Chapter 41: Galactic-Level Reputation Lottery

Ding!

[Congratulations, Host! Your name now echoes throughout the galaxy. You have been awarded one Reputation Lottery spin!]

The notification rang out in Martin's mind, and a look of deep satisfaction spread across his face.

Alongside the Eternal Flame, came an expected, yet still astonishing, surprise. If his next lottery pull resonated at the level of a single universe, then the one after that… could shake the entire multiverse.

Cradling the Eternal Flame in both hands, Martin's presence alone projected overwhelming dominance across Earth. He was revered. Feared. Worshiped.

In this moment, his identity had transcended from a well-known executioner into something far greater, a godslayer etched into the minds of the masses.

He had exiled the All-Father himself, Odin.

"So the gods of myth were real all along… What else have they been hiding from us?"

"If Martin hadn't intervened… would Odin have obliterated our entire planet?"

"Forget Norse mythology, what about the others? Are all the world's mythologies actually real?!"

Earth was gripped in a storm of upheaval. The internal squabbles that had long simmered beneath its surface were now dwarfed, overshadowed entirely by the descent of deities.

Before, humanity's conflicts had been, at worst, civil wars. But now that the stars themselves were opening up to Earth… everyone began to realize how pitiful their old struggles truly were.

Martin glanced down at the blue-and-white world below.

Thanks to the Apex Armor, he could instantly scan the entire planet's chatter, its data streams, communications, even whispered conversations. The armor's sensory and intelligence-gathering capabilities were so advanced that Earth now held very few secrets from him.

Whoosh.

He returned to Wakanda, or rather, to its new name: Earth Base.

All around him, Transformers of astonishing size and diverse forms gathered en masse. The moment they saw Martin return, they dropped to one knee, their optics glowing with reverence.

The Walking Mechaclysm had returned.

"The Protoform Pods are already under construction?" Martin asked. "Excellent. That pace meets my expectations."

He nodded in approval before issuing further orders to Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Optimus opened his hands. What lay there were the shattered remnants of Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. He spoke in a low tone.

"Thor Odinson has been detained within the base. His broken hammer remains here as well."

Martin glanced at the fragments of the once-mighty weapon. Its divine energy had nearly dissipated. He shook his head.

"I know you were fond of that hammer," he said gently. "But it's fine, you're worthy of something better."

With a flick of his wrist, Martin stowed the broken pieces and entered his private chamber. The moment the door closed behind him, his gaze locked onto the Eternal Flame.

This was no ordinary fire. It was the very essence, the life-core, of the fire demon Surtur. Calling it his heart would not be an exaggeration. Its defining property: eternal and unquenchable. It could even resurrect the dead.

"Interesting… The Eternal Flame shares properties with Dark Energon crystals," Martin mused.

"Dark Energon resurrects fallen Cybertronians as undead 'Terrorcons'... but this—"

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

As widely known, Transformers need sustenance. If they go too long without it, their internal energy reserves dwindle, and their Sparks grow dim.

Their primary food source? A compound known as Energon crystals, an energy-dense cubes easily absorbed and, reportedly, even flavorful to Cybertronian palates.

"For now, I can sustain them using my AllSpark as an interim power supply," Martin thought. "But once they're deployed into autonomous military operations, they'll need an independent source of energy. I won't always be there to feed them. Developing a new generation of Energon is now urgent. And this Eternal Flame…"

He fell silent.

Energon had variants. Some were safe, others, perilous.

Red Energon boosted power output exponentially, but at a cost. It muddled cognitive functions, driving Transformers into fits of rage, aggression, and bloodlust.

Dark Energon, however, was a league of its own. Directly linked to Unicron, the Chaos Bringer, it granted immense boosts in strength and agility, while enabling control over Terrorcons.

Wherever Dark Energon veins appeared, hordes of undead Cybertronians followed. Those who consumed it gained the ability to command these monstrous creations, Megatron himself had done so, more than once in the source material.

In essence, he who controlled Dark Energon controlled a terrifying, self-replenishing war machine. Fallen soldiers could rise again, instantly, and charge back into battle. A relentless, necro-mechanical cycle of war.

Now, with the Eternal Flame in hand, a force akin to Dark Energon, Martin intended to forge an alternative. A cleaner substitute, engineered under his control.

But more than that…

He planned to force-feed it into the AllSpark itself, and absorb the Eternal Flame into his core. If successful, he would gain mastery over Surtur's power, enslaving an unstoppable Skyfather-tier, undead elemental juggernaut.

"Still… let's start with the reputation lottery first."

With a focused breath, Martin tapped the glowing interface hovering before him. A cascade of images flickered by in a blur.

It stopped.

His eyes lit up.

"Him? Seriously?"

Surprise, and excitement, spread across Martin's face. Of all the potential results, this one was perfect.

What he needed most now was a Transformer who excelled in scientific research. And fate had just delivered one, gift-wrapped.

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