Chapter 190: Death and Deadpool Are Both Dead
Drawing Gods in Marvel, Chapter 191
With the arrival and insults of the other Lady Death, the expected chaos and out-of-control spectacle did not materialize; instead, the surroundings fell into an uncanny calm.
It was like the calm before the storm.
The sea of flowers swayed as the two Lady Deaths, with completely different temperaments, gazed at each other in silent confrontation.
In tacit agreement, neither made a move, nor did either speak another word.
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It was as though the insults and retorts spoken earlier had never happened. The two were terrifyingly calm, like old friends reuniting, gazing at each other in speechless silence.
Yet even without any clash of power or exchange of words, it sent chills down the spine, an indescribable oppression hanging heavy in the air.
It felt as if heaven and earth would tear apart in the very next second, unleashing immense catastrophe.
An invisible pressure permeated every corner, causing even the sea of flowers to tremble.
Loya and Deadpool exchanged a glance out of the corners of their eyes before quickly pulling their gazes back.
Mutually aligned, both slowed their breathing and held their breath, standing completely still and quiet.
They could faintly sense that the two different Lady Deaths were engaged in an unseen, intensely fierce contest.
Right now, the best choice was to make no choice at all—to stay silent and watch things unfold, lest who knows what might happen.
After all, neither of the two before them was an ordinary figure. If they flew into a rage, it wouldn't be as simple as breaking furniture; hurling planets would be getting off light—
it was better to play it safe.
Loya quietly pulled back his right hand that was gripping Deadpool's wrist, abandoning the idea of fleeing for the moment.
His sharp intuition and the sixth sense—which had grown increasingly clear ever since lighting up his constellation—warned him that even if he could make a run for it at any moment, it was best not to act on it.
Otherwise, the consequences would be unpredictable, or perhaps he might miss out on something good. The gut feeling was exceptionally strong.
In any case, with "50-50" as a safety net and his own side's Lady Death present, he might as well wait and see.
After all, she had over seventy favorability points toward him, which was quite secure.
Furthermore, for some reason, looking at the familiar green figure before him,
Loya had a very bizarre, bordering on absurd feeling.
It was like the saying that behind every successful man is a supportive woman who manages the household.
Except he wasn't the successful man—he was the supportive woman!
The feeling arose out of nowhere; it was absurd, yet strangely vivid.
It left him thoroughly baffled.
Loya shook his head inwardly, suppressing this bizarre sensation as questions arose in his mind one after another.
"Why did two Lady Deaths appear at the same time?"
As for the Lady Death of the Mutant Universe, let's call her the enemy Lady Death for now.
Her appearance made some sense.
After all, Loya had just eliminated Evil Deadpool and used the anti-resurrection mechanism of "solar judgment" to prevent the psycho from coming back to life—something even Lady Death couldn't undo.
Whether this Universe's Lady Death came out of curiosity or to demand an explanation on Evil Deadpool's behalf, it was understandable.
Moreover, based on what Deadpool had said earlier, it was clear that Evil Deadpool was a simp whose object of devotion was this Universe's Lady Death.
Bristling with fury for her simp!
The reason was a bit bizarre, but not totally implausible.
Truly, an infinite Multiverse holds infinite possibilities; Evil Deadpool seemed to have picked up Thanos's script and turned into a simp.
But thinking about it, that was normal. With Evil Deadpool's face, combined with his total lack of genuine Deadpool's humor and charm, plus his icy personality, it would be tough to like him.
He was probably only allowed to simp because he had utility value.
The enemy Lady Death had only mentioned Evil Deadpoolin passing upon appearing, then turned right around to recruit his killer—she was truly heartless.
Thinking about it that way, Evil Deadpool was actually somewhat pitiful.
Truly, simping till the end leaves you with nothing.
It was just unexpected that the Mutant Universe actually had two Deadpools, one good and one evil locked in conflict—quite a rarity.
It once again proved the infinite possibilities of the infinite Multiverse.
It seemed Deadpool was hiding quite a few secrets.
Meanwhile, the other Lady Death—the life-loving Lady Death from Loya's own Universe who was on his side—appearing here was utterly bizarre.
At the very least, Loya couldn't fathom why she suddenly showed up here, and with such a classic last-second rescue to boot. It was ridiculous.
It gave him a very strong sense of déjà vu, like a hero saving the damsel in distress.
Except the "damsel" was him, which felt a bit weird.
Could it be that he had been set up?
No way, right?
What would she stand to gain?
It couldn't be that she was lusting after his body, could it?
That made even less sense.
Loya couldn't figure it out, so he quietly activated "Minds Eye" and probed forward, hoping to read the two goddesses' emotions and find some clues.
But what he sensed caught him completely off guard.
The emotions radiating from the enemy Lady Death were relatively pure.
It was an intensely concentrated killing intent, the strongest he had ever witnessed, virtually tangible and blotting out the sky.
Strangely enough, however, it was also laced with a trace of fear—she was terrified of his side's Lady Death.
The killing intent was understandable; after all, a loyal simp had been killed, and Death from another Universe had descended, so that was reasonable.
But what was with the fear?
Could Death also fear dying?
Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't impossible.
And compared to the relatively pure killing intent of the Mutant Universe's Lady Death,
the emotions of the Lady Death Loya knew were far more complicated.
There was killing intent, joy, excitement, curiosity—and an assortment of other feelings.
Yet among all these emotions, the strongest was one that had no business being so intense under such circumstances.
Possessiveness!
It was an almost perverse level of overwhelming possessiveness.
What was even more absurd was that this explosive possessiveness was directed at Loya.
It was vastly stronger than when he had first met this Lady Death.
If she had only shown hints of being a yandere before without truly being one, now she had evolved into a full-fledged yandere.
Loya felt his scalp tingle with dread.
He truly couldn't fathom the reason for it.
Earlier, he had inadvertently helped his side's Lady Deathpatch a flaw in the conceptual definition of Death. That was a rather special circumstance, so a little possessiveness could still more or less be explained.
But what was going on right now?
Even if the enemy Lady Death had extended an olive branch to recruit him and his side's Lady Death wanted to stake her claim, it shouldn't be intense to this degree.
Right now, his side's Lady Death's possessiveness had eclipsed all other emotions, burning even stronger than the enemy Lady Death's killing intent.
It was utterly absurd.
Loya strongly suspected whether he had unknowingly done something again that tuned into his Lady Death's wavelength; otherwise, there was simply no explaining it.
Could it be because of the events in the Mutant Universeregarding Days of Future Past?
But the Mutant Universe had no connection to his own Universe at all.
Could his Lady Death's reach extend that far?
Stretching all the way into someone else's turf.
Is that right?
That can't be right.
It wasn't Loya's fault for overthinking; the main reason was that Deadpool's emotions beside him were also very strange.
Judging by the emotions this fellow displayed, he clearly knew his side's Lady Death.
And he even seemed somewhat afraid.
It felt like a sense of reverence and dread toward a fierce, shrewish woman.
What was that about?
Would the life-loving big sister Lady Death have such a personality?
That was absolutely impossible!
Loya was a bit bewildered. Unable to sort out his thoughts for the moment, he felt a massive headache coming on.
Just as he was racking his brains in vain, the invisible contest between the two Lady Deaths seemed to reach a fever pitch, finally affecting the external world.
At the enemy Lady Death's feet, a surge of black power welled up and rapidly spread outward in all directions.
Wherever this power passed, the flowers lost their vitality, stems, leaves, and petals withering in an instant as their lives were ruthlessly harvested into utter desolation, as if this power were defining the abstract concept of Death itself.
Yet this power did not spread very far—after merely a few meters, its speed slowed abruptly until it came to a complete halt at the feet of his side's Lady Death.
Immediately after, Loya felt his side's Lady Death's emotions surge noticeably.
The withered flowers actually returned from the dead, rekindling life and becoming even more vibrant.
Starting from beneath his Lady Death's feet, it rapidly pushed back toward the enemy Lady Death, reviving all things in its path.
Seeing this, the enemy Lady Death made no move, simply watching quietly, her skeletal face devoid of expression.
On the surface, she seemed entirely unruffled and self-assured, exuding the demeanor of a supreme master.
Yet within Loya's perception, she presented a total contrast.
In the emotions sensed via "Minds Eye",
the enemy Lady Death's fear was growing increasingly intense, various negative emotions constantly intertwining and bubbling up, while her killing intent plummeted to freezing point.
There was a sense of helplessness, like someone on the verge of death.
"Is this... the battle coming to an end?"
Loya muttered to himself.
He couldn't understand what was really happening in the battle between the two Lady Deaths, but he was thoroughly awestruck.
In fact, when activating "Minds Eye", he had also activated "Voice of All Things" alongside it.
He wanted to observe what a clash between these two supreme beings was really like.
In the end, he only managed to observe a tiny sliver, merely perceiving that the struggle between them was fierce, seemingly a confrontation on the level of universal rules.
At his current level, he couldn't make heads or tails of it at all; he only knew it was tremendously powerful.
It was nowhere near as intuitive as smashing a planet directly into someone's face.
Soon, as vitality completely enveloped the enemy Lady Death, some unknown change seemed to occur within the entire space, warping slightly for a moment.
One could clearly feel that this Death Space, originally shrouded in the aura of Death, was being washed over by potent life force. Two distinct auras clashed and blended within it, seemingly merging into one at last.
As if the outcome were sealed, the enemy Lady Death's body trembled slightly as she ground out through gritted teeth, "As an incarnation of Death, you're actually using life force? Are you the incarnation of Death or a goddess representing life?! You damned aberration!"
"Slap her mouth!"
His side's Lady Death did not refute her immediately, merely issuing a cold order.
In the next instant, the flowers on the ground grew rapidly into the shape of a palm and delivered a resounding slap right across the enemy Lady Death's face.
She spun a full 720 degrees through the air in graceful fashion before hitting the ground with a thud.
At this moment, the enemy Lady Death seemed to have lost her power, left entirely at the mercy of others.
Loya and Deadpool couldn't help exchanging a glance, their lips curling into knowing smirks in unison.
Sure enough, simple and brutal fights suited them much better; that previous clash had been completely beyond comprehension.
Loya loved watching good women thrash bad women the most—it couldn't be more satisfying.
Especially when the good woman was gorgeous; that made it even better.
His Lady Death walked gracefully over to the enemy Lady Death, her tone calm: "Death is inherently a part of life, not its antithesis. It is a process, not an absolute terminus. Without understanding the cycle and fusion between life and death, your kind of Death is the true aberration. Wallowing in bringing about premature death, you are truly pathetic and foolish—a brainless imbecile."
Hearing this, the enemy Lady Death seemed to realize something. Her body shuddered slightly, and she raised a trembling skeletal hand to point at his Lady Death, speaking in disbelief: "I know what you're trying to do! Your ambition is too vast! You are doomed to fail, you lunatic! You freak!"
"Heh," his Lady Death let out a soft chuckle and leaned down to stare at her. "Call you an idiot and you refuse to believe it. You've severely under—
estimated me."
AI Model: gemini-3.5-flash-lite
The enemy Lady Death seemed to have thought of something unbelievable again, her body shuddering once more to the point where the friction of her bones could be heard.
But she remained silent for a long time, and in the end, she didn't say anything, merely letting out a soft sigh, completely devoid of her previous elegance, instead appearing somewhat grounded, as if she was out of options: "You've got guts, truly impressive, I am completely convinced. Come on, no matter what, ending up in your hands might perhaps be my honor in the future."
Our Lady Death gently shook her head and sighed: "Actually, hindered by the uniqueness of this Universe, I couldn't be bothered to care about what you did, but you just had to try to touch my person, and that I simply cannot tolerate."
As her words fell, the enemy Lady Death subconsciously turned her head to look at Loya, as if trying to discern some clues.
But before she could take more than a few glances, she instantly turned into nothingness under the effect of an invisible force, as if she had merged with this space.
This space also seemed to brighten by a fraction.
"This is————dead? The Lady Death of the Mutant Universe is dead?"
Seeing this scene, a ridiculous thought popped up in Loya's mind, did Death actually die?
No way, could our Lady Death actually be this fierce?
To actually be able to beat the avatar of Death to death?
Isn't this a bit exaggerated?
Deadpool watched all of this calmly, seemingly taking it in stride.
Having dealt with all of this, Lady Death turned back around, completely ignoring Deadpool, and cast her gaze toward Loya. The formidable and fierce aura from just a moment ago vanished completely, instantly transforming into the familiar, gentle vibe of a girl-next-door big sister.
She revealed a very gentle and charming smile toward Loya, causing the sea of flowers in this space to sway along with it, and then she gracefully walked over to Loya's side.
Lady Death wrapped her arm around Loya's, took a deep breath, her face flushed and her eyes hazy, and sighed: "Darling, the vitality on your body has grown vigorously by who knows how much more; it smells so good. Don't believe what that bad Death says, the aura of life is the most wonderful thing, she doesn't understand anything at all."
[ Lady Death Favorability + 5, Current Favorability: 80 ]
Loya's body stiffened for a split second, suddenly regretting wearing armor because he couldn't feel the beauty beside him at all.
What a huge loss!
But if he were to take it off now, it would seem a bit deliberate, so he simply gave up on the idea.
He nodded slightly, preparing to speak, but unexpectedly Lady Death spoke a step ahead, carrying a hint of apology: "I know you want to ask a lot of questions, but I'm sorry, not right now. I came here temporarily, my time is limited, and there are still many important matters to handle."
Her tone carried a bit of jovialness: "You just need to know that you've helped me a huge favor once again. You really are something, I certainly didn't misjudge you. When you return to the original Universe, I'll find time to see you, and then I'll tell you what is going on."
After saying that, she raised an eyebrow at Loya with a charming smile: "There will be special rewards then, oh."
Loya: "————?"
No, what did I do again?
How did I help out with a huge favor once again?
He was completely baffled and simply couldn't figure out what he had done.
He could only nod to show his understanding.
However, what Loya was most curious about right now was what the special reward was; could it be a super blessing?
That would be wonderful!
After all, the blessing effect of the previous "Kiss of Life" was exceptionally good.
However, what is up with this increasingly intense possessiveness?
The possessiveness perceived by Loya's "Minds Eye" was growing stronger and stronger, yet Death's current outward behavior seemed quite normal, truly strange.
"Then I'll be leaving first." Lady Death greedily took a few more breaths of what she called the aura of life on Loya, and intended to leave.
Right at this moment, Loya hurriedly opened his mouth to stop her, saying: "Goddess, I have something for you, it will be done very quickly."
Lady Death was a very busy person, and he didn't know when the next meeting would be.
The other party had even effortlessly wiped out another Lady Death, making her a proper massive golden thigh; Loya naturally had to seize the opportunity.
As the saying goes, as long as your courage is big enough, the Goddess takes maternity leave.
Romance! Must find an opportunity to romance!
Lady Death stopped in her tracks, looking at Loya with some curiosity.
Loya no longer wasted time, taking out a ring that was emerald-green throughout and inlaid with a rose flower in the middle from the System Space.
This was a ring produced from the "accessory rose tree", which was extremely popular among women, making it very appropriate to use here.
"I think Goddess, you will definitely look great wearing this."
Lady Death looked at the rose ring in Loya's hand, her eyes lighting up slightly.
She didn't speak, nor did she ask for the reason, simply quietly extending her right hand.
Loya was slightly stunned, but quickly reacted, smiling as he placed the ring on Lady Death's middle finger.
Mm, very soft.
[ Lady Death Favorability + 5, Current Favorability: 85 ]
Loya rejoiced inwardly; another five points added, this ring truly had outstanding effects.
Actually, he still had some doubts; he and Lady Death had only met twice, yet this favorability increased far too quickly.
Could this be a sense of feeling like old friends at first sight in some sense? Emotional resonance?
The corners of Lady Death's mouth lifted slightly, gently stroking the ring in her hand with a soft gaze.
She looked at Loya, her eyes carrying some inexplicable meaning, and said with a beaming smile: "Take off your mask, I also have something for you."
Loya's eyes lit up slightly; could it be another "Kiss of Life" blessing?
That would be wonderful, this is a great item for saving one's life and staging a desperate counter-kill.
Thus, he quickly removed the "blackened mask". The moment the mask was just taken off,
Loya saw a graceful green figure pounce over. Before he could even react, he felt his lips go cold, and immediately a surge of heat rushed into his mouth.
"Mm?"
"What is the situation here?"
"Wuwuwu————"
Tsk tsk tsk————
Loya only felt a wave of softness and numbness transmitted from his lips, and inside his nasal cavity was a faint fragrance of flowers that refreshed the heart and mind.
An indescribable sweetness permeated his mouth, as if he were placed amidst a sea of flowers, his entire body feeling light and airy as if nourished in some way.
One can only say, as expected of a Goddess? Truly out of the ordinary!
Lady Death was extremely enthusiastic; even Loya found it somewhat difficult to fend off, feeling as if his soul was about to be sucked out.
After a long while, Lady Death slowly released him, licked the corner of her mouth, and still wore an unfulfilled smile on her face.
She lowered her head and planted a kiss on Loya's forehead once more, before slowly speaking: "Now I really have to leave. Until we meet next time, I'm very much looking forward to it. Darling~"
After saying that, Lady Death's figure gradually disappeared, and Loya and Deadpool also left this space, returning to the outskirts of Paris.
The system prompt tone also rang in Loya's ears.
[ Obtained Blessing: Kiss of Life ]
This was the same effect as the previous blessing, but the situation was somewhat different this time.
Not only did he obtain another blessing and gained an extra chance to save his life, but it also pushed their relationship a step further.
Given just the situation of being forcefully kissed just now, along with the desire within Lady Death's emotions, Loyafelt————
It all depends on what the situation will be like the next time they meet.
"Loya, you are truly awesome!" Right at this moment, Deadpool's voice filled with admiration rang out, disrupting Loya's train of thought.
Deadpool stared at Loya, his eyes widened into round circles, his face full of an expression as if he had seen a god, as if Loya had just done some earth-shattering major event.
Loya smacked his lips, feeling somewhat unfulfilled, and laughed: "You bastard, you seem to know something."
Deadpool shrugged, leaned close to Loya, and lowered his voice: "Good buddy, there are some things I cannot spell out. In short, those who understand know, and for those who don't, it's meaningless for me to explain. You just need to know that you are the most awesome human I've ever seen, to actually be able to handle even this Lady Death, I am truly full of admiration."
As Deadpool spoke, he repeatedly gave a thumbs-up, clicking his tongue in wonder.
Loya:
What kind of nonsense literature is this?
This guy Deadpool really does know quite a lot of things.
However, Deadpool clearly did not intend to go into detail about this matter, and Loya didn't force him, turning instead to ask about another matter: "You should tell me what is going on with Evil Deadpool now, right?"
Deadpool shrugged, looking completely indifferent: "Actually, it's nothing much."
Following that, he gestured wildly with his hands and feet, vividly recounting the course of events.
The more Loya listened, the more shocked he became, until finally, he widened his eyes and gave a thumbs-up to Deadpool.
He never expected that Deadpool had repeatedly reversed the future nearly a hundred times, failing every single time, with other changes occurring each time, until succeeding on this very last attempt.
However, Deadpool initially didn't know the reason why Evil Deadpool did this.
But after the Lady Death of the Mutant Universe appeared, everything suddenly became clear.
It was all due to Evil Deadpool's simping behavior, causing this Universe to jump back and forth between death and rebirth, almost breaking the place apart.
One can only say that brainless simps harm others.
Stealing the "Tesseract" before was also to find another way out.
Loya admired Deadpool's willpower immensely; if it were anyone else tossing and turning like this, they would have probably gone crazy long ago.
And yet Deadpool remained so optimistic, truly a rarity.
As for the reason why our Lady Death appeared here, and the uniqueness of this Universe she mentioned, it remained unknown and would have to wait until the next meeting to find out.
There was also one most outrageous thing.
Deadpool turned out not to be the Deadpool of this Universe.
Then why was he so obsessed with reversing the future?
Loya also asked him, but didn't get an answer.
Mentioning this question, Deadpool's emotions became extremely low, as if touching his soul, hiding a past best left forgotten within it.
Loya didn't dwell on this issue either, instead changing the subject: "Then since the future here has already been reversed, do you want to come with me to the future, to take a look at the original timeline?"
Deadpool shook his head very indifferently: "Not going, no need. They in the future won't have our memories of this period anyway, going back has no meaning, a waste of time. At most, only that meat-selling old guy Logan will remember."
Loya remained silent for a moment, then asked: "Then where do you plan to go next?"
Deadpool smiled slightly, becoming cheeky again: "Just casually stroll around other universes, look for some fun and stuff. If I find good fun, I'll come find you; we're good partners after all."
Loya smiled and nodded.
With Deadpool's ability to stir up trouble, he would surely provide quite a few cross-universe missions in the future; the things gained from this trip to the Mutant Universewere certainly not few.
Once returning to the future timeline, even more benefits could be obtained.
Thinking of this, Loya remembered an item gathering dust in the warehouse, which could happen to serve as a farewell gift to enhance their bond.
He took out a peculiarly shaped pistol from the System Space, spun it around his fingertip like a flower, and then aimed it at Deadpool's chest: "Good buddy, since you're leaving, let me give you a farewell gift."
Deadpool stared at the pitch-black muzzle, his expression somewhat dumbfounded, but before he had time to react, Loya pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
Flames spewed forth, and a bullet with a similarly peculiar shape flew out, accurately hitting Deadpool's heart.
Deadpool didn't even say a word before falling straight down onto the ground.
His body twitched a few times, and then he completely lost his breath and all signs of life.
Deadpool, deceased!
Chapter 191: The world Tree Has Taken Root
Becoming a God Through Lucky Draws in Marvel, Chapter 192
Looking at Deadpool lying breathless on the ground, Loyashook his head repeatedly. A full fifty percent chance, yet one shot had killed Deadpool outright.
Was he unlucky, or did Deadpool simply have terrible luck?
Loya hadn't shot Deadpool just for kicks, of course, but because of the item in his hand that had been sitting unused in his system storage.
[potential stimulation gun: Fires a shot at the target's heart. Has a 50% chance to stimulate their inner potential and awaken a superpower. If it fails, causes instant Death.]
Deadpool couldn't die, making him the perfect candidate to use this item.
There was no way a fifty percent chance wouldn't succeed even once, right?
This guy was planning to head to other universes to have some fun; having a few extra tricks up his sleeve was always a good thing.
After all, just because he had thought of sealing Evil Deadpool in concrete and hanging him over a cesspool didn't mean others wouldn't think of it too.
If he really got tricked like that, it wouldn't end well.
In order to receive cross-Universe quests from Deadpool in the future, Loya felt it necessary to invest in him a little.
Not only would it make his own missions easier, but it might also increase Deadpool's favorability toward him—killing two birds with one stone.
Shortly after ceasing to breathe, Deadpool's corpse twitched violently, his limbs trembled, his chest began to rise and fall, and he came back to life once more.
He snapped his eyes open, pupils out of focus, a bewildered expression in his eyes, having no clue why Loya had suddenly shot him.
By the time Deadpool's gaze refocused, all he saw was the pitch-black muzzle pressed against him again.
"What the f—?"
"Bang!"
Deadpool collapsed at the sound, dying once again.
"Failed again?"
Loya looked at the "potential stimulation gun" in his hand, completely speechless.
No way. Failing twice in a row? Could his luck really be that rotten?
"I refuse to believe this nonsense."
When Deadpool revived again, before he could even open his eyes, Loya put another bullet through his heart.
The result was still a failure.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Gunshots rang out repeatedly.
Deadpool's body twitched back and forth on the ground, bouncing incessantly between Death and rebirth.
The scene was exceptionally bizarre; anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had walked onto the set of a zombie horror flick.
Only after firing dozens of consecutive shots did the "potential stimulation gun" finally trigger its effect of awakening a superpower.
Several lines of prompts popped up on Loya's system panel.
[Successfully activated Deadpool's inner potential via the potential stimulation gun, awakening a superpower.]
[superpower: Flesh Control]
[Flesh Control: Deadpool can freely control his own flesh and blood, altering it in various ways. This includes, but is not limited to: enhancing physical toughness, manipulating blood for attacks, shifting internal organ positions, enlarging or shrinking bodily tissues, etc. (More functions to be developed.)]
"Yo!"
"This ability actually suits Deadpool pretty well. Guess shooting him dozens of times wasn't a waste after all."
Looking at the hard-earned superpower activated on the system panel, Loya couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Taking dozens of shots to succeed—it definitely had to be Deadpool's awful luck!
Still, the awakened ability was genuinely great, practically made for Deadpool.
Deadpool already possessed an absurdly powerful healing factor, and paired with "Flesh Control," it was a match made in heaven.
Coupled with his unconstrained, wild imagination, he would surely come up with even crazier tricks.
"Loya!"
Right then, Deadpool, having been gunned down dozens of times in a row, finally had the chance to open his eyes. He yelled, scrambling to his feet in total exasperation, and complained, "What the hell are you doing, dude? Testing if I'll get heavy metal poisoning? Or do you think repeatedly shooting me in the heart is gonna keep you in my heart forever? Come on, that's way too lame."
After venting, Deadpool wasn't actually angry.
Staring at the strangely shaped handgun in Loya's grip, he asked with curious eyes, "What kind of gun is that anyway? How come one shot instantly drops me dead? I've never seen anything like it. Is that gun your farewell gift to me? Were you just demoing its power? Still, firing dozens of times is overkill, man."
When he had wandered around other universes before, getting his heart blown out was a routine occurrence that never impeded his actions.
Yet getting hit by Loya's gun was like triggering some sort of hard-coded mechanic—he was forced to die once.
Truly bizarre.
Though if it was a gift, it was freakin' awesome!
"In your dreams!"
Loya glanced at Deadpool, stowing the "potential stimulation gun" back into the System Space with a flick of his wrist before explaining the reason.
"This is a handgun that can awaken someone's superpower, except there's a fifty percent chance of Death. In other words, the fact that I stopped shooting means you've awakened a superpower. Feel free to check out the effect."
Hearing this, Deadpool didn't check his superpower right away. Instead, he took a few steps back, his brows furrowing, and gave Loya an extremely complicated look. "You mean to tell me that with a full fifty percent success rate, it took you dozens of shots to get it right? Just how garbage is your luck?"
"What do you mean my luck is garbage?" Loya curled his lip, completely unwilling to concede. "It was obviously your luck that sucked, okay?
You made me waste dozens of shots."
Waving his hand, he urged, "Quit obsessing over that and see how the ability works!"
Loya was still quite curious about the actual power displayed by this "Flesh Control."
Deadpool: "..."
I'm the luckiest of the lucky; how could I have bad luck?
I constantly find money when crossing the street, okay?
Thinking it over, he decided not to argue.
Neither of them could really prove their point anyway, so it was better to explore the superpower Loya had mentioned.
Deadpool lowered his head and carefully felt the superpower inside him.
When he sensed the effect of the superpower, he shuddered in shock and looked at Loya in disbelief, shouting excitedly, "Th-Th-This—this ability is so cool! Loya, you're the best!"
[Deadpool's favorability +3. Current favorability: 88]
Deadpool's eyes gleamed as he excitedly raised a hand and activated the "Flesh Control" ability.
His palm then swelled visibly, turning larger than his entire body in the blink of an eye.
Deadpool stared at his giant hand, his eyes darting as another idea struck him, and he activated the ability once more.
At the tip of his massive middle finger, a droplet of blood swiftly emerged, and then—
Pew!
A jet of blood shot out, striking a nearby tree trunk and blasting right through it, leaving behind a clean hole.
The power of this strike was nearly comparable to that of a firearm.
"Woohoo!"
Seeing this, Deadpool jumped up in excitement, continuously triggering the ability. His hand became like a machine gun, firing rapid blood shots that quickly riddled the tree trunk with holes.
Witnessing this, Loya nodded.
The strength of this ability was pretty solid.
Using his own blood as an offensive weapon bore a striking resemblance to a certain Mutant who manipulated their own ashes as a weapon.
Deadpool regenerated blood extremely fast, so he could probably achieve infinite firepower.
Furthermore, the guy had great talent; to pull off this level of control right after awakening the ability boded very well for his future.
Whenever he traveled to other universes in the future, his offensive and escape capabilities would be greatly amplified, making him an excellent "quest trigger."
Crash!
Under Deadpool's enthusiastic barrage, the nearby large tree finally succumbed to the strain, crashing down and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Deadpool excitedly began his next operation.
Loya stood aside and watched quietly, somewhat looking forward to what kind of stunts this guy could pull off.
Yet the more he watched, the weirder it felt.
Wait, why are you taking off your suit?
Hold on! Why are your pants coming off too?
What are you doing?
This is not for kids!
When he saw Deadpool's final move, Loya fell completely silent. He couldn't help covering his eyes and backing away a few steps, not daring to look any further for fear of getting a stye.
The guy had actually whipped that thing out, used his ability to enlarge it, and coiled it directly around his waist.
Literally long enough to serve as a belt.
Could one only say, as expected of Deadpool? It had come to this after all.
Could it be that in the future, this guy was going to pull off some crazy stunt like bursting an enemy open during intimate moments?
Just then, Deadpool yelled out excitedly, "Loya, come look at my new belt! Isn't it cool?!"
"Get the hell away from me!"
AI Model: gemini-3.8-flash
After a bizarre and ridiculous ability test, the moment of parting finally arrived.
Under Loya's threat of permanent castration, Deadpoolfinally and reluctantly tucked the new belt back into his crotch as a doorway emerged behind him.
Deadpool waved his hand nonchalantly. "Good buddy, let's catch up next time. If something good comes up, I'll definitely remember to call you."
He spread his hands and said with a grin, "And thanks for the parting gift. But you know, I'm broke, so no return gift this time. When I visit other universes, I'll find you a few gorgeous babes—guaranteed to satisfy you."
With that, Deadpool prepared to leave.
"Wait a second," Loya called out to stop Deadpool, then took out a phone and handed it to him.
"Take this with you. We can stay in touch even across different universes, which will make things much more convenient."
After the previous transtemporal call, Loya had already understood the principle behind it.
As long as another phone was registered through the "hacker phone," he could use a certain special signal from the "hacker phone" to make cross-universe and transtemporal calls.
Of course, the registered phone could only contact Loya's "hacker phone" and could not contact other phones across time and space.
Still, this was more than enough. Once Deadpoolencountered anything out of the ordinary in another universe, Loya would know immediately and could trigger missions as quickly as possible.
Taking the phone, Deadpool said, visibly moved, "Loya, you're the best! Come here, let's hug it out."
"Get lost!"
Loya cursed under his breath, then kicked Deadpoolstraight into the Portal.
That guy had just been fondling that NSFW new belt and now wanted to hug him—it was downright disgusting.
As the Portal closed, the system notification chime sounded in Loya's ear.
[Deadpool Favorability +2. Current Favorability: 90]
[Deadpool Wade Wilson's favorability has reached 90. Performing a special draw with Deadpool as the anchor]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ability: Script Intuition]
[Script Intuition: When facing unusual situations, your intuition will reveal the various possibilities that could unfold under different choices]
[Bond target unlocked: Wade Wilson (Bond: Super Self-Healing, Taunt Buff)]
[Super Self-Healing: Your self-healing factor is greatly enhanced]
[Taunt Buff: Your taunt effects against others are greatly increased, making it very easy to draw aggro; works even better when paired with taunt-type abilities or items]
"Not bad at all."
Looking at the rewards on the system panel, Loya nodded in satisfaction.
He hadn't expected Deadpool to leave him with such a pleasant surprise—reaching 90 favorability granted a favorability gacha pull and bond effects.
It could certainly count as a parting gift.
It was just that the ability he had drawn was a bit peculiar.
"Script Intuition" was a passive ability that required specific conditions to trigger.
As for that specific condition, it was rather vague. An unusual situation? What kind of situation counted as unusual?
Could it be some kind of alteration to the original plot?
Still, the effect once triggered was quite impressive, closely resembling an alternative form of precognition.
It was pretty good overall.
The other two bonds were decent as well—one enhanced survivability, while the other boosted the ability to draw hatred.
It gave him the distinct impression of being pushed into becoming a meat shield to soak up damage.
Now with some free time, Loya also had the chance to look at the reward from the other mission.
[Mission "Control" Completed]
[Reward: EXP +1,000, Item "Simp Collar"]
[Simp Collar: When placed around a target's neck, there is a chance the target will become the user's most loyal simp.
All their actions will revolve around the user, doing everything within their power to benefit the user. No matter what is done to the target, the tar-
get will not resist, only comforting themselves and becoming increasingly obsessed with the user. (The weaker the target's mental state, the higher the control success rate.)]
[Evaluation: Being a simp and being devoted are two completely different things]
"This item..."
For a moment, Loya had plenty to say, but had no idea where to even begin.
Yet its effect was undeniably potent.
The devotion and effort born from this kind of self-hypnosis were, in a way, even more terrifying than absolute control.
Take Evil Deadpool, for instance—that simp had caused immense catastrophe in the Mutant Universe.
And certain incarnations of Thanos were just the same.
After briefly organizing his rewards, Loya returned to the hotel he had previously booked.
It was not until evening that Charles and the others finally returned from outside.
The group had merely engaged in discussions and communication with the human side, consulting on how to initiate cooperation centered around the Angel played by Loya.
Through this, Loya also gained insight into Charles's perspective.
All he could say was, as expected of the brilliant Charles, his plan was even more comprehensive than what Loya had originally envisioned.
It also centered on the Angel played by Loya to spread those earlier philosophies of peace, forming an alternative religion of sorts.
Charles would naturally oversee the specific details, which saved Loya a great deal of effort.
Even so, he offered a few minor suggestions; it remained to be seen how Charles would arrange things in the future.
After that came Jean's explanation as to why she had resurrected and arrived here.
Sure enough, just as Loya had suspected, it was due to Deadpool desecrating her grave.
Of course, not this Deadpool, but rather Evil Deadpool.
Loya also offered an explanation on Deadpool's behalf, clearing his name.
Furthermore, he mentioned in passing that Deadpool had already departed.
However, he did not tell them that Deadpool had carried out Days of Future Past nearly a hundred times.
This was a request Deadpool had personally made.
Loya didn't understand the underlying reason, but he complied nonetheless.
Regarding Deadpool's departure, Charles felt a bit regretful that he hadn't been able to see him one last time.
Though that fellow had a foul mouth, he was truly a good person at heart.
As for why Dark Phoenix had come to the past, and why she had modified the Sentinel to grant it unprecedented evolution, almost creating an alternative lifeform...
The former was because she had read Charles's memories and discovered the plan, while the latter was because Jean's benevolent thoughts prior to being controlled had influenced Dark Phoenix.
Originally, she had wanted to stop Dark Phoenix from destroying the world, prevent harm to the innocent, and avert war. But she had been too weak, rendering the effect minimal; nevertheless, it still held some sway, only for Dark Phoenix to twist its meaning.
It warped into wanting to create an entirely new race herself, so that there would be no innocents and never again any wars.
And she just so happened to start modifications using Sentinel as the foundation.
The slaughter of Mutants and humans had merely been an incidental affair.
Time quietly slipped by.
Everything that needed to be said had been said, and the moment of parting had arrived.
With little time left, Loya could not linger here lest unexpected complications arise; Deadpool's warning was still fresh in his mind, so returning to the original timeline as early as possible was best.
There was much more he could accomplish on the original timeline.
Seeing that Loya was about to leave, Charles and the others stood up together and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Loya."
The visitor from the future before them had altered the destiny of humans and Mutants, a kindness beyond repayment.
Listening to the series of system chimes ringing in his ears, Loya merely smiled faintly, nodded, and vanished.
The original timeline, the Moon.
Loya's figure materialized here out of thin air.
Due to the changes made to the past, Charles and the others naturally were not on the Moon.
To be precise, that future timeline had ceased to exist, costing Loya a phone in the process.
Once he returned, he would definitely demand reimbursement from S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gazing at that blue planet in the distance, Loya was just about to see what changes had occurred in the future and whether his experiment had worked, when the system prompt suddenly rang in his ear.
[The world Tree has taken root]
[The world Tree has detected that you have exerted a tremendous influence on the Universe you reside in; conditions met, spreading branches and leaves]
[The world Tree has detected a spatio-temporal flaw in this Universe; the root system is taking root, undergoing repairs and stabilization]
[Evaluation: The Universe may be destroyed, but the branches and leaves can be reborn]
Chapter 192: An Artificially Created Spatiotemporal Rift
"The world Tree has taken root!"
Hearing the system notification ring in his ear, Loya paused slightly, setting aside his thought of heading to Earth to look at the world Tree information on the system panel instead.
Sure enough, the previous messages about anchoring universes and timelines were completely gone, replaced by entirely new content.
[world Tree]
[Growth Stage: Seedling Stage]
[Growth Progress: 11% (Once growth progress reaches 100%, it will undergo a special transformation as it grows)]
[Nutrients Required for Growth: World Power (Different kinds of World Power will nurture different fruits on its branches and leaves, and different fruits will bring forth different things)]
[Conditions for Branch Spread and Rooting: Exerting a certain degree of influence on a world to cause world fluctuations allows the world Tree to spread, take root, and absorb nutrients (As growth stages advance, the required degree of influence decreases until no influence is needed)]
[Current Stage Abilities: Origin, Connection, Resurgence, Guardian, Life Essence]
[Origin: The fountainhead of power. After absorbing World Power, the world Tree converts it into a special power that can be harnessed.
This power is compatible with any power system and can amplify it to a certain extent. By absorbing different types of
World Power, its nature will become increasingly potent and diverse.]
[Connection: worlds where the world Tree's branches spread and roots take hold will be connected by the world Tree, allowing travel through this link.]
[Resurgence: The world Tree possesses powerful restorative capabilities. For damaged worlds, while absorbing their power, the world Tree also gives back to nourish the world, repairing its damage and perfecting its laws.]
[Guardian: The world Tree protects the safety and stability of worlds. Once fully rooted, its root system spans across the timeline, guarding its safety and stability and warding off threats from outside the timeline. Guardian Quests will be triggered when facing threats.]
[Life Essence: Life within a certain range of the world Tree will be influenced by its essence, elevating their own life essence.]
"So that's how it is."
After reading the information on the panel, another piece of information transmitted by the world Tree flooded into Loya's mind.
It turned out that the world Tree suddenly taking root was no coincidence; it was primarily because of him.
He had participated in Days of Future Past and played the most critical role in achieving peaceful coexistence between Mutants and humans, exerting a massive influence on this Universe.
Furthermore, because he was the Master of the world Tree, its core was intimately linked to him.
While making a huge impact on the Mutant Universe, the world Tree absorbed World Power from the world fluctuations, spurring its growth.
It was just that with Loya's current level, he hadn't noticed this at all.
Of course, the largest portion of this World Power hadn't actually come from his influence, but rather from his ally, Lady Death.
A part of it came from the World Power intercepted when their Lady Death eliminated the enemy Lady Death.
After all, the death of the Mutant Universe's Lady Deathhad a profound impact on this Universe. Although their Lady Death stabilized it through certain means, the World Power released in the process was still considerable.
Another part came from when their Lady Death had kissed him; in her excitement, she had inadvertently released some World Power.
Loya finally understood. No wonder he had an intuition back then that he would miss out on something if he ran off early.
So that was why.
Fleeing back then would not only have cost him kisses, blessings, and the chance to win her over, but he would have also missed out on a massive amount of World Power.
Fortune truly favored the bold.
As for what exactly this World Power was...
Loya really couldn't say.
In fact, the term "World Power" was merely a general label for convenience.
All he knew was that this power was profound and mysterious—not a single energy type, but something extremely diverse.
At least for now, he couldn't analyze what it actually consisted of.
There was nothing he could do; his level of understanding wasn't high enough yet.
However, one thing was certain: to make the world Tree grow quickly, he needed to travel to different worlds and let it take root in them.
And the benefits brought by the world Tree were immense.
Even though the world Tree was currently only in its Seedling Stage, its abilities were already extraordinarily potent.
The "Origin" ability was equivalent to granting him an extra form of power—one that amplified all other powers.
Whether used in combat or elsewhere, it was of tremendous utility.
Once it grew to a certain level, he could even lend it to others, becoming a power creditor.
Much like the world Tree of Asgard, though its potential would undoubtedly far exceed that one.
Loya had already thought of many plans built upon this ability.
However, it was still in its Seedling Stage; lending it out right now would hinder its development, so it was better not to.
Making a child work at such a young age would be going too far; he wasn't a ruthless capitalist.
The other abilities didn't directly boost combat prowess, but they were remarkably practical.
They perfectly matched the world Tree's current stage of growth, all designed to ensure steady development.
This was especially true for "Resurgence" and "Guardian."
"Resurgence" could nourish and repair damage to a world while making its laws more complete and robust, effectively nurturing and strengthening it.
The stronger the world, the more World Power the world Tree could absorb—a virtuous cycle of compounding growth.
Furthermore, "Guardian" could protect the safety of timelines, preventing them from being shattered.
Loya remembered well that in some worlds, powerful entities shattered timelines, causing entire worlds to collapse.
This ability safeguarded his home base from sudden destruction, which was crucial and reassuring.
When entering dungeon worlds in the future, he wouldn't have to worry as much.
Not to mention that triggering Guardian Quests if an invasion occurred was an unexpected bonus.
As for the "Connection" ability, Loya could sense that its full potential couldn't be displayed in the Seedling Stage.
Only at higher growth stages would this ability show its true utility.
Imagine if all universes were connected by the world Tree and subjected to its influence—what a sight that would be.
Of course, that was a long and arduous road; right now, it was still just a sprout.
Lastly, "Life Essence" was similar to Atomic Agumon's "Natural Ecosystem Master" ability, capable of elevating life essence across an even broader range.
However, the exact details would only become clear over time.
And all of these were merely the abilities of the Seedling Stage; there were further growth stages above it.
Every stage of growth would grant other abilities, along with unknown special transformations, whatever those might be.
Moreover, the ability to absorb World Power and bear fruit piqued his curiosity about what it would produce.
Items? Abilities? Or something entirely unique?
Loya could also faintly sense that the world Tree possessed more than just supportive abilities; it would likely gain offensive capabilities in the future as well.
Still, it would take a long time to reach that stage.
It seemed he needed to speed up his exp gain and visit more dungeon worlds going forward.
Compared to the highly similar World Power across different Marvel universes, the World Power from dungeon worlds would clearly be vastly different.
The boost brought by such differences would be far more noticeable, making dungeon worlds well worth visiting.
Loya pulled up the leveling progress on the system panel.
[Level: 19 (21,000/25,000)]
"Only four thousand exp away from level twenty, and then I can enter a dungeon world. Looks like I need to hurry up and earn some exp.
Now, entering a dungeon isn't just about rewards; it can also accelerate the growth of the world Tree."
Loya quietly pondered how to improve his efficiency in earning exp.
Right, there was another very strange matter.
Earlier, the system panel had indicated that the world Tree detected spatiotemporal rifts in the Mutant Universe and was rooting and repairing them.
The world Tree had also transmitted the specific information regarding these spatiotemporal rifts to Loya.
Loya discovered a very serious issue.
The world Tree told him that numerous spatiotemporal rifts existed within the Mutant Universe.
The largest of these rifts was located on Earth.
Normally, this wouldn't be much of a surprise. It was completely natural to have rifts after nearly a hundred Days of Future Past alterations to the timeline; it would be weird if there weren't any.
However, that was not the problem.
The problem was that the world Tree told Loya these spatiotemporal rifts were not naturally formed.
If they weren't natural, they had to be artificial.
That made the matter grave.
What was the purpose of deliberately creating spatiotemporal rifts?
And who created them?
Would unpredictable events occur down the line?
All of these were unknown variables.
As expected, this Mutant Universe was not that simple.
Perhaps Deadpool appearing here and going through all the trouble to twist it back wasn't just for kicks either.
Recalling what their Lady Death had mentioned earlier about this Mutant Universe being rather special,
Loya felt that Lady Death might know the specific circumstances.
It seemed he would only find out when they met.
The Mutant Universe had plenty of places to farm exp; nothing could be allowed to go wrong here.
Loya suppressed the thoughts in his heart. Regardless, his world Tree had already begun repairing the spatiotemporal rifts, and once fully rooted, it would protect the timeline. Whatever came, he would deal with it when it arrived.
Even the Mutant Universe's Lady Death had been obliterated; could anything more absurd than that really happen?
For now, he should head to Earth to check on the situation. According to his deductions, if nothing went awry, he ought to have a chance to trigger a field BOSS.
Which would be perfect for leveling up.
With that thought, Loya immediately channeled the eye of aurora, his figure vanishing in an instant.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
To be precise, it was no longer called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, but the X-Men Academy.
Loya's figure materialized out of thin air near the academy, a slight smile forming as he looked at the large letters at the gate.
Brazenly renaming it to this clearly showed what it stood for. Peace had truly arrived.
He had to admit, being the driving force behind peace between two races gave him quite a sense of accomplishment.
At the entrance of the academy stood an imposing, massive statue—the very Angel-like statue Loya had left behind in the past.
This lifted his spirits even more.
Loya did not enter the academy immediately. Instead, he activated his Voice of All Things ability to briefly survey the entire academy.
By now, the academy had undergone a complete transformation, utterly different from the ancient estate he had seen back in 1973.
It had turned entirely into modern architecture.
How should he describe it? It looked like a proper modern university.
Teaching buildings, athletic grounds, libraries, and every kind of facility were readily available.
Sure enough, the era of peace was truly something else.
These Mutants had even upgraded their academic credentials; truly worthy of celebration.
Right now, it seemed to be recess, and many Mutantstudents were playing on the athletic field.
Moreover, it was midsummer, a blistering hot season.
Most students were hanging out on a temporary ice rink on the field, laughing and having a grand old time in high spirits.
And the creator of this temporary ice rink was none other than Iceman, one of the Mutants Loya had saved back then.
He shook his head and decided not to disturb him. After all, following Days of Future Past, the other party wouldn't possess memories of the old timeline and naturally shouldn't remember him.
Loya focused his mental power and quickly pinpointed Charles's location; he was currently processing documents inside the headmaster's office.
However, due to the changes in the past, elderly Charles hadn't lost all his hair; in fact, it was quite thick.
He wondered whether this old geezer still had memories of the old timeline after Days of Future Past.
If he had read Logan's memories, he should.
Verifying it with this old geezer was the most suitable choice.
Loya had already checked the affinity ratings earlier, and the affinity ratings of those he had saved before hadn't disappeared, leaving him unsure of the exact situation.
They couldn't possibly still retain memories of the old timeline, could they? That would defy all logic.
Just as he prepared to find Charles, a broadcast suddenly echoed across the entire academy.
Over the broadcast came a woman's voice that Loya knew very well—Shadowcat.
"Attention! Rain is about to begin. Everyone please prepare yourselves and bring in your laundry if needed."
As soon as her voice fell, an uproar erupted among the students on the field, and they all dashed toward the dormitories, terrified their clothes would get soaked if they were too late.
Hearing the announcement, Loya instinctively looked up at the sky.
"Rain? Could it be?"
High in the sky stood a white-haired woman hovering in midair, dressed in a departmental uniform of some kind.
With her appearance, dark clouds gathered and thunder rumbled across the sky.
In mere seconds, the blazing sun was swallowed by storm clouds, and gusting winds brought waves of cool air.
Rumble!
A crack of thunder exploded as lightning tore across the sky.
Whoosh!
Heavy rain poured down!
Instantly bringing cool relief to the sweltering earth.
With a gentle wave of Loya's hand, a breeze swirled around him, keeping every raindrop at bay.
Looking at the pouring rain, he sighed inwardly with emotion: "Charles really did listen, after all."
Back in the past timeline, Loya had suggested that Charles make sensible use of Mutant abilities.
For instance, using Storm's power solely for fighting was a waste; using it to control the weather and summon rain was wonderful.
That way, droughts across the world would be greatly reduced.
Many other Mutant abilities could also be used to benefit humanity, rather than solely for conquest and battle.
Like using Charles's telepathy to treat Alzheimer's disease and the like.
It seemed Charles really did take advice to heart.
However, Loya's use of wind power inevitably drew Storm's attention up in the sky.
Because of a deeply etched memory, she was extraordinarily sensitive to the wind.
Following that sensation, she quickly spotted Loyastanding not far from the academy.
Storm's face showed a flicker of confusion before her eyes widened and lit up with sheer delight.
She didn't even bother continuing the rain, immediately flying toward Loya and calling out before she even touched down: "Loya? You're back?"
Loya was taken aback, completely bewildered.
Wait, this didn't make sense, did it?
The changes he made were in the past; how could Storm possibly remember?
Storm wasn't even born back then.
Besides, wasn't this the new timeline?
Why would Storm retain memories from the old timeline?
Loya furrowed his brow and asked, "You still remember me?"
Storm nodded with a smile, looking ecstatic. "Of course I remember you! You changed everything. Ever since I can remember, I've had those memories. I even miss our days on the moon sometimes."
"What?"
Loya was completely dumbfounded.
How could this be?
Having those memories ever since she could remember—how was that even possible?
Reincarnation? Rebirth?
How did that make any sense?
Instinctively, he asked another question: "Then do you remember Deadpool?"
Storm narrowed her eyes in confusion, then shook her head. "Who's Deadpool? Never heard of him."
Loya: "???"
Why does she only remember me?
What on earth is going on?
Chapter 193: A Freebie Task
Questions popped up in Loya's mind one after another, but he didn't have a single clue.
Since Storm remembered him, why didn't she remember Deadpool?
They were clearly together.
Besides, he and Deadpool had interacted quite a bit in the old timeline, and Storm was present as well.
If her memories only had him talking to himself, wouldn't that feel really strange?
It couldn't be that Deadpool was fake, could it?
That was absolutely impossible. Loya had already received the favorability reward, so Deadpool was definitely the real deal.
Unwilling to accept it, he asked again, "What about Wade Wilson? Do you remember him?"
This time, he used a different name.
Storm narrowed her eyes and tried her best to recall, but in the end, she still shook her head. "I really have no recollection. Did he play a key role in that plan?"
Loya nodded. "That's right. You could say he was the most crucial link."
He was telling the truth.
Without Deadpool, Loya wouldn't have come to this Universe in the first place, let alone changed the past and Days of Future Past.
Without Deadpool, everything would have been non-existent.
In a sense, that guy was the real MVP.
"This—"
Storm searched her memory once more, but eventually shook her head again. "I truly have no impression of him whatsoever."
"Alright then." Loya could only nod helplessly, then walked in the direction of the academy. "I'll go find Charles first."
This unusual situation gave Loya a sense that something strange was going on, so it was necessary to ask Charles about it.
In the old timeline, Charles had acted very strangely and clearly knew something.
"I'll go with you." Storm quickly caught up.
The two of them then walked together toward Charles's office.
On the way, Loya learned about the current situation of Mutants from Storm.
The current status of Mutants was much better than Loyahad imagined.
Charles had fully adopted the suggestions Loya gave in the past, tightly integrating Mutants' abilities into human life.
For example, Storm had become the Chief Advisor of the Global Meteorological Bureau, responsible for bringing rain to drought-stricken areas.
She held an extraordinary position internationally.
In fact, she had been working just now, bringing rain to the surrounding areas with the X-Men Academy as the center.
It was only because Loya arrived that she paused her work.
However, given her current international standing and influence, making it rain a little later was no big deal.
As for Magneto, Erik, our master of grand entrances...
Not only was he the vice director of the X-Men Academy, but he also had a special identity.
Um... the world's number one super construction engineer.
Since he could control metal, he was undeniably perfect for this job.
No matter how huge the project was, in his eyes, it was just a wave of his hand.
However, he was currently not at the academy; he had gone on a business trip, reportedly to earn more funding for the academy.
What could Loya even say about this?
To be pushing himself so hard at his age, still striving for the academy's future.
Who would have thought that Erik, whose ideals were once completely opposite to Charles's and who had been his arch-rival for so long, would end up becoming such a person?
Still, Loya thought it was quite nice. Less conflict was always a good thing.
As for Blink, who had a rather high favorability toward him, she held a strategic status.
Blink's teleportation ability was extremely useful; she frequently helped people from the X-Men Academy travel to various places for work, saving a lot of time and effort.
Currently, she was in a country undergoing a civil war, using her powers to help relocate innocent refugees.
This also made Loya realize that while Mutants and humans were at peace, human civil wars still existed.
As long as there was no grand unification, war would never cease.
However, due to the "miracles" Loya displayed in the past and Charles's continuous efforts, Mutants now held an absolutely neutral and safe position.
Mutants did not participate in any nation's wars, and no nation would actively attack Mutants.
Of course, excluding a very small number of extreme Mutants who committed evil.
If such a Mutant appeared, Charles would simply cover the entire Earth with a brainwave sweep and arrest them on the spot.
Apart from that, Mutants and humans lived together peacefully.
After all, the "miracle" from fifty years ago was still deeply ingrained in people's hearts.
Many of those who received the blessings back then were still alive, serving as living testimonials.
And for this situation to last so long, Charles's efforts were naturally indispensable.
Not only did he establish a religious organization named the "Peace Church" based on the "miracles," but he also set up multiple charitable foundations and founded several companies across various fields.
In addition, almost all Mutants graduating from the X-Men Academy went on to work in various industries, and due to their specialized abilities, most held important positions.
No matter which angle you looked at it from, Mutants today possessed extraordinary influence.
Loya couldn't help but sigh in admiration that choosing Charles to handle this back then was truly wise.
Anyone else wouldn't have achieved such great results.
His execution was far more thorough and decisive than the details Loya had considered at the time.
Kudos to Charles.
However, Loya always felt something was off. Would the original Charles really have done things this way?
Wasn't this a bit too much of a change?
Carrying this question, he and Storm soon arrived outside Charles's office.
Before Loya could even knock, the door opened automatically.
Charles was looking at them with a cheerful smile.
Loya raised an eyebrow. He hadn't felt any psychic waves, so how did this guy know they had arrived?
As if knowing what he was thinking, Charles chuckled and pointed to the tablet on his desk. "I just saw the security feed."
Loya:...
Most of his impressions of Charles were still stuck in the past timeline, forgetting that technology existed now.
Talk about keeping up with the times.
The two entered the office together. Storm gave a brief greeting and left, needing to continue her rainmaking work.
Only Loya and Charles remained in the office.
Charles stood up, his gaze deep as he said emotionally, "Long time no see. It has been fifty years since we parted. If not for you, my legs wouldn't have healed, Mutants wouldn't have the status they enjoy today, and humans and Mutants wouldn't be living in peace."
A look of gratitude appeared on his face. "Of course, Deadpool also deserves credit for this. Without his persistent efforts, Days of Future Past wouldn't have truly succeeded. It's a pity he left, otherwise I would really like to thank him in person."
After saying that, he bowed deeply again.
This scene felt strangely familiar.
Loya had just received a bow like this a dozen minutes ago, and now here it came again.
Still, it really was emotional. For Loya, it was merely the blink of an eye, but for Charles, fifty years had passed.
Time really was a heartless thing.
Loya was just about to tell Charles not to be so formal when his brow twitched, suddenly realizing something wasn't right.
Charles actually remembered Deadpool! And judging by his tone, he even seemed to know that Deadpool had gone through Days of Future Past nearly a hundred times.
As expected, this guy was not simple!
"It seems you not only remember Deadpool, but you also remember much more," Loya said in surprise.
He then asked about his earlier doubts regarding memories across different timelines, as well as why Storm lost her memories of Deadpool and only remembered him.
Charles smiled slightly and didn't answer immediately. Instead, he brewed a cup of tea for Loya before slowly explaining, "Things are much more complicated than you imagine. In fact, even now I haven't figured out what's going on with their memories."
He took a sip of tea and stated a fact that was particularly difficult to understand.
"Everyone you saved in the old timeline possesses memories of you, but only starting from the moment they came into contact with you, and exclusively memories of you alone.
As for other people, they lack memories of interacting with them. It was only after meeting each other again that they gradually recalled those memories. So without seeing Deadpool, they wouldn't remember him."
In fact, when Charles first encountered those who were saved in the old timeline and learned about this, he was also extremely shocked.
Afterward, he conducted decades of research on the matter.
In the end, he didn't reach any conclusions. At least from a scientific perspective, it couldn't be explained at all.
The only guess was that Loya possessed some special trait, so even if the timeline changed, the impact he brought wouldn't completely disappear.
But this was far too unscientific.
"Huh?"
Loya was a bit bewildered.
They had memories of him alone, but not of others, yet could recall them after meeting those people again?
What kind of situation was this?
However, at least one thing was clear: this was inextricably linked to him.
The memories of the old timeline for Storm and the others began from the moment they interacted with him.
Could it be a matter of Favorability?
If someone in the same Universe shared Favorability with him, even if that person's timeline changed, would that memory still be preserved because of the Favorability bond?
But that wasn't right either; when they first made contact, there was no Favorability yet.
Or did he himself possess some intrinsic peculiarity?
Otherwise, relying solely on vigorous vitality to attract Lady Death would be a bit hard to explain.
Loya thought about it again and again, but couldn't figure out the reason for the time being, so he could only set it aside temporarily.
After all, if even highly educated Charles couldn't figure it out, let alone himself.
There would still be opportunities to verify and explore this question. Compared to that, Loya was more curious about how many memories Charles had retained and how he preserved them.
So he asked, "How many memories did you actually retain? And how did you preserve them?"
Charles smiled slightly. "All of them! Including all the memories from every time Deadpool performed Days of Future Past."
"How did you manage that?" Loya said in surprise.
He had thought Charles only knew Deadpool had reversed time nearly a hundred times and had at most retained the memory of that final old timeline, but he didn't expect every single reset's memory to be preserved.
"Ahem—"
Charles coughed twice, a slightly embarrassed look appearing on his face. "Did you forget Jean? Her consciousness returned to the past as well, and she had read my memories."
Hearing this and seeing Charles's embarrassed expression, Loya was stunned at first, then suddenly realized.
So that was it!
Jean had explained earlier that after her resurrection, her consciousness came to the past because Dark Phoenix had read Charles's memories.
So even though the past was altered and the old timeline vanished, Jean knew everything.
So it wasn't strange at all that Jean returned all those memories to Charles.
And all the Days of Future Past memories Charles knew were the memories that Jean had read from the old Charles in the previous timeline.
Then why did the Charles of that time know in the first place?
The answer was obvious.
It was Deadpool.
This old guy Charles must have read Deadpool's memories, which was why he possessed all the memories of every timeline reset.
Thus, a closed loop was formed.
Deadpool possessed all the memories, which were then fully read by Charles; Charles's memories were read by Jean, and after Days of Future Past succeeded, Jean returned all of them back to Charles.
A complete loop.
Loya teased with a smile, "You guys really know how to play."
"Haha." Charles's old face flushed red as he laughed awkwardly.
Speaking of this was indeed quite embarrassing, especially since he had once claimed he wouldn't read other people's memories.
Loya now finally understood why Charles acted so efficiently and decisively when it came to Mutants and humans living in peace.
With the memories of so many failed attempts, it would be weird if he wasn't efficient and decisive.
This was the real reason Charles had become so much wiser than before—it was all accumulated experience and hard-learned lessons.
Loya secretly shook his head, then asked curiously, "What about Logan, Jean, and Raven? How come I haven't heard anything about them?"
Storm had talked about the status of Mutants earlier, but hadn't mentioned those three.
Loya hadn't spotted them in the academy either, so he was quite curious about where they went and what roles they held.
What would Mystique do? A model?
Upon hearing this, Charles's expression became somewhat complex and serious. "They went to another Universe."
"Hmm?" Loya raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
He was somewhat surprised that they would suddenly leave this Universe.
Charles sighed and slowly explained, "After Jean returned the memories to me, through analyzing them, we discovered a shocking secret. It was a message left for us by Deadpool."
He paused before continuing, "There is a massive problem with our Universe. There is a huge space-time loophole on Earth that might endanger the safety of the entire Earth."
With a touch of anger on his face, Charles said in a deep voice, "According to the subtle hints Deadpool left behind, this loophole was intentionally created! That's why Jean took Logan and Raven to other Universes, preparing to search for more Phoenix Force fragments to deal with the upcoming crisis."
No one wanted their home world to have such a massive potential hazard left behind.
Charles was extremely displeased with the person who created that loophole.
Loya: "!!!"
Charles and the others had actually analyzed and figured out this issue.
He himself had only deduced it because of the direct information provided by the world Tree.
And Deadpool had hidden things quite deeply too.
To think he actually pulled such a move, leaving behind information through Days of Future Past.
This Universe really wasn't simple!
Deadpool's appearance here was indeed no coincidence either.
This also made Loya realize one thing: there was likely a lot involved. The fact that Deadpool didn't even say it directly and had to convey the message in such an implicit manner was telling enough.
But well... this seemed like a great opportunity to trigger a mission.
He wouldn't miss any chance to earn EXP. He was only four thousand EXP short of leveling up, so right now was the perfect opportunity.
So Loya asked, "Do you need my help? I have a bit of experience when it comes to space-time."
As soon as he said this, the system prompt sounded in his ears.
[Charles Favorability +5, Current Favorability: 78]
Hearing this, Charles was deeply moved. Loya wasn't even from this Universe, yet he was still willing to lend a helping hand.
Whether it was helping with Days of Future Past or enabling Mutants and humans to co-exist peacefully, Loyawas the most critical link.
Without him, none of what existed now would be possible.
Charles now felt that Loya wasn't just acting as an Angel; he was a pure angel.
Who would be willing to do this without any benefits whatsoever?
Not to mention that this matter was very dangerous.
Charles resolved to properly repay Loya in the future, but for now, it was better to address the immediate problem first.
So he no longer hesitated. "I indeed need your help. Hankdiscovered that loophole, but has been helpless against it all this time. If possible, I'll trouble you to go take a look and see if it can be resolved."
As his words fell, a system notification sounded in Loya's ears.
[Hidden side quest triggered]
[This is a hidden phased side quest, which will ultimately affect the direction of the main storyline.]
[Quest: Truth of the world]
[Current Phase Quest: Repair Space-time Loophole]
[Current Objective: Help Hank repair the space-time loophole]
[Rewards: EXP +2000, Random Item *2]
"Hmm?"
Loya was taken aback when he saw this quest, but upon glancing at another line of information on the system panel, he burst out laughing.
[world Tree roots have taken root in the current Universe, currently absorbing world power, currently nurturing the current Universe, repairing the space-time loophole...]
A freebie task?
Who dares to say I'm not the Emperor of Luck!