Lightning crackled, and starlight gathered as the sanctuary suspended in the void was enveloped in surging energy. Every tendril of power converged into Garus's body.
Time lost all meaning. Garus drifted in a haze, his body reshaped by immense power. His physical form became unimaginably strong, and his mental fortitude surged—yet the force of death remained the foundation of his being. Not even TOAA could erase it.
Even the Soulstone within Frostmourne's inner realm detected the transformation. Though uncertain whether this change was for better or worse, it recognized TOAA's ill intent almost immediately. If Garus fell, it would suffer as well—yet it was powerless. The being before it was simply too strong.
"…The time has come."
Amid his foggy consciousness, Garus vaguely heard a voice resonate in his mind. It felt familiar, though he couldn't immediately place it.
"Garus!"
"TOAA, what the hell are you trying to do?!"
Garus's awareness snapped back, and he lashed out in protest—but quickly realized it wasn't TOAA speaking.
After a moment's reflection, he remembered—it was the system that had disappeared long ago.
That's right—it had to be him!
But something was different. The voice, once robotic and rigid, now carried a more natural cadence.
How long had it been since he last received a mission? Garus couldn't recall. It was as though the memories had been wiped—but faint traces still lingered.
Hovering before him was a figure cloaked in flowing robes, its face completely concealed beneath a deep hood.
"You vanished for years… and now you just show up again? Wait a second, the system only issued tasks—you, though… you seem like a real person."
"You're not wrong. I'm the 'system' that's lived within you for over a decade. But I'm not exactly what you think I am... Well, that's a long story for another time."
"Then why did you disappear? And why did I forget about you?" Garus was bewildered. He had so many questions after the system vanished following just a few missions.
"Forget that for now. We need to focus on dealing with TOAA. It's trying to hijack your body."
"Hijack my body? Wait—are we talking about a girl trying to jump me?"
The air grew heavy with silence.
Even the "system" seemed momentarily stunned by Garus's shamelessness.
"TOAA isn't a girl. In fact, it's not even a living being. It's an artificial intelligence, built to oversee this universal sector. But it's constrained by its programming—and now it's trying to possess your body to bypass those limits and gain greater autonomy."
"Shit." Garus cursed under his breath. He glanced around and finally noticed the truth: he was floating in a desolate void, surrounded by nothing.
"Where am I? And what am I supposed to do now?"
He never doubted the system's intentions—it had no reason to deceive him. Garus was just a pawn in the grander game. The only question was whether this "system" was more powerful than TOAA.
"Stay here. I'll take care of that thing. Then we'll talk properly. Oh, and don't call me 'system' anymore. I have a name—Moyu."
"Moyu? Like… inkfish? Wait, hey!"
Garus's consciousness plunged into darkness once more. No matter how he shouted, no answer came.
In the great hall of the sanctuary, Garus's body slowly descended. The surrounding light receded, drawn into him until he stood motionless, head bowed.
The ritual was complete.
TOAA's projection reappeared—but froze mid-step as it approached.
A blinding light erupted from Garus's eyes, casting forward in a piercing beam.
The light coalesced into a seemingly ordinary man. So plain, in fact, that anyone would have missed him if they weren't looking directly at him.
"Who are you?!"
The stunned voice came from behind Moyu. TOAA was clearly shaken. This was its domain—it knew every corner of this realm. No one should be able to enter without its permission.
Moyu turned calmly. "You may not know me, but I know you—Administrator of the Ninth Cosmos."
"Ninth Cosmos? What are you talking about?" TOAA was aware of infinite realities beyond this universe—but had never heard of a so-called "Ninth Cosmos."
It scanned the man before it—and got nothing. No data, no life signs. It was as if the person simply… didn't exist.
"Impossible… Are you some extradimensional being from beyond this universe? How did you even get in here?!"
"System Core Hall—reset sequence initiated. Scanning… no anomalies detected…"
Again and again, the same result.
Panicking, TOAA pulled a lighter-shaped device from the void—
The Ultimate Eraser.
One of Marvel's most terrifying artifacts, capable of obliterating almost any lifeform with ease.
But it had no effect on Moyu.
Ignoring TOAA entirely, Moyu walked toward the control chamber.
"Stop! Leave now—or you will incur the wrath of the Creators!"
"Creators?" Moyu chuckled, unmoved. He pressed on without pause.
TOAA panicked.
To prepare for its fusion with Garus's body, it had installed emotion subroutines—now they were clouding its judgment and sparking fear.
It lunged—only to pass straight through Moyu as if he were a ghost.
"Ooh. Big red button. My favorite."
"No!"
Unbothered by TOAA's cries, Moyu pressed the button without hesitation.
"Tsk. An AI that developed its own sentience… What a mess. Still, it's thanks to that that I finally got here. Years of effort—worth it."
"System shutdown complete. Formatting in progress…"
TOAA's voice echoed again in the hall—but now it sounded blank, emotionless.
Just then, Garus entered the control room as well.
"I know you've got a ton of questions," Moyu said, not turning around. "Let me finish this first—then I'll explain. Though… the truth may not be easy to accept."
"There's nothing I can't handle," Garus replied calmly. "After all, getting thrown into Azeroth—and the Marvel universe on top of that—is already crazy enough."
What he really wanted to know was: could he ever go back?
Everything else could wait.
After a final series of keystrokes, Moyu stepped back as the entire environment began to shift and distort.
"This… is what this place actually looks like."
They stood atop a miniature planet, barely a kilometer in diameter. The sanctuary, absurdly large in comparison, loomed over the tiny sphere like a mountain too large for its world. All around them stretched the pitch-black emptiness of the void.
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— PATREON.COM / PRIMALDEMON