Chapter 109: The Path of Ascension for a Concept God
Both the Marvel and DC Multiverses are, in essence, constantly expanding. They are not the static, unchanging constructs that most people imagine.
This primarily refers to expansion in terms of conceptual scope, not just a fixed group of certain gods or demons getting together to decide everything.
Take the Marvel Multiverse for example. When did its most magnificent conceptual expansion occur? The answer is when the Original Beyonder appeared.
Without the Original Beyonder, the sheer mass of the Marvel Multiverse would be much smaller. It was only after the Original Beyonder's appearance that the Marvel Multiverse once again underwent a massive ascension, truly promoting from a super-large concept entity to an omniversal concept entity.
Du Wa had every reason to suspect that when the Original Beyonder integrated the entire Beyond Realm, the world itself expanded. Consequently, the beings who already stood at the pinnacle of the super-large concept entity level saw their strength grow in sync, allowing them to remain the world's top-tier entities.
In the era of the First Multiverse, within the Endless Void, there was only the era of the primal life form known as the First Firmament. This single entity was, by itself, a multiverse.
It wasn't until the First Firmament was backstabbed by the Colorful Celestials and perished that the Second Multiverse was born. Its interior was divided into more universes, nurturing more life and giving birth to more powerful gods.
Whether it was the First Firmament or the initial batch of Colorful and Dark Celestials, the strongest among them were only at the multiversal level.
But with each subsequent great destruction and great reboot, and the integration and expansion of countless concepts, the strongest individuals born within the world had the opportunity to advance upwards from the initial multiversal level time and time again.
Du Wa's thoughts then turned to the neighboring DC World. The DC World, of course, had a similar major event: the Flashpoint incident triggered by Flash, which led to the great merger of the Vertigo Universe and the DC Universe.
The Vertigo Universe was the world ruled by The Endless, with Death, the second-in-command, as its prime example.
When Vertigo Universe's Death, after the merger, logically became the DC World's Death, she received the highest praise: If everything must disappear, then Death will surely be the very last to vanish. This meant that Death had undergone a conceptual ascension, from the Death of the Vertigo Universe to the Death of the much vaster DC World—becoming more magnificent, more expansive, and more unfathomable.
Before the Flashpoint event, there was no such thing as The Endless in the DC Multiverse. The Vertigo Universe did not exist within the multiverse, nor was there a Concept God named "Death" who directly represented death itself.
"So, that fellow Mephisto is likely treating me as a breakthrough point... but that's fine. I'm just as eager to use him as my breakthrough point."
Of course, Du Wa had also theorized about his own position and that of the Xenomorphs.
The best-case scenario was that he and his race had not yet been fully integrated and replicated by the multiverse, but existed merely as a small-scale concept within a specific universe.
Just like the Zombie Universe, which ultimately exists mainly within a specific universe.
Du Wa had been constantly pondering if he could use this to find an opportunity to ascend to the level of a single universe.
He wanted to advance to the rank of Cosmic God as a conceptual entity and follow that path of ascension to its very end.
A Concept God might not be the strongest or the best fighter, but they were certainly the most troublesome and the ones that certain beings, like those few Creator Gods, were least willing to provoke.
Eternity refers to the world itself. The original Eternity was the First Firmament. The current Eternity is a new generation that grew by relying on the corpse of the First Firmament—the multiverse itself—and it symbolizes the multiverse's continued existence.
As for Death, it goes without saying that it encompasses all of death throughout the entire multiverse. Oblivion and Infinity also each represent partial concepts within the multiverse.
Galactus is one too, of course, but he's not worth mentioning.
"If I can think of taking the conceptual route to godhood, then it's possible Mephisto can think of it too. He is a true native of the Marvel Multiverse and would know more secrets."
In Du Wa's mind, countless clues converged into an image resembling a dense spiderweb.
Every possibility would branch out into innumerable new possibilities, which Du Wa would then filter and investigate.
At that moment, Mr. Blue entered.
"I can feel you using my brain for computations."
Mr. Blue's expression was complicated. He was actually not very willing to interact with Du Wa at close range. This time, he had taken the initiative to seek him out because he had no other choice.
"Is something the matter?" Du Wa asked, his back still to him.
"Of course, there is. This is the first time you've fully activated your cognitive abilities, right? No, it's probably not the first time. It's just that in the past, you didn't have so many Xenomorphs to use, so the computing power you could mobilize was limited."
Mr. Blue's expression grew even more complex. "You're more dangerous than I imagined. Not only can you accept the mental protection of all the Xenomorphs, but you can also use their consciousness to share the computational load... It's like you've obtained countless sub-processors."
Having more computers for calculation doesn't necessarily make the person directing it "smarter," but it at least allows them to deduce more possibilities and investigate more outcomes in a short period of time.
Mr. Blue had, of course, assessed Du Wa's level of wisdom. In the past, he believed Du Wa was ultimately just a very talented human, but compared to a genius like Tony Stark or himself, he wasn't on the same intellectual level; they simply walked different paths.
But now, Mr. Blue had to overturn that assumption. The very wisdom he took most pride in, the one he believed could crush Du Wa, had been profoundly shaken.
Just as shaken was his heart.
Mr. Blue could clearly feel his own consciousness being involuntarily drawn into Du Wa's control, shouldering a heavy part of the computational tasks.
Yet, Mr. Blue himself was only vaguely aware that a part of his brainpower was being taken by Du Wa, and he couldn't spy on what Du Wa was actually calculating. This was driving Mr. Blue to the brink of collapse. He cherished his brain immensely; it was the greatest asset behind all his achievements to date.
But as it turned out, the thing he was most proud of was just a computer that Du Wa could use at will?
"Don't be dejected, Samuel. With your wisdom, you should have expected this day would come... You should know that I never reveal all my cards at once. I'm just implementing some feasible contingency plans now due to the changing situation. You don't need to feel ashamed of your passive position. There's nothing embarrassing about it."
Du Wa said slowly, his back still to him.
How could he not be ashamed? Mr. Blue's own head wasn't even his anymore!
In the past, Mr. Blue thought Du Wa could only monitor his thought fluctuations through the Xenomorph on his chest. But Mr. Blue was still confident that as long as he controlled his own thoughts, only bursting out in an instant when necessary to compute a massive amount of information, and then hiding the fragmented information he truly needed among the countless results, he could deceive Du Wa's surveillance.
But now, it turned out that from the very beginning, his excellent brain had already become one of Du Wa's computing terminals? This was too much. Mr. Blue trembled with anger, his hands and feet turning cold.
How was he supposed to rebel in the future if this was how things were?
"This is fantastic! This is the feeling!!"
With a cry of extreme excitement, Druig rushed over. "I feel that we are together, with no barriers, no defenses. We can meet frankly in the ocean of consciousness, yet we can also build endless cliffs around us to resist external invasion and construct the most solid sanctuary."
This feeling provided such a great sense of security, and it was also incredibly exciting—that's what Druig thought.
He was a master of the mind, extremely sensitive to changes in consciousness.
At this point, Du Wa stood up. He had already thought of several useful possibilities.
"Even if you can obtain immense computing power, you don't have the thought models and innovative ability of a truly intelligent person," Mr. Blue retorted.
"I don't need to innovate. That's a job for people like you. I am simply responsible for leading people like you," Du Wa said, dismissing him.
Mr. Blue stood rooted to the spot, his CPU about to burn out.
...
Strange and Christine returned home. Along the way, Christine wanted to speak several times but hesitated.
"Don't worry, we only lost a sports car. I've paid the insurance in full, so the loss isn't as big as you think," Strange tried to comfort his girlfriend, even though he was completely unskilled at it. "As for everything else, just bury it deep and pretend it never happened."
"But that person appeared. When he gets personally involved, it's never a small matter..." Christine couldn't help but say.
"That's Du Wa's business, isn't it? What can we do? We can't do anything. Even if the old man who tried to tempt me really was Mephisto, Du Wa will deal with him. In a world where even Thor exists, it's not much of a stretch for a demon to show up too."
Strange cut Christine off, somewhat irritated. If they kept arguing, he felt like he was going to go crazy. He had always been confident in his calm mind, but in front of Mephisto and Du Wa, even thinking correctly was becoming a luxury.
When the two of them walked into the villa and turned on the lights, they saw Victor Strange hanging upside down from the ceiling, waiting for them.
"Victor..." Strange was about to say something.
"Don't hide it from me. My hearing is far beyond your imagination. Don't you dare treat me like an ordinary vampire. I heard 'demon' and 'Du Wa,' so something big has happened again, right? Du Wa might be the protector of the vast majority, but he's also more terrifying than any demon."
Baron Blood Victor immediately understood that his time was running out.
The logic was very simple.
For his brother and his brother's girlfriend to be embroiled in a dispute between Mephisto and Du Wa, there must be something strange about them. Du Wa had the ability to casually investigate all the information on these two and would discover the existence of him, a vampire, in Strange's home.
After all, what normal person would use various secret means to obtain blood? Even if Strange was a doctor, it wasn't normal. In this world where superpowers exist, if you did something like that, you would definitely be found out.
"I was so close to finding a way to eliminate the vampire bloodline. For it to happen now of all times..." Victor's already pale face became even more grim.
That was Du Wa, widely acknowledged as the most powerful and influential person on the planet, who had slaughtered the entire Vampire Empire.
Victor ignored his brother and turned to walk into his own room.
Christine watched Victor's figure with a strange gaze, then she turned her eyes to Strange, and her expression softened.
Victor turned on his computer and immediately contacted Bruce Banner.
"So, normally speaking, you're about to die, right? After all, no vampire has ever survived an encounter with Du Wa by surrendering."
Dr. Banner, wearing glasses, said with a frown.
Using Hulk's blood to dilute and break down the vampire bloodline was a genuinely effective method. Hulk's blood was effective even against Dracula's bloodline, but it would still take some time to truly develop a super-serum that could end the vampire bloodline.
"Can't you use the power of The Avengers? You've fought alongside Du Wa many times and even lost someone like Captain America. Right now, besides Iron Man, you have the most say in The Avengers," Victor said, unwilling to give up, his face full of resentment.
"I know what you're thinking. After working so hard for so long and never harming any ordinary person, you end up with such a desperate outcome. It's very unfair to you, but that's just how reality is... It's just like that fellow Stick. Even seeking refuge with the Ancient One was useless. In the end, wasn't he found and killed by Elektra and Daredevil?"
Banner rejected the request. "What's more, The Avengers' situation isn't great either. S.H.I.E.L.D., which supports us, has bad news coming in every day. Before long, this organization will disappear from the world. The Avengers will do everything they can to cut ties with S.H.I.E.L.D. to avoid meeting the same fate."
Banner was about to say they still had a chance, they just needed to speed up some research and development.
But then, Victor's brow furrowed, a look of astonishment on his face. He turned his head sharply and saw Christine barge in. The locked deadbolt, in Christine's hand, seemed as flimsy as paper, breaking off with a gentle touch.
"I can help you get rid of your vampire identity. The vampire race is merely a species accidentally created using the power of an ancient god. The only thing worth a second glance is that it has been thoroughly integrated by the multiverse and replicated across many parallel universes."
Christine's eyes were blood-red. She made an elegant gesture. "The troubles of a derivative species of Chthon... I will help you solve them—and permanently."
"Mephisto?"
Victor's mind worked fast, and his expression changed drastically. "What did you do to my brother!"
"He's asleep. An ordinary person can't withstand that kind of stimulation."
"I will not make a bargain with a demon!"
"Sir, you misunderstand me. I help humans and receive souls as payment—using various means. But there is one thing: I never conduct a bargain through lies. If I say I can help you get rid of your vampire identity, then I absolutely can."
"And you'll take my soul after you've done it?" Victor said this, but his heart was swayed.
When he thought about his future, either living as a vampire by drinking human blood or being captured by Du Wa as a container to incubate Xenomorphs, the thought of suicide even crossed his mind.
According to the normal timeline, Victor would indeed attempt suicide to permanently end his miserable life as a vampire.
"You'd better make a decision quickly. There is also a Xenomorph in this human's body. Even though I've used magic to temporarily shield its mind, Du Wa has definitely noticed." Mephisto, controlling his first client in this universe—Christine—spoke unhurriedly.
Everyone knew he meant ill, but someone always fell into the trap he set. Mephisto understood human beings all too well.
His voice was full of temptation. As long as Victor nodded, he would have a way to handle Du Wa.
Mephisto could already sense the agitation among the Xenomorphs outside. Several powerful individuals were rapidly rushing toward his location.
(end of chapter)