Chapter 397: 397. The Time Bard!!
Raise your heads, trembling believers!
Prepare yourselves, for your senses will be challenged by the grotesque creations of monsters akin to a slaughterhouse!
It all began with a bolt of lightning that tore through the sky and the undercurrents surging behind the storm clouds. An insatiable hunger drew a hero from another universe into this world. He devoured the hero organization of this world—the Avengers.
The heroes were reduced to soulless monsters and, in an incredibly short time, consumed all the ordinary people on Earth. This was a nightmare even I had never witnessed before.
In the course of my eternal duties, I have traversed the multiverse, observing the infinitely intertwined realities. My unwavering gaze has borne witness to countless horrors and innumerable wondrous events.
But this.
Even I, upon seeing everything that has unfolded in this universe,
For the first time, felt unspeakable fear fill my heart!
"...So, why are you calling me only now?"
Gazing at the immensely robust figure of the Watcher, Alex furrowed his brow slightly and asked.
Unlike the wasteland Watcher he had encountered before, this Watcher had a clearly more rugged appearance. Towering over two meters tall, his powerful arms exuded a sense of immense strength.
However, Alex wasn't surprised. Watchers were beings composed of pure energy, having long shed the shackles of carbon-based life. It was entirely normal for them to appear in any form.
"...Forgive me, unfamiliar Time Bard. After all, before this, I had never encountered an existence like yours. Thus, I needed more observation."
"If I remember correctly, don't Watchers share their visions? And given your level of communication, didn't the previous Watcher tell you I was coming to this world?"
Alex glanced around at the barren lunar surface and casually inquired.
The Watcher shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice: "I can no longer communicate with the other Watchers. This world has been tainted by an unknowable presence. No one can survive the monsters' insatiable hunger for fresh flesh and blood.
Even the planet-devouring Galactus, when foolishly arriving on this polluted and corrupted world, could not escape his fate of being devoured. This world is destined to perish, but they remain unsatisfied.
No one can stop them now. Their sights are set on the rest of the multiverse. To safeguard the multiverse's safety, I must seal this corruption here."
"I know how the 'story' goes. After consuming all life in this universe, they turned their attention back to Earth's time travel devices and were eventually banished to a new parallel universe."
"Yes, that is what you know. As the Watcher of this region, I have taken on the responsibility of saving the multiverse. I reported this matter to the other Watchers and broke the vow of never interfering with the development of universes."
The Watcher let out a heavy sigh, pulling a bitter smile.
"Now you see it. I merged the timelines of two universes, creating a world that exists in nonexistence. They will endlessly loop, cycle after cycle. And my current duty is to guard this place for eternity."
"Is that so..."
Alex narrowed his eyes, outwardly calm, but inwardly, he couldn't help but let out a faint sigh.
Because he hadn't experienced the development of this universe before, Alex had only a general understanding of these timelines' plot. However, now that he personally witnessed the events here, he realized the gravity of the situation.
As Alex had expected, the Watchers could hardly provide an effective solution for the corruption. All they could do was create an eternal prison, sealing themselves along with the corruption.
In this regard, it was somewhat similar to the fate of the dark Strange Supreme from What If...? He was tasked with guarding the Panther and Zola who had seized the Infinity Stones, while this Watcher guarded two mutually corrupted parallel universes.
But it was foreseeable that, like Strange Supreme eventually succumbing to the dark forces, this loop also concealed massive hidden dangers.
Although Alex didn't know how strong the Watchers' resistance to corruption was or whether they could guard this place forever, he could tell that one day—be it in a billion years or a trillion years—this hidden danger would inevitably erupt.
When that time came, the impact would be far greater than what Strange Supreme caused, potentially leading to the destruction of countless universes.
"So, can I understand this as you becoming a warden, guarding a bunch of lunatics who could riot at any moment?"
Hearing this, the Watcher nodded slightly, not denying this tragic truth.
"You could put it that way. Before you arrived, these two worlds had already gone through 54,730,000 cycles. I carefully used my power to maintain their safety and stability until—your arrival disrupted this fragile balance."
"Alright, that's on me. I didn't know the situation here earlier. But I hope you can trust me—I'm here to help you. At the very least, we have the same enemy, don't we?" Alex spread his hands.
Hearing this, the Watcher nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of sentiment.
"Do not misunderstand, Time Bard. I don't mean to say I distrust you. From my observations, you haven't made any moves to disrupt the prison, and you carry the energy of other Watchers. I have heard of you."
"You've heard of me?" Alex was momentarily stunned.
"Yes. Before the corruption broke out here, I had already heard your name from other Watchers. You once saved a universe before we intervened and stopped that universe from threatening others. It was an impossible task."
As the Watcher spoke, his gaze at Alex was filled with goodwill.
"In fact, Time Bard, your actions have greatly inspired us. Before this, we rarely dared to actively engage with corrupted multiverses."
"I've been meaning to ask—'Time Bard'? What kind of title is that?" Alex tilted his head.
"It's merely a designation. I cannot see through your past or future. The secrets you carry run far deeper than I know, so I chose this term to refer to you. Of course, if you dislike it, I can call you something else."
"Just call me Alex. I'm not too particular about titles."
Alex nodded thoughtfully.
It seemed that when he had confronted Deadpool during the Marvel Universe massacre, the Watchers had taken notice of him. In hindsight, it made sense—after all, he had done something so monumental. It would have been strange if these cosmic voyeurs hadn't peeked at least a little.
What he didn't expect, however, was that his actions had influenced other Watchers.
"Alright, Alex. In your opinion, do these two universes still have the potential to be saved? Or, during my time trapped here, have you found a way to combat the corruption?"
Although the Watcher's tone was calm, Alex could sense his hope that he might break the cycle here.
After all, in the unmeasurable time that had passed, the Watcher had witnessed the same events play out countless times. Living without hope or a future was something no being could endure indefinitely.
"Maybe it's due to the difference in the flow of time, but I've only just traveled through a few universes. My arrival here is part of my effort to find a solution to the corruption," Alex said slowly.
"Then how should we begin? I saw your act of tearing through the timeline—it was unparalleled."
"You flatter me. My target is the Sentry. That guy was the one you personally sent here from another universe. I need to find Zombie Sentry. As the Zero Patient who witnessed both the beginning and the end of the corruption, he has something I need."
Alex locked eyes with the Watcher and asked softly, "Do you know where he is now?"
"Zombie Sentry?"
The Watcher's expression froze at Alex's words. He pondered for a moment, and after about ten seconds, he slowly shook his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry. I cannot pinpoint the creature's exact location. The corrupting power within Zombie Sentry is too bizarre. After I sent him here, he slipped out of my control. But I can confirm that he is relentlessly attempting to break through the boundaries of reality."
"Breaking through the boundaries of reality?" Alex frowned.
"Yes. The influence of Zombie Sentry is far greater than you imagine. After the Sentry was corrupted and turned into a zombie, the energy ripple reverberated across countless universes. I've done my best to contain the spread of corruption, but that creature clearly has no intention of being confined here."
The Watcher shifted his gaze toward the stars and continued,
"Now, many parallel universes that experienced outbreaks of zombie viruses have produced new 'Zombie Sentries' due to the ripple effect. But the difference is that those Zombie Sentries do not carry corruption—they are merely infected with an ordinary zombie virus."
"But the corruption wants to twist everything. Whatever the reason, it masquerades as the 'zombie virus' to corrupt worlds and drag more multiverses down with it. Now Zombie Sentry is trying to infect the other Zombie Sentries."
"Exactly as you suspect."
The Watcher fixed his serious gaze on Alex and spoke deliberately,
"He is still within this timeline, somewhere in the universe. Alex, I will do my best to maintain the stability of this timeline.
From here on, it's up to you!"
.....
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398. Zombie Sentry!
399. A Killing Spree!!
400. Touching the Corruption!!
401. Connection Failed!!!
402. The Secret of Corruption.