As this extremely large, dazzling golden energy merged into the other twelve energy groups, the blueprint suddenly burst into an unprecedented light!
From the perspective of the universe, it was as if a supernova had exploded. The terrifying impact spread instantly with infinite power, causing the surrounding void to tremble violently.
This blueprint was undergoing an incredible transformation.
When the power of the thirteen Apostles merged into one, the dark side of the universe—hidden since its creation—suddenly revealed itself before vanishing at lightning speed.
An indescribable mass, one that had only existed in imagination, was gradually taking form.
The process lasted for ten days and ten nights.
To the Apostles, time, of course, meant nothing.
The thirteen Apostles watched intently as this object—meant to carry a portion of each of their powers, their names, and their glory—was about to be obtained by a mortal.
And that mortal would be their messenger in another world.
He or she would pave the way for them, devoutly welcoming the final arrival of the thirteen great Apostles!
Ten long days and nights passed.
This object ultimately absorbed all the remaining resources in the universe.
During its formation, each Apostle contributed their lifetime's collection to it.
Ross contributed all his spoils of war. Held imparted all the magical knowledge she had acquired. The Old Maker provided all the technological blueprints of Hyperion...
This object, regarded by the Apostles as a weapon, was finally completed.
"In addition to the carrier, we also need a guide," Ross suddenly said. "As a precaution. And for the sake of all our Apostles. We should send out a clone to guide this chosen one."
"I'll do it!" Casillas declared without hesitation.
As a reincarnation of the Ghost Shadow Clan, an Aiken whose very instinct was to battle, Casillas couldn't wait to go to another world and challenge the powerful beings there.
"Your strength isn't enough to shoulder such a heavy responsibility," Bakar scoffed, his words laced with provocation.
"Have you already forgotten your defeat? Very well. I can defeat you again without any effort!" Casillas shot back.
"You only won because you ganged up on me. Do you really think you've ever actually defeated me?" Bakar laughed wildly.
"No time for arguments."
Held's clear voice cut through their bickering. "The dimensional wall makes it harder for us to cross as we grow stronger. I was the best candidate, being the most familiar with the other dimension's structure, but I must remain here to oversee things. So, Ross…"
"I understand," the massive octopus responded calmly. "I will send a clone to serve as the guide."
Held warned, "But remember, your spiritual power is too immense to pierce the dimensional wall. This clone of yours will be completely isolated in the other world. Once it is sent out, you will no longer be able to contact it."
"You mean, once we send this weapon, we'll lose control over everything?" Bakar asked, clearly dissatisfied.
"The worst-case scenario is that we lose both the clone and the weapon," Held admitted, concern flickering in her eyes. "The Great Will will not let us intervene so easily."
"I will find a way," Ross said slowly. "If I am to deceive the Great Will, then first, I must deceive myself."
"Luke, what do you think?" Held turned to the short, old man.
The old man met her gaze and simply nodded.
Held took a deep breath. "Then, let me find a suitable host."
At the center of the vast circular platform, the indescribable object began to blur, shrinking until it suddenly vanished.
This artifact, imbued with fragments of the thirteen Apostles' power and all the resources of this fractured world, carried their fate. It would soon breach the barriers of time and space, reaching a world beyond their observation.
All that remained was to wait.
---
When Luke came home from school, he saw the short-legged Rottweiler in the fish tank still sound asleep, blowing bubbles as it dreamed.
Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. was rebuilding the warehouse. Luke had driven the War Lord into a secluded grove, concealing it from sight. As for the old equipment in the warehouse? He had long wanted to replace it.
So, he had Christina draft a list of all the lost instruments and devices, then handed it over to S.H.I.E.L.D., demanding full compensation from Nick Fury. He specifically requested all replacements to be brand new.
What? An agent claimed that all the equipment in the warehouse had been second-hand?
"Mr. Agent, are you a Tiandi player? Those were brand-new, top-of-the-line models. Now, they're all wrecked, okay? If you insist they were second-hand, go ahead and repair them."
Under the War Lord's iron hooves, no equipment survived intact.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had no choice but to swallow the loss.
Who told them to send Agent May on the first day and cause such a mess? If Luke weren't worried about the egg going berserk and turning everything to hell, he might have even demanded compensation for emotional distress.
As for Nick Fury's repeated inquiries about Crystal's identity, Luke simply feigned ignorance, promising to investigate himself.
---
After dinner, Luke returned to his room, lying on his bed with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
The room felt unnaturally quiet.
Without Ross's usual chatter, Luke felt… off.
Outside, the night seemed calmer than usual—eerily still. It felt like the quiet before a storm.
He ran the numbers in his head.
One year and five months had passed since he arrived in this world.
And with each passing day, the Chitauri invasion of New York drew closer.
He often felt like he was running out of time. Unlike other travelers who arrived before the age of superheroes, he had no luxury of years to prepare.
When he arrived in the Marvel Universe, Iron Man already existed. Soon after, the Hulk emerged.
Now, every major superhero of Marvel's first phase had appeared. The only thing left was for them to assemble.
In other words, the plot of The Avengers was about to begin.
Luke estimated that, at most, Nick Fury would reach out to him within the next month.
With his current strength, he had no problem protecting himself during the Chitauri invasion. Keeping his adoptive parents safe? Also no problem.
The real issue was long-term survival.
The Battle of New York was just the beginning. The Chitauri invasion would shatter people's illusions of safety. From then on, superheroes would spring up like mushrooms after the rain.
But for Luke, this was just a trial run.
If he couldn't handle this relatively low-difficulty crisis, he had no chance against the bigger threats to come—each more dangerous than the last.
And then, there was Thanos.
Back in his world, Avengers: Infinity War had ended with Thanos snapping his fingers. The movie cut to black.
He had no idea what happened afterward.
No knowledge of how the Avengers ultimately defeated Thanos.
That uncertainty filled him with unease.
The worst nightmare for a time traveler was losing foresight.
He had less than ten years before everything spiraled out of control.
In less than a decade, either he would ascend to god-like strength and crush Thanos… or he would be at fate's mercy.
Hopefully, the resurrection coins in his pocket weren't fake.
Luke chose the first option.
"Just face Thanos head-on! With the system backing me up, there's nothing to be afraid of! A real man knows when to push forward and when to hold back! Be smart when needed, be ruthless when necessary!"
The real question was how to maximize his strength gain from the Battle of New York.
Luke rolled off the bed.
Grabbing a pen and paper, he carefully replayed the events of The Avengers in his mind, jotting them down.
He had watched it years ago, and the details were blurry.
But it was the most iconic Marvel movie—he had seen it at least three times.
The main plot? He remembered it well.
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