"It's astonishing."

A few minutes later when the experiment ends, as the heated-up metal railing begins to stop, the distorted gravity around Merlin quickly returns to normal, and Merlin again feels what it's like to have both feet on solid ground.

He stands up from the chair and walks to Professor Hall, he looks at the silver-white metal egg shell and says to Professor Hall:

"You never told me that you were researching something so astonishing."

"I didn't tell anyone, let alone you."

Professor Hall takes off his glasses and strokes the control panel with emotional eyes, he tells Merlin:

"In my school years, me and my friend designed the concept blueprint for 'Gaia', we tried to control this mythical power, but we never succeeded even upon graduation. He gave up later on, but I didn't, and eventually, 22 years later, I realized my design and proved that it was correct."

"Merlin."

Professor Hall turns to look at the young man behind him, saying:

"Today, humanity has controlled gravity!"

"This is all because of your perseverance, professor."

Merlin looks at the machine and says:

"Even if I know nothing about engineering, I can see the high value of this; you should report this to SHIELD to get the project set up officially, I believe that Fury would definitely support you."

"Mmm, that's what I plan to do."

Seriousness flashes in Professor Hall's eyes as he tells Merlin:

"Such technology can guide our civilization forward, but it can also bring about chaos in the wrong hands; I don't plan on revealing it to society, and it's right for me to give it to SHIELD for safekeeping. And 'Gaia' is but a prototype, its technology is still immature, so I need some excellent yet trustworthy scientists to aid me in this research."

"I know one."

Merlin tells Hall:

"SHIELD has a cooperator in the Columbian University, called Bill Foster; he's a quantum physicist, and I trust that he can also be of help to you. He's 'one of ours'."

"Oh, Professor Foster, I know him."

Professor Hall puts on his glasses and says:

"We worked together a few times during 1987, his research on the quantum state was of help to me."

"I can apply to Fury on your behalf."

Merlin says with a smile:

"This is my duty."

"Then please."

Professor Hall lets out a long sigh, he had a relaxed expression as if he had finished some kind of mission.

Merlin then walks around 'Gaia' curiously and says to Professor Hall:

"I felt that there was something in this machine, some small things that emitted strange energy when energized. That should be the source of 'Gaia's ability to manipulate gravity, professor, can you tell me what it is?"

"It's Gravitonium."

Professor Hall did not hesitate much, since Merlin was a level-5 agent, as well as his trustworthy friend.

He presses a button on the control panel, then follows the sound of mechanical parts opening up, and the silver-white egg shell opens before Merlin, revealing the complex mechanisms inside 'Gaia'.

Merlin notices that in the center of the hundreds of reflector coils was a small ball seemingly made of glass that was stationed at the center by four metal rods. And in that small sphere was a black substance that was the size of a baby's fist that was distorting and changing.

Just like a clump of pure black non-Newtonian fluid.

Just from the looks, it looked similar to oil.

"Gravitonium?"

Merlin looks at the distorted liquid and says softly:

"I bet this thing isn't on the periodic table."

"It isn't."

Professor Hall explains to Merlin:

"It's an extremely rare metal element in nature, discovered by German N**i scientists during WWII. Its atomic number is 123, its atomic mass is 308; in fact, many scientists suspect whether or not this matter even exists, because its physical matter is strange."

"How so?"

Merlin asks curiously, to which Professor Hall replies softly:

"Because Gravitonium can damage its internal gravity field, thus gravity would fall in disarray wherever there's Gravitonium."

"But in my research, I discovered that through the imposition of different electric frequencies, they can stabilize or destroy its internal gravity field, then it can transfer the gravity around it in a strange way and impose it on other objects."

"This is how 'Gaia' is designed, this machine can easily change the internal or external gravity field of a multiple-tonne object through the control of specific electric frequencies. But Gravitonium's effects on gravity are chaotic, it's difficult to design a program that can stabilize its chaotic gravity field release, and it is this work that took me nearly 20 years to do."

"You say that it's rare?"

Merlin asks, to which Hall nods:

"Practically non-existent on the surface world, this small clump of Gravitonium was discovered in an abandoned mine in the Philipines; the mine was dug too deep, and due to the existence of Gravitonium, the locals thought that the mine was haunted. When I heard of this rumor during my vacation to the Philipines, so I went in and found this rare sample of Gravitonium."

"I suspect that Gravitonium should exist in great numbers deep within the Earth, and I mean the mantle layer, perhaps even deeper."

As he spoke, Professor Hall was hesitant as he told Merlin:

"Have you ever heard of a rumor that the Earth is actually hollow?"

"Oh, the Hollow Earth theory."

Merlin nods:

"I know it, and I think that this theory is correct, there should be a hollow world deep within the mantle layer, in it is the Permian Age that has sustained over the millennia, maybe it's full of radiation and life completely different from ours."

"Mmm...you know your stuff, Merlin, looks like I've underestimated you."

Professor Hall laughs and tells Merlin:

"In my opinion, if the Hollow World beneath the Earth truly does exist, then the existence of Gravitonium in the Earth's mantle layer must be how it could retain its structure during the seismic activities over the centuries.

"Countless tonnes of Gravitonium stacked together to form a powerful support pillar deep within the Earth, that not only sustains the Earth's gravity to keep it from falling apart, it also supports the hollow world's existence."

"That's...quite the reasonable explanation."

Merlin nods, he thinks that he should share Professor Hall's assumption with Monarch, for Professor Serizawa to find a way into the hollow world from it.

"Alright, I won't keep you any longer then."

Professor Hall looks at his watch and tells Merlin:

"I have lots of things to prepare before passing the information up, you should go do your thing, since I'll contact you when everything's ready."

Merlin jokes:

"I just risked my life to help you and now you're pushing me away so ruthlessly. You know, you should find a good restaurant, order some high-class wine, and prepare a delicate gift if you're trying to ask someone for help..."

"Do we need to hold hands and watch a movie together then?"

Professor Hall says so, and the two laugh.

After laughing, the professor tells Merlin:

"Leave your watch, Merlin, you're right, and I should give you credit for helping me...I'll reform your watch and return it to you in a few days."

"What are you gonna do with it?"

Merlin takes off his watch, this was a monitoring device given to Merlin by Fury 6 years ago as to track Merlin's position; 6 years later, while Merlin no longer needs to be monitored, he still kept the watch.

In fact, Merlin was a nostalgic person.

"I'll equip your watch with a miniature 'Gaia'."

Professor Hall blinks at Merlin, he then measures with his fingers:

"Don't think too much, just a tiny bit of Gravtonium, even one that's the size of rice will give you the ability to manipulate gravity. Let me think, maybe you can even use it to move a small car."

"A car?"

Merlin says with doubt:

"Is it that powerful?"

"Don't underestimate it."

Hall points to the 'Gaia' prototype behind him and tells Merlin:

"Do you know how much gravity effect a fistful of Gravitonium would produce when it's affected with high voltages?"

"How much?"

Merlin asks.

Professor Hall purses his lips and thinks, saying:

"Have you seen the movie Titanic?"

"Mmm."

"Fill the metal cruiser with cargo containers that are filled with metal ingots, that would pretty much be the limit of how much gravity that amount of Gravitonium can affect."

Seeing Merlin's astonished gaze, Professor Hall shrugs and says softly:

"As I said, Merlin...'Gaia' represents territory that only gods can get involved with."

---

While Merlin and Professor Hall discussed the legends of the Goddess of Earth, a dispute was underway in Pierce's office in Manhattan, New York.

This dispute was related to Merlin in some way too.

"Thaddeus! God, you can't just barge into my office like this!"

Pierce complains angrily to the elderly soldier in uniform with a two-star admiral badge on his chest:

"I have to work! Important work, so can we talk about whatever you want later?"

"Yo, so the great Pierce has become a big shot and now has no time to receive an old comrade?"

The elderly soldier says with a face of ridicule:

"Look, how authority has transformed you from an excellent soldier to a cunning politician! And here I thought you were still that stubborn soldier in Vietnam who knew no surrender."

"I never changed, Thaddeus."

Pierce shakes his head, he waves at his secretary, and the office door closes up moments later.

"Alright, with you pressing me with the past, just say it, Thaddeus, for what reason is such a busy man like you here?"

Pierce takes out two cigars from his drawer and gives one to the elderly soldier in front of him, who was his comrade in the Vietnam War. back then, the two were simply insignificant grassroots commanders, but now, of the two friends, one had become the Department of Defense's Chief of Staff, while the other had become a member, as well as soon-to-be director, of the World Security Council.

One could say that they were the perfect example of succeeding from the bottom.

The two smoked on their cigars and remained quiet until a few minutes later, the elderly soldier coughed; he raises his head, looks at Pierce, and says:

"I come for the DoD's affairs."

Pierce frowns upon hearing this, as he could guess what his old friend was here for.

Certainly, Pierce's frown deepens as his old friend continues:

"A few generals are requesting that SHIELD return to them the mechanical lifeform they had captured, and SHIELD's codename to it is 98084-3."

"Not possible!"

Pierce denies it straightforwardly:

"SHIELD is authorized in handling affairs like this, and it is reasonable for them to contain dangerous supernatural lifeforms. Plus, this is an affair between the DoD and SHIELD, why come to me instead of Nick Fury?"

"Because we're not blind, and we can see that you're the one backing Nick Fury!"

The elderly soldier says roughly:

"It is with your support that they could fire a nuclear bomb just outside of Los Angeles! Hell! Pierce...that's a nuke! Not just some random toy!"

"You must have gone mad to have authorized the mad agents under Nick Fury to use nuclear weapons within our borders!"