Adrian ran through the streets, his chest burning as his eyes searched desperately for any sign of his parents. Alleyways, shattered roads, empty buildings—nothing. No matter where he looked, they were nowhere to be found.
Panic began to creep into his heart.
Suddenly, a sharp killing intent exploded behind him.
Adrian reacted on instinct.
Three Planet Beetle commanders struck from behind, their claws slicing through the air—but Adrian vanished in a blur. Using Flash Step, he reappeared several meters away, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The beetles froze.
"Interesting…" one of the commanders muttered. "A mere human dodging our attacks?"
Adrian turned toward them, his fists clenched.
"Where is my—"
His words stopped.
One of the commanders was holding something in its claw.
Adrian's entire body froze.
It was his father's head.
His vision blurred. His knees felt weak. His hands trembled as his breath became uneven. Tears welled up in his eyes, his mind completely blank.
For a brief moment… the world went silent.
Then, only one thought remained.
KILL THEM.
Meanwhile…
The battlefield was silent.
Anthony stood over the crushed body of the beetle commander, his fist still clenched. Around him, the remaining beetles trembled, too afraid to move even an inch.
"Well?" Anthony asked calmly. "Who's next?"
No one answered.
Anthony sighed, both disappointed and relieved.
"Tch… figures."
He turned around and began walking away, cracking his neck as if the fight had bored him."Guess I'll head home," he thought. "Maybe have some fun with a few ladies."
Suddenly—
BOOM.
The ground shook violently.
A massive shadow fell from the sky and crashed down directly in front of him, sending debris flying in every direction. Anthony stopped in his tracks.
Standing before him was a giant beetle unlike any other.
Its presence alone was overwhelming. A crushing aura radiated from its body—an aura fit only for a king.
"Human," the creature spoke. "I am the King of the Beetles… and the future ruler of the universe. Surrender your planet to me."
Anthony said nothing.
Instead, he answered with his fist.
The punch landed—but the Beetle King caught it effortlessly, blocking it without even flinching.
"Pathetic," the king said with clear disappointment. "Are humans truly this weak?"
Anthony's eyes narrowed.
He attacked again and again, each punch faster and stronger than the last. The air cracked with every strike—but the Beetle King didn't move an inch.
Anthony inhaled deeply.
This time, he poured everything he had into a single blow.
Speed. Strength. Power.
The Beetle King's eyes widened as he realized too late.
"Get a taste of my skill!" Anthony roared."HULK PUNCH!"
The impact was devastating.
In an instant, the Beetle King coughed up blood and was slammed to his knees, the ground beneath him shattered.
"I… underestimated the power of humans," the king admitted, wiping blood from his mouth.
His aura suddenly changed—darker, heavier.
"Which means… I shall now show you my true power."
"True power?" Anthony smirked faintly, adjusting his glasses despite the pressure crushing the air around him."Finally… some entertainment."
The Beetle King didn't respond.
Instead, the space around Anthony distorted.
In the very next second—
Thousands of invisible slashes tore through Anthony's body.
They struck all at once.
Blood erupted into the air as deep wounds opened across his chest, arms, and legs. Flesh was shredded, bones cracked, and the ground beneath him was stained red. The pain was unimaginable.
Anthony staggered.
His breathing grew heavy. Blood dripped from his fingertips. His vision blurred as his knees threatened to give out.
Anyone else would have collapsed.
Anyone else would have died.
But Anthony didn't fall.
He straightened his back, forcing his body to obey him. Every muscle screamed in agony, yet his presence remained overwhelming. Slowly, deliberately, he wiped the blood from his mouth.
"So that's your real strength," he muttered. "Not bad."
The Beetle King narrowed his eyes.
Anthony took a deep breath.
He lowered his stance, feet digging into the shattered ground. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked with force. Then—he closed his eyes.
For a moment, the battlefield went completely silent.
And then—
Anthony vanished.
In an instant, he appeared directly in front of the Beetle King, the air exploding outward from the sheer speed of his movement.
Anthony opened his eyes.
"HULK—"
The world seemed to freeze.
"PUNCH."
His fist collided with the Beetle King's body like a meteor.
A deafening shockwave tore through the battlefield, obliterating everything in its path. The ground shattered for miles, buildings were reduced to dust, and the sky itself seemed to split apart from the force.
The Beetle King was launched backward at an insane speed, smashing through mountains as blood sprayed from his mouth.
The battlefield fell silent once more.
Anthony stood there, breathing heavily, his arm trembling violently from the recoil. Blood continued to drip from his wounds, but his eyes remained locked forward.