LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 20: Chapter 20
"Let's go!" Ashburn roared, appearing behind Doom, His fist colliding with Doom's back in a devastating impact. But this wasn't just a punch. This was everything.
All of his MP. All of his power—funneled into his arm, flooding his muscles with such overwhelming force that they expanded in real-time, surging with raw energy just to withstand the strain.
With a roar, Doom's spine was nearly ripped out. Ashburn had poured everything into his, [Ruler's Authority], [Umbrakinesis], and every last drop of MP. His strength had peaked, his power crushing through Doom's defenses, the sheer force tearing through his body.
But Doom wasn't done. Desperation flared. His power surged, and in an instant, he formed an impenetrable barrier around himself—just in time. The sudden force of the barrier severed Ashburn's arm at the wrist, cutting off his momentum before he could fully tear Doom's spine free.
BOOM!
The impact was apocalyptic. The sheer force of the clash shook the entire world, triggering earthquakes felt across continents. The sky cracked, the air shattered, and the battlefield distorted under the pressure of their battle.
Doom was sent rocketing backward, his body engulfed in burns. But that wasn't all. Above them, the dark clouds churned—and then the sky burned.
High above, a figure floated, radiating unimaginable power. Storm had fused—not just with Rogue, but also with The Human Torch. She hovered over the battlefield, untouchable, her very presence warping the sky itself. Above her, the storm clouds churned, but this wasn't natural lightning. The flashes within the storm weren't blue. They were burning red.
"Enough!" Doom's roar shook the battlefield as his body regenerated, the surrounding darkness knitting his injuries back together at an alarming rate.
But just as he opened his mouth to draw breath, Ashburn's dagger struck. The blade buried itself deep into his throat, cutting off his words before…
Boom!
The dagger exploded, sending Doom staggering backward in a violent blast of shadow and fire. Before he could recover, Ashburn was already behind him. In an instant, Ashburn's arms locked around Doom's waist.
And then… Suplex.
Doom's head and spine crashed into the ground with a devastating shockwave, but before the impact even settled, the sky answered.
A bolt of red lightning, burning hotter than the sun, came crashing down. Doom had no time to react.
BOOM!
The earth ruptured, the air itself ignited, the heat so intense it cooked both of them on impact. But Doom took the brunt of the damage. Ashburn, though burned and battered, was already moving.
Fighting through the agony of his shattered bones, he forced himself up,
"I can't wait to be able to heal using the darkness like you! But let's worry about killing you first…" Ashburn smirked despite the pain, his body barely holding together from the overwhelming damage. He glanced to the side.
"Charles. Your turn." Just as a shadow blade shot at Ashburn's throat, a heat beat away from hitting him, It froze.
Doom's pupils shrank. His body locked up, realization hitting him too late. His mental defenses had dropped, and in that instant, Charles had slipped into his mind.
And worse, The tech protecting his thoughts? Destroyed by the lightning.
"Game over… kill him."
Ashburn's voice was calm, final. And with that, he collapsed backward, finally allowing himself to rest.
The battlefield shifted. The moment his domain faded, Doom's domain vanished with it. And in the very next second, Susan moved.
There was no warning, no time for Doom to process what was happening.
POP.
Doom's head burst like a balloon.
But who said the battle was over? Ashborn barely had time to breathe, his body screaming in pain, his HP hanging on by a thread at 1,000. But rest wasn't an option. The moment Doom fell, the sky above them darkened as more powerful beings arrived.
The Eternals. The Inhumans. Every remaining superpowered entity on Earth that had sensed the battle, had arrived, their eyes streaming with hunger-smelling Ashbornblood.
"Food." It was soft, barely audible. But the moment Black Bolt spoke, the world shattered.
The mere murmur of his voice detonated the air itself, an invisible force ripping through the battlefield, obliterating everything in its path. The sheer pressure alone sent tremors through the ground, tearing the ruined city apart.
Ashburn barely had time to react before the blast wave hit, but Susan was faster. A barrier snapped into place around him, shielding him just as the shockwave tore through everything else.
For a moment, he didn't move. He simply sat there, staring up at the beings floating in the sky, his mind processing their arrival. Then, with a deep sigh, he slowly pushed himself up.
"Other than Doom…" His voice was calm, unbothered, as he dusted himself off. "Who on Earth can challenge me?"
No one answered. Because with a single thought from Susan, all of their heads exploded.
"Arise." Ashburn's voice was barely above a whisper, but the command carried through the battlefield like a force of nature.
Doom, the Eternals, the Inhumans, and every fallen powerhouse rose once more. Shadows coiled around them, binding them in eternal servitude. One by one, they fell to their knees. Each of them was now his.
But something felt off. Doom, who had just been a god-tier threat, now had the presence of a normal human. Ashburn frowned, confused. The only reason the system gave for this reason?
[He is Doom.]
Ashburn stared blankly at the message for a long moment before deciding he didn't have the energy to question it. He could barely keep himself standing, his body still wracked with pain.
But before he could even process the damage, His injuries vanished. His breath steadied. His strength returned in full.
And then, The system screen flooded his vision.
[Congratulations!]
[You have killed the X-Men, the Inhumans, the Eternals, Doctor Doom, and Doctor Strange.]
[You have gained 40 levels.]
[+3,000 to all stats.]
[+9,000 free stat points.]
[Congratulations on Completing a Mission: Full-Scale Threat Detected!]
You've gained the full attention of the X-Men… and even Doctor Strange.
Objective: Kill them all and show the might of the Shadow Monarch.
Reward: [Your Life] (Since you had no means of escape.), [2 Titles], [Shadow Preservation v3]
[Gained 2 New Titles]
[Touched the Void]
You have brushed against the Void, and the Void has taken notice of you. What happens when something that exists beyond comprehension realizes that someone, someday, might conquer it?
Buff: [ x2 to all stats], [Shadow and Darkness Affinity Boosted]
[Weak Point Attacker]
You exploited a weakness that few would have noticed. You faced Doctor Strange when he was at his most vulnerable—a being of righteous magic turned into something unnatural. His very existence as a zombie weakened him, and you took full advantage.
Buff: [Supreme Critical Attack]
[New Ability Gained: Supreme Critical Attack]
When you (or any of your Shadows) strike a weak point, the damage dealt is multiplied by 10. Attacks have a 15% chance of paralyzing or stunning the target. If the attack kills the target, you gain a temporary 10% boost to all stats.
[Shadow Preservation v3]- You can now not only sense through your shadows and use your skills through them. Skills used through shadows will be weakened but still effective.