The God Slayer is just an episode.
The Matrix family is the true challenge that needs to be dealt with—at least for Aaron.
After handling Geer, his focus would naturally shift to these mechanical life forms. He planned to take matters into his own hands and, in the process, help the girls become more proficient in their abilities.
This was a rare opportunity to push their potential to the fullest.
On Earth, such an opportunity may never come again.
Earth is too small—a place where even the slightest disturbance could cause its destruction.
But in the vastness of the universe, as long as the distance is great enough, one can wield power without worry.
Even if entire galaxies or even a river system were destroyed, Earth would remain unaffected.
By then, the Kree might be the only ones left to deal with the fallout.
"Ready! When are we going?"
"I'm ready too! I can fight anytime!"
Wanda and Gwen stood up eagerly, anticipation clear in their eyes.
Despite knowing that the enemy they were about to face could rival a super-universe empire, there was no sign of fear on their faces. Instead, they were eager for the battle.
Jean, or Dark Phoenix, had successfully integrated with the Phoenix Force during this period. The two forms could now be freely switched between, and she had mastered the Phoenix Force to a whole new level.
If nothing unexpected happened, it seemed likely that she would soon gain full control over the Phoenix Force, completing her co-evolution. From there, she would consume more fragments and become the true master of the Phoenix Force.
The integration process had gone smoothly, which meant that Jean had no concerns about facing the Matrix family.
The deeper her integration with the Phoenix Force, the clearer her understanding of its power. The force was nearly as great as the power of creation itself!
And according to Aaron, this state of strengthening would last a long time and would continue to grow her power exponentially.
Worries? None at all!
Her rate of growth in strength was second only to Aaron's!
And this was without the aid of Magic Net Energy Absorption!
It was difficult to imagine how terrifying her power could become if she also absorbed the magic net's energy during her integration with the Phoenix Force.
But it wasn't necessary!
Allowing things to naturally integrate was much safer. If she forced the process, the energy could run amok and backfire.
Meanwhile, Sif looked worried.
"Is the Matrix family really as dangerous as you say? The Kree Empire couldn't do anything against them."
"If their numbers have grown so large that they're uncontrollable, it could take an unimaginable amount of time to defeat them with just a few of us."
"Perhaps we should inform the king and ask him to build an army of gods to join us in this crusade against the Matrix race."
"No, it's not necessary!" Aaron shook his head, dismissing Sif's suggestion.
"In order to deal with the Matrix family, I've already sent the Hela United Nebulas as far into their territory as possible."
"They've been causing trouble to draw out their main forces."
"Once they assemble, I can eliminate them all."
"Also, defeating the Matrix family isn't as difficult as you think."
The Matrix family is indeed a terrifying race.
Their method of reproduction and enhancement is a nightmare for many technological civilizations.
Coupled with their population growth, second only to the Zerg, they can unleash mechanical frenzies akin to a sea, overwhelming even the mightiest planet gods.
However, the Matrix family that had appeared in this universe was, after all, just a defective version created by dimensional demons at an unknown time and place.
It lacked the highly developed and perfect system that the original Matrix family had.
To truly develop, they had to start from scratch and build up slowly.
Even though they had conquered many territories and technologies from the Kree Empire, they were still far behind the true Matrix family.
Moreover, they now had a fatal weakness.
Zola!!
Zola had already taken control of the Matrix family, effectively ruling over them.
As long as Zola could be killed completely, the Matrix family would pose no further threat.
And Zola...
Aaron was sure he was still somewhere on Earth.
A die-hard HYDRA loyalist, Zola was determined to revive HYDRA to its former glory.
It was absolutely impossible for him to leave Earth.
Once the Matrix family was dealt with, Aaron planned to return to Earth, track down Zola, and crush him once and for all.
Then the problem would be solved.
Somewhere on Earth.
This was one of the few gathering centers for the Matrix race.
Surrounded by hundreds of Matrix members who had completely transformed into organic life forms, they were far more powerful than the average Matrix soldier after absorbing the technology of the Kree Empire.
Zola had deliberately enhanced their capabilities, turning them into something far beyond ordinary Matrix members.
These individuals had shed their physical forms, becoming pure machines. They had achieved Mechanical Ascension and gained infinite lifespans.
This location was the heart of the Matrix family, the nerve center of their operations.
All the orders sent to the Matrix family that ravaged the Kree Empire originated from here.
At the center, surrounded by countless Matrix soldiers, sat a robot who looked out of place among them.
This robot was none other than Zola!
Using Vibranium obtained from Ulysses Crow and the Wakanda invasion, Zola had crafted this near-perfect mechanical body.
Well, almost perfect.
Zola was only partially satisfied with this body. He still sought to create a more perfect one.
He planned to use the Kree Empire's technology and the Regeneration Cradle Project on Earth to integrate Vibranium, creating a body that existed between robot and human.
Just like the body Vision had, created by Ultron.
Though Zola had transcended humanity to become an intelligent life form, he still longed for a body of his own.
This new body would be stronger than ever.
It would possess the latest technology, the most powerful defenses, and an infinite lifespan.
It seemed like a truly perfect design!
He named it the Mechanic God Body.
Zola intended to become the God of Mechs.
Zola had big ambitions.
This military campaign against the Kree Empire had gone exceedingly well.
No, it had gone too well.
The Kree Empire, once considered the most powerful civilization in the Milky Way, was crumbling under his attack.
The future of the universe, in Zola's eyes, was destined to belong to omnics.
And he would be the only true god in this universe.
"A group of troublesome pests. You really think that because the God of Magic is behind you, I'll hesitate to kill you?"
"Relying on the magic net, you dare to enter my territory?"
"You're courting death!!"
"Fine, let's kill you first and teach the God of Magic a lesson!"
Zola was aware of the movements of Hela and her group through the collective consciousness of the Matrix.
To prevent the Guardians of the Galaxy from reaching him, he had dispatched several waves of troops to stop them.
All of them had failed.
But it served as a warning.
Unexpectedly, instead of retreating, the enemy had sent Hela, the Goddess of Death, to join the fray.
Did they really think he was a pushover?
To avoid failure once again, Zola thought carefully and then deployed an unprecedentedly large fleet from other areas.
Hundreds of Matrix cruisers!
Tens of millions of Matrix soldiers!
Such a fleet, combined with the previously dispatched ships, would easily overwhelm a few gods and mages. This force could wipe out even a high-tech civilization!
This battle demonstrated just how seriously Zola took Hela and her companions.
If not for their reliance on the God of Magic, someone Zola feared deeply, he wouldn't have had to go to such lengths.
This kind of fleet could only be matched by the Kree Empire.
Even Thanos wouldn't stand a chance against it.
While the Kree Empire could field such a fleet, it couldn't afford to lose too many ships in a fight.
Only the Matrix family, which devours worlds and absorbs all the energy of entire planets, could afford to construct such a massive fleet.
This was how they threatened the Kree Empire's rule, slowly eroding their territory.
As Zola detected the army mobilizing, he couldn't help but smile with confidence.
An army of tens of millions facing a team of fewer than ten people?
The advantage was his!
This time, victory was assured.
In a galaxy within Kree Empire territory, dozens of cruisers launched a devastating attack on the Guardians of the Galaxy and Hela's forces.
Dozens of warships unleashed massive firepower, overwhelming the Hela fleet.
It was clear that the Matrix family's cruisers were formidable.
They were top-of-the-line battleships, built with technologies from multiple civilizations, including the Kree Empire.
Their power easily crushed Hela's fleet.
These ships were only a fraction of what the Matrix family could field, and Hela's fleet was no match for them.
Despite the energy shields of the cruisers, they were still pierced and destroyed by the Matrix family's relentless assault.
"Trash!"
"Of course, I can't rely on you!"
Hela wasn't surprised by the outcome of the battle. After cursing, she ordered her subordinates to open the door and stepped into the vacuum of space alone.
As the Goddess of Death from Asgard, Hela had the ability to survive in space.
She didn't need to breathe like mortals and could travel easily across the cosmos.
Even without flight capabilities, she could navigate the universe.
Now that she was connected to the magic net and had mastered the art of magic, flight had become second nature to her.
The universe was no longer a barrier.
"Ignorant fools, who gave you the courage to challenge a god?"
Although sound doesn't travel in space, Hela transmitted her message through energy.
She casually summoned hundreds of black swords, each hundreds of meters long and wide, and aimed them at the warships.
To deal with these battleships, Hela used her most powerful ability, and she didn't even need the magic she'd learned from the magic net.
As expected, even the upgraded cruisers couldn't resist Hela's black swords.
Even with their energy shields up, the swords pierced them effortlessly.
But this didn't resolve all the issues.
The Matrix family didn't rely on oxygen to survive!
Their mechanical bodies allowed them to thrive in space.
After the warships were destroyed, the Matrix soldiers simply abandoned the wreckage and renewed their assault on Hela and the others.
This relentless strategy took Hela by surprise.
"Good will to fight!"
"An excellent army!"
"Unfortunately... it's not enough to close the gap we had before!"
Hela had her subordinates unleash a devastating beam on the Matrix forces.
Without their battleships, they couldn't withstand the onslaught.
The Matrix family suffered heavy losses, but thanks to their numbers, many of them managed to continue their assault.
They either attempted to breach the defenses or laid siege to Hela.
For other races, facing battleships made of high-strength metals would have been impossible. But the Matrix soldiers, being organic-electronic beings, had their own ways to deal with the armor.
This forced the crews aboard the battleships to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Matrix soldiers.
Star-Lord, Gamora, and the others became the main force of the confrontation.
Together with Hela's army, they set up a defensive line.
Among them, Hela's death army proved impervious to the Matrix family's attempts at assimilation.
They were skeletal remains revived by the Eternal Fire, and no matter how potent the Matrix family's virus was, it couldn't affect them.
Even if the death army was destroyed, they could be resurrected by the Eternal Fire.
As for Hela herself, she knew how to keep the Matrix family at bay.
Using her black swords combined with powerful magic, she was effectively cleaning up the Matrix army.
One person was equal to an entire army!
As the battle seemed to have no real suspense, a new challenge appeared.
A larger fleet, already detected on their sensors, was approaching.
This was no ordinary fleet—it was an overwhelming force with hundreds of cruisers and thousands of transport ships!
Its combat capabilities were far superior to the previous fleet, ten times stronger!
When Star-Lord and the others learned that the fleet was closing in, they panicked.
"It's over, should we retreat tactically?"
"He's trying to trap us here completely!"
Rocket was in a state of panic.
Drax stepped back, too.
Though he was a destroyer, even he had limits.
Facing such an insurmountable enemy, he, too, was starting to panic.
Even Hela frowned when she learned about the new fleet.
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