The atmosphere in the laboratory instantly shifted from casual conversation to maximum alert because of Valeria's words.
The glaring red alarm lights replaced the soft lighting, casting uneasy shadows on everyone's faces.
" Doom?" Thor repeated the name, his brow furrowing deeply.
He certainly knew the weight of that name.
This man could even manipulate the entire multiverse at will.
Valeria didn't speak, but simply raised her hand and made a gesture in the air.
A holographic projection unfolded in front of her, showing a tall woman with porcelain-white skin.
It was the Black Swan Yabbat.
Her background was a deathly silent void, and her icy red eyes no longer held their usual indifference, but instead a deep-seated vigilance and resolve.
" Thor," Yabbat's voice came from the projection, calm as if he were reading a report unrelated to himself, "I have found the 'god' I have been following."
She paused for a moment, seemingly to make sure there were no eavesdroppers around.
"He is indeed Doctor Doom, Victor von Doom."
Thor's pupils contracted slightly.
The projected Yabbat continued, "He is plotting an unprecedented catastrophe. His goal is not destruction, but forging, using himself as a template to reshape the entire multiverse. I cannot fathom the core of his plan; the only way is to delve into his inner circle."
Her image began to show unstable static, and her voice became intermittent.
"This message is my last resort. If you see this... it means I've been exposed, or... assimilated. Don't come looking for me, and don't get involved easily. He's already started hunting down members..."
With a sizzle, the projection disappeared completely.
The laboratory fell into a deathly silence, with only the alarm lights flashing red tirelessly.
Forging a multiverse... Hunting Molecule Man... Secret Wars... Battleworld...
Countless related words flashed through Thor's mind in an instant.
He knew better than anyone that once Doom made up his mind, he was truly capable of doing something like this.
That will be an ultimate storm that sweeps everything away, and no universe will be able to escape it.
"This is a huge problem."
Thor rubbed his temples, feeling like he'd just returned to find himself scalding hot enough to melt Uru metal.
Kara stood to the side, a hint of seriousness appearing on her usually expressionless face.
She may not know the specifics of Doom's deeds, but she can still understand the weight of the words "reshaping the entire multiverse".
That was a natural disaster that even Kryptonian would find powerless against.
"So?" Valeria turned off the alarm, and the laboratory lights returned to normal.
She crossed her arms, her clear blue eyes fixed on Thor as if scrutinizing an experiment about to make a foolish decision. "Are you going to rush over there right now and go head-to-head with someone who's about to overturn the entire multiverse chessboard?"
"Of course not." Thor denied it without even thinking.
Are you kidding me? Now you're plunging headfirst into the deep waters of the Earth-616 to fight Doom to the death?
That's not bravery, that's stupidity.
Doom's scheme is a long-term crisis, and behind him are two groups of flies who want to kill him every day.
"Let's ignore Doom for now," Thor decided. "That guy's target is the entire multiverse; it's everyone's problem. We have higher priorities."
He looked at Valeria and Kara, his voice turning serious. " The Council of Kangs and the Council of Mephisto —these two organizations have interfered with our affairs more than once. I won't sleep soundly until they are completely eradicated."
"We'll deal with the mess over there with Doom after he actually gets the Battleworld going. Right now, we need to clear out the holdouts around our house."
Thor had a clear plan in mind: to deal with external threats, one must first secure internal stability.
Valeria seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded. "A rational decision. Now, the question is..."
She looked at Thor, "How do you plan to find them?"
This is indeed a problem.
Thor frowned. "The multiverse is vast and boundless, with dimensions and timelines as numerous as grains of sand. Those guys are masters at hiding in all sorts of nooks and crannies, like blind spots in timelines or some unknown Dark Dimension."
He shrugged. "Even if I mastered more than thirty laws now, pinpointing each of their strongholds within such a vast area would be like finding a needle in a haystack—too inefficient."
This is the most troublesome part.
He could easily sweep through each universe one by one, but if he did that, by the time he finished clearing out these two councils, it would be too late, and Doom might have already finished his victory celebration.
"So, your conclusion is that it's impossible?"
Valeria's tone carried an undisguised, almost idiotic, pity.
Thor was a little annoyed by her gaze. "Otherwise what? What good idea do you have?"
"Of course I do." Valeria's lips curled into a near-fanatical smile, a smile befitting a genius.
She turned and pointed to the Tenth Metal, which floated in the center of the laboratory, silently radiating a sacred platinum glow.
"Your way of thinking is too simplistic, Thor. All you ever think is, 'I need to find the rats,' and then you dive into the dark sewers, searching room by room. Why don't you try a different approach?"
"What's the idea?" Thor became interested.
Valeria's eyes shone with an astonishing light; she was like a child who had found the ultimate toy, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Reverse investigation!"
She stretched out her finger, tracing complex streams of data in the air. "We don't need to search for those dark, chaotic dimensions filled with despair and death! There are too many of those places; we simply can't search them all!"
"What we need to do is use the Tenth Metal to build a global sensing array that covers the entire multiverse!"
She pointed to the foundation stone, her voice suddenly rising, " The Tenth Metal is the embodiment of primordial light and all possibilities! Use it to sense all the bright, stable, prosperous, and vibrant normal universes and normal timelines, and then mark all these coordinates!"
Thor's eyes widened instantly.
'Holy crap... you can do that?'
Valeria seemed to read his mind, a haughty "you've finally figured it out" expression on her face.
"That's right, exclude all normal, healthy universes from the map of the multiverse. Then... those remaining places, those distorted, decaying dimensional dead ends hidden in the shadows, unmarkable by the light of the Tenth Metal..."
She paused, then said, word by word, "It must be the hideout of Kang and Mephisto's gang of rats!"
The only sound in the entire laboratory was Thor's heavy breathing.
This plan is insane, yet... absolutely feasible!
This isn't just finding a needle in a haystack; it's like draining the ocean and letting the needle reveal itself!
"It still has to be you..." Thor managed to utter four words after a long pause.
Looking at the twenty-one-year-old girl in front of him, he felt that compared to her, his brain was like that of a primitive man who only knew how to swing a hammer.
He now understood why Superman relied so much on Batman's super brain; having an external brain is just awesome!
"Otherwise what?" Valeria snorted, her face already radiating an uncontrollable scientific fervor.
"You're only realizing this ridiculously simple logic now."
She ignored Thor and turned directly to face the Tenth Metal, opening her arms as if embracing her masterpiece.
" Lumina!"
"I am here, Miss Valeria," the gentle voice of the dedicated AI replied.
"Activate the highest-level, all-encompassing energy barrier in the laboratory! Isolate all internal and external communication and material exchange! I'm going into seclusion!"
"Yes, sir."
Buzz--!
A translucent, dark blue energy shield instantly rose from the laboratory floor and walls, closing in at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The sacred platinum radiance flowing from the Tenth Metal violently intertwined with the azure energy barrier, and the violent energy ripples spread outwards, pushing Thor and Kara directly outside the barrier.
In the blink of an eye, Valeria and the Tenth Metal were completely enveloped in a huge blue energy sphere.
"Three days!" Valeria's voice came from within the barrier, carrying absolute confidence and an unquestionable tone of command. "Three days later, I'll give you a multiverse map filled with rat nests!"
Thor stood outside the barrier, looking at the figure inside surrounded by countless streams of data.
This kid is practically a born workaholic!
As he was reflecting on this, Kara, who was beside him, quietly looked at the energy ball and said something in a sincere voice.
"She is indeed the smartest person I have ever met."
Thor nodded in deep agreement.
"Look at this..." Kara suddenly seemed to remember something, and expressionlessly pulled something out of a pocket in her battle suit.
Thor instinctively looked down.
It was a... palm-sized, living, mini Godzilla!
It was gripping Kara's finger, trying to open its mouth, and letting out a babyish growl.
"Roar~"