{Chapter: 383 Resurrection}
In the churning seawater, three figures broke the surface, coughing violently as they gasped for breath. Sif, Jane, and Pepper sputtered, each one expelling mouthfuls of seawater as they struggled to regain composure.
The massive explosion had thrown them far—at least five hundred meters from the beach. Waves rolled past, the water still turbulent from the aftershock of the blast.
Jane wiped her face, her hair clinging to her cheeks. Her eyes widened with panic as she turned toward the distant plume of smoke still rising from the heart of the island.
"William… William!" she cried. "We have to go back! He might be—" She didn't finish the thought and began swimming frantically toward the shore.
Pepper blinked. "Wait— Jane?" she called after her, baffled. "How are you swimming?"
Jane faltered mid-stroke. "Huh? Oh—oh my god, you're right!" She looked down at her arms moving through the water like a pro. "I've never swum in my life! But right now, who cares?!"
"The human brain really does amazing things under stress," Pepper muttered, then turned to see Sif moving toward her.
Without hesitation, Sif darted through the water, scooping up Pepper with one arm and Jane with the other. Her warrior strength and Asgardian physique made the rescue effortless as she soared into the sky, water trailing from her boots like mist.
"We're going back," she said simply, her voice flat and focused. "Hold on."
—
To the west side of the island, the massive impact site still billowed smoke. A colossal crater marred the landscape, its edges glowing faintly with residual energy.
Alice, Ada, and White Queen carefully descended into the crater, their expressions tense.
"William!" Alice's voice cracked. She rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside a crumpled figure at the pit's center.
There, William lay sprawled, naked, his skin charred, his body bloodied—yet still breathing. Embers danced around him, and smoke rose in thin spirals from his wounds.
"William, are you okay? Say something!" Ada reached out, gently lifting his head.
With a pained groan, William's eyes flickered open, still glowing faintly with golden power. "Ugh… Don't yell. I'm not dying... yet," he rasped, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "But, damn... that hit? That was spectacular. I felt it in my bone."
Ada rolled her eyes, though her expression softened with relief. "You're unbelievable," she murmured, brushing soot from his cheek. "This is what happens when you play hero without thinking."
White Queen stood over them with arms crossed. "White Queen spread her hands. "This is the result of being too pretentious. It's easy to be struck by lightning."
Despite the biting sarcasm, her relief was obvious.
William's body was already beginning to regenerate. The scars on William's body healed quickly. This time it was not the deformed element particles that repaired it, but William's own skin that was healing itself quickly. The speed was amazing. In just a few seconds, William's body that was damaged by an energy attack recovered as usual, without a single scar left.
Ada blinked in disbelief. "His wounds… they're gone. That's not the Transformium healing—this is him, naturally healing."
White Queen gave a faint smirk. "The X-Cells are more incredible just as I predicted."
William stretched slightly, grimacing. "To be honest, that beam would've flayed me down to the bone in the old days. But now? Just a glorified sunburn." He looked down. "Still hurts, though."
"You know," Alice muttered, "if you'd transformed into your X-Human form earlier, this wouldn't have happened."
"Oh, are you suggesting I had more power to show off and didn't use it?" William chuckled weakly. "Terribly out of character, I know."
"That's not what I meant." White Queen smiled and waved her hand.
At that moment, a shadow passed overhead.
"SIF!" Pepper shouted from above. Sif landed with a soft thud, gently setting Jane and Pepper down beside the crater.
They rushed forward, relief flooding their faces.
"William!" Jane dropped to her knees beside him and reached for his arm. "You're alive!"
Pepper exhaled, placing a hand over her heart. "Don't ever scare us like that again."
Sif remained quiet, but her stance relaxed visibly, her grip on her weapon easing.
William pushed himself up—still very naked—and flashed a teasing grin as he opened his arms and pulled the three women into a hug. "God, I'm so glad you're all okay. I was really scared... truly."
Sif squirmed. "Let go! You're crushing us!"
"I swear you squeeze harder every time," Pepper grunted, elbowing his side. "And we're covered in soot and seawater. This is not the time for cuddles."
"Speak for yourself," William mumbled into Jane's hair, "this is the only thing keeping me alive."
White Queen's voice floated over them, dry as ever. "Look at him—burned to a skin, nearly blown to pieces, and his first instinct is group cuddling. So predictable."
Jane suddenly shoved back, face flushed red. "Can you please put on some pants, you exhibitionist?!"
William glanced down, grinned, and made no move to cover himself. "You say that like you haven't missed the view."
Pepper groaned. "I'm going to gouge my eyes out."
With a flick of his wrist, a blue light shimmered in William's palm, and a clean set of clothes appeared. He slipped them on casually, as though nothing had happened. "Happy now?"
"Very," Jane muttered, still avoiding his gaze.
William turned his gaze toward Jane, Pepper, and Sif, eyes narrowing with concern. "How did you escape the shockwave?"
"We dove into the sea," Pepper replied calmly, brushing wet strands of hair from her face. "It wasn't exactly elegant, but it worked."
William's expression darkened. "I couldn't protect you… That shouldn't have happened. That kind of mistake won't happen again."
"Don't treat us like porcelain," Sif interjected, her arms crossed. Her warrior pride was intact, her tone cool. "We're not weak, and we don't need coddling. We can fight, and we can survive."
But William shook his head, firm and resolute. "You are my women. It's not about strength—it's about responsibility. If I can't keep you safe, what right do I have to call myself your man?"
Sif's eyes widened slightly. "I'm not…" she murmured, looking away. Her voice drifted off into the wind, drowned by the racing thoughts in her head.
He's reckless. A beast. Infuriating… But just now, that was…
She quickly shook her head. What am I thinking? It doesn't concern me. I don't care…
Off to the side, White Queen eyed William with an unreadable smile. "Every now and then, when he stops trying to mass and actually gets serious… he's surprisingly handsome."
Before anyone could reply, a deep roar tore through the skies.
All seven of them looked up as a pulsating glow ignited in the heavens above. The once-stable dark red orb of energy was now collapsing inward, vibrating violently like a star on the verge of implosion.
White Queen's eyes narrowed as she focused. "Malekith… He's absorbing the energy. It's converging into him."
Ada's brow furrowed in disbelief. "That can't be. He was dead. We saw it. You killed him."
William tilted his head slightly, watching the phenomenon unfold above. "Oh, he's definitely dead," he said with an amused smirk. "What we're seeing now… this isn't resurrection he isn't immortal either. It's something else entirely. Fascinating, actually."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "So what now?"
William slowly rose into the air, his expression hardening. "I can feel it. The pressure in the air, the power gathering... That form up there? That's not something any of you should be near." His tone grew gentle, yet commanding. "Leave. Now."
"But—" Jane started, her voice trembling slightly.
Ada touched her shoulder, gently cutting her off. "No. He's right. When this fight begins, this entire island could be vaporized. We'll only hold him back."
Jane's lips parted, but she saw the certainty in William's eyes and reluctantly nodded.
William offered a smirk, trying to ease the tension. "Go as far as you can. If you want to watch the fireworks, have White Queen project it from a safe distance. And don't worry about me—someone this good-looking? The gods won't let me die just yet."
"Ugh, narcissist," Pepper muttered with a soft smile, even as worry flickered in her eyes.
Alice rolled her eyes but smiled. Without another word, she took Jane in her arms and shot into the sky. Ada followed, carrying Pepper, Sif took flight on her own and White Queen activated her aerial projection system before vanishing into the sky.
Now alone, William hovered higher and turned his gaze to the sky. The swirling orb of energy had compressed into a concentrated sphere no larger than a building—yet it radiated more power than ever before.
He glanced down at the devastated terrain. "Guess I won't be relocating this island after all," he muttered. "Shame. I was just starting to like it."
Then it happened.
Roar…
The final roar shook the skies. With a thunderous boom, the dark red energy sphere exploded outward—not in destruction, but in rebirth. The force warped the air, cracked the clouds, and shattered the sea's calm as waves surged outward.
Even William had to stabilize himself as the shockwave struck, pushing him back several meters.
Out of the blinding light emerged a figure—no longer the pale, gaunt form of the Dark Elf lord. Now, cloaked in living energy, his body seemed forged from the core of dying stars. Malekith had returned, twisted and evolved, his skin charred black with veins of glowing crimson crawling across him like firebrands. His eyes were burning spheres of pure malevolence.
William narrowed his eyes. "So... this is your next act."
Malekith's mouth twisted into a manic grin as his voice echoed like thunder. "Malekith?" he laughed, the sound jagged and broken. "You think I am still him? That name… belongs to the corpse you killed."
William raised an eyebrow. "You're talking a lot for someone I've already killed once."
The creature raised its hand, energy rippling off his fingertips like liquid chaos. "Death is nothing to one who merges with the heart of darkness itself. I am no longer bound by flesh. "Malekith? You still call me Malekith? Hahaha, hahaha…"