Shimizu, naturally, was amenable, making ample preparations. He put on the Sling Ring and donned his battle armor, checked the Eye of All-Seeing and the Sword of Lloigor, and nodded at Odin.
The latter nodded slightly, raising Gungnir.
This spear, representing the authority of the God-King, was crafted from the branches of the World Tree and possessed the power to connect with it.
“I will ask the World Tree to protect you with its leaves, escorting you out of this universe's boundary. From here on, you must rely on yourself.”
Odin thrust Gungnir forward, then pointed it at Shimizu.
Instantly, two immense, translucent leaves converged towards Shimizu. He felt his vision was unaffected, but after passing through the leaves, his perception range was reduced a hundredfold.
The World Tree was of an extremely high level; even a single leaf was a top-tier treasure.
“It's about to begin.”
Shimizu couldn't hear the outside sounds, but he could see Odin's lip movements.
The leaf-room slowly pushed Shimizu upwards, the speed increasing from slow to fast. In a few short breaths, Gu Yi disappeared from his sight.
Until a certain moment.
Shimizu felt his vision change again, from the colorful to a colorful black.
As if breaking through the shackles of space-time, at this moment, Shimizu looked back and found that the World Tree's branches had grown to a point where they could no longer be specifically observed with the naked eye.
And behind the branches, was a vast, abstract line wriggling.
Because it had broken through the concept of three-dimensional space and was independent of time, Shimizu could barely see the various scenes evolving within that line.
That was the past, the things that had happened in this universe.
This was the true face of the timeline!
No, using the term 'timeline' wasn't accurate enough. The truly accurate description should be a single universe within the multiverse!
Behind the World Tree's branches, this line branched into countless phantoms, each representing every possible evolutionary path of this world.
The World Tree had pulled him out of this universe from that point in time!
Then next…
Shimizu's gaze shifted to his arm.
Beneath the Electro-Light Armor, the Sling Ring on his finger faintly glowed with golden light.
This was borrowing the power of Vishanti, a multiversal deity, to make an inter-universal call.
In the next instant, outside the leaf-wrapped room, fireworks lit up, and a golden portal appeared.
A man draped in a red magic cloak, wearing golden-red Iron Man armor, was enveloped in golden light, walking out of the portal.
“Hello!”
The Iron Man armor's mask opened, revealing Tony Stark's face, mouthing towards Shimizu.
Even though there was no air here and he couldn't breathe, Shimizu faintly heard a familiar voice in his ear.
Different from the Tony in his universe, with his flamboyance and frivolity, this Tony Stark seemed more mature and stable, but unchanged was the unique confidence in his personality, and also…
Showiness.
“What, are you mesmerized by my handsome face? I can understand, but I like hot girls, and I'm already married.”
Tony winked at Shimizu.
The Vett O’s Subroutine rooted in the Electro-Light Armor quickly analyzed what he was saying through the movement of Tony's lips.
“No, I just didn't expect that my little brother in this universe could become the Sorcerer Supreme in another universe.”
Shimizu also spoke to Tony.
He believed that as long as it was Tony Stark, he could definitely discern what he was saying through his lip movements.
“I don't believe it. You're obviously bragging. Stark never submits to anyone, even the Tony Starks of other universes are the same, otherwise, he wouldn't be Tony Stark.”
Tony scorned, having analyzed what Shimizu said.
“I'm telling the truth; I'm the director of . here.”
“Even being the director of . couldn't make Stark his little brother.”
“But the you in this world is affiliated with .”
“Affiliated as what?”
“Senior Science Consultant.”
“I knew it, how can a consultant be considered the director's little brother, at most just a partner.”
Tony said to Shimizu.
Just then, a small portion of the golden light on Tony's body separated and transformed into a kitten.
Well, it only looked like a kitten; in reality, it was a tiger.
The Ancient Hoggoth.
It was said that he was the last surviving member of an ancient and mysterious race, existing since the beginning of all things, everlasting, eternally existent, and possessing a natural talent independent of time and space, also known as the Eternal Hoggoth.
“Don't waste time here; every second you stay, you have to use more energy.”
Hoggoth opened his mouth and roared.
Although he couldn't transmit sound, there was still a powerful mental thought that passed through the World Tree and reached Shimizu's perception.
“Okay, Lord Hoggoth, I'll have to trouble you.”
Tony said with a slightly serious expression.
Hoggoth nodded slightly, looking at Shimizu.
To be precise, he was looking at the World Tree.
“Follow me!”
The golden kitten re-entered Stark's body, transforming into a stream of light, flying towards the depths of the endless multiverse.
The World Tree's branches followed closely, its speed no less than Hoggoth's.
Passing through the gaps of countless universes, Hoggoth finally stopped in a place so dilapidated that the timeline was broken, twisted, and even knotted.
This was the Altrox Dimension, a ruined dimension left behind after a complete dimension was destroyed.
The World Tree's branches followed the golden stream of light and plunged into it.
The translucent emerald leaves opened and closed, sending Shimizu to a desolate swamp.
At this time, Tony, who had arrived earlier, was already using magic in conjunction with some technological equipment on his armor to monitor the environment here.
A piece of illusory World Tree leaf fell into Shimizu's hand, forming a strange rune. Then, the World Tree's branches slowly withdrew.
This was a marker. When Shimizu needed to return, he could use this marker to call the World Tree's branches to bring him back to his original world.
“Earth similarity index percent, times gravity, air oxygen concentration percent, current temperature 24 degrees Celsius, multiple unknown fungal organisms and flora and fauna detected…”
Tony said to Shimizu, looking at the virtual imaging inside his armor:
"Buddy, this place is quite similar to Earth, but if you're just a mage with a body like an ordinary person, I suggest you don't take off your armor. In case you get infected with unknown viruses, bacteria, or fungi, a normal human's immunity won't be able to resist it. By the way... your armor should have an internal circulation ecological maintenance system, right?"
"I understand. Let's sync our radio signals for easy contact."
Qingshui nodded slightly to Tony.
"Okay, just enter 'Doom Soon Died' in English and you can bypass Jarvis's password protection. Also, record this magic I'm sending. Radios aren't useful everywhere; they can be interfered with."
Tony gestured to Qingshui.
After connecting the radio, Qingshui received the data for the magic Tony mentioned.
Rather than magic, it was more like a method of applying mental and spiritual power.
It had a very old-fashioned name.
Telepathy.
Compressing mental energy into a line, both parties vibrate at a specific frequency, transmitting information. As long as they are within the range of perception, they can basically communicate regardless of any interference or obstruction.
Some twins, couples, or parents and children, either innately or through high emotional resonance, have highly matched mental frequencies, and sometimes such telepathy can occur unexpectedly.
Tony Stark had found a way to normalize and utilize this occasional phenomenon.
"What should we do next?"
Qingshui transmitted this thought to Tony through telepathy.
This telepathy is really quite useful.
Unlike language and writing, telepathy can convey a lot of meaning in an instant without wasting time speaking or reading.
"Very good. It seems you have good control over your mind and mental power. Next, follow my instructions. When we were in the sky just now, I recorded a map of this place. As long as we go in the direction I point, we can quickly reach the main city of Antu'Wakh."
Tony replied to Qingshui.
"Then why didn't we just go straight to the main city? Why did we come to a place like this?"
Qingshui sent a message to Tony while looking at the depths of the swamp pool not far away.
Within his perceptual range, which had expanded to nearly two kilometers, there was a monster at the bottom of this huge pool, over sixty meters long and resembling a plesiosaur from the Cretaceous period, attacking this way.
This mosasaur-like monster had the same strange blue patterns in many places on its body.
"Don't you think about how much noise we made when we descended into this world? What if we're discovered?"
Tony spread his hands. Magic cannons had already appeared on his armor's shoulders, ready to attack at any moment.
Obviously, he had also noticed the abnormality under the water.
"Splash!"
A huge wave surged up.
The next second, a continuous stream of magic light cannons shot out.
However, the blue patterns on the monster's body lit up, summoning the surrounding water to its side, forming a watery sphere to protect it.
The magic light cannons only exploded the water sphere without harming the monster inside.
Tony raised an eyebrow and was about to increase the power when the monster's body instantly shattered, scattering all over the ground.
Invisible thin lines retracted from the air and drilled back into Qingshui's armor.
The Web of Zorroades was tough and could be stretched to an extremely thin degree, making it incredibly sharp.
"You can tell that I didn't use my full strength just now, right? I just wanted to control the power to capture this Augubu Two alive. We need to study the patterns on its body. They may be related to Antu'Wakh's rune civilization."
"How do you know this thing is an Augubu?"
Augubu is actually quite famous on Earth, a monster legend similar to the Loch Ness Monster.
"It just looks a bit like it. The one I keep at home also sprays water, and it's about the same size."
Qingshui: ...
So the most famous North American water monster is like a goldfish pet in your house.
"It's the same now, just take a picture. Let's move on."
"Okay, it's a pity I wanted to find a companion for the Augubu at home."
Qingshui rolled his eyes at Tony, although Tony couldn't see it through the mask.
"You said before that you were worried about making too much noise, meaning there are enemies here? Are you afraid we'll be discovered by them?"
"I'll correct you. It's not fear, just dislike of trouble."
"So who is that person?"
"Doom, and a few of his subordinates. In my universe, Doom is considered my enemy, and occasionally an ally when facing extraterrestrial invasions. He and I are climbing the paths of both technology and magic at the same time, so I am the one who understands him the most. He has had several good things ruined by me and Reed working together."
Doctor Doom?
That's not an easy character to provoke.
"He's here for the Book of Altos too?"
"Roughly correct. Altos was a great mage who almost unified magic and science, the greatest rune mage in history. Doom's goal is the same as his. As long as he can integrate magic and science, he will ascend to the altar, the kind of god of the multiverse."
"Even if he doesn't succeed, by obtaining rune magic that is highly compatible with science and some of Altos's research results, with his ability, he can at least reach the height of Altos in his lifetime and have the power to contend with dimensional demon gods."
"What about his subordinates?"
"Aaron Davis, Quentin Beck, William Baker, and Ovi Octavius."
"Um... what are their abilities?"
"A set of enchanted exoskeletal armor called the Prowler, a Hollywood special effects artist who knows illusion magic, a Sandman who has learned earth magic, and a woman with eight tentacles on her back."
Qingshui suddenly understood.
The enchanted Prowler, Mysterio who knows illusion magic, Sandman who knows earth magic, and Doctor Octopus who has become a woman.
The people here have not yet made a name for themselves in Qingshui's world, but this does not prevent Qingshui from having a certain understanding.
Even if most of these people have gained magical enhancements.
Sparks flashed, and a golden portal opened.
"Let's go, remember to be a little stealthy."
Tony instructed and took the lead into the portal.
Qingshui followed closely behind.
This is the main city of Antu'Wakh, once the most prosperous region in this dimension.
