Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Striking First

In that dilapidated meeting room of Buckingham Palace, the dust and smoke from the battle had not yet settled.Tony was talking nonsense with those British bureaucrats, Steve was having the team medic give him an emergency dressing, and everyone else was busy with their own tasks. Lin Huai walked alone, slowly approaching the scorched, blackened corpse. A stench of old shoes and rotting meat wafted from the Cursed Warrior's body.He squatted down and activated Spirit Vision, wanting to carefully observe what that canine-shaped shadow was.In his eyes, this corpse was a chaotic mass of energy. Black cursed power was intertwined with an older, more ferocious grey aura. That grey aura was... the power of the Abyss Pathway!Although it looked a bit different, the innate depravity, madness, and chaos were exactly the same as the descriptions of the 'Criminal' and 'Abyss' Pathways he remembered.Just as Lin Huai's finger was about to touch the corpse to examine the composition of the characteristic inside, a sudden, intense craving originating from his very bones flooded his soul!Eat it!Devour it!Turn this lump of power-filled flesh into a part of yourself!This crazed thought flashed by in an instant. Lin Huai jerked his hand back as if he had been struck by Leodero, his face turning pale immediately.He panted heavily, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.That wasn't his own thought; it was a physical instinct, a greed and longing for the Beyonder characteristic. The power within this corpse was tempting him, hoping to merge with him.Lin Huai stood up abruptly, the calmness in his eyes gone.He understood now.This must be the giant black dog he had seen in his divination. Although the Dark Elves didn't know the correct way to use the Mystery system, the consequences of relying solely on devouring flesh and blood would be catastrophic!If this thing were allowed to run wild on Earth, the consequences would be severe. Today it's one Cursed Warrior; tomorrow it could be an army of Dark Elves eroded by the Abyss, or even the direct descent of that giant dog. There's no telling how many people on Earth would be contaminated.He couldn't wait any longer.He couldn't just wait around to be hit, waiting for the next sneak attack that could come at any time.He had to take the initiative and attack them!!Lin Huai's gaze shifted from fear to cold determination. He took a deep breath and turned toward the group still arguing."Quiet, everyone, look at me. I have a few words to say," Lin Huai said, raising his hands. "Now is not the time to wait for reinforcements from Asgard. The enemy's ability to strike here so accurately shows their understanding of Earth is much deeper than we thought. We must take the initiative to strike out. As Americans, you should be very clear about the difference between fighting a war on your home turf versus someone else's.""How do we strike?" Thor asked. "We don't even know where the enemy's nest is.""No, we can find out. Loki, tell your illiterate brother about it." Lin Huai's answer stunned everyone.He glanced at Loki, who nodded and added: "Because the Dark Elves were sealed for a long time, the technology used by their mothership is very ancient. It can be found if we look. Right now, they are hiding in a weak point in space. The intrusion of that Cursed Warrior just now was a direct jump through space; it definitely left behind a coordinate 'echo' here. As long as I am given enough data support...""You can have all of Jarvis's computing power." Tony interrupted immediately, having understood.Lin Huai continued: "But finding the mothership is only one thing. More importantly is the 'Aether Particle.' That thing is currently inside Dr. Jane Foster. Malekith's ultimate goal is to seize it. We can't wait for him to find Jane."Hearing Jane's name, Thor's fist clenched tight."So, I suggest splitting into two teams." Lin Huai held up two fingers."The first team's target is Dr. Jane Foster. We must get her away safely before the enemy finds her, and then find a way to get the Aether Particle out of her body."He looked at the God of Thunder."Thor, you know Jane best. No one is more suitable for this mission than you."Then he looked at Tony and Clint."Tony, I need your technology. Use your equipment to find Jane and see if you can understand the Aether Particle from a scientific perspective. Clint, you have the best eyes; you'll be the eyes for the whole team."Tony whistled, not objecting. Clint simply nodded calmly."And the second team?" Steve asked. He had already briefly bandaged his wound and stood up."The second team," Lin Huai's gaze became sharp, "target: the Dark Elves' flagship, the 'Ark of Sorrow.' We're going to give them a surprise while they still think they're well-hidden."He looked at the people around him."Loki, you go and break their defense system; your illusions are the key to getting in. Natasha, your skills in stealth and gathering intelligence are irreplaceable."Just then, the roar of an engine approached from the distance. A black quinjet hovered outside the large hole in the palace's ceiling. The hatch opened, and two figures jumped down.A flash of red and a streak of silver.Wanda and Pietro Maximoff had arrived."We received the emergency assembly order," Pietro said with his fast mouth. "Looks like the party is already over?""It's just warming up," Lin Huai's gaze swept over the twins as he continued. "Pietro, I need your speed to cause havoc inside the enemy ship and paralyze their key areas. And Wanda..."Lin Huai looked at Wanda."The Aether Particle is actually the Reality Stone. Its energy is actually somewhat similar to your ability. I need you to feel it and try to suppress this power. Their mothership's energy core is actually the Reality Stone power they've stored. If you succeed, we can easily blow them out of the sky... uh, wait, they're already in the sky. Anyway, you get what I mean."Wanda nodded silently, red energy flickering at her fingertips."What about me?" Steve asked."You stay, Captain." Lin Huai spoke with no room for negotiation. "Your injury must be treated immediately. Moreover, London needs a commander-in-chief. Integrating the ground forces, evacuating civilians, and communicating with the British government—all of that falls on you."Steve fell silent, knowing Lin Huai was right. In his current state, forcing himself to go would only hold them back."It's settled then," Lin Huai decided."First team, led by Thor, start searching for Dr. Foster in London immediately and protect her. She is the Dark Elves' target.""Second team, follow me. Loki, I'll give you ten minutes. I want the exact coordinates of the 'Ark of Sorrow.'""Five minutes is enough." Loki's lips curled into a confident smile, but his eyes were filled with a mischievous light. His true nature, which had been restrained by becoming the National Preceptor, had recovered quite a bit in front of his teacher.As soon as Lin Huai gave the order, these heroes, who had just finished a tough battle, didn't rest for a second. They immediately split into two small teams and headed toward two completely different but equally dangerous battlefields.