Kang sat aboard his flagship, quietly awaiting the further analysis of the Cosmic Cube.
In the future, following a specific event, a glitch had occurred in artificial intelligence programming, and their intellectual limits were permanently locked. As a result, Earth no longer possessed a super AI capable of infinitely evolving its own intelligence. To analyze the Cosmic Cube, Kang required an AI that could grow to a certain level, continue to evolve indefinitely, and ultimately decode the Cube's secrets.
The Green Goblin AI, Arnim Zola, and Nimrod had all been candidates. Emerging victorious from this pool was Ultron. Now, Ultron was connected to Kang's 31st-century technological database, growing at an unbelievable speed as it rededicated itself to the Cosmic Cube's analysis protocols. As long as Ultron continued to evolve, Kang could use the Cosmic Cube to create a shield, allowing him to push ever closer to the year 2015—the year that triggered the multiversal incursion crisis—to see exactly what had transpired.
But before that.
Kang opened a communication channel, establishing a video link to his Council of Lords: Hydra, which controlled Western and Central Europe; Doom, who controlled Eastern and Southern Europe; Sinister, who controlled India; Magneto, who controlled Australia; Wakanda, which controlled the entirety of Sub-Saharan Africa; and Namor, who controlled the Atlantic.
As they all appeared on the screen, Kang looked at them, the Time Stone embedded in the back of his left gauntlet and the Cosmic Cube held in his right hand. He stated his demands: "I trust you have prepared the armies I require. I have been generous enough to grant you nearly the entire world; I expect you to manage a task as simple as this."
"My army is ready for you," Sinister was the first to answer. The vast population of the Indian subcontinent had become a fertile breeding ground for his human experiments, allowing him to create a massive legion for Kang.
"Hydra is likewise ready," Zemo said, glancing at the Cosmic Cube in Kang's hand before averting his eyes. "Our first wave can deploy 600,000 troops."
Australia's contribution was far smaller. For Magneto, the mutant population totaled less than twenty million, and he was loath to lose a single one. Only under extreme duress had he selected twenty thousand for Kang. Wakanda intended to provide funds rather than men; Vibranium equipment was the only thing they were willing to offer, though Kang was clearly dissatisfied with such a pittance. Namor was prepared to refuse outright, but he fell silent after a single look at the Cosmic Cube.
As for Doom...
"The Eurasian Empire will dispatch no armies."
Doom looked at Kang with confidence. "Doom shall march alongside you, Kang."
Kang the Conqueror frowned, looking at his Council of Lords with displeasure. In truth, possessing the Cosmic Cube meant Kang had no need for any army. He had made this demand solely to see to what extent these lords—brought into existence by a mere thought of his—would obey him. He needed to know if further modifications to reality were required to alter, replace, or simply erase them.
This was the drawback of "one-click" reality warping. Although the Cosmic Cube had modified reality according to Kang's general requirements, many details were lacking. This was not a flaw of the Cosmic Cube, but of Kang himself; he could not use his own mind to perfectly arrange the lives of every single person on Earth in an instant, nor could he even manage it for the majority.
Because at that time, his time had been limited.
Hm? Why was his time limited back then?
For some unknown reason, Kang brushed over the question once again.
Kang then responded to the group, which included rejecting Doom's request. He raised the Cosmic Cube and began modifying reality, altering those who had shown resistance or unmistakable signs of rebellion. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.
At that moment, Ultron signaled that the further analysis of the Cosmic Cube was complete. Satisfied, Kang picked up the Cube and performed a new set of calculations based on Ultron's data. In this calculation, he would advance another 57 days toward that fated moment.
This was the most significant leap forward in recent times.
He opened a portal and stepped through. Due to its unique properties, the Cosmic Cube could only remain in 2013 as a power source for the portal; it could not be brought along. As the space-time tunnel expanded, the surrounding space began to warp. Kang arrived in 2015 to witness that future before the temporal structure could completely collapse.
In that future, he saw—nothing but ruins.
What was happening? Even excluding the timeline where he conquered the world, the Avengers shouldn't have been wiped out like this. Had someone invaded Earth? Why was there nothing around?
Kang immediately used the Time Stone to ensure his own safety, then flew toward the distant Avengers Tower. There, he detected a faint biological signal.
Regrettably, he was quickly intercepted.
A ball of fire approached rapidly, which Kang blocked. He realized this was the Human Torch of this timeline, meaning the Fantastic Four were still fighting here—yet they had still failed to prevent the world from turning into ruins. The Human Torch slammed into Kang's energy shield, failing to cause even a ripple.
However, a metallic, telescopic arm suddenly wrapped around Kang. Soon, a monster appeared before him: half of its face was Reed Richards, and the other half was Ultron. Kang looked at the monstrosity without flinching, finally understanding the truth.
"So, this is the future that caused the multiversal incursion? A future where Ultron evolved infinitely and assimilated all of humanity?"
At this, Kang couldn't help but let out a cold sneer.
"I must be mad, to think that an artificial intelligence could trigger a multiversal incursion crisis."
"Perhaps you are not mad, Kang." The half-human, half-Ultron Reed Richards looked at Kang, suddenly speaking in a cold, electronic voice. "It was only by relying on your data and technology that I was able to evolve to this level and inaugurate my Age of Ultron."
"And thanks to you, I now know exactly how important that Cosmic Cube in your hands truly is."
Not good!
In an instant, Kang returned to 2013 and grabbed the Cosmic Cube. But in the next second, a massive swarm of bio-organic Ultron sentries tore through the space-time tunnel, pouring in one after another. Kang focused his spirit, raised the Cosmic Cube high, and let out a thunderous roar.
"Avengers! Assemble!"
(Indeed, I am paying homage to the 6160 New Ultimate Universe.)
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