"This is truly relentless. After the Emperor's Plan emerged, now even the entire Pacific Rim is involved. In ancient times, it was Godzilla who held off the invading alien monsters—this is simply beyond words."
While our team was still cleaning up the disaster wrought by MUTO, even greater trouble arose. From beneath the sea, two enormous monsters burst forth. One of them appeared exactly where Godzilla and MUTO had clashed moments before—the freshly rebuilt structures were once again ruined by its rampage.
That one was tolerable, since the rebuilt buildings had only just been restored. But the other monster caused far graver damage: it utterly destroyed an entire city. Even the presence of Godzilla would only allow us to handle one monster at a time.
This time, I (Daniel) did not use my secret method of the mystical portal to help Godzilla escape. Previously, I had teleported Godzilla away while fighting MUTO because I was on-site. But by the time I received word this time, it was already too late—while I had been studying the genetic makeup of Godzilla and MUTO, the new threat had already been dealt with by heavy military firepower. Still, after the monster was slain, its spilled blood caused considerable trouble; the blood of these beasts is highly toxic.
"This must be the breakthrough point… I suppose your luck truly isn't on your side this time," I murmured as I surveyed the situation deep in the Pacific. Before me, an interdimensional rift had been sealed off—yet I couldn't help but silently honor the alien forces on the other side. In situations like these, I was certain the foes belonged to the ancient pioneers of the Pacific Rim. If they were merely a matter of the Pacific alone, the human forces might have fared better. But here, the circumstances were entirely different.
Even without the Avengers, the presence of colossal creatures such as Godzilla and Kong would be more than enough to fend off many invaders. According to data gathered by the Emperor's Organization, in ancient times the pioneers were repelled by Godzilla and other giants.
Looking at the current losses, it appears humanity is taking heavy damage. Once people adapt to these circumstances, however, the situation will change dramatically—for example, with the development of advanced mecha along the lines of those in the Pacific Rim franchise. And not to mention the Avengers.
"Go and take a look over there," I ordered. After examining the breakthrough point for a moment, I dispatched a wood-style shadow clone to slip through it. For most, a breakthrough created by the pioneers would be nearly impossible to penetrate—but for me, it was a trivial matter. Still, since the enemy was a civilization, I chose caution and sent a clone instead of venturing in personally.
"Ah, so that's how it is. Now, should we close this breakthrough point?" After my clone returned, I immediately gathered some intel about the pioneers. It turns out they were part of a monster civilization whose objective was simple: to invade Earth and seize the planet's resources. This was the survival law of the pioneers. They cared little for notions of order; if their current planet's resources were depleted, they would simply move on to the next. Earth was not their sole target. In fact, after several failed attempts elsewhere, they had determined that Earth was the easiest to exploit. Clearly, though, they'd chosen the wrong target this time.
"Of course we must close it—but note that our foes also possess the power to reopen it," I cautioned. The breakthrough point was an active device on their side. Although reopening it costs them vast amounts of energy, we must assume that if left unattended it could be reactivated.
"Compared to an unknown breakthrough, one whose location we know is far easier to counter. At least then we can set up defenses in advance; if it were unknown, we'd only discover it once they attacked," Stark explained over the comms.
Stark understood my meaning well. After all, the planet is enormous and—especially beneath the ocean—detection is extremely difficult. With our equipment installed at the breakthrough point, we could at least predict when and where monsters might appear.
"Isn't there any one-and-done solution?" Natasha asked.
"Not when you're dealing with a civilization—a biologically advanced civilization. Unless we utterly annihilate the pioneers, there's no permanent fix. In truth, I do have an 'all-in' option: if I unleash my full power, I might completely crush the pioneers so that they no longer dare attack Earth. But that might not be ideal for the development of planetary civilization. I now understand why the Ancient One rarely meddles in human affairs—when the Cherrita attacked New York, he only moved to defend his sanctuary. If the Ancient One were to intervene against a mere Cherrita, it would be far too easy. But then, what would humans do the next time disaster strikes?"
The monster attacks themselves provided an opportunity. The United Nations had held multiple meetings to establish a dedicated organization to counter giant monsters. Given the toxic nature of monster blood, deploying heavy firepower has become the ultimate recourse. Concepts for gigantic mecha had already been proposed.
"Another monster has appeared. It seems a new breakthrough point has opened—this time six monsters have emerged," Natasha's intel report crackled in over our comms.
"That's too fast… something's off," Stark murmured.
"Enough talk—let's take them down," the Avengers decided immediately, launching into action.
"Leave the Hong Kong area to me," I announced when I noticed that two of the six monsters were heading toward Hong Kong. If they appeared elsewhere, I could wait for Godzilla's intervention. But Hong Kong was another matter. Not only did I hold great affection for Hong Kong—given my past in that world—but also one of the Three Sacred Halls of the Kamataiji is located there. Even if it were damaged, it could be restored via time reversal. Naturally, we must avoid its destruction.
"Shinra Myriad, Flowing Blazing Fire!"
With those words, two colossal monsters—each nearly sixty meters tall—were swiftly reduced to ash by a technique modeled after Aizen's signature "Flowing Blazing Fire." Immediately afterward, I headed to the breakthrough point nearest to Hong Kong and unleashed a devastating barrage: dozens of Jericho missiles rained down upon the enemy. This effectively sealed the breakthrough point.
In other areas where breakthrough points existed, I would allow them to remain. But in the vicinity of the Three Sacred Halls, I could not permit such dangerous devices to persist.
"You're saying someone helped the monsters open the breakthrough point?" Stark asked.
"Precisely. If I had to guess, it's likely Stone-Liulizi and his cronies."
"These fools must be off their rocker," Stark muttered.
After dispatching the six monsters, I received fresh intel from Liangzi's sister. I soon deduced why the monsters had appeared so rapidly—it turned out there was an insider. "These people really don't want to close the breakthrough point. And Frey… that guy sure knows how to seize an opportunity—he even managed to reactivate it," I noted.
The evidence showed that it wasn't only me who wanted the breakthrough point shut down. After Natasha's report reached the UN, several officials there also opposed leaving it open, particularly under such controlled conditions. Ever since S.H.I.E.L.D. dissolved, Frey had operated covertly, and he too favored keeping the breakthrough point open—for training purposes, he argued.
Of course, some UN officials supported leaving it open not for training but for profit. Despite the damage monsters inflicted, they also generated benefits—alien biotechnology alone was worth the risk. Other lucrative aspects included the monsters' bones, which fetched enormous prices (500 grams of bone powder was valued at 500 pounds sterling). Even though their toxic blood was dangerous, it too held tremendous value.
I had collected a fair amount of blood samples. According to my memory, when fused with certain rare elements, monster blood could generate enormous energy. The only issue was control—if harnessed properly, it would represent a new energy source.
If we were dealing solely with a Pacific Rim scenario, the survival pressure might force someone to do this. But since we currently held the upper hand, I wasn't inclined to act immediately.
Our team leader was very dissatisfied with the outcome, but unfortunately, nothing could change the situation.
"Since that's the case, then you may all proceed with your business," I finally said.
I understood perfectly well that for some, profit was paramount. After all, in this world there are always eccentric individuals; even as we suppressed the monsters, there were proposals to build isolation walls along the coast—as if some "Wall of Life" from Pacific Rim were to be erected. I nearly joked that they must have played too many giant-world video games. In fact, my own game company had imported a giant-themed worldview into our Oasis game—even though I had since acquired far more advanced virtual-reality technology from Sword Art Online, I still hadn't used it in Marvel.
Such theories might seem laughable. But if you knew who was proposing them—a consortium of construction companies, no less—you'd understand their motives. The profits from constructing a coastal barrier would make some people green with envy, even murderous.
Besides the isolation walls, the monster outbreaks had also spawned cults dedicated to venerating giant beasts and to monster worship. Although these two cults were in fierce opposition, their core beliefs were similar: that giant monsters were the true masters of this world and that humanity should return the world to them.
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. If people truly revered giant monsters, why were there no pilgrims offering sacrifices? Instead, they were scrambling to flee.
If one truly desired a primitive life, this world offered plenty of opportunities—but hardly anyone was willing to embrace it.
"Some folks hesitate when action is needed, waiting for things to spiral into chaos. It's utterly exasperating," I mused.
The Giant Beast Cult might be excused—after all, this world wasn't short of those who loved nature. But the Monster Worship cult, if left unchecked, would undoubtedly be manipulated by traitors like Stone-Liulizi and other internal saboteurs. In the end, no one dared take decisive action against them.
"Forget these clowns. I must continue my own mission," I declared.
I wasn't particularly interested in the new industries emerging from monster activity. Compared to Thanos, who once wiped out half the universe, these were trifles.
"Xianyang City—so Qin is still around?" I muttered as I stood before an ancient city gate, staring at the Qin-style script etched upon it. I couldn't quite ascertain the current state of affairs—after all, Xianyang had existed for ages.
"Not many people enter or exit the gate," I observed.
It was midday, and though the gate was wide open, no guards stood watch. Instead, inside the gate a group of well-dressed, high-ranking officials had gathered, apparently awaiting something anxiously. They noticed my presence, but made no particular move.
Just as I was about to approach for questioning, the sound of thundering hooves erupted behind me. I turned to see roughly a hundred cavalry riders charging at full speed.
"Behold, the Han King has arrived! Kneel immediately!"
As the cavalry drew near, their speed suddenly slackened. From their impeccably coordinated formation it was clear they were a well-trained unit.
"Han King," I mused, pondering who this Han King might be. Then, from inside the city gate, a group of these dignitaries emerged, led by a young man. They hurriedly knelt on either side of the gate.
"How dare you show such insolence in the presence of the Han King!" one of the riders bellowed.
After they knelt, I—being the only one not to do so—became exceedingly conspicuous. One rider immediately roared and, drawing his bow, loosed an arrow aimed straight at my throat.
Judging by the arrow's speed and force, it was evident this world was rather ordinary. With my right index and middle fingers I caught the incoming arrow; I had long deduced the state of this world. Even a cavalry unit of this caliber could only reach so far.
"Who is the Han King?" I asked the young man, turning my attention to him.
"His name is Liu Ji of the Han King. He is one of the princes distributed at the feudal alliance meeting," the young man replied after a brief pause.
"And you are?" I inquired casually.
"I am Ying Ziying," he answered.
"Ying Ziying… Han King Liu Ji… I see."
Hearing his name and the title of Han King Liu Ji, I immediately began to suspect the situation. It seemed likely that Ying Ziying had offered up Xianyang City at a time when the Qin Empire was crumbling—marking the final countdown of Qin's downfall.
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