Before the roundtable, the hearts of everyone were pounding heavily. This revelation struck them like a thunderclap, stirring unease and excitement alike. The most essential aspect of uncovering the past had always been to find relics of history. Whether it was a scripture, a sealed jar, fragments of a burial vessel, or even fossilized remains, anything preserved was a testimony left behind by time.
And today, the mysteries of a forgotten age stirred again. A location, eerily identical to one lost in records, had resurfaced. It was as if someone from the Terra Federation held the master key, already slotting it into the lock of history. With but a twist, the forbidden past could be unsealed.
The thought alone made everyone's blood rush with anticipation. A monumental discovery!
Hyeon rose at once, unable to restrain his determination. He resolved to lead the expedition in person. To scour the terrain with his own eyes. Around the pit, and beneath the rainbow funnel's shadow. A full-scale search! If something greater could be recovered, it might shape the destiny of the Federation itself.
Gladwin interjected, "As for whether his activity can rise during the capture, let us observe further."
At this moment, Tanner's live broadcast showed the activity index, and it is nearly fivefold greater than Elenora's latest surge.
In the live feed, the audience swelled to fifty million in mere moments! The visions from a prior life persisted on-screen, circling once more around the strange pit.
[ Countless people crowded its edge, watching as though at a festival. ]
[ One bold figure descended into the depths, attempting to lift the hammer, but no matter how they strained, it refused to move. ]
[ Others built makeshift grills nearby, calling out to share food as if it were a grand gathering. ]
[ A truck backed up to the pit's rim, its chain fastened around the hammer's haft, the other end locked to the vehicle. ]
["My turn!" ]
[ "Step on it! Harder!" ]
[ The engine roared, the chain snapped taut, the wheels spun furiously. A thunderous bang followed! The pickup's trunk ripped clean away, flipping upside down on the soil. Laughter erupted all around.]
"Damn, what's with this hammer?"
"The car broke apart, yet it still won't budge?"
"No way… this has to be fake, right?"
"Where's Tony? His suit should be able to move it!"
"I saw Coulson just now, don't tell me this hammer belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"No, you've forgotten. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a global force; they wouldn't overlook this."
"This hammer is tied to powers beyond ordinary comprehension!"
"Get real! You actually believe in superpowers? Save that nonsense for ghost stories."
"Tony already stands above the world! If someone wields true powers, doesn't that make it unfair to him?"
"What if S.H.I.E.L.D. has others like Iron Man, people with extraordinary abilities?"
"If so, then even our ancestors pale in comparison."
The flood of voices in the broadcast room grew, chatter multiplying like wildfire. Tens of millions tuned in, Tanner's reward tally soaring higher by the second.
Meanwhile, Hyeon led a column of advanced instruments across the rugged southwest. They pinpointed the site of the fabled pit, only to find it had vanished without a trace.
[ Night cloaked the wasteland as a jeep tore across the dunes. Sparks of light burst in the heavens, weaving together like a curtain of aurora. A colossal storm exploded outward, nearly dragging the jeep into its maw. A shadow fell from above, slamming into the hood with bone-jarring force. ]
[ The vehicle screeched to a halt, three figures leaping out at once. ]
[ Jane rushed forward, shouting, "Get the medical kit!" ]
[ "Stay with us!" ]
[ The bespectacled girl hovered nearby. "Artificial respiration? I know how to do it!" ]
[ The man on the ground stirred, staring dazedly at Jane before collapsing again. ]
[ "Where… where is he from?" Jane whispered in shock. ]
[ The man staggered upright, swaying as he roared, "The hammer! Where is the hammer?" ]
[ "Calm down, you're drunk," the glasses girl muttered. ]
[ Jane's flashlight swept the earth, her eyes widening. "Eric! Look, what is this?" ]
[ A sprawling pattern etched in the dirt, like a mystic circle. ]
[ Jane crouched low, her voice urgent. "We must act quickly, before it vanishes." ]
[ Eric frowned at the madman, murmuring, "Jane… we need to get him to a hospital." ]
[ But the stranger tilted his face skyward, bellowing, "Father! Heimdall! Open the Rainbow Bridge!" ]
[ He turned on Eric, shouting, "Where is this realm? Alfheim? Nornheim?" ]
[ The bespectacled girl leveled a stun gun. "This is New Mexico, lunatic." ]
[ The man sneered, "You dare point such a toy at me, son of Odin—" ]
[ The stun blast dropped him instantly, his body writhing on the ground. ]
Though Tony never appeared, the audience still reeled.
"This is insane!"
"What's this Rainbow Bridge he speaks of?"
"Does he claim that the hammer belongs to him?"
"Never heard of those places he mentioned…"
"He's lost his mind, shouting at the sky?"
"Still…, his name sounds powerful. Until he got knocked flat!"
In the southwestern station, Hyeon's blood ran cold. Watching the live replay on his phone, he felt prickly. The same auroras, the same funnel storm, and that symbol is identical to the one he had glimpsed with his own eyes.
He raced across the sands, screeched to a stop, and stepped into the pattern itself. Comparing it to his screenshot, his heart thudded. Identical!
"Rainbow Bridge… same sigil… same funnel storm…" Hyeon felt the pieces lock together. Overwhelming awe seized him, and shaken to his core.
[ Old Bridge Town, inside a modest studio by the gas station. ]
[ Jane, Eric, and the bespectacled girl debated the strange phenomena. ]
[ "You suspect it wasn't just a magnetic storm, don't you?" Eric pressed. ]
[ Jane nodded. "These concentric rings match the Einstein–Rosen bridge hypothesis." ]
[ The intern blinked, confused. ]
[ Eric explained, "An Einstein–Rosen bridge links two points in space-time, essentially, a gateway." ]
[ Jane leaned forward. "In simpler terms, a wormhole." ]
[ "Eric, look at this." She handed him a photograph. ]
["Another planet?" Eric muttered. ]
[ "Yes, but not our own." Jane traced the chart. "Compare it to our stellar quadrant. The constellations don't match." ]
[ The intern yelled, "Come see this!" ]
[ On the board hung a processed image from the aurora storm, revealing the faint outline of a human figure. ]
[ Remembering Sol's presence, Jane and Eric were shaken, hurrying to the hospital. But when they arrived, the man was gone. ]
[ Back at the car, Jane's resolve burned. "We must find him. The aurora silhouette proves it." ]
[ Eric groaned. "You mean we're searching the entire city?" ]
[ Jane's eyes hardened. "Exactly." ]
[ As she reversed the car, a sickening thud struck the bumper. Someone crumpled to the ground. They rushed out, only to see the very man they sought, Thor himself. ]
The chat exploded with laughter.
"Does he hold a grudge against cars?"
"The definition of not watching where you walk!"
"Ouch! That hurt!"
"Breaking news, constellations! Did the Terrans already chart them back then?"
"And what in the world is a Rosen Bridge? None of this makes sense!"