Chapter 221: Zombie Flash and Superman Bathed in Golden Light

As the space gate slowly appeared, it was immediately attacked by the surrounding endless darkness. The blue energy of the space gate was instantly tainted with a hint of darkness.

"Hmm? Could this space gate be... Bruce and the others?"

The sudden appearance of the space gate invigorated Barry, who was being consumed by the darkness. He quickly realized that this space gate was almost identical to the one that had brought him to this universe not long ago.

It seemed that his comrades from another universe were trying to rescue him. There was a strong possibility that they had created this space gate.

"No, the space gate must not be established, or the other universe will also fall victim to the darkness!"

However, the joy in his heart was quickly replaced by fear as he suddenly realized that if the space gate was successfully established, it would be devoured by the surrounding darkness.

The endless dark energy would then spread through the gate into another universe, causing the same catastrophic invasion.

"This seems important to you..."

Doctor Manhattan also noticed the appearance of the space gate and, more importantly, the change in Barry's expression when it emerged. He quickly understood that the space gate held great significance for Barry.

After a moment of hesitation, Doctor Manhattan decided not to let the space gate be consumed by the darkness.

After all, if the darkness were to devour the gate, it would be like opening a doorway to another universe, allowing the dark energy to spread and consume that reality.

He extended his right hand toward the gate, and a surge of blue energy shot out from his palm, piercing through the endless darkness and illuminating the surroundings.

The energy converged on the gate, forming a blue barrier that shielded it from the encroaching darkness. Slowly, the space gate began to solidify.

"Thank you..."

Barry looked at Doctor Manhattan with a hint of gratitude in his eyes as he witnessed the effort to protect the gate.

"No need to thank me. I'm just buying your universe a bit more time."

Doctor Manhattan's face remained impassive, as if he had only done something trivial.

At that moment, as the space gate fully solidified, no one stepped through. Instead, a hand slowly extended from the gate.

A faint spark of electricity flickered on the hand, which, though weak, did not escape Barry's keen observation.

He instantly realized that another version of himself, one with the Speed Force, existed in another universe.

"Could it be him?"

Initially, Barry planned to warn whoever entered to retreat immediately and dismantle the space gate to prevent the dark energy from infiltrating his original universe.

However, upon realizing that the one entering might be another version of himself, Barry quickly changed his mind.

Without any hesitation, Barry's dwindling Speed Force, weakened by the dark invasion, suddenly surged with vitality.

Golden lightning flared up, momentarily pushing back the dark energy that had infiltrated his body. Regaining his mobility, he dashed toward the space gate.

"Are you sure about this? You've only temporarily suppressed the dark energy within you. If you return to that universe, when the dark energy fully erupts, you will become the destroyer of your own world!"

Seeing Barry regain his mobility and rush toward the space gate, Doctor Manhattan showed a rare hint of surprise. He had thought Barry was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good, but...

Barry, however, paid no attention to Doctor Manhattan's warning. His body transformed into a golden lightning bolt that passed through the barrier Doctor Manhattan had created. He then grasped the hand reaching through the space gate.

In that instant, a dazzling golden lightning bolt flashed as Barry seemingly released all the Speed Force energy within him, condensing it into a single golden bolt that he handed to the person on the other side. But this action triggered an uncontrollable outcome.

Doctor Manhattan's barrier shattered, and the endless dark energy surged toward the space gate once more. The dark energy that had already invaded Barry's body also erupted, coursing through his arm and into the other universe.

"Hmm? So you weren't trying to escape to another universe..."

"But rather seeking a chance to defeat the darkness for all universes!"

Seeing Barry's actions, Doctor Manhattan was slightly moved. For the first time, he felt the spirit and emotions of selfless sacrifice. He realized that the golden bolt of lightning contained crucial information—perhaps a warning of the dark invasion or a potential method to counter it.

Regardless, Barry was willing to sacrifice himself to deliver that information. As Barry released all his Speed Force energy into the golden bolt, the surrounding dark energy completely overwhelmed his body.

In an instant, Barry was engulfed in unimaginable pain as the darkness seeped into his skin, muscles, and bones, as though he were being bathed in acid. His skin and flesh began to melt away like a wax figure, and his entire body turned black.

The transformation lasted several seconds before finally ending. Unlike others who had been consumed by the dark energy and turned into fuel for its spread, Barry's body remained intact. However, his mind and consciousness were gone, and he no longer resembled a human. He looked more like a dark demon from hell.

His face, now mostly devoid of flesh, revealed the darkened bones underneath. He opened his mouth like a zombie, revealing sharp fangs, and turned his ghastly gaze toward the blue figure in the darkness—Doctor Manhattan. Then, with a roar, he disappeared into the endless dark energy, leaving Doctor Manhattan behind.

...

"The hero has finally fallen, and darkness will soon engulf the world..."

"Has his body been completely overtaken by the darkness?"

Dr. Manhattan remained indifferent as he watched everything unfold before him. It wasn't until the figure of the zombie-like Flash vanished into the endless darkness that he let out a soft sigh.

He knew that the hero who once faced death fearlessly, who fought bravely against the darkness with immense courage and willpower, had now completely fallen into the abyss of endless darkness, becoming a pawn of the dark forces threatening the universe.

Dr. Manhattan's gaze then shifted from the infinite darkness back to the portal. At some point, the once-blue portal had become entirely consumed by dark energy. Tendrils of darkness reached out, extending toward the reality of another universe.

"In that case, let me help you one last time. I hope your actions can preserve a glimmer of hope for the universe against this endless darkness..."

As the portal was about to be completely overtaken by darkness, Dr. Manhattan could no longer stand by. A brilliant blue light suddenly burst forth from his entire body.

Sizzle...

The radiant blue light, like the sun dispersing darkness or flames melting ice, gradually pushed back the surrounding darkness.

Almost simultaneously, the dark energy invading the portal also seemed to suffer some kind of blow. The combined forces caused the dark energy and the portal to dissipate in the bright blue glow.

The brilliant blue light lasted only a few seconds before being swallowed up by the surrounding endless darkness once more. In the aftermath, Dr. Manhattan was gone.

The view zoomed out, expanding until it showed the universe. A blue figure stood in the void, gazing at a cosmic sphere almost entirely shrouded in darkness.

"A universe, destroyed under my watch..."

Dr. Manhattan couldn't recall exactly how many universes had met their demise before him since he first left his own. Perhaps he had deliberately forgotten the exact number.

His gaze shifted to the distance, where countless universes, each glowing with different colors, hung like ripe fruit in the endless void. Yet, in his view, all those beautiful universes were now tinged with a faint aura of darkness, as if foretelling their impending doom, destined to follow the path of the previous universe, consumed by endless darkness and ultimately destroyed.

...

The perspective returned to the universe just overtaken by darkness. In mere moments, the endless darkness continued to grow, spreading further after devouring Earth, inching closer to the center of the solar system, to that radiant star—the sun.

Within the sun's core, a figure bathed in the sun's immense energy, his eyes tightly shut and his face contorted in pain, enduring agony beyond human comprehension. The intense solar radiation engulfed his body, the extreme heat threatening to incinerate him entirely. Plasma flames enveloped him completely.

There was no doubt that the figure bathing in the sun's core was Superman, who had recently left the space station. To save this world shrouded in darkness, he had unhesitatingly plunged into the sun's core, a place he had never ventured before.

The immense energy, even for a Kryptonian like him, was unbearable. Countless cells within his body were being burned and destroyed by the sun's violent energy, not strengthening him, but pushing him to the brink of being overwhelmed and destroyed by the raging solar energy.

Suddenly, amidst the torment in the sun's core, Superman's powerful senses detected a terrifying dark energy approaching the sun.

"Could it be... that Victor and the others' plan has failed?"

For a moment, a thought flashed through Clark's mind, a thought he found almost impossible to believe.

"No, that's absolutely impossible!"

"We cannot fail. The world cannot fall into darkness. Darkness will never triumph over light!"

"I cannot allow my home to be destroyed again!"

Fueled by a powerful sense of determination and unwillingness to accept failure, Clark could not accept that the plan had failed, nor that the world was on the brink of falling into endless darkness.

Nor could he accept that, after Krypton, his other home was about to be destroyed once more.

At that moment, even though it seemed he could no longer withstand the violent energy of the sun's core, Clark's body surged with immense potential, fueled by his inner determination and powerful will. The violent energy that had been burning and destroying his body's cells now began to awaken the power within his Kryptonian bloodline.

His battle-worn Kryptonian suit, damaged by the sun's violent energy, started to repair and regenerate. The "S" symbol, representing hope, began to emit a faint golden glow.

Boom!

It was as if thunder had exploded across the entire solar system. The figure bathed in the sun's core suddenly vanished from within the sun. The next moment, he reappeared outside the sun, with the massive, brilliant star at his back, gazing resolutely at the boundless darkness surging toward him.

His expression was filled with unwavering resolve.

In the next moment, as if making a firm decision, his entire body transformed into a streak of golden light.

Whoosh!

The golden streak shot through the cosmos like a meteor, swiftly traversing the starry sky. The golden light began to spiral around the massive dark energy, rotating faster and faster, quickly surpassing the speed of light, the ultimate speed in the universe!

A dazzling golden ring of light formed around the edges of the darkness, seemingly confining and limiting the expansion of the endless dark energy.

More importantly, as Clark's body spun in the golden light, time around him seemed to reverse and rewind rapidly.

The expanding dark energy appeared to be completely restrained from further spreading.

...

(End of Chapter)

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