"I got it."
Quill glanced worriedly at Alan outside the ship. He had no idea how Alan planned to attract Ego's attention with just his small body.
But in the very next second, Ego seemed to have already noticed Alan. A massive tentacle sprouted from his face, whipping toward Alan in an attempt to capture him.
Everyone on the ship held their breath in fear.
Gwen and Wanda gasped when they saw the tentacle wrap tightly around Alan, their voices breaking into screams.
"Alan!"
"Be careful, Alan!"
As the tentacle coiled around him, Alan's vision went dark for a moment. The sheer power of an entire planet was overwhelming—strong enough to crush even the Emperor Armor. Yet, Alan remained completely calm. He knew his limits.
Suddenly, Ego felt his tentacle being forced apart. No—it wasn't just pushed away. Something inside had exploded from within.
Everyone watched in shock as the tentacle shattered. Alan's figure continued to grow taller and taller—until he was nearly the same size as the Living Planet.
The Divine Titan Form! This was Alan's trump card!
His massive form now stood between Ego and the spaceship. Through the communicator, Alan's cheerful voice rang out.
"I told you I could keep him busy. Now hurry and get inside his brain!"
With that, Alan threw a devastating punch toward Ego. Several tentacles erupted from the planet's surface to block him. The immense impact sent both of them reeling backward.
Alan hadn't expected Ego's strength to be on par with his Divine Titan Form. This was a being that had survived in the cosmos for countless years—he was no ordinary foe.
But instead of fear, Alan felt a surge of excitement.
On the ship, Quill had already grabbed the bomb from Rocket Raccoon. Using Alan's enormous body as cover, he slipped away undetected.
In moments, he reached the surface of the planet. Spotting a fissure in Ego's structure, Quill darted inside.
Alan, seeing that Quill had made it in, immediately launched a relentless assault. His fists and kicks clashed violently against Ego's tentacles, each blow shaking the battlefield.
Suddenly, Ego stopped moving.
At the exact moment Alan was throwing another punch, Ego's massive face vanished from the planet's surface. His celestial armor expanded, enveloping the entire Living Planet like a shield, and his consciousness withdrew deep into his core.
Just now, Ego had sensed an intruder inside his brain. Without hesitation, he abandoned the battle with Alan and sealed himself off entirely. Thanks to millions of years of evolution, Ego could extract the metals from his planet's surface and use them to fortify his body.
—
Alan frowned. This was troublesome. Ego could switch between forms at will, but he couldn't. If he deactivated his Divine Titan Form now and Ego reverted back into a planet, everyone on the ship—including Quill—could be killed.
What should he do?!
Just then, the voice of Red Queen came through his communicator.
"Master, that mantis woman is still on the ship. Maybe she could help?"
Red Queen's reminder instantly clicked in Alan's mind. How could he have forgotten about Mantis? Her ability was specifically meant to put Ego to sleep!
"Send Mantis over immediately! I'll take her into Ego's brain!" Alan shouted.
Aboard the ship, Mantis hesitantly donned a space suit, her face filled with fear as she floated out. Alan quickly reached out, catching her in his massive hand and sending her toward the Living Planet.
Mantis squeezed through the fissure, following the same path Quill had taken.
Inside the Living Planet, the inner crust was infested with countless writhing tentacles.
Quill, carrying the bomb, gripped his blaster tightly. He fired at the tentacles blocking his path, severing them.
But as soon as he did, it was as if he had triggered a switch—Ego unleashed even more tentacles in response.
...