Filling the Pit: The Quantum Realm

"I didn’t misunderstand. Don’t worry, Master. I’m just a little too loving. I won’t capsize."

Wang Bert smiled at Ancient One’s jab. Ancient One could not help shaking her head. This disciple was good in every way except for his interests, which were simply far too awful.

However, Ancient One did not say much more. Wang Bert and she were two entirely different types of people.

"Back to business."

Ancient One said, "This Mutant Earth is a derivative of the original Earth. It has always wanted to return to Earth."

Wang Bert was stunned. "Return to Earth? How?"

"By merging. The two planets merge into one, much like parallel worlds merging."

Ancient One said, "If there are identical individuals on both worlds, one will be randomly erased while the other survives.

"Based on my investigation, Super Heroes and mutants are unique; they exist on only one planet. But ordinary people are, for the most part, identical individuals."

"Super Heroes and mutants may be unique, but they all have family and people they care about."

Wang Bert frowned. "If the two Earths truly begin to merge, war may break out. No one will willingly let themselves or their family be erased."

"That is why I have kept this planet sealed away."

Ancient One nodded. "Back then, when I discovered this Mutant Planet, I immediately used the Time Stone and my own power to seal it, preventing it from approaching Earth.

"Later, God also discovered this matter. Not only did He leave behind God’s power in the Chaotic Void to help me, He also gave me His blood and asked me to watch over Heaven.

"After that, He entered the mutants’ world and never returned."

Wang Bert was astonished. "God is on Mutant Planet?"

"Yes. God is within that planet, but I do not know exactly who He is. He sealed away His power and memories to live as an ordinary person."

Wang Bert laughed. "Is He experiencing life, or traveling incognito? Big shots really know how to have fun."

"Bert, you will be in charge of this place from now on. You must never let the two planets merge."

"No problem."

Wang Bert answered casually. Half of Ancient One’s power could seal this place, let alone his.

"Bert, it is not as simple as you think. In the Chaos Lockdown, God’s power is the main force. I merely assist. The problem is that God’s power is nearly depleted."

Seeing through Wang Bert’s thoughts, Ancient One said, "Ever since Wanda became a superpowered human, the gravitational pull between the two planets has continued to increase. If I am not mistaken, the stronger Wanda becomes, the greater the attraction between the two planets."

"God’s power is nearly depleted?"

Wang Bert was dumbfounded. He shouted, "Master, you’re using me to fill in a pit!"

"You are not only a Guardian, but also the person directly responsible for Mutant Planet. If you do not fill this pit, who will? Besides, you are Wanda’s future husband. Her responsibility is yours to bear as well."

Ancient One smiled, looking as though she had finally managed to dump the burden on someone else.

Wang Bert complained, "Master, your image. Your image is about to be ruined."

Ancient One ignored Wang Bert’s antics. Thinking of something, she cautioned, "Also, do not let people from the two planets travel between them, or the attraction will increase."

"Like Deadpool?"

"Yes. Fortunately, that guy has not regained his memories. Otherwise, things would be troublesome."

Ancient One said, "Bert, do not go meet Deadpool. The best way to deal with him is to trap him somewhere."

"Don’t worry. I have no desire to catch the Deadpool Virus."

Wang Bert’s gaze flickered as he asked, "Master, besides God, what other powerful beings are on Mutant Planet?"

Ancient One glanced at Wang Bert and replied, "Your old nemesis, Phoenix."

Wang Bert was bewildered. "Master, since when did Phoenix become my old nemesis?"

"Phoenix invaded Earth and was shattered by Iron Fist Wu Fengji. You are Iron Fist, so naturally you are Its mortal enemy."

Ancient One said, "Do not underestimate Phoenix. What Wu Fengji shattered was merely a fragment. The Phoenix on Mutant Planet is almost complete, with strength comparable to an ancient god."

"An ancient god?"

Wang Bert narrowed his eyes slightly. Was this Iron Fist’s destiny? "Besides Phoenix, there are many powerful mutants over there."

Ancient One continued, "For example, the Professor who can use equipment to kill all humans, Magneto, who can control magnetic fields and destroy the world, Apocalypse with his Four Horsemen, Dr. Richards’ son Franklin Richards, and so on."

"Dr. Richards’ son?"

Wang Bert was stunned. "Wait, isn’t Dr. Richards from our planet? How did his son end up on Mutant Planet? Without Reed, how was he born? Did Reed get cuckolded?"

"Dr. Richards’ son is an extraordinarily powerful mutant who can even travel across timelines. If he wants to be born, he can be born. He has no need for Dr. Richards at all."

Ancient One gave a brief explanation, then continued, "The threat posed by Mutant Planet is greater than the Thanos you have always worried about. It is Earth’s greatest crisis."

"The threat is indeed greater than Thanos."

Wang Bert nodded in agreement. This Mutant Planet was undoubtedly a massive pitfall.

Ancient One let out a breath and said with great ease, "All right, I have said everything that needed to be said. The future is in your hands."

"Master, you may be relaxed now, but all the pressure has landed on me."

Wang Bert sighed. Sure enough, ignorance was bliss. Once one knew too much, it became impossible to smile.

"This is a Guardian’s responsibility."

Ancient One waved her hand and turned to leave with carefree grace!

Ancient One had officially stepped down.

"Once a Guardian, always a Guardian. How could anyone truly retire?"

Wang Bert shook his head. If Ancient One truly wanted to retire, she would never have created Light Ancient One and Dark Ancient One. She wanted to advance into an ancient god and return to deal with this problem.

That was Ancient One: selfless Ancient One. Her entire life had been almost entirely devoted to giving. What was even rarer was that she never sought anything in return.

Wang Bert was not as selfless as Ancient One, but he did not refuse this troublesome matter. After all, it was a Guardian’s responsibility, and he did not want Earth to be harmed in the slightest.

Besides, this mess had originally been caused by him and his future wife.

"First, let’s see how much power it requires."

After thinking for a moment, Wang Bert activated the Magic Array and channeled Blood God Power and Space Power into the Chaos Lockdown.

The Chaos Lockdown’s power was already nearly exhausted. Upon sensing the incoming energy, it immediately devoured it frantically. Wang Bert’s Blood God Power and Space Power drained away as swiftly as water through a broken dam.

"Not bad. It requires quite a lot of energy, but I can handle it."

Wang Bert breathed a sigh of relief. Overall, there was some pressure, but not much.

After some thought, Wang Bert summoned the Blood God’s Projection and had him serve as a "Power Supply" in his place.

The Blood God’s Projection complained, "You’re using me as cheap labor again? I thought that with a new Sorcerer Supreme in place, I could relax for a few days."

With Strange stationed at Kamar-Taj, combined with Wang Bert intimidating the heavens, the Blood God’s Projection was no longer needed there.

"If a projection isn’t cheap labor, what is it? That is the value of your existence."

Wang Bert rolled his eyes. "Stay here obediently. While you’re at it, observe the mutants’ strength. We may really end up fighting them. Also, find God if you can. I always feel that He is plotting something."

"You’re the original body. Your word goes. Still, my energy may not be enough."

The projection shrugged. Such was the fate of a projection.

"I will continuously send energy to you. Besides, we do not actually lack energy."

Wang Bert summoned the Skull Demon God, the Blood Demon God, and the others. Then he activated his spatial ability, and one dimensional phantom after another appeared in the void.

Wang Bert said, "Unlike others, we can draw upon immense amounts of dimensional power."

The projection laughed. "Dimensional Demon God-brand batteries: everyone who uses them says they’re great."

"Of course. If it isn’t enough, I’ll go catch a few more Demon Gods when the time comes."

Wang Bert laughed. With his current strength, Demon Gods were no match for him at all.

The only problem was that Wanda’s strength kept increasing. He had to find a way to completely resolve this planet, or war would break out sooner or later.

"All right, I’m off. My Master set me up, and I’m heartbroken. I need to find some beautiful women to mend my wounded soul."

The projection silently raised a middle finger in blessing.

In the blink of an eye, it was 2014. Over the past year or so, aside from the usual Super Hero business—such as stopping Dr. Octopus’ Artificial Sun from destroying New York, preventing Inhumans from kidnapping the president, stopping evil scientists from destroying the world, and so on—Earth had been fairly peaceful.

There was no need for Wang Bert to act. Those Super Heroes could resolve such matters themselves, so it naturally counted as peaceful.

Over the past year or so, aside from continuing to promote the formation of the Earth Federation, Wang Bert had mostly been picking up women—cough, wrong. He had mostly been reclaiming his humanity. Only then would he remain steadfastly devoted to Earth.

At noon that day, in the Dragon Subduing Teahouse, Madame Gao was diligently teaching K’un-Lun disciples how to train. Meanwhile, the Dragon Soul Clone lounged lazily on a sofa, eating spicy strips while watching an entertainment program, occasionally letting out foolish laughter.

With a creak, a pure and beautiful woman with an impossibly perfect figure pushed open the door. Seeing Wang Bert’s relaxed appearance, she complained, "Come on, you’re a Guardian at least. Can’t you show a little drive? If you keep acting like this, your fans will be terribly disappointed."

"I have plenty of drive. The original body just took over a dozen actresses from ‘Kamar-Taj’ out to sea for a vacation."

Wang Bert smiled. "They probably will not be back for several days."

"You’re such a scumbag. Over the past year, you’ve practically dated every Hollywood star. I can go out to buy an ice cream and run into three women who have slept with you."

Wanda took off her coat, sat on the sofa, and said unhappily. She was currently in college while working part-time as Pepper’s assistant.

"The original body is a scumbag, but I’m not. I’m very devoted."

Wang Bert pulled Wanda into his arms and smiled. Wanda snorted, shifted into a more comfortable position against him, and said, "You make it sound real. How did I fall for your nonsense back then? I was still too young."

"I would never lie…"

Wang Bert kissed Wanda on the cheek and smiled. "This face, this clone, will forever belong to you alone."

"It had better. Otherwise, I’ll definitely cut you."

Wanda said viciously. In truth, this was merely an excuse to deceive herself, but there was nothing she could do. She loved Wang Bert too much.

"If you really cut it, you’d be the one losing out."

Wanda blushed and jabbed Wang Bert with her elbow. "You rogue."

"Wanda, our fate was decreed by heaven. From the moment I came to this world, it was destined that you would marry me."

"Did you drink honey today? Why is your mouth so sweet?"

Though she said that, Wanda’s eyes curved into crescents from her smile. If you know how to talk, then talk more.

"How could honey possibly be sweeter than you? Come, give me a kiss."

"You rogue."

After a round of shameless flirting, Wanda remembered something and said, "Oh, right. Dr. Pym’s Quantum Realm Channel has been completed. Mr. Stark invited you over to inspect it."

"That guy wants me to go there and embarrass myself."

Wang Bert rolled his eyes. He had crammed quite a bit of quantum mechanics knowledge, but while he could bluff his way through it, discussing it with professionals would be nothing more than offering up his face to be slapped.

"Maybe he’s getting back at you for making him embarrass himself last time."

Wanda laughed. "Last time, you had his own son kick him in front of the public. Pepper said he swore he would make you pay."

"Who told him to be so useless?"

Wang Bert complained. "He keeps saying I’m hiding things from him and refusing to give him a Dragon Soul. With his character, could he even keep a Dragon Soul under control?"

"Mr. Stark is a man who relies on his brain, after all."

Wanda said, "Bert, the Osborn Corporation invested heavily in the Quantum Realm Channel. We should still send someone over to take a look."

Wang Bert thought about it and said, "Then send Dr. Banner. That guy has been skipping work every day to go home and see his wife, taking my salary for nothing."

"That’s because Betty is pregnant."

"Come to think of it, will Betty give birth to a little Hulk? If that really happens, would it count as Banner’s child or Hulk’s child?"

"You’re smiling so lewdly."

"Aren’t you smiling too?"

The next day, at an experimental base outside New York, Tony Stark, Dr. Richards, Dr. Banner, Dr. Pym, Hope, Ant-Man Scott, Dr. Bill Foss, and Ghost were making the final preparations before opening the Quantum Realm Channel.

Dr. Bill Foss, the big Black man, had once been Dr. Pym’s partner. They had even developed the Goliath Project together—turning Ant-Man into a giant.

As for Ghost, she was a pitiful woman. Her father had forcibly conducted quantum experiments, causing her to constantly shift between normal and quantum states. Hydra took advantage of this ability and trained her as an assassin.

Later, Hydra collapsed, and Ghost followed Dr. Foss in hopes of escaping this condition—being quantumized felt like Death by a Thousand Cuts.

Dr. Foss cared deeply for Ghost. When he heard that Dr. Pym was building a Quantum Realm Channel, he took the initiative to approach S.W.O.R.D. and seek cooperation. Thus, both he and Ghost were here.

Incidentally, Ghost’s father had forcibly performed those quantum experiments largely because of Dr. Pym. As for Dr. Pym’s character… well, enough said.

Dr. Pym, dressed in a uniform, pointed at Scott and asked unhappily, "I can understand why everyone else is here, but why is this bastard traitor here?"

"Dr. Pym, I represent S.W.O.R.D. in overseeing this experiment. After all, it carries a certain degree of risk."

Scott said, "Besides, how could I stand by and do nothing over something as important as saving my future mother-in-law?"

Dr. Pym froze for a moment, then asked in shock, "Who is your mother-in-law? Wait, Hope, you got back together with him?"

Hope glared at Scott. "He kept pestering me. I just wanted some peace and quiet."

Dr. Pym gritted his teeth in fury, wishing he could kill Scott, the traitorous bastard who had ruined his precious daughter.