Sindragosa tore through the chaotic Chitauri forces with ease, carving a path amidst their disorganized fleet. The warships' shields had yet to recover from the nuclear bst.

  "Damn it!" Cull Obsidian, the Bck Dwarf, smashed the console in front of him with a powerful fist, bellowing at his subordinates. "Get it together! Destroy that Earth warship and that strange creature immediately!"

  "Y-Yes, my lord!" stammered the Chitauri officer, fumbling to rally the troops. Before they could regroup, however, Garus' warship appeared above the Chitauri fgship.

  Boom!

  A frost bomb descended slowly, bsting a massive hole into the fgship's hull. Seizing the opportunity, Garus' legion warship barreled in, crushing Chitauri soldiers under its weight before halting in an expansive chamber.

  Sindragosa, having endured relentless bombardment, finally shattered into fragments of bone. From the debris emerged an ice-blue dragon soul.

  "I'm heading back to rest," Sindragosa grumbled at Garus. "This mission cost me more than I gained—these souls barely cover the expense."

  The dragon soul slipped through a sudden portal, returning to her realm.

  "Kallruth, stay here. Bobby, Blonsky, follow me—we're going after their leader."

  As Garus disembarked, a group of armed Chitauri soldiers aimed their weapons at them.

  "Fire!"

  The Chitauri officer's command unleashed a barrage of energy beams.

  Anti-Magic Zone.

  Green runes shimmered to life, creating a protective barrier around Garus and his team. The shield absorbed the onsught, leaving them unharmed.

  When the attack ceased, Blonsky roared in fury, transforming into a hulking, crimson beast. Charging into the fray, he tore through the Chitauri ranks like a predator among sheep, leaving only carnage in his wake.

  "Pathetic!" Cull Obsidian growled, furious that the intruders had so easily penetrated the fgship's core. Injured and aware of his troops' futility, he forced himself to remain composed. For now, retreat was his only option.

  "Warning: This ship will self-destruct in five minutes. Please evacuate immediately..."

  The Chitauri system's automated announcement transted itself into a nguage Garus could understand.

  The fgship was enormous, and locating Cull Obsidian within five minutes seemed impossible. Garus hesitated until he noticed a familiar-looking alien rushing toward them.

  "Cull Obsidian!"

  Garus signaled to Blonsky, now in his Abomination form, to intercept the fleeing foe. "What luck—running into you."

  "Earthling, you've truly angered me this time!" Cull Obsidian snarled, his rage overriding Thanos' orders. "I'll kill you all in five minutes and escape safely afterward."

  But his rationality hadn't completely vanished. He activated a device, summoning two massive mechs to confront Bobby and Blonsky.

  "Let's see what you're capable of."

  Garus eyed the deep wound he'd inflicted on Cull Obsidian earlier. "I’d say you won’t st a minute against me."

  Blood Boil.

  Under Garus' blood magic, the blood in Cull Obsidian's open wound began to boil and flow uncontrolbly.

  "Die!"

  Wielding a colossal axe, Cull Obsidian charged at Garus.

  Cng!

  Their weapons cshed with a deafening roar. Empowered by the Pilr of Frost, Garus blocked the blow, though the force left two deep impressions in the metal floor beneath his feet.

  Despite Cull Obsidian’s injury, the sheer power he unleashed impressed Garus—but only momentarily.

  Dodging the next attack, Garus retaliated with Frostmourne, targeting Cull Obsidian’s wounds. The cursed bde's pgue virus seeped into his bloodstream, spreading throughout his body.

  Within a minute, the combined effects of the pgue, blood loss, and frost magic left Cull Obsidian weakened and gasping on the floor.

  "I’m not done yet," Cull Obsidian muttered through gritted teeth. "Lord Thanos will pull me back from the goddess of death. I’ll have my revenge..."

  Nearby, Bobby and Blonsky had dismantled the two massive mechs.

  "Wait, no!"

  The wrecked mechs erupted in a fsh of bck light, creating a gravitational vortex—a bck hole over ten meters wide. Its intense pull dragged Bobby and Blonsky toward it. Bobby managed to cast an ice shield on himself, but both disappeared into the void.

  "Bck hole bomb?"

  "No," Cull Obsidian smirked despite his condition. "A random wormhole. They’re lost in the vastness of space. You’ll never find them."

  "I hope they’re not too far..." Garus could sense that neither of them had perished. As death knights, they could survive even in the void of space. Once close enough, their connection would allow him to locate them.

  With no more words, Garus impaled Cull Obsidian with Frostmourne. "Those who die by my bde have their souls bound to me. Not even the goddess of death can resurrect you now."

  Cull Obsidian’s vision darkened as his soul was drawn into the sword’s inner realm, its consciousness obliterated.

  "Self-destruction in one minute..."

  "Damn it!"

  Summoning his deathcharger, Garus raced toward the legion warship.

  Spotting Garus' desperate approach, Kallruth hurriedly opened the ship’s hatch.

  "Let’s get out of here!"

  "What about the others? Shouldn’t we wait?" Kallruth asked.

  "The ship’s about to blow. Just go!"

  As explosions echoed closer, Kallruth hastily piloted the warship out of the fgship. Moments ter, the Chitauri mothership erupted in a brilliant fireball, its destruction rendering the entire Chitauri fleet lifeless—drifting debris in the void.

  [SS-css mission complete: Annihite the Chitauri army and their commander. Reward: 500,000 exchange points.]

  Garus immediately exchanged his points for the Helm of Domination. To his surprise, the helm came with a full set of rune-inscribed armor identical to the Lich King's.

  Pcing the helm on his head, Garus felt his mental power magnify several times over. He could even sense Blonsky’s location. Yet, some unknown energy prevented him from opening a Death Gate to retrieve his companions.

  Kallruth, awed by Garus’ feat, vowed to seize an opportunity to have him rescue their queen.

  Staring into the endless expanse of stars, Kallruth asked, "What’s our next move, Mr. Garus?"

  Garus extended a tendril of mental energy into Kallruth’s mind.

  "You know where to go."

  "Understood, Mr. Garus."

  Garus resolved to locate Blonsky first.

  —————

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