Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Inside the laboratory atop Stark Tower, Chen Haotian stared intently at the mysterious transmigration rune on the back of his left hand. Since they confirmed the principle of mutually exclusive rules between different worlds, this rune seemed to have become more active than ever before.

"Tony, come take a look at this." Chen Haotian called out to Tony, who was organizing experimental data.

Tony put down the holographic tablet and walked over to Chen Haotian: "What's wrong? Did you detect some unusual energy fluctuations again?"

"No, it's the runes themselves that are changing." Chen Haotian raised his left hand, and the runes on the back of his hand were emitting a soft blue light. The patterns were more complex and delicate than before. "It seems to be... evolving."

Tony examined the rune carefully, noticing a new geometric pattern appearing at its edges: "Jarvis, scan the changes in the rune's structure and compare them with previous records."

The holographic projection immediately displayed a three-dimensional diagram of the runes, the new patterns depicted with astonishing precision. Jarvis calmly reported, "Sir, the complexity of the rune structure has increased by 37%, the energy flux has increased by 2.3 times, and..."

"And what?" Chen Haotian pressed.

"Moreover, three independent energy cores have appeared inside the rune, and they are forming a kind of synergistic resonance." Jarvis brought up the energy distribution diagram. The three points of light were distributed in a triangle in the rune, and they were connected to each other by thin energy channels.

Tony stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Three energy cores...that reminds me of the three-body system in quantum entanglement theory. In such a system, the efficiency of information transmission increases exponentially."

Chen Haotian closed his eyes and concentrated on perceiving the changes in the runes. As his consciousness delved deeper into the runes, an unprecedented feeling welled up in his heart—the number of "existences" that the runes could bear had increased.

"I understand." Chen Haotian opened his eyes, a hint of excitement flashing in them. "The runes have been upgraded. Now I can bring two people with me on the journey at the same time."

Tony paused for a moment, then showed interest: "From a single carrier to a dual carrier? That's certainly a major upgrade. Jarvis, calculate the impact of this change on traversal stability."

"Based on existing data models, increasing the number of carriers will disperse the rune energy, but the newly emerging synergistic resonance effect is sufficient to compensate for this dispersion," Jarvis replied. "Theoretically, the stability of the traversal process will not be affected; on the contrary, it may be safer due to the improved energy utilization efficiency."

Chen Haotian walked to the center of the laboratory and activated the rune. The blue light was brighter and more stable than before, and the trajectory it drew in the air was more precise.

"How are you feeling?" Tony asked with concern.

"It's much easier to control now." Chen Haotian felt the flow of runic energy. "Before, when I was traveling with you, I always felt like I was running out of energy, but now I can manage it with ease. And..."

He paused, focusing his attention on the subtle changes in the rune: "And I can sense the rune energy's 'marking' of the wearer. Now it clearly indicates that it can mark two additional individuals."

Tony immediately became interested: "Two markers? This means we can recruit team members in different worlds. Jarvis, start building a database of potential team members, with evaluation criteria including: professional skills, psychological stability, and level of awareness of threats in the multiverse..."

“It’s already begun, sir,” Jarvis replied. “Would you like me to provide a preliminary list of candidates?”

"No need for now, let's focus on understanding the principles behind rune upgrades." Chen Haotian interrupted Tony's eager recruitment plan. "This kind of upgrade doesn't happen by chance; there must be some kind of triggering mechanism."

They reviewed recent crossover events, trying to figure out why the runes were upgraded.

"We just experienced the base explosion caused by mutually exclusive rules, followed by in-depth research into the principle of mutually exclusive rules..." Tony pondered, "Perhaps our understanding of the rules of the multiverse triggered the evolution of the runes?"

Chen Haotian nodded in agreement: "Very likely. This rune seems to be related to the user's level of understanding. The more we understand the essence of time travel, the greater the potential the rune can unleash."

To verify this hypothesis, they conducted a series of tests. Chen Haotian attempted to take Tony on short-distance dimensional jumps—teleporting between different locations within the Marvel Universe. The results showed that the rune's energy consumption did indeed decrease, and the teleportation accuracy improved by 15%.

"The efficiency improvement is significant." Tony analyzed the data. "It seems the rune upgrade is real, not just our imagination."

Chen Haotian pondered, "If the upgrade of runes is related to our understanding, then continuing to study the rules of the multiverse may bring even more benefits."

"But this also means greater responsibility," Tony cautioned. "Choosing a third team member is no small matter. This person will know the secrets of the multiverse and participate in our operations, so we must choose carefully."

Chen Haotian flashed his signature sly smile: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. But before that, we need to develop a rigorous testing procedure to ensure that any new member meets the requirements."

Looking at Chen Haotian's familiar smile, Tony couldn't help but shake his head: "What mischievous idea are you up to now?"

"How can you call it a bad idea?" Chen Haotian spread his hands innocently. "It's just necessary caution. After all, the person we're about to invite will be facing the unknown threats of the multiverse with us."

He walked to the window, looking down at the New York cityscape at night: "Imagine, Tony, a three-person team that can freely travel through the universe. We can work together, utilize our individual strengths, and explore worlds that one person alone cannot handle."

Tony walked over to him: "A three-person team...that reminds me of some special agent teams. Indeed, three people are the optimal operational unit—not too big and cumbersome, not too small and lacking in adaptability."

"Moreover, the number 'three' has a special significance in the multiverse theory," Chen Haotian added. "The three-body problem, the trinity, ternary logic... three entities can form the most stable system."

Jarvis suddenly interjected, "Gentlemen, we've detected a new resonance between runic energy and Stark Tower's energy network. We recommend further analysis."

They returned to the experimental table and discovered that the runes were not only upgrading their carrying capabilities, but also seemed to be forming a deeper connection with the native technology of the Marvel Universe.

"It's learning," Chen Haotian keenly observed. "The rune is adapting to the technology of this world, just as it adapted to the internal energy system before."

Tony perked up: "Does this mean we can enhance or control rune abilities through technology? Jarvis, start designing a rune energy interface scheme. If we can integrate the runes' ability to travel between realms with my armor system..."

"I suggest we proceed gradually, Tony," Chen Haotian said cautiously. "We've only just begun to understand the principle of mutually exclusive rules. Rushing into a deep integration of runes and technology could trigger new problems."

Tony nodded reluctantly. "You're right, safety first. But this possibility is worth exploring."

As night deepened, their research into rune upgrades came to a temporary halt. The new ability to carry new power opened up endless possibilities, but also brought new responsibilities and challenges.

Chen Haotian gazed at the gleaming runes in his hand, already considering the selection of the third team member. This decision would directly impact their efficiency and safety in exploring the heavens in the future, and it required careful consideration.

Tony, meanwhile, had already begun designing tactics and contingency plans for the three-man team. As a strategist, he was accustomed to planning for all possibilities in advance.

The enhanced rune energy has opened a new chapter for them, and who will become the third protagonist in this new chapter will be an important choice they face next.