Coulson was a die-hard fan of Captain America, even his underwear featured the iconic shield pattern. He believed in the Captain blindly, convinced there was no obstacle the hero couldn't overcome.
"Three months is too long," Fury cut him off immediately. "One month. I want that old ice... Captain America found in one month. The situation is extremely volatile, and time waits for no one."
"But we're short-handed." Coulson looked at the turncoat agents lying in pools of blood before him, his face filled with hesitation. "If we had enough funding and personnel, one month would definitely be doable."
"I'll handle the personnel and the money," Fury reassured him. "You just focus on the excavation plan. Make sure everything goes off without a hitch!"
"Understood, Director."
After hanging up, Fury stood up to straighten his clothes. S.H.I.E.L.D. was a mess, and he had a mountain of work to do. That mysterious organization had been hiding within their ranks for a long time; they likely had moles in other bases as well. He needed to investigate every single one and root them out.
The researchers who had evacuated with him right away also needed reassurance. But his top priority was to meet his superiors—the official spokespeople for the World Security Council. Given the massive upheaval at S.H.I.E.L.D., he had to provide an explanation, while also playing the victim to ask for more resources and manpower.
That mysterious chairman was simply too powerful; it wasn't a failure of strategy, the man just wasn't human. Fury intended to ask the spokesperson from a certain ancient eastern country if their people were all that formidable. He wondered if they could spare a few powerhouses to assist S.H.I.E.L.D. — not necessarily as strong as Makiya, just someone close enough.
Standing before the full-length mirror, Fury pressed a switch. Numerous mechanical arms extended from the walls to help him dress. One set of mechanical hands nimbly applied hair growth serum to his head, providing a gentle massage to relieve his fatigue.
The global underworld fell into an eerie silence. Organizations plotting to subvert or rule the world began to lay low. The waters of Earth were much deeper than they had imagined; the world wasn't so easily conquered. Hydra had hit a landmine this time, and who knew when another invincible powerhouse might emerge from some obscure corner? It was better to stay quiet for a while.
After the heads of Hydra met, they all chose to keep a low profile. Until they had their own super-powered champions, they wouldn't dare make any bold moves.
Among the group of Hydra leaders, one robotic figure was particularly unique. It was a robot controlled by Arnim Zola's consciousness via the network. While Dr. Zola's physical body had long since died, his consciousness had escaped into the digital world, achieving a form of immortality.
Wandering through the digital world, Dr. Zola sneered at the others' cowardice. The twenty-first century was the era of the internet. For someone living within the network, acquiring information inaccessible to ordinary people was effortless.
Through extensive filtering and investigation, he not only discovered Makiya's identity but also learned that Makiya had used special programs to establish a vast kingdom in the virtual world.
Coincidentally, he had also created a private realm in the virtual world—a chaotic dimensional world called Dimension Z.
Dimension Z was still incomplete. Zola was constantly drawing nutrients from the internet to cultivate his unique dimensional world. Once Dimension Z was fully realized, he would launch an invasion into Makiya's virtual world.
He admitted that Makiya was terrifyingly strong in reality, but the virtual world was his domain. In the current, semi-finished Dimension Z, Zola felt like a god. The feeling of omnipotence left him deeply infatuated.
Zola was confident that if he met Makiya in the virtual world, he could easily erase him and perhaps even seize Makiya's body to become a true god in reality.
That day wasn't far off.
Inside the underground space of the Future Technology headquarters.
The original underground lab was becoming cramped. Deciding to fix the problem once and for all, Makiya used Earth Style to dig deeper and deeper. He didn't stop until scorching magma began to seep from the cracks.
A large number of clones worked simultaneously, using alchemy, magic, and ninjutsu to expand horizontally. In less than two weeks, the construction of a vast underground space was preliminary complete.
The barrier techniques he learned from Kisuke Uhara in the Soul Reaper world were indeed useful. The boundaries of the underground space had begun to form a space structure similar to world barriers, sturdy enough to withstand continuous tectonic shifts.
Looking at the vast space before him, Makiya nodded in satisfaction. Then, he pulled a Helicarrier out of a Walmart shopping bag... a model?
The shrunken Helicarrier was incredibly exquisite, its cold metal hull reflecting a unique luster. If this were in an extraction shooter like Tarkov or Delta Force, this Helicarrier would definitely be the rarest loot.
This was actually the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, but Makiya had used magic to shrink it countless times. Even its weight had been mostly negated by magic, making it feel light in his hand.
The magic of the Harry Potter world was truly illogical, but its powerful effects required Makiya to maintain them constantly. It was better to restore it to its original state.
Before Makiya was a huge lake he had created by diverting groundwater while building the space. Under his control, the Helicarrier slowly floated to the center of the lake, where he gradually released the magic effects.
As the Helicarrier grew, its heavy weight displaced the lake water. Its majestic form reappeared. Unfortunately, being underground, it would likely never have the chance to fly into the blue sky again under its own power.
The Helicarrier wasn't very practical. Aside from researching some of its technology to provide knowledge for his counterparts in the Resistance World and the Hacker World, Makiya simply treated it as a giant figurine for his collection.
After relocating the base, Makiya took a sip of tea and pondered for a moment. He planned to take a trip to the Himalayas to have a chat with the Ancient One.
He needed to clear up the matter of being dragged into the Mirror Dimension for no reason during his fight. If the Ancient One in this world was a white-bearded old man, Makiya would turn around and leave immediately, focusing on steady development. If it were a bald woman... well, he'd need an explanation for her interfering with his battle.
Nepal, the top of the Himalayas, Kamar-Taj.
When the first light of dawn gently pierced through the mist swirling around the mountains and fell upon the scattered stone houses, the ancient buildings seemed to wake up one by one. Smoke began to curl from the chimneys of every household.
The streets began to get busy. A few elders in robes sat together, flipping through ancient tomes and occasionally whispering a few words. The air was filled with a sense of peace and tranquility.
Makiya walked along the small path in the village, passing by the local residents. His short-sleeved, modern outfit clashed with everyone else, yet not a single person noticed him, as if he didn't exist.
Makiya continuously sensed the fluctuations of mana in the air, following the path until he eventually arrived outside a quaint little courtyard.
Just as he was about to knock, the courtyard gate suddenly opened. A man with a face like Hannibal stepped out from behind the door, wearing a yellow sorcerer's uniform. He bowed slightly to Makiya. "Greetings, Mr. Makiya. The Sorcerer Supreme has been expecting you for quite some time."
Makiya wasn't surprised by the Ancient One's foresight. Leaving aside her profound magical cultivation, the Time Stone alone allowed her to see countless futures; knowing when he would arrive was perfectly normal.
The man at the door stood tall, with a uniquely handsome appearance. The moment Makiya saw him, a certain rhythmic tune automatically started playing in his head.
Suppressing the urge to pull a bottle of cooking wine from behind him, Makiya nodded to the sorcerer named Kaecilius and followed him into the courtyard.
The small courtyard was a world of its own. Even though it wasn't even six in the morning, the sound of activity echoed through the Kamar-Taj compound. A large group of sorcerers was practicing magic in the open square, waving golden-red magic whips through the air with crisp, snapping sounds.
The skill tree for Marvel sorcerers was also quite strange; they leaned toward melee combat. Only those with high cultivation could unlock long-range attack skills.
Following Kaecilius through the courtyard and the front hall, they walked deep inside until they stopped in front of a small building.
"The Ancient One is inside. Please enter," Kaecilius said, pushing open the small door.
Makiya's gaze pierced through the door. The interior was very rustic. The room before him seemed to be a tea room. The Ancient One, known as the Sorcerer Supreme, was sitting cross-legged on a cushion, pouring a cup of tea for Makiya.
It was a bald woman!
'Good, she's not a white-bearded old man!'
Makiya breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and stepped into the tea room, met by the drifting scent of tea and incense.
"Chairman Makiya, please sit!" The Ancient One said, gesturing toward the cushion opposite her with a smile and raising her tea cup toward him.
Behind him, Kaecilius quietly closed the door. The Sorcerer Supreme had instructed beforehand that she was meeting an important guest today and must not be disturbed.
Kaecilius was unaware of Makiya's identity. His obsession with magic was unparalleled, and he spent all his time immersed in ancient magical texts. Although Kamar-Taj had internet access, he never used it and had no idea about Makiya's track record.
After closing the door, Kaecilius intended to return to his quarters. The magical tome from yesterday was fascinating, and the spells within it captivated him.
Suddenly, the door behind him shuddered violently. The ancient building, which had stood for centuries, let out a dry creak, looking as if it might collapse at any moment.
Kaecilius spun around. "What's happening?"
Another of the Ancient One's disciples hurried over. It was the Ancient One's senior disciple: Baron Mordo. His dark skin had a hint of brown, suggesting he wasn't of pure African descent.
"What's going on?" Baron Mordo asked anxiously.
Kamar-Taj was the base for all sorcerers on Earth and was guarded by the Ancient One herself. Logically, no accident should be possible.
"I don't know either!" Kaecilius frowned. "The Sorcerer Supreme's guest just went in. Could he have gotten into a conflict with Master?"