MTLNOVEL Chapter 4: Chapter seven and Eight
Chapter 7: The Aftermath – The Cost of Power
Metropolis – Battle-Scarred Ground Zero
The city was in ruins. Buildings stood half-destroyed, streets were cracked, and the air smelled of ash, ozone, and blood.
And yet, for the first time in history—heroes and villains stood together, victorious.
But victory had come with a price.
As the last echoes of battle faded, a horrifying sound filled the air.
Screaming.
Not the cries of the wounded.
Not the wails of civilians.
But something far worse.
A group of twisted, barely-formed figures stood at the center of where the rift had been, their bodies flickering like static, their faces twisted in agony and fear.
They reached out—clawing at the air, their mouths forming words that no one could hear.
Then, in an instant—
They turned to dust.
Their bodies disintegrated into fine ash, carried away by the wind.
And with them, the last remnants of the unknown enemy vanished.
An uneasy silence followed.
No one spoke.
Even the most hardened villains, the cruelest killers, stood frozen, staring at where the figures had just been.
Something about their final screams, about their pleas for someone unseen, left an unshakable feeling of dread.
Like a warning.
Like a threat.
---
The Rewards – The System Speaks
Then, the system activated.
A voice—no, many voices—filled their minds. Old and young. Male and female. Robotic and divine.
"Mission Complete. Rewards Distributed."
The sky pulsed.
And suddenly—every hero and villain felt something changing inside them.
Their powers surged.
Their minds expanded.
Their bodies grew stronger.
New abilities, new insights, new strength flooded their beings.
For some, it felt like divine ascension.
For others, it was raw, overwhelming power.
And then—the individual rewards appeared.
Golden light manifested around each of them, forming objects, weapons, scrolls, and even mutations of their own abilities.
Each reward was tailored perfectly.
---
Individual Rewards – The Chosen Few
Superman – A glowing sunstone core, pulsing with solar energy. His power doubled instantly—his cells now absorbed energy ten times faster.
Batman – A mystic blueprint, containing knowledge of technology centuries ahead of human comprehension. His mind processed information twice as fast, making him deadlier than ever.
Wonder Woman – A divine bracelet, forged by the gods themselves. It amplified her speed and reflexes, allowing her to fight faster than light.
Black Adam – A forbidden scripture, unlocking hidden depths of the gods' powers. His lightning now had the ability to disrupt reality itself.
Lex Luthor – A nano-core that fused into his armor, evolving it into a living machine. His suit could now adapt instantly to any situation.
Sinestro – A black ring, not of death, but of absolute control over fear. It was unlike anything his Yellow Lanterns had ever seen before.
Deathstroke – A serum that increased his already enhanced abilities beyond metahuman limits. His mind could now predict battles seconds ahead.
Cheetah – A savage claw relic, bonding to her soul, allowing her to shift between her human and beast forms at will.
Gorilla Grodd – A psychic amplifier, extending his mind control to entire cities at once.
And many more.
The rewards were incredible.
But they came at a cost.
---
The Fear in Their Eyes
Even as the rewards took effect, even as the new power thrilled them, the unease remained.
Those creatures…
They weren't just monsters.
They were something more.
And their final screams haunted them.
Even the most hardened warriors—**Superman, Batman, Luthor, Black Adam—**couldn't shake the feeling that what they had just fought…
Was only the beginning.
The heroes and villains glanced at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.
Today, they had worked together.
But tomorrow?
Would they remain allies?
Or was this just a temporary ceasefire?
And worse still—
Who was watching?
Because someone, somewhere, had heard those final screams.
And if those creatures were begging for mercy…
Then what, exactly, were they afraid of?
---
End of Chapter
Chapter 8: The Accord of Gods
---
Beyond the Veil
In the vast emptiness beyond mortal comprehension, where time folded upon itself and the stars whispered forgotten truths, two beings stood in confrontation.
One was Shavalyoth, the unseen Elder God of Trials and Chaos, whose voice shaped destinies and whose missions reshaped the world. His presence flickered, glimpsed only through fractured perceptions—a thousand faces, a thousand voices, yet none at all.
The other was Xal'Zyr, the Devourer of Realities, a towering entity of shifting forms, wreathed in cosmic flames, with a body of obsidian and veins pulsing with dying stars. He had come with a singular purpose—to claim the DC Universe as his own.
They stood beyond the limits of space, a battlefield of concept and will, where words held more power than swords.
---
The Deal
Xal'Zyr's voice rumbled, shaking the void between worlds.
"Shavalyoth, your interference prolongs the inevitable. This world—this fragile reality—was meant to be consumed. You delay its fate."
Shavalyoth's many voices answered in unison—the old, the young, the timeless.
"And yet, it stands. And yet, it fights. Why should I permit you to break the game before the pieces have moved?"
Xal'Zyr's form shifted, multiple faces emerging and dissolving. "You claim neutrality, yet you mold them. You challenge them. You give them power. If you will not grant me this world, then at least do not protect it."
A moment of silence stretched between them. Then, Shavalyoth laughed, a sound that was not truly a sound, but an echo that rang through all of existence.
"Very well, Devourer. You may take this world—if you can. But I will not allow you to simply reach down and consume it."
"Then what do you propose?" Xal'Zyr growled.
"A trial. A fair match."
The cosmic flames around Xal'Zyr flared, but he did not refuse.
"A trial? Do you truly believe these mortals can stand against me?"
"It does not matter what I believe. It matters what they do."
Shavalyoth's presence loomed, his unseen gaze piercing through existence itself.
"If you wish to claim this world, then you must earn it. I will not interfere directly—but I will make it fair. You will send your champions, and the mortals will send theirs. If they fall, the world is yours. If they stand, you will retreat beyond this reality and never return."
Xal'Zyr's form flickered, considering. Then, he smiled, a monstrous, jagged grin that spanned across dimensions.
"Agreed."
The void shook as reality itself acknowledged the pact.
---
Return to the Mortal Realm
The battle had been fought.
Heroes and villains had united, had bled, had triumphed. But as they stood among the rubble, triumphant yet uncertain, time froze once more.
A voice spoke, everywhere and nowhere.
"You wish to know why this happened?"
They turned, some instinctively readying for battle, but there was no enemy. There was only the Voice.
Shavalyoth spoke.
"Because the game must be played. Because a god sought to take your world, and I ensured that you were given a chance to fight for it."
Superman's eyes narrowed. "You... chose us to fight this war?"
"I did not choose you. I gave you the means to choose yourselves."
Batman's mind raced, piecing together the implications. "Then this isn't over. If we failed—"
"You would have been dust."
Across the battlefield, even the most hardened villains shuddered.
Lex Luthor stepped forward. "So what now? Another god comes knocking?"
Shavalyoth's laughter echoed across reality.
"Perhaps. But for now... you have won. The game continues. And I wonder—now that you have glimpsed true war, will you remain as you were?"
The voice faded, leaving behind only silence.
The world resumed.
And the players, forever changed, stood in the ruins of their victory.