Chapter 2220 - Ch: 191-201

Chapter 191: Sanctum (Part 1)

Early one morning a few days later, Strange appeared at the entrance of the antique shop once again.

Unlike the despair and destitution of his last visit, although his clothes were still old, his eyes held a hint more resolve, and his back was straighter.

He entered the shop, saw klein, and gave a deep bow.

"mr. klein, thank you so much. I found the man with the broken leg you mentioned, and I confirmed through him that he indeed obtained the method to repair his legs from Kamar-Taj.

Please forgive me for not fully trusting you before."

"It's no matter." klein waved his hand, expressing understanding. Doubt was the reaction of a normal person.

Strange took a deep breath and said solemnly, "mr. klein, I have decided to go to Kamar-Taj to find a way to heal my hands. Goodbye. I look forward to our next meeting!"

He turned to leave.

"Wait," klein suddenly spoke.

Strange stopped and looked back.

"If you encounter setbacks, please trust your heart. magic is a power of the mind; if you aren't firm yourself, no one can help you.

Just like now, steady your heart and go heal your hands."

Strange stood rooted to the spot, quietly savoring these words. A few seconds later, he turned back and gave klein another deep bow, more solemn than any before.

"I understand, mr. klein."

...

Over a month passed quietly.

Under Wanda's patient and meticulous guidance, Skye's control over her vibration powers had gradually moved from initial loss of control to preliminary mastery.

She could now precisely trigger small-scale vibrations without suffering significant backlash to herself.

However, once she tried to expand the scale of the vibrations beyond a certain critical point, that violent reaction force would immediately strike her still-ordinary body.

"This is no longer a problem of your ability control," Wandasaid after a practice session, wiping the sweat from Skye's forehead as she spoke to the approaching klein.

"Her physical strength can't keep up with the potential upper limit of her abilities. Forcing more practice will damage her foundation. I can't teach this part anymore."

klein nodded; he had expected this.

The essence of Skye's ability is to trigger and manipulate vibration waves. This is both a powerful offensive method and places extremely high demands on the bearer's body.

"Leave it to me." He turned and went into the back room. After some tinkering, he brought out several medicinal packets wrapped in oil paper and handed them to Skye.

"Every night before bed, dissolve one packet in a large pot of boiling water, then add it to your bathwater. Remember, the water must cover your chest."

Skye took the packets and smelled a Strange scent mixed with the fragrance of plants and trees. "This is?"

"A formula to strengthen tendons and bones, clear the meridians, and solidify the foundation. You took a shortcut by absorbing the crystal energy, but your foundation wasn't solid.

This medicine can help you make up for it and slowly improve your physique. Soaking according to this formula, it will take a year at the fastest or three years at the slowest, and your body should be able to fully endure and unleash the full potential of your abilities.

None of this can be rushed; it requires constant, patient effort."

Skye carefully put away the medicine packets. This feeling of being meticulously planned for and considered for the long term was something she hadn't encountered in all these years, giving her heart a sense of belonging.

This afternoon, klein was in the backyard, instructing Wanda and Skye on some close-quarters combat power techniques and the coordination of energy usage.

Wanda's Chaos Magic leaned toward mid-to-long range and the conceptual level, but supplemented with some of the Eastern martial arts concepts and power delivery methods taught by klein, she could possess impressive close-combat capabilities when necessary.

Skye, on the other hand, needed to learn how to use her body for self-protection when her vibration abilities could not be fully deployed or were restricted.

Just as klein was demonstrating a grappling variation that redirected force, his movements suddenly paused slightly. His gaze seemed to pierce through the courtyard walls, looking toward a distant direction.

"You two practice the points I just mentioned first; find the feeling yourselves." He withdrew his hand and said to the two women, "I'm going out for a bit."

Before his voice had even faded, space rippled with a familiar shimmer, and his figure vanished from the backyard.

The next moment, klein found himself at a quiet alleyway entrance on the streets of New York.

Before him was a building that looked quite historic and simple in style, yet the people walking past it acted as if they saw nothing. This was the New York Sanctum, protected by magic.

However, at this moment, from within this building that should have been quiet and solemn, came bursts of dull thuds and the crisp sound of objects shattering, along with obvious energy fluctuations.

magic glows of gold and dark colors intertwined and flashed across the building's exterior walls and windows. Clearly, an intense battle was taking place inside.

klein did not barge in directly. He just stood quietly outside the Sanctum's barrier, like a bystander who had happened to pass by.

Beside him, the air distorted slightly, and a figure slowly appeared.

Bald, in yellow robes, with the eye of agamotto hanging from her chest—it was the Sorcerer Ancient One.

Only now, her figure was slightly transparent, appearing in a state of astral projection.

"You're just going to watch your prized disciples kill each other in there?" klein didn't turn his head, his gaze still fixed on the Sanctum windows where light occasionally flickered, his tone devoid of emotion.

The Ancient One's voice was as calm as water. "The path of the Sorcerer Supreme has never been one of ease. Selection and trials, battles and choices—these are all necessary paths.

Strange needs this battle to confirm his own path, and he needs an opponent of sufficient weight to hone his newly acquired power."

She paused slightly, her vision also seeming to penetrate the walls to see the battle inside.

"As for Kaecikleins! He was once one of my most diligent students, craving power to reclaim lost time.

Regrettably, he was too obsessive and was ultimately eroded by Dormammu's dark knowledge and the temptation of Eternity. Now, what drives him is mostly greed for the illusion of immortality and a paranoia twisted by dark energy.

Power has consumed his mind; he can no longer master that power, but has instead become its prisoner."

"I hate this kind of drama," klein suddenly curled his lip, showing a hint of mockery.

"It feels like from the moment they're born, some people's trajectories are set. Who is the destined hero, who is the fated villain—they have a fight and complete the so-called program.

All people should be born equal and possess infinite possibilities. Why should they be defined by so-called fate or the planning of some more powerful entity?"

The Ancient One turned her head slightly to look at klein, a flash of inquiry in her eyes. "That sounds very much like a certain collectivist ideology of equality?"

"You could say that in my bones, I identify with the idea that 'nobility is not a matter of blood,' and that 'all power belongs to the people.'

Over on your side, it's always about bloodlines, destiny, and being 'the chosen one.' Dividing people into ranks from birth is something I really can't resonate with.

Why should Strange be destined to become a sorcerer just because he had a car accident? Why should Kaecikleins be doomed to fall just because he lost his loved ones?"

"But," the Ancient One's gaze seemed able to see through many things as she spoke slowly,

"You are living in this system now, klein. Moreover, you possess the ability to influence or even change parts of it. According to the philosophy you mentioned, it seems you should be doing something?"

klein gave a light chuckle, a smile that was somewhat cold and self-deprecating.

"Yes, so I choose to stand by most of the time and respect the fates others choose for themselves. After all, as long as those who die, fall, or suffer aren't people I care about, what does it essentially have to do with me?

The society here hasn't empowered me, and I have no obligation to play the savior. Everyone is struggling within their own class and circumstances. If I can manage myself and my own little patch of land, I've already done right by my conscience."

The Ancient One watched him quietly for a long time before saying softly, "Then, your philosophy sounds less like the action-oriented idealism you claim,

and more like a bystander's philosophy of self-preservation. In terms from your homeland, this seems closer to a Petite-bourgeois tendency than a Bolsheviktruly committed to change."

klein raised an eyebrow, not expecting the Ancient Oneto use that analogy.

Chapter 192: Sanctum (II)

klein scoffed. "You capitalist, how can you even talk about me? The Universe is about to undergo a major upheaval, yet you're ready to pack up and run so decisively, dumping this mess on Strange while you pat your butt and go embrace Eternity. You're really something..."

A calm smile appeared on the Ancient One's face, as if she had seen through everything, though a very faint trace of melancholy flickered deep in her eyes.

"I would not have it so, but this body has long been unable to contain my ever-growing mental power. Going to the Eternity Dimension is a choice born of necessity."

"Born of necessity?" klein curled his lip dismissively, his gaze turning toward the Sanctum. The sounds of energy collisions coming from within were growing more intense, vaguely mixed with a suppressed groan of pain from Strange.

"Look at your prize pupil; he's about to be killed by Kaecikleins. Hmm, his heart has been pierced."

The Ancient One's figure seemed to become a bit more transparent, but her voice remained steady and calm. "That is why I entrusted Strange to you earlier. He needs experience, and he needs help."

"I can help," klein said, crossing his arms and tilting his head at her. "But what's in it for me? You can't expect me to work for free, can you?"

The Ancient One's gaze fell upon klein. "How about the Time Magic contained within Agamotto?"

"I see that your application of time is still quite immature, merely scratching the surface. The true river of time is far more vast and dangerous than what you have seen."

klein narrowed his eyes.

The Ancient One was quite perceptive. Ultear's Time Magic was more focused on application; in terms of fundamental understanding, it was indeed not as deep as the wisdom passed down through countless ages in Kamar-Taj.

This deal wasn't a loss.

"Deal."

Before his voice had even faded, he had already vanished from the spot.

Inside the New York Sanctum, the battle was nearing its end.

The clothing on Strange's chest had been torn open by shadow energy, and a bloody hole that went straight through was gushing blood. He slid to the floor against a broken bookshelf, his face as pale as paper, his life force rapidly fading.

A fanatical black light flickered in Kaecikleins's eyes as he raised a condensed shadow blade high, prepared to deliver the final blow to Strange.

"The game is over, the successor chosen by the Ancient One..."

"Farewell, naive successor. Your era, before it even begins, is about to en—"

"—d."

*Slap!*

A palm appeared out of thin air and struck his cheek squarely. The crisp, loud sound of the slap echoed through the silent Sanctum.

Kaecikleins didn't even see what had happened; he only felt an irresistible, massive force slam into his face.

Like he had been struck by a giant battering ram, he was instantly lifted off the ground, spinning through the air before crashing into a distant bookshelf, buried under a flurry of ancient books and wood splinters.

klein's figure finally materialized clearly. He didn't even look at the flying Kaecikleins, his gaze sweeping over the startled zealot followers nearby.

"Trash belongs in the garbage bin."

With just a thought, he released his Conquerors Haki into the surroundings.

Those fanatical followers, caught in mid-charge or mid-spell, suddenly froze. Their hearts were instantly crushed by silent pressure, the light in their eyes extinguished instantly, and they slumped to the ground without a word.

klein bent down and scooped up the dying Strange, pressing his palm against the gushing wound on his chest.

A flicker of crimson-gold light flashed, and a powerful life force forcibly locked down his final spark of life, temporarily keeping him alive.

In the next moment, space ripples spread out, and the two figures vanished from the wreckage of the New York Sanctum.

Kaecikleins struggled to climb out of the ruins, half of his face swollen high. He looked at the bodies on the floor with a mix of suspicion and fury.

"Who?! Who was it?!" Kaecikleins roared. He couldn't sense any powerful magical fluctuations left behind; the opponent had come and gone like a phantom.

Amidst his shock and anger, he glanced toward the Hong Kong Sanctum, a look of determination flashing across his face. No matter who that person was, the plan had to be accelerated!

"To Hong Kong! Begin the final ritual and welcome the arrival of the Dark Dimension!"

Ignoring the mess in New York, he led his remaining followers and quickly constructed a portal to Hong Kong.

...

The backyard of the Antique Shop.

Space fluctuated, and klein appeared with the dying Strange.

He casually laid Strange flat on the ground. The crimson-gold light in his right palm intensified, and a dense, substantial life energy, mixed with the subtle echoes of time, enveloped the horrific wound on Strange's chest.

Shattered heart tissue, torn blood vessels, and damaged bones healed at a pace visible to the naked eye under the influence of supreme life energy and localized time reversal.

A few seconds later, the bloody hole in Strange's chest had disappeared, leaving only a faint pink scar on the skin.

"Cough! Cough, cough, cough!"

Strange snapped his eyes open, like a drowning man surfacing. He gasped for air, instinctively clutching his chest, his eyes filled with the lingering terror of a near-death experience.

When he saw klein in front of him, and the soul projection of the smiling Sorcerer Ancient One gradually solidifying behind klein, he opened his mouth and hoarsely uttered two words.

"Thank... you..."

He struggled to stand up to ask the Ancient One for help, his gaze full of helplessness in the face of this desperate situation and his reliance on his mentor.

However, the Ancient One only shook her head gently at him.

"Strange, my path has reached its end. But your path has only just begun."

"Protecting the Sanctums, resisting dimensional invasions, and balancing reality—these are the duties of the Sorcerer Supreme, and your destiny."

Her words were like a final testament, ringing in Strange's heart.

"I can no longer lead you forward. The storms ahead are yours to face alone, to make your own choices."

"Remember, true power stems from the will to protect, not from greed for power."

After speaking, the Ancient One turned her gaze to klein and nodded slightly. Her figure, like a reflection in water, slowly faded and finally dissolved into specks of light.

Strange stared blankly at the spot where the Ancient Onehad vanished, then looked at his fully healed chest, and finally turned his gaze toward the indifferent klein as his chaotic thoughts began to clear.

He was no fool; to become a top neurosurgeon, his logic and analytical skills were naturally superior.

He instantly understood the situation. Whether it was the departed Ancient One or the unfathomable klein before him, both clearly had the power to stop this disaster, yet both had placed the burden on his shoulders.

"mr. klein! Why... can't you take action? With your abilities, defeating Kaecikleins and closing the gateway should not be difficult."

klein brushed off non-existent dust from his hands, stood up, and looked down at Strange.

"Strange, you are the Sorcerer Supreme chosen by the Ancient One. Guarding Earth's mystical defenses is your responsibility and your mission."

"If everything required someone else's help to solve, then what would the World need a Sorcerer Supreme for?"

"You are the one who should stand at the front to protect everyone. Not the other way around, where everyone has to constantly think about how to protect you."

"The Ancient One has shown you the path; I have brought you back from the brink. As for the rest, you must walk it yourself."

Chapter 193: Dormammu

Strange looked at klein's calm and steady eyes, and something deep within his own gaze was ignited.

The responsibility to protect, rather than the privilege of being protected.

He took a deep breath, said no more, and raised his hands. Sparks flew as a ring rotated, and a stable, shimmering orange-red portal formed before him.

He gave klein one last look, his eyes filled with complexity, and then stepped into the portal, his figure vanishing behind the dancing sparks.

The portal hummed closed behind him, just as the last spark was about to fade into nothingness.

A faint, almost imperceptible curve tugged at the corner of klein's mouth as he took a silent step forward.

Just before the portal closed completely, he followed closely behind Strange and stepped into Hong Kong.

Above Hong Kong, a storm that no mortal could witness was brewing.

As soon as Strange stepped out of the portal, he felt a heart-stopping darkness and cold.

Kaecikleins and his zealot followers were already standing on the rooftop of the Sanctum, performing the final blasphemous ritual.

Twisted dark energy spread from beneath their feet like tentacles, eroding the Sanctum's ancient protective arrays. The sky was torn open, revealing a massive rift flowing with purple and black energy.

"Too late, Strange!" Kaecikleins turned, a twisted smile of victory on his face. The Darkhold he held emitted waves of destructive energy.

"Witness it! The eternal darkness shall swallow this brief, illusory light!"

Strange wasted no words. The eye of agamotto on his chest glowed with an emerald light as he swung his hands.

Golden magical whips and protective shields manifested simultaneously, clashing violently with the dark tentacles and energy blades controlled by Kaecikleins.

The Hong Kong Sanctum instantly became a battlefield for a magical duel.

Strange was indeed the successor hand-picked by the Ancient One. How long had it been since he was being one-sidedly beaten by Kaecikleins?

Now, he could skillfully use the Sanctum's own defensive nodes to set up a series of magical traps, briefly forcing Kaecikleins into a disadvantage.

However, Kaecikleins's siphoning of the Dark Dimension had reached a point of near-madness. He laughed maniacally, sacrificing his own flesh and soul to forcibly expand the rift in the sky.

"With my body as the bridge! I welcome my Master..."

Along with his shrill and fanatical cry, the rift suddenly expanded. A giant hand composed of pure darkness and scenes of stellar destruction reached out. Its mere presence caused the space-time structure of Hong Kong to groan under the strain.

Then, a massive rift in the shape of a dark face appeared, emitting an endless suction. Kaecikleins was the first to be affected.

"No! My Lord! I am your loyal serv—" The ecstasy on Kaecikleins's face was instantly replaced by boundless terror as he tried to struggle.

But that giant dark hand gently closed, swallowing him along with the dark energy surrounding him.

This ambitious man, who had chased Eternity only to be buried by it, couldn't even let out a final scream before becoming nourishment for the Ruler of the Dark Dimension.

Dormammu had arrived.

Although it wasn't his full physical form—as that would directly crush this dimension—even this projected portion of his will and power was enough to make the Earthtremble.

Darkness poured down from the rift like a living thing. Wherever it passed, matter decayed, energy was annihilated, and even light was swallowed.

Strange's face was pale, but his eyes were exceptionally firm.

He knew that conventional magical attacks were meaningless against such a being. He looked down at the eye of agamotto on his chest; its emerald light was steady and profound.

"Only time... infinite time..."

He flew into the Dark Dimension, grasping the eye of agamotto with both hands and began to channel its power with all his might.

Emerald light soared into the sky, and a ribbon of emerald time-flow spread out from him, enveloping himself, the Hong Kong Sanctum, and the dark realm that was eroding reality.

"Dormammu! I've come to bargain!"

Strange's voice rang out again and again within the looping fragments of time.

Using the power of the Time Stone, he pulled himself and Dormammu into an endless, resetting time loop.

In every loop, Dormammu swallowed Hong Kong, swallowed the Earth, and even swallowed Strange, but in the next moment, time reversed, and everything returned to the starting point.

Strange was tireless, repeating the time loop over and over.

After undergoing thousands, tens of thousands, or perhaps even more cycles, an emotion akin to annoyance appeared for the first time on Dormammu's face, which was filled with scenes of destruction.

For an eternal being like him, time itself had no meaning, but this stalemate of endless repetition with no progress gave him an unpleasant experience.

"...Leave Earth, and never invade again." Strange's voice was already hoarse, but his eyes still burned like the emerald power of time.

The surging darkness paused for a moment as the giant face stared down at the tiny yet resilient sorcerer.

"As you wish, insect. But remember, this is my mercy to you!"

The darkness began to recede like a tide. The rift in the sky contracted violently, but just as the dimensional opening was about to close completely...

A figure, without any warning, stepped against the receding flood of darkness and into the closing rift! It was as if he had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

It was klein.

Before Strange's shocked eyes, he had actively broken into the territory of the Dark Dimension!

The rift closed completely behind klein, and the anomalies over Hong Kong quickly dissipated, leaving behind only a bewildered and confused Strange.

...

In the Dark Dimension, there was no up, down, left, or right, and no conventional concepts of matter and energy. There was only endlessly churning darkness that possessed the quality of swallowing and assimilating everything, along with spots of light that looked like stellar remains and fragments of destroyed Worlds.

Dormammu's will filled every inch of space; here, he was the law, he was everything.

klein stood suspended in this pure darkness, his form as tiny as a speck of dust.

But within him, the Phoenix Force, Vishanti magic, Haki, the Speed Force, Time Magic, and many other energies and insights from different Worlds were slowly awakening in a mysterious balance, like a dormant volcano beginning to heat up.

klein had been stuck at the Skyfather level bottleneck for too long.

Conventional meditation, or even sparring with opponents on Earth, could no longer bring about a qualitative change.

He needed pressure—the true terror of being on the edge of death—to force out all his potential and complete the ultimate transition.

And Dormammu, this Universal level Ruler of the Dark Dimension—a being that even the Ancient One had to contend with using the power of the Vishanti and the Time Stone—was the perfect whetstone and stepping stone he had chosen for himself!

"Another intruder?" Dormammu's will exploded before klein like billions of thunderclaps at once, carrying the lingering rage from being toyed with by Strange and the violent fury at this new intruder's audacity. "Insect! You have chosen annihilation!"

The endless darkness instantly came alive, transforming into billions of tentacles capable of tearing stars apart. Carrying the terrifying power to corrupt souls and annihilate all things, they closed in to crush klein from all directions!

For the first time, the crimson-gold flames in klein's eyes burned without reservation.

"Perfect."

He murmured to himself. Facing the dark tide that seemed capable of ending everything, he didn't retreat. Instead, he lunged forward and threw a punch!

Chapter 194: Dormammu (Part 2)

The moment klein's fist collided with the dark tentacles, the entire Dark Dimension trembled.

The crimson-gold Phoenix Force was like the first ray of light at the dawn of the Universe, tearing through the deathly silence of the Dark Dimension.

Wherever his fist passed, the tentacles melted like snow under a scorching sun, letting out silent shrieks.

"Interesting," Dormammu's voice echoed from all directions, "You are different from that sorcerer; you carry diversity."

The moment billions of tentacles were destroyed, billions more were reborn.

But this time, they were no longer simple condensations of darkness; instead, they transformed into forms familiar to klein's memory.

The Iron Legion, Ultron sentries, fragments of Sokovia's buildings, and even afterimages of every enemy he had ever faced.

Dormammu was reading his memories, using his most familiar fears to attack him.

"Tricks of a petty bug." klein snorted coldly, his body flickering as the Speed Force erupted.

In the Dark Dimension where time was nearly stagnant, he turned into a streak of crimson-gold lightning, weaving through the gaps between the tentacles at unimaginable speeds.

With every flash, a rune containing Vishanti Magic was etched by him into the void.

"Binding Rings of Vishanti."

Seventy-two runes lit up simultaneously, forming a massive magic circle covering several square kilometers.

Laws of light and order forcibly carved out a domain belonging to klein within this darkness.

As soon as the tentacles entered the range of the magiccircle, they were like stuck in a quagmire, their movements slowing down a hundredfold.

"Order? Laws? Here, I am the law!"

For the first time, a ripple appeared in Dormammu's will.

That face composed of stellar debris and scenes of destruction manifested again in the darkness; the magiccircle klein had laid down began to collapse, the runes extinguishing one by one as if they had never existed.

klein's expression changed slightly as he retreated rapidly, his hands forming seals at the same time.

"Time Corridor!"

He utilized his newly acquired Time Magic, laying down layers upon layers of time barriers in front of him.

Each layer existed in a different flow of time, ranging from ten-thousand-fold acceleration to near-stasis.

"You have mastered the surface of time, but time itself will be swallowed by an even more powerful existence."

The Dark Dimension began to collapse, as if the entire Universe were pressing down upon klein.

klein felt every cell in his body screaming; the Phoenix Force spontaneously protected him, forming a layer of crimson-gold flame armor on his skin to resist the dimensional pressure.

klein could feel that if this continued, in less than three minutes, he would be completely crushed and erased from the level of existence.

"It's time..." klein closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking deep into his body.

The Phoenix Force within him was like a burning star, the Vishanti Magic like the warp and weft of order, Haki like solidified will, and the Speed Force like vibrating strings of time,

Ultear's Time Magic was like a flowing river of time, and the Power of Thunder was like a neural network...

Under the extreme pressure, klein intended to melt all his powers into one furnace, forging a path that belonged solely to him.

He let go of control, allowing the dimensional pressure to act directly on the core of these powers.

At the critical point between life and death, klein's will was like quenched divine iron, suddenly piercing through all power systems.

Under the extreme pressure, all the powers began to truly blend together.

The first wisp of fused power was born.

It had no attributes, yet it could transform into any attribute. It was like the primordial chaos, yet also like the void that ends all things.

klein opened his eyes; there were no pupils left, only a swirling vortex of stars containing infinite possibilities.

Facing the collapsing and squeezing Dark Dimension, klein extended a single finger.

There was no world-shaking explosion, no dazzling light.

Simply at the point his fingertip touched, the darkness vanished silently, like a pencil drawing being erased.

The area where that point was located turned into a void; even the concept of darkness itself no longer existed.

For the first time, a hint of wariness appeared in Dormammu's will.

"What power is this? This doesn't belong to any known system of laws!"

"This is my own law." klein stepped through the air; with every step he took, the darkness beneath his feet restored into pure void.

He was no longer passively defending; he began to take the offensive.

klein stood in the air, crimson-gold light flowing around him, the swirling star vortexes in his eyes seemingly reflecting the truths of the entire Universe.

He lightly clenched his fist, feeling the brand-new power within his body.

"Dormammu, this ends now."

No flashy moves, no complex magic circles—just a simple, straightforward punch thrown out.

Wherever the fist-force passed, the Dark Dimensionturned into pure nothingness silently, like a pencil drawing being rubbed away.

"Curse you! Darkness is eternal!" Dormammu roared, and the entire Dark Dimension began to contract violently, intending to crush klein completely within this domain of his.

But this time, the power of the dimensional collapse was blocked by an invisible barrier three feet away from klein's body.

klein threw another punch, smashing toward Dormammu's massive face.

Dormammu frantically mobilized the power of the entire dimension, condensing billions of dark barriers in front of him, each enough to withstand a full-force blow from a Skyfather level expert.

But klein's fist seemed to ignore all concepts of defense.

The billions of barriers shattered like bubbles upon contact. The fist-force was unstoppable, finally landing squarely on Dormammu's face.

The entire Dark Dimension shook violently, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on that massive face.

"Impossible! I am immortal! As long as the Dark Dimensionexists, I am eternal!" Dormammu bellowed, and the cracks began to heal rapidly.

But klein just looked at him calmly.

"Haven't you noticed? Wherever my power passes, even the concept of existence is rewritten. Your recovery is getting slower and slower."

Only then did Dormammu realize with horror that the healing speed of those cracks was more than a hundred times slower than normal.

And the void regions left by klein's fists were actually slowly eroding the surrounding darkness, preventing the dimension's self-repair.

This power fundamentally negated the very foundation of the Dark Dimension's existence.

"You... what kind of monster are you?!" For the first time, genuine fear appeared in Dormammu's voice.

"I'm your daddy? Dammit, you idiot! Why does every villain ask this kind of question?"

Another punch was thrown.

Even the flow of time was infinitely slowed down, and Dormammu's consciousness was trapped in this nearly eternal time cage, watching helplessly as his dark power was erased and purified bit by bit.

"No!!!"

Dormammu let out a desperate shriek. He finally understood that if the battle continued, he really would die.

At this moment, the sovereign who had ruled the Dark Dimension for countless eons made the most humiliating, yet wisest, decision since his birth.

The entire Dark Dimension began to vibrate violently, and Dormammu's shattered face faded rapidly.

At the cost of sacrificing thirty percent of the dimension's origin, he forcibly expelled the area where klein was located from the Dark Dimension.

Then, like a startled octopus, he spat out a cloud of dark ink and instantly vanished into the cracks of the multiverse, fleeing for his life.

klein watched the direction in which Dormammu had fled and slowly withdrew his fist.

"He runs quite fast."

If it truly came down to a fight to the death, he certainly had the confidence to keep Dormammu there forever, but the price would have been equally enormous. Moreover, his newly ascended power was still unstable; forcing it to the limit might have damaged his foundation.

More importantly, whether Dormammu lived or died no longer mattered to him.

The goal of this battle had been achieved: to complete the ultimate leap under the pressure of life and death and step into the Single Universe level.

And Dormammu, as the best whetstone, had indeed helped him temper his sharpest blade.

Chapter 195: The Accord

Seeing klein return, Strange was full of surprise. "mr. klein, did you go to the Dark Dimension?"

"Yeah," klein patted his sleeves as if dusting them off. "Met with Dormammu, chatted about the weather, human geography, that sort of thing. Anyway, we had a good chat, and he promised not to come to Earth anymore."

Strange's expression was complicated; he clearly didn't believe it. That was the ruler of the Dark Dimension—could they really have a 'good chat'? Was he joking?

"Oh, why do you care so much? Anyway, he promised not to come, so isn't that good? Alright, clean up this mess yourself, I'm heading out."

Before Strange could ask anything else, klein had already vanished from the spot with a teleportation.

The next second, he appeared inside the antique shop in New York.

The moment the door opened, Wanda immediately came to meet him, her eyes filled with obvious worry. "I felt a wave of extremely dangerous magic fluctuations just now. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," klein smiled and pinched her cheek. "Your senses are very sharp, but the matter has been resolved."

Wanda looked him over carefully, and after confirming he wasn't injured, she let out a sigh of relief and leaned gently against his shoulder.

After spending some tender moments with klein, Wandabegan preparing lunch. Before long, several simple yet fragrant home-cooked dishes were placed on the table.

After the meal, klein flopped comfortably onto the sofa, crossed his legs, and leisurely picked his teeth.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and someone entered the shop. klein stood up to greet the customer.

"Hey! klein! Long time no see, how have you been?" Tonyspread his arms as he walked in, his tone exaggerated as he attempted a hug.

Seeing that the visitor was Tony Stark, klein nimbly stepped aside to avoid him. He reached out to take his teacup from the tray held by 2B and gave him a look of disdain.

"Stop. Hold it right there. I'm fine. Besides, it's only been about a month at most since we last met; that hardly counts as 'long time'. If you have something to say, say it. Don't give me all this fluff."

Tony's exaggerated expression stiffened for a moment before he shrugged. Not standing on ceremony, he found a chair and sat down as 2B handed him a cup of black coffee.

"Fine, let's get straight to the point." Tony took a sip of coffee and set the cup down.

"The draft of the 'Enhanced Individuals Registration and Management Framework' led by the United Nations—you should know about it by now, right? What do you think?"

klein blew on the tea leaves floating in his cup, not even looking up. "No thoughts. I'm definitely not signing it."

Tony seemed to have expected this answer, but his brow still furrowed. "Why? klein, isn't unified oversight and management a good thing? With clear rules and reporting procedures,"

"at the very least, it can to a large extent prevent or quickly respond to catastrophic events like Sokovia from happening again! We need order!"

"Order?" klein scoffed, set down his teacup, and looked at Tony with a playful gaze.

"Whose order? Who executes it? If the people who set the rules and enforce them one day turn into HYDRA, what then? Or perhaps, bastards even more high-sounding than HYDRA?"

"That's the United Nations! It's a framework collectively recognized by the international community! Not HYDRA!" Tony raised his voice.

"What about the United Nations?" klein didn't back down an inch.

"Nick Fury was the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., yet didn't a whole nest of HYDRA hide right under him? Power structures—today it belongs to Zhang, tomorrow it could belong to Li."

"How can you guarantee that framework will never be infiltrated or exploited by ambitious men? When that time comes, do those of us who signed and registered listen to them, or to our own consciences?"

"If they want us to do dirty work to protect the special interests of some officials or some corner of the globe, do we obey or resist?"

Tony opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by klein's rapid-fire questions.

"Furthermore," klein leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying a hint of mockery,

"controlling enhanced individuals? The idea is nice. But how do you manage them? With what?"

"Relying on a piece of paper and a few high-ranking officials sitting in a conference room drinking coffee—who probably don't even understand what superpowers are—making snap decisions?"

"To decide the future and code of conduct for the World's enhanced individuals? Tony, use that billion-dollar brain of yours and think: is that realistic?"

"We need to start! We need to try!" Tony tapped his finger on the table somewhat anxiously.

"We can't do nothing just because we're afraid of failure! Lagos, Sokovia... you've seen the public pressure and the international condemnation! We must do something to rebuild trust, to build a firewall!"

"Trust isn't forced out by signing names, and firewalls aren't built on wishful frameworks." klein's tone and stance remained firm.

"Tony, the key to this matter isn't whether we as individuals are willing to be managed, but whether they actually have the ability, the qualification, and whether they will abuse that power. Do you understand?"

He looked Tony straight in the eye. "Who can guarantee that once they pass the bill and truly gain the nominal power to dispatch or even command Avengers-level forces,"

"they won't use that power to achieve their political goals, commercial ambitions, or any private desires? Have the lessons of the Insight Project been forgotten so quickly?"

Tony's expression shifted, and his fingers curled unconsciously. The tragedy of Ultron was indeed a wound in his heart that was hard to heal.

This was also one of the reasons why he wanted to sign this document—so someone could restrain him, so he wouldn't fly off the handle so much.

"Oversight is right, but if the path and method are wrong, it's more terrifying than no oversight at all."

"This isn't something a few politicians can decide in a meeting. Go back and think about it carefully—think about what you are truly fighting for, and where you might be leading your comrades."

Silence fell over the living room, broken only by the faint sound of 2B quietly clearing the dishes.

Tony sat there, his brow furrowed, his eyes shifting with complex emotions.

He had come with the intention of persuading klein, or at least gaining his understanding, perhaps even with a sense of mission to implement a new order.

But now, those words were like ice water poured over his head, cooling his heated mind but leaving him in deeper conflict and uncertainty.

After a long while, he slowly stood up. He said nothing more, only nodded to klein with an uncertain expression, and turned toward the door.

"Tony," klein spoke behind him.

Tony stopped in his tracks but didn't look back.

"Do what you think is right, but don't forget to look where you're stepping. Be careful not to step into a pit someone else dug while thinking it's a broad highway."

Tony nodded, pulled open the door, and disappeared into the bright but somewhat piercing sunlight outside.

Chapter 196: Going on a Trip

After Tony left, Wanda sighed softly, walked over to klein, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you really not going to try and persuade him? I'm worried Tony will make a decision he'll regret."

klein took her hand and shook his head. "Some paths must be walked alone, and some falls must be taken personally. Tony is too smart and too conceited; he won't turn back until he hits a dead end."

He stood up and stretched his body. "Besides, with those old guys at the United Nations bickering, there won't be a result for a year or so. Why should we stay here just to watch them argue?"

Wanda's eyes lit up. "You mean?"

"Vacation!" klein waved his hand grandly. "In all the world, vacation is the most important thing! The Superhuman Registration Act? None of our business! Let them argue their heads off in Washington; we're going sightseeing!"

No sooner said than done. klein immediately started making calls to arrange it.

He first contacted Aunt May and told her to bring Peterand his little girlfriend, Mary Jane.

Next, klein made a call to a professional luxury RV rental company and directly booked a top-of-the-line motorhome.

It featured expandable space, a panoramic sunroof, a private bedroom, a split bathroom, a full-function kitchen, and even a small media room.

klein had money now; if he was going to play, he was going to do it comfortably!

A few days later, everything was ready.

Wearing a gaudy Hawaiian shirt, beach shorts, flip-flops, and sunglasses, klein was the first to hop out of the car.

"Is everyone ready? Ladies, let's head out!"

Wanda was dressed in a simple floral dress and a straw hat.

Skye carried a backpack stuffed with information on attractions along the way and emergency supplies she had researched.

Pietro was the most excited; he had long since changed into a sports tank top and shorts, circling the RV countless times to check every tire, itching to show off his driving skills like the God of Mount Akina.

Although his heart was that of Schumacher, his hands were effectively handicapped; the damn guy had failed his driving test three times. Would klein dare let him drive?

2B had already loaded all the traffic, gas station, and camping area information for the entire route and had planned three alternative options.

Aunt May arrived with Peter and Mary Jane as well.

Aunt May had prepared a large bag of homemade sandwiches, salads, and cookies, while Peter carried his camera, ready to document the scenery along the way.

After all, he was a professional; for a physics student to work at a newspaper was truly something else.

"Everyone's here! Get in the car, let's go!" klein waved his hand high-spiritedly.

They traveled slowly along the northeastern coastline.

In Acadia National Park, they hiked through lush green forests and climbed rugged reefs, watching the waves crash against the shore and seagulls soar.

Afterward, they headed south.

Crossing through bustling New York State and historic Philadelphia, they spent a lazy afternoon on the vast beaches of South Carolina.

Then, the journey continued westward.

They drove through the magnificent Great Smoky Mountains National Park, listened to country music in Tennessee, and tasted authentic barbecue.

They crossed the vast plains of the Midwest, looking at endless wheat fields and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

Finally, their destination was the West Coast.

Along the famous California Highway 1, steep, towering cliffs and mountains were on the right, while the vast, azure Pacific Ocean was on the left.

With the sea breeze on their faces and picturesque scenery, they stopped in Santa Barbara to experience the leisure of a Spanish-style town.

In Los Angeles, they went to the Walk of Fame like ordinary tourists.

klein didn't tell Tony, but he even secretly took a stroll near the old site of Stark Industries in Los Angeles.

The entire trip lasted for a month and a half.

They had no fixed itinerary; when the mood struck, they would stop and stay for a few days.

When they felt it was time to leave, they packed their bags and continued on their way.

The RV became their mobile home. The gloom on Skye's face had almost completely vanished; she became cheerful and fond of laughing, and her control over her vibration powers had made great strides under Wanda's guidance and the relaxation of the journey.

Pietro and Tony both got a tan, looking like two refugees from Africa.

Peter used his camera to record countless beautiful moments of everyone.

Although 2B still maintained her calm demeanor, she seemed to be learning how to better integrate into this family.

A month and a half later, everyone returned to Brooklyncovered in the dust of travel. They got out of the car one by one, and though slightly exhausted, their faces were filled with the comfort that follows a long trip.

"Ah!!! There's still no place like home." klein gave a massive stretch and grinned as he looked at the shop before him.

"However, next time we could plan to go to Alaska to see the Aurora, or maybe travel around Europe?"

Wanda took his arm. "Sure, as long as you don't arrange for Pietro to drive again."

"Hey! I drove very steadily this time!" Pietro protested.

"But you don't have a driver's license!"

"I just haven't passed the test; that doesn't mean I can't drive!"

"But you don't have a driver's license!"

"I can drift! Those triple hairpins? I took them so smoothly, just like Dove chocolate!"

"But you don't have a driver's license!"

"...Can we please stop talking about the license!"

Ignoring him, everyone began unloading luggage from the RV.

...

After only a few days of peaceful living, while klein was slumped in a lounge chair sunbathing, Strange came knocking on his door.

Seeing Strange in full gear, wearing his crimson cloak, klein was amused.

"Oh, you've got the whole outfit together. It seems you've adapted well to your identity as the Sorcerer Supreme."

Strange adjusted his collar, his tone tinged with helplessness. "I have to adapt. Sometimes I really wish someone could share the burden with me."

"Share the burden?" klein raised an eyebrow. "You don't look that busy to me, having the time to stroll over to my place."

"I'm not here for a stroll." Strange's expression turned serious. "I have something I need your help with."

"Oh?"

"The energy reaction over in Norway is ridiculously strong. I've tried to make contact a few times, but he always avoids me." Strange frowned.

"Unable to figure out his intentions, I'm a bit uneasy. I'd like you to go and check things out. You have a lot of prestige, and your words carry more weight than mine."

"Norway?" klein's heart stirred; he immediately knew who had arrived.

He waved his hand. "Fine, I got it. Leave this to me, you don't need to worry about it. Go back to guarding your Sanctum."

Strange was taken aback. "Are you sure you don't want me to come along? In case..."

"In case what?" klein looked at him with a half-smile. "In case I can't handle it, you think you can?"

Strange was left speechless. Finally, he could only shrug. "Then be careful yourself." With that, he raised his hand to open a portal and stepped inside.

Watching the sparks close, klein stretched and climbed out of his lounge chair.

Wanda came out from the inner room, still holding a half-read book. "Something else?"

"Yeah, I'm heading out for a bit." klein walked over and put his arm around her waist. "An old friend I've known in spirit for a long time has arrived in Norway. I'm going to take a look. I'll be back soon."

Wanda nodded and straightened his collar for him. "Stay safe."

"Don't worry."

klein kissed her on the forehead and turned to walk out of the shop. With one step, ripples appeared in space, and his figure vanished.

Chapter 197: Odin

klein stepped out of the spatial rift and found himself on a desolate coast in Norway.

Steep black cliffs plunged vertically into the dark green North Sea, with waves crashing against the jagged rocks.

At the edge of the cliff, a figure sat there.

He wore a simple, worn robe; his hair and beard were completely white. His frame was still tall, yet it radiated an exhaustion that came from within.

Facing the sea with his back to klein, he looked as if he had been standing there for a thousand years.

klein walked over slowly. The figure did not turn around, but an aged yet still powerful voice drifted over with the sea breeze.

The old man speaking was none other than the All-Father, the Lord of Asgard, and the Guardian and Ruler of the Nine Realms—Odin.

"You've come."

klein stopped a few paces away and picked at his ear. "Shouldn't I have?"

"But you came nonetheless."

"Stop, stop right there!" klein waved his hand with a look of disdain, interrupting the intentionally solemn atmosphere.

"I say, Old O, can you stop acting like a dialogue out of a Gu Long novel?

What, is Earth's Feng Shui really that good? All of you, one after another, getting old with nothing to do, just love running over here?

Are the Nine Realms not big enough? If the Nine Realmscan't hold you, then go outside!

There's still the vast Universe, the sea of stars—anywhere would do! Why must you all squeeze onto this tiny broken ball to live out your final days?"

Odin slowly turned around. His single eye gazed at klein, not angered by his mockery, but instead revealing a faint smile of relief.

"Originally, the Ancient One and I were both worried. After we depart, the newly selected heirs will still need time to grow. During this transition period, the Nine Realms would inevitably become a target for many covetous eyes in the Universe.

But now, with you here, I am much more at ease."

"At ease?" klein rolled his eyes. "So you're treating me like a free security guard or a backup Guardian? Can't you guys just not leave? If you're really that worried, can't you hold on for a few more years?"

Odin's smile was tinged with a bit of helplessness and the weariness of ages. "Sometimes, having power that is too great is not a blessing. This vessel can no longer bear the burden brought by the ever-growing divine power.

The slumbers over these years were meant to delay this process, but time has finally come. It is time to return to the ranks of the gods and leave the burden to the successors."

His gaze was profound, as if piercing through the scenery before him to look at Asgard and the future of the entire Nine Realms.

"I entrust these Nine Realms to you from now on."

"Stop! Stop!" klein hurriedly waved his hand.

"I can't manage things that broadly. Your son Thor, and the newly appointed Sorcerer Supreme Strange, they are the future Guardians of the Nine Realms.

What the hell does the safety of the Nine Realms have to do with me? I want to go wander around the Universemyself in a while; I don't have time to take on your job."

"Hahahaha!" Hearing this, Odin was not annoyed but instead let out a low, open-minded laugh.

"No matter. Some things are chapters already written by fate, responsibilities that cannot be avoided. Perhaps, this is a gift given by destiny."

"Gift my ass!" klein spat irritably.

"It's clearly a mess you left behind because you were soft-hearted back then. Now you're just patting your butt and leaving, dumping the mess on others?

Your precious daughter Hela—you couldn't bring yourself to deal with her, so you're counting on others to wipe your ass for you?"

At the mention of Hela, the smile on Odin's face faded, and a flicker of complex, inexplicable pain and guilt flashed in his single eye.

He let out a heavy sigh.

"She... is my eldest daughter, after all. Sealing her away with my own hands was already my limit.

The prophecy of Ragnarok—I exhausted my divine power trying to subvert it, but in the end, things went against my wishes.

I cannot and will not watch Asgard head toward its destined destruction before my very eyes."

"So you choose to look away and pretend it's not happening? Self-deception?" klein arched an eyebrow.

Odin was silent for a moment and finally nodded slowly.

"I suppose so. To be able to see you here and settle this final concern, I have no more regrets. Farewell, klein.

I want to be alone for the remaining time! I don't want you to see me in a fragile state; that shouldn't be the end for the Lord of the Nine Realms!"

Looking at this All-Father, who once struck awe into the Nine Realms but now appeared completely withered, klein also sighed in his heart.

He nodded, his tone becoming a bit more serious for once. "Alright then. Goodbye, Odin."

With that, he didn't linger. With a flicker of his body, he disappeared from the cliff top that was about to witness the fall of a god and the resurgence of a storm.

Almost at the same time klein left, far away in New York.

Thor, the God of Thunder, dragged his reluctant brother Loki from Asgard to Earth.

However, along the way, Loki still managed to escape from Thor with his cunning. Thor had no choice but to barge into the New York Sanctum alone in a rush.

Through Heimdall's guidance, he knew his father Odin's last known presence was on Earth. Since finding a God King who was intentionally hiding among the vast crowds of people was nearly impossible, seeking help from the new Sorcerer Supreme was undoubtedly a shortcut.

In the Sanctum, after a series of ridiculous incidents, an exasperated Strange finally raised his hand and opened a portal.

He decisively sent this pair of Asgardian problem brothers directly to the coast of Norway, near the cliff top where Odin was located.

The two brothers stumbled out of the portal and immediately saw the figure sitting by the cliff, his back looking countless years older.

"Father!" Thor shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

Odin turned around and looked at his only two remaining sons. The last lingering concern in his single eye seemed to finally be set down.

He didn't say much, only using a calm and deep gaze to look at them one last time, as if to carve their images into Eternity.

"Farewell, my children!"

Before Thor and Loki, the All-Father's body began to emit a soft golden light.

His form gradually became transparent, eventually turning into countless brilliant points of light. Like stars rising in reverse, they slowly drifted away, merging into the world and returning to that eternal land of the gods in Asgardian myth.

Thor fell to his knees, fists clenched. Loki stood to the side with a complex expression, his eyes rarely lacking their usual playfulness.

However, with Odin's complete dissipation, the final seal he had placed on his eldest daughter, Hela, the Goddess of Death, also rapidly disintegrated like ice under the sun.

Almost at the same moment, in the shadows on the other side of the cliff top, space twisted like torn silk.

A cold and incredibly powerful aura descended with a boom!

A tall, pale woman dressed in dark green battle armor slowly stepped out from the shattered spatial rift.

A green flame of revenge burned in her eyes. Her gaze swept like a sharp blade over Thor and Loki, who were shaken by Odin's passing, and finally fixed on the cliff edge behind them where their father had just vanished.

"My dear brothers," her voice was cold and raspy, carrying thousands of years of accumulated resentment and disdain.

"It seems the old man is finally gone. So now..."

She slowly raised her hand, and a pitch-black Sword of the Night Sky coalesced in her palm.

"It's time to settle our family business. And for Asgard, it is time to welcome its true Master."

Chapter 198: Hela

klein didn't really leave.

He promised Odin he would leave, but it was only out of final respect for a soon-to-fall God-King.

However, he quietly doubled back, hiding all his presence, standing silently behind the clouds at a higher altitude.

He wanted to personally see off this old man who had ruled the Nine Realms and protected Earth for many years on his final journey.

Thus, he saw Odin turn into specks of light before his sons, returning to the Land of the Gods.

At the same time, he saw that the moment Odindisappeared, space was torn apart as if from the inside!

Eerie green energy surged out, instantly tainting the light and air before the cliff.

Hela stepped out from that shattered dimensional rift.

Everything that happened next was purely an Asgardian domestic drama.

Hela, the eldest daughter who had been sealed by Odin for thousands of years and the true first-in-line heir to Asgard, gave her two younger brothers a brutal beating.

Though Thor was brave, he was only at the peak of the God level, while Loki was only mid-tier God level, and more inclined towards trickery and magic, making his direct combat power even weaker.

Facing Hela, who was also at the quasi-Skyfather level, they could only take a one-sided beating, unable to even fight back.

"My foolish brothers," Hela's voice carried a cold mockery accumulated over countless years.

She didn't even use her real killing moves, just a casual wave of her hand; condensed Shadow Blades and Death Energy sent Thor flying backward.

She slammed Loki's illusions along with his true body into the rock wall. "Thousands of years have passed, and you are still so disappointing."

Thor roared and threw the mjolnir, mjolnir, attempting to call upon the thunder.

However, with Odin gone, the spells and divine blessings placed upon mjolnir had mostly dissipated.

That once invincible divine hammer seemed like a child's toy in front of Hela.

She simply raised a hand, her fingers gripping the spinning hammerhead like iron pincers.

"Crack!"

Thor's pupils shrank, and the color instantly drained from Loki's face.

That Mjolnir, which symbolized thunder and divine power and had accompanied Thor in his battles across the Nine Realms, was under Hela's seemingly effortless grip.

Like fragile glass, it became covered in cracks, then completely shattered into countless dull metal fragments, falling from between Hela's fingers.

"No!!!" Thor's roar was filled with unbelievable agony.

"It seems that after the old man died, even his toys became fragile." Hela shook her hand as if brushing off some dust.

Her playful gaze swept over Thor, whose mind was reeling from the hammer's destruction, and Loki, whose face was pale and eyes were darting around.

Loki understood instantly.

The crazy woman before them was definitely not someone he and Thor could handle right now. Crushing the Meow-Meow Hammer was as easy as crushing his own head.

Staying here meant only death! Time to run!

Without the slightest hesitation, while Hela's attention seemed briefly drawn by Thor's grief and indignation,

He suddenly stabbed the dagger hidden in his sleeve into the ground, using it as a medium to fully activate his divine power, sending an emergency distress signal to Heimdall, the Guardian of the Bifrost Bridge in Asgard!

"Heimdall! Take us back!" Loki screamed in his heart.

"Loki! Don't!" Thor immediately understood his brother's intention. Calling the Bifrost Bridge could help them escape, but the trajectory of the bridge connecting the two Worlds would also show Hela the clear path to Asgard!

But Thor's warning was too late.

A brilliant rainbow light descended from the sky, ignoring distance, and accurately enveloped Thor and Loki.

The pulling force of the Bifrost Bridge was overbearing; the two figures began to fade rapidly, about to be pulled into the hyperspace tunnel.

Seeing the rainbow light piercing through heaven and Earth, Hela was not surprised but delighted, a greedy and hideous smile appearing on her pale face.

"Asgard! My kingdom! What a thoughtful little brother, paving the way home for me!"

She leaped, turning into a dark green stream of deathly light, rushing straight into the Bifrost Bridge's energy pillar, intending to force her way onto this ride!

With half a foot already in the Bifrost Bridge's energy flow, a fierce light flashed in Hela's eyes, seemingly dissatisfied with her two brothers going home first, or simply wanting to inflict a bit more punishment.

She slashed violently through the air toward Thor and Loki!

"Get down! This path belongs to me now!"

A Pitch-black Whip condensed from the Divine Power of Death struck first, slamming hard into the Bifrost Bridgeenergy node where Thor and Loki were.

The originally stable Bifrost Bridge tunnel shook violently, and its local structure was actually shattered by Hela's strike!

Loki and Thor screamed as they fell one after another from the brilliant rainbow light, plunging into the spatial rift below, tossed to some unknown corner of the Universe.

Meanwhile, Hela used the recoil to increase her speed, her figure completely disappearing into the main Bifrost Bridgechannel, speeding toward Asgard, leaving behind a series of arrogant laughs.

On the clouds, klein, who had seen everything, rubbed his chin.

"Tsk, family disputes really are the scariest..." His gaze turned toward the spatial rift that had been knocked open when Thor and Loki fell, which hadn't fully closed yet.

"It saves me the trouble of finding my own way."

Before coming, he had briefly informed Wanda, Skye, and 2B that he was going on a long trip and told them to watch the house without worry.

Now was the chance.

klein no longer hesitated; his body flickered, turning into a stream of light hard to catch with the naked eye, rushing straight into the spatial rift created by Loki's fall.

"Sakaar arena, and that lost Green Fatty, here I come!"

The moment his figure entered the rift, the rift finally couldn't withstand the internal and external pressure and silently closed, as if nothing had ever happened.

klein's figure stepped onto solid ground again.

A blast of turbid air, a mix of engine oil, cheap energy drinks, sweat, and the smell of some large creature's excrement, hit him in the face.

His ears were instantly drowned out by a massive wave of noise.

He steadied himself and looked around.

This place looked like a mix of a massive interstellar port and industrial ruins.

On one side, buildings of various styles towered into the clouds, with flashing holographic billboards projecting all sorts of dazzling displays.

On the other side were mountains of trash and waste—it smelled so damn bad!

In this place, announcements for duels, betting odds, and promotional ads for shocking entertainment projects were plastered everywhere you could see.

In the sky, flying vehicles of all sizes and strange shapes scurried about like a swarm of startled insects, with almost no flight path rules to speak of.

On the streets below, people from all corners of the Universe were packed shoulder to shoulder.

There were insectoids covered in carapaces.

There were humanoid creatures with skin like rock.

There were jellyfish-like consciousnesses floating in the air.

And there were interstellar travelers who looked much like humans but with different skin and eye colors.

"Sakaar..." klein whispered the name, his lips twitching. "Isn't this place just like India?"

He walked into the surging crowd, his perception spreading out like invisible tentacles to gather information.

Soon, he had a clearer understanding of this independent kingdom ruled by the Grandmaster.

Everything here revolved around the Champion's Arena at the center of the city, which looked like a giant Hive.

The Grandmaster, an Elder of the Universe said to possess near-eternal life, had turned Sakaar into the most prestigious—or rather, notorious—haven for entertainment and gambling in the known Universe.

Warriors from various star systems, captured, bought, or having come voluntarily seeking fame and excitement, fought here in the most primitive and bloody battles, all to please the big-spending audience in the stands and the high-and-mighty Grandmaster himself.

What supported the flesh and blood of this massive entertainment empire was a vast and dark human trafficking network.

Without a steady stream of gladiators and various workers forced into service, the carnival of Sakaar would be unsustainable.

This was the final destination for slaves, prisoners of war, debt prisoners, and anyone who had lost their freedom; their fates were priced and consumed in the arena, mines, or even worse places.

"As expected, the dark side of the Universe is just as naked everywhere." klein shook his head secretly, not too surprised by this prosperity built on the pain of others.

He moved through the labyrinthine streets and markets like an ordinary tourist, observing the ecology here.

Then, he heard news about Loki.

"Did you hear? There's a newcomer by the Grandmaster's side recently named Loki, supposedly an exiled prince from somewhere called Asgard?"

"A prince? Ha! Looking at how he can talk a dead man into living with that silver tongue of his, he seems more like a natural-born jester!"

"Don't underestimate him. This guy has some skill and is especially good at pleasing the Grandmaster. He's only been here a few days and has already become a regular in the palace, treated better than many old courtiers."

"Tsk tsk, he does look good, but those eyes... they make you feel like he's calculating something..."

"Whatever, as long as there's fun to watch. I heard he's urging the Grandmaster to hold a particularly grand Champion's Night..."

klein could almost imagine Loki's "fish in water" appearance.

With his silver tongue and ability to see into people's hearts, quickly establishing a foothold beside a ruler like the Grandmaster who sought novelty and excitement was simply perfect for him.

It seemed that Thor's brother was more than a little better at adapting to society than his older brother.

Chapter 199: Green Fatty

Wandering through the markets of Sakaar for several days, klein fully experienced the Planet's bizarre and surreal atmosphere.

This place felt like a massive cosmic drain, a confluence of all sorts of desires. klein blended into this murky ocean like a single drop of water, absorbing every bit of useful information.

Soon, one name was mentioned repeatedly.

"That green monster won again."

"God, he's practically a walking natural disaster! Yesterday, he stuffed Butcher Gluke's head into his own ass!"

"That's ninety-nine wins already. Just one more, and he'll be Sakaar's first Hundred-win Champion in a century! The Grandmaster absolutely loves him!"

"I heard he's invulnerable and possesses infinite strength. The angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes. Damn, how are you even supposed to fight that?"

"How to fight? Just bet on him to win! I've made enough off him to buy three second-hand shuttles!"

Green. Monster. Anger. Invincible.

klein stopped chewing on the roasted alien insect leg, his eyes flickering slightly.

This was none other than Bruce Banner, who had gone missing after the Battle of Sokovia—or rather, the Hulk, who had completely suppressed Banner's consciousness to exist in his pure form.

To think he had ended up here and even become a star of the arena.

After some maneuvering and paying a small information fee—don't ask where klein got the money.

He had gone back to his old trade—robbery!

From a Taranian who specialized in disposing of unique waste for the arena, he found out where Hulk was kept when he wasn't fighting.

It was a specially reinforced containment room in the deep levels of the arena.

Calling it a containment room was an understatement; it was more like a beast's cage enclosed by high-strength alloys and energy fields. Heavily guarded on the outside, the inside provided only the barest necessities for survival.

Clearly, the Grandmaster needed this cash cow but also deeply feared this uncontrollable beast.

Taking advantage of a guard shift change and a one-in-ten-thousandth-of-a-second periodic fluctuation in the energy fence during a routine check, klein slipped into the room like a ghost.

A massive green figure sat with its back to the door amidst a pile of debris—half food scraps, half broken weapons. His broad shoulders slumped, exuding a sense of dejection that seemed entirely at odds with his size.

Hearing the nearly imperceptible sound of feet hitting the floor, Hulk spun around, his lantern-like eyes glowing with a terrifying red light in the gloom.

When he saw who it was, the red light flickered violently, and his massive body seemed to freeze for a moment.

"You?" Hulk's voice rumbled, filled with shock and instinctive wariness. "Why are you here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," klein said, glancing around the rudimentary cell, his tone betraying little emotion.

"Sneaking off to play gladiator games without saying a word? Everyone back on Earth is quite worried."

"No!" Hulk growled, as if stung.

"You don't worry about Hulk! You worry about Banner!"

Hulk's voice was thick with long-suppressed resentment and anger.

"Hulk is Hulk! Banner is Banner! Everyone hates Hulk! Likes Banner!"

"You're wrong. What everyone hates is an out-of-control Hulk. Similarly, they sometimes hate Bruce Banner too."

Hulk froze, seemingly not expecting such an answer.

"Being hated is no big deal. People who aren't hated in this world are a rare breed."

"Is Tony Stark likable? If he were, he wouldn't have ended up with that reactor in his chest."

"Is Thor admired by everyone? His own brother, Loki, spends every waking moment trying to kick him off the throne, stabbing him in the back more times than there are colors in the Bifrost Bridge's spectrum."

The red light in Hulk's eyes flickered slightly. He slowly sat back down on the ground, hugging his knees in a way that made him look somewhat like a confused giant infant.

"But... but Hulk smashes! Hulk angry! So they fear Hulk, hate Hulk!" He lowered his head, looking at his large green hands covered in calluses and faint scars.

"Stark, Thor, they aren't hated. They only hate Hulk! Hate Hulk's smashing!"

"Who told you they aren't hated? The number of people Tony has offended with his arrogance could stretch to the moon. And Thor has messed up plenty of things himself."

"They just handle problems differently and endure different kinds of hatred. And you, Hulk, your problem is that you equate anger with losing control."

"Being angry doesn't mean you have to become a madman who smashes everything. Controlling your rage doesn't mean you'll become a pushover."

klein stepped closer and patted Hulk's rock-hard forearm.

"You and Banner are like a person's left and right hands. Why must you fight to the death? Aren't you only making yourselves miserable?"

"Why not try cooperating? You provide him with unrivaled strength and a body, and he helps you sort through those explosive emotions to find more effective ways to solve problems. Isn't a win-win better?"

Hulk remained silent for a long time, with only his heavy breathing echoing in the cell.

Finally, he muttered, "Banner hates Hulk. He wants Hulkgone."

"And did he succeed?" klein countered. "You're hiding in this corner of the Universe, constantly fighting to stimulate yourself and stay angry—isn't that just to suppress him and keep him from coming back?"

"That must be exhausting, right? You can feel him struggling inside too, can't you?"

Hulk didn't admit it, but his silence confirmed klein's deduction.

klein sighed and added, "Think about it, big guy. Running away won't solve anything, for you or for him. By the way, it won't be long before Thor likely gets tossed into this hellhole too."

"You can watch him. That guy is truly thick-skinned—or rather, he has a magical ability to find fun even in desperate situations. It wouldn't hurt to learn a thing or two from him."

"Wait!" Seeing klein turn to leave, Hulk couldn't help but call out, his voice tinged with a subtle urgency and confusion. "You... you're not taking me with you? Not helping Banner leave this place?"

klein looked back and smiled.

"Take you with me? And then what? Go back to Earth and continue your endless civil war with Banner, or have you unilaterally suppress him until you lose control again one day?"

"Hulk, you need to find the answer yourself, to find a way to coexist with your other half. As for the Grandmaster..."

"That's something you and Thor might have to deal with. I'm leaving now; this place smells terrible."

Before he finished speaking, klein's figure faded like a phantom, vanishing on the spot as if he had never been there.

klein's words were like stones cast into a deep pool, creating ripples of confusion within Hulk's simple yet far-from-stupid mind.

Cooperate? With Banner? Control anger? Learn... happiness from Thor?

He let out an irritable growl and punched the alloy wall beside him, leaving a clear dent.

The loud vibration brought panicked inquiries from the guards outside and an increased hum from the energy fence.

Hulk ignored them, simply sitting in the deepening shadows, his red eyes flickering.

Chapter 200: Hulk (Part 2)

After leaving Hulk, klein was in no hurry to leave Sakaar.

Instead, he temporarily settled down on this chaotic Planetand, like a true cosmic wanderer, began to build a simple spaceship for himself capable of interstellar travel.

Over the next dozen or so days, klein's figure appeared in Sakaar's various massive landfills, abandoned spaceship graveyards, and black market parts shops.

As for funding, it was naturally solicited from certain benevolent local philanthropists.

Although the process wasn't perfect, after some physical persuasion, the outcome was always the other party being moved to tears and handing over their life savings with both hands.

Relying on these donations and the usable parts salvaged from trash heaps, klein began his handiwork in a relatively secluded, abandoned maintenance dock, clanging away.

A micro-jump ship that looked unremarkable, even a bit ragged, but had an absolutely solid core, gradually took shape.

This day, klein was beside a trash mountain piled with the wreckage of Zeta-class transport ships, looking for a usable Secondary Warp Coil.

Suddenly, he felt something and looked up at the dusty yellow sky tinged with the purple of industrial waste gas.

High in the sky, space seemed to be torn open by an invisible hand into an irregular rift. A figure fell out screaming, trailing sparks and dust, plummeting like a meteorite toward a more desolate trash plain in the distance.

Even from a great distance, the dull thud of impact and the rising plume of dust and smoke were clearly visible.

klein narrowed his eyes. His extraordinary vision allowed him to see clearly that the figure who landed face-first and scrambled up disheveled was indeed Thor.

"Tsk." klein curled his lip, his face full of disdain.

He saw Thor climb up and seemingly try to summon lightning to strike a pose or something, only for a few pitiful sparks to sputter from his fingertips, causing him to cough twice from the smoke.

"Even his divine power has been mostly scattered or sealed? This sister, Hela, really is quite ruthless!" klein shook his head, turned decisively, and continued rummaging through the trash mountain for his coil.

He didn't want to go over and recognize him now. For one, Thor's pathetic state was truly damaging to the dignity of the Crown Prince of Asgard; going over to say hello would be awkward for both of them.

Secondly, Thor was being knocked down by that former Valkyrie with a taser device. For a grand God of Thunder to be knocked down by electricity was simply laughable.

klein didn't watch Thor being dragged away by the Valkyrie. He turned back, pulled a relatively intact coil from a pile of scrap metal, and blew the dust off it.

A few more days later, the greatest carnival of Sakaararrived.

The Grand Arena welcomed what might be the most anticipated duel of the year.

Publicity was everywhere. Holographic projections flickered in every corner of the city, playing violent highlights of Hulk destroying his opponents.

"The 100th match! The title defense of the Incredible Hulk!"

"Can the mysterious challenger end the myth?"

"The fight of the century! The betting pools are open, come place your bets!"

The atmosphere was hyped to an extreme.

The massive circular stands of the arena were already packed. All sorts of bizarre alien creatures waved betting slips and glow sticks, letting out a cacophony like a mountain tsunami.

In the luxurious VIP box at the highest point, the Grandmaster wore his signature ornate robes, one arm around a charming alien woman, with Loki sitting nearby, also watching with great interest.

klein also bought a ticket and sat in an upper-middle seat, with a glass of strange-tasting Sakaar beer in front of him, preparing to watch the show like an ordinary spectator.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The most exciting entertainment in the Universe!!" The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium via loudspeakers.

"Let us welcome the undefeated Destroyer of ninety-nine matches, the incarnation of green fury, our invincible champion—Hulk!!!"

The massive gates to the arena rose, and Hulk's huge green figure walked out with heavy steps.

He looked even more irritable than the last time klein saw him. His eyes were bloodshot, and he responded to the surrounding cheers and curses with intimidating low growls, constantly pounding his solid chest, making a muffled sound like a beating drum.

"And his challenger!" The announcer drew out his words.

"A powerful warrior from an unknown land, sweeping through with a mysterious posture—the Thunderbolt!!!"

The gate on the other side opened, and Thor walked out.

He had changed into a simple set of gladiator armor, wearing a helmet that covered the upper half of his face, holding a seemingly sturdy battle-axe in his hand and a shield borrowed from who-knows-where.

His expression was serious, his eyes fixed on the Hulkopposite him. He lowered his body slightly, ready for battle.

"Let the match... BEGIN!!!"

Without any unnecessary words, the battle entered a fever pitch the moment it started.

Although Thor had lost Mjolnir and his divine power was not what it used to be, his thousand years of combat experience and the superior physique of an Asgardian still made him a formidable opponent.

He moved swiftly, constantly using his speed and the slashes of his battle-axe to harass Hulk, dodging Hulk's heavy punches that were enough to shatter mountains.

Hulk was pure power. Every punch he threw and every stomp he made cracked the specially made floor, the strong winds forcing the front-row spectators to grab the railings.

Thor's attacks landed on him, often leaving only faint white marks, which instead further enraged him.

"ROAR!!!" Unable to land a hit for a long time, Hulk became increasingly frantic. He grabbed a metal pillar used for decoration by the side of the arena and swung it at Thorlike a piece of straw.

Thor leaped away just in time, and the ground where he had been standing was smashed into a large crater.

He seized the moment when Hulk's old strength was spent and his new strength had yet to form, and fiercely threw his battle-axe!

The axe spun and chopped heavily into Hulk's shoulder, sinking several inches deep!

Hulk roared in pain, his massive body staggering back for the first time.

He violently pulled out the axe, green blood spraying, but the wound was already writhing and healing at a visible speed.

"That's it! Thunderbolt! Defeat him!"

"Hulk! Tear him apart!"

The atmosphere in the stands reached its peak.

Thor's gaze narrowed, realizing that ordinary attacks had limited effect.

He took a deep breath, no longer holding back, and began to try and channel the remaining lightning power within his body.

Blue electricity began to jump across his body. Although it was far from his peak, it still emitted a heart-palpitating energy fluctuation. He held his hands as if gripping something, and lightning converged in his palms.

A chain of lightning as thick as an arm shot from his hand, striking Hulk's chest hard!

Hulk's whole body trembled from the hit, his chest charred black. His massive body was knocked back several steps for the first time, a flash of pain appearing in his eyes.

Thor saw the opportunity and kept moving, opening up distance, and shot one lightning chain after another at Hulk.

Hulk waved his arms angrily to block, tanking it with his body as he tried to close in, but Thor's lightning seemed to have a paralyzing effect, making his movements increasingly sluggish, and his roars took on a slight edge of agitation.

The situation seemed to start tilting toward Thor. Spectators in the stands who had bet on the Thunderboltcheered wildly, while Hulk's fans let out dissatisfied boos.

In the top VIP box, the Grandmaster's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Hulk was his cash cow; the gimmick of the undefeated champion could not be lost. He gave a look to a controller beside him.

Chapter 201: The Green Giant (III)

The controller took the hint and quietly adjusted the shocker on Thor's neck.

Just as Thor gathered lightning again, preparing to deliver a heavy blow to the seemingly disoriented Hulk, a strong current surged from his neck into his entire body!

Caught off guard, Thor's body was riddled with stray electricity. The gathered power of thunder instantly backfired, leaving him smoking from the shock. He fell to one knee, letting out a pained groan.

Hulk didn't understand what had happened, but his Beast-like combat instincts allowed him to seize this fleeting opportunity.

"Hulk Smash!!!"

He roared, charging like a green tank at full speed. His massive fist, wrapped in violent air currents, slammed solidly into Thor's chest!

Thor's body was thrown back like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the energy barrier at the edge of the arena. He slid to the ground, his helmet shattered, revealing his pale and pained face.

He tried to struggle to his feet but spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly suffering from significant internal injuries. He was unable to stand.

"The winner is Hulk! His hundredth victory! A new legend is born!!!" The announcer's voice rang out, cracking with excitement.

A torrential wave of noise erupted from the stands, a mix of ecstasy, disappointment, and cursing.

Hulk stood in the center of the arena, letting out a roar of victory toward the sky. However, in those blood-red eyes, besides violence,

there seemed to remain a hint of the frustration from being struck by lightning earlier, and a fleeting trace of confusion upon seeing Thor's wretched state.

klein finished the beer in his glass and smacked his lips.

"The Grandmaster, that old fellow, really can't afford to lose." He glanced at Thor, who was being carried away by medical robots, and then at Hulk, who was being crowned with a ridiculous metal headpiece in the arena, before getting up to leave the noisy colosseum.

Just as klein expected, the Grandmaster very 'thoughtfully' locked the injured Thor and the exhausted Hulk together in the same specially reinforced Champion's Suite.

Under the pretext of letting the two warriors bond, he actually wanted to see if he could catalyze a more intense conflict to prepare for the next show.

The heavy alloy door closed behind them, and the energy barrier rose. Only the sound of two heavy breaths remained in the room.

Thor sat leaning against the wall, clutching his chest, his complexion still looking poor.

Hulk paced irritably around the relatively spacious room. His wounds had already healed, but his emotions were clearly unstable.

He glanced at Thor from time to time with a complex expression.

The silence lasted for a long time.

"How did you end up here? Where is Banner?" Finally, Thorwas the first to break the silence.

Hulk stopped abruptly, turning to glare at Thor as a low growl escaped his throat. "Hulk is Hulk! Don't mention Banner!"

"I know, I know." Thor raised a hand in a placating gesture, but the movement tugged at his wound, making him hiss in pain.

"I mean you and Banner. Everyone on Earth is very worried about you both."

Hulk was silent for a few seconds before suddenly speaking, "That guy named klein... he came by."

"klein?" Thor was stunned for a moment, then realized who he meant. A light of surprise erupted in his single eye. "klein? He's here too?"

"Gone." Hulk walked over and plopped down on the floor opposite Thor. "He said you and Hulk... same. Both not liked. Also said to control anger, not become weak. And something about... cooperation."

Thor was a bit confused by what he heard, but he caught the key point. "klein told you and Banner to cooperate?"

Hulk didn't answer directly. He just stared at his green fist, as if wrestling with someone invisible.

"Banner afraid of Hulk. Hates Hulk. Wants to lock Hulkaway."

"I think he might just be afraid of himself." Thor sighed. His experiences in Asgard had given him a deeper understanding of his other self.

"Afraid of power he can't control, afraid of hurting the people he cares about. But he needs you too, Hulk. We all need you. It's just that the way we need you might be a bit different than before."

Hulk looked up, his crimson eyes fixed on Thor. "You need Hulk too?"

"Of course. I need to get out of this hellhole and back to Asgard." Thor's gaze became urgent.

"My sister, Hela, she's returned. She will destroy everything. Asgard needs me, and it needs everyone willing to fight for her—including you, Hulk."

Earth also needs a more powerful Guardian, not a gladiator trapped in an arena."

"Leave?!" Hulk repeated the word.

He remembered klein's words. Even if some people on Earth hated him, it seemed slightly better than fighting here all day and then being locked up?

More importantly, deep in his heart, a voice that had been suppressed by anger seemed to throb faintly because of Thor's words and klein's previous words.

"How do we leave?" Hulk finally asked.

Thor's spirits rose as he lowered his voice. "We need a ship, one capable of interstellar jumps."

"I know the port here is heavily guarded, but if you, Hulk, can cause a bit of chaos to draw attention, I might be able to find a way to get a ship..."

In the cage, the two of them put their heads together and began to plot a desperate escape in low voices.

With Hulk's simple and direct way of thinking combined with Thor's somewhat straightforward logic, a plan with some feasibility gradually took shape.

The plan was simple: pretend to have another conflict, make enough noise to draw the guards in, and then take the opportunity to overpower them, seize their keys and equipment, and escape.

"Will they believe it?" Hulk asked in a muffled voice.

"As long as we fight for real, they'll believe it." Thortwitched his lips and forced himself to stand. There was still a lingering pain in his chest.

"Besides, they'd probably love to see us kill each other. That would be another good show."

Hulk said nothing more. A low roar rolled from his throat as he suddenly slammed a fist into the metal floor between them, the loud bang echoing in the enclosed space.

Thor let out a roar in coordination, grabbing a nearby alloy table that was bolted to the floor. He ripped it off with brute force and swung it violently against the wall beside Hulk.

The sounds of impact, twisting metal, and angry roars mixed together, drifting from inside the room and clearly reaching the ears of the guards outside.

"They're fighting in there!" a guard shouted nervously.

"Damn it, these two monsters!" another guard cursed, glancing through the observation port. He could only see thick dust and two massive figures seemingly colliding frantically.

"Report this immediately! Request sedatives and reinforced restraints!"

"Should we go in and check? If one of them actually gets killed..."

"Are you crazy?! Wait for backup!"

The two inside heard the commotion outside and exchanged a glance. It wasn't enough.

A red light flashed in Thor's eyes; this time, it wasn't just an act. Remembering the frustration of being ambushed by the current, he let out a low growl and channeled his thunder power into the energy barrier generator!

The barrier flickered violently, emitting an overburdened screech. The lights in the entire room flickered along with it.

Fine cracks even appeared on the outer walls.

"To hell with it! The barrier is going to overload! We can't wait! Open the door! Use the high-voltage shocks!" The guard Captain outside finally panicked.

If these two 'treasures' tore the room apart or if the damage spread outside, the Grandmaster would have their hides.

Accompanied by a heavy grinding sound, the thick alloy door slid open a crack under the action of hydraulic devices.

Several fully armed guards holding heavy Shock Spears and energy nets poked their heads in nervously, trying to see the situation inside.

The moment the door was open wide enough for one person to pass,

Thor lunged from the shadows beside the door like a lurking leopard. His injuries didn't seem to affect the speed and power he exploded with at this moment.

He grabbed the Shock Spear of the lead guard, twisting and thrusting it in one smooth motion. The guard screamed as he was struck by his own weapon and collapsed in convulsions.

Without pausing, Thor neatly took down the two people beside him.

Almost simultaneously, Hulk's massive green figure burst out from the dust like a cannonball!

He didn't care at all about the crackling electric shocks. He swung his massive, fan-like hands left and right,

swatting away the remaining guards at the door along with their equipment as if they were flies.

The battle ended in seconds. The corridor was a mess, leaving only the sizzle of electricity and the faint chime of the alarm before it was fully triggered.

"Quick!" Thor quickly snatched a keycard and a strangely shaped Signal Transmitter from the belt of a slumped guard Captain.

He used the transmitter to deactivate the shock device on his neck, then stripped off a relatively well-fitting guard jacket to wear over his tattered armor.

"The alarm is about to go off! Let's go!