395. Tearing the Timeline!

395. Tearing the Timeline!

Amid the noisy surroundings, no one noticed the sound of a snap.

Between the crashing instruments and the scattered pieces of Tony Stark's Iron Man suit hitting the ground, the snap was instantly drowned out.

But in the next moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent.

It was as if everything had been paused—every sound abruptly ceased, leaving only an eerie stillness in its wake.

Tony Stark, eyes tightly shut, could hear only his heavy breathing and the thundering beat of his heart. He knew he was done for.

Without his Iron Man suit, he had no combat ability. At this moment, he was just an ordinary man, one about to be consumed by Reed Richards and the others, turning into one of those monstrous creatures. However, the pain he had anticipated did not come.

After four or five seconds, for reasons unknown, Stark suddenly realized the surroundings had quieted down. Apart from his own breathing, he couldn't hear anything else.

Frowning in confusion, his eyelids twitched slightly before he cautiously opened his eyes.

"Holy crap!"

The sight of two bloodthirsty, gaping maws inches away from his face made Tony Stark jump in fright.

The grotesque, skinless forms of the Thing and the Human Torch looked like vengeful spirits, causing Stark to stumble backward into a table behind him.

"Careful, Mr. Stark. That's good liquor—don't waste it."

A deep, magnetic male voice came from behind him. Startled, Stark turned to see a man in a black trench coat standing there, an East Asian man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

In Stark's panicked gaze, Alex raised his hand with a casual motion. The whiskey bottle that was about to shatter froze in mid-air and, as if guided by an unseen force, floated back to the table without spilling a single drop.

"Nice trick, Gandalf. Do I know you?"

Stark's mind raced as he glanced at the frozen forms of the Fantastic Four and Nick Fury. He cautiously took a step back and asked.

Alex noticed Stark subtly inching toward the scattered pieces of his armor and chuckled softly.

"This is our first meeting, I suppose. Relax, Mr. Stark. I'm not your enemy, so there's no need to be so wary. Of course, if being closer to your Iron Man suit gives you some comfort, I don't mind."

"Sorry, but given that I almost became dinner for four zombies, I think a little caution is perfectly justified, even if you did save me."

Realizing his intentions had been discovered, Stark adopted a more straightforward approach. He didn't bother to immediately suit up, thinking it might antagonize the man in black.

Though he had no idea who this man was, the ability to pause time clearly wasn't something just anyone could pull off. In such a scenario, Stark understood he had no chance of resisting if the stranger intended him harm.

Casting another glance at the immobile zombies, Stark turned, grabbed two glasses, and poured the whiskey.

"So, you know me."

Taking the glasses, Stark handed one to the man in black.

"Mm-hmm, you could say that."

"—doesn't follow 'logic,' right?"

"Exactly," Alex nodded. "And that's why I'm here. My goal is to find the Sentry. He holds the secrets to all of this."

As Alex finished speaking, he stepped closer to Tony Stark.

Seeing Alex's movements, Tony warily tilted his head and curiously asked, "What are you trying to do?"

"I can't disrupt the flow of this world. Any drastic actions could destabilize the cycle of this universe and potentially cause it to collapse. Until we find a solution, I can't take aggressive measures. But I can try something else."

Alex raised his hand, golden light rippling at his fingertips. Energy harnessed from the natural explosions of a wasteland universe's stars converged in his palm, transformed by his temporal control device.

"But didn't you save me just now?" Tony asked.

"Not yet, Tony. Saving you is extremely complicated. In the timelines of these two universes, your infection by the Fantastic Four as a zombie is an 'absolute point in time.'"

"An absolute point in time?" Tony echoed, confused.

"It's unchangeable, immovable. If you weren't infected, your escape plan wouldn't have failed, Mister Fantastic wouldn't have sought out other multiverses, and the subsequent events wouldn't have unfolded. If I were to erase this point, everything would spiral out of control."

Tony looked skeptical. "So you're saying you want me to help you locate the source of all this while you pause time, and then you're going to toss me back to this damned absolute point in time?"

"Tony, this is about the cyclical balance of two universes. It's incredibly dangerous. I know what you're worried about, and I assure you, I will save you. The process, however, may defy your understanding."

Alex formed a series of hand seals, and a terrifying burst of energy exploded outward, filling the entire lab with radiant golden light.

Tony Stark's eyes widened as the beam of energy surged toward him. He didn't even have time to react before it struck him directly.

"I know creating a paradox is dangerous for this universe, but fortunately, I've seen similar scenarios before. Don't worry, Tony. You'll be fine."

Golden light engulfed Tony Stark's vision entirely. He felt his body being torn apart, and through the haze, he heard Alex's voice. Unable to contain his confusion, he weakly asked, "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm attempting to split this timeline—or more precisely, split your timeline."

Alex's hands came together as he unleashed terrifying magical energy.

"There was once a sorcerer who went astray trying to alter an absolute point in time. His teacher, one of the most powerful sorcerers in history, used this method to tear the timeline, allowing two timelines to coexist in the same universe."

Pausing, Alex continued, "But I don't need to go that far. I only need to split you. Your timeline will diverge here. So, in a way... yes, I've saved you."

Tony Stark couldn't hear the rest.

Under the immense energy, his body began to tear apart, gradually splitting into two.

When he opened his eyes again, he was stunned to see another version of himself being devoured by the zombified Fantastic Four.

Tony Stark was utterly shaken.

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon

For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

396. Limited Echo Tony Stark!

397. The Time Bard!!

398. Zombie Sentry!

399. A Killing Spree!!

400. Touching the Corruption!!