As Sersi finished speaking, Phastos also fell silent.
For a moment, the living room was enveloped in quiet, broken only by the sounds of Gilgamesh preparing ingredients in the kitchen.
Just then, Sersi's phone rang.
"It's time to pick up Carrie from school. I'll go get her."
Over the past few days, Sersi and Carrie had grown quite close. Although Lucas still couldn't be certain whether this was Sersi's deliberate choice, having someone help with school drop-offs and pickups was something he was more than happy to accept.
"Don't forget to bring the alarm device," Lucas reminded her as she stood up to leave.
He hadn't forgotten that the Deviants lurking in the shadows could attack the Eternals at any time.
Lucas actually wanted to hunt those creatures down as soon as possible. The problem was that if they chose to appear only at a critical moment and strike as ultimate ambushers, the consequences could be disastrous.
As for Carrie's safety—setting aside the fact that the Deviants' true targets were the Eternals—
When Carrie was four years old, a runaway truck had once slammed directly into her.
The entire front of the truck had been completely wrecked.
Yet Carrie stood there unharmed—not even a scratch on her skin.
What truly unsettled Lucas was that the terrifying inertia and impact force of that speeding truck hadn't moved her tiny body at all.
If it had been four-year-old Lucas, he might not have died—but he would certainly have been injured and sent flying.
So could the Deviants really threaten a body like Carrie's?
"I keep it with me at all times. Don't worry," Sersi replied calmly.
"Besides, Sprite and Ikaris are coming with me. Even if we do encounter danger, we'll have more than enough time to escape."
With that, Sersi left together with Sprite and Ikaris, driving away in Lucas's car.
---
Inside an abandoned factory, the Deviant leader Kro and three of his subordinates lay hidden.
"Human… why are you helping me?"
Kro stared warily at the mysterious human man who had appeared before them.
"Why help you?"
The man showed no fear despite facing four grotesque Deviants.
He chuckled softly.
"Even if I explained it, you wouldn't understand. Let's not waste time."
"Just answer me—do you want my help or not?"
Kro asked in a hoarse voice,
"What price must I pay? Humans don't help without reason."
"I need you to kill some people and destroy a few places," the man stated plainly.
"I can agree to that," Kro said darkly, "but are you certain I'll still obey you after gaining power?"
"If we found you and are willing to help you," the man sneered,
"then we aren't afraid of you breaking the agreement afterward."
"In fact, I'd rather you did. That way, I could capture you and test some theories I've been eager to explore."
Sensing the undisguised killing intent radiating from the man, Kro stomped forward and roared in provocation.
But in the shadows behind the man, dazzling lights suddenly flared.
Dozens of fully armed humans emerged, raising their strangely shaped rifles.
The barrels glowed faintly blue, all locked firmly onto Kro and his subordinates.
"Well?" the man said encouragingly.
"Why don't you try resisting now? I guarantee I'll end it in one move."
"…I accept your terms," Kro said at last.
The weapons before him carried an unmistakable aura of death.
"I know your kind can grow stronger and smarter by devouring the flesh of intelligent beings—or by absorbing special forms of energy."
"Humans, of course, are off the table," the man continued.
"But energy? That's no problem."
He clapped his hands.
Outside the warehouse, a black SUV reversed in.
Five people immediately stepped forward, opened the rear doors, and unloaded several black crates.
They placed the crates on the ground and lifted the lids.
In the next instant, Kro's eyes were flooded with pale blue light.
Twenty crates—each filled with square crystals emitting a soft, blue glow.
"Enjoy your feast," the man said casually, waving his hand.
Everyone withdrew from the warehouse.
Only after all the humans had left did Kro approach, wrapping a tentacle around one of the blue crystals and examining it closely.
After a brief hesitation, Kro shoved the crystal into one of his subordinates.
With a growl of command, the subordinate had no choice but to obey and began absorbing the crystal's energy.
Almost immediately, blue-white energy surged across the Deviant's body.
Muscles and bones writhed and reshaped violently.
In less than thirty seconds, its form expanded—from the size of a tiger to nearly that of an elephant.
Seeing no immediate side effects, Kro stepped forward, preparing to undergo his own evolution.
But at that moment, the empowered subordinate regained clarity.
Its gaze toward Kro was filled with hatred.
The sudden surge of power had awakened rebellion.
In the next instant, a massive whip-like strike lashed out, smashing into Kro and sending his body sliding half a meter.
Enraged by the betrayal, Kro roared and charged forward.
Their bodies collided violently, and a brutal fight erupted on the spot.
The empowered subordinate was clearly faster than before, and its body far tougher as well.
For a time, the two fought evenly, but as the battle dragged on, wounds began appearing on Kro.
However, Kro had once absorbed the energy of the Eternal Ajak.
As he activated the cosmic energy within his body, his injuries began healing at a visible rate.
With time, Kro's superior foundation—greater strength and endurance—proved decisive.
With a crushing blow, he finally smashed the traitorous subordinate into the ground.
Kro swept his gaze over the remaining two Deviants.
They immediately lowered their heads and retreated obediently.
Only then did Kro step forward, wrap his tentacles around a blue crystal, and begin absorbing it himself.
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T/N:
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