chapter 330
Chapter 330:
– Layla –
I approached Doom’s palace and hovered for a second, sizing up the glowing green energy shields surrounding the highest towers. The shields hummed loudly, pulsing with power, but I could sense right away they wouldn’t hold against even the smallest fraction of my strength. Doom really had no idea who he was dealing with.
Without hesitation, I clenched my fist and struck forward, casually punching through the shields like they were made of glass. They shattered instantly, sending glittering fragments cascading downward. The resulting noise echoed throughout the fortress.
Almost immediately, dozens of Doom’s soldiers rushed out onto the open balconies, armed and ready for trouble. They were human this time, not robots or demons, but instead of immediately opening fire, they froze in place when they spotted me. Confusion flashed across their faces first, quickly replaced by looks of genuine relief.
Then, from among their ranks, a woman stepped forward. She was tall and beautiful with an aura of natural authority. She wore polished golden armor over a regal emerald gown, a long green cape fluttering gently behind her in the wind. Her gaze met mine evenly, with no hostility—just calm acknowledgment.
“I am Zora von Doom,” she announced clearly. Her voice carried strength but was tempered with genuine warmth. “Queen of Latveria and wife to Victor von Doom.” Her eyes studied me carefully, and after a brief pause, she added, “You must be Layla. We’ve never met, but Victor spoke of you often. Fondly, even.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “Fondly? Doom spoke fondly about me? We’ve never exactly been friends. More like business acquaintances.” And even then it was Penemue handling the majority of the business.
Zora shook her head slightly. “You underestimate your impact, Layla. Your existence changed Victor—more than you know. He once had ambitions far darker and more ruthless. Knowing you were out there, he altered his plans. Victor wanted a future where Latveria could prosper without resorting to the horrors he'd once considered.”
She frowned then, sadness and confusion flickering through her gaze. “But now…something has gone terribly wrong. My husband has been acting strangely these past few hours. He barely acknowledges me or our son. And when I confronted him about this madness—the demons, the attacks on Europe—he threatened our lives. Victor would never do such a thing. Not to us.”
My stomach tightened as I listened. This woman clearly loved Doom deeply, and it made the news I had to deliver that much harder. My System buzzed impatiently in my head.
[Stop delaying it. She deserves the truth.]
I sighed heavily, closing my eyes for a brief second to brace myself. Zora watched me carefully, a glint of fear creeping into her expression.
“Zora,” I began gently, trying to soften the blow but knowing there really was no way to do it, “the Victor you knew—your husband—is probably already dead.”
Her face paled instantly. Her lips parted slightly, trembling, as tears began to form in her eyes. “What…? No, that’s impossible. He’s right inside, he—”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Zora. But the man who’s been doing all this isn’t your husband. He’s an imposter from another universe—a Doom from somewhere else entirely. I don’t know his full plan yet, but I guarantee you it’s just generic evil. This other Doom probably killed your husband the second he arrived.”
Zora crumpled slightly, placing a trembling hand against the wall to steady herself. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her breath came in shaky gasps. She clenched her fist tightly against her chest, trying desperately to contain her grief. I stood quietly, giving her space to process everything.
Part of me expected her to immediately beg me to resurrect her husband—to plead for my help in reversing what had happened. Instead, she surprised me by straightening slowly, blinking back tears, and wiping her face with a determined expression.
“I…thank you for telling me the truth, Layla,” she managed, voice thick with emotion. Her eyes hardened, and anger replaced sorrow as she met my gaze fiercely. “I don’t know if it’s even possible for Victor to come back now. But the monster who stole his face—the monster who killed my husband—cannot be allowed to live.”
I nodded solemnly, respecting her strength and resolve. “I promise, he’ll pay dearly for what he’s done. And after this is over, if there’s anything I can do to help you or your son, all you have to do is ask.”
Zora’s expression softened slightly at that, gratitude flickering briefly through her pain. “Just make that bastard suffer,” she whispered harshly. “That’s all I want right now.”
“I can definitely do that,” I said.
I took one final glance around at the soldiers, who stood silently, eyes full of sympathy for their grieving queen. “Stay with your men, Zora. Keep them safe. This will be over soon.”
Then, without waiting another moment, I strode purposefully into the palace, heading directly for the heart of Doom’s throne room.
– Doom –
A bit earlier…
Victor von Doom paced angrily inside his throne room, gauntleted fists clenching tightly. Everything had started going sideways, and he was quickly losing patience. Mephisto stood before him in his full demonic form, his skin blood-red and eyes nervously flicking around, clearly uncomfortable being there.
"What the fuck happened to you, Mephisto?" Doom growled, voice dripping with disgust. "You used to be a blight upon the multiverse—a terror whose very name mortals feared to utter. Now you cower here, trembling at the mere mention of one fallen angel?"
Mephisto's eyes narrowed, but the demon didn't rise to the bait. Instead, his shoulders slumped in a very un-demonic gesture of defeat. "You don't know who you're messing with, Doom! That damn angel, Layla, just won't die. Every time I've tried killing her, she comes back even stronger and pulls out some new cosmic bullshit!" Mephisto’s voice trembled slightly as he admitted it. "She wields a sword that stabbed my avatar and nearly destroyed my true form!"
Doom scoffed loudly, waving a dismissive hand. "Relax, demon. We won't have to worry about Layla for much longer. Kang the Conqueror is holding her off as we speak."
He disliked Kang intensely—he viewed the man as competition at best, a temporary ally at worst. The multiverse only had room for one true ruler, after all. Still, Doom respected Kang’s ruthlessness and his ambition. Countless iterations of Earth's Mightiest Heroes had fallen at Kang's feet, their worlds left broken and conquered. Surely even the strongest defender this universe could produce wouldn't easily defeat someone like Kang—especially not with this reality’s Soul Stone in his possession.
"Kang is dead," Mephisto stated bluntly, cutting through Doom's thoughts.
Doom turned sharply toward Mephisto, eyes widening behind his iron mask. "What?"
"I just felt his soul get completely obliterated," Mephisto replied. He spoke flatly, without exaggeration. "You're on your own now, buddy."
Doom’s fists tightened again, and anger boiled through him. "We had a deal, demon!" he roared furiously. "Your armies were to join mine, and together we would seize control of this miserable world!"
Mephisto shrugged, indifferent to Doom’s rage. "Yeah, deal’s off. I'm getting out of here. I'll run to the very edge of the multiverse and pray Layla doesn't come after me. Because guess what? I'm pretty sure she now has all six Infinity Stones from her universe, and somehow—despite them normally being useless in other realities—she’s fused them directly into her very being. They're fully functional, Doom. You're screwed."
Without waiting for Doom's response, Mephisto snapped his fingers, opening a swirling, fiery portal behind himself. "Good luck, Doom. You’re going to die horribly." And with that, the demon stepped backward into the portal, vanishing instantly.
Doom stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing. He turned slowly toward the enormous open balcony, staring at the vast sea of demons spread across Latveria’s capital city. They had poured from Mephisto’s hell dimension, hundreds of thousands—maybe millions of red, clawed monsters—and now, without their master, they looked around in confusion. Some of the demons even began scratching their heads, clearly unsure of what was happening.
"Idiots," Doom muttered bitterly, deeply frustrated. "Worthless idiots—all of them."
He briefly wondered if every creature in this universe was incompetent, then dismissed the thought. It didn't matter. Doom would not let this setback ruin everything he had worked for. Even without Kang or Mephisto, he was Victor von Doom, and Doom never surrendered.
He stepped onto the balcony, cape billowing dramatically behind him. Below, countless demonic faces turned upward, watching him expectantly.
"You! Demons of Hell!" Doom shouted, voice amplified through his armor’s speakers. "Mephisto has abandoned you—he has fled in cowardice! But fear not, for you now serve Doom! I declare myself your new king and master! Together, we will bring ruin to this pathetic reality!"
The demons paused, glancing uncertainly at each other…
Doom felt rage rising again at their hesitation. He roared louder, pointing dramatically toward the horizon. "What are you waiting for? Go forth, my demonic slaves! Unleash chaos! Burn this world to ashes in my name!"
With that final command, a thunderous roar rose up from the army of demons. They surged forward eagerly, streaming into the streets and skies, wreaking havoc in every direction. Doom watched them with a dark, bitter satisfaction.
If he had to rule alone, he would. No Kang. No Mephisto. Only Doom. The world would bow at his feet one way or another.
But even as he watched his demonic armies ravage Latveria, he felt an icy knot of anxiety forming deep inside his chest. Kang’s death had come as a shock.
For the first time since he'd begun his conquest, Doom felt genuinely uncertain. Perhaps he'd underestimated just how dangerous this "fallen angel" really was. His fists clenched tightly again. It didn’t matter. He was Doom. He would overcome this. He had to.
"Let her come," Doom whispered harshly, his voice filled with arrogant resolve. "I'll be ready."
Behind him, explosions and screams echoed through the city as the demonic horde laid waste to Latveria. His eyes narrowed beneath the iron mask as he observed the scene unfolding above Latveria. The sky had become a battlefield, lit by explosions and streaked with fire.
Layla had finally arrived.
He watched as the fallen angel hovered effortlessly over the city, her sixteen enormous black wings spread wide and shimmering with power. Even from this distance, Doom could sense the incredible amount of energy radiating from her form, and a chill ran down his spine.
She was every bit as powerful as Mephisto had feared.
As Doom watched in stunned silence, Layla casually created multiple copies of herself—exact replicas radiating the same staggering amount of raw power. In mere moments, these clones spread out across the sky, laying waste to his carefully assembled army of robotic drones and demons with shocking efficiency.
Doom’s invasion force crumbled rapidly under the assault.
For the first time since arriving in this universe, genuine uncertainty clawed at Doom’s resolve.
"I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this one," Doom murmured bitterly to himself, hands tightening further on the railing. This battle was clearly already lost. His dreams of conquering this universe were rapidly slipping away, and Doom was not foolish enough to think he could withstand a direct confrontation with someone wielding Infinity Stone-level power across multiple realities.
He stood silent for a long, angry moment, watching helplessly as the fallen angel demolished everything that was his power base. Sure, it's not like he had it for very long, but it was still his!
Doom recognized immediately that she would soon be coming for him personally. And he knew, deep down, that fighting her directly was suicide. But Doom was no fool. He always had a backup plan—always. And now was precisely the time to use it.
"Fine," he muttered darkly, pushing away from the balcony railing. "If Kang is truly dead, then his universes are rulerless. I'll simply begin my conquest anew somewhere else. Another reality, one without this absurd fallen angel."
He hated retreating—especially from a woman who appeared so casually arrogant. Doom had fled from his own home reality already, chased off by the intolerably annoying Fantastic Four and their absurdly overpowered child, Franklin Richards. To be forced to run away once again stung his pride deeply. Still, Victor von Doom would never be truly defeated. If this particular reality refused to bow, then another would serve instead. There were endless Earths ripe for his domination.
He turned swiftly from the balcony, heading back into the throne room. The teleporter he'd constructed earlier was positioned securely on the opposite side of his fortress, prepared explicitly for a worst-case scenario exactly like this one.
Doom prided himself on his foresight—he was never without an escape route. Soon, he would vanish, and this catastrophic defeat would be nothing more than a brief annoyance.
Latveria, Layla, and this miserable universe could burn for all he cared.
Yet before he could take more than a few steps toward his escape, a massive booming noise echoed throughout the throne room, vibrating through the stone floor beneath his feet. Doom halted immediately, head snapping around toward the reinforced vibranium doors that led into HIS throne chamber.
Doors that should have been strong enough to withstand 100 nukes.
"What!?" Doom growled angrily.
Those same doors exploded inward, utterly ruined. Vibranium hinges were torn clean from the reinforced walls, leaving the metal warped and useless on the throne room floor.
And standing calmly in the now-empty doorway was Layla herself, hand raised lightly, as if she'd merely tapped the doors rather than obliterating them with ease.
Her purple eyes met Doom's across the room.
Doom froze in place, a fresh surge of unease twisting in his gut. He had vastly underestimated the extent of her strength. He could feel raw cosmic energy practically radiating from her body, and it left him shaken in a way he hadn’t experienced in decades.
"You," Doom hissed, voice tight and full of barely contained rage. "You’re far more troublesome than I anticipated, Layla."
Layla stepped casually through the broken doorway, the shattered metal crunching beneath her boots. She kept her gaze firmly fixed on him, unimpressed by his furious glare. "Yeah, that's kind of my thing," she replied lightly, but her eyes were anything but playful. They were cold, hard, and dangerously focused. "You know, I've met other versions of you. Some were decent enough men—others were miserable bastards like yourself. Guess which ones survived the longest?"
Doom clenched his gauntleted fists tightly, refusing to be cowed by her bravado. "You dare lecture Doom?!" he roared furiously, hoping to mask his growing unease behind bluster and fury.
Layla didn’t even flinch. She continued forward with slow, confident steps. "Oh please. I've dealt with creatures way scarier than you. But what you’ve done here… that's low, even for a Doom."
His anger surged higher, defiance giving him a final burst of courage. "You have no idea who you’re addressing!" he snapped sharply. "I am Victor von Doom, rightful master of every universe—"
Layla cut him off sharply, eyes narrowing. "No, you’re just an asshole who killed a good man and stole his family from him. And now you're about to pay for it."
Doom's heart sank at her icy words, a glimmer of panic finally breaking through his bravado. He took a cautious step backward, edging subtly toward the hidden exit that would lead him to his escape teleporter. Layla raised an eyebrow, a faint, humorless smile forming on her lips.
"Going somewhere?" she asked calmly, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking.
Doom glared hatefully at her, briefly weighing his limited options. He knew now that running was impossible, she'd never let him get away. She was too strong, too fast, and infinitely more dangerous than he'd ever imagined.
His carefully laid escape route was no longer viable.
"If I am to die here," Doom snarled defiantly, straightening himself up and facing her directly, "then I will at least do so with dignity. Do your worst, fallen angel."
Layla shook her head slightly, a dangerous glint in her eyes as she slowly approached. "Oh Victor," she said softly, voice dripping with cold resolve, "I promise…my worst is exactly what you're about to experience."
– Layla –
Doom obviously wanted some kind of epic, climactic final battle. Maybe he thought I'd let him deliver one last dramatic speech or reveal another secret weapon hidden up his sleeve.
Yeah, that wasn't happening.
He didn't deserve a grand finish or any kind of respect. He killed a decent version of himself and tried to slaughter a country just because he could. Doom was an arrogant asshole, and I was done wasting my time on him.
A purple lightspear materialized in my right hand.
Doom flinched back slightly, perhaps expecting me to make some kind of flashy charge. But instead, I vanished from his sight, appearing right in front of him in less than an instant. His eyes barely widened behind that metal mask before I drove the lightspear straight through it, shattering the mask, vaporizing his head, and utterly destroying his brain.
Blood, bone, and metal fragments splattered outward violently, hitting the floor and walls. Doom's body crumpled immediately, dropping lifelessly to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut. There was no possible way he was coming back from that—no secret clones, backup plans, or last-minute resurrections. Just a very dead villain lying on the floor.
The room fell silent except for the crackling of residual cosmic energy around my lightspear.
[Huh… That was… anticlimactic.]
I shrugged, dismissing my lightspear and stepping back from Doom’s corpse. "Honestly, I’m kind of over his bullshit. Every single Doom thinks he's some unbeatable genius, the most evil, the most powerful, the most clever. But most of them are just assholes with big egos. This one definitely tops the charts for 'most evil,' but that’s about it."
[Fair enough. So, are you going to resurrect the 'nice' Doom he killed?]
I paused for a moment, seriously considering the question. Then, slowly, I shook my head. "No."
[No? Really?]
I sighed quietly. "Lady Death was right, annoying as it is. I can't fix every death and problem in the world just by snapping my fingers. Even if I could, Doom wasn't exactly my friend. More of a business associate, really—and even then, Penemue handled most of the interactions. I stopped the worst of the damage here, saved most of Latveria's citizens, and his country is still largely intact. Plus, it looks like his wife is strong enough to rule without him, and his son can grow into his father's legacy. They'll be fine."
[I suppose that's the right call.]
"Glad you agree." I glanced around the throne room one last time. Seeing nothing dangerous, I focused on my next priority.
With a casual wave of my hand, a purple portal opened right next to me. "Anyway, I’ve got something else I need to handle now," I said quietly.
I stepped through my portal and emerged on the surface of the moon, my feet settling gently onto the dead gray soil. The vast lunar landscape stretched out endlessly around me, silent and peaceful beneath a sky full of stars.
This was as good a place as any for something so personal.
[Uh…what exactly are we doing here?]
The System asked curiously, clearly confused by my choice of location.
"I'm going to fuse with the Soul Stone," I explained calmly, looking out toward Earth, beautifully illuminated in the distance. I turned my attention back to my task, taking a slow, steady breath.
[Oh..]
The System sounded genuinely unsure.
[Good luck then. Even I have no idea what's going to happen now, Host.]
I grinned to myself. Reaching into my inventory, I carefully pulled out the white Soul Stone. The stone glowed faintly. Its energy felt warm and alive against my palm, and I stared at it thoughtfully, savoring the moment. This was the last Infinity Stone—the final piece of a puzzle I'd been assembling for so long now. After this, the only artifacts left would be the Life and Death Stones, guarded personally by the Phoenix Force and Lady Death herself.
"And then," I whispered to myself with an amused little giggle, "I'll officially be the Supreme Goddess. Whatever the hell that actually means."
"Do you mind if I watch?" came a calm voice from my right.
I glanced over in mild surprise, spotting the bald, golden-robed figure standing nearby, observing me patiently with his large, solemn eyes.
"Uatu," I said dryly, offering him a little smile. "Earth’s greatest voyeur. Figured you'd show up sooner or later."
He inclined his head respectfully, completely unfazed by my teasing. "Lady Layla. I'd very much appreciate the chance to witness this moment personally."
I shrugged casually, unbothered by his presence. "Knock yourself out."
The Watcher actually smiled faintly at that. "Thank you. Moments like these shape entire universes. I'm glad to see it firsthand."
Returning my focus to the glowing Soul Stone, I took another deep breath, steadying my nerves. Raising my hand slowly toward my chest, I felt the stone's energy humming louder and more intensely. I pressed it lightly against my flesh, and almost immediately, the stone began to sink into my body, merging with me.
– Lady Death –
"So, it has begun," Lady Death murmured softly to herself, her voice drifting gently through the cool silence of her realm. Her beloved Layla had finally merged with the last Infinity Stone, officially stepping closer to her ultimate destiny. Soon, Layla would begin the two most difficult quests of her existence—claiming the Life and Death Stones.
…And Lady Death would be watching every step closely.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of cosmic fire illuminated the dark space nearby, shattering the calm. Out of the blaze stepped the Phoenix Force herself, taking a rare humanoid form. She appeared as a tall, graceful woman dressed in an elegant gown woven from shimmering cosmic flames that cascaded down her slender frame. Her fiery red hair flowed freely, framing her sharp, angular features and intense golden eyes.
"I see you've sensed her ascension as well," Lady Death remarked dryly, a faint smile touching her pale lips.
The Phoenix Force nodded, stepping forward gracefully, cosmic embers trailing her movements. Her expression was serious—more solemn than usual. "Everyone sensed it," she responded firmly, placing distinct emphasis on the word "everyone."
Lady Death chuckled quietly, amused rather than concerned. At this stage, it hardly mattered if every powerful cosmic entity in the multiverse had felt Layla's transformation. She had grown strong—stronger perhaps than anyone had anticipated—and was now largely beyond the reach of meddling, jealous beings.
"You look troubled," Death observed gently, raising an eyebrow at her fiery counterpart. "Are you having second thoughts about your trial?"
The Phoenix shook her head slowly, golden eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable. "Not troubled—just thoughtful. And yes, my trial is ready. Though I must admit, this will be unlike anything I've ever tasked anyone with before."
Lady Death tilted her head slightly, genuinely curious. "I admit, I've wondered what exactly your test would be. You've always been about nurturing life, growth, rebirth. I imagine it'll involve that somehow?"
The Phoenix paused briefly, her expression growing distant as she chose her next words carefully. "Usually, my trials are about exactly that—life, renewal, creation. But I've come to understand something critical. Sometimes, in order for life to truly flourish, death itself is necessary."
Lady Death raised an eyebrow. "How remarkably cryptic. Care to explain precisely what you're planning to have Layla do?" she asked.
The Phoenix met Death’s gaze squarely, an intense resolve burning in her luminous eyes. "If Layla wishes to prove herself worthy of becoming the supreme ruler of this multiverse—worthy of wielding the Life Stone—then I need to see her both preserve life and fully embrace death. I wish to see her save countless lives by decisively ending another. Not just any enemy, but another of her own kind."
Lady Death’s eyes widened slightly at this revelation. She'd expected a difficult challenge, of course, but even she hadn't anticipated something so harsh and emotionally taxing. "That’s...quite a tall order…"
"Exactly," the Phoenix said. "But, I believe she will be capable of it, especially with that terrifying sort of hers.”
Lady Death studied the Phoenix quietly for a long moment, absorbing the seriousness of this new trial. Eventually, she exhaled softly, nodding in understanding. "I have faith that she'll handle it.”
XXX
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Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters on there:
The Fallen Gamer ch 331-335
The Fox Hole 87
Thunder and Black Wings 23
The Fox Hole 86
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 9
The Blood Queen 46
The Fox Hole 85
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 8
The Fox Hole 84
Thunder and Black Wings 22
The Blood Queen 45
The Fox Hole 83
A Systematic Tale: The Hero 7
The Fox Hole 82
Thunder and Black Wings 21
The Blood Queen 44