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[Superman] Chapter 161: The Speed Force Residue on the Timeline
🕑 Added 2024-06-23 05:11:13 +0000 UTCReed, incredibly intelligent, instantly understood what Peter was referring to — the group of people who suddenly appeared in New York City from beyond the universe last time.
"But Superman, wasn't that crisis already completely resolved by you?"
"And I can sense that, among them, the vast majority harbor no ill intent towards us."
"Perhaps the truth is as they said — they accidentally arrived in our universe, with no intention to invade..."
"And more importantly, even though their powers seem formidable, the strongest among them, a man called Clark, seems to be on par with Mr. Thor at best, unable to threaten our entire universe..."
Reed couldn't understand why Peter was still concerned about something that had already been resolved.
After all, leaving aside any great malice on their part.
Even if those people were to return one day, wanting to invade their universe again, with their strength, they probably wouldn't stand a chance against a world protected by true superheroes.
"While the immediate crisis seems to have been resolved, those people may not pose a significant threat."
"But I can sense that a greater crisis is brewing..."
As the two universes separated, Peter felt a special force manipulating everything in the shadows.
And now, although the crisis seemed completely resolved and both universes had returned to peace.
But in the shadows, perhaps an even greater crisis was constantly brewing, and it might soon descend upon their universe again.
"And perhaps their true target is far more than just our single universe..."
Though Peter was confident in his own abilities at this moment, even if faced with a crisis engulfing the multiverse, he could survive the collapse of the multiverse.
However, the DC Universe, as one of the two special universes coexisting with the Marvel Universe, also possessed formidable beings.
Just as he had seen before in the infinite void, the Eternity who transformed into an infinite universe, in the DC Universe, there were also beings capable of destroying infinite universes with a wave of their hand.
So at this moment, even though there were almost insurmountable barriers between the two universes, they couldn't afford to be complacent.
"Could it be that the impending crisis will sweep through countless universes we've discovered, and even those we haven't?"
At this moment, Reed saw a hint of seriousness in Peter's expression for the first time.
He couldn't help but be extremely shocked, speculating on how terrifying the possible scenario of a massive crisis might be.
At this moment, a particular scene floated into his mind.
Those faint red spherical bodies, representing countless universes, shattered in an instant.
Countless universes, countless beings, including himself and all loved ones, would be completely annihilated in that moment.
The infinitely vibrant multiverse would instantly turn into eternal nothingness.
Perhaps no one could ignore such a tragic scene.
"No, Superman, we absolutely won't let something like that happen!"
Reed's shocked expression gradually turned into determination at this moment, even if they might face a crisis that could destroy the entire multiverse in the future, he would do everything in his power to prevent it, without any hesitation.
Moreover, before him, they still had their last hope.
"So, Superman, what do you need me to do now?"
Reed steadied his mind and asked Peter slowly.
"I need you to open the gateway to that universe before the impending crisis arrives..."
"By then, I will personally go and preemptively eliminate the potential crisis!"
Peter's eyes gazed into the dark starry sky as he spoke slowly.
...
DC Universe, unlike the Marvel Universe, is no longer merely a matter of distance.
It exists completely within two entirely different realms.
Even Peter, at this moment, finds it almost impossible to breach the barrier between these two vast universes and open a passage to the DC Universe.
Indeed, Not even the embodiment of the multiverse, Eternity, would likely be able to traverse this barrier and reach the other universe.
However, this does not mean he has no way of reaching the DC Universe himself.
"Superman, are you saying that those individuals who appeared last time came from beyond the multiverse we have just begun to comprehend?" As Peter explained, even Reed couldn't help but show an incredulous expression.
Less than fifteen minutes ago, they had successfully opened a gateway to a nearby universe. Yet now, with Peter's explanation, Reed finally understood that these individuals came from a realm beyond the numerous universes they had just come to understand, infinitely distant and almost completely beyond their current ability to comprehend.
"Superman, I think you may be overestimating me… Even if I were given tens of thousands of years, I doubt I could develop the means to connect two such vast universes!"
Originally filled with ambition and a desire to protect their universe alongside Peter, Reed's eyes now betrayed a hint of fear after comprehending everything.
It was like facing a monster on the Journey to the West and being ordered to single-handedly eliminate all of Tang Sanzang's disciples.
Not just difficult, but downright impossible.
"Heh, I understand your concerns, and I certainly wouldn't ask you to do something you're incapable of…" Peter withdrew his gaze, looking calmly at the somewhat flattered Reed.
"Superman, are you suggesting…" Reed's face displayed an expression of great difficulty as he hesitantly spoke, some anticipation evident in his voice.
"Before completely separating the two universes, I thoroughly explored the energies of that universe and fully replicated it. This can help us locate the position of that universe."
Peter had personally overseen the complete separation of two universes that had already begun to merge, so he naturally needed to fully understand the differences between the two universes.
For Peter at this moment, recording everything about that universe was not difficult.
Just as in the world, no two leaves are exactly alike, so too there are differences between universes that are difficult for ordinary people to perceive.
It was based on these differences that Reed and the others could find the universe where Magneto and Iceman originally came from among the many universes.
Of course, the differences between the DC and Marvel universes were even greater.
If you placed a single DC universe next to countless Marvel universes, you could even use your naked eyes to distinguish the differences between them.
"Great, Superman, as long as you can provide the energies of that universe, I'm sure I can pinpoint its location…"
Hearing Peter's words, Reed was initially very excited.
But in just an instant, his expression turned sour again: "Wait a minute, perhaps I was getting ahead of myself. Even if we obtain all the information about that universe, we still cannot cross the barrier between two omnipotent universes and find the coordinates to that universe, let alone open a gateway to that universe!"
"Furthermore, everything cannot be blamed on Reed. Their technology was far from being able to support their exploration of things outside the multiverse.
"Rest assured, I already have a solution for this..."
In the face of Reed's constantly changing expressions of surprise and concern, Peter suddenly revealed a faint smile.
He then raised his hand and opened a portal with a teleportation gun, stepping in first.
...
"Where are we? Times Square in New York?"
Reed didn't hesitate, following Peter as they walked slowly out of the portal. He looked around at the familiar surroundings and the gathering crowd, instantly realizing their current location.
It was the primary location of their recent battle that had taken place not long ago.
"Look! What's that? How did it suddenly appear here?"
"Wait, someone seems to be coming out from inside?"
"Oh my god, it's Superman!"
"Wait, really Superman!"
"Superman, I love you! Can I get your autograph?"
As Peter and Reed emerged through the portal onto Times Square, which had recently been rebuilt.
Instantly, every passerby noticed the presence of Superman, Peter.
Instantly, everyone's face showed expressions of incredible joy, as if they were meeting their favorite global superstar, flocking over.
The entire street was crowded and impassable.
"Superman, why did we come here?"
Reed looked around, initially feeling very shocked by their sudden appearance. But upon seeing Peter, who was Superman, he instantly became incredibly excited. Curiously, he asked Peter amidst the gathering crowd.
"Heh, you'll find out in a moment..."
Peter ignored the cheering crowd surging towards him and slowly raised his hand, sweeping it over the void.
"What... what's going on?"
The next moment, Reed was shocked to find that the previously cheering and bustling crowd, which had made the entire street incredibly noisy, had suddenly become completely silent.
All pedestrians and vehicles were frozen in place.
Even a helicopter passing through the sky had stopped hovering in the air, its rotors ceased spinning.
"Could it be... time stopped? But why, I didn't..."
At this moment, Reed looked at Peter with intense astonishment in his eyes.
He knew Peter's power surpassed his understanding, but this was the first time he realized Peter was powerful enough to manipulate time.
Everything in the world was frozen in time, firmly fixed in place.
And Peter naturally didn't have the same special hobbies as those who enjoyed these small days.
As he slowly raised his palm, the entire world suddenly began moving again.
"Is time flowing backwards? This is truly incredible!"
Looking at the suddenly restored world in front of him, Reed was incredibly shocked to find everything moving in reverse.
Pedestrians and moving vehicles were continuously retreating.
Birds flying in the sky were also flapping their wings in reverse flight.
Even the sun in the sky was setting from west to east.
However, Peter seemed somewhat dissatisfied, and the speed at which his palm was rotating began to slowly increase.
At the same time, the scenes of slow reversal of time suddenly accelerated along with it at this moment.
The sun hanging in the sky almost instantly set below the eastern horizon.
Moonlight and the surrounding lights illuminated the street.
However, night lasted only about a second, and the sun rapidly rose from the west, replacing the bright stars and re-illuminating the entire world.
Countless figures and vehicles passed in front of Reed, even through his body.
Transforming into a virtual shadow, it was difficult to see.
As if from this moment on, the entire world was like a rapidly reversing video, with darkness and light alternating in the sky.
The high-rise buildings and facilities around, which had already been restored, actually returned to the scene after the battle that night.
Knowing that the sun and moon had alternated nearly twenty times in just a few seconds.
Suddenly stopped, a bright moon hung in the sky.
However, the cosmic rifts that should have pierced the sky at the same time did not appear.
"Is this the night those people suddenly appeared? Wait... There's another me?"
The surrounding scene also stopped again, making Reed feel incredibly familiar figures, appearing before him without knowing when.
Among them, there is even another existence of him.
"Superman, what exactly are you going to do?"
At this moment, Reed, for the first time, looked at himself from another person's perspective.
The whole scene couldn't help but make him feel incredibly strange.
He could only look at Peter, who had stopped manipulating time, with eyes full of doubt, waiting for his next move.
"In the universe where we want to open the channel, there are countless strange and mysterious beings."
"And among them, the most attractive special thing is right in front of us."
Peter's gaze turned and looked at the stopped scene around him, a figure emitting dazzling lightning, rushing rapidly.
"Superman, I finally understand. Are you referring to the person who can open the universal channel?"
At this moment, Reed also instantly understood what Peter was looking for in his rapid reversal of time.
"That's right, this person named Barry Allen has an incredibly special and powerful energy in his body called Speed Force."
"And using it to the extreme, it can allow people to travel through infinite universes, even surpassing time to change the past and future."
"And now, for us, its most important role is to allow us to open the door to another universe in the vast and unimaginable omnipotent universe..."
Peter slowly raised his hand, facing the figure rushing rapidly.
The next moment, the entire world suddenly began to move normally again, and the figure began to rush rapidly, turning into a dazzling lightning bolt, shuttling over the street.
Of course, time did not completely return to normal at this moment.
Because apart from the lightning figure shuttling back and forth, other people hardly had time to take action in such a short time.
Suddenly, the figure that was shuttling rapidly stopped in place, its expression filled with disappointment and regret.
The people around also had expressions of incredible disappointment and regret on their faces.
"Wait, this scene seems different from what I experienced?"
At this moment, Reed finally discovered a clue, because he remembered that day, as the lightning figure shuttled back and forth, he had successfully opened the gate to another universe at the last moment.
"That's right, this is the purpose of my coming here. The time and reality here have been modified once!"
Peter slowly spoke, explaining the reason for his coming here.
"I understand. In this modified timeline, there remains a special energy called Speed Force?"
"As long as we collect it, do we have a chance to use it to open the door to that universe?"
"Is that right, Superman?"
At this moment, Reed finally fully understood everything Peter had done.
...
(End of Chapter)
