A new chapter is up.
Come in, get comfortable, and let’s see what kind of trouble waits this time ❤️ ✦ “Rankyaku: White Thunder.” A blinding white light bloomed in midair.
It was like thunder breaking through darkness.
“Aah!” “My eyes!” “Damn it, close your eyes!” “I knew there was something wrong with that guy!” Screams tore through the alley.
The flash was only part of it.
The killing force hidden inside that white light was no weaker than lightning.
Even Gwen could only see Mason’s afterimages and the sharp white arcs flashing through the air.
It looked like invisible blades mowing through wheat.
Very quickly, the dense crowd of gangsters collapsed.
They did not even have the strength to resist, much less cause Mason any trouble.
Completely helpless.
In less than a moment, the only people still breathing in the alley were Mason and the Gwen he had protected.
“Hah…” Gwen’s breathing came fast, as if the shock had hit her hard.
Even through the skintight suit, the rise and fall of her chest gave her away.
A thin sheen of sweat clung to her.
The suit had torn in several places, revealing pale skin beneath.
Scratches, dust, and the aftermath of the fight made her look battered in a way she clearly hated.
“Before you go fighting evil, check your own strength.” “Rushing in on passion alone is not justice.
That’s just serving yourself up on a plate.” Mason spoke in a low voice.
Then he did not wait for Gwen to answer.
He grabbed her and moved at high speed, leaving the scene in a blur.
They could not stay there.
The fight had been too loud.
The military, S.H.I.E.L.D., or both would arrive soon.
Mason had no interest in wasting precious time by sinking into that mess.
Whoosh.
Several dark shapes crossed the night sky.
Using Rokushiki: Soru, Mason quickly pulled Gwen away from the scene and into a nearby busy district.
He set her down around a corner.
After confirming she was not seriously hurt, he vanished again in a blur.
Watching him disappear from sight, Gwen was left standing in the wind, deeply confused.
“Why did that feel familiar?” “Do we know each other?
But he looked completely different.” Her large eyes flickered.
Even her spider-sense felt uncertain.
And also…
“A hero for fun?” …
“Sorry.
Something came up at home, and I have to leave early.
I already paid for dinner.
I had a great time today.
Next time, I’ll take you out instead.” A tongue-out emoji followed the message.
Mason was walking along a crowded road when the text arrived.
He did not need to guess what had happened.
After her superhero debut had gone so badly, Gwen had taken a few real hits.
She was probably treating her injuries right now.
With her suit torn and her body covered in dust, she obviously could not continue the date.
Besides…
“It’s almost night?” Mason looked up at the sky.
The sunset had dyed the horizon red.
The last light of the day looked almost like blood, as if it were predicting something.
[Ding.] The system’s long-awaited voice suddenly rang inside his mind.
The countdown had reached zero.
That was also why Mason had left as soon as Gwen was safe.
“It’s starting…” Mason’s gaze sharpened.
He pressed down the excitement in his chest and walked back toward his apartment as if nothing had happened.
[System unlock complete.] [Search for a world and begin the second multiverse invasion?] [Yes] [No] Two flashing options hovered before him.
This was a chance to grow stronger without leaving his own life behind.
Did it even need a choice?
“Yes.” Mason answered silently.
Countless images burst before his eyes, familiar worlds flashing past like a reel spinning too fast to follow.
At last, the sequence froze on a silhouette from deep in his memory.
“So it’s that world?” Surprise flickered across Mason’s face.
[The second multiverse invasion has begun.] [World selection in progress…] Boom.
An invisible wave of sound spread outward.
Electronic screens across the world lit up at the same time, forced into the live broadcast.
It had arrived again.
The system had hijacked every screen again.
This time was different from the first.
The moment the system announced itself, countless eyes snapped toward it.
The whole world had been waiting under the spotlight.
…
Asgard.
“It has begun again?” Odin slowly opened his single eye.
Golden light moved in its depths, complicated and heavy.
Elsewhere in Asgard, Loki rubbed his hands together with barely contained anticipation.
“After waiting this long, it finally starts.” …
Kamar-Taj.
“The timeline is becoming even more chaotic.” The Ancient One stepped out of the sanctum, her ancient gaze deeper than before.
…
The military.
“All units are ready.” “This time, the nation will take its share.” An army general stood on a platform and rallied morale.
Below him, elite soldiers drawn from multiple units stood fully armed.
Judging from the first recruitment, the system seemed to select exceptional people rather than random targets.
“Whether that works is another question.” General Ross shook his head inwardly.
Throwing people into a selection pool like this still felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
…
Xavier’s School.
“A new world?
Will there be hope for mutants and humans to coexist peacefully?” Professor X murmured, hope flickering in his eyes.
…
In a hidden base, Magneto’s voice cut like iron.
“Coexistence?
Our place in the world can only be secured by force.” His eyes locked onto the broadcast.
“There may be power inside that world.
We need more power.
Mutants need more power.” Mystique and the others below him listened with feverish intensity.
…
“Whoa, the second invasion is starting.
Are we killing zombies again?” “No way.
Iron Man destroyed the Red Queen and stopped the outbreak.
Where would more zombies come from?
Are you stupid?” “Maybe.
Iron Man only stopped the leak.
Don’t forget, Umbrella created the T-virus.
They’re the real boss.
What we saw was probably just the first act.” “Again with zombies?
Killing them is fun, but doing it twice would be boring.” “Yeah.
Isn’t this supposed to invade different worlds?
It can’t be that simple, right?” Arguments erupted across the internet.
Then the flashing images slowly began to settle.
“This kind of world?” Nick Fury’s eye narrowed, surprise cutting across his face.
On the live broadcast, fantasy worlds flashed past one after another.
Yet the final image froze on the silhouette of a bustling city.
Pedestrians laughed and chatted in the streets.
The harmonious atmosphere looked nothing like the dead silence of the last apocalypse.
This time, the invaded world was a modern city.
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS AuroraVale Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter pulled you a little deeper into the story.
Stay close, because things are only getting more interesting.