MTLNOVEL Chapter 88: CHAPTER 88
"I will resolve this conflict for you and protect Attilan," Black Bolt declared, his voice a whisper that still sent tremors through the chamber. "But once this matter is settled, the alliance between the Inhumans and the Skrull Empire will be no more."
"The Inhumans seek only peace, to ensure the survival of our people—not to wage war for dominion over the cosmos."
The Inhuman population was already small due to the instability of their genetic mutations upon exposure to Terrigen Mist. Now that the Skrulls had helped them stabilize their transformations, Black Bolt's primary focus was ensuring the future of his people before considering any larger aspirations.
Talos, leader of the Skrulls, fell silent for a moment before nodding solemnly.
"Of course," he finally replied. "The Skrulls are grateful enough that you would stand against the enemy before us—we would not ask for more."
Behind him, a young Skrull warrior shifted, clearly wanting to speak but was quickly restrained by Talos. That was his son, Tareks, who believed that the Skrulls had given the Inhumans their future and, as such, the two races should remain bound together. Perhaps even merge, creating a new Skrull Empire infused with Inhuman power.
But Talos knew better.
From the start, the Skrulls and Inhumans had never been equals. Even now, despite the Skrulls' advancements—having successfully engineered powerful Super-Skrulls with the combined abilities of multiple mutants and even integrating the monstrous strength of Abomination—none of it compared to Black Bolt.
Blackagar Boltagon, the silent king, needed only to part his lips, and the might of the entire Skrull Empire could be undone in a single breath.
For now, Talos would endure. He would wait.
The Skrulls had something greater in motion—experiments on the captured Asgardian trickster, Loki.
Loki, raised among the Aesir, possessed knowledge that could be their salvation.
His Jotun physiology held the secret to near-immortality. His divine essence concealed mysteries of cosmic energy. And his mind, brimming with unfathomable psychic prowess, could be the key to creating the ultimate Skrull warrior.
If they could decode the structure of divine power… If they could integrate mutant abilities into enhanced Skrull bodies… If they could infuse the monstrous durability of Abomination with the celestial attributes of Asgardians…
The Skrull Empire would rise again.
Talos had no illusions—this process would take time.
But right now, none of that mattered.
At this moment, all that mattered was surviving the wrath of the Sun God.
As Ragna 's colossal energy blade came down, poised to split the moon itself, Black Bolt finally acted.
He burst forth from Attilan's energy shield, ascending toward the lunar surface through an ancient passage once constructed by the Kree Empire.
The moon itself was never natural—it was a testing ground, a massive celestial lab where the Kree once studied Earth's unique evolutionary potential.
And in ancient times, the sky truly had no moon.
As Ragna 's blade descended, Black Bolt inhaled slightly and…
Hummed.
It was the faintest sound—a mere breath.
Yet the airless void of the moon trembled as an unseen force erupted from his mouth.
The energy blade, brilliant and unstoppable just moments ago, fractured.
Like a sandcastle collapsing in the face of a tidal wave, it disintegrated into nothingness.
Ragna 's gaze locked onto the Inhuman king, who now hovered in the void.
Black Bolt was clad in his signature black-and-silver suit, adorned with the lightning-shaped insignia of the Inhuman royal family. His half-mask obscured his eyes, but the power emanating from him was unmistakable. The folded wings on his back adjusted subtly to maintain his position in zero gravity. In his hand, he held a white, rune-carved scepter—an ancient Inhuman relic once wielded by his ancestors.
"Black Bolt," Ragna acknowledged, his voice carrying across the vacuum through sheer force of will.
Only Blackagar Boltagon had the power to nullify his strike so effortlessly.
"The mighty Sun God," Black Bolt responded—not with a whisper this time, but with a voice that resonated impossibly through the void.
Sound should not carry in space.
Yet here it was.
Ragna frowned but dismissed the thought.
What mattered now was the Skrulls.
"Hand over all Skrulls," Ragna demanded. "I have no interest in fighting you."
Both men descended toward the surface, their words carried by the strange energies that surrounded them.
Ragna did not seek unnecessary battles. He despised fighting without purpose.
But this was non-negotiable.
The Skrulls had to pay for what they had done. Loki had to be retrieved.
"Impossible," Black Bolt replied, his expression unwavering. "Leave now and swear never to pursue the Skrulls again."
"Or die here."
There was no hesitation in his words. No uncertainty.
Black Bolt was aware that Ragna 's power was on par with his own.
But he was not afraid.
Even if their strength was equal, his abilities were unlike any other. If necessary, he could unleash devastation so absolute that not even a being of Ragna 's might could withstand it.
Besides, the Skrulls had no enmity with Asgard.
Black Bolt had observed everything within Attilan—down to the subtlest of vibrations. He knew the Skrull leader had recently smuggled a Jotun into the city.
A Jotunheim giant?
Yes.
But why would that concern the Aesir?
If Asgard's ancient war with Jotunheim had raged for millennia, then surely this lone Jotun meant nothing.
There was no logical reason for Ragna 's relentless pursuit of the Skrulls.
Even if Loki was truly involved…
Black Bolt knew nothing of his true parentage.
And he didn't care.
What mattered now was the promise he had made to the Skrulls.
A promise must be honored—even if it meant war with a god.
This was Black Bolt's pride.
Ragna remained silent, contemplating his next move.
Then, without another word, he raised his flaming blade once more.
The time for discussion had ended.
He attacked.
And at that moment—after remaining dormant for so long—the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Host is facing Black Bolt. Make a choice!]
[Option 1: Kill Black Bolt. Reward: The Terrigen Crystal's safe utilization method—allowing for mass Awakening of Inhumans without genetic instability. Also gain: Black Bolt's 'Power Seed,' granting the potential to grow into a being as powerful as him.]
[Option 2: Defeat and incapacitate Black Bolt. Reward: Black Bolt's absolute loyalty and the full surrender of the Inhuman race.]
[Option 3: Retreat and abandon the battle. Reward: Inhuman friendship and access to Skrull genetic integration technology—capable of creating highly advanced super-soldiers.]
Ragna scanned the options.
Retreating was unthinkable.
Loki could not be left in the hands of the Skrulls.
The second choice was tempting—having Black Bolt and all Inhumans as subordinates would be a valuable asset.
But the first choice…
It offered something greater.
With the ability to safely use Terrigen Crystals, Ragna could cultivate an army of powerful warriors.
And Black Bolt's power?
It could be his.
His mind was made up instantly.
Ragna clenched his grip on his burning blade.
The Silent King would fall.
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