The wormhole cracked even further. A terrifying pulse of energy exploded outward, rippling through the forest like an invisible shockwave. The air grew heavier—much heavier.
"Gravity energy…" Zayne noted inwardly.
He knew this energy type well. He could even recreate it using the core of his base. But feeling it in such a concentrated quantity was different. It pressed down on him, doubling the weight of the entire perimeter in an instant.
And it didn't just hit him.
Fury and his agents—including Natasha—were slammed to their knees by the sudden gravitational spike. Some of the weaker ones didn't even last two seconds before passing out entirely.
Seeing this, Zayne didn't hesitate. He raised a hand.
His Innocence skill activated.
A soft, gentle light expanded around them, forming a translucent dome. The crushing weight vanished from inside the barrier, leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gasping for breath as the terrifying pressure lifted off their bodies.
"Sigh… that was terrifying. I was not built for missions like this. I really need a raise," Natasha thought bitterly, cutting a sideways glance at Fury.
Fury, panting slightly as he steadied himself, immediately caught the look. He exhaled as if resolving a long-standing argument."No raise, Romanoff. We've talked about this."
Natasha clicked her tongue, annoyed but not surprised. Of course, he noticed—it was Fury.
"Tsk… stingy. Maybe I should quit," she muttered, mostly teasing but also half serious.
Fury didn't bother responding this time. He simply shook his head and focused on Zayne. Despite his distrustful nature, Natasha was someone he had grown to treat like family. She had earned the right to complain without consequences.
While the two bantered like exhausted coworkers stuck in a nightmare shift, Zayne stood silently, eyes fixed on the wormhole. He was waiting. Whatever pushed that crack wider was coming out.
"I just hope I don't get some swarm-type monsters first…" he mumbled.Swarm enemies were always annoying—too many legs, too many teeth, and too much cleanup.
Unfortunately, the universe didn't care about his preferences.
A massive crab-like claw shot out of the portal, widening it even further. Then another limb. Then a jagged carapace the size of a truck pushed through.
A full creature emerged.
Zayne's eyes narrowed."Rock Critters…"
He felt half annoyed, half relieved.
Rock Critters all came in colonies. They ate anything. Metal. Flesh. Concrete. Airplanes. It didn't matter. On the bright side, they were weak. Small-building+ level threats. Dangerous for ordinary humans, but not even a warm-up for the Omni-Ranger.
One came through.
Then another.
And another.
Until the forest clearing shook under the weight of twenty-five towering Rock Critters.
Fury stared, jaw slack.
"Motherf—" He cut himself off only because he needed to breathe.
Although he had files on Hollow Earth, he had never seen these creatures in person. The last time he sent a team down there, none returned. He shelved the entire project since then.
Now, seeing these monstrosities marching out of a glowing hole in space-time?
He couldn't help it.
"Motherfucker."
The Rock Critters clicked, hissed, and scanned their surroundings. Then one noticed Zayne standing calmly in front of them.
It shrieked loudly.
Every critter turned toward him at once, their eyes lighting up with rabid hunger.
Zayne felt goosebumps—not fear, but discomfort.
It was the first time in his life he had been looked at like a gourmet meal by giant prehistoric crabs.
"Well… they chose the wrong guy. I might end up eating them instead," he muttered.
"It's been a long time since I had crab meat… Might as well try their ancestors."
Before he could advance, the ground beneath him quivered. His instincts screamed danger. He backflipped into the air, executing a clean arc as a massive claw erupted from the soil where he had just stood.
He blocked the strike midair using his scythe, sparks cracking off the weapon. Landing gracefully, he dashed forward and delivered a swift, powerful slash.
SHLNK!
The first critter's head rolled clean off.
No wasted movement.
He shifted his footing, preparing for the rest.
The critters screeched in rage and scurried toward him, the ground trembling under twenty-four massive bodies.
Zayne hopped onto his Omni-Cycle in one smooth motion.
"Full speed," he commanded.
The cycle roared forward.
He pointed a finger.
"Fire!"
The Omni-Cycle unleashed a swarm of lasers, each shot precise, clean, and devastating. Explosions echoed through the forest as large chunks of Rock Critters were obliterated instantly.
The survivors panicked. They dove underground to camouflage themselves, their instincts screaming at them to run.
But Zayne was a Ranger.
And Rangers didn't let enemy threats walk away.
He summoned the Quantum Defender, switching it into blaster mode.
"Lock on."
The weapon hummed.
He fired multiple shots into the sky.
The beams twisted midair, fracturing into dozens of smaller lasers that fell like a meteor shower.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each beam struck the ground with pinpoint accuracy, disintegrating every hidden critter beneath the soil. The forest floor erupted, then stilled—only dust and bone fragments remained.
Natasha watched with her mouth half-open.
She had seen superhumans and some Rangers, though not many.
But she had never seen this level of destructive firepower from what she thought was a "street-level" Ranger.
Fury was equally stunned. He had seen insane Ranger abilities before—but never this early in a Ranger's career.
"I need intel on him," Fury thought darkly. "I can't let another unpredictable powerhouse slip through my fingers. Maybe I can use Natasha. He seems like a man…"
Natasha didn't notice his scheming. She was too busy trying to understand how such a small weapon could wipe out a colony of monsters.
Zayne exhaled, eyeing the remains. "Ah, damn… I can't eat crab anymore. Should've used less firepower."
He admired the destruction for a moment—satisfied, but also annoyed that he forgot to hold back.
Then he approached the wormhole, ready to deploy some of his "amazing" tech to close it. He knew that something on the other side was beyond his current level. He needed to shut this down before he attracted a Titan he wasn't prepared for.
Once he was stronger, he could terraform the whole place.
But the portal had other plans.
It cracked open wider—shattering like fragile glass.
CRACK!!!
A long, serpentine head emerged. Its massive reptilian eyes glowed as it tasted the air.
Then it roared.
ROOOOAAAAAR!!
Zayne's Morpher beeped and projected data.
[Name: Warbat
Species: Sub-Titan / Reptilian
Combat Strength: C Rank
Evaluation: Extremely versatile predator. Defense and strength are decent, but venom and constriction abilities are top-tier. Limited potential. Not recommended for connectivity with the Morphin Grid.]
"Tsk… even cannon-fodder Titans are this strong?" Zayne mused. "Still, it's enough data to design a new Zord."
He couldn't help imagining it. "What if a Titan-like creature—Godzilla or Kong—got Grid access…?"
He shivered.
Not from fear—excitement.
"I should warn those guys," Zayne thought, glancing back.
But Fury and the agents were gone.
"Huh?"
A quick scan revealed a hologram:
[Targets left on a Helicarrier within the past 5 minutes.]
"Damn, that reckless bastard… he's even worse than I thought," Zayne muttered.
Before he could complain further—
A massive shadow passed over him.
A Warbat swooped overhead, slithering through the air like a giant, winged serpent. Three more poured out of the wormhole behind it.
Zayne cracked his neck.
"I'll deal with whatever comes after. Nothing world-ending can possibly happen in that short span of time, right?"
--- ✦ ---
Hey guys. I know this chapter might seem like Zayne is careless. Remember, he's human, guys, and his own term of overpowered is progressive. He can't control everything like a chess master. There are deeper schemes than on the surface. Don't worry, guys. you will all be surprised.