United Nations conference room.
Just as Peter was having a bit of a headache discussing with the representatives of various nations how to ensure global security after this incident...
...the projector in the conference room eerily turned on by itself.
A video call was automatically connected.
In the video, Gravik's ugly face was hideous and distorted.
Behind him was a dense, dark mass of the Skrull army.
"Arbiter!" Gravik's voice spread throughout the venue via the speakers, carrying undisguised malice and madness.
"Do you really think you've won?"
"My previous plans were just appetizers!"
"Now, the childish pre-war games can end!"
"From now on, I, Gravik, King of the Skrulls and the new Master of Earth, officially announce to you!"
"The Holy War has begun!"
"I'm giving you a final 24 hours to consider!"
"In 24 hours, come find me in Chernobyl!"
"If you choose to commit suicide as an apology before all Earthlings, I will spare four billion of them because of your self-sacrifice and allow them to continue as slaves to the Skrulls."
"If you don't come..."
Gravik paused, and the camera panned to show Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, and the others immersed in nutrient tanks.
"I will execute your friends on a global live stream and use their heads to blow the horn of the Holy War!"
"I can guarantee you that by then, the population of Earthlings will be reduced by at least half!"
"The right to choose has been handed to you. I hope you won't disappoint me!"
Hearing Gravik's words, the conference room instantly fell into a dead silence, and the representatives of the United Nations all turned pale.
These crazy aliens were actually going to start a World war.
Had the situation finally and inevitably deteriorated to such a disastrous extent!
Just as everyone was feeling uneasy because of Gravik's words...
"Pfft—"
A loud laugh rang out abruptly, causing Gravik's arrogant smile on the screen to freeze.
Gravik looked at Peter in disbelief, unable to believe that this idiot could still laugh at a time like this.
On the other side, Peter was indeed laughing uncontrollably.
He really hadn't expected this idiot to be so hilarious.
Daring to challenge him with only about two thousand people.
"That's it?"
He lightly spat out those two words. His eyes, as he looked at Gravik, held no gravity or anger, only the ridicule of someone watching a clown's performance.
"I thought you had some ultimate trump card to support you speaking to me in such an arrogant tone.
After all that, you've just produced a bunch of Hybrid Goblins~"
Hearing the term "Hybrid Goblins," sounds of stifled laughter broke out in the venue.
There was no helping it; Peter's metaphor was just too apt and vivid.
On the other side, seeing this, the arrogance on Gravik's face turned completely into exasperated rage.
"Damn Earthling, laugh all you want!"
"In 24 hours, you won't be laughing anymore!"
"It won't take 24 hours!" Peter picked his ear, his face full of disdain.
"In one hour, we'll settle this head-on at Chernobyl; whoever chickens out is a coward!"
"By the way, you and that bunch of Hybrid Goblins behind you don't even deserve to have me lift a finger."
"Go back to your nest and prepare your neck for the blade; my people will show you what true despair is in one hour."
After speaking, Peter didn't even wait for Gravik to respond. With a gentle swipe of his finger in the air, the giant screen instantly turned into countless points of light and dissipated.
After ending the call, the United Nations conference room was in an uproar.
The Representatives and George's brows were furrowed deeply.
"Mr. Arbiter, this is a war that could decide the survival of Earth. There's no need to put on a brave front at a time like this, is there?"
"Relax~" Peter patted their shoulders, his face wearing a confident smile.
"When have I ever fought a battle I wasn't prepared for?"
"Giving you an hour is actually to let you start a nationwide live stream. I'm in a good mood today, so I'm inviting the global audience to watch a good show together!"
After saying this, Peter's figure flashed and instantly disappeared from the spot.
...
The next second, in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters conference room.
"Peter, are you serious? This war... you really don't plan to intervene?"
Tony Stark's voice sounded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Have you been in space so long that your brain got fried by gamma rays?"
"Did you see clearly what was standing behind that green-skinned bastard? That bastard has an entire hybrid army that has copied our abilities!"
"And us, even if we count all the members of Black Rose, we have fewer than 50 people!"
"How are we supposed to fight this? Are we just going to rush in and die so they can complete a set of limited-edition Avengers action figures?"
Although the others in the conference room didn't chime in with Tony, their expressions were full of solemnity.
This wasn't an evenly matched battle at all, but a one-sided massacre.
The opponent not only had a crushing advantage in numbers but had also copied almost all of their abilities.
It was like playing a game on hell difficulty, where the enemy's stats and health bars were hundreds of times higher than their own.
The only way to break the deadlock, their literal "cheat code," had publicly announced he was going AFK!
How the hell are we supposed to fight!
If it weren't for the survival of Earth, Tony would have just said:
"Take the points, I'm surrendering at 15!"
"Bro, I think you're the one whose brain is fried from being too busy while I was gone."
Peter looked at Tony calmly, his face full of ease.
"I only said I wouldn't take action personally," he flexed his wrist, revealing the Omnitrix worn on it.
"But when did I ever say I'd let you fight this battle with your current strength?"
"What... what exactly do you plan to do?" Tony's voice was a bit dry, but his eyes were full of expectation.
Peter didn't answer him directly; instead, he turned to Gwen and the others and smiled gently. "Are you ready, my dears?"
"Are you ready for your... Ascension?"
The moment his voice fell, he gently twisted the dial on his wrist.
"Click."
A soft sound, as if Pandora's box was being opened by a key at this moment.
The next second, an indescribable aura, as if from the primordial chaos at the birth of the Universe, erupted from Peter!
There was no blinding light, no World-destroying energy fluctuations.
But everyone present felt that the entire World before them had changed.
The air seemed to solidify into amber, the river of time stalled at this moment, and space was endowed with an unprecedented weight.
At this moment, they felt they were no longer standing in the conference room of Avengers Tower, but floating in a boundless, golden sea of stars filled with creative energy.
And Peter was the sea of stars itself!
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