American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

400 (Milestone). Touching the Corruption!!

"You... you need my help?"

Robert's trembling hands clutched his head as if afraid he had misheard. Slowly, he raised his head to look at Alex.

"Say that again."

"I need your help, Robert."

Looking at the Sentry, now completely ravaged by the zombie virus, Alex felt a sudden pang of pity.

In most universes, the Sentry was an unparalleled, supreme being.

His existence seemed almost like the will of the universe itself—capable of creating or destroying on a whim. In some ways, comparing him to an almighty god wasn't far-fetched.

But now, this pitiful figure before him bore no resemblance to the powerful entity he once was.

Once a hero who protected humanity, a beacon of hope and light for the entire universe, he had now fallen to become a monster surviving by devouring others.

Two streaks of bloody tears rolled down Robert's cheeks. Ever since he had been infected by the Hulk, he couldn't recall the last time he'd regained his sanity.

He knew what he had done. He wanted to reclaim his body, to conquer the endless terror within him. But he had failed.

Consumed by guilt and self-reproach, his spirit teetered on the edge of an endless abyss.

Yet Alex's words pierced the haze of despair, illuminating a path forward.

"You need me... you still need me..."

Robert nodded firmly, straightening himself as he clenched his fists.

"Tell me... what can I do for you?"

Looking at the zombie Sentry, Alex's feelings were also deeply conflicted.

Perhaps this was what happened when divinity descended upon flawed humanity. As Lex Luthor from another universe had once said: "If God is all-powerful, He cannot be all-good. If God is all-good, He cannot be all-powerful."

The Sentry wielded the might of an omnipotent god, but his humanity left him hesitant and lost, even consumed by philosophical musings about "meaning." That's why the Sentry had never truly been a "hero."

He was simply a wanderer, doing his best to play the role of one.

Pressing his lips together, Alex finally spoke, "I need to know everything. Since arriving in this universe, what have you done? What were your goals? And why did you come here?"

"I... my last memory is of being unable to suppress the energy within me. That terrifying power, once unleashed, would have posed an immense threat to the entire world..."

Robert's voice trembled as he recounted his memories.

"Then, somehow, the energy inside me gradually stabilized. Maybe it had to do with crossing space and time. I remember seeing a man in a blue robe who threw me into this place. After that... I saw the Avengers attacking me."

The man in the blue robe was likely the Watcher, Alex surmised. He asked further, "Then why did you leave Earth and come here?"

"After infecting the Avengers, I temporarily regained some of my sanity. I knew I couldn't stay on Earth; no one there would have the power to stop me. So, I summoned Galactus."

"Wait... you summoned Galactus?"

Alex was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected this.

"Yes. Without another version of me in this world, the only being with a chance of stopping me was Galactus. If even he couldn't, I couldn't imagine anyone else saving this universe."

Robert didn't deny his actions and sighed heavily.

"Originally, I intended to leave Earth and confront Galactus myself. But not long after I set out, the endless hunger overtook me again... after that, my memories become fuzzy."

Alex stared at the zombie Sentry for a long while before finally shaking his head.

Fortunately, this guy's hunger overtook him midway as he approached Galactus, steering him off the path to directly confront the devourer. Otherwise, Earth would have faced something far worse than a typical Galactus— a Zombie Galactus.

Just thinking about it gave Alex a headache.

"Robert, you may not have realized it yet, but the zombie virus isn't the main issue here. Honestly... with your abilities, a regular virus shouldn't have been able to infect you, let alone turn you into a zombie. But..."

Alex frowned, unsure of how to articulate it.

Given the Sentry's power level, no zombie virus should have been capable of affecting him. After all, his strength derived from the primordial force of creation itself—a power so pure it was terrifying.

The problem, however, was the strange corruption. It seemed to permeate everything, distorting the Sentry's perception and corrupting his will.

And because of the resonance between these two universes, numerous zombie Sentries had begun appearing across neighboring dimensions.

"I need to understand the nature of the corruption inside you. So..."

Alex steadied himself, fixing the Sentry with a solemn gaze.

"I don't know what you intend to do, but if I can help you, you may do whatever you wish. Even if it means killing me, I won't hold a grudge. It's the price I must pay for my sins."

The Sentry folded his hands behind his back and lowered his body into a bow before Alex.

At this moment, he had completely suppressed all his resistance. His demeanor resembled that of a condemned prisoner awaiting execution—accepting his fate without struggle.

"Thank you."

Alex lowered his gaze and nodded slightly.

Although he had narrowly escaped being torn apart and devoured by this man, Alex couldn't help but admire his unwavering sense of justice.

Perhaps humanity's flaws didn't only bring destruction; they brought something redeemable as well.

Swallowing nervously, Alex reached out his hand, slowly placing it on the zombie Sentry's bowed head.

This wasn't the first time Alex had dealt with corruption and the worms that brought it. But this time wasn't a distant engagement—it was direct contact.

Even for Alex, it was hard to suppress the unease.

Eerie green flames flickered at Alex's fingertips—a sight that would leave any physicist screaming in astonishment.

But no one cared about that now. Alex continued channeling his magical energy, delving deeper and deeper into the Sentry's mind.

Closing his eyes gently, Alex entered the Sentry's mental world.

The next moment, an indescribable, eerie sensation overwhelmed Alex's mind, like murky paint splattered onto a pristine white canvas. His thoughts were suddenly flooded with alien imagery.

Even though Alex had prepared himself mentally, the sheer force of the mental connection still caught him off guard.

His tightly shut eyes snapped open as he staggered backward, putting a considerable distance between himself and the Sentry. Alex's gaze flickered, uncertain as he stared at the still-unmoving Sentry.

When Alex finally regained his composure, he realized that every hair on his body was standing on end. Even his magical energy was faintly trembling, as though resisting something incomprehensible.

Furrowing his brows deeply, Alex tried to recall the brief moment of contact.

He hadn't fully understood what he had experienced. However, Alex knew that the instant their minds connected, countless indecipherable sequences filled his consciousness.

"0001.0000.0110.1111.0110.0111.0000.0111.1011.0001.0111.0001.0011.1111.1110.0000"

"..."

"..."

"...?"

"6."

....................

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
401. Connection Failed!!!
402. The Secret of Corruption.
403. The Watcher's Request!
404. Devil Town.
405. The Apocalypse Knight!!