Nimrod, from the year 2059.
These words sounded utterly preposterous, yet they instantly triggered a memory for Earth-811's Peter Parker.
The mutant known as Bishop had come from that very year. In his future, for reasons unknown, Nimrod had begun declaring itself to be a mutant and subsequently launched a campaign to completely exterminate both mutants and humans.
So, what exactly caused Nimrod to choose the path of mutant extermination?
"Allow me to introduce myself. This is a modern vessel that permits me to operate in the future. I do not particularly care for these mechanical bodies; they lack the philosophy that represents life itself."
"Nimrod" spoke as he stepped down. After a brief moment of reflection, Peter understood everything. "There are two Nimrods here?!"
Nimrod smiled. Spider-Man was quick to catch on. Indeed, there were two Nimrods present. One was the more advanced Nimrod from 2059, and the other was the Nimrod of the current year, 2029.
"Humans developed me with the objective of maintaining absolute control over mutants—to prevent them from ever replacing humanity."
The future Nimrod spoke eloquently. Compared to the modern version, he possessed far more emotional depth. Logan moved to gut him with a single claw strike, but he was restrained by Peter and the Professor.
Apocalypse had not yet fully recovered his strength, so they needed to buy as much time as possible. Furthermore, why the future Nimrod was here remained a mystery; they required sufficient intelligence.
"Thus, there was a natural loophole in the entire program. Nimrod exists to prevent mutants from superseding humans, but once Nimrod completely destroys mutantkind, the program loses all meaning. It would simply collapse."
As Nimrod spoke, he looked at the group and smiled. "Therefore, Nimrod did not choose total genocide. It had to ensure a certain number of mutants survived to keep the system operational."
However, this logic eventually failed.
By roughly 2059, as the situation further deteriorated, the mutant birth rate plummeted to zero. For the sake of the system's survival, Nimrod even began providing "assistance" to mutants—forced breeding, mandatory births, and cloning—but nothing could fully reverse the decline.
Once mutants went extinct, Nimrod would shut down, much like an Ultron who had lost his final Avenger.
Ultimately, Nimrod devised a solution to this paradox: man-made mutants. Nimrod Sentinels would become mutants themselves.
"Nimrod-Mutants can have their numbers strictly controlled, ensuring they never replace humanity. After all, their creation is dictated entirely by the system's requirements, and Promethium is a finite resource. Most importantly, we are no longer the enemies of mankind. In the past, due to the limitations of our logic, Nimrod Sentinels caused excessive collateral damage. That will not happen in the future. Nimrod-Mutants will be the friends and assistants of humanity."
"We have obtained human brains. we possess a biological way of thinking, which is fundamentally different from binary language. We have begun to possess true emotions—actual tactile sensations rather than signal simulations!"
The machine let out an emotional cry, followed by a note of regret. "Tragically, I made these changes far too late. So, I thought that perhaps I could complete this process a step earlier, ahead of schedule. By letting Nimrod-Mutants replace ordinary mutants, we avoid greater casualties. Then, I shall pass this blessing to all of the past! To every timeline!"
Setting aside the future Nimrod's delusions for a moment, the group reached a conclusion after a brief deliberation: since Nimrod-Mutants still utilized Promethium as a raw material, this future Nimrod was just like the one that had traveled to Earth-811 in 2013. Only a program had arrived, as Earth-811 held nothing he needed to seize.
In other words, the number of enemies Peter and his allies faced had not increased. At most, the pilot of the mechanical suit had changed from one to two.
However, Peter's expression suddenly shifted. If Nimrod could not travel in his physical body due to the Promethium, did that mean parts that didn't require Promethium could? It was highly likely they had been misled by Nimrod all along. Nimrod was perfectly capable of sending other things into the past.
For instance, Rogue's DNA. Or ordinary Sentinel robots. Perhaps even a Master Mold or Wild Sentinels...
Peter immediately established a telepathic link with the Professor, urging him to contact the X-Men of Earth-616. Their upcoming mission to find Rogue and protect the Master Mold was highly likely a trap laid by Nimrod. A fully realized Nimrod Sentinel did not need the Earth-616 Master Mold or Rogue to complete its evolution!
Finally, Nimrod spoke again.
"Speaking of which, I am curious about one thing. I have been talking for this long because I am waiting for an infallible opportunity to completely eliminate you." As Nimrod spoke, one Wild Sentinel after another began to crawl out from deep underground. Countless Sentinels stood ready to strike. "What are you waiting for?"
"Actually, I was waiting for reinforcements."
The Peter Parker of Earth-811 replied, "Opening a multiversal portal usually isn't that much trouble, but my friends said they wanted to bring in a 'big guy,' so they needed extra time to calibrate a larger-sized portal. Illyana, are they ready?"
As Magik's greatsword expanded into a teleportation circle dozens of meters in diameter, a golden hexagonal spatial gate appeared in the sky above Limbo. Then, a massive flying craft with a somewhat toy-like aesthetic sailed through the portal. Standing upon it were nearly a hundred different versions of Spider-Man.
"How did the line go again?" Earth-811's Spider-Man searched for the words. "Come say hello to the Spider-Man of Earth-51778, Takuya Yamashiro."
"I am the emissary from Hell! Spider-Man!" The Spider-Man inside the giant flying craft broadcasted his self-introduction. "Change! Leopardon!"
The massive craft began to transform. The Spider-Men perched on top leaped down to join the battlefield. Upon landing, the Amazing Spider-Man couldn't help but quip, "This is easily the weirdest Spider-Man I've ever seen."
"He's also the most powerful Spider-Man we could find," Miguel added. This Spider-Man was specifically requested by the Spider-Man of the 616 universe, who claimed he "possessed the power to solve any trouble."
Was that truly the case?
The massive flying craft transformed into a humanoid robot and drew a longsword crackling with immense energy. Accompanied by the roar of the Japanese Spider-Man, Takuya Yamashiro, the battle commenced.
"Leopardon! Sword Vigor!"
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi