Chapter 436: The Cybermen's True Conspiracy
Inside the Lumic Group's laboratory—
Allen and the others had long since vanished.
When the Doctor led the Human Alliance into the building, he was stunned to find that every Cyberman inside had already been eliminated.
"What happened here?"
Despite his wealth of experience, the Doctor couldn't make sense of how the Cybermen had been so cleanly and thoroughly wiped out.
"That abnormal guy… isn't he your friend?" Morgan asked in confusion.
Indeed, the fact that Allen could casually open a space portal was clear proof he wasn't an ordinary person.
Yet at the beginning, no one had taken him seriously.
In the end, a moment of inattention allowed Allen to slip away.
"I only met him recently. I don't know his full background. But one thing's for sure—Allen is from the multiverse," the Doctor explained.
The multiverse?
The group of young people had never even left the human world, let alone understood the vast concept of a multiverse.
Beep!
The lab's system detected the presence of a key individual and automatically triggered a recorded message.
In the projection, three figures appeared—Allen, Tony, and Bruce.
"Morgan, stop taking reckless risks. This is all my fault. I'll put an end to Lumic's conspiracy. Don't mourn for me. Love, your father."
"Damian, live well. Life will return to normal soon. I might not be around by then."
"Hey, can you stop with the melodrama? I'm not planning to die here. It's not some tragic final farewell, okay?"
Allen abruptly cut off the two sentimental fathers, speaking directly in the recording: "Doctor, we're heading to the Cyber Factory in the outskirts. Hurry and—mmph mmph…"
Just as he was about to reveal more, Tony and Bruce quickly clamped their hands over Allen's mouth.
They were fully prepared to die and didn't want their children following them into danger. If Allen let too much slip, their plan would fall apart.
Meanwhile, at the outskirts factory—
The site was completely sealed off, showing no visible signs of security.
Allen and the others observed from a distance, hesitant.
"How we get in is the real problem. If we try to force our way in, it'll definitely trigger the alarm, and then we'll be swarmed by Cybermen," Tony said worriedly.
His suit had limited energy and couldn't last indefinitely.
Their only chance was to locate the core and deliver a critical strike, then reprogram the system to shut down the Cybermen command center.
"It's a pity. I can think of a hundred ways to deal with people, but when it comes to robots, I've got nothing," Bruce admitted in frustration.
The factory's entire security was automated by Cybermen. Unlike humans, they had no exploitable weaknesses.
They were beginning to realize the fatal flaw in their original plan.
"Charge!!"
Just then, Allen leapt from the bushes, brandishing a flyswatter and a back scratcher, bursting with fighting spirit. Alongside him was a skeleton soldier, charging in with an axe raised high.
It happened so suddenly that neither Tony nor Bruce could stop him.
They exchanged a glance—then decided to observe and see how things played out.
After all, based on Allen's performance in the Lumic building, he might not need their help at all.
As Allen made his move, security cameras around the factory perimeter immediately picked up the intruder.
Naturally, the Cybermen operated on shared data.
Footage of Allen wiping out waves of Cybermen had already been uploaded to the central core.
The problem? The system had no way of generating an effective countermeasure.
Allen's soul talisman techniques targeted the soul itself—something Cybermen, with their exposed brains encased in metal, had virtually no resistance against.
A human, with a living body, could strengthen both their willpower and spiritual resilience through training.
But Cybermen were "naked"—highly effective in tech-based civilizations, yet hopelessly outmatched by someone from the mystical side.
Simulations suggested only one effective strategy: unleash all firepower the moment he appeared.
Eliminate the threat—and the danger would cease to exist.
"DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!"
Countless Cybermen shouted in unison, marching out of the factory in perfect formation, arms raised to charge high-energy beams.
Their dense formations ensured that no target could escape.
That, after all, was how Cybermen conquered the universe—through sheer numbers and the assimilation of enemy species.
Beams of high-energy light filled the sky and rained down.
"Gaia!"
Allen chose to transform without warning.
Silver and green light erupted from him, illuminating the entire area.
The Cybermen abruptly froze in place.
"Unable to analyze energy structure!"
"Unable to simulate target transformation!"
"Unable to obtain valid data!"
Cybermen operated strictly within the realm of physical energy. Once magic entered the equation, their systems fell into a logic loop.
But in the next second, they resumed their barrage—only for the beams to dissolve before touching the silver light barrier.
The X-element tenth metal wasn't something ordinary energy could breach.
"Why is he raising his leg and holding his hand like that? What's he doing?"
"How should I know? I'm starting to think this guy's actually crazy."
From the rear, Tony and Bruce watched in bewilderment.
Allen was now a silhouette wrapped in silver light—but the flamboyant pose was unmistakable.
"Magical Pretty Boy Warrior—Transform!"
The light collapsed inward all at once.
Allen now wore a white-and-green one-piece swimsuit-style battle suit. The upper thighs were rimmed with ruffled trim, and a green bow sat atop his head.
Even the Cybermen's data streams faltered for a second.
Tony and Bruce were equally dumbfounded.
What kind of person wears a hospital gown under a swimsuit?
Wait—no. What man wears a girl's swimsuit?
Snap!
Allen tugged at the crotch and muttered shyly, "It's a bit tight down there."
"As long as I'm LGBT, no one can oppress me!"
Biu, biu, biu…
"Take this! I've got ten years of brain-damaged gamer energy built up!"
Biu, biu, biu…
One soul talisman, one Cyberman.
Experience points stacked rapidly.
---
'EXP sufficient. Current Taoist class level: Lv25.'
'New skill unlocked: Sacred Armor.'
'Sacred Armor Lv0: Allies within a 10-meter radius gain increased physical defense. Lasts 10 minutes. Reduces damage taken by 2%.'
---
'EXP sufficient. Current Taoist class level: Lv30.'
'New skill unlocked: Ghost Shield.'
'Ghost Shield Lv0: Allies within a 10-meter radius gain increased magical and mental defense. Lasts 10 minutes. Reduces damage taken by 2%.'
---
In the underground bunker beneath the factory, Lumic watched the battle unfold on the monitors, face darkening.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
No matter how many Cybermen he converted, it would never be enough.
He turned to two special Cybermen standing nearby.
Unlike the standard models, these two wore robes. Circular signal emitters decorated their heads like halos.
"Database cannot match target identity."
"Target's power cannot be analyzed…"
These two weren't ordinary Cybermen—they were from the future.
Initially, Lumic had been forced to comply under threat. But after being promised a high-ranking position and the preservation of his emotions post-conversion, he'd joined them willingly.
The Cybermen from the future were at war.
They needed vast numbers of soldiers to overcome their enemy.
So they developed time-travel tech and came to the past to harvest potential troops.
Earth was an ideal resource planet—billions of humans ready for conversion.
Once transported to the future, these Cybermen would be automatically upgraded and reengineered with galactic resources, evolving into fully qualified cosmic warriors.
For now, though, all they could gather was physical material, and the converted Cybermen remained low-tier.
After all, future Cybermen had fought countless wars and ranked among the rulers of the galaxy.
"No need to panic. We can mobilize Cybermen worldwide to stall the enemy. The time portal is almost ready…"
Once complete, the two timelines would be connected.
Not only could future Cybermen arrive—modern Cybermen could travel forward.
They wouldn't have resorted to such extremes if their enemy wasn't so formidable.
The numerous teleporters set up around the New York factory were meant to facilitate the upcoming mass conversion of Earth's population, sending them all to the future.
Though it wasn't time yet, they were forced to begin early.
Conversion required metal resources, which they were still in the process of gathering.
---
'EXP sufficient. Current Taoist class level: Lv35.'
'New skill unlocked: Summon Divine Beast.'
'Summon Divine Beast Lv0: Summons a fire-type divine beast to assist in combat.'
---
"I'm finally a proper Taoist."
A soul talisman flicked from Allen's fingers, forming a complex summoning array.
ROAR—!
A fearsome beast emerged from a burst of flame.
Allen blinked. "Why is it wheezing like it has asthma?"
It looked like a large red dog on all fours.
Suddenly, the beast stood upright—now three meters tall.
"Holy crap, it evolved!"
In combat form, the beast had a qilin's head, a muscular upper body, and hooves that thundered with lightning as it charged.
In a blink, it tore into the Cybermen ranks.
ROAR!
Flames spewed from its mouth, melting Cybermen even through alloy armor.
Of course, it didn't last long. A concentrated volley of beams shredded it moments later.
"Damn. That was cool for, like, three seconds."
Allen kept firing soul talismans with one hand while summoning both his divine beast and skeleton soldier with the other.
This wasn't a game—he could summon both at once.
At level 3, his skeleton soldier had evolved dramatically—now covered in bone armor and shrouded in eerie green fire poison.
"I wonder what max-level skeletons and divine beasts are like…"
Allen imagined the possibilities with excitement.
Truth be told, he'd never played those classic MMORPGs.
But anyone who'd surfed certain… "spicy" websites had definitely seen those pop-up ads for old-school RPGs.
On a nearby highway, a truck sped toward the scene.
Everyone wearing a smart device had their senses dulled. Even if a nuclear blast happened in the countryside, city dwellers wouldn't react.
The only ones this could be… were the Doctor and the others.
Suddenly, two metallic figures appeared in the road.
Tony and Bruce's suits immediately picked them up via radar.
The truck screeched to a halt.
The team inside raised their weapons, alert.
"Damian."
Bruce lifted his mask and waved to the young man in the driver's seat.
"Father?!"
Damian jumped out of the vehicle, running into Bruce's arms for a heartfelt embrace.
Morgan followed suit, hugging Tony tightly.
Misunderstandings cleared, the team disembarked.
The Doctor looked around and asked, "Where's Allen?"
At the very least, their shared experience aboard the spaceship had earned Allen his trust.
"He's fighting the Cybermen."
Tony added, "Alone."
"…"
Since when were Cybermen so easy to beat?
The Doctor didn't even need to say it. Cybermen had long been formidable enemies.
It usually took immense effort just to bring down one.
"You're not helping him?" the Doctor asked pointedly.
"We can't help."
Bruce's expression was tinged with disappointment.
He and Tony had originally planned to build two suits of armor and play the role of humanity's saviors, only to find themselves completely sidelined like background extras.
Everyone quickly moved toward the battlefield.
Deafening explosions echoed continuously, making it feel like an intense sci-fi space war was raging just ahead.
But when they finally saw the scene clearly, it was far beyond absurd.
Allen stood tall before the cyborgs, wearing a patient's gown with a modified women's swimsuit draped over it, completely unfazed by the barrage of attacks. A layer of silvery light shimmered on the surface of his body, blocking all damage.
One hand cast talismans, the other summoned creatures—engaging in a fierce exchange of fire.
However, only the cyborgs were taking damage.
"Doctor, what kind of power does he have?" Jonathan asked, eyes full of admiration.
Beside him, Jay's expression was clearly sour.
After all, the two of them were a couple, and it was only natural to worry about wandering affections.
Bruce caught the whole scene in silence, his expression dim. He couldn't help sighing inwardly on behalf of his close friend Clark. Thankfully, his own son was still normal—otherwise, forget saving the world; might as well just let it all burn.
"I really don't know," the doctor replied awkwardly. "Over the past thousand years, I've defeated countless enemies and witnessed more civilizations than I can count, but I've never encountered a creature like Allen. He's just... bizarre."
On top of that, the doctor was feeling a strange, unspoken frustration.
In the past, as he roamed through different timelines, he always felt like the protagonist, like the rules of the universe bent around him. This was the first time he'd ever felt... irrelevant.
"Yes! My skeleton summoning just leveled up again!"
Out on the battlefield, Allen was practically dancing with excitement.
He could now summon two skeleton soldiers at once, and their classification had changed to Enhanced Poison Skeletons.
He was chasing faster upgrades for both his Skeleton Summon and Divine Beast Summon skills, using the summons purely as meat shields to absorb attacks up front.
Each time one died, he immediately summoned another, grinding out skill levels in the process.
At the same time, Allen realized something crucial about the nature of the two skills—summoned creatures could be freely sacrificed, unlike summoned undead which had to be retrained if destroyed.