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Chapter 688: I Think I Made a Mistake
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
The disappearance of Annihilus caused a period of unrest among the insectoids scattered across many galaxies. Some chose to lie dormant, but the vast majority plunged into even more frenzied destruction, engaging in an even more brutal war with the legions of countless races opposing them.
Every day, vast numbers of lives were lost. Surprisingly, the most intense fighting occurred after Annihilus's death.
However, they could no longer impact the overall situation. A continuous stream of legions marched from Cybertron into the universe, conquering one planet after another, weeding out the weak.
Earth.
The Annihilation Insectoid Plague had not caused significant casualties on Earth. Numerous interstellar civilizations, far more powerful than Earth, acted like layers of filters, fending off the Annihilation Insectoids, leaving the small Earth completely untouched by the insectoid plague.
Life continued as usual. No, it had actually become even better, as very few troublemakers emerged, allowing the people to enjoy peace.
Johnny Blaze had just finished a motorcycle stunt show. He rode his motorcycle from a large bridge, wildly rushing onto a fast-moving giant ship, all while a typhoon raged.
All the spectators thought he was insane, but Johnny wasn't afraid to die, nor could he die. Feigning a resolute demeanor, he successfully completed the performance.
He had hundreds of millions of fans worldwide; he was the biggest internet celebrity.
Johnny loved motorcycles and stunts; they gave him a sense of purpose in life.
Only when the night was deep and quiet, feeling the restless Spirit of Vengeance within him, would Johnny fulfill his other identity – the Ghost Rider.
After Mephisto's death, the greatest benefit for the Ghost Rider was freedom and an unknown ascension. The hellfire within Johnny seemed to have subtly undergone some changes, but Johnny couldn't pinpoint what those changes were. However, as they didn't seem to be a bad thing, he didn't pay much attention.
"Another beautiful day," Johnny said, squinting at the sky.
"Hey, Johnny, going to the new bar tonight for a drink? The girls there are super hot!"
"Johnny, I'm throwing a party at my place the day after tomorrow. You, the big star, absolutely have to come!"
His friends and staff shouted at him.
"If I go, I'll steal all your thunder," Johnny quipped, putting on his beloved helmet and getting on his motorcycle.
Every day, he lived like this.
Today would be no exception, Johnny thought.
...
"What in the world is going on!!!"
"It's been five years, we've guarded this place for five years!! Not a single speck of dust here could escape my notice, so how could it suddenly..."
In a graveyard in the suburbs of New York City, a group of frantic Transformers gathered, staring in shock and rage at a tombstone before them.
The tombstone itself was unchanged; the grayish photograph and inscription were exactly as they were when it was buried. What had changed, however, was the soil and the coffin buried beneath it.
"The grave has been dug open..."
A faint blue electric arc flashed. Smokescreen, who was the first to receive the news, rushed from Central City without stopping. Seeing the scene, his face darkened terribly.
The neatly arranged ground was a mess. Large amounts of soil appeared to have been dug up, and the deeply buried coffin beneath it was also opened. The corpse inside... had vanished without a trace.
"Where is the Old Bartender's corpse?"
Smokescreen suppressed his shock and rage, growling as he asked.
"We don't know, it just suddenly disappeared."
"We've been watching the surroundings this entire time, and we didn't notice a thing. Something is terribly wrong here."
"We didn't even sense when the soil and coffin were disturbed."
The Transformers responsible for guarding the graveyard said one after another.
Smokescreen glared fiercely at the group. Smokescreen, usually lively and cheerful, now felt only endless rage and a chill rising within him.
They had to find the Old Bartender's corpse, using any means necessary. Otherwise, if that person came to Earth personally, the situation would get out of hand.
On Earth, one of the many things Tony cared about most was undoubtedly the graveyard where the Old Bartender slept.
But now, the graveyard was still there, yet the corpse was gone...
"After all this time, the corpse would have long become a skeleton. How could it suddenly dig its way out of the soil and walk away??"
Smokescreen scanned the soil's information, confirming that it had been dug open from the inside out.
Only the Old Bartender's corpse was buried here...
"Two possibilities: either the Old Bartender came back to life for some unknown reason, or a necromancer stole the corpse." Smokescreen's gaze was icy.
He reached out and pressed down on the heads of the horrified Transformers. Tremendous force was exerted, his fingers even partially digging into their heads. Smokescreen acquired a vast amount of information, but it yielded nothing.
"Nothing... You've all been tampered with."
Smokescreen opened the communicator on his arm and sent out a message to A.R.G.U.S. and all Transformers on Earth, instructing them to find the corpse's whereabouts at all costs.
It was foreseeable that no matter the outcome, this had crossed Tony's red line. Just thinking about what a person returning with endless rage might do if pushed too far made Smokescreen's scalp tingle.
Many people sprang into action, frantically searching for the corpse's whereabouts. But no matter how they searched, it was as if it had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
All cameras were mobilized to review footage, yet not a single trace of the corpse was found.
Vaguely, dense dark clouds descended upon Earth.
...
Johnny whistled, walking out of the bar, smelling of alcohol. A gust of wind cleared his head a bit.
Actually, with his abilities, alcohol didn't affect him at all, but using the Spirit of Vengeance to dispel the alcohol seemed pointless.
Tony got on his motorcycle and looked up at the sky. The night was deep, and the Spirit of Vengeance within him was already stirring, frequently sending him impulses to emerge and punish evil and uphold good.
"No, not today. I need to go back to sleep..."
Johnny burped, his face flushed red from drinking.
Over the past few years, his bond with the Spirit of Vengeance had grown significantly; they could now communicate normally.
However, the Spirit of Vengeance was unusually restless, suddenly becoming incredibly violent, even attempting to forcibly take over Johnny's body during the night, just as it had long ago.
"What's wrong?" Johnny shook his head, feeling the chaotic emotion inexplicably sent by the Spirit of Vengeance, and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
A profound silence fell. The normally bustling New York nightlife had, at some unknown point, become completely silent, becoming frighteningly quiet.
Creak...
Soft footsteps slowly began to echo, like an old person stumbling along and laboriously taking steps.
An old man, dressed in tattered clothes with rotting flesh covering his entire body, slowly walked towards him.
"My fellow mutant, I think I made a mistake..."
Johnny looked at the familiar face, and his expression instantly changed, filled with immense terror.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
The disappearance of Annihilus caused a period of unrest among the insectoids scattered across many galaxies. Some chose to lie dormant, but the vast majority plunged into even more frenzied destruction, engaging in an even more brutal war with the legions of countless races opposing them.
Every day, vast numbers of lives were lost. Surprisingly, the most intense fighting occurred after Annihilus's death.
However, they could no longer impact the overall situation. A continuous stream of legions marched from Cybertron into the universe, conquering one planet after another, weeding out the weak.
Earth.
The Annihilation Insectoid Plague had not caused significant casualties on Earth. Numerous interstellar civilizations, far more powerful than Earth, acted like layers of filters, fending off the Annihilation Insectoids, leaving the small Earth completely untouched by the insectoid plague.
Life continued as usual. No, it had actually become even better, as very few troublemakers emerged, allowing the people to enjoy peace.
Johnny Blaze had just finished a motorcycle stunt show. He rode his motorcycle from a large bridge, wildly rushing onto a fast-moving giant ship, all while a typhoon raged.
All the spectators thought he was insane, but Johnny wasn't afraid to die, nor could he die. Feigning a resolute demeanor, he successfully completed the performance.
He had hundreds of millions of fans worldwide; he was the biggest internet celebrity.
Johnny loved motorcycles and stunts; they gave him a sense of purpose in life.
Only when the night was deep and quiet, feeling the restless Spirit of Vengeance within him, would Johnny fulfill his other identity – the Ghost Rider.
After Mephisto's death, the greatest benefit for the Ghost Rider was freedom and an unknown ascension. The hellfire within Johnny seemed to have subtly undergone some changes, but Johnny couldn't pinpoint what those changes were. However, as they didn't seem to be a bad thing, he didn't pay much attention.
"Another beautiful day," Johnny said, squinting at the sky.
"Hey, Johnny, going to the new bar tonight for a drink? The girls there are super hot!"
"Johnny, I'm throwing a party at my place the day after tomorrow. You, the big star, absolutely have to come!"
His friends and staff shouted at him.
"If I go, I'll steal all your thunder," Johnny quipped, putting on his beloved helmet and getting on his motorcycle.
Every day, he lived like this.
Today would be no exception, Johnny thought.
...
"What in the world is going on!!!"
"It's been five years, we've guarded this place for five years!! Not a single speck of dust here could escape my notice, so how could it suddenly..."
In a graveyard in the suburbs of New York City, a group of frantic Transformers gathered, staring in shock and rage at a tombstone before them.
The tombstone itself was unchanged; the grayish photograph and inscription were exactly as they were when it was buried. What had changed, however, was the soil and the coffin buried beneath it.
"The grave has been dug open..."
A faint blue electric arc flashed. Smokescreen, who was the first to receive the news, rushed from Central City without stopping. Seeing the scene, his face darkened terribly.
The neatly arranged ground was a mess. Large amounts of soil appeared to have been dug up, and the deeply buried coffin beneath it was also opened. The corpse inside... had vanished without a trace.
"Where is the Old Bartender's corpse?"
Smokescreen suppressed his shock and rage, growling as he asked.
"We don't know, it just suddenly disappeared."
"We've been watching the surroundings this entire time, and we didn't notice a thing. Something is terribly wrong here."
"We didn't even sense when the soil and coffin were disturbed."
The Transformers responsible for guarding the graveyard said one after another.
Smokescreen glared fiercely at the group. Smokescreen, usually lively and cheerful, now felt only endless rage and a chill rising within him.
They had to find the Old Bartender's corpse, using any means necessary. Otherwise, if that person came to Earth personally, the situation would get out of hand.
On Earth, one of the many things Tony cared about most was undoubtedly the graveyard where the Old Bartender slept.
But now, the graveyard was still there, yet the corpse was gone...
"After all this time, the corpse would have long become a skeleton. How could it suddenly dig its way out of the soil and walk away??"
Smokescreen scanned the soil's information, confirming that it had been dug open from the inside out.
Only the Old Bartender's corpse was buried here...
"Two possibilities: either the Old Bartender came back to life for some unknown reason, or a necromancer stole the corpse." Smokescreen's gaze was icy.
He reached out and pressed down on the heads of the horrified Transformers. Tremendous force was exerted, his fingers even partially digging into their heads. Smokescreen acquired a vast amount of information, but it yielded nothing.
"Nothing... You've all been tampered with."
Smokescreen opened the communicator on his arm and sent out a message to A.R.G.U.S. and all Transformers on Earth, instructing them to find the corpse's whereabouts at all costs.
It was foreseeable that no matter the outcome, this had crossed Tony's red line. Just thinking about what a person returning with endless rage might do if pushed too far made Smokescreen's scalp tingle.
Many people sprang into action, frantically searching for the corpse's whereabouts. But no matter how they searched, it was as if it had vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
All cameras were mobilized to review footage, yet not a single trace of the corpse was found.
Vaguely, dense dark clouds descended upon Earth.
...
Johnny whistled, walking out of the bar, smelling of alcohol. A gust of wind cleared his head a bit.
Actually, with his abilities, alcohol didn't affect him at all, but using the Spirit of Vengeance to dispel the alcohol seemed pointless.
Tony got on his motorcycle and looked up at the sky. The night was deep, and the Spirit of Vengeance within him was already stirring, frequently sending him impulses to emerge and punish evil and uphold good.
"No, not today. I need to go back to sleep..."
Johnny burped, his face flushed red from drinking.
Over the past few years, his bond with the Spirit of Vengeance had grown significantly; they could now communicate normally.
However, the Spirit of Vengeance was unusually restless, suddenly becoming incredibly violent, even attempting to forcibly take over Johnny's body during the night, just as it had long ago.
"What's wrong?" Johnny shook his head, feeling the chaotic emotion inexplicably sent by the Spirit of Vengeance, and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
A profound silence fell. The normally bustling New York nightlife had, at some unknown point, become completely silent, becoming frighteningly quiet.
Creak...
Soft footsteps slowly began to echo, like an old person stumbling along and laboriously taking steps.
An old man, dressed in tattered clothes with rotting flesh covering his entire body, slowly walked towards him.
"My fellow mutant, I think I made a mistake..."
Johnny looked at the familiar face, and his expression instantly changed, filled with immense terror.
(end of chapter)
