American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

472. What Does It Mean to Be a Card Master?

As Alex's words fell, an eerie silence enveloped the scene.

Aside from the sound of the wind, no one spoke. Starlight even quietly stepped back half a pace.

Even A-Train, who prided himself on being the fastest speedster in the world, had been utterly outclassed by Alex. This alone showcased just how formidable Alex's combat strength was.

Seeing this, Queen Maeve glanced at Black Noir once again. She let out a faint sigh, then stepped forward, drawing her sword from her waist with one hand while raising her shield with the other.

"A speedster, huh? I admit your speed is impressive. But if you think speed alone is enough to defeat us, you're gravely mistaken."

Looking at the cosplay-like Wonder Woman figure before him, Alex exhaled softly. With a slight smile, he took two steps to the side, his right hand reaching into his pocket.

"Maeve, I know your capabilities. Among the Seven, apart from Homelander, you're probably the only one with real strength."

In addition to her incredible strength, Maeve's durability was terrifying. Ordinary speedsters might be much faster than her, but they couldn't even break through her defense.

Take someone like A-Train, for example: even at full speed, his punches wouldn't cause Maeve significant harm. Instead, the immense rebound force would likely shatter his own fist instantly.

"So, to show my respect for you, I'll use this."

Alex pulled out a card. On its face was a stunning, green-skinned woman holding a lawyer's briefcase and smiling confidently.

"Don't blame me for playing unfair."

Seeing the card in Alex's hand, Queen Maeve instinctively felt something was off.

Earlier, when A-Train attacked, Alex had also pulled out a card, and the transformation that followed had been overwhelming. Now, with a new card in hand, Maeve couldn't help but feel a sinking sensation in her gut.

Before she could say anything, Alex's body shot up by ten centimeters. His skin turned a deep green, and his formerly lean frame was now sculpted with muscles.

But unlike bulky bodybuilders, Alex's musculature was dense and well-proportioned, giving him a powerful yet refined appearance.

"What... What kind of monster are you?!"

Queen Maeve gritted her teeth, but she didn't wait for Alex to answer. She leaped forward, sword in hand, slashing toward him.

The blade sliced through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, heading straight for Alex. Yet Alex didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he reached out with his hand to grab the sword.

Realizing his intent, Maeve hesitated for a brief moment. By then, however, it was too late to change her move. She had no choice but to swing the sword with all her strength.

Clang!

In the next moment, Maeve's sword was firmly caught in Alex's hand. Not a single scratch appeared on his palm.

"Come on, hit me harder. I can take it," Alex said with a grin, his teeth gleaming white.

Then, with a sudden clench of his hand, there was a resounding crack! The sword, forged with specialized materials by Vought International, shattered into countless fragments.

The sharp metal shards burst out like bullets, embedding themselves in the ground and leaving deep holes wherever they landed.

Queen Maeve's expression changed, but she quickly regained her composure. She let go of the broken sword hilt, using both hands and her shield to unleash a flurry of punches on Alex.

Her immense strength exploded with every hit, creating thunderous booms as her blows landed on Alex.

After delivering over a dozen punches, Maeve leaped high into the air, spinning mid-flight before slamming the edge of her shield onto Alex's head with tremendous force.

Clang!

The impact was so powerful that even the edge of her shield cracked and deformed from the collision.

After completing her combo, Maeve stood still, her eyes filled with uncertainty as she stared at Alex, who hadn't budged an inch.

"Your strength isn't bad, but your accuracy leaves something to be desired," Alex remarked seriously, furrowing his brow as if offering genuine critique.

"This... This isn't..." Maeve stammered, unable to believe what she was seeing. Even Homelander wouldn't dare take her attacks head-on. Yet this man had remained motionless throughout her assault, completely unscathed.

"This isn't possible, is it?"

Before Maeve could finish her sentence, Alex completed it for her. Then, Alex grabbed Maeve's wrist, pulling her close. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into her abdomen.

Boom!

The ground seemed to tremble as a massive shockwave rippled outward, scattering dirt and debris into the air.

The sheer force of the blow caused Maeve to cough up blood. Her body went limp, and her arms fell lifelessly to her sides.

Gripping her arm, Alex lifted her off the ground. Noticing that Maeve had lowered her head and her legs hung limply, Alex realized she had lost consciousness from the punch.

Seeing the corruption on Maeve starting to dissipate, Alex casually tossed her aside. His gaze then shifted toward the remaining three.

Feeling Alex's oppressive stare, The Deep's entire body trembled. If even Maeve couldn't defeat him, what chance did he—a guy with no combat prowess—have?

At this moment, The Deep regretted deeply for ever listening to Edgar's nonsense and coming here to deal with this so-called trouble.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Black Noir pulled out a small notebook he carried with him, writing something on it quickly, then thrust it in front of Starlight and The Deep. The two leaned in to see a hastily scrawled sentence:

"Go together, or die."

Throwing the notebook aside, Black Noir lunged forward like a predator.

"Black Noir, you're in such a hurry."

Alex's body rapidly shrank as his appearance morphed. His skin underwent a dramatic transformation, resembling scales, and a crimson battle suit materialized on his frame. His face now sported black "panda eyes."

"If you were the version of yourself from the comics, maybe you'd pose a bit of a challenge. But now... let's play with this instead."

He held up a card depicting a man dressed as a mercenary, armed with dual pistols and with twin swords strapped to his back.

Before Alex's transformation was complete, Black Noir had already closed in. He swiftly drew a dagger and thrust it into Alex's body.

To his shock, the dagger actually penetrated. Surprised but quick to react, Black Noir delivered a powerful kick to Alex's chest, using the momentum to somersault backward while drawing a pistol.

Bang!

A bullet roared from the gun, heading straight for Alex's forehead.

At that moment, Alex finally moved. He yanked out the dagger lodged in his chest, ignoring the blood spilling forth, and slashed it forward with force.

Clang!

A sharp metallic clash rang out as sparks flew—the bullet was split cleanly in two by Alex's blade.

Beneath his mask, Black Noir's expression froze in astonishment. His body hesitated for a fraction of a second before he quickly regained composure. Pulling the trigger repeatedly, he unleashed a flurry of bullets.

Alex raised his hand, moving as if dancing. The dagger in his grasp glinted like a flowing beam of light as it deflected every incoming bullet.

Clang, clang, clang!

Sparks erupted with each deflection. It was as if Alex was waltzing through the hail of bullets, untouched.

Click, click.

The empty magazine clicked, signaling Black Noir had run out of bullets. He wasted no time, immediately reaching for a grenade on his belt.

But as he pulled out the grenade, he noticed a fleeting shadow out of the corner of his eye. Before he could react, Alex's dagger streaked past him.

The blade didn't harm Black Noir but instead struck with pinpoint accuracy, hooking the pin of the grenade and pulling it free.

"!!"

Behind the mask, Black Noir's eyes widened in alarm. He barely had time to turn his body before a deafening explosion engulfed the area.

The blast sent Black Noir flying through the air. At point-blank range, even as a superhuman, he lacked the durability of someone like Homelander or Queen Maeve. The force of the explosion overwhelmed him.

He crashed onto the lawn, surrounded by flames. His suit was shredded, and blood streamed from his body. Motionless on the ground, his condition was uncertain.

Only now did Starlight and The Deep finally process the meaning of the message on Black Noir's notebook.

They had been frozen in fear. Though they intended to fight together, Black Noir's rapid movements—and his equally quick defeat—left them unable to act.

Alex raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the wound in his chest, which was already healing visibly. He then lifted his gaze to the remaining two opponents.

"Who's next? The Deep?"

"N-No, no!"

The Deep raised his hands in surrender, stepping back repeatedly.

"Oh, come on, The Deep. You're a senior member of the Seven. Don't embarrass yourself in front of Starlight." Alex smiled faintly.

"No, no, no! I surrender! I surrender!" The Deep's voice was filled with terror. He might have been wicked, but he wasn't stupid.

Alex had displayed multiple abilities, excelling in areas where others specialized. No, it wasn't merely excelling—it was outright domination.

With his meager skills, challenging Alex would be laughable.

"Surrendering isn't fun. I gave you all a chance earlier, but you didn't seize it."

Alex flicked a card in his hand, his lips curling into a dangerous grin.

"Look, I even prepared a card just for you."

The Deep looked on in horror as Alex revealed the card. On it was a dark-haired man holding a golden trident, grinning menacingly as he locked eyes with him.

.....

📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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473. Where to Begin?
474. Soldier Boy.
475. 'The Sword of Michael'
476. Movements from All Sides.
477. Saving the Soldier Boy!