Sometimes, Saving Means Ending the Pain

Vision hovered in place, the Mind Stone on his forehead glimmering with a faint light.

No expression showed on his mechanical face, but his voice carried deep exhaustion.

"The shield outside can hold for another fifteen minutes."

Vision looked up at the palace dome. "Carol Danvers is using energy to strike the shield's weak points."

Xiao Han walked to the window, his Super-Sight piercing through the walls to reveal the scene outside.

The zombified superheroes were madly attacking the shield, and cracks had already appeared in the energy barrier.

"What do you plan to do?"

Vision asked, "I can sense it. With your power, you could easily leave Earth."

Xiao Han turned to look at Vision. "My purpose is to save the people here."

"But there are no living people left here. Only the walking dead."

Vision fell silent. He looked at the frenzied Wanda outside, seemingly lost in thought.

"I'll give you the Mind Stone. You should leave." In the end, Vision made his decision.

"You'll die." Xiao Han glanced outside and understood why he was doing this.

"Wanda can't come back anymore. I have nothing left to hold on to." Vision shook his head, his gaze drifting into the distance.

Vision's eyes passed through the shield, fixed on the figure who had once been his beloved.

Wanda floated in the air, scarlet Chaos Magic twisting and surging around her. Her once-lively eyes now held nothing but bloodthirsty crimson.

Her red hair danced in the energy storm, dried blood still staining the corner of her lips.

"Goodbye." Vision murmured softly, his voice nearly inaudible.

He raised a hand and opened a tiny gap in the shield.

"This is my own choice. You must leave." Vision looked at Xiao Han and spoke his final words.

The Mind Stone was removed. Golden light flickered across Vision's fingertips for an instant before he threw it toward Xiao Han.

As the stone left his body, Vision's Vibranium form rapidly lost all color, turning a lifeless pale gray.

The zombies howled and charged at Vision with snarls.

Vision slowly flew out of the shield. Without the stone, he was like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily onto the ground before Wanda.

The zombie heroes immediately surged toward him like a tide, surrounding him completely.

Xiao Han stood before Wakanda's protective shield in silence for a moment.

A light rain began to fall outside, raindrops pattering down.

He slowly raised his hand. Golden magic runes glimmered at his fingertips as he made a light swipe.

Crack!

The protective shield instantly collapsed, its energy barrier shattering like glass.

Zombie Wanda suddenly looked up, her scarlet eyes locking onto him as Chaos Magic churned wildly around her.

Zombie Captain Marvel hovered in the air, twisted energy flames burning across her body as a low growl rumbled from her throat.

Farther away, countless zombie heroes, zombie soldiers, and even mutated Beasts all caught the scent of a living human.

Roar!!!

Zombie Wanda struck first. Scarlet Chaos Magic swept toward him like a massive wave, warping and tearing space apart before her!

Xiao Han's gaze turned cold. His figure vanished in an instant, and when he reappeared, he was already behind her, driving out a punch!

Bang!

A magical shield appeared behind zombie Wanda, and the shockwave cracked the earth apart!

She reacted immediately, her Chaos Magic transforming into countless blood-red blades that stabbed toward Xiao Han from every direction!

Xiao Han neither dodged nor evaded. Golden light blazed in his eyes.

Sizzle! Boom!!!

Heat Vision swept across the battlefield, instantly vaporizing every magical blade!

He took a step forward. A sonic boom exploded as he rushed directly before Wanda, seized her throat with one hand, and brutally slammed her into the ground!

Rumble!!!

The entire ruin of the Wakandan palace trembled!

Zombie Captain Marvel took the opportunity to dive down, her energy-charged fist blasting toward Xiao Han's back!

Without even turning his head, Xiao Han threw an elbow backward.

Crack!

Zombie Captain Marvel's breastbone instantly caved in. Her entire body flew backward, smashing through several buildings!

But in the next second, even more zombie heroes swarmed in!

Xiao Han abruptly brought his hands together.

Boom!!!

A golden magical barrier instantly unfolded, deflecting every attack!

Then, golden light flared in his eyes as solar-flare-level energy gathered within him.

"It's over."

Boom!!!

A blazing white pillar of light erupted from his body, sweeping across the entire battlefield like divine judgment!

Zombie Wanda screamed in the light, her body rapidly carbonizing! Zombie Captain Marvel tried to resist with energy, but she was instantly vaporized!

The zombies roared as they charged forward, only to turn into ash in midair!

The entire land was swallowed by light, and every zombie hero was reduced to dust beneath the purification of the solar flare!

When the light faded, Wakanda's ruins had become a scorched wasteland.

Rain fell in a soft patter, washing over the bloodstained ground.

Xiao Han hovered above mountains of corpses and seas of blood, his black battle armor faintly glowing in the darkness.

The golden S emblem on his chest remained striking beneath the dim sky.

Beneath his feet lay countless shattered corpses, while the embers of magic slowly died out in the distance.

Not far away, Captain Marvel's head rolled across the ground, her eyes still retaining their bloodthirsty madness.

Vision's body had been torn beyond recognition, his gray-white mechanical form covered in bite marks.

Xiao Han silently watched it all.

He had come to this world and witnessed the deepest despair.

He had failed to save anyone. Even Vision's final choice had only been to let him leave.

[Sir, global scan complete.]

[No human life signs detected anywhere on the planet.]

Xiao Han silently raised his hand. The Mind Stone Vision had left behind gave off a dim yellow glow in his palm.

He stared at the Infinity Stone. His Super-Sight penetrated its inner structure, revealing countless channels of energy flowing within.

[Ding! Mission completion: 100%]

[Reward obtained: 10,000 Growth Points]

[Random reward draw in progress...]

[Obtained: One complete set of Kryptonian Technology.]

The system notifications rang in his mind, yet Xiao Han felt no joy at all.

He looked up at the overcast sky as rainwater slid down his cheeks.

"Is this what they call saving?" he asked softly, his voice nearly drowned out by the rain.

[Yes, Host.]

[Sometimes, saving means ending pain.]

Xiao Han fell silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the devastated land.

Countless corpses lay on the ground, utterly devoid of life.

Xiao Han did not look again.

He shot into the sky, broke through the clouds, and headed straight into outer space.

Earth revolved beneath his feet, its blue oceans standing in stark contrast to its gray zombie-covered continents.

"Be purified."

Xiao Han brought his hands together. The Mind Stone floated before him as golden magic runes rapidly spread through the void, forming a massive magical array that covered the entire Earth.

Sun: World Purification!

Boom!!!

A golden pillar of light descended from the cosmos, piercing through the atmosphere like divine judgment!

Countless zombies abruptly looked up, and some zombie superheroes tried to resist.

But the purifying light swept through them with unstoppable force. Their methods were swiftly destroyed, and their bodies turned to ash in the light.

Across the entire surface of Earth, every zombie wailed as they melted away in the light.

Cities, forests, oceans.

Everything was washed clean by pure energy.

When the light faded, Earth fell into dead silence.

Xiao Han hovered in space, looking down at the scorched land beneath him.

[Purification complete.]

[Mission concluded.]

He put away the Mind Stone, turned and tore open a portal, then vanished into the depths of the universe.