"Explaining so elaborately and hastily changing the subject, are you sure you're not hiding something?"
Hill, after all, was a top agent in S.H.I.E.L.D., second only to the director, with the ability to dominate many top agents. Clark was now feeling quite troubled and, having no other choice, continued to feign innocence: "I swear to Odin, if I've done anything dishonorable, may I be struck down by aliens, beaten to a bloody pulp with not a single piece of flesh intact..."
"Stop right there!"
Before Clark could finish, Hill interjected: "I know you have connections with Odin, but one should not swear frivolously. Let's believe you for now. Let's talk business. Natasha has extracted important information from Loki..."
"Oh?" Clark's spirit lifted, finally finding a legitimate excuse to change the subject.
He hurriedly followed her topic and asked, "What information?"
"A powerful enemy, beyond our ability to contend with, will descend from the skies above New York City, conquering all of humanity, and specifically aiming to kill Sain." After calmly relaying the intelligence, Hill added, "These are Loki's exact words. Natasha believes he's not lying, and the problem seems far more serious than we imagined."
Clark looked straight ahead, his face showing a bittersweet smile: "Is that so? The situation seems to be a million times more serious than we previously thought!"
"Oh?" Hill said promptly, "Did Loki's words make you think of something?"
Clark shook his head slightly, with a hint of bitterness: "Perhaps what you just said is right. Oaths should not be made lightly. Hmm... let's discuss the specifics when we meet. I'll see you at S.H.I.E.L.D."
After speaking, Clark added in his mind: If I'm still alive by then.
"Hey, Clark, what exactly is going on over there? You..." Before Hill could finish, Clark had already hung up the phone and turned it off.
Casually throwing the phone on the sofa, Clark shrugged at a beautiful woman in a black robe standing in front of him: "A friend comes from afar, isn't it a joy? First time meeting, would you like some juice?"
It turns out that this mysterious woman had appeared out of nowhere while Clark was on the phone with Hill, silently observing him with a smirk.
Her beauty was beyond compare, with eyes shining like beautiful emeralds. Even the prettiest woman Clark had ever seen, Daisy, paled in comparison to her.
She was like a perfect work of art, embodying all the definitions of "beauty." Any alteration seemed like a violation and desecration of this ultimate beauty, an unforgivable sin. Fortunately, Clark's will was strong enough to remain unswayed by her breathtaking beauty.
What Clark was more concerned about was the eerie manner in which she had appeared. If she had simply teleported in, Clark wouldn't be so nervous; after all, the Marvel universe is full of extraordinary beings. But what truly terrified Clark was that he couldn't even sense her presence.
With his extremely keen senses, he couldn't detect any aura from her, yet his intuition told him she was definitely real. This ambiguity of existence pushed the limits of Clark's understanding, demanding his full attention.
"You seem very calm, but you're actually very tense inside," the woman in black said as she sat down beside Clark, effortlessly summoning a bottle of juice from the fridge, opening it without any physical touch. Her ease and fluidity in doing this were far beyond what Clark could match.
After taking a sip of the juice, creating a picturesque scene, Clark, however, had no mood for appreciation. As the woman had said, he was extremely tense.
With Clark's current strength, for someone to appear out of nowhere and even remain undetected by him indicated they were no ordinary person. In Clark's circle, the most powerful was the Sorcerer Supreme, but even she couldn't achieve this feat, and neither could Odin.
Thinking of beings more powerful than Odin or the Sorcerer Supreme was beyond Clark's wildest guess.
Clark had no concrete concept of a being who surpassed the likes of Odin and the Sorcerer Supreme. Even the explanations he had heard in his past life about such beings were too mysterious and incomprehensible.
"Who knows if criticizing a powerful being in your mind might be noticed by them?" Clark thought. Normally, such high-level beings wouldn't care about whether people truly respected them in their hearts. It was more about the vast difference in their levels of existence. They simply wouldn't bother with the insignificant.
But this being had come to him directly, showing no signs of indifference.
"Don't think that the Universe's original will is protecting me just because it showed me some kindness," Clark thought to himself. In other universes where gods, immortals, Buddhas, and saints coexist, such beings often show favoritism. For instance, if Clark was under the protection of the Universe's original will, it might not really care about him, but attacking him would be a problem.
But the Marvel universe doesn't follow these rules. Here, if you attract the attention of a powerful being and fail to impress them, you're doomed.
Clark's mind was racing with thoughts, and a terrifying name surfaced.
As if to confirm his suspicion, the woman in black continued: "You must be curious why I came to you. It's simple. In my home, there's a Well of Infinity containing endless knowledge and wisdom. Staring into it, one's thoughts never pause, and all questions can be answered."
Clark inwardly sighed, fearing the worst. It was her!
The woman who toyed with Thanos – Death herself, one of the five cosmic entities of the Marvel universe. Facing such a being, Clark couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
Seeing Clark's silence, Death continued indifferently: "Today, on a whim, I asked the Well of Infinity, 'Who is the handsomest man in the multiverse?'"
As she focused on Clark, she added, "Guess what answer I received?"
Death's words left Clark feeling depressed.
There was a time when claiming that being handsome was a sin was just for show. But now, Clark truly felt the urge to disfigure himself.
Being noticed by Death was no small matter. Just look at Thanos: his life was utterly ruined, never once receiving genuine love or happiness from Death in any of the stories.
Such a terrifying woman, if possible, Clark would want to stay as far away as possible. But he didn't think he could escape her grasp.
With no other option, Clark could only respond: "So, what's your purpose in finding me, the handsomest man in the multiverse?"
Death smiled charmingly: "I feel that only the most handsome man in the universe is worthy of my beauty. You meet my standards for a partner, but there's one thing about you that disappoints me."
"That's great!" Clark thought, but dared not say it aloud. Instead, he asked, "What is it?"
"I can't stand the stench left by those mortal women you've been intimate with," Death said matter-of-factly. "If you want to be with me, kill those mortals you've been close to. Only their blood can cleanse you of your filth."
Clark realized with dismay that he had caught the attention of this supreme being. He shook his head regretfully and said, "Since you've come from afar, how about I offer you a song?"
Death raised an eyebrow, indicating for him to proceed.
Without hesitation, Clark snapped his fingers.
The next moment, music softly filled the villa...
"I know that we've come this far together, but we can't stay together forever. I know we love each other, but we're destined to part ways without a future..."
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