Chapter 122: Observations at Castle Doom, A Collaboration of Super-Geniuses
Victor von Doom sat behind a heavy desk cast from black iron.
An ancient tome lay open before him, its pages densely packed with Latin text that shimmered with a muted golden glow beneath the candlelight.
The Latin letters seemed to possess a magic of their own, shifting subtly with the flickering flames.
Clearly, this was another book of magic.
A steel mask concealed every trace of Doctor Doom's expression, while his green cape hung behind him, swaying gently.
Suddenly, a massive ethereal magical array appeared in front of him.
The magical runes across its surface alerted Doctor Doom that the defensive barrier surrounding Castle Doom had been triggered.
Someone else skilled in magic had opened a magical Portal within Doctor Doom's territory.
Fortunately, Doctor Doom had modified the magical array not long ago.
Otherwise, the magical barrier protecting Castle Doom would already have forcibly shut down the Portal's energy source.
That was the advantage of Nick Fury giving Doctor Doom advance notice.
"Quite impressive spellcasting, though still not on Doctor Strange's level."
Doctor Doom gave his approval of Wong's magical ability.
Wong had opened the magical Portal with remarkable precision, placing it exactly at the edge of the buffer zone surrounding the castle without crossing the boundary by even an inch.
That level of precision was itself a sign of respect.
They had come as guests, with no hostile intention of invading Castle Doom.
A moment later, Doctor Doom slowly closed the ancient tome on his desk.
He rose to his feet, his green cape spreading behind him as he walked toward the window and looked out over the grassland surrounding the castle.
The golden sparks of the magical Portal stood out vividly in the distance, and several figures could faintly be seen emerging from it one after another.
"Spider-Man from another dimension."
Doctor Doom murmured to himself, his voice carrying an innate sense of authority.
"So he is the one true variable. Let me see what kind of impact this variable can have on this apocalypse."
...
Peter stared at the magical Portal before him, golden sparks swirling around its edges.
After confirming that there was no unusual activity on the lush green grassland beyond it or around the ancient castle in the distance, he stepped through the curtain of light first.
Wanda followed close behind, crimson Chaos Magic silently swirling around her body as she remained on guard, ready to attack at any moment.
Wong was the third to pass through, gripping his magic staff tightly in one hand.
The instant Wong emerged from the Portal, his eyes swept quickly across the perimeter of Castle Doom.
He focused on sensing any fluctuations in magic. Wong knew very well how large the gap was between his own magical abilities and Doctor Doom's. Only by remaining as cautious as possible could he avoid falling into any magical traps Doctor Doom might have prepared.
Magneto was the most cautious of them all. He deliberately lingered in front of the Portal for several extra seconds before stepping through last.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the magical Portal abruptly snapped shut behind him.
The golden sparks vanished instantly, like a candle flame pinched out by an invisible hand.
A trace of surprise appeared on Wong's face.
He glanced down at the Sling Ring on his fingers. Nothing seemed unusual.
Yet the magical Portal had unquestionably closed without his permission.
An extraordinarily powerful external magical force had forcibly severed Wong's control over it.
Near Castle Doom, there was naturally only one person with magic powerful enough to do that, and bold enough to try.
Peter had already turned his gaze toward Castle Doom.
Above the castle, a steel-clad figure draped in a dark green cape was slowly rising from the top of its tallest tower.
Doctor Doom did not fly like Iron Man, relying entirely on the explosive thrust of propulsion systems.
His flight was closer to Doctor Strange's, using magical buoyancy much like the Cloak of Levitation.
A ghostly green magical glow surrounded his body, while gravity itself seemed to have become a tool he could manipulate at will.
He descended onto the grass before them with the bearing of someone who had everything firmly under control.
The steel mask completely concealed his face, making it impossible to tell what the King of Latveria, a man who had mastered both magic and technology, was thinking.
From beginning to end, Doctor Doom's gaze remained fixed on Peter.
It was as though everyone else present was irrelevant and not worth a second glance.
Peter did not hesitate.
He raised both hands and pressed them against the neck of his Iron Spider Armor.
The metal plates began retracting layer by layer, and the suit's visor withdrew completely from his face, revealing his true appearance.
Wanda, Wong, and Magneto, standing beside him, all turned to look.
They were curious to see how this Spider-Man from another Multiverse differed from the Peter Parker they knew.
Once they got a clear look at Peter's face, all three wore thoughtful expressions.
His face was not exactly the same as the Peter Parker they remembered. There were obvious differences in the finer details of his features.
Yet the expression in his eyes and the overall air he carried were strikingly similar to this universe's Peter Parker.
Despite the difference in appearance, that familiar resemblance in demeanor alone was enough to make him seem strangely recognizable.
Doctor Doom gave the slightest nod of his steel mask.
He understood that this was Spider-Man's way of showing respect.
Voluntarily removing his suit's visor and revealing his identity said more than words ever could.
Doctor Doom, however, did not remove his own steel mask.
Beneath it was a face that had been completely disfigured.
The damage had been permanent, caused by an accident during a scientific experiment.
His entire face had been burned beyond recognition. Even after healing, it remained hideously scarred.
Although he now possessed the technology necessary to repair those scars, he had never once considered restoring his appearance.
He wanted that ruined face to remain a constant reminder that gaining power always came at a price.
"Nick Fury and I have already had some preliminary discussions."
Doctor Doom's voice came from beneath the steel mask.
"You came here for the Darkhold?"
"That's right."
Peter nodded. "The Darkhold could be extremely useful to me. This zombie crisis has already consumed half the Avengers. I need every source of power I can find to fight the Zombie Virus."
Doctor Doom did not seem particularly attached to the forbidden tome. He casually waved a hand and told Peter where it was.
"That book was too noisy, so I threw it into the warehouse. You can have it, but first, let's talk inside my castle."
He turned his back on the group and started toward Castle Doom.
Peter closed the visor of his Iron Spider Armor again, nodded to the three behind him, and followed Doctor Doom.
The group crossed the tranquil grassland behind Doctor Doom and formally entered the magnificent ancient castle.
It had to be said that the name [Castle Doom] suited humanity's current circumstances remarkably well.
Standing over the grassland like a fortress transported from a bygone age, it had now truly become one of the defensive lines holding the human front together in the apocalypse.
The atmosphere inside Castle Doom, however, could not have been more different from the peaceful grassland outside.
The moment Peter passed through the first defensive line at the castle gate, his pace unconsciously slowed.
Makeshift tents filled the castle's forecourt. Medical personnel hurried back and forth between simple hospital beds, while the smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of blood in the air.
Children crying and adults speaking in low voices blended into a restless wall of noise.
Even more refugees crowded every corridor and corner of the castle.
Wrapped in blankets they had hastily grabbed from their homes, they rested against the cold stone walls.
Some ate bread and drank water distributed by robots. Others tried to pick up broadcasts from the outside world on radios.
Peter looked up and saw several large transport aircraft parked on an open field behind the castle.
Another transport was coming in to land, the roar of its turbine engines tearing through the air.
When the cargo doors opened, crowds of terrified refugees emerged.
Robots waiting nearby guided them toward the settlement area.
Most of the operations inside Castle Doom were handled by robots.
That also helped maintain an exceptional level of order. Robots did not fear zombies, which meant their actions could not be disrupted by panic or emotion.
Doctor Doom was doing everything he could to save as many humans as possible.
It was completely at odds with his usual image as a cold and ruthless Villain.
Watching all this, a thought suddenly crossed Peter's mind.
"If I could create Ultron right now and make the Ultron Crisis break out at the same time as the zombie crisis, the result might be unexpectedly interesting."
But the thought vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Peter knew he did not have enough time to arrange and execute a plan like that.
Magneto, walking at the back of the group, was also taking everything in.
His gaze swept over the increasingly crowded settlement areas and the steadily growing number of refugees. His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
He had managed Mutant settlements numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
He knew all too well what gathering so many people in one place meant.
These refugees needed food, drinking water, medical supplies, warm clothing, and electricity.
Every additional day they remained here meant consuming an astronomical amount of resources.
Did Castle Doom truly have enough supplies stockpiled to support all these refugees over the long term?
Even if its reserves really were that extensive, how long could they last?
A week? A month? A year?
Sooner or later, those resources would run out, while the tireless zombies outside would only continue to multiply.
With one side steadily weakening and the other steadily growing stronger, Castle Doom would eventually fall.
While Magneto was still pondering this problem, Doctor Doom led the group into his study.
The heavy oak doors closed behind them, shutting out the noise from the corridor.
The study was extraordinarily spacious, with magically powered chandeliers hanging from its high ceiling.
Three of the walls were completely covered by bookshelves stretching from floor to ceiling.
The spine of every book was embossed with Latin, Ancient Greek, or some other ancient script Peter could not recognize at all.
Clearly, this was where Doctor Doom usually read and conducted his magical research.
The fact that Doctor Doom had brought them here already made one thing clear.
He genuinely intended to have a serious conversation with Peter.
Doctor Doom gestured for everyone to find a seat.
Then he waved one arm, and the side door of the study opened.
Several robot attendants filed through.
They carried trays holding teapots, teacups, and several plates of simple refreshments.
Peter raised a hand, signaling for the robot attendant beside him to step away.
Then he looked directly at Doctor Doom.
"I'm curious. How exactly do you plan to protect all the refugees in this castle during the apocalypse?"
Doctor Doom showed no sign of offense at Peter's blunt question.
He raised one hand to the chin of his steel mask and lightly tapped its metal surface with his fingertips.
Then, in an unhurried, perfectly calm tone that seemed to embody absolute rationality, he said, "Relying solely on stockpiled supplies and holding our ground will only lead to death. My plan has never been passive defense."
Doctor Doom swept a hand through the air.
A holographic map of Latveria, formed from ghostly green magical light, appeared in the center of the study.
Countless glowing points covered the map, each representing refugees scattered throughout Castle Doom.
Then Doctor Doom lightly tapped the very center of Castle Doom with one finger.
"I intend to construct a Dimensional Teleportation machine beneath Castle Doom and evacuate every refugee in batches, removing them from this planet, which is already beyond saving."
A faint smile appeared on Peter's face when he heard that.
"Looks like we're thinking along the same lines. We're also building a Dimensional Teleportation machine on our side. Tony Stark is in charge of the project. I'm sure the two of you would have plenty of technical ideas to exchange."
"Oh? Nick Fury didn't mention that."
Despite his words, Doctor Doom's tone contained no surprise whatsoever.
Clearly, he had already expected Tony Stark to arrive at the same solution he had.
After all, the two were old rivals and knew each other extremely well.
"Since we're both pursuing the same plan, why not work together on the Dimensional Teleportation machine?"
Peter made the suggestion.
"I think that's a good idea."
Once Doctor Doom agreed, Peter wasted no time.
He immediately contacted Iron Man, who was still aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, buried in work on the Dimensional Teleportation machine.
At first, Tony Stark had absolutely no interest in speaking with Doctor Doom.
But the moment Peter mentioned that Doctor Doom was also building a Dimensional Teleportation machine, he immediately changed his mind and agreed to talk.
These two super-geniuses, whose intelligence easily placed them among the five smartest people in the world, unsurprisingly found plenty of common ground when it came to Dimensional Teleportation technology.
Right there in front of everyone, they eagerly began discussing the technical problems that had been giving both of them headaches.
With the two working together, obstacles that had troubled them for some time began falling one after another at an astonishing pace.
At the same time, both of them found themselves experiencing the rare feeling that they had finally met someone who truly understood them.
Chapter 123: Acquiring the Darkhold, and the Sudden Appearance of Madame Web
In the original story, Tony Stark and Doctor Doom worked separately to build their Dimensional Teleportation machines.
That meant an enormous waste of both intellect and time.
Building a Dimensional Teleportation machine alone took more than ten times as long as two people working together.
Now that Peter had intervened, the Dimensional Teleportation machine would be completed much earlier than in the original story.
And that meant humanity could seize the initiative sooner, act faster, and save even more lives!
While the collaboration between Iron Man and Doctor Doom proceeded smoothly, Peter had already obtained a lead on the Darkhold.
...
Peter appeared in a secluded corridor inside Castle Doom.
Following the information Doctor Doom had given him, he was making his way alone toward the warehouse in the castle's east wing.
Doctor Doom's way of dealing with the Darkhold had simply been to toss it into storage.
When he said that, his tone had been so casual that it sounded like he had thrown an old magazine he was tired of reading into a storage closet.
But when the heavy black iron doors slowly opened before Peter, he realized that Doctor Doom's idea of a "warehouse" was nothing like his own.
The space beyond the doors was far larger than he had expected.
Several magical crystals embedded in the arched ceiling emitted a soft white glow, illuminating the entire collection room as brightly as daylight.
Rows of display shelves stood in perfect order, each equipped with its own small magical array to maintain a constant temperature.
The objects displayed on those shelves were even stranger.
On the shelf closest to Peter, for example, sat a transparent sealed container. Inside it floated a dark blue heart that was still beating slowly.
With every pulse, a thin layer of white frost formed along the inside of the container.
Peter suspected that it might be the heart of a Frost Giant.
On the next row stood a glass case about a meter tall. Inside was a humanoid doll wearing an elaborate princess dress, facing directly toward Peter.
The doll's face was covered in cracks, as though it had been shattered and then glued back together, giving it a deeply unsettling appearance.
Its pupils were pale green and unusually small, leaving most of each eye a ghastly white.
That only made it look even more sinister and disturbing.
Peter had good reason to suspect that this thing might be the very [Annabelle] rumored to contain a powerful evil spirit.
And these were only the exhibits he had seen immediately after entering.
As Peter continued deeper between the shelves, more and more bizarre artifacts appeared before him.
Most belonged to the mystical realm, and nearly all of them were connected in some way to supernatural creatures, evil spirits, or similar entities.
At that point, Peter understood that this was not a warehouse at all.
It was Doctor Doom's private collection room.
No wonder the Darkhold had ended up in Doctor Doom's possession. Collecting magical artifacts had always been one of his hobbies.
And that kind of hobby was hardly unusual among the powerful figures of the Marvel Universe.
The Sorcerer Supreme had the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Odin the All-Father had his underground treasury.
Even Tony Stark had a dedicated garage where he kept his favorite sports cars and technological collectibles.
Eventually, Peter reached the deepest part of the collection room.
Just as Doctor Doom had said, there was a book lying casually in an inconspicuous corner.
Unlike the other exhibits, it had not been carefully placed on a display shelf.
Instead, it had simply been tossed into the narrow space between the wall and the shelving.
A layer of dust had even settled across its cover.
Peter slowly walked over, bent down, and reached toward it.
"Don't touch me!"
Peter's fingers stopped less than two centimeters above the book.
The book Doctor Doom had forgotten about suddenly came alive.
A hideous human face emerged across its cover.
Its two deeply sunken eye sockets were as black as bottomless holes.
Rows of crooked fangs clattered against each other inside its mouth, producing a grating sound that made Peter's teeth ache.
It was talking to him.
"Get your filthy hands away from me! There isn't even the slightest trace of magical energy on you. You're a complete mortal! A mortal has no right to touch the great Darkhold! I said take your hands off me! Did you hear me, boy?!"
Peter raised his head and looked around.
There was no fireplace in the collection room, nor could he find any other open flame that might be useful for burning something.
So he withdrew his gaze with a hint of disappointment.
His previous experience of throwing the Book of Blood into a fireplace was not going to help him here.
"Doctor Doom was right. This book really is loud."
Peter looked back down at the Darkhold.
"Looks like the Book of Blood wasn't an exception. These dark tomes all have personalities of their own, and apparently none of them are very pleasant."
The face on the Darkhold's cover rolled its eyes.
"You're comparing me to the Book of Blood? That thing is nothing but some gossip-obsessed vampire reading material! I am the Darkhold! The Book of the Dead! The Book of the Undead! The ultimate source of all Dark Magic! A mere mortal like you, who hasn't even awakened magical power, could never comprehend my value!"
"Alright, Darkhold with all the names."
Peter pulled back his hand and crouched beside the book until he was level with the hideous face on its cover.
"Let's talk about something important. The outside world is being destroyed by the Zombie Virus. Billions of humans have turned into zombies, and human civilization could collapse within a few weeks. I need you to help me create an army of the undead to fight this apocalypse."
"What does that have to do with me?"
The Darkhold's voice actually became cheerful, and the face on its cover twisted into a delighted grin.
"Humans have been slaughtering and tormenting each other since the day their species came into existence. I enjoy watching the whole process. Watching them struggle in fear, watching them scream in despair. Why do you think I'm called the Darkhold instead of the Book of Light?"
Peter stared at the smug expression on the Darkhold's face without letting it affect him in the slightest.
Who bothered getting angry at a book?
So Peter simply continued in an almost conversational tone.
"You say humanity going extinct has nothing to do with you. Fine, let's imagine something. Humanity disappears completely, leaving nothing on the entire planet except zombies. With no food left, hunger drives them to search endlessly for anything they can chew on."
"Take a guess. Once they run out of food, do you think those zombies might take a bite out of you too?"
The black, hollow eyes on the Darkhold's cover suddenly contracted.
Its confidence was clearly beginning to falter.
"That's impossible. Zombies eat flesh! I'm a book! Why would a zombie eat a book?"
This time, Peter smiled.
"That's where you're wrong. The Thing is made entirely of rock, and Colossus is covered in metal, yet the zombies still hunted them as food."
"Do you think your paper is tougher than The Thing's rock? Or harder to chew through than Colossus's metal?"
He tilted his head slightly, genuine curiosity entering his voice.
"Now I'm actually wondering what would happen if the Zombie Virus came into contact with you. Would we end up with some kind of Zombie Book?"
"Enough!"
The Darkhold's voice became shrill.
A strange trace of fear appeared on its hideous face.
Its magical power truly did allow it to sense what was happening in the outside world.
Those interdimensional viruses that defied conventional magical knowledge.
Those zombies that even the laws of death could not restrain.
Those Superheroes capable of flying through the skies and burrowing through the earth, transformed into horrifying undead monsters.
As a Dark Magic creation that took pleasure in tormenting humans, the Darkhold was experiencing the fear of being tormented for the first time.
Its voice immediately dropped, and a hint of ingratiation crept into its tone.
"What are your terms? Let's hear them."
"Help me summon an army of the undead to fight the zombies, unconditionally. Once the mission is over, I'll make sure you're taken to a safe dimension, far away from this apocalypse and even farther from zombie teeth."
Peter stated the terms of the deal.
The Darkhold fell silent for several seconds.
"Deal. But I can't guarantee that the army of the undead will actually be able to fight those zombies. I can sense that the very first zombie to appear is unimaginably powerful. Even my former master would have struggled to defeat something that strong."
The zombie the Darkhold was referring to was undoubtedly the Zombie Sentry.
And the Darkhold's former master was Chthon, the Ancient God of the Underworld.
Chthon was one of the earliest life forms on Earth and one of the first Elder Gods, possessing some of the most powerful Dark Magic in the Multiverse.
Even the Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic had been bestowed upon her by Chthon at the time of her birth.
Of course, the Darkhold here was merely a projection of the true Darkhold, and its former master had only been a dimensional projection of Chthon.
But even as nothing more than a dimensional projection, Chthon possessed terrifying Universal-level power.
The fact that even an existence like that could not defeat the Zombie Sentry was enough to demonstrate just how terrifying the Zombie Sentry truly was.
"That's not what we need to worry about right now."
Peter reached out, grabbed the Darkhold by the spine, and pulled it free from the narrow gap between the wall and the floor.
This time, the Darkhold offered no resistance.
It obediently allowed Peter to pick it up.
Even the face on its cover retracted all of its fangs.
Only those pitch-black eye sockets remained, glaring resentfully at Peter.
With the Darkhold finally in hand, Peter turned and headed toward the exit.
When he reached the middle of the collection room, the Darkhold suddenly spoke in a tempting, persuasive voice.
"There are plenty of valuable things in here. Why not take a few while you're at it? This world is almost finished anyway, so nobody will ever know. That doll named Annabelle has a very powerful evil spirit sealed inside it. It could be quite useful to you."
"Enough."
Peter cut the Darkhold off, his voice turning cold.
"You're the Darkhold, not the Thief's Grimoire."
The Darkhold trembled slightly in Peter's hand.
The face on its cover looked almost aggrieved before finally letting out a muffled grunt.
Peter walked out of the collection room without looking back, and the black iron doors slowly closed behind him.
After returning to the room Doctor Doom had arranged for him, Peter opened the Darkhold beneath the steady light of a magical chandelier.
The contents of its pages were completely incomprehensible to any human without magical power.
The moment Peter focused on the text, the symbols constantly shifted shape.
Latin letters twisted into cuneiform, then the cuneiform broke apart and reformed into arrays of incomprehensible Magic Runes.
Peter closed the Darkhold and prepared to contact Nick Fury to discuss their next move.
Before he could send the communication request, however, Nick Fury contacted him first.
Nick Fury's projection appeared in front of Peter.
The first thing he said immediately caught Peter off guard.
"Spider-Man, a woman calling herself Madame Web has appeared."
Fury looked unusually serious.
"She specifically asked for you. She knows a great deal about Spider-Man. She even mentioned the existence of the Spider Totem, something I didn't know about myself. There are things she says she needs to tell you in person."
Peter frowned slightly.
He placed the Darkhold on the desk and fell into thought.
Based on what he knew of the original storyline, Madame Web was never supposed to appear in the Marvel Zombies Universe at all.
Even if she did exist here, she should have been nothing more than a minor figure in the background, essentially an insignificant part of the setting.
But whenever Madame Web actually appeared, it usually meant that extremely important information was about to be delivered through her.
So Peter knew he needed to meet her and find out whether her arrival brought good news or something much worse.
According to Nick Fury, Madame Web had been rescued during S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most recent operation to evacuate civilians.
At the time, a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet had been conducting a search-and-rescue mission for refugees in Queens, New York.
Madame Web had simply been sitting on a bench, directly in front of the Quinjet's designated landing site.
When the agents landed in front of her and helped her aboard the Quinjet, Madame Web somehow knew every agent's name before they introduced themselves and thanked each of them personally.
That detail left a deep impression on every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent involved in the rescue.
So the moment Madame Web was brought aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, the agents immediately contacted Nick Fury.
Naturally, Nick Fury met with her in person.
During that meeting, Madame Web voluntarily revealed several secrets concerning Spider-Man.
She explicitly stated that the source of Spider-Man's powers was connected to the Spider Totem.
Finally, Madame Web claimed that she had a way to save the world, but that she could only reveal it to Spider-Man.
That was why Nick Fury had been so eager to contact Peter.
After listening to Nick Fury's explanation, Peter took a deep breath and nodded.
"I understand. Let me speak with her."
Nick Fury handed the communicator to someone standing beside him, then left the room.
Peter finally got a clear look at this universe's Madame Web.
She was an elderly woman with a full head of white hair, dressed in a dark red robe decorated with spider patterns.
A strip of black silk covered her eyes.
...
Chapter 124: The Truth Behind the Web of Life and Destiny, the Enigma Force!
The two remained silent for several seconds before Madame Web broke the silence.
Her voice was soft, carrying an indescribably mysterious quality.
"Of all the Spider-Men I've ever seen, you're the most unique."
Peter followed up on her words. "Have you met many Spider-Men before?"
"Many."
Madame Web nodded with a smile, radiating the quiet composure of someone who had witnessed countless changes over the course of a long life.
"My abilities are somewhat unusual. I can often foresee certain events before they happen, and sometimes, through the gaps between dimensions, I can glimpse what is happening in other universes."
"But they're only fragments, disconnected images, like pieces of a puzzle that can never be completed. In every fragment, there's someone wearing a Spider-Man suit. Some are swinging through the city, some are fighting, and some are losing the people most important to them."
Peter was quite surprised by this revelation.
In the original canon, Madame Web's abilities primarily revolved around seeing the future.
But this universe's Madame Web clearly was not limited to perceiving a single universe. Her senses extended across multiple universes within the Multiverse.
That alone suggested that this version of Madame Web was significantly enhanced, far more powerful than her ordinary counterparts.
After realizing this, Peter regarded Madame Web with even greater seriousness.
If she could perceive events across the Multiverse, then what she was about to tell him carried far more weight than an ordinary prophecy.
"I understand, Madame Web. So... what exactly did you want to tell me?"
Madame Web adjusted her position and leaned slightly against the back of her chair, as though their brief conversation had already taken a considerable toll on her.
She lowered her head and rested for several seconds. Her lips had turned somewhat pale.
Then she raised her head again, removed the black silk veil covering her eyes, and looked directly at Peter.
Her eyes shimmered faintly with pale golden light.
They bore a striking resemblance to the eyes of Heimdall, guardian of Bifröst in Norse mythology.
At that moment, Madame Web's extraordinary gaze seemed to pierce straight through the Iron Spider Armor and look directly into Peter's eyes.
"The reason you are so special is because you have earned the favor of the Web of Life and Destiny."
Peter's hand, which had been resting casually on the table, suddenly clenched into a fist.
He said nothing, but that tightened fist revealed enough.
The Web of Life and Destiny was Peter's greatest secret.
It was the key that allowed him to travel freely throughout the Multiverse, as well as the reason he could possess the special abilities of multiple Spider-Men.
Peter had never revealed that secret to anyone.
Yet Madame Web had identified the existence of the Web of Life and Destiny with perfect accuracy.
For Peter, however, that was not necessarily a bad thing.
The origins of the Web of Life and Destiny were deeply mysterious. Even Peter himself had no idea why it had chosen him.
Madame Web's appearance might finally help him solve that greatest mystery.
So Peter remained silent and simply watched her like an attentive student, waiting for her to continue.
"The Web of Life and Destiny was created by the Goddess Neith during the ancient Age of Creation on Earth-001."
Madame Web's voice became exceptionally ethereal, as though it had taken on an indescribable trace of Divinity.
Peter could not tell whether this was Madame Web's natural voice or whether the power of the Goddess Neith was using her as a medium to speak directly to him across time, space, and dimensions.
"The Goddess Neith is the progenitor of all Spider Totems throughout the Multiverse and the source of all spider powers. She wove the Web of Life and Destiny across the entire Multiverse. Every strand connects a Spider-Man from a different universe, granting them power while also binding them to the destiny they must bear."
"And you... Peter Parker, have earned the favor of the Goddess Neith herself. That allows you to wield a portion of the authority of the Web of Life and Destiny."
Madame Web paused to catch her breath, then tilted her head slightly toward Peter. A trace of approval and satisfaction could be seen in her pale golden eyes.
"You are becoming more and more skilled at using the Web of Life and Destiny. I can see the Threads of Destiny and Destiny Nodes gradually merging with you. But at your current level, that alone will not be enough to save this world from destruction."
Peter took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil surging through his mind before asking as calmly as possible, "Then... how exactly am I supposed to use the Web of Life and Destiny to save this world?"
"You must find an object."
Madame Web's pale golden eyes suddenly shone brighter, and her voice became even more ethereal and mysterious.
"There is a scientist named Max Lubisch. Before the apocalypse began, he built an Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device. Using that device, you can open a passage to the dimension where the Enigma Force resides."
"If you can earn the recognition of the Enigma Force, you will gain the power to fight the Zombie Sentry."
Peter's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Enigma Force?
Enigma Force!
Of course he knew what the Enigma Force was!
It was the source of power behind the Spider-Man known as the strongest of them all, Captain Universe Spider-Man.
On Earth-13 in Marvel's Multiverse, Spider-Man had gained the cosmic-level power known as the [Enigma Force], granting him strength great enough to contend with any god-tier opponent.
It was a god-tier power capable of Energy Manipulation, Molecular Manipulation, Matter Transmutation, and even Reality Alteration.
The Enigma Force represented the powers of light and life, and its origin was quite possibly connected to Eternity, one of the Five Cosmic Entities of the Multiverse.
The so-called Five Cosmic Entities were the physical embodiments of the universe: Eternity, Death, Infinity, Oblivion, and Galactus. Together, they represented the totality of the entire Multiverse.
In terms of sheer energy level, then, the Enigma Force was unquestionably Multiversal-level, and among the strongest powers within that tier.
People often joked about the mighty Devourer of Worlds being defeated yet again, but those defeats generally involved only projections of Galactus.
The true Devourer of Worlds was itself a Multiversal-level existence, nearly immortal and indestructible, while Eternity stood far above even the Devourer of Worlds in power.
If there was anyone in this universe, already thrown into complete chaos by the Zombie Sentry, who could face that nearly invincible golden monster head-on, then Spider-Man empowered by the Enigma Force was unquestionably the only candidate.
"Understood."
Peter suppressed the thoughts surging through his mind and returned his attention to Madame Web.
At this point, Peter was almost certain that the Madame Web before him had been influenced by the power of the Goddess Neith. Otherwise, there was no way she could possess information of this level.
But Peter understood what was happening without saying it aloud.
Some things were simply better left unspoken. Who knew how many pairs of eyes beyond this planet might already be watching them?
"Where is the Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device now?"
That was the information Peter needed most.
After all, the Spider-Man of Earth-13 had also used a similar Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device to break through the dimensional barrier and earn the recognition of the Enigma Force, ultimately becoming Captain Universe Spider-Man.
According to Madame Web, or perhaps the Goddess Neith herself, Peter would need to go through the same process to establish a connection with the Enigma Force.
As for whether the Enigma Force would ultimately accept him, that would depend entirely on Peter himself.
Just as its name suggested, the standards by which the Enigma Force chose someone were themselves an enigma. No one could say exactly what qualities were required.
In fact, throughout the Multiverse, the Enigma Force had possessed many different individuals, including Venom, Captain America, the Hulk, X-23, and Silver Surfer.
"State University of New York."
After revealing that crucial location, Madame Web immediately seemed to weaken.
The ethereal, mysterious presence she had carried moments earlier vanished completely, as though the Divinity within her were being withdrawn.
Peter took a deep breath and thanked Madame Web sincerely.
"Thank you for the warning. Please get some rest. I'll handle everything from here."
Madame Web nodded, then dragged her exhausted body to her feet and ended the call.
At that moment, the Darkhold on the desk started muttering.
"Hey, kid, what were the two of you whispering about? I couldn't understand a single word."
Peter glanced at the Darkhold, picked it up, and shoved it into a corner of the bookshelf.
"I thought you didn't care about human affairs. Why are you so nosy? You've got a lot of nerve calling the Book of Blood a vampire gossip magazine when you're hardly any better."
"Hey, kid! Don't compare me to trash like the Book of Blood! I am the Darkhold!"
Peter ignored the Darkhold as it continued chattering and prepared for his next conversation.
After Madame Web left, Nick Fury entered the room again.
This time, Nick Fury had kept his promise and had not tried to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"What exactly is going on? Does Madame Web really have a way to save this world?"
Nick Fury was visibly impatient when he saw Peter.
If there truly was a way to save the world, he had no desire to activate the Wandering Space plan.
Traveling to an unknown dimension might allow humanity to escape the Zombie Virus, but it would also expose them to countless unknown dangers.
More importantly, relocating hundreds of millions of people was an undertaking on an unimaginable scale. No one could guarantee that something would not go wrong during the migration and result in massive casualties.
There was another, even more important reason.
Given a choice, who would willingly abandon their home planet?
"It's complicated, and I'd have a hard time explaining every detail, so I'll keep it simple."
Peter gathered his thoughts and told Nick Fury the parts he could safely reveal.
"Basically, I need to go to the State University of New York and find a device. If I use it, I may be able to gain enough power to match the Zombie Sentry."
"As long as we can deal with the Zombie Sentry, the biggest problem of all, the remaining zombie heroes won't be much of a threat. We can surround them and wipe them out together."
"The process may be extremely difficult, but no matter what, we finally have a real chance to save this world."
Nick Fury's single eye lit up with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
His exhausted expression immediately came alive.
This was the best news he had heard in a long time.
"Understood. I'll send a team to the State University of New York immediately to find that device. Give me a detailed description of what it looks like."
Nick Fury was already preparing to mobilize personnel.
Peter, however, waved him off.
"No need. I've decided to go alone this time. This is too important. There can't be even the slightest chance of something going wrong."
"You're going alone again?"
Nick Fury immediately became agitated.
Peter's repeated insistence on acting alone had been a constant headache for him.
It had been the same with the Darkhold, and now Peter wanted to do it again.
"It's too dangerous. I don't agree!"
Peter sighed, then activated his [Invisibility] ability directly in front of Nick Fury.
When Nick Fury saw Peter vanish into thin air, disbelief filled his single eye.
"You can turn invisible too? My God, how many special abilities do you have?"
"That's right. As for the others, you'll get a chance to see them eventually."
Peter's voice came from seemingly empty air.
A moment later, his body reappeared.
"So you understand now, right? It's actually safer for me to operate alone. Bringing another person along would only give me someone else to protect."
Nick Fury nodded helplessly.
As a former agent, he understood perfectly well what an ability like Invisibility meant.
For solo operations, there was no better support ability.
...
Late at night on the second day after the Zombie Virus outbreak, Peter arrived above the State University of New York on his Spider-Cycle with Stealth Mode activated.
"Hey, hey, mortal kid! Why did you have to drag me along on this mission? I'm not getting involved in something this dangerous!"
The Darkhold was secured to the side of the Spider-Cycle, its pitch-black eyes staring down at the State University of New York beneath the night sky.
It was clearly unhappy that Peter had brought it along while searching for the Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device.
"If you don't want to become a Zombie Book, you'd better keep your mouth shut from now on."
Peter's warning worked instantly.
The Darkhold fell completely silent.
The fact that a book could possess emotions like fear of death left Peter with no choice but to marvel once again at how strange the Multiverse could be.
As for why Peter had brought the Darkhold on this mission, the reason was simple.
Safety.
The Darkhold might normally behave like an insufferable chatterbox, but at a critical moment, it could be extremely useful.
New York City had effectively become a city of the dead.
That made it the perfect environment for the Darkhold's power.
Just imagine an army of the undead numbering in the tens of millions being summoned at once.
What an overwhelming sight that would be.
It would be a terrifying force powerful enough to sweep straight through the entire city of New York.
Even if Peter unexpectedly found himself surrounded by several powerful zombie heroes, the Darkhold could serve as his trump card and help him break through their encirclement.
Peter then activated the long-range vision function of his Iron Mask and carefully observed the State University of New York beneath the cover of night.
Chapter 125: The Zombie Avengers Lay Siege, Activating the Enigma Force
Under the cover of night, the State University of New York looked especially desolate.
With the long-range vision function of his goggles activated, Peter could take in the entire campus at a glance.
Most of the buildings were swallowed by darkness, with only a handful of windows giving off faint, yellowish light.
Other than that, there was no sign of living people anywhere across the vast campus.
Only a few scattered figures wandered aimlessly through the plaza.
Peter was assessing the risks of this operation.
Since this was a solo mission with the greatest possible freedom, he could choose his own infiltration method and route.
With the cover of the pitch-black night, the chances of Peter being discovered after activating [Invisibility] were practically zero.
The only things that could threaten him were certain zombie heroes with specialized sensory abilities.
For example, those with Telepathy or sonar-based tracking.
Aside from those two forms of perception, which [Invisibility] could not conceal him from, even thermal vision and scent tracking were useless against Peter while he was invisible.
That was because the internal circulation system built into the Iron Spider Armor could completely prevent body heat and scent from leaking out.
Now Peter only needed to confirm whether any zombie heroes with those two kinds of sensory abilities were present at the State University of New York.
After observing the campus from high above for ten minutes, Peter finally relaxed a little.
He had not detected any zombie heroes with Telepathy or sonar abilities in the plaza or the surrounding area.
Unfortunately, the good news came with some bad news.
Peter spotted several very familiar figures in the middle of the plaza.
They were gathered around an overturned SUV.
Zombie Captain America crouched on the roof, the remaining half of his Vibranium shield strapped to his back, its surface smeared with blackened blood.
Zombie Hawkeye sat in front of the SUV, his compound bow lying on the ground beside him. The arrows in his quiver were also stained with darkened blood.
Zombie Power Man crouched beside Zombie Hawkeye, and the two zombie heroes seemed to be fighting over something.
And then there was the one Peter least wanted to see.
Marvel Zombies Spider-Man hung upside down from a lamppost at the edge of the plaza. Most of his Spider-Man mask had been torn away, exposing the grotesque teeth underneath.
They had gathered here to feed together, holding their own grotesque party for zombie heroes.
Even from hundreds of meters away, Peter could almost hear the sickening sounds of chewing and cracking bones reaching his ears.
Peter turned his gaze away.
His fists tightened, and anger burned in his eyes.
At that moment, Peter became even more determined to completely eradicate the Zombie Virus from this universe, no matter what it took.
Otherwise, scenes of hell like this would not only keep appearing across the planet.
They would eventually spread throughout the universe, reaching countless inhabited worlds.
And once the zombie heroes had devoured every normal living creature in this universe, they would inevitably find a way to engage in Interdimensional Travel and invade other Multiverses just to satisfy their endless hunger.
Peter forced himself to refocus on the mission.
Although the zombie heroes gathered here amounted to nearly half the Avengers, none of them possessed any ability capable of seeing through his [Invisibility].
Even Marvel Zombies Spider-Man posed no special problem.
After becoming a zombie, he had lost his most important ability.
Spider-Sense.
So Peter decided this was the right time to move.
The only thing he still lacked was the exact location of the laboratory.
Madame Web had never told him which department Dr. Max Lubisch's laboratory belonged to before the apocalypse, which building it was in, or even which floor.
She had only given him a name and a general location.
Peter would have to find the rest himself inside the State University of New York.
He deactivated the long-range vision function of his goggles, grabbed the Darkhold, and silently slipped off the Spider-Cycle.
He pressed his arms and legs close to his body and dove toward the largest cluster of buildings on campus in a wingsuit-style descent.
Hundreds of meters vanished in the blink of an eye.
At the last moment, Peter fired a web to slow himself down and landed smoothly.
By then, he had already activated [Invisibility].
After several rounds of physical enhancement, the stamina cost of maintaining [Invisibility] was now negligible to Peter.
Even while moving at high speed, he could stay invisible for long periods without losing peak performance.
After briefly checking his surroundings, Peter moved through the shadows of the buildings and circled around the plaza where the Zombie Avengers were gathered.
He then crossed a burned-out parking lot and reached the campus information board near the center of the university.
The fire had not spread this far, so Peter quickly found a campus map posted on the board.
According to the map, the laboratories belonging to the School of Engineering Physics were mainly concentrated in the Physics Laboratory Building on the northern side of campus.
Peter knew that Dr. Max Lubisch's laboratory should be somewhere inside that building.
"So far, so good. Hopefully it stays that way."
The tension inside Peter finally eased slightly.
After confirming his route once more, he touched nothing and simply turned away.
There could be zombies hiding in any of the darkened buildings around him, so Peter had to make sure he left absolutely no trace of his presence.
He continued along one of the university's main roads toward the Physics Laboratory Building.
Before long, the building came into view.
It was a large structure with a dark gray exterior.
Six stories tall and covering a considerable amount of ground, the building had a T-shaped layout.
But when Peter reached the first-floor entrance, he discovered that the glass doors had been completely smashed.
Shards of glass littered the ground, but even they could not conceal the spray patterns of dried blood across the floor.
The walls were also covered with dark red handprints that had long since dried.
Peter sighed and silently entered the first-floor lobby.
After scanning the area, he finally found what he needed.
A floor directory was mounted on the lobby wall.
Peter immediately spotted Dr. Max Lubisch's High-Energy Physics Laboratory on the sixth floor.
Even the room number was clearly listed.
605.
Peter chose not to use the elevator.
Instead, he went with a safer option.
He left the building again and climbed the exterior wall all the way to the sixth floor.
After slipping through a partially shattered window, Peter landed in the hallway.
Throughout the entire process, he did not see a single human being.
Not even a zombie.
Lab 605 was located at the far end of the corridor.
The fingerprint scanner on the access-control system had long since stopped working after the building lost power.
But the faint light leaking through the gap beneath the door proved that the laboratory's independent emergency power supply was still running.
Peter really had gotten lucky this time.
Not only had he made it here without encountering any trouble, but the laboratory's backup power had not run dry yet either.
Had he arrived even one day later, he might have found himself unable to activate the device because its power supply had already failed.
Peter raised one hand and pressed his palm against the tightly sealed laboratory door.
Terrifying strength surged through his arm.
The metal door was forcibly pushed open by a narrow gap.
Then, amid a piercing screech of grinding metal, the opening widened rapidly.
Eventually, it became just large enough for a person to squeeze through sideways.
At that point, Peter no longer had the luxury of worrying about whether the noise would attract trouble.
He entered the laboratory as quickly as possible.
Under the dim emergency lights mounted on the ceiling, Peter saw a massive ring-shaped device nearly three meters tall.
Its main structure was a metal ring roughly two meters in diameter.
Dozens of crystals emitting pale blue light were embedded around the outer edge.
It was exactly what Peter had come here to find.
The Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device.
Peter's eyes immediately lit up.
He rushed to the main control console, pulled a specially designed laptop from his backpack, and connected it to the system.
Buzz!
The laptop screen lit up instantly, and Tony Stark appeared on the display.
"You found it? Nice work. I thought this was going to take a while, but you got there faster than I expected."
Tony Stark sounded excited as well.
He clearly understood how important this was.
"Mr. Stark, try to activate it. It would be best if we can use it right here. Transporting the device back would be too risky."
"Got it. I'll do what I can."
Tony Stark's fingers immediately began flying across the keyboard.
Lines of data streamed across the laptop screen like a waterfall.
Through the specially designed laptop, Tony Stark could remotely access and control the Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device.
But even with Tony Stark's technical expertise, activating a completely unfamiliar machine would still take some time.
And at that exact moment, something went wrong.
A heavy impact suddenly echoed from the other end of the corridor.
It was the sound of an entire wall being smashed apart from the outside.
BOOM!
Bricks exploded outward.
Steel reinforcement bars twisted.
A figure burst through the hole in the wall.
It was a black-haired woman wearing a dark coat.
In life, her name had been Jessica Jones.
Now, the eyes that had once been beautiful were nothing more than dull gray-white orbs.
Her mouth was filled with fangs, and saliva dripped from the corners of her lips.
Her craving for fresh flesh had driven her completely insane.
She wanted the first bite before the others arrived.
"Damn it. Did the noise from forcing the door open attract her? Guess my luck finally ran out."
The moment Peter turned around, he had already assessed the situation.
As a straightforward melee Superhero whose main advantage came from raw physical ability, Jessica Jones became especially dangerous inside a narrow corridor.
Fortunately, Peter was not exactly an ordinary Spider-Man either.
His own physical stats were absurd.
BOOM!
Zombie Jessica Jones charged straight at him.
Peter flipped aside.
At the same time, his right foot came down hard on the ankle of her leading leg, instantly throwing off her balance.
He darted behind her, seized her arm, and forced the joint backward.
Crack.
Her shoulder dislocated.
Zombie Jessica Jones could not feel pain, but her right arm could no longer exert any strength.
Peter used the same method to disable her left arm.
Then he covered her in layer after layer of webbing.
She collapsed to the floor, thrashing wildly, but she could no longer move.
Unfortunately, once something went wrong, worse things tended to follow.
Peter turned toward the window.
Four figures were approaching at high speed.
They were the same four Zombie Avengers who had been feeding in the plaza.
The disturbance caused by Zombie Jessica Jones had simply been too loud.
Peter could already tell that even more zombie heroes would be heading this way soon.
His fingers instinctively moved toward the Darkhold secured at his waist.
Summoning the army of the undead now would certainly buy him time.
But doing so would also greatly weaken its effectiveness the next time he needed to call on it.
Just as Peter found himself trapped between two bad options, Tony Stark's voice suddenly burst from the laptop speakers.
"It worked! Peter, look out!"
Peter turned around just in time to see the Interdimensional Energy Transfer Device activate.
The massive metal ring began spinning faster and faster.
One after another, the dozens of pale blue energy crystals lit up.
As the ring rotated, the light from the crystals joined together into a complete glowing circle.
Then the center of the ring began to collapse inward.
Space itself tore open.
Countless colors churned within the rift, as though a gateway into an unknown dimension was being forcibly pried open.
In the next instant, immeasurable light erupted from the tear.
The beam crossed through space, passed through every obstacle in its path, and landed directly on Peter.
Wrapped in that radiance, Peter's body seemed to lose all weight.
His feet slowly lifted from the floor covered in debris and bloodstains.
The light carried him upward until he was suspended in midair.
Bathed in endless brilliance, Peter suddenly heard countless overlapping voices chanting in unison.
[Mist lies heavy, endless night.]
[Evil runs rampant, without restraint.]
[I wield the Enigma Force, its light shines everywhere.]
[Darkness is scattered beneath eternal radiance.]
In that instant, Peter experienced a sudden moment of understanding.
This was the oath of the Enigma Force.
It was similar to the oaths of the multicolored Power Rings in the DC Universe.
Every being chosen by the Enigma Force and granted its power would hear this oath.
Its words embodied the very nature of the Enigma Force.
If one of its chosen ever violated that oath or acted against what it represented, the Enigma Force would disappear from them instantly.
BOOM!
Zombie Power Man smashed through the outer wall like an armored rhinoceros and reached the entrance to Lab 605.
At the same time, Zombie Captain America, Zombie Hawkeye, and Marvel Zombies Spider-Man arrived with him.
The moment they saw Peter floating in midair, they reacted as though they had discovered the finest meal imaginable.
None of them was willing to wait even a second.
All four lunged at Peter at once.
But at that life-or-death moment, Peter seemed to have lost all awareness.
He did not react at all to the Zombie Avengers charging straight toward him.
A fatal crisis closed in silently.
Death's scythe was already at Peter's throat.