Shadow of the Beautiful World

swish

Like the sound of a breeze blowing leaves, it sounded on the top floor of the mechanical palace.

Under Cyborg's gaze, Merlin pulled out a faint blue halo like surrounding stars from the stone platform of the Ultimate Mother Box.

The Lord Raven seemed to be holding a swaying, slime-like thing.

An orange light wrapped around Merlin's fingers, like a layer of protective gloves, preventing Merlin's fingers from coming into direct contact with the starlight.

Lord Raven's expression was a little strained.

He grabbed the thing with ten fingers and pulled it out from the stone altar little by little.

The so-called ultimate mother box does not mean that the three mother boxes are fused together.

Rather, they are combined into a complete system according to the orientation of the rock altar, which is used to release energy, open the detonation channel, and summon the steppen wolf and the demon-like army.

This thing is only complete when all three are present.

I thought you were talking about extracting the original force. You wanted to break the mother box and extract the energy inside it.

Cyborg looked at the scene in front of him, and said in a low voice:

But I didn't expect...it's just that.

So, you children, your understanding of energy is too shallow.

Lord Raven restrained the beating cosmic force with his fingers, and said to Steel Bone without looking back:

Like this kind of energy that was born during the big bang of the universe, it is the basis of the formation of stars and everything. It does not have strong destructive power, and it is completely different from the form of energy that you can currently understand.

It doesn't make you stronger, you have to use more power to restrain it to prevent it from dissipating in the now expanded universe.

Merlin paused and said:

This thing is meaningless to you. It is not even as useful as a piece of bread. At least bread can fill your hunger.

swish

There was another soft sound.

In the shattering of the orange light, the swaying mass of cosmic force was completely drawn out.

Under Steel Bone's gaze, the thing was picked up by Merlin's five fingers and pinned to the large dark red book spread out at his hand.

The moment the energy filled with starlight touched the pages of the book, it quickly penetrated into it like scattered water, causing a faint starlight to flash across the surface of the book, and then disappeared.

Totally gone.

finished.

Merlin wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to the steel skeleton beside him:

You can take your mother box. Speaking of which, will it still send you messages after the sonic boom tunnel is closed?

Not anymore.

Steel Bone stretched out his fingers and grabbed the silver-white mother box on the edge of the stone.

With the force of the fingers, the stone cracked, and the entire mother box was pulled out, and the stone altar with the three mother boxes was completely shattered.

After losing the support of the mother box's energy, this thing has turned back to the most common stone, and there is no more magic to speak of.

It's quiet now.

Victor's chest armor opened outwards, and under the movement of those mechanical arms, the silver-white mother box changed its shape again, and was sent back to the steel bone's chest as before.

The ring-shaped core inlaid on the chest armor glowed red again, just like the energy battery was put back into the machine.

The steel bone moved his arms and shoulders, and the mechanical modules on his body clicked as if they were re-adapting, pulled away, changed their shape, and then reset the parameters.

In Cyborg's left eye, the green stream of data danced like a waterfall.

But he was no longer panicked like before.

He studied with the sage Hope of the Mechanicus to control the data system of the body. It is just the beginning, but Hope has taught him a lot.

And I don't know if it's an illusion. After Victor was resurrected with a mechanical body, his aesthetics seemed to have undergone a strange change...

Miss Hope, who always smiles and is like the sister next door, is very beautiful.

It seems that opening the sonic boom tunnel is its task, mission, and after that work is completed, the mother box has entered a fairly peaceful state.

Cyborg followed Merlin to the outside of the mechanical palace, and he explained:

I can feel now that the mother box is just an organ of my body, no different from the heart or kidney. It is for my use and will give or take back energy according to my thoughts.

Viktor tapped his chest, and between the clang of metal, he said:

Although I am still wary, I think maybe I can use it with confidence.

You can use it, of course, it's in your body after all.

Merlin says:

But there is an obvious relationship between it and those new protoss.

Next time, when the change you noticed occurs, contact Hope as soon as possible, and you will also see how the new Protoss will invade a world.

Lord Raven said:

I don't think monsters can conquer the world, especially when there are so many heroes in this world, but conquering and destroying are two concepts.

Once the sonic boom tunnel opens in the unprepared world, you should be able to guess the disastrous result, right?

Um.

Steel Bone nodded solemnly.

He knew what Merlin meant. He had also seen the scenes of robots fighting demons in the wasteland with his own eyes. Once those demons appeared in this world, they would destroy a city in an instant and kill all the demons in the city. people.

These world invaders are unreasonable.

There is no question about that.

Okay, you can go to Hope to continue learning to control your body and system.

Lord Raven said to the steel skeleton behind him:

When you feel that you can completely control the body, or Hope thinks you have learned everything, then I will send someone to send you away...

This is hell. It's not very good that you are a big living person who stays here all the time.

Cyborg watched Merlin levitate forward, he suddenly asked:

Raven...my lord, about the question just now.

Do you have any doubts?

Merlin looked back at Cyborg.

Victor pointed to the book hanging on Merlin's waist, and he said:

You just said that the cosmic force is not even as good as a piece of bread to us, but it seems to have a special meaning to you. Maybe this is not what I should ask, but I still want to know...

What are you going to do with that 'useless' energy?

Good question.

Merlin raised his fingers, and a small spark burst out between him.

The flame like a candle was burning at the fingertips.

Merlin looked at the dancing flames, and he said to Steel Skeleton:

I'm going to light a fire with them!

Burning calamity, bringing hope, illuminating the night, and making all things come true.

But that's for the future. When the flame is lit, you should be able to see it no matter where you are or when you are...

Cyborg stopped talking.

He couldn't understand whether Merlin was speaking the truth or making a metaphor.

A few seconds later, when Merlin was about to disappear at the corner ahead, Cyborg suddenly said loudly:

I don't know where you want to light the fire, but Lord Raven...

When the fire is lit, the scene... must be beautiful, I will look forward to that day!

Merlin didn't look back.

He still had his arms behind his back, floating forward like a ghost.

There was a smile on the corner of his mouth.

very good...

He has withdrawn the power of vanity.

But Steel Bone's self-raiding speed is quite fast, and he has now completely regarded Merlin as a trustworthy senior.

very good...

On this road, there is another companion.

———————————

A few days passed by.

Physicists are nearing completion of the Quantum Tunnel project in Raccoon City, and maybe in a day, or two, the first deep-dive experiments will begin.

This also means that Howard. Stark and Nathaniel. Richards is about to leave this era.

I heard that Tony has already prepared the wedding, and it will be held at the base of Raccoon City, and he will get their blessings before his parents leave again.

Merlin will be there too.

Of course, in addition to celebrating that Tony has finally found his destination in life, the more important reason is that Hill has been blowing pillows recently, and she hopes to see Ava who is lost in the quantum sea be brought back as soon as possible.

As for Merlin, he didn't want the child to be alone in another world for a longer period of time.

But before going to the wedding, Merlin had one more thing to do.

Mystery House, guest room on the second floor.

Merlin's projection stood with Xuan Lan, and the two quietly looked at the bed in front of them.

On the bed, the comatose Barry Allen was in a very active state of mind. This young man who had encountered a strange situation was about to wake up.

How long has he been unconscious?

Merlin hugged Xuanlan's slender waist and asked softly:

You changed the time flow of the mysterious house?

right.

Xuanlan replied:

Because I didn't want his sister and adoptive father to worry too much, I adjusted the time in the mystery house about 15 times faster. Although the outside world is only a few days, in fact, the child has been in a coma for 43 days.

so long...

Merlin says:

I've been in a coma all this time, isn't my muscle atrophy?

No, that special energy is supporting the normal operation of the ecology in his body.

Xuanlan said:

I also gave him some medicine.

Um.

Lord Raven nodded.

He looked at his nephew lying on the bed, he had many questions to ask him.

A few minutes later, Barry Allen, who was lying down and just put on, opened his eyes. His eyelids moved, and he seemed to be a little puzzled, why he was not at home, but in this place where he had been several times.

when did he get here?

The young man coughed a few times, but he didn't feel thirsty or hungry. During this time, Xuanlan took good care of him.

But the sequelae of inactivity for a long time made him feel that his body was slightly numb, as if it was rusted, and that feeling was pretty bad.

And I don't know if it's an illusion.

Barry felt that the whole world seemed to be different from before.

Those details, the fine patterns on the ceiling, and the weird energy flowing in the air, are like floating catkins.

And the sound of breathing...

Faint breathing.

He could feel it, very clearly.

It's hard to describe.

But the whole world is different.

He propped his arms, sat up from the bed, and saw Uncle Merlin and Sister Xuanlan hovering in front of the bed.

He wanted to say hello to them, get up to go to the bathroom, and change his clothes.

The thought came to his mind and then accepted by his body...it was normal at this point.

But the next moment, it's not normal.

Barry felt his body move, just as he thought, he sat up from the bed, stood up, and walked towards Uncle Merlin.

Everything slows down.

Everything in his vision and senses slowed down.

In front of Uncle Merlin's opening to speak, it turned into a complete slow motion, like a discontinuous slide show. Sister Xuanlan's eyes widened bit by bit.

Those beautiful eyes were full of surprise.

He can see.

It's all slow motion...

He even looked behind him, and then turned his head again. The expressions of the two people in front of him still maintained that slow movement.

No!

It's not that they've slowed down.

But he has become faster.

Dancing, fine yellow arcs danced on every cell in Barry's body, and those jumping arcs gave him indescribable speed.

He has no control over it, not even his own body.

The brain can't match the speed of the body's reaction at all.

He only had time to let out a scream, and rushed towards Merlin and Xuanlan at the speed of light.

Shrouded in orange light, Lord Raven held Xuanlan's slender waist at the moment Barry disappeared, and protected her behind her. With the other hand, he raised his fist in a way of breaking space, and slapped the rushing Barry.

Less than a moment.

Barry saw the fist appearing strangely in front of him, he instinctively wanted to dodge it, he turned sideways, almost brushing against Merlin's fist and drifting to the other side, but just when he thought he had completely dodged the fist... .

Merlin's index finger suddenly popped out!

It's like flicking a fly.

The finger tapped lightly on Barry's nose.

boom

The movement and balance of the high-speed Barry Allen were destroyed. He broke away from the state of light speed, flew out like a cannonball, and smashed into the wall of the mysterious room in embarrassment.

Fortunately, this building is blessed by magic and is strong enough.

Let this impact at the speed of light fail to destroy the integrity of the wall.

The young man got up from the ground in a daze, only to see Uncle Merlin's serious expression and those blue eyes head-on.

Barry, about what happened to you.

Merlin rubbed his slightly sore fingers, and said softly:

We need to have a good talk...