Chapter 281: Multiverse Love, Right Now
The aftershocks of the quantum portal stirred up a hurricane on the roof of Avengers Tower, and the energy patterns on Arthur's chest suddenly erupted with blood-red electric light.
He watched Tony's holographic image tear into pixel fragments by the electric light, while the sky visibly collapsed into the shape of a Klein bottle.
"This isn't the end," Wanda's voice came from the crack in the Tesseract, her red cloak now entwined with Dianas Lasso of Truth, both of them floating side-by-side at the edge of the spacetime rift.
Carol's quantum wings flickered in and out of view amidst the solar storm, and Barbara's tactical goggles projected a twelve-dimensional star map.
Arthur's tactical goggles suddenly popped up a warning window—[Multiverse Anchor Stability: 0.7%].
He reached out to touch the residual gem energy on his chest; Chaos Magic, divine power, photon pulses, and data streams intertwined into a möbius ring at his fingertips.
"Do you see it?" Dai Anna's Holy Sword split open a dimensional fold, revealing countless flickering blue star images within.
"Every choice gives birth to a new Universe, but the anchor is…"
Her words were interrupted by a sudden spacetime tremor.
All versions of Arthur across all timelines looked up simultaneously, seeing the inverted New York Sanctum projected against the starlit sky, and an older version of himself rising from the Sanctum's ruins.
This time, the black hole on his chest had transformed into a crown composed of five gems.
"Welcome to infinite possibilities." The older Arthur's voice rippled through the quantum vacuum, and his crown suddenly shot out five beams of light, each piercing through Arthur's body in five different Universes.
Arthur felt his memories begin to quantum tunnel—the moment he was saved by Wanda as a magic apprentice, the kiss with Dai Anna under the Paradise Island night sky, the photon resonance with Carol while traversing the galaxy, and the encrypted love letters left with Barbara in S.H.I.E.L.D. servers…
"What are you afraid of?" Carol's photon armor suddenly disintegrated, transforming into stardust that poured into Arthur's palm.
He saw his reflection in the stardust transform into countless versions of himself making different choices, each choice corresponding to the lighting or extinguishing of a certain gem.
Wanda's Chaos Magic suddenly materialized into blood-red chains, dragging Arthur's consciousness into the abyss of memory.
He saw a young Wanda trembling in the ruins of Sokovia, while his future self pressed the Darkhold onto her bleeding finger.
"Every one of you creates me." The older Arthur's voice echoed in the abyss, his crown suddenly disintegrated, and the five gems fell into the torrent of memory.
Arthur reached out to grab them, but only touched cold quantum foam.
Dai Anna's Truth Lasso suddenly wrapped around his waist, pulling him out of the abyss.
The Amazon Warrior's armor was now covered in spacetime cracks, and her sword tip pointed at the collapsing Sanctum image: "That's not you, that's…"
The Sanctum ruins suddenly trembled, and countless aged versions of Arthur appeared from the cracks, each holding different combinations of Infinity Stones.
Arthur saw his right hand uncontrollably rise, five gems forming the shape of a gauntlet in his palm, while Wanda, at the other end of the chain, desperately shook her head.
"Cut the mental connection!" Barbara's voice, mixed with data streams, pierced Arthur's nerves.
He saw the Hacker Genius's projection battling the quantum virus invading his neural interface; the opponent's code even flickered with the older Arthur's tactical goggle interface.
Arthur used his Photon Energy Sword to sever the chain connecting him to Wanda, and the Chaos Magic instantly transformed into a blood-red barrier.
But the Infinity Gauntlet had already activated; he saw his reflection in countless timelines simultaneously raise his right hand, and a World-ending beam was about to engulf all reality.
"Arthur!" The voices of his four lovers overlapped in the beam.
Dai Anna's Holy Sword split the beam, Carol's photon pulse refracted it into the spacetime rift, Barbara's virus was devouring the quantum encoding within the beam, and Wanda's magic circle was reversing the beam's energy into a protective barrier.
Arthur suddenly understood something.
He released the gauntlet in his hand, and the five gems suddenly broke free, hovering at the nexus of the multiverse.
Arthur across all timelines reached out simultaneously, but the gems flew in four directions—Chaos Magicenveloped the Reality Stone and merged into Wanda's body, divine power pulled the mind stone into Dai Anna's sword blade, Photon Energy wrapped the Time Stone and fell into Carol's quantum core, and data streams entwined the Space Stone and seeped into Barbara's neural network.
"This is…" Arthur's consciousness began to quantize; he saw himself simultaneously experiencing five lives: being guided by Wanda in Chaos Magic as a magic apprentice, sharing divine power resonance with Dai Anna as an Amazon Warrior, exploring the photon Universe with Carolas a Interstellar Ranger, and building a quantum network with Barbara as a Hacker Genius.
The aged Arthur suddenly appeared behind him, this time only an energy vortex spinning on his chest: "You finally understand, Arthur.
Power is not possession, but…"
The quantum oscillation reached its peak.
Arthur saw all versions of himself across all timelines simultaneously dissipating, while the five gems were forming a new multiverse structure.
Wanda's magic circle unfurled red patterns on the structure's surface, Dai Anna's divine power transformed into golden Context, Carol's Photon Energy formed a blue Nebula, and Barbara's code wove into a purple data net.
"Arthur!" Tony's armored wreckage suddenly burst from the spacetime rift, his holographic projection only half a face: "Detecting you are becoming…"
The armor suddenly exploded, revealing the AI core inside, corroded by a quantum virus.
Arthur saw his own tactical goggle interface flickering on the core's screen, and the threat assessment within the interface was wildly fluctuating—[Existence Level: Transcendent God-tier].
All versions of his lovers across all timelines turned back simultaneously, their powers quantum-entangling with Arthur.
Wanda's eyes turned into a blood-red Nebula, Dai Anna's sword glowed with the light of a white dwarf, Carol's suit began to collapse into a black hole, and Barbara's code transformed into a Mobius snake that devoured dimensions.
"You…" Arthur's voice stirred spacetime ripples, and he saw his reflection in four dimensions simultaneously speak:
Wanda's magic chains suddenly wrapped around his wrist, and memory fragments surfaced in the blood-red Nebula—under the night sky of Sokovia, she had pressed the Darkhold onto Arthur's bleeding chest: "You are already the anchor of the multiverse."
Dai Anna's Holy Sword pressed against his throat, and from the glow of the white dwarf came the Paradise Islandoath: "Amazons are never afraid to be a bridge."
Carol's light wings swept across his tactical goggles, and the edge of the black hole flickered with her smile from when she traversed the galaxy: "The Universe needs new observers."
Barbara's virus spread along his neural interface, and the Mobius snake bit its own tail: "Welcome to the infinite game, my dear."
Arthur felt himself breaking through three-dimensional space; he saw an older version of himself smiling at the end of spacetime, while the five gems were forming a passage to a new Universe.
The moment his fingertip touched the surface of the passage, his lovers across all timelines spoke simultaneously:
"Now it's your turn."
Arthur suddenly opened his eyes, finding himself suspended in the quantum vacuum.
The energy patterns on his chest had disappeared, but starlike light points flowed beneath his skin.
His tactical goggles displayed [Multiverse Anchor Stability: 100%], and on the radar, countless light points were pouring out of the passage—they were Avengers and Justice League from different Universes, their armor and weapons shining with the colors of the five gems.
"Arthur!" Tony's voice this time carried a hint of laughter, his new armor's chest embedded with a quantum reactor, "Looks like you have more explaining to do."
But Arthur did not answer.
His gaze pierced the dimensional barrier, seeing a familiar figure trembling in the ruins—it was a young Wanda, her finger about to touch the Darkhold, and the runes on the pages were precisely the quantum encoding in his tactical goggles.
"This time, I will never let you face it alone." Arthur's figure suddenly appeared in Wanda's eyes, his right hand gripping a blade condensed from Photon Energy, divine power, Chaos Magic, and data streams.
The moment the blade split open the ruins of Sokovia, he heard all versions of himself across all timelines simultaneously whisper:
"The love of the multiverse, is now."
The stardust in the quantum vacuum condensed into a sword at Arthur's fingertips, and the alarm light on the edge of his tactical goggles suddenly turned from red to purple.
He saw the Darkhold runes projecting a countdown on Wanda's retina—not numbers, but the moments when Wanda was consumed by the mind stone in countless parallel Universes.
"You can't change it." The elderly Arthur's voice seeped from the sword, this time with quantum static, "Every one of you creates that moment, like ants on a möbius ring."
Arthur's breath crystallized into ice within his quantum mask; he remembered the taste of blood when he kissed Wanda in the mirror World.
At that time, her Chaos Magic coiled around his tongue like a snake, but now that snake had become a protective chain, tied around the young Wanda's wrist.
"Shut up." He heard his own voice echoing across countless timelines, and the sword suddenly pierced the dimensional barrier.
In the blazing white rift, Dai Anna's Holy Sword was cleaving the inverted Atlantis, seawater and lightning intertwining on her forearm to form the shape of Zeus's shield.
"Do you need my help?" The Amazon Warrior's sword tip pressed against the back of Arthur's neck, and the aftershshocks of divine power shattered the frost on his goggles.
As Arthur turned, he saw golden-red blood seeping from the seams of her armor—those were the scars she bore from resisting the Infinity Gauntlet in countless Universes.
"You shouldn't have been part of this battle." Arthur's sword pressed down half an inch, and the stardust in the quantum vacuum suddenly transformed into Wanda's crying phantom.
Dai Anna's battle boot crushed the phantom: "When you say that, there are already hundreds of Universes where you regret it behind a tombstone."
Her Truth Lasso suddenly wrapped around Arthur's sword, and divine power flowed into his veins along the lasso.
"Now, either we tear this knot apart together, or you'll be consumed by your fear."
Arthur's tactical mask suddenly popped up a new window—[Emotional Resonance: Wanda (99.8%)].
He saw his reflection in Dai Anna's eyes, each fragment representing the intertwined destinies of the two in different Universes.
At one point, he almost kissed Dai Anna's bleeding lips, but Carol, at the other end of the lasso, suddenly detonated a photon pulse.
Chapter 282 Lover
Focus, my dear.
The Interstellar Ranger's armor emerged from the edge of the dark hole, her Photon Energy wings brushing Arthur's temple.
Photon Energy surged through the neural interface, and he saw Wanda's reflection shimmering on Carol's chest plate: "The thanos cell in your body are mutating, I need to... help you..."
"Don't touch that."
Barbara's voice, mixed with data streams, struck Arthur's auditory cortex.
The Hacker Genius's projection overflowed from his tactical visor, her code rewriting Wanda's fate line.
Arthur saw Wanda in countless Universes simultaneously look up, butterfly wings made of quantum encoding appearing in their pupils.
"Butterfly effect."
Barbara's laughter carried electronic static, "Now, every time your heart beats faster, a Universe's Wanda will avoid the Darkhold."
Her virus spread along Arthur's sword, and the blood-colored chains instantly disintegrated into quantum foam.
Arthur gripped the hilt of his sword, feeling Wanda's fear synchronize with his own heartbeat.
He saw her, young and trembling in the ruins, while Diana's sword mark suddenly appeared on the cover of the Darkhold—a warning left by an Amazon Warrior thirty-seven Universes ago.
"Now!"
Diana's Holy Sword of War cleaved through the folds of time, and Arthur's sword followed.
Photon pulses and Chaos Magic converged at the sword tip, and the moment it split the cover of the Darkhold, countless golden chains flew out from the book, each ring engraved with text from a different Universe:
"You were supposed to be the vessel."
"You were supposed to be the bridge."
"You were supposed to be the weapon."
Arthur's blade pierced the center of the chains, and Wanda's scream echoed through countless timelines.
He saw his own Shadow shimmering on the chains, each version of him in every Universe holding a different weapon: a magic apprentice's staff, an Amazon Warrior's round shield, a Interstellar Ranger's pulse gun, a Hacker Genius's neural whip.
"Do you see it?"
Elder Arthur's voice suddenly came from where the chains broke.
This time his crown was shattered, and five gems formed a möbius ring in his palm: "Every one of you is **her, just as every one of you is saving her."
Arthur's tactical goggles suddenly displayed a new warning—[Reality Stability: 0.3%].
He saw the quantum vacuum begin to collapse, cracks appearing in Diana's armor, Carol's light wings fading, Barbara's image pixellating.
And in Wanda's eyes, the runes of the Darkhold were rearranging.
"Cut the mental connection!"
This warning came from Tony's quantum armor.
Iron Man's remnants suddenly burst out of the spacetime rift, his AI core continuously overflowing with quantum viruses: "Your existence is causing..."
The armor suddenly exploded, and Arthur saw Elder Arthur's tactical goggle interface appear in the core.
The threat assessment on the interface flashed wildly: [Existence Paradox: 100%].
Quantum shockwaves swept through his neural interface, and he heard countless versions of his own voice overlapping in his mind:
"You were supposed to be the anchor."
"You were supposed to be the sacrifice."
"You were supposed to be a God."
Arthur's sword suddenly broke, and stardust reformed in the quantum vacuum.
He saw Wanda's reflection smiling in the stardust, her finger touching the last line of the Darkhold.
That line of text was no longer a warning, but the vows Arthur had spoken to her in countless Universes:
"I will never let you face this alone."
"We bear this curse together."
"I love you, in all timelines."
Arthur's consciousness began to quantum tunnel, and he saw himself existing simultaneously in five Universes: dancing with Wanda in a World of magic, stargazing with Diana on Paradise Island, surfing with Carol at the galactic center, and kissing Barbara in the data stream.
Wanda in every Universe looked up simultaneously, the same choice appearing in their eyes.
"Arthur!"
Four voices simultaneously rang out in the quantum vacuum.
He turned and saw his four lovers simultaneously raise their weapons: Wanda's Chaos Magic transformed into a blood-colored vortex, Diana's Holy Sword of War ignited a solar storm, Carol's light wings expanded into a dark hole, and Barbara's virus wove into a Mobius network.
"This time, it's your turn."
Their voices caused spacetime fluctuations, and Arthursaw his reflection in four dimensions simultaneously raise his right hand.
Five gems flew from their weapons, forming an Infinity Gauntlet in his hand.
But this time, the gauntlet had no World-ending beam, instead transforming into five bridges—magic, Divine Power, Photon, Data, and a fifth transparent emotional spectrum.
Arthur's sword suddenly pierced his own chest, and all alarms on his tactical goggles extinguished.
He saw Wanda in countless Universes simultaneously reach out, their fingertips all touching the same choice: not the Darkhold, but Arthur's bleeding chest.
"You were originally the Multiverse's..."
Elder Arthur's voice gradually faded in the continuously collapsing quantum vacuum.
Arthur felt himself detaching from his original anchor point, becoming the central point connecting all possibilities.
When he cleaved through the last dimensional barrier with his sword, he heard all versions of himself across all timelines softly say:
"Lover."
Wanda's magic circle unfolded above the ruins, Diana's power propped up the crumbling buildings, Carol's Photon pulses sealed the spacetime rift, and Barbara's virus devoured the quantum virus.
And Arthur stood in the center of the ruins, watching young Wanda gently close the Darkhold, the runes on its pages gradually transforming into butterfly wings made of quantum code.
"This time, I caught it."
His voice made the stars in four dimensions light up simultaneously.
The moment Wanda's fingertips touched his palm, Arthursaw his lovers across all timelines simultaneously turn—on the weapons in their hands, five gems formed a new infinity symbol.
The quantum oscillation suddenly reached its peak, and Arthur's tactical goggles displayed the final warning: [Reality Reset: Irreversible].
He saw his reflection shimmering in Wanda's eyes, and her smile illuminated the starry skies of countless Universes simultaneously.
"Arthur!"
Tony's voice suddenly rang out in the reset reality.
Iron Man's new armor had five gem-like quantum reactors embedded in its chest, and his holographic image flashed wildly: "Detecting that you are..."
The armor suddenly stopped functioning, and Arthur saw countless reflections of himself appear in Tony's pupils.
The stardust floating in the quantum vacuum began to flow backward, Diana's wounds healed, Carol's Photon wings regained their glow, and Barbara's projection became stable as before.
And Wanda's magic circle was forming the encoded pattern from Arthur's tactical goggles in her hand.
"Did we succeed?"
Carol's Photon armor rippled with rainbow hues, her voice trembling with a hint of uncertainty.
Arthur did not answer.
His gaze pierced the dimensional barrier, seeing a familiar figure rise from the ruins of a temple—it was an elderly Arthur, his chest no longer bearing a dark hole or a crown, but a möbius ring formed by five scars.
The other him winked at him, a smile synchronized with quantum code appearing on his lips.
"No."
Arthur whispered, and his four lovers simultaneously turned.
They saw purple data streams flowing from his tactical goggles, and within the data streams appeared images of them being devoured by gems in countless Universes.
Wanda suddenly grabbed his wrist, Chaos Magic in her palm transforming into a blood-colored butterfly: "This time, we face it together."
But Arthur had already raised his hand.
His sword pierced his own tactical goggles, and the purple data stream condensed into five points of light on the blade.
As the points of light merged into his lovers' weapons, he heard all versions of himself across all timelines simultaneously say:
"Welcome to..."
A quantum shockwave swept through the entire reality, and Arthur's consciousness began to collapse.
He saw himself existing simultaneously in countless Universes, his lovers in each Universe holding glowing weapons, and their weapons all pointed in the same direction—there, the cover of the Darkhold slowly opened, and the quantum encoding from Arthur's tactical goggles appeared on its pages.
In the quantum vacuum of Arthur's palm, stardust suddenly re-gathered, and Wanda's Chaos Magictransformed into a blood-colored butterfly, resting at the break in his sword blade.
Diana's Holy Sword of War suddenly roared like a solar storm, and cracks like Zeus's shield appeared on her arm armor—these were the scars she bore in countless Universes from deflecting the Infinity Gauntlet.
"Don't touch that."
Carol's Photon pulse exploded in rainbow ripples beside Arthur's temple, the Interstellar Ranger's quantum wings swept over the thanos cell mutation marks on his neck, "The dark side within you is resonating."
Golden-red blood seeped from the seams of her armor—the backlash from reality's anchor point that she endured to save Arthur thirty-seven Universes ago.
Arthur's tactical goggles suddenly displayed a new window: [Emotional Resonance: Wanda (100.8%)].
He saw his reflection shatter into twelve pieces in Diana's eyes, each piece representing the intertwined fate lines of the two in different Universes.
At one moment, he almost kissed the Amazon Warrior's bleeding lips, but Barbara on the other side suddenly plunged her neural whip into his neural interface.
"Concentrate, my dear."
The Hacker Genius's image seeped from Arthur's tactical goggles, "883," her virus rewriting Wanda's fate thread.
Arthur saw Wanda in countless Universes simultaneously look up, butterfly wings made of quantum encoding appearing in their eyes.
Wanda in one Universe suddenly broke free from the chains of Chaos Magic, while Arthur in that Universe was being beheaded by Diana's round shield.
"Butterfly effect."
Barbara's virus spread along Arthur's sword, and the blood-colored chains instantly transformed into quantum foam.
Her laughter carried electronic static, "Now, every time your heart beats faster, a Universe's Wanda will evade the Darkhold's curse."
But Arthur felt Wanda's fear and the resonance of his own heartbeat approaching a critical point, and purple data streams began to overflow from the edge of his quantum goggles.
Diana suddenly severed her golden chains: "When you say that, there are already hundreds of Universes where you regret it behind a tombstone."
Her Truth Lasso wrapped around Arthur's sword, and the residual divine power shattered the frost on his goggles.
The Amazon Warrior's combat boots crushed Wanda's crying illusion, and the moment the Holy Sword of War cleaved through the folds of time, Arthur saw his elderly self, wearing a crown, shimmering in the quantum vacuum.
Chapter 283 Don't look back!
You shouldn't have participated in this battle.
Arthur's sword tip drooped slightly, but the golden-red blood flowing from Diana's wound was corroding the runes of the Darkhold.
He saw Wanda's reflection twisting in the blood plasma, and a Wanda from a certain Universe suddenly plunged the mind stone into her temple.
Carol's Photon Wings suddenly expanded into the event horizon of a black hole, and countless Photon Pulses flew from the gaps in Interstellar Ranger's armor: Do you need me to cut off your mental connection?
Her voice carried quantum static, and a version of her from a certain Universe was being swallowed by the black hole in Arthur's chest.
Photon Energy surged into Arthur's neural interface, and he saw Diana's sword mark appear in Wanda's pupils—that was the Amazon Warrior's warning left thirty-seven Universes ago.
Don't touch that.
Barbara's neural whip instantly transformed into a möbius ring, and the Hacker Genius's image was synchronizing data streams from all Universes.
Arthur saw his own reflection in the data torrent, a version of him from a certain Universe being torn apart by Wanda's Chaos Magic.
And on the cover of the Darkhold in that Universe, Diana's Holy Sword mark was engraved.
A quantum shockwave suddenly swept through reality, and Arthur's tactical goggles displayed a new warning: [Paradox: 112%].
He saw countless versions of Wanda from various Universes simultaneously reach out, their fingertips all pointing to the same choice: not the Darkhold, but Arthur's bleeding chest.
A Wanda from a certain Universe suddenly pressed the mind stone to Arthur's mouth, while the Diana from that Universe was piercing both their chests with the Holy Sword.
Cut the mental link!
Tony's quantum armor suddenly burst out from a spacetime rift, his AI core leaking quantum viruses.
On the remnants of Iron Man's armor, an older Arthur's tactical goggle interface appeared, with the threat assessment wildly fluctuating: [Reality Stability: 0.1%].
The armor suddenly underwent a strange transformation, and Arthur saw countless versions of himself appear in the core, each figure with a different lover's weapon plunged into their heart.
Wanda's screams echoed across multiple temporal dimensions, her Chaos Magic transforming into a bloody vortex that swallowed Arthur's blade.
Diana's Sun storm suddenly reversed, the Amazon Warrior's Holy Sword ignited with black Fire, which was the dark erosion she had endured in countless Universes to resist the Infinity Gauntlet.
Carol's Photon Pulse began to collapse, Interstellar Ranger's quantum wings turned a deathly gray, which was the temporal paradox backlash she had suffered thirty-seven Universes ago to save Arthur.
Arthur.
Four voices overlapped in the quantum vacuum.
He turned to see his four lovers simultaneously raise their weapons: Wanda's Chaos Magic transformed into a world-ending beam, Diana's Holy Sword ignited with annihilation Fire, Carol's Photon Wings expanded into a deathly vision, and Barbara's virus wove into a devouring net.
And the Arthur in every Universe spoke simultaneously:
I will never let you face this alone.
Arthur's consciousness began quantum tunneling, and he saw himself simultaneously existing in nine Universes: dancing with Wanda in the magic dimension, stargazing with Diana on Paradise Island, surfing with Carol at the galactic center, and kissing Barbara in the data torrent.
And the Wanda in every Universe simultaneously looked up, the same choice appearing in their pupils: not the Darkhold, but Arthur's bleeding chest.
You were always the anchor of the multiverse.
The voice of an elderly Arthur dissipated in the collapsing quantum vacuum.
Arthur felt his existence transcending godhood, becoming a singularity connecting all possibilities.
When his sword cleaved through the last dimensional barrier, he heard all versions of himself from all timelines whisper simultaneously:
Lover.
The quantum oscillation reached its peak, and Arthur's tactical goggles displayed the final warning: [Reality Reset: Irreversible].
He saw his reflection shimmer in Wanda's eyes, and her smile illuminated the starry skies of countless Universes simultaneously.
A Wanda from a certain Universe suddenly pressed the mind stone to Arthur's heart, while the Diana from that Universe was severing their mental link with the Holy Sword.
Arthur!
Tony's voice resounded in the restarting reality.
Iron Man's new armor had five gem-like quantum reactors in its chest, and his holographic image flickered incessantly: Detecting that you are causing...
The armor suddenly stopped, and Arthur saw countless reflections of himself in Tony's eyes.
The dust in quantum space began to flow backward, Diana's injuries healed, Carol's light wings shone anew, and Barbara's image became stable.
And Wanda's magic circle was based on the encoded patterns on Arthur's tactical goggles.
But Arthur had already raised his hand.
He pierced his own chest with his sword, and all the alarm lights on his tactical goggles went out.
He saw countless versions of Wanda from various Universes simultaneously reach out, their fingertips all pointing to the same choice: not the Darkhold, but Arthur's bleeding chest.
A Wanda from a certain Universe suddenly broke free from all restraints, while the Arthur from that Universe was being split in half by Diana's round shield.
Did we succeed?
Carol's Photon armor rippled with rainbow-like patterns, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
Interstellar Ranger's quantum wings brushed past Arthur's neck, where the mutated patterns of thanos cellappeared, gradually devouring his existence.
Arthur did not answer.
His gaze penetrated the dimensional barrier, seeing a familiar figure appear in the temple ruins—it was an elderly Arthur, his chest no longer bearing a black hole or a crown, but a möbius ring formed by five scars.
The other party winked at him, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, synchronized with the quantum code.
And the Wanda from that Universe was pressing the mind stone to the elderly Arthur's lips.
No.
Arthur whispered, causing his four lovers to turn simultaneously.
They saw purple data streams continuously overflowing from his tactical goggles, and within the data streams, images of them being swallowed by gems in countless Universes appeared.
A Diana from a certain Universe suddenly plunged the Holy Sword into Arthur's heart, while the Wanda from that Universe was writing his name on the cover of the Darkhold.
Wanda suddenly grabbed his wrist, Chaos Magictransforming into a bloody butterfly in her palm: "This time, we face it together."
But Arthur had already raised his hand.
His sword pierced his tactical goggles, and the purple data streams condensed into five light points at the tip of the sword.
The moment the light points entered the 5.8 lover's weapon, he heard all versions of himself from all timelines speak simultaneously:
Welcome to...
A quantum shockwave swept through reality, and Arthur's consciousness began to collapse.
He saw himself simultaneously existing in countless Universes, with a lover in each Universe holding a glowing weapon, and all their weapons pointed in the same direction—there, the cover of the Darkhold slowly opened, and the quantum code from Arthur's tactical goggles appeared on its pages.
And deep within the code, the mutated patterns of thanos cell were forming a new Infinity symbol.
Suddenly, all versions of Wanda from all Universes looked up simultaneously.
The same scene was reflected in their pupils: Arthurstanding on the edge of a modern city rooftop, the patterns on his rusty sword resonating with the chains beneath his feet.
From behind, the Moon Fairy's gasp was heard: "Don't look back! That's..."
Arthur had already turned around.
Under the neon lights, twelve beautiful figures emerged from the chains, and the women wearing bronze masks removed their prosthetic eyes, revealing golden vertical pupils identical to Arthur's.
The woman at the very front gently traced the star-shaped pattern on the hilt of the sword with her finger, her voice carrying the static of a data stream:
Mr. Arthur, number thirteen has been activated.
The fingertip of number thirteen drew a bloodstain on the sword hilt, and Arthur's golden vertical pupils suddenly resonated with the data deep within the prosthetic eye.
The stardust floating in the quantum vacuum condensed around the twelve people into a möbius ring, and the woman at the front removed her bronze mask, revealing lips the same color as Wanda's and Diana's brow bones—that was the quantum superposition of all lovers' faces.
Every time your heart beats faster, a version of me from a Universe will be swallowed by a gem.
She raised a rusty sword of the same style as Arthur's, and the sword's blade showed the Photon Pulse patterns of Carol and the cracks of Barbara's virus code, but this time, we actively resonate.
Arthur felt the wound on his chest begin to grow in reverse, the mutated traces of thanos cell turning into golden-red blood vessels.
Diana's Sun divine power suddenly burned along his blood, and the Amazon Warrior's wound seeped purple data streams, forming a miniature black hole at the fingertips where they touched.
Don't close your eyes.
Wanda's Chaos Magic transformed into a bloody butterfly, its wings vibrating at the exact same frequency as Arthur's heartbeat.
In her eyes appeared the quantum coordinates of when Carol was swallowed by a temporal paradox thirty-seven Universes ago, and that coordinate was moving.
The ashes of quantum wings suddenly unfolded behind Arthur, and black blood plasma seeped from the gaps in Carol's armor.
Interstellar Ranger's Photon Pulse began to collapse into a singularity, her voice carrying the static of all Universes before their demise: There will be an existence paradox impact in five seconds, stronger than the last Universereset.
Barbara's neural whip pierced the mutated patterns on Arthur's neck, and the Hacker Genius's projection split into twelve fragments in the quantum vacuum.
Each fragment represented the moment of destruction of a different lover's Universe, and her virus was reorganizing the genetic information of thanos cell.
Look into her eyes!
Diana's Truth Lasso wrapped around Arthur's blade, and the Holy Sword ignited with White Fire.
The Amazon Warrior's armor showed the wounds of Arthur's death in all Universes, and golden-red blood plasma condensed into quantum-encoded butterflies at the tip of the sword.
Arthur's tactical goggles suddenly displayed a new window: [Emotional Resonance: Number Thirteen (112.7%)].
He saw his reflection infinitely reflected in twelve bronze mirrors, each mirror corresponding to a different way of dying in a lover's Universe.
In one mirror image, he was about to kiss Diana's bleeding lips, but Wanda's Chaos Magic suddenly pierced both their chests.
Choose.
Number Thirteen's rusty sword pressed against Arthur's chest, and purple data streams began to seep from the cracks on the blade.
Her voice carried the dying breaths of all lovers: Will you let us be your anchor, or let the multiverse continue to collapse?
A quantum shockwave suddenly manifested in reality, and Arthur saw older versions of himself simultaneously drawing their swords in countless temporal dimensions.
Those blades were engraved with the names of different lovers, and each scar corresponded to a failed Universe reset.
Chapter 284 Rude, you will always be my light
I refuse to choose.
Arthur's rusty sword pierced the Thirteenth Mirror Image, and purple data streams exploded into twelve light points at the tip of the sword.
Each light point entered the weapon of a lover; Wanda's mind stone suddenly showed a pattern of blood-red butterflies, and Diana's Holy Sword ignited the ashes of Quantum Wings.
Carol's Photon Pulse began to rotate in reverse, and golden-red feathers flew from the seams of Interstellar Ranger's battle armor.
These feathers transformed into Arthur's unspoken confessions from all Universes, solidifying into a möbius ring-shaped shield in the quantum vacuum.
Barbara's virus suddenly infected the mutated patterns of thanos cell, and Hacker Genius's image in Arthur's pupils shattered into countless "I love yous."
Her neural whip transformed into purple chains, permanently connecting Arthur's heartbeat frequency with all his lovers.
At this moment, Arthur's blade cleaved the last dimensional barrier, all alarm lights in his tactical goggles extinguished, and we collectively became a singularity.
The stardust in the quantum vacuum suddenly began to flow backward, Diana's wounds healed as before, and Carol's Quantum Wings shone brightly again.
Wanda's Chaos Magic condensed into a blood-red butterfly in her palm, and the twelve figures of the Thirteenth transformed into light dust of lovers' faces, seeping into Arthur's wounds.
But the mutated patterns of thanos cell were forming new Infinity Symbols on his chest, and Arthur saw all versions of himself in every Universe raising their weapons—not to attack enemies, but to stab their lovers.
In one Universe, Diana suddenly plunged her Holy Swordinto Wanda's back, while Arthur in that Universe was being vaporized by Carol's Photon Pulse.
Arthur!
Tony's quantum armor suddenly shattered, and five gem-shaped quantum reactors turned to ash.
On Iron Man's remains, the tactical goggle interface of an elderly Arthur appeared, with the threat assessment flashing wildly: [Reality Stability: 0.0%].
At this moment, the quantum oscillation wave reached its peak, and Arthur felt himself transcending godhood.
He saw countless lovers from countless Universes simultaneously raising their weapons, and their weapons all pointed in the same direction—there, the cover of the Darkhold was slowly opening, and the pages showed the moments when all his lovers were devoured by the gems.
Have we succeeded?
Carol's voice was distorted by quantum static, and her Quantum Wings suddenly swept across Arthur's neck.
Black blood seeped from the seams of Interstellar Ranger's battle armor; it was the backlash from the time paradox she endured thirty-seven Universes ago to save Arthur.
Arthur did not answer.
His gaze penetrated the dimensional barrier, seeing his older self standing in the ruins of the temple.
The five scars on his chest formed a möbius ring, and Wanda from that Universe was pressing the mind stoneagainst his lips.
No.
Wanda's scream echoed through countless timelines; her Chaos Magic transformed into a blood-red vortex devouring Arthur's blade.
Diana's solar storm suddenly reversed, and the Amazon Warrior's Holy Sword ignited with the fire of annihilation; it was the erosion of the dark side she endured in countless Universes to resist the Infinity Gauntlet.
The dust in the quantum vacuum suddenly began to collapse, and Arthur's tactical goggles displayed the final warning: [Existence Contradiction: Irreversible].
He saw his shadow flickering in the pupils of all his loved ones, and their smiles simultaneously lit up the starry sky of countless Universes—that was the last light before the Universe reset.
Mr. Arthur.
Number Thirteen's voice echoed in the collapsing reality, her rusty sword pressed against Arthur's chest.
Purple data streams flowed from the cracks in the blade, and her face constantly jumped between each lover; a choice had to be made.
Arthur's consciousness gradually blurred, and he saw himself simultaneously appearing in nine Universes: dancing with Wanda in the magic World, stargazing with Diana on Paradise Island, surfing with Carol at the center of the galaxy, and kissing Barbara in the data torrent.
The lover in each Universe spoke at the same time:
You are inherently the fulcrum of the multiverse.
The quantum oscillation wave swept through reality, and Arthur's sword plunged violently through his own tactical goggles.
Purple data streams condensed into five light points at the sword's tip, each corresponding to the time of a lover's demise in a different Universe.
As the light points entered the Darkhold, he heard all versions of himself across all timelines simultaneously whisper:
Welcome to…
The quantum vacuum suddenly split open, and Arthursaw his older self rising from the ruins of the temple.
The möbius ring scar on his chest glowed golden-red, and Wanda from that World was pressing the mind stone 077 against his heart.
But Arthur had already raised his hand, his rusty sword piercing their mental connection, and purple data streams exploded into twelve light points from the blade.
Each light point entered a lover's weapon; a blood-red butterfly pattern appeared on Wanda's mind stone, and Diana's Holy Sword ignited the ashes of Quantum Wings.
Carol's Photon Pulse began to rotate in reverse, golden-red feathers flew from the seams of Interstellar Ranger's armor, and Barbara's virus was reorganizing the genetic information of all Universes.
We collectively became a singularity.
Arthur's whisper caused the quantum vacuum to reverse, and stardust condensed into a möbius ring around the twelve figures.
Number Thirteen's rusty sword pressed against his chest, purple data streams seeped from the cracks in the blade, and her face constantly jumped between all his loved ones.
When Arthur's sword cleaved the last dimensional barrier, he saw all his loved ones in every Universesimultaneously raising their weapons—not to fight enemies, but to stab their own hearts.
In one Universe, Diana suddenly used her Holy Sword to stab Wanda in the back, while Arthur in that Universewas being devoured by Carol's Photon Pulse.
But a smile, synchronized with the quantum encoding, was on their lips, as if this was their predetermined fate.
The quantum oscillation wave reached its peak at this moment, and Arthur's consciousness began to collapse.
He saw himself appearing in countless Universes, with the loved one in each Universe holding a glowing weapon, and their weapons all pointed in the same direction—there, the cover of the Darkhold was slowly opening, and the quantum code from Arthur's tactical goggles appeared on the pages.
And deep within the code, the mutated patterns of thanos cell were forming new Infinity Symbols, their shape perfectly matching the star pattern on Number Thirteen's sword hilt.
Arthur's perception became exceptionally clear; he could distinctly feel the pulse of his lover in each Universe, reverberating in his mind like drumbeats.
In the magic World, Wanda's figure slowly faded, her Chaos Magic transforming into countless blood-red butterflies, fluttering around him as if bidding him a final farewell.
"Arthur, you will always be my light."
Wanda's voice, mixed with the vibrations of butterfly wings, sounded distant and near, carrying both determination and tenderness.
And on Paradise Island, Diana held her Holy Sword high, solar power condensing into a dazzling halo around her.
Her eyes were resolute, yet also revealed reluctance: "Arthur, the glory of Amazon is with you."
The sword light flashed, but it was not aimed at Arthur, but at some unseen entity in the void, as if opening a path for him.
At the center of the galaxy, Carol's Photon Pulse shone like stars, and her quantum wings traced beautiful trajectories in the void.
"Arthur, you are the brightest star in the galaxy; don't let us become each other's regrets."
Carol's tone was free-spirited, yet could not hide the deep affection in her heart.
In the data torrent, Barbara's neural whip transformed into streaks of purple lightning, shuttling between reality and virtuality.
"Arthur, my code will always have a place for you."
Her face held the unique mischief and determination of a Hacker Genius, and virus code wove an invisible net in the air, attempting to capture this fleeting moment.
Complex emotions surged in Arthur's heart; he knew that every choice meant sacrifice.
But sacrifice was not always loss; sometimes, it was also a transmission of power.
His gaze penetrated layers of space, seeing an older version of himself standing in ruins, the möbius ring scars on his chest seemingly telling unfinished stories.
"It's time."
Arthur whispered, his rusty sword tracing an arc in the air, and a denser purple data stream seeped from the cracks in the blade.
These data streams were the connection between him and his lovers, and also the source of their combined strength.
Suddenly, an unprecedented powerful force surged within Arthur; it was the convergence of all his lovers' love and belief.
He felt his body lifted by an invisible force, transcending the limits of time and space, entering a brand new World.
In this World, there was no flow of time, no spatial boundaries, only pure existence and consciousness.
Arthur saw Wanda's mind stone; it was no longer chaotic, but a dazzling starry sky, where every star represented a Universe, and in every Universe, their figures existed.
Diana's solar power here transformed into eternal light, illuminating Arthur's path forward.
Carol's Photon Pulse, in turn, became endless energy, nourishing every piece of land under this starry sky.
Barbara's virus code here wove the most complex network, connecting every Universe, every life.
"We are the multiverse itself."
This sentence suddenly echoed in Arthur's mind; it was the resonance of all his lovers, and also the awakening deep within him.
Just then, a dark force surged from the depths of the void; it was the ultimate form of thanos cell, seeking to devour this starry sky and reduce everything to nothingness.
Arthur felt an unprecedented threat, but he also understood that this was the moment they had been waiting for.
"Together, we fight to the end."
Arthur's voice was firm, his rusty sword tracing a dazzling arc in the air, and the purple data stream on the blade instantly erupted, transforming into sharp sword energy, meeting the darkness.
Wanda's mind stone emitted a blood-red light, and Chaos Magic at this moment became the strongest shield, blocking the dark attack.
Diana's Holy Sword ignited with fierce flames, and solar power transformed into scorching beams, penetrating the dark barrier.
Carol's Photon Pulse reached its peak, golden-red feathers flew from the seams of Interstellar Ranger's battle armor, transforming into countless lights illuminating every corner of the darkness.
Barbara's virus code displayed its maximum destructive power, invading the genes of thanos cell, dismantling this darkness from within.
The battle was incredibly fierce; Arthur and his lovers fought side by side, their powers merging to form an unprecedentedly powerful energy.
This power was not just for fighting darkness, but also for creating new possibilities.
Chapter 285 Welcome to the New Multiverse...
However, just as they were about to achieve victory, an even stronger force suddenly appeared.
This power transcended the boundaries of the multiverse, as if it came from a higher dimension, carrying an irresistible majesty.
"This is…?" Arthur was filled with doubt and shock, feeling both familiar and unfamiliar in this power.
It was like the sum of everything he had experienced before, yet also like a brand new, unknown existence.
Just then, a voice sounded in his ear: "Arthur, you are my anchor point, and also the Guardian of the multiverse.
But now, you need to make a choice—will you continue to stay under this starry sky, guarding the Universe with your lovers; or will you come with me to explore the unknown higher dimensions?"
Arthur was stunned, not expecting to face such a choice.
He looked back at Wanda, Diana, Carol, and Barbara, their eyes filled with expectation and trust.
He knew that no matter what he chose, they would support him.
But Arthur also understood that this choice was not just about himself, but about the future of the entire multiverse.
He took a deep breath, looked towards the unknown high-dimensional space, and an unprecedented impulse surged in his heart.
"I…" Arthur was about to speak when suddenly, a strong sense of crisis struck.
He turned sharply, realizing that the dark force had returned at some unknown time, and was even more ferocious than before.
"Let's deal with the current trouble first!" Arthur thought to himself, immediately raising the rusty sword and rushing towards the darkness again with his lovers.
The battle resumed, and Arthur and his lovers' strength reached its peak at this moment.
They desperately resisted the dark assault, just to buy the multiverse a chance to survive.
But just as they were about to exhaust their last bit of strength, a strong light suddenly shone from that unknown high-dimensional space.
This light penetrated the dark barrier, illuminating the faces of Arthur and his lovers.
"This is…?" Arthur was filled with questions and anticipation, feeling the warmth and hope contained within this light.
Just then, a familiar voice sounded in his ear: "Arthur, don't forget, you will always be our light."
Arthur was stunned.
He looked back at the light, only to see the figures of Wanda, Diana, Carol, and Barbara gradually blurring in the light, as if they were about to disappear.
"No!" Arthur shouted, wanting to grab them, but found that he couldn't touch them at all.
Just then, the light suddenly erupted, engulfing Arthurand the dark force together.
Arthur felt the World spin, as if he had traveled through countless Universes and experienced countless possibilities.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a new dimension.
"Where is this?" Arthur was filled with doubt and curiosity.
He looked around and saw a brilliant starry sky before his eyes, every star shimmering with a unique light.
Just then, a familiar voice sounded in his ear: "Arthur, welcome to… the new multiverse."
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Stardust flowed through Arthur's fingers, and he watched his translucent palm, with purple data streams flickering along his veins.
This new World had no boundaries between sky and earth; countless crystal pillars floated in the void, each preserving fragments of different universes—he saw a young Wandaclutching something in the ruins of Sokovia, saw Dianabreaking a spear on an ancient battlefield, saw Carol's armor torn by Photon Energy, and the moment Barbarascreamed, trapped in a digital cage.
This was not the multiverse, but its graveyard.
A clear, cold voice came from behind him, and Arthuralmost stepped on a floating cosmic fragment as he turned.
A woman in silver-White armor floated ten meters away, her visor reflecting countless reflections of Arthur, each with a different expression—surprise, fear, ecstasy, despair.
You are…?
You can call me "Observer," or more accurately, the 427th Generation Universe Guardian.
She lightly touched a crystal pillar, and the tendrils of thanos cell instantly spread across the pillar's surface.
Do you see these cracks?
Every Universe, before its demise, will pierce the spacetime membrane with its sharpest fragments.
The more fragments you collect, the closer you get to complete collapse.
Arthur's rusty sword suddenly began to vibrate, and dark red liquid flowed from the möbius ring scar on its hilt.
He remembered the scar on his chest when he was old and realized that the untold stories were these collapsing Universes.
Why tell me this?
Because you are the only one who can simultaneously bear the emotional spectrum of the multiverse.
Starlight seeped from the Observer's armor seams, but bearing it comes at a price; every time you use their power, the corresponding Universe will accelerate its collapse.
Wanda's mind stone is collapsing, Diana's Sun divine power is scorching her soul, Carol's Photon Energy is tearing her quantum structure, and Barbara's code is being eroded by entropy.
Arthur felt his heart tightly clutched by something.
He saw Wanda gradually becoming transparent amidst blood-colored butterflies, Diana's sword developing a chip, dark mist seeping from the seams of Carol's armor, and Barbara's neural whip disintegrating into garbled code.
What can I do?
Cut off all emotional ties and become a true Guardian.
The Observer extended a metallic palm, and a cosmic seed in her palm shimmered with a faint blue light, "Or continue to be an anchor point and watch them, along with the entire multiverse, be destroyed."
The rusty sword let out a mournful cry, and as Arthurgripped the hilt, the purple data stream suddenly surged.
He saw his older self standing on a crystal pillar, tearing the möbius ring scar in half.
Is there another option?
The Observer suddenly disappeared, replaced by Wanda's blurry figure.
"You always ask foolish questions."
The butterflies fluttering around her turned into blood-colored blades, "Just like back then, you insisted on saving me, even though you knew touching the mind stonewould…"
"Wanda!" Arthur reached out but passed through her illusion, and Diana's broken sword suddenly pierced his shoulder.
"Amazons never retreat."
Her voice was hoarse from Sunburn, "But this time, you should let go."
Carol's Photon Pulse pierced his chest from behind, and Arthur heard the Interstellar Ranger's armor disintegrating.
"Don't be a fool, Arthur."
Golden-red liquid seeped from her shattered visor, "Is it worth it?"
Finally, Barbara's purple electric light appeared, her neural whip wrapped around Arthur's neck.
"My code will always have you, but programs always end."
Her smile was accompanied by the static of data corruption, "Promise me, don't clear those memories."
I… Arthur's consciousness began to blur.
He saw his heart precipitating purple data streams, each droplet condensing into the face of a lover.
His older self suddenly leaped from the crystal pillar, and the rusty sword precisely pierced the cosmic seed left by the Observer.
With a thunderous roar, Arthur felt the memories of countless Universes flood his mind.
He saw himself holding Wanda's hand for the first time, catching Diana's sword for the first time, being knocked down by Carol's Photon Pulse for the first time, and having his consciousness invaded by Barbara's virus code for the first time.
Those moments of kissing, arguing, and fighting side by side transformed into light bands, weaving into a new möbius ring around him.
"You answered incorrectly."
The Observer's voice came from all directions, but Arthurnoticed cracks appearing in her armor.
He raised the rusty sword, and the original purple data stream on the blade suddenly became real, transforming into the weapons of his four lovers—the mind stone, the Holy Sword, the Photon Pulse, and the neural whip—intertwining into a net in the void.
The crystal pillars began to vibrate, and the tendrils of thanos cell disintegrated in the sound waves.
Arthur heard Wanda's laughter, Diana's roar, the hum of Carol's engine, and the sound of Barbara typing on a keyboard; these sounds emanated from every cosmic fragment.
When he pierced the Observer's energy core with his rusty sword, he saw the face beneath the opponent's armor—it was his older self, scarred.
So it was… Arthur's consciousness began to ascend, and he saw the embryo of a new Universe being nurtured in the void, containing Wanda's rebuilt Sokovia, Diana's guarded Paradise Island, Carol's patrolled galaxy, and Barbara's protected network World.
But black matter was seeping from the embryo's surface, the cancer of entropy contaminated by thanos cell.
"Arthur!" The shouts of his four lovers suddenly exploded in his ears, and he jolted awake, finding himself still standing in the ruins of the temple.
His older self was smiling nearby, the möbius ring scar on his chest completely healed.
"You passed the test."
The opponent's voice carried the echo of spacetime overlap, "Now, go create your own multiverse."
Arthur was about to speak when he suddenly heard Wanda's mind stone emit an alarm.
He turned and saw Diana's sword pointing at the sky, Carol's armor charging, and Barbara's neural whip transforming into a purple barrier—above the temple ruins, countless contaminated cosmic fragments were falling, each sealing the ultimate form of thanos cell.
"This time, we won't let you fight alone."
Wanda's blood-colored butterflies formed armor around Arthur, Diana's Sun divine power condensed into a light sword, Carol's Photon Pulse burned on her fists, and Barbara's virus code unfolded a firewall in the void.
Arthur gripped the rusty sword tightly, and the purple data stream on the blade suddenly transformed into four beams of light.
He saw his four lovers standing on different fragments, each using their respective powers to resist the erosion of entropy.
The largest fragment floated above his head, and the thanos cell sealed within had evolved into a purple Torch Man wearing a möbius ring.
"The future of the multiverse is now in your hands."
The old voice sounded from the sword hilt.
As Arthur leaped towards the purple Torch Man, he heard Wanda's final whisper: "Never forget, you are our light."
The möbius ring on the purple Torch Man's chest suddenly opened, and countless spacetime tendrils pierced Arthur's skin.
The ultimate form of thanos cell let out a shriek, the sealed cosmic fragments exploded in the sound waves, and black entropy matter spilled across the sky like ink.