Eric stood in the middle of the dense forest, his sharp eyes scanning the vast greenery that stretched endlessly in all directions. The towering trees loomed high above, their thick canopies barely allowing slivers of sunlight to peek through. The air was thick with an unfamiliar scent—earthy yet laced with something almost mystical. It was different from anything he had ever smelled back in Marvel 616.
Eric crossed his arms and furrowed his brows as he began to contemplate what he could take from this world. The possibilities ran through his mind rapidly, but after only a moment of thought, he had already roughly decided on his goal. Of course, he could refine the details later. For now, there was something far more pressing to address.
"Hey, Neith," Eric called out internally. "What was that resistance I just felt when I tried to use my power here?"
A brief silence followed before Neith's voice echoed in his mind, laced with an unusual seriousness. "Boss, your domain is simply too vast for this world to contain. It's like trying to stuff the Earth inside a normal-sized balloon. If you were to forcefully unleash your domain here, the world would pop like a balloon."
Neith finished with a dramatic "Boom!" as if to emphasize the consequences.
Eric exhaled sharply. "Troublesome…" he muttered. He had anticipated some issues when traveling to another reality, but this was going to be a major inconvenience. Without his domain, things were bound to become much more difficult.
Still, there was something more important to confirm. With a hint of apprehension in his voice, he asked, "My shadow extraction ability… it won't be affected, will it?"
If he couldn't make Madara Uchiha one of his shadow soldiers, his disappointment would be immeasurable. In fact, he might even be tempted to say screw it and risk destroying this world just to achieve his goal.
Ever since Neith informed him that they had arrived in the Naruto world, making Madara his subordinate had shot straight to the top of his priority list. There was simply no way around it—Madara was one of his favorite characters, and he wasn't leaving without him.
"You're overthinking it, Boss," Neith reassured him. Ever since you came to Marvel, your shadow extraction ability has evolved far beyond what it originally was. It has become more than just a skill—it's now a conceptual power tied to your expectations. You can use it freely in any place, at any time, without limitations."
Eric sighed in relief, but Neith continued before he could fully relax.
"That said, it's not like you absolutely can't use your domain. However, if you do, the process will destabilize the world, and according to my calculations, you will have approximately ten minutes before this reality collapses entirely."
Eric grimaced. "Well, that's reassuring…"
"On the bright side, your life form is already approaching that of a fifth-dimensional being. Time, causality, and most rule-based attacks below the fifth dimension won't affect you in any significant way."
Neith's words caused Eric to pause for a moment. It was easy to forget just how much stronger he had become since arriving in the Marvel Universe.
"Also," Neith continued, "your physical body and soul are already absurdly powerful. Even without your domain, your psychic abilities alone could likely shift this entire world on its axis. If you wanted, you could wipe out the whole galaxy with sheer brute force."
Hearing that, Eric felt much more at ease. There might be some inconveniences, but ultimately, it wouldn't pose any real threat to him. He turned his gaze toward Tony, who was still preoccupied with trying to grasp the unknown energy of this world.
A mischievous smirk appeared on Eric's face.
"Hey, Tony," he called out in a voice laced with shock. "We have a problem."
Tony, who had been focused on his surroundings, quickly turned his head toward Eric, his expression shifting to one of concern. "What problem?" he asked, his voice tense.
Eric sighed dramatically. "I can't use my power in this world. If I do, the whole world will be destroyed."
Tony's eyes widened in horror. "What the hell do you mean you can't use your power?!" he exclaimed. "Are you seriously telling me that if you use your abilities, this entire place is screwed? And if you don't use them, not we're screwed?! Great, just great!"
His breathing quickened as the full weight of the situation dawned on him. Unlike Eric, who had spent months adapting to the bizarre realities of multiple worlds, Tony was still processing the very concept of interdimensional travel. The idea that they might be completely powerless in an unfamiliar world sent his mind into a panic spiral.
Seeing Tony's reaction, Eric felt a little guilty for messing with him. He quickly waved his hand in dismissal. "Relax, Tony. Don't overreact. It's not like I can't use my power at all—I just can't use my domain. That's all."
Tony let out a deep breath, clearly relieved. "Damn it, man, you could've led with that instead of giving me a damn heart attack!"
Eric shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, if I can't use my power, that just means there's nothing strong enough here to pose a real threat to us."
Tony slowly nodded as he thought it over. That logic made sense. If Eric—who was ridiculously overpowered—was unable to use his abilities, it likely meant that this world didn't have any individuals or technologies capable of even coming close to his level.
"That makes sense…" Tony admitted, now regaining some of his composure. However, as his initial panic subsided, another thought surfaced in his mind.
He frowned. "Wait, doesn't that mean this world is pretty much useless to us?"
Eric raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Tony crossed his arms. "Think about it. We came here hoping to find something valuable. If there's nothing in this world that's powerful or advanced enough to challenge you, doesn't that mean there's nothing worth taking back?"
Eric chuckled at Tony's straightforward reasoning. "Don't underestimate any world, Tony. Just because we haven't seen anything impressive yet doesn't mean this place has nothing to offer. Let's gather some intel first. If we don't find anything worthwhile, we'll just treat this as a fun little trip."
Tony sighed but nodded. "Fine, but if we don't find anything valuable, I'm holding you responsible for dragging me here."
Eric smirked. "Sure, sure. Now, let's get moving. We've got a whole world to explore."
Tony sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But next time, don't start with 'we have a problem' unless we actually have a problem."