American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Before Xiu En could even make a move, a thought, seemingly originating from the very source of time, resonated deep within his consciousness.

The sound did not belong to any known language, yet it was understandable to the listener.

It is slow and heavy, carrying endless vicissitudes, like millions of leaves rubbing against each other in a gentle breeze.

Hello, unfamiliar sun...

This sudden connection of consciousness caused Xiu En to stop moving.

Parker also felt that immense will.

He looked at the trunk of the World Tree.

Is this tree... talking?

"Um?"

Xiu En loosened his fist, turned his head with interest to look at the sunflower on his shoulder, and said with an expression that said, "It's your turn to take the stage."

"Little Flower, did you hear that? This big tree seems to be greeting me. Communicating with plants is your specialty, go and talk to it. Tell it we're here to borrow a branch for a ceremony, not to demolish something."

The sunflower stood upright, its two leaves tucked into its sides, striking a pose of a professional.

It jumped off Xiu'en's shoulder, cleared its throat, and responded in the universal plant language of all green:

[Hey! Big guy! Don't be nervous! This guy next to me, Xiu En, isn't a bad person. We just want to borrow a branch from you for a very important botanical festival!]

The World Tree's consciousness seemed to pause for a moment, and then its thoughts resonated again. This time, it seemed much gentler, even carrying a sense of weariness and pleading.

"...Natural...child...your aura...is so pure...I can feel...the benevolence of the celebration..."

The World Tree's consciousness slowly turned to the golden branch connecting Asgard, and the light on that branch began to flicker gently.

"...This branch...can...be given to you...but...I need...your help...my children...are...crying..."

With this thought, the branches connecting the blue frost world suddenly dimmed.

A deep sadness emanated from the branches, and even Peter could clearly feel the pain contained within.

The smug look on Sunflower's face disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.

It pointed with its leaf to the darkened blue branch.

"Look over there! The life energy of that branch is rapidly draining away! It's like something is sucking it dry from inside the fruit! No wonder it's so weak!"

Xiu En's gaze also fell upon the dim blue orb.

He could sense that some kind of disaster was happening inside, and an aura of death and end was spreading, even colder than the previous pool of black mud.

"Crying? Well, I don't like crying."

"Interesting. A world is crying. Let's go see what made it cry."

Parker was about to remind Shuon that Jotunheim was the home of the Frost Giants and was very dangerous, but seeing Shuon's eager expression, he wisely swallowed his words. He now felt that Shuon was the one in danger.

Xiu En's pupils turned toward the branches that had already dimmed.

Crying won't solve anything.

Shuen gently placed his palm on the cold, withered branches of Jotunheim.

This time, what flowed from his palm was a life energy as warm as the early spring sunshine.

The soft golden light slowly seeped into the dried-up veins, nourishing the dying tissues.

The life force that was constantly being lost was miraculously stabilized with the replenishment of this external energy.

Although the light on the surface of the branches was still dim, the aura of death had been effectively suppressed.

"Great job, Shum!"

The sunflower offered a compliment, then turned its flower head toward the trunk of the World Tree, its attitude becoming serious.

We've stabilized your wound.

Now tell us, what exactly is sucking your juice? Is it a borer burrowing into your fruit? Or some disgusting fungal infection? Be specific!

The World Tree remained silent for a moment, as if organizing its thoughts, or perhaps expressing gratitude for that warm energy.

A moment later, a sorrowful scene was projected directly into the minds of Shum, Sunflower, and Peter.

It was a world covered in eternal ice and snow.

The sky was a deathly gray-white, and the wind howled past, whipping up ice crystals. There was no sign of life on the ground, only giant fortresses made of black ice.

The camera zooms in, and on the tallest, frozen throne, a withered frost giant king wearing a crown is slowly turning into ice shards, his body covered in frost.

And this frost was spreading from his body, devouring the last vestiges of life in the world.

[…Fimball's Winter… has spiraled out of control…]

It was part of the cycle... Now... it will devour Jotunheim... along with my child... Laufey...

[Sounds like the curse of winter is starting to devour its master? Interesting.]

The sunflower leaves are crossed, as if they are thinking.

The source should be that king who's practically turned into an ice sculpture.

"So, you're saying that once we resolve the Fimbulwinter, this branch will recover, and then we can take one branch as payment?"

【……yes……】

The World Tree's will gave an affirmative answer.

"make a deal."

"Little Flower, Peter Boy, get ready to go. Hey, Big Wood, open the door and take us there."

Parker quickly looked around. The place was so empty that there wasn't even a toilet, so where would the door come from?

However, the next second, a faint light flashed on the blue branch connecting to Jotunheim, and a portal appeared.

Before leaving.

Shuen turned his gaze to the other eight enormous branches that connected different worlds.

"If you're going to do a good deed, do it all the way. If you're going to help someone, help them to

Xiu En then extended his hands.

Eight more slender but equally pure golden life energies shot out from his fingertips and landed on the eight branches respectively.

The light from all eight branches shone brightly, making the life force within the core space of the World Tree even more vibrant and joyful.

In response, the portal to Jotunheim rotated more steadily.

"After you've collected the nutrient solution, remember to pay for the tree branches and the medical fees together, you big blockhead."

The sunflower, with its forked leaves, shouted something to the World Tree.

Xiu En was too lazy to listen to their argument. He picked up Qingkuang, walked up to Peter who was still in a daze, and grabbed the back of his battle suit like a chick.

"Let's go, Peter, stop dawdling."

"Wait, sir, I can walk by myself..."

Peter was about to protest when he was lifted off the ground and flown toward the portal.

With a light leap, Sunflower landed back on Xiu En's shoulder, adjusting her posture as she did so.

"Hurry, hurry! My petals are almost curling up from the cold!"

Shuen, carrying Peter and holding the stone, stepped into the vortex of ice crystals.

Peter felt a sudden white light before his eyes, and then he was thrown heavily onto the hard ground, landing in a daze.

When he struggled to lift his head, the sight before him made him swallow all his complaints.

There is only a gray-white dome here.

The cold wind, like a howling demon, whipped up countless sharp ice crystals and swept wildly across the earth.

As far as the eye could see, there was no color of any living creature.

"Wow, it's so cold."

Xiu En exhaled a breath of white air, which condensed into golden ice crystals at the corners of his lips, tinkling as they fell to the ground.

A thin halo of light kept the cold air at bay.

The raw ore in his arms, however, emitted an even softer and warmer life force under such low temperatures.

"Even moss can't survive here!"

The sunflower shrank its leaves and complained disdainfully.

"What a barren wasteland!"

Before it finished speaking, the snow beneath the three people's feet suddenly began to surge violently.

One, ten, hundreds of withered arms made of gray-black frost suddenly stretched out from the snow.

Immediately afterwards, one by one, frost wraiths with no facial features but only two empty eye sockets silently crawled out.

Their bodies are made of solidified ice, and their bodies flow with gray-black energy that symbolizes death and end.

Their empty eye sockets all turned toward Xiu En.

They looked at the sun, the only source of light and heat in this frozen wasteland, and rushed over like moths drawn to a flame!