Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

A somewhat anxious Black Panther pulled Peter away from the banquet hall in a hurry.

Although some people noticed their departure, no one stepped forward to inquire further.

After weaving through numerous twists and turns, Peter followed Black Panther to a relatively secluded area.

Along the way, perhaps due to the absence of bystanders, Black Panther shared some of his thoughts.

Black Panther speculated that the blood depletion condition afflicting him might be linked to the Heart-Shaped Herb they consumed!

While the Heart-Shaped Herb could transform its users, granting them superhuman physical abilities, heightened senses, and more, it also concealed a deadly toxin within.

For countless generations, only the royal family of Wakanda, who bore the mantle of Black Panther, possessed the ability to fully tame the Heart-Shaped Herb.

Others who dared to consume it faced tremendous risks, with a high likelihood of sudden death.

There was only one exception:

To defeat a member of the Black Panther lineage in a fair battle under the watchful eye of Bast, the Panther Goddess, and claim the title of Wakandan King.

In doing so, one could receive the blessing of Bast and safely consume the Heart-Shaped Herb.

However, over the generations, the toxin within the herb had deeply fused with the Black Panther family's very blood and bones.

In truth, rather than taming the herb, it was more accurate to say that the Black Panther lineage had adapted to the toxin.

Under normal circumstances, this "toxin" posed no harm to them. Yet, once a Black Panther reached a certain age, they had to drink a special potion to neutralize the effects of the herb within their bodies.

This explained why T'Chaka, T'Challa's father and the former Black Panther, was killed by a terrorist bomb. His age had forced him to relinquish the powers of the Heart-Shaped Herb, leaving him a mere mortal and without his Panther suit.

Otherwise, given the reflexes of the Black Panther—even in old age and coupled with the protection of the suit—he would not have succumbed to a bomb.

According to the Black Panther family's history, the probability of the herb's toxin manifesting fatally was exceedingly low.

But T'Challa happened to be that rare exception.

This was likely a unique case in the history of the Black Panther lineage.

It was no wonder he was at a loss for a solution.

Had Peter not coincidentally possessed quantum energy and introduced him to the concept of the microscopic particle field, the remaining time might not have sufficed for him to make any breakthroughs.

Based on Black Panther's own calculations, he could have as long as five years or as little as a single day before succumbing to the effects of the blood depletion condition.

Perhaps, in the original timeline, Black Panther realized this truth and chose to dedicate the remainder of his life entirely to Wakanda's cause, leaving the condition untreated.

After all, aside from his own life, Wakanda was the most important thing to him as its king.

No—Wakanda might have been more important to him than his very life.

As Black Panther shared his story, Peter listened intently until they finally came to a stop.

Peter knew they had arrived at their destination.

The area appeared to be at the back of the Wakandan royal palace.

Unlike the high-tech structures at the front, this place seemed to transport them back to a primordial era, surrounded by raw, unrefined rocky terrain.

Black Panther approached a section of the cliff face.

Wait, this feels familiar. Peter's eyes widened. The scene of Black Panther's figure against the rocky wall overlapped with an image of Aunt May.

Sure enough, Black Panther extended his hand and pressed a specific spot on the rock wall. Instantly, the plain, unremarkable wall began to emit a radiant glow.

The light converged into the shape of a panther's head.

The rock wall opened.

"Please, come in," Black Panther gestured invitingly.

Peter stepped inside without hesitation.

This déjà vu feeling is getting stronger, isn't it?

However, the scene that unfolded next was entirely different from the Spider-Verse.

As Peter and Black Panther stood still, there was a slight tremor. Peter soon realized they were moving rapidly.

It appeared to be horizontal movement.

Clearly, this was a secret base carved into the mountains, not one that extended underground.

If Peter's guess was right, the mechanism beneath his feet was some form of high-speed magnetic levitation system.

This meant that the base was far more deeply hidden than he had initially imagined—possibly built to the standards of a nuclear bunker.

In fact, its defensive capabilities were undoubtedly superior to those of any nuclear bunker.

Having brought Peter here, it was evident that Black Panther had no intention of hiding anything from him.

"This is a secret base that only the Wakandan kings of past generations have been able to use," Black Panther explained.

Peter quickly responded, "I promise I won't reveal its existence."

Black Panther smiled faintly. "If I were worried about that, I wouldn't have brought you here."

With a faint collision sound followed by a subtle forward tilt, Peter finally saw the full extent of this secret base, exclusive to the Wakandan king.

At its center was a massive panther statue—a representation of Bast, the panther goddess worshiped in Wakanda.

Legend has it that the Black Panther family's powers originate from Bast.

Peter didn't linger on the carving for long. His gaze quickly swept over the rest of the base's interior.

From ancient spears with traditional designs to modern weapons clearly made of vibranium, the space was equipped with an array of items.

Peter guessed these were likely the weapons used by Black Panthers of past generations.

It was clear this secret base served not only as the private domain of the Black Panther but also as something akin to a royal tomb.

However, what stood out the most was a piece of equipment resembling a stasis pod straight out of a science fiction story.

Black Panther walked over to the device and said, "This is called the Regeneration Cradle. It was once used by the Avengers. A year ago, I purchased it from Dr. Cho, hoping it could heal my body. But unfortunately, it was ineffective."

Peter suddenly understood.

No wonder it looked so familiar.

This was the same device that appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron!

In the movie, during the battle against Ultron, Hawkeye was critically injured. At that moment, a Korean scientist named Dr. Helen Cho introduced the Regeneration Cradle.

Using a technology called "nano-medicine," it successfully repaired Hawkeye's damaged internal organs and saved his life.

Apparently, Black Panther had modified the Regeneration Cradle, making it slightly different from its original form. That was why Peter hadn't recognized it at first glance.

However, despite the modifications, the device's functionality remained limited to the molecular level. It couldn't delve deeper into atomic or subatomic levels.

No matter how much it was upgraded, unless its working range could be expanded to atoms, subatoms, or even further, it wouldn't be able to address the blood depletion condition.

From a molecular perspective, Black Panther's body was incredibly healthy—stronger than 99.999% of the people in the world.

What, then, was there to repair?

As Peter examined the items in the room, Black Panther opened one side of the Regeneration Cradle.

"If possible, could you channel some quantum energy into this?"

(End of Chapter)

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