[Integrated/Crossover DC/Marvel] Why Did the World End Again? - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Parallel Laws — Choice

Barry Allen certainly recognized Alice; this girl was a high-priority asset requiring protection. But looking at her bizarre red-and-green fashion choice, he could only sink into silence. Young people… perhaps they have their own unique aesthetics…

The moment he saw her, Barry knew exactly what was happening. Batman had warned everyone to stay alert because any of them could be pulled into a dream world with Alice at any moment. This place was likely a “plot world.” However, thinking back to the explosive stories he’d heard Batman dead, Gotham nuked by Superman the Flash felt alarm bells ringing in his heart.

No one knew how “unhinged” this specific world would turn out to be. Seeing a familiar face, Alice opened her mouth to speak, but due to extreme sun exposure and dehydration, her throat was parched and no sound came out. Seeing this, the two young strangers reached into their pockets and handed Alice some water.

After drinking, Alice felt like she had come back to life. She began explaining the general plot of this round. She remained cautious of these two newcomers; in a world where Superman was clearly the big villain, who knew if these two were his henchmen?!

The Flash shared what he had gathered along the way. When Alice heard that these two were here for “tourism,” she fell into a stunned silence. Good lord, who goes to a desert for a vacation? Who vacations in a world on the brink of destruction?!

When she heard their reasoning “Well, we’re already here, so why not?”—Alice felt even more speechless. Don’t “already here” me! If you’re here, you should run! There’s a psycho on the loose! Who can handle a berserk Superman? Save me!

Alice briefly updated the three on the situation. Barry understood: basically, in this world, Superman had become a deviant who turned the planet into his personal playground and turned Batman into a crucified Jesus. Truly hellish.

However, Barry Allen was curious. If Superman was the supreme ruler, and they had been “gossiping” about him for quite a while… why hadn’t he arrived yet?

Thinking about how Superman can hear sounds from across the globe, Barry painfully closed his eyes. It’s over…

The blonde girl and the black-haired boy exchanged a look and introduced themselves.

“Hello, I’m Aurora. This is Thea.”

At the mention of these names, Alice grew even more silent. These names were far too familiar it was “Basin-Banging Bro” and Thea!

Meaning, the guy only showing his chin was Thea Weeks, a main character in this plot. But why was Aurora a girl? In the game, there was no indication that the character had transitioned.

“Hello…”

The Flash and Alice looked on with numb expressions. Who could tell them how to handle a game character’s sudden gender swap?

Noticing their confusion, Aurora explained first. “If you’re wondering why no one has detected our conversation, I think I know why.”

“I am a mage. I carry a magic circle with me a shielding array with a fixed radius. When I travel to parallel worlds, I remain undetected. This ‘Superman’ you mentioned hasn’t heard you likely because I am here. But if you leave my vicinity, you’d better stop talking, because he will hear you.”

“You’re a mage???”

It wasn’t Alice’s fault she had a head full of question marks. In the game plot, everyone seemed like ordinary people; no one had displayed special classes. Now, “Homebody Girl” is hand-crafting time machines, and “Basin-Banging Bro” is a secret Archmage with built-in functions who can break the fourth wall.

“Yes. I specialize in defense, agility, and offensive magic. I know a bit of healing, too—not much, but enough. My shielding magic has a 50-meter diameter. Don’t worry; even if God himself came, as long as he’s within the range, he wouldn’t know what we’re saying. This spell was originally researched to hide from the Universal Consciousness, after all.”

The Flash and Alice exchanged a glance and gasped. How did the topic suddenly escalate to the Universe? Regardless, they continued moving. Emboldened, Alice laid out the entire plot.

“I don’t know how to explain it to you, but I know ‘versions’ of you in another place. Except one is an alien and the other is a man. In this world, the final villain is Superman.”

“He’s incredibly powerful. He used to be a hero, but here, maybe because of an accident, he’s fallen. And he has a… complicated relationship with this Thea Weeks. At least from my perspective, it looks pretty ambiguous.”

Alice spoke while watching Aurora’s reaction. The girl merely smiled and nodded.

“I’m a man? That’s interesting. Perhaps you met parallel versions of us. That’s a happy thought that we are still best partners and haven’t separated after many years. Thea, what do you think?”

Thea nodded. Alice didn’t understand the meaning of that nod, but it likely represented joy and agreement. Then, Aurora began to help analyze the situation.

The more Alice listened, the more she marveled. The female version was so different from the male version a total “sweetheart.” Witnessing this gentle, kind, beautiful, and considerate Aurora, then thinking of that sarcastic “Banging Bro,” they were like two different people. Does a change in gender really change a personality that much?

“Do you know about the existence of parallel worlds?”

Barry Allen kept Batman’s mission in mind: if you get in, gather intel. This Aurora was not just a game character but someone who knew a lot about the multiverse; he had to ask more.

Aurora nodded gracefully. Alice felt she was truly a kind person. Then, Aurora began educating them on the different types of parallel universes and what had been happening.

“The multiverse is like a residential neighborhood. Inside a neighborhood, there are many houses. These houses are the different parallel universes. My ‘neighborhood’ and yours are different, but I like to visit different ones, so I’ve learned a lot. When I go to different worlds, there are different ‘weight ratios’.”

The two were even more confused. “What does that mean?” Alice asked humbly.

“It’s simple. Some neighborhoods have big houses, and naturally, some have small houses. Resources vary between them. Sometimes a neighborhood undergoes ‘demolition’ or becomes an ‘unfinished project’ that’s the turnover between universes. Sometimes, to save its reputation and resources, a neighborhood will actively abandon smaller houses to protect the larger ones. That is the way of the universe.”

“This world belongs to the ‘abandoned houses,’ so it’s easy to get into. I like exploring abandoned houses; it gives me different perspectives, helping me go further on the path of my cultivation.”

Alice nodded. A strange thought occurred to her: according to Aurora, these “unlocked plots and worlds” were the abandoned houses. So why were all these abandoned houses being gathered together? For renovation and reconstruction?

“Oh, I didn’t realize so many things were happening quietly in the multiverse,” the Flash said blankly. As a speedster, he had touched the “Great World,” but he rarely saw completely unknown worlds. Most worlds he visited still had Superman, Batman, and the Justice League. Was he just running back and forth between different “houses” in the same neighborhood?

Intrigued by the answers, the Flash grew excited. Aurora generously continued her lecture on the multiverse. Alice and Barry felt they were gaining a wealth of knowledge. Meanwhile, Thea Weeks stood in silence, staring toward the horizon.

“Something is coming this way.”

Alice looked on with curiosity. Indeed, something was coming. She thought of many things: Injustice Superman, a flight of soldiers, or some terrifying monster. Instead, it was a ruthless sandstorm.

Almost everyone present could protect themselves, but the Flash was in a weakened state and Alice was a normal human. If not now, when?! The Flash was about to grab Alice to run, but Thea beat him to it, picking Alice up and flying toward the distance.

“Let us give you two a lift.”

As soon as Aurora spoke, she grabbed the Flash’s arm and performed a magical teleportation. Quickly, the four figures appeared inside a cave.

“So, for you, this world is a ‘game’? You need to clear it or solve puzzles to get out?”

Hearing Aurora’s question, Alice nodded. She was also curious about how this would look to a “tourist.” Aurora pondered this; she had never seen such a mode before, and it was quite interesting. Relying on her vast travel experience, she quickly deduced a likely reason.

“Based on my personal understanding, I feel it is giving you guidance or giving you clues. To be honest, based on what you said, the fact that you unlock superpowers upon completion suggests this ‘transactional’ nature involves macro-level things the Universal Consciousness. A world that lets you enter and exit freely is either ‘completely open’ or ‘abandoned’.”

Aurora frowned, considering other possibilities.

“But a ‘completely open’ world wouldn’t grant you superpowers, nor would it have so many disasters. Based on your description, I personally lean toward the theory that this ‘game’ is an aggregate of many abandoned or doomed worlds. If they chose you, it might be to give you clues, choosing you as a ‘savior’ or perhaps your world contains the opportunity to save everyone.”

“So, you are a wonderful person.”

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