Chapter 54: You Mention a Hundred-Thousand-Fold Serum, and Suddenly I'm Wide Awake
As it turned out, Magneto had indeed been planning a big move for some time before this: developing a machine to forcibly turn all ordinary people into Mutants.
Humanity views Mutants as anomalies, don't they? Fine. If all the leaders of humanity became Mutants, wouldn't that solve the problem?
But Magneto had obviously changed his mind.
Du Wa mulled over Magneto's motivations. On one hand, directly making an enemy of the entire world was somewhat unrealistic. Even if the Old Man could withstand a nuclear bomb, he was by no means invincible.
On the other hand, it was probably related to Professor X.
Du Wa had communicated telepathically with Professor X, so he knew the professor was always nagging him, trying to persuade him to adopt a more stable approach and not become a wicked villain in the world's eyes, like Magneto.
Hilarious. Du Wa was solely focused on his own ambitions and wouldn't waste time playing the villain. However, if being a villain could help him achieve his goals more smoothly, he would certainly give it serious consideration.
However, Du Wa speculated that there might be other factors that pushed these two toward reconciliation, leading them to decide to use the platform of the joint summit to release some bombshell news to the entire world.
"Is it because of the Deviants? Have you decided to stop being human?" Du Wa asked Magneto.
Magneto didn't respond, but Du Wa learned from Mystique about a peculiar Mutant: Destiny.
"Destiny..."
The moment Du Wa heard the name, his interest was piqued. This Mutant could see through fate and had clearly foreseen that the future for Mutants was anything but optimistic.
With a subordinate who had seen a fragmented script, it was no wonder the Old Man's actions were deviating from their normal course. In fact, it would be strange if they weren't.
Furthermore, thanks to Du Wa, Magneto had obtained a large amount of intelligence regarding the Deviants. He had been in seclusion for days, and who knew what kind of strategy he had concocted.
"So, in Destiny's prophecy, where do I stand?" Du Wa was very interested in this.
"I don't know. Even when facing Erik, Destiny is tight-lipped and rarely offers clear or direct guidance. Even when Erik presses her for answers, she'll choose to ignore him completely."
"So that's how it is. Destiny has either seen an extremely terrifying future she cannot speak of, or she can only see incomplete images she is unable to describe."
Compared to the Ancient One, who wielded the Time Stone, Destiny's ability wasn't particularly outstanding. However, as an external prompter, she could at least provide some form of guidance.
...
The sky was gray and overcast, a light drizzle pattering down.
At the conference hall, countless people dressed in sharp suits wore serious expressions. Their tense faces would occasionally break into a feigned look of ease as they chatted with acquaintances.
The Global Joint Summit was the most magnificent conference on Earth.
This time, its scale was far greater than ever before.
Everyone was on edge, as many dangerous individuals were in attendance. No one knew how many people with ill intentions were lurking amidst the splendor and solemn dignity of the event.
"Even the Mutants are here. I really don't understand what this is all about."
"Give it a rest. At least they're all human. They didn't invite the Atlanteans and the Inhumans."
"Interesting. Why don't you go find some representative Mutants and ask if they consider themselves human? Magneto would kill you with a single punch."
Similar comments echoed throughout the area. Passersby wore grim expressions, their gazes darting around vigilantly, half-expecting a terrorist to leap out at any moment.
Just then, a meteor streaked across the sky and landed in the plaza outside the conference building. The figure landed on two feet, arms flung back high. The sight drew many sidelong glances, but conspicuously, no cheers.
"Mr. Tony Stark, we have prepared a special airfield fifty kilometers away for parking flight equipment."
Dutiful security personnel immediately surrounded him.
Tony impatiently tried to shove them aside. Channeling power through his Mark 5 armor—just a fraction of its strength—should have been more than enough to deal with an ordinary person. But when he pushed, he was stunned to find he couldn't budge them.
This made him realize that these seemingly ordinary men, even if not truly superhuman, had undergone genetic modification.
"It seems the super-soldier program has finally made some progress. Is this how your commander orders you around? To threaten a citizen brimming with wisdom and charm?"
Tony raised an eyebrow. "As for the flight equipment you mentioned, I don't have any. This is my high-tech prosthesis. Everyone knows I'm busy dating lots of women. It's perfectly normal to do this to save time, isn't it?"
But the security personnel didn't budge, keeping Tony tightly encircled. This caused Tony's expression to darken. He was someone who cared deeply about his image, especially on a stage with the whole world watching.
Click! Click! Click!
A crowd of reporters swarmed them, their cameras flashing wildly. From a distance, one held up a microphone and yelled, "Mr. Stark, are you going to refuse? Or will you be sending your 'prosthesis' to the airfield?"
Tony's face was grim. He hadn't wanted to come to this godforsaken place in the first place, but the thought of all the formidable characters gathered here made him change his mind. He'd decided to come check it out, hoping to gather more data and intelligence to inspire future upgrades for his armor.
But these guys actually wanted him to take off his armor? Tony's entire sense of security was derived from this suit of high-tech equipment.
Just as they reached a stalemate.
BOOM!
A sudden clap of thunder erupted in the dim sky.
People flinched instinctively, looking up at the sky in astonishment. Their pupils dilated as they watched an absurdly thick bolt of lightning emerge from the dense clouds, spreading as if it were tearing the heavens apart before crashing straight down.
Amidst the flashing lightning and roaring thunder, a figure descended thunderously from within the storm. Carrying a momentum fiercer than a cannon shell, it crashed into the ground with a massive boom, shattering an untold number of paving stones.
"Seems I haven't come to the wrong place. This is it."
Meeting the astonished and excited gazes of the crowd, Du Wa remained perfectly calm, seeing nothing out of the ordinary about his grand entrance.
He certainly paid no mind to the security personnel who were monitoring everything, their minds about to explode.
It was a perfectly fine global conference. First, Iron Man had to make a showy entrance, which was already a headache, forcing them to struggle to maintain a quiet and solemn order. Now, what was the deal with this even fiercer guy with an even more spectacular arrival?
"You're about to receive a sky-high bill for damages from them," Tony quipped, annoyed at this guy for upstaging him.
"No matter. I'm not paying anyway," Du Wa said. "I have a whole family to feed. Where would I find the spare cash to pay for this?"
Tony thought that was an impossible argument to refute. The 'family' Du Wa mentioned was so large it could be deployed to fight a war on a divine battlefield. The vampires could certainly attest to that.
Du Wa looked at the security guards surrounding Tony. Swinging Mjolnir, he walked over and said, "You lot, with such fine physiques... if you're really that bored, why not drop by my place? I've got some good things for you."
"If they had the guts for that, they wouldn't be here trying to corner me," Tony said sarcastically.
Because while Tony more or less played by the rules, Du Wa was different. When he said something, there was a real chance he would follow through.
"The era has already changed, it's just happening a little too fast. The people backing you can't keep up, so they should be phased out." Du Wa swung Mjolnir, generating a massive burst of lightning that sent all the guards flying.
He had no such reservations.
"But, Your Excellency Du Wa, are you declaring war on the entire world?" one of the security agents asked in a low voice.
"I can declare war on the world on my own behalf, but can you declare war on me on behalf of the world? I don't know how a guy like you came to be. Did you drink the serum, too? Addled your brain? On that front, the World War II hero has you beat by a mile."
Du Wa pointed in a certain direction.
A man holding a shield walked over. His posture was ramrod straight and his face radiated righteousness, eliciting countless gasps and excited shouts from the crowd.
Captain America had already been dug out of the Arctic by S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Let's head into the hall. Lingering out here will only cause a disturbance, which defeats the purpose of your attendance," Captain America said, his face a mask of righteousness.
Tony scanned the man over and over in disbelief, his mouth hanging open in an "O" shape beneath his mask.
Du Wa asked bluntly, "Is that a command, soldier?"
"No. These are the rules of the conference. Everyone must abide by them, whether they are human, a god, or even an alien."
"Excellent. I like people who use clear logic," Du Wa said. "You'd better get these grunts in line. Some researchers failed to properly replicate your miracle and ended up creating a bunch of inferior copies."
Du Wa gave a thumbs-up in appreciation. Wreathed in faint crackles of lightning, he walked through the crowd of downed security agents, dragging Tony—who weighed well over a thousand pounds, armor and all—up the steps and straight toward the conference building.
Of course, this act of dragging shattered a path all the way up the grand, iconic steps. He couldn't be bothered with such minor details, but everyone else who watched felt their eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
"Captain..."
"Say no more. I know you're resentful, but your objective isn't to declare war on these individuals. Even if you have ulterior motives, you must pick the right time."
Steve had only awoken recently, but he was rapidly adapting to this completely different era. At the very least, superhumans could now display their power openly and without restraint, something that would have been unimaginable in the past.
As far as he knew, this phenomenon had only emerged in the last one or two months. A series of events was shaking the entire world to its core, sending this planet hurtling wildly in another direction.
The key figure responsible for all this was Du Wa, who now left Steve with only a view of his back.
Steve didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing. He was just an old soldier who followed orders. His job was to manage these super-soldiers before him, who had clearly received some strange secret commands.
God only knew what intentions the creators of these super-soldiers had for Du Wa.
What gave Steve an even bigger headache was not knowing just how many Xenomorphs were lurking nearby. He refused to believe that Du Wa would come alone and leave his horde behind.
Du Wa's arrival was only the beginning.
Magneto simply flew across the ocean, landing before the crowd with a cold, indifferent expression that warned everyone to keep their distance.
The superhumans standing guard in the shadows were all left speechless.
"Perhaps it's just as Du Wa said: the era has changed. Those with special powers can now openly display their talent."
"True, but don't forget, we're superhumans too. Or are you saying that you, as a Ghost, no longer consider yourself human?"
"Shut up, Mummy. You have no qualification to say that to me."
The Howling Commandos had naturally assembled to prevent any unexpected incidents, but faced with one formidable figure after another, they were at a loss for what to do.
Besides, these difficult characters hadn't started a massacre. It was as if they had genuinely come to attend a conference.
The entire conference was scheduled to last for seven days, during which all sorts of individuals would give speeches—some representing nations, some organizations, and some entire species.
For example, right now, a Mutant doctor named Jean Grey was on stage giving a speech. She was presenting a vast amount of research to prove the existence of the X-Gene within Mutants, calling on everyone to adopt a proper attitude toward them and to embrace peace.
The truly powerful individuals in attendance could all feel a terrifying, oppressive power emanating from Dr. Jean. Their expressions grew solemn, and the way they looked at her changed.
Beside the podium, another man with a cowering look in his eyes was preparing to speak. Even from a great distance, he didn't dare to spare Du Wa a single glance.
Du Wa noticed the man's presence, glanced over, and then retracted his gaze.
"Not worried in the slightest? He's representing the vampires, you know. He's up right after Jean Grey finishes," a middle-aged man said as he approached Du Wa.
This was perfectly normal. At such a large-scale event, it would be strange *not* to take the opportunity to network.
Du Wa replied, "What should I be worried about? That he'll go up there and accuse the world of being too harsh on vampires? Look over there. Charles and Erik are both listening intently to Jean Grey's speech, and neither has said a word."
Vampires? That lot is despised by everyone. They're nothing more than parasites feeding on humanity.
There were a lot of them, and they had the ability to turn ordinary people into vampires in droves. Anyone would find that infuriating.
Du Wa's Xenomorphs specifically sought trouble with the vampires, plundering their wealth and, to some extent, solving a chronic problem.
"As far as I know, there are no longer any creatures like vampires where you're from. As the counterpart to the Brotherhood of the Shield, S.P.E.A.R. is on the right path."
Du Wa then turned to the middle-aged man. "Zheng Xian, right? The director of S.P.E.A.R. Perhaps you have some intractable criminals on your side you could hand over to me. I'm not afraid of trouble."
"You're more candid than I imagined. Still, I think you could at least pretend to calculate a bit, instead of just asking for favors so directly."
"If you were Fury, I'd be even more direct," Du Wa said, looking at the man. "Let's change the topic. I'm guessing you're very interested in the war being waged on the World Tree. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to find me."
"Correct. Although no one speaks of it openly, a very small number of people do have channels for obtaining information about the universe. S.H.I.E.L.D. once tried to get to Thor, hoping to establish a line to Asgard, but they failed because of you. We won't just stand by and watch, either. We also have contact with another divine race."
Du Wa remained calm. He had known about this for a long time.
After all, a thousand years ago, when Odin led the various pantheons of the World Tree to battle the Celestials, the Destroyer Armor he wore had been blessed by the god-kings of nearly every pantheon.
S.H.I.E.L.D. could contact Asgard and, in the normal timeline, recruit Thor into The Avengers. Similarly, S.P.E.A.R. could maintain intermittent communication with the "Great Luo Heaven."
"The war will not stop; it will continue unabated. I will continue to supply military force until Asgard achieves victory," Du Wa stated clearly.
"But Odin is dead."
"Who says?"
"That's what everyone is saying. Loki has already taken the throne."
"Fake news."
"How can you be so certain? Did you, or the Xenomorph general you sent to join the war, see Odin?"
"If Odin were dead, why is there still no sign of Hela? I refuse to believe that Odin's most favored offspring is so pathetic she can't even break out of her prison."
"Very well. We will tacitly approve of your actions and, conditions permitting, provide you with all manner of assistance. However, concerning the prophecy of the Twilight of the Gods—a prophecy with Asgard at its core—should you, the new Thunder God, make any significant discoveries, I hope we can bargain for that firsthand information."
After just a few words, the two completed their exchange and went their separate ways.
The time for the Twilight of the Gods was approaching. According to the prophecy, if Asgard were to be annihilated by a powerful force, the other divine races would have to carefully re-evaluate their own situations.
Therefore, for Midgard, the nexus connecting the upper and lower realms of the World Tree, the key questions were what position to take in this unprecedented crisis, whether it would be swept up in the great chaos to come, and whether its own strength would be enough to endure it. At a minimum, they needed to have a contingency plan.
Zheng Xian departed, and the one who truly needed Du Wa to achieve his unspeakable goals arrived soon after.
Colonel Stryker had been eyeing Du Wa for some time. This villain, whose sole focus was on Mutants, didn't even dare show his face before Professor X and Magneto. Instead, he sent a soldier to negotiate with Du Wa on his behalf.
"Colonel Stryker? I have no connection with him, nor any interest. He doesn't seriously believe I owe him a favor, does he?"
Du Wa simply shook his head, completely dismissing Stryker's invitation.
However, when the soldier gestured for Du Wa to follow him into a room crammed with countless pieces of high-tech equipment and showed him an encrypted file, Du Wa's expression shifted. He immediately changed his mind.
"A super serum one hundred thousand times more potent than Captain America's... so it's *this*..."
(end of chapter)