Crimson sand blew across the peak of Vormir.
The warm orange-yellow Soul Stone was firmly embedded in the slot of the Infinity Gauntlet, and Lin Huai felt his connection with this World deepen by another layer.
He seemed to hear the souls of all things whispering.
He raised his hand, looking at the four Infinity Stones shining side by side on the gauntlet.
Space, Reality, Soul, and Time—their powers intertwined and surged within his body, bringing an illusion of near-omnipotence.
"Disperse."
He said softly.
Beside him, Sun Derrick, Moon Emelyn, and Star Leonard, who were playing the roles of pursuers, began to turn illusory.
Justice Audrey, who had guided this deception, saw her projected figure become the same.
Before Audrey's projection dissipated, she performed an elegant curtsey to Lin Huai once more, her clear eyes holding a hint of curiosity and goodwill.
Lin Huai nodded slightly in response.
Watching these familiar figures completely turn into points of light and dissipate, a trace of melancholy passed through his heart.
He knew they were only shadows of the past.
But every summons was like a look back, reminding him that he once had true partners in another World.
He collected his thoughts and cast his gaze toward the bottomless cliff.
Proxima Midnight's body, along with that carefully directed tragedy, would be forever buried in the Abyss of this dead Planet.
As for her husband...
Lin Huai looked at the lifeless body beside him; this was Corvus Glaive, who had been forcibly controlled by him using Marionette threads.
He snapped his fingers.
Red light from the Reality Stone flashed, and that tough body silently turned into particles, completely erased from the Universe.
Only after doing all this did Lin Huai truly breathe a sigh of relief.
The curtain fell on this deception targeting the Soul Stone, leaving no trace behind.
He closed his eyes, his spirituality spreading out, using the power of the Time Stone to peer into Thanos's trajectory.
As expected, Sanctuary II's target was pointed straight at a blue Planet.
Earth.
"Moving the battlefield to my own doorstep?"
Lin Huai gave a self-deprecating smile.
"What a terrible director."
...
Heavenly Palace Asgard.
Reconstruction work had temporarily paused because of these sudden visitors from beyond the heavens.
Inside the top-tier medical courtyard, Frigga was personally checking the injuries of the unconscious Tony Stark.
The combination of Asgard's advanced magic and technology was rapidly repairing his damaged body.
In another corner of the courtyard, Steve Rogers and Dr. Banner stood in silence.
They looked at Tony Stark, who was receiving treatment on the medical bed, with complex emotions.
"Banner, can you understand Lin Huai's power?"
Steve suddenly spoke.
Dr. Banner pushed up his glasses and shook his head with a bitter smile.
"I can't understand it."
"Directly affecting the soul, turning others into puppets, using a paper effigy to replace oneself."
"Even... summoning phantoms of history."
"His own power is already hard to understand, let alone after he has become proficient in using the Infinity Stones."
Steve let out a long sigh, looking at his own hands covered in scars.
"We are still fighting with fists and a shield, while Lin Huai... he is already rewriting time, space, and even affecting reality."
"I'm just glad he's our friend."
In another quiet side hall, the atmosphere was equally heavy.
Gamora sat by the window, staring blankly at the magnificent scenery of Asgard outside.
She had just experienced a nightmare, being dragged toward the cliff of sacrifice by the father she both most revered and most hated.
If Lin Huai and the others hadn't arrived in time, she would now be a soul at the bottom of the Abyss.
Star-Lord walked in somewhat clumsily, carrying a steaming cup of mead.
"Have some, it'll make you feel better."
Gamora didn't look back, her voice hollow and raspy.
"He really... would have killed me for that stone."
This wasn't a question, but a statement confirmed by reality.
Quill placed the cup by her hand and was silent for a moment.
"He's a Lunatic. But you're safe now, Gamora."
"Safe?"
Gamora gave a self-deprecating smile.
"No one is safe."
"As long as he's alive, as long as he's obsessed with that crazy plan, every corner of the Universe will be shrouded under his Shadow."
"And, right now... he must be very angry."
By the end, her voice carried a hint of trembling.
...
The bridge of Sanctuary II was like a cold tomb.
Thanos sat on his throne; no longer as furious as before, he was now terrifyingly calm.
He just quietly gazed at the blue Planet gradually enlarging on the Star map.
Ebony Maw stood by his side, not even daring to breathe loudly.
He could feel that beneath that calm exterior was a monstrous rage sufficient to incinerate an entire galaxy.
"Master."
He finally summoned the courage to speak softly.
"We have locked onto Earth's coordinates and are expected to arrive in three Standard Cosmic Days."
Thanos gave no response.
After a long time, he finally spoke, his voice low and raspy, devoid of any emotion.
"Ebony Maw."
"I am here, Master."
"I gave her a chance."
Thanos's voice was filled with a fatigue and disappointment that outsiders would find hard to understand.
"Of all my children, only she understood me best."
"I thought she would stand by my side."
"But she betrayed me, just like those short-sighted and foolish mortals."
Ebony Maw lowered his head deeply.
"It was her foolishness that blinded her eyes, Master."
"No."
Thanos shook his head.
"I was too merciful."
"I thought salvation could be gentle, but I was wrong."
He stood up from his throne and walked to the huge porthole.
That beautiful blue Planet, in his eyes, was just a cold bargaining chip.
"Pass on my order."
"Upon arrival at Earth, initiate the Extinction Protocol and reduce this Planet's population by half."
"His own home Planet is a World that has been constantly at war over resources; what right does he have to judge my methods?"
"I will use the wailing of that Planet to teach my daughter what true destiny is."
"I want that self-righteous director to see how utterly fragile his script is."
...
Vormir.
Lin Huai opened his eyes, withdrawing from his peering into Thanos.
He raised his left hand; the four stones were emitting different glows, as if echoing his will.
He knew that an unprecedented storm was about to take place in his second home.
Lin Huai looked in the direction Thanos had left and gave a cold laugh.
"Then let's see who will have the last laugh."
With a thought, the Space Stone erupted with a brilliant blue light.
A stable and massive portal opened up in front of him.
On the other side of the Door was no longer the Golden Palace of Asgard.
But New York, that ancient building he was so familiar with, 177A Bleecker Street.
New York Sanctum.
He took a step forward, his figure disappearing into the blood-colored sand of Vormir.
The stage has shifted; the good show is about to begin.