American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

219. Neck and Neck.

The fact that magic comes at a cost is something we've mentioned many times before. However, what we haven't gone into detail about is how these so-called costs can manifest in various terrifying forms.

The former X-Men base has now turned into a pile of rubble.

The current tranquility makes it almost impossible to believe that not long ago, this place erupted with an incredibly terrifying energy—an energy capable of disintegrating everything around it, a legendary power that ordinary people can't even begin to comprehend.

At the top of a small mountain made of stone bricks and debris, Alex is sitting quietly, taking occasional drags from a cigarette.

In the wasteland world, tobacco is a rare commodity. These small items, which can bring great wealth to people, have always been tightly controlled by the major powers. Most of the conflicts among gang members are related to these things, and being able to light one up in this day and age is proof of status.

Looking indifferently at the countless mercenary corpses beneath the ruins, Alex's expression remained utterly calm. These people were the first to arrive here, but they definitely wouldn't be the last. In this world, there are too many people who are willing to risk their lives, with no regard for life or death.

The power unleashed by the Shadow King before his death was incredibly strong, and it also meant that this power would attract the attention of others. Alex didn't know how many people were currently rushing over here, but he did know that it was time for him to leave.

Picking up a flask—something that, like the cigarettes, was 'gifted' by those mercenaries—Alex noted that these people didn't seem to be just ordinary mercenaries. They were clearly the vanguard of some faction; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so wealthy.

Taking a swig, Alex brought the flask to his lips, and in the next moment, the sweet liquor flowed into his mouth.

"Ugh! Ugh!"

Before Alex could even savor it, he immediately spat out the sand in his mouth.

Looking at the flask from which the fragrance of the liquor continued to waft, Alex smacked his lips before tossing the flask aside.

"Honestly, this price is a bit outrageous."

[Indeed, especially for a foodie like you.]

Alex rolled his eyes and didn't respond to Miss Minutes. Everything turning to sand in his mouth, no matter what it was, was indeed a bit cruel.

This was his first time dealing directly with the so-called 'cost' of magic. Before this, Alex, who wielded the energy of an entire universe, had almost never needed to worry about such costs. All the magic he cast was a result of energy conversion, adhering to the conservation of energy. But this time was different. The Shadow King's final counterattack was even fiercer than Alex had imagined.

It must be said that the Shadow King had indeed given Alex a proper lesson this time and had shown him the enormous potential that could be unleashed when abstract magic and necromancy were combined.

If someone had previously told Alex that there was someone in this world capable of wielding or even simulating the Phoenix Force, Alex wouldn't have scoffed at it, but he would have been at least half-skeptical. But this time, after witnessing the unparalleled Phoenix Force manifested by the Shadow King in the form of Jean Grey, Alex would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked.

Although this Phoenix Force was abstractly simulated and couldn't compare to the real thing, the awe-inspiring power it exuded still left a deep impression on Alex.

Without the cosmic energy as a backup power source, all the magic Alex now cast relied on his own strength. Under these circumstances, those so-called costs naturally came knocking. Fortunately, these were still within Alex's tolerable limits, and if it weren't for absorbing part of the Kraken's power earlier, this time could have been quite dangerous.

Extinguishing his cigarette, Alex slowly stood up. Looking at the ruins beneath his feet, he brushed the dust off his clothes, preparing to leave.

Devouring the legendary Shadow King had brought Alex significant gains—not just in the abstract magic and necromancy he had never encountered before, but now he could also barely wield psychic powers.

With long-term practice, Alex might even be able to reach Professor X's level someday. But these things were not important to Alex right now. What occupied his mind was the judgment declaration that Red Skull had just issued.

Yes, Alex had also received the message.

And for that, he had to thank those mercenaries who came to die. The satellite communication equipment they carried had saved Alex a lot of trouble, and it had also provided him with very important intelligence.

Although this portable satellite communication device produced a rather blurry image, when Alex saw the neatly folded suit of the prisoner, he quickly recalled the person's identity—Red Hood.

Red Hood, real name Jason Todd, the second Robin in the Bat-family, also known as 'Hush.'

Alex didn't know too much about his story, but he was familiar with some of Jason's more famous incidents. Now, Alex was most curious about how Jason ended up in this universe.

Jason Todd was once killed by the Joker while serving as Robin. After being resurrected, he couldn't accept that Batman hadn't avenged him, so he crafted a new suit, adopted the alias Red Hood, and embarked on an anti-hero path of killing to stop killing.

Since Jason was now wearing the Red Hood suit, it could be inferred that the universe he originally belonged to should have already developed into a relatively comprehensive large universe, at least one where something like the Teen Titans had already been formed.

And this was what puzzled Alex the most. He couldn't speculate on the state of Jason's universe, but as a rule, such abnormal 'crossovers' often hide huge secrets. Perhaps this is one of the similarities between the two universes.

After experiencing several cross-universe journeys, Alex had actually gathered some insights. For example, universes that are on the path to destruction often tend to develop in ways that cannot be foreseen.

Eventually, that timeline and that universe will plunge into the world beyond the void, disappearing into the darkness unknown to anyone.

And universes that are artificially altered, like Flashpoint, will break their original operating routes, leading to consequences that can even cause the collapse of the realities of several parallel universes, as Barry Allen had caused before.

Comparing these two outcomes, it's not hard to see that if the timeline is likened to a person, then the former is akin to natural death, while the latter is murder.

Alex wasn't sure what direction the Wasteland Universe was heading in, but he could surmise that it was probably the former. The Wasteland Universe was likely a universe that had split from the tree of the Multiverse timeline and was steadily heading toward the void, a universe on the brink of 'death.'

In this context, Alex couldn't imagine what the DC universe, which was heading toward darkness alongside the Marvel Wasteland Universe, would look like.

.......

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220. The Next Step.
221. The Manipulated Agatha.
222. The Eerie Town.
223. Seeing with Your Eyes.
224. Clearing the Memory.