chapter 35

The soft hammer floated in the air for a moment, and then, a few hundred meters away from Thor, it suddenly made a loud noise, as if it had hit a solid wall.

As the roaring sound echoed, a cloud of dust rose into the air, enveloping the area. There wasn't any obvious impact point to explain the dust, but the entire area was now filled with a thick fog. What should have been an empty wasteland was now cloaked in haze, making it difficult to see anything clearly.

Thor frowned, confused by this sudden change. He peered into the dust, trying to make sense of it, but no matter how hard he looked, he could only see blurred particles floating through the air.

"Yeah, it's a bit hot," Adrian remarked calmly, taking a sip of water offered by the pilot. Judging from what he saw, this didn't seem to be the asphalt or wastelands of La Tovilia.

It was more like the X-Men's Extremis Chamber.

Suddenly, a strange buzzing sound filled the air from all directions. The ground beneath his feet began to seem illusory, like a dream. The scenery in front of him distorted and shifted, transforming into a shining metal floor.

The floor was smooth and reflective, composed of countless small squares that stitched together to form the structure. This unexpected transformation left everyone speechless, staring in awe at their changing surroundings.

"What the hell is this place? Should I move? Oh wait, I'm still wearing this damn belt. Thanks, Fury," Pietro muttered, tugging at the metal ring around his neck in frustration.

The ground continued to change. Like a giant scene shifting, the metal floor appeared controlled by invisible forces. Dust from the desert, cold winds from snow-capped mountains, neon lights from city streets, and turbulent ocean waves all swirled around, each element appearing vividly real.

Finally, the buzzing stopped, and the ground settled into a mirror-like, silver-white metal surface that reflected the bright light, almost blinding.

The pilot, squinting, looked up and yelled, "Look at the sky! Is that a bird? Is that a plane? No, it's them!"

High above, countless metal robots, as dense as storm clouds, descended from the sky. They wore green hooded cloaks and glinted with a silvery sheen.

Upon landing, the robots lined up in rows. Each step made a heavy, metallic clanging sound, echoing powerfully across the area.

The robots' palms began to glow with green energy, emitting a soft humming noise like a machine's battle cry. The energy pulsed, radiating an eerie sense of destruction. Their eyes locked onto everyone present with cold indifference, the hum of the energy an ominous signal of imminent death.

It seemed a fierce battle was about to begin.

Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly, ready for action. Adrian spoke calmly, watching as Doom's destructive robots prepared to enter a digital hell, where they would meet the Cyber Buddha.

"Odin's son, if you dare act, Doom will not let you go easily."

Just as the scene was about to erupt, a subtle but threatening voice was heard from among the crowd. Emerging from the ranks of identical robots, a figure with stronger armor and a more powerful aura floated into view.

As he rose higher, the other robots stepped back, creating a clear path, allowing him to approach the group alone.

It was Doctor Doom.

Doom scanned the group, his gaze lingering on Adrian. "Why have you come to Doom's domain?" he demanded.

Hearing this, the Punisher muttered under his breath, cursing, "To hell with that iron-faced bastard." Frank's intent was clear as he raised his gun, prepared to take down Doctor Doom. Killing one villain in this apocalyptic world was satisfying enough, but killing two would be even better.

But just as Frank was about to pull the trigger, Adrian swiftly grabbed his arm, pushing the gun down.

"Not yet," he advised calmly.

Reluctantly, the Punisher lowered his weapon, sliding it back into its holster. He was still seething with anger toward Doom, but he decided to follow Adrian's advice and focus on the team's best interests.

"Ahem. We're here to save La Tovilia," Adrian said, taking a half-step forward.

"Save it?" Doom scoffed. "La Tovilia is immune to the virus. Doom does not need SHIELD's help, nor does he need yours."

Adrian narrowed his eyes, understanding that Doom wasn't referring to an antidote for the zombie virus, but rather his belief in his own power to overcome the apocalypse.

Of course, this was nonsense. Fort Doom may be strong, but it's been a frequent target for various superheroes as a "trial ground" during the weekdays. Was he really so confident?

For someone as arrogant as Doom, this attitude was expected. While those beside him might not match Doom's strength, if Doom were to make a move, Adrian knew he would respond with his own force.

"Actually, Doctor Doom may not need SHIELD's help, but we can still talk," Adrian replied with a wry smile.

"And why would I do that?"

Adrian looked up at the masked man, a faint smile on his face. "Because I killed Reed Richards."

Susan gasped at this, looking at Adrian in shock. She didn't express anger, nor did she say a word—she only lowered her head, remaining silent.

Now that she was calm, she accepted Reed's death as fact, even if it was hard to face. She couldn't bring herself to hate anyone.

After all the years she spent with Reed, she blamed herself more than anyone else for failing to see the true nature of the man she loved.

"Hmph! Only Doom can kill Doom's enemies!" Doom's response surprised everyone; it wasn't so much his pride that shocked them but the fact that he seemed unwilling to discuss it further.

"However," Doom said, his voice softening as he cast a sympathetic glance toward Susan, "Doom can listen to how that fool Reed met his end."

"Come inside; Doom will entertain you."

As he finished speaking, the robots parted to form a path. Adrian shrugged at the others and began walking forward.

🛡️Ronin 🛡️

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