One week later.
The Mars Probe, carrying the hopes of the entire world, finally reached the edge of the Martian atmosphere.
Four elite astronauts, carefully selected by their nation, boarded a small detachable landing craft and departed from the main vessel. After half an hour of descent, they touched down on the rough, reddish-brown surface of Mars.
"Brothers, mission start," their leader announced, his voice calm but firm.
"We just need to follow the pre-planned route, collect mineral samples, and complete the mission successfully. Meanwhile, our main spacecraft will remain in Martian orbit for an hour to photograph the planet's surface and generate a full topographical map."
The team nodded, confident and focused. They were ready.
As for Eden, however, he hadn't joined the four astronauts on the surface. Instead, he sat cross-legged atop the exploration vessel, eyes closed in deep meditation. He was running yet another simulation in outer space.
After a week of intense mental training, Eden had reached a critical point.
Five Days Earlier – The Simulation World
Eden was locked in a deadly battle against three elite Viltrumites.
This time, his opponents weren't Tony, Smith, and Vido of the "Four Heavenly Kings," but rather John, Nolan, and General Kregg—three Viltrumite warriors whose strength ranked just below that of Regent Cui Ge.
The setting was a barren, desolate planet. Standing before Eden were the three Viltrumites, each clad in sleek combat armor, appearing younger and radiating lethal intent.
"Swish!"
Eden didn't waste words. The instant he appeared, he launched forward like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for John, the strongest of the three.
"Kid, you have no idea how foolish you are!" John sneered. There was no fear in her eyes—only battle lust and excitement.
"Swish!"
In a heartbeat, Eden reached her. Without hesitation, he sliced off John's mechanical right arm and, with a precise finger thrust, destroyed her remaining eye.
John screamed, clutching her face. "My eyes!"
Her reaction was instinctive, desperate. But Eden didn't stop. Grabbing her severed mechanical arm, he swung it backward with full force—smashing into Nolan, who had charged from the left to support her. The blow sent Nolan hurtling into the sky.
Almost simultaneously, Eden's right fist slammed sideways, catching General Kregg, who had tried to ambush him from the right. The strike hit with the force of a meteor, sending Kregg flying, blood gushing from his nose.
Eden didn't even glance at them. His cold gaze remained fixed on John. He flew forward, chopped his hand down in a clean arc, and split open her abdomen. Crimson blood sprayed across the sky.
John groaned, clutching her stomach in agony.
"Boom!"
Eden's next punch smashed into her skull, slamming her into the planet's surface. She lay motionless, life uncertain.
Without pausing, Eden accelerated once again, catching up to the battered General Kregg. He grabbed Kregg's neck with both hands and squeezed.
"Damn it!" Kregg roared, raining blows onto Eden's chest. Even with his Viltrumite power, his attacks only drew a thin trickle of blood from Eden's mouth.
"Pfft."
With a sharp twist, Eden snapped Kregg's neck. The general's body went limp.
"Only you're left, Nolan," Eden said coldly, turning to face his final opponent.
Nolan, hovering in the air, looked down to see his fallen allies—John incapacitated, Kregg dead. His fists clenched in rage.
"Damn it!"
He dove straight toward Eden at full speed.
"Heh." Eden smirked and surged upward to meet him.
"Boom!"
Their collision shook the entire planet. The shockwave expanded outward, flattening everything within miles. Even from orbit, the explosion of light and dust could be seen.
Five minutes later, the simulation ended.
Total simulation time: twenty minutes.
"Twenty minutes to kill three Viltrumite elites…" Eden murmured, hearing the system's report.
"There's still time before we reach Mars. Perfect—enough time to take on the boss."
Cracking his neck, his eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Come on, Berserker Beast."
The Berserker Beast Simulation
"Simulation initializing.
Character: Berserker Beast.
Location: Barren Planet.
Simulation starting…"
The world around Eden shifted.
He found himself standing on a planet similar to Mars—dusty, crimson, lifeless. Opposite him stood a towering white beast, its body drenched in blood, its fur streaked with crimson lines. It resembled a lion but radiated something far more terrifying: pure destruction, pure combat, pure madness.
The creature's presence alone made Eden's pulse quicken.
"Enough talk," Eden said quietly, his voice steady. "You know why I'm here."
Just looking at the creature made his skin prickle, but instead of fear, excitement welled within him. His heart thumped wildly. Adrenaline surged through his veins.
"Fight!"
The Berserker Beast roared. Its blood-red eyes burned with killing intent. With a single motion, it drew the massive saber from its waist and charged forward.
"Whoosh!"
The beast moved like a missile; Eden countered like a falling meteor.
Their collision created a thunderous explosion, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
In their first exchange, neither gained the upper hand.
Eden dodged a heavy swing, countering with a punch to the beast's abdomen.
"Bang!"
The impact echoed like metal striking metal. He frowned. "Armor?"
The Berserker Beast sneered, tossing its cleaver aside. "Heh. Don't say I fought unfairly," it growled, tearing off its armor and throwing it to the ground. "Now fight me for real."
"You won't win any victory from me," Eden said coldly. He charged forward.
Their fists met again—
"Boom!"
The ground beneath them caved in. Shockwaves spread in all directions, vaporizing everything within hundreds of miles and leaving behind a vast, airless crater.
It was a battle of endurance, of will.
Neither combatant could gain a quick advantage. Every blow could shatter mountains; every movement threatened to tear the planet apart.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," the Berserker Beast snarled, baring razor-sharp fangs. "My claws and fangs—they're not weapons. They're natural."
With a brutal swipe, its claws raked across Eden's chest, leaving five deep, bloody gashes. Flesh split to the bone.
"Szzzzz!"
Eden touched the wounds lightly. Instead of anger, his expression hardened. His eyes glowed scarlet.
Then—boom!—twin beams of burning heat erupted from his eyes, striking the Berserker Beast full in the face.
"ROAR!"
The creature howled in agony, clutching its eyes as smoke rose from its seared flesh.
"Don't say I didn't warn you either," Eden said coldly. "My natural heat vision isn't a laser weapon."
He launched forward like lightning, taking advantage of the beast's blindness. The air trembled as they clashed once again.
Sixty Hours of Hell
The battle raged for sixty straight hours.
Even with all of Eden's Kryptonian and Viltrumite abilities unleashed—super strength, speed, flight, heat vision, regeneration—the fight dragged on endlessly. The Berserker Beast's vitality and combat instinct were beyond imagination.
Eden's body was torn to shreds more than once. Over seventy deep wounds marked his skin—some from claws, others from fangs. Each healed only to reopen moments later.
It was the most grueling fight of his life.
Every moment tested not just his power, but his determination.
Finally, after sixty hours of relentless combat, Eden stood victorious.
The Berserker Beast lay dead at his feet, its once-mighty form now still.
Eden collapsed beside the corpse, gasping, half-dead but triumphant. "What… a beast."
He exhaled heavily. "End simulation."
"As you command," the system replied.
In an instant, the barren world faded, and Eden returned to his place atop the Mars exploration vessel.
Back to Reality
"How long was that simulation?" Eden asked wearily.
"A total of sixty hours," the system responded.
"Sixty hours…" Eden sighed, exhausted yet satisfied. "That was certainly long enough. The Berserker Beast truly lives up to its name—its vitality and combat power are top-tier."
Then, a thought struck him. "Oh right—have we reached Mars yet?"
"Affirmative," the system answered. "It has been approximately twelve hours since arrival at Mars. The exploration team landed about eleven hours ago and began collecting samples."
Eden's eyes widened. "Damn it."
His figure blurred, then vanished from orbit as he broke through the Martian atmosphere at incredible speed.
"Only eleven hours…" he muttered, diving toward the planet below. "Let's hope those amateur astronauts haven't caused any major trouble."
To be continued…
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