.
Despite Ragna and his Angels neutralizing multiple crises, new threats emerged.
Even Ultron, after Ragna handed the Mind Stone to Liang Bing, and Tony Stark distanced himself from AI development, failed to resurface.
Yet, remnants of the Skrulls had left behind new dangers.
A grave threat.
Skrulls carried a genetic anomaly—a trait that allowed them to perfectly mimic individuals, even replicating their brainwaves.
This ability far exceeded that of Mystique, Raven Darkhölme.
And that was truly terrifying.
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