In the vast Universe, a small Golden Shuttle slowly docked beside the massive Asgardian Rescue Fleet.
As the hatch opened, Lin Huai walked out carrying two bundles tightly bound with specialized runes.
These two bundles were none other than two of the Black Order he had easily captured earlier—Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight.
The Asgardian Captain responsible for the handover saw this scene and was momentarily speechless.
These were the most terrifying apostles under Thanos, yet they were being carried like two pieces of cargo.
"Keep a close eye on them."
Lin Huai tossed the two captives to the Asgardian soldiers, his tone indifferent.
"Especially that blade; don't let it out of your sight. Once you reach Asgard, hand them over to the Queen of the Gods. They are our primary leverage against Thanos."
Dwarf King Eitri also walked over from the main ship. He looked at Lin Huai with an expression of both gratitude and guilt.
"Thank you, Lord Lin... I..."
"Go back first, Master."
Lin Huai interrupted him.
"Asgard and your people need you."
After saying that, Lin Huai turned and returned to his shuttle.
Watching the departing Asgardian fleet, Thor and Loki remained heavy-hearted.
Lin Huai, however, fixed his gaze on his left hand, which wore the Infinity Gauntlet.
Two stones were already securely embedded in it.
He could clearly feel that the Reality Stone at the thumb position was extremely unruly.
Every tiny resonance carried an aura of chaos and madness, making it very strenuous for him to control.
In contrast, the Space Stone on his index finger was incredibly docile, allowing him to use it with ease.
He didn't need to force a connection.
With just a thought, that boundless cosmic power would actively cooperate, as if he were born to be the Master of this stone.
"What a marvelous compatibility. As expected of the King of Time and Space, Mr. Zhou!"
Lin Huai patted his left shoulder with his right hand while sighing in admiration.
"If the Reality Stone is a manual tractor, then the Space Stone is a fully automated, self-driving luxury spaceship. The difference is just too great."
This sense of control gave him a bit more confidence in facing the upcoming situation.
"Where are we going now? Back to Asgard?"
Thor asked.
"No."
Lin Huai shook his head and pulled up the star map coordinates for Earth.
"Queen Frigga is much more reliable than you. Thanos can't spare the time to go to Asgard personally right now, so she can handle things there. But on Earth... your sister has already broken through her seal."
He tapped the console lightly with his fingertip, and the Space Stone emitted a soft blue light.
"Hum—"
The space in front of the ship distorted and folded violently, and a blue portal appeared out of thin air.
"Let's go, home."
Lin Huai was the first to stand up, leading Thor and Loki as they stepped into the portal.
---
Avengers Tower, top-floor meeting room.
The atmosphere was very oppressive.
On the massive holographic screen, a segment of street surveillance footage was playing on a loop.
A woman in a gothic style with smoky eye makeup tore Tony's iron man armor to pieces with a casual gesture.
That scene made everyone present feel a tightening in their hearts.
Captain America Steve, Black Widow Natasha, the siblings Wanda and Pietro, Dr. Banner, and even Nick Fury and the Kamar-Taj mage Russell, who had hurried over, all stared at the screen without saying a word.
"Hey, everyone, are we starting to get depressed already? We are the last line of defense for this Planet. If we're like this, what will the people do?"
Steve broke the silence, forcing himself to sound encouraging.
"Lin is there now. We need his information so Jarvis can rebuild the model."
Dr. Banner adjusted his glasses, his face pale.
"This woman is really rude, stripping someone's clothes without saying a word. But that black sword she uses is indeed terrifying; it tore through my armor easily."
Tony Stark's face was grim, but he was still making quips.
The suffocating feeling of having his chest stepped on by a high-heeled combat boot still left him with lingering fears.
"Sorry, excuse me."
A playful voice suddenly rang out in the center of the meeting room.
Steve instinctively raised his shield.
Natasha's hand moved toward the weapon at her waist.
Crimson magic light glowed at Wanda's fingertips, and a silver blur instantly shielded her.
In the very center of the meeting room, a blue circular portal quietly emerged.
Lin Huai walked out with a smile, followed by a solemn Thor and a Loki with a complex expression.
The portal closed silently behind them.
"You... how did you get back?"
Tony was the first to cry out, his tone full of disbelief.
"Oh, I have a private car now, as long as I know where the station is."
Lin Huai waved his left hand, which wore the Infinity Gauntlet, and the light from the two stones made everyone present squint.
"I'm glad you're still having a meeting, but what you're discussing might be a bit outdated."
He ignored everyone's stunned expressions, his gaze immediately drawn to the image on the holographic screen.
To be precise, he was drawn to the massive black wolf beside Hela.
"Fenrir..."
Lin Huai narrowed his eyes. He could feel that within that wolf's body was the seed of his advancement.
It was the power of the Mist Demon Wolf, which had undergone a marvelous chemical reaction with the bloodline of this World-Ending Wolf.
"I've already obtained the Infinity Gauntlet."
Lin Huai turned around and announced to everyone.
His gaze swept over the massive wolf shadow on the screen, and he smiled meaningfully.
"The key to this battle doesn't lie with Hela."
"It lies with that wolf."
Lin Huai's words left everyone momentarily unresponsive.
"What do you mean?"
Steve asked with a frown.
"That wolf is certainly powerful, but its threat is clearly not as great as that woman calling herself the Goddess of Death."
"No, you don't understand."
Lin Huai shook his head.
"Hela is still Hela. Although she's strong, she won't be able to make much of a splash under the power of these two stones. I'm confident I can seal her. But that wolf is different. I can't even divine what changes have occurred in an already powerful World-Ending Wolf after gaining the power of the Mist Demon Wolf."
Just as the others were about to ask more, a calm electronic voice suddenly sounded.
"Sir, a trace of the target Hela has been detected at the top of the Statue of Liberty."
It was Jarvis.
The meeting room instantly fell silent.
Everyone looked at each other, their expressions becoming determined.
No matter how strange that wolf was, or how powerful the enemy, they had no way to retreat.
"Let's go."
Steve stood up and took his shield.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was incredibly firm.
"Let's go meet this... Goddess."
The Avengers stood up one by one and walked out of the meeting room in silence.
A battle concerning the fate of Earth was about to break out.