Chapter 98

What exactly is death like? It's probably hard for anyone to describe. Because it is a permanent proposition; death is the gateway to another world, and no one will ever know what lies beyond that gateway. The ones who hold this secret are the most silent group of people in the world—the dead. And the dead do not speak.

Zhou Yi now had no idea what had happened to him. His last memory was of being completely consumed by an endless solar storm. Now, he felt himself in a vast, empty void.

Whether it was seeing, hearing, or external perception, none of it seemed to work in this vast, empty void. There was nothing but endless darkness, a silence that was almost terrifying. In this silence, Zhou Yi could only wander aimlessly, as if he were a ghost. Or perhaps, he was a ghost now.

After drifting for an unknown amount of time, Zhou Yi finally felt a faint light. It was a very weak light, but in the endless darkness, it was particularly noticeable. Drawn by this light, he felt his body move uncontrollably in that direction.

The faint light grew closer, and when he finally drifted to the source, Zhou Yi could see what it was.

It was a lamp, an old-fashioned kerosene lamp that emitted a faint, soft light. This lamp gave off a magical glow, and under its light, Zhou Yi felt all his fear, unease, and anxiety melt away like snow under the sun. He slowly approached the lamp until a voice spoke.

"Stop, mortal! Do not approach the Lamp of Souls, it will make your soul completely tranquil!" It was a gentle voice, one that brought a sense of peace just by hearing it, as if returning to the embrace of one's mother in childhood.

Zhou Yi's eyes showed a hint of confusion as he asked, "What?"

"Mortal, your life is reviving. It is not yet your time to enter the world of the dead."

A dim figure slowly emerged from the faint light. It was a slender woman. A black cloak enveloped her entire body, making it impossible to see her true appearance. Only through the faint outline of her perfect figure and her gentle voice could one infer that she was an extremely beautiful being.

"Forgive me, lady! I do not understand your meaning. And may I ask who you are?" Zhou Yi shook his head slightly, puzzled by the woman's identity and her words.

"I have many identities in the multiverse, but most people call me Death!" The woman extended a snow-white wrist from under her cloak, gently lifting the kerosene lamp. "So you can call me Lady Death!"

The light from the kerosene lamp reflected off her white wrist onto the cloak. In that light, Zhou Yi could glimpse the true face under Lady Death's cloak. It was a face that should not belong to a human, almost flawless, with no trace of imperfection even under the most critical scrutiny. The most moving aspect was the aura she exuded, the ultimate gentleness, filled with the embrace and love for all life.

Without any hesitation, Zhou Yi believed the woman's identity. He bowed his head slightly, showing his respect to this great being.

"Greetings, noble Lady Death. However, I still have some doubts about what you just said. According to my memory, I should already be dead, in the solar storm!"

Zhou Yi was very certain of his memory, so he was quite calm about his death. Although it was a painful reality, it was not something he could not accept. Death was an inevitable result, just a matter of time.

"Your attitude is commendable, mortal. But your understanding still has some issues. It seems you do not fully understand your own existence!" Lady Death waved her hand slightly, and the surroundings changed dramatically.

The darkness quickly dissipated, and before Zhou Yi appeared a small, lavishly decorated room, surrounded by red and black curtains. The room exuded a luxurious and elegant atmosphere, making one feel a sense of enjoyment.

"We have plenty of time, mortal. So I think we can change the way we talk and have a good chat." Lady Death sat in a black wooden chair adorned with countless flowers. She poured two cups of black tea and placed one in front of Zhou Yi. "This is my resting place, where I always feel the beauty of life. I hope you don't mind, and the black tea is fine, right?"

"Of course, thank you!" Sitting opposite Lady Death, Zhou Yi picked up the teacup and took a sip, savoring the rich flavor. "It's a truly delightful taste, your skills are excellent! However, I still don't understand what you mean. Is there something wrong with my existence?"

"Thank you for the compliment, little one. As for the issue you mentioned, it's quite simple." Lady Death held her teacup and smiled. "What do you think you are? Human, or something else?"

"Of course, I am human, lady. I have always believed this!" Zhou Yi answered without hesitation.

Lady Death smiled gently at his answer.

"Little one, that answer is incorrect, or rather, not entirely correct."

"I don't understand what you mean, lady."

"Very simple. I am the embodiment of death in the multiverse, the end of everything is under my jurisdiction. In human terms, I am the god of death. Do you think I would come specifically for a human's death?"

Her lips curled into a faint smile, and before Zhou Yi could answer, she gave the answer.

"No, after a human dies, they are led to my realm by the god of death of this planet, without my intervention. I came here because of you!"

"Me?" Zhou Yi pointed to himself, self-mockingly. "Is my existence so special that it has even alarmed you?"

"I came to welcome the end of a star, or so I thought. But I was wrong, because it was not a star, but a more extraordinary and incredible existence."

"Star, me! You must be mistaken, I don't think I am a celestial body." Lady Death's words made Zhou Yi increasingly confused, and he hoped for a more specific explanation.

"Of course, you are not a star, but you are not human either." A slender finger poked Zhou Yi's chest, and Lady Death stood up, leaning close to his face. "Little one, you don't know how extraordinary your existence is. You have a small part that belongs to humans, and that part has turned to ashes with the past. Only now do you truly come into being, a being that is half divine and half stellar."

"The ashes of a human have given your soul its final sublimation, and divinity has begun to flow from your soul. Your life has gained a new beginning, and the will of a star has descended into your body. You are no longer a mere human, but a being like a god, even greater than a god. This is an astonishing thing, and in all these years, I have only encountered one such case."

Lady Death's words were like a fairy tale to Zhou Yi. He had not fully reacted yet, still hesitantly asking.

"Lady, are you sure you are not deceiving me? I don't seem as extraordinary as you say."

"Don't worry, it hasn't even begun yet, little one!" Lady Death smiled and gently kissed Zhou Yi's forehead. "The time is right, take my blessing and return to the world of the living. I believe you will discover everything I have said. Time will prove everything, and death never lies."

Her soft whispers echoed in Zhou Yi's ears, and his mind began to drift. When he came to his senses, everything had changed.

At this moment, on the space carrier of the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack, and Logistics Agency, everything seemed particularly strange. Their satellites faithfully carried out their monitoring tasks, and they had seen Zhou Yi being consumed by the endless solar storm when his stance collapsed. Because of this, the place was quiet.

Just as the citizens of Paris could not believe their hero had disappeared, they could not accept this fact either. But the harsh reality left them no choice but to believe. There was nothing else in the pure, flawless golden fluid, even though a hero had just been in it.

"Tell me the situation, has the solar storm been controlled?" Nick Fury broke the eerie silence. As someone who had seen death many times, he reacted quickly to the demise of the Dawn Knight.

The technicians, still in a daze, quickly got to work, and soon someone answered his question.

"Sir, the solar storm has completely dissipated beyond the Earth's magnetic field. Although there is a dense storm gathering outside the Earth, it should not have any impact. They cannot penetrate the magnetic field."

"Those solar storms haven't dissipated yet. I can see them with my one eye. Why is that?" Staring at the satellite images, Nick Fury was not as calm and optimistic. The massive solar storm cloud was right above the Earth, and the recent explosion had even raised the surface temperature. Who knew what would happen if these things entered the Earth. He had no trust in these so-called scientists.

"Perhaps it's due to residual gravity. They will dissipate soon." Those called to handle the emergency were mostly high-level researchers within the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack, and Logistics Agency. As high-level scientists, they were always firm in their beliefs.

"I hope you're right, or I'll send you into that storm." Cursing, Nick Fury began to head towards the meeting room. He had other matters to deal with. This was a huge mess, enough to make him lose his mind.

"Sir, what about Magneto? Are we just going to let him leave?" Commander Hill, who had been silent since the Dawn Knight's demise, spoke up. Observant people like Coulson noticed her mental state was very unstable, like a volcano under the ice.

"Shouldn't we try to capture Magneto to give an account to the Council?" Worried about his comrades being reprimanded, he quickly spoke up, trying to divert Nick Fury's attention so he wouldn't notice Commander Hill's mental state.

"Are you both out of your minds? That's Magneto. Not just any cat or dog that can be caught. You saw his power. I can clearly tell you, no one dares to touch him. He still has hundreds of nuclear bombs in his hands!"

The stupidity of his subordinates was incomprehensible to him. He was about to scold them more harshly when he was interrupted by the duty personnel.

"Sir, there's a situation!"