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Chapter 281: Doomsday is Coming Soon
Author: Great Demon Spirit
"That's too easy! Create a stone I can't lift? Ha! You're underestimating me!!!"
Mr. Mxyzptlk laughed like a madman, slapping his thigh and cackling. His purple suit was wrinkled by his exaggerated movements.
What kind of request was that?
Wasn't it just creating a stone of astonishing weight?
If he wanted to, he could create a stone with more mass than the entire universe with just a flick of his finger.
"Did you think that just because I'm confined to this stage, I can't create a heavy stone? How naive!" Mr. Mxyzptlk thought Tony was a fool, truly believing that absolute weight was linked to surface area.
Mr. Mxyzptlk naturally assumed that Tony wanted to use the stage's limited space to restrict him.
After all, common sense dictates that the larger the area it occupies, the greater the weight. Moreover, for a stone that a Level Eight being like Mr. Mxyzptlk couldn't move, its surface area would have to be immense.
"Let's be clear first, you can't tamper with this stage, like using magic to expand its area indefinitely, nor can you damage even a single speck of it," Tony suddenly made his demand, a smile playing on his lips, but his tone was serious.
"Rest assured, rest assured, the great Mr. Mxyzptlk will satisfy this pitiful request of yours. Consider it your last request on Earth." Mr. Mxyzptlk roared with laughter.
He snapped his fingers and said, "Tony, you're truly a naive person. You don't understand anything."
In the empty space between them, a small, unremarkable stone appeared, only about the size of a palm. At the same time, the opera house's speakers suddenly came to life. Tony recognized it as Ottway's piano piece, 'Farewell'.
Mr. Mxyzptlk pointed to the small stone on the ground and said, "See! Just as you asked, I've created a stone of astonishing weight. Its mass is comparable to..."
"Alright, that's enough," Tony interrupted Mr. Mxyzptlk's boasting. "You've already lost."
Lost?
How is that possible?
"Nonsense!" Mr. Mxyzptlk flew into a rage, jumping up and pointing at Tony's nose, scolding furiously, "Tony! Watch out, or I'll throw you to the edge of the universe, believe it or not! If you don't follow the game rules, I'll get very, very angry."
"I believe you, of course I do. But you have indeed lost."
Tony sneered, casually pointing a finger at the stone.
"Mr. Mxyzptlk, the crucial part of my request wasn't for you to create a special stone, but the first half of the sentence. Do you remember what the first half of my request was?"
Mr. Mxyzptlk frowned and muttered, "The Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk... Damn it!"
Mr. Mxyzptlk snapped his head up, his eyes filled with rage, his voice sharp and piercing. "Tony, you tricked me!"
The piano music quietly stopped.
The two stood on the stage, still wearing those ridiculous costumes.
"This can't be called deception. The game rules were established by both of us. You requested the limitation to this stage, and I requested that the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk create a stone that he cannot lift. These game rules were set by us together and acknowledged by us together."
Tony walked over and tried to lift the stone. No matter how much force he used, he couldn't move it. The immense power he exerted while standing on the stage even caused the floor to sink into a deep depression.
"You've successfully created a stone that even you can't lift... Heh, the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk can't even lift a single stone?" Tony's expression was playful.
"I... I of course... no, I can't lift it... no, I can..." Mr. Mxyzptlk's face turned beet red, filled with fury and unwillingness to concede.
Responding to him was Tony's meaningful smile.
From the moment Mr. Mxyzptlk accepted this game, a failed outcome was destined.
That phrase, 'the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk cannot create a stone he cannot lift,' is a paradox in itself. It was the very paradox Tony had prepared specifically for Mr. Mxyzptlk.
Can a self-proclaimed Omnipotent Trickster create a stone that even he himself cannot move?
If he succeeded in creating it, he would lose, because the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk couldn't even lift a stone. If he failed to create it, it was even simpler: the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk couldn't even make a stone.
The simple-minded Mr. Mxyzptlk was only concerned with playing. The moment he accepted the game, the tragic ending was set in stone.
The real trap was in the first half of the request: "Omnipotent."
As long as Mr. Mxyzptlk failed to meet the standard of Omnipotence, he would have lost.
"You, you, you... Tony, I'll remember you, you cunning man..." Mr. Mxyzptlk's anger subsided, replaced by a look of dejection.
He was someone dedicated to making trouble and stirring up mischief everywhere. Tony's idea to solve the problem with a game was right up his alley, but he never expected to lose so miserably.
He was even a bit dumbfounded.
"An Omnipotent me creating a stone that I myself cannot lift?" Mr. Mxyzptlk let out a self-deprecating laugh as his form slowly changed from a tall, handsome young man into a small, bald old man.
This small, bald old man wore a ridiculously tall hat and an ill-fitting child's suit. He floated in the air, staring intently at Tony without a word.
Tony watched this process quietly, showing no sign of surprise.
The image of the small, bald old man was Mr. Mxyzptlk's true form, and also his most commonly used one—although for Mr. Mxyzptlk, as long as it was convenient for making trouble, he could conjure up hundreds of millions of forms at any time.
To a fifth-dimensional being, something like physical appearance is meaningless. Only the three-dimensional beings in the Multiverse are still stuck on such aesthetics.
The two stood on the wide, desolate stage. The multi-colored lights were amplified to their extreme, but the glare that would be blinding to an ordinary human caused Tony no discomfort at all.
"Tony, I lost this time, but I'll remember you." Mr. Mxyzptlk thought for a moment with his head down, then suddenly looked up, his devil-may-care expression returning.
He suddenly felt that this multiversal being, Tony, was very interesting. His intuition told him they would meet again sooner or later.
"You win. According to the game rules, Wanda is yours." Mr. Mxyzptlk waved his hand listlessly, his enthusiasm gone.
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched. He hadn't meant that at all. He simply didn't want to see Mr. Mxyzptlk snatch someone from him so casually, especially someone as important as Wanda.
Still... it doesn't sound too bad?
"We'll meet again someday, I have a premonition." Mr. Mxyzptlk took off his hat and gestured to Tony. Fifth-dimensional beings have a basic perception of certain things, and their ability to gather information far exceeds the imagination of three-dimensional beings.
"I'd rather we never meet again. I'm genuinely worried you'll ruin Earth with your games," Tony retorted. "Hurry up and leave Earth, and don't come back without my permission."
"Of course. I am very good at following the game rules."
Mr. Mxyzptlk looked dejected; his loss had been a bit too miserable. But soon, just before he snapped his fingers to leave, he suddenly stopped and said to Tony, "Seeing as you gave me such a fun loss, I'll give you a piece of news for free."
"The Kryptonians' strongest bio-weapon, 'Doomsday', is on a destructive rampage in a nearby universe, and it's getting very, very close to yours. This ancient beast has already destroyed countless universes, and so far, no one has been able to stop him."
"Try to stay alive, Tony. I look forward to our next meeting... if you're still alive, that is."
"Doomsday is coming soon."
(end of chapter)
Author: Great Demon Spirit
"That's too easy! Create a stone I can't lift? Ha! You're underestimating me!!!"
Mr. Mxyzptlk laughed like a madman, slapping his thigh and cackling. His purple suit was wrinkled by his exaggerated movements.
What kind of request was that?
Wasn't it just creating a stone of astonishing weight?
If he wanted to, he could create a stone with more mass than the entire universe with just a flick of his finger.
"Did you think that just because I'm confined to this stage, I can't create a heavy stone? How naive!" Mr. Mxyzptlk thought Tony was a fool, truly believing that absolute weight was linked to surface area.
Mr. Mxyzptlk naturally assumed that Tony wanted to use the stage's limited space to restrict him.
After all, common sense dictates that the larger the area it occupies, the greater the weight. Moreover, for a stone that a Level Eight being like Mr. Mxyzptlk couldn't move, its surface area would have to be immense.
"Let's be clear first, you can't tamper with this stage, like using magic to expand its area indefinitely, nor can you damage even a single speck of it," Tony suddenly made his demand, a smile playing on his lips, but his tone was serious.
"Rest assured, rest assured, the great Mr. Mxyzptlk will satisfy this pitiful request of yours. Consider it your last request on Earth." Mr. Mxyzptlk roared with laughter.
He snapped his fingers and said, "Tony, you're truly a naive person. You don't understand anything."
In the empty space between them, a small, unremarkable stone appeared, only about the size of a palm. At the same time, the opera house's speakers suddenly came to life. Tony recognized it as Ottway's piano piece, 'Farewell'.
Mr. Mxyzptlk pointed to the small stone on the ground and said, "See! Just as you asked, I've created a stone of astonishing weight. Its mass is comparable to..."
"Alright, that's enough," Tony interrupted Mr. Mxyzptlk's boasting. "You've already lost."
Lost?
How is that possible?
"Nonsense!" Mr. Mxyzptlk flew into a rage, jumping up and pointing at Tony's nose, scolding furiously, "Tony! Watch out, or I'll throw you to the edge of the universe, believe it or not! If you don't follow the game rules, I'll get very, very angry."
"I believe you, of course I do. But you have indeed lost."
Tony sneered, casually pointing a finger at the stone.
"Mr. Mxyzptlk, the crucial part of my request wasn't for you to create a special stone, but the first half of the sentence. Do you remember what the first half of my request was?"
Mr. Mxyzptlk frowned and muttered, "The Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk... Damn it!"
Mr. Mxyzptlk snapped his head up, his eyes filled with rage, his voice sharp and piercing. "Tony, you tricked me!"
The piano music quietly stopped.
The two stood on the stage, still wearing those ridiculous costumes.
"This can't be called deception. The game rules were established by both of us. You requested the limitation to this stage, and I requested that the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk create a stone that he cannot lift. These game rules were set by us together and acknowledged by us together."
Tony walked over and tried to lift the stone. No matter how much force he used, he couldn't move it. The immense power he exerted while standing on the stage even caused the floor to sink into a deep depression.
"You've successfully created a stone that even you can't lift... Heh, the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk can't even lift a single stone?" Tony's expression was playful.
"I... I of course... no, I can't lift it... no, I can..." Mr. Mxyzptlk's face turned beet red, filled with fury and unwillingness to concede.
Responding to him was Tony's meaningful smile.
From the moment Mr. Mxyzptlk accepted this game, a failed outcome was destined.
That phrase, 'the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk cannot create a stone he cannot lift,' is a paradox in itself. It was the very paradox Tony had prepared specifically for Mr. Mxyzptlk.
Can a self-proclaimed Omnipotent Trickster create a stone that even he himself cannot move?
If he succeeded in creating it, he would lose, because the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk couldn't even lift a stone. If he failed to create it, it was even simpler: the Omnipotent Mr. Mxyzptlk couldn't even make a stone.
The simple-minded Mr. Mxyzptlk was only concerned with playing. The moment he accepted the game, the tragic ending was set in stone.
The real trap was in the first half of the request: "Omnipotent."
As long as Mr. Mxyzptlk failed to meet the standard of Omnipotence, he would have lost.
"You, you, you... Tony, I'll remember you, you cunning man..." Mr. Mxyzptlk's anger subsided, replaced by a look of dejection.
He was someone dedicated to making trouble and stirring up mischief everywhere. Tony's idea to solve the problem with a game was right up his alley, but he never expected to lose so miserably.
He was even a bit dumbfounded.
"An Omnipotent me creating a stone that I myself cannot lift?" Mr. Mxyzptlk let out a self-deprecating laugh as his form slowly changed from a tall, handsome young man into a small, bald old man.
This small, bald old man wore a ridiculously tall hat and an ill-fitting child's suit. He floated in the air, staring intently at Tony without a word.
Tony watched this process quietly, showing no sign of surprise.
The image of the small, bald old man was Mr. Mxyzptlk's true form, and also his most commonly used one—although for Mr. Mxyzptlk, as long as it was convenient for making trouble, he could conjure up hundreds of millions of forms at any time.
To a fifth-dimensional being, something like physical appearance is meaningless. Only the three-dimensional beings in the Multiverse are still stuck on such aesthetics.
The two stood on the wide, desolate stage. The multi-colored lights were amplified to their extreme, but the glare that would be blinding to an ordinary human caused Tony no discomfort at all.
"Tony, I lost this time, but I'll remember you." Mr. Mxyzptlk thought for a moment with his head down, then suddenly looked up, his devil-may-care expression returning.
He suddenly felt that this multiversal being, Tony, was very interesting. His intuition told him they would meet again sooner or later.
"You win. According to the game rules, Wanda is yours." Mr. Mxyzptlk waved his hand listlessly, his enthusiasm gone.
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched. He hadn't meant that at all. He simply didn't want to see Mr. Mxyzptlk snatch someone from him so casually, especially someone as important as Wanda.
Still... it doesn't sound too bad?
"We'll meet again someday, I have a premonition." Mr. Mxyzptlk took off his hat and gestured to Tony. Fifth-dimensional beings have a basic perception of certain things, and their ability to gather information far exceeds the imagination of three-dimensional beings.
"I'd rather we never meet again. I'm genuinely worried you'll ruin Earth with your games," Tony retorted. "Hurry up and leave Earth, and don't come back without my permission."
"Of course. I am very good at following the game rules."
Mr. Mxyzptlk looked dejected; his loss had been a bit too miserable. But soon, just before he snapped his fingers to leave, he suddenly stopped and said to Tony, "Seeing as you gave me such a fun loss, I'll give you a piece of news for free."
"The Kryptonians' strongest bio-weapon, 'Doomsday', is on a destructive rampage in a nearby universe, and it's getting very, very close to yours. This ancient beast has already destroyed countless universes, and so far, no one has been able to stop him."
"Try to stay alive, Tony. I look forward to our next meeting... if you're still alive, that is."
"Doomsday is coming soon."
(end of chapter)
