Sky Curtain: The Darwin Incident at the outset, the Declaration of the People's League

Page 44

And then he claimed to be a god?

That's too arrogant.

That's too dangerous.

However, it has some reference value.

Superman remained silent.

Batman stood up, walked to the window, and stood side by side with Superman.

Outside the window, the Earth slowly rotates in the darkness, its blue light gentle and fragile.

“Karl,” he said earnestly, “you tell me, if one day we also become that wise one—who will remind us?”

Superman looked at him.

There was something in those eyes that Batman had never seen before.

trust.

“You,” Superman said, “will remind me.”

Batman was stunned.

“Because you are Batman,” Superman said. “You will never forget who you are. Even if the whole world forgets, you will not.”

He paused.

"And I—I will listen to you."

Batman remained silent for a long time.

Then he turned around and walked back to the console.

“Let’s go,” he said. “There’s still work to be done.”

What kind of job?

“Preventative measures.” Batman typed on his keyboard. “Establish a surveillance system. Monitor the mental state of Justice League members at all times. If anyone starts to think they are ‘gods’—”

He paused.

“I will remind him.”

—Marvel World—

On the command seat of the massive battleship Temple II, Thanos gazed at the sky.

His purple face was expressionless.

Standing beside him were Ebony Maw, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, and Black Dwarf—four of the Black Order.

“Master,” Ebony Maw’s voice was low and obsequious, “this theory of ‘reincarnation’ is quite interesting. That wise man thought he was the conqueror, but in the end he became the conquered.”

Thanos did not respond.

He simply looked at the sky.

Watching that wisdom, from fear to struggle, from struggle to escape, from escape to—becoming a new eternal dynasty.

Looking at that eternal dynasty, it was once another Zhi.

Looking at this cycle of reincarnation, it has no beginning and no end, and is endless.

"……interesting."

He finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant like distant thunder.

Ebony Throat paused for a moment: "Master?"

Thanos stood up and walked to the porthole.

"Do you know why I'm collecting the Infinity Stones?" Thanos asked.

The five Obsidian generals looked at each other in bewilderment.

“For the balance of the universe, Master,” said Corvus Glaive.

"To eliminate half of life so that the other half can live better," Proxima Midnight added.

Thanos nodded.

"Then do you know why I believe this plan is correct?"

No one answered.

“Because I believe,” Thanos said, “that the resources of the universe are finite, while life is infinite. There must be sacrifice for continuation. There must be death for new life.”

He paused.

But now—

He pointed to the sky.

“That cycle of reincarnation told me that even if I wiped out half of life, even if I balanced the universe—the next intelligent being will still come. The next eternal dynasty will still come.”

He turned around and looked at his men.

"Then what's the point of all that I've done?"

The Obsidian Five remained silent.

This was the first time they had seen uncertainty on Thanos's face.

For the first time, Titan, who was once steadfast and willing to sacrifice everything for his ideals, wavered.

“Master,” Ebony Maw said cautiously, “perhaps this is the meaning of your plan. It is because of reincarnation, because everything repeats itself, that you need to do what you believe is right.”

Thanos looked at him.

“Go on.”

“If everything repeats itself,” Ebony Maw said, “then in each repetition you can save half the lives. Again and again, over and over. This is not meaningless—it is—infinite meaning.”

Thanos remained silent for a long time.

Then he laughed.

That smile was subtle, yet complex.

“Ebony Throat,” he said, “you always manage to say things I haven’t thought of.”

Ebony Throat bowed: "Serving my master."

He simply said what his master had already wanted to say.

Thanos looked out the window again.

"...Continue at full speed to Earth."

"Humans have a lot of potential. If they wanted, perhaps we wouldn't need the Infinity Stones."

Judging from the few worlds that have appeared in the sky so far, the people on this planet are indeed impressive in terms of scientific research capabilities, their ability to cause trouble, and their capacity for courting death.

He, Thanos, might be able to use human power to restore order to the universe.

Although the humans in their world don't seem to have developed yet.

But it's okay.

He will help.

What other alien factions are there?

Not worth mentioning.

Thanos will become Earth's first line of defense!

—The World of Rick and Morty—

Rick let out a long burp, the bottle in his hand hanging in mid-air.

"……ha."

"Rick? What's wrong?"

“Nothing, Morty.” Rick put down the bottle. “I just suddenly feel like I’ve fucking traveled through countless universes, seen countless versions of myself, and killed countless Ricks—”

He paused.

"The result is just one point in the cycle of reincarnation."

Morty was stunned.

"What do you mean? I don't understand—"

“I mean,” Rick stood up, staggering to the window, “that idiot thought he could escape the cycle. He escaped to a new universe and became a new eternal dynasty. Then the next idiot escaped, and the next one—”

He laughed, but it was a bitter laugh.

"It's like the same terrible show being replayed an infinite number of times in an infinite number of universes."

Morty opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Rick turned around and looked at him.

"You know what the worst thing is, Morty?"

Morty shook his head.

“The worst part is—” Rick burped, “even if I see through all of this, I can’t escape. Because ‘seeing through’ is itself a line in the script.”

He walked back to the workbench and picked up a new flask.

"So, come on, Morty. It's all scripted anyway, might as well have some fun."

Morty walked over cautiously.

Rick, aren't you feeling bad?

Rick stopped what he was doing.