Marvel's Death Merchant

...roll over again

Roll over again...

Chapter 69: Entering The Matrix Revolutions

The world of The Matrix is ​​shrouded in darkness, its atmosphere enveloped by thick, ionized clouds teeming with lightning. This harsh environment, devoid of sunlight, doesn't resemble Earth at all; perhaps it's simply not a place for humans to inhabit.

"We've arrived just in time. It'll be a great opportunity to 'steal' the Mechanical Emperor later," Tang Tianzuo said excitedly in the command center of the spaceship, which was floating in space.

Seeing Neo and Trinity riding a hovercraft on the virtual control panel in the command center, Tang Tian was very satisfied with his timing. He had arrived at the end of *The Matrix Revolutions*. At the end, the Mechanical Emperor would appear, and Tang Tian would directly appear with hundreds of Reapers from *Terminator 4* to capture him. After completely modifying his program, he would gain control of a dimension.

Although the current plot wasn't particularly helpful, Tang Tian still glanced at it. *The Matrix Revolutions* tells the story of a human city on the brink of destruction, facing a horde of electronic squids. Morpheus, Trinity, and others are determined to fight the invaders to the death. At this moment, Neo's body and mind unexpectedly separate, with the latter falling back into the "Matrix." Morpheus and Trinity are forced to return to the "Matrix" with Neo's body, joining the Guardian Angels to search for him. After a fierce battle, the Guardian Angels, the viral twins, and others perish, while Neo, after finding the Oracle, finds nothing…

The situation in Zion grows increasingly dangerous. Senators and commanders fall one after another, yet the machine attacks show no sign of abating despite human resistance. Meanwhile, Neo, blinded by a traitor, still clings to hope to fulfill the prophecy. Agent Smith gains control of the Oracle, who grows increasingly powerful, threatening the stability of the entire Matrix. On their return to Zion, the ship is attacked by electronic squids; Trinity dies, and a critically wounded Neo is taken to the machine city of 01.

During negotiations with the machines, Neo agrees to eliminate Smith for the common good of both humans and machines. Thus, the Matrix faces another cataclysmic "Overload"...

After considering the plot, Tang Tian felt sorry for humanity in this world. First, they created an out-of-control artificial intelligence, and then they thought that shutting down the sun would deplete the Mechanical Emperor's energy and shut it down. However, the Mechanical Emperor's very nature meant that its intelligence far surpassed that of Wikipedia, Skynet, and the Red Queen. Humanity reaped what it sowed, being transformed into biological batteries by the Mechanical Emperor. But Tang Tian's primary target this time was the 'Mechanical Emperor'; modifying his mind would be equivalent to possessing all the technology of the Matrix world.

------------------ ...

Tang Tian also thought about the details of The Matrix Revolutions, since they would be helpful in capturing the Mechanical Emperor.

The details are as follows: In the real world, Morpheus, Trinity, and Neo from the Logos spaceship reunite, along with Bane, who has been brainwashed and possessed. Trinity and the others learn of Neo's current situation from the "Oracle" and, led by their guardian angels, go to Merovingian to demand Neo's return. The pleasure-seeking Merovingian is currently enjoying a sensual atmosphere with Persephone at his Hell Bar, and naturally refuses to hand over Neo, leading to a fierce battle. With Persephone's help, Trinity and the others finally bring Neo back to reality.

After his final conversation with the Oracle, Neo understood his mission. From this point on, the story unfolds along two parallel paths. One follows Morpheus and Niobe as they return to Zion and join the base's inhabitants in fighting the machine army's attack; the other follows Trinity, unwilling to be separated from Neo, and determined to abandon everything to travel with him to the sacred city of the machine world—01. Although Niobe doesn't believe the Oracle's words, she begins to trust Neo, lending him and Trinity her fastest ship, the Logos, while she and Morpheus return to Zion on the Hammer. Unexpectedly, Bane, who has secretly awakened, sneaks aboard the Logos. After a fierce battle, Bane's physical body dies, and Neo is severely wounded. Overcoming numerous obstacles from the machine army, Neo finally arrives at 01. Meanwhile, in Zion, humanity has decided to launch a final self-defense operation. They organize all their APPUs (Armored Personal Units) and engage in a duel against 250000 Electro-Octopuses and massive drilling machines…

In City 01, Neo finally confronts Deusex Machina—the true ruler of the machine world—and the two negotiate and reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Smith's abilities expand further; he can now share any information Neo has accessed. He finds the Oracle's hiding place and replicates her, learning of Neo's mission in the process. Undeterred, he begins endlessly replicating himself within the Matrix, threatening the system's very existence…

Neo, having made a deal with "Megatron," was sent into the Matrix, where Smith awaited him. The two engaged in a duel unique to "Superman." The fate of both worlds—machines and humans—depended on the outcome of this battle, and the final result was... 'peace'.

------------------ ...

For Tang Tian now, obtaining the Mechanical Emperor from this dimension is the greatest help he can receive. After the Matrix's looting ends, Tang Tian will digest and erase these technologies. He will then live in the main Marvel universe for a period of time, at least obtaining the genes of Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Hulk before leaving. He has already largely decided on his next round of interdimensional travel plans: *G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra*, *Transcendence*, *Chronicle*, *Lucy*, *Limitless*... some dimensions will become his new targets.

The technology from *The Matrix* that would be most helpful to Tang Tian is likely the Matrix Virtual Reality World. This technology, which transforms human consciousness into programs, could significantly increase the talent pool within the Iron Empire. Just like the chip implantation in *The Terminator*, the Matrix Virtual Reality World can cultivate talent in all fields, allowing Tang Tian to learn and absorb various kinds of knowledge within it. Therefore, obtaining the 'Mechanical Emperor' is currently the most important thing.

Upon entering Earth, they encountered thick ionized clouds filled with lightning, but Tang Tian stated that the spaceship would ignore these clouds. Although Tang Tian didn't obtain the energy shield technology from Independence Day, using the spaceship's secondary cannons to clear a path wouldn't be a problem. He had prepared numerous plans to obtain what he needed this time.

------------------ ...

P.S.: I'll only write two chapters for The Matrix at most, then add Marvel storylines, which might include Iron Man and Spider-Man. Please support me! I'll do my best. Finally, please add to your favorites, recommend, and vote! Thank you for your support, fellow readers.

Chapter 70 The Mechanical Emperor

In Zero City, countless octopus-shaped robots drifted aimlessly. Neo was negotiating with the hovering "Sea Urchin" spacecraft, the Mechanical Emperor, who used a face made of mechanical octopuses to conduct what he called a final negotiation. Tang Tian could have predicted the outcome; in some ways, the Mechanical Emperor was similar to Skynet, and even if Neo sacrificed his peace, it wouldn't last long.

The drills of the mechanical octopuses have penetrated to an unknown depth underground. The deeper they go, the more obvious the signs of human intervention become, revealing metal pipes and even some writing. This suggests that this might be a bustling underground city. Even without visible buildings, these complex metal pipes could indicate underground transportation routes, remnants of past human activity.

"The humans of this world are truly pathetic, pinning their hopes on some vague savior to exchange for an unattainable peace. How ironic!" Inside the spaceship, Tang Tian subtly infiltrated the Mechanical Emperor's network through the SkyNet. This allowed him to observe when the opportune moment was to see the world's situation from the mechanical octopus's perspective.

Tang Tian thought the humans in the Matrix world were a bunch of idiots. The war between the Machine Emperor and humanity resulted in a human defeat. Humans used technology to block out sunlight, preventing the Machine Emperor from using it, thinking this would deprive the robot army of energy. However, humanity underestimated the Machine Emperor's self-evolution. He cultivated humans as energy sources, since any living being can absorb nutrients and convert them into energy to power its bodily functions. Therefore, the Machine Emperor treated humans as living beings and gave them consciousness in a virtual world, thus creating the Matrix's virtual world.

"Pfft, damn it! Zion Base really is well hidden." Tang Tian said with a sarcastic tone as he saw the full view of Zion Base, humanity's last refuge, through a map made up of countless mechanical octopuses.

Tang Tian still hadn't made a move, merely watching humanity's final resistance with keen interest. The massive Zion base was divided into several levels, capable of housing tens of thousands of people, surrounded by layers of solid underground rock. The only entrance was a sturdy, hundred-ton steel gate, while the underground passages formed an incredibly complex maze. This time, the humans of Zion clearly sensed the crisis and were preparing for a final battle against the mechanical octopus army. In truth, the outcome was already decided. Human society at its peak had been crippled by the Mechanical Emperor, let alone the current, barely surviving humans. If they succeeded, Tang Tian would only use his most common phrase to express his feelings: "Damn it, this is absolutely infuriating!"

------------------ ...

The Zion base's last remaining asset was its individual combat mech unit, which, while somewhat similar to the mechs in Avatar, was only equipped with two rapid-fire machine guns on its armor for offense, and its defensive capabilities were practically negligible.

Others were also armed with rocket launchers and firearms; everyone capable of fighting was armed, even the children. Their moth-to-a-flame determination couldn't change the facts. Tang Tian remained unmoved, observing the situation around him.

At the same time, in the high-level conference room in Zion.

In the meeting room, which was filled with the atmosphere of a classical parliament, the members of parliament were having a heated discussion, continuing to bicker about meaningless matters.

The deep well dug by the mechanical octopus stretched for tens of kilometers. The mechanical octopus officially entered the base through this well. Hundreds upon hundreds of individual combat mechs aimed their weapons at the breach in Zion's city. A battlefield commander in red said, "Alright! This is the moment of finality. You are all warriors, and what I have to say is very simple."

The entire mech unit stared solemnly at their commander, their eyes filled with unwavering resolve. "If we cannot escape death, I have only one request: even if it means our sacrifice... we must make him pay the price. For our future," the commander declared forcefully.

"Fight to the death!" All the individual combat mech units raised their right hands and shouted fervently. Humanity, driven to the brink of despair, was preparing to unleash its strongest attack.

"Although it may seem like a moth drawn to a flame, the strongest attack that humanity unleashes is absolutely formidable. That's what makes humanity so great," Tang Tian murmured to himself.

Suddenly, he seemed to recall a novel he had read in his past life—"Black Blood." In the middle of the story, humanity knew that the other races would lead to their extinction, but in their despair, they unleashed their strongest chemical weapons and abilities, wiping out many powerful beings and ensuring the once beautiful environment could never be restored. This made Tang Tian truly understand the greatness of humanity. That novel was also one of Tang Tian's favorites back then, and if he had the time, he wouldn't mind planting a mushroom cloud in the sky city of that dimension.

------------------ ...

"Now is the best time. Activate the Reaper through Skynet." Tang Tian, ​​seeing Neo's sacrifice and the departure of the overwhelming mechanical octopuses from Zion Base, knew that now was the best time, so he gave the order to Skynet on his wrist.

“Yes, the mainframe,” Skynet mechanically replied woodenly. Tang Tian’s wrist microcomputer now possessed three artificial intelligence programs, all mindless clones. They were dedicated to serving Tang Tian’s plundering missions, while their original counterparts managed the mechanical city in Colony 2.

Obtaining more benefits from the Mechanical Emperor is possible for ordinary people. But for Tang Tian, ​​it's very easy. How could a bandit not have a way to deal with him?

The imposing spaceship swaggered into Earth's atmosphere, and upon entering the ionosphere, Tang Tian casually destroyed it with his secondary cannon. As it entered Zero Mechanical City, the Mechanical Emperor reacted, dispatching the remaining mechanical octopuses to attack Tang Tian's spaceship. Because a large number of octopus robots were rushing back from Zion Base, Zero Mechanical City's defenses were extremely weak.

When Tang Tian entered the Mechanical City, hundreds of 30-meter-tall Reapers had already jumped down, their shoulder-mounted electromagnetic pulse cannons now gleaming with a blinding blue light. "Zzzzzzzzzzz...!!!"

The Reaper's hundreds of electromagnetic pulse cannon shots cleared a large space for the mechanical octopuses in Zero Mechanic City. While electromagnetic pulse cannons are largely harmless to humans, they inflict fatal damage on electronics and associated mechanical products. Countless mechanical octopuses were seen rising white smoke from the ground, demonstrating the destructive power of the electromagnetic pulse cannons on machinery.

Soon, Zero Mechanic City was attacked by a powerful electromagnetic pulse from the secondary cannons of the space battleship, rendering all the city's buildings inoperable. Of course, this did not apply to the hidden super artificial intelligence, but it was quickly discovered and captured by the Reaper, who seized its mission objective.

"Hehe, why don't you run away!" Tang Tian said smugly, looking at the "Sea Urchin" flying machine (i.e., the Mechanical Emperor) in front of him.

"Human, what exactly is your purpose?" The Mechanical Emperor remained silent for a moment, then formed a human face using the mechanical octopuses within his body, speaking calmly through the resonance of the mechanical octopuses (mimicking the function of a human throat). The Mechanical Emperor acted as if he were not currently a prisoner.

"Of course, I need your wisdom." Tang Tian said only one sentence before tossing the Mechanical Emperor into his own alternate-dimensional space, preparing to temporarily leave this plane. After modifying the Mechanical Emperor's program, Tang Tian went to the Marvel main world for a long time, after all, the development of the main world could not lag behind.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

P.S.: Thank you to reader "脑筋不会转身588" for the generous donation. The author will continue to work hard on the writing. Finally, please add to your favorites, recommend, and vote! Thank you everyone.

Chapter 71 Development

"The Steel Empire has finally been established. The Steel Empire, which combines the technologies of I: Robotics, Terminator, and The Matrix, has been born." Tang Tian said with emotion upon hearing about the birth of the Steel Empire.

Colony 2 has now become a technological marvel straight out of a science fiction blockbuster, with countless octopus-like robots drifting through the planet's interior and outer space, rapidly exploiting the universe's resources. Inside, countless robots are constantly producing. Tang Tian is walking the same path Zhang Min once walked. The Iron Empire has finally taken root in the Marvel universe; it represents a new rise for the Technocracy.

"Boss, I have to say, although you wasted a bit of time, our empire has been rebuilt. The main system is jointly controlled by the Machine Emperor, Skynet, Wiki, and Red Queen. Through digesting and absorbing the technology, we can now manufacture the T-888 (from Terminator: The Movie). As long as the empire continues its research, the widespread adoption of the T-1000 is possible." Tang Xing excitedly told his boss after returning from the Dying Light dimension.

"Of course, if we go to the Terminator Genisys world next time, we can mass-produce the T-1000, and also obtain the time machine to travel through parallel universes. The T-3000 can make the Empire even stronger," Tang Tian said calmly.

"Well, it seems our most powerful robot is the T-888. The military NS-5 is also quite powerful. The multi-functional octopus robot is suitable for combat and construction. Our empire can develop even more advanced technology. I think, boss, if you could get the complete nanotechnology from 'Transcendence' and 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,' you should be able to use powers like Zhang Min's." Tang Xing suggested, looking at Tang Tian who was observing his surroundings.

"Yes, that's what I think too," Tang Tian nodded in agreement.

"Boss, what's your next step?" Tang Xing asked seriously. Although the Steel Empire had been successfully established, it still required a great deal of resources and technology for further development, which was why Tang Xing asked this question.

"In those colonies we go to, we'll establish robot bases and wipe out the native inhabitants of that time. You'll need to go to the 'Infinite Terror' dimension to exchange for some high-tech knowledge from the Infinite God. I'll do something in the Survival Road world, and then I'll live in the Marvel main universe for a long time," Tang Tian said calmly, outlining his plan.

"Okay, I understand. I'll do my best," Tang Xing nodded and said.

------------------ ...

Deep within the Steel Empire, countless octopus robots sort steel obtained from other dimensions. Materials with special alloys are recycled, and the parts flow to an Imperial factory conveyor belt equipped with a Terminator sieve. Scrap steel and ore are transported along the conveyor belt, converging all the steel waste into a furnace! The molten steel flows from the furnace, its magma-like heat being transported furnace after furnace to the deeper parts of the Empire. On the sparking, scorching assembly line, one after another, ferocious Terminators and octopus robots begin to assemble, producing over 5 Terminators or octopus robots daily. Deep within the Mechanical City, Terminators and mechanical octopuses are assembled and activated. The NS-5 manufacturing line, however, is much gentler, at least without sparks or similar phenomena.

Tang Tian's purpose in coming to Left 4 Dead was to help several main characters escape, as he was a big fan of the characters from Left 4 Dead 1 and 2. After completing his plan, Tang Tian arrived in the Left 4 Dead world.

Left 4 Dead, Death Center Gun Shop.

"Oh...wait..." Due to everyone's conditioned reflex, fearing that the thing was an alarm system that might attract infected people, they subconsciously tried to stop Luo Xue'er, but Luo Xue'er seemed to be one step ahead.

"Shh...shh..." Suddenly, a voice came from the loudspeaker, sounding like another survivor.

"Hello, I've locked myself in the attic and have plenty of food, but I was in such a hurry that I forgot to bring any Coke. My suggestion is: could you get me some Coke from that store, and I'll clear the way for you to get to the shopping center."

"Who is this person? Where is he?" Nick asked after hearing the announcement over the loudspeaker. "I think this person is probably the owner of this gun shop, an arms dealer, yes, an arms dealer," Rosie said with certainty.

"What? Why should we help him? Where is he?!" Nick was completely puzzled.

“It’s obvious the road to the shopping mall is blocked. Let’s go find a Coke and give it to him, maybe he’ll help us. I saw a convenience store behind this gun shop on the overpass earlier, I think he wants us to go there,” Kenneth explained as he came out and opened the back door of the gun shop, then went out. The four of them went up the stairs from the back door of the gun shop and heard the voice of the arms dealer from the room on the right. He seemed to be in a very secure, sealed attic.

------------------ ...

"Is that you? Looks like there are a few of you. Put the Coke in through the port on this door. I can use my ultimate weapon, the rocket launcher, to blow up those concrete walls." The voice of the arms dealer came from the room on the right side of the stairwell. Although you couldn't see what he looked like, he seemed to be in very good condition, without any fear of the world being infected by the virus.

"Really? Why don't you go and look for rescue? It's so close, you could help us go together." Luo Xue'er asked, drawing out her words so that the arms dealer inside could hear her clearly.

"Oh! You're a girl? Girls who survive in this situation are no ordinary people. I'm really thirsty. I remember there's a Coke shop across the street. Hurry up! I can't wait any longer. I hope we don't waste any more time. Brave girl!" It seems the arms dealer only had Coke on his mind.

“It’s definitely blocked off by a concrete wall over there. Looks like we’ll have to get him a Coke,” Nick said, walking towards the shop across the street. “I think it’s safe inside. The door’s locked, so there definitely aren’t any infected people inside. But I wonder if breaking the glass door will alert the horde,” Rosie said seriously, also walking towards the shop across the street.

“Glass door? No… I think this reinforced glass won’t make any loud noise. We just need to watch out for the infected who might try to ambush us. Ellis and I will keep watch outside. You two go find Coke.” Nick answered everyone. Some of the infected sensed the movement of the four of them jumping down the flower bed steps and rushed over one by one.

"Pfft..." Ellis, wielding his blood-stained crowbar, cleaved the onrushing infected in two, splattering blood that instantly blackened the sweltering road. "Heh, some guys are just too restless. You can spot us even if we just jump over a flowerbed step. By the way, we're not grass-eating rabbits!"

Nick looked at Ellis and smiled generously. "Who knows what they're thinking?" Ellis replied with a smile as well.

"Save4less, what's that? The name's certainly intriguing." The four arrived at the store's entrance, staring at the strange name, and crouched under the glass door, ready. Nick took the fire axe from his back and covered it with a cloth to prevent the sound of hitting the glass. Nick prepared, swung the axe forcefully, and smashed it against the store glass.

"Bang...bang...--Ding...ding...ding..." Just as Nick smashed the glass, the store's security system went off, the alarm ringing loudly through the quiet city. Tang Tian's task was to rescue these people and then get to the main Marvel universe.

-------------------------------------------------------

P.S.: I'll only write a maximum of 3 chapters, please support me! By the way, it'll be available for purchase soon, please subscribe. 3 chapters tomorrow, 2 chapters guaranteed thereafter, 4 chapters if we get over 300 subscribers.

Chapter 72 Rescue (Part 1)

"Roar...roar..."

The commotion emanating from the infected in the deathly quiet corner of the city was chilling, and one could hear a large number of infected swarming towards this place. It seemed that the alarm had attracted a large wave of infected.

"How could this happen? What should we do? We've woken them up," Luo Xue'er said in a panic.

"Let's start the battle!..." Nick said, and with all his might, he smashed the still-unbroken glass with the fire axe again. "Crack..." With a loud sound, the glass door shattered into pieces by Nick. Seeing the glass break, the four people immediately hid in the store and took their positions, ready to fight.

"Ha! Gasoline bottles, let you taste the flames!" Nick found two gasoline bottles lying outside the store in a corner and set them on fire with a bullet. Instantly, gasoline leaked out and turned into flames, forming a wall of fire.

"Nick, what are you doing? We're not going to be burned to death by your fire, are we?" Alice said, puzzled and angry, because the fire had spread into the house, and the black smoke was making everyone's eyes water.

"It's safe. I know this store uses fire-resistant materials, and I know I studied interior design," Nick told everyone impatiently. Although they had lost their high-tech weapons, their cooperation had become increasingly close.

A group of infected people rushed over at this moment; their bodies were like cotton cloth that would ignite upon contact with fire.

The fire and the gunpowder from the four people made the infected seem very weak. The four were cheering for the barbecued infected, which was obviously all thanks to Nick, who lit the fire of victory.

"Luo Xue'er! Go inside and look for Coke! These zombies are no match for us anymore," Nick said, toying with the infected wandering around outside, who were being burned. He then used his gun to break a large plastic water pipe inside the house.

The water pipes immediately gushed out white water, extinguishing the fire that had spread into the house. At this point, the alarm stopped.