Chapter Eleven: The Cosmic Giant Punisher

Punisher!

Frank Castle.

“How did you get here?” Yang Xin blurted out as if he were greeting an old friend.

Natasha and Hill exchanged a surprised glance, both thinking, “How does Yang Xin know everyone?”

Frank shot Yang Xin a sour look, spat on the floor, and muttered, “I came on the recommendation of a lousy comrade to train a worthless bastard, and supposedly that bastard will give me a treasure to help me get revenge on the mob.”

“You and the one-eyed hard-boiled egg are comrades?” Yang Xin asked in surprise.

Frank ignored Yang Xin’s question, instead helping himself to a drink at the villa’s bar as if he were at home.

Yang Xin realized his question was pointless, but suddenly recalled that Punisher Frank was indeed a comrade of Nick Fury. Yang Xin remembered playing an arcade game as a child—Punisher, with Frank and a one-eyed character as protagonists.

“How did Nick Fury convince you to come?” Yang Xin was still curious; in his memory, Frank had nothing but contempt for Fury.

“He has a time ship, one that can take me through time, back to the moment before my wife and children were hurt…” Frank stopped, draining his glass in one bitter gulp.

“Damn, that hard-boiled egg can squeeze water from a stone. Frank’s life is miserable, and Fury still uses him like this…”

Yang Xin understood Frank’s pain, and suddenly, a thought struck him. He asked carefully, “Do you want to go back and save your family?”

The Punisher Frank shot to his feet, startled. “What did you say? You can send me back? Truly back—not just as a spectator on a time ship, unable to change anything?”

“In theory, yes, but time is the trickiest problem. Do you know quantum mechanics? Or do any of you?” Yang Xin suddenly asked, recalling what Captain America did after the final Avengers battle.

If Captain America could return to spend his life with Carter, why couldn’t Frank?

Besides, Captain America’s story is far more central than Frank’s. If Captain America is the main character, Frank doesn’t even count as a supporting role, and Frank’s storyline wouldn’t interfere with the Avengers.

As for whether Tony Stark and Ant-Man would help Frank enter the space, with the Treasure Distribution System’s habit of gifting treasures, Tony would surely owe Yang Xin a favor…

The three exchanged glances; they were experts at violence, but quantum mechanics was another matter. Finally, Natasha stepped forward, “I know a little—just enough to bluff.”

“Let me explain it this way: time is a river, the Infinity Stones permeate the world, strengthening the river. Frank, your chance to truly return is that you have nothing to do with the Infinity Stones. But there’s a proverb: As you manipulate time, time manipulates you.”

“It means, who knows what horrors might happen after you save your wife and child. So…”

“So I can’t go back?” Frank looked dejected.

“No, you can, but not now. Now isn’t the right time. Even if you do go back, you have two choices: One, hide and live as a transparent man; two, eliminate the Frank of that timeline, save your family, and continue your Punisher mission. That way, you minimize the risk of a time paradox.”

“I choose the second.” Frank said resolutely.

“Heh, Punisher is truly Punisher—the hero who rises above the darkness.” Yang Xin nodded, unsurprised by Frank’s decision. While other superheroes might worry about morals or ethics, Frank cared for none of that. All he wanted was to send those mob scum straight to hell.

“Then keep working on your unfinished business.” Yang Xin waved Frank off.

“When is the right time for me to return? And Nick said you have a treasure for me.”

“When the Titan with the Infinity Gauntlet comes to Earth, that’s your moment. As for the treasure… do you have a cat?”

“A cat? I have to have a cat?” Frank frowned.

“Of course, you need a cat. Or a tiger would do.” Yang Xin shrugged.

“Wait.” Frank said, then left. Moments later, he returned carrying a cat.

“This is your cat.” Frank tossed the cat over.

“No, it’s your cat.” Yang Xin tossed it back.

“Here!” Yang Xin handed over the Sword of Power, produced by the Treasure Distribution System.

The moment Yang Xin saw Punisher Frank, the system generated the Sword of Power. Yang Xin had held on to it until now, making it his own accomplishment.

“Remember! Request another batch of arms and supplies.” Yang Xin said fiercely to Natasha.

Natasha nodded, took the dimensional pocket, and left to gather weapons and supplies for Yang Xin.

“This sword looks a lot like mine.” Hill whispered in Yang Xin’s ear.

“Sister swords. But yours is stronger—it’s the Sword of Wisdom; his is the Sword of Power. Yours can transform into anything; his cannot. Didn’t you notice his sword doesn’t have a gem in the center?”

“How do I use this sword?” Frank frowned.

“Raise it high and repeat after me: Grant me strength, I am He-Man!”

“Grant me strength, I am He-Man!” Frank looked at Yang Xin as if he were crazy, but still raised the sword and shouted the incantation.

Once again, a mysterious force descended from the universe, coursed through the Sword of Power, and transformed Frank. He became a cosmic giant, proclaimed the most powerful being in the universe—though not in this universe…

The frail kitten he had brought instantly became a ferocious space tiger, complete with a saddle.

“This is the kitten from before? This is the treasure Nick Fury talked about?” Frank swung the Sword of Hope, feeling the boundless strength in his body, unable to believe it.

“Yes, this is the treasure Nick Fury mentioned. And his time ship was a gift from me as well.”

Frank nodded. He was the type of dark superhero who spoke little, never showing gratitude, but always remembering it.

Frank thought for a moment, slung the Sword of Hope across his back, drew a Beretta 92F, and fired at his own arm. The nine-millimeter bullet couldn’t pierce his skin—not even a scratch.

He switched to a submachine gun, then a semi-automatic rifle, then finally a large-caliber sniper rifle. Hill used a Barrett sniper rifle to shoot him at maximum range. Hill wanted to test Frank’s defense, since his defense was now hers as well. She fired three shots, all hitting the same spot on Frank’s arm. The result: only a minor scrape, no blood.

For an ordinary person, even one bullet would shatter an arm, let alone three.

“Maybe only a rocket launcher could hurt him.” Hill sighed repeatedly.

Now, Punisher could slaughter the mob using the Sword of Power as a shield, charging straight ahead with his machine gun. Yang Xin could already imagine the mob’s apocalypse.

“When the time is right, I’ll notify you.”

Frank said nothing, only nodded solemnly, shook Yang Xin’s hand, and left.

At the moment their hands met, the Treasure Distribution System’s voice echoed in Yang Xin’s mind: “Mission complete. Frank’s skill randomly drawn. Random draw successful: Frank Castle’s solo combat ability.”

Yang Xin froze, realizing his guess was correct. Everything he had done was to confirm this moment: transforming Frank into a cosmic giant, telling him he could save his family. No matter how cold and dark Frank was, his family was always his deepest pain…

Yang Xin had offered him a chance to heal that regret—how could Frank not feel grateful?

Yet, Yang Xin wasn’t happy. He still had a nagging question: Why does this cursed Treasure Distribution System hand out treasures to everyone it meets?