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[Superman] Chapter 196: Rebuilding the Universe, and Venturing into the TVA
🕑 Added 2024-08-12 09:44:58 +0000 UTC"How could the entire universe change so drastically in just an instant?" Peter felt something was amiss as he sensed the entire multiverse seemingly plunging into rapid decay at that very moment.
Even though the crisis of Infinite Ultron had begun, the multiverse was vast and immense—it was impossible for it to collapse entirely in such a brief instant.
Moreover, how could Ultron possibly replicate itself endlessly and destroy every universe in mere moments?
"No, something's definitely wrong!"
In an instant, a trace of suspicion appeared on Peter's solemn face. He decided not to dwell further on the extreme chaos erupting across the multiverse. With a flash, he returned to the location of his original universe.
However, now, due to the universe's annihilation, it had become a void, surrounded only by massive remnants of the universe and chaotic space-time currents.
"It's time to bring back the universe that once existed in this void!"
Peter's lips moved slightly, like a god of creation declaring the birth of a new world. As if his words held the power to command reality, Peter's voice resonated, seeming to shake the surrounding void.
As he slowly raised his hands, it was as though he grasped two invisible forces, which he then gently pulled apart.
Boom!
With Peter's movements, the void that had consumed the universe suddenly began to disperse, like two colossal curtains of nothingness rolling away from the cosmos. In an instant, the endless void that had occupied the universe was swept away by Peter's gesture.
In the place where the universe once existed, a perfect vacuum now formed.
"The river of time shall reunite at this moment!"
Another soft-spoken sentence echoed through the void. With those words, an intense tremor erupted around him.
A stream of emerald-green time energy seemed to pierce through the void, forming an endless river of time.
As he gazed at the reunited river of time, Peter's expression gradually calmed.
"It seems there is still a glimmer of hope!"
The fact that the river of time could be reunited meant that all was not truly lost. The future where the universe was destroyed was not yet set in stone.
Everything that had happened before would eventually be rewritten by Peter's own hands.
Peter slowly submerged his hands into the boundless river of time before him. He closed his eyes, and in that moment, it was as if he merged with the river of time, feeling the rich power of time flow through him.
Endless images of the universe flashed through Peter's mind. At that moment, he truly transformed into a time ghost, traveling through the river of time that spanned both past and future, witnessing the entire universe from its birth to its recent destruction.
In that moment, he experienced the universe's prosperity, the flourishing of life, the course of history, and the abrupt end—the sudden destruction of the future.
"The river of time does have an end, just as the universe is not eternal..."
Peter felt everything more directly, witnessing the universe's entire journey from birth to destruction.
"But the universe is like a story, a novel, a life."
"It has setbacks, excitement, lows, and highs... a beginning and an inevitable ending."
"A story doesn't suddenly stop halfway through! Just as your life doesn't abruptly end or halt because of some setbacks!"
At that moment, Peter seemed to have completely fused with the river of time. His body gradually became ethereal.
A radiant golden light began to shimmer on the surface of his body, like starlight, only shining in the dark night sky, yet guiding those lost in the night toward the approaching dawn.
Peter's body slowly dissolved, transforming into countless golden glimmers that merged into the green river of time. The once entirely green river of time now took on a hint of golden radiance, making it appear more sacred, brighter, and more resilient than before.
...
In the river of time, the green energy of time flows gently like a river, reflecting in its clear currents illusory images resembling the progression of the universe.
Suddenly, the flowing stream of time is abruptly interrupted by a boundless void radiating a dark aura. It acts like a dam, completely blocking the entire river of time and halting the normal development of the universe.
Although the energy of time continues to flow, it ultimately cannot break through the barrier of this dark force. Instead, it is absorbed into the darkness, slowly fading away.
Everything seems to come to a standstill at this moment, as if Peter's original universe had been suddenly destroyed by an unexpected surge of energy.
Just as this fate seems inevitable, a radiant golden light slowly emerges within the green energy of time.
A stream of golden energy gathers within the time flow, forming a sharp and resilient sword. With an unstoppable force, it pierces through the boundless darkness in an instant, like the first ray of light illuminating the universe, bringing hope and the birth of all life.
The time river, which had been abruptly halted by the infinite darkness, is reopened at this moment, carving a bright path through the endless void and darkness.
The holy light that disperses the darkness now forms a resilient shield, covering the entire river of time and preventing any further invasion of dark energy.
At this moment, the green river of time stretching across the void begins to emit a brilliant golden light, exuding an aura of divine sanctity and inviolability.
This marks the reopening of the universe's end, signaling that the future of the universe is now immune to any interruptions or crises.
Suddenly, a golden tributary branches off from the sacred river of time, slowly converging in the void to take the shape of Peter.
At this moment, he, with a power comparable to that of a god, has not only reunited the river of time but has also forged an eternal, sacred, and unassailable path for it.
"The sacred time has been restored, and all things shall be reborn at this moment!"
The time river, now protected by the golden light, gradually fades into the void.
What was once a void now bursts with new life. Time and space seem to have been rewound.
The universe that had been destroyed by Ultron reappears at this moment.
As a bright energy surge rapidly reverses from all directions, the reality of the universe, once shattered, begins to be reborn.
Everything is changed once more, and the universe, along with the river of time that had been severed, is now brimming with even greater vitality.
...
*Buzz!*
Not long after, the entire universe returned to normal. A figure appeared at the center of the universe at that moment.
He emitted a cold red light that swept across the vibrant, life-filled universe. The five Infinity Stones on his chest suddenly glowed with an incredibly dazzling light.
A colossal amount of energy, enough to destroy the entire universe, brewed within his body.
However, suddenly, a hand seemed to extend from the void, instantly covering Ultron's head.
The Mind Stone, which had been shining along with the other stones, abruptly dimmed, as if Ultron’s life had been snuffed out at that very moment.
Just as Peter was about to casually extinguish Ultron, he noticed a hint of shock and an unusual expression in Ultron's gradually dimming red eyes, as if it recognized him.
This made Peter pause for a moment.
"You... stopped me again... No, you can't stop everything. The endless me will ultimately..."
Before Ultron could finish speaking, its body suddenly disintegrated into the brilliant starlight of the universe.
"It really recognized me! So, these endless Ultrons can share the memories of all their counterparts, ignoring the limitations of time and space?"
Feeling something strange, Peter probed into Ultron's mind before destroying it and uncovered the true secret behind Infinite Ultron.
Ultron, wielding the powers of the Time and Space Stones, had been able to replicate itself nearly infinitely and almost destroy the entire multiverse in such a short time because it had transcended the limitations of time and space.
When the original Ultron died, and the restrictions were lifted, the moment an Ultron clone successfully awakened, it meant that every timeline thereafter had been overtaken by Ultron, who could infinitely replicate itself.
These Ultrons could traverse endless time and space, spanning all timelines and universes, and within just a few minutes, assemble an army of Ultrons capable of destroying entire universes.
Then, they would systematically begin to annihilate everything within the multiverse.
Even if one universe or timeline encountered unforeseen resistance and was saved, other Ultron clones could receive the information and continue to destroy that universe and timeline.
"I see now! No wonder even Loki, who can travel through time, couldn't prevent the destruction of the multiverse!"
At that moment, Peter finally grasped the terrifying extent of the Infinite Ultron Crisis.
There was virtually no chance of stopping an Infinite Ultron that transcended time and space, with clones as numerous as the timelines themselves.
Even though he had just used his divine power to protect the entire timeline of this universe, he might still be unable to prevent the endless Ultron clones from coming to destroy it.
Suddenly, Peter’s expression changed, and the sacred, golden Time Stream instantly materialized before him.
Although the main branch of the sacred Time Stream had not been completely severed and continued to flow, several new branches of time extended from it at this moment.
Each of these time branches led to endless darkness and void, as if allowing any one of them to grow would completely obliterate the entire Time Stream.
Even though his divine power still firmly guarded the main trunk of the Time Stream, he couldn’t entirely eliminate the ever-extending branches that led straight to a future of destruction.
"Wait, this time branch seems a bit strange!"
As Peter pondered a solution, his gaze suddenly focused on one peculiar time branch.
This branch seemed still in an illusory state, with the timeline not yet fully condensed. However, the golden, sacred energy guarding it did not gradually fade with the encroaching darkness.
In fact, the golden light seemed to grow brighter and more solid.
Unable to resist, Peter slowly raised his hand, reaching out to touch that special time branch.
*Whoosh!*
In the next moment, it was as if he once again sped through time, traversing the realities and futures of the universe.
Suddenly, he found himself in an incredibly peculiar place.
A stream of radiant time energy flowed straight through the void, forming a unique loop.
Within this flowing time stream lay a strange city filled with buildings that appeared both bizarre and advanced.
"Is this... the Time Variance Authority?"
Peter recalled Loki’s earlier appearance, where he introduced himself as being from the Time Variance Authority.
At this moment, Peter finally confirmed that the strange city before him was indeed the Time Variance Authority, or TVA!
"I actually came here. Could that time branch be the timeline where I chose to follow Loki to this place?"
Peter couldn't help but speculate.
He then felt an urge to explore the Time Variance Authority.
As soon as the thought arose in his mind, he suddenly found himself no longer outside but inside the TVA.
Here, he saw numerous people moving hurriedly, all seemingly very busy. It was as if none of them had time to stop and rest, with countless tasks awaiting their attention.
At the center of the TVA stood a giant humanoid statue that Peter found very familiar.
"Is this the Conqueror Kang who founded the TVA?"
Looking at the enormous statue, Peter recognized it as that of Kang, the Conqueror, who had established the TVA.
However, as Peter gazed at the statue, it began to slowly become illusory and distorted.
The surrounding space continuously warped and mutated, and the statue seemed to flicker between existence and non-existence, constantly changing.
Moreover, the statue’s appearance also distorted and shifted at this moment, as if there was no definitive answer.
"Hmm? What’s going on? Could the statue be a holographic projection that’s malfunctioning?"
Peter looked at the bizarre statue, which seemed to hover between existence and non-existence, with a hint of confusion in his eyes.
At that moment, a figure, busy reading documents while walking, slowly approached him.
Just as Peter was about to step forward to speak with them and inquire about the statue, he realized that the person showed no sign of stopping for him and walked right through his body without any reaction, continuing on their way.
"Could it be that they can't see me at all?"
At this moment, Peter finally realized that he might be in some sort of ghost-like state, with the people around him completely oblivious to his presence.
"Interesting..."
With a shift in his thoughts, the surrounding scene began to rapidly change.
The city around him seemed to undergo endless years of erosion, leaving behind many newly formed marks of time.
"So, even within the TVA, I can freely manipulate time and travel to any time and place..."
It wasn’t until the TVA collapsed under the massive temporal gravitational force and was erased by temporal radiation that Peter finally confirmed his ability to freely manipulate time within the TVA.
...
(End of Chapter)
