American comics: Intercepting the female superhero, the symbiote is invincible

“They’ve turned us into a new ‘incubator.’” Nina’s mechanical eyes caught an even more horrifying detail: the cleared red nodes hadn’t completely disappeared; instead, they had coalesced into a tiny, dark purple vortex at the bottom of the circular building. “The backdoor is self-repairing!”

Ron's vines grew wildly, trying to envelop the vortex again, but were repelled by an invisible force: "It's useless, it's absorbing the energy of the Xuanming Body!" The moment the black substance came into contact with the vortex, it turned a rusty red.

Wendy, inside the core crystal, suddenly trembled violently: "The central control system is being assimilated! I can feel them reading the gene pool left by my father—"

Her voice stopped abruptly.

The surface of the crystal ball was covered with dense red lines, like blood vessels enveloping the girl's figure.

Lorna's pupils suddenly contracted.

She recalled Magnus's last words: "The most dangerous back door is often hidden in the most trusted place."

"Wendy!" She rushed toward the core crystal, unleashing her full magnetic field to try and tear apart the red patterns.

But the moment she made contact, a piercing pain spread from her fingertips throughout her body—those patterns resonated with the genetic lock within her body.

“I see.” Lorna staggered back, looking at the red lines glowing beneath her skin. “Father hid the last backdoor in my genes. The Reapers are using me to infiltrate the central control system.”

Ron lunged forward, wrapping his Xuanming Body around her arm: "Sever the connection! I can—"

"No!" Lorna shook him off, the red lines already spreading to her heart. "If we forcibly cut it off, Wendy and the central control system will collapse!"

Strange's slingshot flew out, drawing an isolation circle around Lorna: "I can temporarily suppress your genetic activity, but only for ten minutes at most. After ten minutes, either you will be assimilated by the Reapers, or—"

Chapter 183 Destroyed

“Either I destroy the central control system myself, leaving Earth without its last defense.” Lorna picked up where he left off, her gaze sweeping over the two options on the control panel: [Forced Isolation] and [Synchronous Counterattack].

The consequences of the forced quarantine were clearly displayed on the screen: Lorna and Wendy were completely sealed inside the core crystal, perishing together with the Reapers; Earth lost the protection of the central control system and was exposed to interstellar threats.

The explanation of 【Synchronous Counterattack】 is much simpler: using the resonance of the gene lock, it reverse-tracks the coordinates of all the abandoned ones, activates the "leap" function of the ring building, and takes the Earth directly into the nearest ark—the scope of mutual destruction expands to the entire solar system.

The alarm suddenly changed tone.

A deafening sound of metal tearing echoed from the bottom of the circular structure. The tiny, dark purple vortex was expanding, from which countless dark red mycelia emerged, coiling around the base of the core crystal like venomous snakes.

Strange's isolation circle rippled, and the runes began to fade: "They're interfering with the magical dimension! Only five minutes of isolation time left!"

Ron's vines suddenly changed direction, no longer attacking the vortex, but frantically drilling into the energy pipes of the ring-shaped building: "I have an idea." His voice came through the metallic resonance, with a desperate determination, "but I need Nina to help me connect to the energy core of the central control system."

Nina rushed to the control panel without hesitation, her mechanical eye deeply integrated with it, her arm merging with the ring-shaped building's energy pipes: "Tell me! What do you want me to do?"

"Pour all the energy into Lorna's body." Ron's figure was enveloped in vines, gradually merging with the metal structure of the circular building. "The Xuanming Body can temporarily withstand this energy, but it needs someone to guide it—"

“No!” Lorna interrupted him. “This will turn you into a complete part of the circular structure, and you’ll never be able to return to human form!”

“It’s better than becoming nourishment for the Reapers.” Ron’s voice was laced with laughter as the black substance spread along the pipes to Lorna’s feet, forming a glowing cocoon around her. “Don’t forget, I’m your old buddy.”

Strange suddenly bit his fingertip, dripping blood onto his sling ring: "Karmar-Taj has a forbidden spell that can convert the caster's life force into an energy barrier. If Ron can temporarily stabilize your genetic lock, I can—"

“No one needs to be sacrificed.” Lorna suddenly spoke, and the red lines on her chest coalesced into a glowing symbol—the dual mark of Magneto and Charles.

She looked at Wendy struggling in the core crystal, and her magnetic field and psychic abilities erupted simultaneously, forming a golden energy bridge between the two.

···Requesting flowers····· ·····

“My father taught me control, Charles taught me connection, and you—” Her gaze swept over Ron, Strange, and Nina, and the energy bridge suddenly shone brightly, “taught me trust.”

The red lines flickered intensely in the golden light, but could not spread any further.

The dark purple vortex stopped expanding, and the mycelium inside began to twitch—it was being pulled back to its source by the force of the energy bridge.

.. .... ...

“This is…” Strange stared in shock at the scene before him, “You’re using the Reapers’ tracking signals to reverse-engineer their genes?”

“It’s not purification.” Lorna’s voice resonated in two ways, half her own and half Wendy’s. “It’s a reset.”

Green and golden light burst forth simultaneously from both ends of the energy bridge.

The red patterns in the core crystal quickly faded, and Wendy's figure became clear again. She reached out her hand, and her palm overlapped with Lorna's in the center of the energy bridge.

The metal structure of the circular building began to reorganize, and the pipes contaminated by mycelium automatically detached, revealing newly sprouted green vines underneath—which completely merged with Ron's Xuanming Body vines, forming an even more powerful energy circulation system.

Chapter 184 Absorption

The dark purple vortex emitted a piercing shriek, eventually contracting and disintegrating in the light of the energy bridge, transforming into countless shimmering particles that were absorbed by the protective shield of the ring-shaped building.

As the last trace of dark purple disappeared, Lorna and Wendy simultaneously withdrew their hands.

A new star map emerged on the surface of the core crystal—the coordinates of the seven Arks of the Forsaken were clearly visible, with a countdown next to each coordinate: 72 hours.

Ron's figure materialized from the vines in a "two-seven-three" motion. Although it still had a metallic sheen, it had returned to human form: "It seems your new ability is more powerful than I imagined."

Nina's mechanical eyes flashed with new data: "The central control system has detected an unknown signal—a messenger from the Zeta system. They say they are willing to provide interstellar travel technology to help us locate and destroy all the Abandoned Arks."

Strange's slingshot returned to calm, and the runes lit up again: "The ancient texts of Kamar-Taj record that this power, which can reverse the purification of the Reapers, is called the 'Dawn of Light'—it can only awaken when the mutant genes are fully integrated with the human mind."

Lorna looked outside the protective shield.

The starlight messengers no longer retreated; welcoming symbols appeared on their surfaces. Further into the universe, countless points of light were converging on Earth, like iron filings drawn to a magnet.

Wendy, inside the core crystal, smiled and waved, while the countdown on the star chart began to tick in sync.

72 hours.

That's enough for them to prepare for a real voyage.

Lorna's necklace returned to her palm, no longer cold metal, but warm, like the heartbeat of her companion.

She pressed the new button on the control panel—[Prepare for Launch].

The third layer of the ring-shaped building slowly unfolded, revealing the interstellar engine inside.

Control consoles around the world lit up simultaneously, and countless figures moved to their designated positions.

Earth is about to leave its cradle.

Sailing towards the true dawn.

When the third layer of the circular building unfolds, it emits not the roar of mechanical operation, but a kind of resonant sound similar to a chorus.

It was a harmonious resonance of countless metal components and plant vines driven by energy.

Lorna's palm rested on the control panel, and she could clearly "hear" the vibration frequency of each bolt—they were rearranging themselves according to the double helix structure of the mutant genes.

"Engine warm-up complete." Wendy's voice came from the core crystal, green light flowing along the energy pipes, outlining huge luminous patterns on the outer wall of the ring-shaped structure. "Synchronization rate 98%, ready to inject startup energy..."

Ron's Dark Body vines had completely fused with the engine core, the black substance forming a closed loop in the pipes: "My symbiote can convert stellar radiation, but it needs the coordinates of the Zeta system for guidance." His figure appeared and disappeared within the vines, his metallic face displaying magnetic field patterns similar to Lorna's. "Strange, is the magical positioning ready?"

Strange's slingshot hovered above the star map, its six-pointed star of golden runes resonating with the coordinates of the dark purple area: "The Kamar-Taj astrolabe has pinpointed the locations of the seven Arks. But warp jumps will tear through conventional space; we need to create a temporary passage in warp space—"

“Give me 5.5.” Nina’s mechanical eye projected complex calculation formulas, and her new arm seamlessly integrated with the console’s bio-interface. “I’ve fused Magneto’s magnetic field parameters and Charles’s mental coordinates into a navigation algorithm.” Data streams formed blue bands of light around her, weaving with golden runes and black vines to create a three-dimensional navigation map. “Theoretically, we can complete seven jumps within 72 hours, each time precisely appearing in the Ark’s defensive blind spot.”

Chapter 185 Escort

Outside the protective shield, the starlight messengers of the Zeta system suddenly glowed collectively, forming an energy beam that pierced through the star map: "This is the coordinate code for the 'Stardust Pathway'." The text projected by the energy beam flashed on the control panel: "Our ark will escort you through subspace, clearing away space debris along the way."

Lorna's gaze fell on the most distant coordinate on the star map—the seventh Ark of the Forsaken, located at the edge of the known universe, where the spatial parameters completely exceeded the scope of conventional physical laws.

“The last ark is hidden in the ‘Chaotic Sea’.” The magnetic field patterns on her fingertips suddenly became disordered. “The space there is liquid, and any magnetic field will be diluted and distorted.”

Wendy, inside the core crystal, suddenly smiled, and a green light projected a forgotten memory: a young Magneto in a laboratory placed a copper coin pendant into liquid metal. Instead of dissolving, the pendant caused a stable magnetic field vortex to form around the metal.

“Father was prepared.” Lorna took out the copper coin pendant from her collar—it was the only item of hers that had not been modified by energy. The oxidation marks on the brass surface contained microscopic patterns that perfectly matched the parameters of the Chaos Sea space. “This is not an ordinary necklace. It was made from the wreckage of the first Ark of the Abandoners.”

The moment the pendant touched the control panel, the chaotic sea region on the star map suddenly lit up, and the flow trajectory of the liquid space was clearly marked, forming a natural channel like a tamed river.

The engines of the circular building began to emit a low hum.

Subtle changes are occurring in Earth's gravitational field, causing silvery ripples to appear in the oceans near the equator—a tidal reaction triggered by the reorganization of the magnetic field.

“Globally synchronized completion.” Nina’s mechanical eyes flashed the last set of data. “Metal veins in all continental plates have been activated and will serve as auxiliary engines to provide thrust.”

Ron's vines suddenly trembled violently, and golden specks of light seeped from the black matter: "Stellar radiation injection begins! First stage energy reserve—30%!"

Strange's six-pointed star rune suddenly expanded, enveloping the entire circular structure: "Warspace channel stabilized! The magical barrier can withstand the impact of three spatial turbulences!"

Lorna took a deep breath.

She could feel countless eyes watching her—her companions in the circular building, ordinary people on Earth who had awakened their abilities, starlight messengers outside the protective shield, and even those observers hidden deep in the universe.

“There’s one last question.” She looked at the seven arks on the star map. “How do we destroy them? According to data from the Zeta system, the arks are made of modified vibranium, which conventional weapons simply cannot penetrate.”

Wendy, inside the core crystal, raised her hand, and the same green pattern as that of the Son of Dawn appeared on her palm: "Father left a 'backdoor' in the main control room of each Ark—only those who carry the dual genetic imprints of Magneto and Charles can trigger the self-destruct program."

Her gaze swept over Lorna, Ron, Strange, and Nina in turn: "Lorna's magnetic field can activate Program 273, Ron's Xuanming Body can transfer energy, Strange's magic can stabilize spatial coordinates, and me—"

Nina suddenly realized something, and the bio-interface between the mechanical arm and the control console emitted a blinding red light: "And the mechanical prosthetic body inside me holds Charles's last mental code!"

The engine's hum suddenly rose in pitch.

The countdown on the star chart jumped to 00:24:00.

The coordinates of the first Abandoned Ark began to flash red—a signal that warp preparations were complete.

Lorna's fingertips left the control panel, and magnetic and psychic abilities formed enormous wings of light behind her, half green magnetic energy and half golden psychic power.

Chapter 186 The Invitation from the Chaotic Sea

The engine's hum shattered the last trace of electricity inside the protective shield. Lorna's two-tone light wings fully unfolded, and the metal shell of the ring-shaped building deformed accordingly, transforming into an energy guide plate of the same origin as the light wings.

"First jump coordinates locked." Nina's mechanical eye projected a three-dimensional star map. The first Abandoner Ark was suspended in the asteroid belt of the Zeta system, its surface covered with dark red Reaper hyphae. "According to the scan results, the self-destruct program of this Ark is covered by hyphae. Forcibly activating it may cause premature explosion."

Ron's vines suddenly oozed black liquid, which condensed on the control panel to form a cross-section of the Ark: "Found it! The weakness of the mycelium is in energy pipe number three—the vibranium purity there is the lowest, and it's connected to the backup power supply in the main control room." His fingertip traced the cross-section, and the black liquid transformed into a sharp dagger. "The Xuanming Body can penetrate vibranium of this strength, but it requires Lorna's magnetic field to weaken the intermolecular attraction."

Strange's six-pointed star rune began to spin: "The magical barrier creates a thirty-second safety window. You must evacuate within thirty seconds, or you will be torn apart by the spatial turbulence of the asteroid belt..."

Lorna's wings of light suddenly contracted, transforming into a stream of energy that flowed into the control console: "Prepare for jump. Target—Zeta System Asteroid Belt."

The ring-shaped structure's engines erupted with blinding blue light. Earth's gravitational field experienced a brief disruption, and the ring-shaped island in the Pacific Ocean slowly rose into the air, its base extending thousands of energy conduits that plunged into the ocean depths to draw upon its final power.

As the blue light reached its peak, the entire building, along with the seawater below, suddenly disappeared into the subspace channel, leaving only a rotating energy vortex in place, like the Earth blinking.

Subspace travel is more bizarre than imagined.

There was no sense of the passage of time; the surrounding scenery consisted of distorted bands of colored light, with occasional luminous "schools of fish" swimming past the portholes—which Strange described as the consciousness of space itself.

Lorna stood in front of the transparent porthole of the control room, the copper coin pendant in her palm emitting a warm light, protecting her from the energy erosion of the subspace.

“Ten minutes until arrival.” Nina’s mechanical eyes suddenly detected an anomaly. “Something is following us at the edge of the subspace passage—not a spatial consciousness, but a physical entity!”

The holographic projection unfolded, revealing three dark purple spaceships, their surfaces covered with the same mycelium as the Reapers, approaching at an alarming speed.

"It's the Reaper's advance team!" Ron's vines instantly covered the weapon systems in the main control room. "They can travel in warp space!"

Strange's runes immediately formed a defensive array: "...Their target isn't us, it's the Ark of the Abandoners! These monsters are 'recycling' their own incubators!"

Lorna's magnetic field senses suddenly stung. She saw that the interiors of those dark purple spaceships were filled with metal containers similar to those of the Dawnborn, and floating inside each container were cyborg humanoids—mutants modified by the Reapers.

“They are evolving.” She clenched her fist, and her wings of light unfurled once more. “They can not only devour genes, but also retain the host’s abilities.”

The dark purple spaceship suddenly accelerated, rushing out of (Zhao Hao's) subspace ahead of time and disappearing in the direction of the asteroid belt.

The engine of the circular building sounded an alarm.

"Spatial coordinates are being interfered with!" Nina's fingers flew across the control panel. "They've set up spatial traps in the asteroid belt!"

Ron's vines suddenly pierced the power interface of the control panel: "I'll stabilize the engine! Lorna, prepare for a forced breakthrough!"

Strange's rune array erupted with golden light: "Magic barrier maximized! We may have to leave the warp ahead of schedule!"

Chapter 187 Hold on tight

Lorna took a deep breath and channeled her magnetic field power into the ship: "Everyone hold on tight! We're jumping out of the window!"

The circular building suddenly veered off course, crashing into the "wall" of subspace like an out-of-control bullet.

Amid the violent tremors, Lorna saw a gigantic face flash past the porthole—a terrifying face composed of countless reaper mycelia, smiling down at them.

"Looks like our party has attracted some uninvited guests." Her wings of light fully unfolded at the moment of impact, enveloping the entire circular building. "Get ready, everyone. Time to show off."

The moment the ring-shaped building burst out of subspace, they were greeted by a torrential downpour from the asteroid belt.

Fist-sized pebbles pelted the protective shield like bullets, creating ripples. In the distance, the first Abandoned Ark hovered in the center of the asteroid belt, like a lurking metallic behemoth, its surface covered in mycelium that shimmered red in the darkness.

Three dark purple spaceships had already docked on the ark's hull, and tubes made of mycelium were injecting some kind of green liquid into the ark—Lorna's magnetic field sense told her that it was concentrated mutant genes.