World Master

Chapter 186: World Master

In the end, Old Barton still could not bring himself to kill Melissa.

Perhaps letting her live on and continue bearing all that pain was the greatest punishment he could give her?

Old Barton told himself that, but the real reason he had not acted was probably known only to him.

Just as Hawkeye was about to leave, Melissa took a map from her coat. She had prepared it specifically for Old Barton. She knew Clint wanted revenge. Though he had spared her, that did not mean he would spare the others.

The map came from Moonstone and marked the settlements she had established in the north. A few months ago, Moonstone had invited Melissa to help her build those communities, hoping her old teammate would lend a hand.

But Melissa had refused. She had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs. Her pitiful existence now was merely atonement for what she had done in the past.

Now that she had personally handed the map to Barton, Melissa finally felt that she had done a "good deed."

She asked Hawkeye to take her with him. If Hawkeye did not intend to kill her, then her redemption would have no meaning at all. Melissa knew Barton’s journey would not be easy. Even if he dealt with Moonstone, killing Baron Zemo would be no simple task.

So.

This time.

Melissa decided she would no longer remain silent.

"Did you really just hand Osborn City over to Blood Baron?"

Sitting in an armored SUV, Ashley finally could not hold back and voiced her question to Zhang Ye.

"I thought you were planning to stay mute for the rest of your life."

Zhang Ye smiled. They had been traveling for two days, and Ashley had remained silent the entire time. If she had not spoken now, Zhang Ye would have thought the girl had been scared out of her wits. After a pause, he answered.

"Trust those you employ, and do not employ those you distrust. John might not be much to look at, but when it comes to different positions and outcomes, he knows how to make the distinction. I believe he’ll handle everything properly."

"You trust him that much? He took part in the slaughter of heroes too," Ashley said, voicing her dissatisfaction as tactfully as she could.

"What you really want to ask is why I let him go so easily, right?" Zhang Ye saw through her thoughts at once, then continued.

"Ashley, you need to understand that no one in this world is ‘clean,’ including your father. Even if he used to be a hero, I cannot simply launch a massacre just because this world is in chaos. I need order. I need stability. And for that, I need people."

Ashley still seemed only half convinced, so Pietro spoke up from beside her.

"Listen, kid. The world I came from wasn’t much better than this one. I think the biggest problem in both worlds isn’t the rulers, but the people and society. Only when the people are stable, society is harmonious, and the whole world is filled with hope and vitality can these problems be solved—not by simply killing people or replacing the ruler."

"Killing the ruler and starting the wrong revolution will only make things worse. What happened to Krypton is a perfect example. Only by getting everyone onto the right path can civilization endure," Kara added.

Listening to the explanations of those three who had been through it all, Ashley fell into thoughtful silence.

She had never thought about such things before. Or rather, thinking about them back then would have been useless.

Ashley had been born in the wasteland. Ever since she could remember, she had watched gangs around her rob and plunder. From childhood, she had been taught that might made right. Only by becoming strong could she live a better life.

Under the influence of that environment, Ashley had developed a narrow and insular mindset. Her mentality became twisted, and she gradually abandoned even the most basic humanity and familial affection. She became extremely selfish and arrogant, because only then could she live better.

But after fighting Osborn’s Villain Alliance, Ashley had been struck senseless by the blow.

She had never imagined Zhang Ye and the others could be so terrifyingly powerful. What she understood even less was why, despite possessing such immense strength, they still carefully avoided drawing attention.

It was the first time Ashley had encountered something that completely contradicted everything she had previously believed.

In the past, she would never have wasted her thoughts on something so meaningless. To her, it would have been a complete waste of time. She would have been better off using that time to steal something.

But things were different now. Zhang Ye’s terrifying power forced her to confront the question that troubled her. She found it difficult to comprehend what Zhang Ye and the others had been doing lately, and she could not even understand what their goal was.

Seeing Ashley fall silent again, Zhang Ye kindly chose not to disturb her. He knew changing Ashley’s way of thinking would not be easy. Some things could only lead to new understanding after she experienced them for herself and overturned her former "naivety."

Perhaps that was what maturity meant?

After a pause, Zhang Ye tilted his head, glanced at the map, and asked, "Venom, are you sure we’re on the right route? Why does the navigation say we’ve entered World Master’s territory?"

"Sir, our route is certainly correct. Moonstone’s shelter is located near the Canadian border, and this is the fastest way to get there."

Venom emerged from Ashley’s shoulder, stretching its body from the backseat to Zhang Ye, who was driving. It looked at the map as it spoke.

"You should have told me earlier." Zhang Ye frowned, though he did not say much else.

"Sir, honestly, I’m not especially familiar with this area either. I really don’t know when World Master’s territory expanded this far," Venom said awkwardly.

"It’s fine. I’m not blaming you. It just feels a little troublesome." Zhang Ye sighed quietly.

"World Master? Who’s that?"

It was Kara and Pietro’s first time hearing the name. Seeing Zhang Ye’s speechless expression, Kara could not help asking out of curiosity. Pietro pricked up his ears, and even Ashley turned her gaze toward Zhang Ye.

"World Master… a primitive human who has lived for forty thousand years, transformed by alien technology. Advanced technology replaced his original body, greatly extending his lifespan and allowing him to survive until now."

Zhang Ye thought for a moment before explaining.

"He calls himself the ruler of this world and takes the title World Master. He was once Alpha Squadron’s archenemy. During the old war, the campaigns that wiped out Alpha Squadron and breached Atlantis were both his doing."