The Guardian Of The Multiverse: A Hero's Burden

Second Chances

(Marvel, DC, images, manhuas, and every anime that will be mentioned and used in this story are not mine. They all belong to their respective owners. The main character "Karito Josue Valdez" and the story are mine)

Adriel Pov

About a week had passed. Peter and Ace had already conquered two countries, while I monitored the topography of the planet through hacking. Reinforcements from two key locations were nullified, thanks to Peter and Ace taking out the commanders in those regions. The camp I was in was sparsely populated, mostly with survivors rather than fighters, and so far, I'd only seen one champion—Neeko. Ace had been forced to kill the corrupted champions in his area, and Peter had to do the same to prevent body snatching by AM. I was concerned for Peter's mental state after confronting one of the most vile villains in fiction, but I'd address that once he had some time to recover.

As for my own work over the past week, aside from being everyone's unofficial psychologist, that is—unfortunately, a role I fell into thanks to Kindred. Specifically, Lamb, who continued to regard me as though I were Aurelion Sol. I'd known this type of reverence would happen eventually, given my nature as a Guardian. Peter had already warned me, back in the days when we'd pass time at the Nexus, that even the gods of different universes would view him as if he were their own god, or someone on a higher level than their own creator. It was almost as if they saw Peter as "the Author," though we knew that wasn't true. It was just our unique existence, feeling somehow disconnected from any single universe, as if we existed outside it all—in what people call "Beyond Fiction." We merely traverse the endless expanse of the internet and its layers that we're able to perceive, a perspective that's distinctly different from that of the readers behind their screens in the real world.

Returning to the situation at hand, Alter Saber currently occupies Ixtal. Her forces consist of symbiotes and frost giants who arrived after the region fell. They're always on patrol, which is a bit of a hassle since I'm tasked with handling them. These Darks are much stronger than the symbiotes I've encountered before, likely because this verse has already been overtaken by Darkness, making them naturally more powerful on their home turf. That said, it's no issue for me; I've reached a level of skill where taking down any enemy patrols that come too close is effortless. They may notice the missing units, but I'm not concerned. Soon, I'll raid the Ixtal palace solo. I don't want to risk accidentally getting Neeko or Kindred killed. We've already had to kill too many champions, which is going to make fixing this verse even harder. They carry data—data that's vital to this verse. Even if it's just one character from one specific universe, that's all I need to connect with the greater Omniverse. If any champions survive, I plan to take them with me for safekeeping. And if they don't comply, well, they can't do much about it. They can't harm me, not when I'm so far beyond them in every way.

Currently, I'm stationed in a large tent, studying a holographic map of Ixtal, running through strategies in my mind. This should be easy enough, though if Mangog, Hercules, or that Spider-God get involved, things could get complicated. They're the only ones who can give me an actual fight. And as long as I don't provoke Juggernaut or repeat Gohan's mistake with Cell, I shouldn't have any trouble handling his strongest form. Honestly, Red Goblin and Juggernaut... Peter and Ace can manage them. My focus is on the others; the rest of the characters will eventually be dealt with.

"Guardian," Lamb called as she entered the tent, tilting her head, "are you still planning the attack on the enemy commander?"

"No, I already have a plan in mind," I replied briskly. "Why do you ask?"

"I... I just want to be of service to you, Guardian. Aurelion Sol has put his full faith in you three, and I can't just stand by doing nothing while you're saving a world that isn't even yours," she said, her voice growing softer, almost a mumble.