Free Web NovelChapter 770: Chapter 728: Temporal Severance
While searching through the ruins of New York, apart from discovering some bizarre insects and aggressive beasts, there were no other gains.
No one knows how long it has been since the disaster struck, but much of what was here has completely weathered into dust, leaving only the shattered remnants of civilization, producing a crying-like whimper in the fierce winds.
Fortunately, the temperature inside the ruins is slightly lower; after just a few minutes under the sun, the two of them almost got roasted dry.
"Earth is no longer suitable for human survival. Even if the war didn’t kill them, climate would." Zheng Xian pulled up his tie to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Su Ming sat on the floor, nodding slightly, "This implies that the nuclear war occurred not long after our original timeline, at least humans didn’t find a way to deal with nuclear winter, turning the Earth into a wasteland afterward."
Zheng Xian paused for a moment in silence, "Brother, can’t you use the Eye of Agamotto? Maybe it can show us what to do now?"
"Everything has its cost. We’re not at the point where we have to pay that price. Using it to reverse our time is meaningless; this is an independent point in time. Don’t forget how we entered here. My ability to reverse time requires a continuous timeline, and we’ve skipped at least several hundred years. Therefore, using the gemstone will only bring us back to the moment we arrived here."
Zheng Xian sat beside him helplessly, pounding on his shoulder. "Alright then, what should we do next? Your so-called base is nothing but a big pit now, clearly leaving nothing behind."
Their location was right at the edge of the pit, where half of a ruined building hadn’t completely collapsed but was severely weathered and looked about to topple.
The calculated position of the Wilson Enterprises was now just a giant crater, created by a nuclear bomb of at least megaton-level TNT equivalent detonating here.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder at the edge of the pit, sheltered by the shadow cast by the debris of the building.
"Don’t let me do all the thinking. Show me the backup plan you’ve got hidden." Su Ming took out some wine from his backpack and handed it to Zheng Xian, a specialty brought from Azeroth.
Zheng Xian shook his head, his smile gradually turning bitter. He took a big swig from the wine bottle.
"I do have a plan. If civilization collapses, the Celestial Ring Base has prepared everything needed to restart civilization, including gene banks, seed banks, tech knowledge, and various materials. Basically, everything you can imagine is prepared by the Holy Spear Association. The aim is that even if only a few people are left on Earth, artificial insemination from the gene bank can redevelop a nation...."
"I see."
Su Ming patted his shoulder, knowing the situation at this point. Previously, when flying in the cosmos, what he saw was Earth as a completely red-brown sphere with no sign of any surviving civilization. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Even if underground bunkers were built, after the nuclear winter, the people within should emerge and develop.
But now, nothing remains; Zheng Xian’s plan has failed.
Just then, suddenly, a golden wormhole appeared beside them, and from within emerged a familiar figure. She was dressed in a spotless white robe with a hood covering her face.
"Master Gu Yi?" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The newcomer gently removed her hood, revealing a smiling face. "It’s me, Slade. This is the real apocalypse, and you might need some help. Let me clarify, I come from a timeline before you succeeded to your position. When examining future possibilities, I saw the Magic Floating Cloak, and that’s how I knew you were here."
Originally, Gu Yi was invisible on the timeline; however, by ’generously’ handing the Magic Floating Cloak to Su Ming, it marked a point.
No wonder she insisted on unloading the burden of Supreme Mage onto me. She foresaw all possible futures by such means.
Old and experienced, she’s really cunning.
Even now that the problem’s identified, can I discard the cloak and not use it? I’ve taken on the Supreme Mage role, and the die is cast; it’s too late for anything.
"This is a temporal endpoint." Su Ming stood up, nodding. He roughly understood.
"Indeed." Gu Yi smiled serenely, answering calmly.
Su Ming pondered for a moment, his mind spinning quickly: "Has our timeline been severed?"
Gu Yi nodded with gratification, knowing her future choice was correct; Slade’s insight was impressive: "Exactly."
"Could the Celestial Divine Species achieve this?"
Su Ming sighed deeply; the unexpected occurrence left him unprepared.
"You are special, haven’t you forgotten? Your metal resonated with Celestial Energy. It was the collision of cosmic origin that severed your timeline, while the gemstone brought you here."
"Time....You mean...."
Gu Yi clasped her hands behind her back, gazing at the massive crater afar: "We all understand that time generally advances forward but, like a great river, it branches. Some branches are larger and flow farther, while others dry up midway."
"Is this one of countless possibilities?" Zheng Xian bowed to Gu Yi, eagerly asking the most pressing question.
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"Is this one of countless possibilities?"
Zheng Xian gazed at the Big Cat in front of him, asking incredulously.
For a Black Panther, speaking human words with a standard Imperial Capital accent would always feel somewhat strange.
He and Deathstroke didn’t find Vibranium; the mine below Wakanda had been completely exhausted, leaving only rusty machinery with various mushrooms growing on it.
Since they couldn’t find more benefits, the two chose a safe place and drank the Heart-shaped Grass Juice, then came to a place resembling a dream realm, where they saw the enormous Leopard God.
According to it, Zheng Xian and Deathstroke are indeed the only two humans left on Earth; this is a mistaken timeline where humanity perished due to a cosmic virus-induced biohazard, with the latter being caused by a space monster that resembled a house cat.
The Leopard God lay on a giant tree, its tail curling and extending, licking its paws.
"After hearing your tales, I’ve guessed somewhat. Yes, this place is merely one possibility, akin to an unborn parallel world. If you return, remember to avoid this loop from happening."
Su Ming rubbed his chin; a cat-like monster... wouldn’t be such a coincidence?
He rubbed his face and looked at the Leopard God’s eerie green eyes: "So, in reality, it means Zheng Xian and I have been divided into numerous parts, simultaneously experiencing all possibilities? Seeing the future?"
The Leopard God tilted its big head, then nodded humanely: "You can understand it that way, but I’m not sure if it’s correct. My understanding of time is limited; you’re the Supreme Mage; you should be the one telling me."
"The problem now is we need to reverse the division process and leap back the time to connect with the moment we entered the body of the Celestial Divine Species."
Su Ming understood. He took out the Great Sword and, like playing chess, started moving the X Metal light points on it with his finger.
Zheng Xian looked at him, then at the big cat on the tree; the sky here was purple, presenting an alternate African grassland scenery, everything seemed dreamlike and illusory.
"How many parts were we divided into?"
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"How many parts were we divided into?"
In the huge Space Fortress near Earth’s orbit, Su Ming sat on the throne while Zheng Xian examined the gigantic Deathstroke statue in the hall, asking the Adjutant for the answer to this question.
Su Ming felt a bit awkward, yet it was created, this church equipped with space battleship engines....
A silver figure emerged beside him, and in the great cathedral, she could choose any projection position.
She raised her small hand, revealing a giant screen in midair, filled with various calculation formulas cascading down like a waterfall.
"According to preliminary calculations, you have been divided into over 2.4 million different possibilities that may exist in all time streams." She answered effortlessly.
Zheng Xian patted his forehead while Su Ming pinched the bridge of his nose, this sounded terrible.
"Adjutant, can these possibilities be classified into three major categories?"
The Adjutant’s appearance was very beautiful now, with many features from Su Ming’s acquaintances reflected on her. She gently nodded.
"Yes, Chief, these current possibilities can be summarized into three major categories: the future becoming better, remaining unchanged, or worsening."
Su Ming and Zheng Xian exchanged a glance, indeed, it’s still the same; Zhang Heng of the Holy Spear Association indeed didn’t leave behind the Dragon Slaying Skill, but the Holy Shield did.
Their so-called future having three possibilities was specifically developed to counter the Celestial Gods!
Hence the Human Machine was born.
Zheng Xian found it hard to accept this; could the Holy Shield be right? Has the viewpoint of his lineage been wrong all along?
Su Ming descended from the throne, landing beside him: "No need to overthink, the possibilities of time are indeed infinite, I understand this very well because outside the All-Powerful Universe, not all world developments can be categorized into these three major categories."
"But the Celestial Gods Group..."
"From the Celestials’ standpoint, they perceive these three categories, and the Holy Shield devised three plans to counter them, which is merely a countermeasure, not a cosmic truth."
Su Ming’s resolute reply also encouraged Zheng Xian, who gradually regained his composure.
As an outsider, Su Ming indeed believed this; if Marvel’s previous development could be counted among the three categories, then how about after he, a Transmigrator, arrived?
Su Ming could affirm, at least there exists a fourth category, the future development probably named "going astray."
Isn’t it going astray when, upon entering the Interstellar Fortress, everyone he met shouted slogans like "Long live the Emperor" and "Eternal loyalty" in a polished tone? Isn’t it going astray?
Everyone is a Superhuman, and Superheroes have disappeared; could this still be considered the Marvel World...
"Yes, despite these possibilities being classified into three categories, they only account for 50% of the total in the current inductive method." The Adjutant cutely pointed at her lips with her finger, the projection strutted around them model-style: "Aside from advancement, reincarnation, and extinction, the time development has three other major categories, namely regression, stagnation, and chaos.... This is only a preliminary conclusion; our research on time is quite limited."
"Regression?" Zheng Xian’s eyes lit up; he wanted to pat the Adjutant’s shoulder to praise her for providing inspiration, but his hand caught nothing since the Adjutant wasn’t there, it was merely a 3D projection.
"Yes, relying on the power of science, now Holy Terra has entered the 39th millennium, though time travel requires strict approval, it remains merely a simple tourism project." The Adjutant cheerfully jumped in place, indicating Zheng Xian couldn’t catch her: "If you want to go upstream to ride dinosaurs, I can help you achieve that; if you wish to tour Earth during the age of discovery, I can equally send you there. It’s only through me that the thickest route within the time stream is present, and the time power I command is more than others."
Zheng Xian breathed a sigh of relief; he patted his chest and then looked at Su Ming: "Master Deathstroke, consider Old Zheng owes you a personal favor; can we book a tour group?"
