A Mutant Collector Quest

From all the different paths, I choose the one which seems brimming with life.

[Path 13 (Roll: 43/100) Vibrant Green: Bright and lively, this path feels like the embodiment of life itself.]

Drifting freely along the verdant path, I can't help but feel as though I am cruising on an interdimensional highway—a surreal road connecting far-flung corners of existence.

Before long, I arrive at the path's terminus—a shimmering crack in space that looks strikingly similar to one of my portals.

The sight stirs the scientist within me. Though fantastical, this phenomenon isn't entirely beyond explanation. This must be the ever-popular wormhole theory—a tear in the space-time continuum linking two far-flung points.

Wormholes, by conventional understanding, should be incredibly unstable. Yet here I am, standing before one, and I even possess the Elemental Portal Creation ability, which essentially allows me to generate stable wormholes for traversal.

As these thoughts swirl in my mind, I glance back at the vibrant crossroads one last time before stepping through the crack.

The sensation is surreal, akin to stepping through an elevator door into an entirely new reality.

Before me, a breathtaking forest sprawls endlessly. Towering trees, their canopies nearly touching the heavens, surround me. The fresh, damp scent of moss and earth fills my senses, an unmistakable sign of thriving plant life. It is a stark contrast to the vast emptiness of space I had just left behind, confirming that I have indeed traveled to an entirely new location.

I marvel at the improbability of emerging amidst such lush greenery. Considering that most of space is a cold, barren void or scattered with lifeless rocks, finding myself in a place bursting with vitality feels like winning a cosmic lottery. 

The lush plant life hints at the possibility of more complex organisms—or even intelligent aliens—inhabiting this world. Technically speaking, even the microbes or the plants themselves qualify as alien life forms, if I really am on a completely different planet.

"Teacher? Are you there?" I call softly, the words echo both aloud and within my mind. Silence. No reply from the Ancient One. So much for cheating this exam by asking her where I have landed.

If my Focus were with me, I could analyze the atmospheric composition. However, the presence of green plant life strongly suggests a familiar mix of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide—much like Earth's atmosphere. Still, as I am in my astral form, breathing shouldn't be a pressing concern.

Glancing down at my translucent body, I notice it appears surprisingly solid. Even the act of breathing feels real, as though the air is genuinely filling my lungs. Perhaps the Ancient One enhanced the connection between my astral form and my physical body, allowing the air I inhale here to somehow reach my lungs back on Earth.

However, the potential complications of such a link outweigh the benefits, so I dismiss the thought.

"All right, let's see where we are," I murmur, willing myself to hover. To my relief, my Astral form's flight ability remains intact.

The trees around me are massive, standing between 100 and 130 feet tall—roughly 30 to 40 meters. On Earth, such heights are reserved for the tallest redwood trees, yet here they seem to be the standard. 

Rising above the towering canopy, I take in the scene stretching far into the distance.

A vast river winds its way through the jungle below, flanked by towering mountains and cascading waterfalls. Clouds drift lazily across a brilliant sky, and a glowing orb, unmistakably like Earth's sun, bathes the landscape in golden light.

Stunning though it is, the scene feels eerily familiar. Could I have accidentally ended up in the Amazon rainforest back on Earth? That would certainly be anticlimactic.

ROARRR!!!

The deafening roar freezes me mid-thought. Heart racing, I veer toward the source through the tree tops, following the river's edge.

What I see leaves my jaw slack.

"Dinosaurs?! What the—"

Roarrr!!

A massive Tyrannosaurus rex stands before me, its thunderous roar echoing through the jungle. The creature towers over the landscape, easily more than 10 feet tall—or over 3 meters—and its sheer length is overwhelming. I can't help but think it could devour a small house in no more than two bites.

"And that's not all," I mutter, my voice tinged with shock. "There is a whole group of Brachiosauruses in the distance."

My gaze shifts to a herd of the long-necked giants leisurely munching on foliage, their towering necks stretching above the treetops.

KEEEE!!!

The shrill cry pulls my attention skyward, where a flock of Pterodactyls soars through the air, their silhouettes sharp against the vibrant sky.

"What the hell?" I murmur, my mind racing. "Did I just get teleported to Jurassic Park?"

Dinosaurs, a species that thrived and ruled the Earth for around 165 million years. They were the dominant force on this planet long before Homo sapiens ever came into the picture. Humans, who pride themselves on being the most dominant species today, have only been around for approximately 200,000 years. That's just 0.12% of the time the dinosaurs ruled Earth.

In fact, if not for the comet—or whatever event happened in this Marvel reality—66 million years ago, dinosaurs might have continued to dominate the planet. Homo sapiens might never have had the chance to rise.

"Either this is another planet in the Cosmos where dinosaur evolution unfolded in the same way as it did on Earth, or…" I pause. Even back on Earth, dinosaurs haven't exactly gone extinct. I remember two confirmed places from my meta knowledge where they are still present in the Marvel's Earth. One of them was the Monster Island Elsa kept searching for, and the other was…

A movement in the underbrush catches my eye.

Silently, a saber-toothed tiger emerges from the foliage.

It was another extinct creature—a Saber-tooth Tiger. Its scientific name is Smilodon, and it had gone extinct around 10,000 years ago due to climate change. Yet here, right in front of me, the magnificent creature is alive and cautiously moving forward.

Among all these deadly predators, I am grateful to be in the air, hidden by the dense canopy of trees. None of these terrifying creatures have noticed me yet.

Seeing the saber-tooth cat, I start to suspect that my guess about where I have ended up is most likely correct, though a sliver of uncertainty still lingers.

I decide to tail the saber-tooth cat from above, watching as it sniffs the air, clearly following some scent. As I silently move through the jungle, I can't help but wonder—do I have a scent right now? Most likely, I do.

I notice an abundance of rare and exotic flora and fauna as I silently follow the sabertooth tiger. Though I wasn't an expert in botany, it was clear these plants were far from ordinary. Their peculiar shapes and vibrant colours hinted at something ancient, or perhaps even alien. I couldn't help but wish D.A.I.S.Y. were here—she could have easily identified whether these were extinct Earth plants or of extraterrestrial origin.

ROARR!! KAAAA!

The sounds of the environment were anything but comforting. Dinosaurs weren't the only danger; enormous insects buzzed ominously in the distance, their unsettling noises putting me on edge. Despite the chaos, the tiger moved with an almost extraordniary grace, navigating the threats with precision. It avoided every predator and peril in its path as if guided by a sixth sense, heading towards an unknown destination.

Even as I kept my guard up, I couldn't help but marvel at the sights. I mused idly about how sabertooth cats, often called sabertooth tigers or lions, were entirely separate species. They weren't closely related to modern tigers or lions; in fact, their skeletal structure bore more resemblance to bears.

During my trek, I spotted a variety of dinosaurs, both famous and obscure. Triceratops grazed in herds, Pteranodons soared in the skies, and Velociraptors prowled in packs. I found myself regretting not asking the Ancient One for a magical camera—such a missed opportunity to document this incredible place.

As the hours passed, doubts crept in. Was following this sabertooth the right choice? Perhaps tracking the T-rex or the Brachiosaurus herd would have led to something more thrilling. I begin to suspect the tiger might just be another resident of this strange land, not the extraordinary creature I was hoping for.

Suddenly, the tiger speeds up, stopping at the base of a tall black mountain. It sniffs the ground before pacing in circles, finally settling on an unremarkable patch of soil. Then, without hesitation, it begins digging furiously.

I sigh, feeling like I have wasted my time. But just as the thought crosses my mind, something peculiar catches my attention.

The area was eerily silent. The usual cacophony of the jungle had vanished, replaced by an oppressive quiet. No animals stirred near the mountain. Even stranger, as the tiger clawed at the soil, faint sparkles gleamed amidst the disturbed dirt.

Curious, I descend beside the tiger. Up close, the creature was even more majestic, its sleek fur glinting faintly in the filtered light. It glances at me briefly, its eyes intelligent and calculating, before resuming its frantic digging.

I was surprised that it ignored me—maybe it was more intelligent than I had originally thought, perhaps it had spotted me tracking it long before I even realized.

Seeing that it paid me no mind, I remain alert and cautiously knelt to scoop some sand from the pile. As I examine it, I notice the familiar shine once again, and I instantly recognize it.

Small particles of metal were embedded within the soil. If someone else were here, they might have mistaken the shimmering metal for iron or some other natural deposit, but not me. With my power over Metal Constructs and the extensive time I had spent studying this mysterious metal, I knew exactly what it was.

"This… is freaking Vibranium" I whisper in disbelief, my gaze shifting between the soil in my hand and the towering mountain before me.

Excitement surges through me. Vibranium could answer so many questions—and solve countless problems. I stare at the tiger, now huffing with exertion, its claws battered and bruised from digging into the unyielding metal-laden ground.

"Why are you so desperate to dig here anyway?" I ask aloud, more to myself than the tiger.

"Huff… Tribe scent… down… huff… rescue… fast!"

I freeze. The tiger's low, gravelly voice had spoken words—actual words.

"Did you just speak?" I ask in astonishment.

The sabertooth paused, meeting my wide-eyed gaze, its expression almost as startled as mine. Then, without missing a beat, it returns to its frantic work, as if dismissing the moment entirely.

In fact, as soon as the question left my mouth, I had realized that this must be the Magic of Allspeak doing its wonders. But even with Allspeak, I don't think it should allow me to communicate and understand an animal's language unless the animal itself was unusually intelligent.

"You want to go down, right? Step aside—I can help," I say confidently, as I activate my power Metal Constructs!