Chapter 96: Civil War Catalyst! Avengers Face Disintegration! After finishing off Ego, Ryan patted his butt and returned to Kamar-Taj, continuing his comfortable slacker lifestyle.
But he had no idea what a massive tsunami his casual act of ridding the Universe of a pest would stir up in the vast cosmos!
Although Ego was an ancient God who liked to stay holed up in a remote star system causing trouble, as a living fossil that had existed since the dawn of the Universe, his fame in the cosmos was not low at all.
Especially those ancient beings who had also lived for countless years.
Their combat power might not match Ego's, but when it came to being well-informed, they were definitely top-tier in the Universe.
The moment Ego's presence completely vanished from the Universe, these old monsters instantly sensed it.
This time, the Universe was in absolute uproar.
Old hands like The Collector and the Grandmaster immediately threw huge sums of money into the black market, frantically putting out bounties for any and all intelligence.
Some big shots who fancied themselves exceptionally powerful even crossed galaxies directly, running to the crime scene in person to try to use Time Magic to retrace the battle scene.
However, when these big shots saw the terrifying scene in the time rewind where over a thousand Ryans swung their swords simultaneously, chopping a God Planet into pieces.
Everyone fell silent.
Not a single person dared to utter a sound; they all sheepishly wiped away their traces and turned tail to run.
Who the hell dared to talk about this everywhere? If they accidentally angered that perverted monster in the footage, wouldn't they also turn into space debris?
It wasn't just these ancient beings.
The top advanced civilizations in the Universe also got wind of it through their respective channels.
After watching the encrypted recording, the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree Empire almost fried the empire's central server due to an overload of computing power.
The Nova Corps of Xandar similarly used high-tech methods to restore a portion of the battle footage.
Although due to energy interference, Ryan's entire body in the footage was pixelated.
However, after watching this blurry recording, the supreme commander of the Nova Empire had a face so gloomy water could practically drip from it.
"Issue the highest directive to the entire army immediately!"
The commander's voice was permeated with unhideable gravity and lingering fear: "Once the traces of this powerhouse in the footage are found in the Universe, everyone must immediately give him a wide berth and are strictly forbidden from provoking him!"
"Violators will be executed on the spot!"
The commander's heart was bleeding.
The crime scene was a mere few hundred light-years away from their Xandar!
A few hundred light-years, on a cosmic scale, was practically right on their doorstep!
If a monster capable of casually hacking apart a GodPlanet came to stroll around Xandar in a bad mood, what could their proud Nova Corps use to stop him?
"It's too terrifying. Such an unreasonable monster is actually hidden in the depths of the Universe."
The commander helplessly sighed and ordered the entire Nova Corps into Level 1 combat readiness.
...
Meanwhile, on Earth.
The situation was similarly not optimistic.
However, Earth's trouble wasn't because of Ryan.
United Nations Headquarters building.
Heads of state from over a hundred countries around the globe gathered together.
Today, they were going to officially sign a restrictive bill targeting superheroes—the Sokovia Accords.
Because a few days ago, catalyzed by cusp events like the accidental Death of the Wakanda king, governments around the World completely erupted in dissatisfaction with superheroes.
In the eyes of politicians, the existence of superheroes was practically a blatant slap to the governments' faces, highlighting the incompetence of the governments.
What's more, these guys with extraordinary powers flew around all over the World, destroying half a city at every turn when they fought, yet they weren't bound by any laws or organizations.
This made governments of various countries feel a deep sense of fear.
Inside the conference room.
The person responsible for reading the accords to the Avengers was the new Minister of Defense, General Ross.
As soon as General Ross went up, he directly played a video on the big screen.
In the video, there were nothing but tragic scenes of civilian casualties and cities destroyed due to mistakes or collateral damage during the Avengers' past battles.
New York, Washington, Sokovia...
Scene after scene of shocking footage pierced deeply into the hearts of the Avengers like countless knives.
Although General Ross himself actually didn't care about the lives or Deaths of ordinary people at all, this was definitely the best weapon to undermine the superheroes' morale and force them to compromise.
Looking at the images on the screen, all the members of the Avengers fell into silence.
"In the past four years, holding powers that surpass mortals, you have acted recklessly all over the globe without any oversight."
General Ross turned off the video, his sharp gaze sweeping across everyone: "The countries of the World can no longer tolerate this state of affairs."
"Therefore, through the joint consultation of over a hundred countries, we have drafted the Sokovia Accords."
"Sign it. From now on, the Avengers will no longer be a private armed organization. You will be subject to the direct supervision of a United Nations special panel. You can only be deployed under the authorization of the United Nations."
General Ross's voice echoed in the hall, full of unquestionable certainty.
Steve Rogers, the Captain America who had achieved illustrious military exploits in World War II, didn't even lift an eyelid.
"The original intention of the establishment of the Avengers was to protect the World from threats. And facts have proven that we did it."
Steve's voice was very calm, but his attitude was extremely resolute.
Ever since experiencing the incident where S.H.I.E.L.D. was completely infiltrated by HYDRA, Steve held a deep distrust of any government agency and regulatory organization.
Even the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director could be a HYDRA mole; in this so-called United Nations regulatory panel, who could guarantee there were no people with ulterior motives?
Furthermore, as a veteran, he knew better than anyone else. War would inevitably be accompanied by sacrifice. This was a cruel reality that no amount of oversight could avoid.
"Captain, don't be too naive."
General Ross looked at him coldly: "Do you know where Thor and Banner are right now? You are clenching two nuclear bombs capable of destroying the World in your hands, yet you don't even know where they are! Is this also a way to protect the World?"
"This is compromise, and this is the meaning of oversight." General Ross pressed on step by step.
"Three days later, the United Nations will hold an official signing ceremony, and I hope you can make the right choice."
Having said that, General Ross turned and left directly.
Steve turned his head to look at Tony Stark, who had been silent all along.
He knew that Tony had long known about the existence of this accord.
Tony didn't speak, only helplessly shrugging.
His thoughts were completely different from Steve's.
Because of the Ultron incident and so many people dying in Sokovia, Tony's heart was filled with deep guilt and self-blame.
He felt that if the powers of superheroes weren't restricted, such tragedies would happen sooner or later. Therefore, from the bottom of his heart, he supported signing the accords and accepting oversight.
The meeting broke up in discord.
After returning to the Avengers Base, everyone erupted into fierce arguments once again.
Steve insisted on refusing to sign, believing this would turn the Avengers into marionettes in the hands of politicians.
Meanwhile, Tony and Vision rationally believed that accepting oversight was the only way to appease public panic and maintain the legitimacy of the Avengers.
The massive conflict of ideologies
caused this originally unbreakable team to begin developing an unhealable fissure.
The Avengers were on the verge of splitting up.
However,
they had no idea at all.
While they were endlessly arguing over the accords,
in the shadows, a pair of eyes filled with hatred was staring fixedly at them.
Helmut Zemo.
A special forces soldier who lost all his family members in the Sokovia war.
He knew he couldn't kill Ultron, nor could he beat the Avengers.
Therefore, he formulated an extremely vicious plan. He wanted to disintegrate the Avengers from within! Making these superheroes kill each other!
At this moment,
Zemo had already successfully sneaked into the secret Base, and using a red-covered codebook, completely controlled the Winter Soldier—Bucky Barnes.
Looking at the Winter Soldier in front of him who was as obedient as a machine,
a twisted and crazy smile curved up at the corner of Zemo's mouth.
He had already mastered a fatal secret sufficient to make the Avengers completely break apart—the truth about the Death of Tony Stark's parents.
"Go, my sharpest blade."
Zemo patted the Winter Soldier's shoulder, his voice as soft as a devil's whisper.
As long as the Winter Soldier brought this intelligence before Tony,
the Avengers would completely be relegated to history.
Chapter 97 Odin Begs for Help at the Door! Learning Asgardian Sealing Technique in Half a Day! Kamar-Taj.
For Ancient One, today was a special day.
Her tea room welcomed an unusual guest.
The visitor had white hair and wore tattered burlap clothes, looking just like an ordinary homeless old man found anywhere on the street.
But in the entire Universe, absolutely no one dared to look down upon him.
Because he was the ruler of Nine Realms, the King of Gods, Odin.
"Lord Odin, what brings you to Kamar-Taj today?"
Ancient One leisurely poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it in front of him.
"I've run into a bit of trouble and would like to ask you for a favor."
Odin didn't make small talk and cut straight to the point.
"Oh? Why don't you tell me what it is first."
Ancient One picked up the tea cup and gently blew away the steam.
She and Odin had no friendship to speak of, and had even fought over territory before. For this high-and-mighty God King to suddenly run over and ask for help was definitely not a good thing.
"Hela... can't be suppressed much longer."
A trace of fatigue flashed through Odin's single eye, his voice low.
Hearing this name, Ancient One's expression instantly sank.
"You promised me back then that she would never come out!" Ancient One's tone turned stern.
Back when Hela was sealed on Earth, Ancient One had personally made a trip to Asgard to demand an explanation from Odin.
The two even got into a fierce brawl, and in the end, Odinmade a solemn vow guaranteeing that Hela could never break the seal, which was why Ancient One reluctantly agreed to leave this ticking time bomb on Earth.
"That was centuries ago, Ancient One."
"I'm... old."
Odin looked at Ancient One and let out a long sigh.
If he hadn't truly reached the end of his rope, with the proud bones of Asgard's number one expert, how could he possibly lower himself to come and beg for help?
Ancient One looked at Odin's aged and decadent appearance, a trace of complexity flashing through her eyes.
This old fox looked like he really wasn't going to make it much longer.
"Even if I step in to help, I'm afraid it won't buy much time."
Ancient One stated truthfully.
Hela's power came from Asgard; as long as Asgardremained undestroyed, Hela was practically invincible.
"Dragging it out for one more day is a day gained. At the very least, we cannot let her break out right now," Odinsaid helplessly.
"That's true. If that crazy woman breaks out, Earth will definitely suffer along with it."
Ancient One rubbed her brow, suddenly thinking of something.
"How about this, I'll find someone else to help. With one more person, the sealing time can be extended a little bit."
"Find whom?"
Odin frowned: "To seal Hela, one must use the Asgardian Sealing Technique. Ordinary mages coming here would be completely useless."
"Rest assured, give me half a day, and I guarantee he will learn it." Ancient One smiled confidently.
"Half a day? That's impossible." Odin retorted without hesitation.
"We'll know once we try."
Ancient One didn't argue, casually drawing a rune in the void and transmitting a message out.
Not long after.
The wooden door of the tea room was pushed open, and Rayne walked in.
As soon as he entered, Rayne saw the single-eyed old man sitting opposite Ancient One, and his heart gave a sudden start.
He was far too familiar with the fluctuations of thunder divine power on this old man!
"To think it's this kid."
Seeing Rayne, a trace of surprise also flashed through Odin's single eye.
"What, you know Rayne?" Ancient One was somewhat surprised.
"A few days ago I took a stroll to the moon and happened to see him blowing up the moon over there."
Odin said in a flat tone.
Ancient One's hand holding the tea cup violently trembled, and the smile on her face instantly froze.
Rayne also wore an awkward expression, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
This wretched old man really loved bringing up sore subjects!
"Ahem, let's not mention past matters." Ancient Onequickly changed the subject, "The helper I mentioned is him."
"Just him?" Odin frowned, "He doesn't know Asgardian divine arts at all."
This was the meticulous application of divine power, which was completely different from ordinary magic.
Even if this kid was good at playing with thunder magic, it didn't mean he could learn the secret techniques of the divine realm.
"How about we make a bet?" Ancient One looked at Odinwith a half-smile.
"Forget it. You teach him and let's see."
Odin waved his hand, refusing to fall for it. Ancient Onewas an extremely shrewd woman; without absolute certainty, she would never proactively propose a bet.
"Alright."
Ancient One turned to look at Rayne: "Rayne, listen carefully. I am now imparting to you the Asgardian Sealing Technique."
Rayne nodded and listened with rapt attention.
Ancient One simply explained the energy flow model and core runes of the spell once.
The very moment Ancient One's voice fell.
In Rayne's mind, the familiar system prompt sounded right on time.
"Ding!"
"Host has listened to Sorcerer Supreme's explanation of the divine realm's secret technique!"
"Host has successfully comprehended [Asgardian Sealing Technique]!"
"Because Host is proficient in the Laws of Thunder, your understanding of this spell is extremely profound!"
"[Asgardian Sealing Technique] has directly reached Level 1!"
Rayne felt a surge of joy in his heart.
He raised his right hand, a thought moving in his mind.
Zizizi!
A wisp of deep blue thunder lightning instantly danced across his fingertips.
Seeing this scene, Odin's hand holding the tea cup suddenly stiffened.
This...
Could this kid have already learned it?!
How is this possible!
Although the Asgardian Sealing Technique wasn't some top-tier forbidden spell, it was still a secret technique not passed outside the divine realm! How could it be so easy to pick up!
However, the next second.
The blue lightning on Rayne's fingertips flickered twice before suddenly extinguishing with a "poof" sound.
Only then did Odin inwardly breathe a sigh of relief.
Scared the hell out of me.
I knew it, how could a secret technique of the divine realm be cast just by listening to it once. Failure was normal.
"Rayne, it's completely normal to fail when first contacting divine arts. Don't be discouraged, take your time," Ancient One also chimed in to comfort him.
Rayne scratched his head, revealing an extremely shy smile.
"Sorcerer Supreme, I'm not discouraged."
"This spell... seems quite simple."
The lightning extinguishing just now was purely because he got distracted to look at the system's status panel, not a spellcasting failure at all.
"Simple? What a bold tone!"
Hearing this, Odin immediately became displeased.
"This is an Asgardian divine art personally improved by me! The difficulty is extremely high!"
"If you kid can learn it within a week, I'll give you a treasure!" Odin said with absolute certainty.
"My Lord God King, do your words count?" Rayne's eyes lit up.
"As the ruler of Nine Realms, my words carry the weight of a tripod!" Odin proudly raised his head.
"Then thank you in advance for the reward, God King."
Rayne smiled.
He stopped wasting words and abruptly flipped his right hand.
Hum!
An extremely complex blue sealing rune radiating terrifying thunder pressure instantly condensed and formed perfectly in the palm of his hand!
The air in the entire tea room trembled along with it.
Odin was dumbfounded on the spot.
Holy crap!
What the hell is this!
This sealing technique was constructed by him using pure thunder divine power!
How could this kid completely master it in just half a day—no, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?!
Even his proud biological son Thor had failed to learn it after being taught for several years!
Throughout Asgard, besides him, only Heimdall had barely touched the threshold.
On Earth, was there really such an unreasonable, monstrous genius?
The corners of Odin's mouth twitched wildly.
Having just bragged so boldly, he was fiercely slapped in the face the very next second. His old face was completely disgraced today.
Looking at that perfect sealing rune in Rayne's hand.
A strong surge of envy suddenly welled up in Odin's heart.
If Thor had half of this kid's talent, he wouldn't need to worry so much about the damn business of the Nine Realms and could have long since retired in peace.
"Ancient One, your Kamar-Taj really is crouching tiger, hidden dragon," Odin said with a sour tone.
"Not at all, it's all thanks to this child working hard himself."
Ancient One forcefully held back her smile, already blooming with joy inside.
Being able to make the high-and-mighty God King deflate, this feeling couldn't be more satisfying.
Of course, the disciple's benefits could not be forgotten.
"Rayne, why aren't you quickly thanking the God King for his reward?" Ancient One quickly added fuel to the fire on the side.
"Humph!"
With a dark face, Odin let out a cold snort, unwillingly took something out from his bosom, and directly tossed it toward Rayne.
Chapter 98: Sealing Technique Mutates! Odin's Mentality Completely Collapses! Ryan reached out and caught it.
This was a metal short staff that looked just like an old-fashioned flashlight, its surface engraved with complex ancient runes.
"This is the wand Agamotto used back then, which can amplify the power of the vast majority of magic."
Odin explained with a stiff tone.
As the Lord of the Nine Realms who had lived for over a million years.
What good things had Odin not seen?
The magical artifacts in his treasury piled up like mountains, and casually pulling out one could stir up bloody storms on Earth.
He was willing to give this wand, on one hand, because he accepted his loss and didn't want to lose the King of Gods' face in front of Ancient One.
On the other hand, it was also with the intention of forming a good bond.
His time limit was approaching.
Once he died, Asgard would lose its most powerful protection.
That stupid son of his, Thor, whose brain was filled only with muscles, simply couldn't hold down the fort.
If someone like Ryan, an peerless monstrous talent with boundless prospects, could be befriended, perhaps he could give Asgard a pull at a critical moment in the future.
"Many thanks for the King of Gods' reward!"
Ryan held the wand of Agamotto, blooming with joy in his heart.
The ancestral treasure of the Sorcerer Supreme lineage was definitely a good thing.
"Alright, enough idle chatter, we should set out. Time is tight." Odin interrupted Ryan expressionlessly.
Ancient One nodded.
Odin raised his hand and violently tore through the void.
A deep blue spatial crack formed instantly.
The three of them stepped into the crack one by one.
The next second.
They appeared on an extremely desolate cliff grassland. The sea wind howled, and there were no human traces around.
Ryan stood still, releasing his spiritual power to carefully perceive the surroundings.
At first glance, this was just an ordinary grassland.
But with deeper investigation, one could sense that in the surrounding air, an extremely chilling and sickening dark aura faintly permeated.
Odin did not speak, heavily slamming the scepter in his hand downwards.
Hum!
The space ahead seemed as if someone had peeled back a layer of curtain.
A huge sealing array, over a hundred meters high and intertwined with countless violent blue thunders, shockingly appeared before the three of them!
Looking at this thunder seal that connected heaven and Earth, Ryan was secretly shocked.
As expected of the God King Odin.
This technique of utilizing pure thunder divine power to the extreme was truly breathtaking.
If he were to break through by force, he would probably have to go through a lot of trouble.
However.
At this moment, this thunder seal that should have been indestructible was actually covered with dense cracks!
Traces of extremely pure black Death aura were crazily escaping along these cracks.
Just smelling this aura made one feel chilled all over, as if their vitality was slowly being sucked away.
"The thing inside is getting harder to suppress."
Odin looked at the crumbling seal, his voice incomparably heavy.
Hela was the Goddess of Death of Asgard.
As long as Asgard existed, her power was endless.
The reason Odin had sealed her on Earth back then was precisely to cut off her connection with Asgard and weaken her power.
But looking at it now, Hela's power was still terrifyingly despair-inducing.
"I'll go first."
Ancient One's expression was solemn as she stepped forward.
Her hands quickly formed seals, and a complicated blue hexagram magic array instantly formed in her palm.
Boom!
Ancient One pushed out with both palms, and the hexagram magic array directly imprinted on the surface of the thunder seal.
With the two layers of seals overlapping, those continuously escaping black Death auras were instantly suppressed by quite a bit.
"Odin, this seal of mine can only help you buy a few years at most."
Ancient One withdrew her hands, her complexion slightly pale.
"A few years is enough. Delaying it for a day counts for a day."
Odin nodded.
He turned his head to look at Ryan: "Kid, it's your turn. Use the sealing technique you just learned, add that seal of yours, and it should be able to last for a while longer."
"Understood."
Ryan stepped forward.
He slowly raised his right hand.
"Ding!"
"The [Asgardian Sealing Technique] has detected extremely rich origin thunder divine power!"
"The [Asgardian Sealing Technique] is as hungry and thirsty as ever, and has begun crazily devouring the divine power Odin left behind in the air!"
"Ding!"
"Devouring complete! The [Asgardian Sealing Technique] has undergone a deep mutation!"
"The [Asgardian Sealing Technique] unlocks the god-level sealing effect! Sealing strength forcibly increased by five hundred percent!"
Listening to the continuous system prompt sounds in his mind.
The corners of Ryan's mouth curved up slightly.
This skill really ate wherever it went; it even dared to steal the God King's divine power!
With a thought in Ryan's mind, a trace of extremely dazzling blue light instantly lit up in the palm of his right hand.
Odin, standing beside him, suddenly shrank his pupils upon seeing this blue light!
This...
This was pure divine power?!
Monstrous waves surged in Odin's heart!
How could this be possible!
Ryan was clearly just a human mage; what he used should be the magic power drifting in the Multiverse!
Even if he learned Asgard's sealing technique, he should only be able to use magic power to simulate the effects of divine arts.
How could he directly release divine power?
Moreover, the aura of this divine power was actually of the same origin as his thunder divine power, and even purer!
Acquired life forms were absolutely incapable of cultivating divine power! Unless he was a direct descendant of some ancient god!
What on Earth was this kid's background?!
Odin's mind was in a complete mess, utterly bewildered.
Ryan ignored Odin's shock.
The blue light in his palm quickly outlined, and in the blink of an eye, a complex rune flowing with starlight was perfectly condensed and formed.
Ancient One, next to him, was also slightly stunned upon seeing this rune.
She had also cast a seal just now, but why did the aura on Ryan's rune feel several grades stronger than hers?
Ryan shoved his right hand fiercely forward.
Hum—!
This rune, which was only the size of a palm, swelled against the wind!
In an instant, it transformed into a giant divine seal over a hundred meters high, carrying the terrifying momentum of suppressing everything, and smashed heavily onto the outermost seal!
Boom!
A muffled, loud explosion.
The three layers of seals completely merged!
The black Death aura that was originally struggling continuously and trying to escape outwards, the moment Ryan's seal pressed down, acted as if it had encountered some extremely terrifying natural enemy.
It was instantly suppressed firmly back into the depths of the cage, unable to leak even a trace of a gap!
The entire cliff grassland returned to calm once again.
Odin stared dead at that flawless giant seal, his entire person frozen.
Incredible, he stretched out his index finger, a faint thunder light lit up at his fingertip, and he gently touched the outermost sealing barrier.
Bang!
The thunder light at Odin's fingertip was actually shattered directly by the rebound force of the seal!
Odin and Ancient One simultaneously drew a sharp breath.
What kind of perverted strength was this special thing!
Even the divine power of Odin, the caster himself, couldn't pierce through this layer of seal?!
"This is great."
Ancient One looked at the indestructible seal and couldn't help exclaiming: "With this seal here, Hela won't even think about coming out from inside for the rest of her life."
Odin stood blankly in place, unable to say a single word.
He had lived for over a million years!
He was the strongest and oldest king of the Nine Realms!
He could destroy a Planet with a single spear!
To reinforce this seal, he had spent a hundred years of painstaking effort, even willing to overdraw his remaining meager vitality, yet he still couldn't completely suppress Hela!
But now.
Ryan, this greenhorn kid.
Having just learned the sealing technique for half a day, he casually slapped down a rune.
And it directly sealed Hela away completely?!
Was there still any justice in this world!
Where on Earth had the link gone wrong!
Odin looked at Ryan, who was standing aside looking completely harmless to humans and animals, and felt that his mentality had completely collapsed.
If he couldn't beat him, he really wanted to strangle this kid to Death right now and then announce to the entire Universe:
This fellow is not a human at all, this is a thorough cosmic-level freak!
Chapter 99: Tony Stark Comes Knocking! The Absurd Regulatory Accords!
Tony Stark Comes Knocking! The Absurd Regulatory Accords!
Ever since Odin came...
Kamar-Taj returned to its former peace once more.
Regarding the visit of the King of Gods, apart from Ancient One and Ryan, no one else knew.
Ryan's days continued to be as bland as plain water.
Every day consisted of staying in the library browsing ancient texts, and occasionally going to the training ground to guide Strange.
That afternoon.
Ryan was holding a thick book of magic grimoire and reading it with great relish.
Suddenly.
A wave of noisy commotion came from outside.
Ryan furrowed his brow slightly.
The mages of Kamar-Taj usually paid great attention to self-cultivation, and the Sanctuary had always been quiet.
A situation like this loud commotion was extremely rare.
"What happened?"
Ryan put down the grimoire, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Just as he walked to the plaza, he saw several patrolling combat mages twisting the arms of a man wearing an expensive custom suit, aggressively walking toward the main hall.
After seeing the man's face clearly, Ryan was directly stunned.
How did this guy run over here?
"Archmage!"
Seeing Ryan, the several mages immediately stopped and respectfully bowed their heads in salute.
"What is going on? Where did this guy come from?" Ryan asked, pointing at the detained man.
"Reporting to the Archmage, we were just patrolling the periphery of the Sanctuary when this person suddenly fell from the sky. He doesn't look like a good person, so we caught him first, preparing to hand him over to Mordo for interrogation," reported a mage.
Ever since the invasions by aliens and Ultron a few times prior,
the security level of Kamar-Taj was maxed out straight, and a strict patrol network was deployed on the periphery.
Ryan couldn't help rubbing his brow, feeling a burst of headache.
"Hi! Ryan! We are comrades who saved the World together after all, this treatment is too poor!"
Being held down, Tony Stark tried hard to lift his chin and loudly complained to Ryan.
"How did you find this place?"
Ryan asked speechlessly.
Kamar-Taj is a magic sanctuary hidden deep in the Himalayas, surrounded by powerful illusion barriers.
Ordinary people couldn't find it even if they tore up the map.
"What's so hard about this?"
Tony Stark looked smug: "Last time Ultron invaded your regional network, I followed the physical location of that IP address and let the armor fly all the way here."
Ryan's face darkened instantly.
These tech guys are really persistent.
"Alright, let him go. I know this person, I'll handle it." Ryan waved his hand at the mages.
"As you command, Archmage."
The mages let go of their hands and retreated to the side.
Tony Stark rubbed his pinched shoulder and tidied up his expensive handmade suit.
"Ryan, the security here has a really hot temper." Tonycurled his lips.
"You should be content." Ryan rolled his eyes, "In the past, outsiders trespassing in the Sanctuary would have been chopped into pieces and thrown into a different dimension long ago."
Tony smiled and didn't mind, starting to curiously look around at the antique buildings.
"I can't tell, your status in this mysterious organization is quite high. Do they all call you Archmage?"
Ryan didn't pick up the topic, directly bringing Tony to a nearby quiet room.
"Speak, the famous Iron Man, not living in the luxurious buildings in New York, what are you running to our deep mountains and old forests to do?"
"Kamar-Taj has never received outside guests. Letting you in today is already considered breaking the rules." Ryan's tone was calm.
The reason Kamar-Taj avoids the World is to prevent mages from being tainted by too many worldly desires and affecting their practice of magic.
"Then your lives are too boring." Tony complained from the side.
"Talk about business." Ryan knocked on the table impatiently.
This playboy, no matter how many things he experienced, still couldn't get rid of that flippant virtue.
Tony put away his smile, and his expression turned serious.
"I came today to ask you for a favor."
"You participated in that battle in Sokovia, you should know better than anyone. Those people with supernatural abilities, if unrestrained, once they lose control, it is a devastating disaster for ordinary people."
"Therefore, I hope that you in Kamar-Taj can also join and sign the Sokovia Accords."
"And, I need you to step forward and help me persuade Captain and the others."
Tony stared fixedly at Ryan, a trace of expectation in his eyes.
Hearing these words, Ryan almost laughed out loud directly.
Tony Stark oh Tony Stark, did you study too much technology and have a short circuit in your brain?
The dignified helmsman of Stark Industries, one of the World's largest arms dealers and capitalists.
Actually believing that so-called regulatory accord in the mouths of politicians?
"Mr. Stark, I think you might have some misunderstanding about Kamar-Taj."
Ryan shook his head, a trace of sarcasm in his tone.
"We and the outside worldly society are completely two parallel lines."
"We do not interfere with worldly regime changes, nor do we participate in your boring political struggles."
"We only have one duty, and that is to resist the invasion of demon gods from other dimensions and guard the magicbarrier of Earth."
"You want us to sign that whatever lousy accord and be regulated by those politicians?"
"You found the wrong person."
Ryan refused neatly and cleanly.
Let alone that it was impossible for him to wade into this muddy water.
Just letting the mages of Kamar-Taj obey the command of a bunch of ordinary politicians itself was a huge joke.
Back during the Battle of New York, those politicians threw nuclear bombs at Manhattan without hesitation!
Handing over the power to protect Earth to such people? Ryan felt it would be better to let Thanos come early and snap his fingers.
Even if he really wanted to intervene in the civil war, he would definitely stand on Steve's side.
"Master Ryan, since you possess such powerful power, shouldn't you be regulated?"
Tony seemed a bit excited: "Didn't you see how many innocent civilians died because power was unrestrained?"
"Mr. Stark, it seems you are still too naive."
Ryan looked at him coldly: "As long as there is war, people will definitely die. This is the cruel rule."
"We can only do our best to save those we can save. As for those we cannot save, we can only say our conscience is clear."
"Also."
"Do you really think that by handing over the control of superheroes to the government, civilians will not be harmed?"
"The dirty things your U.S. Military and those politicians do behind the scenes, the civilians they killed, are probably far more than the aliens, right?" Ryan sneered mercilessly.
In this World, the most untrustworthy things are those politicians full of benevolence and morality.
Tony Stark actually wanted to hand over the safety of all mankind to these capitalists and politicians who valued profits more than life.
This is simply handing over the flock of sheep to evil wolves for safekeeping.
Ryan didn't know whether to say he was naive or stupid.
"Alright, enough nonsense."
"I'll open a Portal right away and send you back to New York."
"As for the bloody soap opera inside your Avengers, I have no interest in watching it, let alone participating."
Ryan stood up, raised his right hand, and prepared to draw a Portal.
"I'm afraid it's too late."
Tony suddenly sighed and spread his hands.
"What do you mean?" Ryan frowned.
"They are almost here."
Tony looked at Ryan with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "Since I can't persuade you to join us."
"Then I can only settle for second best and ask you to be a referee for us."
"I hope you can step forward and watch us finish fighting this 'civil war'."
In fact, deep down, Tony didn't want to truly fall out with Steve and the others.
In his view, this was just an internal family quarrel about ideas. Fighting a bit and venting would make it pass.
He didn't realize at all what kind of fatal conspiracy was hidden behind this civil war.
Therefore, he wanted to find Ryan, a powerhouse with absolute strength, to act as insurance.
With Ryan present, no matter how fierce the fight, human lives would definitely not be lost.
In Tony's subconscious, helping each other among superheroes was a matter of course.
He never thought that Ryan would refuse this seemingly "simple" request.
Ryan looked at Tony Stark, who was talking to himself in front of him.
His face was full of inexplicable puzzlement.
Does this guy have a masochistic tendency?
Finding me to be a referee?
Really treating me like a bored neighborhood committee busybody?
Chapter 100: Melee magic? One punch shattered Vision's Vibranium arm!
Looking at Tony Stark, Rein felt that this guy was seriously sick.
Running all the way here to ask him for help?
Are we that close?
At best, they had only crossed paths a few times on the battlefield.
And every single time, wasn't it he who stepped in to clean up the mess for you so-called superheroes?
You guys owe me so many favors you can barely pay them back, and now that you're having an internal conflict at home, you come running to me to take a side?
It was simply inexplicable.
"Mr. Stark, I'll say this one last time."
"The mages of Kamar-Taj are only responsible for defending against cross-dimensional threats. We don't get involved in the political games and superhero make-believe of your secular world."
Rein's tone turned cold, and he directly issued an order to see him out.
"However, since you possess such powerful power, you should shoulder the responsibility of a superhero..." Tonywas still trying to use his theory to persuade Rein.
"Sorry, I'm not some superhero. I'm just a mage reading books deep in the mountains."
Rein couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense anymore.
He raised his right hand and casually snapped his fingers.
Hum!
A golden halo instantly unfolded at Tony's feet.
"Ah!"
Before Tony could react, he fell straight down, and the Portal closed instantly.
The next second.
Tony Stark fell with a thud onto the soft Persian rug of his New York headquarters building.
He got up disheveled, looked around the familiar luxury decoration, and the expression on his face was extremely complicated.
"This... This magic is simply unreasonable."
Every time he experienced this kind of teleportation instantly crossing half of Earth, Tony would feel a deep sense of powerlessness.
This completely subverted his cognition of physics and spatial science.
He hurriedly raised his wrist and checked the data record on his special tactical watch.
As a result, the screen was completely blank.
"Didn't it even record a single parameter of energy fluctuation?"
Tony stared at the blank screen, his brows tightly locked, and his eyes were full of disbelief.
"What dimension of power is this anyway? Why has my detector completely become blind?"
Taking a deep breath, Tony forced himself to calm down.
"Forget it, there's no time to study the principle of magicnow. There's still a big trouble waiting for me to solve."
Tony's face turned gloomy.
Anyway, he must bring Steve back today.
Having signed the accords, the Avengers could continue to exist under the supervision of the United Nations.
If not signed, the government would definitely define them as a terrorist organization, and by then the whole team would really be finished.
"Jarvis, prepare the armor. Lock onto the Captain's location."
Tony sighed, put on the gold-red armor, soared into the sky, and headed straight for the distant mountains.
He knew very well in his heart that Steve must also hold the same purpose, wanting to go to Kamar-Taj to win over Rein as a super foreign aid.
However, Tony believed that with Steve's stubborn set of theories, Rein would never agree to him.
Kamar-Taj.
After sending Tony away, Rein returned to the library, continued to brew a pot of tea, and leisurely flipped through ancient magic books.
As for the Avengers civil war?
What did it have to do with him?
A bunch of people whose combined ages totaled several hundred years old were still fighting in a group like children just because of differing philosophies; it was truly ridiculously childish.
Rein happily took a sip of tea, immersing himself in the ocean of magic knowledge.
However.
Before he could finish reading a page of the book.
Rumble!
A dull roar suddenly came from the periphery of Kamar-Taj, shaking the wooden door of the library to hum.
Rein's hand paused, and his face turned black instantly.
What was the situation?
Another blind guy ran to Kamar-Taj to smash the place?
Rein put down the tea cup and walked out of the library with a dark face.
"What happened outside?" He grabbed a passing battle mage and asked.
"Reporting to the Archmage, there is a group of people in strange costumes fighting outside! The aftermath of the battle hit our peripheral defense barrier, triggering the alarm." The mage reported quickly.
Hearing this, the blue veins on Rein's forehead twitched.
Without guessing, it must be Tony and Steve's gang!
These bastards, fighting at home was one thing, but they even ran to the door of Kamar-Taj to run amok?
They really treated the secluded holy land as a public fighting arena!
Without saying a word, Rein directly tore open a Portaland stepped out in one step.
Just stepping out of the Portal.
He saw two groups of people confronting each other on the snowfield outside the holy land.
On one side was Tony Stark wearing the gold-red armor, standing next to Vision and a few heroes supporting the accords.
On the other side was Steve holding a Vibranium shield, followed by the Scarlet Witch and other opponents.
Both sides were at loggerheads, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme.
"Tony, listen to my explanation, that psychiatrist is the mastermind! Bucky is controlled!" Steve was still trying to explain.
"I only know that your good brother blew up dozens of people in Vienna yesterday! General Ross gave a death order, I must take you back today!" Tony didn't give an inch.
Just when the two were about to make a move.
They noticed Rein walking out of the Portal.
The actions of both sides stopped at the same time.
"Aren't you guys being a bit too presumptuous?"
Rein looked expressionlessly at this group of superheroes, his voice as cold as ice: "If you want to fight, go far away to fight! This is Kamar-Taj, not the back garden of your Avengers!"
Having said that, Rein didn't even chant magic.
He merely released his mental power as vast as the sea.
Rumble!
An extremely terrifying invisible coercion, like Mount Tai pressing down, instantly enveloped everyone present.
Thud! Thud!
Except for Tony wearing armor barely supporting himself, Steve and a few other mortal heroes only felt their legs soften, and were actually directly suppressed by this coercion to sit down on the snow with a thump, panting heavily.
Even Vision, who possessed the body of a god, and the Scarlet Witch, who had just awakened Chaos Magic, were filled with deep fear in their eyes looking at Rein.
What a terrifying power!
Just the aura emitted made them unable to even give birth to the thought of resisting!
"Now, I give you two choices."
Rein looked down at them: "Either shut up immediately and go back to be your superheroes."
"Or, I will beat you up one by one, and then throw you back to New York like throwing garbage."
Hearing this.
Tony and Steve looked at each other; although both were shocked by Rein's aura, the eyes of both remained stubborn.
"Sorry, Mage Rein, I must take them back for investigation." Tony said through gritted teeth.
"I also can't let him take Bucky away, the truth hasn't been found out yet!" Steve likewise refused to back down.
Rein shook his head helplessly.
"It's truly hard to persuade a damned ghost with kind words."
As Rein spoke, he moved his wrists and neck, his bones making a series of crisp popping sounds.
"Since you chose the second path, don't blame me for hitting hard."
"Ding!"
"Your [Yagami Style Ancient Martial Arts] has sensed the host's combat intention!"
"The [Yagami Style Ancient Martial Arts] feels extreme disdain for this group of weaklings who fancy themselves superheroes!"
"The skill strongly demands that the host crush them with pure physical attacks!"
"After a successful challenge, the skill will gain an exceptional evolution!"
Listening to the system prompt in his mind.
Rein raised his eyebrows slightly; this fighting style actually wanted to take the opportunity to farm some experience?
Fine, it's just right to use these stubborn blockheads to practice.
Watching Rein step closer and having no intention of using magic.
Tony swallowed nervously, and immediately turned to look at Vision: "Vision! Your only task is to stop him at all costs!"
The Mind Stone on Vision's forehead flickered a few times, and his mechanical face showed a hint of solemnity.
"I... will try."
Vision slowly rose into the air, blocked in front of Rein, and assumed a fighting stance.
"You're going first, right? Fine."
Rein's tone was flat, his right leg slammed against the ground.
Rumble!
The snowfield exploded into a deep pit.
Rein's figure was like a black lightning bolt, instantly appearing in front of Vision, throwing a straight punch straight toward Vision's face!
Vision reacted extremely quickly, immediately swinging his right fist to meet it.
Bang!
One big and one small fist collided crashingly in mid-air!
An eye-visible white Impact, centered on the two of them, spread wildly around.
The surrounding snow was instantly cleared out in a large area.
Rein stood in place, motionless, without even breathing extra.
And Vision.
Snap!
Accompanying a teeth-aching cracking sound.
Vision's Vibranium arm, reputed to be the most indestructible on Earth, was actually broken backward directly under this punch from Rein!
Countless tiny Vibranium fragments, accompanied by dazzling electric sparks, splashed everywhere!
Gulp!
The surrounding Avengers once again swallowed in unison.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
What the hell kind of situation was this?!
This was Vibranium!
Vibranium that could absorb all kinetic energy and couldn't even be smashed by Hulk!
Was actually shattered with a single punch by a human using pure flesh and blood?!
Steve looked at the shield in his hand, also made of Vibranium, and suddenly felt it was as unreliable as a plastic toy.
Aren't you a mage?!
A melee mage fiercer than Hulk?
Did this still talk about a shred of scientific common sense!