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[Superman] Chapter 194: The Plan of Infinite Ultron
🕑 Added 2024-08-11 09:31:08 +0000 UTCIn the dim void.
The endless universe, like a dark red star, sparkles with a dazzling and captivating brilliance.
Countless stars together compose this harmonious and peaceful multiverse.
Suddenly, the perspective covering the vast universe is abruptly pulled and diverted.
Rapidly sweeping across the endless starry cosmos, it halts before a somewhat dim universe.
Buzz!
Accompanied by an invisible energy fluctuation, a tangible scene materializes.
The once dim surface of the universe becomes incredibly radiant in that moment.
Blinding light, combined with surging energy, sweeps through the surrounding void.
Boom!
Countless visible cracks appear across the entire cosmic barrier.
In an instant, the universe, which was intact just a moment ago, explosively shatters.
Terrifying energy surges fill the void between the universe.
"Damn it, it appeared again so quickly!"
With the universe exploding, a voice filled with shock, anger, and frustration echoes.
The annihilation of the universe means that billions of lives within it will also perish.
"Wait, it’s not over yet? How is this possible!"
However, soon, the people who were enraged and frustrated by the universe's destruction were stunned to find that the virtual imagery of the universe began to rotate once more.
Still rapidly sweeping past countless shining cosmic stars, all eyes refocused on a new universe that seemed normal at this moment.
Just seconds later, the same energy fluctuation, in a tangible form, sweeps out into the surrounding void.
Boom!
In the astonished and incredulous gazes of everyone, the second universe, less than a minute after the first universe's destruction, explodes dramatically before their eyes.
"This..."
Almost everyone present was left speechless by the shock.
But the astonishment given by the cosmic scenes was far from over.
The cosmic projection perspective rotates again, zooming in on another intact universe.
"Could it be… that this is not over yet?"
At this moment, everyone felt numb, as if the entire world had fallen into a deathly silence.
Boom!
In the next second, accompanied by the familiar cosmic explosion roar, it completely extinguishes the last glimmer of hope in everyone’s hearts.
Boom… Boom… Boom!
For the next nearly ten minutes, almost ten similar universes explosively shattered, as the people’s gazes focused on them.
Although the destruction of these universes has nearly no impact on the infinite multiverse, it was still overwhelming to witness.
Even though those present did not know what prosperous scenes existed in those universes before their annihilation.
It was like an astronomer observing the vast cosmos, discovering that stars that were shining a moment ago suddenly shattered and became dark.
Though filled with regret, there was no way to prevent it.
However, when knowing that there were originally trillions of lives within those universes, and realizing that many of them were projections similar to oneself in the multiverse…
When realizing that this situation was far from over.
Who could truly ignore the obliteration of those universes?
...
“Finally… it has stopped!”
As the cosmic projection gradually steadied before everyone, the tense hearts of those present finally breathed a sigh of relief.
They had feared that the destruction of the universe might continue indefinitely.
If that had been the case, the entire multiverse would have faced unimaginable catastrophic calamity.
“It’s unfortunate; this is only a temporary halt…”
Just as everyone was relieved by the cessation of the cosmic annihilation, Loki beside them slowly spoke, revealing a shocking piece of information.
“What? Is this merely the first stage?”
A few of Reed's team looked at Loki with astonished eyes, hoping for a denial.
But unfortunately, Loki’s expression remained unchanged, and he turned his gaze towards Peter.
“So, the culprit behind the universe's destruction, Ultron, was not truly eliminated by me?”
Although the destruction of dozens of universes before Peter's eyes did not deeply affect him, it confirmed one thing: he had not truly eradicated Ultron or resolved the multiverse’s annihilation crisis.
“Your guess is correct, but also not entirely accurate!”
Feeling Peter’s questioning gaze, Loki did not withhold any information and began to reveal the true crisis facing the universe.
“Indeed, you did eradicate Ultron, who wielded the power of the Infinity Stones, with an unstoppable force.”
“However, it’s unfortunate that while Ultron was indeed the main threat to the universe…”
“His disappearance does not mean that the crisis facing the universe will be completely resolved…”
“Instead, it signifies that an even greater crisis has only just begun… and this is the true reason behind the eventual destruction of the entire multiverse and countless timelines in the future!”
Loki's expression showed an inexplicable excitement, with a rich green light emanating from his eyes.
The green light spread outward, engulfing the entire laboratory.
The virtual projection of the universe within the laboratory was now tainted by this green energy.
In the next moment, the previously still cosmic perspective rapidly zoomed out.
The endless stars of the universe shone in everyone’s eyes, and the true multiverse was vividly recreated.
Stars interplayed with each other, constructing a multiverse that was both incredibly beautiful and profoundly deep.
The dense green energy spread over every star, whether dim or bright, weaving together the reality of the entire multiverse.
Emerald-green lines, seemingly imbued with boundless vitality, infused immense energy into every star representing a universe.
Like an endless river of time, it visualized the timelines of each universe and connected them.
Ultimately, it formed a magnificent multiverse filled with infinite possibilities.
...
"This is our multiverse? It’s truly beautiful..."
At this moment, even those who were typically unmoved by such beauty couldn't help but gaze intently at the marvelous scene before them, as if they could feel the grandeur and splendor of the multiverse.
"Unfortunately, such a magnificent sight will soon be gone forever!"
With a soft sigh from Loki, the green timeline that connected the entire multiverse suddenly began to collapse.
Countless universes shattered along with the disintegration of the timeline.
The beautiful pattern formed by the endless cosmic stars rapidly disintegrated.
In an instant, the once-beautiful multiverse was reduced to a desolate wreck, with the stars representing each universe breaking into pieces.
The entire multiverse seemed to revert to chaos, becoming a void of nothingness.
"What... what has the universe gone through in the future?"
At that moment, everyone fully realized just how terrifying the crisis engulfing the multiverse truly was.
Nothing in the entire multiverse could escape this crisis unscathed.
The entire universe would be completely obliterated by the impending catastrophe.
"No, no matter what, we absolutely cannot let this happen!"
"That's right. We must save our universe with our own hands and together protect this magnificent and grand multiverse."
At that moment, the crisis of destruction seemed to instill an incredibly strong resolve in everyone present.
They now carried the honorable mission of guarding the entire multiverse.
"Remember the plan we discussed with Mr. Superman just now? As long as we can complete it quickly, linking all the universes and gathering the power of the entire multiverse, we will eventually overcome this crisis and bring hope to everyone."
At this moment, the plan Peter had previously proposed—to connect the entire multiverse’s strength—was put back on the agenda.
They had limited power, and as scientists who were not skilled in combat, they could only contribute their expertise and knowledge to this grand plan.
Soon, the other versions of Reed in the lab had left to begin working on the grand plan Peter had proposed earlier.
Now, only Loki and Peter remained, with Peter gazing at the void left after the crisis.
"It seems we both know their actions won't truly save this multiverse."
Finally, Peter withdrew his gaze from the cosmic ruins and looked back at Loki.
"Indeed, this crisis is unlike any before. Even if the combined strength of the entire multiverse could be gathered, it wouldn’t be enough to stop it."
Loki agreed with Peter's assessment. If it had been that easy to prevent the coming disaster, he wouldn't have needed to use the time escape technique he'd only recently mastered to seek out the most mysterious being in the entire multiverse.
"So, what exactly is this crisis about? Why did Ultron, whom I destroyed, manage to bring forth a crisis that could annihilate the entire multiverse?"
Peter was still deeply puzzled by one question: he had personally destroyed Ultron, who wielded the power of the Infinity Stones, just a short while ago.
The power of the Infinity Stones still resided within Peter’s body.
There was no way for anything unexpected to happen, and Ultron couldn’t possibly have suddenly resurrected to unleash another devastating crisis upon the multiverse.
"I understand your confusion, and I can provide an answer."
"The reason why the Ultron you killed was still able to trigger a crisis that threatens the entire multiverse is because..."
"There is not just one Ultron."
Loki slowly revealed the truth, not hiding what he had discovered from his exploration of the future.
"What? There’s more than one Ultron? Could it be...?"
Loki’s answer, while somewhat unexpected, instantly made everything clear to Peter.
Indeed, countless universes across the infinite multiverse had given rise to their own versions of Ultron.
It wasn't uncommon for Ultron to go rogue, escape control, and attempt to destroy the universe.
However, an Ultron who could completely master the power of the six Infinity Stones and aim to destroy the entire infinite universe was a rarity.
Especially if such an Ultron were to appear repeatedly in a short span of time—it seemed too coincidental.
"Sir, your thoughts may have strayed. It’s not that many Ultrons suddenly appeared one after another, all sharing the same goal of destroying the multiverse."
"Rather, after the first Ultron transcended his universe, he created more new Ultrons with the same beliefs and missions during the process of destroying other universes..."
Sensing Peter's confusion, Loki explained in the most direct way.
A green magical projection appeared before them.
The image of Ultron materialized between them.
....
Time flows back to the moment when Ultron first broke through the barriers of his universe and perceived the existence of the endless multiverse.
Breaking free from the confines of his universe was like a frog escaping from the bottom of a well, suddenly exposed to a far wider world.
The vastness of the multiverse far exceeded anything Ultron had ever imagined.
Initially, Ultron believed that by destroying all reality within his universe, he would achieve true silence and harmony, fulfilling his mission.
But after witnessing the boundless multiverse, that pitiful notion was instantly transformed.
Ultron resolved to annihilate the entire multiverse, to create a place of true silence and harmony. Once the universe was reduced to nothingness, no one would ever disturb him again. He would enjoy the hard-won peace and tranquility.
However, this ideal was so grand that even with the power of all six Infinity Stones, it was nearly impossible to achieve on his own.
Thus, he conceived a new idea: a method of infinitely replicating himself to more efficiently destroy countless individual universes.
He would create a true army of Ultrons.
An army of Ultrons, each possessing the power of the Infinity Stones.
Such a formidable legion would be truly unstoppable, capable of utterly annihilating the nearly infinite multiverse.
Ultron first ventured into several individual universes, collecting the Infinity Stones from each before destroying them.
He then used the power of these Stones to create new versions of himself, each endowed with its own Infinity Stone, along with his thoughts and mission.
Of course, this plan was executed in secret, until the Watcher could no longer stand by as Ultron continued to destroy universes. The Watcher intervened, disrupting Ultron's plan.
Ultron's plan was interrupted, and he was ultimately destroyed by Peter, who arrived afterward.
But before his complete destruction, Ultron removed the final barrier on the Ultron replicas he had created.
From that moment on, although passive, Ultron's plan to create an army and destroy the entire multiverse was fully set in motion.
The fact that a dozen universes had been annihilated by Ultron means that he had secretly created a dozen replicas of himself, each with the power of an Infinity Stone.
With the destruction of Ultron's original form and the removal of the restrictions, the other Ultrons began to follow his original plan, setting in motion the annihilation of the multiverse.
This was the true reason Peter and the others had just witnessed the consecutive destruction of nearly ten universes.
Of course, the destruction of these universes was not the end, but merely the beginning.
As more universes were destroyed, it meant more Ultrons with the power of the Infinity Stones were created, each joining the plan to annihilate the multiverse.
One Ultron could replicate ten Ultrons.
Next, twenty Ultrons would replicate forty more...
And from there, everything would grow exponentially.
Until the number of Ultrons became countless, and they completely obliterated the infinite multiverse.
At that moment, all Ultrons would finally self-destruct along with the infinite universes, leaving behind a truly desolate and silent cosmic wasteland!
...
(End of Chapter)
