Chapter 95: Anti-Shoggoth

As the source of corruption gradually infected the entire city, it also awakened the darkness lurking within, and the Shoggoth was one of its manifestations.

After Tony and his team returned with William, the last survivor of the Antarctic expedition, S.H.I.E.L.D. subjected him to a series of tests and analyses to ensure he had not been infected by any unknown virus. However, as the cult had already secretly corrupted S.H.I.E.L.D. from within—and because no abnormalities were detected—William remained free to roam the United States, provided he did not leave the country.

Today, William happened to be in Washington for an academic conference, accompanied by two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents tasked with his supervision; they, too, were among the corrupted. While William was listening to a lecture in the auditorium, he suddenly felt unwell, his heart racing, accompanied by nausea and dry heaving, which immediately drew the attention of those around him.

The aura of the Old Ones could corrupt ordinary people, but its effect on a dormant Shoggoth was far more pronounced. As William tried to stand, he collapsed in front of his seat. Alarmed scholars shouted for a doctor, and those with medical licenses attempted to reach him. Before they could get close, however, William’s body began to contort. As he convulsed on the floor, onlookers moved to assist, only to watch in horror as his flesh split open.

A pitch-black tentacle burst from his cervical spine. Beneath it, William’s body stiffened and withered to a husk. Paralyzed by extreme terror, the onlookers’ minds went blank before screams finally erupted. Was it a xenomorph or an alien invasion? The scene was too grotesque and evil. Everyone rushed toward the auditorium exits, but at that moment, their minds were also influenced by the source of corruption.

They all collapsed before they could escape, pausing the tentacle, which had been preparing for a massacre. It did not waste this opportunity; as the bodies in the hall disappeared, the tentacle’s form improved, shedding its singular shape to grow into a full Shoggoth body.

Shoggoths were the ultimate servant race crafted by the Old Ones, capable of spontaneous fission, mimicry, learning, and evolution—perfect biological weapons. Even a tiny fragment of Shoggoth tissue was sufficient to grow into a new entity after consuming enough biomass. Because they could perfectly simulate the genetic markers of Midgardian lifeforms, they were notoriously difficult to track.

Now, this newborn Shoggoth felt the will of the Great Old One to utterly eradicate Tang Chuan and his party. After devouring everyone in the convention center, the fledgling Shoggoth rushed to the target’s location to lie in wait. Having digested a crowd of high-intelligence individuals, the Shoggoth’s strength had not yet fully recovered, but its intellect had been significantly bolstered. It quickly analyzed that its primary objective was to intercept Iron Man.

As expected, just as the Shoggoth arrived, Tony Stark descended from the sky, seemingly poised to rescue Tang Chuan, only to be blocked by the ambushing creature. Since the memories of all Shoggoths were interconnected, they could learn and evolve rapidly, eventually leading to the total destruction of the Old Ones on Midgard. This intelligent Shoggoth naturally knew of the battle between Iron Man and its kin in the Antarctic. It knew that Iron Man had escaped through cowardly means last time, and it was determined not to let him slip away again. It believed that by consuming Iron Man, its own intellect would reach new heights, allowing it to easily destroy the entire human civilization.

Tony stared at the Shoggoth—now several times smaller than the one he had faced before—and groaned inwardly. After the Antarctic battle, he realized that this "ultimate weapon" which had wiped out a civilization was not to be trifled with; his team had exhausted every resource and still couldn't defeat it.

But now, a Shoggoth had appeared in Washington. What did this mean? If it were allowed to consume a vast amount of biomass, humanity would likely be helpless against it. And where had it come from? Had it been summoned by cultists? Tony couldn't fathom it, but he couldn't stand by either. Tang Chuan’s guards were no match for the creature; he had to handle it himself. Fortunately, the Antarctic expedition had revealed the Shoggoth’s weaknesses. Tony’s mind raced, and he unleashed his laser array at the creature.

Yet this Shoggoth, having consumed so many humans, was not like the one in the Antarctic, which had been muddled from long confinement. Facing the incoming laser beams, it was fully prepared.

"Damn it! Is this the same one from the Antarctic? No, that's impossible. Do Shoggoths share a hive mind?" Tony watched in disbelief as the transparency and chitinous armor that had appeared on the Antarctic Shoggoth manifested on this new one. He knew that even for a Shoggoth, reacting to an unknown attack should have required a split-second delay; his plan had relied on exploiting that window.

The Shoggoth’s shift proved his plan had failed. But Tony was still Tony. Since returning from the Antarctic, he had been developing new weapons specifically designed for such massive, mutated monsters. Calculating the time, his reinforcements should be arriving. Delaying was the strategy he had used when fighting the Emissary. With his armor’s energy depleted, his combat effectiveness had plummeted, so he had Jarvis dispatch his new suit while ensuring Tang Chuan’s safety.

At this moment, a supersonic aircraft was approaching Washington. It was Tony’s specialized transport, carrying his latest armor reserves and a mobile laboratory that allowed him to modify his suit designs mid-flight. As Tony and the Shoggoth stood in a stalemate, the support arrived. Happy flew the plane to the coordinates Tony had signaled.

In the next instant, Tony discharged all the remaining energy in his suit, finally suppressing the Shoggoth’s momentum. He quickly jettisoned his current armor and switched into the new suit brought by Happy. This suit, dubbed the "Anti-Shoggoth Armor," was custom-built for this very threat. According to the original blueprints, the outer layer was to be coated in Vibranium, but the material was too precious; even Tony could not justify such an expenditure for a single suit.