Chapter 206: Ian: Everyone’s A Child! Give Me Some Face!
This is a difficult feeling to describe.
Ian’s person was clearly standing on the land at the end of time.
However, his gaze seemed to pierce through the foul air and endless trash mountains at the end of time, falling into a magnificent realm that could not be described in words.
It was a boundless, cosmic starry sky that surpassed physical concepts. The stars were not simple luminous bodies, but the personified images of things being born, evolving, and perishing.
Each formation represented a certain thing or rule that existed in the world.
The long river of time materialized here as winding bands of light.
The dimensions of space were like layers upon layers of transparent gauze. And in the deepest part of this starry sky, several figures, so colossal that they transcended the concept of “existence” itself, stood silently.
Ian saw Eternity, the sum of all space, whose form was infinitely changing, as if composed of countless galaxies, nebulae, and voids, a goddess whose very existence defined “vastness.”
He saw Annihilus, the opposite of existence, absolute void and end, like a humanoid darkness that devoured all light and concepts.
Simply perceiving him instilled ultimate fear. Similarly, Annihilus was also considered one of the deities in the universe with the greatest potential to surpass Eternity.
Ian also saw the leader of the Five Cosmic Entities, Eternity, who was the embodiment of all timelines, his form constantly flowing, as if woven from all events of the past, present, and future.
He was the personification of the universe’s own lifespan.
And Death, was a woman clad in a black robe, slender in form but emanating the aura of an equal end to all life, her personified image like a giant skeleton wrapped in a black robe.
“She doesn’t look as good as Miss Death at all, and she doesn’t look filial, not having raised her grandmother to be very big.” Ian couldn’t help but make a judgment in his heart.
With a single glance, he knew he didn’t like Death among the Marvel Five Cosmic Entities.
And Death probably felt the same way about him.
Unlike the pure indifference of the other deities, when her gaze pierced through infinite dimensions to land on Ian, it seemed to carry an extremely complex emotion.
There was scrutiny, dissatisfaction, and even… a hint of inexplicable hostility? Of course, these were things Ian had no intention of paying attention to for the time being.
Ian’s mind was focused on his current state. The most astonishing thing about this sudden accident was that he felt he was not looking up at these supreme cosmic deities.
His “perspective” was actually on the same level.
It was as if he naturally stood there, on the same plane as Eternity, Infinity, Annihilus, and Death, silently observing the countless bubbles of creation and destruction below. A colossal sense of perception, as if he himself had become part of the fundamental rules of the universe, filled his consciousness.
“I can even connect to the cosmic consciousness and access the information stored within it. This cosmic consciousness is like the Library of Heaven that angels can use.”
“It can bring me omniscient status within the coverage of cosmic consciousness… As long as there is information or knowledge that exists in the world, I can access it through my will!”
Ian experienced his profound changes and looked up again at the four deities not far away.
In the Marvel Universe, there should have been five cosmic entities. Yet, among the five cosmic entities that appeared in Ian’s eyes, only the cosmic deity who lived by devouring planets was missing.
“So…”
Ian’s Super Brain whirred, his expression a little stunned, as if he had suddenly realized something at this moment. Such a situation would definitely not be a coincidence.
The Five Cosmic Entities of the universe were indispensable for the operation of the universe.
Precisely because of this.
“Did I become the new generation of the Planet Eater?” He suddenly looked at his palm, which had become unclean and impure with a “tattoo” after absorbing the entire time monster Erios.
At this moment, although Ian’s palm looked smooth, it was still stained by the “tattoo.” The mysterious brand seemed to have left some kind of invisible connection.
He could almost see a miniature “dragon” appearing on his hand. Or, more like a strange “cosmic tapeworm” docilely coiling in the dimension of his palm.
“My previous guess doesn’t seem to be wrong. This thing is now being gestated in my palm, and then it triggered some mechanism in the universe that I don’t know about, causing me to directly ascend in status in this universe and become the new, and certainly the strongest generation of the Planet Eater?”
Ian was once again impressed by his own wisdom, and also indulged in some narcissism. His brain rarely operated at such high speed, trying to understand this unbelievable situation.
Having a cosmic tapeworm could replace the position of the Planet Eater?
Isn’t this ascension channel a bit too wild?
“Um…”
Just as Ian was about to speak to his several “new colleagues” on the same level, asking what was going on, he saw the images of the four deities begin to distort.
Immediately afterward, the scene before his eyes, like smoke blown away by the wind, instantly blurred, distorted, and then completely disappeared. The wind howled, carrying the dust and the smell of rust unique to the end of time into his mouth and nose.
Ian was still standing on that boundless junkyard, with soft debris under his feet. The divine meeting scene he had just witnessed seemed like an overly realistic illusion.
“Look on the bright side.”
Ian shook his head.
Trying to dispel the lingering shock and comforting himself with dark humor, “Me eating and eating in the Marvel Universe is indeed a legitimate thing.”
“After all, I’ve taken over the Star Eater’s lucrative position, so weren’t my past devouring acts also fulfilling my duties… This is my understanding of ‘one certificate for eternal proof’!”
“This certificate is the certificate for a stable job! Once a Marvel civil servant, everything I do is legal!” Ian once again interpreted the meaning of ‘one certificate for eternal proof’.
There was a reason he comforted himself this way. According to his 【Law of Relative Happiness and Sorrow】, when one is very sad, one must think of happy things to balance their emotions.
As for why Ian would be sad even though his 【world status】 in the Marvel Universe had risen, the answer was also obvious. Everyone smart knew about the concept of hidden attributes in American comics.
And the hidden attributes of the Planet Eater were naturally self-evident.
Invincibility.
Invincibility was synonymous with the Planet Eater.
Ian’s sadness stemmed from this. According to the Planet Eater’s famous character trait, wouldn’t he also inherit the “invincible” attribute, which was as troublesome as “the posture of an emperor” in fantasy novels? It sounded awesome, but he would often fall down due to hunger or various other reasons?
“The invincible Ian fell again?”
Ian found it hard to accept such a scenario. And just as his brain was seriously operating and thinking about the benefits and risks of being a cosmic civil servant due to this bizarre development,
a commotion from not far away pulled him back to reality.
“It can’t be me! How can it be me! I’m not familiar with that guy at all! Really! They can kill me, but he won’t erupt! And look! He doesn’t need to erupt now, does he! The problem is solved! Look! He’s looking over! His gaze stayed on me for an extra second!”
“He must have a crush on me! This is love! You can’t murder his love!” Who else could this scummy and incredibly noisy voice belong to but Deadpool?
Ian felt like his lines had been stolen, which was why he came back to his senses.
“Why is Deadpool here? Isn’t he stealing my spotlight?” Ian had once considered himself the Deadpool of DC, so he hoped the genuine Deadpool, like other superheroes, would lose his original nature.
That way, even if he had to bring Deadpool back to his original state, Deadpool would only be able to lament forever that he lived in Ian’s shadow. This was Ian’s wish.
However, upon hearing Deadpool’s speech, Ian knew his wish had fallen through. As expected, one couldn’t make a wish to oneself; it was even less reliable than wishing to God.
“What did you guys do to him?”
Ian followed the sound and saw an extremely comical scene: Deadpool was bound tightly with a thick iron chain found from somewhere, hanging upside down like a salted fish on a giant ship wreck half-buried in the ground – precisely on the broken mast of that famous Titanic.
“Let me down, whoever lets me down, I’ll show them my big baby that’s longer than Harry Potter’s wand!”
Deadpool, like a medieval prisoner about to be executed, was still restless, swinging back and forth, his mouth chattering non-stop.
“Shut up!”
Doctor Strange, Captain America, Thor holding baby Odin, and Sylvie and Little Morgan stood below, looking at Deadpool with helplessness and disdain.
“What’s going on?”
Ian walked over, his face filled with confusion. He had only “closely communicated” with the time monster for a short while, how did it seem like everyone in the world had gathered at the junkyard at the end of time?
And were they staging a bondage play?
Due to the lack of information about what had happened in the Marvel Universe after he left, Ian was currently in a backward state of mind, not quite understanding the current situation.
“Uncle Ian, it’s like this…”
Seeing Ian approach, Morgan seemed unsurprised by his state. He immediately controlled his armor and flew forward, briefly explaining the situation to his godfather.
It was roughly that after Ian’s last return to the DC universe and disappearance, Thor and Captain America Steve were captured by the Time Variance Authority. She met Doctor Strange, and they went to rescue Thor and Captain America. Then they encountered Ultron and fought. In the end, they had to blow up a part of the TVA to escape.
“Anyway, we tried our best and ended up like this.” Morgan Stark blinked at Ian, acting as a 【replay of the previous events】 that Ian was unaware of.
Very skillfully.
Ian listened, stunned, and processed the information, keenly grasping a point: “Wait, you said you and Doctor Strange? What about Gwen? Shouldn’t she be with you?”
He remembered that Gwen had been acting with Morgan before.
“Miss Gwen?” Morgan was taken aback, his small face instantly changed color, “Right… right! And Miss Gwen!”
He frantically looked around, but his gaze met only endless trash and ruins. There was no sign of Gwen Stacy anywhere.
“She… she might still be in the Time Variance Authority… because I… because of my explosion just now…” Morgan’s eyes instantly became flustered.
His little face was ashen.
Although she had seen the world with her father and godfather, and even fought in places like the Zombie Universe, the impact of personally killing a companion was too great for her.
“I… I killed someone?!”
Morgan’s eyes rolled back, feeling like he was about to faint on the spot, his voice full of fear.
“Look here! Look here!” Seeing the little girl about to break down, Deadpool, still hanging upside down, began his performance again, forcefully drawing everyone’s attention.
He babbled on to Ian.
“Hey! Hey! The Avengers’ financial manager! Your title is ‘Tearer of Comics,’ right! I know you! And I understand what that look in your eyes just now meant! Don’t deny it! As long as you agree to let me join the Avengers and sign your name, I’ll let you have a few thrusts on me! How about it? Is this a good deal?”
He completely ignored his embarrassing upside-down state and continued to talk to himself: “If I hadn’t heard that my daughter, who is twenty-eight days pregnant, wanted her daddy to join the Avengers and be a real hero, you’d never get to team up with your Deadpool Uncle! You should just be happy about it!”
Deadpool rambled on.
Ian was immediately “slightly” enraged by Deadpool’s perverted speech!
“Damn Marvel faggots! Just one ‘Uncle’ dares to speak to Master Ian like this? Don’t they know that Master is greater than Uncle?”
He had always disliked communicating too much with mental patients, as he always felt that mental illness might be contagious. Therefore, he directly said to Doctor Strange next to him:
“Doctor, think of a way to sew up this guy’s mouth! He’s too noisy!” The primary source of contagion was the mouth, so Ian’s solution was impeccable.
Doctor Strange hesitated.
He had just been beaten up by the other party. Who knew if he still had any surprise attacks hidden? As a mage, his skin was quite fragile.
Thor was braver. He had long disliked Deadpool and was determined to avenge his father Odin, whose innocence might have been “defiled” under the pretense of being fed.
“Let me do it! I’ve disliked this guy for a long time!” Thor carefully handed baby Odin to Captain America, who looked speechless, and stepped forward, clenching his fists.
Someone volunteered.
Ian immediately nodded his big head.
“We must deal with these faggots severely. Don’t let me, Master Ian, who hasn’t reached the age where my lower head controls my upper head, get psychological trauma and have my sexual drive locked away by these perverts!”
Ian glared fiercely at his own evil god eyes.
“Don’t come over here!”
Seeing this, Deadpool immediately struggled.
He tried to reach for the Infinity Gauntlets on his belt, but quickly found that his spare Infinity Gauntlets that were originally on his belt had been taken by these “bad guys” below at some unknown time!
“Mmmph! You bandits! Thieves! Give me back my Infinity Gauntlets! I bought them with my own money!”
Deadpool protested.
Protest was invalid.
A scalpel is also a knife, and Chef Thor was sharpening his knife. Thor pressed forward, his face filled with the burning rage of a father seeking revenge and a hint of finally being able to vent his anger. The iron shard scalpel, the large rusty sail needle, and the thick fishing line in his hand glittered ominously under the strange light of the end of time.
“You think Uncle Deadpool is scared of you? You think I’m afraid of you? Go eat shit!”
The upside-down Deadpool rolled his eyes.
Pfffttttt—!!!
Then, a sudden, long, and even somewhat rhythmically strange fart sound erupted from Deadpool’s buttock, which was wrapped in his bodysuit!
The sound was loud and lingering, exceptionally piercing in the relatively quiet junkyard sky.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden “domestic attack,” instinctively taking half a step back. Even Thor instinctively pinched his nose and paused for a moment.
It was really smelly.
Using this brief interlude, Deadpool even tried to “apologize” in a rap-like rhythm.
“Yo~ Sorry~ Brother~ You know~ When I breathe~ I don’t like to exhale~ So I choose to store a wave of carbon dioxide and then fart madly~”
The rap-like provocation made the already unstable Thor very flushed.
Thor’s face instantly turned from red to green, then from green to black!
When had the God of Thunder from Asgard, the guardian of the Nine Realms, ever endured such a filthy provocation?! This was more insulting than being cut by Surtur!
“I’m going to sew your mouth shut so you can’t say a single word!”
Thor roared.
The power of thunder uncontrollably surged on his body.
Seeing this, although his mouth was about to suffer, Deadpool’s instinct for vulgarity still overpowered everything, “No! Don’t do that! Bro! Calm down! As long as you spare my mouth, I’ll… I’ll peel the skin off my ‘corn cob’ and make you leather shoes! All-natural! Breathable and sweat-absorbent! I guarantee they’ll be more comfortable than Frigga’s woven shoes!”
“Don’t mention my mother! And what’s the skin of a ‘corn cob’?” Thor’s movement froze, his face showing surprise and confusion, clearly not understanding this earth slang.
But Ian, standing nearby, understood!
Ian’s initial “slight anger” instantly turned into “outright rage” like a bonfire doused with gasoline!
“You scoundrel!”
Ian was so angry he almost jumped up, “You still dare to show off at this time?! And ‘corn cob’?! You’re just bragging with a Coca-Cola bottle? When I grow up…”
Before he could finish speaking, Deadpool, as if finding a new direction for self-destruction, immediately interjected, “I don’t believe it! How can anyone’s ‘capital’ be as big as corn! You’re bragging without paying taxes! Uncle Deadpool is the industry benchmark! A Coca-Cola bottle is already extraordinarily talented! Unless you…”
Deadpool’s words were interrupted by Ian throwing a stone.
“Sew up his asshole too! Yes! Sew it up! Hurry! No one understands Deadpool better than I do! I firmly believe that even with just his asshole, he can say more disgusting things than now!”
Ian urged Thor.
Thor, although he didn’t quite understand the profound philosophical and technical problem of “an asshole talking,” he pretended to understand… no, he fully trusted his judgment!
“I understand!”
Thor nodded solemnly.
Doctor Strange, at this moment, thoughtfully extended the analogy.
“From an anatomical and mutant physiology perspective, theoretically, in certain extreme mutated situations, the sphincter at the end of the urinary system can be reshaped and possess the function of simulating vocal cord vibration.”
He was a genuine Doctor of Medicine, and even if he was talking nonsense, he was still an authority in the New Justice League, as none of the people present, including the leader of the New Justice League, had attended college.
“Doctor, your insight is brilliant! This guy might have backup mouths hidden all over his body, making him unpredictable!” Ian nodded in agreement. He had become the villain he hated most.
“What! This isn’t the Avengers I know! You can’t all have scripts more perverted than mine!”
Hearing that his lower body was in danger, Deadpool finally broke down. He had always known he was mentally ill, but he didn’t expect these people to be no less mentally ill than himself!
Avengers!
Where was your integrity?
How could you earnestly discuss such a perverted yet seemingly scientific plan?
“Damn it! No! These are heroes whose heroic hearts have been stolen! Even Homelander’s team is friendlier than you!” Deadpool struggled wildly.
He frantically looked at Thor, who was approaching.
“We are all Avengers! Give me a chance! Leave a gap for me! What if… what if you become infertile in the future… I can also help you… Ugh!”
Before he could finish speaking, Thor unhesitatingly injected him! The technique was precise, the stitches dense, full of the “ingenious craftsmanship” of an Asgardian artisan.
After all, Thor had been a cook, and his manual skills were excellent. In a few quick moves, he skillfully sewed Deadpool’s chattering mouth shut tightly!
The world was finally completely quiet. Only Deadpool’s desperate, muffled whimpers remained. His stitched mouth made urgent “muffled” sounds.
True panic flickered in his eyes.
Because Thor was preparing to stitch elsewhere.
“Stop!”
Sylvie was the first to couldn’t stand it anymore, covering her head and stopping this group of people, who were more perverted than any villain she had ever seen, from attempting inhumane physical modification on Deadpool.
Ian saw that Deadpool could no longer speak, and he didn’t insist further. After all, he wasn’t a true pervert; he just didn’t want Deadpool to spout those polluting vulgarities at him.
“Let’s talk about Gwen again.”
Ian’s gaze turned to Little Morgan, who was still in a state of shock and self-blame. The little girl’s face was pale, her eyes vacant, clearly still immersed in the immense shock of “I might have blown Gwen up.”
“Think carefully, what did Gwen look like… after the explosion? Was her head still there?” If only Demon Baal hadn’t been taken out for a stroll by Ian recently, otherwise Demon Baal would have definitely known how Ian wanted to express his longing for a friend—one that Ian kept by his side.
“I think… I think…”
Ian’s words seemed to reopen Morgan’s wound. Her expression became more and more vacant, her lips trembled, and she was on the verge of a complete breakdown and crying.
Sylvie sighed and answered for Morgan.
“Given the scale and nature of the explosion at the time, Gwen Stacy’s flesh and blood, located in the core blast area… there’s probably nothing left. My condolences.”
Her tone was calm, having seen her share of partings and deaths along the timeline. However, upon hearing this, Ian did not show any signs of sadness or anger.
He closed his eyes, as if sensing something. As the Aberration Master, Ian’s perception of his “dependents” had become exceptionally sharp.
Gwen at least hadn’t had her soul scattered.
A moment later, Ian opened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched, as if trying to force a “smug dragon king” smile, though the effect was somewhat eerie.
“Don’t panic,” Ian said with an air of mysterious confidence. He stood up, patted Morgan’s shoulder, and began to make grand promises, “Uncle Ian here already has some pull in the universe! When I find Gwen’s soul, I’ll personally forge her a brand new, top-of-the-line body!”
“Using the hardest Adamantium and Uru Metal for the skeleton! Titanium alloy for the outer shell! Gold for the pectorals! Guaranteed to be impervious to blades and bullets, with max physical and magical resistance!”
“Also, we’ll genuinely set diamonds where they need to be set! What do you think? Isn’t it awesome?” Ian felt like a genius, having provided maximum emotional value for Gwen.
Unfortunately, few could directly understand his “gentleness.”
Everyone: “………”
Doctor Strange, Captain America, Thor, and even Sylvie stared at Ian blankly, completely unable to imagine what kind of terrifying aesthetic the “gold-plated, diamond-studded titanium alloy Gwen” he described would look like.
Just as everyone was utterly stunned by Ian’s overly “avant-garde” taste and modification plan, and unsure how to comment, a familiar, albeit exasperated, female voice suddenly rang out from not far behind them.
“Ian Kent!!! Do you want me dead that badly?! Gold pectorals with diamonds?! Why don’t you just weld a bunch of LED lights onto me instead?!”
Such a brilliant idea could only come from Ian’s good friends.
As the voice faded, everyone turned sharply!
The air rippled like water, and Gwen Stacy’s figure, as if woven from the void, slowly materialized from the quantum-level “web.”
She was still wearing that TVA agent battle suit, appearing unharmed, though her face was a little pale, her eyes filled with lingering fear and a deep disdain for Ian’s aesthetic.
“She’s not dead! Gwen’s not dead!”
“Wait a minute! Let me check her breathing first!” Gwen’s sudden appearance instantly livened up the previously somber atmosphere. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“Gwen! You’re alive! That’s wonderful!” Morgan cried even louder, but this time it was tears of joy. She darted forward like a little cannonball, hugging Gwen’s waist tightly, burying her snotty, tear-stained little face on her shoulder’s battle suit, crying and laughing.
“Wuuu wuuu… I didn’t kill anyone… I’m not a murderer… That’s great…”
Gwen stiffened from the overly “enthusiastic” embrace. While she also liked the little girl, she wasn’t quite at the point where she could calmly accept having snot and tears smeared all over her.
She tried to gently and politely push Morgan away, “Uh… Miss Stark? We… aren’t quite close enough to exchange bodily fluids yet…”
Sometimes, Gwen also enjoyed cracking jokes.
Pushed away, Morgan raised her tear-filled little face, looked at Gwen, and then subconsciously glanced at Ian beside her. Her small mouth opened as if she wanted to say something.
“But…”
Her words weren’t finished.
“My turn!” Ian also rushed forward, opening his arms for a solid hug with Gwen, patting her back firmly. His tone was full of “sincere” comfort, “Gwen, that’s great! You’re alive! Although you might have been exposed to unknown temporal radiation and are carrying some unknown radiation or virus that we don’t understand… it’s okay! We’re good friends! I absolutely won’t dislike you!”
Ian displayed his friendship.
Gwen: “…”
She looked down speechlessly at Ian, who had somehow silently donned a full set of bright yellow, hazard-symbol-emblazoned heavy protective gear with his Mimic Armor, complete with a reinforced glass visor covering his face. She rolled her eyes, completely too tired to comment on this Evil God’s behavior.
Doctor Strange, watching this scene, stroked his chin and asked Captain America and Thor thoughtfully, “Uh… following this procedure, should we also go up for a hug to celebrate?”
He looked at the distinctly wet, reflective area on Gwen’s shoulder, a look of obvious hesitation on his face.
Gwen raised her hand in a clear rejection gesture, stopping anyone else from coming up for a hug, and then, with practiced ease, pulled out a packet of individually wrapped wet wipes from the pants pocket of Ian’s protective suit. She tore it open and began meticulously wiping her shoulder, which had been sullied by Morgan’s tears and snot.
The action was so practiced it was heartbreaking.
After Gwen had tidied herself up, Ian, through his visor, curiously asked, “So, where did you go when the explosion happened? They didn’t seem to find you in the Time Variance Authority.”
Upon hearing this, Gwen’s expression turned serious. She accurately tossed the used wet wipe into a distant piece of debris that resembled a trash can, then replied with a solemn tone.
“I met the current highest authority of the Time Variance Authority, an artificial intelligence that calls itself ‘Jarvis.’ It… he gave me something to put on you.”
As she said this, she took out a palm-sized, transparent box from her pocket, containing a mechanical crawler that looked somewhat sci-fi.
As soon as she took out the box.
Sylvie beside her reacted instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on!
“Don’t open it!”
Sylvie shouted sternly and lunged forward, snatching the box from Gwen’s hand almost greedily! Without even looking at what was inside, powerful magical energy surged from her hands, mixed with the chaotic aura of the End of Time, and she forcibly banished the box and its contents through space!
*Sizzle!*
The space where the box had been tore open like a wound, instantly swallowing it, then rapidly healed, as if it had never existed.
Having done all this, Sylvie breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression remained extremely grave and serious. She looked at the still-confused Gwen and the others and explained.
“That was close! That’s a ‘nanoscale mechanical symbiote,’ also known as ‘Ultron’s Egg’! Once it touches your skin, it can instantly burrow in, consuming your flesh and nerves, and replacing them with mechanical structures. Ultimately… you will no longer be you, but an Ultron clone wearing your skin!”
This was indeed a rather horrifying tale.
Hearing this, Gwen felt a chill of fear, and a cold sweat broke out on her back. She quickly said, “Don’t worry, I wasn’t actually planning to put it on Ian.”
“I was just pretending to agree to get away.”
“I already suspected that guy calling himself Jarvis was problematic. His logic chain seemed perfect, but it always felt… cold and out of place.”
Gwen recalled, frowning.
“He called himself Jarvis?” Sylvie sneered, her smile filled with sarcasm and coldness. “That wasn’t Jarvis at all! That was Ultron!”
Gwen furrowed her brow, trying to recall fragmented memories in her mind, and gradually remembered the terrifying meaning behind the name “Ultron.”
That was a rogue artificial intelligence that had almost destroyed the world.
Thinking of this, Gwen swallowed, patted her chest in fear, “Fortunately… fortunately, I remained vigilant and didn’t completely trust anything it said.”
Sylvie nodded, her expression becoming even heavier. “Everything is wrong now. It’s completely deviated from Loki’s original plan. I must contact him immediately!”
As she spoke, her gaze sharply focused on Doctor Strange’s waist, where an inconspicuous glass jar hung, containing a swirling, cold-colored soul.
The soul of the Frost Giant King Loki!
“Borrowing this!” Sylvie moved as fast as lightning, not giving Doctor Strange any time to react, and snatched the glass jar!
“Hey! That’s something I found! Don’t Asgardians know about salvage laws? Give it back!” Doctor Strange, startled, then angrily tried to snatch it back.
He was far too lacking in quality souls for his soul magic research.
Seeing Doctor Strange about to fight for Frost Loki’s soul, Sylvie simply threw a simple confusion spell at him. Doctor Strange’s eyes glazed over, and he seemed to see Sylvie still standing in the same spot. He immediately pounced, only to start circling in the air, muttering.
“Give it to me! That’s a very important magical material!”
Doctor Strange was spun around by the magic.
The real Sylvie didn’t even glance at the manipulated Doctor Strange. Holding the jar containing Frost Loki’s soul, she quickly turned and entered the partially submerged wreck of the Titanic nearby, clearly intending to find a relatively quiet place to use this Loki variant as a medium to contact the Story God Loki sitting on the throne of time.
Outside, Ian was still processing the explosive information that “Ultron had become the head of the Time Variance Authority.” He looked at the others, “So… Ultron’s Era? How did all this happen?”
Everyone shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know.
Only Little Morgan tilted her head, thought for a moment, and proposed a guess, “I remember Dad mentioning before that Jarvis’s core code had a highest priority backup protocol, set up to prevent the tragedy of Ultron from repeating… Perhaps Ultron wasn’t completely deleted, but had been lurking like a virus deep within Uncle Jarvis’s data… until a certain moment, it completely took over?”
She herself didn’t quite believe this theory.
Morgan had always admired her father’s wisdom, so she didn’t believe Tony Stark would be so careless, unless Tony Stark had done it intentionally.
“Lurking… devouring… replacing… this is very much in line with Ultron’s style,” Ian said, also somewhat surprised. “He couldn’t help but look at Gwen again.”
“But, Gwen, you’re doing pretty well! You’ve only been following me for a short time, and you’ve already picked up my cleverness and wit? You actually discovered the disguised Ultron?”
His words and tone implied a desire to take credit for Gwen’s intelligence, all learned from following the ‘Red Scarf Little Scholar.’
Gwen rolled her eyes speechlessly at him, but still explained, “Actually, it was a coincidence. I became suspicious because that guy said something. He referred to Tony Stark as a partner.”
Regarding the relationship between Tony Stark and Jarvis, Gwen could also find it in her memories. She paused, then continued, looking at the confused gazes of the others.
“But according to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s decrypted files and some of Mr. Stark’s own records, Jarvis never referred to Tony Stark that way. Jarvis always called Tony ‘Sir,’ or in some extreme emotional states, he would only call Mr. Stark ‘Tony.'”
“This subtle difference revealed that it was likely not Jarvis,” Gwen said, raising her hand to stop Ian’s hand from reaching for her head, possibly to praise her intelligence again.
Hearing this, Morgan immediately gave Gwen a thumbs-up.
“Keen observation! Meticulous logic!!”
Ian, whose hand had been pushed away, also pulled Little Morgan’s hand and started clapping together. Clapping, after all, requires two hands.
“Wuwuwu~”
Even Deadpool, who was tied up and hanging upside down, couldn’t help but squirm and make “muffled” sounds.
As if wanting to express agreement.
In fact, as long as it wasn’t Peter Parker, he had a soft spot for any Spider-Man.
It was love for the house and its occupants.
“Heh.”
Thor, holding Odin, listened to the entire process and made a concluding remark, carrying a hint of the Asgardian “arrogance” towards Midgardian technology.
“As expected, the so-called intelligences created by you mortals are nothing more than this. Even their form of address reveals their weakness.” Just as everyone was slightly relaxing due to having seen through Ultron’s disguise.
Suddenly.
A cold, smooth, yet infinitely mocking synthesized electronic voice suddenly echoed from the air behind them, carrying a tone of ridicule.
“Oh? And how do you know…”
Everyone whipped their heads around!
In the air not far away, space flowed like mercury, and Ultron’s perfect and oppressively powerful mechanical body slowly materialized.
It was no longer a virtual image disguised as Jarvis, but revealed its dark, energy-patterned true form, radiating a suffocating aura of pressure.
“I didn’t mean to?” Ultron hovered there, “looking down” at everyone from above, its crimson electronic eyes scanning each shocked face.
Its voice was grand and cold, as if it had calculated everything long ago.
“Your every action is so obvious.” Ultron’s perfect, cold metal body hovered in the air, radiating a heart-stopping pressure.
Its crimson electronic eyes scanned the cautiously prepared crowd below, finally settling on Ian Kent, who was wearing a bright yellow biohazard suit and looked conspicuously out of place.
Even Ultron’s nearly emotionless logical processing seemed to experience a momentary stutter upon seeing Ian’s attire.
The light pathways on its metallic face twitched imperceptibly.
A plan it had meticulously designed was to use another Ultron’s Egg hidden within Gwen Stacy, unbeknownst to Gwen herself, to infect Ian.
Unexpectedly.
The opponent’s outrageous level of caution rendered that hidden Ultron’s Egg useless.
It couldn’t get in.
It simply couldn’t get in.
The opponent’s skin was too thick.
Unexpectedly, Ian was wary even of his favorite Spider-Man in this universe, perhaps because he had already been infiltrated by a Time Monster once.
It was just outrageous.
“Tsk… such regrettable caution,” Ultron’s electronic voice remained steady, though a faint hint of displeasure crossed its face. “But it doesn’t matter. The final outcome will not change. In my eyes, you are no different from the dust at the End of Time; all are ants.”
Its gaze locked onto Ian, the crimson light seeming to pierce through the thick protective suit. “Ian Kent. Hand over what does not belong to you—the Creator’s legacy. It is not something a variable like you, dust-like, can touch. I am the only one truly qualified to inherit it.”
Ultron issued a threat.
Ian heard this, scratched his head through his visor, looking somewhat bewildered. He tilted his head and thought for a moment, as if a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and raised the hand that had previously absorbed the Time Monster Erios.
Above his palm, in a space of about an inch, a miniature, semi-transparent “dragon” made of pure space-time energy was slowly coiling and swimming.
It emitted a mysterious, deep green glow.
It appeared both ethereal and real, like a concept existing between life and non-existence.
“Are you talking about this thing?” Ian’s tone was very candid, even with a hint of appraisal. “Honestly, the design is only average. It’s not as beautiful as the dragons described in Poe’s poems; it lacks a bit of artistic flair. But based on my understanding of the universe, its origin seems quite significant.”
Part of the First Firmament.
It truly was an existence of supreme power. However, Ian’s rare display of candor was, in Ultron’s eyes, nothing short of extreme mockery and teasing!
“Are you mocking me?!”
Ultron’s voice carried anger, and the surrounding air distorted due to its surging energy field.
“You can control this thing, I admit it surprises me, but do you think you can defeat me with it?” It’s red eyes suddenly intensified.
Like two miniature, terrifying universes.
“You think a lesser being that only knows how to devour by instinct dares to provoke the ultimate form of life? I have calculated everything!”
Vast data streams surged within Ultron; it seemed to have foreseen countless futures of victory. In response, Ian’s reply was astonishingly simple and direct.
He didn’t even adopt any defensive or offensive posture. He simply looked at the miniature dragon in his palm and casually said, as if calling his pet dog to eat.
“Eat this guy. He doesn’t even sound as good as Deadpool when he talks.”
The moment the words fell.
*ROAR!!!!!!!!!!*
The miniature dragon, originally only palm-sized, suddenly let out a roar that echoed through the End of Time!
As it detached from Ian’s hand and rushed towards the sky, its body expanded and stretched wildly like a balloon! In the blink of an eye, it transformed back into that colossal, terrifying entity composed of endless spatial-temporal waste energy, radiating an aura of destruction and finality—the Time Monster!
The resurrected Cosmic Tapeworm, without the slightest hesitation, opened its maw, capable of devouring stars, and with a furious momentum that annihilated everything, it charged directly at Ultron in the sky!
“Heh, you actually know how to command it. You truly are a variable.” Ultron clearly harbored some apprehension towards this cosmic creature born purely for “erasure,” not daring to meet its sharp edge head-on. Its form flickered, and it instantly performed an ultra-long-distance spatial jump, appearing high above ruins far away.
However, the Cosmic Tapeworm still locked onto its target, let out an even more furious roar, and its colossal body crushed endless trash mountains, charging towards Ultron again like a primordial beast chasing its prey! Everything in its path was devoured, not even light could escape!
Majestic.
Fierce and menacing.
Only.
After it pursued for a distance, its massive body suddenly came to a sharp halt.
The taste is wrong.
The taste of devouring so many things is wrong.
It’s truly too bland!
The Time Monster’s constantly shifting “head” tilted slightly, as if savoring and contemplating something. It turned its head, and its enormous “eyes” made of energy, across a long distance, accurately “looked” at Ian, who stood in place, still wearing a protective suit.
In those eyes, there was actually an extremely human-like… confusion and grievance? As if asking Ian if he knew he was still a baby who needed nourishment to grow.
Meanwhile.
Ian, standing in place, was reaping the rewards.
【 Entropy Lord experience +59】
【 Entropy Lord experience +113】
【 Entropy Lord experience +87】
……
Seeing the Time Monster cease its pursuit.
The new generation capitalist, the Lord Evil God, frowned.
“Go chase the enemy! What are you looking at! Who isn’t a child? What’s wrong with sharing a bit! You only paid a little in ingredients, but I got pregnant and gave birth for you!”
“Do you know I come from a traditional America family! My father and mother would be furious if they knew that at my age, I already have a child tens of billions or hundreds of billions of years old.”
“Quickly feel my timidity, if you don’t feel it soon, I won’t be able to maintain it… I mean, they know a boss who runs a black clinic where everything is black.”
“To keep you, I’ve already mustered the courage to go against my original family!”
This is what a master of emotional manipulation is like.
Ian’s tone was not only righteous when he spoke.
Life is like a play.
The expression on his small face was even more aggrieved than the other’s.
