New York, Center of the Universe?

Tony Stark was not only Iron Man. He was Tony Stark.

And now the biological modification technology in his hands might be a more "peaceful" deterrent than a nuclear weapon.

Provoking him without understanding the situation was not strategy. It was digging your own grave with enthusiasm.

Ross's cold stare reminded everyone in the room exactly what kind of man Tony was.

He was not some isolated nobody. He was a powerful capitalist, a technological genius, and a superhero. He was not a soft target. The only suggestion on the table died immediately. The conference room fell silent again.

"Invasion..."

"Another world..."

The elderly general stared at the darkened screen as if trying to see the empire's future inside it.

...

At S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury released a breath he had not realized he was holding.

"Good."

"At least it was Tony."

It had not been Natasha, but Fury could live with Tony.

He had watched Tony Stark from the shadows for years. He was confident in one thing: Tony would not use that technology for mass human experimentation.

More likely, he would seal it away.

That was far safer than letting it fall into the hands of a real power broker.

And Tony had enough power and resources to protect it, at least for now.

The future threat of Resident Evil mattered, but Fury cared more about what stood in front of him.

"So that really was only the beginning."

His single eye fixed on the broadcast screen. The summoned participants had returned, and the image had gone black. On the dark screen, a new countdown had quietly appeared.

[First Invasion Round complete.]

[Related world: Resident Evil, frozen.]

[Second Invasion Round opening soon...]

[Countdown: 48 hours.]

"So this so-called invasion of other worlds happens every two days?"

Fury studied the words, trying to squeeze every possible clue from them.

If he had a choice, he would never allow something uncontrolled to appear in the world.

But once it was already here, his job was to make the first move.

At least S.H.I.E.L.D. had a decent opening. He glanced toward Natasha. Now they needed to decode Rokushiki and arm their best people.

...

Asgard.

"A technique that infects life and turns it into monsters?"

Odin frowned from the throne.

Across the universe, such methods were not rare. Many interstellar powers used biological modification to create living weapons.

Asgard simply had no interest in such tools. The only remarkable parts were the infection speed and the genetic restructuring. What worried Odin was what those rewards represented. Midgard had been hit by one shock after another. Chaos was inevitable.

"How many ambitious powers will this wake?"

There was a trace of sorrow in Odin's eye.

Age had softened even the decisive God-King. With the source of his life nearing its end, his focus had narrowed to Asgard and the matter of succession.

And his son Thor? Odin sighed. Elsewhere in Asgard, Thor scowled.

"Vile power."

He despised anything that twisted living flesh like that. He almost wanted to smash it all apart with Mjolnir.

"Vile?"

"Stupid brother. Power is never vile by itself."

Loki leaned from behind a pillar, unimpressed.

The Tyrant's physical strength was already comparable to an ordinary Asgardian's. Tony had crushed it.

For Loki, who had grown up mocked for his weaker body, that kind of power was interesting.

"The next invasion..."

"I am looking forward to it."

Loki smiled, green eyes reflecting the countdown.

[Countdown: 45 hours 30 minutes.]

...

Kamar-Taj.

"Power from another world."

The Ancient One lifted her head.

Tony and Natasha's changes were enough to prove that the invaded worlds were real.

Those powers did not belong to the laws of this universe. Even other parallel realities had never shown her anything quite like them. That left her uneasy.

"A completely unknown timeline."

"For this world, will it be blessing or disaster?"

On the dark screen, the countdown continued to move without regard for anyone's will.

[Countdown: 43 hours 25 minutes.]

...

The far side of the moon.

"Invasion..."

"Other worlds..."

"A system..."

A low, broken voice stirred above a lonely crater, as if waking from an old sleep.

...

Somewhere in the universe, aboard a massive fleet, Thanos rested his chin on one hand.

"Purge civilians. Reduce consumption. Purify a species."

"Another method of cleaning a world?"

His deep voice echoed through the hall. Perhaps the problem that haunted him could draw inspiration from another world. The world was changing. One powerful gaze after another turned toward Earth.

New York was fast becoming the center of the universe. Mason did not care about any of that.

His attention was fixed entirely on the system panel in front of him.

"What a haul."

"This time, I made a killing. Letting other people grind for me really is the way."

Mason grinned like a man who had won without leaving his couch. Rewards flashed across the panel.

[S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Carl has earned 50 points...]

[Hundredfold amplification in progress... Host receives 5,000 points.]

[Black Widow has earned 200 points...]

[Hundredfold amplification in progress... Host receives 20,000 points.]

At this point, Mason was almost too rich to care about points. Only special rewards could really catch his eye.

[Black Widow has received Rokushiki...]

[Hundredfold amplification in progress... Host receives Rokushiki Mastery.]

[Iron Man has received Bio-Organic Weapon Development Technology - B.O.W.]

[Hundredfold amplification in progress.]

[Host receives...]

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