As Tony Stark's mission progressed, Qi Yun harvested time and began taking actions of his own. In his perception, the world of Resident Evil was divided into two lines, the virtual and the real, running in parallel. The virtual side followed the same plot as the original Resident Evil universe, repeating itself through constant reincarnation. As Tony's influence on the world grew stronger, a straight line extended from the dotted line, veering off into a different direction. This solid line played a significant role in stabilizing the world. Every time Tony engaged in an important event, it was as though he anchored the world itself, and the changes he caused were mere cracks in the grand scheme.
Through these cracks, Qi Yun was able to draw a steady source of energy from the derivative world. This energy accumulated from countless cycles of reincarnation within the world. The more Tony altered the world, the faster Qi Yun could harvest this energy. The more vital Tony's involvement in pivotal moments, the more the world could sustain Qi Yun's extraction. The two forces—Tony's influence and Qi Yun's energy acquisition—complemented each other, forming an intricate balance.
The influx of energy caused Qi Yun's strength to grow, and with it, he felt a sense of invincibility—like a powerful being in the cosmic order. Yet, this was an illusion. A small, derivative world could not fully heal Qi Yun's underlying weaknesses. As his energy reserves grew, so did his influence on the larger Marvel universe, and a fluctuating energy network began to spread across the entire Earth. This disturbance did not go unnoticed. It caught the attention of the Ancient One.
The Ancient One, armed with the power of the Time Stone, used her abilities to travel between various timelines. But no matter how many times she journeyed through the world lines, they all seemed to converge at the same point. This realization left her both frustrated and confused. After acquiring the Time Stone, she no longer felt ignorant or in the dark about the true course of events.
"What exactly is the problem?" the Ancient One muttered, as she stood atop the Himalayas, gazing down below. The once-impenetrable defenses she'd built seemed to have a glaring hole.
Her fingers danced in the air, casting out waves of energy that rippled across the globe. Temples, sacred places, and secretive institutions around the world began to vibrate with these fluctuations, revealing secrets that had been carefully hidden. The actions of Hydra agents and those who had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. became visible to the Ancient One, but she was unconcerned. The small players like Hydra were beneath her. Her focus was on those who could destroy entire civilizations—beings like Dormammu and Odin.
Qi Yun, with his own unique abilities, managed to conceal his presence well. Even when the Ancient One swept the world with her mystical senses, there was no abnormal feedback, and his presence went undetected. However, she did uncover one significant anomaly—a gap in the timeline itself. Tony Stark was missing. According to the standard timeline, Tony should have been with Ethan in the Middle East, escaping from danger, but no trace of him could be found anywhere on Earth. At some point, he had vanished.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Ancient One acted swiftly. She waved her hand, stepped forward, and entered a portal. In an instant, she materialized in the last known location Tony had been before his disappearance—the laboratory at Stark's home. The security measures surrounding the lab were no obstacle for her. With a simple wave of her hand, she dismantled the building, rotating its parts as if they were mere toys.
At that moment, Qi Yun was present in the house. He closed his eyes, his spiritual vision extending outward, following the Ancient One's every move. As she began her inspection, Qi Yun realized that the exposure of the Main God Space had become unavoidable. Unless Qi Yun was willing to eliminate Tony Stark—his carefully crafted asset—and utterly disrupt the timeline, the Ancient One would surely confront him once Tony reappeared in this world.
Qi Yun pondered over his predicament, but after much deliberation, he couldn't devise a solution. The Ancient One, after finding no immediate clues, didn't retreat. Instead, she entered the Mirror Dimension, which mirrored Tony Stark's home. If anything unusual occurred, she would be able to respond instantly.
Qi Yun, frustrated, realized that he was unable to act against the Ancient One. He could no longer hide or fight. He was left with no choice but to prepare for a direct confrontation. "It seems we'll have to negotiate on equal terms," he murmured quietly.
He knew that if given another year, he could confront the Ancient One head-on, overwhelming her with sheer power. But that wasn't an option. Energy remained a limiting factor. The energy pool in the Main God Space had only seen a slight increase, not nearly enough to face the Ancient One in a battle of strength.
Thus, Qi Yun turned his attention elsewhere, to the world of Resident Evil. He extended an invitation to the Main God Space to several "ordinary" humans on Earth. These individuals weren't major figures from the Marvel universe but were talented in various fields, with attributes strong enough to contribute to his goals. In terms of data, they were individuals who possessed at least one five-dimensional attribute above 8, with a cumulative total exceeding 30.
A mere twenty people accepted the invitation. These individuals would serve as the second echelon of Qi Yun's plans within the Main God Space. Naturally, their treatment would be far inferior to Tony Stark's. When the twenty disappeared without a trace, the Ancient One sensed the anomaly. She opened her eyes, gazed above the Mirror Dimension, and allowed herself a small, knowing smile.
Qi Yun took little notice of the smile. If his actions were discovered, so be it. He had no time to worry about it now. His focus was on the world of Resident Evil. Under his guidance, the entire Resident Evil world seemed to duplicate itself, with multiple alternate timelines existing concurrently. The newly recruited elites were assigned specific tasks to further the goals within the world.
As they worked, the Resident Evil world began to clarify and take shape. The dormant world consciousness sensed this and began to push energy in an effort to upgrade itself. Qi Yun extended his influence and suppressed the world consciousness's reckless behavior. The illusion of stability created by the world's consciousness was fragile. If it were allowed to persist, the world might soon collapse.
As Qi Yun exerted his control, the Red Queen, the artificial intelligence overseeing the Resident Evil world, activated. She explored through various methods but found nothing amiss in the world. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something had subtly shifted. The world, as solid as it appeared, seemed more resilient, even to the artificial intelligence's sensors. It was an inexplicable, solidifying force that she could not ignore.