The gaze of the Conqueror himself, the second wave of outside aid at the standing committee meeting
The feeling of suffocation does not come from physical compression.
It is a deeper kind of absolute silence, one that deprives people of the power to think and react.
It was as if the entire Engine Room had been immersed in an invisible mercury, and the movement of every molecule was imbued with a heavy meaning; any unauthorized action was a challenge to the supreme order.
Gwen Stacy felt her breath catch in her throat.
It's not that I'm afraid to breathe, but rather that my body's instincts have forgotten how to perform that action.
That newly arrived will made no sound, showed no form, and simply existed there, causing everything in the entire space to lose its original attributes.
The aftershocks of the explosion, the piercing alarms, and the flashing lights were all forcibly "formatted" and reduced to nothingness in that instant.
The Supreme Adjudicator's massive body froze in place, the dark red light in his eye sockets, representing the highest level of alert, solidified into a dull piece of amber. His proud order, before this superior will, was like a subordinate unit encountering its supreme leader, not even qualified to report its work.
On the back of Hela's hand, gripping the Night Sky Sword, the veins bulged slightly. As the Goddess of Death, she felt for the first time how shallow and concrete the "death" she wielded was. And what that will represented was a more abstract, more ultimate "Ending."
All the Data Stream in Wanda's eyes turned into a blank. It wasn't a signal interruption, but rather that all the information was completely covered by another, more powerful information stream, leaving only a monotonous, unquestionable command: silence.
That determined gaze swept over them.
There was no scrutiny, no anger, just a confirmation of the fact that it "exists." It's like a person walking down the street, their gaze sweeping over a few specks of dust on the roadside.
Gwen Stacy's mind went blank, but her body instinctively straightened its back.
She sensed that the Red-Headed Document signed by Lynn, the "Joint Security Exercise Plan" held in the hands of the Supreme Adjudicator, was now radiating an invisible, conceptual glow.
This faint light is not energy, but a kind of "identity".
An identity granted through legitimate procedures.
It was this identity that prevented the three of them from being directly erased under the Sweep gaze of that eyes.
That will lingered on them for less than a fraction of a second before turning to the massive, newly "Patch" Engine Three.
It seemed more interested in the engine than in these uninvited guests.
Gwen Stacy's heart sank to the bottom.
She understood that Ke'er's desperate, self-destructive scheme had not only failed to destroy them, but had instead done the worst possible thing.
It tore through the shield, attracting the true master of the Battleworld.
Conqueror, Kang.
The master's will lingered briefly at the core of the engine, as if sensing something. The Phoenix Force code, implanted by Wanda and defined as a "Benign Patch," was laid bare under its gaze.
The mercury-like stillness in the space showed an extremely subtle ripple.
It was a fluctuation that mixed curiosity with a chilling killing intent.
Meanwhile, in the Negative Zone, the White Bone Hall.
The atmosphere was solemn around the huge, long conference table.
Lynn sat upright in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping rhythmically on the smooth tabletop. To his left was Jean Grey, who had just recovered from treatment and whose face was still somewhat pale. Beside her were several empty seats, which belonged to Gwen Stacy, Hela, and Wanda.
On the right side of the conference table sat the heads of each department who remained on duty.
All eyes were on Lynn, waiting.
No one spoke; only the "tap, tap, tap" of the hammer echoed in the empty hall, striking a chord in everyone's heart.
Suddenly, the Encrypted Terminal screen in front of Lynn lit up silently, and a line of extremely simple characters flashed by.
[The target has arrived.]
Lynn's tapping stopped.
He raised his eyes, his calm gaze sweeping across the entire room.
"We just received a progress report from the frontline delegation."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner, instantly dispelling the heavy atmosphere.
"The delegation led by Comrade Gwen Stacy overcame numerous difficulties and engaged in constructive contact with relevant units in the Battleworld."
The expressions of the officials present turned serious.
"During the contact, our delegation demonstrated exceptional professionalism and adaptability, gaining a basic understanding of the internal organizational structure and factional dynamics of the Battleworld a political organization), and successfully rescued our on-staff advisor, Comrade Erik Lehnsherr."
Lynn spoke in a flat tone, as if he were reading a routine work briefing.
"Although the mission encountered some deliberate sabotage by a small number of hostile elements, which caused some unexpected situations, overall, the delegation successfully completed the first phase of its strategic reconnaissance mission."
He paused, giving everyone time to process what he had to say.
The way the crisis was characterized as a "successfully completed strategic reconnaissance" was so effortless that it shocked everyone present.
A knowing glint flashed in Jean Grey's eyes. She understood that Lynn was not only trying to bolster morale but also setting the tone for their next move.
"Following deliberation by the Standing Committee of the Negative Zone Management Committee," Lynn's voice rang out again, this time carrying an undeniable weight, "The second phase of the action plan will be launched immediately."
He looked at Jean Grey.
"Comrade Jean Grey, Director of the Mutants Management Committee, is appointed as the leader of the ' Battleworld Expert Rescue Team '."
These words shocked everyone present.
The logistics officer on the right instinctively opened his mouth as if to say something, but when he met Lynn's calm gaze, he swallowed his words.
Jean Grey herself was also taken aback for a moment, but she quickly recovered, stood up, and put on a serious expression.
"Yes."
One word, no further questions.
"The rescue team's mission is to provide necessary expert technical support and security guarantees to our delegation, which is in deep danger, based on the intelligence gathered by the preliminary investigation team," Lynn continued. "To ensure the absolute safety of Comrade Gwen Stacy and her party, and, depending on the situation, to complete subsequent liaison work."
He looked at the crowd.
"All departments, immediately and fully cooperate with the rescue team. Personnel, equipment, and logistics must all be in place within half an hour."
Meeting adjourned.
After Lynn finished speaking, he stood up, looked at no one again, and walked straight to the back hall of the main hall.
The entire meeting lasted less than five minutes.
Swift and decisive, leaving no room for discussion.
The group exchanged glances, then immediately stood up and quickly left the meeting room. The tense scheduling and arrangement work had already begun.
Jean Grey didn't move; she stood there until she was the only one left in the hall.
She knew that Lynn had something else to say to her alone.
A moment later, Lynn's secretary came out from the back room and bowed slightly to Jean Grey.
"Director Qin, the Director requests your presence."
Jean Grey took a deep breath, straightened her collar, and stepped into the deeper shadows of the back room.
The lights were off in Lynn's office.
He stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, his back to the door, gazing at the Eternity unchanging Scarlet sky in the Negative Zone.
"Director," Jean Grey said softly.
Lynn did not turn around.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
"Reporting to the Director, don't be afraid," Jean Grey replied quickly.
Lynn was silent for a moment, then turned around. He walked to his desk, took something out of a locked drawer, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Jean Grey.
"Take it with you."
Jean Grey's gaze fell on the item.
It wasn't a powerful weapon, nor was it high-tech equipment.
It was just a small gear made of bronze.
The gears were crudely made, with worn edges and a surface covered in verdigris, making them look like parts salvaged from an old clock that had been abandoned for centuries.
It lay there quietly, completely unremarkable.
"This is..." Jean Grey asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Kang is Conqueror of time, but he cannot conquer time itself." Lynn's voice was soft. "The Battleworld is a sophisticated machine, but every machine has its Factory Settings."
He looked into Jean Grey's eyes.
"When necessary, activate it with your power. It will tell that machine what its initial instructions were before the ' Conqueror ' program was installed."