Chapter 61 Buy One Get One Free? (National Day Extra 2, Please Read)
After a few cups of mead, Loki seemed to forget the unpleasantness from earlier and started competing with Thor in a drinking contest.
Ultimately, it was just some sibling squabbles, not deep-seated hatred.
Russell also started playing mahjong with The Warriors Three.
Sif, meanwhile, performed a sword dance to entertain everyone.
Happy times always pass quickly.
At some point, Odin, Frigga, and Ancient One arrived.
Seeing Sorcerer Ancient One's smiling face, Russell knew she must have received some benefit from Odin.
Russell: "King of Asgard, Queen, Sorcerer."
Thor, Loki: "Father, Mother, Sorcerer Supreme."
Sif and The Warriors Three: "King of Asgard, Queen, Sorcerer Supreme."
Russell, Thor, Loki, Sif, and The Warriors Threesuccessively greeted the three elders.
Although, strictly speaking by age, Ancient One was not their elder.
Odin, Frigga, and Ancient One responded to everyone in their own ways.
"Sorcerer Russell, my son was trapped in Jotunheim this time, thank you for your rescue."
Although Queen Frigga had already thanked Russell, as the Master of Heavenly Palace, King of Asgard Odin still mentioned it again, maintaining courtesy.
"The King of Asgard is too kind. Kamar-Taj and Asgardhave watched out for each other for many years, jointly guarding the peace of the Nine Realms' real World and the magic dimension. Lending a hand is only right."
Russell also repeated the polite words.
After the formalities, Odin got straight to the point:
"Sorcerer Russell, your display of power in Jotunheim this time showed the true demeanor of a Sorcerer.
"I plan to send Thor and Loki to Kamar-Taj to study and learn some magic knowledge.
"This matter has already been discussed with Sorcerer Ancient One, I wonder what Sorcerer Russell thinks?"
"My opinion?" Russell was surprised, looking at Sorcerer Ancient One.
He is not yet the Sorcerer Supreme, couldn't Ancient Onejust decide such a matter herself?
Ancient One explained: "Russell, you are the future Sorcerer Supreme, so you naturally have the right to discuss this matter.
"Additionally, what do Your Highness Thor and Your Highness Loki think? Your opinions are also very important."
Odin could ignore Thor and Loki's opinions because he is their father and is used to making decisions for his sons.
Sorcerer Ancient One is an outsider, so she naturally cannot ignore Thor and Loki's opinions.
After hearing Ancient One's explanation, Russellimmediately nodded: "I have no objection."
Loki followed closely, nodding in agreement: "I also have no objection."
Russell and Loki had already discussed it, inviting Loki to stay at Kamar-Taj for a period. Now that the opportunity presented itself, they naturally had no objections.
Thor watched Russell and Loki nod in agreement in unison, a little dumbfounded for a moment.
'Loki, whose brother are you really?'
After a moment of stunned silence, Thor also nodded in agreement.
"Hmm." Odin nodded with satisfaction.
With the next generation getting along harmoniously, the relationship between Asgard and Kamar-Taj would be guaranteed in the future.
Moreover, he had heard a secret about Russell from Ancient One.
Russell is not a Midgardian; his lifespan is even longer than that of an Asgardian.
This way, the stability of their alliance would also not be a concern.
"Furthermore, to ensure that Thor and Loki study diligently, I have also entrusted Sorcerer Ancient One to act as a judge to assess and score your learning progress."
Upon hearing Odin's words, Loki's expression suddenly changed, and he turned his head to stare intently at Odin.
He seemed to want to get confirmation from Odin again.
Odin slowly nodded in response to Loki's gaze.
Loki's expression kept changing.
From childhood, he had always been compared to Thor in areas where Thor excelled. Now, his father had actually given him an opportunity to compete with Thor in an area where he himself excelled.
For a moment, Loki's mind was in turmoil, unable to compose himself.
Frigga stepped forward and patted Loki's shoulder, feigning encouragement but actually comforting him:
"You must study hard at Kamar-Taj." Win against Thor, prove yourself to your father.
However, the simple-minded Thor didn't think so much and didn't see any problem with the assessment.
Don't assume he's a bad student just because he's usually carefree and acts like a cheerful, outgoing big boy.
On the contrary, as a Prince of Asgard, Thor, who was trained as an heir, is very knowledgeable.
In Avengers 3, he could even understand Groot's minor language.
It's just that normally, his'super brain' would always tell him it's time to use his super strength.
For this, Russell, who was [truly] uneducated, gave a thumbs up.
However, if that's the case, does it count as buy one get one free?
Russell pondered the possibility of bringing Thor into the Sorcerer Supreme Team.
What? Thor is a warrior, not a Sorcerer?
For the Sorcerer Supreme, being able to fight is enough, regardless of whether he is a warrior or a Sorcerer.
After a moment of thought, Russell gave up the idea of directly recruiting Thor into the Sorcerer Supreme Team.
When Odin's soul returns to Valhalla, Thor will become the King of Asgard.
His primary identity will be King, no longer a warrior.
It's acceptable for him to occasionally support and help the Sorcerer Supreme Team's work.
But to make him set aside Asgardian affairs, to permanently reside in Kamar-Taj to protect this Worldfrom magic erosion, is out of the question.
However, it is possible to develop Thor into an external aide for the Sorcerer Supreme Team.
After discussing the important matters, Odin and Ancient One departed.
As elders, they naturally wouldn't mingle with their children and nephews at the drinking table.
Queen Frigga, however, stayed behind, pulling Thor and Loki aside to instruct them on what to pay attention to after arriving at Kamar-Taj.
Although Thor and Loki were already over a thousand years old, in her eyes, they were still children.
Yes, children over a thousand years old.
Earth, Sakura Island.
Matt acted quickly. In the early morning of the second day after telling Erin about his plan to go to Sakura Island for investigation, he boarded a plane to Sakura Island.
The investigation process went unexpectedly smoothly for Matt.
On Sakura Island, The Hand, as a community, openly conducted various commercial activities without any concealment.
It seemed to be just an ordinary multinational business organization.
The results of the investigation, however, made Matttremble with fear.
The Hand had actually been established for nearly five hundred years!
And the organization's top leadership had never changed.
After developing into an international organization in modern times, they separated their illicit businesses and named them "Serpent's Root."
"Serpent's Root" is a notorious ninja assassin group in Japan.
Their members are mostly proficient in hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, disguise, escape, medicine, and demolition, among other skills.
They possess willpower, endurance, and combat power beyond ordinary people.
They are spies and assassination experts, usually providing their professional services to warlords or wealthy individuals.
In fact, if Russell hadn't directly revealed the name of The Hand,
the clues he found would have ultimately pointed only to "Serpent's Root."
And The Hand completely distanced itself.
"Serpent's Root" has several Bases in Japan; he had already investigated several and planned to continue tonight.
Sorry, it's late.
Chapter 62 Missing Matt
The celebration lasted for three days and three nights before drawing to a close.
On the morning of the fourth day, everyone gathered at the Bifrost Bridge Control Center to bid farewell to Russell, Ancient One, Thor, and Loki.
Russell suddenly noticed a crucial detail.
Heimdall had been in the Bifrost Bridge Control Center for the past three days and hadn't participated in the celebration.
Now, seeing Heimdall, Russell remembered something.
Speaking his thoughts directly, Russell went straight to the point: "Heimdall, can I ask you for a favor? I want to find Thanos."
Heimdall confirmed: "Thanos, the Master of the Dark Order? The executioner who massacres in the name of balance."
As he spoke, he opened a projection.
The projection showed a tall Titan with purple skin, a giant ridged chin, a muscular build, wearing a blue and gold suit with golden shoulder pads, golden ankle boots, and a blue and gold helmet.
Russell nodded: "That's right."
Heimdall agreed: "Alright, once I find him, I will notify you, Russell."
Russell: "Thank you."
Ancient One suddenly asked Russell: "Are you looking for Thanos because of the Mind Stone in his possession?"
Russell nodded: "Yes. I plan to use the Mind Stone to activate Wanda and Pietro's powers."
The Mind Stone can enhance the user's mental consciousness, awaken or heighten mental control powers such as telepathy and psychokinetic blasts, and strengthen the user's existing psychic abilities.
It also grants the user the ability to read others' thoughts, implant memories, illusions, and even control consciousness in the target's brain.
It would be easy to use it to awaken Wanda and Pietro's abilities.
Ancient One shook her head: "That's not advisable. Using Infinity Stones isn't that simple. Infinity Stones possess their own will and unique characteristics. The Mind Stone's characteristic is to amplify most psychological traits."
"Because of her childhood experiences, Wanda places extreme importance on emotions, especially familial affection. The Mind Stone would amplify this, making Wanda even more unstable and highly susceptible to emotional fluctuations."
The first part of her statement was directed at everyone.
The latter part, concerning a disciple's privacy, Ancient One privately conveyed to Russell using telepathy.
Russell frowned; he hadn't paid much attention to this.
He frequently used the Time Stone, but that was a replica forged by White-Bearded Ancient One, which didn't have the problems mentioned by Bald Ancient One.
As for the genuine Infinity Stones, Russell had not come into contact with them.
But a replica?
Seeing Russell in thought, Heimdall asked: "Do you still need to find Thanos?"
Russell nodded: "Yes. I'm looking for Thanos for more than just the Mind Stone."
On one hand, Russell wanted to experience what a real Infinity Stone, the Mind Stone, was like.
And to study it, to see if he could, like White-Bearded Ancient One, forge a replica of the Mind Stone (a fake).
On the other hand, Thanos was an unstable factor, a greatly unstable factor.
If Russell stayed on Earth, he naturally wouldn't fear Thanos coming for him.
After the panel upgraded to the third stage, Russell's [Perception] became increasingly acute, surpassing common sense.
He vaguely had a feeling that the power of the Infinity Stones would work on him.
Let alone Thanos with no stones or one or two stones, he could still hammer Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet and all six stones.
Except for an overpowered Thanos like the Heart of the Universe.
For Russell, this was the Real Universe, not a comic. He also didn't know if such an overpowered thing existed.
But Russell wouldn't always stay on Earth, or even in this Universe.
And the flow of time in different Universes and dimensions is not uniform.
It wasn't impossible to encounter a situation like Ant-ManScott Lang's 'five hours in the Quantum Realm, five years in the Real World' if he wasn't careful.
At that time, there would be a possibility of Thanosraiding his home.
He didn't want to go to other Universes or magicdimensions for an adventure one day, only to return and find his home gone.
"Hmm." Heimdall nodded in agreement, preparing to activate the Bifrost Bridge.
Enveloped in a colorful glow, Russell and the other three disappeared from Asgard.
"Gather intelligence on the Dark Order, especially the location of its Master, Thanos."
After Russell and the others returned to Earth, Heimdallclosed the Bifrost Bridge, put away his longsword, and instructed the guards.
Although he possessed exceptionally keen superhuman senses, with outstanding vision and hearing that transcended spatial limitations.
He could hear the shouts of Asgardian gods from any location in the Universe across infinite distances.
But that was the result of "special attention"; he could sense the life essence of the Asgardian gods.
To personally search for Thanos in the vast sea of stars would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The colorful light dissipated, and Russell and the others were teleported to Tønsberg, Norway.
This was where Asgard and various forces of Midgardunited to fight Jotunheim a thousand years ago.
Heimdall's decision to teleport them here was likely Odin's deliberate arrangement.
It was meant to subtly suggest to Russell that the friendship between Asgard and Kamar-Taj was deep and long-standing.
However, a certain Russell, who was unlearned, clearly did not grasp Odin's profound meaning.
Everyone present was from Kamar-Taj itself.
The current Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One, the future Sorcerer Supreme Russell, and future Sorcerer Supreme Team members Loki and external aid Thor.
Russell also didn't stand on ceremony; once they had settled, he opened a portal and, taking the lead, returned to Kamar-Taj.
The others followed suit.
Erin was very anxious now.
Three days ago, Matt suddenly lost contact with her.
Realizing something was wrong, she immediately called Russell.
Earth-made mobile phones could not communicate across the infinite sea of stars.
Naturally, the call didn't go through.
Unable to reach him by phone, Erin went to Russell's bookstore in Queens, New York, to look for him offline, only to find that Russell wasn't there again.
After finding Russell absent, she left a note at the bookstore.
Then, she went to find other people who knew Russell, asking if they had any contact information for Russellother than his phone number.
Her actions of searching everywhere for Russell alarmed S.H.I.E.L.D., which had been paying special attention to Russell.
"Mr. Coulson, are you saying you have a way to contact Russell?" Erin looked at Coulson in front of her, speaking urgently.
Now, with Matt's life or death unknown, she couldn't help but be anxious.
Coulson nodded, then shook his head: "Erin, S.H.I.E.L.D.doesn't have a direct way to contact Russell, but there is one person who might."
Erin: "Who?"
Coulson: "Iron Man, Tony Stark. He might have a way."
S.H.I.E.L.D. files clearly recorded that Tony was assassinated by Dr. Pym and died physically.
Afterward, his soul left his body, guiding Pepper, wearing the Mark Armor, to a building in New York.
Soon after, Russell arrived at Stark Tower and revived Tony.
It was just a pity that when S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel found that building, they were not welcomed.
"Tony Stark, Iron Man."
Erin murmured.
She remembered; at last year's Christmas party, Tony had attended in his Mark Armor.
Chapter 63 Sometimes, being proactive is not as good as being passive (Please read)
Passing through the portal, the group arrived in the courtyard of Kamar-Taj.
Under a tree in the corner of the courtyard, Russell's exclusive wooden rocking chair was placed.
Unlike Asgard, where it was still early morning, it was already dusk in Kamar-Taj.
Russell walked over, lay down on the rocking chair, and enjoyed the beauty of the twilight hour.
Eek-a-eek-a~
The Ancient One then began to explain to the two princes of Asgard.
"Unlike the mages of the Heavenly Palace who draw energy from the World Tree, human mages cultivate by drawing energy from the Multiverse."
The Ancient One took out a book and handed it to Thorand Loki.
"This book is 'Vedic Language, From Beginner to Master.'"
"Vedic Language is a language summarized and compiled by successive Sorcerer Supremes that can communicate with Multiverse energy and cast magic."
"You can also think of it as a programming language."
"It is essential knowledge for reading magic books and casting advanced magic."
Thor and Loki took it, and both said:
"Vedic Language is an elective in Asgard, we've already learned it."
"Mm." The Ancient One nodded, not surprised.
As princes of Asgard, Thor and Loki naturally wouldn't be ignorant of magic knowledge.
Odin's main purpose in sending them to Kamar-Taj was not to study.
It was to have them build good relationships with the mages of Kamar-Taj and understand their allies.
The superficial task of studying was merely to compensate Loki, giving him an opportunity to compete with Thor in a field he excelled in.
"Since that's the case, you can browse the library yourselves later. If there's anything you don't understand, you can refer to this book."
After speaking, the Ancient One took out two more Sling Rings.
"These are Sling Rings. Through them, you can open portals and travel freely to various places."
"Portals?" Thor and Loki's eyes lit up. This was Kamar-Taj's signature magic.
After Thor and Loki put on their Sling Rings, the Ancient One began to demonstrate and reminded them:
"Concentrate, draw a circle, and visualize your destination in your mind."
A spark appeared, then connected into a circle, and a portal emerged.
On the other side of the portal was Norway, where they had just come from.
Seeing this, Thor began to try.
Without the guidance of a Sling Ring, opening a portal is a very profound and difficult magic.
But with a Sling Ring, for an extraordinary being, it's as easy as having hands.
Thor drew a circle in the air with his hand.
A portal formed, but on the other side was empty space.
Another circle, still the same.
Thor frowned: "Strange, I was clearly thinking of Asgard, but why is the portal's destination wrong?"
The Ancient One explained, "The space-time around the Heavenly Palace is protected by a barrier, making it difficult to successfully pinpoint and enter or exit through a portal."
No sooner had the Ancient One finished speaking than Loki opened a portal directly to Asgard.
With a raised eyebrow, Loki glanced at Thor with a triumphant look.
The moment Loki's portal formed, a gaze fell upon Kamar-Taj.
It was Heimdall.
He had just sensed someone bypassing the Heavenly Palace barrier and opening a portal.
Seeing that it was Thor and Loki, Heimdall nodded, withdrew his gaze, and no longer paid attention.
Thor put an arm around Loki and asked curiously:
"Loki, how did you do that? You truly are my brother, solving such a difficult problem in an instant."
The Ancient One also looked at Loki with a hint of surprise.
The word "difficult" was relative to other mages.
If she wanted to, she could naturally do it with ease.
Otherwise, why would she be called the Sorcerer Supreme?
But Loki, in his first contact with the Sling Ring and use of a portal, achieved something ordinary mages could not, which demonstrated his talent in magic.
Even if he was originally a master of Asgard's magicsystem. 'Russell's judgment of people is unexpectedly good.'
Loki smiled smugly, offering no explanation.
He had previously discovered a secret passage that could bypass the barrier to enter and exit Asgard.
When casting the portal magic, he could also use this secret passage to accurately pinpoint the location.
"Mr. Stark, I'm counting on you. I have an urgent matter with Russell."
Tony looked at Coulson and Erin in front of him, his brows slightly furrowed.
He certainly knew how to find Russell, but he wouldn't disturb Russell for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Russell had saved him multiple times, and he hadn't repaid all his gratitude yet.
From Tony's perspective, Russell had saved him three times.
The first time was palladium poisoning, where Russellintroduced him to become a mage, solving the palladium poisoning problem.
The second time was being attacked by Dr. Pym and becoming brain dead. Russell used the Time Stone to reverse time and revive him.
The third time was in the Quantum Realm, facing Mephisto, where Russell provided timely rescue.
Although he agreed to join the Avengers and become a special consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Would he reveal information about his benefactor and good friend for a mere ordinary job?
Impossible!
Seeing Tony unmoved, Coulson reacted and quickly explained:
"Tony, it's not S.H.I.E.L.D. looking for Russell, it's Erin. Erin, tell Tony what happened."
"Erin?"
Tony carefully examined the little girl in front of him, thinking hard, the name sounded a bit familiar.
"I remember now, you're the girl who was bitten by a Vampire and then healed. Right?"
Erin, who was about to explain, heard Tony's words and quickly nodded.
"Yes, that's me."
"Then let's go."
Confirming that Erin was Russell's friend and not part of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony no longer asked Erin to explain.
He took out a Sling Ring and opened a portal.
Seeing Coulson also wanting to follow, Tony cautioned:
"Coulson, you can come along if you want. But leave the tracking devices, recorders, and listening devices behind. The people over there don't want to expose themselves."
The portal did not open directly into the courtyard, but at the entrance.
Tony led the way, pushing the door open.
Behind the door was the courtyard where Russell and the others were.
Russell's gaze swept over, seeing Tony and Erin and Coulson behind him.
"Oh, Erin. How did you come with Tony? Did something happen with Matt?"
Seeing Erin, Russell suddenly felt a bad premonition.
Matt had a pager to contact Russell; he wouldn't need to go through Tony's channel to find him.
Besides, getting involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. people never led to anything good.
"Russell, Matt is missing. Waaah, waaah."
After searching for several days, she finally saw Russell. As soon as she spoke, Erin couldn't help but choke up.
"Matt is missing." Russell frowned.
In terms of danger warning, active is simply not as good as passive.
Seeing Erin sobbing, unable to speak.
Coulson explained on her behalf: "Mr. Matt Murdock went to Sakura Island four days ago to investigate The Handand its subordinate organization, The Serpent's Root. Three days ago, Mr. Murdock lost contact."
"The Hand, Sakura Island."
Russell muttered a few words, then comforted Erin.
"Don't worry, Erin, I'll go bring Matt back right now."
The next instant, Russell vanished from his spot.
When he reappeared, he was above a certain island.
Chapter 64 Where is Matt?
Eastern Sixth District, Kamar-Taj.
Coulson's gaze shifted, and soon, he locked onto a bald woman in a sorcerer's robe, with an otherworldly aura.
Coulson walked up to her, slightly reserved, and asked, "Hello, are you Sorcerer Ancient One?"
Ancient One smiled and nodded, "Yes."
Coulson asked, "Can I report what just happened with Russell's actions?"
Ancient One didn't answer, but simply handed Coulson a slip of paper with a smile.
Coulson took the paper, puzzled, and said, "This is?"
Ancient One: "Kamar-Taj's WiFi password. Regular signals can't get in or out of Kamar-Taj. You won't be able to make calls without connecting to WiFi."
Coulson: "."
Coulson: "Thank you, Sorcerer Ancient One."
Coulson tried it out first and found that the satellite phone couldn't dial out either.
Then he connected to the WiFi, entering the password from the slip of paper.
Eastern Ninth District, Sakura Island.
Due to the time zone difference, it was already night on Sakura Island, with streetlights beginning to glow.
Russell stood above a manor, looking down.
The patrolling security and various electronic devices were unable to detect his presence.
Releasing his mental power, Russell quickly found the pager he had given to Matt.
The pager was intact, in Matt's pants pocket.
In the pocket of his lower half.
Russell's face was grim, the fury in his eyes almost impossible to suppress.
Taking out the Time Stone, the surrounding scene rapidly changed, like a movie in reverse, quickly freezing on the night three days ago.
Matt, transformed into Daredevil, wearing a tight suit, infiltrated the manor under the cover of night.
Everything went smoothly along the way, and Mattsuccessfully confirmed that this manor was The Hand's Base.
Just as he was about to withdraw, a Shadow flashed past.
Accompanied by splashing blood, Matt's upper half vanished.
Faintly, Russell even heard chewing sounds.
Boom!
A silent roar, and Russell, in a fit of rage, surged his mental power directly into the minds of everyone in the manor.
He brutally sifted through all information related to that Shadow.
"Ah!"
Piercing screams erupted throughout the manor. The Hand members felt their heads splitting, wishing they could smash open their skulls to relieve the pain.
The Loki worshipped by The Hand, the primordial demon—the Beast!
How could it have descended to Earth?
How could it descend to Earth?
Russell thought of a possibility.
It just so happened that Sorcerer Ancient One had left Earth during this time to visit Asgard.
But Earth still had three Sanctum Sanctorums guarding it. With the Beast's abilities alone, it shouldn't be able to bypass the protection of the three Sanctums and enter and exit Earth silently.
After obtaining the necessary information, Russellclenched his hand, collecting Matt's half-body.
Mental power surged out, sweeping across various parts of the globe.
'The Beast has already left Earth.'
'Matt's upper half and soul were swallowed by the Beast and taken out of this Universe, making it impossible to revive him with the Time Stone.'
'This is just an ordinary Base of The Hand, and there are no high-ranking members who can contact the Beast here, so keeping it is useless.'
The next instant, energy surged, and two henchmen were thrown far away.
Then the Earth seemed to split open with a gaping abyss, swallowing the entire manor.
Afterward, the Earth closed, continuously churning and crushing.
Screams and wails were drowned out by the rumbling of the Earth.
A moment later, the former manor became a desolate wasteland.
Taking a step, Russell's figure vanished, appearing in another part of Sakura Island.
Tonight, he would search place by place until he found a way to contact the Beast.
After connecting to the WiFi, Coulson immediately called Nick Fury, preparing to report the news.
The call was answered instantly.
Coulson:
"Director Fury, this is Coulson."
"Just now, Erin and I, with Tony's help, went to Kamar-Tajand met Russell."
"He has already gone to Sakura Island to investigate Matt Murdock's disappearance."
"Should we have our Agents assist him?"
"No need," Nick Fury's voice was weary, "Russell is already acting on his own."
Upon learning of the disappearance of Russell's friend, Matt Murdock, S.H.I.E.L.D. dispatched forces to Sakura Island to investigate.
Finding out the truth could earn them favor with Russell, drawing them closer to him.
That way, they would be one step closer to recruiting Russell to become an Avenger.
But just now, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technical department detected Russell's energy fluctuations and quickly reported them to Nick Fury.
According to the technical department's analysis of the energy fluctuation curve, Russell's energy fluctuations were unstable this time, indicating he was likely in a state of fury.
Combining the location of the incident, Sakura Island, and the recent intelligence regarding Russell.
Nick Fury quickly deduced the general situation.
Russell's friend, Matt Murdock, was unfortunately killed while investigating The Hand on Sakura Island, and Russell, in a fit of rage, was avenging his friend.
After telling Coulson his analysis, Nick Fury said:
"This incident is probably over. You stay in Kamar-Taj a little longer and express S.H.I.E.L.D.'s goodwill when Russell returns."
"Tell him that S.H.I.E.L.D. will help him deal with the worldly repercussions."
Hanging up the phone, Nick Fury rubbed his temples.
He had thought that as long as Russell remained in New York, S.H.I.E.L.D. would have plenty of opportunities to win him over.
He never expected...
Sigh ~
"Director Fury, Russell's energy fluctuations have been detected again."
As Nick Fury was feeling melancholic, a subordinate's report interrupted his thoughts.
Quickly entering work mode, Nick Fury said:
"Again? Is Russell going to retaliate against The Handentirely?"
"Notify everyone to have our Agents quickly withdraw from The Hand's sphere of influence to avoid being affected."
"Director Fury," another Agent burst into the office.
"Agents on Sakura Island sent back word that they were just thrown out of The Hand Base by an unknown energy. When they went back to check, The Hand Base had already been razed to the ground."
Nick Fury breathed a sigh of relief.
This was actually good news, indicating that Russell had not lost his mind and could still distinguish friend from foe, specifically sparing the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.
It also indirectly proved Russell's stability.
It was just a pity that such a powerful combatant was unwilling to join the Avengers.
Nick Fury sighed again.
He had once missed out on the strongest Avenger—Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers.
It wasn't that he didn't try, but Carol, after being brainwashed by the Kree's Supreme Intelligence, had lived in the Universe for a long time.
Although she regained her memories after returning to Earth, her sense of belonging to Earth was already very weak.
And this time, he had missed another strongest Avenger—the Sorcerer Russell.
Unlike last time, this time if he had tried just a little harder, he might have succeeded.
"Director Fury, Russell's energy fluctuations have been detected again."
"Director Fury, Russell's energy fluctuations have been detected twice again."
"Director Fury, Russell's energy fluctuations have been detected thrice again."
It seemed Russell was truly going to settle accounts with The Hand entirely.
Nick Fury wondered how the news would report the events on Sakura Island tomorrow.
Suddenly remembering something, he hastily said:
"Quick! Notify the Agents in New York to launch an operation and round up all members of The Hand."
Chapter 65 I Found You
"Quick! Notify the Agents in New York to launch an operation and round up all members of The Hand."
Director Fury remembered that three of The Hand's 'fingers'—Alexandra, Madame Gao, and Bakuto—were in New York.
S.H.I.E.L.D., in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police Department, taking down these three fingers and capturing Madame Gao, Alexandra, and Bakuto, would be a significant achievement.
If Russell acted, creating a large commotion and turning it into a supernatural event, S.H.I.E.L.D. would have to take the blame.
Director Fury naturally wouldn't choose incorrectly in such a multiple-choice scenario.
After some thought, Director Fury added to his subordinate:
"Send Hawkeye, Natasha, and Blade as well. The leaders of The Hand possess mysterious powers, and regular Agents can't deal with them."
Then, he picked up the phone he had just hung up and called Coulson back.
Soon, the call connected.
Director Fury:
"Coulson, find a way to contact Russell.
"Tell him that S.H.I.E.L.D. will handle The Hand's influence in New York.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will also help him capture The Hand's three fingers alive, for him to deal with upon his return.
"Tell him to focus on resolving the situation on Sakura Island and not worry about New York."
Coulson: "..."
"Understood, Director Fury."
As a seasoned Agent, he naturally understood the deeper meaning in Director Fury's words.
Helping Russell deal with The Hand in New York was clearly a polite way of advising Russell not to cause trouble in New York.
Tony, who was confused, asked, "What is The Hand?"
Coulson explained: "The Hand is a mysterious ninja cult involved in organized crime.
It was founded by five individuals approximately five hundred years ago.
These five leaders are also known as "fingers."
They are Alexandra, Madame Gao, Bakuto, Sowande, and Murakami.
It is suspected they have lived from five hundred years ago until the present day."
After listening to Coulson's explanation, Tony became even more puzzled: "Five hundred years? Is this an organization founded by five extraordinary beings?"
In Tony's understanding, anyone who could live for five hundred years was definitely not an ordinary person.
Coulson nodded: "Yes. All five leaders of The Handpossess combat abilities beyond ordinary humans."
Tony confirmed with Director Fury on the other end of the line: "Director Fury, you just said there are three leaders of The Hand in New York?"
"That's right," Director Fury affirmed.
Tony frowned: "Then are you prepared? Don't make too much of a scene in a crowded area."
Director Fury sighed: "No matter how big a scene we make, it won't be as big as what Russell causes. I'll send the footage to Jarvis, you can take a look yourself."
Upon hearing this, Tony pointed his wrist-mounted device at the wall: "Jarvis, pull up the data."
"Certainly, sir."
A beam of light flashed, and Jarvis projected the footage onto the wall.
The footage showed seven ruins, leveled to the ground, with blood occasionally bubbling up from beneath.
Ding dong ~
Now it was eight places.
Tony was stunned.
He had just brought people to find Russell, but Russellhad hurried off after only a few words.
Only a few minutes had passed, and he had already caused such a huge commotion.
Couldn't he have discussed it properly first?
"Send me the addresses of The Hand's three fingers in New York, I'll go help too."
Tony understood, Director Fury was right.
No matter how big a scene they made, it wouldn't be as big as Russell's.
"Our Base on Sakura Island has already been destroyed in seven or eight places. What exactly is going on?"
In a private room of an ordinary internet café on Sakura Island, Murakami, one of The Hand's leaders, was in a video conference with the other four.
He was already too scared to return to any of The Hand's properties.
Alexandra in the video questioned: "Murakami, that question should be ours to ask you. Who exactly did you provoke?"
Murakami's tone was flustered and helpless: "I… I don't know. How could I dare to provoke such a terrifying existence?"
Alexandra angrily spewed, her spittle seemingly wanting to cross the screen:
"Ten minutes! In less than ten minutes, eight Bases have been destroyed!
"Now you're telling me you don't even know who you provoked!
"Murakami, how are you leading The Hand!?"
At this moment, Madame Gao said coldly: "Murakami, flee. Abandon your properties on Sakura Island and hide."
Murakami was silent, then nodded in agreement.
"No good," Alexandra suddenly exclaimed, "Someone is targeting me. This incident isn't just aimed at Murakami."
Almost simultaneously, the forces of Madame Gao and Bakuto also came under siege.
Seeing that the others were also under attack, Murakami said helplessly:
"Abandon all properties and flee. This opponent is not someone we can deal with.
"In these five hundred years, we have also encountered opponents we couldn't handle.
"Fleeing doesn't solve the problem, but time can."
After a moment of hesitation, Alexandra said: "But our Dragon Bones are running low. This time, time is not on our side."
Madame Gao also fell silent. It was easy to persuade Murakami to abandon his properties and flee, but doing it herself was difficult.
"Dragon Bones are running low? It's fine, you won't be needing them anymore."
Russell's voice sounded behind Murakami.
"Don't you know, it's the information age now. When communicating online, don't use plain text for important information. You old-timers!"
Just now, communications between New York and Sakura Island were being monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D.
When the keyword "Murakami" appeared frequently, The Hand's five-person video call was noticed by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technical department.
After confirming and locking down the IP address, S.H.I.E.L.D. informed Russell.
This is how Russell managed to catch The Hand's five members just as they were preparing to abandon everything and go into hiding.
Before Murakami could react, Russell's mental power directly pierced into his brain, sifting through it.
Torture? Non-existent.
Soon, Russell found the memory of The Hand sacrificing to the Beast to gain power.
And from it, he extracted the ritual and runes for communicating with the Beast.
From the memories, The Hand's frequency of sacrificing to the Beast was quite high, and the locations were all near Sakura Island.
In fact, the Beast had manifested its true form multiple times.
And Kamar-Taj was completely unaware of this.
'It seems there are bad people on Sakura Island.'
After finding the method to communicate with the Beast, a cold light flashed in Russell's eyes.
If you don't want to be a good person and instead worship Loki, then you shall become one with your god.
The next moment, Russell outlined the runes for communicating with the Beast with energy.
As for the sacrifice, Murakami indicated he was willing to help.
The runes shimmered, and a mysterious fluctuation was sent to a certain place in the depths of the dimension.
Russell separated a wisp of mental power and quietly followed it.
He wouldn't foolishly wait for the Beast to respond; he would go find it himself, locate the Beast's position in the endless dimensions.
Then, he would blow it up!
Beyond the Universe, in the endless dimensions.
Without reference points, time and space seemed to lose their meaning here.
But Russell knew this was just an illusion.
A moment later, that wisp of mental power, following the mysterious fluctuation, arrived in a void.
I found you, Primeval Demon Beast!
Chapter 66: Just a primitive demon, watch me refine it in an instant
A wisp of Russell's mental power followed that special fluctuation, arriving at a sub-dimension right next to the 404 Universe.
Locking onto the coordinates, Russell attempted to open a teleportation gate.
"This sub-dimension belongs to the Primeval Demon Beast's domain. I wonder if the teleportation gate can be opened. If not, I can only slowly make my way there."
As expected, the teleportation gate spell was obstructed.
But this did not stump Russell.
Russell simulated the wisp of mental power that had infiltrated the dimension into the special magic power of Vishanti.
Trying again, the teleportation gate successfully opened.
Taking a step, Russell directly intruded into the Primeval Demon Beast's sub-dimension.
His mental power swept through, making a rough calculation.
This sub-dimension had a diameter of about three light-years, roughly the size of the Solar System.
However, the sub-dimension itself appeared extremely empty.
At the center of the dimension was a massive spherical object, like a Planet.
Countless souls floated and sank on the spherical object.
Matt's soul was among them.
With a flash, Russell appeared above the giant spherical object.
His mental power swept, collecting Matt's soul and nurturing it with attribute point energy.
"Who dares to trespass into the great Primeval Demon Beast's Hell Dimension!"
A colossal voice echoed throughout the entire dimension.
Following the sensation, Russell saw a demon radiating an evil aura, as large as a mountain range.
The aura of Hell Dimension.
Russell frowned; he sensed an aura somewhat similar to Mephisto's on this Primeval Demon Beast.
However, it was not as pure as Mephisto's.
With Matt's soul recovered, Russell's mood relaxed slightly.
"Heh, your Hell Dimension?"
Russell chuckled lightly, scoffing.
"Hell Dimension naturally possesses the authority to ferry souls.
"But from what I see, the souls in your dilapidated place don't seem to have been naturally ferried."
The Primeval Demon Beast seemed to have its sore spot poked by Russell and roared in fury:
"Damn bug, how dare you disrespect the great Primeval Demon Beast! Are you here to seek death?"
The Primeval Demon Beast roared, and a crimson energy shot towards Russell.
Russell smirked disdainfully, neither dodging nor evading.
The crimson energy approached Russell, like a clay ox entering the sea, failing to create the slightest ripple. (Like throwing meat buns to a dog, gone without return)
"How is that possible?!"
Seeing that the energy attack had no effect on Russell, the Primeval Demon Beast exclaimed in disbelief.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Suddenly, countless spikes shot out from the giant spherical object beneath Russell's feet, heading straight for Russell in the air.
A cunning, triumphant smirk formed on the Primeval Demon Beast's massive face.
He had encountered opponents with high magicresistance many times over the long ages and had ways to deal with them.
Russell frowned slightly, still neither dodging nor evading.
Countless spikes successively hit Russell.
What a shame for this outfit.
The moment they touched Russell's body, these spikes lost all their kinetic energy, their speed dropping to Zero, and fell straight down.
They couldn't even make Russell budge an inch, only slightly dirtying Russell's clothes.
"Are these your methods, great Primeval Demon Beast?"
Russell mocked, not taking the Primeval Demon Beastseriously at all.
"You are not even as good as a clone of Mephisto.
"There are indeed differences among Dimensional Lords."
After a brief exchange, Russell had confirmed it.
The Primeval Demon Beast's strength was even slightly weaker than Mephisto's clone, belonging to the type that could be easily handled.
"Mephisto?!"
At the mention of that name, the Primeval Demon Beast's tone carried deep resentment and apprehension.
"Oh, judging by your tone, you know old Mephisto, huh?"
Russell quipped, then added a heart-piercing remark.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are no longer a Hell DimensionLord, are you? Your Hell Dimension was long ago annexed by other Hell Dimension Lords, and this is just a fragment!"
"Damn bug!"
The Primeval Demon Beast roared, its true body moving, and a palm struck downwards at Russell.
Russell's divine power condensed, meeting it with a punch.
Bang!
Up against down, large against small.
Palm and fist, each carrying irresistible power, collided.
The collision of a fist and palm of completely incomparable sizes unleashed terrifying energy fluctuations.
The next instant, the situation completely tipped to one side.
Hiss.
A piercing sound rang out as Russell, moving with his punch, struck upwards, punching through the Primeval Demon Beast's gigantic palm.
"Roar!"
With his palm torn, the Primeval Demon Beast let out a cry of pain.
But as crimson energy surged in the space, the Primeval Demon Beast's palm quickly recovered as before, its aura not diminishing in the slightest.
Russell's figure flew upwards until his gaze was level with the Primeval Demon Beast.
"I'm tired of this game. It's time to send you on your way."
Although a fallen noble, the Primeval Demon Beast was undoubtedly a Dimensional Lord.
Russell had previously encountered two Dimensional Lords, the Blood God and Mephisto.
Regrettably, Russell had never directly engaged them in their own dimensions.
The current confrontation with the Primeval Demon Beastfilled a gap in Russell's experience.
With his objective achieved, Russell no longer held back.
Whoosh!
Russell's speed surged, and with a dash, he directly crashed into the Primeval Demon Beast's body.
He began to wreak havoc, tearing and shattering the Primeval Demon Beast's body.
At the same time, his talent [Energy Absorption] was fully activated.
In an instant, Russell seemed to transform into a black hole, furiously devouring the energy that dispersed as the Primeval Demon Beast was injured.
"You monster!" The Primeval Demon Beast's face was filled with terror.
At this moment, his body was weakening, and energy was rapidly draining away.
The Primeval Demon Beast struggled, trying to force Russell out of his body;
At the same time, he gathered the energy within the dimension to repair his body.
The crimson energy in the surrounding space, summoned, surged frantically, attempting to repair the Primeval Demon Beast's body.
However, the speed of repair was far incomparable to the speed of Russell's destruction.
As one diminished and the other grew, the Primeval Demon Beast's resistance grew weaker and weaker.
Seeing that he could not force Russell out of his body, the Primeval Demon Beast roared in grief and indignation.
The next moment, the energy drawn from the dimension was no longer used for healing, but continuously accumulated, operating in a specific way.
Primeval Demon Beast: "Come out, I want to negotiate with you!"
Russell remained unmoved.
"What do you want? We can discuss anything," the Primeval Demon Beast continued. "This Hell Dimension? Or to subdue me, this Hell Dimension Lord?"
Russell remained unmoved.
At this point, the crimson energy formed a mysterious rune filled with a dangerous aura.
"This rune can detonate the entire Hell Dimension."
The Primeval Demon Beast's voice was filled with madness.
"Come out and talk! Or, we die together!"
This time, Russell finally responded to the Primeval Demon Beast.
"This rune is the control center of this Hell Dimension, isn't it?
"Primeval Demon Beast, you are truly a good person, teaching me how to control this dimension before you die."
As the mysterious rune condensed, Russell observed, analyzed, and learned.
The moment the rune took shape, the Primeval Demon Beast's method of controlling this dimension was also deciphered by Russell.
"Let's die together!" The Primeval Demon Beast steeled his heart and activated the rune.
He didn't believe that Russell could seize his control over this dimension merely by watching him condense the rune.
Bang!
Before the dimension exploded, the Primeval Demon Beast first detonated and disintegrated his body, lest it become Russell's shield.
Seeing the Primeval Demon Beast voluntarily self-destruct, Russell was not polite and fully activated his talent [Energy Absorption].
A mere Primeval Demon Beast, I shall refine him in an instant.
Chapter 67 God came down to save us
Just as the Primeval Demon Beast actively surrendered, mysterious runes burned, and crimson light flickered, igniting the giant spherical object beneath Russell's feet.
A terrifying energy fluctuation faintly emanated from it.
Russell frowned.
The giant spherical object beneath his feet was the center of this dimension.
Most of the dimension's mass and energy were contained within it.
Once detonated, it would completely destroy this dimensional space, causing spatiotemporal turbulence.
The 404 Universe, which was in close proximity, would also be impacted by the spatiotemporal storm.
Especially the Solar System.
If a chain reaction were to ignite the Sun, the entire Solar System would likely turn into cosmic dust.
'I can't just leave and ignore this.'
Having made his decision, Russell used the runes he had just learned to try and sort out and calm the energy fluctuations of the giant spherical object.
Under Russell's efforts, the energy fluctuations gradually subsided.
Just then, a black Shadow, over ten meters in size, rushed out of the dimensional space and entered the Super Vortex.
A clone of the Beast!
"A centipede dies but never falls." (A lingering threat.)
Russell cursed under his breath.
He also understood why the Beast's strength was off.
In its own domain, it was even weaker than Mephisto's clone outside.
It seemed the Beast's main body had died when its Hell Dimension was annexed, and what survived was a clone.
No wonder its sanity was a bit abnormal.
The one escaping now was another clone.
It was also the Beast that had descended upon Earth.
After the energy fluctuations of the giant spherical object further decreased, making it unable to destroy the dimensional space.
Russell actively detonated it to save time.
Then, he also rushed out of the dimensional space, entered the Super Vortex, and pursued the Beast in the direction it fled.
Cut the grass by the roots, eliminate evil completely.
The Super Vortex is both the space between parallel Universes and the fetal membrane of the entire Multiverse.
It separates parallel Universes while also enveloping the entire Multiverse.
In addition, the Super Vortex has many peculiar spatial characteristics.
It is the space of dreams, the birthplace of concepts, an informational space.
At this moment, a chase was unfolding in the Super Vortex near the 404 Universe.
The Beast changed direction several times, trying to shake off Russell, but found Russell getting closer and closer.
Clearly, its speed was not as good as Russell's. If it continued to flee, it would soon be caught.
Helpless, it could only plunge into the 404 Universe, hoping to get assistance from its allies.
Earth, off the coast of Sakura Island, above the sea.
A spatial rift appeared, and the Beast squeezed out of it.
"Save me!"
Russell followed closely, also rushing out of it.
He pressed one hand on the Beast's head and plunged straight down.
Crack!
Accompanied by a sonic boom, Russell, with his hand on the Beast's head, slammed heavily onto the sea surface, then continued downwards, crashing into the seabed.
"Ah ah ah!"
The Beast roared, but it couldn't break free from Russell's hand.
Boom boom boom!
With his left hand pressing the Beast's head, Russellclenched his right hand into a fist and continuously punched the Beast.
Each impact of his fist with the Beast caused a huge roar.
It stirred up towering waves on the sea surface.
A moment later, the Beast's energy was exhausted, unable to repair its injuries, its body became ethereal, and finally completely dissipated.
Phew~
Russell rose and rushed out of the Water, letting out a long sigh.
Finally, part of the matter was resolved. He could take Matt back to give Erin an explanation before tomorrow morning.
Although, it was only Matt's soul.
Thinking of this, Russell felt a little uncomfortable.
His pager was fine.
No!
As long as it was triggered, he could definitely arrive at the scene within a second.
Normally speaking.
With Matt's keen perception, he wouldn't be instantly killed without being able to press the pager.
Even if Matt didn't have time to press the pager and was instantly killed.
He could still revive Matt with the Time Stone.
But... Matt just happened to encounter a Loki, and coincidentally, his upper body, especially his brain, was taken out of the Universe and into another dimension.
"Russell, something happened."
The Sorcerer Ancient One's voice suddenly came, reminding Russell to look outside.
Russell wondered, "What's going on?"
Ancient One: "See for yourself."
Russell looked around and noticed something was wrong.
When Russell was brutally beating the Beast at the bottom of the sea, he vibrated the seawater, forming wave after wave of monstrous tsunamis.
Afterward, the giant waves rushed towards the shore.
It was June, the hot season, and the coast was crowded with people.
If the giant waves crashed down, there would likely be countless casualties.
At this moment, the frolicking crowd on the shore also discovered the abnormality.
A rumbling sound came from the sea, like muffled thunder.
After a while, the sound grew louder and louder, and a White line appeared where the Water met the sky.
"Tsunami, run!"
Several shouts rang out, and the crowd instantly boiled over.
They scrambled to run away from the beach.
The White line rapidly approached, gradually lengthening, thickening, and spanning the sea.
Closer still, only rolling waves were seen, forming a Water wall dozens of meters high.
"It's over, we can't escape. None of us can escape."
Some people fell to the ground, giving up the struggle.
Such giant waves, dozens of meters high, would destroy everything in their path.
The coastline, and the cities along the coast.
Just as the waves were about to sweep the shore and engulf the crowd.
A Shadow suddenly flashed, appearing before the giant waves.
After the Shadow appeared, it simply held its right hand flat.
The next second, the waves stopped rolling, as if frozen.
Click click click.
Ice first appeared at the crest of the wave, gradually spreading to the entire giant wave.
Finally, the entire sea surface was frozen.
"Miracle! This is a miracle!"
People who fell to the ground, waiting for death;
People who felt the giant waves coming, turning back in terror.
Witnessed this scene, stunned on the spot.
"God, it's a God who descended to save us."
"Watatsumi, it must be the Sea God Watatsumi. He descended to save us."
On the shore, more and more people discovered the frozen giant waves and the sea surface.
Witnessing the miracle, having escaped disaster, they knelt and cheered, shouting 'God'.
However, Russell frowned.
This giant wave was caused by him, so it was reasonable for him to solve it, and he didn't need anyone's gratitude.
But, Watatsumi?
What is that?
The island nation's Sea God?
Does this count as taking advantage of me?
"You're celebrating too early, I still have a score to settle with your God.
"I hope your 'Watatsumi' isn't among them, otherwise..."
And far away on the helicarrier, the Avengers, gathered after completing their mission, also saw this scene via satellite.
"Fuck!"
"Motherfucker!"
"Is this something a wizard can do? The entire sea surface is frozen."
The Avengers looked at the screen in disbelief.
"This is not something a wizard can do," Tony said speechlessly.
If he didn't explain, his teammates might think he was a fake.
"Wizards aren't as magical as you imagine. Normal wizards just open a portal and summon energy weapons to fight."
Nick Fury looked at Russell on the screen, his eyes shining.
This was the image of the strongest Avenger in his mind.
No matter what kind of crisis, he could easily handle it.
Chapter 68 S.H.I.E.L.D. warmly welcomes Master Russell
Nepal, Kamar-Taj.
It was noon, and the sun was shining brightly.
Most of the Sorcerers had already finished their morning exercises.
At this moment, they were gathered in small groups, chatting idly.
Just as authors in author groups never talk about writing, and readers in reader groups never talk about novels.
The Sorcerers gathered together, not to talk about magic, but to gossip about the events of the past few days.
Coulson mingled among them and was quite popular—
Thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network, Coulsoncould easily learn the truth and inside stories of various gossip.
Erin, however, sat in Russell's exclusive wooden rocking chair, looking worried.
A few days ago, Russell promised her he would bring Matt back.
Unexpectedly, Russell had been gone for several days without a trace.
"Ding-a-ling~"
Suddenly, Coulson's phone rang.
Making an apologetic gesture to the few Sorcerers who were chatting, Coulson walked aside and answered the phone.
"No, Director Fury."
"Okay, Director Fury."
"Yes, Director Fury."
After the call ended, Coulson walked over to Erin and said:
"Erin, don't worry. Russell has appeared and should be back here very soon."
No sooner had Coulson finished speaking than Russell's figure appeared out of thin air.
"Russell!"
Seeing Russell, Erin exclaimed, then asked.
"Where's Matt?"
Russell gave an awkward smile.
Bringing Matt's soul back should count as bringing Mattback, right?
Russell waved his hand in front of Erin's eyes, granting her the ability to perceive souls.
Then, he released Matt's soul.
Under the nourishment of Russell's attribute point energy for more than ten minutes, Matt's soul had recovered from its daze.
"Matt is here."
After speaking, Russell stepped aside, giving the space to Matt and Erin, the Master and disciple.
Coulson followed him and extended an invitation to Russell:
"Russell, could I invite you to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s helicarrier? Everyone has many questions they want to ask you about The Hand."
"How long has it been since I last left?" Russell did not answer, but asked another question.
When he returned to Earth-404 from the Super Vortex, he noticed that the time was off.
From the start of the operation, sweeping The Hand's Bases, and searching for a way to contact the Beast.
Then entering the dimensional World, defeating the Beast, and pursuing the Beast in the Super Vortex.
In Russell's perception, the entire event took no more than half an hour, which was quite efficient.
But when he returned to Sakura Island on Earth-404, it was already afternoon.
Clearly, he had once again entered an area with a different time flow than Earth-404.
Coulson did some mental calculations and gave the answer: "About 66 hours."
"Only two or three days?"
Russell breathed a sigh of relief.
"Coulson, you can inform S.H.I.E.L.D., we'll open a portal and be there immediately."
Russell was a polite man.
Under normal circumstances, he would not be like Tony, teleporting into someone's home without the Master's permission.
"Okay." Coulson's voice was slightly excited.
He felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken a small step on the path to recruiting Russell.
This was a small step for S.H.I.E.L.D., but a giant leap for World peace.
Calling Nick Fury, Coulson briefly explained the situation and received permission.
Golden sparks streaked across, and a finely carved portal, adorned with dragons and phoenixes, opened.
From time to time, sparks fell, like dancing leaves.
This was Russell's Portal Version 3.0.
helicarrier, conference room.
Everyone looked at the portal in front of them, their gazes involuntarily turning to Tony.
"Why is the art style of your (portal) different?"
Finally, Natasha asked the question.
Tony's mouth twitched: "The effect is the same. There's no need to make it flashy, like a street magic trick."
Following behind Coulson, Russell walked out of the portal and teased: "Is it unnecessary, or is it impossible?" Tony: "Of course, it's unnecessary."
"Clap."
With a snap of his fingers, the portal quickly closed.
Remaining sparks drifted down, like a shower of flowers.
"Wow, it's really beautiful," Natasha couldn't help but exclaim.
Russell looked in the direction of the sound, a flash of astonishment in his eyes, and he couldn't help but lose himself in thought.
The tight-fitting combat suit outlined her figure, making her curvaceous.
Her bright golden short hair looked capable.
Her face was exquisite and charming.
A flash of white at her neck and chest was dazzling.
No wonder a certain handsome basketball superstar suddenly had the idea of drinking bathwater.
Noticing Russell's gaze, Natasha blinked ambiguously.
Something's not right!
Russell quickly composed himself.
It wasn't his first time meeting Natasha.
When Natasha, under the alias Natalie, infiltrated Tony's side as his personal assistant, Russell had already met her.
If someone said Natasha was incomparably beautiful, Russell would agree.
But it was absolutely impossible for her to make him lose himself, almost lose his composure.
It was the energy absorbed during the battle with the Beast!
The upgrading Panel could absorb energy and convert it into attribute points, but the filtering function was greatly weakened.
In the battle with the Beast, Russell absorbed tens of millions of scarlet energy.
The 'impurities' in this energy were still far from being able to overwhelm Russell's mind.
But at certain times, they would have some effect on him.
For example, just now?
Flames rose in his spiritual World, beginning to burn away the pervasive scarlet mist.
Russell composed himself, and also blinked at Natasha in response.
Natasha smiled and stopped teasing Russell.
She saw that Russell's eyes were clear, and it was no longer fun.
Seeing this, Russell also smiled and turned to greet the others.
To reiterate, Russell was a polite person.
After the pleasantries, Nick Fury said with a smile:
"Russell, you've arrived."
"Don't worry about The Hand. The Avengers have already captured their high-ranking members. If you need them, they can be handed over to you."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will also help suppress the matters on Sakura Island."
Russell raised an eyebrow. Why did S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attitude feel so much more enthusiastic than last time?
However—
Russell shook his head:
"The matter of Sakura Island is not over yet."
"And I don't need S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help to suppress it."
"Whether the World knows or not has no impact on me."
I can already not eat beef, no need to keep a low profile.
"However," Russell added, "I will remember Erin's matter."
Nick Fury frowned and asked:
"Kamar-Taj's modus operandi has always been very low-key."
"Isn't it because you don't want the public to know about supernatural events?"
Russell explained:
"That was true in the past, but it's different now."
"Sorcerer Ancient One has one set of rules, and I have another."
The reasons were more complex, but Russell felt it was unnecessary to say more to Nick Fury.
Anyway, he would fill in the blanks himself.
Nick Fury was silent for a moment, digesting the deeper meaning of Russell's words.
Then, he asked another question: "Russell, can you tell us what the Beast is?"
Among all the information about The Hand, what S.H.I.E.L.D. cared about most was the Beast.
This Beast, whose life form highly overlapped with the Blood God and Mephisto.
Understanding the Beast would help S.H.I.E.L.D.understand what Dimensional Demon Gods and Hell Lords were all about.
To clarify, it's not that the protagonist's character collapsed.
It's that the Beast gave its all, influencing Russell's mind for a moment.
Then Russell reacted.
The main purpose is to show a side effect of absorbing too much energy when the Panel upgrades.
Chapter 69 Avengers: Me? Fight the Gods of Sakura Island?
"What is the Beast?"
Russell pondered for a moment, then gave his answer:
"The Beast is a primordial demon, once a Dimensional Lord like Mephisto.
"But for reasons unknown, countless years ago, its dimension was devoured by other Dimensional Lords, and it became a wandering demon god."
"What is a primordial demon?" Director Fury asked next.
Russell explained:
"Primordial demons are hyper-dimensional beings, native to the Hell Dimension.
"They feed on the souls of evil or sinful people."
"Are there many such demons on Earth?" Director Furypressed.
"How did the Beast enter Earth?" Tony asked in a deep voice.
Director Fury and Tony's voices rang out one after another, each asking a question.
Russell first answered Director Fury: "Unclear."
Saying that, Russell turned to look at Tony, implying:
"Two hundred years ago, Sorcerer Ancient One took the lead in establishing three Sanctums to protect Earth, sealing off this dimensional node.
"Unless someone specifically summons them, ordinary dimensional beings cannot enter Earth."
Tony had a flash of insight: "So, when you said the Sakura Island incident wasn't over, you meant…"
Russell nodded, a little annoyed: "Exactly. After I recuperate for a while, I'll make another trip to Sakura Island to find the mastermind."
From the burning speed of the Fire of Mind in his spiritual World, it would take one or two days to completely clear the scarlet mist.
Just thinking about letting the gods of Sakura Island live for another day or two made Russell uncomfortable all over.
"The mastermind?"
Tony raised an eyebrow: "Anyone capable of such a thing must be a transcendent. Who do you suspect?"
Russell smiled: "Is there a possibility that it's not a person?"
Natasha interjected: "Russell, Tony, can you please stop speaking in riddles? This is S.H.I.E.L.D., not Kamar-Taj."
Russell gave an awkward smile and explained: "The mastermind is most likely the Sakura Island pantheon."
"Pantheon? Russell, are you saying there are gods on Earth?" Coulson couldn't help but exclaim.
Russell nodded, spreading his hands: "Of course, aren't I one?"
"Don't joke, Russell," Coulson said helplessly.
He didn't believe in the existence of gods, so naturally, he didn't believe Russell was a god.
Although, some of Russell's actions were no different from those of a god.
Tony agreed with Russell:
"In the Kamar-Taj archives, I did see records about various Earth pantheons, including the Sakura Island pantheon.
"The books recorded that the Sakura Island pantheon has three main gods: Amaterasu Omikami, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, and Takehaya Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
"The three respectively govern the sky, the underworld, and the sea, which is quite similar to ancient Greek mythology."
Russell added: "Coulson, when you went to Kamar-Taj a few days ago, didn't you also see two gods?"
Coulson: "?"
Russell reminded him:
"Thor and Loki.
"One tall, sunny, cheerful big boy, one thin, gloomy, melancholic handsome young man.
"They are Thor, the God of Thunder, and Loki, the God of Mischief, from the Norse pantheon."
Coulson frowned, then suddenly realized:
"I remember now, it was them!
"However, their temperaments are not quite as you described, Russell."
"That's not the point."
Tony interrupted the two, asking with a solemn expression.
"Russell, is our target the Sakura Island pantheon?"
The others also looked at Russell, their faces grave.
Their opponents were figures from mythology; they couldn't help but be serious.
Russell slowly shook his head: "No."
The others felt a wave of relief. Unbeknownst to them, their backs were already drenched in cold sweat.
How could they, with their limited abilities, play in such a high-stakes game?
"Not us, but me."
Russell finished the sentence. After thinking for a moment, Russell added.
"If Tony wants to, he can participate in the battle.
"How are your suit and magic integrated now?
"If coordinated well, besides the three main gods, few in the Sakura Island pantheon would be your match.
"Just be careful."
After all, he was a future member of the Sorcerer Supreme Team; it was good for him to get some exposure to mid-level battles early.
If he unfortunately died in battle, Russell could also revive him with the Time Stone.
"Russell, what do you mean?!"
Hearing Russell's words, the others were a bit displeased.
Was he looking down on their combat power?
Russell sighed inwardly.
Lies don't hurt people; the truth is a sharp knife.
You see, Dr. Banner just sat there, perfectly calm, showing no signs of being offended.
After a moment of silence, Russell chose to be more tactful: "This is Kamar-Taj's business, not S.H.I.E.L.D.'s."
Upon hearing this, their expressions improved slightly.
Protecting dimensional security was Kamar-Taj's responsibility, not S.H.I.E.L.D.'s.
Russell's words were not without reason.
As if!
He was just dismissing the Avengers as weak.
"Russell, let the Avengers join you. S.H.I.E.L.D. can help Kamar-Taj."
Director Fury said seriously.
He had gone to great lengths to recruit the Avengers and form the Avengers to not just look cute.
Moreover, if their strength was insufficient, they could follow behind Russell and pick up scraps.
Pick up more tech products and materials that Russelldidn't want.
Then, take them back to S.H.I.E.L.D. for research.
Genetic serums, energy weapons—wouldn't their combat power increase then?
Russell looked at Director Fury in surprise.
I didn't expect you to be this kind of Director Fury.
At this moment, Tony also chimed in: "The Avengers' combat power is quite good, especially Dr. Banner. I believe they can definitely help."
"Hmm, alright." After a moment of hesitation, Russellagreed to the Avengers' request to cling to him.
Anyway, a few extra hangers-on wouldn't affect him much.
After thinking for a moment, Russell added:
"Let's set the time for two days—no, 48 hours from now.
"These two days, you guys figure out a way to evacuate the populace on Sakura Island.
"If a fight really breaks out, the commotion won't be huge, but there will still be a little bit."
Director Fury readily agreed: "Good."
Dr. Banner and Tony, being scientists, were more meticulous and asked seriously:
"A little bit of commotion—how much is this 'little bit'?"
Russell casually said: "Don't worry, Earth won't explode. At most, we'll shatter an island."
"Huh?! Are you serious, Russell? You call that 'a little bit'?"
Russell retorted: "Otherwise? When I fought the Beast in its dimension, we almost blew up that dimension.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, the Beast's dimension is about ten Solar Systems in size."
The Beast's dimension almost exploded because the Beast actively detonated it, not from the residual effects of their battle.
Russell deliberately exaggerated to give them a heads-up.
He didn't want anyone to come pointing fingers after the battle.
Russell wouldn't tolerate that.
His mouth wasn't smooth, but his fists were hard enough.
Everyone's expressions changed; they didn't know if Russell was telling the truth or lying.
'Regardless of whether Russell is telling the truth or not, the combat power he displayed is indeed capable of sinking Sakura Island. We need to prepare early to avoid taking the blame later.'
Director Fury thought to himself.
If Sakura Island really sank, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't shoulder such a massive responsibility.
Chapter 70 Heir Family
Seeing that everyone was silent, Russell threw the pager he had given Matt to Tony.
"I'm leaving first. Two days later, Tony, you press this pager, and I'll come over again."
After he finished speaking, a portal opened in front of Russell.
The other side of the portal was Earth-65, outside Gwen's house in Queens, New York.
Russell stepped out and passed through the portal.
The portal dissipated, and sparks scattered like cherry blossoms.
After falling to the ground, they slowly faded away.
Seeing the information on the house number, Fury turned to Coulson and asked,
"Queens, New York? Does Russell have another property there besides the bookstore?"
Coulson pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head:
"No. Although Russell's whereabouts are hard to trace, his assets are easy to check.
"There are no properties in Queens, New York, listed under his name."
Tony explained, "That's Gwen's house, it's New York in another Universe."
After he finished speaking, he raised the pager in his hand to show it.
"He gave me this thing and told me to contact him in two days because the flow of time in the two Universes is different."
Other Universes?
The others looked at each other, disbelieving.
No wonder Russell said sinking an island was just a small matter; it turned out he could already travel freely between Universes.
However, if the portal can travel through Universes, then Tony...
Thinking of this, their gazes turned fervent as they looked at Tony.
Tony said helplessly, "I'm still a little short."
Damn it, I shouldn't have explained; now I'm really a fraud.
Earth-65, New York, the night wind was slightly cool.
Passing through the portal, he arrived in front of Gwen's house.
Russell's ears twitched, discerning the situation inside the house.
He knocked on the door.
"Gwen, George, I'm coming in."
He stepped out, passed through the door, and bumped squarely into Gwen, who was about to leave.
George in the living room silently walked further into the house; his daughter was growing up~
Russell hugged Gwen, knowingly asking, "Gwen, are you going out?"
Gwen gently pushed Russell away, turned to look at George, and saw that George had already turned and gone back into the house.
Her hands slid down naturally, and she also hugged Russell.
"Hmm, a few more Spider-Men have appeared in New York recently. I plan to investigate tonight and see what's going on."
"A few Spider-Men?" Russell wondered, "Is it Miguel's Web Warriors?"
Gwen shook her head and suggested, "I'm not sure. How about we go investigate together?"
Russell nodded in agreement, "Okay."
After he finished speaking, a surge of energy flowed through him, changing him into a plain white robe.
Magician Spider-Man, back in action.
Leaving home, Gwen swung on webs, traveling through the city above.
Russell, meanwhile, floated using magic, following behind Gwen.
Just now, Russell had already swept the entire New Yorkwith his mental power, locating the other Spider-Men.
But Gwen was enthusiastically looking for people, so he didn't spoil it.
But these Spider-Men, why do they seem to be looking for me?
In an abandoned warehouse at a pier, four Spider-Men were sitting in a circle.
They were Spider-Man UK, Spider-Man Noir, Penny Spider-Man (Mech), and Spider-Ham.
Spider-Man UK was the first to ask:
"Are you sure Magician Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider are both in this Universe?
"From the information gathered these past few days, this World only has Ghost-Spider."
Penny Spider-Man replied:
"Didn't Miles say he saw Magician Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider enter the same quantum channel?"
Spider-Man Noir added:
"Magician Spider-Man and Ghost-Spider obviously know each other.
"Find Ghost-Spider, and you'll find Magician Spider-Man."
Spider-Man UK nodded, "Then let's continue tonight, first find Ghost-Spider."
"Hello, are you looking for me?" A portal opened, and Russell walked out with Gwen.
Since he knew these Spider-Men were looking for him, there was no need to play around.
Swish! x5.
As the Spider-Men met, their Spider-Sense triggered simultaneously.
Spider-Man UK looked at Russell in confusion.
Why didn't this Magician Spider-Man have Spider-Sense?
Swish! x1.
Russell activated the spider totem fragment, also triggering his Spider-Sense.
Before Russell could speak, Spider-Ham explained for him:
"He's Magician Spider-Man, he has a way to block Spider-Sense."
Is that so? Spider-Man UK looked at Russell suspiciously, not delving deeper.
In fact, if Russell wasn't a Spider-Man, that would be even better.
"You still haven't answered my question," Russellreminded him.
"We came to find you and Ghost-Spider," the four Spider-Men said in unison.
The group exchanged glances, finally choosing Spider-Man UK to explain their purpose on behalf of everyone.
"We hope you can join the Web Warriors and fight against the Inheritors family together."
Gwen asked, puzzled, "The Inheritors family, what's that?"
Spider-Man UK explained:
"The Inheritors family, they originated from the Vampiretotem.
"They can devour the power of all animal totems, especially favoring the spider totem.
"They are totem terminators and the greatest enemies of Spider-Man.
"They possess physical abilities far superior to Spider-Man's and extremely strong regenerative capabilities.
"And now, the Inheritors family is traveling through various Multiverses, hunting and preying on Spider-Man."
As Spider-Man UK's words fell, the Spider-Men present all grew solemn.
A family that specifically hunts Spider-Man in the Multiverse, the thought alone made Spider-Man feel terrified.
Russell patted Gwen's shoulder, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Then, Russell looked at the Spider-Men and asked, "So, do you have any leads on the Inheritors family?"
The Inheritors family reminded Russell of something.
Cloning technology!
The Inheritors family possessed quite mature cloning technology, which could be used to solve the problem of Matt's body being destroyed.
Spider-Man UK shook his head with a solemn expression, "No."
"Then why are you looking for me and Gwen?" Russellasked curiously.
Spider-Man UK explained:
"Some time ago, a branch of the Web Warriors was attacked, and many Spider-Men were killed or injured.
"More importantly, some data was leaked. Among it, there was data on Earth-65.
"It's no longer safe here; the Inheritors family could come at any time."
Russell smiled, wasn't this just perfect timing?
"You are...?"
"Spider-Man UK."
"Spider-Man UK, have you never thought about fighting back against the Inheritors family? We can ambush them here."
"Magician Spider-Man!"
Spider-Man UK said seriously.
"The power of the Inheritors family has a great restraining effect on us; we must be cautious when fighting them.
"I know you are a very powerful Spider-Man, but don't be careless.
"Among the Inheritors, there are also extremely powerful beings.
"Such as their patriarch Soros, and his son Morlun."
"Powerful and powerful, sometimes they are not the same, Spider-Man UK."
The next chapter will be in 5 minutes.
Chapter 71: Spider-Man, the Star-blasting Mage
"Powerful and powerful are sometimes not the same thing, Spider-Man UK."
Russell's voice slowly rang out.
His timbre and tone were quite pleasant.
But at this moment, it sounded a bit harsh to Spider-Man UK.
He repeatedly emphasized the danger of the Inheritors family. Was Magician Spider-Man not listening at all?
Seeing Spider-Man UK's disbelieving expression, Russelldidn't explain too much.
Actions speak louder than words.
The Mirror Dimension spread, enveloping the Spider-Men.
The next moment, space shifted, and Russell brought the Spider-Men to the depths of the Universe, into the void.
To the Spider-Men's left was a Planet.
To the Spider-Men's right was a Sun.
Due to the lack of comparison, the Spider-Men couldn't discern their exact sizes with the naked eye.
"This is the Tianji Star solar system, part of the Big Dipper.
Tianji Star's diameter is roughly three times that of the Sun, and its mass is also three times that of the Sun.
As for this Planet, its diameter is about seven times that of Earth."
Russell's mental power swept over, calculating the data for both.
"Tianji Star?!"
Penny Spider-Man exclaimed.
"This place is 84 light-years from Earth! Is this real or fake? We just crossed 84 light-years from Earth to get here in an instant."
Spider-Man Noir also couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this in outer space? Why can we still speak and breathe?"
Russell smiled; this was exactly the effect he wanted.
"Let me answer your questions one by one. This is indeed Tianji Star. We came here through Kamar-Taj's magic, a portal.
"The reason we can speak and breathe is because I used the Mirror Dimension spell to envelop us, and then teleported the entire Mirror Dimension here.
"Right now, we are inside the Mirror Dimension."
After answering the two Spider-Men's questions, Russellpointed to the Planet on the left and continued,
"The purpose of bringing you here is to prove that powerful and powerful are different."
The talent [Energy Absorption] activated!
The light and heat that Tianji Star was originally emitting in all directions instantly condensed into a thick beam of light, shooting towards the direction Russell was pointing.
Boom!!!
A high-energy pulse cannon, powered by stellar energy, struck the Planet's surface.
Although no sound was emitted, the Spider-Men seemed to hear the Planet's wailing.
The atmosphere was dispersed, the surface was scorched, and the crust was pierced and torn.
From a distance, the entire Planet's surface looked like an eggshell being peeled.
A few breaths later, the entire Planet was completely destroyed, bursting apart and turning into cosmic debris.
"Can this hit Soros and Morlun?"
The Spider-Men were all shocked by the sight before them, unable to recover for a long time, and no one answered Russell's question.
After a while, everyone finally came back to their senses.
Spider-Man UK looked at Spider-Man Noir and the other two, as if saying,
The Magician Spider-Man you spoke of, though powerful, wasn't this absurdly strong.
If he was so strong, why didn't you say so sooner?
If we had latched onto Magician Spider-Man's thigh earlier, we might have already won the war against the Inheritors family.
Spider-Man Noir and the other two exchanged glances.
The last time they met, Magician Spider-Man was much stronger than them, but still roughly on the same level.
Now, a single blow explodes a Planet?
We also don't know why he became so strong.
We're all Spider-Men, so why is the gap so huge?
Even the art style is completely different.
The four Spider-Men stared at each other.
After a long pause, Spider-Man UK said,
"Magician Spider-Man, I apologize for underestimating you earlier. I support your idea of ambushing the Inheritors family in this World."
"We too." Spider-Man Noir, Penny Spider-Man, and Spider-Ham echoed, nodding like chickens pecking at rice.
Russell nodded in satisfaction.
Very good, this display of firepower was a success.
"Since you all support it, I'll explain my plan." "Plan?"
The Spider-Men looked at Russell.
Magician Spider-Man was both powerful and steady.
So reliable.
Russell flipped his hand, taking out five Matt-style pagers.
"My plan is for you to act normally. If you encounter the Inheritors family, just press the pager. I will support you with a portal."
The Spider-Men solemnly took the pagers and carefully put them away.
These were life-saving items; they couldn't be careless.
Then, they continued to look at Russell, waiting for him to assign tasks.
Russell looked at the Spider-Men in surprise.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Uh, what about the follow-up plan?" the Spider-Men asked in unison.
"Follow-up plan? What follow-up plan do we need?"
Russell asked in return, then added,
"As long as we catch one member of the Inheritors family, I can follow the clues, find their headquarters, and take them out."
Then seize the cloning technology to clone a body for Matt.
As they spoke, the group had already returned to New York.
"Let's go, the night is young. Go wherever you want, treat it as a vacation for yourselves."
After speaking, Russell pulled Gwen away.
Russell didn't take the Inheritors family seriously.
The Inheritors family were the natural enemies of Spider-Man, not his.
Moreover, Russell wasn't alone.
White-Bearded Ancient One was still on Earth-65.
Thinking of this, Russell sent a private message to White-Bearded Ancient One.
"Sorcerer, please keep an eye on those four Spider-Men. Don't let them be ambushed by the Inheritors family and instantly killed before they can press the pager."
Russell wanted to prove that his pager was fine.
Last time was a special circumstance; it was entirely Matt's bad luck.
The moonlight was bright, and the night wind was cool.
Russell and Gwen sat side-by-side on the edge of a tower roof, gazing at the enchanting night.
But Gwen seemed a little distracted.
"Russell."
Suddenly, Gwen broke the silence.
"When did you become so strong?
"The first time I met you, although your physical fitness far exceeded ordinary people, you weren't as good as me.
"But a few days later, you suddenly surpassed me.
"Now, I feel like I can't see through you at all."
Gwen's voice carried a hint of confusion.
She didn't intend to pry into Russell's secrets, but she didn't want to be left too far behind by Russell.
Russell didn't speak, he just hugged Gwen tighter, listening quietly.
"During this time, I also learned magic from Sorcerer Ancient One, but I can't do what you do at all.
"Now, it seems you've always been the one helping me.
"First, changing others' impressions of Peter's death, and now confronting the evil and powerful Inheritors family."
Gwen knew perfectly well whether Russell was Spider-Man or not.
The war between the Inheritors family and Spider-Manoriginally had nothing to do with him.
It was all because of her that Russell got involved.
"Russell, it's so good to have you. But sometimes, I also want to help you."
Gwen leaned on Russell's shoulder, murmuring softly.
"Gwen, your existence is the greatest help to me."
Russell rested his chin on Gwen's head, his voice reaching deep into Gwen's heart.