The disaster strikes silently, but is more heart-stopping than any explosion.
The phenomenon of energy decay has suddenly intensified around the world. It is not a shortage, but a plunge in conversion efficiency. The heat released by fuel combustion is inexplicably reduced, the battery discharge time is sharply reduced, and even the calories of food seem to be reduced. What is even more frightening is that this decay seems to be "contagious", spreading from one system to another.
"The increase in entropy is accelerating!" Bruce·Banner's voice sounded a little frightened in the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center, "The ultimate law of the universe is being locally strengthened! Everything is heading toward chaos and heat death faster!"
Nick Fury's single eye scanned the steep downward curve on the global energy report, "Scope? Cause?"
"Global! The reason is unknown!" Maria·Hill responded hastily, "The energy characteristics show that... it seems that the physical constants themselves have been fine-tuned, tending to higher dissipation and lower efficiency! It seems... that the 'friction coefficient' of the universe has been increased!"
The holographic image of Tony·Stark appeared, and the lights in the background laboratory seemed to dim. "Friday has calculated all possibilities! This is not energy absorption, but the 'enthusiasm' of the universe itself is fading! All processes are becoming 'arduous'!"
Strange and Wang Sanctum Sanctorum felt that the flow of magic was accelerating, and more effort was required to maintain the spell. "This is not a dimensional plunder, but... the 'vitality' of reality is being lost," Strange looked solemn, "It's like something is putting the brakes on the universe, making everything cool down faster."
Avengers himself also felt the impact. Actions seemed to require more effort, thinking became sluggish, and the energy consumption of armor and weapons was abnormally fast. They tried to stabilize key energy facilities, but often achieved half the result with half the effort, and the speed of repair could not keep up with the speed of decay.
The world seems to have fallen into a slow and irreversible "cooling". Industrial production has slowed down, transportation efficiency has decreased, and even the vitality of life is quietly passing away. A silent despair has begun to spread.
Malibu Beach.
Xiao Han felt that the "taste" of the sunlight on his body had become worse. It was not that the sunlight itself had weakened, but that the process of energy absorption and conversion had become "sluggish" and "inefficient," as if unnecessary losses had been added in the process. This feeling of "increased resistance" in the energy transmission process made it no longer smooth and pleasant for him to absorb energy, as if he were wearing thick gloves to touch delicate things.
"Inefficiency." He whispered displeasedly. Super-Senses - especially extremely sensitive to energy flow and conversion efficiency - instantly locked onto the "resistance field" that permeated the level of physical rules and caused the abnormal acceleration of entropy increase.
To him, it was like a delicate engine that had been maliciously mixed with coarse sand and needed to be cleaned.
He didn't even look for who had "mixed the sand", but rather impatiently, he slightly "dipped" Biological Force Field, which had an energy conversion efficiency of nearly 100% and almost violated the law of entropy increase, outwards.
It's like injecting top-quality lubricant into rusty gears, or replacing inferior wires with superconducting materials.
The abnormal regular field that attempts to strengthen the "entropy increase" and increase the "friction coefficient" of the universe, at the moment it comes into contact with this absolutely "efficient" and almost "perpetual motion" Biological Force Field, its strengthened "resistance" is instantly neutralized, covered, and reversed like ice and snow melting.
The abnormal increase in entropy on a global scale came to an abrupt end.
Energy efficiency returned to normal, the flow of magic returned to smoothness, and the vitality of life was revived. The world was abruptly pulled back from the edge of the slow "heat death".
Avengers was stunned in place, feeling that his body and world had suddenly returned to "relaxation" and "efficiency", and it was unbelievable for a moment.
"The decay... has stopped?" Steve felt that waving the shield became smooth and powerful again.
"It's him again?" Natasha looked at the energy monitor that had returned to normal readings and breathed a sigh of relief.
Doctor Banner watched the data representing the entropy increase rate fall back to the normal baseline in an instant, and murmured, "He... he used his almost anti-entropy 'efficiency' to act as a 'lubricant'? Forcibly reducing the 'friction coefficient' of the universe?"
Strange felt the flow of real energy that was restoring "vitality", and said with wonder in exhaustion, "For him, maybe he just felt that the 'cosmic movement' just now was too laggy, which affected his experience, so he 'optimized' it."
In a strange place that transcends the conventional universe and observes the operation of physical laws, an experimental consciousness trying to study the "endurance" of the universe by fine-tuning physical constants was surprised to find that its instruction to increase the entropy increase rate of the target universe was forcibly overwritten and reset.
It curiously detected the force that forcibly "pushed back" its modifications, and felt an extremely "efficient" and "stable" existence characteristic.
It silently sets the physical constant permissions of the universe (ID: 616) to "read-only" and notes. "There is a built-in 'law stability protection mechanism'. Any attempt to modify the basic physical constants (especially the entropy increase rate) will trigger forced recovery. The experimental conditions are uncontrollable. Recommendation: Terminate all related interventional research."
Xiao Han feels the "smooth" and "efficient" energy flow around him, and the sunshine becomes "delicious" again.
The world is finally no longer "stuck".
This is good.
As for who is turning up the "friction" of the universe? Why?
He has no interest.