The Ash-Bright Form was certainly not a transformation to be used lightly.
There was no need to use a dragon-slaying saber to kill a chicken.
While he had struck it rich tonight—his total magic capacity multiplying several times over thanks to the "selfless cooperation" of his two "experience babies" and the blessings and prayers of billions on Earth—Ian Kent was a man who knew how to live within his means.
He was "shrewd," having possessed excellent financial management skills since childhood.
The Ash-Bright Form was clearly a high-maintenance consumer of divine power and life force. Using it against these two "mere" universal-level threats was like using an anti-aircraft gun to swat a mosquito.
Overkill, and a total net loss!
One had to remember that Ian's "New Era Galactus" avatar, manifested through his End-State Body, was already "borrowing" energy from Super-Villains like Belial and All-Father Ultron to reach the absolute limit of strength his body could withstand.
Specifically, he was at the Multiversal level. In Ian's own words, he was at the Great Perfection of the Early Multiversal stage. This level of power was more than enough to face a non-peak Trigon and Darkseid.
Because of this, the two major villains had been pummelling him for so long without even chipping his toenails. His desire to transform now was purely because he had itchy hands after acquiring a new skill.
Of course, to maintain the image he had cultivated as the God of Light, the Light Form—a passive skill from his new class—was a timely and powerful aid.
"The system really is infatuated with me. It's more than a crush; it's true love," Ian mused in a good mood. He gave the system a rare bit of praise, even encouraging it by saying he was just the "slow-to-warm-up" type.
Ignoring whether the system was staying silent out of shyness, Ian saw Darkseid recover from his momentary shock.
Destruction-bringing Omega Beams began to coalesce in those crimson eyes once more, preparing for a new, even more desperate round of attacks. Ian knew the time for the performance... ah, the battle, had arrived!
He snapped into character instantly. The Dragon King-style smirk on his face shifted into a complex expression of pain, struggle, and ultimate resolve. Facing the "livestream camera" that was nowhere and yet everywhere, he let out an emotional roar with every fiber of his being.
"My family—!!!"
This cry, carried by the Black Box's livestream technology—which defied both magic and science—reached every corner of the Earth.
"I feel it! My Heart of Light... it is reviving!"
"It's you! It is your unwavering prayers and blessings! It is the Light you have lent me that has awakened the power sleeping deep within my soul!"
Ian conveniently failed to mention when he would return the borrowed light. His face showed nothing but profound gratitude, his voice trembling as if undergoing a sacred baptism.
"Without you, there would be no miracle today!"
Ian abruptly raised his massive arm, which surged with the aura of devouring. But now, a color completely at odds with his "Galactus" state began to emerge on that arm.
It was a pure, warm, golden radiance!
"This punch! It condenses everyone's hope! It condenses our love for our home!"
"It doesn't belong to me alone! It belongs to everyone who believes in the Light!"
"You are all with me!"
Ian knew exactly how to provide emotional value. Though he was taking everyone's faith and "Light of Hope," he was also giving every human watching the livestream a sense of participation.
Ian's grand and emotional voice acted like magical ripples, penetrating through screens and accurately striking the heartstrings of every sentient being on the planet.
Monkeys, apes—Ian hadn't spared any animal that even remotely resembled a human; they were all essentially being forced to watch the stream.
Hey, you never know—maybe faith can be "omnivore" too.
"It doesn't belong to me alone! It belongs to everyone who believes in the Light!" These words acted as the final catalyst, completely igniting the emotions suppressed in the hearts of the global populace.
In Tokyo, the high school girl who had been silently praying jumped to her feet. Clutching her hands together, she screamed at the screen with all her might, "Lord Eni! Go for it! Defeat them!"
"I'll sell my panties! I'll build a statue for you in Akihabara!"
"Hero! Use my light! Beat the bad guys! You don't even have to give it back!" On a farm in Kansas, a chubby little boy stopped crying. He wiped his tears and, mimicking the heroes on TV, raised a small fist and waved it vigorously at the screen, unaware that he might regret his generosity when he grew up.
In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, children stopped baring their teeth. They gathered together, using young but rhythmic voices to chant blurred but powerful syllables—the humble yet pure support they could offer to "Lord Eni."
At the Arctic research station, scientists put aside their data logs and gathered around the screen, their expressions solemn, sweating for Ian's victory.
"Don't you dare lose!"
Even the traders on Wall Street, staring at their financial terminals, temporarily forgot the flickering numbers. Their fists clenched instinctively, their lips moving in silent prayer.
"Kill those two aliens!"
Whether for financial stability or the simple hope of being able to go home after work, these Wall Street elites joined the chorus of support for Ian.
The faith wasn't particularly pure, but every little bit counted.
They were the Wolves of Wall Street, not the Warriors of Wall Street. They feared that if Ian failed and the alien invasion succeeded, they would lose not just their lives, but their money.
The elderly, children, men, women, the non-binary, even those identifying as attack helicopters—perhaps for the first time today, they were this united.
No matter where they were or what they had been doing, as long as they looked at the golden figure on the screen fighting for protection, they were deeply invested.
Especially after Ian said they were with him.
A wonderful sense of participation and empathy blossomed.
Every ordinary person on Earth—staring at TV screens, phone screens, computer screens, retro gaming screens, or even electric toy screens...
It was as if they had truly crossed through space to stand side-by-side with the "God of Light, Eni!" Their heartbeats synchronized with the energy pulses of the golden giant!
Their breath held in anticipation of that gathering fist!
"You have to win!"
"Go, Giant of Light!"
"He carries the hopes of everyone! He's leading by a mile! He can do it! He definitely can!" Countless shouts, countless thoughts, countless weak but pure beliefs rose like trickling streams from every corner of the globe.
They ignored physical distance and pierced through dimensional barriers to converge where Ian stood!
It was the most precious power of faith and the light of the soul, provided spontaneously by billions of living beings! This power was vast and pure, surging toward Ian like a golden deluge!
However, just as this massive surge of faith was about to pour into Ian's body and add to his majesty—Ian's massive mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Again?!"
He cursed inwardly.
Having experienced being "robbed of light" before, Ian was prepared this time! The moment he realized Tiga and Golden Superman were hiding in his "stomach" to intercept the faith, he took action!
In a flash, he made a difficult but necessary decision. Under his mental control, the Earth—which he had protected in layers of energy like a miniature model—was instantly moved!
It was urgently relocated from a relatively "spacious" abdominal energy node to a... more hidden, more unexpected, and theoretically absolutely safe location.
Inside Ian's invincible prostate.
It wasn't intentional. It was purely circumstantial—every minute spent thinking was another minute of light being stolen. Ian had to come up with a quick solution in a moment of desperation.
This was a move born of necessity; biological limitations were what they were.
Although Ian was currently massive and highly energized, his basic life form template was still that of a human male. He didn't have organs like a uterus that possessed "pocket dimension" potential, nor did he have any extra organs.
He didn't even have a "marsupial pouch" suitable for storing a whole planet.
He wasn't born in Australia, after all; he didn't share the physiological structure of a kangaroo or a wombat.
The prostate was the "vault" with the most potential for "hiding things" and the tightest energy seal he could find under the limited conditions!
"I've wronged you, my beloved Earth. Please squeeze in there for a moment!" Ian silently apologized to the displaced planet.
At least here, the nerve endings were dense and the energy circuits complex—it wouldn't be easily sensed or penetrated by outsiders!
Just as Ian judged, once the Earth was moved to the "vault," the flood of faith that would have been intercepted by the light-thief Tiga now poured into Ian's body completely and without hindrance!
[Absorbed massive amount of pure faith! Divine Power limit increased!]
[Embers of Darkness +1060, Ash-Bright EXP +1060]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Lord of Ash-Bright Lv.7 (430/640)]
[Strength: 1725 -> 1864]
[Constitution: 2100 -> 2657]
[Intelligence: 97.5 -> 135]
[Spirit: 714 -> 998]
...
A series of notifications rang out in Ian's mind. Although one wave had leveled the new class up to seven, Ian couldn't quite bring himself to be happy about it.
His experience came from the acquisition of Embers of Darkness, which was completely contrary to his expectation of gaining Light Essence to earn Ash-Bright EXP.
"No! System, are you kidding me? I am clearly saving the Earth from evil villains right now!" Ian couldn't fathom what kind of fit the system was throwing.
Was it trying to get his attention in some abstract way? That was so cringe! He was literally glowing like a high-beam headlight—how could it judge that he wasn't doing a good deed?
Ian was indignant and gritted his teeth. However, he had already gathered the energy; the arrow was on the string and had to be fired.
Before he mastered the "Global Memory Wipe" ability, there were no "take twos" for this livestream. So, despite his immense dissatisfaction with the system's judgment, he could only suppress his emotions.
Glowing brilliantly, Ian assumed an incredibly classic and powerful starting stance. His fist clenched tight as endless light energy converged toward his knuckles like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
"Take this! Evil! This is—"
Ian took a deep breath.
He roared out the name of the move—one he had "pirated" on a whim because he was in a bad mood.
"—The United States of Earth Smash!!!"
It wasn't exactly a malicious piracy. After all, it was a move from Ian's "old man"; pirating it could simply be called an early inheritance.
[Chaos Throne] — Form Switch! Light Form!
Vroom—!!!
An indescribable, vast, and pure divine power of light erupted from Ian's massive "Galactus" body like a supernova! The dark stardust body that once symbolized devouring and destruction was, in this moment, dyed an incredibly sacred, dazzling gold!
Rays of warm yet terrifyingly powerful brilliance emanated from him, enough to truly blind anyone watching.
He maintained the massive size of the Planet Eater, but the aura he exuded had changed completely. He was like a God of Light descending upon the world!
This was the strength of Ian's multiple classes supporting each other—different class skills could perfectly buff and overlap with his original form's abilities! The volume and energy base of Galactus, combined with the extreme attributes of the Light Form, produced a terrifying "one plus one is greater than two" effect!
Ian's golden giant fist, condensed with endless light like a miniature star, punched straight at the oncoming Darkseid in a simple, direct, and unadorned strike!
There was no sound, for sound had no meaning in the Dark Dimension. But the intent of that punch—that pure, ultimate power of light representing "purification" and "protection"—had turned into a physical torrent of energy. It tore through dimensional space, instantly swallowing Darkseid, who looked like an insect before Ian!
"What?!"
For the first time, Darkseid's eternal stone face twisted into an expression of absolute horror!
Before the wind of the punch even reached him, his battle-hardened New God body, which was immune to almost all energy attacks, felt an unprecedented sting and a sensation of dissolving!
Yes, the dark divine power surrounding Darkseid—the power he took pride in, the power enough to withstand the backlash of the Omega Effect—melted and evaporated like snow before a blazing sun in the face of this pure light!
The very foundation of his existence was being dismantled at its core!
"Damn you!!!"
Darkseid let out a roar of ultimate frustration. He desperately fueled the Omega Effect to resist and distort this light, only to find his rule-based power pale and weak before this magnificent radiance!
"You've been hiding your strength!!! No! This isn't power brought to you by Earthlings!" This was the final thought and roar in Darkseid's mind.
The golden light completely consumed Darkseid's silhouette. Those crimson eyes that represented darkness and destruction were finally annihilated in the endless light.
[Entropic Lord EXP +99999]
[Entropic Lord EXP +99999]
[Entropic Lord EXP +99999]
...
Now *this* was a true supplement.
Darkseid had proven his worth.
A frantic string of system notifications echoed in Ian's ears.