American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 249 The Moral Dilemma Superman Is Destined to Face

Although Odin said that the real collision would happen tomorrow, Rune still planned to go to the Marvel Universe earlier. This time, Rune chose to bring Clark and Raven along, mainly to broaden their horizons.

If the universe that collided with the normal universe was a zombie universe, then Rune would never have brought Clark and Raven along. The infectious power of the zombie universe was too strong; even powerful beings like Thor and the Hulk couldn't resist the virus, let alone Raven, who was still in his growth stage. Rune wasn't sure if Clark would be infected, after all, he was a man blessed by God.

However, the cancerous universe is different. When a multi-faceted being corrupts a universe, it requires the cooperation of others and does not have a direct infectiousness; it just looks disgusting.

So, as soon as school was over, Rune found Raven and Clark and went to a secluded spot.

"What's wrong?" Clark asked, puzzled. Rune rarely chose to take them to another universe so early. Raven also looked at Rune with a puzzled expression.

"Didn't you always want to be a hero?" Rune asked Clark.

Clark realized something, and his handsome face instantly turned bright red with excitement.

"Really?"

Rune nodded, looking at the excited Clark, and shook his head: "Whatever you're thinking, this mission to save the world will definitely be different from what you imagine."

This isn't about facing a powerful monster where defeating it will save the world, nor is it simply about rescuing a few people. You'll face moral dilemmas, and reality will force you to choose between saving the majority or the minority. In the face of this major event known as the Secret War, saving all lives is an impossible task.

Rune opened the portal, curious whether Clark would be able to solidify his life's beliefs after this event. Undoubtedly, Clark's mindset would grow after this incident, providing valuable experience for Superman in future DC events.

Rune looked at Raven. Compared to Superman, on whom he had placed his hopes, Raven also possessed considerable potential. However, Rune felt somewhat helpless in the face of her special feelings for him.

"Go in."

Raven nodded, then followed Clark into the portal.

As Rune was the last to step inside, the strange phenomenon in the sky instantly caught his eye. Clark and Raven were stunned; where had they ever seen anything like it? That enormous, terrifying monster with its mouth agape looked so much like—

"Earth?" Clark asked blankly, tilting his head back.

Clark's powerful eyesight allowed him to see certain landmarks, but he still couldn't believe that the twisted, corrupt, and decadent planet was actually Earth.

Damn it, Odin's prophecy has failed!

But in an instant, Rune immediately realized the reason for Odin's prophecy error. For a multi-horned being, who is an unnameable, ineffable, and unobservable member of the Great Old Ones, there are countless ways he could mislead Odin into making a wrong prophecy.

The Multihorned Ones can easily devour entire galaxies, reshape the rules of the universe, and even corrupt Galactus and kill the very concept of death in a universe. They are undoubtedly one of the most dangerous concept-level threats in the Marvel Universe, firmly placing them at the top of the multiverse in terms of power.

Moreover, the terror of multi-faceted beings lies not in their destructive power, but in their ability to distort the rules of reality.

Rune speculated that the Horned Ones might be creations of the First Firmament, the precursor to the multiverse in the Marvel Universe. However, he didn't believe the Horned Ones were stronger than the Beyonders. Their only weakness was their fear of death. As for how they evaded the Beyonders' hunt, just look at Earth with its gaping maw. The Horned Ones had most likely hidden deep within Earth, or even assimilated it. The Beyonders originally intended to destroy Earth, and since the Horned Ones had infiltrated it, they probably didn't care—it would be destroyed sooner or later anyway.

The raven composed itself and asked in a low voice, "Are we... going to destroy another Earth?"

"Yes, that universe has been corrupted by a twisted being. So—I think we have no other choice."

Upon hearing this, Clark immediately turned to Rune: "Wait, we still don't know if there are any innocent lives among them that haven't been corrupted. I don't think everyone was corrupted willingly. There must be some way to save them."

Before Clark could finish speaking, Rune interrupted him, saying, "That's enough."

He turned to Clark: "We don't have that much time, Clark. The truth is, to save this normal Earth, we must destroy another Earth."

Clark fell silent again. His superbrain was telling him that, given the current known conditions, destroying a cancerous Earth to save the normal universe was the only option at the moment. However, his beliefs, his dreams, and his parents' teachings all told him that he should not save the majority by destroying the minority.

Should a small minority sacrifice themselves for the majority?

Raven looked at Clark and Rune with concern. They had already had their share of infighting. "Perhaps we should go to the other superheroes in this universe and ask for their opinions?" Raven proposed a very feasible plan, but Clark shook his head.

"Many heroes have already fought there," Clark said disappointedly, pointing to the terrifying Earth. Seeing this scene made him feel very uneasy.

If even superheroes are helpless and have no choice but to destroy another Earth, then what can Clark change? He's only just earned his title!

"Welcome to the adult world." Rune patted Clark on the shoulder. This world was like this; there was no simple black and white, only shades of gray. Clark was destined to face many similar choices in the future, and he had to understand and become familiar with this sense of powerlessness, and try to break free from it.

The heroes' excessively high moral standards are indeed one of their weaknesses.

"I'm going to help out. You guys are free to do as you please." Rune shook his head and opened a portal. Raven followed him. In the last moment before the portal closed, she looked back, sincerely hoping that Clark would catch up.

But Clark didn't.

He turned and left. Raven could only focus her attention on the other side of the portal—Rune had opened it directly in the very center of the battlefield, where an extremely terrifying number of cancerous creatures had gathered. Perhaps they had once been human, but now they had become hideous, deformed monsters. Just looking at them made Raven feel nauseous.

"Be careful," Rune warned, and Raven nodded.

It's time to unleash a massacre.

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