Chapter Summaries

Konan opened her remaining Level 4 Chests, gaining a second Epic Purple inheritance but no third Grand Prize. After Shen Mo left to attend to the growing newcomers and changes among the Merchant Guild’s upper ranks, Konan resolved to become stronger.

• Konan opened her thirty-seventh Level 4 Chest and received the Nine Palace Puppet Talisman inheritance, which could control another person by placing talismans in their souls and spirits.
• Konan opened the rest of her fifty chests and received no further Grand Prize, leaving her disappointed that she had used up her eligibility.
• Shen Mo encouraged Konan to defeat two bosses to earn another chance to open chests, and Konan eagerly accepted the challenge.
• Shen Mo told Konan he had to attend to the newcomers and changes among the Merchant Guild’s upper ranks, then disappeared.
• Konan reflected on her lack of standing in the Merchant Guild and renewed her determination to grow stronger.

After Konan’s success heightened Konoha’s frustration, Shen Mo considered how to create a mission system that could cultivate members without relying only on combat. He chose Marvel as a vast, naturally varied world for missions, leaving the Merchant Guild poised to explore it next.

• Konan’s victory and later boss defeat renewed Tsunade and Konoha’s frustration as Konan pulled further ahead.
• Shen Mo discussed the difficulties of creating a mission system with Othinus, Bismarck, Ikaros, and Hikari.
• Shen Mo rejected repetitive reincarnation worlds because they would become predictable farming grounds rather than tests of character.
• Shen Mo realized Marvel’s many universes, stories, and powerful characters could provide varied missions for the members.
• Shen Mo decided that Marvel would be the next world, matching the result of the previous poll.

Shen Mo prepared to enter the Marvel universe, reassured Othinus that he could protect himself, and decided to bring Hikari along. He set off for a relatively safe universe, arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Coulson and a woman prepared to confront a target in New York.

• Shen Mo reviewed the Marvel setting with Othinus and explained that emergency protocols and other safeguards would protect him.
• Shen Mo told Bismarck that he would eventually promote her to secretary ship, then decided Hikari should accompany him as part of his legends.
• Othinus carried Hikari away and rubbed her while Shen Mo ignored her cries for help.
• Shen Mo chose to test the waters in a weaker universe, prepared carefully, and set off for the Marvel universe.
• In an abandoned New York warehouse, Coulson and a woman faced a target while nearly a hundred armed special forces surrounded the building.

Natasha, Hawk Eyes, and Coulson investigated an agent who had stolen a Stone Tablet bearing a ritual to summon an all-powerful being. When Natasha saw the tablet, she became certain the being was real, despite finding no change in her memories or consciousness.

• Coulson explained that a Level Six agent had stolen an ancient Stone Tablet whose inscription described offering up the world to summon a being and receive a Gift.
• Natasha questioned the tablet’s authenticity, but Coulson said everyone who saw it—including the Director and the thief—believed its message was real.
• A combat team reported finding no traps, and Coulson, Natasha, Hawk Eyes, and the other personnel entered the factory.
• Natasha saw the Stone Tablet and immediately became convinced that an indescribable deity or demon existed, though she found nothing wrong with her consciousness.

Coulson confronted Jeffrey over his attempt to use the Stone Tablet to revive his daughter, but Jeffrey completed the payment for two hundred Jars and activated the tablet. A terrifying gaze descended upon the world, leaving everyone frozen as Jeffrey collapsed in fear and anticipation.

• Coulson tried to persuade Jeffrey to abandon his plan, but Jeffrey insisted that he wanted his daughter back and smashed a jade item on the ground.
• Bullets and Hawk Eyes's arrow stopped in midair around Jeffrey, revealing that the Stone Tablet had given him a mysterious defensive power.
• Jeffrey explained that he had obtained miraculous Jars and paid only U.S. dollars, then received a bank transfer from his teacher friend.
• Coulson ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to freeze Jeffrey's bank account, but the money vanished before they could stop the payment.
• The Stone Tablet glowed and an incomprehensibly powerful gaze swept over the world, freezing everyone as Jeffrey collapsed.

Shen Mo descended before S.H.I.E.L.D. and met the Ancient One, who recognized him as a true god and the God of Order. He accepted Jeffrey’s wish and resurrected his daughter, leaving the Ancient One stunned by the scale of his power.

• Shen Mo descended from the Stone Tablet’s radiance, freezing everyone present except Jeffrey, who remained prostrate before him.
• The Ancient One arrived through a portal and bowed to Shen Mo, identifying herself as Earth’s guardian and the Sorcerer Supreme.
• Shen Mo reassured the Ancient One that he was the God of Order, then told Jeffrey he would accept his wish despite Jeffrey’s ordinary nature.
• Shen Mo made the Jars disappear and used a silver coin to restore Jeffrey’s daughter, drawing her Wraith from the land of death and returning her to life.
• The Ancient One recognized the girl’s return as true Resurrection and realized Shen Mo’s power exceeded her understanding.

Shen Mo resurrected Jeffrey’s daughter and revealed himself as a traveler seeking people who could break free from fate. After testing whether powerful beings noticed his intervention, he left Earth, while the Ancient One and Coulson’s team were left to reckon with his presence.

• Shen Mo resurrected Jeffrey’s daughter, and Coulson and the other agents saw that she appeared unharmed.
• The Ancient One asked Shen Mo why he had come, and he offered her the chance to overcome her fated death.
• The Ancient One declined for the moment but remembered Shen Mo’s words after he revealed he understood her fate and her fear of death.
• Shen Mo explained that he had used the resurrection to test whether Mephisto or the Goddess of Death would react, then departed when no one did.
• The Ancient One opened a portal and left, while Coulson ordered the site secured and watched the Stone Tablet crumble to ashes.

Fury learned that a mysterious deity had resurrected Jeffrey’s daughter and ordered S.H.I.E.L.D. to investigate the deity and the ancient guardian. Coulson soon found the deity casually walking down a street, though Fury doubted the man on the surveillance footage was truly the terrifying being Coulson had described.

• Coulson told Fury that Jeffrey’s daughter had been resurrected and warned that the deity posed a major problem.
• Fury ordered the incident classified as top secret and assigned Coulson to find the deity, while Natasha and Hawkeye searched for the guardian.
• After the others left, Fury considered accelerating S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Tesseract plan.
• Coulson returned with surveillance footage and told Fury he had already found the deity.
• Fury saw a handsome black-haired man strolling down a street with a cat on his shoulder and questioned whether he was the deity.

Fury sent Coulson and Steve to approach Shen Mo, hoping Steve’s character would win the apparent god’s favor. Shen Mo encountered a homeless man who had lost everything and was dying, and the man rejected prayer after blaming fate for his suffering.

• Fury assigned Coulson and Steve to make contact with Shen Mo.
• Shen Mo wandered through the city to test whether powerful figures would notice him, but only S.H.I.E.L.D.’s cameras had registered him.
• Coulson and Steve approached Shen Mo, who was watching a homeless man.
• Shen Mo described how the man had lost his wealth and family and asked whether he was unwilling to accept his fate.
• The homeless man said he had prayed before but stopped after misfortune and terminal illness left him with nothing.

Shen Mo demonstrated his power by restoring a homeless man's youth in exchange for his savings, then challenged Steve to pursue his wish before seeking mercy. He stopped time across Earth and left the Sorcerer Supreme, Coulson, and Steve unaffected.

• Shen Mo offered the homeless man a young, healthy body in exchange for everything he owned, and the man accepted.
• Shen Mo took the homeless man's savings and restored his youth and health, leaving Coulson and Steve stunned.
• Steve asked whether Shen Mo was God, and Shen Mo explained that he sometimes granted wishes but cared about the effort behind them.
• Shen Mo asked Steve whether he was willing to work toward making up for his regrets, but Steve could not answer.
• Shen Mo said granting mercy also depended on his mood, then stopped time across the planet.
• The Time Stone protected the Sorcerer Supreme from the time stop, leaving her, Coulson, and Steve unfrozen.

Shen Mo froze time across Earth and seized the authority of God, letting Coulson and Steve glimpse humanity’s prayers and fates before rejecting the role. Odin and Heimdall detected Shen Mo’s presence, but he withdrew his gaze and time resumed on Earth.

• Shen Mo stopped time across Earth, leaving Coulson and Steve amazed by the motionless world.
• Shen Mo took over God’s authority, exposing Coulson and Steve to people’s prayers, memories, and glimpses of their fates.
• Shen Mo explained that he had no interest in becoming God because he preferred people’s efforts and determination to their requests.
• Heimdall reported to Odin that time had stopped and described Shen Mo’s immense power.
• Odin revealed that he already knew of Shen Mo and that Shen Mo had been watching Asgard since Heimdall saw him.
• Shen Mo withdrew his gaze, and time began moving again on Earth.

After Shen Mo’s encounter with Steve and Coulson, Fury learned that time had stopped across Earth and classified the incident as “God.” Shen Mo studied the Infinity Mu Jins and the Avengers, then concluded that he favored villains over the heroes’ passive outlook.

• Shen Mo told Steve that he lacked a favored quality but could change, then vanished from Coulson and Steve’s sight.
• Coulson and Steve reported their meeting to Fury, who revealed that time had stopped across Earth for ten minutes and fifty-four seconds and ordered the event filed under “God.”
• Fury considered Captain Marvel’s communicator and Steve’s vision of an alien invasion, then went to inspect the Tesseract’s power.
• Shen Mo concluded that the Infinity Mu Jins drew on the universe’s authority and decided to wait until four of them gathered on Earth before taking action.
• As Loki arrived with the Mind Stone and the Avengers assembled, Shen Mo watched the heroes and found their passive pursuit of stability disappointing.

Shen Mo confronted Loki aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, where his presence frightened Fury, Thor, and the others. He exposed Loki’s fear of Thanos and declared that Thanos was not yet worthy to be his opponent.

• Shen Mo appeared with Hikari outside Loki’s prison, triggering the helicarrier’s alarms.
• Fury warned the others not to anger Shen Mo, and Thor explained that Odin had said Shen Mo was even more powerful than the King of the Gods.
• Fury, Thor, and the others approached the prison, where Loki noticed their fear and caution.
• Shen Mo told Loki that his confidence masked his fear of Thanos, and Loki’s smile faded at the name.
• Loki wondered how Shen Mo knew about Thanos and began scheming, but Shen Mo said Thanos was nowhere near qualified to become his opponent.

Shen Mo showed Loki and Odin the Merchant Guild’s origins and overwhelming power, leaving Loki terrified but hopeful as Shen Mo asked what he wanted to do next.

• Shen Mo overwhelmed Loki with visions of cosmic wars and beings far stronger than Thanos, while Odin warned Thor not to interfere.
• Shen Mo revealed how the Merchant Guild was founded to create order and protect life, and how he became its oldest traveling merchant.
• Loki recovered, acknowledged his ignorance, and knelt before Shen Mo to ask to remember his name.
• Shen Mo approached Loki’s prison cell and told him he valued his qualities, then asked what he wanted to do next.

Loki failed to earn Shen Mo’s approval for the jars, so he vowed to fight Thanos and become king of Asgard. After leaving his cell, he explained to Fury’s team how his scepter could turn their mistrust and anger against one another.

• Shen Mo told Loki that ambition alone was not enough and that he needed to understand what he wanted and act on it.
• Loki vowed to fight Thanos and become king of Asgard, and Shen Mo disappeared after telling him not to disappoint him.
• Loki walked out of his cell, and Natasha aimed her pistol at him before Fury led him to a conference room.
• Loki taunted Tony about his suspicions toward the Hulk, and Thor restrained Loki to prevent a fight.
• Loki revealed that his scepter could magnify people’s dissatisfaction and anger, breaking the team apart.

Tony challenged S.H.I.E.L.D.’s secrecy and discovered that its classified file named “God” concerned the mysterious being they had just encountered. As he read about the being’s feats, including resurrecting the dead and stopping time across Earth, Tony was left shaken by the scale of his power.

• Loki explained that his promise to deal with Thanos was sincere because he had made it in God’s presence, persuading Fury and the others to trust him.
• Tony objected to Fury’s trust in Loki and accused S.H.I.E.L.D. of hiding dangerous information and using the Tesseract to create a weapon.
• Tony revealed that he had hacked S.H.I.E.L.D.’s network and found an encrypted file named “God,” prompting Fury, Steve, and Loki to react with unease.
• Fury gave Tony the file and warned him that learning its contents would keep him awake.
• Tony, Banner, and Loki read about God’s feats, including resurrecting a dead girl, restoring a homeless man’s youth, and stopping time across the planet for ten minutes.

After learning that time had stopped across Earth for ten minutes and fifty-four seconds, Tony struggled to accept that a God existed. Shen Mo drew Tony’s soul to a white world and explained that he had stopped time and briefly taken the place of the God in Earth’s myths, but considered this universe only a minor stop on his journey.

• Tony verified through Jarvis that time across Earth had stopped for ten minutes and fifty-four seconds, then asked why they could not pray to God to solve Earth’s problems.
• Fury told Tony to rest, and Tony left while Steve questioned Loki about his decision to oppose Thanos.
• Tony searched myths about God with Jarvis, then heard a voice answer when he called out to God.
• Tony’s soul separated from his body and floated to a white world, where he met Shen Mo.
• Shen Mo told Tony he had stopped time, taken the place of Earth’s God, and abandoned the role because the universe was only an insignificant stop on his journey.

Shen Mo explained to Tony why he valued human willpower and described Beyonders as beings who surpassed all known limits but could still continue to grow. Tony found hope in the idea that humans could use opportunity and willpower to rise beyond their current limits.

• Tony told Shen Mo that humanity seemed as insignificant as ants beside him and admitted he feared Shen Mo could destroy Earth effortlessly.
• Shen Mo challenged Tony to focus on what they shared, then clarified that he meant willpower rather than intelligence.
• Tony asked what a Beyonder was, and Shen Mo described Beyonders as beings who surpassed time, space, destiny, life and death, and the universe.
• Shen Mo explained that multiple Beyonders existed and that growth had no limit, while Tony realized that humanity still had the potential to improve.
• Shen Mo said willpower was a seed of infinite possibility and that he brought people opportunities to break free from destiny.
• Tony understood that Shen Mo had approached humanity for its future potential, and he felt hope replace some of his despair.

Shen Mo told Tony that he was not yet qualified for an opportunity to break free from fate and that he favored Thanos, leaving Tony shaken but determined to prepare for Earth’s threats. Back in the meeting, Tony asked Loki why Thanos did not come to Earth himself, and Thor said Asgard had protected Earth for thousands of years.

• Shen Mo told Tony that he favored Thanos and would offer Tony an opportunity only after seeing a stronger will in him.
• Shen Mo sent Tony back to his body, where Jarvis said only one second had passed.
• Tony entered the meeting and asked Loki to explain more about Thanos and Earth’s enemies.
• Loki said the Chitauri would come even without the Tesseract, though it would shorten their journey and catch Earth off guard.
• Tony asked why Thanos did not come to Earth himself, and Thor said Asgard had protected Earth for thousands of years.

With Asgard unable to help, Loki proposed opening a portal to draw the Chitauri into a battlefield favorable to Earth, and the heroes spent a month preparing for war. They chose an isolated desert for the coming battle, relying only on superheroes and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

• Loki explained that Asgard was weakened after the Bifrost's destruction, while Thor vowed to fight alongside Earth.
• Loki proposed choosing the battlefield and defeating the Chitauri, prompting a day-long argument among the heroes.
• Steve agreed to the plan on the condition that the alien army be contained in an uninhabited area, and Fury warned that the heroes would receive no national support.
• Shen Mo watched the heroes grow closer and prepare for a month, while Tony Stark designed equipment for the team.
• After Loki reported another warning and Thor reassured him, the heroes chose a former nuclear testing ground in the desert as their battlefield.