[Comprehensive Anglo-American] Gem Merchant

Stephen Strange nodded, this was indeed the second dangerous warning he received after "not casually interfering with the past to trigger time loops and time refutations".Master Gu Yi himself didn't tell him why in the end, but he left calmly with a clear smile, leaving himself and Modu in a daze.

"How did Gu Yi tell you at that time?"

El-Melloi II said: "If you tell him directly, it may be more convincing than what I said."

"Perhaps that won't be convincing..."

Strange hesitated for a moment, but honestly repeated the original words of the ancient one mage.

I've spent years peering into the future, preventing countless horrific events, but crises always follow[1].All those who can see the future will come to this point in the end... Our purpose is to make the world move on the right track and adjust the direction of the world at the right moment.

— Never, never look at the end of time, Strange.

Before the soul left, Master Gu Yi had entrusted him with such instructions.And even if he repeats this sentence to El-Melloi II and Tony Stark now, Strange is still a little confused about it—the magic power of the Eye of Agamotto is endless, However, the power he can use today is still limited, and his current power does not support him to see the future that is too far away, so Gu Yi's warning is still just a warning so far.

After a short silence, Tony suddenly asked: "So, what will happen in the distant future? The universe changes from accelerated expansion to accelerated contraction? Return to singularity? Heat death due to the limit of entropy increase principle? Or something else What"

Speaking of it, he first told "there is such a thing", and then said "you must not look at it", there must be something wrong with the magician's educational methods, otherwise how could he do such a thing against human nature.Tony Stark thought so, Pandora's magic box was opened like this, curiosity killed the cat, how could a scientist bear the opportunity to understand the future of the world.

Even after an incalculable cosmic scale, at the end of a long time, human beings may no longer exist, but this knowledge is still there, and people can't help but want to take a peek.

Scientists are such creatures—Tony thought, probably the root that magicians want to pursue is the same as when scientists once wanted to seek a unified formula and the principle of all things.

"Uh, no, maybe a little closer than the time scale you're talking about."

El-Melloi II interrupted Tony Stark's imagination: "We are talking about the future of mankind, not the scale of the universe... For example, if Alphonse What would the world be like if it wasn’t there?”

"Then I'll use the Eye of Agomotto to—"

Halfway through the speech, Stephen Strange remembered the words of the ancient one, and suddenly stopped talking.He thought of the unspoken secrets of the magicians, of the unanimous silence of all those who have far-future vision.

—Do not observe the end of time.The "end" that human beings can see in the future is extremely limited, so...

So, what is the end of human reason?

By the next day, Tony Stark still hadn't been able to think clearly about this problem. Fortunately, he had so many troubles to solve urgently that he didn't think about one of these things all night.

The optimization progress of the Extremis virus is progressing steadily, so this time Stark Industries also released the results of Tony Stark's animal experiments in a timely manner under the instruction of Pepper, although the mice and rabbits used in the experiments are still available. Side effects such as irritable mood, strong aggression, and weakened sociality after taking the medicine, but the mortality rate has been completely suppressed, and the Extremis virus is no longer a dangerous drug that can endanger people's lives.

What I really want to say - this trick is called boiling frogs in warm water.

If people could be informed earlier about the development process of this drug and the difficulties it overcomes step by step, in the end, people's acceptance of this drug could be slightly higher.Although this time the publicity once again caused an uproar, and also touched the dissatisfaction of some people in the religious circles, Alphonse dismissed it - the magician himself made these old guys very dissatisfied, and Stark also A piece of cake.

Pepper blinked: "Stark never cared about the outside world's comments before, but I didn't expect that this time he was escorted by you to participate in an interview."

The attitude of the three magicians who made the instigator was very frank - this thing has a share in the end. Although the name of the research and development personnel is only Tony Stark, but because of this guy's death, the Extremis virus can't be sold in the end. stay home!

In the video recording of the interview, Tony Stark publicly demonstrated the effect of the new version of Extremis in the conference room of Stark Industries. After a period of struggle, the amputated white rabbit injected with Extremis actually actually Painfully experienced the regeneration of severed limbs at a speed visible to the naked eye, and then vigorously gnawed carrots in the cage.

"Although it may be difficult for it to return to its own group."

In the video, Tony pointed to the rabbit in the cage. Because the finger was stretched too close to the cage, the rabbit aggressively tried to nibble on his finger several times, and finally triggered the battle suit on the wrist. After the metal expanded, the rabbit collapsed in public. Tooth: "Look, this little guy's temper has become worse... This is another problem that I need to solve urgently."

"So—see you at the next press conference, trust me, Iron Man can do anything."

The unconventional, down-to-earth video has sparked an uproar online.This time netizens finally had the opportunity to seriously start thinking about how much this drug will change the world and how much it will benefit, but when they started calling for the emergence of this drug, Tony Stark disappeared .

No longer appearing around the world to be his superhero, and rarely appearing in the ranks of the Avengers, let alone appearing in various celebrity receptions in New York City, just like he himself promised That way, it will "advance the research process of this drug at all costs"—

"But you don't have to worry too much, I'm Iron Man, nothing can stop me."

Except for this last sentence, people were shocked to find that there was no trace of Tony Stark anywhere.It didn't appear in all parts of the world, and the golden red steel suit couldn't be seen in the sky of New York. As for bars and party scenes... Since Tony Stark became Iron Man, it's hard to find him there anymore.

This kind of transformation is particularly amazing. When seeing a topic king and playboy start to try his best to do something, people will start to be curious-thus, the most interviewable Captain America in the entire Avengers is became the object of inquiry of all.

"Uh—research progress? You know, I can't even understand what Stark is doing..."

The World War II veteran showed a harmless smile to the camera: "But it's true that he doesn't show up with us recently, and we don't have permission to enter Stark's laboratory, so it's inconvenient to disturb him. Uh... I I worked with Tony's father, Howard Stark, for a while, and every time Howard was researching something, it was forbidden for everyone to disturb-I think this is respect for others, so I'm sorry."

"What? Love life? I don't even know about that... Wait, what?"

After seeing the netizen's question, Captain America had a broken face: "The two of them? No, no, this is absolutely impossible. Al, he is our advisor..."

He was stunned for a moment, and then saw the barrage in front of him frantically brushed up.

In my lifetime!Can eat melon from Captain America's mouth!I'm going home and telling my grandma!

Me too!My grandpa is already on his way to watch the live broadcast!

So sure enough, the members of the Avengers are all aware of it!The captain is nice!

The US team looked at the long list of netizens complaining, and panicked: "Uh no, I didn't mean that, Tony and Al and the others...uh, well, okay..."

Of course he can understand that everyone has their own emotional problems. Part of his and Natasha's souls in the Avengers have been left in the last century. Clint and Bruce also have unhealed wounds in their hearts, but this does not mean that Stark can't pursue love, but if the other party is Alphonse... The veteran of World War II began to feel that he could no longer cope with the live broadcast accident smoothly.

Al's words... He always felt that the other party was a character like a symbol. Of course, this description did not mean to offend, but if he was asked to imagine who Al was with, his mind would only be blank.

The microphone for the interview was directly directed in front of the US team, and the good-tempered soldier was embarrassed to push it away: "So, obviously you are also one of the insiders? Can you tell us about the progress of Tony Stark's relationship?"

Captain America patted the ends of his hair shyly, God, it’s not difficult for him to train and perform missions in the army, just discussing this... He stumbled into the microphone, it was almost like the other party asking him about his own relationship problems And keep a cautious look: "They are all my friends, and I will not do anything to betray my friends until Tony makes his own decision."

Immediately afterwards, the melon-eaters across the United States saw a brand new famous scene of the US team - a symbol of the American spirit that has never been afraid of any challenge, fleeing from the camera.

Tony Stark did disappear from the public eye for a while.

He needs to do a lot of things. While maintaining the optimization research of the unstoppable Extremis virus for eight hours a day, he also needs to find energy to go to his occult literacy class with El-Melloi II and go to the Debug and optimize the parameters of the array, get the protection of the devil, and buy tickets for the magic eye collection train.

Regarding this last point, Weber Velvet asked one of his students for an admission ticket. It seemed that some of the students came from a family that created magic eyes and had a close connection with the network train.After he handed over the ticket to Stark, the other party rarely hesitated: "Is it okay for us to keep it from Alphonse?"

"If your original intention remains the same, you want to save him."

Stephen Strange said: "I hope that the world can move forward safely and smoothly. This is the job and responsibility of the Supreme Mage. As for El-Melloi II over there, he hopes that a certain magic ceremony can be successfully completed. , that also complements what Alphonse expects, and in a sense, what we expect is exactly similar."

"Then shouldn't they exchange information with each other? Since the purpose is the same."

Tony Stark felt something was wrong.

"No, it's different. That guy is a standard magician, the type who does whatever it takes to get what it takes - if you take all of the Alphonse Barthelmelo Edelfelt papers that Agent Kevin submitted If you read all the observation reports, you can find that the guy's support for the project researched by Maris Billy Animsfia is far from the scope of money. If Animsfia can guarantee his life If it can be exchanged for the completion of this ceremony, Alphonse will never hesitate."

"Including sacrificing yourself to be the human battery that provides the magic power—that guy is on the core, that's who he is."

Stephen Strange pronounced the sentence in a deep voice.

Tony Stark felt some cold fingers: "Is this the content of the report?"

"This is the daughter of Maris Billy Animsfia, Olga Marie told me herself."

Stephen Strange said: "That's why I'm here now."

"So, why exactly?"

Tony heard his own voice and asked, "Maris Billy... what are you talking about, the monarch of the astronomy department?"

What kind of thing is worthy of such a good person at all costs, sacrificing his life, cutting his soul, letting go of the ties and emotions in the world, and putting all his heart and soul into it.

"See for yourself."

Strange sighed: "If you just recount it instead of watching it in person, it shouldn't be that big of a problem—after all, it's already an open secret among magicians of all time, but I'm a newcomer Yes, I just found out."

He waved his hands at Stark and El-Melloi II, and the magical halo of golden flames enveloped everyone's vision. After opening their eyes again, they were already in the library of the clock tower.

It was a memory—a memory specially cut and preserved by Stephen Strange, and it belonged to him.

The girl with golden pupils and white hair bent slightly, looked at Stephen Strange who had finally opened his eyes while maintaining a meditation posture, and said with great interest:

"...I heard that magicians of your lineage all have the ability to predict the future?"

What is there at the end of time?

Stephen Strange's life is very busy, so busy that he has no time to think about such philosophical questions.Although he is in charge of the Eye of Agamotto, a god-made armor that can control time, considering Modu's aversion to breaking the rules before he left the temple and the ancient one's instructions to him, he is very cautious and hardly uses it anymore. Such power.

Prudence is a habit left over from being a doctor, and so is following the rules.Although occasionally bold measures are required for diagnosis and treatment, but most of the time, it is absolutely right to follow the three-checked and eight-pair drug use norms and a series of rules and regulations. Therefore, he can only face the girl in front of him with apology Open the mouth: "Sorry, ma'am—you may have found the wrong person. Although the Supreme Mage of the previous generation may know more about this, I have just taken office and am not yet proficient in these businesses."

The implication is that I trouble you to ask Gao Ming for another.

The other party didn't seem discouraged by this, and just narrowed his eyes slightly: "Maybe I haven't introduced myself to you, Mr. Strange. You can call me Olga Marie Yasmiret Anim Sfia, the next head of the Anim Sfia. Maybe this name will free you up to chat with me?"

Strange's originally indifferent attitude finally corrected, he raised his eyes and looked at the next Patriarch in front of him: "Say it."

Olga Marie obviously had a straight-forward character, and this time she didn't even bring a servant, and she was obviously here for Strange himself.

The two stood and sat one by one, and the light and shadow projected from the square window in the library separated them into two sides, one bright and one dark.

——The end of time is destruction.

The girl spoke earnestly, without the slightest hesitation: it is the end of mankind, the end of the world, the end of the clairvoyance that belongs to mankind and can no longer see any future, the embers after burning, and a complete blank.

what did you say?

The supreme mage frowned, this is not something that a little girl can talk about casually.

"It seems that you do lack experience as a magician, sir."

The pretty girl flicked her hair, and said in a condescending tone: "Perhaps you need to know something."

The Magic Association is divided into three organizations. In addition to the Clock Tower, there is also the Atlas Institute known as the Giant's Crypt, and the Wandering Sea, where the whereabouts are uncertain.The giant's cellar has always been adhering to the principle of only entering and not exiting, refusing to disclose its knowledge to the outside, and wandering in the sea... most people can't find it at all.

Strange's impression of these two organizations only stayed at the level of "exists but they are completely urban legends", but the girl in front of him mentioned one of them calmly: "The Animsfia family, once Borrowing the power of the Atlas Institute, I created a spiritual calculation machine called Tri-pointed Hermes. Well, look at your expression, of course everything I said is related... This is used to observe The machines of the future."

The Atlas Institute is an association of magicians who are good at alchemy. The alchemists here have tried their best to solve the ruined future, but in the end, they have come to the theory of failure——the more they want to move toward If they work hard to save the future, the future will develop in a worse direction. Apart from creating a super weapon capable of destroying the world seven times, their research has not brought any help to the world.

Therefore, the Atlas Institute closed all its own research and erected layers of barriers to prevent members from absconding.

Strange in the memory picture was slightly dazed, the ancient mage had also tried similarly, and Tony Stark was also lost in thought when he heard this, and he himself also wanted to create some ultimate weapon to maintain Ideas like peace in the whole world.

—and now, they are told, this path has been tried, and they have failed.

"One of the characteristics of future vision is that the observed future is destined to happen. Including this doomsday observed by most magicians who can predict the future... or something else, in short, the future of human society is Destruction, this is already the common sense shared by these magicians. All our actions are based on this common sense. The world is like a train running towards the abyss, and the terminal station is inevitable destruction, including yours. Teacher, my father, and Alphonse Edelfelt, all we are doing is to turn a switch on this doomed train track and keep it away from that abyss for a while."

The day of destruction in the Mayan culture, the dusk of the gods in the Norse mythology.

The continuous whispers from Fairy Township, and the stubborn silence of Atlas House.

Beside the Fountain of Urd, Odin obtained the secrets of Rune and the world by sacrificing one of his eyes. The dusk of the gods will come at last. The three goddesses of fate spin the thread of time, and the stars will fall on the On the ground, a raging fire was burning.

Looking into the far future means observing the end of the world.

"Speaking of... aren't you also curious about what Alphonse saw back then?"

As if suddenly remembering something, the white-haired girl pursed her lips and smiled, then spoke suddenly.

"After all, my knowledge is just hearsay, but that guy saw it with his own eyes... Observing the future will produce an extremely strong information load on the brain, even Odin lost one of his eyes. Let a human child To watch directly the end of the world's destruction, those goblins are going too far."

The memories came to an abrupt end, and the laboratory was silent.

Until El-Melloi II's cigar finally burned his hand, until there was a clang, a metal part in Tony Stark's hand suddenly fell to the ground.

The metal battle suit quickly clung to the whole body, and a few seconds later, the battle suit trailed the flames of Huiwei and disappeared into the night of New York.

——I'm going to see you now.

The author has something to say: Note [1]: It is quoted from the original words of Gu Yi, but here there is a slight misinterpretation of the original meaning.