Ten days had passed since the fall of the Deep Sea King and the repulsion of the Deep Sea invasion.
New York, once in ruins, was slowly breathing again.
And at the center of that recovery stood one name spoken everywhere with awe—
The Hero Alliance.
After that battle, its reputation in New York had reached absolute peak status—so high that it practically overshadowed the authority of the U.S. government itself.
Every teenager now carried a blazing dream in their heart—
To become a hero.
Nearly every hero who fought in the war had earned enough energy points to raise their rank to match their true strength.
The entire organization felt vibrant and thriving.
Current structure of the Hero Alliance:
Vice-President Tier: NoneS-Rank: Tornado of Terror, AizenA-Rank: All Might, Ulric Cinder, Stella NightfallB-Rank: Gareth Ironblade, Jeanne d'Arc, Annie, Child Emperor (Vibranium Dreadnought not yet completed), Iron Man (Mark VII)C-Rank: Seraphina Dawnshield, Mash Shieldheart, Raven Blackwell (age 13), Crimson Sniper, Ken (SS Ghoul), Black Swordsman, Armored Titan, Mirrorblade Sage, Hundred-Face HassanD-Rank: Mumen Rider, Brandon Hayes (ninja), Clint Eastwood (cowboy gunslinger), Thor (not yet awakened)
Except for Thor—the unlucky guy who got knocked out early and missed most of the action—everyone had gained something from the war.
Even Mumen Rider had secured a small contribution.
Tens of thousands of Deep Sea creatures had yielded a mountain of energy points.
Aiden Cross's balance now sat close to one million.
It felt amazing.
But in reality, if used for a designated summon, it would only be enough for a low-tier S-Rank hero.
"Has the item they promised been delivered?" Aiden Cross asked calmly.
Aizen adjusted his glasses.
"The Avengers have officially disbanded. All members have merged into the Hero Alliance. Aside from Hulk, who qualifies as A-Rank, the rest start from D-Rank."
Aiden Cross nodded.
The dissolution of the Avengers meant something symbolic:
The Hero Alliance had completely replaced its former role.
Gareth Ironblade, drenched in blood after slaying the Deep Sea King, had become a spiritual icon to the public.
Jeanne d'Arc's command and battlefield presence stunned the world so deeply that France and even the Church had formally invited her to be worshipped as a living saint.
"And the one trillion dollars we agreed upon has arrived."
"Allocate it to research and hero operational funds."
He decided instantly.
Scientists needed money.
Field heroes needed money.
And unlike nations, the Hero Alliance didn't have to spend on military, education, or economy.
One trillion dollars here was absurd wealth.
"But what I care about isn't that," Aiden Cross said. "Did S.H.I.E.L.D. deliver the item?"
Aizen snapped his fingers.
A heavily sealed black container was wheeled in by a robot jointly built by Child Emperor and Tony Stark.
The outer shell peeled away.
A glowing blue cube appeared inside.
The Tesseract.
An ancient Asgardian relic.
A lost artifact of Odin.
A device capable of space manipulation, teleportation, and unimaginable energy output.
Its true form was one of the Six Infinity Stones—
The Space Stone.
With a squeeze of Aiden Cross's telekinesis—
Crack.
The cube shattered.
A small, radiant blue gem floated in the air.
It gently landed in his palm.
At that exact moment, the President's Ring on his finger pulsed.
[Detected massive energy source. Absorbing it will grant one random hero summon — Vice-President tier.]
Aiden Cross's eyes narrowed slightly.
A Vice-President-level summon.
Now that… was something truly interesting.
--------------------------------------------------
Read Chapters ahead: [email protected] / KaiOynx