London, Natural History Museum.
The afternoon sun streamed through the museum's glass dome, casting dappled shadows in the lobby. A moderate number of visitors strolled between the exhibition halls, occasionally punctuated by the excited shouts of children.
Sersi stood in an exhibition hall of an ancient civilization, explaining the exhibits to a group of elementary school students. She wore a simple beige sweater and jeans, her hair was casually tied back, and she had a gentle smile on her face, looking like an ordinary museum researcher.
"This mask is a product of the Mesopotamia civilization four thousand years ago," she said, pointing to a gold mask in the glass case, her voice gentle and clear. "People back then believed that wearing this mask allowed them to communicate with the gods."
A little boy raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, are there really gods in the world?"
Sersi paused for a moment, then smiled, "This question... different people have different answers. Some believe in God, some don't. But regardless of whether God exists, we should all maintain a sense of awe for this world."
The little boy nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
The museum will close after the guided tour.
The children left the exhibition hall with their teacher. Sersi tidied up her presentation notes and prepared to go to the lounge for a coffee.
Just as she turned around, a man's voice came from behind her.
' Sersi.'
Sersi's body stiffened abruptly.
The voice was unfamiliar; she was certain she had never heard it before. But the other person called her by name—not the alias she used at the museum, " Sylvia," but her real name, Sersi.
This name hasn't been used for hundreds of years.
She slowly turned around and saw a young man in a black trench coat standing at the entrance of the exhibition hall. He looked to be in his twenties, with delicate features and a faint smile on his lips, giving off an air of... inscrutable depth.
"Who are you?"
Sersi's voice was calm, but energy was quietly gathering in her right hand.
As Eternals, her main ability is to manipulate matter. Although she is not good at fighting, she can still protect herself.
"My name is Lynn, a key member of SSC. You should have seen me on TV."
The man walked into the exhibition hall, hands in his pockets, and casually leaned against a stone pillar. "Don't be nervous, I'm not here to cause trouble. In fact, I'm here to seek cooperation."
Sersi frowned. "Cooperate? I don't know you."
Lynn nodded. "You don't know me, but I know you. I know you're Eternals, I know you've lived on Earth for seven thousand years, I know your true identity, and I know... what you've been protecting."
Sersi's expression changed.
The energy in her right hand surged instantly, causing all the metal objects in the exhibition hall to tremble slightly. Her eyes sharpened, fixing on Lynn: "Who are you? How do you know all this?"
"I told you, my name is Lynn." Lynn's tone remained calm. "As for how I knew... I went underground and saw that thing with my own eyes. Then I thought of you all."
Sersi's pupils contracted sharply.
That thing underground.
These two words together have only one meaning—this person knows about the existence of the Celestials Embryo.
"What exactly do you want?" Sersi's voice was low and wary. "If you're thinking of using that embryo for something, I advise you to abandon that idea. The Celestials are not someone you can mess with."
"I don't want to use it, nor do I want to provoke the Celestials."
Lynn shook her head. "On the contrary, I want to stop it."
"Stop it?" Sersi was stunned.
" Emergence." Lynn uttered the word. "Fifty years from now, the embryo in the Earth's core will mature, and Emergence. At that time, the Earth will collapse, and seven billion people will die. I don't want to see that happen."
Sersi fell silent.
Of course she knew about the Emergence. As Eternals, she knew her mission from the moment she was created.
Protecting the embryo and ensuring the smooth occurrence of Emergence —this is the mission entrusted to them by the Celestials, the very meaning of their existence.
But seven thousand years of human life made her doubt the mission.
She had witnessed human birth and death, the rise and fall of civilizations, love, friendship, and kinship, and the sacrifices people made to protect one another. She had come to see herself as one of humanity, not as a high and mighty guardian.
If Emergence were to appear, everyone she knew and cared about would die.
She had considered stopping the Emergence, but she didn't know how. Moreover, stopping the Emergence was tantamount to betraying the Celestials, a taboo of the Eternals.
"You... have a way?" Sersi's voice trembled slightly; she herself didn't realize that she was already expecting this answer.
Lynn nodded honestly, "I do have some ideas, but I need your help. You know the Celestials, the Eternals, and the Emergence better than anyone else."
Sersi looked at Lynn with a complicated expression.
She could tell that the man wasn't lying.
His eyes were calm, sincere, and without malice. Moreover, the fact that he could see the embryo underground, find her, and know about the existence of the Eternals showed that his strength far exceeded her imagination.
If such a person truly wanted to prevent the Emergence, perhaps... there really was hope.
Sersi finally said, "This isn't something I can decide alone. There are ten of us; we need to discuss it together. Especially Ajak, she's our leader, and only she can communicate with the Celestials."
" Ajak? Then let's go find him."
"She runs a farm in South Dakota," Sersi said. "I can contact her and tell her what you've said. But I can't guarantee she'll agree to see you."
Lynn smiled. "It's alright. Just tell her that someone who has been underground, seen the embryo, and wants to stop the Emergence wants to see her. I believe she'll be interested."
Sersi nodded, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "You... you really weren't sent by the Celestials?"
Lynn was amused by her. "Do I look like Celestials?"
Sersi scrutinized him carefully, then shook her head. The Celestials were all gigantic life forms hundreds of meters tall; they couldn't possibly transform into human form.
"Then what exactly are you?" she couldn't help but ask.
Lynn thought for a moment, then said, "An ordinary person who promised to protect the Earth."
The answer was perfunctory, but Sersi didn't press the matter further.
"Give me a day," Sersi said. "I'll contact Ajak and the others, and then I'll give you an answer."
"Okay." Lynn nodded, took a card from her pocket, and handed it to her. "This is my contact information. Contact me anytime once you've agreed on things."
Sersi took the card; it only had a phone number on it, no name, no address.
She looked up, wanting to say something more, but found that Lynn was gone.
The exhibition hall was empty except for her, who stood there alone, clutching the card in her hand, her heart pounding.
Seven thousand years.
The alternative possibility regarding Emergence that she had waited for seven thousand years may have finally appeared.
After leaving the museum, Lynn did not return to the base immediately.
He strolled through the streets of London for a while, soaking in the atmosphere of this ancient city.
The streets were damp after the rain, and the air smelled of coffee and bread. Pedestrians hurried by, unaware that deep beneath their feet, something powerful enough to destroy the world was slumbering.
Lynn stopped and looked up at the gray sky.
Finding the Eternals is only the first step.
Next, he needed to convince them, confirm whether the rules of the Celestials were different from those in his memory, and find a way to stop the Emergence without completely enraging the Celestials.
But he has plenty of patience.
Lynn took a deep breath, then opened the portal, stepped inside, and returned to the SSC base.
He appeared in his room, where Natasha was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him.
"You're back?"
Natasha looked up at him, "How did things go?"
Lynn walked over and sat down beside her. "Things are starting to look promising. We might have some new friends visiting the base soon; could you help them receive them?"
"A new friend?"
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
"A group of ancient relics who have lived on Earth for seven thousand years. You'll find out when they arrive."
Natasha looked at him but didn't press him. She was used to Lynn's "you'll see" way of speaking.
"Is there anything I need to prepare?"
"No need."
Lynn shook her head, "It's just... I'll probably be busy again for a while. Just be prepared."
Natasha nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Outside the window, the New York night was in full swing.
Sersi called the following evening.
Lynn is cooking noodles in the base's kitchen.
Sersi's voice came through the receiver, tinged with hesitation and nervousness, " Mr. Lynn? I contacted Ajak, and a few others. They... agreed to see you."
Location?
"A ranch in Ajak, South Dakota," Sersi said, "But... not everyone came."
"It's okay."
Lynn turned off the stove, scooped the noodles into a bowl, and said, "It's enough that someone's willing to come. Send me the address, I'll be there tomorrow."
"Okay." Sersi paused, then added, " Mr. Lynn... Ajak... she has direct connections with the Celestials. She might relay what you said directly to the Celestials. You should be prepared."
"I know."
Lynn smiled. "Let her pass on the message. Since I dared to say it, I'm not afraid of the Celestials finding out. I just didn't want too much trouble, so I contacted you first."
After hanging up the phone, Lynn carried her noodles to the living room, eating while lost in thought.
Ikaris and his henchman didn't come, which was expected. The strongest warrior of the Eternals was loyal to the Celestials to the bone; anyone who dared to say they would stop the Emergence was a traitor in his eyes. Kingo didn't come either, which was equally unsurprising; that big guy was indifferent to everything and just wanted to live his quiet life.
As long as Ajak comes, that's enough.
As the leader of the Eternals and the only one who can communicate directly with the Celestials, Ajak's attitude determines everything. As long as she is willing to listen and consider, things can change.
After finishing her noodles, Lynn threw the bowl into the sink, then walked to the window and looked at the night view outside.
He raised his hand and gently pressed it against his chest.
Since the Thanos incident, the power of the Infinity Stones has been slowly recovering. Recently, the recovery speed has obviously accelerated, perhaps because the multiverse event has stimulated the Stones' revival.
Now, the six gems have recovered about 60% of their power.
Sixty percent may not sound like much, but sixty percent of the Infinity Stones is enough to do a lot.
Lynn lowered his hand, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Tomorrow is going to be interesting.
A remote farm in South Dakota.
Far from the city, surrounded by endless wheat fields and pastures, the nearest neighbor is more than ten kilometers away. The farm owner is a woman who looks to be in her sixties, with gray hair, a kind face, and dressed in ordinary farm clothes, feeding chickens in the yard.
No one knew that this seemingly ordinary peasant woman was Ajak, the leader of the Eternals who had lived on Earth for seven thousand years.
Several other people were standing in the courtyard.
Sersi stood on the porch, nervously wringing her hands. Beside her stood a tall, muscular man in a worn leather jacket, his face showing impatience. It was Gilgamesh, the Eternals ' power warrior and a close friend of Kingo.
In a corner of the courtyard, a woman in a gorgeous long dress leaned against the fence, holding a glass of red wine in her hand, gazing lazily at the wheat field in the distance. It was Thena, a warrior of the Eternals, once known as the " Sword of the Eternals," but for the past few thousand years, due to mental instability, she had been cared for by Gilgamesh.
There was also a young man sitting on the tractor, fiddling with a cell phone in his hand, glancing up at the gate every now and then.
It was Druig, one of the most unique beings among the Eternals, capable of manipulating human consciousness. His expression held a hint of amusement, seemingly quite interested in today's meeting.
"Will he really come?"
Druig put down his phone, raised an eyebrow, and said, "A human who knows about the Celestials and the Emergence? I think you've been fooled, Sersi."
"He didn't lie to me."
"He can call me by my real name, he can talk about the underground embryo, and he can even speak of Emergence," Sersi said earnestly. "These can't be tricks."
Perhaps he represents a new form of Deviants?
Gilgamesh said in a deep voice, " The Deviants has evolved and can now take human form?"
Thena took a sip of red wine, her tone flat, " The Deviants aren't that smart. And Deviants wouldn't know about Emergence. They only know how to kill and eat."
Ajak didn't participate in the discussion. After feeding the chickens, she patted the chaff off her hands, then looked up towards the farm entrance.
"They're here."
The other five people turned their heads at the same time.
In the open space at the farm entrance, the air distorted slightly, and a portal opened out of thin air. A young man in a black trench coat stepped out and casually closed the portal.
It was Lynn.
He walked into the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the six people present before finally settling on Ajak.
"You are Ajak."
Ajak wiped his hands, stepped forward, and looked Lynn up and down. "I am. You're the one who went underground and saw the embryos."
"It's me. You can call me Lynn."