"I could be right now, but I'm afraid—afraid that I will no longer be myself."
"Sequence 2 is also known as an Angel or a Subsidiary God; they are beings truly struggling between humanity and divinity."
"Tony, Steve, I... I don't know how I should proceed next."
This was the first time Lin Huai had revealed such genuine vulnerability and confusion in front of his companions.
Tony and Steve looked at each other, both seeing the worry in the other's eyes.
"Buddy, you look terrified. Is your life in danger?"
Lin Huai did not give them a chance to comfort him.
"It's more than just my life; it's much more."
He had wandered in this Abyss of confusion for far too long.
He needed an answer, a reason that would allow him to make a final choice.
"You two, help protect me while I meditate."
Lin Huai's voice was low and determined.
He sat cross-legged, holding the dark gold gauntlet inlaid with the six Infinity Stones to his chest.
Before the two could respond, the six stones on his left gauntlet suddenly erupted with brilliant light!
Space was folded, time was frozen, and reality was distorted.
Countless profound runes constructed an independent rift in space-time, completely isolating him from the outside World.
He intended to use these six stones, capable of warping the laws of the Universe, to forcibly pry open the severed barrier.
He wanted to see Zhou Mingrui's true situation!
Infinite energy flooded into his Spirit Body.
The severed connection leading Above the Gray Fog was forcibly pierced through by the stones' great power, reconnecting for a single instant!
And it was in that very instant that he glimpsed the truth.
It was a vast expanse of eternally silent gray fog.
A magnificent palace towered above it, with an ancient Bronze Long Table spanning the center.
At the very head of the long table sat a figure both familiar and strange to him.
Zhou Mingrui... no, Klein Moretti, was sitting there quietly.
But his body was dissolving at a slow but irreversible rate.
He was turning into wisps of the purest black fog—symbolizing Mysteries—merging into the high-backed chair behind him.
And opposite him, within the shadow of the chair, a more massive, ancient, and insane will was constantly eroding Klein's crumbling humanity like a black tide!
That was the Celestial Worthy!
Klein's eyes were tightly shut, his brow furrowed, and his face was devoid of color.
He was on the brink of his limit!
This cruel truth shattered all of Lin Huai's hesitation, fear, and confusion!
Who was he? A Marionette? A vessel?
None of that mattered anymore!
What mattered was that if he didn't advance immediately, Zhou Mingrui would be completely devoured!
As a Huaxia person who shared the same memories, he really couldn't get past his own conscience.
"I understand..."
Lin Huai murmured to himself, the confusion in his eyes vanishing, leaving only determination.
Advancement was no longer a multiple-choice question, but a fill-in-the-blank.
It had become a mission he must complete, and the only one he could complete!
He withdrew the power of the Infinity Stones, and the space-time rift disappeared accordingly.
Outside, Tony and Steve were looking at him anxiously.
In their eyes, only a second had passed.
"I'm fine."
Lin Huai stood up, looking at the two calmly.
"I need to take back some things—things that... belonged to me in the first place."
After saying that, he sat cross-legged again, sinking his consciousness into his Spirit Body.
A Beyonder characteristic floated quietly deep within his Spirit Body.
It was as transparent as crystal, yet inside were countless profound whirlpools surging.
The moment the characteristic merged into his Spirit Body, a will surged out from the deepest depths.
That will was cold and insane, viewing all things as ants.
It was like a floodgate opening, attempting to completely drown and assimilate Lin Huai's tiny humanity!
"Give up. I won't do anything to your friends; they are too insignificant."
A grand and indifferent voice echoed in his mind.
This voice seemed like a whisper from the dawn of the Universe, carrying unquestionable rules and authority.
That was the will of the Celestial Worthy! The divinity of Mysteries!
In an instant, Lin Huai felt his soul being crudely stripped from his body and thrown into an endless, cold, silent void of Darkness.
His memories of twenty years of life—the laughter, tears, struggles, and efforts—began to shatter inch by inch like a pulverized scroll!
The name Lin Huai rapidly faded in his consciousness, becoming strange and hollow.
His emotions were being erased bit by bit.
Joy, anger, sorrow, and love—the emotions that formed the cornerstone of his humanity—were being replaced by an absolute, aloof nothingness.
He felt himself dissolving, losing the concept of self.
No!
I can't just disappear like this!
I am no one's Marionette, no one's vessel!
I am Lin Huai!
Just as his consciousness was about to be devoured at the final moment, a roar exploded from the depths of his soul, awakening a glimmer of light.
This glimmer came from the gifts he had personally crafted and given to others.
They were tarot cards into which he had infused his insights and blessings!
Instantly, the first card lit up!
It was the [Hanged Man] he had given to Tony Stark.
In the image, Tony was exhausted but his eyes were bright; it was a mortal using his body as a hammer to bid farewell to his past.
This trust and pride between friends turned into the first solid anchor!
Immediately after, the second card glowed!
It was the [Lovers] in Pepper Potts' hands.
He had personally witnessed Pepper's determination and love when she pressed the overload button for Tony.
This courage to protect a loved one turned into the second warm anchor!
The third card, [Strength]!
Belonging to Bruce Banner.
He had guided the Hulk and Banner toward reconciliation, witnessing the furious Beast and the gentle soul reach unity.
This peace of control and reconciliation turned into the third steady anchor!
The fourth card, [Justice]!
Belonging to Steve Rogers.
From their first meeting to fighting side by side, Steve's consistent sense of responsibility and noble character were his initial respect for heroes.
This adherence to Justice turned into the fourth unyielding anchor!
The fifth card, [Death]!
Belonging to Johnny Blaze.
He had guided the soul tormented by hellfire, watching him bid farewell to the past and step onto a new path of life.
This hope of ending and rebirth turned into the fifth burning anchor!
The sixth card, [The Chariot]!
Belonging to Thor, the God of Thunder.
In Asgard, he witnessed how a reckless prince learned responsibility and protection under trial, driving his chariot toward destiny.
This will to forge ahead turned into the sixth surging anchor!
The seventh card, [Devil]!
Belonging to Loki, the god of mischief.
He had given this card to the second prince whose heart was full of jealousy and resentment, warning him that the desires within his heart were the Demon.
This insight and warning regarding humanity turned into the seventh profound anchor!
Finally, the eighth card, [Judgement]!
Belonging to Bucky Barnes.
He had guided Steve into a dream to help that brainwashed soul find himself and face a long-overdue judgment and redemption.
This compassion and expectation for the lost turned into the eighth solemn anchor!
Friendship, sacrifice, protection, love and being loved, responsibility and redemption...
Everything he had experienced, realized, and given away turned into the most dazzling light at this moment.
This brilliance constructed an indestructible barrier of humanity within his dark World of consciousness!
The Celestial Worthy's will frantically battered the barrier, but could not shake it in the slightest!
"I am Tony Stark's friend!"
"I am Steve Rogers' comrade-in-arms!"
"I am the mentor of Asgard!"
"I am the witness of this World's journey from the mundane to the miraculous!"
"I am a real human who has struggled to survive in this World for twenty years!"
"I! AM! LIN! HUAI!"
With a final soul-shaking roar, all the radiance of humanity and all the emotions deemed impurities by the Celestial Worthy's will converged into a most magnificent torrent!
This torrent did not defend passively; instead, in a more overbearing and resolute manner, it surged backward into the [Miracle Invoker] characteristic floating at the core of his consciousness!
He was going to make a crazy decision.
He would use all the humanity he had accumulated over twenty years to pollute, harness, and devour this divinity that did not belong to him!
If advancement meant being torn between humanity and divinity, then he would let humanity take the lead!
Let divinity become an extension of his humanity!
This was itself a declaration of war by a mortal against a god!
But isn't the power of a [Miracle Invoker] to create miracles?!
Buzz—!
Lin Huai's torrent of humanity completely fused with the [Miracle Invoker] characteristic.
In that instant, the cold, dark void was completely ignited by a warm and bright power!
Under the shine of this human brilliance, the indifferent, ancient will of the Celestial Worthy let out a silent wail.
It retreated step by step, finally being suppressed firmly in the deepest part of the Spirit Body!
He succeeded!
He created a miracle that belonged to him!
With a complete, independent personality, he ascended to become an Angel!
...
The real World.
Lin Huai snapped his eyes open.
In the depths of his eyes, it was as if star systems were flowing and the Universe was being born and extinguished.
He looked at the worried Tony and Steve in front of him, a long-absent, relaxed smile appearing on his face.
He stood up and looked toward the sky, toward that mysterious domain Above the Gray Fog that only he could see.
He finally saw clearly a path leading to that ancient palace.
It was no longer a passive connection relying on summoning and pulling.
But a path home that he could actively set foot upon himself.
"Klein..."
He softly uttered that name buried deep in his memory.
"In the first half, you gave me a new life."
"In the second half, it's my turn to guard your humanity."