Renjie forcefully suppressed his excitement and did not take out the Tesseract.
He gently closed the briefcase, then turned to look in Pierce's direction.
"I can sense a form of pure energy," Renjie said calmly.
"By using it, I can develop a new type of energy source."
Looking at Pierce, Renjie stated the technical support he was capable of providing.
"No… Mr. Renjie…"
"The true power of the Tesseract is far more than that."
Pierce smiled as he stepped forward, placing a concept blueprint into Renjie's hands.
"This is…?"
Renjie stared at the fighter craft in the diagram, then at the words 'Light-Speed Engine' marked beside it, a look of genuine surprise appearing on his face.
This was technology researched decades ago
by a Kree scientist.
The story originated from Captain Marvel.
Renjie, of course, knew it well.
"This is the conceptual design for Project Pegasus," Pierce explained.
"Unfortunately, our people have yet to break through it."
"The core effect is simple—
to extract energy from within the Tesseract."
"Using wormholes, it allows instantaneous arrival
at any location in the universe."
"Just like the chaos you caused earlier when you appeared."
"With a light-speed engine, an entire interstellar fleet
can be transferred to a designated set of coordinates."
"To cross the solar system—
it would take only a few seconds."
Pierce spoke with unmistakable admiration.
He left out quite a few things.
For example—
Captain Marvel,
and the existence of the Kree themselves.
"I see…"
"Perhaps my Imaginary Space
is the key to unraveling this mystery."
Renjie curled his lips into a faint smile and returned the blueprint to Pierce.
He casually picked up the briefcase, preparing to leave.
"I have the research data for the Light-Speed Engine," Pierce said eagerly.
"If you need it—"
Pierce desperately wanted this technology.
Because of that, he was willing to provide Renjie with unconditional support in every regard.
"Have Coulson deliver it to Hammer Industries," Renjie replied confidently.
"When I have time, I'll flip through it."
"Reading more won't hurt your research," Pierce added, unwilling to give up.
But Renjie had already quickened his pace,
clearly uninterested in listening to any further nagging.
Whether human…
or Kree…
They had all made the same mistake.
They were blinded by the shell of the Tesseract,
never truly understanding the Space Stone hidden inside.
Only Renjie understood—
Just how terrifyingly powerful
this Infinity Stone truly was!
Watching Renjie leave with Android 18,
Pierce let out a bitter smile and sighed.
Geniuses were always aloof.
They would never become stepping stones for others.
Once Renjie obtained the Tesseract—
His future research direction
would surely diverge from what Pierce had hoped for.
...
Imaginary Space
As the briefcase opened,
the Tesseract once again released its dreamlike glow.
Renjie took a deep breath.
He slowly extended his finger,
inch by inch, toward the Tesseract.
Red Skull's fate
was still burned vividly into memory.
But Renjie was different.
He possessed the skill Elemental Affinity.
And back at S.H.I.E.L.D.,
this Tesseract had already been calling out to him.
More precisely
It was calling to the Space Stone!
Beyond the enhancement from Elemental Affinity,
Renjie also possessed Imaginary Space—
A power that was, by nature, space-aligned!
Add to that his identity as a transmigrator
On this planet,
no one was more suited to wield the Space Stone than him!
The instant Renjie's finger touched the Tesseract
Endless spatial energy responded with joy!
The energy did not reject him
on the contrary, it was astonishingly intimate!
It surged along his finger,
flooding directly into his body!
Intense pain scorched Renjie's arm!
In less than a blink,
his skin was rapidly burned away by the energy!
…Endure it…
His mortal body
could not withstand the power of the Space Stone!
But everything
was still within Renjie's control!
Using his other hand,
he guided the absorbed spatial energy
Using his body as a bridge—
into his Imaginary Space!
The pure-white Imaginary Space
began to shake violently!
At a speed visible to the naked eye,
it expanded outward!
Every second
doubling in size!
Gradually
Renjie's Imaginary Space
reached its absolute limit.
Blue energy began to flood its interior.
Like a river during the rainy season—
overflowing beyond its banks!
A flood was coming!
Renjie's body,
under the relentless scouring of spatial energy,
was being strengthened at a terrifying pace!
His flesh shattered again and again—
only to be reborn again and again!
Washed by the Space Stone,
inside and out!
Tempered through countless trials
Until the flesh itself ascended to divinity!
No one knew
how much time had passed.
Until jet-black—
Until pitch-black fissures appeared within the Imaginary Space,
emitting sounds like a shell cracking open.
The Imaginary Space
swollen beyond its limit
Finally exploded!
Boundless spatial energy erupted outward,
annihilating the entire Imaginary Space!
Everything was erased—
Except for Renjie's body.
And a single deep-blue gemstone.
This boundless void,
now utterly lifeless.
The terrifying radiation exposed within it—
Even Skyfather-level beings
would die instantly upon contact!
This was—
A Big Bang.
A brand-new parallel universe
was born at this very moment!
The Space Stone radiated brilliant azure light,
forming an indestructible spatial barrier!
Protected by the Infinity Stone,
Renjie stared in awe at the scene before him.
He couldn't believe it—
He had actually created a universe.