Time flies.
Time spent learning magic always passes so quickly.
Before anyone realizes it,
another half a year has gone by.
Karl is still cultivating at Kamar-Taj.
He just didn't expect that, outside, something that would change the world had already happened.
…
NASA Space Radiation Center.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Accelerator Test Center.
This was an extremely grand complex. The above-ground structure alone was more than twenty stories tall.
Underground, it was even more of a century-class engineering feat.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had excavated more than a hundred levels downward.
With hundreds of meters of soil and bedrock above it, it was enough to block virtually all detection and radiation.
It could be said that this was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most important bases.
However—
at this moment, this crucial base was blaring a piercing alarm.
Countless personnel and vehicles were beginning an evacuation outward.
The situation was somewhat chaotic, but still orderly overall.
At this time,
a helicopter descended from the sky, and a bald, one-eyed Black man stepped down from the aircraft.
This was the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury-san.
There was no expression on his face, but his movements were visibly hurried.
The moment he got off, Nick Fury-san spoke, asking one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite agents, Phil Coulson-san:
"How bad is it?"
"The problem is, we don't know how bad it is," Coulson-san replied.
The two of them then hurried toward the underground base.
As they talked,
they took an elevator down to Level -100, the most secretive research facility.
"Evacuate everyone,"
Nick Fury-san told Coulson-san, then quickly strode into the lab.
"Selvig-sensei, what exactly happened?"
Nick Fury-san asked the person in charge here.
"The Tesseract started moving on its own,"
said the person in charge—Dr. Erik Selvig, who had been brought under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s umbrella.
"You're joking, right?"
Nick Fury-san looked utterly incredulous.
The Tesseract was an inanimate object—how could it possibly move on its own?
"In fact, that's exactly what happened. The Tesseract activated by itself and started emitting interference and radiation."
"But it's only low-energy gamma rays. There's no harm."
Selvig-sensei said.
"That could still be harmful!"
"Sensei, didn't we agree we'd use the Tesseract's energy—"
Nick Fury-san started.
These past days, the world hadn't been peaceful.
First, the Hulk—who had been in hiding for a long time—suddenly appeared in New York City and destroyed an entire block.
Then Tony Stark went completely wild in the news. For the last few months, the headlines had been dominated everywhere by information about Iron Man.
Even more explosive—
that guy Thor fell from the sky.
S.H.I.E.L.D. learned of Asgard's existence.
To deal with threats, Nick Fury-san established this lab immediately.
He wanted to research the Tesseract and develop stronger weapons to protect Earth.
But now—
before any weapon was even developed, the Tesseract moved on its own?
"We still haven't mastered the Tesseract's energy,"
Selvig-sensei said.
"For us, it's all unknown."
While the two were talking,
the machines suddenly began to buzz loudly.
"The Tesseract's energy is reaching peak levels, Sensei!"
a researcher shouted.
"Sensei, what is this?!"
Nick Fury-san nearly went mad, shouting in anger.
"The Tesseract is a portal."
Selvig-sensei said.
"And now, the portal has been opened from the other side."
Before he could finish,
the Tesseract erupted with a massive blue surge.
A beam shot straight upward, forming a vortex above the facility. A blue shockwave expanded outward.
The surrounding S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were blasted away by the blue shockwave— even Nick Fury-san was thrown back.
When Nick Fury-san struggled to his feet,
he discovered that at the center of the site
stood a young man.
He wore an unusual pale-green outfit, and in his hand he held a staff radiating blue light.
"Loki-san, please put down the spear!"
Nick Fury-san called out.
But the man's face curled into an unnervingly wicked smile.
The next second,
he raised his hand.
A blue beam shot straight toward them.
Hawkeye shoved Nick Fury-san aside, saving his life.
In the next instant,
a large number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents opened fire.
American-made M16 assault rifles could punch through steel plate head-on, but when the bullets struck this man, they only threw off sparks.
His movements were incredibly swift.
With a single leap, he crossed several meters.
In three moves and two strikes, several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—who counted as elite fighters among humans—were taken out immediately.
Hawkeye Barton charged forward and chose hand-to-hand combat.
But—
Barton-san's full-force punch was caught effortlessly.
"You're a little different."
The young man's face formed a strange smile.
The staff in his hand tapped directly against Barton-san's chest.
Blue light spread from Barton-san's chest, and in the blink of an eye his eyes turned completely black.
Then he was controlled outright.
After that, this man controlled even more of the people nearby.
Nick Fury-san used this window of time
to pack the Tesseract into a case, lift it, and turn to leave without hesitation.
"I suggest you don't. I still need it."
the man said.
"There's no need to make this bigger,"
Nick Fury-san said.
"No. There is."
"I am Loki, from Asgard."
"I came here bearing great glory!"
Loki shouted loudly.
"Loki?"
"Thor's younger brother?"
Selvig-sensei spoke up at this moment as well.
"We have nothing to do with you."
Nick Fury-san said.
A wicked smile appeared on Loki's face.
"An ant and a boot have nothing to do with each other, either."
"So you mean to crush us?"
Nick Fury-san said.
Loki was about to speak, but the controlled Barton-san interrupted him.
"He's buying time. He wants to bury us underground."
Barton-san said.
As he spoke, he even drew a handgun and fired one shot at Nick Fury-san, dropping him to the ground.
Loki turned and controlled Selvig-sensei, seized the Tesseract, and left.
Under Barton-san's cover,
he boarded one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s evacuation vehicles.
The corner of Loki's mouth rose again in a malicious smile.
Earth was his now!
He would lead the Chitauri army and rule all of Earth.
He truly couldn't become the King of Asgard.
But changing locations and becoming Earth's king wasn't bad either!
With the Tesseract in hand, no one could stop him anymore!
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
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