Mysteries On Marvel

A momentary sense of resignation and confusion about fate rose in Eren's heart—but it did not last long.

Because, after walking a short distance, he caught sight of that little girl Elina and her grandmother Christine from before.

At this moment…

Witnessing that the disaster foretold in her prophecy—one that should have destroyed all of Harlem and even obliterated much of New York—was abruptly halted by the sudden descent of the six-winged angel, Christine's deep, time-worn yet lively eyes were filled with disbelief, mixed with overwhelming excitement and joy that had nowhere else to go.

Fate… truly had been changed.

Although her prophecy had shown that it was indeed the six-winged angel from myth who ended this catastrophe—not her, who had been ready to risk her life—this altered fate at least proved one thing: not all destinies are as unchangeable as prophecies suggest.

Of course…

For Christine, who had long since given up her identity as a medium, the nature of fate itself no longer mattered.

What truly filled her with excitement and happiness was this:

She and her granddaughter had survived.

"We made it… We both made it…"

Realizing that her granddaughter would no longer die young, but could fully enjoy her youth for a long time to come, Christine clutched Elina's small frame tightly, tears streaming down her face.

…

Because he had changed into another outfit and used a disguise…

Christine and Elina, crying and embracing each other, did not notice the person who had once helped them. That figure paused for a moment to look at them from amid the crowd, then quietly moved on with the flow of people.

…

Eren cast a glance at Christine and Elina, who were holding each other close.

He adjusted the gold-framed glasses perched on his nose for disguise and strode purposefully out of Harlem.

If Christine and Elina could alter their destiny,

why couldn't he?

He had no certainty that he would be one of the survivors when Thanos collected all six Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers.

So why gamble on that fifty-percent chance?

If, in this lifetime,

Thanos still plans to invade Earth and snap his fingers,

then I'll just send him on his way first.

Never mind that Thanos is some galactic warlord whose forces far surpass Earth's imagination.

If the Avengers could pull it off, why couldn't I?

Push me too far, and at worst, I'll get my hands on one Infinity Stone, then simply "offer it" to the Scale of Fate.

I refuse to believe that Thanos, missing even one Infinity Stone, could still perform that snap that wiped out half the universe.

And as it happens, I'd also like to see what the Scale of Fate would grant in exchange for something containing a universe-level power source like an Infinity Stone.

With that thought, the confusion in Eren's mind dissipated like dust being swept away, leaving him utterly clear-headed.

Step by step, as Eren walked through the crowd, it seemed as though his footsteps were in sync with the pulse of the very earth beneath him.

Unknowingly, his footsteps and the earth's rhythm merged into one.

Eren, who was headed out of the war-torn area, did not realize that at this moment, in a dimension invisible to the human eye above the kneeling throng praying to the six-winged angel, countless unseen threads were quietly extending from them and converging upon his head.

With the convergence of these millions of invisible filaments, the unceasingly active "Cosmic Brain" within Eren—ever immersed in comprehension—was supplied by that intangible energy, spinning at high speed.

At last, it fully displayed the marvel of the [Cosmic Brain Meditation Method].

A surge of inspiration flared again and again, colliding in a blazing burst of insight.

Amid Eren's steady stream of thought, it was as though he could faintly see a mysterious force extracting power from those countless, converging threads in the void, wordlessly transforming his physique from within.

"When from this grand dream does one awaken? At least I know myself…"

Along with his deepening comprehension of the [Cosmic Brain Meditation Method], Eren's body began emitting a low, resonant rumble akin to the "tiger's roar" in ancient texts.

Though subtle, the sound carried an ineffable sense of sanctity.

Gradually…

As Eren continued to delve into the [Cosmic Brain Meditation Method], and as that mysterious force within continually transformed his body, the faint rumbling grew louder, then spread outward.

It echoed along the street like thunder in early spring, silently washing over people's hearts—like a sage preaching, or a deity bestowing gospel.

That sacred peal of spring thunder reverberated above Harlem, lingering in the air as though it might never fade.

Simultaneously, with the [Cosmic Brain Meditation Method] operating at full capacity, an invisible ripple of thought began emanating from Eren, centering on his steps, swiftly expanding outward.

As that holy resonance echoed, and Eren's ripple of thought spread through the crowd, the people on the streets—crowded together, wrapped in sadness, pain, confusion, or the joy of survival—seemed to undergo a baptism of sorts, calming rapidly.

One by one, those who stood before Eren instinctively made way for him.

Some even dropped to their knees in silence, bowing to his departing figure as though worshipping something beyond themselves, until his silhouette vanished from sight.

…

"Phew…"

With a soft exhalation tinged with faint black wisps, Eren felt a lightness suffuse his body. Then he opened his eyes once more.

In that instant, a subtle, tranquil aura clung to him.

It was as if he and his surroundings had become one—perfectly integrated into the natural world. If one didn't pay close attention, one might pass right by him without realizing a living person was there.

"So this silent infection of thought… My mind has unexpectedly stepped into the 'Trance' realm at a time like this…"

With a mere flicker of a thought, Eren radiated an intangible mental field.

Unintentionally, this field seemed to lull every sentient being into calm. At that moment, in their eyes, Eren appeared to be the center of the universe—the endpoint of everything—around which all things revolved.

"So this is the invisible psychic field that manifests once you enter Trance?"

"What a wondrous power!"

Feeling this strength so different from the potion-based system, Eren allowed a small smile to curve his lips.

Heightened mental power brought Eren a surge of confidence. Even his gaze appeared brighter because of it—lending him a subtle quality that made him stand out from the crowd.

Yes, entering the Trance realm elevated Eren's ability to harness his mind to a new level.

With a shift in thought, he effortlessly stifled his own delight.

Then Eren quietly employed this powerful influence of thought to hypnotize the surrounding crowd, blurring their memory of him. After completing this, he swiftly vanished from the streets of Harlem.

…

When he next appeared, he had already reverted to his former appearance.

Slipping on a set of clothes identical to the ones he had worn earlier, Eren returned to his Aston Martin—only to find two unexpected visitors waiting by his luxurious sports car.

They were Tony and Natasha.

Normally, Eren might have shown some surprise at these two sudden visitors. But on his face now, there wasn't even a ripple of emotion.

"Honk, honk…"

He walked to the car and deliberately pressed the horn, looking at Tony and Natasha—who seemed to be arguing about something in front of his vehicle.

"Tony, Natasha, could you please step aside? You're in my way."

Hearing Eren call Natasha by name, Tony paused and asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"

Eren smiled. "I wouldn't say we know each other well. We've only met once. But a special agent as lovely as Natasha is hard to forget."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.…" Tony murmured, chewing over the vaguely familiar name.

In a split second, his phone lit up with data Jarvis had compiled on S.H.I.E.L.D.:

[S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, with Director Nick, established…]

With Jarvis's help, Tony quickly recalled that this was the same organization that had helped both him and Pepper out of a tight spot before.

He had never expected that Natasha, who'd been planted in Tony's company, turned out to be from S.H.I.E.L.D.—the same group he'd once had a decent impression of.

Tony's face darkened as he stared at Natasha.

"Oh, great. It's that S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"I was planning to privately sponsor your organization with a batch of funding and equipment in honor of what Agent Phil once did for me, but now you can go back and tell your director that the deal—easily worth at least hundreds of millions—no longer exists."

For Tony, letting the infiltration slide without retaliation was enough of a concession, due to his respect for Agent Phil. However, that didn't mean he was going to just let it go entirely.

This was how he expressed his displeasure: canceling a sponsorship that Natasha, as Pepper's assistant, had certainly known about. Tony believed that Director Nick would remember this lesson well.

He still seemed unsatisfied, though. After a brief pause, he went on,

"And once I get back, I'll be running a full sweep of my company to weed out any other hidden plants. I expect not to find any more S.H.I.E.L.D. agents there. Otherwise, everything Phil did for me will count for nothing."

Natasha merely smiled serenely in response, as if entirely unfazed.

"Got it. I'll be sure to pass the message on to him."

In truth, once she dropped that plasmatic charge from the rooftop to halt the swarm of worms, Natasha had known that she couldn't possibly continue her undercover role at Tony's side any longer. No matter how generous he was, he wouldn't let her remain privy to the company's core secrets after her identity had been compromised.

So be it, then.

Truthfully, she'd never been too fond of babysitting Tony—this arrogant playboy who saw himself as the center of the universe. If the mission ended now, so much the better.

After giving Tony a piece of her mind, Natasha turned her alluring gaze toward Eren.

"Well then, dear seer… could I trouble you for a ride? This wounded lady needs some help."

She pointed to the bloody patch on her shoulder as she spoke, presenting a pitiable air of vulnerability.

Seeing Natasha deploy her charm, Tony—still frustrated—cut in before Eren could reply, "Ha! She can flirt all she wants; our little fortuneteller won't fall for that. Trust me, he's not about to give a ride to a conniving agent—"

Yet before Tony could finish, Eren unexpectedly said with a faint smile, "Actually, I'd be happy to let Natasha ride with me. It just so happens I have a few questions for her."

He opened the Aston Martin's door, got into the driver's seat, and motioned for Natasha to take the passenger side.

"...Huh?"

Tony was momentarily dumbstruck.

By the time Natasha—wearing a playful smile—slipped into the passenger seat, Tony snapped back to reality. He had originally planned to ride back with Eren, so watching Natasha settle into the car and even give him a teasing wink, he couldn't help gaping in disbelief.

"Hey, Eren, you can't do this! I gave you that car—"

Eren simply rolled down the window and showed him the keys with a grin.

"As you said, this Aston Martin is now mine. If you were me, would you rather give a ride to a dirty-looking guy, or to a gorgeous woman? Besides…"

(End of Chapter)

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