"Wait, how is it possible to move Earth to a new home four light-years away? Did your Universe have that level of technology 2,500 years ago?"
"With such high-tech, why didn't you just build spaceships instead?"
Although Natasha wasn't a science student, she had basic knowledge. With technology advanced enough to push a planet, yet choosing to wander with Earth? They had to be crazy!
Seeing Natasha's reaction, Rimuru was momentarily speechless.
Miscalculation. How could a foreigner understand the homeland sentiment of the Huaxia people?
"Of course, spaceships were the first choice for the immigration project, but 2,500 years ago, our ancestors couldn't build a warp drive that met the requirements. And the fragile ecosystems of ordinary spacecraft couldn't survive more than 2,500 years of interstellar travel. So we settled for the next best thing — wandering with Earth!"
"Is that so?"
Natasha remained skeptical, but Rimuru spoke so convincingly that it almost made sense.
Was Rimuru truly a descendant of Earthlings from a parallel Universe?
Natasha continued, "Earth is huge. How could you possibly steer it out of the solar system?"
Rimuru said confidently, "Naturally, with planetary engines! To complete the Wandering Earth project, our ancestors built tens of thousands of planetary engines around the globe. The steering engines on the equator were even taller than Mount Everest!"
Oh my God, making up stories is exhausting. I really can't keep this up much longer.
"Then how did you know Coulson's and my identities?" Natasha asked suspiciously.
"Through movies, of course! In our Universe, the story of S.H.I.E.L.D. is known by everyone!"
Natasha grew even more confused. "Movies? Everyone knows? Is S.H.I.E.L.D. really that famous in your Universe?"
Rimuru nodded. "Extremely famous. More than 2,500 years ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. was also a secret organization, but after an alien invasion, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents fought aliens in the Battle of New York and instantly became icons. After that, S.H.I.E.L.D. entered the public eye."
Pfft!
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents fighting aliens in New York?
Was he joking?
They were speaking English, but when these words were put together, she suddenly understood nothing.
Still, Natasha's rigorous Agent training gave her exceptional psychological resilience.
She knew Rimuru was talking nonsense, but she still kept an interested expression on her face.
In the intelligence world, the scariest thing isn't when the target lies — it's when the target stays silent.
The more they talk, the more mistakes they make. As long as they speak, information can be extracted.
"Could you elaborate?"
Natasha pretended to be intrigued, acting as though she had completely bought Rimuru's story.
Rimuru shook his head. "According to the Parallel Universe theory, even the smallest change can create a new Universe. Talking too much might interfere with your timeline, so I'd better not say more."
Natasha rolled her eyes. So you get me curious, and then refuse to explain?
How annoying.
"Movie actors and real people aren't the same. How could you recognize me at a glance?"
The moment she asked, Natasha regretted it. That question was too amateur.
"Historical records and photos!"
Rimuru gave her a look that practically said, "Are you dumb?"Natasha felt a surge of irritation. She wanted to pin Rimuru down and spank him senseless!
"Is the actress who played me pretty?" Natasha quickly changed tactics. Guiding conversations was her specialty.
Hearing this, Rimuru immediately brightened and grinned mischievously. "Her name is Scarlett Johansson. Pretty? Very pretty. She's the face of the whole cast — everyone loves her."
"And compared to me?" Natasha smiled knowingly.
"Just as pretty as you. Practically carved from the same mold!"
Natasha burst into laughter. "Carved from the same mold," huh?What a sweet talker. Annoying, yet somehow charming.
"Can you tell me more about your Universe?"
"Sure. I'll tell you about what our ancestors witnessed during Earth's wandering. Our solar system is one of the Nine Realms, ruled by Asgard. To Asgardians, Earth is called Midgard — it means 'Middle Earth' and is considered Asgard's little brother."
"Asgard is also known as the Realm of the Gods, ruled by the Allfather Odin. He has two sons — the elder is Thor, and the younger is Loki, though Loki is adopted!"
"Wait!"
The moment Rimuru said those names, Natasha felt something snap. When she heard "Odin," she nearly jumped up, Agent training or not.
Allfather Odin? Thor? Loki?
Was he taking her for a fool?
Natasha's face darkened. "Please — speak — English!"(Meaning: Please speak human language!)
Rimuru: "…"
I lie and you listen with great interest. I tell the truth and you tell me to speak human language!
These days, no one believes the truth anymore. Ridiculous!
Natasha's gaze suddenly sharpened. She locked eyes with Rimuru and asked, "How do you view Earthlings?"
"Nonsense — I am an Earthling!"
"Okay, I understand."
Natasha nodded, satisfied. She had just used a simple yet highly effective interrogation trick.
First, ramble endlessly to lower their guard.Then suddenly throw out a crucial question.
Caught off guard, most people slip. It worked every time.
No matter how many lies Rimuru told, as long as he held no hostility toward Earth, it didn't matter.
That was exactly why Nick Fury sent her to contact Rimuru. Judging from this exchange, the result was excellent.
"Lastly, Rimuru, I have one request. Your identity is special, your origins unusual, and your abilities are extraordinary. I hope you won't use your powers without authorization."
"What counts as unauthorized use?"
"In public, or in a way that leaves crucial evidence."
Natasha didn't say "absolutely forbidden," because that was impossible. Forbidding everything could provoke Rimuru and create a serious problem.
This touched someone's bottom line — with Natasha's emotional intelligence, she would never make that mistake.
Rimuru immediately understood. "So basically, I can use them as long as I don't leave evidence, right?"
Natasha: "I never said that!"
She didn't admit it, but Rimuru understood perfectly.
Meaning:You can do it — just don't let anyone know.Even if it's "teaching foreign languages," the facade must remain intact.
Once business was done, Natasha suddenly reached out and pinched Rimuru's cheek.
"I've wanted to pinch this for so long. It's really soft and elastic!"
Rimuru: "…"
He had just been assaulted by a female hooligan. Absolutely shameless!