Soon, Constantine was nervously teleported away by the Guardian, but Robert and Diana didn't leave. They stood in silence, gazing at the now-vanished Lazarus Pit, waiting for Clark to arrive. After all, such a large commotion wouldn't go unnoticed by Clark, and they needed to explain what had just transpired.
"What is this?" Clark quickly arrived from the battlefield in Africa, looking at Robert and Diana as he asked, "Did the Lazarus Pit appear again?"
"You could say that..." Robert nodded. The Lazarus Pit had indeed reappeared, though perhaps not in the way Clark imagined.
"Dimensional conflict..." As Robert explained, Clark's brow furrowed. Ever since the disappearance of the Ancient One, and even earlier when Earth's dimensional consciousness began to charge a fee from dimensional beings, both Robert and Clark had sensed something was off with Earth's consciousness. But Clark hadn't expected things to escalate this much.
Typically, Earth's dimensional consciousness only intervened in matters related to dimensions, rarely concerning itself with terrestrial affairs, let alone acting directly.
The key issue was that this time, Earth's dimensional consciousness had directly affected the material plane. If it acted once, it might act again. Given its apparent inclination to tamper with energy sources, it might soon start targeting powerful dimensional beings.
"Its destructive force differs from ours. Though it still looks like an explosion, the nature is different. It's more like a higher-dimensional force is being applied to the material world..." Robert softly reminded Clark, who had fallen silent.
Having been at the center of the dimensional clash, Robert had seen more than most. He, Diana, and Constantine had been at ground zero when the explosion occurred. If not for their speed in escaping the Lazarus Pit cave, they would have been caught in the blast.
"So, you're saying our powers are entirely different? If that's the case..." Clark began, realizing what Robert was getting at. His expression grew more serious, but he hesitated, unsure if Earth's consciousness was watching.
"No, there must be some commonality. If our powers were entirely different, Earth's consciousness wouldn't covet the energy of those dimensional beings..." Robert shook his head gently.
"It seems to exist at a much higher level, using power in a way different from ours. Its methods are more akin to manipulating rules. Clark, maybe you should try progressing in that direction..."
"Just by mentioning the word 'rules,' you expect me to figure it out?" Clark grimaced, staring at Robert in mild frustration.
"What else can I do? I don't understand that level of power myself," Robert shrugged helplessly.
If he could teach Clark to wield rule-based powers, he would have done so long ago, even offering a basic introduction. But Robert himself hadn't reached that level. In the *Dragon Ball* world, Robert's combat power had been higher than now, but he hadn't touched the level of a God of Destruction, let alone anything higher. The rules of power in different worlds varied, and Robert didn't even know if the destruction abilities from *Dragon Ball* would work here.
"So, this is pretty dangerous, isn't it? Our powers aren't even on the same level..." Diana frowned. The concept of Earth's dimensional consciousness developing an appetite for energy had no precedent in Olympus or anywhere else, and Diana had no idea how to handle it.
"Relax. We've got nothing to lose. Worst case, we all go down together!" Robert laughed, trying to reassure her.
When Robert and Clark first noticed Earth's consciousness acting strangely, they'd already discussed contingencies. Even if Earth's consciousness became incredibly powerful, it was still bound to Earth itself. If Earth were destroyed, its consciousness would disappear too. This was a rule that even powerful dimensional beings adhered to—they might possess power beyond Earth's rules, but they wouldn't destroy the planet.
Cosmic entities, however, had no such limitations. If not for their lack of sufficient strength or failure to achieve their goals, the likes of the Black Order or the Chitauri army would have already destroyed Earth. After all, planetary destruction wasn't uncommon in the universe.
As a last resort, Robert and Clark had considered the ultimate solution: destroying Earth. If Earth's consciousness truly lost control, they'd evacuate their loved ones aboard spaceships and blow up the planet. Simple as that.
Of course, this was a last-ditch measure. Neither Clark nor Robert wanted to take such a drastic step. Earth was their home, and destroying it would mean the end of countless innocent lives. Blowing up Earth would be a desperate, final move.
In a way, it was also a warning to Earth's consciousness: don't cross the line, or Earth's destruction would be inevitable, and everyone would suffer.
After a brief discussion, the three of them left. Clark returned to the African battlefield, concerned that if he didn't stay, the U.S. military would escalate the conflict. Meanwhile, Robert and Diana returned to Europe. Robert hadn't had much time with Diana since the battle in New York, and the recent fight with Damian and the Lazarus Pit hadn't been all that satisfying. Robert planned to spar with Diana to make up for it.
However, Robert and Clark were unaware that after they left, the destroyed Lazarus Pit cave was slowly being restored. The pit itself wasn't regenerating, but the cave where it had once existed was. When it was fully restored, a subtle, invisible change began to ripple across the entire Earth.
On the African battlefield, a small, unremarkable explosion went off, unnoticed by Clark. But he failed to see that the crater left behind was much shallower and smaller than it should have been.
These changes were gradual, so even someone as observant as Clark couldn't notice them immediately. No one was testing the impact of weapons on the earth to measure the change in damage.
Over time, most of Earth fell into a period of calm. There were no more extraordinary events, but the war in Africa was proving unsustainable for the U.S. military. America had to admit that Wakanda was more formidable than they had expected. After so long, they hadn't gained any ground. In fact, public opinion was turning against the U.S., despite the vast sums they'd spent on controlling the narrative.
The war couldn't be hidden forever, and the world soon knew that Wakanda was not a backward agricultural nation but one with vibranium technology rivaling alien powers. Still, the fact remained that it was the U.S. invading a sovereign nation and involving innocent countries in Africa.
With war costs soaring—military expenses, media manipulation, and domestic unrest—the U.S. found itself forced to retreat, ending the botched war. They turned their efforts to the global stage, hoping to diplomatically isolate Wakanda. If they couldn't seize vibranium, they aimed to make Wakanda a global pariah.
The U.S. believed that if they couldn't defeat Wakanda alone, the rest of the world surely could. Perhaps a global conflict, a Third World War, would solve the issue. But other nations weren't so foolish. Many valued peace, and with reduced military forces in the 21st century, most countries couldn't even defend their own borders, let alone fight a global war.
Thus, the U.S. failed to achieve their goals in the international arena, while Wakanda solidified its position. As the U.S. stumbled, many African nations rallied behind Wakanda, seeing them as a regional leader.
King T'Chaka of Wakanda, although reluctant to deal with these other nations, realized that he needed allies in the international community. So, he begrudgingly accepted their support and promised limited assistance in return.
T'Chaka had once heard the saying, "The world isn't just about fighting; it's about relationships." He disagreed. In his view, the world was both about fighting and relationships. Without the strength to fight, Wakanda wouldn't have survived the U.S. invasion, let alone maintain its sovereignty.
As the confrontation between the U.S. and Wakanda moved into the political arena, the world returned to relative peace. At the Avengers base, the team continued to train and strengthen themselves. Tony Stark, after setting up training rooms for the Avengers, returned to his research on the fire-enhanced humans and began making progress.
In Asgard, Thor had hung from Yggdrasil for six days and nights before being cast out. Now in a deep sleep, his condition resembled Odin's Odinsleep. Though his friends were worried, Odin assured them that Thor had gained some of Yggdrasil's power and would need time to absorb it.
Perhaps the best news for Asgard was the return of Heimdall. After wandering the cosmos for so long, Heimdall, though injured, piloted his ship back to Asgard. With Heimdall back, Odin felt relieved, knowing that Heimdall would guide Thor in the future when the time came.
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