Protagonist Ring, Assault on the Flagship

"You think you can look down on women?"

Carol snorted coldly, clasped her hands together, and unleashed a torrent of energy at Gladiator. He was blasted downward along with the ground beneath him, and a massive crater suddenly appeared, rapidly widening.

This woman is so strong. Even I’m no match for her.

The moment that thought surfaced in Gladiator’s mind, his physical strength immediately plummeted. His bones creaked and cracked all over, as if they could shatter at any moment.

Gladiator came from a mysterious planet. His strength was directly tied to his confidence. Simply put, the more confident he was, the stronger he became. But once that confidence wavered, his power would plummet wildly.

Carol’s overwhelming strength had shaken Gladiator’s confidence.

Tivan’s voice appeared directly in Gladiator’s mind. "Warrior, put on the Protagonist Ring I gave you. With it, you will be invincible in battle."

Gladiator hesitated. Relying on external power meant admitting that he was inferior to Carol.

That brief hesitation caused Gladiator’s strength to drop again. Carol’s energy bombardment nearly made him cough up blood. He silently sighed and, while resisting Carol’s energy, struggled to put the Protagonist Ring Tivan had given him onto his finger.

If he didn’t put it on now, he was done for.

The instant the ring was on, Gladiator’s body shuddered. Confidence exploded within him. Then, he forcibly charged out through Carol’s energy blast and arrogantly said, "I never expected a supporting character like you to be this strong. I underestimated you."

Seeing that her attack was ineffective, Carol stopped attacking and snorted. "Supporting character? You think you’re the protagonist?"

"Of course I am. The invincible protagonist beneath the heavens."

With his nose in the air, Gladiator said, "Captain Marvel, your face may be a little square, but considering your strength, I’m willing to give you a chance to surrender. From now on, you’ll be my consort. Fight for me during the day and sleep with me at night."

"What?"

Carol was dumbfounded. Was that something a human could say? "For female supporting characters like you, the best fate is becoming the protagonist’s woman. And I am the protagonist—the invincible protagonist."

Gladiator said arrogantly, "Why aren’t you thanking me already? Do you know how many women dream of an opportunity like this?"

"Thank your ancestors. Go die."

Carol flew into a rage, light blazing from her entire body as she threw an Earth-Shattering punch at Gladiator. Even a battleship would tremble before such a fist.

Yet Gladiator caught that punch steadily. With a wildly arrogant expression, he said, "I told you. I’m invincible."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gladiator’s left foot viciously struck Carol in the abdomen with lightning speed. Carol flew backward at once and slammed into the ground with a boom, smashing out a crater dozens of meters wide.

Immediately afterward, Gladiator appeared above Carol as though he had used Teleportation. He said smugly, "See that? This is my strength. The strength of a protagonist."

"Is something wrong with your brain?"

Carol climbed back up and launched an endless barrage of kicks at Gladiator, but he easily blocked every one of them.

Then Gladiator grabbed Carol by the lower leg and repeatedly smashed her into the ground with all his might. Bang! Bang! Bang! The entire earth trembled.

Even Carol was injured badly enough to cough up blood. When Gladiator finally released her, she lay in the crater, the light around her body so dim it seemed ready to go out at any moment.

How did this happen?

Carol was filled with confusion. Why had Gladiator suddenly become so powerful?

Tivan smiled smugly. Those who obtained the Protagonist Ring would imagine themselves as the omnipotent, unstoppable, invincible protagonist of a novel, surrounded by beautiful women.

That was exactly what Gladiator was now. His confidence had swelled to the limit, and his power rivaled gods and demons. That was why Carol had been defeated.

Tivan hurriedly shouted, "Warrior, finish her quickly and return to the Dark Aster to provide support."

"Why should I, the protagonist, obey your orders?"

Gladiator said disdainfully, "Tivan, hand over the Power Stone if you know what’s good for you. Then I might spare your life. Otherwise, you’ll definitely die by my hand."

Tivan was stunned. Gladiator had indeed become stronger, but the problem was that he had become uncontrollable.

A protagonist, of course, would not be controlled.

"I’ll give you some time to think it over, Tivan. Don’t disappoint me. Those who disappoint me never end well, because I am the protagonist."

Leaving those words behind, Gladiator turned his attention back to Carol. "Carol, sooner or later, you will surrender to me. Why keep resisting? As the protagonist, there is nothing I cannot do."

Carol raised her right hand and gave Gladiator the middle finger. She made a decision in her heart: if she survived this battle, she would take Blood God as her master and increase her strength.

Carol would never allow such humiliation to happen a second time.

"I like your stubbornness."

Gladiator gave a wicked smile as red light lit up in both his eyes. "But you will definitely surrender to me, because I am the protagonist."

Just as Gladiator was about to fire Heat Rays at Carol, a hammer slammed viciously into him, sending him flying away like a meteor.

The newcomer was Hulk. Looking at the meteor streaking across the sky, he said disdainfully, "Your words are disgusting. I’m about to throw up the Dragon Meat I ate a few days ago."

The battered Beta Ray Bill nodded emphatically beside him. "I completely agree. I’ve never heard anything so disgusting in my life."

Carol asked in surprise, "You’re done fighting?"

"Hulk won. He lost."

Hulk said proudly, then threw a vial at Carol. "Blood God Potion. Heals wounds."

The Blood God Potion was a super regenerative medicine developed by Dr. Connors using Vampire blood, Hulk’s blood, and Extraordinary Dragon blood. After injection, injuries would rapidly heal. The price was a loss of some lifespan.

In addition, the Blood God Potion was extremely expensive and could not be widely distributed.

"Thanks."

Carol did not waste words. She immediately picked up the potion and injected herself. No matter what, she had to take revenge.

Beta Ray Bill looked at Carol enviously. He was partially mechanized, so a potion like that was useless to him.

Bill had indeed lost the previous battle.

In terms of strength, skill, and equipment, Bill was no worse than Hulk. But there were two things he was far inferior to Hulk in.

The first was regeneration. Hulk’s healing ability was terrifying. No matter how severe his injuries were, he recovered in moments. Bill could not compare at all.

The other was growth. The angrier Hulk became, the stronger he grew. By the end of the battle, Beta Ray Bill had been completely unable to suppress Hulk.

In the end, Bill was defeated. Hulk had the mentality of a child and did not kill him. He merely took Bill’s Gravity Hammer and demanded his surrender.

Beta Ray Bill chose to agree. Then Gladiator became Protagonist Gladiator. After hearing his declarations, both of them were so disgusted they wanted to vomit. They exchanged a glance and decided to team up and beat Gladiator together.

If they didn’t beat him up, they wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.

The Blood God Potion’s effects were indeed excellent. Carol quickly recovered from her injuries. She flew into the air, clenched her fists, and shouted through gritted teeth, "Where is that bastard? I’m going to kill him."

Gladiator flew back and shouted arrogantly, "You dare oppose the protagonist? You’re courting death."

"Competition. Pull out his tongue."

Hulk shouted at the other two. Carol charged forward while yelling, "Normally, I wouldn’t do something that disgusting, but this time, I’d be more than happy to rip out his entire tongue."

"Me too."

Beta Ray Bill charged forward as well.

"You two cheated."

Hulk chased after them unhappily. Seeing all three rushing at him together, Gladiator was not afraid in the slightest. Instead, he said arrogantly, "Come on. You’ll soon learn what despair is. Captain Marvel, after witnessing my power, you’ll kneel before me and beg for my forgiveness."

"Go die!"

Carol went berserk. Brilliant light erupted from her body, and two faint curved traces appeared behind her. Then she thrust both hands forward, firing a massive beam of energy straight at Gladiator.

Red light shone from Gladiator’s eyes as two Heat Rays braced against Carol’s energy beam. Seeing this, Hulk and Beta Ray Bill attacked Gladiator from both sides at once.

Gladiator raised both hands to block Hulk and Beta Ray Bill’s attacks. Bill snorted, and his mechanical fist suddenly extended, smashing heavily into Gladiator’s face.

Gladiator’s head snapped to the side, causing his Heat Rays to veer off course. Carol’s energy beam slammed into his head, blasting him away and sending him skidding continuously across the ground.

"Hulk sit on you to death."

Hulk leaped high into the air and activated the Gravity Hammer in his hand. He came crashing down like a meteor and slammed brutally into Gladiator, driving him and the ground beneath him dozens of meters downward.

Even after suffering such a heavy strike, Gladiator was not defeated. He roared and threw Hulk away with immense strength, then opened his mouth and breathed a blast of frost at the charging Beta Ray Bill, freezing him solid.

Next, Gladiator shot into the air and fought Carol in rapid succession as though constantly using Teleportation. Even with Carol going all out, she could not defeat him. Instead, he gradually began suppressing her.

Seeing this, Hulk hurled the Gravity Hammer at the Cold Ice trapping Bill. With a bang, the ice shattered. Bill caught the Gravity Hammer and joined forces with Hulk to fight Gladiator.

"I am the protagonist! I am invincible!"

Gladiator roared. Even while fighting three opponents alone, he was not at a disadvantage in the slightest.

"Gladiator’s ability is truly powerful. It’s a pity he doesn’t obey."

Watching the intense battle, Tivan could not help sighing. Then he turned back to the monitor and discovered that Ronan and the others were in even worse shape. Quite a few elites had already died at the hands of the Super Heroes.

In fact, if reinforcements had not continuously arrived to support them, Ronan and his people might already have been defeated.

"Accuser? Nothing special."

Doom reached out with one hand, and the air in front of Ronan directly exploded. Ronan screamed as he was blasted backward, coughing up blood nonstop on the ground.

However, Ronan did not fall. He struggled back to his feet and roared, "I will not be defeated! I will destroy Xandar! No one can stop me!"

"You’ve got some backbone. Too bad you’re too weak."

Doom smiled disdainfully and was about to attack again when five people suddenly rushed in from outside. They were the Guardians of the Galaxy.

"The battle isn’t over? Great. I’ll trade your heads for bounties."

Rocket repeatedly fired the cannon he had made himself. When Star-Lord heard the word "bounties," his eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Earth compatriots, I’m here to help!"

"You’re only half an Earth compatriot."

Gamora shook her head and, together with Groot, dealt with the incoming reinforcements.

"Ronan."

The moment Destroyer Drax saw Ronan, his eyes turned red. Without a word, he swung two massive blades and charged forward. Ronan hurriedly swung the Universal Weapon to block him.

Doom frowned but did not attack again—Ronan was not worthy of making him join forces with someone else.

With bloodshot eyes, Drax roared, "Ronan, I’m going to kill you and avenge my family!"

"Your family? I don’t know them."

Ronan said disdainfully. It was the truth. He had killed too many people to remember every one of them.

"Ah!"

Drax went completely berserk, ignoring defense as he attacked madly. Ronan struggled to fend him off, feeling utterly aggrieved. If he had not been injured, how could he, the mighty Accuser, possibly be suppressed by a barbarian like this? Even if I die, I, Ronan, will never submit.

Ronan gritted his teeth and shouted, "I sacrifice my life in exchange for your descent."

As Ronan spoke, an ancient eye-shaped statue in his arms lit up with dazzling red light. Then the statue transformed into a phantom eyeball that enveloped Ronan. Ronan let out a pained roar as red light erupted, blasting Drax away.

"Eye Demon Shuma-Gorath!"

Doom’s expression turned grave. This was no harmless creature. It was even more terrifying than a Hell Lord.

"I accept your sacrifice. Remember, the more power you demand, the faster you will die."

Shuma-Gorath’s voice suddenly rang out. Then the phantom of the Eye Demon rapidly shrank and became an incomparably evil eye mark on Ronan’s forehead. Ronan’s wounds quickly healed, while his aura surged wildly.

"Excellent."

Seeing Ronan use the eye statue left behind by the Eye Demon, Tivan let out a great sigh of relief. Ronan in this state could even fight Blood God, let alone everyone else.

"Although the situation is completely different from what I expected, it doesn’t matter. The only victor in this war will be me."

Tivan took a kettle covered in countless demonic runes from his sleeve. Looking at the black water inside, which was nearly full, he smiled smugly.

Both the Space Stone and the Power Stone would become his possessions. And that Blood God—didn’t you want to suppress me for ten thousand years? Soon, I’ll show you who will be suppressing whom.

Fury secretly glanced at Tivan but did nothing. Since Blood God had said there would be no problem, Fury would leave Tivan to him.

"Ronan."

The blasted-away Drax climbed back up and charged Ronan once more. But this time was completely different. In only a few moves, Ronan knocked Drax to the ground.

Then Ronan lifted Drax one-handed and turned to shout at Doom, "He isn’t worthy of being my opponent. You are."

With that, Ronan hurled Drax forcefully at Doom. He had tampered with Drax; once Doom caught him, he would be paralyzed, unable to move his entire body.

At that point, Ronan would seize the chance to attack and kill this detestable enemy.