Seeking Help

Chen Tian nodded casually, acknowledging Kang's greeting. He didn't even move, remaining standing in place, casually gesturing with his right hand.

Call!

A quaint single sofa next to him seemed to be pulled by an invisible rope, and slid down behind him with a whoosh.

Chen Tian sat down lazily, crossed his legs, as if he were in his own living room.

He casually pointed his thumb at Johnny behind him, who was still looking around in astonishment with a bewildered expression, his tone as indifferent as if he were instructing a waiter:

"Let's take him home."

Conqueror Kang (that's him) raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Johnny with the curiosity of someone examining an antique.

"Oh? This... this fiery young man?" He stroked his smooth chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Alright."

He stood up and nimbly walked around the huge desk.

Instead of immediately operating any instruments, he began rummaging through the messy pile of clutter on the desktop, which resembled a disaster scene. He casually pushed aside documents, gears, and unidentified metal parts, making clanging and rattling sounds.

"Ha! Found it!" Kang exclaimed like a child who had discovered a treasure, excitedly pulling out a rather old-fashioned tablet computer, covered in dust, from a hidden drawer under the table.

He blew off the dust, weighed it in his hand with satisfaction, and said, "Old friend, it's been a long time since I've used you."

Then he turned his head and looked Johnny over carefully again, as if checking some code.

Then, he plunged headlong into the sea of bookshelves next to him, his tall figure almost completely submerged in the heavy books, with only the rustling sound of pages turning.

After a long while, he came out with a thick book that could be used as a murder weapon. Referring to the symbols and diagrams in it, he carefully entered some coordinates on the old tablet.

Buzz!

A familiar orange-yellow rectangular portal opened silently in the center of the room, its edges flowing with steady energy.

Kang clapped his hands happily, as if he had accomplished a trivial task. "Done!"

Johnny looked at the door, then at Chen Tian, who sat calmly on the sofa, and then at Kang, whose smile was polite yet exuded endless mystery. His face was full of hesitation. "Is this really reliable?"

He pointed to the portal, his throat a little dry. "Uh, this... are you sure it leads to my world? Not some... time trap or monster cafeteria?"

Chen Tian didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, still staring at his clean fingernails as if they held the secrets of the universe.

He waved his hand casually, his tone tinged with impatience:

"Go ahead and don't worry. He won't waste his time trying to outsmart someone like you, who in his eyes is equivalent to... well... a speck of dust, or a roadside ant. It's a waste of his time."

Johnny froze instantly!

"(⊙_⊙)?!" He leaned back exaggeratedly, his face contorted in a frown, his eyebrows twisted into a pretzel – a perfect replica of the classic "elderly person on the subway looking at their phone" meme!

Ants? Dust? Roadside ants?!

Johnny roared inwardly, "I! The Human Torch! The star of the Fantastic Four! The coolest superhero in the Fantastic Four! In the eyes of these two big shots... I'm just an ant?!"

A surge of intense shame and indignation welled up inside him, but the next second, as he recalled the scene of Chen Tian giving Alioth a "middle part" with a punch, and the rather unusual-looking Haji Black before him...

The shame and anger vanished instantly.

His lips twitched twice, and finally he slumped his shoulders resignedly, the flame on his shoulders dimming slightly.

"Well..." Johnny muttered dejectedly, "In front of you two... I really do feel like an ant..."

He hung his head dejectedly, not daring to look at Chen Tian and Kang again, afraid of hearing any more hurtful comments. He quickly swooped down, turning into a streak of Kakkō, and "whoosh" disappeared into the orange-yellow teleportation portal.

In an instant, only Chen Tian and Kang remained in the vast circular library.

A silent, still atmosphere filled the air.

Chen Tian remained slumped on the sofa, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.

Kang looked at him with great interest, the gentle smile on his lips seemed to deepen a little, and his gaze behind his glasses became unfathomable.

Chen Tian casually waved his hand, and the plate of cookies on the distant table seemed to be lifted by an invisible hand, floating steadily to his front.

He picked up a piece, took a bite, and did so as naturally as if this were truly his territory.

Click.

The crisp sound of Chen Tian biting into the biscuit was exceptionally clear.

Kang's gentle smile deepened as he put down his teacup. "After all this time, you're the first to know that my dwelling is inside Alioth."

Chen Tian raised his chin, swallowed the biscuit, and said, "I'm the first, but not the last."

Kang's eyes suddenly lit up!

He ripped off his glasses, strode over to Chen Tian, and sat down on the edge of the massive desk, leaning slightly forward with undisguised excitement. "How did you know?" His voice was filled with pure curiosity.

Chen Tian didn't answer, but picked up another cookie and casually glanced at the various machines and ancient books around him.

Kang pressed on. "Do you know something else?"

Chen Tian then looked up at the black man standing close by, and said calmly, "Hmm. You're probably not the real 'Conqueror Kang'."

"Ha!" Kang slapped his thigh, as excited as a child who had solved a riddle. "I knew it! What those high-ranking gods said about you being an outsider was absolutely right!" He leaned forward curiously. "Tell me, how did you figure that out?"

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow:

"Simple. TVA has never been a part of my world. Until that 'Paradox' under you, obsessed with promotion, went and captured Deadpool for the sake of performance." He paused, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"At first, I just felt something was off. But then I thought, if it really is that ambitious 'Conqueror Kang' who clamors to conquer all timelines, then someone like me would definitely be his biggest thorn in his side."

"And the result?" Chen Tian sneered. "I destroyed the Eye Demon in my own world, that's big enough of a commotion, right? TVA only 'arrived late' this time. What's even more ridiculous is that I crushed Paradox's department head to death, and the entire TVA security team didn't dare utter a sound!"

He looked Kang into his eyes, and his conclusion was clear:

"What does this mean? It means that the so-called 'Conqueror Kang' is afraid of me! He doesn't dare to provoke me at all!"

Chen Tian leaned back slightly on the sofa, his posture relaxed, but his words were like knives:

"And you..." He looked Kang up and down, his eyes sharp, "When you face me, there's not a trace of fear in your eyes, only curiosity and inquiry. You're not that tyrant at all."

"So," Chen Tian concluded, "You are nothing more than a... 'replacement' he left here."

Kang's smile froze for a moment.

Immediately, not anger, but a stronger and purer thirst for knowledge ignited in his eyes!

He stared intently at Chen Tian, as if trying to uncover the secrets deep within his soul; his eyes were filled with an insatiable thirst for knowledge!

Kang was so excited that his body trembled slightly, and his eyes shone with an alarming light. "Then, can you tell me, who... who are you?"

Chen Tian squeezed himself deeper into the sofa, his voice languid. "Me? Arbitrators, the Adjudicator, leader of the Red Room, Chen Tian. You probably know all of that."

Kang shook his head repeatedly, like a student chasing after a teacher with a question, "No, no, no! I'm curious about you yourself! And your companions!"

He pointed urgently to the vast sea of books around him, "I've searched through the timelines of the infinite Multiverse, every corner! There's no you! And no trace of your companions! Not even a trace! You're like... variables that appeared out of thin air!"

Chen Tian yawned, his fingers twitching casually, and another cookie floated over from the plate on the table. "Hmm. To paraphrase Ancient One, I am who I am, the only one."

Kang took a deep breath, his thirst for knowledge almost overflowing, wanting to continue digging deeper, "But..."

Chen Tian slightly raised his hand from the sofa armrest, a simple gesture that carried undeniable authority, instantly interrupting Kang's incessant chatter.

"No need to ask so many questions," Chen Tian said calmly. "I'm here for only one thing."

He looked up, his gaze like a tangible needle piercing Kang:

"Where is 'Conqueror Kang'?"

Kang was startled by his gaze, the excitement on his face faded, and his brows furrowed deeply.

He was silent for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head. "I don't know." He spread his hands, his tone tinged with helplessness and... wariness, "There are countless Kangs, scattered throughout infinite realities. But there is only one Conqueror Kang. He... can control, replace, or even erase any one of 'me's' at will. He is everywhere, yet nowhere to be found."

Chen Tian nodded, shifting to a more comfortable position. "I understand. It means kill all the 'Kangs.' The one who survives will naturally be him?"

Kang's body tensed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed, a strange smile appearing on his face, almost mocking. "Theoretically, it's correct. But—" he deliberately drew out his words, "You can't do it."

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest finally appearing in his eyes. "Oh?"

Kang pointed to the endless bookshelves around them, each shelf symbolizing a vast timeline. "Do you know what an infinite Multiverse means? It means infinite possibilities, infinite parallel realities! Therefore, the number of Kangs..."

He paused, then emphasized, "It's infinite! Infinite clones, how can you possibly kill them all?"

He stared intently into Chen Tian's eyes, trying to catch a hint of hesitation. "Unless..."

Chen Tian remained motionless on the sofa, but a knowing, even slightly amusement, smile played on his lips as he uttered the taboo word for Kang:

"Unless... you take the seat of the one who controls the source of all stories?"

His gaze swept over Kang, his tone as calm as if he were discussing a trivial matter:

"To sit on the throne of the 'God of Stories'? Omniscient and omnipotent, capable of creation and destruction in a single thought?"

In an instant!

The entire enormous circular library fell into a deathly silence.

The air seemed to solidify into a heavy block of lead.

Kang's smile froze completely, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his hands, which were resting on his knees, unconsciously clenched into fists.

The look in their eyes as they looked at Chen Tian was no longer one of curiosity and inquiry, but rather one of utter shock!

"You..." Kang's voice was dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief, "You actually... even knew about this taboo?!"

Chen Tian remained silent.

But his gaze behind the blindfold was like a cold probe, piercing deep into Kang's nerves!

The invisible pressure made Kang's breath catch in his throat for a moment.

Kang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning horror within him, his throat dry. "... Yes, that is indeed a solution. But the 'solution' I'm talking about isn't that." He stiffly raised his finger and pointed to the ceiling.

Chen Tian: "Oh?" His voice was devoid of emotion.

"You know a lot," Kang said, his words quickening, tinged with urgency, "Then you should also know that you are not the only one! The high-ranking gods are also unique! The Five Great Cosmic Entities, the Living Tribunal, and... the Beyonder above them! And... the One Above the One (OAA)!"

Chen Tian's brow twitched almost imperceptibly beneath his eyepatch. "OAA?"

Kang nodded heavily. "Yes. If you can persuade Him, He can erase the concept of 'Conqueror Kang' with just a thought! Reboot? That's a minor matter!" He gave a bitter laugh, his tone filled with deep helplessness. "But it's useless. The OAA won't show itself, and no one can find it! He simply won't care about such a 'minor matter'."

Chen Tian pondered for a moment, "Why don't you mention the Beyonder? He should be able to do that too."

"The Beyonder? Hahaha..." Kang's laughter suddenly rang out, carrying an indescribable eeriness and... schadenfreude?

"Of course he could do it! Easily! But that being—" Kang's smile vanished abruptly, his eyes fixed on Chen Tian, emphasizing each word, "—only! by! his! heart!"

He leaned forward slightly, his voice low, yet as powerful as thunder:

"You think your existence is—a living 'variable' that doesn't belong to any predetermined story!! A madman who doesn't even put the Five Great Cosmic Entities in his eyes..."

That thrill-seeker, the Beyonder on chaos, will he... be tempted by you?!

Boom!

Chen Tian suddenly sprang up from the sofa! The force of his movement caused the sofa to slide back half a meter!

An invisible, violent aura exploded out instantly!

The air in the entire library seemed to distort for a moment!

"What did you say?!" Chen Tian's voice was like ice shattering, "The Beyonder... has its eye on me?!"

Kang completely relaxed, even leaning back, spreading his hands, his face regaining that all-knowing, slightly mocking calm smile:

"That Conqueror Kang is never stupid." He stared at Chen Tian and slowly added, "You... know what I mean."

The library was deathly silent.

Chen Tian remained silent.

His gaze, hidden beneath the blindfold, was icy, piercing the air and fixing on Kang's face. The invisible pressure made Kang's throat tighten, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

He understood Kang's provocation. Was Conqueror Kang, trying to use someone else to do his dirty work? Or did he want to see how Kang would deal with the even bigger problem of the Beyonder?

The thought flashed through Chen Tian's mind.

The Beyonder... that madman.

Strength? In a head-on fight, he could easily wipe out the Multiverse; he's indeed a formidable opponent.

But personality?

Chen Tian instantly recalled the comics he had read before he transmigrated. This guy was a top-notch entertainer!

He can be incredibly righteous, and utterly ruthless when evil. Most importantly... he loves to play!

He won't personally engage in a life-or-death struggle with Chen Tian.

That's too boring.

What do those the Beyonder love to do most?

Secret Wars!

Capture heroes and villains from countless universes, lock them up in a battlefield like crickets, and watch them fight to the death—that's the perverse pleasure of the Beyonder!

He himself would often transform into a seemingly fragile human form, hiding in the shadows to enjoy the "grand show" he had directed. At that time, his body was as fragile as a piece of paper.

Having grasped the key point, Chen Tian's explosive aura suddenly dissipated.

He didn't even change his posture, as if his outburst just now was an illusion.

"Snort."

A soft, ambiguous hum.

Chen Tian relaxed and sat back down in the single sofa. His movements were fluid and natural, as if his outburst was just a simple stretch.

He crossed his legs, his posture even more languid than before.

"Understood." Chen Tian's voice returned to its infuriating calm. "The old man wants to see me made a fool of."

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the sofa armrest.

"Conqueror Kang ..." Chen Tian paused, his tone carrying an undisguised annoyance, "He's lucky."

He looked up, his gaze sweeping over Kang's face, which was etched with a complex expression:

"That jerk who loves watching the show... has a higher priority."

Chen Tian hadn't finished speaking.

"Wow, wow~" A flippant young voice suddenly exploded in the dead silence, filled with undisguised mockery, "I've become Chen Tian's higher priority now? What, are you going to kill me?"

Chen Tian and Kang's eyes instantly locked onto the source of the sound!

In the corner of the room, a young white man with black hair, wearing a white jacket and white jeans, appeared out of nowhere, as if he had always been standing there.

With a wicked, cynical smile on his face, he walked with an easy gait straight toward Chen Tian.

"Tsk tsk tsk," the young man tilted his head, staring at Chen Tian with the eyes of someone examining an interesting toy, "This is the Chen Tian who scared the Goddess of Death into fleeing in all directions, and who even made that coward Conqueror Kang secretly 'submit his resume' to me?"

He walked a few steps away and stopped, shrugged dramatically, and spread his hands. "Not so great, huh?"

Chen Tian extended a finger and casually lifted a corner of the blindfold over his right eye.

His pale blue eyes were exposed to the air, and wherever his gaze fell, the space groaned under the weight of his gaze!

That gaze was fixed directly on the young man in the white jacket!

"A projection?" Chen Tian's voice was like shards of ice. "You don't dare come in your real body?"

"Ha--!!!"

The projection of the Beyonder suddenly widened its eyes, and its mouth stretched exaggeratedly to its ears, its smile twisted and excited!

"Excellent! Excellent!" He clapped his hands, as if he had just watched the most spectacular performance. "Seeing through to the essence at a glance! This energy perception... is truly amazing!"

He licked his lips, revealing gleaming white teeth, his voice filled with extreme malice and excitement:

"The real body? Hehehe..."

"As for the real body... of course, I'll prepare a 'big gift' for you and your lovely 'Arbitrators' companions!"

Boom!

Chen Tian suddenly stood up! His movements were so fast they seemed to tear through space!

The light in the entire library seemed to collapse towards him!

"Did you go to my world?" Chen Tian's voice was deep, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Kang's heart.

"Bingo!" The projection of the Beyonder snapped its the Snap, crossed its arms, raised its chin triumphantly, and its eyes gleamed with a destructive, playful light. "You guessed right!"

"Prepare well, Chen Tian!" He raised his voice, as if declaring, "This time..."

"This isn't some of those old superhero tricks where they fight villains!"

"But instead..."

"Your Arbitrators..."

"Confrontation..."

"... The villain of the entire! Multiverse!!" Each word exploded like a thunderclap!

"Pfft--!!!"

Chen Tian remained expressionless, facing the direction of the projection, and clenched his fist in mid-air!

The projection of the Beyonder, along with the excited and twisted smile on his face, was instantly crushed by an invisible and absolute force!

It turned into the finest quantum dust, without even a ripple!

It's as if it never happened!

Chen Tian withdrew his hand, and the blindfold fell down, covering that azure pupil.

He couldn't be bothered to utter another word of nonsense.

Turn around.

With his right hand pointing towards the Void in front of him, his five fingers like hooks, he suddenly ripped it apart!

Sizzle--!!!

The library's spatial barrier, which was incredibly sturdy enough to withstand the turbulence of spacetime, was torn open like a rag, leaving a huge, menacing, pitch-black crack with chaotic energy flowing along its edges!

A raging temporal storm roared forth from within!

Chen Tian stepped into the rift, his figure disappearing into the twisted darkness and storm.

Only a final, chilling sentence remained, echoing in the deathly silent library, like the whisper of death:

"Wait."

"Wait until I find you."

"I'll crush your true form."