“In his beliefs, death is not the end, but the beginning of a journey into an unknown world.”
“When disaster strikes, he is not only a king, but also a hero who steps forward to face it.”
As his voice faded, everyone fell silent.
Viewers across the universe looked at one another, and the same answer emerged in their minds.
This hero had to be a king.
Many people thought of the coronation ceremony of Asgard’s new king, and Thor was particularly excited.
He thought to himself, Finally, it’s my turn!
If I can obtain this power, perhaps I can change the fate of Ragnarok!
But just then, Leon Vance’s voice rang out again.
“The eighth hero, Black Panther T’Challa!”
“Reason for selection: Although he lives in seclusion from the outside world, he never retreats in the face of disaster.
With the bearing of a king, he leads his people into battle without fear!”
The announcement left almost everyone in the universe both enlightened and confused.
They seemed to know the answer, yet the name “Black Panther T’Challa” was completely unfamiliar to them.
Except in Wakanda.
T’Challa himself murmured, “I was only watching from the sidelines.
How did I suddenly become a hero?
Now Wakanda’s secret can’t be kept…”
He fell silent, his thoughts in turmoil.
Meanwhile, other viewers began discussing it among themselves.
“Black Panther?
Is there really such a person in the universe?”
“This person seems to have never existed, as if he appeared out of nowhere.
There’s absolutely no trace of him on the Dimensional Platform…”
“Even Spider-Man, who has always kept a low profile, has been captured by the cameras.
Unless he has never performed a heroic act, it’s impossible for there to be absolutely no trace of him.
No matter how well someone hides, they’ll always leave clues behind.”
Indeed, people throughout the universe gradually realized something.
The person known as “Black Panther” seemed to have never entered anyone’s field of vision.
He was like a figure created out of thin air, with no past that could be traced.
No wonder everyone was confused.
The Dimensional Platform was not merely a source of entertainment.
It was also an important way for people to obtain knowledge and learn about the world.
Yet no matter how they searched, they could not find a single record that matched this mysterious figure.
As a result, one question lingered in everyone’s mind.
Why could such a mysterious person make the list?
They needed the creator to provide a reasonable explanation.
The situation throughout the universe was becoming increasingly unstable.
As more and more information was revealed through the videos, people became increasingly aware that the crises awaiting them in the future could be nearly catastrophic.
Therefore, they silently hoped for one thing.
Any hero who made the list had to possess the ability to truly change the future.
…
In Asgard, one of the Nine Realms, the higher the expectations, the heavier the disappointment.
Everyone had once firmly believed that the hero who was “born to be a king” had to be Thor, who was about to be crowned.
But the result had disappointed them once again.
Hope had been ignited and extinguished time and time again.
Many people sighed, seemingly losing hope that Thor would ever make the list.
“Ugh, I’ve given up.
Thor probably really has nothing to do with the ranking.”
“Yeah.
Every time the narrator speaks, I think he’ll mention Thor…
Getting my hopes up over and over again is exhausting.”
“Since even the king says that Ragnarok is an unchangeable point in time, why should we keep worrying about it?
We might as well raise our cups and enjoy what little time we have left.”
Someone said this in the great hall, pretending to remain carefree.
However, despite their optimistic words, genuine smiles were difficult to find on their faces.
Who among them did not want to fight against fate?
They simply lacked the power to do so and could only place their hopes in Thor.
But the greater the hope, the deeper the disappointment.
Previously, they had connected the legends of three heroes to Thor, only to be bitterly disappointed.
They had already begun to suspect that Thor would not appear among the remaining seven heroes either.
Thor himself, however, did not agree with this speculation.
He tightly gripped Mjolnir, his gaze firm as he silently vowed, Father, please believe in me.
I will restore Asgard to its former glory and will never disappoint your expectations.
Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D.
headquarters, Nick Fury stood with his arms folded, deep in thought.
The line “Death is not the end of life, but the beginning of a journey into an unknown realm” sounded strangely familiar to him, yet he could not remember where he had heard it.
What caught his attention even more was that there was a hero named “Black Panther” who did not appear anywhere in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database.
Ever since the Dimensional Platform appeared, S.H.I.E.L.D.
had used big-data analysis to investigate every Earthling and extraterrestrial who might potentially become a hero.
Yet Black Panther was completely outside their knowledge.
Nick Fury became intensely curious about the identity of this mysterious hero.
Inside Wakanda’s highly advanced great hall, T’Challa and his sister were equally shocked.
His sister laughed as she teased him, “I never thought you’d become a superhero!”
The siblings were extremely close, and teasing each other had long since become part of their daily lives.
When she heard her brother call himself a superhero, she wore an incredulous expression, barely managing to suppress her laughter.
She pointed at her brother, who was wearing flip-flops and leisurely snacking on fruit, and asked in disbelief, “You?
You’re a superhero?”
Her voice was filled with doubt and amusement.
A trace of embarrassment flashed across T’Challa’s face, but he did not take his sister’s teasing to heart.
What confused him far more was why he had become a superhero and why he would lead an army against foreign enemies.
Those mysteries lingered in his mind, making him desperate to find the answers.
“Stop laughing for now,” T’Challa reminded his sister.
“The most important thing is to strengthen the protective barrier.
“Perhaps the video won’t reveal Wakanda’s location.”
Although he desperately wanted to solve these mysteries, he understood even more clearly how important it was to protect Wakanda.
If the country were exposed, it would not only violate the beliefs they had upheld for generations, but also bring countless troubles.
After all, the value of vibranium far surpassed ordinary wealth.
It was precisely this rare metal that had given them the resources to develop technology far beyond the modern world.
His sister immediately stopped laughing after hearing this, her expression becoming serious.
She quickly operated the highly advanced control panel in front of her and began reinforcing the invisible protective shield surrounding Wakanda.
Although they could not predict whether the video would expose their secrets, there was certainly no harm in taking precautions beforehand.
Meanwhile, inside a gigantic spacecraft, Ebony Maw respectfully congratulated Thanos.
“This humble servant congratulates you in advance on your victory.
“This video will surely showcase your glorious triumph.”
Thanos’s lips curled upward slightly as he clenched his fist, as though victory were already within his grasp.
“As the video continues, I can see the path to victory more clearly.”
He spoke calmly.
“These so-called superheroes are simply no match for me.”
At this point, he watched the footage merely to witness his own glorious image and spread his reputation, making it easier for him to obtain the Infinity Stones.
Amid everyone’s anticipation, the video slowly unfolded.
A black figure appeared in the center of the screen.
He crossed his arms and shouted the earth-shaking words with immense force.
“Wakanda Forever!”
“Damn it, they exposed me right from the start…?”
T’Challa was rendered speechless for a moment and fell silent.
“…”
At that moment, lines of words of thanks suddenly appeared on the screen.
The footage then quickly changed, entering a new sequence.
“Wakanda Forever!”
When that cry rang out, countless people who had been immersed in gloom and despair seemed to be struck in the soul by an invisible force.
Their entire bodies trembled.
Author’s Note:
Can’t wait to see what happens next?