Chapter 145: A Being That Transcends Time

The sneak attack by the three Future Avengers yielded no results. Tony Stark's heart sank, and his forearm sonic cannon switched back to an energy cannon, vigilantly aiming at the smiling stranger in front of him.

"Who do you think you are, Jackie Chan?"

"Why should we know you?"

Lin Yu glanced at Tony and said, "If you really come from the future and have a deep friendship with Lin Lie, it's impossible for you not to know me."

Tony's heart stirred upon hearing this, and he looked at Steve beside him, saying in a deep voice, "You know Lin Lie?"

Lin Yu did not answer directly, but asked again, "My name is Lin Yu. Have you really never heard this name?"

"Lin Yu... you also have the surname Lin?"

Tony frowned and pondered, and after a moment, said in a deep voice, "I do know that Lin Lie has an older brother, but he should be called Lin Feng. As for the name Lin Yu, forgive me, I have never heard of it!"

"Is that so?"

Lin Yu said thoughtfully, "Then what about Su Haoming?"

Tony and Captain America looked at each other and shook their heads: "Never heard of him either."

Lin Yu nodded: "That's very interesting!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, took the two into the Mirror Dimension, and vanished from the spot.

In the alley, Ant-Man, who had just recovered, climbed up from the ground, shook his head, and looked at the empty alley around him, unable to help but widen his eyes, completely bewildered.

"Hey, I haven't gotten on yet!"

At the same time, Lin Yu appeared with the two on the roof of a building in the neighboring block.

And in front of the roof, a young man stepping on an air vortex was wielding rays of wind-attribute magic, and with the cooperation of Iron Man, slashed a twenty-meter-long high-speed wind blade into the neck of a Leviathan.

"Pfft—"

In an instant, foul-smelling blood and an unknown dark yellow liquid splashed out.

The hundred-meter-long Leviathan emitted a dull and long wail, then crashed violently toward the urban area below.

"Boom!"

With a loud noise, dust and smoke rose, obscuring the vision in front.

Lin Yu waved his hand to stir up a gale, dispersing the dust of the real world from across the Mirror Dimension.

"Did you see that?"

"That person fighting side-by-side with you..."

Lin Yu glanced at Tony, who had a look of wonder, and said, "He is Su Haoming!"

Tony came back to his senses and said with a grim face, "But I don't have this memory."

Captain America also reacted, frowning tightly and saying, "Me neither!"

No, it should be said that the current Battle of New York had gone so far off track that it made him feel incomparably strange.

Especially those group members who were slaughtering the Leviathans; he hadn't seen a single one of them.

'That's not right, the Chinese reinforcements participating in this battle should only be Lin Lie and Ji Shuangshuang!'

'Where exactly did these people pop out from?'

Tony was full of doubts and couldn't help but turn his head to look at Lin Yu.

And this person, mysterious, powerful, the pressure he brought was no less than Thanos wearing the Infinity Gauntlet.

Such a powerhouse, when Thanos invaded Earth, it was impossible for him not to appear; how could he have no impression of him?

Lin Yu glanced at the two and said, "I'll ask again, are you really sure... that you only traveled through time?"

"..."

Tony and Captain America fell silent, and after a moment, slowly said, "Theoretically, that is the case."

Lin Yu shook his head: "Theories also have the possibility of being wrong."

Tony said decisively: "But I won't!"

Lin Yu raised his eyebrows, wanting to tease him not to be too confident, but thinking that this was Iron Man, the big brother of Marvel movies, who was suspected to have the legendary Knowledge Stone in his head, he changed his words:

"My research in the field of time is not deep enough to give you an accurate answer. Since you are so confident, why not come with me to see an expert in the field of time and let her diagnose you, how about that?"

Her?

Tony and Captain America were both stunned.

In the next instant, the world in front of the two changed again, and the concrete ground beneath their feet turned into the rooftop of an ancient building.

A bald woman in yellow robes stood on the rooftop, beside her was the Hulk lying dead in oversized pants, and Dr. Bruce Banner, whom the two hadn't seen for a long time.

At this time, the translucent Dr. Banner was floating in the air, anxiously explaining something to the Ancient One.

But the Ancient One did not pay attention to him; instead, she turned her head as if she had sensed something, looking at Lin Yu and the two Future Avengers.

"Your Excellency Lin Yu!"

The Ancient One nodded to Lin Yu, seemingly not surprised by his appearance.

Dr. Banner beside them saw the two Tonys and couldn't help but look surprised.

"Tony, Steve, how did you come?"

"Bruce, long time no see~" Tony greeted and said with wonder, "Ever since you reached a reconciliation with Hulk, I haven't seen this face for a long time. The last time seemed to be a year ago!"

"Tony!"

Steve frowned and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time for banter... tell me, what exactly is going on?"

Dr. Banner's soul revealed a bitter smile, glanced at the Ancient One on the rooftop, and then poured out the encounter just now.

It was their fault for not investigating enough, thinking that Doctor Strange was the Sorcerer Supreme seven years ago, but it turned out the person had only practiced magic for two years, and seven years ago was still a famous neurosurgeon.

Dr. Banner rushed to the New York Sanctum recklessly, failing to find Doctor Strange, only seeing a plain-looking bald woman in yellow robes.

And this bald woman just happened to have the Time Stone they were longing for hanging around her neck.

Dr. Banner asked for it to no avail, and in his anxiety, wanted to take it by force, but was slapped on the chest by the Ancient One, separating his body and soul with a move of astral projection.

Seeing that physical means didn't work and he was instead instantly killed by the other party, Banner was shocked and decisively admitted defeat, starting to earnestly reason with the Ancient One.

But before he could persuade the Ancient One, Lin Yu appeared here with the two.

"So... this lady is the expert you mentioned?"

Tony turned his head and asked Lin Yu.

Lin Yu nodded: "That's right!"

As he spoke, he turned to look at the Ancient One: "These three claim to come from the future seven years later, but I always feel something is strange. Please, Mage, help diagnose them and see if they really come from the future, or some parallel universe."

"No need for diagnosis."

The Ancient One shook her head: "They do come from the future... a future without you!"

Lin Yu raised his eyebrows: "Oh?"

Tony couldn't help but say: "What does that mean?"

The Ancient One glanced at him and said: "Very simple, Your Excellency Lin Yu has already transcended time, or rather, transcended the time of this world!"

"To explain it with the science you believe in most, His existence is a space-time continuum; only when interacting with reality does time flow on Him."

"The reverse is also true. When you see Him in this world, the past and future will be synchronized, leaving only the current Your Excellency Lin Yu in the entire river of time."

"Even if your future really has traces left by Him, it will be erased because of this, and it will cause all related people, and even the entire universe, to undergo changes, completely forgetting any deeds related to Him..."

What?!

Tony and the others' pupils shook violently, seemingly finding the Ancient One's explanation hard to believe.

There is actually such a terrifying existence in this world, even time cannot affect Him!

Hearing the Ancient One's explanation, Lin Yu was thoughtful, and couldn't help but recall his experience in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."

At that time, Kitty Pryde sent Wolverine's consciousness to the past, reversing the future by changing the history of the past.

The moment the future was reversed, Lin Yu did indeed sense a world-correcting force sweeping through the universe, and he was the only existence in the entire universe unaffected by the reversal force.

According to the Ancient One's logic, even if Tony and the others really came from the future, the moment they traveled to the present, the future had already been changed by a similar corrective force...

"Now do you understand why I wouldn't give the Time Stone to you?"

The Ancient One turned her head, glanced at Dr. Banner's soul, and said faintly: "From the moment you disrupted the order of time, the future you are in has already become a parallel universe!"

"..."

Tony and Banner looked at each other and fell silent.

The Ancient One said calmly: "Protecting the Time Stone is the duty of the Sorcerer Supreme. I cannot cause my reality to be destroyed by dark forces just to save your reality."

Dr. Banner couldn't help but say: "Then why did Strange give the stone to Thanos?"

The Ancient One was stunned upon hearing this and frowned: "Voluntarily?"

Dr. Banner and Tony looked at each other and nodded repeatedly: "That's right!"

The Ancient One fell into deep thought, and after a moment, shook her head and sighed: "I'm sorry, Dr. Banner, I still cannot trust you. Strange is indeed the most outstanding one among us."

"But even he cannot see the future interfered with by Your Excellency Lin Yu..."

Steve frowned: "But didn't you say that our future no longer has Your Excellency Lin Yu?"

Tony beside him shook his head: "This Sorcerer Supreme means that our future becoming a parallel universe is already the result of Your Excellency Lin Yu's interference. She cannot be sure if Strange has considered this factor."

"Then what should we do?"

Dr. Banner couldn't help but say: "Is our future completely hopeless?"

Lin Yu, who was watching the show with relish, hurriedly raised his hand: "I have an idea!"

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they all cast their gazes.

Lin Yu laughed: "Sorcerer Supreme, aren't you just worried that the Time Stone won't be returned? Easy, I'll hold it for you. It just so happens I'm quite interested in this future universe and am preparing to go over and visit!"

Does that mean you want me to give the Time Stone to you?

The Ancient One's face darkened. Is there a possibility that compared to lending it to the future universe, giving the Time Stone to Lin Yu is the future she least wants to see?

After all, the former still has the possibility of being returned, while the latter is truly like a meat bun thrown at a dog—gone forever!

After a little thought, she turned to look at Dr. Banner: "What did you say just now?"

"Uh... want to borrow the Time Stone?"

"No problem!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 146 =====