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"Boom—!!"
The temple dome shattered like a fragile eggshell, and debris fell like raindrops.
Immediately following, a pillar of light shot straight down from the hole in the dome.
In the center of this pillar of light, a red and blue figure slowly descended.
The stars and stripes cape behind him fluttered in the turbulent airflow, and perfect muscle lines were faintly visible under the skintight suit.
On the Infinity Gauntlet, veiled by reality, a red gem was emitting an imperceptible shimmer.
He fine-tuned the atmospheric refractive index and modified the light's color temperature.
He made the dust particles in the air float in the pale golden glow, creating a Tyndall effect that produced an epic, hazy aesthetic.
The color of the clouds in the background sky was rendered into a solemn and deep dark purple, highlighting the vividness and hope of that stars and stripes suit.
Mid-air, Homelander lowered his head slightly, his golden hair seemingly burning in the light.
His eyes were hidden in the backlit shadows, with only two points of crimson sparks flickering, like a God looking down upon all living beings.
"Perfect."
Homelander gave himself a perfect score in his heart. If this scene were frozen in time, it would definitely have more artistic value than those oil paintings hanging in the Louvre for centuries... At the same time, a grand soundtrack echoed in the Earth's livestream room, pushing the atmosphere of the hero's arrival to a climax.
This was Skynet's masterpiece; she had precisely captured her boss's entrance timing and seamlessly cut in this BGM.
Because her boss had once said that a hero's entrance without a BGM is like fries without ketchup—bland and tasteless.
Of course, this BGM was also provided by the boss, who said it paired well with a caped hero.
Meanwhile, viewers around the World, under the dual shock of sight and sound, fell into a brief silence.
Immediately after, the bullet chat exploded again!
The servers groaned under the frantic clicks of billions of people, and after a brief lag, the chat box erupted with the most fanatical emotions human language could express.
[Oh my God... Is he an Angel?!]
[No! He is the incarnation of God!]
[Screenshot! Quick, take a screenshot! This is the moment a God descends!]
[Mom asked me why I was kowtowing in front of the TV...]
[That pose, that look... I want to print this image on my living room wall!]
[Who said we were going to be wiped out just now? Step forward! As long as Homelander is here, the word 'despair' doesn't exist!]
In bars, squares, and homes everywhere, people were either weeping with their heads in their hands or raising glasses in cheers. That sense of release from being pulled back from the brink of hell drove countless people into a frenzy... Inside Egos Temple.
After the brief appearance, Homelander didn't let the pose last too long; a hero's rescue must be efficient, as casualties would ruin the beauty of it.
His gaze locked onto the energy tentacles that were tightly entangling the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Zzt!
Zzt!
Zzt!
His eyes continuously fired high-energy Heat Vision, as precise as a surgical scalpel.
The blue energy tentacles tightly wound around Gamora, Drax, Yondu, and the others snapped all at once the moment they came into contact with the Heat Vision.
This included Peter Quill, who was pinned in mid-air by over a dozen tentacles and had already been drained to the point of unconsciousness.
As for Nebula, who was in mid-air, once the tentacles snapped, she began plummeting toward the massive fissure in the ground.
Just then, a strong wind swept past.
Nebula felt her body lighten as a pair of strong, powerful arms caught her steadily.
She looked up to see a handsome, chiseled face with a faint, charming smile on his lips, his golden hair shining brightly through the light.
It was Homelander.
He hovered in mid-air, holding Nebula protectively in his arms in a classic princess carry.
"Are you alright, cyber-sweetie?"
"It seems I've arrived just in time."
Nebula stared at him blankly.
All her life, she had known only killing, pain, and being augmented.
She had never been held so gently in someone's arms.
A feeling she had never experienced before welled up in her heart.
Her blue cheeks miraculously flushed a faint purple.
"I... I'm fine, thank you..." Nebula said with a slight stutter; this was likely the first time in her life she had used that word.
Prompt! Gained special popularity value + 15000 (from Nebula)
...Earth, Missouri.
The wildly growing God seed's light quickly dimmed, turning back into a lifeless gray stone once more.
"It... it stopped?"
Wanda's body went limp, and she nearly collapsed to her knees.
"The power source has been cut off."
Steve Rogers watched the scene before him, wiped the dust and blood from his face, and let out a long breath.
"Good job, Homelander..." He flashed a relieved smile. "You always manage to make it in the final minute."
"That's for sure." Tony Stark opened his faceplate to catch some air. "That guy is never late when it comes to showing off."
The Vought city heroes from various places who were nearby had all been prepared to sacrifice themselves. Seeing the crisis resolved, they slumped to the ground, hugging each other and celebrating their survival... Homelander gently set Nebula down.
He looked around at the bedraggled group.
Quill was being supported by Gamora; though weak, his complexion was gradually returning to a healthy hue—truly fitting for a God lineage that stood alongside mortals.
Rocket was patting the dust off himself, while Baby Groot returned the camera to Jessica.
"Well done, everyone." Homelander stood with hands on his hips, his tone full of praise. "You've given me a great surprise, truly."
"Facing a powerful God, you did not shrink back and you survived. With your mortal bodies, you stalled the steps of a God."
"You are true heroes!"
He walked up to Quill and patted him on the shoulder.
"Especially you, Star-Lord. You've proven that even with a bastard for a father, the son can still be a hero."
Quill weakly twitched the corner of his mouth: "Thanks... but this wasn't on my bucket list."
"Alright."
Homelander clapped his hands, cutting off the emotional build-up as his expression turned serious.
"Now, listen to me."
"Your mission is complete."
He pointed outside the temple.
"My ship is parked outside. Take Quill and leave this place now, immediately!"
"I'll handle this old man now."
"What?" Gamora frowned. "We can't leave you behind! This is a war, and we are a team!"
"Leave?" Drax's eyes widened. "No! I want to fight! I'm going to rip this guy's guts out!"
"It's not that I'm looking down on you, but the upcoming battle..." Homelander paused, his gaze sweeping over the group. "...is not something you can participate in."
"Because in a little while... this place will become a real hell..."