Chapter 1049: Startling the Mundane World (Part Twenty-Six) (Patreon)

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So, what is Thanos up to now?

It can be said that Schiller's timing couldn't have been worse; he walked right into the trap.

As mentioned previously, Thanos had reverted to being a lone wolf, returning to his solitary state. But who is Thanos? His intelligence and ambition destined him to never settle for mediocrity.

After his recent failure, Thanos realized one thing: it's unreliable to develop his strategies in secluded places. The ever-changing nature of space means that calamities could strike at any moment, potentially undoing all his plans overnight.

His territory was inexplicably moved, making it difficult for him to even enter space, let alone return. With no territory, soldiers, or generals, he found himself alone and vulnerable in the vastness of interstellar space.

Therefore, Thanos shifted his approach, realizing that he should integrate himself into the prosperous economic society. He aimed to transition from being a warlord to embedding himself within the society, making friends, networking extensively, and gradually gaining influence within the interstellar society, ultimately turning them into loyal followers.

Thanos was decisive in his actions. He thought, therefore he acted.

However, gaining entry into the interstellar society required credentials. Being a lone wolf with a questionable reputation, he needed a ticket to gain access.

After some investigation in relatively prosperous new areas, Thanos found an identity he could exploit: the "Interstellar Anti-Scam Vanguard."

Thanos hadn't forgotten how he ended up in his current situation, thanks to that cursed God of Mischief, Loki. Through observation, he discovered numerous scammers within the interstellar society who didn't just deceive individuals but entire civilizations, sometimes even inciting wars for profit.

As nascent civilizations entered the economic society, they were easily deceived by the facade of order and hierarchy, mimicking the advanced civilizations in their social behavior.

During this phase, they were susceptible to trusting others, believing in the protection of laws and the guidance of higher civilizations. Scammers took advantage of this vulnerability, causing significant setbacks.

Speaking of interstellar scammers inevitably brought up Loki, the most prominent con artist of this generation. Thanos, the previous generation's master con artist, realized that assuming the role of a scammer wouldn't be honorable for his ambitions of building a loyal following.

So, he transformed himself into an anti-scam mentor within the interstellar society, specializing in combating scammers active in the economic sphere.

He assisted civilizations that fell victim to scams, helped others prevent scams, and aided those willing to learn in establishing their own anti-scam measures.

As a former master con artist, Thanos was well-versed in the tricks of the trade. Even sharing a bit of insider knowledge made him highly esteemed among advanced interstellar civilizations.

In essence, he was now smashing the rice bowls of his former peers, and surprisingly, it worked.

Whether this titan had truly turned over a new leaf was uncertain, but his methods were effective, and thus, worth learning from.

In reality, many advanced civilizations were annoyed by the constant troubles from their subordinate territories, dealing with complaints about fleets being scammed or reactors being stolen. Thanos provided a solution: he would educate them on how to prevent scams. If they fell victim afterward, it would be their own fault, sparing others from their pleas for help.

Thanos began frequenting the gatherings of various interstellar civilizations, reemerging within months, this time as the nemesis of scammers and the champion of justice.

Sometimes, righteousness seemed insignificant compared to brute force, but in certain situations, it was invaluable. For now, Thanos stood on the side of justice, forcing everyone to consider the consequences before crossing him.

As Thanos thrived in the interstellar society, Schiller unexpectedly contacted him through the contact channels Loki had provided. Thanos saw this as a perfect opportunity to demonstrate how to prevent telecommunications fraud to the entire interstellar society.

From Schiller's perspective, Thanos had shed his former domineering image, emphasizing his strong anti-scam awareness and leaving no room for exploitation.

Schiller tried to reach him via telephone, but Thanos refused to answer. Even when Schiller changed numbers, Thanos remained adamant. With a swift IP trace, Thanos showcased the prevalence of fraudsters in the Nine Realms.

Thanos successfully set the rhythm within the social circles of the interstellar society, leaving Loki to wander once more between prosperous star regions, blacklisted by numerous civilizations, becoming a target for everyone.

For self-preservation, Loki had to confront Thanos. A God of Mischief against an anti-scam pioneer, their confrontation in the interstellar society was full of twists and turns, a back-and-forth struggle.

When these two got busy, they had even less time to answer Schiller's calls.

Not only that, but Thor, who feared his younger brother getting into trouble, and Frigga, who worried about her son, also got involved, with the mother and son joining forces.

Thanos, on the other hand, didn't back down either; he enlisted the support of two out of the three major empires. Suddenly, a wind of vigilance against telecommunications fraud swept through the interstellar society.

For Schiller, this was indeed troubling. Their conflict was aired out for the whole interstellar society to see, with everyone from the Silver Wings to the Eater of Worlds and the Council of Cosmic Elders represented by Grandmaster being aware of it.

With both sides airing out industry secrets, Schiller found himself unable to deceive any villains in space, despite his frantic attempts.

After several failed attempts, Schiller realized that the space route was no longer viable. So, he decided to focus his attention back on Earth.

Being well-versed in comics and understanding movies, Schiller knew of some villains who hadn't fully turned over a new leaf.

He first approached the easiest contact, Kingpin, who was conveniently located on the East Coast.

They had previously met due to their involvement in the immortality factor industry. Although Schiller had pitted Kingpin against The Hand using the immortality factor, when he visited Kingpin again, he was still received with great hospitality.

As someone of Kingpin's stature, he naturally had the qualifications to participate in the Solar System development plan. Ignoring his extensive grey industry network across the US, he was also one of the wealthiest individuals in America. If he wanted to get involved in the project, no one would stop him.

The closer to the center of interest, the more intelligence Kingpin could gather, including information about Schiller. He knew the significance of the doctor dubbed the "Miracle Worker" by Stark, so when Schiller approached him, Kingpin treated him with utmost respect.

After sharing a drink and discussing international and interstellar affairs for hours, Schiller was surprised to find that Kingpin was quite healthy.

Kingpin was not only physically strong but also mentally stable, on par with Matt in terms of stability. His logic was entirely self-consistent.

Or perhaps, it was precisely because of Kingpin's low moral standards that he had fewer troubles than the superheroes. His life revolved around money and power, and he would do anything to maintain them, resulting in a lack of contradictions.

This gave Schiller a sense of security. Kingpin had a deep understanding of international and interstellar affairs and possessed foresight. Setting aside their identities, conversing with him was quite interesting.

Satisfied with their meeting, Schiller left, only for Stark's Mech Armor to surround Kingpin's private residence just three minutes later. When Schiller tried to visit again the next day, he was denied entry.

While conversing with Schiller was good, the universal agent rights offered by Molten Steel were even more enticing. After some hesitation, Kingpin decided to prioritize money.

Being rejected by Kingpin was enough to anger Schiller, but he faced an even more serious problem: he suddenly went from receiving high feedback to none at all, experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms.

During these days, Schiller couldn't see any patients, couldn't listen to any emotions, and couldn't receive any feedback from events. The emptiness inside him drove him nearly insane.

In the absence of targets, he resorted to alcohol to numb himself. If it weren't for Grey Mist secretly helping him break down some of the alcohol while he was drunk, he would probably be severely addicted by now.

But even so, he couldn't erase the sense of loss brought about by the sudden drop in feedback.

Schiller was like an emotional addict who suddenly lost all the abundant emotions of the superheroes. Endless emptiness and loss filled his world.

So, he had to actively seek out lesser-known villains. During this time, the villains of New York suffered greatly. First, they were approached by a strange psychologist who questioned whether they were ill and needed medication, and if they tried to escape, they were forcibly subjected to psychological treatment.

Having been pent up for too long, Schiller was heavy-handed. If the New York Church weren't a sanctuary, dozens of them would probably have already taken holy orders.

After enduring psychological torment, they then faced a barrage of attacks from Iron Man.

Didn't everyone quiet down and unite to help the doctor? Why were you causing trouble? Couldn't you see that he was busy?

Following Schiller's trail, Stark also noticed that Schiller was specifically targeting villains for treatment.

So, wherever Schiller went, his Mech Armor army followed. After the Mech Armor army had finished its work, SHIELD agents cleaned up, and the New York Police Department immediately followed suit, consolidating law and order.

In an instant, New York's villains were terrified. Those without power fled, and those with power were all dealt with. Within just one week, law and order in New York was completely revitalized.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 1050: Startling Mortals (Twenty-Seven)