Chapter 124: The World Shaper
After the crystal was secured and all systems confirmed operational, a data packet arrived in Kao Er's personal database.
He opened it with practised efficiency:
+++Daily Thought, Praise Omnissiah+++
+++Data Packet ID Omi0335, please enter personal access code for authorization+++
+++Query allowed, welcome, Provisional Priest Belisarius Cawl+++
+++Data initialising, transmitting, ID 2873+++
[Containment Object - World Shaper Protocols]
[1: No unauthorised personnel may enter the core chamber]
[2: All personnel near the World Shaper must undergo psychological evaluation and logic code review]
[3: Mental contact with the World Shaper is forbidden. If pulled into its consciousness, report immediately. Failure to report will be treated as treason.]
[4: ...]
"Alien god, the World Shaper."
Kor Phaeron processed the information with mechanical precision. "So Microcosm No. 01 is a prison. And we are the jailers guarding a god."
He analysed the data packet's origin codes. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him. "Truly amusing."
The Emperor's Grand Design
The Great War on Tomb World was over, but the Emperor remained busy. He worked tirelessly day and night with no break for humanity, as always.
His study and laboratory occupied the central section of the Grand Design. The lab held the most advanced equipment in the Imperium. Technology from other universes was first tested and adapted here before wider deployment.
Chemical compounds filled the air with sharp odors. Ancient scrolls sat beside data crystals and magnetic storage tapes. Crystal cylinders projected shifting holograms across the sterile surfaces.
The Emperor moved between the silver workbenches with focused purpose.
"I'm so bored, Big Guy," Raven called weakly from atop a gleaming metal table. He was lying back, rolling here and there, breaking things, dropping things, but his boredom couldn't be cured.
The Emperor ignored his little friend's antics; he didn't even register, focused entirely on his current experiment.
"You don't even keep me company anymore, sniff, you cheater."
Raven arched his body like a lazy cat and crawled across the tabletop. Valdor watched with curious eyes. It never ceased to amaze him how the bird could perform such human-like actions, with even more humane expressions. Sometimes, he even forgot for a few seconds that he was with a bird, not a human.
Raven glanced between the Emperor and Valdor, both of whom were boring, with a bro-like routine, then sighed with theatrical resignation.
It was true that things were always active in the Imperium, but it was also true that most of the trio's two members' time went to their duties in this main world. Only in another universe could they all have some adventures.
"Fine. I'll go back to work, too. I want to do nothing but chill with fries, and then again, I get bored, and now I want to do work. Can you believe it? Me and work?"
"HAAh!, sigh, Might as well do it, need to find the next universe to visit anyway."
With that, Raven tore a rift in the air and jumped through, returning to the Mist Space.
While the Emperor remained lost in his work, and Valdor resumed his duty, with no thought but vigilance as guard of his master.
The Mist Space
The Mist Space had changed dramatically since Raven's last visit. Rolling fog now revealed the outlines of grand buildings, as if they were materialising from the depths of eternity itself. The light spheres had grown considerably larger.
The more each universe deviated from its predetermined fate, the more power flowed into the Mist Space, expanding the spheres like cosmic bubbles.
Just as Raven was about to start work, he heard something from the Marvel Universe's light sphere. He focused his consciousness on it.
Loki was calling him.
In the Void, Loki knelt before a crude Raven sculpture in an empty space within the Void. A pile of fries and ketchup sat in front of it like offerings to some bizarre deity.
"Great Raven Lord, I can't hold on much longer. Please help us."
Loki's prayer was earnest, desperate. The nearby Avengers watched him like he'd lost his mind completely. Using fries, ketchup, and a sculpture to summon an interdimensional entity seemed insane to them.
But they understood who they were dealing with, Raven, because of whom the Avengers logo was now fries and ketchup.
Raven stared at the scene through dimensional barriers. 'Am I some eldritch horror creature? Why would you design such a weird summoning ritual?'
He looked at the foggy surroundings and spiralling structure in the Mist space, 'Yep, this is not helping it, guess I am.'
He read Loki's thoughts through the threads of fate.
Since the Emperor, Raven, and the Primarchs had left, Loki and the others had fought the cancerous universe invasion with desperate determination. Many parallel universes had fallen, twisted by the Multi-Horned Ones into nightmarish reflections of their former glory.
This created more cancerous demons. As the corruption spread like a plague across dimensions, buried threats from Marvel's past were returning with renewed vengeance. A new round of multiverse destruction seemed inevitable.
Marvel's structure was unique among realities. The Cosmic Will, OAA, controlled multiple space-time universes like a puppeteer managing countless strings. Parallel universes orbited the main universe like layers around a core.
The Emperor and Primarchs had only visited one parallel universe, not the main one where the true power resided.
The cancerous universe kept destroying parallel universes, peeling away the central universe's protective layers like removing armor plating. Once corruption reached the core, everything would collapse. Only a reset could fix it.
Raven's scan revealed Marvel had already reset ten times. Civil wars, external corruption, and failed experiments had destroyed the main universe nine times before. When things became irreversible, OAA would bypass the Big Bang and reset everything, like wiping a data slate clean.
Initially, Loki was winning with Alioth and the infinity stones, crushing cancerous demons and leading the Avengers to victory after victory.
But as the multiverse war escalated, the Annihilation Swarm from the Negative Zone had also targeted them, breaking the stalemate completely.
Loki and the others couldn't handle both enemies at the same time. They'd retreated to the Void and were barely surviving each passing hour.
After thinking it over, Raven projected his will into the Marvel Universe.
"Raven Lord, we ask for your wisdom!" Loki shouted at the empty sky.
A powerful presence descended upon them like divine judgment. The bright sky darkened to twilight. Wind swept through the Void, carrying dust from forgotten ages and fallen empires.
Whispers filled the Avengers' ears, as if billions of voices spoke at once in languages that predated creation itself.
"What's happening?" Dr. Banner looked around frantically, feeling immense pressure crushing down on his mind.
"He responded." Loki's voice carried pure excitement. "I knew this would work. He heard us."
Stark and the others exchanged worried glances. They were out of options now. That's why they'd listened to Loki's absurd plan to contact the Emperor and Raven.
The cancerous demons and Annihilation Swarm were overwhelming them completely. Even with the infinity stones, they couldn't achieve lasting victory. After all, other parallel universes had infinity stones too.
"Heh heh heh." Raven's voice echoed around them like distant thunder.
"Mr. Raven," Loki said carefully. "We need help. The cancerous demons and Annihilation Swarm have teamed up. We can't beat them."
"Good thing you told me in time. If you'd been wiped out, I wouldn't have known."
Loki's face lit up with sudden hope. "So you'll help us?"
"No, I just wanted to say that now I know you're about to be wiped out."
Loki stared in shock. Stark's jaw dropped open. The other Avengers looked like they'd been physically slapped.
"That's not funny, Mr. Raven," Loki protested. "We've suffered heavy casualties. We genuinely need help."
"Chill, just trying to lighten the mood." Raven's voice carried obvious amusement. "Actually, I can't help much directly. This is a war between realities. Big Guy and I can't just bring an army to help you."
"Small beneficial visits are okay, but large-scale army deployment would anger the Cosmic Will."
Loki didn't fully understand the rules governing the multiverse, but he could tell Raven wasn't lying about the limitations.
"Then we're doomed?" Loki's expression turned desperate, hope fading from his features.
The other Avengers looked equally dejected. It wasn't that they lacked courage - the enemy was simply too powerful. The cancerous monsters were already dangerous enough, and now they faced the Annihilation Swarm too.
With their terrifying reproductive and mutation abilities, the combined enemies had completely erased the Avengers' advantages.
"Don't give up so easily. You can escape! Go to other parallel universes that haven't fallen yet. Seek more allies and form a Multiverse Avengers Alliance."
Raven's words sparked new hope among the desperate heroes.
"I can't solve your immediate problem, but I can grant you a blessing. It'll let you travel between parallel universes and find companions and artifacts."
"You just need to believe in the God of Fries and Ketchup to receive this blessing."
Loki's eyes widened in confusion. He'd never heard of such a ridiculous deity.
"This god, does he really exist?"
"Why are you asking that?" Raven snapped with obvious impatience. "Do you want the blessing or not? If not, I'm leaving."
"Alright, I believe!" Loki shouted quickly.
"What about the rest of you?" Raven's attention turned to the other Avengers. "Decide quickly. I have other things to do."
The Avengers looked at each other and shrugged in collective resignation. They were past caring about dignity at this point.
"Remember, the God of Fries and Ketchup has one simple wish - that everyone can eat delicious fries and ketchup. Work hard to spread his divine cuisine!"
Raven reinforced the "true meaning" of the faith, granted the blessing with casual divine authority, and departed through his dimensional tear.
The Avengers stood in stunned silence, processing what had just occurred. They now served a deity of fried potatoes and condiments.
Somehow, this felt appropriate for their current situation.
[End of Chapter]
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