Logan's growl was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the glimmer of hope that had just risen in the hall.
Almost instinctively, everyone present tensed up.
Golden energy instantly shone from the Female Iron Fist's arm, Black Panther T'Challa crossed his arms in front of his chest, his Vibranium claws silently springing out from his fingertips.
Jessica Jones even stood directly in front of Peter Parker, shielding him with her back.
"Boom!"
"Boom--!"
Heavy, dense thuds came from outside the massive circular wooden door of the Sanctum Sanctorum, accompanied by the ear-piercing noise of countless claws scraping against the wood and stone, as if thousands of mad Beast were trying to break in.
Each impact sent the entire hall trembling, and dust fell from the ceiling.
"They've found this place!" Strange's face was ashen, his hands already beginning to trace orange-red magical runes. " The Sanctum's defensive array won't hold for much longer!"
Spider-Man's Spider-Sense screamed wildly in his mind, a massive aura of hunger, brutality, and pure malice, more terrifying than anything he had ever encountered before.
At this tense moment, with swords drawn and a major battle about to break out.
"Squeak--"
An untimely sound of a wooden door turning came from the corner of the second-floor staircase behind them.
The door leading to the storeroom on the third floor of the Sanctum was pushed open from the inside by a slender, pale hand.
Everyone froze, turning around abruptly.
A tall woman slowly emerged from the shadows behind the door.
She had long, silvery-white hair that reached her waist, and beneath her neat bangs, her dark pupils resembled stars tempered with ice.
The black leather strapless top that exposes the waist and the tight-fitting trousers accentuate the lean and powerful lines of the body, while the energy storage devices attached to the sides of the waist and thighs shimmer with a faint blue light.
Ignoring the loud crash from the doorway and the wary stares of the crowd, she simply turned her cold gaze to Strange and asked, "Where's the Silver Surfer?"
Her voice, like her appearance, was cold and devoid of any emotion.
This question surprised everyone.
Strange instinctively looked around, only to realize with a start that the Silver Surfer, who had been silent throughout, had vanished without a trace.
"He..." Strange was about to question the woman of unknown origin.
However, the woman had already looked away, as if Strange wasn't worth a second glance.
She spotted Thor in the crowd.
" Thor," she began, her tone still calm, but the words beneath whispering a tempest, "I'll tell you how to obtain the power of the Enigma Force. In exchange, you'll resurrect my family, how about it?"
Thor raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his mind.
What's that Black Swan Yabbat, doing here?
"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"When I was traversing the multiverse, I sensed an unknown force originating from this universe," Black Swan Yabbat explained succinctly. "I came to observe it, only to find that I couldn't leave."
Just then, a soft voice rang in Thor's ear.
Tetiyu blinked her eyes, which seemed to hold the very essence of starlight and the cycle of life, glanced at the Black Swan, then looked at Thor with interest, a mischievous smile playing on her lips:
"Oh? This is the guy you were secretly thinking about, the one with fair skin like me?"
Thor's lips twitched; he couldn't be bothered with this woman who seemed to thrive on chaos.
He is now more interested in the Black Swan proposal.
"You know how to obtain Enigma Force?" he asked, staring at Yabbat.
"Yes," the Black Swan nodded, her red eyes devoid of any emotion, "In some of the dying universes I've visited, I've personally witnessed the entire process of Enigma Force possessing a host."
Thor stroked his chin, his mind racing.
He remembered this woman; after rescuing this guy from Infinity Ultron, he had taken her to Frost City, but unexpectedly, this guy had secretly run away.
"That's possible," Thor thought for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, scrutinizing her with a critical look. "But I remember, weren't you working for Doctor Doom?"
For the first time, a clear look of bewilderment appeared on Black Swan's perpetually icy face. "What? The god we worship isn't... Doctor Doom!"
Thor was secretly pleased.
It seems that this Black Swan is still being Doctor Doom in the Prime Universe.
He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Let's leave all that aside for now. What you're talking about—how to gain the approval and power of the Enigma Force... I think I've got it figured out."
He leaned back, looking rather languid, but his words carried an undeniable force. "My conditions remain the same. I'm short-staffed. If you're willing to come and work for me, I might consider helping you out if I'm in a good mood."
He paused, glanced at the Black Swan, and continued, "But now... you're not one of my people, so this is off the table."
"You..." Black Swan raised an eyebrow, as if she wanted to say something, but seeing Thor's confident expression, she swallowed her words.
She could tell that the man in front of her wasn't joking.
"That..."
A weak voice broke in again.
Spider-Man Peter Parker was frantic, watching these people slowly negotiating while the monster was ramming the door. "Shouldn't we be preparing for battle right now? The door's about to be broken down!"
Upon hearing this, Thor turned to look at him and said calmly, "What's the point of killing all those zombie superheroes outside if you can't deal with that guy named Knull?"
"I..." Spider-Man opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that he couldn't utter a single word.
Yes, even if they fight with all their might and wipe out the entire zombie army in front of them, what then?
As long as the mastermind behind it all Knull, is still around, the zombie virus could return at any time.
Just as Strange said, the final outcome is still the entire universe returning to Void and darkness.
Thor's gaze swept over the crowd, and he quickly assessed the situation in his mind.
To be honest, the only truly formidable fighters are himself, the Classic Loki with his thermos, the newly emerged Black Swan, and Strange...
With Venom's help, Spider-Man is practically a high-end fighter.
As for the others...
Black Panther, Wolverine, Female Iron Fist, Magik Illyana, Jessica Jones, and Doctor Octopus and Wong hiding in the corner... These guys are fine for dealing with ordinary zombies, but they'll be in trouble when they encounter infected superheroes.
According to the original storyline, that cunning old fox, Knull, shouldn't be arriving so soon.
However, the current situation has clearly deviated from the so-called "original plot".
Therefore, the only way is to hold out until that guy Silver Surfer, returns with his Enigma Force.
Of course, Thor glanced again at Tetiyu was watching the show beside him.
If this powerful figure were willing to intervene, she could have crushed ten Knull long ago, let alone one.
However, judging from her leisurely demeanor, she was clearly just there to have fun and had no intention of getting involved at all.
"BOOM--!!!"
An unprecedentedly loud explosion interrupted Thor's thoughts.
The circular gate of the Sanctum Sanctorum, engraved with the emblem of Vishanti, finally succumbed to the force of this violent impact.
Countless huge cracks spread outwards from the point of impact, accompanied by a teeth-grinding "crack" sound, as several huge pieces of wood flew in and crashed onto the floor.
Through the broken hole in the door, one could see countless figures outside.
They were once heroes, guardians, but now, all that remains are twisted limbs, crimson eyes, and a primal craving for flesh and blood.
"Roar--!!!"
A deafening roar came from outside the door; the sound, a mixture of death and hunger, almost blew the roof off the entire Sanctum.
Everyone's face turned deathly pale, even Wolverine Logan couldn't help but curse, "Damn it..."
The gate is about to break down!