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[Superman] Chapter 162: Establishing the Multiverse Research Society
🕑 Added 2024-06-23 05:28:45 +0000 UTC"Speed Force... What an incredibly powerful force it is, capable of breaking the laws of physics, traversing infinite universes, even splitting timelines and altering already established pasts and futures."
As a staunch advocate of science, Reed had once firmly believed that time was the cornerstone of the universe's existence, an irreversible entity.
Until the entire world underwent immense changes due to Peter's arrival.
More fantastical scenes and abilities gradually appeared in this bizarre universe. Now, Reed himself was witnessing scenes of time reversal.
If Reed's acceptance hadn't been strong enough, he might have been like some stubborn scholars who couldn't accept the rapid changes in the universe, shouting, "Physics no longer exists!"
"Sir, can this special power called Speed Force truly help us transcend the omnipotent universe and connect to another world beyond?"
Even now, Reed found it difficult to believe that such a special force could rival the four fundamental forces of the universe.
"Well, you'll just have to wait and see..."
Peter didn't elaborate further. His understanding of the Speed Force was only from the data before his travels.
Now, however, he was witnessing firsthand the uniqueness and mystery of the Speed Force.
Immediately, Peter slowly raised his hand, palm aimed at the figure surrounded by countless electric lights, assuming a running posture.
Sizzle... Crack!
Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky.
The figure instantly turned into a bolt of lightning and shot out rapidly.
Along with his sprint, the entire world seemed to be instantly destroyed by violent lightning, then reshaped beneath his feet.
The process of the world collapsing, breaking, and rebuilding unfolded completely before their eyes.
"Time is actually being reversed! The world is indeed being reshaped!"
At this moment, Reed widened his eyes in utter shock as he witnessed the modification of the timeline and the reshaping of the world.
This scene left an indelible memory in his mind.
At the same time, it allowed him to surpass the previous limitations of his understanding of the universe and its rules.
He felt that under his genius mind, there seemed to be more whimsical ideas that could successfully be realized.
Peter didn't pay attention to Reed's gains at this moment.
Instead, he focused intensely on the figure that had turned into lightning.
After the entire world was gradually reshaped amid the brilliant flashes of lightning.
When the figure, now a bolt of lightning, could no longer bear the intense burden of modifying time with Speed Force, its body disintegrated instantly. The immense Speed Force within it suddenly erupted and scattered into the universe.
In Peter's palm, a strong attraction suddenly appeared.
Like holding a small black hole, even the residual Speed Force that had scattered as lightning could not resist this immense force.
Instantly attracted, it hurriedly converged into his palm.
The remnants of countless Speed Forces, after the disintegration of the Flash's body, would merge into this modified segment of time.
If left unnoticed, they would gradually fade away and disappear after endless ages.
But now, gathered by Peter's immense power, they reformed into a faint energy of Speed Force...
Accompanied by numerous remnants of Speed Force converging in Peter's palm, they transformed into a tiny, flickering lightning.
The timeline segment formed by the remnants of Speed Force could no longer be sustained at this moment.
With a loud crash, countless visible realities, seemingly smeared with dark fuel, violently collapsed at this moment.
In just the blink of an eye, they turned into nothingness.
"This..."
Watching the collapse of the world and the timeline, as well as the distortions and tears in reality, a hint of fear flashed in Reed's eyes.
...
Soon after, when the entire timeline completely collapsed and reality was annihilated.
Peter slowly waved his other arm, brushing over the now empty sky.
The next moment, a dramatic change occurred in the world. A azure sky appeared within Reed's still shocked gaze.
It was as if the world had changed in the blink of an eye!
"Don't just stand there. We've got what we came for. It's time to go back!"
In the blink of an eye, the entire world returned to normal. Time remained frozen at the moment they suddenly appeared in the square, surrounded by numerous onlookers.
Just as Reed was still trying to recover from the abrupt change around him, Peter had already taken him back to the distant space station.
As soon as the two left, the frozen scene in the square instantly returned to normal.
The pedestrians seemed to have forgotten Peter's sudden appearance and the scene where they cheered and asked for autographs.
Meanwhile, inside the space station,
Reed was staring at a special transparent device, curiosity filling his eyes as he observed the flickering electric light within.
"Is this the Speed Force that can modify the past and future?"
The scene that had just appeared before Reed left him curious about this strange energy from another universe.
"Superman, may I study it?"
Driven by his pursuit and dedication to science, Reed was eager to study this unique energy.
He wanted to understand why it possessed the extraordinary ability to manipulate time and travel through universes.
"Of course. The reason I collected the remnants of Speed Force on the timeline segments was precisely for you to study it..."
"And then, figure out how to use it to assist our Multiverse Shuttle in opening the gateway to that universe!"
"If you can decipher all the information about Speed Force perfectly and create a new Speed Force..."
Peter paused there. In the Marvel Universe, creating Speed Force was almost impossible even for him.
Therefore, for Peter, it was sufficient if Reed could use this strand of Speed Force to open the gateway to the DC Universe.
Despite its seemingly insignificance and lack of apparent power, if utilized correctly, it could fully open the gateway connecting the DC Universe.
And that was precisely why Peter spent the effort to collect it.
"Sir, thank you for your trust. I won't let you down!"
Realizing just how significant Peter's trust was, and possibly being the only one entrusted with this strand of Speed Force in the entire omnipotent universe, Reed's face showed intense gratitude.
Without hesitation, he assured Peter that he would fulfill his plan.
"I believe in you!"
Peter patted Reed's shoulder, then opened a portal and disappeared from the space station.
"Speed Force? Such a special energy... I fear it may take considerable time for me to fully comprehend it alone..."
After watching Peter leave, Reed almost immediately turned his gaze to the tiny flickering lightning.
However, his expression wasn't one of confidence.
"Never mind. First, let the AI system scan its structure and composition."
Reed didn't hesitate. He directly controlled Earth's most advanced AI system to begin analyzing all the information about this Speed Force.
"Information analysis in progress. Estimated time until completion: 68 hours, 45 minutes, 25 seconds..."
"Such a long time?"
Even Reed, seeing the countdown slowly decreasing on the screen, was surprised by such an extended analysis time for the first time.
Even the last time he analyzed an energy storm from the universe, it didn't take nearly as long.
"It seems that this strange energy from another universe possesses mysteries that are difficult to comprehend!"
Full of surprise and anticipation, Reed's face was filled with both astonishment and hope.
...
Soon, nearly three days had passed.
During these three days, Reed had hardly slept, tirelessly waiting for the system to complete its analysis of the Speed Force energy. In the meantime, he conducted various other manual tests.
Buzz!
The tightly closed laboratory door suddenly swung open from the outside.
A figure in a white coat, revealing a graceful figure, carried a plate of sumptuous food as she walked in.
"Hey, Reed, I brought you lunch. Come take a break," she said with a hint of concern as she looked at Reed, who was still busy.
"Susan, just leave it there for now. I'm not hungry yet," replied Reed without turning around, knowing exactly who had entered.
Despite this, he didn't stop his research and experiments.
"Alright, Reed. Experiments can wait anytime. Superman himself instructed you to take care of your health," Susan insisted, firmly pulling him over to sit at the dining table.
"I've just had some new ideas..."
"Fine."
Initially reluctant, Reed ultimately had no choice but to sit at the table under Susan's strong insistence.
However, even as he ate, his mind was elsewhere.
"Reed, have you made any progress during this time?" Susan couldn't help but ask, seeing his distracted expression.
"Susan, you wouldn't believe it. During this research, it's as if I've rediscovered the universe. Many of the theories we once accepted and upheld are fundamentally flawed... No, not entirely wrong, but incomplete and capable of being broken!"
As Susan brought up the topic, Reed, who had been absent-minded, suddenly became incredibly excited.
It was as if he had discovered a new theory back in his university days.
"Really?" Susan was somewhat incredulous. Human understanding and mastery of the rules of the universe were still at a very rudimentary stage.
If it weren't for the sudden massive leap in human technology not long ago, they might still not be able to live in space at this moment, let alone travel light-years through it.
"You might not understand what this energy truly represents..."
Reed looked at Susan with eyes filled with a longing for unknown knowledge and the mysteries of the universe.
"It represents an infinite future of possibilities and the potential to reshape the universe..."
Of course, Reed couldn't achieve these things right now, but from that energy, he saw the hope of infinite possibilities.
"All from that bolt of lightning?" Susan was incredulous, but she knew Reed wouldn't deceive himself. She couldn't help but look towards the flickering electric light not far away, seeming to never extinguish.
...
Soon, the two finished their lunch. Susan left the laboratory to continue her own research.
Meanwhile, Reed remained, his face still filled with anticipation and excitement, continuing to explore the mysterious Speed Force.
"The position energy analysis is complete. Please click to view as soon as possible..."
Suddenly, in the quiet laboratory, the system's voice rang out.
Reed, who was conducting experiments, eagerly looked up at the screen.
Without hesitation, he promptly opened the analysis report.
Then, the entire laboratory fell silent once again.
For hours on end...
"It seems that this energy indeed originates from beyond our universe..."
Although Reed had never doubted everything Peter had said, at this moment, through the system's analysis, he theoretically confirmed that this energy was not something existing within their universe.
"No, with just my own efforts, it may take years or even decades to fully understand this unique energy and apply it."
"And to create Speed Force tailored to our universe as Superman suggested... It may be beyond my lifetime."
Although Reed was considered the most brilliant mind in the Marvel Universe, facing the most mysterious Speed Force from the DC Universe, he couldn't immediately comprehend and master it in a short time.
Even if he succeeded in applying it to the Multiverse Traveler, it might take more than a year.
Yet, he was uncertain if he could open the temporal gateway connecting that universe in time before the impending crisis Peter had mentioned.
"Time fractures, infinite universes, and futures..."
At this moment, Reed suddenly fell into contemplation, as if struggling with something.
"Perhaps I should start applying those bold ideas from my mind!"
After pondering for a long time, Reed's expression finally became resolute.
The next moment, he contacted Peter without hesitation.
...
"Are you saying... using our Multiverse Traveler to initiate a council for connecting the multiverse?"
Shortly after receiving Reed's message, Peter hurried to the laboratory without hesitation.
Even he, upon hearing Reed's sudden proposal, couldn't help but feel extremely surprised.
"That's right, Superman. With our capabilities, it will likely take a considerable amount of time to apply this energy to the Multiverse Traveler."
"By then, the crisis sweeping through the multiverse that you mentioned may have already occurred and cannot be stopped."
"So, I think it's time for us to take the lead in establishing a special council to connect countless multiverses!"
Clearly, Reed's research into the Speed Force had given him a greater understanding of the multiverse and sparked many bold ideas.
He knew that with their current technological accumulation, they couldn't fully harness the Speed Force, let alone create a new Speed Force unique to the Marvel Universe.
However, if they established a Multiverse Council and invited the smarter beings from across infinite universes to collaborate, they might drastically shorten this lengthy process.
They could swiftly open the gateway connecting the DC Universe.
"If I agree to you establishing this Multiverse Council, what would you do?"
"And would you invite other figures from different multiverses to join the research?"
Peter couldn't help but marvel at Reed's boundless imagination at this moment.
It seemed Reed had conceived such ideas while researching the Multiverse Traveler.
However, he remembered Peter's warning and refrained from making unilateral decisions, seeking Peter's input instead.
"We can gradually refine the rules after establishing the council."
"As for inviting council members, I already have a plan in mind!"
"That would involve myself from different timelines across infinite universes..."
...
(End of this chapter)
