Tony furrowed his brows as he walked beside Eric, his mind churning with calculations. "By the way, what's the time difference between our world and this one?" he asked, glancing over. "You mentioned that when you spent a year in that other world, only three months passed in our world. This world doesn't feel as big as that one, so the difference should be even more significant, right?"
Eric tilted his head, realizing he hadn't considered that yet. "Yeah, there should be a time difference." He called out to his AI assistant, "Hey, Neith, how much time difference is there between this world and ours?"
Neith's response was almost instantaneous.
"The time dilation ratio is 1:200."
Eric's eyes widened slightly. "That much?" He muttered under his breath. He had guessed that there would be a noticeable difference, but he hadn't expected it to be this extreme. This meant that for every year spent here, only two days would pass in the Marvel world. The implications were staggering. This world could essentially be used as a hyperbolic time chamber for training or research. Though he mentally filed that thought away for later, it was still an incredible revelation.
Tony let out a relieved sigh, the tension in his shoulders visibly easing. He had prepared himself for the possibility of being missing for up to ten years. But now, even if he stayed here for a decade, it would only amount to twenty days in Marvel. That realization lifted a significant weight off his shoulders, and his previously restless mood almost entirely disappeared.
"Alright!" Tony clapped his hands together, his voice unusually excited. "Let's go explore this new world!"
Eric smirked at Tony's enthusiasm. "Where do you want to go? Without my domain, I'm basically blind in this world." He crossed his arms, considering their options. "Technically, I could try to scan with my psychic powers, but I've never really used them for anything delicate. They're more of a blunt-force tool than a fine instrument."
Tony took a moment to think before pointing towards the sun. "Alright, let's head north. I don't know if this world follows the same cardinal directions as ours, but it's as good a direction as any."
As Tony confidently started marching forward, Eric's smirk widened. He casually called out, "Hey, Tony, you do realize that there might be bacteria or viruses in this world that your body has zero immunity against, right? One touch from a random bug, and you could be dead in hours."
Tony, who had taken a few long strides ahead, froze mid-step. His body stiffened like a statue before he slowly turned around, his expression pale. "You bug-ridden bastard! Don't even joke about stuff like that!" He hurried back to Eric's side, visibly shaken.
Eric chuckled. "Relax. You're fine. The World Tree bracelet I gave you passively protects you from that sort of thing." He patted Tony on the back with a smug grin. "I was just messing with you."
Tony scowled. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"
"I try."
With Tony now more cautious about his surroundings, they resumed their journey through the dense forest. As they walked, both of them marveled at the foreign yet strangely familiar environment. The towering trees stretched so high that they seemed to touch the sky, their massive roots coiling across the forest floor like ancient serpents. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and fresh foliage, carrying the occasional chirp of unseen creatures.
Tony, ever the scientist, couldn't help but analyze everything he saw. He inspected different tree barks, observed various insect species, and even studied the patterns of the leaves.
"This is incredible," he muttered, fascinated. "The plant life here is similar to Earth's, but the cellular structures are more robust. The oxygen levels are slightly higher too, meaning the atmosphere is denser." He took a deep breath, testing the air. "It's no wonder everything feels so crisp and fresh. It's like Earth's prehistoric era, where everything grew massive because of the high oxygen concentration."
Eric sighed. "Nerd."
Tony ignored him, too engrossed in his surroundings. Because of Tony's obsessive curiosity, what should have been a short trek ended up taking over two hours just to cover a single kilometer. Eric estimated that if they continued at this pace, it might take them a whole month just to exit the forest.
Finally, unable to tolerate the sluggish progress any longer, Eric grabbed Tony by the collar and forcibly dragged him forward.
"Hey! Hey! Wait! That tree had an unusual bark structure!" Tony protested, flailing his arms.
"Nope. No more distractions. We're moving forward," Eric declared.
After another hour of walking, they finally emerged from the dense forest. Stepping out into the open, they were greeted by rolling plains and a clear sky. The sun hung high, casting warm golden light over the landscape. The field stretched far and wide, dotted with occasional hills and rocky outcroppings.
Just as they were about to take in the sight, a sudden scream echoed through the air.
Both Eric and Tony instantly turned towards the source of the noise. Without hesitation, they sprinted forward.
"What was that?!" Tony called out as they ran.
"Sounds like someone in trouble," Eric replied, his eyes narrowing. "Let's find out what's going on."
Without hesitation, the two of them sprinted toward the source of the scream, ready to face whatever awaited them in this new world.