Chapter 148: Now There

On the other side, the group members, allied with the Avengers, eliminated the remaining threats in New York City and converged on the rooftop of Stark Tower.

At that moment, the portal device stood atop the building, its central Cosmic Cube emitting a steady blue glow, projecting a beam of blue light that sustained the energy shield around the device and the portal in the sky.

Everyone gathered around the device, discussing it and attempting various methods to breach the shield.

But unfortunately, the Cosmic Cube’s energy was too powerful—even Thor could not break through its protective field.

After failing, Thor turned his head and looked at Loki, who lay sprawled on the ground, pinned beneath Mjolnir, and said:

“Give up, Loki. Midgard is not a place for you to lay claim to!”

“If you still possess even a shred of justice, tell us how to shut this device down!”

“Shut your @￥%#!” Loki spat in Asgardian, glaring at his idiotic brother, “You’re blind enough, but are your ears deaf too?!”

“I’ve told you countless times—I can’t shut it down, I can’t shut it down!”

“That black vortex in the sky has distorted the Cosmic Cube’s energy flow. As long as it remains, not even my father himself could shut down the portal!”

Hearing Loki’s words, Thor shrugged and turned to Lin Lie and He Jingfeng: “See? No matter how I ask, Loki won’t tell me. Why don’t you try?”

“Try your ##%!”

Loki glared at Thor and cursed again.

Lin Lie’s lips twitched. After a moment’s thought, he murmured: “Is there a possibility—just a possibility—that your brother is telling the truth?”

“Impossible. Absolutely impossible!”

Thor declared: “I grew up with him. No one understands him better. That man never speaks a single truth—even if he did tell me how to shut it down, I wouldn’t believe him!”

Loki: “...”

Then why do you keep asking?!

Loki glared at Thor with clenched teeth, desperate to break free from Mjolnir and land a punch on his face.

“If we can resolve this black hole, Eric and I might have a way to shut it down.”

Tony and the now-recovered Dr. Eric approached, glancing at Lin Lie and the others: “But I suggest we wait a bit—your boss should still be on the other side, right?”

“...”

The group members exchanged glances, about to speak, when suddenly they all looked skyward as if receiving a message.

In the next instant, the black vortex, which had expanded to five kilometers, froze abruptly, then reversed direction, shrinking in an instant into a single speck of darkness before vanishing entirely.

The blue energy beam, previously twisted by the vortex, straightened again and continued expanding the portal in the sky.

But now, the scene beyond the portal had changed: the once densely packed black ships had vanished, replaced by twisted metal debris and shimmering waves of brilliant white light.

“Where’s the fleet?”

“Probably gone.”

“...All of it?”

“If the Boss acted, then yes.”

The group exchanged stunned glances, their faces filled with unmistakable shock.

Though the group members had long known Lin Yu’s power, seeing the endless sea of white light stretching across the portal still filled them with awe.

At that moment, a figure stepped out of the portal, walking across the sea of light.

All group members’ faces lit up with joy as they shouted: “Big Brother Lin!”

A flash of silver light—and Lin Yu appeared atop Stark Tower.

The group members immediately stepped forward, forming a line behind Lin Yu.

Thus, the rooftop was divided into three clear factions.

One was Lin Yu and the group members; another was Tony, Banner, and the other Avengers; the last was Thor and Loki, who had not yet officially joined the Avengers.

Looking at Thor standing and Loki lying on the ground, Lin Yu smiled faintly.

“It seems your family dispute has been resolved.”

Thor bowed with a hand over his chest: “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Lin Yu turned to the portal device: “Now, only the Cosmic Cube remains.”

He stepped forward, reached the device, raised his right hand, and tapped the energy shield lightly.

“Crack—”

Instantly, the blue energy shield cracked open, shattered by a single fingertip, dissolving into countless glowing particles.

Was it really that simple?

Everyone stared in shock as Lin Yu calmly plunged his entire right arm into the blue light, ignoring the surrounding energy shield that constantly pressed and repaired itself, and forcibly pulled out the Cosmic Cube!

With the Cosmic Cube removed, the portal device gradually ceased operation.

The blue energy beam dimmed and shrank, then snapped at its base and vanished completely.

Simultaneously, the portal in the sky lost its function and could no longer be sustained. The collapsing space rippled like liquid, contracting until it was erased by space’s self-healing nature.

“Excellent!”

He weighed the Cosmic Cube in his hand, smiled in satisfaction, and addressed the group: “Congratulations. Through your fearless efforts, the Chitauri army has been repelled. The Battle of New York is over.”

“If you have no other business, it’s time to go home and find your mothers!”

He spoke as if the Chitauri had truly been defeated by them!

Tony and the others exchanged glances, their expressions strange, their minds brimming with unspoken complaints.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Natasha and Clint Barton exchanged a glance.

Natasha brushed back her red hair and smiled sweetly:

“Your Majesty...”

“Not interested!”

Lin Yu cut her off without hesitation, glancing at her: “Tell that bald black bastard I have no interest in S.H.I.E.L.D.—and even less in Hydra!”

At this, Natasha’s eyes widened slightly. “Hydra?”

Lin Yu replied plainly: “Indeed. After the Red Skull vanished, Hydra didn’t die—it fragmented and infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. during its early formation.”

“Now, S.H.I.E.L.D. from top to bottom is riddled with Hydra agents.”

“I’ll tell you straight: your former director, Alexander, was one of them.”

What?!

Natasha and Barton’s pupils shrank sharply.

They exchanged a glance—neither believed Lin Yu would lie about something like this.

After a moment’s thought, Natasha stepped to the corner, contacted Nick Fury, spoke briefly, then returned to Lin Yu and bowed deeply in classic anime fashion.

“Thank you for this information, Your Majesty!”

“On behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., I pledge: before we purge our internal corruption, we will not disturb you again.”

Lin Yu replied coolly: “Better not.”

Natasha paid no mind to his cold tone, straightened up, and turned to Steve: “Captain, interested in a rematch with your old enemy? We need your strength now.”

“...”

Steve smiled without hesitation: “Of course. This is probably the first mission I’ve been eager to undertake since waking up!”

Lin Yu glanced at Steve, his previously cold expression instantly softening into a kind smile.

"Strong will. I have high hopes for you. If you ever decide not to go to Heaven, contact me through Lin Lie—I’ll give you a reward far beyond that of an angel."

A reward beyond that of an angel?

Steve froze. Though he didn’t fully grasp the weight of the promise, the sudden shift from coldness to warmth left him flustered. He politely declined.

Lin Yu felt a pang of regret but nodded, watching as Steve and the others departed.

As the most righteous figure in the Marvel universe, he held genuine fondness for Steve.

Though called Captain America, he had repeatedly opposed the government; his ideals were not tied to the nation in his name, but to the idealism of that era.

Freedom. Defiance of tyranny. Unity of the people...

These traits aligned perfectly with those across the ocean.

That’s why many Eastern viewers loved Captain America.

But Lin Yu’s favoritism stemmed primarily from his soul.

This man’s soul was dazzlingly bright—by Lin Yu’s standards, at least a magnificent soul, possessing terrifying potential to become a second-tier retainer.

Even if rejected, Lin Yu was willing to wait for him to change his mind.

On the rooftop, only Loki and Thor, besides the group members, understood the true value of that promise.

Loki’s expression shifted, but he forced himself into silence, suppressing his shock.

To compete with Heaven for a soul meant Steve’s soul was extraordinarily precious—and proved Lin Yu’s identity was far more than a mere cosmic deity.

Sensing Loki and Thor’s gazes, Lin Yu glanced at them.

“Aren’t you two going home yet?”

“...”

Thor hesitated, then asked cautiously: “Your Majesty, the Cosmic Cube has long been an Asgardian treasure. Look closely—it still bears Odin’s incantations!”

“...Is that so?”

Lin Yu made no reply. He gripped the Cosmic Cube and squeezed hard with his fingers.

“Crack!”

A crisp sound rang out—the outer shell, inscribed with Odin’s runes, shattered instantly.

Among the glowing blue crystal shards lay a single blue gemstone.

Lin Yu blew gently, dispersing the fragments, pocketed the gemstone, and looked at Thor: “Now there’s none left.”

Sól: "..."

Seeing his foolish older brother still hesitating, Loki could no longer hold back.

He wriggled on the ground and muttered, "Stop wasting time—take me with you now, or we’ll both be left behind, not just the Space Stone!"

Earth’s waters are too deep; he only wants to return and serve his sentence, never to come back again!

"..."

Sól snapped out of his daze, let out a long sigh, bowed to Lin Yu, then turned to the sky and called, "Heimdall!"

Lin Yu lifted the barrier shielding Asgard and smiled sweetly: "Don’t see us off!"

Before the words had fully faded, a seven-colored stream of light descended from the heavens, swallowing the figures of Sól and Loki.

(End of Chapter)