Chapter 168: Chapter 168: The Difficulty of Powerful Beings Reproducing! Thanos and the Annihilation Wave!
Compared to whether Tony believed in mysticism, Lorien was more curious.
"Why does your child have to be named Morgan Stark? What’s the reason?"
Right? Whether boy or girl, it had to be that name. There had to be a reason.
Wanda nodded, just as curious.
"There must be a reason."
Tony was in high spirits today, laughing.
"When we first moved here, Pepper told me she dreamed we had a child named Morgan Stark."
"So we decided then and there—if we had a child here, he or she would be called Morgan Stark!"
Hearing this, Lorien gave a helpless smile.
"That’s what you call metaphysics."
"Huh?" Tony looked puzzled. "Why is that metaphysics? What exactly is metaphysics?"
"Metaphysics is about that sense of the ’mysterious.’ Simply put, it’s an intangible feeling or probability influencing something that hasn’t been settled yet," Lorien explained.
"If that feeling and probability actually line up with reality, then it’s wonderful~!"
Tony nodded, a bit enlightened.
It was kind of like probability theory, but not entirely. It touched on psychology, but wasn’t exactly that either.
"Alright, I called mainly to say that."
"Oh, wait—not just that. I’ve got two more things."
Two more?
Lorien finished his noodles and wiped his mouth.
"Go ahead."
Tony continued.
"The second thing is, I’ve joined Kamar-Taj as a sorcerer’s apprentice and started studying magic."
"Their Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen, treats me really well. I can even borrow spellbooks like library books—bring them home, read them, and just return them afterward."
"And it only costs a little money, nothing serious."
"Uh... honestly, I just wanted to say thank you. I know most of this is thanks to you, letting me enjoy these privileges."
Tony really wasn’t good at thanking people.
In truth, the second thing was just to update Lorien on his magic studies. And to show his gratitude. But he fumbled through a few sentences before finally getting the words out.
Well, that was Tony’s nature. If he managed to say thanks, then he really meant it.
Lorien just laughed it off. He hadn’t really done anything.
"No need to thank me. Next time we come to your place, just have plenty of good food and drinks ready."
"Of course!" Tony agreed right away.
He really didn’t know how else to repay Lorien.
Money? Lorien didn’t need it.
Power, influence, ability? Lorien needed none of that.
But food? Then Tony would have to prepare the very best in the world next time. Only the absolute top of the top would do!
Then Tony moved on to the third matter.
"One last thing."
"Last night, I detected abnormal energy fluctuations at the edge of the Solar System. Did you notice anything, Lorien?"
"..."
The moment Tony said that, Lorien knew his satellites had picked up the massive battle on Mars.
The Elders’ Star-Destroyer Cannons. Godzilla’s atomic breath. All super high-energy reactions. Each attack flared like a star. So being detected wasn’t strange at all.
But it wasn’t Lorien who did it, cough cough. And explaining it would be impossible—too much to say.
So he simply replied,
"You’ve got satellites, right? Just send one over to take a look. Once you’ve seen it for yourself, you’ll understand."
Tony shivered.
Sure enough, it had something to do with Lorien. But what on earth had he done to cause such chaos on Mars?
Think about it: the Earth-Moon distance is 380,000 kilometers. The Earth-Mars distance at its closest is 55 million kilometers, but at its farthest, over 400 million!
If it weren’t for Mars being at its closest this time, Tony never would have detected the battle.
You can see the moon as a full circle. But Mars? You can’t see a thing. Because even at its closest, it’s still over 100 times farther than the Earth-Moon distance.
Tony got the picture. Better to wait until the satellite transmitted photos and video.
"Alright, I’m done here."
Lorien nodded.
"Then hang up, I’ve got nothing else either."
He was just waiting for Tony to disconnect when another sentence came through.
"Wait, one last thing."
"What? Out with it."
"You’d better hurry up and be a dad too. Then our kids can play together."
"..."
Before Lorien could reply, Tony hung up.
Play together—just a throwaway line. The real point was to show off that he had a kid first!
Damn that Tony Stark.
Lorien sighed and put away his phone.
When he looked up, he saw Gwen and Wanda giggling at the side, trying to stifle their laughter, shoulders shaking.
"What’s so funny? Is it really that amusing?"
Lorien curled his lip.
"Every single time I’ve filled you up, and still no reaction."
Oh, right!
Now that he mentioned it, Gwen and Wanda both froze.
Yeah. Lorien always went all the way, every single time. And yet, after months of this, still no pregnancy.
Gwen glanced down at her flat stomach, puzzled. Given Lorien’s kind of farming method, wouldn’t it be strange if she didn’t conceive?
Wanda pressed a hand to her belly. She thought for a moment—then her face suddenly went pale. She looked at Lorien, panicked.
"Lorien... is there something wrong with my body?"
The thought hit her all at once. Was it her? Was she unable to conceive? Why? What was wrong? What should she do?!
Wanda fell into panic. Gwen, hearing her words, also paled. Both of them looked at Lorien anxiously, terrified that it might really be the case. If so, they’d be completely lost.
But...
"Bullshit."
Lorien shook his head helplessly.
"What are you two thinking?"
Hearing that, Gwen and Wanda relaxed a little.
Lorien went on.
"If that really were the problem, don’t you think it would be mine instead?"
"There’s no way both of you just happen to be infertile."
"If neither of you could conceive, I’d be the one with the bigger problem."
Gwen and Wanda thought about it. That... wasn’t impossible. After all, for two women to both be infertile would be pretty strange.
"But..." Gwen hesitated. "You’re obviously very strong... how could it be your problem, Lorien?"
A good question. By "strong," Gwen clearly meant Lorien’s vigor.
So Lorien explained that first.
"Gwen, even if someone is vigorous, infertility is still infertility."
"Second, your chances of conceiving are low—that’s also normal. Again, because I’m strong."
"But this strength isn’t that kind—it’s my abilities. Do you understand?"
Gwen and Wanda exchanged a look, then nodded.
"But... what does your ability have to do with this?" Wanda still wasn’t convinced. "Does being more powerful make it harder to conceive?"
Lorien nodded.
"In a sense, yes."
"Sure, I could force us to have children. But that would be me manipulating it—it wouldn’t be natural conception."
"To conceive normally, it really just comes down to luck."
"Why?" Wanda pressed, still confused.
"I’ve said this before," Lorien explained. "The stronger a lifeform, the more it defies natural law."
"Remember that Celestial Seed Gwen killed?"
Gwen nodded. "I remember."
"That thing only appears once every billion years."
"So long!?"
Both Gwen and Wanda were stunned.
A single Celestial Seed taking a billion years to appear? Even if Lorien wasn’t talking about the entire Celestial Host, a billion years was absurd!
That’s a billion! Multiply that by 4.6 and you’re basically at the age of Earth itself. Way too outrageous.
No wonder Arishem had said that day—the Celestials must be born. Who would wait a billion years preparing, only to never let their child come into the world?
And that wasn’t even the worst of it.
Lorien shook his head and continued.
"Celestials are Universal-level beings. They need a billion years to be born."
"But above them are the Multiversal-level beings."
"These are the Five Abstract Entities. For them, having children is even, even harder."
He stressed those words—this wasn’t exaggeration.
Suddenly, Gwen remembered.
"Wait—Galacta’s father, isn’t he one of those Five Abstract Entities?"
Wanda also recalled it. Lorien had mentioned this before.
"Right, Lorien. Then how long did it take for Galacta to be born?"
Galacta...
Lorien thought about it. It wasn’t easy to answer.
"Uh, about when this universe was first formed—or no, even before the universe began. Galacta’s father, Galactus, hadn’t let her be born yet."
"What...?"
Both Gwen and Wanda were stunned.
Before the universe existed? How long ago was that?
Gwen quickly pulled out her phone and checked.
"The universe is nearly 14 billion years old..."
"14 billion!?"
So... Galacta took 14 billion years just to be born?
"Not only that," Lorien added. "Fourteen billion is only Earth’s observable time. This universe is actually much older."
"Besides, before coming to this universe, Galactus had lived in countless others for ages."
"So the actual time is far more than just 14 billion years."
The moment Lorien finished, Gwen and Wanda were on the verge of tears.
Not because of Galacta’s birth—because of their own children.
Why?
Because Galacta herself had once said:
"You’re stronger than my dad!"
She had said it to Lorien.
Gwen and Wanda remembered it vividly. At the time, they’d even felt proud.
Now...
Galactus had taken billions of years to have Galacta.
And Lorien was stronger than Galactus!
Did that mean he’d need billions of years too?
Oh no...
Wanda and Gwen both felt despair creeping in.
"My child..."
Looking into their tear-filled eyes, Lorien gave a helpless smile.
"Of course, it also depends on the species."
"!!!"
Hearing that, Gwen and Wanda instantly perked up, both staring at Lorien with anticipation.
He continued.
"Humans are actually a species with very fast reproduction and tremendous potential."
"So we don’t need to wait that long. It’s all about luck."
"With good luck, it could happen in just a few years. With bad luck, maybe a few decades at most. But you two don’t need to worry."
"As long as I’m here, you’ll still be here."
Hearing "a few years to a few decades," Wanda and Gwen both let out long sighs of relief.
Compared to billions—or even tens of billions—of years, a few years or a few decades was completely acceptable!
They exchanged a glance, then clapped hands sharply.
After that, each leaned in to give Lorien a quick kiss, then happily carried their leftover noodle bowls upstairs.
Lorien could only shake his head in exasperation.
But this was simply the instinct of life.
"Reproduction..." he murmured.
All those women online saying they don’t want marriage or children? In the end, it all comes down to craving a strong partner—even demanding one they don’t actually qualify for.
Because deep in the instinct of life, only a strong partner guarantees safety and better offspring.
In modern society, that translates to money and power.
In ancient times, it was strength, or leadership of a tribe. In later eras, it meant being an official or a wealthy landowner. Today, it means being rich—or, well, you know.
Once a partner meets those conditions—or surpasses them—women instinctively want to latch on, marry, and bind themselves to them.
And in the end, they want to bear children for the sake of the next generation. Binding and reproduction go hand in hand.
So all that talk about women not wanting marriage or kids? False.
As long as the conditions are met, there’s no such reluctance.
They’d rush into it eagerly.
That’s the instinct of life.
It might sound harsh, but it’s the truth. Sure, there are exceptions, but they’re rare.
So, when you have the right conditions—whether you’re male or female—others will naturally come to you, offering themselves for you to choose.
Don’t waste time simping. Improving yourself is the true path!
...
And so, the leisurely time of slacking off came to an end.
At 5:00 PM sharp, Lorien closed up shop.
[Check-in.]
He headed upstairs, ready to meet the two women and warm up for the "alternate route" planned for the night.
...
Meanwhile, in the depths of the cosmos, within the Negative Zone...
After a full day of treatment and recovery, the Purple Titan stirred inside a cocoon.
Thanos opened his eyes, ripped through the organic shell, and crawled out.
He lowered his gaze to his left hand.
The Infinity Gauntlet—and the Infinity Stones—were gone!
"Who...?"
Struggling, Thanos forced himself upright and looked around.
What he saw left him shaken.
Everywhere, structures made of living tissue and pulsing organs stretched around him.
It was as if he were standing inside a massive living body.
"Where am I?"
Just as his confusion deepened—
Clack~~
A nearby membrane, like a giant eardrum, split open.
Thanos looked around, then stepped forward. He had no choice.
With each step, another membrane peeled open, guiding him forward, while all others remained firmly shut.
It was clear—there was only one path.
After some time, the final colossal membrane tore apart.
Thanos stepped through.
And what he saw left him speechless.
Beyond lay a world of insects!
Countless structures, half-flesh and half-machinery, towered into the sky.
And crawling through them—was the Annihilation Wave!
They came in all sizes and shapes, but every one of them bore the same hideous, terrifying visage.
Clack~~
At that moment, a towering figure emerged.
Thanos turned his head.
It was humanoid, its entire body green, a pair of wings sprouting from its back. Crimson and violet armor and a helmet covered its body.
The Insect King—Annihilus, the Annihilator!
But most importantly...
Thanos’s gaze dropped.
On Annihilus’s hand gleamed his Infinity Gauntlet—set with the Soul Stone.