Outside the ancient circular window of the New York Sanctum, the sky was gradually darkening.
After a subtle ripple in space, Lin Huai's figure appeared silently in the center of the hall.
He looked travel-worn, as if he had just finished a long journey, yet his eyes were brighter than ever before.
He slowly raised his left hand.
It was the Infinity Gauntlet, crafted by the Dwarf King of Nidavellir with the full strength of his race.
In the dim light, it flickered with a heart-palpitating dark golden glow.
Of the six slots on the back of the hand, four were already filled.
Space, Reality, Time, and Soul.
Four Infinity Stones were quietly embedded within it, like eyes peering into the truth.
They emitted distinct yet echoing terrifying pressures.
The sacrificial scam on Vormir had come to an end; Thanos's greatest goal had been thwarted.
And Lin Huai had finally gathered enough trump cards to fight him.
Lin Huai did not linger for a moment. The Space Stone on the gauntlet lit up again, and a circular portal burning with sparks expanded in front of him.
On the other side of the door was a completely different scene—the solemn and majestic Asgardian Medical Temple.
Queen of the Gods Frigga looked at the data on the life monitoring equipment with a worried expression.
Dr. Banner was nearby, performing complex calculations.
On the medical bed, Tony Stark lay quietly within a life-support system.
He was covered in unique crystal conduits, his face as pale as paper.
Under the treatment of Frigga and Asgardian magic, his life was no longer in immediate danger.
"How is his condition?"
Lin Huai's voice suddenly rang out behind the two of them.
Hearing the voice, Frigga and Banner immediately turned around.
Seeing Lin Huai step out of the portal, both of their faces showed pleasant surprise.
"Lin Huai! You're back!"
Banner walked forward quickly.
"Tony's condition is very bad; we can barely maintain his vital signs."
Frigga also came forward, her gaze falling on Lin Huai's gauntlet with a complex expression.
"Mentor, I have tried all the healing divine arts, but I can only sustain his life."
Lin Huai nodded, bypassed the two, and walked straight to Tony's bedside.
"Open the hatch; I have a way."
Banner nervously tried to dissuade him.
"Lin Huai, this is too dangerous! His vital signs are extremely fragile right now!"
Lin Huai did not answer, merely raising his left hand slowly.
The crimson light of the Reality Stone flashed.
Zzz—
Accompanied by the ear-grating sound of twisting metal, the alloy doors of the medical pod slid open to both sides.
Lin Huai walked to Tony's bedside, looking down at his unconscious close friend and the black death energy residing within his body.
Then, under the incredulous gazes of Frigga and Banner, he reached out his gauntleted left hand and gently pressed it against Tony's chest.
There were no violent energy fluctuations, nor were there any flashy light effects.
The green light of the Time Stone rippled out as gently as water, enveloping Tony's entire body.
Under the green light, an inconceivable miracle was occurring.
Hideous wounds, broken bones, necrotic tissue... all were being corrected in a way that defied the laws of life.
It was as if those injuries had never existed.
After only a dozen seconds, Lin Huai withdrew his hand.
On the bed, Tony's complexion returned to a healthy flush, and his breathing became steady and strong.
All the wounds on his body had vanished, without even a single scar left behind.
Frigga and Banner looked at each other, their eyes filled with deep shock and awe for that gauntlet.
Is this... the power of the Infinity Stones? Ignoring the process and directly rewriting the result.
"Ugh..."
Tony groaned on the bed and opened his eyes.
"Am I... in hell or heaven? Dammit, the interior design taste here is really poor."
He habitually started quipping, then saw Lin Huai by the bed.
"Looks like neither. You saved me again, my charlatan friend."
"Get up, Tony. I should have healed you before I left; I forgot, and let you suffer through this period."
Lin Huai's expression did not change, but his voice carried an unprecedented solemnity.
"Notify everyone. Avengers Tower, Supreme Briefing Room. The real war is about to begin."
...
Half an hour later, New York, Avengers Tower.
Through the portal opened by Lin Huai, Earth's strongest and most complete defensive force gathered once again since the Battle of New York.
The core members of the Avengers—Tony, Steve, Banner, as well as Natasha and Clint—were all present.
The newly joined siblings, Wanda and Pietro, stood in the corner with vigilant and curious expressions.
The recently healed members of the Guardians of the Galaxy also set foot on this blue Planet for the first time.
Star-Lord Quill, Rocket Raccoon, and Drax felt novel about everything around them.
Groot in the flowerpot was also regrowing.
And the most eye-catching were the representatives from Asgard.
The new king Thor, his brother Loki the god of mischief, and the cold-faced Goddess of Death, Hela.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury and his deputy Maria Hill appeared on the briefing room's holographic projection via encrypted communication.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the head of the long conference table.
Lin Huai stood there with a solemn expression.
He knew that many people present had blood feuds with each other, but he didn't have time to mediate.
He raised his left hand, and the Space and Reality Stones activated simultaneously.
A vast star map of the Universe expanded in the center of the briefing room.
A projection of a massive warship appeared followed, looking like a moving continent.
Sanctuary II.
Lin Huai's voice rang out in the quiet briefing room.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and... Goddess."
"I won't bother with pleasantries. Everyone here basically knows what we are about to face."
"Thanos. A Lunatic from Titan. He is bringing his entire fleet and heading here at full speed."
"His goal,"
Lin Huai displayed the gauntlet to everyone.
"The four Infinity Stones on my hand. And in his hand, he also holds two stones: Power and Mind."
Rocket Raccoon scratched his ear irritably.
"We know that guy wants to snap his fingers and destroy half the Universe. But how are we supposed to stop him? His fleet... we saw it on Xandar; that's not even a fight on the same level."
"That's why we can't fight him in space; Earth's overall technology doesn't support deploying troops to space."
Steve interjected calmly.
"On Earth, we have the home-field advantage."
"The Captain is right."
Lin Huai's gaze swept over the crowd.
"Not only must we have the home-field advantage, but I also want to push this advantage to the extreme."
"My plan is..."
He looked at everyone and said word by word.
"To turn the entirety of New York into a giant stage meticulously prepared for Thanos."
"I am the Director of this play. And you are the actors."
"Thanos and his army are the prey we are going to hunt."
"We will set an unprecedented trap here to divide them, wear them down, and ultimately... take away everything he possesses."
This crazy and bold plan caused the briefing room to fall into a moment of silence.
Lin Huai gave them no more time to think and began deploying tasks at a rapid pace.
"Now, I will assign tasks."
"Captain, you are in charge of overall ground command, coordinating all combat units. I trust your abilities."
"Tony, Banner, you two form the Heavy Firepower Group. Thanos has the Black Order under him, and among them is Black Dwarf, who is thick-skinned and incredibly strong. He's yours; Hulk should enjoy this opponent."
"Wanda, Loki, you are the Spell Control Group. Ebony Maw and Supergiant—one is a telekinesis master, the other a mental expert. Your magic and illusions are the keys to countering them."
"Natasha, Clint, you are the Special Ops and Evacuation Group. Lead all the forces S.H.I.E.L.D. can mobilize to evacuate the citizens and use your familiarity with the terrain to hunt down any isolated Chitauri Outriders."
"Director Fury, contact Wakanda. I know you have a way. Although their tech tree is a bit skewed, their combat power is fine. Have them send troops to assist."
"Pietro, Thor, you are the Mobile Support Group, supporting all combat zones at maximum speed."
"Guardians of the Galaxy,"
Lin Huai looked at Quill and the others.
"You have the most experience dealing with alien grunts. Act freely and try to create as much chaos as possible."
The long-silent Hela finally spoke up impatiently.
"What about me?"
She scoffed at this house-playing style of grouping.
"You?"
Lin Huai looked at her and smiled.
"You and that pet of yours are my reserve force and the final killing blow. You act freely; if they encounter an opponent they can't handle, you step in to help."
Finally, everyone's gaze converged on Lin Huai.
"And I will be stationed at the New York Sanctum. As the overall commander, I will regulate the operation of the entire theater."
He raised his left hand, the light of the four stones illuminating everyone's resolute faces.
"Everyone, this will be the final tranquility."
"Enjoy it."
"Because the storm..."
Just then, a piercing alarm resounded throughout the entire tower.
Jarvis's voice rang out urgently.
"Alert! A super-giant spatial tear has been detected outside Earth's orbit!"
"An unidentified massive object is exiting warp drive!"
On the briefing room's massive holographic screen, the image switched to the monitoring view of the near-Earth orbit.
The deep, dark background of the Universe was torn open by a hideous rift.
The massive Sanctuary II slowly sailed out, like a steel continent, bringing a heavy sense of oppression.
It blocked out the starlight, casting a shadow over this azure Planet.
Immediately after, tens of thousands of black dots detached from the mothership.
Like a swarm of bloodthirsty locusts, they turned into a meteor shower, plunging straight toward New York!
The invasion had begun.
"...They're here."