The laser-eyed corpse that had just unleashed a devastating beam shook violently, its skeletal fingers twitching as it clutched its face. Its body convulsed, trembling with unstable energy, before it finally ripped its hands away from its eyes and lifted its gaze toward the battlefield once more.
Across the blood-soaked lab floor, the GEAS user stood paralysed, his breath ragged as he clutched his severed arm, blood pouring from the raw stump. His mind was clouded with pain, but through the haze, he saw it—the corpse's glowing red eyes were now fixated on something else.
It wasn't looking at him anymore.
It had turned toward the speedster corpse, the one that had been zipping across the battlefield, dismembering players limb by limb, its grotesque movements an eerie mockery of life.
A low hum built in the air.
Then—
ZZZZZZZZZZT!
A deep crimson laser beam erupted from the corpse's glowing eyes, slicing through the air with pinpoint precision. The beam barely missed its target, scorching the floor where the speedster had stepped just a fraction of a second before.
But the laser-eyed corpse didn't stop.
It tracked the speedster with terrifying accuracy, continuously firing its beam at the blur of movement darting across the battlefield.
The problem?
It didn't care about collateral damage.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
A nearby player's scream pierced the chaos as he suddenly collapsed, his torso split in half by the raw energy beam that had been meant for the speedster. His eyes widened in horror as his intestines spilled onto the cold, sterile floor.
Another player met the same fate.
Then another.
The laser-eyed corpse remained completely emotionless, its head pivoting mechanically as it continued to paint the battlefield in blood, vaporising anything that got caught in its path.
The GEAS user slumped against the wall, his vision swimming, his ears ringing from the chaos around him. His breaths came in short, shaky gasps as he watched the carnage unfold.
Meanwhile—
The tank player had just clawed his way out from beneath a mountain of rubble. He gritted his teeth, his entire body aching, but he forced himself to shake off the debris and stand tall.
His shield, dented but not broken, was still firmly gripped in his massive hands.
His gaze locked onto the hulking corpse, the brute that had sent him flying like a ragdoll.
And the monster was waiting for him.
"You got a strong punch, buddy," the tank spat, rolling his shoulders as a faint, earthy aura began to rise around him. "But that ain't enough to put me down."
The very air shuddered as a colossal phantom warrior—a towering, ethereal barbarian—began to materialize behind the tank, its translucent form mirroring his movements.
"Spectral Form: BARBARIAN!"
The phantom barbarian roared, and the tank's muscles surged, bulging with newfound strength. His veins pulsed with raw Spirit energy, his entire frame doubling in mass, becoming an immovable force of destruction.
Then—
They charged.
BOOOOOM!
The tank's shield collided with the brute corpse's fist, the impact sending a massive shockwave through the battlefield. Sparks flew. The floor beneath them cracked, unable to withstand the clash of unstoppable strength versus unmovable defence.
But the brute wasn't done.
It suddenly reared back, lifting its monstrous leg, then slammed its foot down like a falling meteor.
BOOM!
The ground exploded outward in a wave of shattered rock, sending tremors throughout the entire lab complex.
The worst part?
It sent the speedster corpse stumbling.
Its momentum faltered, and for the first time, it tripped, slamming into the nearest wall with a sickening CRUNCH.
The laser-eyed corpse didn't hesitate.
A burning red light filled the air—
ZZZZZZZZZZT!
The speedster didn't even have time to move.
The laser beam sliced through it effortlessly, severing its body into chunks.
Blood splattered across the walls. Pieces of its mutilated form collapsed to the ground, twitching one last time before falling still.
Now, only two of the abominations remained.
The GEAS user looked around at the battlefield, barely standing, his body weakened by blood loss. Every single player that had entered this facility was either dead or moments away from dying.
Only he and the tank were still breathing.
But their odds were grim.
The laser-eyed corpse had changed.
Its once pale skin was now charred black, the veins around its eyes thickening, spreading across its face like ink bleeding through paper. The cost of its own power was eating away at its flesh.
And the brute corpse wasn't faring any better.
Its skin was tearing, its overgrown muscles bulging beyond what its body could contain, splitting at the seams.
The GEAS user took a shaky breath and turned toward the tank, desperation flashing in his remaining eye.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
The tank barely had time to react before—
BOOOOM!
A laser beam ripped through the brute corpse's chest, leaving a gaping, smoking hole in its center. Blood gushed from the wound as the towering monster stumbled.
And yet—
Instead of collapsing, it turned its head slowly toward the source of the attack.
Then it roared.
AAAAAAAAAAAH!
A sonic shockwave erupted from the brute's mouth, the sheer force sending the laser-eyed corpse flying into the nearest wall, embedding it deep into the concrete.
Then, at last—
THUD.
The brute's body hit the ground.
Lifeless.
The last remaining corpse—the laser-eyed abomination—remained pinned to the wall, its entire body blackened from the strain of its own abilities.
The tank player gritted his teeth, his muscles straining as he hoisted the GEAS user to his feet, half-dragging him toward the reinforced glass wall that separated them from the doctors.
Inside the pristine lab, the scientists worked frantically, their hands moving with mechanical precision, making the final adjustments to the lifeless corpse laid out before them.
"Do something!" the tank snarled, slamming his shield against the glass, the ethereal brown energy crackling along its surface as he tried to break through.
But the reinforced barrier held firm.
Then—
STEP. STEP. STEP.
Both players stiffened.
A series of footsteps echoed down the corridor behind them.
The tank's stomach dropped.
With a deep breath, he turned his head just in time to see the massive entrance doors come crashing down.
Through the dust and debris, a group of twenty armed players emerged from the shadows, their weapons gleaming under the sterile white lights of the lab.
They stood in battle formation, eyes filled with both caution and determination.
For a split second, no one moved.
Then—
"FUCK!"
The tank barely had time to react before a barrage of attacks exploded toward him.
Fireballs. Arcane bolts. A hailstorm of arrows and bullets.
He braced himself—
"SHIELD WALL!"
His Spirit reserves burned as his entire body radiated brown energy, the air around him shimmering as a colossal, semi-transparent shield materialised in front of him, stretching ten meters wide.
The incoming onslaught slammed into the barrier with explosive force, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground beneath his feet.
But the tank held firm.
"You better have a plan, kid!" he growled through clenched teeth.
The GEAS user ignored him.
His one remaining hand pressed against the glass, his fingers trembling as his bloodstained face contorted with desperation.
His wild eyes locked onto the four doctors standing beside the head scientist.
Then—
"Give me the serum."
The moment the words left his lips, the doctors' eyes glazed over, flashing a dull, unnatural red.
The head doctor, still clutching a syringe filled with glowing blue liquid, hesitated for a brief moment.
Then his lips curled into a twisted smile.
"Finally."
STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB.
The other four doctors—the GEAS user's puppets—suddenly turned on their superior, plunging surgical knives into his throat, his ribs, his heart.
The head scientist choked as a gurgling noise escaped his lips, blood bubbling from his mouth.
But—
STAB.
His final act of defiance—his dying legacy—
Was driving the syringe deep into the corpse's heart.
The plunger depressed.
The glowing serum disappeared into the veins of the lifeless body.
Then, at last—
The head doctor collapsed, his blood-soaked coat pooling around him.
The remaining doctors blinked in confusion, their red-tinged eyes clearing as they regained their senses.
And then they realised what they had just done.
A moment of stunned silence followed.
Then—
"NOOOOOO!"
The GEAS user let out an animalistic scream, his voice raw with rage as he slammed his only fist against the glass, the impact leaving a bloody smear behind.
It was over.
It wasn't just his failure—
It was a failure for every player in the world.
A notification appeared in the interface of every single player inside the Marvel world.
"WORLD EVENT: FAILED"
"All players will return to Paradise in 10 minutes."
The countdown appeared beneath the message, a ticking reminder of their defeat.
The GEAS user slumped against the glass, his breath shallow, his body numb from both exhaustion and despair.
His trembling eyes drifted downward, then slowly began tracing something upward.
Higher.
Higher.
Until—
His body locked up.
His remaining hand fell limp at his side.
His voice—nothing but a whisper now—
"…What are you doing?"
The tank, still struggling under the relentless barrage of attacks, managed to glance at him.
His eyes narrowed.
"The fuck are you—?"
Then he saw it.
His blood ran cold.
His hands instinctively tightened around his shield.
And then, in a voice barely louder than a breath—
"Oh no… God help us all."
Because floating behind the shattered glass of the operation room—
Drenched in the blood of the dead scientists—
A seven-foot corpse had risen from the table.
And its glowing red eyes were staring straight at them.
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