Renzo was immersed in the satisfaction of destroying the Ultron army, and the murderous look in his eyes had faded considerably.
"By the way... where is this place?" Renzo finally remembered the question. This was definitely not his original universe. The laboratory full of Ultron robots just now proved that.
It was unlikely to be the Age of Ultron period either. Tony did not have the technology to make Ultron serve his laboratory. His goal had been to armor the world, while the laboratory had always been controlled by J.A.R.V.I.S. with the highest authority.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a scream caught Renzo's attention. The streets were full of fleeing people, and car accidents happened one after another. Some people simply abandoned their cars and ran. Screams rang out endlessly, and people kept collapsing to the ground, twitching.
Renzo narrowed his eyes when he saw this and immediately landed on the ground, helping those who had been injured while escaping. He was a hero, and people in trouble should be helped.
"Hey, brother! Be careful!" Renzo helped up a twitching man who had fallen to the ground. Before he could figure out what was going on, the man in front of him suddenly attacked him.
"What the hell! I saved you!" Renzo looked in surprise at the man who had repaid kindness with revenge, only to see that his eyes were red. He bit Renzo's skin madly, but only knocked out a few of his own teeth.
As if he could not feel pain at all, the man continued attacking Renzo crazily.
Looking into those red eyes, Renzo seemed to see a demon destroying life, spreading disaster and death without restraint.
In an unknown dimension.
Scarlet pupils suddenly opened, and pale hair seemed to stand upright in rage. Dead beasts lay trampled underfoot. Chthon gnawed on their flesh, surrounded by the scent of blood.
Every Marvel universe contained Infinity Stones. Even the older Spider-Man universe and the X-Men universe had them, but they were not necessarily on Earth and were scattered across every corner of the cosmos. It was normal for superheroes not to know of their existence.
Moreover, the Infinity Stones in each universe were different. Although they looked similar, their shapes were still slightly different, and their auras also varied faintly. Just as every universe had a designation, the Infinity Stones also had their own corresponding signatures.
Chthon followed the signature of the Infinity Stones on Renzo, tracking him all the way to the universe where he had fallen. He found Wanda here and controlled her, forcing her to release scarlet magic and devour the world.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was numbered 199999. Wanda from that universe was also the most powerful and most suitable vessel. Chthon was simply too satisfied with her. He had never found such a suitable vessel before, so naturally, he would not let her go.
Wanda existed in other universes as well, but individuals still differed from one another. Although Wanda of Universe 838 could also withstand chaos magic, she was still inferior to Wanda of 199999.
In fact, Chthon had faintly sensed the coordinates of Wanda 199999. When he tried to sneak into that universe, a force no weaker than the power of chaos had stepped forward to stop him, even leaving indelible burning wounds on his body.
This made him realize that the universe might have already been occupied by some ridiculously powerful being. Chthon had no way to defeat that power for the time being, so he could only swallow the loss silently and flee.
But it did not matter. There was another Renzo here. He had a close relationship with Wanda. Once he was captured and used to threaten her, she would not dare disobey.
Chthon could not descend into this universe for the time being, because those flames had wounded him. If he descended rashly, he might be targeted by the gods of this universe. With his current strength, he might not be able to defeat the native gods, and the loss would outweigh the gain.
However, he realized that the Sorcerer Supreme of this universe was dead. The reason seemed to be that he had read the Darkhold, which Chthon himself had written. Haha... that gave him some satisfaction.
He descended by incarnating through Wanda of Universe 838, using the power of chaos to devour the entire world. He did not believe Renzo would dare stand by and watch.
When Renzo looked at the person possessed by chaos, Chthon also saw him.
"I found you... wait for death, Renzo!"
Chthon roared sharply, and the hatred in his words was almost like a blade. The giant beast fleeing nearby seemed to suffer a heavy blow. It fell to the ground with a plop, lifeless...
Scarlet demonic energy suddenly rose from the man biting Renzo's arm. His teeth abruptly stretched out, biting tightly and refusing to let go.
Renzo also saw the ghostly demon in the man's eyes. His cold body broke out in a cold sweat. Just by glancing at the demon, his soul trembled from the depths.
Renzo could not defeat Chthon at all. Although he did not know the demon had been injured by a mysterious power, he still could not beat him.
Besides, even with his vibranium body, three Infinity Stones, and the Black Lantern Ring, he had not been Chthon's match. Now his body was incomplete and repaired with inferior materials. The death power of the Black Lantern Ring had been exhausted, and no Black Lantern zombies remained. How could he fight the Elder God of the Underworld with only the power of the Infinity Stones?
Far away.
The scarlet fog was slowly approaching Renzo's position. Everyone enveloped by the fog went mad. Their limbs twisted like spiders, and they became frighteningly powerful. Along the way, they attacked and destroyed many vehicles and houses, and some were even eating people.
The corners of Renzo's eyes twitched. One look at the crimson mist told him it was Chthon's work. A shocking aura struck him head-on. The area shrouded by the mist could not be seen through. The Mind Stone kept flashing, warning its owner to leave this place immediately.
The streets were littered with corpses. Blood flowed like rivers, with severed limbs and splattered flesh everywhere. People were going crazy... completely crazy.
Renzo tried to cover the infected humans with the light of the Mind Stone, hoping it would have some effect.
In the zombie universe of What If...?, Hank had wanted to save his wife, Janet, only to unexpectedly discover that she, after living in the Quantum Realm for so long, had been infected by an inexplicable zombie virus. She had completely turned into a zombie and bitten Hank when he could not escape, turning him as well. Scott, unaware of what had happened in the Quantum Realm, brought the zombies back to the real world, and a tragic war... broke out.
The Vision of that universe could use the Mind Stone to soothe Zombie Wanda's emotions and even restore the infected Scott to his original state. This showed that the Mind Stone had the ability to repair people's minds. Whether the cause was a virus, illusion, hypnosis, bewitchment, or something else, all of it could be eliminated by the Mind Stone.
Renzo wanted to try and see if he could save this group of people. If he could, the world might be restored to its original state. Moreover, there might be Infinity Stones in this universe. With two Mind Stones working together, they would definitely be able to dispel the chaos across the whole world.
Gentle golden light cut through the red mist and fell on everyone.
As soon as the light of the Mind Stone shone down, bursts of white smoke evaporated from the madmen's bodies. They suddenly howled in pain, like wild beasts roaring, yet also like weak little animals huddled alone in a corner. Like vampires unable to touch sunlight, their whole bodies became hot and dry, as if they would melt into pools of pus in the next moment, giving off a foul smell.
"Ah!"
Zizizi—
The stench of rotting flesh seeped from their bodies. Just smelling it made people feel sick and gave them the urge to vomit. This was not just one person. Anyone illuminated by the Mind Stone could not help emitting that foul odor, like a corpse soaked in water for several days after having gone unwashed long before death.
The man infected by chaos was in terrible pain. He knelt down, and some clarity returned to his eyes. He looked at Renzo, whom he had never met before. It did not matter who Renzo was. The man wailed and begged, "Kill me... kill me quickly! I'm begging you, kill me!"
The man cried bitterly. Although he had been infected, he clearly remembered what he had done. He had killed his own family with his own hands and watched the disbelief in their eyes. He had pulled out the intestines from their abdomen, torn out his wife's organs, and gnawed on their corpses like a wild beast... He no longer had the face to live in this world.
Renzo could not bear to see the man crying. When the Mind Stone shone on these people, Renzo received feedback and learned about their life experiences, memories, and the source of their pain.
Renzo acted decisively, using the Mind Stone to destroy their spirits. Perhaps this could truly set them free.
Living in this world was very difficult, especially when a person's worldview and beliefs had been destroyed, when they had lost the people they loved and the people who loved them, especially when it had happened because of their own actions, and they themselves were the culprit. Once the desire to live disappeared, they were no different from walking corpses. It was better to die and quiet their conscience.
Renzo looked at the crowd lying on the ground, rolling and wailing, and knew they were beyond saving. Inhaling the gas for too long had already corrupted all their organs. Their madness had also overdrawn their lives and spirits.
Renzo decided to be merciful and kill all the people who had been touched by the light of the Mind Stone. At least they would not have to continue suffering. They would die sooner and be reincarnated sooner. Perhaps in another life, they could still be good people.
Besides, maybe some of them would be unlucky enough to cross into other universes?
Renzo glanced at the fog that was about to spread here. If he wanted to figure out the problem, he had to go deep into the fog, find the source of the chaos, and destroy it.
...
Inside the fog.
"Hoo... hoo..."
"Frank, are you okay?" Luke Cage rolled and hid behind a wrecked vehicle. He wore a gas mask on his face, covering the lower half of it. Inside was a small oxygen supply device, which could support a person breathing underwater for about two hours.
Frank had given it to him. As the Punisher, Frank was always equipped with various weapons and gear, including infrared glasses, a small oxygen supply device, adrenaline... He was not afraid of death, but that did not mean he planned to die without reason.
"What's the situation ahead?" Frank loaded a grenade. One of his eyes was bandaged, and dried blood ran down from the corner of it. He had lost an eye in the battle just now. That group of infected madmen was no different from zombies.
"It's not good." Luke Cage's face was filled with panic. "Most of the X-Men who entered first have been infected. Some died at the hands of their own people, and Jessica..." Luke Cage could not continue. Jessica Jones was his wife and a member of the Thunder Agents. The two of them had entered the fog to search for injured people inside.
But they had not expected the fog to be so contagious. The two of them had come in wearing gas masks, but some of the X-Men had not. They had prided themselves on being strong, and to them, the fog had merely seemed like an obstacle to their vision. The result was...
The X-Men were infected and fought with their comrades. During the sudden battle, Jessica's mask was accidentally torn off. She became trapped in the fog and was killed by Logan's claws.
Before losing her mind, Jessica had desperately sent Luke Cage out. Later, he met the Punisher, Frank, who had just entered the fog from outside. Frank gave him another oxygen supply device, and now the two were heading in another direction from the X-Men.
The other heroes who had entered the fog had lost contact. Now no one knew whether they were dead or alive. The best option was to stay together for warmth. If they encountered an infected superhero, the two of them at least had the ability to escape, or even fight back.
The Punisher checked the firearms on his body. Almost every part of him was covered with weapons. Grenades and an M16 were on his back; pistols, grenades, smoke bombs, tear gas, and body armor covered him; an AK-47 was in his hands; daggers were hidden in his boots; a whip was wrapped around his waist; and micro-bombs were hidden in his pants...
Not to mention the bullets hanging all over his body. He was simply a humanoid war machine. The firepower of one person was enough to fight a small skirmish.
Even ordinary heroes, even Captain America, would have to retreat in the face of such concentrated firepower. Not to mention, the Punisher's own combat skills were quite good. He had once been a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. After witnessing the deaths of his wife and children in a fierce gang battle, he decided to become the Punisher. He showed no mercy to criminals, and using violence to fight violence was his only truth.
But as a soldier, Frank admired Captain America, Steve Rogers, very much. In this world, of course, that meant Captain Carter. He had grown up listening to her heroic deeds. Now he admired and respected Carter as well, even regarding her as a role model.
In fact, Captain Carter did not like this little fanboy very much, because he was too cruel—so cruel that he did not seem like a hero at all, but more like a criminal venting his anger in the name of a "hero."
However, seeing that he was indeed maintaining law and order, Captain Carter did not come forward to arrest him. She simply chose to ignore him.
Frank had also joined the Thunder Agents and become comrades with Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Murdock, but now...
"Grumble!"
"Roar..."
Low beast-like roars sounded from the mist, and several figures staggered into view. They walked slowly, as if drunk, swaying like they might fall at any moment.
"Damn it! Are you kidding me?" When the Punisher saw the figures inside, he could not help cursing, instantly attracting their attention.
"Damn! Run! They can't catch up with us!" Luke Cage also saw those people clearly and deeply resented Frank's talent for getting his teammates into trouble. But there was no way around it. Even with a sneak attack, the two of them could not possibly defeat those four figures.
The two wisely chose to flee, because they were not facing infected ordinary residents.
They were facing the X-Men.
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