Marvel: The Enlightened One-Chapter 102: [] - Small Universe? No, Phoenix Universe (Bonus)

Chapter 102: [102] - Small Universe? No, Phoenix Universe (Bonus)

<><><><><><><><>

Mount Bashenga of Wakanda was trembling.

Every inch of the ground, every particle of dust, vibrated with the power emanating from deep within the mine.

In the depths of the cavern, a ceaseless stream of Vibranium was being absorbed into Hawk’s Cosmo.

Within his inner universe, the Phoenix constellation spread its wings and let out a long and clear cry.

The moment the Vibranium entered the star chart, it was instantly melted into liquid by the fiery bird’s intense heat.

Stardust Sand.

Gammanium.

The other two materials needed for the Saint Armor flowed into the molten Vibranium.

Just then, Hawk sensed something and opened his eyes.

And there, floating in the air before him, was a single, magnificent feather. It seemed to have torn through reality itself—a thing of pure, blazing fire.

"This is..."

"The Phoenix Heart Feather..."

The moment his hand touched the feather, he understood. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

This was a gift from the Phoenix Constellation.

As everyone knows, unlike some mythologies where mortals can ascend to Godhood through training, Western traditions hold that if you’re not born divine, you never will be.

This is because the gods hold dominion over their concepts. Their authority.

And this Phoenix Heart Feather was a piece of that authority.

The true authority over Immortality and Rebirth.

Before, the powers of Immortality and Rebirth had been granted to him by the constellation. Now, by accepting this Heart Feather, that authority would be his own.

To put it simply, the Phoenix Constellation was going all in. It was betting everything on him—wagering its entire existence on the belief that he would make it the brightest constellation in the universe.

Bar none.

Of course, the Phoenix going all in had another meaning.

It wanted to merge with his Cosmo.

Hawk agreed without a second thought.

He’d been wrestling with this exact dilemma. After all, a jack of all trades is a master of none. Specialization was clearly the better approach. While he’d initially been thrilled at the idea of awakening every constellation, he’d quickly started questioning whether he should focus on one or spread himself thin.

The conclusion had been obvious.

Specialize!

But he still wanted the abilities of the other constellations. He’d been trying to find a third option—some way to get the best of both. And now, before he could even figure out a solution, the Phoenix had made the choice for him. In that case, there was nothing left to debate.

Hawk had made his decision.

The next instant, the Phoenix Heart Feather dove into his Cosmo, and the most brilliant, blazing flame he’d ever witnessed erupted.

Hawk pushed his Cosmo to its absolute limit.

"Burn, My Cosmo!!!!"

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

The constellations of the Phoenix and Draco detonated, shattering into light. It felt as if the apocalypse had come to his personal universe.

"..." Hawk’s face went pale.

With his Cosmo, his very existence was elevated far beyond that of a normal human.

But without it, he was just a man.

To allow his Cosmo to collapse back into chaos was no different from self-mutilation. In this moment, anyone could kill him.

But it was worth it.

Hawk watched as his shattered universe, now a swirling chaos, began to merge with the flames of the Phoenix Heart Feather. He steeled himself and began the next step.

...

While Hawk was deep in the mine, meditating and waiting for his Armor to be born—

Outside, all hell had broken loose.

T’Chaka was snapped back to consciousness by his daughter Shuri’s panicked voice crackling through his earpiece. Hawk’s kick had sent him flying off the mountainside, and he’d tumbled into the darkness below.

"Shuri?" he groaned, his voice weak.

"...Father."

There was a pause, and then Shuri’s voice was filled with relief. "Thank Bast, Father, you’re awake! You have to get back here, now! The Black Hulk... he’s destroying everything!"

"What?"

T’Chaka flinched, wiping the blood from his mouth and nose as he pushed himself to his feet. In less than three seconds, he had leaped back up to the mining platform.

He stared at the collapsed entrance to the mine.

"Where is Hawk?"

"He’s still inside. Father, the city... we can’t stop the black Hulk!"

"Damn it!"

T’Chaka cursed under his breath, then looked up and leaped. With a quick flick of his wrist, he caught hold of his Royal Talon Fighter’s wing—the craft had been hovering above in stealth mode. He yanked open the cockpit and hauled himself inside.

VMMMM!

The fighter instantly decloaked and shot toward the capital city of Birnin Zana.

As he flew over the mountains and rivers, and the city came into view, he drew in a sharp breath.

As far as the eye could see, the district where the River Tribe lived was now a smoldering ruin. In its place was a massive crater.

Dismembered bodies were everywhere.

It was a scene from the apocalypse.

And in the center of the ruins, the black-skinned Demon Hulk, its eyes burning with hellfire, stood on a pile of rubble and let out a deafening roar that shook all of Wakanda.

"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULK!"

It seemed to be looking for something.

...

In the royal command center, T’Chaka put his jet on auto-hover and leaped back inside. He looked at the projection showing the survivors of the River Tribe fleeing toward the capital.

"Casualties?"

"Catastrophic!"

"The River Tribe’s warriors have been almost completely wiped out. They stood no chance against the black Hulk."

"The drivers of the Vibranium tanks are still alive. The Hulk can’t break through the armor."

"But our weapons can’t hurt him, either."

Princess Shuri rapidly reported the situation. "He seems to be looking for something."

King T’Chaka rubbed his temples. He looked at the projection, at the Demon Hulk, which had stopped its rampage now that the tanks and jets had ceased their attack, and was just standing in the ruins, roaring.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Hawk!!"

"It’s looking for Hawk."

"Order the jets to lure it back to Mount Bashenga."

The moment he realized, King T’Chaka gave the order.

The Vibranium jets immediately changed course. They swooped down, fired a single missile at the Demon Hulk, and then banked hard, flying toward the Great Mound.

BAAAAAAM!

The missile exploded against the Hulk’s skin, not even scratching it, but it was enough to enrage him.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Hulk saw the two jets that had shot him and were now flying away. He bent his knees and leaped after them.

"It’s working!"

A cheer went up in the command center.

Shuri turned to her father, her face beaming. "It worked, Father!"

King T’Chaka nodded. "Once all the tribesmen have been evacuated into the capital, activate the energy shield. Let the two monsters fight it out. We are not to get involved."

Shuri paused for a second, then nodded. "Yes, Father."

With the order given, T’Chaka let out a sigh of relief. Then, he remembered something else. "Has your brother returned yet?"

"He’s on his way."

"Good."

The word had barely left his lips when a wave of agony washed over him.

PFFT!

His expression changed. He coughed up a spray of blood, his body went rigid, and he collapsed to the floor.

The entire command center, including Shuri, was stunned into silence.

"FATHER!"

Shuri snapped out of it and ran to his side, cradling his head. "MEDIC!"

Leaning in his daughter’s arms, T’Chaka’s face was pale. "I... I can see the Ancestral Plane..."

...

"A new small universe is born."

Hawk’s face was ashen, his eyes slightly dazed, but his spirit soared as he gazed at the new universe unfolding before him.

To be precise, it could no longer be called a "small universe."

It was... The Phoenix Universe!

His Cosmo had completely merged with the Phoenix Heart Feather.

It was still a universe of brilliant, infinite stars, but now it was suffused with the incandescent, life-giving fire of the Phoenix.

From this moment on, his very soul was one with the Phoenix. If he were to ever fully manifest his Cosmo in the physical world, it would become its own parallel universe, a realm of fire and rebirth, just like Asgard.

But with its birth, the Draco constellation he’d just awakened was gone, consumed in the fiery crucible of his Cosmo’s rebirth.

The bad news: Draco was gone.

The good news: He was stronger than ever. And with the Phoenix Heart Feather’s full power flowing through him, his strength felt more solid, more tangible than before.

With a final cry, the Phoenix spread its wings wide, and from deep within its core, the Phoenix Heart Feather descended into the molten Vibranium below.

The next second, the flames roared to life.

Vibranium, Stardust Sand, and Gammanium—now bathed in the pure flames of the Phoenix—began the final, flawless forging of the Phoenix Armor.

Ting, ting, ting!

The sound of the Stardust Sand striking the molten Vibranium echoed through his Cosmo, like a divine hammer striking a cosmic anvil.

Hawk watched, his breath held in tense anticipation.

Just then—

BOOOOOOOM!

A colossal hand burst through the solid rock wall of the mountain and appeared right in front of him.

...

Bonus Chapter at 1,800PS

<><><><><><><><>

If you’re interested, you can read advanced Chapters:

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

~# Bonus Chapter every 300PS!!

~# If you like the story, please leave a review.

~# Add to Library!