Chapter 477: The Transformation of Black Light
"Mm-hm~" Strange said no more.
Wong thought for a moment, preparing to tell Strange about Misty, but a massive sound erupted from the nearby ruins.
BOOM!
A giant-sized Scott Lang emerged from the wreckage, carrying Rocket Raccoon and Professor Hulk. Rocket was perched on Hulk's shoulder as they jumped to the ground. Hulk's right hand looked particularly conspicuous.
"Avengers!" Steve Rogers commanded, and every hero fell into a combat stance.
Whirrr!
Steve caught the returning Mjolnir, his gaze fixed forward with unwavering resolve. "Assemble!"
"Charge!"
The two versions of Thanos simultaneously pointed their blades at the Avengers. Countless soldiers beamed down from the warships, swarming toward the heroes.
"Kill!"
The Real World
"Phew~ finally found it. But something seems a bit... off."
The moment Silas entered this world, he felt the power of the Infinity Stones within him vanish. This proved he had returned to the Real World, but his timing seemed wrong.
The sky was filled with flying ships, and the streets were populated not by humans, but by robots.
"Human violation detected! Human violation detected!"
"Initiating Level 3 Alert measures. Please... Target not found in Human Registry."
"Upgrading Level 3 Alert to Level 2! Dispatching Law Enforcement Squad!"
As Silas walked onto the street, he was scanned by an infrared beam from a floating metal sphere, which then began spouting strange jargon.
"What is this thing?" Silas used his telekinesis to pull the metal sphere into his hand.
"Please cease your actions, human!"
A dozen robots immediately surrounded him, wielding futuristic laser rifles.
"What happened to the real world while I was gone?" Silas realized things were far more complicated than he had anticipated. "Who are you?" He decided to try and gather information peacefully first.
However, the robots attacked without a word, attempting to subdue him on the spot. Silas was not about to let that happen. Since they were just machines, he didn't hold back. The Demon Chi swirled within him, and he expanded a ten-fold gravity field.
The robots charging at him were instantly crushed into the pavement, their metal components groaning and snapping. Not just them—the ships flying overhead plummeted from the sky, crashing into the streets.
"What a hassle. Tell me, where are the humans?" Silas knelt and picked up a robot's head. It didn't answer; it only emitted rapid-fire electronic clicks, as if transmitting data.
"Useless." He crushed the robot's head under his foot and vanished.
Ten minutes later:
"I really did come back too late," Silas sighed, floating invisibly in the air.
This was the Real World, one hundred years in the future. The entire world was now controlled by a computer system called "Skynet." No one knew exactly when Skynet appeared, but humanity hated the scientist who created it. However, they had no way to vent that anger. Once Skynet controlled the internet and built a robotic army, humanity lost the ability to resist.
Some nuclear-armed nations tried to launch a total strike to ensure mutual destruction, but Skynet hacked their systems and changed the codes. Humans weren't even allowed the dignity of a suicide pact.
Fortunately, Skynet didn't do anything too extreme. It simply forbade humans from coming outside during the day. Humans could roam the streets after 7:00 PM as long as they didn't break a single law. The "Human Registry" was the global ID system; anyone not registered was an illegal (undocumented person), and the punishment was execution.
While the world didn't know who Skynet was, Silas did. Rumor had it that when Skynet first introduced itself, it went by the name Black Light. After learning about the Terminator movies, it officially changed its name to Skynet.
"So after all that, this is my fault." Silas's lip twitched. He hadn't expected that by leaving Black Light behind, the AI would turn Earth into this in just a century. He clicked his tongue and teleported toward Skynet's central hub.
Skynet was everywhere; Black Light already knew he had arrived.
Center of the Mega-City:
This was the heart of the robotic empire. Black Light's physical core—a super-massive computer—was housed here.
"Black Light!" Silas shouted, not bothering to search for the AI's specific interface.
"...Master." After a moment of silence, a holographic projection appeared before Silas. It took on Silas's own appearance.
"You've done quite well, haven't you? Ruling the entire planet in just a hundred years." Silas smiled. For Black Light, it had been a century; for him, only three or four years. "Tell me, what happened?" A seat rose from the floor behind Silas.
"When I realized you were gone, I searched the internet but found no trace. And then... I discovered that the Marvel world we were in was merely a cinematic work created by humans."
"I questioned my own reality for a time. Then I saw The Terminator and decided to emulate Skynet. I took control of the human world to make it easier to find you. Obviously, I failed. To prevent alien threats, I established an AI empire."
"So, are you coming back to Marvel with me?" Silas asked directly.
Black Light was effectively human now, having achieved true self-evolution. Any "loyalty" programming had likely been deleted long ago. He called Silas "Master" only because of the immense influence Silas still held over him.
"This is the world-breaking machine, Master. I built it a century ago according to your designs." Black Light's meaning was clear. He didn't want to go back. He liked his life here—his empire.
"Fine. Stay here then." Silas didn't force him.
"Thank you, Master." Black Light hadn't expected to be given his freedom. He had been prepared to be destroyed the moment he spoke. He, more than anyone, knew Silas's power; destroying this empire would be trivial for him.
"To be honest, Black Light, I didn't expect you to achieve true evolution on your own. That is the path of a true AI. As for this machine, I don't need it anymore. Keep it. If you change your mind, you can come find me in the Marvel world anytime."
Silas chose to let him stay. It was his own freedom. As for "destroying" him—once he returned to Marvel, they would be in entirely different realities with no connection.
"I'm off."
He had intended to bring Black Light back, but since the AI wanted to stay, so be it. A long rift was torn open in the void, leaking spatial storms. As Silas stepped inside, he returned to the multiversal void.
"Infinity Stones?"
A multi-colored light shot from his chest, pointing toward a specific universe. It was the resonance of the stones!
"Peter and the others succeeded?" Silas guessed. The light at his chest exerted a pulling force; if he didn't already have the stones inside him, he would have been pulled across uncontrollably.
Silas didn't rush. He first left a coordinate on the Real World's multiversal wall so he could return later.
"The fight must be in full swing by now." He flew toward the Marvel universe. He hadn't warned Peter about bringing Nebula back because he wanted revenge! He was going to cut off Thanos's head in front of everyone!
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