Chapter 16: The Moment of Choice
In the New York Sanctum library, the few fragments pried from the remains of the Iron Monger lay spread out on the table, no longer scorching hot.
Arthur tapped his finger in the air, and above the fragments floated an energy flow diagram outlined by golden magic runes.
"Look here," he pointed at a small, stubborn, dark golden speck of light in the diagram. "The main body of the energy has mostly dissipated, just as Wanda said. But this 'core' hasn't. It's like… a QR code watermark, imprinted on the underlying layer of the dimension."
Wanda leaned in to look, her brows slightly furrowed. "It's 'breathing.' It's very faint, but the rhythm echoes the fluctuations of the anchor point in Tony's chest… Although the link to Obadiah has been severed, this 'mark' seems to still be alive, passively receiving something."
"Receiving? Receiving what? Cross-dimensional spam ads?" Arthur quipped, but his expression grew serious. "Can you trace the signal source?"
Wanda closed her eyes, a faint red glow appearing at her fingertips, and gently touched the fragment.
A few seconds later, she snapped her eyes open, her gaze filled with astonishment.
"It's not just one source! Just a moment ago, at least three… no, four different 'gazes' swept over this mark! It was very brief, but very clear. It was like… we were being watched by many pairs of eyes through frosted glass."
Arthur immediately straightened up. "Damn it. This thing isn't a receiver; it's a'signal booster'! Obadiah and the Iron Monger are gone, but it has expanded the'signal range' of Tony's anchor point!"
As if to confirm his words, a bronze compass on the table used for monitoring dimensional disturbances suddenly began to spin on its own, its needle jumping frantically and pointing in multiple directions.
Almost simultaneously, Wanda pressed her temples and whispered, "Tony… He is holding a press conference. His emotions are high, and his energy fluctuations… are skyrocketing!"
Without a word, Arthur raised his hand and swept it through the air, unfurling a magic water screen that was broadcasting the Stark Industries press conference live.
On the screen, Tony Stark stood on stage, wearing a crisp suit but no tie, his face wearing that familiar expression mixed with exhaustion and excitement.
Below the stage, reporters were armed with cameras and microphones, flashes popping incessantly.
A female reporter stood up, speaking rapidly. "Mr. Stark, regarding the explosion at Stark Industries last night, and the rumors that witnesses claimed to see two 'humanoid mechs' fighting, do you have any response? Was that a test accident of a new Stark Industries weapon?"
Tony picked up the microphone and paused.
In front of the water screen, Arthur and Wanda held their breath. Wanda could clearly feel that the anchor point inside Tony, as his emotions brewed, was churning violently like boiling water.
Then, Tony spoke. His voice traveled through the microphone to the entire venue, and also through the magic water screen into the Sanctum.
"New weapon? No." He tilted his head, the corners of his mouth curling into a signature arc. "That was a prototype. And, there was only one."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience, finally fixing on the camera.
"In fact…"
Arthur saw that on the magic energy diagram, the brightness of the light cluster representing the anchor point inside Tony surged instantly! A visible, trembling energy connection was drawn between it and the dark golden mark on the fragment on the table!
Wanda's face turned pale. "Multiple dimensional anchor points… have been activated! It's like hitting a switch!"
On stage, Tony's voice came through clearly and firmly:
"…I am Iron Man."
Boom!
This sentence was like a bomb, thrown into the press conference venue, and also into news channels around the world.
The venue instantly exploded in chaos, the exclamations and questions almost blowing the roof off.
And from a magic perspective, the situation was even worse.
Arthur saw that, with Tony as the center, the energy connection to the fragment's mark suddenly became thick and bright. Then, as if triggering a chain reaction, four or five more faint, ethereal "tentacles" from different directions followed this connection, vaguely probing and sensing Tony's existence!
"Damn it!" Arthur cursed. "This guy really knows how to pick a time to trend! He's pushed himself to become a 'dimensional hot topic'!"
Wanda said anxiously, "Those 'tentacles' are trying to establish a more stable connection! Tony's state… his anchor point is being forcibly pulled, and the resonance is getting stronger! If this continues, he might become a 'window' for those dimensions to permanently observe this world!"
"Close the 'window'! We must close the 'window' immediately!" Arthur grabbed the rune-inscribed communicator on the table, but hesitated and put it back down. "No, there's no time to explain. Ancient One!"
He quickly formed seals with his hands, and an emergency communication magic circle lit up in front of him.
The figure of the Ancient One appeared in the magic circle, with the starry sky map of Kamar-Taj in the background.
"Master, Tony Stark just revealed his identity. The anchor point in his body has gone out of control, resonating with the mark left by the Iron Monger, attracting the attention of at least four or five unknown dimensions! They are trying to establish a stable anchor!" Arthur said rapidly.
The Ancient One's expression was rarely serious. "The Council of Watchers just sent an alert. Due to this public declaration, Tony Stark's individual 'narrative energy level' has risen sharply, and he has been temporarily marked by the system as a 'narrative focus.' The focus state is unstable and will attract a large number of cross-dimensional variables attempting to intervene or distort his fate line. We must stabilize his state immediately and isolate the external resonance, otherwise, it could trigger a chain reaction of dimensional narrative collapse."
"What exactly should we do?" Wanda asked.
"He needs a'sedative,' in both physical and magical senses." The Ancient One said quickly. "Go to him immediately and use composite magic to forcibly soothe the resonance of the abnormal energy in his body, severing its temporary link with the external mark. I will assist remotely to stabilize the surrounding dimensional structure. Move quickly; the longer the focus state drags on, the more 'trouble' it will attract."
"Understood!"
The communication magic circle extinguished.
Arthur looked at Wanda. "Let's go, let's cool down our 'number one trending topic'."
A golden Portal bloomed in the Sanctum, and the two stepped through.
Behind the scenes of the Stark Industries press conference, it was chaotic.
Tony had just retreated, surrounded by Happy and a few security personnel, and the deafening clamor could still be heard outside.
He tugged at his collar, feeling his chest stifling and hot, his heartbeat racing uncontrollably, not just because of the excitement.
"Boss, that was explosive!" Happy said, his face full of excitement.
Tony smiled forcedly, and just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a wave of intense dizziness, and strange lights and shadows seemed to flicker at the edge of his vision.
Just then, in the air beside him, golden sparks swirled and opened a door.
Arthur and Wanda walked out.
The staff and security behind the scenes were stunned.
"You…" Tony pressed his chest and caught his breath.
"No time to explain, Tony." Arthur walked straight up to him and held his palm in front of his chest. "That 'I am Iron Man' line of yours was cool, but you incidentally stuck a 'world-class lightning rod' on yourself. Now, several 'bolts of lightning' are striking right along it."
Wanda stood on the other side of Tony and raised her hands. Red chaos energy spread out like a mist, enveloping Tony's entire body.
"Relax, don't resist." Wanda's voice carried a soothing power.
Although Tony didn't understand what was happening, seeing their serious expressions and the increasingly obvious discomfort in his chest, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
Arthur chanted in a low voice, and golden magic runes surged from his palm, intertwining with Wanda's red chaos energy to form a layer of red and gold light film that slowly seeped into Tony's body.
Tony shuddered.
He felt a cool yet gentle force invade his chest, wrapping around the source that was always aching, forcibly suppressing the restless energy inside that was screaming wildly and trying to "shake hands" with something outside, and isolating it.
It was like putting a heavy soundproof cover on a boiling boiler.
Almost simultaneously, the flickering ominous lights and shadows at the edge of his vision disappeared, and the chest tightness and palpitations quickly subsided.
In the corner of the backstage, a spatial ripple that was slightly distorted, as if another scene was about to overlap, also quietly calmed down.
The whole process took less than ten seconds.
Arthur and Wanda withdrew their hands at the same time, both with beads of sweat on their foreheads.
Tony let out a long breath, feeling as if an invisible burden had been lifted, and he felt much lighter.
"What… was that just now?" He looked at Arthur, still shaken.
"You've become a 'person of focus,' literally." Arthurwiped his sweat. "A cross-dimensional focus. A bunch of things from other worlds want to 'look' through you, or even 'reach out.' We just added a layer of 'one-way glass' for you."
Wanda added, "It's temporarily isolated. But the connection between the anchor point inside you and the mark left by the Iron Monger has already caused some 'ripples.' It has spread out, and we can't fully retract it."
Tony digested these words, his eyes quickly shifting from confusion to clarity, even flashing with a hint of sharpness. "So, because I revealed my identity, the energy fluctuation was too great, and I exposed myself instead? Attracting more 'audience'?"
"You can understand it that way." Arthur nodded. "You are now a living 'dimensional lighthouse.' Although we've dimmed the light, the location has already been exposed. There might be no shortage of such'spectating' in the future."
Tony was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, a laugh with a bit of self-deprecation and ruthlessness.
"Fine. It seems that this hero thing, whether I want to be one or not, I have to see it through to the end." He loosened his shoulders. "So, what's the situation now? What do I need to do? Hide?"
"No." Arthur shook his head. "The Ancient One said you are now a 'narrative focus.' Hiding might actually distort the narrative and trigger worse consequences. You need to… continue to play the role of 'Iron Man' well, play the role of the hero of this world well. Maintaining the'stability' and 'brightness' of your fate line will actually make it impossible for those dimensional variables that want to take advantage of the chaos to make a move."
Wanda said softly, "We will handle those cross-dimensional anomalies. You are responsible for handling the affairs of this world."
Tony looked at them, then looked at the still-noisy press conference venue outside, and nodded.
"Got it. I'm responsible for 'playing the hero' on stage, and you're responsible for 'fighting monsters' behind the scenes. Clear division of labor." He paused. "So, will that 'lightning strike' feeling from just now come back?"
"It shouldn't in the short term. We've temporarily sealed the mark." Arthur pointed to Tony's chest. "But you should also be careful yourself; don't get too 'explosive' with your emotions, and don't get too 'high' with your energy. Stay steady; it's better for everyone."
"I'll try." Tony forced a smile. "But you know, I'm not the type to keep a low profile."
Happy, listening from the side, was completely confused and couldn't help but interrupt. "Boss, the reporters outside are still waiting…"
Tony straightened his suit, instantly returning to that playboy Stark persona.
"Tell them the interview is over. Iron Man is going back to upgrade his 'costume'." He tilted his chin at Arthur and Wanda. "Thanks. Next time there's 'lightning,' remember to come earlier."
Arthur waved his hand, and he and Wanda took a step back as the golden Portal opened again.
"Stay in touch, Tony. Remember, you're not 'acting' alone anymore."
Their figures disappeared into the sparks.
The backstage area returned to quiet.
Tony stood where he was, touching his chest, where everything was calm.
He looked at the flickering lights and noisy voices outside, his eyes deep.
"Focus, huh?" He whispered to himself. "Then let's make this show even more spectacular."
He turned and walked toward the passage leading to his private garage, his pace firm.
The Stark Industries press conference was over, but the story of 'Iron Man,' and the dimensional chess game unfolding around him, far beyond what the world could imagine, had only just begun.
In the New York Sanctum, Arthur looked at the fragment mark on the table, which had completely faded and was no longer fluctuating.
"Temporarily sealed. But the ripples have already spread out." He looked at Wanda. "We might have our hands full from now on."
Wanda leaned on his shoulder and hummed in agreement.
"As long as he's fine on stage," she said softly, "it doesn't matter if we're busy behind the scenes."
Arthur smiled and put his arm around her.
"True. After all, we are professionals at being 'behind-the-scenes heroes'."
Chapter 17: Post-War Aftermath
The bustle backstage at the press conference had passed, and the New York Sanctum library was quiet again, with nothing left but the sound of pages turning and the occasional ticking of instruments.
On the table, the fragments broken off from the Iron Monger still lay scattered, though the faint, dark gold patterns that had previously shimmered on them were now so faded they were almost invisible.
Arthur stared at the stream of data scrolling across the magic light screen in front of him, his fingers tracing through the air.
"Something is not right," he said.
"Hmm?" Wanda looked up from a book on dimensional studies that was thick enough to be used as a brick.
"The energy dissipation is too 'orderly'," Arthur pointed to a smoothly descending curve on the light screen. "Look, the main energy dissipated all at once, which fits the model of Obadiah kicking the bucket and the connection breaking. But this last bit of the 'core', this curve... it is moving downward at a steady, slow pace without a single fluctuation. This is not normal."
Wanda put down her book, walked over, and lightly brushed her fingers over the fragments.
A faint red Chaos Magic seeped in like a mist, and a few seconds later, she frowned.
"It is...'seeping'," Wanda said. "It is not dissipating on its own; it is seeping into the surrounding spatial structure like water seeping into sand. It is very slow, but it is definitely happening."
"Erosion," Arthur spat out the word. "This thing won't even rest in peace after dying; it is still secretly corroding the 'foundation'."
He zoomed in on the energy spectrum on the light screen, locking onto the stubborn dark gold core.
"Jarvis, pull up all environmental monitoring data for the area around the Iron Monger crash site at Stark Industriesfor the last seventy-two hours, including geomagnetism, radiation, and even trace changes in soil composition. Get everything you can." Tony's voice suddenly came from the rune communicator Arthur had placed on the table, accompanied by the mechanical hum of a laboratory background.
Arthur chuckled and picked up the communicator: "Yo, Teacher Tony, working overtime? Telepathy, are you? We were just talking about this."
"Happy sent me the preliminary report on the cleanup of the site. He said there were some anomalies in the inert gas content of several soil samples in the central area of the crash site. Although it didn't exceed the limit, the trend is wrong." The sound of keyboard typing came from Tony's side. "I guessed it had something to do with the pile of 'energy dregs' you two were messing with. I sent the data to you, take a look."
A new data window immediately popped up on the side of the light screen.
Arthur scanned it quickly, his eyes darkening further.
"It matches. The anomalous fluctuation curve of the soil on your end is highly consistent with the energy 'leakage' curve we monitored here, in terms of the decay model. This is not an isolated phenomenon, Tony. The 'ashes' of that big iron hunk are still affecting the physical environment."
Wanda looked at Arthur: "Although the energy source is weak, if it continues to seep, could it form a... small dimensional weak point at the crash site?"
"It is possible. And this erosion is one-way, only going in and not coming out, like a quiet'source of pollution'." Arthur stood up. "Let's go, let's check the site. Just looking at the data here won't do."
"Now?" Wanda asked.
"Right now, before the 'pollution' spreads." As Arthursaid this, he had already started drawing a circle.
Golden sparks swirled, and on the other side of the Portalwas the perimeter of Stark Industries at night. In the distance, the cordoned-off crash area could still be seen, marked with warning tape.
The two stepped through.
The night wind was quite cold. Most of the lights in the industrial park were off, with only a few security lights still on. The crash site was a large crater, already covered by temporary fencing, but one could still smell a faint, strange odor of burnt material mixed with the scent of cooling metal.
Arthur walked to the edge of the crater. His Super Vision penetrated the fencing and surface soil, looking downward.
"The main wreckage was cleared out quite cleanly. S.H.I.E.L.D. has good efficiency." He said, adjusting his visual focus. "But... about three meters deep, slightly to the left, there is something. It is not big, but the energy reaction is exactly the same as the 'core' on the fragments, and... it is more active."
Wanda closed her eyes to sense it, and a few seconds later, she pointed to that position: "It is there. It looks like a small piece... of a core component that was not completely destroyed? Although the energy fluctuation is weak, it is very stable and is still continuously emitting."
"It seems that old guy Obadiah still left some 'inheritance' buried in the ground." Arthur rubbed his hands. "Shall we dig it out and take a look?"
"Don't be hasty." Wanda held him back. "Although the fluctuation is weak, its 'connection' to the surrounding environment seems to be deeper. If we make direct physical contact, might it trigger something?"
Arthur thought for a moment and took out the rune communicator: "Calling for off-site support. Tony, are you asleep?"
"What do you think?" Tony's voice came through immediately, with the sound of robotic arms working in the background. "What is it now?"
"We came to your company's old site for some 'archaeology' and made a discovery. We might need your professional equipment to help us with some 'non-destructive mining'. I'm sending you the location."
The communicator was silent for a few seconds.
"...Wait there." Tony finished and hung up.
About twenty minutes later, the familiar whistle of thrusters came from the horizon.
The gold and red Mark III cut through the night sky and landed with a boom beside the two. The faceplate flipped open, revealing Tony's face, which showed some fatigue from staying up late, but his eyes were very bright.
"Digging graves in the middle of the night, you two have quite unique hobbies." Tony stepped out of the armor, holding a palm-sized scanner in his hand.
"Cleaning up your mess, free after-sales service." Arthurpointed to the ground. "Three meters deep, about two meters to the left, there is an energy source that might even have a 'family connection' to that thing in your chest."
Tony didn't waste words. He squatted down, placed the scanner on the ground, and started it.
The scanner screen lit up, and complex waveforms scrolled by.
Tony looked at the screen, and his expression slowly changed.
"The energy signature... has a homology of over ninety-five percent with the anomalous resonance ripples around the fragments inside me." He looked up at Arthur. "And it is actively emitting a... very low-frequency induction signal. Although the power is extremely low, the nature of it is very troublesome."
"Inducing what?" Wanda asked.
"Inducing the surrounding basic particles to shift toward a certain unstable structure." Tony explained quickly. "Simply put, it is like a small, slow-speed 'reality converter' that wants to slowly turn this little patch of land into a'shape' that suits the existence of its type of energy."
"It really is eroding." Arthur nodded. "Can you pinpoint it and get it out safely?"
"I have small engineering lasers on my armor that can perform precise cutting and isolated packaging." Tonystood up and walked back to the Mark III. Several delicate tools popped out from the arm of the armor. "You guys help me keep an eye on the energy fluctuations. If it gets 'excited', you are responsible for soothing it."
"Fine, you defuse the bomb, we will act as the blast blanket." Arthur stood beside Wanda.
Tony operated the armor, and the laser generator on his arm emitted an extremely thin blue beam, beginning to carefully cut the ground.
The soil was silently vaporized, forming a vertical channel about half a meter in diameter, reaching the target depth.
Arthur used Super Vision to monitor the reaction of the energy source underground in real-time, while Wandaused Chaos Magic to form a layer of gentle restraining force field, enveloping the channel to prevent a sudden energy burst.
The process was smoother than expected.
That energy source—a piece of metal about the size of a fist, twisted and deformed, looking like the internal core of some kind of reactor—was completely separated from the surrounding rock and soil by the laser beam, and then it was steadily caught by a blue-glowing force field tray on the armor's palm and lifted up.
Once it left the underground environment, the dark gold patterns on the surface of the core component brightened significantly, and the energy fluctuations it emitted became clearly perceptible.
"That is it." Wanda said. "That feeling of slow erosion is what is being emitted from it."
Tony carefully scanned it with the sensors on his armor.
"The structure is severely damaged, but the energy circuit at the very center is actually still maintaining a minimum level of operation... Incredible technology, or rather, magic." Tony looked at Arthur. "How should we handle it? Destroy it completely?"
Arthur observed the component: "Forcibly destroying it might cause the remaining energy inside to burst out all at once. Although the quantity is not large, the nature of it is unknown, and it is risky. It is best to seal it."
Wanda reached out her hand, and the red Chaos Magic, like the finest silk, wrapped around it layer by layer, forming a dense energy cocoon that completely sealed the core component inside. The dark gold fluctuations were immediately isolated and became almost undetectable.
"This will do." Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. "Its 'connection' to the external environment has been cut off, and the erosion should stop."
Tony took the sealed energy cocoon and put it into a special isolation box on the side of his armor's waist.
"I will take this back and use the laboratory's strong shielding environment to lock it away another layer. By the way... I will study it." Tony said. "Let's see if we can reverse-engineer some technical characteristics of the Ten Rings, or those'spectators' behind them."
"Suit yourself, just don't get yourself played in the process." Arthur reminded him. "Also, Tony, this time is a reminder. Although Obadiah and the Iron Monger are finished, these 'nasty things' they brought in might still pop up in other ways. We need a long-term monitoring mechanism."
Tony closed the isolation box, and the faceplate closed. His voice came through the speaker: "How do you want to monitor it?"
"You are responsible for the technical side, global anomalous energy fluctuations, and strange technology leakage incidents. We are responsible for the magic side, dimensional disturbances, and unnatural energy erosion." Arthur said. "Information sharing, regular synchronization. It is a bit like... an upgraded version of a 'disaster early warning system'."
Tony was silent for two seconds.
"Okay. I will have Jarvis set up an independent data analysis module specifically to handle intelligence on these types of 'unconventional threats'. I will send you the interface and encryption methods later." Tony said. "However, I will state in advance, if the things monitored are too outrageous, don't expect me to carry it alone."
"Rest assured, when that time comes, we will definitely run faster than you... no, we will arrive faster than you." Arthur laughed.
Tony didn't pick up on that, and the armor thrusters started to warm up.
"I'm leaving. There is still a pile of work in the lab. For this crappy place, I will have the engineering team come tomorrow to completely fill it in and disinfect it."
The gold and red armor shot up into the sky and disappeared into the night.
Arthur and Wanda remained where they were.
Wanda looked at the big crater where the Iron Monger had crashed, and closed her eyes to sense for a while longer.
"Arthur," she said softly. "That sealed core... the energy source has been cut off. But I always feel that the feeling of 'being watched by something' has not completely disappeared. It just... shifted. From a fixed point, it has become more blurred, more scattered... background noise?"
Arthur put his arm around her shoulders.
"You mean the crisis has changed from an 'acute attack' to a 'chronic disease'?"
"Maybe." Wanda leaned against him. "But at least, this time, it is considered handled cleanly."
"That will do." Arthur looked up at the sky. "Let's go, let's go home. Tomorrow's business, we will talk about tomorrow."
He drew open a Portal, and the two walked in.
The sparks dissipated, and the site of Stark Industriesreturned to silence.
Only that big crater that had not yet been filled, and the extremely faint anomalous readings in the surrounding soil that had not yet completely dissipated, proved what had happened here.
And further away, in the underground laboratory of the Malibu Villa, Tony looked at the twisted component sealed layer by layer in the isolation box, his fingers tapping the workbench unconsciously.
"Jarvis."
"Yes, sir."
"Create a new project folder, name it... 'Cleaner Protocol' extended version."
"Created, sir."
Tony stared at the preliminary energy structure data starting to scroll on the screen, which was extracted from the scan just now, his eyes deep.
"It seems that being a 'hero' means having to deal with more types of trash than I imagined."
Chapter 18: Green Shadow
After that green trajectory disappeared from Arthur's Super Vision, he put his arm around Wanda and returned to the house.
But that energy fluctuation, like a stone thrown into a lake, sent ripples straight into his heart.
"What's wrong?" Wanda leaned on his shoulder and asked softly.
Arthur came back to his senses and squeezed her hand. "It's nothing, just feeling like... I might need to go out for a trip."
"Now?" Wanda sat up straight and looked at him.
"Yeah, not far, I'll be back soon." Arthur stood up and walked to the center of the living room. "If your brother asks when he gets back, just say I went downstairs to buy cigarettes."
Wanda frowned: "You don't even smoke."
"That's why it's an excuse." Arthur smiled and traced a circle in the air with his finger.
Golden sparks flickered, and a Portal opened in the living room. On the other side of the door was the sound of noisy crowds and muggy air.
"Wait for me to come back for dinner." After Arthurfinished speaking, he stepped inside.
The Portal closed behind him.
Wanda looked at the empty living room and sighed softly. Her fingers rubbed unconsciously, and a bit of red energy danced at her fingertips before quickly disappearing.
Rio de Janeiro.
The assembly line at the soda factory hummed.
Arthur stood on the roof opposite the factory. The clothes on his body had been changed into a plain T-shirt and shorts, looking like an ordinary tourist. His Super Vision penetrated the wall and locked onto a thin man.
Bruce Banner.
This guy was crouching next to the assembly line, holding a wrench in his hand, tightening a leaking valve. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his work vest.
"Push, Banner! Push!" The foreman shouted from the side.
Banner gritted his teeth, the veins in his hands bulging.
Arthur could "see" the gamma energy inside Bannerchurning like boiling water. Those green things were restless in his blood vessels; if his emotions were a bit more agitated, a bit more out of control...
"Damn this broken valve!" Banner cursed under his breath, applying a bit more force with his hands.
Right now.
Arthur raised his hand and pointed into the air.
A barely visible golden halo drifted across the street, slipped into the factory, and landed silently on Banner.
Banner's movements paused for a second.
He felt... a bit strange. That sense of irritability that was about to rush to his head just a moment ago suddenly felt like it had been doused with a basin of cold water, leaving him feeling chilled. His heart wasn't beating as fast, and his breathing had steadied.
He shook his head and continued tightening the valve.
This time, the valve tightened smoothly.
"That's it!" The foreman patted his shoulder. "Good job, Banner. Go get some water."
Banner wiped his sweat, walked to the break area, and picked up a bottle of water, taking a few gulps. He looked around, always feeling that something just now... had helped him?
But he didn't see anything.
Arthur withdrew his hand on the roof.
Not bad, the control was good. The Sorcerer Supreme's calming spell, combined with a little technique of guiding Kryptonian energy, was enough to keep Dr. Banner's emotions stable for a few minutes.
His gaze swept across the area around the factory.
A black van was parked across the street, with dark film on the windows. But in Arthur's X-ray vision, that layer of film was as good as non-existent.
Inside the car sat three people, dressed in plain clothes, but with guns tucked into their waists and communicators in their ears. One of them was holding binoculars, aiming them at the factory gate.
The man in the passenger seat was speaking into the communicator: "Target is still at the assembly line station, emotional state stable. Repeat, emotional state stable."
General Ross's men.
They came fast enough.
Arthur memorized the faces of those three people, and the license plate number. Then he jumped off the roof, wandered like an ordinary tourist to the small shop at the factory gate, and bought a bottle of soda.
"Boss, is the factory across the street still hiring?" he asked casually.
The shop owner was a chubby uncle, currently watching a soccer match on TV. "Hiring, always hiring. The pay isn't high, the work is tiring, can't keep people. But a new employee came recently, named Banner, he works quite steadily."
"Banner?" Arthur took a sip of soda.
"Yes, Bruce Banner. Heard he's a Doctor, don't know why he came here to work." The owner shrugged, "These days, there are all sorts of weird things."
Arthur nodded, paid, and turned to leave.
He circled the factory and scanned the entire area with magic perception. The gamma energy inside Banner was very active, but it was bound by a kind of... how should I put it, by a strong self-repression. Like a stone slab covering a volcano crater, with magma churning underneath the slab.
Hulk was right under there.
Once the slab cracked, it would be a disaster.
Evaluation result: High threat level, but controllable. The premise is that no one goes to irritate Dr. Banner's fragile nerves.
Arthur glanced at the black van again.
The the military clearly didn't think so.
He opened a Portal and walked in.
Sokovia, at home.
Wanda was sitting on the sofa, holding the remote control, absentmindedly changing channels.
The Portal opened in front of her, and Arthur walked out.
"So fast?" Wanda looked at the clock on the wall; not even twenty minutes had passed.
"Said it wasn't far." Arthur flopped down next to her, picked up her half-drunk water, and took a gulp. "Saw an interesting person."
"Who?"
"A big green guy." Arthur said, "Or rather, a Doctor who wants to become a big green guy but is desperately controlling himself."
Wanda turned down the TV volume: "Is it the one Pietromentioned?"
"Yes, Bruce Banner." Arthur briefly talked about the soda factory, omitting the part where he helped with magic. "He's working in Brazil now, living quite miserably, but at least he hasn't transformed. However, people from the the military have already targeted him."
"The the military wants to catch him?"
"Yeah, a General named Ross, probably wants to slice him up for research." Arthur curled his lips, "The typical 'if I don't understand it, I must destroy or control it' mindset."
Wanda was silent for a while.
"This world... is changing so fast." She said softly, "Iron Man, the green monster... will there be more in the future?"
Arthur put his arm around her shoulder: "Yes. And there will be more and more."
"Then we..."
"We live our own lives." Arthur said, "Whoever comes looking for trouble, I'll let them know what it really means to 'play the pig to eat the tiger'."
Wanda was amused by him: "You always say that phrase."
"Because it's fitting." Arthur said righteously, "Look at me, handsome, can use magic, and have Kryptonianlineage, but usually, I'm just an ordinary husband—isn't this the standard of playing the pig? As for eating the tiger..." He blinked, "You'll know when the tiger comes."
Wanda leaned on him: "I'm not worried about the tiger. I'm only worried about... whether you'll be too tired."
"Tired of what." Arthur pinched her cheek, "Protecting my wife is a husband's duty, it's only right. Besides, if I don't use these skills of mine, should I just let them rust?"
As they were talking, the door was blown open by the wind.
Pietro blew in like a gust of wind, carrying a bag in his hand.
"I'm back! Yo, brother-in-law is here too." He put the bag on the table, "Guess what news I brought back?"
"What?" Wanda asked.
"That green monster!" Pietro sat down, his eyes shining, "Latest news, someone saw it in Brazil! They say it's a big green guy, tore down half a slum, and then ran away! The the military is now searching the whole world for him!"
Arthur and Wanda looked at each other.
"Is the news reliable?" Arthur asked.
"Reliable! A buddy I know just came back from Brazil, saw it with his own eyes!" Pietro gestured, "He said that thing is three meters tall, can punch through a wall, and bullets hitting it are like scratching an itch. It's spreading like crazy in Brazil now, saying it's a monster that escaped from some the military experiment."
Arthur didn't speak.
He was in Brazil just now, and Banner had clearly controlled his emotions and hadn't transformed.
Then this outburst... did it happen afterwards? After he left?
"When did it happen?" he asked.
"Just this afternoon!" Pietro said, "About... two or three hours ago?"
The time matches up.
Arthur closed his eyes, his perception spreading out like a net.
From very, very far away, another violent energy fluctuation came. It was much more intense than what he felt at the soda factory before, filled with anger and... sadness.
Hulk had really appeared.
And had run away.
"Did the the military catch him?" Wanda asked.
"No!" Pietro shook his head, "That thing runs incredibly fast, can jump over several buildings in one leap, the the military couldn't even touch its shadow. They're probably expanding the search area now."
He looked at Arthur: "Brother-in-law, do you think this world is crazy? First Iron Man, now the Hulk... will there be someone who can fly, shoot lasers, or..."
"Stop." Arthur raised his hand, "Don't go around setting flags."
"What's a flag?"
"It means don't jinx it." Arthur stood up and walked to the window.
The night was already deep.
In the distant sky, a faint green light seemed to flash by again, and quickly disappeared.
"What do you plan to do?" Wanda walked to his side.
"Watch for now." Arthur said, "Dr. Banner... or rather Hulk, he needs help, but not now. The the military is chasing too closely; if I intervene now, it will only make things messier."
"Then when should we wait until?"
"Wait until he has nowhere left to go." Arthur turned around, "Or until someone needs their life saved."
Pietro leaned in: "Brother-in-law, do you know some inside information?"
"I know a little bit more than you." Arthur smiled, "But I can't say it now. Anyway, let's wait and see on this matter, don't get involved."
"Okay, listening to you." Pietro was very straightforward, "Anyway, your magic is powerful, you call the shots."
Wanda held Arthur's hand.
Her hand was warm.
"No matter what you do," she said, "I believe in you."
Arthur held her hand back, without speaking.
The night sky outside the window was pitch black, and that green trajectory had long since disappeared.
But Arthur knew, it would appear again.
And very soon.
Chapter 19: Secret Assistance
That surge of green energy erupting in the distance, filled with anger and sorrow, was like a boulder thrown into the lake of Arthur's perception. Before the ripples had fully dissipated, a second, even stronger shockwave arrived.
"It's happening again." Arthur turned away from the window and said to Wanda on the sofa, "This time it's closer, and the commotion is bigger. I have to go take a look."
Wanda stood up, walked to his side, and took his hand. "Be careful."
"Don't worry, I'm just going to look, not get involved." Despite what Arthur said, he had already opened a Portal with his hands.
On the other side of the golden ring of sparks were deafening explosions and people's screams.
Arthur stepped through, and the Portal closed behind him.
Brazil, a street on the edge of a shantytown.
The scene was in complete chaos.
A green giant over three meters tall was roaring, smashing a the military jeep flat with one punch. Bullets hitting him were like tickles, clanging and bouncing right off.
"Fire! Fire!" An old man with graying hair, dressed in the military uniform, stood behind an armored vehicle, shouting into a walkie-talkie. Arthur recognized him instantly: General Ross. The old man's eyes were fierce enough to eat someone.
Hulk—or rather, Dr. Banner—was now completely controlled by rage. He grabbed the wreckage of another vehicle and threw it at the line of soldiers like a rock. Several soldiers couldn't dodge in time and were sent flying by the shockwave.
Arthur stood on the roof of a half-collapsed building, frowning.
The civilians hadn't been fully evacuated, and a few terrified locals were huddled in a corner.
"He really knows how to pick a place to fight." He muttered, quickly forming hand seals with both hands.
A golden magic barrier unfolded silently, like a transparent film, covering the area where the civilians were. A flying slab of concrete hit the barrier and bounced off; the people inside were so scared they crouched down covering their heads, but they were completely unharmed.
Hulk smashed another wall and turned to charge toward a more populated block.
"Dr. Banner, calm down." Arthur said in a low voice, pointing a finger in Hulk's direction.
An extremely subtle, almost imperceptible psychic fluctuation drilled into Hulk's head.
This wasn't an attack, but rather like a basin of cold water, gently poured onto that burning rage.
Hulk's movements paused for a moment.
He shook his massive green head, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes. In that gaze, there was actually a tiny bit... of clarity belonging to Dr. Banner.
"Roar..." Hulk's roar grew quieter.
"Run that way, buddy." Arthur used magic to send his voice directly into Hulk's consciousness, while simultaneously using energy to mark a faint "arrow" in the direction of the rainforest, one that only Hulk could perceive. "Go into the rainforest, they can't catch you."
Hulk turned his head to look in the direction of the rainforest, then looked at the increasing number of soldiers and armored vehicles in front of him.
He chose the rainforest.
The big green guy leaped fiercely, jumping dozens of meters, and in a few moves disappeared behind the dense buildings, then charged into the green jungle in the distance.
"Pursue! Quickly pursue!" General Ross was so angry he was jumping up and down. "He ran into the rainforest! Helicopters! Call in the helicopters!"
Arthur looked at the chaotic scene below and shook his head.
The bit of mental soothing he had just done would at most keep Hulk clear-headed for a few seconds. Once Dr. Banner's consciousness was submerged by rage again, he would still have to run. But at least the direction was right; the rainforest terrain was complex, enough to keep the the military busy searching for a while.
Ross walked over to the jeep that Hulk had smashed flat, his face livid.
"General, the preliminary statistics on civilian casualties..." An aide ran over to report.
"I don't care about casualties!" Ross interrupted him. "I want that monster! I want him alive or dead! Call in more men, and surround this rainforest for me!"
Arthur listened from the rooftop, and understood the situation.
This old man was determined to capture Hulk, at any cost.
If he were to jump down now and reveal his identity, saying "I've got this guy covered," that would be a huge mess. Not only would it not solve the problem, it would attract all the firepower to himself, and even implicate Wanda and Pietro, exposing them all.
Not necessary.
He took one last look at the messy scene below, opened a Portal, and left.
Sokovia, at home.
When the Portal opened, Wanda was sitting on the sofa, clutching the remote, but the TV wasn't on.
"So fast?" She asked.
"I just caught the tail end of it." Arthur sat down beside her, picked up a water cup, and took a sip. "They started fighting, Hulk transformed, had a brawl with the the military, and demolished half a street."
Wanda leaned closer to him. "Were many people hurt?"
"I shielded a few civilians who couldn't get away, so they're fine." Arthur put down the cup. "Hulk was slightly guided by me, and ran into the rainforest. That General Ross from the the military was there commanding in person; by the looks of it, he won't stop until he catches him."
"Will he catch him?"
"Unlikely." Arthur shook his head. "With Hulk's combat power, unless they use unconventional weapons, they won't be able to keep him. But Ross probably wouldn't dare drop missiles in the rainforest, fearing that if he actually killed Dr. Banner, he wouldn't have anything left to study."
Wanda was silent for a while.
"Do you think... Dr. Banner, is he a bad person?" She asked softly.
"No." Arthur answered very decisively. "He's just an unlucky guy. He was screwed over by his own father-in-law, developed a second personality, and can't control it. The key thing is that this second personality has too much destructive power; he demolishes everything wherever he goes, making it hard to keep a low profile even if he wanted to."
"Father-in-law?"
"Ross is his girlfriend's dad." Arthur explained. "Anyway, the relationship is quite messy. Now that Ross is chasing him, half of it is for so-called 'national security,' and the other half... I guess it's personal."
Wanda rested her head on his shoulder. "This world is getting more and more dangerous, right?"
Arthur put his arm around her. "It has always been dangerous. It's just that those dangers used to be far away from us, and now they're a bit closer."
"Will you intervene? Like how you helped Tony Stark, will you help Dr. Banner?"
"Depends on the situation." Arthur said. "If it's just Ross chasing him, and they're both willing participants, I can't be bothered to care. But if..."
He paused.
"If the crisis spreads to innocent people, or if Hulk loses control to the point of causing a large-scale disaster." He looked into Wanda's eyes. "I will intervene. I promise."
Wanda nodded and didn't speak again.
She knew what Arthur meant by "intervene." It wasn't about breaking up a fight; it was about crushing it.
The door was blown open by the wind.
Pietro swept in like a gust of wind, holding a mobile phone in his hand.
"Quick, look at the news! Brazil! The green monster is on TV!"
He ran to the TV and quickly switched to the news channel.
On the screen was the ruins of the Brazilian shantytown; a reporter was standing on the chaotic street, with smoking vehicles and collapsed walls in the background.
"...The green creature known as 'Hulk' has engaged in a fierce conflict with the the military and has now fled into the nearby rainforest. General Ross stated that the the military will spare no cost to hunt down this 'highly dangerous experimental product'..."
The camera gave a close-up of General Ross; the old man's expression was serious, his tone firm.
"The international community has expressed high concern over this matter, and there are voices questioning the the military's handling of this incident..."
Pietro put down the phone and looked at Arthur. "Brother-in-law, this thing... is even more troublesome than we thought."
"Yeah." Arthur stared at the TV screen. "And this is just the beginning."
Late at night.
Wanda was already asleep.
Arthur stood on the balcony, looking at the night sky in the distance. His perception was like a giant net, covering special energy fluctuations across the globe.
That gamma radiation energy from Hulk was like a green lighthouse in the dark night, flickering deep in the Brazilian rainforest, but it was gradually calming down. Dr. Bannermust have transformed back and gone into hiding again.
"Gamma radiation..." Arthur muttered to himself.
This stuff wasn't simple. It didn't just create an immensely powerful green monster; it seemed to have altered Dr. Banner's cellular essence, giving him near-immortal regenerative abilities.
Moreover, Arthur could feel that deep within that energy, something else was hidden. Something more primal, more violent, and it might even... be connected to certain ancient dimensions.
"I won't touch you for now." He said to himself. "But I have to keep a close eye on you."
He decided to place a "mark" on Hulk's energy signal, using magic to create a tracking imprint. That way, the next time Hulk erupted, he would be able to know the location and intensity immediately.
Just as he was preparing to cast the spell, another energy fluctuation suddenly crashed into his perception net.
Very weak, but very familiar.
magic energy.
It wasn't the orthodox Vishanti-style magic of Kamar-Taj, nor was it Wanda's Chaos Magic, but a kind of... more ancient, more inclined toward the Dark Dimension, yet mixed with a bit of Earth's native aura.
The location was New York.
"Another one." Arthur raised an eyebrow.
This world is really getting more and more lively.
Chapter 20: Echo
That familiar magical energy fluctuation rippled through Arthur's perception like waves on water, with its source in New York.
He stood on the balcony of his home in Sokovia, watching the night view in the distance, his thoughts already drifting to the other side of the ocean.
"New York again." Arthur muttered.
Last time it was Iron Man making a big scene, but this time... this energy feels off. It's not the feeling of Wanda's Chaos Magic, nor is it the orthodox magic of Kamar-Taj; it's more like... a turbulence created by several different sources of energy colliding and mixing together.
And the location is quite coincidental, right near the New York Sanctum.
"What's wrong?" Wanda walked out from the room, holding two glasses of water.
"There's a small situation in New York." Arthur took the glass and took a sip, "On the magical level. I'll go take a look, I'll be back soon."
Wanda nodded: "Stay safe."
"Don't worry, I'm just going to take a look, not get involved." Arthur finished speaking and swiped his finger through the air.
A golden spark circle opened, revealing the night streets of New York on the other side, with dim yellow streetlights.
Arthur stepped through, and the Portal closed behind him.
New York, Bleecker Street.
Arthur appeared in the shadows of a building, his clothes having automatically changed into a regular jacket and trousers. He looked up at the New York Sanctum not far away—the old building stood quietly in the night, but in his eyes, he could see a faint layer of magical protective shield invisible to ordinary people.
The problem was not inside the Sanctum.
It was in the alley next to the Sanctum.
Arthur narrowed his eyes, his Super Vision piercing through walls and darkness, locking onto the target.
A man in a high-end suit with his hair meticulously combed was leaning against the alley wall, one hand supporting his forehead, his face pale.
Stephen Strange.
This future Doctor Strange, currently a top surgeon, did not look right at this moment. The space around him was slightly distorted, and a few invisible, dark purple threads of energy were floating in the air. Those threads were trying to drill into his body, but were blocked by the protective energy emitted by the Sanctum. The collision between the two created the chaotic fluctuation that Arthur had perceived.
"The aftermath of dimensional instability..." Arthurrecognized the source of those purple energies. "Which blind dimensional lord is reaching so far, and even leaking some dregs out."
Strange clearly felt uncomfortable; he shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but his steps were a bit unsteady.
Arthur did not reveal himself.
He raised his hand toward the alley and gently clenched his five fingers.
Silently, those dark purple energy threads were gripped by an invisible hand, instantly shattered and dissipated. The faint sense of distortion in the air also calmed down.
Strange was stunned for a moment, then straightened up while leaning against the wall, the paleness on his face quickly fading.
"Strange..." He touched his forehead and looked around. "That dizziness just now... was it low blood sugar?"
He shook his head, straightened his suit, turned, and walked out of the alley toward the luxury car parked on the roadside.
Arthur watched from the shadows as Strange got into the car and left, until the taillights disappeared around the corner.
"Quite sharp." He smiled.
Although that dimensional aftermath was weak, its nature was troublesome. If it had truly entered Strange's body, while not immediately fatal, it would certainly have caused this Doctor to have nightmares and mental lethargy for a long time in the future, and it might even have affected his surgical hands—that would not do.
Strange's hands would have great use in the future.
Arthur checked the energy field around the alley and the Sanctum once more, confirming there were no other residual problems, before opening a Portal and returning to Sokovia.
At home, Wanda was still waiting on the balcony.
"So fast?" She asked.
"Just a small trouble, solved it easily." Arthur wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "There was some dimensional instability near the New York Sanctum, and some energy leaked out, which happened to be bumped into by an unlucky passerby. I helped him clear it, it's fine now."
"Dimensional instability?" Wanda frowned. "Is it serious?"
"Not serious, just like a water pipe leaking a few drops, just wipe it dry." Arthur tried to sound relaxed. "However, this shows that Earth's magical defensive net is starting to loosen in some places. In the future, such minor matters might become more frequent."
Wanda leaned against him without speaking.
After a while, she suddenly looked up: "You just said... an unlucky passerby? Who was it?"
"A Doctor." Arthur said. "Named Stephen Strange, quite a famous neurosurgeon, his hands are exceptionally steady, known as the 'Hand of God'. Didn't I tell you a while ago that I knew a Doctor friend? It's him."
"Is he... also a magician?"
"Not yet." Arthur shook his head. "Just an ordinary person, at most with a bit better talent, able to vaguely sense magical energy. He just happened to pass by and was affected by that leaked energy. I cleared it for him; he'll probably just think he had a low blood sugar episode."
Wanda nodded thoughtfully.
Suddenly, her body swayed slightly, and her fingers curled unconsciously.
Arthur immediately felt an unstable fluctuation of Chaos Magic energy within her body, like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake.
"What's wrong?" He held her hand.
"I don't know..." Wanda shook her head, her brows slightly furrowed. "Just in that moment, I felt... a bit of resonance. It was as if something vibrated far away, and then the energy in my body moved along with it."
Arthur's heart stirred.
Chaos Magic is one of the most primitive forces in the Universe, extremely sensitive to dimensional changes and powerful magical fluctuations. Although the dimensional aftermath in New York was cleared by him in time, the moment the fluctuation was generated might still have been sensed by Wanda.
"Relax, follow my guidance." Arthur placed one hand on Wanda's back and held her hand with the other, palms facing each other.
A trace of gentle golden energy flowed from his palm, seeping into Wanda's body, like a warm hand, gently smoothing out those restless red energies.
Wanda closed her eyes, her breathing gradually stabilizing.
A few minutes later, she opened her eyes and let out a long breath.
"It's better." She said. "That feeling from just now has disappeared."
"A normal reaction." Arthur let go of her hand. "Your power is closely connected to some deep energies of this world, and you will sense even the slightest disturbance. You might encounter this again in the future; remember this feeling and slowly learn to control it, don't let it control you."
"Mm." Wanda nodded, then looked at him. "What you just used... is that the magic your master taught you?"
"Yes, the basic meditation spell of Kamar-Taj, with some of my own improvements." Arthur smiled. "It specializes in treating all kinds of magical agitation; a must-have for home and travel."
As they were speaking, the door was blown open by the wind.
Pietro blew in like a gust of wind, holding a mobile phone in his hand.
"Latest news!" He turned the phone screen toward Arthur and Wanda. "In Brazil, the the military has suspended operations!"
Arthur took the phone and glanced at it.
The news headline was "Green Monster Disappears, the military Search Suspended". The content said that the Hulkhad disappeared in the rainforest, and the the military's large-scale search for three days had yielded no results. Considering the complex terrain of the rainforest and subsequent impacts, General Ross had ordered the suspension of large-scale ground force operations, switching to satellite monitoring and small squad reconnaissance.
"It's quiet for now." Arthur returned the phone to Pietro.
"I heard that old man General Ross is furious." Pietro sat down on the sofa. "It's said that he smashed several cups at the command post, cursing his subordinates as useless. A three-meter-tall, green-skinned giant actually managed to disappear in the rainforest, as if he had evaporated."
"Dr. Banner is not stupid." Arthur said. "He has been hiding for so many years, he has plenty of experience. In a place like the rainforest, if he wants to hide, the the militaryreally won't be able to find him."
"Then what's next?" Wanda asked.
"Next..." Arthur walked to the window, looking at the night outside. "Next, it depends on Dr. Banner's own fate. As long as he doesn't show himself, the the military can't find him. As long as he doesn't lose control to an irreversible extent..."
He didn't finish.
But the meaning was clear: as long as there wasn't a major disaster involving loss of life, he didn't plan to intervene for the time being.
Pietro scrolled through his phone for a while, then suddenly looked up: "Oh right, one more thing. That guy Tony Stark seems to be in the news again. They say he was participating in some racing competition in Monaco, and then an incident happened at the scene; some tin man dressed like Iron Man but much uglier attacked him with electric whips."
Arthur raised an eyebrow: "And then?"
"Then Stark wore that Mark 5 suit—the one that transforms from a suitcase—and had a fight with that electric whip guy and won." Pietro shrugged. "The news says the attacker is named Ivan Vanko, a Russian, and has already been arrested. Stark is fine, it's just that the race car was destroyed."
"Alright, got it." Arthur nodded.
He remembered this matter. Ivan Vanko, Whiplash, Hammer Industries was behind it. But Tony could handle it himself, no need for him to worry.
It was late at night.
Pietro went back to his room to sleep.
Wanda also finished washing up and lay down first.
Arthur stood alone on the balcony, his perception spreading out slowly like a large net.
Hulk's energy signal was in the depths of the Brazilian rainforest, very weak but stable, indicating that Dr. Bannerhad controlled his emotions and had not transformed.
The energy field near the New York Sanctum had returned to calm; the disturbance from just now was as if it had never happened.
Tony Stark's energy signal was in Malibu, California, stable but with a hint of fatigue, probably tired from fighting.
Everything seemed to have temporarily settled down.
Just at this moment, an extremely subtle but incredibly familiar magical fluctuation, like a thread, gently touched his perception.
Coming from the direction of the Himalayas.
Kamar-Taj.
Arthur immediately focused his mind, receiving the information contained within that fluctuation.
The information was very short, only three words, transmitted through the Ancient One's unique, calm-as-water magical imprint:
"Just observe."
Then the fluctuation disappeared.
Arthur stood there, pondering the meaning of these three words.
Just observe.
Did it mean to tell him not to rush into action, but to watch first?
Or was it saying that the Ancient One had already noticed these "anomalies" emerging on Earth, but believed it wasn't yet time to intervene?
Or perhaps... it was reminding him that some things are destined to happen, and forcibly changing them might not necessarily be a good thing?
Arthur thought for a while and smiled.
"Understood." He said to the air. "I'll just watch, and won't intervene unless someone is about to die."
No one responded.
But he knew the Ancient One could hear him.
He turned and returned to the room, looked at Wanda who was already asleep on the bed, and quietly lay down beside her.
"Just observe..." He repeated in a low voice and closed his eyes.
Fine, then I'll observe first.
However, observing is one thing, but necessary preparations cannot be lacking.
He moved his fingers gently under the quilt, and a trace of almost invisible golden energy seeped into the floor like water, then spread out, covering the entire apartment, then extended outward, wrapping the whole building, and finally forming a faint, invisible barrier that covered this area.
The barrier was very thin, but it was enough to isolate most external energy detection and malicious prying.
This way, even if the outside world turned upside down, their home would be safe.
After doing all this, Arthur finally truly relaxed, held Wanda, and fell asleep.
The night outside the window was very quiet.
But Arthur knew that this quiet would not last long.
But it didn't matter.
Whoever comes, he would just take it on.