Chapter Summaries

Merlin tested newly produced Call of Duty Individual Combat Armor, then connected to his avatar in 2023 amid a devastating bombardment. As players died and respawned under the warship’s fire, the R Star Store announced the Call of Duty Individual Combat Set update.

• Merlin used accelerated time in Death Stranding to produce a batch of Individual Combat Armor and displayed it in his laboratory.
• Merlin tested the Phase Shift Speed Combat Armor and its Eliminator Energy Pistol, which made a target dissolve into smoke.
• Merlin tested the Phantom, Fighter, and Heavy Mercenary armor sets and their specialized weapons.
• Merlin connected to his 2023 avatar and found the battlefield under heavy fire from a giant warship, while Temple Mages shielded small areas.
• Merlin spotted Strange controlling floodwaters and Peter Parker lamenting that he had lost the Infinity Gauntlet.
• Players continued dying and respawning as the R Star Store announced an update adding the Call of Duty Individual Combat Set.

Players reacted to the new equipment’s steep prices as guilds and squads scrambled to buy what they could, while Hellfire saw a chance to overtake its rivals. After the dungeon’s artillery barrage ended, players returned to face another Thanos Army advance, some equipped with the newly released armor.

• Players complained about the billion-level equipment prices, though many still considered the armor and technology worth saving for.
• Elson learned the Holy Light Tribunal had only 13 billion available, and Tana refused to lend him money because Hellfire had spent its funds on equipment.
• Elson ordered the Planner to use the Tribunal’s remaining funds to buy equipment and vowed to keep first place, relying on DOOMS HORN to pursue the Infinity Gauntlet.
• The first batch of Call of Duty Armor Sets sold out as guilds and squads pooled their money to purchase equipment.
• Punisher spent 3 billion on a Phase Shift—Speed Combat Armor Set after Journey of the Saint saw him do so.
• When the bombardment ended, players returned to the devastated battlefield as the Thanos Army surged forward again, with many players wearing new armor.

Players returned to the battlefield and rushed Ebony Maw as he tried to take the Infinity Gauntlet, while Punisher blasted away the rubble holding it. The Black Order intervened, and the players began fighting the four generals, leaving Punisher facing Corvus Glaive.

• The players rejoined the battlefield and spotted Ebony Maw trying to telekinetically steal the Infinity Gauntlet.
• Punisher used his Phase Shift armor to get behind Ebony Maw’s rubble barrage and fired an Annihilation Energy Bullet, freeing the Infinity Gauntlet.
• Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, and Cull Obsidian arrived to protect Ebony Maw, and the players identified all four as mini-bosses.
• Elson ordered the players to attack the Black Order, and the two sides clashed as Proxima Midnight’s trident injured three players.
• Corvus Glaive intercepted Punisher, who put away his pistol and threw the Adamantium Alloy Ballistic Knife Merlin had given him.

Punisher defeated Corvus Glaive, but Proxima Midnight attacked and was killed by Hellfire player Red Butt. Corvus revived and fatally stabbed Punisher, while Hulk charged in to fight him.

• Punisher used Phase Shift and his modified Ballistic Knife to wound Corvus Glaive, then destroyed Corvus’s head with the Annihilator Pistol.
• Proxima Midnight attacked Punisher with her Trident Weapon, but Red Butt shot her through the heart and claimed the first kill.
• Punisher picked up Proxima’s Trident Weapon and offered it to Journey of the Saint, but Corvus Glaive revived and stabbed him from behind.
• Tar Pit swallowed Punisher’s corpse and equipment as Journey of the Saint prepared to avenge him.
• Hulk rammed Corvus Glaive away and charged at him, while Journey of the Saint yielded the fight.

Hellfire killed Cull Obsidian as the players and Thanos’ Army clashed across the battlefield. Hulk killed Corvus Glaive, and Thor killed Ebony Maw, leaving the Black Order’s Four Generals annihilated and six hours remaining in the game.

• Hellfire and Black Panther killed Cull Obsidian after Black Panther severed his hand and Hellfire finished him with the Iron Dragon Beam Cannon.
• Players attacked Thanos’ Army with beam cannons and Claw Shotguns while their pilots fought the Leviathans and their aircraft engaged the enemy fleet.
• Hulk killed Corvus Glaive, then changed back into Bruce Banner and accepted a ride to the rear from Night Devil Vigilante.
• Thor killed Ebony Maw with a bolt of lightning while he fought over the Infinity Gauntlet.
• The game announced that the Black Order’s Four Generals had been annihilated and that six hours remained for players to claim the Infinity Gauntlet and win.

Merlin tested Fae Knuckles that granted Experience Points for killing enemies and considered turning Fae Power into player upgrade panels. Gwen found the rewards barely affected her powerful physique, while Deadpool ended up holding the fallen Infinity Gauntlet as the other fighters watched him.

• Matt brought Bruce to safety, then rode Vigilante back toward the battlefield.
• Merlin tested a crude Experience Points panel by killing Necro Army members and planned to distribute Fae Power through player upgrade panels.
• Gwen tried Merlin's Fae Knuckles, killed an Ape Hound, and learned that her powerful physique needed far more Experience Points to improve.
• Deadpool recovered from being blasted apart, found the Infinity Gauntlet, and hugged it as Thanos and the others stared at him.

Deadpool used the Infinity Gauntlet to turn everyone in the connected 2012 and 2023 worlds into Chibi versions of themselves. Merlin and the Ancient One remained unchanged, while the transformed battlefield reacted with amusement rather than panic.

• Deadpool’s baby hand finished growing, allowing him to shrink the Infinity Gauntlet and snap his wish before Thanos’s sword struck him.
• Deadpool wished for everyone to become cute, tiny Chibi children, and a ripple transformed the battlefield, including Thanos, the Avengers, the players, and Captain Marvel.
• Merlin found that the connected 2012 world had also been affected, visited the Sanctum, and photographed the Chibi Wong and Mordo.
• The Ancient One explained that she had avoided the transformation by hiding in another dimension and reproached Merlin for his recent disruptions.
• Merlin assured the Ancient One that he had the situation under control, while the Chibi figures on the 2023 battlefield began joking about one another’s appearances.

Deadpool’s wish turned the battlefield into a Lego-style cartoon, and the heroes fought Thanos for the Infinity Gauntlet. Captain Marvel stopped Thanos from snapping his fingers, but he unleashed the Power Stone as the heroes closed in.

• Deadpool’s wish transformed everyone and the battlefield into chibi Lego versions, and the players resumed fighting.
• Chibi Thor and Future Thor attacked Thanos, but he overpowered them and knocked away both Captain Americas.
• The Captain Americas, Starks, Thor, and other heroes struck Thanos with lightning and energy attacks, leaving him wounded.
• Thanos recovered the Infinity Gauntlet and put it on, but Captain Marvel grabbed his fingers before he could snap.
• Thanos pulled out the Power Stone with his free hand and released a burst of purple energy.

Tana seized the Nano Gauntlet and used the Infinity Stones to eliminate Thanos and his army, winning the Future War for the Human Camp. She died from the energy backlash as the system announced the victory and ordered players to return to 2012 within thirty minutes.

• Thanos fought off the Avengers and nearly snapped his fingers, but Tony took the Infinity Stones from the gauntlet and prepared to sacrifice himself.
• Tana appeared in Phantom-class Battle Armor, kicked Tony away, and took the Nano Gauntlet before anyone could stop her.
• Tana put on the gauntlet and snapped her fingers, causing Thanos and his army to turn to dust.
• The system awarded Tana 10 billion points, announced the Human Camp's victory, and gave everyone thirty minutes to return to 2012.
• Tana faded away from the backlash as she was swallowed by the Tar Pit.

Captain Marvel snapped the Infinity Gauntlet and restored both worlds from their Chibi forms, while Thanos’s army remained destroyed. When the players’ time ran out, they returned home, leaving the Avengers of this universe facing the shrinking spacetime Wormhole and the mirrored world beyond it.

• Stark took the Infinity Gauntlet after Tana died, and Captain Marvel snapped it to restore the Chibi versions of both worlds.
• The players returned to normal, collected weapons from the battlefield, and lamented that the platform still lacked an inventory system.
• Scott confirmed that the Mind Stone and Space Stone came from the Avengers’ world, and Captain Marvel returned both Stones to Stark and the others.
• The platform announced that time was up, and the players vanished through the spacetime Wormhole.
• Future Thor warned the middle-aged Thor not to become like him before returning with the other players.
• The Wormhole began to shrink as Captain Marvel and the remaining Avengers looked toward their familiar city in the mirrored world.

The players returned home after the Chitauri Invasion and Future War missions, and the rewards sparked envy, rivalry, and plans for change among the guilds. Merlin unlocked the Resident Evil world and, after reviewing his Fae Power test, ordered a preview of the game panel mechanics.

• The Hellfire Guild returned to its world, and players received mission results that ranked the Xiao Family first in the Chitauri Invasion and Hellfire first in the Future War, with Repatriate as the top reward.
• Elson resented the Holy Light Tribunal's third-place rankings and considered changing its strategy after Hellfire's warship appeared over Manhattan.
• Merlin unlocked the Resident Evil series and considered using an island nation as an experimental site for studying its dangerous viruses.
• Merlin reviewed a successful Fae Power test and told Little Mute to release a preview of the game panel mechanics.

Merlin announced an upcoming upgrade mechanic that would let players gain experience by killing enemies and strengthen their physiques. After retrieving the Time Stone and returning to his world, he learned that Kaecilius’s dark cultists had attacked the London Sanctum, and the Ancient One pointed him toward Asgard as a way to develop magic safely.

• Merlin planned to add an upgrade mechanic to improve players’ physiques, and Little Mute announced that it would launch in three months.
• Players reacted excitedly to the coming upgrade mechanics on the R-Star forums.
• Merlin retrieved the Time Stone from Bruce and gave the Avengers Alliance a Mechanical Spider prototype before returning to his world.
• Merlin learned from Cal that the Ancient One had gone to address turmoil in the dimensional boundary.
• Merlin found the London Sanctum devastated, returned the Eye of Agamotto to the Ancient One, and learned that Kaecilius’s cultists had attacked because Dormammu noticed the Time Stone’s disappearance.
• The Ancient One said it was too early to introduce the Mage profession but pointed Merlin toward Asgard as a source of guidance.

Merlin decided to leave Earth for Asgard, where he hoped to study its knowledge and recruit players among the Nine Realms. At Stark Industries Tower, Thor and Fury argued over Loki and the Tesseract, and Fury handed the Tesseract to Thor after Merlin said he would travel with him.

• The Ancient One gave Merlin a Holy Temple Medal and urged him to let Earth rest, so Merlin chose to travel to Asgard.
• Players and governments began cleaning up after the invasion as Eagle sought aid and nations tried to buy alien weapons.
• Fury demanded that Thor make Loki compensate Earth, while Thor blamed Eagle's Tesseract research and said Asgard needed the Stone to repair the Bifrost.
• Merlin arrived at Stark Industries Tower, explained that Arcee and the others were guarding the Extraction Tower, and said he planned to go to Asgard with Thor.
• After hearing Merlin was leaving Earth, Fury stopped pressing the dispute and handed Thor the Tesseract, while politicians considered seeking resources from the Extraction Tower.

Merlin entered the Resident Evil world, assessed the outbreak timeline, and published a paper about the Lizard Serum. After the paper was taken down, Wesker came to visit his laboratory.

• Merlin used the Tesseract to create a directional Space Jump device and planned to visit Asgard and connect the Nine Realms to Earth.
• Merlin entered the Resident Evil instance and reviewed the history of Umbrella Corporation and the T-Virus.
• Merlin examined reports from Raccoon City and concluded that the Queen Leech's revenge and the Arklay Mountains outbreak had begun.
• Merlin created an identity, published a paper on the Lizard Serum, and rented a biological laboratory in Raccoon City.
• About ten days later, Merlin's paper was taken down, and Wesker arrived at his laboratory.

Merlin agreed to join Umbrella Corporation and secured access to the T-Virus for his Lizard Serum research. With Alex Wesker as his assistant, he entered The Hive to begin familiarizing himself with the research.

• Wesker told Merlin that Spencer wanted to fund his research, and Merlin agreed to meet him after Umbrella Corporation removed his paper.
• Merlin negotiated with Spencer and demanded access to the T-Virus, and Spencer agreed to provide resources and human test subjects while assigning him an assistant.
• Merlin signed a contract with Spencer and left for The Hive beneath Raccoon City.
• Alex Wesker introduced herself as Merlin's assistant and registered his iris patterns and fingerprints for Level Three clearance.
• Alex led Merlin toward the T-Virus laboratory and told him to study its research while his own laboratory was being prepared.

Merlin returned from the Resident Evil world with T-Virus samples and arranged an escort mission to transport them to Neon in exchange for an Oppressor research blueprint. The Hand and Santai Academy took up the mission, while Merlin prepared to help Thor return to Asgard.

• Merlin collected T-Virus samples from the Hive, left an Android to research the Progenitor Virus and Lizard Serum, and returned to the Marvel world.
• Merlin tasked The Hand and Santai Academy with transporting the T-Virus to Neon, then prepared a mission offering an Oppressor research blueprint as the reward.
• Thor arrived with Loki, and Merlin showed Thor the device containing the Tesseract before promising to calibrate it so Thor could return to Asgard.
• Players from The Hand and Santai Academy received the secret escort mission and learned that Kaiyuan Hui wanted the T-Virus transported from St. Paul Hospital to Neon Airport.
• Murakami ordered ninjas to retrieve the bio-weapons, while Madam Gao sent Xin and agreed to handle Daredevil’s investigation of The Hand.

Merlin released new books and game content while The Hand fought Santai Academy at Sacred Heart Hospital over a Bio-weapon case. The Hand recovered the case and accepted a secret escort mission, while Thor chose to return to Asgard instead of seeing Jane.

• Merlin published Natural History Investigation, created a hidden passage in Africa, and added Resident Evil 0 and 1 to Grand Theft Auto.
• Xin led The Hand into Sacred Heart Hospital to find the Bio-weapon case, but Santai Academy members shot their scout and escaped with it.
• Xin pursued the Santai Academy team through the hospital and killed several assassins in the underground garage.
• The Hand shot the getaway driver, surrounded the crashed car, and accepted a secret escort mission.
• Thor declined to visit Jane and said he and the others needed to return to Asgard and the Nine Realms.

Merlin arrived in Asgard with Thor and Loki, where Sif and the Warriors Three welcomed them. He gave the warriors gifts, offered to help Sif restore her golden hair, and set out to explore Asgard before the evening banquet.

• A bearded man and Sif welcomed Merlin and Thor, and Sif and the Warriors Three were shocked by Thor's aged appearance.
• Thor explained that his change was beneficial and urged the group to lock Loki up.
• Merlin told the group that he had joined the Sanctum and was studying magic, then gave Volstagg wine, Fandral a flying sword, and Hogun a shapeshifting weapon.
• Merlin noticed Sif's black hair and offered to find a way to restore her golden hair.
• Thor and the others took Merlin sightseeing, explaining that Asgard had been struggling to respond to rebellions across the Nine Realms since the Bifrost was destroyed.

Merlin visited Asgard with Thor and the Warriors Three, drank fruit wine, and watched Fandral and Hogun test their weapons in a spar. At the banquet, Odin and Frigga saw Thor and froze in alarm at his appearance.

• Thor led Merlin through Asgard and brought him to Odin’s palace, where the group shared fruit wine and food.
• Fandral challenged Hogun to a spar, using Merlin’s Flying Sword against Hogun’s transforming weapon.
• Hogun and Fandral fought to a draw, then thanked Merlin and joined him for a cheerful meal.
• Thor and the others led Merlin to the banquet hall, where Odin and Frigga greeted them.
• Odin and Frigga froze when they saw Thor and reacted with alarm at what had happened to him.

Thor reunited with Odin and Frigga, while Merlin arrived in Asgard with a time-slowing grenade and began studying its magic and technology. On Earth, Connor started Resident Evil 1 in Raccoon City, but a zombie’s sudden appearance scared him so badly that he smashed his monitor.

• Frigga worried over Thor’s weathered appearance, and Thor explained that he had chosen to endure a time-accelerating rain to grow stronger.
• Merlin presented Odin with a Time Slow Grenade, and Odin welcomed him to Asgard for a period of study.
• Frigga arranged for Merlin to stay near Thor’s residence and teach him magical technology.
• The Eagle government recruited players for escort and BT-clearing missions as BTs and Strand Material continued to hinder travel.
• Connor launched Resident Evil 1 in Raccoon City and controlled Jill after Alpha Team escaped into the Mansion.
• A zombie turned toward Connor in a dark hallway, and Connor smashed his monitor in fright.