"External…objects…can heal…internal…wounds…"
"You help me…I give you…what you want…"
This was a trade.
A very direct trade.
William's brain spun rapidly.
He forced himself to calm down and analyze the information within the thought.
First, Man-Thing needed his paradox briefcase.
It wanted to use the briefcase to deal with something deep within the swamp.
Second, this thing was an "internal wound" for Man-Thing.
It was a problem it couldn't solve on its own.
Third, if he helped, he would get the reward he "wanted."
William's heart felt like it was riding a huge wave.
"What I want?"
What did he want?
Was it money?
Was it power?
Was it to live forever?
Or…to truly control this dangerous World?
This was incomparable to Nick Fury's five hundred million U.S. dollar deal.
"Interesting."
William suppressed his excitement.
He casually tossed aside the insurance contract in his hand.
"It seems we have a slight misunderstanding."
William smiled more genuinely at Man-Thing.
"What you need isn't 'asset security insurance.' Your case…is a more advanced, custom-tailored 'conceptual risk hedging' service."
"Of course," he paused, as if negotiating with a real client, "for this level of service, the fees…are naturally different."
He spoke to himself.
This was his professional habit, and also a psychological suggestion.
It allowed him to quickly regain his rhythm when facing things he didn't understand.
Man-Thing did not respond.
Its two dark red lights seemed to grow brighter.
It slowly turned around.
It took heavy steps and walked deeper into the swamp.
It was leading the way.
William didn't hesitate.
He immediately picked up the paradox briefcase from the ground and followed.
He knew he couldn't refuse.
The moment he stepped into this swamp, the deal had already begun.
The deeper they went, the stranger the surroundings became.
The smell of decay and the buzzing of mosquitoes in the air were gone.
It became incredibly quiet all around, not even the sound of flowing Water could be heard.
The Water in the swamp was originally murky, dark green.
Now the Water was clear, like crystal in the dim light.
Beneath the Water, some unseen plants glowed, swaying gently.
The place was illuminated like something out of a myth.
The cypress trees, which were originally terrifying, now felt like jade to the touch, covered in a layer of glowing moss.
William's Radar Sense was largely useless here.
He could only perceive a very pure, very quiet energy field.
This energy field seemed not to belong to this World.
He grew more vigilant.
The more beautiful a place, the greater the potential danger.
This place looked sacred.
But William felt it was more oppressive than HYDRA's hail of bullets just moments ago.
Finally, Man-Thing stopped before an open space.
This clearing was surrounded by several giant ancient trees.
This was the deepest part of the swamp, and the source of that dead silence.
In the center of the clearing, there was a huge ancient cypress tree.
Deeply embedded in the roots coiled beneath the tree was an object.
It was a black crystal shard.
Roughly half a meter long.
It was entirely black, as if it could absorb all the surrounding light.
Purple light flowed across its surface, sending shivers down one's spine.
It pulsed faintly.
With each pulse, a ripple-like distortion appeared in the surrounding space.
The crystal emitted a sensation, a feeling of "disharmony" from a higher dimension.
Just by looking at it, William felt his mind on the verge of chaos.
He seemed to hear countless voices screaming, roaring.
His "Mental Fortitude" ability was immediately activated to its maximum.
Only then could he barely resist this mental pollution.
"External…object…"
"World…wound…"
Man-Thing's thoughts came through again, carrying an indescribable weariness and pain.
William understood at once.
This crystal was not from this World at all!
It was like a thorn, piercing into the real World.
It was an "alien cell" from another dimension, slowly destroying and polluting this World.
This swamp, this "adhesive beneath all things," was the first victim.
Man-Thing was the Guardian of the swamp.
It had been using its power to suppress this "World's Wound."
That's why it was trapped here, suffering continuously.
No wonder it reacted to his paradox briefcase!
Because the briefcase was also something from another dimension!
Man-Thing could not directly touch this "wound."
Because its essence was that of a Guardian of this World.
A conflict in the laws would severely injure it.
But William's briefcase was different.
It was itself an "external object."
Conceptually, it was "of the same origin" as this crystal shard.
Using one key to open another similar lock.
"So that's it…" William murmured, "This is a 'conceptual surgery.' My briefcase is the scalpel."
He finally understood what this transaction truly was.
"I give you…what you want…"
Man-Thing seemed to know he had understood.
Its thoughts transformed into a spectacular vision, projected directly into William's mind.
He saw a sea of stars.
But those "stars" were not Planets, but rather glowing, bubble-like Worlds.
He saw countless possibilities, countless timelines.
He saw countless realities intertwined, forming a surging, colossal "River of Reality."
And this swamp was one of the most important "dams" on this "river," a "nexus" connecting all realities!
The Source of All Worlds, the Gate of All Beings!
William's heart pounded wildly.
What did he see?
He saw the ultimate "intelligence."
He saw infinite "business opportunities." He saw the possibility of managing the "risks" of the entire Multiverse!
The temptation was too great, he couldn't resist it!
He took a deep breath.
He suppressed the greed and desire that made him feel breathless.
William, carrying the briefcase, walked step by step towards the ominously glowing crystal shard.
The closer he got, the more terrifying the mental pressure became.
His Danger Prediction ability began to alarm wildly again.
But this time the warning was strange.
The danger was not from the crystal, nor from Man-Thing.
The danger…came from the briefcase in his hand!
It came from the system deep within his mind!
A sense of conflict he had never felt before erupted in his perception.
William stopped.
He stood just a step away from the crystal, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
He felt as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff.
One more step forward could be an abyss of shattered bones.
He had no other choice.
He slowly, firmly extended his right hand holding the briefcase.
He let the briefcase slowly approach the pulsating, chaotic dark crystal.
Just as the briefcase's cold metal casing was about to touch the crystal's purple halo—
"Buzz—!"
The entire briefcase shook violently, like a living thing crying out in pain.
Its smooth, solid surface rippled intensely, like the surface of Water.
The clasp in the middle of the briefcase, that small emblem which was originally just decorative, now suddenly lit up with a blinding White light.
The light was unstable, violent!
At the same time, a blood-red system prompt William had never seen before, carrying a highest-level authority warning, was fiercely etched into the deepest part of his consciousness like a brand!
"WARNING: PARADOX-LEVEL SINGULARITY DETECTED!"
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