Chapter 428: The Seven Dimensional Lords
"Imagine that our universe, this vast space made up of stars, planets, black holes and so on, is just one of countless dimensions.
"The Dimensional Lords are beings who've gone beyond this level. Their power isn't bound by the physical laws we know. They're rulers of higher dimensions. Gods or demons, they all wield might we can hardly imagine."
Strange nodded slightly, his eyes showing agreement with Ethan's description, and he added his own.
"Just as Ethan says, each dimension is an independent universe. Some are light, some dark, some orderly, some pure chaos.
"The Dimensional Lords are the masters of those universes. They command the rules of their own realms. To the beings who live there, they are both gods and final judges."
"And those dimensions are usually separated by an invisible barrier that protects their secrets and their order. Crossing that barrier into another dimension is no easy thing.
"Not unless a Dimensional Lord permits it, or you have a key that opens the way into those mysterious realms. Like the Book of the Vishanti in Strange's hands, an ancient and powerful tome of magic that led Strange across the threshold of the dimension of White Magic."
As he said it, Ethan's eyes met Strange's again, and an unspoken understanding seemed to pass between them.
Strange smiled faintly, both savoring past experiences and affirming Ethan's explanation.
"As for the names of those Dimensional Lords: Cyttorak, master of the Crimson Cosmos, whose realm is full of endless desire and greed.
"Shuma-Gorath, Lord of Chaos, whose world is an ocean of disorder and confusion. The Vishanti, Lords of the dimension of White Magic, symbols of light and wisdom.
"Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension, whose realm is eternal darkness and despair.
"Nightmare, master of the Dream Dimension, who controls the dreams and fears of every living being.
"Mephisto, Lord of Hell, who delights in trading for souls. His palace is piled high with greed and betrayal.
"And Chthon, the god of the underworld, the embodiment of death and the prophet of all endings."
Ethan's words unfolded like a series of paintings in the superheroes' minds.
Some were astonished, others lost in thought. Every name left them more shaken than they'd ever been.
Tobey-Peter laughed bitterly and shook his head. "I always thought those ancient legends were just lies humans made up to explain the unknown. I never imagined they really existed on the other side of this world. This... this is just unbelievable!"
"These so-called legends were recorded by humans. That's indirect proof they were active on Earth before. People just never saw them, so they treated them as legends and stories."
To Ethan's mind, the incarnation of the whole multiverse was like an emperor of a nation.
Beneath it were the Celestials, the incarnations of the Authorities, and the Five Great Gods. They were the Marvel Universe's ministers and generals.
Below the ministers and generals were other officials, each with their own duties, like Loki, God of Stories and others, keeping the Marvel dynasty running.
As for the Dimensional Lords, or the demons, they were like the great clans, the aristocratic houses and the foreign tribes.
No matter how the Marvel multiverse was wrecked or destroyed, they guarded their own little patch of land.
The rise and fall of the multiverse had little to do with them. They cared only about their own interests.
"And Tony, the legends about Hell aren't pure fiction either. In some corner of the universe, it really exists. Your father might even be waiting there for you to save him."
There was a barely detectable depth to Ethan's words, as if he were opening a door for Tony into an unknown world.
"Is... is that true?!" Tony's voice shook with emotion. He grabbed Ethan's shoulders, his eyes blazing with a light they'd never had before. His parents' deaths were a wound that would never heal. And now a glimmer of hope lit up his world like the dawn.
"Strictly speaking, Tony, your father's soul really is in Hell. But don't do anything rash. Mephisto is the most cunning of all the Dimensional Lords. Whatever you do, never make a deal with him!" Strange warned.
"Right. Don't rush this. I'll find time to take care of it for you later," Ethan said.
"They must be really strong, right? Can we really just go to Hell and grab someone?" Pietro asked curiously.
Everyone looked at Pietro like he was an idiot.
"What? Did I say something wrong? That's the Lord of Hell we're talking about. There are tons of universes in the multiverse, but only seven Dimensional Lords. Every one of them sounds like bad news."
Pietro thought he had a point. He wanted to bring his adoptive parents back to life too, but he didn't want to cause Ethan trouble.
"Didn't you hear Ethan say he's going to put Hell's Kitchen inside a dimensional realm?" Tony said, as though looking at a fool.
"Yeah, I heard. So?" Pietro didn't get it.
"You still don't get it? It means Ethan is now on the same level as those Dimensional Lords. So it's not a question of whether he can beat them," Tony explained offhandedly.
Then Tony turned to Ethan solemnly. "Tell me how to get to the Hell Dimension. I can't keep asking you to handle everything for me, Ethan. This I have to do myself! I'm going to Hell to bring my parents back in person."
Tony hadn't been able to avenge his parents with his own hands before. This time, he was determined to bring them back himself!
Ethan understood how Tony felt, and understood his pride.
He was also confident that with Tony's power, taking two souls out from under Mephisto's nose wouldn't be too hard.
Besides, Ethan would be there to back him up.
Then Pietro asked another question.
"So why does Hell's Kitchen need to go into a dimension? Isn't it fine right where it is?"
"Also, it looks like most of the places with dimensional realms belong to demons. They don't sound like great places. It's more like a bunker."
"Besides, Hell's Kitchen's residents won't necessarily want to go in. Entering a dimensional realm means cutting yourself off from Earth. I'm afraid most people won't want to," Uncle Fisk added, speaking for the residents of Hell's Kitchen.
"Don't worry about that. I'm only putting a few blocks into the dimension. The entrance and exit will both be inside Hell's Kitchen."
"So there's nothing to worry about. I'm not planning to move ordinary people in, either. Just things like Hell's Kitchen Community School, the Deadpool Corps, Hogwarts and the mutants."
"Hell's Kitchen will still be the same old Hell's Kitchen. It'll just have an extra layer of protection. That way we can separate ordinary people from people with powers."
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