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[Superman] Chapter 165: The Member Who Accepted the Invitation
🕑 Added 2024-06-30 05:19:27 +0000 UTC"Is he one of the few survivors in this zombie universe?"
Looking at the weathered face, almost unadorned, Peter could vaguely see a resemblance between him and Reed in the lines of his brow.
There was no doubt that the person standing before them at this moment was one of the few survivors in this zombie universe, where most had turned into zombies.
Of course, he was also Reed's counterpart in this universe.
"Yes, it's true that the origin of the special virus that swept through this universe remains unknown."
"But what is known is that for several years now, the entire Earth has been in ruins, with only a few survivors among the billions who once inhabited it."
"Of course, humanity hasn't given up resistance. Led by heroes, they continue to attempt to defeat the zombies and reclaim their homeland."
"And the man before us is one of them. Since the virus infected the world, he has persisted in researching a cure for the zombie virus."
"Unfortunately, after years of effort, he hasn't successfully cured a single human infected by the zombie virus..."
Reed had only briefly understood the recent history of this universe through the Multiverse Traveler.
He could empathize with the unbearable pain when one's loved ones, friends, entire cities, and the entire human race transformed into mindless zombies in such a short time.
He also acknowledged his counterpart in this universe, who had persisted day after day in researching a cure for the zombie virus.
Because if it were him, he would have made the same choice.
"The Zombie Universe... I wonder which of the many zombie universes this one belongs to."
Peter knew that within the Marvel Universe, there were numerous scenarios that could trigger an apocalypse.
Among them, the most famous was Universe Number 2149, where the Zombie Crisis had occurred.
But how exactly the zombie crisis had started in this universe remained unknown.
However, at this moment, Peter faced a choice.
Whether to agree to invite the man before him.
"Sir, I understand your concern about whether the zombie crisis will invade our universe. I have taken absolutely secure measures!"
"I assure you, inviting him will not bring the same crisis to our universe!"
Seeing Peter hesitate, Reed, who had a meticulous mind, already knew the real reason behind Peter's hesitation.
He understood how terrifying the virus that turned the entire human race into zombies could be.
If they agreed to invite this man as a member of their Multiverse Council, they would have to consider whether doing so would bring the zombie virus to their universe, or even worse, if it would leak out and turn their universe into such a doomsday scene.
This was absolutely not a scenario any of them wanted to witness.
Of course, Reed had already considered all of this when he prepared to invite another version of himself from the Zombie Universe.
Therefore, he had implemented extremely thorough measures to eliminate any potential virus threats.
"If that's the case... let's do as you think."
Peter looked at Reed with a determined expression and ultimately chose to trust his decision.
However, even Peter, at this moment, did not want to get involved with such an incredibly eerie zombie virus.
After all, in the Marvel Universe, even powerful beings like the Devourer of Worlds could be infected by the zombie virus.
In Universe Number 2149, the entire universe had become a playground for zombies, and even the Watcher was unable to resolve the zombie crisis.
Out of fear of its spread across the entire Multiverse, they had reluctantly established a specific universal cycle to finally suppress the spread of the zombie virus across the entire Multiverse.
"Thank you, sir!"
Upon hearing Peter's agreement, Reed's expression was filled with gratitude.
Because in inviting this version of himself from the Zombie Universe, he also had some personal motives.
Namely, he wanted to rely on the power of their Multiverse Technology Council to give this version of himself, who had always persisted in fighting the zombie crisis, a glimmer of hope to help him rebuild a human homeland.
...
Accompanied by their thoughts, they freely traversed the Multiverse.
The first batch of council members to be invited had all been visited.
Although there were surprising situations that amazed Peter, he ultimately did not reject Reed's suggestion regarding the member invitations.
He agreed to the five special members he proposed.
In the next moment, their gaze left this realm, once belonged to humans but now a playground for zombies.
Returning to the vast and mysterious void of the Multiverse, akin to a starlit sky.
At this moment, infinite spherical representations of universes shimmered, among which five selected universes sparkled exceptionally bright.
"Well then, let's prepare for the first council meeting after the establishment of our Multiverse Council!"
Peter's gaze swept over the five universes that stood out more than the others, then he spoke without hesitation.
"Understood, sir!"
Reed's eyes gleamed with intense anticipation. Without hesitation, he initiated the first special council session connecting the Multiverse.
As the council began its session.
Many of the infinite universes, shining like stars, gradually dimmed, leaving only those five selected universes still brightly illuminated.
Suddenly, above the universe representing Peter's presence, five incredibly radiant beams shot out, piercing through the endless void, each heading towards one of the five chosen universes.
Meanwhile.
In each of the five universes recently toured by Peter and Reed.
Five shimmering star-gate-like portals emerged.
In the first universe, atop the futuristic cityscape of towering skyscrapers.
A mysterious star gate suddenly materialized behind a middle-aged Reed, who was overlooking the city below.
"What... is this?"
The middle-aged Reed, with decades of life experience, suddenly noticed a faint glow reflecting off a window, and swiftly turning around, he saw this portal brimming with a mysterious aura.
In the dim starry sky that streaked across it, it seemed to hold the mysteries of the universe, awaiting his exploration.
Even though he was well into his middle age, having lived a rich and experienced life, the sudden appearance of this scene left him utterly astonished.
For a moment, he stood before the enigmatic star gate, hesitating and unsure.
...
Meanwhile, in the Multiverse
And almost simultaneously, the mysterious star gates appeared in other universes.
Undoubtedly, no one would rashly step into such a suddenly appearing star gate, brimming with profound mystery.
"Where did this thing come from? Why did it suddenly appear in my room?"
Even Reed, who had seen countless advanced technologies and possessed an incredibly sharp mind, struggled to discern the origin of this mysterious star gate.
"It seems to be some kind of special teleportation gate..."
After a brief exploration, they quickly confirmed that it indeed was a special teleportation gate.
"However, where does this gate lead to exactly?"
Yet, even after confirming that it was a teleportation gate before them, they remained unsure of its destination.
Just as they were intensely curious about the origin and destination of this special gate,
Beams of starlight suddenly traversed through it.
As if materializing, they appeared right before them.
At this moment, the brilliant starlight seemed to be manipulated by some special force, gently flowing in front of them.
Eventually, it formed into words.
"Do you wish to explore the true mysteries of the infinite Multiverse? Do you desire to study the most advanced technologies in the cosmos? Are you curious about another version of yourself in the infinite Multiverse?"
"If you do, then welcome to join us!"
"A sincere invitation from the Multiverse Council!"
Upon seeing these words suddenly appear before them, almost every recipient of the invitation felt an incredibly intense shock at that moment.
"The Multiverse Council?"
"An invitation from the Multiverse?"
"Could it be true that beyond the endless boundaries of the universe, there exist other parallel universes?"
At this moment, countless thoughts and curiosities filled their minds.
The text composed of starlight seemed to irresistibly attract their hearts.
"Does the infinite universe, boundless knowledge, mean that I may have hope to save our home?"
As they watched the starlight slowly dissipate, and gazed upon the enigmatic and eerie star gate, Reed, who had just contemplated conducting another experiment from the Zombie Universe, became incredibly muddled. Almost completely losing hope, a glimmer of desire and brilliance unexpectedly emerged in his eyes.
"Hope, please do not let me down again!"
Suddenly, he almost hesitated not at all, taking the lead to step into the mysterious star gate, heading towards the brilliant starry sky.
...
"I didn't expect that he would be the first to accept our invitation!"
In the conference room, Reed watched as a universe connected to their own began to radiate with a dazzling light, symbolizing acceptance of the invitation.
His expression couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
"It's understandable. After all, in that universe filled with zombies, almost devoid of hope, even the slightest glimmer of hope would be grasped with all their might."
Peter, however, wasn't overly surprised.
They both understood that universe had nearly lost all hope. Without the slightest bit of perseverance in their hearts, the survivors in that universe would have long given up resistance and become part of the endless ranks of zombies.
"We won't let him down. We'll do everything possible to resolve the crisis he faces!"
A firm resolve flickered in Reed's eyes. After the establishment of the Multiverse Council, their primary goal, apart from studying the Speed Force, was focused on addressing the zombie crisis in their universe.
"Reed, your invited members won't reject our invitation out of fear, will they?"
However, despite the shining light representing the zombie universe, the other four universes remained unresponsive for a while.
It was as if they hesitated to accept the mysterious invitation due to fear of the unknown.
Peter found this situation somewhat frustrating. In his view, there was no need for such a mysterious invitation process. They could have simply brought them here forcibly.
However, all plans were proposed and formulated by Reed, and Peter agreed to this respectful method of invitation.
"Sorry, sir. It may take some time, but I assure you they will accept our invitation and become members of the council..."
A hint of apology flashed across Reed's face, but then he quickly regained his determination. The individuals he invited had been carefully selected.
They shared the same intense desire as him for the mysteries of the universe, boundless knowledge, and advanced technology.
Most importantly, they all harbored a heart that refused to accept mediocrity.
...
"How did this portal appear?"
In the room, Reed, who was taking care of the children, looked at the suddenly appearing portal and the dazzling inscription, his face filled with shock and curiosity.
However, he didn't rashly accept the invitation and step into the portal.
Instead, he immediately fetched various detectors he had crafted and carefully explored this suddenly appearing portal.
"The materials that do not exist in our universe, and the completely different vibrational frequency... Could this really be a product from another universe?"
After a thorough investigation, Reed finally confirmed that this portal did indeed originate from another universe.
This filled his heart instantly with curiosity and longing.
Though he had become a stay-at-home dad looking after children, his inner self was not content with such ordinary life.
He thirsted for more advanced knowledge and desired to explore the unknown.
Hesitating for a moment, he slowly walked out of the room, glanced at the children still playing with toys in the living room.
Finally, a determined expression appeared on his face, and he closed his bedroom door...
Meanwhile, in the living room, the child playing with toys seemed to sense something, turning his head towards his dad's room with a puzzled look.
Suddenly, his eyes shimmered with a brilliance akin to galaxies.
Between his clasped hands, a faint light slowly emanated.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed as though he held a miniature universe in his hands...
And so, time passed slowly. Nearly ten minutes had gone by.
However, in the laboratory, those four universes remained dim, with not a single one accepting the invitation.
Just as Peter was growing impatient and preparing to follow the cosmic conduit to the other side, grabbing them by their collars and forcibly stuffing them into the star gate...
Suddenly, one of the dim universes erupted with a brighter light.
"Finally, one... has agreed!"
Reed couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. During this "lengthy" wait, he had actually been more tormented than anyone else.
"No, not just one, they have all agreed!"
However, as if that suddenly brightened universe was a signal, the other universes also began to light up one after another in the next few seconds.
Instantly, the light representing the five universes became incredibly bright.
And the beams connecting these five universes suddenly began to shrink rapidly.
Buzz!
Suddenly, the entire laboratory began to tremble slightly.
In the center of the conference room, opposite Peter and Reed, in front of the hexagonal conference table, a radiant faint light suddenly appeared.
The faint light rapidly expanded, forming a mysterious star gate.
Within the star gate, it seemed as though there were endless sparkling stars rushing swiftly.
Suddenly, one of the slightly brighter stars rapidly traversed towards where Peter and the others were located.
Like a star traversing through endless universes.
Accompanied by bright rays of light, suddenly illuminating the entire conference room.
The next moment, figures suddenly appeared in this conference room, appearing in front of the conference table.
"Is this... another universe?"
...
(End of this chapter)
