This moment was destined to be eternal.
Whether in the endless past or the countless future, no matter the circumstances, this moment would be forever etched upon the universe.
A new conceptual god was born.
This was the only conceptual god this universe had ever produced since its birth. Even the countless parallel universes, until their demise, would never produce a being like Duva.
The moment Duva attained godhood,
the universe seemed to cease its normal functioning. Every region, every galaxy, every planet, even every cosmic law, rejoiced for Duva.
The universe itself seemed to become Duva's devoted follower—this was, of course, an illusion, as the Creator Gods, existing as cosmic entities, could not possibly be his followers.
But this did not prevent all those who witnessed Duva's ascension from experiencing similar feelings.
As Duva imprinted his mark upon the entire universe, as all known and unknown was slowly eroded by his presence.
At this moment, Duva not only achieved a leap in power, returning to the level of a single universe, even more powerful than when he defeated Knull and assumed the throne of the World Tree, but also expanded drastically on a conceptual level. All things and knowledge related to the aliens became Duva's possession.
Anyone who attempted to interact with the aliens or decipher information about them essentially stepped into Duva's conceptual domain.
This meant that within the universe, within the concept, Duva could enhance his divine descent technique by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times, allowing him to precisely parasitize each alien onto a specific life form within the universe.
"He did it... I really don't know whether to feel relieved or sad. I witnessed the birth of the Concept God. This may be the luck of our universe, but as long as one day we do not leave this world, we will inevitably have to deal with Duwa."
"Why, do you still want to escape to other universes? If you can't make it in your own universe, will going to other universes have good results? Or do you think you will be as lucky as the Moon God from the parallel universe and meet a second Duwa?"
"If it's just dealing with each other, then you think things are too simple. This guy is a Concept God for one day, which means that we must stay at the peak of our strength for one more day and must not become weak..."
"As long as we become weak, it gives Duwa a chance. Once Duwa gets the chance, he will be able to take advantage of it and turn us into his vassals... Is that right?"
"The only good news is that Duwa is not a Concept God like eternity or infinity that exists as time and space. This means that the concepts aggregated by Duwa will be smaller than those of the creator gods, and will not deprive us of all our existence space."
"That's what it looks like at first glance, but don't forget, Duva has already blanketed the entire universe with his alien forms. In the future, this density will only grow more alarming, shrinking the space we have available for maneuvering."
A flurry of complex gazes descended upon Duva.
Even the most ancient cosmic gods, as long as they haven't formed a multiverse, remain independent entities, completely separate from their parallel universe selves. This means that, throughout their lives, they might only witness Duva, the only conceptual god besides a few creator gods, and witness the entire process of his ascension.
They can also feel the growing pressure from Duva, a truly terrifying feeling.
Duva's ascension to godhood silenced the thoughts of most gods, and a mixture of gratitude, regret, and awe washed over them.
"Luckily we didn't take action just now. Who could have guessed Duva had so many thugs? It turns out no concept god can truly succeed solely on concept alone."
"The most interesting thing is, for those of us who didn't take action, things will be easy in the future, but those who did are in trouble... not to mention that one of them is a demon from Hell."
"Mephisto... I seemed to vaguely sense the presence of an outsider earlier. I always thought it was that unknown giant snake that Duva captured. It seems it's not just the snake. Mephisto has somehow infiltrated, hoping to wrest the new concept from Duva as well."
Many gloating figures murmured, their gazes fixed on the impasse.
Before Duva attained godhood, these guys couldn't gain an advantage. Now that Duva has become a god and can personally attack with even greater power, how will these gods and demons cope?
After all, as far as the gods can remember, the last time Duva attacked in human form was when he had assumed the throne of the World Tree God and concentrated his forces to defeat Nar.
Would they now be lucky enough to witness Duva's second personal attack? This time, strictly speaking, Duva was no longer human, but rather a being embodying a vast concept. His human body had long since dissolved, becoming part of the concept.
Dormammu stared at Duva, speechless. He had originally intended to create Duva as his own shell.
Mephisto was practically furious. He was only one step away from Duva, just a tiny fraction. If Mark and Khonsu hadn't rushed to stop him, he would have already taken Duva... Mephisto didn't believe that Duva, before becoming a god, still had the strength to withstand his attack.
"Mephisto, you failed! You finally failed once, at the most crucial moment!"
Mark was nearly killed, but ecstatic. On the other hand, he thought, if he couldn't stop Mephisto, if he truly took Duva's entirety, his universe would be doomed.
Now, everything would be reversed.
"Why don't you just die? If it weren't for you, I could have gotten everything!"
Mephisto raged. It had been so long since he'd lost his composure. He immediately harnessed his terrifying demonic power, intending to crush Mark and Khonsu.
"You're overthinking it, demon! Just when you think I'm out of energy, I actually have many more plans waiting for you."
Duval moved, taking a step forward, and instantly stood before Mark. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed all of Mephisto's power.
He stared directly at the demon: "Moonlight Knight's arrival was indeed a surprise, but I can clearly sense his utter hatred for you. He offered to help, and I'm willing to accept his assistance."
Had Duval not anticipated Mephisto's presence? Of course not. Duval would not have overlooked this cunning and sinister demon, and he anticipated that he would deploy his true form in an attempt to achieve a quick victory.
However, the result was that Duval had succeeded before he had even used all his cards.
He was already an unprecedented Alien God, the only one of his kind in the entire multiverse. From this moment on, he would be the supreme concept of Alien, the epitome of all things Alien-related.
All who came after him, so long as they were tainted by the concept of Alien, would be inferior to him, and at best, become his vassals.
With a single thought, Duval could see and hear the cheers of every alien in the universe. Even all life forms that depended on them were within his field of vision.
Mephisto suddenly stepped back and sneered, "So, I underestimated you? I'm curious what other tricks you have in store for me."
"Nar's fate will be yours," Duval said.
Mephisto retreated further. "Don't think you've won everything just because you became a god. Even gods can die. Look, there's someone ready to kill you. I guess he's been waiting for you to become a god." Duval looked up.
More gods turned their gazes to Thanos.
"Thanos, at this point, we should retreat. Continuing to fight Duval, who has become a god, is unwise. Even if you've hidden a lot, you're no match for a conceptual god."
Kronos was the one caught in the most difficult situation. The worst outcome he'd feared had finally occurred. The God of Time didn't even know how to end this operation.
It wasn't up to him anymore, but rather whether Duval, the newly minted god, would use this event to assert his authority over the universe.
Or perhaps... it could also be up to Thanos.
Kronos stared at his grandson.
Thanos immediately punched Reynolds away. A sinister grin crossed his once cold and indifferent face, as if the sight of Duval like this would bring him satisfaction.
As if he'd been waiting for this moment.
This baffled Kronos, but then again, he'd never quite understood Thanos's thinking, because most people didn't worship death.
But without the Infinity Stones, Thanos, a mere sub-godfather, dared challenge Duval?
On what basis?
Kronos quickly understood his grandson's reliance.
Thanos extended the hand adorned with the Infinity Gauntlet and made a grasping motion, as if grasping a fragment of space.
"Interesting! I think I know what it is."
Duval, with just a glance, had a vague idea.
In an instant, his terrifyingly transformed brain raced at full speed, calculating vast quantities of information in every instant. Simultaneously, billions of alien consciousnesses served as computing terminals within his mind, providing him with a constant stream of computing power, calculating various results for him.
If his guess was correct, this universe's Thanos had indeed obtained that object.
It was arguably the most powerful longsword in the Marvel Universe.
Under the gaze of countless people, a seemingly unremarkable longsword gradually emerged from Thanos's palm, which should have been empty.
At first glance, it seemed unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, it possessed an eerie harmony, as if, from the moment it appeared, it had seamlessly integrated with the Infinity Gauntlet and the Infinity Stones, forming a seamless energy circuit.
The gods' faces were filled with deep confusion, completely unsure of what this weapon could possibly be. It seemed connected to the Infinity Stones.
Could such a weapon exist in the universe?
"It is indeed this, Thanos. You have surpassed my expectations," Duval nodded.
Thanos chuckled, "How interesting! You actually knew of this artifact? Do you possess my same mastery of the Infinite Force? Then you should know how terrifying this weapon is. This is... the Infinity Sword!" The
Infinity Sword?
What the hell? I'd never heard of it.
The thought crossed the gods' minds almost simultaneously. Even Kronos frowned, racking his brains, trying to trace any trace of this artifact through time.
But alas, he couldn't. The time he controlled couldn't transcend infinity.
"Is there any artifact in this world that can match the Infinity Stones? I have never seen it, nor have I heard of it! At least I haven't seen any relevant records in my universe."
Even the most knowledgeable Black Strange was a little confused.
Duva suddenly realized that it was indeed this.
Infinity Stones, Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Sword, this is the three-piece set of Infinity Weapons. The
Infinity Sword is a very rare thing. Even if it exists in some universes, I am afraid that the universe has been destroyed and this artifact is hidden somewhere gathering dust.
This is interesting. Thanos can't have easily obtained this last Infinity Artifact. Did he get it a long time ago? Only after obtaining the Infinity Stones can he be sure to unleash the power of the Infinity Sword?
Maybe.
Reynolds flew back again. He was also injured, but his condition was much better than Moonlight Knight. This was also related to Thanos not using his full strength.
"Asshole, Thanos, right? When you fought me, you didn't use your full strength, but instead had a trick up your sleeve?!" Reynolds was furious. Not only had he failed to defeat Thanos, he couldn't even suppress him. And now, he realized he couldn't even force Thanos to unleash his full power.
Ever since becoming the Sentinel, Reynolds had been accustomed to smooth sailing, never facing a true setback. But now, he had.
Unwilling to give up, Reynolds suddenly accelerated, madly detonating the stellar force within his body. The golden light around him rose exponentially, like a supernova about to explode, as he charged towards Thanos.
But Thanos's face only showed impatience, clearly unwilling to waste any more time with Reynolds. He swung his right hand.
The Infinity Gauntlet, encrusted with Infinity Stones and holding the Infinity Sword, slashed across from a distance.
It was just a seemingly random force, but it was brewing a terrifying destructive power that seemed to split the universe in half. Wherever it passed, everything visible and invisible was split apart.
When this force fell on Reynolds, the golden light and the majestic energy field on Reynolds' body were torn apart layer by layer.
Death was approaching Reynolds.
But Duval took action, raised his hand and pulled Reynolds over, and blocked the infinite power that was pouring out.
It was very powerful. The power exerted by these three types of artifacts together made Duval take it seriously.
Chapter 166: Become my vassal first, then kill, and thus avoid death
. This universe does have several sword-like artifacts.
Duval possesses one, the Necromancer Sword, seized from Knull by the hand of the God Butcher, Gorr.
However, Duval has only used this artifact once, against Knull. This was primarily because the Necromancer Sword was the universe's first true symbiote, and his possession of it meant Knull lost a portion of his available power, a trade-off.
Now, Thanos has taken up the Infinity Sword, combining this artifact with the Infinity Stones to unleash a power far greater than the Necromancer Sword's.
With that previous blow, if Duval hadn't intervened, Reynolds would have been severely injured, if not instantly slain by Thanos.
"What is that?" Reynolds stared ahead in wonder, but not at Thanos.
This caused Thanos to pause, his eyes clearly trembling with emotion, but he quickly calmed down.
"Don't you understand? That's Death. He's here, and he almost tried to snatch you from me after death."
Duval also saw the slowly emerging Creator God. With just one glance, he could decipher the pervasive symbols of ending, the end, and death.
It was both the final stage that normal life could not escape, no matter how hard it tried, and a literal god.
Death came silently, present everywhere, watching silently.
Duval observed through Reynolds's perspective and realized that in Reynolds's eyes, Death was a skeleton dressed in a black robe, holding a huge scythe.
Considering Reynolds's homeless background, this made sense. His understanding and imagination of Death was the classic scythe-wielding Grim Reaper.
Duval's own Death, on the other hand, was a humanoid shadow, a conglomeration of rules and meanings, not a person with a clear form or specific outline.
Everyone's understanding of death is different, and so their vision of death is also drastically different.
But as far as Duval knew, few people were like Thanos.
Death in Thanos's eyes is also changing. When Thanos was a child, he dealt with Death in the form of an innocent little girl. When he grew up, Death became a charming young woman.
This is completely understandable. Dogs often have unrealistic fantasies about the objects of their admiration, always thinking that they can win the other party's favor through hard work, but in reality, it's nothing.
But Thanos is always obsessed with it, considering the pursuit of this behavior as a lifelong creed, and trying every possible means to make Death laugh.
For example, right now, Thanos regards killing Duval as a top priority. Since Death has already paid attention to this, if he offers Duval to Death, it will surely make Death happy.
"Since you are interested in Duval, I will give him to you," Thanos said in a deep voice.
Death remained silent, like a cold, indifferent program. But Thanos was unfazed. He was accustomed to Death's apathy. Sometimes, he longed for the young Death who had spoken to him in his childhood, tempting him to fall into murder and bloodshed.
Many gods had sensed Death's approach, but they didn't show much surprise at Thanos's attitude.
Unless they were the kind of gods who rarely left their homes, anyone who had wandered the universe would know that Thanos, the infamous cosmic butcher, was a renowned thug on Death's side, enjoying Death's protection.
This was thanks to Duval's recent series of events, which had caused a stir and alerted many gods to the cosmic changes, and thus, they became aware of Thanos's existence.
"Don't you understand? Death has come for me. No matter what you do, it's futile and will not change His opinion of you," Duval said bluntly.
Thanos, expressionless, cast a deep glance at Death before he raised the Infinity Sword and slashed at Duval.
At that moment, the power of Infinity surged, ultimately converging upon the blade.
"It's a powerful force, but unfortunately, you only possess three Infinity Stones, not six. You can't truly harness the Infinity."
Duval opened his other hand, palm facing upward. Streams of light converged from across the Earth.
From the demon's strange neck, the Time Stone flew.
From Tony's Celestial Armor, maintaining Earth's stability and ever poised for action, the blue Space Stone soared. And
from that distorted space and time, the red Reality Stone soared.
The three beautiful stones bobbed in Duval's palm, juxtaposing with the three Infinity Stones in Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet.
They also formed a subtle connection with the Infinity Sword.
However, this shared power of Infinity had no effect on Duval's control over the three Infinity Stones.
"You have the Time Stone around your neck, right? Why isn't there any movement? Come to think of it, I've never seen you use it. With two Time Stones in the same universe, which one would control time?"
Demon Strange looked down at the empty Eye of Agamotto, his face expressionless. He then turned to Black Strange, staring at the Eye of Agamotto on Black Strange's chest.
"You're talking about that? I haven't told you yet. Each Infinity Stone is only effective within a specific area. I haven't yet figured out the underlying principles, but that's the rule. My Time Stone, even if I leave my universe, works in neighboring universes, but it's ineffective in this one."
Black Strange pointed at Dormammu in the distance. "If my Time Stone still works, I'll show Dormammu the meaning of cruelty."
Demon Strange understood. This meant that for him, the Time Stone was a transitional item. If he survived to death in this universe, the Time Stone would undoubtedly be an indispensable artifact.
But if they leave this universe, even the most powerful Infinity Stones are worthless. The demon Strange has already realized their utter uselessness in defeating Mephisto.
The two Doctors Stranges were completely indifferent to the Time Stone, but Tony couldn't ignore the fact that his Cosmic Cube had been taken by Dewar.
"I finally found a stable energy source, and now, Dewar just reaches for it, crushes the Cosmic Cube right in front of me, and takes the Space Stone without even a word,"
Tony lamented. However, knowing Dewar, he knew that unless absolutely necessary, after the battle, Dewar would toss the Space Stone back like trash.
That was his personality.
Tony's grumble was just a habit, not a genuine complaint. In fact, Tony had once believed that he was one of the key forces Dewar was preparing to mobilize.
If Moon Knight hadn't intervened to stop Mephisto, Tony had every reason to believe that it would have been himself, piloting the Celestial Armor powered by the Space Stone, who would have confronted Mephisto.
The confrontation of the six Infinity Stones, coupled with various artifacts and the powerful beings that wielded them, was bound to be an unprecedented battle that would shake the entire universe.
Even the ancient gods would have felt a chill in their hearts.
The arrival of a powerful conceptual god was a first in this universe.
The convergence of all six Infinity Stones was also a first in history. Thanos also held a mysterious Infinity Sword.
The battle erupted in full force, reaching the absolute limits of the universe's capacity.
But neither Dewar nor Thanos intended to hold back. Even if it meant shattering the entire universe, they would only seek to defeat the other.
What could be described as the greatest battle since the creation of the universe began.
The six Infinity Stones clashed in brilliance, a burst of brilliant light surging with a cold, murderous intent that ripped everything apart.
Dewar raised his hand, revealing the Necromancer Sword. He grasped the three Infinity Stones and slammed them onto the Necromancer Sword.
Two figures wielding swords wielded their weapons relentlessly, their seemingly simple movements easily detonating countless planets.
Unable to withstand such pressure, the ancient planets exploded, transforming into an endless sea of stars, vanishing in an instant.
Not only the planets, but even the most fundamental cosmic structures—time and space—were subjected to a massive overturn, leaving scars and cracks of varying sizes across the universe.
The hapless wailed and wailed as they were swept away by the shattering force of space and time, their bodies vanishing without a trace.
Some gods and heavenly fathers rushed to action, attempting to shield some galaxies, but everyone knew this was merely a temporary solution; everything had to wait until the two men had a clear winner.
With a resounding blast, countless surrounding stars exploded, and the violent explosion bathed the area surrounding the
two men in daylight. Infinitely compressed light and heat, the overwhelming weight of space and time, the warped constants and parameters,
all surged around the two. But neither Dewar nor Thanos took the devastation seriously.
"If you had all the Infinity Stones, you would be a formidable opponent, but alas, you only have half."
Dewar seized the Necromancer and struck down, sending Thanos flying.
Thanos shook the Infinity Sword expressionlessly, taking the Necromancer's blow head-on, feeling immense pressure.
"Three Infinity Stones are enough to send you to death. You'll thank me. Returning to death is an honor," Thanos said coldly.
"That's your honor, not mine. I worked so hard to become the God of Concepts, not to serve as a vassal of another Concept God."
"Really? Then you can be the first Concept God to serve as a vassal."
Thanos suddenly raised his right hand, and tricolor light burst forth from the Infinity Gauntlet, aimed directly at Duval.
Of the three Infinity Stones, the purple Power Stone unleashed its ultimate power, while the Mind Stone and Soul Stone attacked Duval's consciousness directly.
All of this power flowed through the Infinity Sword, transcending the chaotic zone.
"You think you're incredibly powerful, but you've overlooked the most important thing. I have all the powers you possess. But you'll never be able to match my power."
Thanos's weakest element was himself, the Sub-Father.
Duval, on the other hand, was a Concept God, naturally endowed with the power of infinite concepts.
At this moment, all the aliens in the universe, whether aliens in the narrow sense or those parasitized in the broader sense, became forces at Duval's disposal.
Soul Stone, Mind Stone?
Interesting, but Duval cared least about these two Infinity Stones.
Endless beams of light streamed from Duval's body.
At this moment, every alien, serving as an anchor point in the universe, was essentially a composite of concepts. Everything they possessed, even across infinite distances, instantly fell into Duval's hands and was at his disposal.
This was the concept, the squeak, transcending all gods.
Duval commanded an endless supply of power, from the god-like aliens like Foster to other aliens like Reynolds, Sunspot, and Hyperion.
All their power was drawn upon and used by Duval.
In an instant, it was as if the entire universe had become Duval's palm. In a sudden compression, he suddenly struck Thanos.
With the same sword.
The Necromancer sword in Duva's hand seemed faintly overwhelmed. Already burdened with three Infinity Stones, it was suddenly and violently driven by Duva, causing it to let out a scream of pain.
As the two weapons touched, everything within the surrounding area, stretching countless light years, vanished.
In an instant, the Necromancer sword snapped in half. The symbiote wasn't completely dead,
but it had successfully completed the mission Duva had imposed on it, defeating Thanos.
The Infinity Sword remained intact; after all, it was the most advanced weapon found within a single universe.
The weapon was intact, but the person wielding it was.
As Duva had said, Thanos's weakest point was himself. Compared to Duva himself, the difference was stark, completely incompetent.
"It's over, Thanos. Your glory is extremely short, but I won't kill you directly."
Duval said, "I know that Death is protecting you, and killing you will not solve the problem. In this case, I will first turn you into my vassal, and then kill you... I already have an alien Thanos, and I don't need someone like you as the second one."
He really lacks patience for the Thanos of this universe.
Facing Thanos, who is a loyal servant of the side of Death and has a strong adaptability to various artifacts and powerful forces, it is difficult for normal gods to kill him, because they can't stop Death from resurrecting Thanos again and again.
Duval had no way before, but now he has a way. First, take Thanos from the hands of Death, press him into the scope of his own concept, and then kill him.
Even Death cannot change the result of Thanos's death.
Chapter 167: Not as Good as the Previous Universe Number.
Thanos stood still. Though infinite power still lingered within him, his body had been extensively destroyed.
Most parts of him had been permanently necrotic, destroyed by Duval's very existence. Normally, Thanos's lifespan had already begun its countdown. Even if no one did anything to him, he would have died soon.
Now, he was simply clinging to his last breaths, relying on his immense vitality.
Duval appeared before Thanos, reached out, and took the Infinity Sword from his hand. He sensed the artifact's power, then tossed it aside without any sign of regard or attachment. After all,
it was merely a companion artifact to the Infinity Stones.
With a swish,
Duval reached out and pressed his hand against Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet, pulling off three of the Infinity Stones.
Thus, all six Infinity Stones were possessed by a single individual, a first in the history of this universe.
Yet none of the gods found this so incredible. The convergence of the six Infinity Stones was even more astounding than Duval's ascension to the realm of conceptual deity.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Duval intervened to save Thanos, gifting him an Alien on the spot.
He activated his divine descent, forcing the gift.
Duval glanced at Thanos and implanted the young Alien into his chest, transforming him into his host.
Instantly, the Alien's genes merged with Thanos's, sustaining Thanos's rapidly fading life.
Duval was extending his own concept, attempting to displace Death's control over Thanos.
This move was so audacious that the gods' eyes widened in amazement. This was a clash of two conceptual gods.
"The winner is definitely Death. Although both are conceptual gods, Death has accumulated over ten billion years in this universe. How can a newly born god like Duva compete with him?"
"Not only that, but in terms of cosmic positioning, Death's concept is clearly superior to Duva's concept of the Alien. The universe can exist without Duva and the Alien, but it absolutely cannot exist without Death and the End."
Furthermore, Death is an essential component of this universe, to a large extent the universe itself. Normally, it's not something Duva, a newly promoted god, can directly challenge.
Death did react. Originally, during Duva's battle with Thanos, he had played the role of a silent, motionless figure.
Now, Death spoke.
"Very impressive! Among the countless newly born conceptual beings in the multiverse, you are at the forefront."
"That's an honor. Perhaps I should call you lady? But I believe Death has no gender. Only someone like Thanos would be so unilaterally obsessed with you." Duva continued his movements, gradually squeezing the Death concept from Thanos as he spoke.
Hearing Death's voice, a glint flickered in Thanos's eyes, and he looked toward Death hopefully.
But Death ignored him, causing the light in Thanos's eyes to dim again.
Thanos didn't care about his own life or death, but he cared deeply about Death's attitude toward him.
"Congratulations, Thanos. It seems you've finally come to your senses. But it's a little too late. I won't be so kind as to let you go."
Duval gestured toward the other shadowy figures in the distance. "Perhaps you could ask your grandfather to save you? As the God of Time, perhaps he could ask Eternity to intervene and help you."
"Eternity won't come. Because I'm here, he won't deliberately appear, otherwise it would easily lead to unnecessary conceptual clashes." Death took a slight interest in Duval. "Are you interested in joining my side? The Alien and 199999 have established a foothold in this universe, but in the entire multiverse, they're still nothing that even powerful gods would value."
The multiverse is filled with countless concepts, both large and small, with new ones constantly being born and extinguished.
Creatures like the Men in Black, Transformers, and Predators can be found in an infinite number of universes.
What truly concerns Death is Duva, who ascended to conceptual godhood through the concept of the Alien, rather than the Alien itself.
To put it bluntly, Death has an infinite number of avatars, spread across the endless universe, and many concepts he has witnessed are more destructive and influential than the Alien.
At the very least, zombies, cancer, AI, Venom... any one of them deserves more attention than the Alien.
Again, the Alien itself is not a threat to even the gods. It was Duva who brought the Alien to a level unbecoming of its own, and it has continued its rapid advance ever since, and its rapid expansion will continue in the future.
"Want to take me in as your subordinate god? What a big appetite."
"Not truly subordinate, but you will be my subordinate god. I allow you to exist under the name of Death."
Death's voice was devoid of warmth. "Join me, and from now on, your aliens will continue to exist with relative independence. You will also be able to elevate the concept of aliens to a higher level, and even have the opportunity to dabble in the multiverse. You know this is a precious opportunity."
Duva understood perfectly.
Relative independence means tolerance. From a macro perspective, with just a nod, he could lead all aliens to become a relatively independent concept within Death's sphere.
Death is Duva, but Duva is not Death.
It's like a vassal, but not entirely.
Furthermore, Duva can use Death to glimpse the true nature of the multiverse, finding a glimpse of opportunities for his own advancement—much like how, before ascending to the level of a conceptual god, he had already become the God of the World Tree, gaining a deep understanding of the single universe level. This allowed him to steadily advance his path to godhood.
Anyone else would have surrendered without hesitation; no one could refuse an olive branch extended by a creator god.
This wasn't a solicitation from a single avatar, but an invitation from the multifaceted Death.
"Really? That's tempting, but I'm not ready to place the Alien under Death,"
Duva said expressionlessly, completely unconcerned.
To put it bluntly, if Annihilation and Infinity had approached him, he might have given it some serious consideration.
Infinity refers to concepts related to space and existence.
Annihilation is the most powerful and terrifying creator god, the antithesis of Eternity, Infinity, Death, and Galactus combined.
Duva's interest in these two wasn't due to their overall strength ranking among the creator gods, but simply because they were quiet and relatively unpredictable.
Looking at the others, Galactus, needless to say, a survivor of the previous multiverse's destruction, hasn't even developed a true form in the current multiverse. This means each Galactus in each universe is effectively a separate entity, completely disconnected from other Galactus in parallel universes.
Eternity? It's a mess, and its connection to the First Eternity, the First Sky—also the First Multiverse itself—is still unclear.
These two Eternities from different multiverses are bound to clash, and eventually, a final outcome will be reached. As for Death?
Duval was certain that even if he were infected with the zombie virus and the cancer of the Cancerous Universe, and madly fled to join Galactus, he would never give Death a second glance.
This founding god, what a madman!
There was no comparison to Death, who originated from the Vertigo Universe next door, and was integrated into the DC Multiverse through the Flash's Flashpoint event, becoming a figure hailed by DC's Supremes and Near-Supremes.
"I'm not interested in becoming the next Thanos, but I'm interested in helping you eliminate all Thanos," Duval said.
"All? Like what you did to Thanos in Universe 199999?"
"The Thanos of that system was normal. When I parasitized him, I wasn't a conceptual god, and there was no conceptual conflict with you."
But it had been since he became a god.
This was why the contact and collision between concepts was so dangerous.
There was no turning back on this path. Every step forward, even if it was the same as before becoming a god, had undergone a qualitative change, forcing him to directly confront other concepts.
Death slowly vanished, without anger or dissatisfaction, like a cold program, silently departing.
Thanos, abandoned by Death, had become a vassal of Duval.
But Duval didn't exchange a single word with Thanos, simply wiping him out.
"What just happened? If I'm not mistaken, Death must have intervened, but I'm not sure what transpired between him and Duval. Why did he leave so quietly? Did he retreat voluntarily? Or did he reach some kind of agreement with Duval?"
Kronos watched his grandson die, feeling no sadness, only endless worry.
He feared he would follow in Thanos' footsteps, that his backer, Eternal, might abandon Thanos as mercilessly as Death had now.
"Kronos, you're in trouble now. Duval is not one to repay kindness with vengeance. He will not let you go,"
the other gods turned to the renowned God of Time, one of them, a gigantic being, saying.
"Enough, Arithm, how are you any better than me? Don't think I don't know. You sent that idiot Hyperion to Earth to kill Duval, but ended up providing Duval with a superior host, giving him a loyal protector in his time of weakness."
Kronos, Thanos, and Hyperion are all Eternals.
Kronos had originally considered Hyperion, but after suffering a setback at the hands of Arithm, he gave up and was forced to personally create Drax the Destroyer as his henchman, though he rarely used him. He had originally created Drax specifically to counter Thanos.
As for joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, nothing happened. Kronos held onto Drax.
After all, as the great God of Time, personally participating in every matter would be an insult to him.
Even Duval, before he became a god, didn't always participate in every matter, mostly delegating tasks to his alien minions.
"Why didn't you take action when we were all just now? If you didn't, what about the other Celestials? Are you still busy creating life at this hour? Or are you hoping to reap the benefits? I understand. Celestials like you are all mechanical lifeforms, completely unconcerned about Duva parasitizing you... I want to see how you can ensure the normal birth of that Celestial on Earth!"
Seeing Duva move, Kronos was terrified and immediately fled, merging with the time of the entire universe and hiding himself in the depths of time.
The massive Celestial, Arithm, watched the swiftly fleeing God of Time.
As confident as he had been when he arrived, he was as disorganized as he fled.
But Arithm didn't mock him, nor would he waste precious computing power on meaningless expressions of emotion.
It wasn't that he didn't want to act, but that he couldn't.
According to Arithm's calculations, even if he took action, he wouldn't make much progress. Duva would surely dispatch other forces to resist him.
Just being able to stop him was enough.
This also indirectly illustrates how difficult it is to become a Concept God.
Even if one miraculously finds the right direction and ascends smoothly, one must possess a variety of top-tier forces, ready to be deployed at a crucial moment to resist the siege of a large number of Celestials.
Duval had accomplished this.
"Duval..."
Arithm paused for a moment, then descended upon Earth in person.
His massive form enveloped the rapidly repairing starry sky.
Duval stood on Earth, gazing up at the heavens.
"Are you here to declare war?" Duval asked.
"No, I must ensure the safety of my compatriots. Each Celestial has a mission: to continuously create new stars, generating gravity, light, and heat."
"The Celestials on Earth haven't accumulated sufficient energy yet, so let them remain dormant for a long time," Duval said.
Arithm's figure vanished silently.
The agreement was reached.
Duval would not attack the Celestials in Earth's core—he certainly wouldn't take the initiative to attack a single robot, as it would be a waste of his time.
But Duval would ensure that the machine remained dormant, though not officially dead. As for when it would descend successfully, it depended entirely on Duval's mood.
If Duva gets a sudden inspiration someday, he could pull the Celestials from Earth's core in a matter of minutes, ensuring the planet's integrity.
"Becoming a conceptual life form makes it much easier to do things... Now, clean up this universe and capture every one of those idiots who are scheming against us. Use those who can parasitize as soldiers, and expel or kill the robots and energy bodies that can't."
Duva's most important task now is...
to give this mediocre universe, destined to be a background piece, a new universe number.
Chapter 168: The demons of Hell pointed out that something seemed amiss
. The universe had completely changed.
This wasn't just a word to describe the change in the cosmic situation; it was a physical one.
The entire universe had been shaken by the event of Duva's ascension to godhood. Several individual cosmic gods engaged in a group fight, shattering the universe beyond recognition.
Entire galaxies were flattened, reduced to cosmic ruins.
Large areas of territory were severely damaged, their laws shattered, and their constants chaotic.
Some, fortunate or unfortunate, had their star systems exploded, leaving them stranded on their planets, helplessly watching their shattered planets, driven by the blast, hurtle towards the dark, shattered starry sky.
After an event of this magnitude, no one would care to care about the fate of those poor souls. To survive a war of this magnitude and still survive a little longer is, in itself, the greatest fortune, isn't it?
It's time to be content.
The gods, however, were filled with mixed emotions. However, if they were asked to express greed, they wouldn't. No one wanted to step forward at this critical juncture and challenge Duval's authority, as the consequences would be disastrous. Consider
Dormammu, the once-mighty Dark Lord, now secluded within the Dark Dimension.
Then there's Kronos, the God of Time, the cosmic leader. He lost his grandson, gained nothing, and is now in hiding for who knows when.
Barring another cosmic event, the gods suspect they won't see Kronos again in the foreseeable future.
Kronos himself wouldn't step forward, as that would be courting death. It all
depends on whether Duval, possessing the Time Stone, will expend immense energy in a brute-force search of all time in the universe. Even if Duval controls the Time Stone, it's bound to be a significant undertaking.
This was also the conclusion reached among the gods in whispers: Dua was indeed an undisputed conceptual god, on par with the creator gods, but he was ultimately not a cosmic entity and could not freely influence the universe. In this respect, Dua was far inferior to the creator gods.
However, this did not mean that Dua was inferior. Instead, it only demonstrated how remarkable it was that Dua, a human from Earth, had achieved this level of power and even communicated with him despite being suspected of death.
Before he became a god, he could use various means to resist attacks from several single-universe-level beings. Now that he had become a conceptual god, if he truly unleashed his full might, who knew if the universe could withstand Dua's power?
Even if it could, it would likely be shattered and brought to the brink of extinction, and the gods, whose existence depended on this universe, would also perish.
Consequently, everyone's view of the aliens underwent a profound change. No matter how they looked at it, they saw the aliens as extraordinary in every way.
As time passed, the aliens expanded rapidly, gradually slaughtering some of the universe's most powerful races. People everywhere roughly understood what was happening.
Ordinary mortals didn't understand advanced information like the concept of gods, but they knew that a terrible war had erupted in the atrium of the World Tree, shattering the entire tree and inflicting severe damage to the entire universe.
Adventurers no longer had the same ease as before when roaming the universe. They had to constantly be wary of the fragmented and chaotic spacetime.
If they weren't careful, they would be caught in the turbulent spacetime and plunged into a void devoid of energy and matter, and they would be doomed.
Similarly, if they were struck by the colliding planetary debris, they would be annihilated instantly.
The universe was truly more chaotic and dangerous than ever before. Even while it was repairing itself, the cosmic gods were constantly on the move, but they couldn't cover everything. Generally speaking, these gods didn't care much about the lives of mortals; they had the time to create more new life.
Occasionally, some wondered: since all the Infinity Stones were in Duval's possession, why didn't Duval simply snap his fingers and restore the universe to its original state?
They considered the idea, but dared not voice it, only letting it flicker through their minds before quickly dismissing it.
People were encountering aliens with increasing frequency, and there were always those who, imagining information about Duval, unwittingly became aliens. This change worried those who didn't want to become vassals.
The entire universe was evolving at an unprecedented speed, towards a strange, uncertain direction, one for good or ill.
It was as if Duval's giant hand had grasped the black sphere of the universe, rewriting it to its own shape, constantly flooding even the most remote areas with his concepts.
"So, here's the thing. We hope you can help us resolve the threat of Mephisto. This will save our world,"
Moon Knight said, standing before Duval, trying to explain.
Duval knew that Moonlight Knight had three personalities, but it now seemed that Mark, skilled in combat, was in control, while the other two were hidden and would not reveal themselves unless necessary.
"No problem, if you took the initiative to help me when I was in trouble, I would be happy to repay you," Duval agreed with a smile.
The biggest problem facing the Khonsu Era Universe was the constant invasion of Mephisto. According to the prophecy, this universe would eventually be destroyed by Mephisto.
The simplest and most brute force method to rewrite the prophecy of the universe was to introduce a powerful force that could directly shake the universe itself.
Just like the prophecy of Ragnarok, Duval directly modified the prophecy by shaking the World Tree with a powerful force.
Moonlight Knight Mark and the Moon God Khonsu placed their hopes in Duval, hoping that this powerful god could help them solve the problem.
Duva smiled and waved his hand, causing several glasses of water to appear on the table. He picked up one and gestured to Mark, "I don't like adding anything to my water. You can choose coffee or tea. Now, let's get on with our topic—how would you like me to protect your world? For example, I could provide you with an army. If a new Mephisto invades, my army will swiftly slay them. No matter how many Mephistos come, they'll be dead."
Mark and Konssu had no doubt Duva could do this.
They had witnessed Duva's terrifying ascension to Concept Godhood. Duva, without even moving, fended off the attacks of several Cosmic Gods. It seemed that even without them, Duva could withstand a siege from even more gods.
They weren't indispensable, but they took the opportunity to attack Mephisto, confronting the great demon in his true form. This greatly alleviated Konssu's fear of Mephisto.
"But, with all due respect, if you really send troops to garrison our universe, how long can they protect us? 100 years, 1,000 years? Mephisto's lifespan is almost infinite. Theoretically, he can attack us forever." Mark was worried. Duval shook his head and said, "Mephisto can continue to attack you, but I can also protect you until your universe either dies naturally or is instantly destroyed by some unstoppable catastrophe."
It's true that Mephisto can live a long time, but is Duval short-lived? He can certainly outlive Mephisto.
Even if the multiverse is destroyed, Duval will continue to exist. If he can't even do that, it means Duval has been killed in some major event.
"Besides, I don't intend to solve the problem by simply protecting your world. I can't just sit there and wait for the demons to come to my door, right? That's not my style." Duval blew into his cup.
"You mean..."
"He means we take the initiative and fight to the death."
Two figures pushed open the door and walked in. They glanced at Duval, confirming that he didn't harbor any resentment, and then relaxed a little and sat on the sofa.
In this luxurious reception room, four people conversed. To the uninitiated, they might have thought they were discussing a business deal, never to realize that these four individuals were all "gods."
In a way, this was indeed a huge deal.
"Attacking Hell? That's insane! I've never considered launching an invasion against Mephisto?" Khonsu muttered in shock, even as he exchanged thoughts with Mark, somewhat worriedly.
Hell is a terrifying world, inhabited by countless demons. Furthermore, demons from various dimensions of the multiverse constantly pour into Hell, either defeated in battle or attempting to seize a place within it, indirectly enriching its power.
To this day, no one knows the exact number of Hell Lords in the entire Hell system.
"We're not declaring war on all of Hell. That would be too much work, and completely unnecessary. We only target the Hell ruled by Mephisto and ignore the other Hells. Of course, anyone who dares to interfere with our actions will be attacked and dragged into battle," Duva said.
He spoke with a leisurely, relaxed demeanor.
Declaring war on all of Hell would require considerable effort. The biggest uncertainty was Cytorak, the most powerful demon in the multiverse. Who knew how he would react?
But attacking just one Hell would save trouble.
At this point, Black Strange let out a sinister laugh. "Another point. We're not attacking Mephisto's Hell with the force of a single universe. Instead, we're attacking one Hell with the combined might of at least three universes. In terms of scale, we're larger, and in terms of numbers, we're more numerous. What I'm unsure of is how much power Mephisto can unleash on his home turf." So, I suggest we don't rush, and we don't need to eliminate Mephisto all at once. Instead, we should first pool the power of our three universes, endlessly consuming him, constantly plundering his Hell dimension and reducing his power."
"Slow death, I like this..." Demon Strange's face was filled with ferocity. He opened his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs. The demonic aura emanating from him made Mark uneasy.
If he hadn't seen the two Doctor Stranges, who seemed to be suffering from a serious illness or something, diligently besieging Dormammu, clearly Duval's men, he would have long since distanced himself from these sinister individuals.
"Strange, you possess the blood of Mephisto and have devoured numerous demons, including the Witch's Heart. You must know where Mephisto's hell is, right?" Duval looked at one Doctor Strange.
The demon Strange stood up, his face twisted. "I know all too well. I've been waiting for this moment. I'll pay any price to kill Mephisto."
His meaning was clear.
Duval waved his hand: "You've already paid, and I'm satisfied with the offer. Move."
Across the universe, every god or human who had observed Duval immediately noticed the vast swarm of aliens that covered the entire universe, now gathering.
They subconsciously assumed that Duval was embarking on a cosmic conquest. His ongoing pursuit of those who opposed him wasn't enough, and he was finally about to launch a major move.
But they soon realized something was amiss. Portals were constantly appearing across the universe, frantically transporting countless aliens.
By the time they realized what was happening, they saw a massive vortex forming in the outer space, swallowing up the alien army.
"What world is that guy mobilizing such a massive army to attack? The Dark Dimension? This doesn't seem like a complete search of all timelines."
"The good news is that Kronos survived. The bad news is that someone's about to suffer. Maybe Dormammu, or maybe another demon from another dimension."
Hell.
Mephisto quickly realized who was about to suffer. He stared grimly ahead at the endless ocean pouring into the hell he ruled, a sea of aliens stretching as far as the eye could see.
Mephisto had long been prepared for Duval's revenge, but it would come in such a plain and simple way.
"Alright, alright, now that you've become a conceptual god, your first move isn't to deal with Kronos and his local hordes, but to cross the endless universe to deal with me?"
Mephisto grinned with a hint of excitement, but in reality, he was furious.
It wasn't just Kronos who gained nothing, it was Mephisto as well.
Kronos lost a grandson, and Mephisto lost a son long before Duval became a god. And so, after all his efforts, he gained nothing.
Who could have thought that Moonlight Knight would jump out to stop him? Who could have thought that even in such a situation, Duval would remain calm, as if he still had some power that he hadn't yet used?
Chapter 169: Twelve Infinity Stones Press Down, Resurrecting You to Fight.
Hell, a vast world independent of the multiverse, resembles its own multiverse, divided into countless dimensions and home to numerous great demons.
In the past, Hell's demons often sought to launch attacks on specific universes within the multiverse—not major wars, of course, but rather small-scale infiltrations, entering a single universe within the multiverse to harvest souls, seize negative emotions, or seize certain artifacts. Previously, Mephisto, through
manipulation in the 616 main universe, successfully guided the great serpent Kul to cross the universe to challenge Dua.
To the many indigenous gods of the multiverse, these demons were as annoying as flies, yet possessed power comparable to or even surpassing that of the Celestial Gods. Therefore, they were often forced to expel them. The Celestial Gods would never personally enter a murky, smoky place like Hell, with its overlapping dimensions and complex structure, making it easy to get lost. Furthermore, entering Hell would also face attacks from supreme great demons blessed by the Hell dimension.
But now, a fierce force has emerged from the multiverse, attacking Hell.
And they're fearless.
This vast alien force, like a tidal wave, has flooded into the Hell occupied by Mephisto. Their sheer numbers and momentum have immediately captured the attention of many Hells.
However, the demons of the other Hells were initially shocked by this mad tribe, daring to initiate a war against Hell from a single universe, taking on such a thankless task.
They watched intently, but upon realizing that the Hell under attack was Mephisto's, they immediately gloated over the situation. Not only did they refuse to help, they were even speculating on any opportunity to take advantage of the situation, hoping these outsiders would step up their efforts and cripple Mephisto.
"Hehehehe, I didn't expect to encounter such an interesting thing after waking up. This kind of scene hasn't appeared in billions of years? The one who got beaten was Mephisto, hahahahaha!!"
"A creature I've never seen before. Judging from its body structure, it seems to be a combat weapon born for battle. Maybe it's the dominant race in a certain universe? And with such a scale, I guess this race has conquered a universe and discovered Mephisto's clone who sneaked into the past, so they turned around and chased him."
"Hell has never lacked powerful outsiders who come to seek refuge, but whether they can gain a foothold in hell or even rule a dimension is hard to say. This race actually chose the hell ruled by Mephisto as the first dimension to attack?"
"Strange, I've entered many universes, but I've never seen such silent and efficient creatures... I just don't know what their souls taste like. I guess they can't compare to humans."
"Let's put aside the value of their souls for now, but Nightmare must hate these creatures because he can't gather enough fear energy from them."
Within the vast and complex Hell, there are demons born from home, as well as demons who have entered Hell from the multiverse and become masters of specific dimensions. These creatures increase their power through different means. For example, Nightmare primarily relies on absorbing negative emotions to increase his strength.
Mephisto is equally renowned. Across the multiverse, he is the embodiment of evil, insidiousness, and deception, as if his primary method of committing evil is to corrupt people through words.
But in Hell, Mephisto has the blessing of a large dimension, and he strikes with a powerful blow. Many great demons have suffered at his hands, even having portions of their Hells taken away by Mephisto.
It's well known that the rule of Hell is that the larger and more powerful the Hell you rule, the greater the power you can bestow.
Conversely, however, one must first possess enough power to seize a sufficiently large dimension; otherwise, they will simply be prey, becoming weaker and weaker.
Deformed and twisted figures descended, casting a shadow of terror and ugliness across the various dimensions of Hell. They chatted loudly and brazenly, occasionally letting out bursts of terrifying laughter as they fiercely watched this rare battle unfold.
They watched as these unknown creatures madly poured into Mephisto's Hell and engaged in a brutal battle with his demons.
The rules of Hell differed from those of the multiverse, far more harsh and complex. Even highly adaptable creatures like the xenomorphs, upon suddenly entering Hell, had to withstand the shock of the different rules of this world and the pervasive onslaught of sulfur, magma, and toxic gases.
Soon, the spatial tunnels were filled with layers of xenomorph figures, and countless corpses mingled with the remains of demons.
"Hmph, Mephisto's rule is extremely bloody, but I didn't expect his demons to fight so hard."
"We have to fight hard. Any low-level demon with a bit of common sense knows that Mephisto will at most suffer some losses in this war, but he won't lose. If they don't fight now, Mephisto will definitely start the reckoning after the war, and then their lives will be worse than death."
Mephisto's hell is notoriously harsh and bloody.
Low-level demons are generally subjected to the most brutal torture.
Some great demons have noticed that they still haven't seen the whereabouts of the witch demon. Combined with this sudden intrusion, they immediately suspect that Mephisto must have sent the witch demon on a mission that provoked a dangerous creature, thus inviting its ferocious revenge.
"Even if this race possesses an incredibly large force, capable of crossing vast distances to fight in Hell, how long can they hold out? Even if the entire universe were mobilized, Mephisto would be no match."
Gradually, the demons' faces grew peculiar as they noticed that the influx of aliens wasn't decreasing, but rather increasing.
Could there truly be a unique universe, devoid of superheroes and gods, populated solely by this species? Otherwise, how could there be such a vast number, seemingly endless, with no sign of diminishing at all?
One slain in battle, dozens more immediately appeared.
Mephisto sat atop the mountain, his face impassive as he gazed down upon the raging battleground.
Scalding magma erupted into crimson waves tens of thousands of meters high, colliding with the alien blood, annihilating each other.
A sharp sizzling sound echoed continuously, and clouds of highly toxic mist erupted from every corner of the dimension.
His domain was in complete chaos, and it would soon become even more chaotic.
"That guy... is even more insane than I expected. He's leading at least several universes and forming expeditionary forces to attack me."
It was like a group of demon-slaying warriors, fiercely embarking on an epic expedition. If only medieval bards were here, they would surely sing magnificent poems. Mephisto felt a pang of mischievous amusement. Among the countless humans he had deceived, there were indeed many excellent bards.
On many occasions, he had even listened to these bards reciting poetry with a serious look, leaning on his cane and tilting his head. Then, while loudly praising them, he would unceremoniously coax them into signing contracts to collect his delicious souls.
Mephisto surveyed his territory but hesitated to act. He didn't mind the death of any low-level demons. At worst, he could plunder more low-level demons from other dimensions after the war.
Mephisto suspected that Duva or another single cosmic deity would seek an opportunity to intrude upon his Hell, preparing to deliver a fatal blow.
Of course, Mephisto was confident in his own strength and continued to fight within his own Hell, but facing the siege of several Cosmic Celestials simultaneously would be a struggle.
Furthermore, Duva was capable of rallying several Cosmic Celestials to attack him, which would be quite painful.
"Mephisto, your death has come,"
the demonic Qiyi, mingling with the aliens, glared at Mephisto with a ferocious gaze.
If it were just the demonic Qiyi, Mephisto wouldn't be worthy of his attention. It was the sinister Black Qiyi who truly frightened the great demon.
Being stared at by such a great sorcerer made Mephisto frown, suspecting that he could instantly draw the other gods to his side. For a moment, all of Hell was in a state of stable chaos. Individual universes held back, leaving only the endless stream of aliens and demons to slaughter each other until one could finally collapse.
But it was foreseeable that this process would not last long.
"The first to collapse will undoubtedly be Mephisto. He alone cannot withstand the assault of three universes."
Duva's men were well aware of the nature of this invasion.
The Alien Universe, Universe 199999, was continuously transporting staggering numbers of alien troops into Hell.
Duva also began extending his power to the universe of the Khonsu Era.
This world, which should have been plunged into chaos by the actions of the Moon God Khonsu, was now forced to experience a brief, even greater chaos.
Initially, the superheroes rushed about, battling the inexplicably appearing aliens. After understanding their characteristics, they assumed they were strange creatures from nowhere. While powerful and unique, they would surely be quickly annihilated by their stranglehold.
But gradually, the superheroes realized something was amiss. Why were the aliens increasing in number with each kill? Even some of their acquaintances began to transform into aliens, and those supervillains who had once planned to exploit them were in a state of despair.
More and more people began inexplicably developing alien larvae within their bodies, becoming members of the alien race, either actively or passively.
As more and more heroes and villains became aliens, the entire universe began to evolve into an alien universe, advancing at a speed far exceeding that of Duva's own, which had the privilege of being directly transformed by the Concept God Duva.
Moon Knight felt anxious about this drastic change, but the Moon God Khonsu was utterly frantic, wishing the transformation could be completed in one go.
To prevent his demise at the hands of Mephisto, Khonsu even goaded Moon Knight into attacking the heroes and ruthlessly robbing them of their powers. To protect the universe, Khonsu would risk everything.
Now that he had finally found Duva, the Concept God, and had personally participated in his ascension to godhood, Khonsu felt a deeper conviction, convinced that Duva was the one who could save everything.
"Duval, no, we should call him the Alien God now. He was able to save his universe, and now he's fighting for us, crossing endless time and space to attack Hell and completely sever Mephisto's hold on our world. To achieve this goal, our universe deserves the sacrifice! Moreover, there are so many evildoers in our universe. Leaving them alone would be a disaster, only killing more innocent people. It would be better to transform these guys into aliens and send them to the battlefield to attack Hell. That way, at least they'll be heroes even after they die."
Moonlight Knight looked at his old partner cautiously, feeling that Khonsu seemed so unfamiliar, but he didn't resent it.
He knew Khonsu was right. Since not involving outside forces would be a dead end, then introducing a reliable external god to intervene would undoubtedly be ten thousand times better than not intervening.
And so, countless aliens were constantly born across the three universes, throwing themselves into this unprecedented, endless war.
Even if he died, it didn't matter. Don't forget, Duval possessed more than one set of Infinity Stones. He could use the Soul and Reality Stones to bring the dead back to life and deploy them back into battle.
Universe 199999.
Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, Thanos extended a hand and snapped his fingers.
Half the population, decimated, finally returned after five years.
Doctor Strange opened his eyes, his face devoid of any surprise. Without hesitation, he opened a portal and frantically mobilized his forces.
Following the single victory he had witnessed from the Time Stone, he immediately targeted various areas on Earth, aiming to transport a massive force to the front lines for a decisive battle with Thanos.
"Spider-Man, wake up! They're fighting Thanos on the front lines. Their success depends on this final opportunity. They need our help!"
Doctor Strange shouted, leading Spider-Man and the others through the portal.
Upon landing, they looked closely and were suddenly struck by an eerie silence.
They saw Thanos, their nightmare, slowly releasing his grip, evidently a snap of his fingers.
"What... Thanos snapped his fingers? He saved us all? No, Doctor, is this the future you saw? I'm completely confused. This cosmic butcher snapped us, then snapped again and saved us? What was he trying to do?"
Peter Parker peppered his questions with questions, only to be met with a look of deep bewilderment on Doctor Strange's face.
He'd never seen this scene before from the Time Stone.
Drax, a man of few words, roared furiously and charged at Thanos, but Thanos simply clenched his gauntlet, adorned with six Infinity Stones, and with one punch, he knocked Drax to the ground.
"You've taken everything from me!"
Scarlet Witch's voice, shrill, surged with chaos magic, bringing tears to anyone who heard it.
"I don't even know you."
"You'll know you soon."
While everyone else stared in bewilderment and hesitation, Scarlet Witch, filled with deep hatred, ignored all else and leaped forward.
Thanos' face was expressionless as he freed his other hand. As everyone watched in amazement, he revealed that this hand also held six Infinity Stones. With another punch, he knocked Scarlet Witch to the ground.
It was like a documentary being played on repeat, except the attacker had changed positions and was hitting a different protagonist.
"I don't care what grudge you have against my future self, but it's time to let it go. Your resurrection isn't without a price. To win a war that spans multiple universes, we need you to join us."
Thanos of Universe 199999 spoke coldly, striking back with twelve Infinity Stones in his hands.
Doctor Strange's eyes widened as he stared at this unfamiliar Thanos, his mind shattered.
What the hell is going on here?!