Chapter 240: Nick Fury Shot Dead!

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"I think that's feasible. He doesn't need any other tricks, just use the swallow move." Clint Barton said, "He's able to defend against being swallowed because of the protection spell on him. I doubt Thanos has the same protection."

"Speaking of which, Thanos is just a pure warrior. I don't think he could withstand magical attacks like this," Natasha Romanoff said.

"It's a shame he answered the question wrong. Otherwise, Stephen could have gained this Corrupted state, which provides a significant power boost," Nick Fury said with some regret. "What a pity."

"Indeed, a real pity." Stephen Strange himself also felt that he had missed out. Initially, when he saw the reward for the "Corrupted State," he didn't think much of it. However, after watching the video of his Corrupted self's power, he realized he had missed out on a huge opportunity.

As the group discussed in the answer space, the corrupted Stephen Strange extended his hands, shooting out two golden rays of light at the encroaching darkness, attempting to halt its advance.

However, it was futile; the darkness continued to advance.

"You, you can stop all of this!" Suddenly, the corrupted Stephen Strange looked in a direction and spoke, "I'm begging you, save this place."

As these words were spoken, everyone was astonished. Who was the corrupted Stephen Strange seeking help from?

Could there be other higher-ups present?

In the next moment, a giant with an abnormally large head and glowing eyes appeared. He looked down at the corrupted Stephen Strange from a superior position.

"Are you suggesting using your method to save Christine?" the Observer asked.

"I was wrong, I..." the corrupted Stephen Strange hesitated.

"I've warned you long ago!" the Observer interjected.

"I know, but this world!" the corrupted Stephen Strange exclaimed loudly, "This world shouldn't have to bear the consequences of my arrogance! I've read your story and sensed your presence. You're a god, capable of undoing all of this."

"I am not a god." The Observer's voice was icy, and he coldly observed, "And neither are you."

"Then punish me, not this world and Christine," the corrupted Stephen Strange pleaded.

"Frankly, if I could save this world, if I could punish you, I would. But I cannot interfere," the Observer spoke without any expression, addressing the corrupted Stephen Strange. "You should understand this better than anyone. Interfering with time and events will only bring more destruction."

With those final words, the Observer's figure gradually vanished.

"No! No!" the corrupted Stephen Strange shouted loudly, "I didn't expect it to turn out like this!"

Christine Palmer sat on the ground, gazing at the corrupted Stephen Strange with a bewildered expression.

In the next moment, darkness consumed the entire world.

However, the corrupted Stephen Strange didn't disappear. He and Christine Palmer were trapped together within a blue crystal.

"Christine, I'm sorry." The corrupted Stephen Strange embraced Christine Palmer, apologizing to her.

"Stephen, what have you done?" Christine Palmer asked. However, she didn't wait for an answer. After uttering those words, she transformed into black water and vanished.

"No, no, no, no..." the corrupted Stephen Strange knelt on the ground.

The entire universe was left with only him.

"I'm truly sorry, deeply sorry." In the pitch-black universe, the sound of the corrupted Stephen Strange's apologies echoed. The video concluded here.

"Who was that big-headed guy?" Once the video ended, Tony Stark couldn't help but ask, "Stephen sought his help. He must be incredibly powerful."

"The entire universe was disappearing, yet it seemed to have no effect on him at all. Indeed, quite impressive," Stephen Strange said.

"Furthermore, from what he said, it seems he knew what was going on from the beginning," Thor said. "He knew what Stephen wanted to do from the start. The Ancient One knew too, and she tried to stop him. However, he was indifferent. He seems utterly unconcerned about this universe."

"Thor, do you know who he is?" Stephen Strange asked, "In the video, I referred to him as a god."

"I don't know who he is," Thor shook his head, "Never heard of him."

"In the video, you said you've sensed his existence," Loki said, "Perhaps you could find clues in the books of Kamar-Taj."

"Books in Kamar-Taj are quite abundant. I'll try to find something," Stephen Strange said.

"Could he be TVA?" Bruce Banner speculated, "He mentioned that interfering with time and events would bring about destructive consequences. That sounds like the sort of rhetoric used by TVA."

"It does sound quite similar," Peter Quill nodded.

"Given the existence of TVA, having someone at this level of power isn't surprising," James Rhodes also speculated, "Could he be some kind of guardian of time?"

Question 2 Begins. Please be prepared.

Spider-Man Peter Parker accidentally discovers that the mysterious guest is a fraud and informs a few classmates about it. Who did the mysterious guest impersonate and deceive the names of these classmates from Peter Parker?

A. Captain America Steve Rogers

B. Happy Hogan

C. Maria Hill

D. Happy Hogan

Answer correctly to receive the Ninjutsu "Art of Darkness." Answer incorrectly and lose one year of life.

"Careless. You shouldn't have told your classmates about this," Tony Stark said to Peter Parker. "It could put them in danger."

"I'll be more careful in the future," Peter Parker replied. "I'll try not to let my life as Spider-Man cause trouble for my classmates."

"Why did this mysterious guest need to know those people's names? It's obvious that this is a case of eliminating witnesses," Stephen Strange said. "To ensure his secret isn't exposed, he had no choice but to resort to these means. Peter, it's not just your friends who are at risk, even you are in danger."

"Can this mysterious guest, who can create convincing illusions, really be a match for Peter?" Scott Lang felt that the mysterious guest wouldn't stand a chance against Peter Parker. "After all, he's just an ordinary person with no superpowers, while Peter, he has superpowers."

"Scott, are you underestimating the mysterious guest?" Natasha Romanoff countered, "Aren't you also an ordinary person without any superpowers?"

"While I may not have superpowers, when I put on the Ant-Man suit and can shrink and grow, doesn't that count as having superpowers?" Scott Lang argued.

"The equipment this mysterious guest possesses can create things that are indistinguishable from reality. Isn't that akin to having the superpower of creating illusions?" Natasha Romanoff added.

"Uh..." Scott Lang hesitated, "It seems you're right."

"Don't underestimate the abilities of this mysterious guest," Steve Rogers, the experienced WWII veteran, spoke up. "Abilities themselves aren't inherently good or bad. It's about how they are used. If used well, even seemingly insignificant abilities can cause trouble."

"Captain's right. We shouldn't underestimate any ability or any enemy," Nick Fury added.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong. Let's focus on the question," Scott Lang raised his hands in surrender.

"Considering the options, I think we can rule out Happy Hogan first, right?" Stephen Strange began, "Happy isn't a combatant, and he probably wouldn't have much interaction with Peter. If the mysterious guest wanted to gather information from Peter, he would likely impersonate someone he trusts. I don't think Happy is that close to Peter."

"One is a student and part-time superhero, the other is a regular working adult. It seems like they wouldn't have much overlap," Clint Barton immediately expressed a different opinion from Stephen Strange. "But Stephen, did you forget about Tony? Tony's relationship with Peter goes way beyond what other superheroes have with him. He serves as a guide and mentor to Peter. And Happy, he also has a special relationship with Tony. So..."

"So, Happy is probably one of the people Peter trusts the most," Stephen Strange shrugged. "Yes, you're right."

"Happy being one of the most trusted people is not unique, is it?" Natasha Romanoff said, "The question is, who does Peter not trust among the options?"

"I don't think we should approach it from the perspective of trust or distrust," Nick Fury shook his head. "Think about it, if you discover a conspiracy and need to tell someone about it, even if you've never met Captain before, would you doubt him? Hill interacts with many of us here, but you all know she's under my command. Would you doubt her when she's right in front of you? Among us, regardless of how well we know each other, we can trust one another."

"While I don't know about this world, I'd like to believe that trust is crucial," Phil Coulson chimed in.

"I think we can approach it from another angle," Steve Rogers said. "In what situation would this mysterious guest need information from Peter? Before that, Peter trusted the mysterious guest a lot, treating him as he would Tony. He even handed over the glasses that Tony left for him. And this person turned out to be a fraud, a deceitful conspirator. Peter realized he had given something so important to a fraud..."

"So, it's like a kid realizing he made a big mistake and the first thing he does is run to an adult for help," Phil Coulson said. "Regardless of who this mysterious guest plans to impersonate, he won't show himself first. He's waiting for Peter to come to him."

"So, for this question, we just need to consider who Peter would turn to to clean up the mess after realizing he made a mistake," Clint Barton said. "So Happy can be excluded; Peter wouldn't go to him."

"Maria Hill can also be excluded," Nick Fury said. "If Peter seeks help from S.H.I.E.L.D., he would undoubtedly come to me, not Hill."

"So, the answer is between Captain and Fury," Bruce Banner said. "Who should it be, Captain or Fury?"

"I think it should be Captain," Peter Parker looked up at Steve Rogers. "Captain is a superhero, while the mysterious guest, he's not just an ordinary criminal. I should seek Captain's help."

"Kid, have you ever thought about why, when the Sinister Six lie hadn't been exposed, only you and the mysterious guest faced the magma giant?" Steve Rogers asked.

"Now that you mention it, Captain, that does seem odd," Natasha Romanoff said. "While the Sinister Six lie was still believed, everyone thought it was true. So, where were the other superheroes? Why only Peter?"

"I don't know about others, but I wasn't on Earth," Thor said.

"The reason why doesn't matter. What matters is that the other superheroes weren't present," Steve Rogers said. "I wasn't there either."

"Captain makes a good point," Bruce Banner said. "During the battle with the Sinister Six, Fury was also involved. If Captain were available at that time, he wouldn't have left him out, especially since the Sinister Six seemed very formidable then."

"It seems the only choice left is me," Nick Fury said.

"I choose B!" Peter Parker made his choice.

Answer correct! Reward distributed!

Suddenly, the Peter Parker in front of them transformed into a shadow, and immediately after, Peter Parker's figure reappeared in the answer space.

"Peter, what is this 'Art of Darkness' ninjutsu?" Thor was still quite interested in ninjutsu.

"It's a kind of illusion technique," Peter Parker explained. "It can make you feel like you're in complete darkness."

"Since the mysterious guest used similar technology to create illusions against you, now you can use real illusion techniques against him," Thor said. "Very well, fight fire with fire."

"Ninjutsu requires the use of chakra, but Thor, you also know ninjutsu, and you also have chakra. So, Peter, does that mean you can learn this technique?" Nick Fury asked.

"That's right." However, Thor shook his head, "But this kind of weak technique doesn't interest me.

"Indeed, this technique might be weak for you, but your ninjutsu is quite powerful. Perhaps others might be interested in learning," Nick Fury suggested.

"Anyone who wants to learn, let me know, and I'll teach them," Thor said.

"How about this? Thor, come to Earth for a while. You and a few others who know ninjutsu can stay here for a few days and see if anyone wants to learn new techniques," Nick Fury proposed.

"Okay." Thor didn't refuse.

At this moment, the space lit up, and a video started playing.

In the beginning of the footage, Peter Parker appeared at the station in his "Night Monkey" black suit. A black Audi drove up and stopped in front of Peter Parker.

The car window rolled down, revealing a face as black as the Audi itself.

"Get in," Nick Fury told Peter Parker.

"Mr. Fury..." Peter Parker removed his mask as soon as he got in the car.

"You better explain yourself well to me," Nick Fury said, "We'll talk once we're safe."

Soon, the Audi arrived in front of an understatedly luxurious building. Peter Parker and Nick Fury walked in together.

"So, what do you have to tell us about your little girlfriend?" Nick Fury walked up to a table.

"He's talking about Edith," Maria Hill said.

"I know I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry," Peter Parker hurriedly explained, "But he's not what you think. Beck is a fraud, the mysterious guest, the Elementals, they're all fake. He used some kind of illusion technology to gain your trust and took Edith from me."

"This is a projector." Saying that, Peter Parker placed a projector he had pulled from the fire monster in Prague using his web on the table, "I ripped it off the fire creature."

"So, everything we witnessed in terms of casualties and destruction was forged by this?" Nick Fury asked.

"No, it's not just that, he also used drones." Peter Parker said.

"Alright, if this is true, then Beck is a dangerous figure, and we need to handle this with caution." Nick Fury said, "Whom else have you told about this?"

"Beck," at this moment, Peter Parker suddenly sensed something, "He's here."

"What?" Nick Fury drew his gun, and at the same time, the environment around them began to emit a blue light, revealing its true form. The building wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility at all; it was an unfinished construction site.

Even Maria Hill around him started disappearing bit by bit. She never existed in this room.

"No, this is just an illusion..."

Bang!

Peter Parker's words were cut short as a bullet pierced through him, directly pinning Nick Fury against the wall, leaving him motionless on the ground.

"Fury!" Peter Parker yelled.

Then, he saw a drone.

Bang!

Another bullet was fired from the drone, hitting Peter Parker and sending him plummeting from this level down to the floor below.

"Peter, Peter, I thought we were close." Quentin Beck's voice sounded, and several drones flew in, "I was planning to kill Fury, but not you."

"Stop hiding, Beck!" Peter Parker reached out, shooting webs at the drones. However, the drones agilely evaded his attacks and not only that, they also started becoming invisible in the air.

"I tried to help you leave, now you force me to do this." Quentin Beck's voice continued.

As Quentin Beck's voice echoed, the surroundings underwent a drastic change. The environment shifted into darkness, and Peter Parker's "Night Monkey" suit transformed into the red and blue Spider-Man suit.

Clang clang clang!

Walls descended from above, and in this darkness, a house suddenly appeared, enclosing Peter Parker.

"You told me you're just a kid." Quentin Beck strolled through the room.

Peter Parker immediately extended his hands to shoot webs at Quentin Beck, but instead, two green smoke clouds shot out. Quentin Beck himself also turned into a green smoke cloud.

"You told me you wanted to be with that girl." Quentin Beck's voice came from behind. Peter Parker turned around and threw a punch at Quentin Beck's head, but that wasn't Quentin Beck's head; it was a pillar.

"Save me!" Michelle Jones's voice came out of nowhere. Peter Parker, without hesitation, ran towards the direction from which the plea for help came.

Bang!

He burst through the door and ran outside.

However, outside, there was no Michelle Jones. Instead, the door led to the Eiffel Tower. He stood at the peak of the city, just a step away from falling down.

"Peter, what's going on?" Michelle Jones's voice echoed again. Peter Parker turned his head to look, and this time, he saw the silhouette of the woman.

"I know this isn't real." Peter Parker didn't rush over this time.

"Are you sure?" Suddenly, the moon in the sky transformed into the fishbowl-like helmet of the mysterious guest, and Quentin Beck appeared. With one hand, he lifted Michelle Jones and dropped her off the Eiffel Tower.

"MJ!" Without hesitation, Peter Parker followed Michelle Jones and jumped off, but he fell straight to the ground.

"You seem to have trouble distinguishing what's real from what's fake, Peter." Peter Parker had just stood up when the environment suddenly changed. It was like traveling through time and space. The city swiftly flashed behind Peter Parker, and when the cityscape stabilized, Peter Parker found himself standing in front of a building in Queens.

He looked up at the flickering word "queens," and suddenly a massive fist extended from the building, punching him and sending him flying.

Crash!

As if shattering the night, Peter Parker fell into another space, transitioning from darkness to daylight. He plummeted from the sky, crashing with a thud onto a car.

Peter Parker quickly got up, catching his breath as he surveyed the normal-looking street.

Crash~

The sound of shattering glass filled the air. Peter Parker looked up and saw projectors flying down. The surroundings changed again, returning to darkness. Huge glass panels fell from the sky, embedding around Peter Parker.

"Take a look at yourself in the mirror." As Peter Parker gazed at his reflection, Quentin Beck's voice echoed once more. When Peter Parker reached out to touch his reflection, suddenly countless versions of himself burst out of the surrounding mirrors, attacking him with punches and kicks.

"You're just a timid kid, wearing sportswear and pretending to be a hero." After struggling to get up, Peter Parker noticed that his clothes had changed. No longer in his Spider-Man suit, he was dressed in the makeshift attire he had crafted after his Spider-Man suit was taken away, the outfit he used to confront the Vulture.

"I created the mysterious guest. I can make the whole world believe in the hero. I control the truth, and the mysterious guest is the truth." Peter Parker turned to look and saw a gigantic statue of the mysterious guest.

Bang!

Just as Peter Parker was engrossed, Quentin Beck suddenly descended from above, launching an attack. After exchanging blows a few times, Peter Parker shot webs from his hands to capture the airborne Quentin Beck, pulling him downward.

But that wasn't Quentin Beck at all; it was a massive construction crane crashing down. Fortunately, Peter Parker managed to dodge in time and avoid getting crushed.

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[END OF CHAPTER]