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"A Victor Must Speak Not Of The Current State Of The World, But Of How It Should Rightfully Be."

- Sosuke Aizen, (Bleach)

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<(Atem POV)>

"Are you sure that you don't want to come back with us, Atem? Everyone in Genosha should be really worried about you right now." Susan pleaded with me to go back with her as she stared at me with her puppy dog eyes.

"No, I can't. I still have things to do here Susan. I am sorry but I won't be able to return until I complete at least some of my objectives. But don't worry, I won't be too long. Also, you should remember that Earth is always just a magic portal away from me." I calmed her down with a smile as I gestured towards the glowing cyan-green portal.

The Fantastic Four were finally returning to Earth but instead of using a starship that would take too much time for them to reach Earth, it was decided that they would instead be using a magical portal made by Karnilla to save time. As for me, I would stay back with Karnilla in Zenith to make sure that the new inhabitants of the city were settling here comfortably.

"Sigh, fine." Ultimately nodding at my answer Susan pushed her lips onto mine in a quick kiss before quickly walking into the portal with a disheartened face as she followed after Johnny and Ben who looked like they wanted nothing more than to go home and get some much-needed sleep, putting this entire nightmare behind them once and for all. And, of course, Reed was much too happy to return to Earth as well, with all the amazing knowledge that he was able to gather from his travels.

"You are one heck of a lady killer, aren't you?" Karnilla asked with a sly grin on her face.

"Maybe. Everyone has their talents... By the way Karnilla, were you able to figure out the coordinates I gave you?"

"I was. I can even open a small portal there or I can just have the entire city make a jump there itself if you want it, even though the latter option would consume a huge amount of energy and would most probably result in the city being stranded in that location for a few days until it completes recharging itself with the nearby magical or cosmic energies."

"No need to move the entire city when I am not even fully sure that what I am looking for is still even there. The planet that I am searching for was last seen in that location and is a moving and most important of all, living planet that can go anywhere it wants, anytime it wishes. So, we should go there personally first before summoning the entire city as well." I answered.

Yep, I was looking for Ego, the living planet. Well, 'looking for' would be the wrong term since I had actually already found him. Zoya had been doing her best to trace him using his unique energy signature of the little seed that he had left on Earth and before she went dormant, she had managed to provide me with the rough coordinates of its location based on that energy signature.

'That reminds me, I still have an evolution to undergo. I think I'll do it after I am done with Ego maybe. Evolving while being the proud owner of my own planet can do wonders for my mental health.'

"Fine. Let's go now then. I also want to see what you are truly searching for." As she recited a small incantation, a golden light instantly covered both of us like armor while another portal appeared with a small circular motion of her hands. "There. Now, we will be undisturbed by all the characteristics of empty space and can easily survive in it."

"Well, I can actually survive in deep space on my own without any external help. But still thanks, I guess. I mean it is the thought that counts, right?"

"... Showoff," Karnilla sarcastically muttered in a light voice as she went through the portal before I too followed after her. 

The opposite side of the portal was just a dark empty space, barely containing any light. Even the nearest stars were lightyears away. There weren't even any comets or meteorites nearby as well. The only astronomical body that was barely visible was a single red slightly glowing planet that looked like it was sleeping in the dark.

"Is that the planet you were looking for? Because if it is, then I have to advise you to think it through again because that is the ugliest planet I have ever seen... Also, is that a face engraved on its surface?" karnilla asked with a confused expression on her face.

"Yep. And that face is exactly why that planet is so special. This is Ego, the Living planet and I mean Living in a very much literal sense, not the metaphorical natural sense."

"It's still ugly... but somehow it is beautiful as well," Karnilla responded as she went closer to the planet to get a better look.

"Don't get too close. Entering its atmosphere might awaken it from its current slumber. I prefer it to be sleeping for what I am currently going to do... or at least try to do it." I said as I took out a shiny golden stone from my inventory, one of the very first rewards I had received from my system after I had arrived in this world.

|Sunstone: Sunstone crystal technology (inherently from the planet of Krypton). It has many functions like:

- Can store a nearly infinite amount of information.

- Can be programmed to create any construct the user desires.

- Can be used to terraform a planet or create a planetoid.

- Can be used to create ships that can travel between galaxies with enough combat capabilities that can even destroy entire planets.

- Its technology can also be used to create or replicate many other kinds of technologies.

- Can be used as a power source as well in a way that creates a completely different kind of advanced cold & controlled super nuclear fusion|

"Wait here, I'll be back in a minute," I commented as I accessed the magic core in my body and tried to apparate to the core of Ego where his brain was located.

It was my first time trying out apparition, so I wasn't absolutely sure that I would be able to successfully make it to the other side, but I had to try at least. So, as I willed my intent into reality, I felt the space itself squeezing all around me while my body shrunk into the size of a piece of marble and then speed-mailed to the destination I had in mind. Instantly, I appeared deep inside Ego's planetary core, just in front of his huge brain.

"Goddamn it. Apparition really is dangerous." I could not help but comment while wincing as I felt that every bone in my right hand had suddenly dislocated out of their respective places due to the sudden apparition. They had of course already begun to heal as well due to my healing factor but that didn't change the fact that I would have been dead if I were a normal person.

*Rattle* *Tumble* The entire underground section of the planet began to shake as Ego started to wake up after sensing my presence. I had a few more seconds before he completely woke up and started attacking me. So, I quickly inserted a sliver of my divine energy into the sunstone focusing on what I wanted it to do and then threw it towards Ego's 'brain' hoping that it was the right way of using the crystal and I wasn't just throwing away one of the most valuable things I currently had.

'I hope he doesn't somehow take control of the crystal and get a power boost or something, like how villains in clique comic books normally do.' I thought to myself as I apparated back to Karnilla, this time being extra careful so as not to dislocate any of my other internal organs or bones.

I would have liked to destroy Ego's brain before throwing my Sunstone at it to eliminate his consciousness first but that could have resulted in the entire planet getting destroyed which would have been a waste. So, I took a calculated risk and went with my guts instead, hoping that the sunstone alone would be enough to completely eliminate Ego's ego inside the planet or at least enslave it.

"Oh, you are back master. So? Were you successful?" Karnilla while exaggeratedly pronouncing 'master', immediately asked me the moment she noticed me apparating near her.

"I think so." I answered, not completely sure of my success myself.

There was silence for a few minutes as nothing happened, not even a single change was visible on Ego. But then suddenly out of nowhere, the planet began to change from its ominous red color. Blue, silver, green, cyan, and golden crystals began appearing around the planet's surface like a cancerous tumor slowly spreading around, feeding on the planet's nutrients to make itself bigger and sturdier while slowly but steadily killing it.

"It's... crystallizing the planet. AMAZING!" Karnilla commented in awe as the impossible unfolded in front of her own eyes. In only a few minutes, almost the entire planet's surface was covered with crystals as the once-red planet transformed into the most beautiful, crystallized plane anyone had ever seen.

[Ding! Activation of system-generated Sunstone detected]

[New Sunstone crystal structure analyzed and recorded into system archives]

[Unique Sunstone configuration can be linked to the Host]

[Does the Host want to claim ownership over the new Sunstone installation?]

[Accept / Reject]

I immediately accepted without thinking too much.

[Ding! Congratulations, you are now the proud designated owner of Sunstone structure #069069069. The name and design of the installation can be changed whenever desired by the owner]

[Ding! Congratulations, Hidden 2nd quest of Chain Quest is successful]

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