Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Annihilus Insectoid Conqueror! Taking Two Girls to Chinatown!
Upon seeing the Insectoid Conqueror wearing his gauntlet, Thanos’s mood sank to its lowest point.
He already knew—things had taken a turn for the worse.
Annihilus glanced at Thanos, then at the gauntlet. It finally raised its hand and inhaled deeply against the glove.
"The scent of the universe is truly exquisite."
Thanos’s brows knitted.
"This isn’t the universe?"
"Of course not." Annihilus fixed its gaze on him. "This is the Negative Zone. How did you get in from the universe?"
Annihilus towered over Thanos, who already stood more than two meters tall. It was at least four or five meters high.
Though Thanos wasn’t easily cowed by size, he felt a suffocating pressure radiating from Annihilus—a pressure stronger than anything he had ever encountered.
The Insectoid Conqueror before him was powerful. Terrifyingly powerful.
They locked eyes for a long moment before Thanos finally spoke.
"I was struck by an attack and thrown in."
At those words, Annihilus’s eyes widened. Its expression twisted into madness.
Its entire body flared with energy. An invisible aura crashed down, making Thanos feel as though he could hardly breathe.
Why? The reason was simple.
The Annihilation Wave was one of the most powerful species in the entire Multiverse. At their peak in the comics, they had even brought down Galactus himself—transforming the Devourer of Worlds into a weapon of mass destruction.
Yes, one of the Five Abstract Entities had been turned into a weapon. And they nearly slaughtered the entire universe.
That was the terror of the Annihilation Wave.
And at its head, their leader—the Insectoid Conqueror, Annihilus—was even stronger. He once stood alone against every superhero in the cosmos. The battles raged endlessly, until, in the final moment, a single mistake triggered the Annihilation Core spanning universes.
The result: the universe exploded on the spot.
It wasn’t until the One-Above-All reset reality itself that the catastrophe ended.
So, even before the rise of certain other special races, the Annihilation Wave’s power was already unrivaled—yet they could not escape the Negative Zone.
What they needed was simple: a way out.
...
Once the Insectoid Conqueror’s frenzy subsided, it fixed its gaze on Thanos and spoke in a low, resonant voice.
"Help the Annihilation Wave leave the Negative Zone. In return, I’ll give you back this gauntlet and the stone upon it—and grant you one additional request."
Thanos’s heart shook violently.
A being that didn’t covet the Infinity Gauntlet or the Stones? Did it not understand their power?
A single stone held Universal-level might. Six together reached Multiversal-level.
Treasures the entire cosmos longed for—how could it not want them?
Thanos’s mind tightened. Instinctively, he suspected deception. This could easily be a ploy—use him, then discard him.
But Annihilus read his thoughts instantly.
It extended its right hand.
And, right before Thanos’s eyes, removed the Infinity Gauntlet.
Handing it over, Annihilus said,
"I suppose you’ve already failed."
"What else is left for you to lose?"
"Why not try one last time?"
"Your equipment means nothing to me."
Thanos stared at the gauntlet before him, utterly shaken.
Someone who truly didn’t care about the Infinity Gauntlet and the Infinity Stones. Someone who could even dismiss them as "nothing."
Unbelievable. And yet—real.
Because the Annihilation Wave possessed a divine artifact of their own: the Cosmic Control Rod.
It could command any energy in the universe. It could reduce all energy to zero. Even erase existence itself.
In the right hands, the Rod could extinguish every sun in the cosmos, leaving behind absolute nothingness.
And if its wielder was powerful enough, even the Celestials—or Galactus himself, one of the Five Abstract Entities—could be slain in an instant.
Yes, Galactus again. But it was true.
The Cosmic Control Rod’s power was that overwhelming. Its effectiveness depended only on how it was used.
At its peak, combined with the Quantum Bands, it could even withstand a full-scale cosmic Big Bang.
So to Annihilus, Thanos’s gauntlet and a single stone were worthless.
It could even drain the energy of that Infinity Stone entirely—so long as all six weren’t gathered together.
And Thanos realized.
He was already a beaten dog. A failure.
If he didn’t return, he’d simply die here.
Even if he went back alone, what could he do? Skulk from place to place, hunted and hounded? The Transformers civilization would never stop chasing him.
No matter what, the outcome was grim.
But here, at least, was a chance.
If he joined forces with the Annihilation Wave...
Perhaps he still had hope. Perhaps he could rise again.
The thought made Thanos clench his fist.
If cooperation meant revival, if it meant growing stronger—then what reason did he have to refuse?
The Insectoid Conqueror saw the ambition burning in his eyes.
The next moment, Thanos reached out and took the Infinity Gauntlet from Annihilus.
Then, in a deep voice, he said—
"I’ll get you out of the Negative Zone—just help me conquer the universe!"
Hearing that it was only about conquering the universe, Annihilus chuckled.
"Then so be it."
And so it was.
Thanos and the Annihilation Wave officially formed an alliance. The Annihilation Wave granted Thanos command of a legion, naming him one of their generals, to help him in his quest to completely conquer the universe.
What Thanos offered in return was a way for the Annihilation Wave to leave the Negative Zone. Complete liberation.
After watching Thanos depart with the gauntlet, several generals of the Annihilation Wave stepped out from the side and asked,
"Do we really intend to help him conquer the universe, Lord Annihilus?"
At those words, Annihilus’s expression turned utterly disdainful.
"We’re helping him destroy the universe."
Yes.
To expand the Negative Zone, the outside universe had to be destroyed. Otherwise, the Negative Zone they inhabited would remain limited in size, unable to grow.
And now, the Negative Zone was already overflowing with Annihilation Wave forces.
For the swarm to continue multiplying and growing stronger without end, more universes had to be destroyed. Only then could the Negative Zone expand further.
Helping Thanos "conquer" a universe was simply the process of destroying it.
All that was required was one final push—detonating the greatest black hole at the universe’s core, for instance, or forcing one of the Five Abstract Entities into self-destruction.
Either could annihilate a universe instantly.
And Thanos’s universe... would be their first target.
...
Meanwhile.
After chatting, gaming, relaxing, and having dinner, night had fallen on Earth.
This time, however, Lorien, Gwen, and Wanda weren’t at home. Instead, they had taken Hela and the Devourer Girl out for a walk.
It wasn’t good to stay cooped up indoors all the time.
Lorien walked in front with Gwen and Wanda at his sides, while Hela and Devourer Girl followed behind, chattering about game strategies.
If they spotted a chubby passerby, Hela would even ask Devourer Girl, "How much energy is that one worth?"
Fat guy: trembling in rage!!!
The five of them strolled along the seaside. Wanda wrapped herself around Lorien’s arm, while Gwen held his hand.
At this point, aside from his legs, eyes, and mouth, Lorien’s entire body was under their control.
The evening breeze brushed across Wanda’s face, sending her red hair fluttering. Lorien slipped his hand free from her soft embrace and gently helped her tidy her hair.
Once he finished, Wanda leaned in and gave him a fragrant kiss. Then, gazing at the scenery, she sighed softly.
"Do you remember when we first met? You told me then that passionate love was fake, and that true love was walking down the street together when bored—that’s the kind of love that lasts."
"I agreed at the time, and now it’s come true. We’re living that life."
Before Lorien could respond, Gwen blurted out in surprise.
"You two actually have moments like that?! Ah~! Why don’t I get any?!"
Wanda looked at Gwen and laughed.
"Because you’re the one in that fake, fiery love."
"No! Mine is real too!"
"Fine, fine, it’s all real."
Lorien freed both hands and rubbed the two of their heads roughly.
"Behave yourselves while shopping. If you keep bickering in the streets, you’ll face house rules when we get back."
And what were Lorien’s house rules?
Specifically for women?
The rule was simple: misbehave, and he’d go super on them until they cried.
He was Happy Superman—when he’s happy, he goes full super.
So whenever they heard those words—"house rules"—both Wanda and Gwen immediately behaved.
After all, both of them had been supered to tears before.
...
The five soon arrived at a bustling street market.
"Wow~" Gwen exclaimed. "It’s so lively!"
Wanda looked around. It really was. But she quickly noticed something—all the signs were in Chinese.
Lorien looked up.
"Chinatown."
In America, Chinatown had grown rapidly. From a single street at first, it had expanded into dozens, even swallowing nearby Jewish quarters.
Because ethnic communities tended to cluster together in America, most residents here were Chinese. And this particular Chinatown sat right in Manhattan, New York.
Lorien scanned the streets. The air was filled with an Eastern atmosphere. About a third of the shops were restaurants, while the rest sold fruit, traditional medicine, seafood, gifts, and all manner of goods.
It was bustling. Crowds pressed in from all sides.
"Lorien, you must be familiar with this place—and these characters too! Let’s go check it out!" Gwen tugged at his hand eagerly.
Lorien glanced at Wanda. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes.
No need for more words—he nodded.
"Let’s go."
As for Hela and Devourer Girl, their only job was to eat. Nothing else concerned them.
The five of them entered Chinatown. At eight in the evening, the streets were jam-packed.
Thankfully, all of them had presence-concealing shields active. Otherwise, squeezing through the crowds would’ve been the least of their problems.
One man strolling into Chinatown with four foreign women? The local Chinese would have nodded in admiration on the spot.
As soon as they entered, Gwen started pointing at the signs.
"Lorien, what’s this one?"
"Jianbing guozi."
"And that one?"
"Lanzhou lamian."
"And that one over there?"
"Traditional medicine shop. Bookstore. Barbershop. Fruit stand. Cold noodles. Barbecue..."
Lorien translated a whole string of names, while Gwen’s curiosity burned brighter with every step.
Along the way, all five of them bought jianbing guozi, a Chinese street-food crepe with egg, sauce, and crispy crunch
At the food stall, their presence concealment slipped.
The owner, a Chinese auntie, looked up. The moment her eyes landed on Lorien’s face—then on the women following behind him—she gasped.
"Wow, handsome boy, you look amazing~!"
Lorien could sense her heart.
She was genuine. No ill intent—just honest praise.
So he smiled and replied in Chinese.
"Five hand-grab pancakes, with sausage, egg, and bacon. No spicy strips."
"No problem~!"
...
After hearing Lorien’s order, the auntie, clearly flattered, began working with extra enthusiasm.
In the States, class distinctions were obvious. If you lived well, dressed sharp, and drove a luxury car, you stood out. On the surface, everyone seemed free and equal, but the gap was always there. When people saw someone who looked wealthy or capable, respect usually followed.
As the auntie got busy, Gwen leaned in curiously to watch, Wanda also fixed her eyes on the process, while Hela and Devourer Girl were simply focused on eating.
While cooking, the auntie struck up a conversation with Lorien.
"What kind of work do you do here? And so many pretty girls with you!"
Lorien smiled. "Doctor."
"Wow~! That’s amazing!"
The moment she heard he was a doctor, the auntie looked at Lorien in shock.
In America, being a doctor meant serious money—minimum high-income class. Back in the East, it would be like earning several million a year.
Here, the average annual salary of a specialist doctor started at around $300,000. With that kind of purchasing power, one year’s salary could buy five Porsche 718s or two Porsche 911s. Save a little longer, and you could even afford a Lamborghini Huracán.
And that was just the average for specialists—essentially resident physicians. Above them were fellows and, at the top, attending physicians. Those were the real heavyweights.
Before his car accident, Stephen had been an attending physician—and not just any, but a star surgeon. His annual income was close to seven figures in US dollars. A million a year.
So no wonder the auntie was shocked when Lorien said he was a doctor. In this country, being a doctor meant you were firmly established.
Wanda, curious, asked, "What did you just say?"
Gwen nodded, also wanting to know.
Lorien explained with a smile. "She asked what I do, and why I have such beautiful women at my side."
Hearing that, Gwen and Wanda both broke into happy smiles. Getting complimented felt good.
Wanda then asked Lorien, "How do you say thank you? I want to thank her."
Lorien taught the two of them how to say it in Chinese.
After practicing, both Wanda and Gwen turned to the auntie and said together, "Xie xie."
The auntie blinked in surprise, then quickly responded in her local dialect.
"Wugai! Wugai!"
Gwen, Wanda: ?
The two froze. If it meant "you’re welcome," shouldn’t it at least share the word for "thanks"?
"Wugai? What does that even mean?"
Lorien nearly burst out laughing at their puzzled looks.
"That’s the local dialect, the hometown way of saying it. It also means ’you’re welcome.’ Think of it like Boston slang versus British slang. But in the East, dialects can get so different it feels like a whole other language."
"Ohhh~~" Gwen finally understood.
But instead of satisfying her curiosity, it only made her more eager. She looked around at the street lined with Chinese signs.
"Decided! I’m taking Chinese as an elective in college. This stuff is so cool~!"
"Hm?" Lorien was a little surprised. "Cool?"
"Totally cool!" Gwen nodded hard. "And it sounds beautiful too. Someone in my class even got Chinese tattooed on their body!"
Ah, this...
...
(50 Chapters Ahead)
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