Chapter 136: Dimensional Reduction Strike! Corvus GlaiveSpills Everything Down to His Underwear!
Corvus Glaive was dumbfounded.
The nearby Avengers also wore blank expressions.
Everyone had struggled and fought for half the day, only for Lane to clear the field the moment he showed up?
Tony Stark even lowered his repulsor ray.
As a top-tier science geek, he didn't reject supernatural power, but the scene before him, which defied the common sense of physics, was driving him crazy.
Lane hadn't done anything, yet the arrogant enemy was unable to move like a dead dog.
Superpower?
Or magic?
Stark didn't even have the mood to fight anymore; he just wanted to tie Lane up and bring him into the lab for dissection and research.
Steve Rogers received an even more violent impact.
Not long ago, he had personally experienced the deadly edge of the enemy's weapon, breaking out in a cold sweat.
The strength of the alien warrior could be described as terrifying; even he himself couldn't break free from the other's suppression.
As a result?
Lane just stood still, and the arrogant enemy instantly turned into a puppet with broken strings.
Absurd!
Just relying on an aura could suppress a powerful enemy?
Captain America touched his still-pounding pectoral muscles, sinking deep into self-doubt: Exactly what kind of higher life form did Lane belong to? He wasn't in the same dimension as them at all!
Lane didn't pay any attention to everyone's wild imaginations at all.
He raised his right hand and waved it casually, causing the captives on the ground to levitate into mid-air.
"Wouldn't it be fine to honestly stay deep in the Universeand be a local tyrant?" Lane said with a hint of sigh in his tone, "You just had to run thousands of miles to throw your lives away?"
Who would have thought that the prisoner before them would display a backbone of steel.
Corvus Glaive put on a righteous posture and shouted angrily:
"Cut the crap!"
"My skills are inferior, I admit defeat! Kill me or slice me however you please!"
"I will never reveal a single bit of intelligence! Long live Lord Thanos!"
Hearing this, a trace of surprise couldn't help but flash in the eyes of several Avengers.
Setting aside the hostile stance, this fearlessly daring backbone was indeed striking.
Steve couldn't help but suggest:
"Master Lane, just give him a quick death. This alien can also be considered a true warrior."
Lane glanced at Steve with a smiling expression, walked forward without saying a word, and casually pulled out the spear tightly clenched by Corvus Glaive.
"What are you going to do?!"
The captive's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Fulfilling your loyalty."
Lane played with the weapon in his hand with a teasing look, "Since you are bent on seeking death, keeping this weapon of good material would also be a waste, so I'll gladly accept it."
Corvus Glaive's facial muscles instantly stiffened.
He roared crazily in his heart: Are you sick in the head!
As a dignified and unfathomable top-tier powerhouse, what are you coveting my crappy spear for?!
The reason he dared to act like a tough guy relied entirely on the fact that the spear was his true physical body.
As long as the weapon was intact, even if his physical body was destroyed, Proxima Midnight could take the spear and help him reshape his body.
Now, his greatest reliance had actually been snatched away!
Even though his heart was in a chaotic panic, on the surface he still maintained his persona of refusing to yield even unto death:
"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! How can you Earthlings be so despicable? What kind of ability is it to take away a warrior's weapon? You can take my life, but don't even think about touching my spear!"
He was full of emotion and expression, resembling a hero about to heroically sacrifice himself.
The upright Captain America clearly didn't see through this layer of disguise, his expression growing even more moved.
Willing to give up his life just to protect his weapon, what a noble martial virtue!
"Rest assured, after the execution is over, I will place your weapon on your remains to show respect."
Steve solemnly made a promise.
"Stop right there, Captain."
Lane had black lines all over his head.
Steve, this thick-eyebrow-and-big-eye guy, would probably still be helping people count money after being sold.
"I didn't promise to return the spoils of war."
"Master Lane, although he is a mortal enemy, his integrity is admirable. Why not fulfill his dying wish..."
Steve stubbornly persuaded.
"Alright, you just watch closely from the side."
Lane interrupted Captain America's words, turning his head to stare at the captive with a smiling expression.
"Wangba... Oh right, Corvus Glaive. You're awesome, your moral character is exceptionally noble."
"Seeing that you have such backbone, I'll magnanimously spare your life, as long as you leave this spear behind."
As soon as these words came out, the alien warrior was completely dumbfounded.
What difference was there between having his true body taken away and being directly sentenced to death?
No, it was ten thousand times more stifling than death!
"This... this isn't very appropriate, right?"
Corvus Glaive coughed twice, his tone turning dry and feeble, "I killed and injured quite a few of your soldiers just now."
Hearing this, no matter how slow Steve was, he finally sensed a trace of abnormality.
This fellow's emphasis on his weapon seemed a bit excessive.
"It doesn't matter."
Lane casually tossed the spear high into the air and caught it steadily, saying leisurely, "I know you were also coerced by Thanos's tyranny; we will settle this account with the real Master."
This toss and catch made Corvus Glaive's eyelids twitch wildly and his scalp tingle for a while.
The spear was indeed indestructible, but in the hands of a monster of this level, who could guarantee it wouldn't be snapped in half by brute force?
He suddenly woke up to the realization that the smiling tiger before him had definitely seen through his trump card!
The disguise could no longer be maintained.
Corvus Glaive asked with a gloomy face and gnashed teeth: "What on Earth do you want to know?"
"Straightforward. Let's chat casually about Thanos's upcoming movements."
Lane still smiled as light and breezy as the wind.
On one side was an out-of-reach Master, and on the other was a god of slaughter who could crush his true body at any time.
Corvus Glaive decisively abandoned his so-called integrity and spilled everything out like pouring beans from a bamboo tube:
"He is frantically searching for the Infinity Stones! He has already succeeded in getting two of them currently."
"As soon as the rest are gathered, the massive army will immediately flatten Earth!"
Troop deployment, fleet scale, firepower configuration—he confessed everything clearly.
"You traitor! How dare you betray the great Master!"
Proxima Midnight at the side had her eyes split wide with rage.
The gazes of the Avengers were focused uniformly on Corvus Glaive.
Steve Rogers was covered in question marks, his stern face full of confusion.
Are alien warriors all this devoid of a baseline?
Lane glanced at Captain America, his tone flat: "Steve, the Universe is vast and boundless, and strange species are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. Never use Earthlingthinking to measure all alien life."
He weighed the loot he had snatched in his hand a few times: "For example, the one before us here, he doesn't care about the life or death of his physical body at all. The crappy spear in his hand is his true physical body."
Steve was petrified on the spot.
The spear was his true body?
He had actually almost interceded just now, wanting to let the enemy take back the spear!
If he had really done that, it would be equivalent to personally letting go of a blood-stained executioner!
A huge sense of guilt surged into his heart, and Stevelowered his head in shame: "I'm sorry, I acted foolishly."
"It doesn't matter, just use your brain more often when encountering things in the future."
Lane waved his hand indifferently.
The onlookers among the superheroes had different expressions.
Tony Stark received the heaviest critical hit.
As a top-tier genius, wherever he went, he brought his own sense of superiority of IQ crushing.
But today, Tony only felt incomparably frustrated.
He couldn't beat them in a fight, and his proud brain didn't seem to turn as fast as the other's either.
Stark finally experienced the suffocating feeling others usually faced when confronting him.
Encountering a freak like Lane, who had outstanding combat power and was full of schemes, ordinary people simply had no survival space!
Lane couldn't be bothered to care about Stark's entanglement.
He looked down condescendingly at the prisoner, a hint of mockery hanging on the corners of his mouth.
Wanting to kill Corvus Glaive was as easy as turning over one's hand; keeping him breathing was purely to pry out information about the Purple Sweet Potato.
Under Thanos's command, there were also different tiers.
Ebony Maw belonged to the fanatical faction, with a mouth harder than a stone, completely unpryable.
Corvus Glaive was different; he was purely a coward who clung to life and feared death, a fence-sitter who would slide down to kneel a hundred percent when encountering a tough opponent.
As for Proxima Midnight, she was most likely a plant placed by Thanos beside Corvus, with off-the-charts loyalty.
Even her own husband had betrayed them, and she was still thinking about cleaning house for her Master.
Facts proved that Lane guessed completely right.
In order to stay alive, Corvus Glaive was practically about to spill out how many bowls of rice the Purple Sweet Potato ate every day.
"Big boss, spare my dog's life!"
Corvus Glaive's eyes were eager, "I've said everything that needed to be confessed; keeping me to deal with Thanoswill definitely be of great use!"
This fellow was quite shrewd, knowing deeply that just begging for mercy was useless; he had to demonstrate his remaining value.
"Under Thanos's command, there is an elite force that absolutely obeys me. Just say the word, and I'll lead the rebellion immediately!"
He sold out his old boss without hesitation, "I can also help you transmit false intelligence and trick Thanos to death!"
Lane was amused.
Truly a born traitor.
Not only did he betray his Master for glory, but he could even push his own subordinates out as cannon fodder without batting an eye.
Unfortunately, Lane had no interest whatsoever in such trash.
Today he could backstab Thanos, and tomorrow he could backstab himself; keeping him around was purely disgusting.
"Corvus, do you know what the most fatal mistake you've committed is?"
Lane asked leisurely.
Corvus Glaive put on an expression of heartbreaking grief: "I shouldn't have been blind and listened to slander to come and invade Earth! I really know I was wrong!"
On the surface he conceded defeat, but deep down he was roaring frantically: Once I survive this hurdle, I will definitely chop you into ten thousand pieces!
He firmly believed that no one could resist the temptation of controlling an alien fleet.
Facing his actor-level performance, Lane chuckled lightly: "You thought wrong."
"Don't think everyone else is as mercenary as you."
"To take a step back, the paltry petty gains you offered, in my eyes..."
"Aren't even worth a fart."
Before his voice fell, a dazzling crimson beam of light suddenly lit up at Lane's fingertips.
As long as the beam hit the spear, Corvus Glaive's soul would undoubtedly be utterly destroyed!
Right at the critical moment, a prompt tone suddenly popped up in his mind.
"Ding!"
"Your 'Crimson Covenant Chains' adhere to their bottom line, refusing to launch an attack on weaklings with no ability to resist."
"Skill casting failed."
Pfft.
Like a breeze blowing out a candle flame, the red light at his fingertips instantly dissipated without a trace.
Ten thousand alpacas galloped across Lane's heart.
Has the skill gained sentience?
And it even came up with some kind of chivalry!
If this skill had a physical form, Lane swore he would hang it up and whip it for three days and three nights.
Complaining crazily in his heart, Lane didn't reveal a shred of flaw on his face.
He smoothly withdrew his hand, his tone abruptly shifting: "However, on second thought, these two fellows are your prey after all. If I directly overstepped my bounds, wouldn't you guys fighting tooth and nail for half a day become a joke?"
Chapter 137: The Universe's Family Planning Commission Director Suffered a Brutal Slap in the Face! The Purple Sweet Potato Scrambled Away in Panic!
Ryan's gaze swept over the crowd: "Just kill the males and smash their spears to pieces. As for the females, simply chop them to death."
"I'll leave this mess for you to clean up. Farewell."
With that, Ryan casually slashed his hands in mid-air, stepping directly into the Mirror Dimension and vanishing without a trace.
The scene fell into a dead silence.
After a long while, Tony Stark let out a complex sigh: "Such noble character; this is the true recluse of high virtue."
"Who would have thought that there really are powerhouses in this world who view fame and fortune as dirt?" He shook his head self-deprecatingly.
The other Avengers deeply agreed. Look at Ryan's vision! He helped immensely, yet willingly handed over the glory of slaying powerful enemies and the halo of protecting Earth, hiding his achievements and fame.
"We cannot let down the boss's painstaking efforts." Tony's expression quickly turned cold and heavy, "Slaughter the alien scum, and immediately go arrange the defenses."
"Thanos's fleet is the true catastrophe, and the real war has only just begun!"
Carrying a chest full of heaviness and determination, the superheroes turned and walked toward their desperate prey.
After dispatching a few alien lackeys, Ryan headed straight back to Kamar-Taj.
But a trace of doubt inevitably arose in his heart.
Why would the Purple Sweet Potato only send the Black Order here to throw their lives away? Did the opponent really think that relying on these few subordinates could rival him?
Thanos could never be this stupid. The Black Order were his strongest combat forces under his command; no matter how cold-blooded this old thing was, he would never easily abandon capable generals with utility.
"He must be plotting some scheme." Ryan pondered to himself. This fellow would never make a losing deal; there must be a bigger scheme behind the scenes.
"Hmm?" Ryan raised his brows slightly, "So he was playing the trick of luring the tiger away from the mountain."
He suddenly realized that out of the ten avatars he had hidden deep beneath Mount Everest, a few had quietly disappeared!
These avatars possessed the physical strength of his main body. Normally, they were all in hibernation to conserve power, and would only actively awaken when encountering a major crisis.
For top-tier powerhouses, this slight time difference was enough to accomplish many things.
However, no matter how much the Purple Sweet Potatocalculated, he could never have imagined that so many avatars were buried deep underground, with multiple layers of seals placed on top.
"What an old fox, actually willing to use his most capable subordinates as bait."
Ryan couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. Now everything made sense; it was nothing more than using his subordinates to stall his line of sight so he could take the opportunity to steal the Infinity Stones.
After all, Kamar-Taj housed two stones.
"Since you've come, we must meet." Ryan waved his hand, directly tearing apart the void.
With a flash of his figure, he had already descended inside Mount Everest.
Deep underground had long been cleared out into an independent space, and the remaining avatars were locked in an intense battle with Thanos.
Purely in terms of normal combat power, Thanos was at most a quasi-Father-level; Odin or Ancient One could steadily suppress him.
But now, holding two Infinity Stones, his combat power soared straight up, having already stepped into the true Father-level realm.
Although he couldn't win a one-on-one against several avatars combined, he certainly wouldn't be defeated in an instant.
At their level, determining victory or defeat often took ten days to half a month, or even spending several years, which was normal.
"As a dignified overlord of the Universe, sneaking into someone else's home like a petty thief, this demeanor is not very presentable." Ryan spoke with a playful expression.
"Hmph, I really didn't expect you to have left a contingency." Thanos replied in a deep voice.
On his left hand, he wore the Infinity Gauntlet, and the two stones were flashing with a dazzling radiance.
In his right hand, he held a double-edged broadsword upside down. It was definitely not an ordinary item; it could even split Captain America's Vibranium shield, making it a top-tier divine weapon across the entire Universe.
Combined with his own terrifying monstrous strength, the destructive power was simply Earth-shattering.
Ryan sized up his opponent, and Thanos was likewise scrutinizing the formidable enemy before him.
In the past, he could only observe through video records, and many details could not be seen clearly at all.
Now facing each other in person, Thanos deeply experienced Ryan's terror.
The opponent's entire aura was as deep as an abyss, and there was simply no detecting where the limit was.
Fortunately, with the Infinity Gauntlet by his side, Thanosdid not show cowardice, but instead solemnly questioned: "You want to stop me? Why obstruct me from purging the Universe's laws?"
Ryan snorted with disdain: "Are you the director of the Universe's family planning commission? Is it your turn to worry about the Universe's laws?"
In Ryan's eyes, this fellow was purely a psychopath caused by childhood shadows, no different from a madman taking revenge on society, yet he still dared to shamelessly talk about the Universe's laws.
Bigwigs in the Marvel Universe who could instantly reboot an era were as numerous as stars; how come you never went to manage them?
Now you run over to collect stones and act as a savior? Dealing with such a severe megalomaniac, beating them directly to death is the most hassle-free way.
Facing Ryan's taunt, Thanos remained utterly calm: "Family Planning Commission? I don't understand what you are saying. Since our paths are different, we can only resort to weapons!"
With that said, the double-edged broadsword pointed far ahead.
"Just right, I also want to experience the high skills of the family planning office director." Ryan calmly accepted the fight.
Right at this moment, a notification tone suddenly popped up in his mind.
"Ding!"
"Your 'Chaos Orb' has detected abnormal divine power fluctuations, with completely repellent attributes, and has entered an abnormally excited state."
"Your 'Chaos Orb' is trembling with excitement, unconsciously exuding massive divine might outward."
Ryan was speechless on the spot.
Is there something seriously wrong with this skill? What on Earth is a magic ball getting so excited about! What kind of ghost operation is trembling!
He complained wildly in his heart, but his hand movements were not ambiguous at all. An energy magic ball only the size of a fist appeared out of thin air, and he casually flung it toward Thanos.
Boom!
The distinct divine powers collided with a crash, bursting forth with a dazzling and blinding destructive bright light. If an ordinary person stood at the center of the explosion, not even a single atom would likely be left behind.
However, the one taking this blow head-on was Thanoswearing the Infinity Gauntlet.
The palm of the gauntlet seemed to turn into a black hole swallowing all things; the violent energy generated by the explosion was actually sucked in completely, like a brilliant Nebula being forcibly confined upon the fist.
Upholding the fine tradition of being ruthless with few words, the Purple Sweet Potato abruptly threw a punch!
The black hole instantly reversed into an ejection port, and the violent white light compressed to its peak roared out like a breached flood peak, with truly terrifying power.
Ryan's expression remained unchanged, merely shifting his thoughts slightly. A fully transparent energy barrier instantly spanned across before him.
Thud——!
A deafening loud noise resounded through the underground, and the entire internal space of Mount Everest was shaking violently.
Ryan's gaze flickered slightly; the rebounded energy had clearly been amplified by the gauntlet, elevating its power by a large margin. As expected of a Universe-grade divine artifact.
Waving his hand to disperse the barrier, Ryan still stood in place with complete composure.
On the other hand, Thanos's expression sank completely to the bottom, and monstrous waves stirred within his heart.
He originally thought he had overestimated his opponent enough, only to realize after the clash that he still severely underestimated him.
Taking a counterattack mixed with the might of the Infinity Stones head-on, this human didn't even get a single strand of hair hurt!
He was simply a complete and utter monster.
Against this level of terrifying attack, even he himself dared not guarantee he could escape unscathed, yet the opponent caught it so casually. Not to mention there were several fierce avatars eyeing them covetously beside him!
The intention to retreat arose instantly. Fighting to the death with such a freak had zero chance of winning; he must find another way to seize the stones.
Making up his mind, Thanos did not hesitate in the slightest, tearing open the space barrier bare-handed with unmatchable brute force.
Under the protection of the Infinity Stones' light, he plunged headfirst into the turbulent rift of space.
Ryan didn't even have the interest to pursue. Channels torn open by brute force like this were exceptionally unstable, and blindly rushing in made it very easy to get lost in the dimensional turbulence.
The opponent was holding a cheat code in his hands; there was really no need to take risks for a family planning office director.
The old fellow sure had plenty of life-preserving means.
Ryan replenished the damaged avatars and turned to step out of this space.
He knew very well that this Purple Sweet Potato would never let the matter rest; the next, more violent offensive would arrive very soon.
Chapter 138: A Century-Sealed Forbidden Arsenal! Preparing for Interstellar Invasion!
Back at Kamar-Taj, Ryan immediately cast a spell, attempting to deduce his opponent's next movements.
However, the result was only a blurred, dense fog.
"The Infinity Stones are truly overbearing."
Ryan stroked his chin and thought to himself.
In the past, when making deductions about Thanos, he could more or less peek into a bit of the heavenly secrets.
Now that his opponent was holding two Infinity Stones, those secrets had been completely obscured.
As expected of the top-tier divine artifacts in a single Universe.
Fortunately, he had pried out the details from Corvus Glaive in advance.
The enemy fleet's scale and firepower configuration were all within his control.
Even if his old rival wanted to pull off a major ultimate move, he wouldn't be able to come up with any new tricks in a short time.
However, Ryan deeply understood the principle of preparing for a rainy day.
In case his opponent flew into a rage out of humiliation and directly mobilized an entire interstellar fleet to launch a fierce bombardment on Earth, the situation would inevitably take a sharp turn for the worse.
While he could certainly single-handedly fight Thanos, he couldn't be in two places at once and couldn't protect the entire Planet.
What's more, if he were dragged down by the fleet and Thanos took the opportunity to descend upon the surface to slaughter civilians, what then?
When it came to efficient slaughter, this veteran villain was much more useful than warships.
He had to summon Sorcerer Ancient One back.
With Sorcerer Supreme presiding over the situation, coupled with Earth's native armed forces to hold off the alien fleet, he could go all out and fight the main culprit without any reservations.
Sorting out his thoughts, Ryan immediately waved his hand and summoned Mordo.
Before long, Mordo hurried over.
"Brother Mordo, I'm afraid there's going to be a tough battle to fight next." Ryan's expression turned solemn.
Seeing him so solemn, Mordo also tensed up his nerves: "What happened?"
"Thanos's army is about to crush our borders; we must immediately assemble all spellcasters." Ryan went straight to the point, "How many mages can currently take the field in the Sanctum?"
Mordo's heart sank abruptly. Mages who traveled outside all year round naturally knew what a terrifying existence Thanos was. Once this tyrant descended, Kamar-Taj would bear the brunt of it.
"A total of around fifty thousand people," Mordo reported truthfully, "among them are over a hundred Archmages and around a thousand senior mages."
"So many?" Ryan was quite surprised.
Those who could qualify as senior mages had physical qualities that were at least at the human limit, worth at least as much as Steve Rogers during the early stages of his serum injection.
Although Captain America's combat power had been soaring, later even being able to trade blows head-on with Thanos, swinging Mjolnir to almost pin Purple Sweet Potato to the ground and beat him, and even forcing Hulkto back off with a few punches—Ryan was well aware of this cheating-like growth speed.
But gathering fifty thousand superpower users together was definitely a massive force that could not be ignored.
He had stayed in Kamar-Taj for so long, yet he didn't even know that his home was hiding so many troops.
"Having been passed down for hundreds of years, we've managed to save up some family fortune after all," Mordocontinued to explain, "When push comes to shove, we can also unseal the weapons of war left behind by past sages, opening the forbidden magic archives and enchanted armory."
Ryan was directly stunned.
What on Earth?
He had hung around the Sanctum for so many years, how come he had never heard of these good places?
"How come I haven't heard even a whisper about this?" Ryan's mouth twitched slightly.
"I only learned of it recently," Mordo replied, "Sorcerer Ancient One entrusted these secrets to me on the eve of her stepping down."
"For hundreds of years, Kamar-Taj hasn't just had ascetic monks studying magic. Countless brilliant geniuses have emerged throughout history, tinkering with a massive amount of ultimate weapons. Because their power was too terrifying, they were all sealed away by Sorcerer Supreme. Now that formidable enemies are surrounding us, it's time to let them see the light of day again."
Ryan suddenly understood.
Thinking about it carefully, that made sense.
Kamar-Taj had stood tall for hundreds of years; the longest-lived feudal dynasty on Earth only lasted three or four hundred years.
In such a long period, how could a group of mages wielding supernatural power honestly just chant scriptures?
It would be a miracle if they didn't make some dangerous inventions.
The movie didn't mention this heritage, most likely because Sorcerer Ancient One went offline too quickly and simply didn't have time to pass down her legacy.
Now that Ancient One had successfully handed over her post and was strolling around the Universe, she naturally had plenty of time to explain her old foundations clearly.
Ryan couldn't help but give a thumbs up in his heart. Truly, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure; these huge treasures left behind by Ancient One would definitely greatly reduce the defense pressure.
"In that case, immediately organize personnel to move the armaments," Ryan quickly ordered, "Have everyone seize the time to get familiar with the new equipment and prepare to welcome total war. As for Sorcerer Ancient One, I'll take charge of contacting her."
"Understood." Mordo nodded firmly. In fact, during this period, the entire Sanctum had been in a state of battle readiness, just waiting for the order.
"The defense of the Sanctum is entirely entrusted to you." Ryan patted Mordo's shoulder, "I'll make a trip to the outside world to coordinate the defense lines with the Avengers."
"Go ahead, I'll guard the home." Mordo's gaze was resolute.
Ryan nodded in acknowledgment, his figure instantly disappearing from where he stood.
He had to hurry over to Stark Tower and get Earth's top combat power all pulled out to stand at the front.
In a flash, he had appeared on the top floor of Stark Tower.
However, the scene that met his eyes somewhat surprised him.
Not only were all members of the Avengers present, but even Thor, the King of Wakanda Black Panther, and the Winter Soldier had gathered in one place.
Everyone gathered around the holographic projection with a solemn atmosphere, obviously discussing countermeasures.
Seeing Ryan appear, everyone was startled at first, and then successively greeted him with expressions of respect.
Leaving aside his unfathomably deep strength, Ryan's grace in rescuing them time and time again was enough to win the respect of everyone present.
"Master Ryan."
Ryan nodded slightly to acknowledge: "No need for formalities. Since everyone is gathered so completely, it saves me from having to look for you one by one."
"I wonder if you've made a special trip here this time because of some urgent matter?" Tony Stark took the initiative to step forward and ask.
"For Thanos."
Ryan looked around, his tone calm yet resounding: "He's almost here."
As soon as his words fell, the air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly, and everyone's expressions sank in unison.
In fact, before Ryan arrived, the Avengers were already discussing strategies to deal with Thanos.
Especially Thor.
He had rushed over from distant Asgard with the sole purpose of fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone to jointly resist the powerful enemy.
Not long ago, Purple Sweet Potato had forcibly invaded Asgard, attempting to snatch the Space Stone from Loki's hands.
Fortunately, Loki had long been taken to Kamar-Taj by Ryan.
The Space Stone was simply not within Asgard's territory.
Coupled with Thor's decisive action to activate Asgard's most powerful ultimate weapon, they had managed to force the enemy back.
Even so, Asgard still paid a heavy price, with many elite soldiers sacrificing their lives heroically.
This filled Thor with burning rage.
He had originally been staying quietly in his hometown, with no intention of meddling in external disputes, yet the opponent actually took the initiative to come knocking and provoke him!
There was no way he could swallow this anger!
Therefore, Thor directly issued a mobilization order as king, assembling all the soldiers of the army.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.
Asgard had fought wars year after year; although it suffered heavy losses, its heritage remained intact, easily gathering over ten thousand brave and battle-tested soldiers.
Having completed his preparations, Thor swiftly descended upon Earth to discuss the grand strategy together.
Chapter 139: Transferring the Main Battlefield! Decisive Battle on Titan!
"Mage Ryan, just how strong is Thanos?"
Everyone's hearts were filled with doubt.
They had witnessed with their own eyes just how terrifying Ryan's strength was.
Top bigwigs who were strong to such an outrageous realm actually needed to join forces to fight an enemy?
Ryan felt somewhat helpless in his heart.
Of course he didn't take Purple Sweet Potato seriously.
Even if the opponent put on the Infinity Gauntlet and launched a full-screen wipeout, he would definitely be able to withstand it unscathed.
At the Father-level tier, this kind of large-scale rule-level attack was already very difficult to injure his foundation, and he could completely immunize against damage.
However, while he could withstand it, Earth might not necessarily be able to withstand it!
Leaving other things aside for now, once the opponent succeeded, Kamar-Taj would lose half of its personnel on the spot!
This was absolutely unacceptable!
The mages in the Sanctum had always respected him deeply; if he watched them throw away their lives with his own eyes, would he still be considered a human?
Of course, there was no need to explain these concerns to Tony Stark and the others.
Ryan stated the situation straightforwardly: "The enemy's armed forces are quite massive."
Immediately afterward, he shared the military intelligence pried out of Corvus Glaive's mouth with the Avengers.
After hearing these words, the hall fell into a dead silence.
Thanos's army might not rank high in the vast Universe, but it was definitely not something that present-day Earthcould contend with alone.
Overwhelming biochemical monsters, coupled with an interstellar fleet possessing ferocious firepower.
Earth's native conventional armies would just be giving away free kills if they went up, purely feeding lives.
Only Wakanda's warriors, who had mastered black technology, might barely be able to hold their ground for a wave.
Therefore, everyone's expressions were very ugly.
"Everyone doesn't need to worry too much."
"Those participating in this battle are not just you alone."
"Kamar-Taj can dispatch fifty thousand mages to form a phalanx."
"Coupled with Asgard's elite and Wakanda's Royal Guard."
"Blocking the enemy's ground forces should not be a problem."
Ryan's tone was certain, appearing full of confidence.
The opponent's forces under their command numbered at most a few hundred thousand, and the vast majority were batch-cultivated Outriders—just a bunch of brainless cannon fodder.
Relying on the combat power of the three-party allied forces, stabilizing the front line was more than enough.
Hearing the troop strength reported by Ryan, the expressions of the Avengers finally eased slightly.
"I can mobilize dozens of sets of unmanned armor to participate in the battle."
"Unified command will be handled by the artificial intelligence Friday."
Tony Stark proactively expressed his stance.
If it weren't for creating such a big mess like Ultron back then, with his single strength alone, he could have mass-produced troops to build an entire Iron Legion.
Unfortunately, once bitten by a snake, one is fearful of well ropes for ten years; he presently dared not mass-produce drone armor at all, and could only provide dozens of sets as firepower support.
"Having these is enough."
Ryan nodded slightly and added with a smile: "In the enemy faction, besides the leader, there are no longer any decent high-end combat forces."
There were a total of five members in the Black Order, four of whom had been casually dealt with by him.
The current Purple Sweet Potato was completely a bare commander, and relying solely on this group of underlings beneath him couldn't stir up any big waves at all.
What was most tricky at present, conversely, was the interstellar fleet parked in near-Earth orbit.
In case the opponent didn't care about martial ethics and directly ordered a saturated orbital bombardment on the surface, within a few rounds, the entire Earth's surface would be razed to the ground.
This was the absolute suppression brought by higher civilizations.
Fortunately, Ryan had thought of a countermeasure long ago.
Decades ago, Captain Marvel single-handedly could take down Ronan's entire fleet.
With her current strength, it should be even more effortless.
Facing a catastrophic disaster on her home planet, she would never stand by and watch.
Thinking of this, Ryan nodded slightly with satisfaction.
At this moment, Tony Stark raised a critical question: "This decisive battle must absolutely not be fought on Earth."
"Once an all-out war breaks out, the scope of the impact will be too vast, and the consequences will be unimaginable."
Stark could not help but picture Ryan's terrifying combat power in his mind.
Good grief, if these two really fought with true fire, after finishing fighting across the seven continents of the globe, having three left would be considered offering incense to the gods.
When it truly reached that point, what meaning would there be even if they won the fight?
Humanity would all be wiped out by the collateral damage, what the hell is there even left to protect?
Hearing this, Ryan pondered a little.
This concern indeed made a lot of sense!
He knew his own destructive power all too well; if he really let go without any scruples, goodness knows what kind of mess he would make of Earth.
"This is indeed a big trouble."
"However, we can actively change the battlefield."
"The enemy leader's hometown—Titan, is an exceptional location for a decisive battle."
Ryan gave the solution.
The Eternal could barely be considered a branch of humanity; after experiencing the genetic modification of the Celestials, most of them were handsome men and pretty women with super-high intelligence.
They had multiplied and lived on Titan for a very long time.
Purple Sweet Potato was precisely a member of the Eternal, but this honorable appearance of his was completely a deformed monster in the eyes of his peers, suffering from cold glares since childhood, and even his biological mother detested him.
Once his strength became sufficiently powerful, the first thing he did was slaughter all his peers on Titan.
Today's Titan was just a barren wasteland, making it no more suitable to be used as a battlefield; no matter how much it was tossed around, it wouldn't hurt.
"Mage Ryan, with such a distant distance, how are we going to transport the army over?"
"Furthermore, why on Earth would the enemy obediently follow us to a wasteland planet?"
Tony Stark's face was filled with confusion.
"What is so difficult about this?"
"As long as we carry the Infinity Stones on us, are we still afraid that he won't proactively come looking for us?"
"As for cross-interstellar troop transport..."
"Opening a few more Portals won't that do?"
Ryan said it nonchalantly.
The Avengers listened until the corners of their mouths twitched continuously.
This was too casual!
This was a super long-distance cross-galaxy teleportation!
Thor was even more furious to the extreme.
How aggravating, this kid got to show off again!
Asgard clearly could also achieve interstellar delivery, and the Bifrost Bridge was still operating soundly right now.
Unexpectedly, Ryan stole the limelight a step ahead.
Truly outrageous.
However, Thor couldn't be bothered to refute either.
After all, starting the Bifrost Bridge to carry out large-scale troop deployment required consuming massive amounts of energy; since the mages of Kamar-Taj were willing to do the work for them, he was also happy to take it easy.
"No problem, I will immediately go back to assemble the Royal Guard."
Black Panther solemnly accepted the mission.
"Everyone prepare separately, and once the time comes I will notify you all."
The corners of Ryan's mouth raised into a confident smile.
Since the strategic policy had already been hammered out, the remaining preparatory work appeared logical.
The Avengers scurried about making contacts, and the elite forces of all sides quickly gathered.
Thor brought back forty thousand fully armed Asgardwarriors.
Kamar-Taj even went all out, assembling a full fifty thousand spellcasters.
Coupled with the twenty thousand elite troops contributed by Wakanda, the scale of the allied forces had already taken initial shape.
Not to mention the destructive power of each superhero taking on a hundred, this batch of conventional troops alone was shocking enough.
During this period, they also welcomed an unexpected batch of strong reinforcements.
The Guardians of the Galaxy arrived in full force, and behind Star-Lord followed a large group of fierce and menacing Raiders.
The reason behind this was not difficult to guess. Because the scourge Ego was eradicated in advance by Ryan, Yondulogically escaped a fatal calamity.
Upon learning that his goddaughter Gamora suffered a tragic fate, this interstellar pirate who roamed the sea of stars flew into a rage on the spot.
Even if the opponent was an overlord who terrified the Universe, he resolutely led his subordinate fleet to rush to Earth to assist.
With the addition of this bunch of space mercenaries, the total strength of the allied forces grew out of thin air by nearly ten thousand people.
After a round of tallying, Ryan's side gathered a massive armed force of approximately one hundred and twenty thousand people.
Compared to the enemy's biochemical corps which easily numbered in the hundreds of thousands, although they fell behind in quantity, the overall combat power was definitely not to be underestimated.
At the same time, deep within the Universe.
A classified report was submitted before the supreme ruler.
After reviewing the intelligence, not the slightest emotional fluctuation could be seen on Purple Sweet Potato's face, which was as silent as water.
"Order the fleet, the entire army marches towards Titan."
"As you command, My Lord."
The sole surviving lone seedling among the Black Order—Supergiant respectfully accepted the command and withdrew.
When only one person was left in the empty hall, Purple Sweet Potato slowly raised his head, his gaze profound and deep.
On his left hand, the Infinity Gauntlet was emanating a heart-palpitating coercion. His right hand was empty, not holding his usual double-bladed broadsword; replacing it was a crystal-clear cube flickering in his palm.
After a moment, the tall figure once again disappeared into the deep shadows.
...
On Earth's side, the allied forces had long since prepared and were ready to go.
One hundred and twenty thousand soldiers awaited in strict battle formation, waiting only for Ryan's command to pour into the battlefield like a torrent.
On the eve of the expedition, Ryan was having his final meeting with the Sorcerer Supreme.
After receiving the message, Ancient One swiftly broke away from the battlefield of the sub-dimensional space.
Chapter 140: Battle Erupts!
"Steve, the safety of Earth is mine to protect."
Ancient One looked exceptionally solemn, "As for the task of meeting the powerful enemy head-on, it's all up to you."
In the past, she truly had never regarded Purple Sweet Potato as a threat of the same magnitude.
But now that the other party held multiple-level cosmic artifacts, his combat power was no longer what it used to be.
Even the Sorcerer Supreme had to treat him with strict caution.
"You can just rest assured and hold down the rear."
Ryan wore a confident smile, "All contingency plans are already in place."
"Besides, the chips in my hands are quite numerous."
He extended his right hand, and above his palm suddenly appeared three dazzling crystals—Power, Space, and the eye of agamotto passed down through generations in Kamar-Taj.
This was not only an excellent bait to lure the enemy's main force into the game, but also his source of confidence to roam across the battlefield.
Relying on these three artifacts, the other party had absolutely no possibility of making a comeback.
"Since you already have a comprehensive plan, I need say no more."
Ancient One nodded with satisfaction, "The Mind artifact will stay on Earth just in case.
Missing a key link, the other party's scheme is destined to fail."
"Everything is up to you, I will take my leave first."
Ryan bowed slightly in salute, then raised his hand to tear apart the void, stepping out, and his figure descended directly onto the surface of the desolate and ruined Titan.
As soon as he landed, he quickly deployed over a hundred secret spatial beacons around him.
With just a single thought, the mages of Kamar-Taj could precisely lock onto the coordinates, instantly open a giant Portal, and directly deliver the ready-to-go army of 120,000 to the frontline of battle.
Having arranged everything properly, Ryan put his hands behind his back, quietly waiting for the main guest to make an appearance.
Before long, an abnormal change suddenly occurred.
The originally dim-yellow sky suddenly darkened, and a large area of shadow shrouded the barren wasteland.
Ryan raised his head, seeing a massive fleet that blotted out the sky slowly driving out of the jump tunnel, and the huge hull even completely blocked the light of the star.
Among them, a flagship resembling a prehistoric giant beast savagely tore through the atmosphere, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression, and brazenly hovered in mid-air.
Facing this doom-like scene sufficient to make ordinary people despair, Ryan was as calm as an ancient well without ripples, not even blinking his eyelids.
A short while later, a small landing craft detached from the belly of the flagship and landed steadily.
Accompanied by the opening of the hatch, Purple Sweet Potato stepped onto his homeland accompanied by Supergiant.
Seeing that only Ryan was standing lonely on the vast ruins, Purple Sweet Potato narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of dangerous light flashing in the depths of his eyes:
"Just by yourself alone, you actually vainly attempt to fight against my entire army?"
He waved his arm fiercely.
In an instant, the sky seemed to rain a dense meteor shower.
Tens of thousands of drop pods smashed towards the ground like dumplings being dropped into a pot.
The hatches snapped open neatly, and swarms of ferocious-looking Outriders surged out like a tide, making blood-curdling screeches.
In mid-air, the Chitauri's flying vehicles were as dense as a swarm of locusts, and the muzzles of various heavy warships also began to charge energy one after another.
Waiting only for the supreme commander to issue the attack order, this torrent mixed of steel and flesh would completely submerge the proud human before them.
"If you didn't bring helpers, today is your date of Death."
Purple Sweet Potato's tone was bone-chilling, as if pronouncing a Death sentence.
"Who told you that I came alone?"
A playful smile raised the corners of Ryan's mouth, and he raised his right hand slightly, making a crisp finger-snapping sound.
Hiss!
The piercing sound of energy friction suddenly rang out, like countless sharp blades scraping across glass.
In the void behind Ryan, golden sparks flying all over the sky suddenly burst forth.
Following closely, over a hundred giant Portals with a diameter exceeding one hundred meters opened simultaneously, blazing with golden light, illuminating the dim wasteland as bright as day.
Accompanied by deafening battle roars, the coalition soldiers surged out like fierce tigers released from cages.
Charging at the very front were the Asgard heavy infantry commanded by Thor.
They were uniformly clad in dazzling golden armor, resembling heavenly soldiers and generals stepping out of mythology.
In mid-air, Asgard's sole remaining Valkyrie unit rode pegasi, circling to guard the formation.
For this decisive battle, Thor could be said to have poured out all his resources.
Closely following behind was the mage phalanx of Kamar-Taj.
The spellcasters, usually robed, were fully armed at this moment, tightly gripping enchanted weapons radiating magical fluctuations.
In the core area of the phalanx, several giant magiccatapults resembling siege behemoths were even erected.
Further back were the well-equipped Wakanda Royal Guard, and the Raiders mercenary group led by Star-Lord, exuding a fierce aura all over.
Superheroes from all sides also leaped out of the Portalone after another, lined up in a row, standing firmly behind Ryan like an indestructible defense line.
"Now..."
"Do you think our troop strength comparison is still satisfactory?"
Ryan's figure slowly rose into the air, looking down condescendingly at the enemy commander.
Purple Sweet Potato pulled a grin at the corner of his mouth that was grotesque to the extreme, with no unnecessary nonsense, and pointed his giant blade forward fiercely.
Roar——!
Amidst Earth-shaking roars, the overwhelming biochemical army surged wildly like a black tsunami.
This group of monsters, stripped of pain and sanity, had only the purest desire for slaughter in their eyes.
Ryan still maintained his composure, casually pointing the direction.
The coalition forces behind him likewise erupted with heaven-shaking battle roars, like two colliding torrents, fiercely pouncing toward the enemy array.
Just at the instant when both sides were about to engage in close combat, an anomaly suddenly occurred.
From behind Ryan, hundreds of thick Crimson Chainssuddenly shot out, resembling dark red tentacles dancing like wild demons.
All by himself, he forcibly cleaved out a Death vacuum zone one hundred meters wide within the airtight enemy formation!
"Holy shit!"
The few superheroes charging closely behind almost spat out a mouthful of old blood, unable to help swearing a curse word.
If not for minding that the occasion was wrong, they even wanted to quit on the spot.
What the hell is there to fight anymore!
The enemy troops within a range of over a hundred meters in front of Ryan were instantly cleared completely clean!
Those Crimson Chains were terrifying to the extreme; a slight touch would cause the robust Outriders to shatter into pieces like paper, dying on the spot without even being able to put up the slightest resistance.
Ryan entered a realm of no one, and wherever he passed, only a ground of shattered corpses was left behind him.
Fortunately, the enemy were all biochemical weapons without the concept of fear.
If it were any conventional army witnessing such a miserable state, they would have long collapsed across the line and fled in all directions.
The coalition vanguard troops were also made dizzy and disoriented by this sudden turn of events.
The soldiers charging at the very front instinctively stopped their steps, almost causing a serious stampede accident.
Everyone blankly looked up at Ryan slaughtering massively in mid-air, as if looking up at a god of slaughter descended into the world.
"What is there to fight for anymore?!"
"There's simply no share for us to intervene, right?!"
Amidst the military phalanx, gasps of doubting life erupted in waves.
"Never mind him! Steady the formation, continue charging!"
Steve Rogers quickly came back to his senses, roared with a head full of black lines, raised his shield once again, and led the coalition forces crashing into the vast ocean of enemy troops.