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After a long silence.
Insufficient data to parse.
Although there was no answer, it didn't really matter anymore; the mere existence of the concept of "possibility" was enough.
What determines the outcome of the "fragmentation war"?
As Lin Yi came into contact with more and more "fragments," he revised his answer to this question again and again.
In the beginning, deciding the outcome of a "fragmentation war" was similar to deciding the outcome of a battle; it was all about strength—the strong survived and the weak perished, simple and clear.
But gradually, as the horizon expanded from a single planet into the vast ocean of dimensions, the sheer size of the space made "discovery" extremely difficult. At this point, in addition to power, intelligence became the deciding factor in victory. Even a "fragment" on the verge of collapse could launch a desperate counterattack by leveraging its intelligence advantage, let alone those who had laid out contingency plans from the very beginning.
Now, a third factor has emerged to determine the outcome of the "fragmentation war."
--time.
You don't need to possess much power, nor do you need to know much truth. Just search and piece together the fragments one by one—collect and integrate the "fragments" to restore the power of the "fourth-dimensional concept," and you will be the sole victor.
A shortcut to victory without much effort or cost... Isn't that unfair compared to the "fragments" holders who make countless sacrifices and pay a heavy price?
This is actually true.
It was never fair from the very beginning.
Marvel Universe: Chapter 853 The Avengers (Part 1)
"Is this your response to those people?"
A crumpled newspaper slammed onto the table. Ignoring the obstruction outside, Steve barged in, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage: "I don't know what you traded with them, but the situation is—someone dropped a low-yield nuclear bomb on this country, and you're planning to pretend it never happened!"
With a glance, Nick Fury gestured for the agents at the door to leave, and after closing the door, he looked at the new member who had only joined the Avengers a few days earlier.
Captain America, whose real name is Steve Rogers, was born on July 4, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. He was originally a weak recruit, but after undergoing experimental modifications by the US government, he became a "super soldier." This gave him superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and other physical abilities. He was also given a shield made of vibranium, one of the hardest metals in the world, by the US government. From then on, Steve became known as Captain America.
He made outstanding contributions to the United States and the world during World War II. Later, during an operation at the end of the war, he fell into the sea and was frozen for nearly 70 years until he was discovered and thawed by S.H.I.E.L.D. and joined the Avengers... But unexpectedly, this happened only a few days after he joined this newly established alliance.
Nick Fury is confident he can handle any other member of the Avengers, but the first one to come knocking is Steve Rogers, a man who sees his country as a totem and a faith, and is willing to give everything for it.
"I have no right to interfere with what you have done to mutants, but this behavior is tantamount to declaring war on the United States. When did my country become so weak that it doesn't even have the courage to face its enemies?!"
"Calm down, Steve, I'll explain it to you."
……
If we were to name the most talked-about topic in the United States recently, it wouldn't be Captain America's "resurrection," nor the mutants suddenly declared "illegal residents." Even the giant sword that appeared out of nowhere over New York, explained as an "optical projection," wouldn't be particularly eye-catching—after all, it didn't fall down; if it had, that would have been a different story.
What truly captures the attention of ordinary people is a "nuclear bomb" that suddenly explodes.
The location was in a relatively remote area of the continental United States. Because the site had been razed to the ground, no trace could be found, at least not to the average person. The White House's immediate statement after the incident further dampened the curiosity of many. Therefore, the headlines in newspapers today are not sensational headlines like "World War III," "The War Between Humans and Mutants," "An Attack from an Ancient Eastern Country," or "The Prelude to Nuclear Doomsday," but rather simply, "An Accident."
After all, the outbreak didn't occur in a prosperous urban area, but in a region that had been virtually unknown to most people before.
Naturally, putting aside the superheroes, most ordinary people have never even heard of the existence of the mutant academy. They may have only occasionally seen news about the X-Men or evil mutants. Compared to these, Tony Stark's scandals and Bruce Wayne's new and old flames are more likely to attract people's attention.
However, such a situation is obviously unacceptable to superheroes, especially Captain America.
As a soldier active during World War II, whose mission was to protect the interests of the nation, Captain America would not comment on the current plight of mutants: a soldier is a soldier, not a politician.
However, the idea of dropping nuclear bombs on American soil was something he could not accept—
"I fight for the interests of this country, and I am willing to accept even a mission that means certain death if necessary, but I will never accept anything that would harm American interests for some purpose."
“I understand your belief, Captain, but things aren’t actually as bad as you think?”
Calming the agitated Captain America, Nick Fury delivered his prepared explanation: "There were virtually no signs of human activity around the area where the nuclear bomb was detonated... Of course, those mutants don't count. In reality, no one detonated the nuclear bomb there. The generals wouldn't let the mutants off the hook either; their presence is a huge threat to the United States, and can be considered a kind of invisible infringement on its interests."
"This nuclear bomb not only didn't cause us any trouble, but it also helped us solve a problem, so this matter is not as bad as you think."
Although there were still parts of the unresolved feelings in his heart, Steve Rogers calmed down a bit after hearing this.
“I’ve heard that you’ve had contact with those mutants.”
"That hand is just a delaying tactic."
With his hands outstretched, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. said in a relaxed tone, "Since someone is willing to do it for us, why should we bother to take the time and energy to deal with a group of socially unstable individuals?"
"Didn't they say they wanted to live in harmony with humans?"
"No, no, no, when they said 'we want to live in harmony with humans,' it already meant that they considered themselves a species different from humans. The Brotherhood of Mutants is by no means the last evil mutant organization. Instead of wasting time on preventing the birth of the next Brotherhood, it's better to eliminate them with the help of a third party. At least we won't have to sacrifice anything."
Seeing Steve Rogers's expression gradually soften, Nick Fury patiently advised, "Take a long-term view, Captain. This is just a battle between monsters and mutants. As humans, what we need to do is keep an eye on these two 'vicious dogs,' let them fight to the death while preventing them from destroying our homes..."
A few minutes later, Steve Rogers left S.H.I.E.L.D.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury's face quickly darkened as he watched Captain America's departing figure. He slammed his pen to the ground and growled, "To hell with accidents, friendship, and vicious dogs!"
"It seems I came at the wrong time."
With a hint of sarcasm, Black Widow appeared in the doorway: "Weren't you so confident of victory just now?"
"...Using mutants as a price to get these hounds to back down in the United States? Hey, there are actually people who believe that national interests can be protected in this way!"
"Either you can solve the thing on the Pentagon, then you have no choice but to do it this way | Yi Ling Ying Qi died (5) / 9s [@ i Jiu Ba Qun].
"Of course, I'm trying."
He took a document from the cabinet and placed it in front of Black Widow: "Avengers, it's time to let these 'superheroes' play their part."
Marvel Universe: Chapter 854 The Avengers (Part 2)
To be precise, the Swordholders didn't do much after entering American territory; they simply hunted mutants while ensuring their own safety, and they even had a legitimate reason—the Brotherhood of Mutants was considered hostile because it took in mutants from within the country, and after the Brotherhood of Mutants was destroyed, the Mutant Academy turned around and took over the Brotherhood's legacy.
Not everyone understands the grudges and feuds between Professor X and Magneto in the last century. Since they did this, they should be prepared to bear the consequences... As the ending, a "one-million-ton nuclear bomb" was detonated in the mutant academy. The unexpected explosion killed all the mutants, including Professor X, who were staying near the academy.
Of course, the US government reacted immediately to the act of "Qionghua" detonating a nuclear bomb on its own territory, which was tantamount to a slap in the face. Just as the Pentagon was drafting its nuclear counterattack procedures, a picture from a satellite forced them to suspend the action.
At an altitude of nearly 50,000 meters above the Pentagon, a "sword" hangs there.
Admittedly, with the technological power that the United States has gained from researching various variants, mutations, and modified humans in this parallel world, there are many ways to deal with the "Sword of Dark Morris" hanging over their heads, even without the destruction of the Pentagon. However, just as they had this idea, the same situation appeared in the skies of Washington, New York, and the White House.
After that, everything proceeded smoothly. In exchange for declaring all mutants within the country to be illegal residents, the US government bought time to maintain the status quo. However, everyone knew that this situation could not be sustained for long.
As the world's only hegemonic power, they cannot allow themselves to be threatened for long.
As the situation of the largest right-wing group, the Flying White Swords, in China has stabilized, more and more "Swordholders" have poured into the United States. The seemingly numerous mutants will eventually be completely wiped out by the hunting of hundreds of thousands of Swordholders. At that time, even if both sides want to continue to maintain this "peace", it will be impossible... It should be noted that the definition of "demon" can be limited to the mutant group.
In order to deal with this complex and ever-changing situation, S.H.I.E.L.D., which had received its appointment from higher authorities, also put forward a brand-new plan.
—The Avengers.
"The events involving Magneto, Professor X, and Iron Man have proven that a single superhero cannot cause too much trouble for that 'Master of Qionghua.' Only by combining the power of these superheroes can we possibly defeat him and resolve the crisis that America is currently facing."
Flipping through the list, Black Widow saw many familiar names.
Tony Stark, Iron Man.
Bruce Banner, the Hulk.
Steve Rogers, Captain America.
……
Closing the highly classified document again, Black Widow looked at Nick Fury once more: "What do you want me to do?"
“Each of these people has their own ideas and personality. Although we would like to make them obey orders like soldiers, it is actually impossible.”
Putting aside everything else, the position of chairman of Stark Industries is not something they can interfere with. Rather than saying he was recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. to join the Avengers, it's more accurate to say that he himself was interested in the organization... It's clear that the "inexplicable battle" he described earlier had a significant impact on this playboy, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the plan so easily.
Captain America is even more direct; he's a spiritual symbol of a generation of Americans. Who would dare to treat him as an ordinary soldier?
Most other superheroes are the same; let alone cooperating, they would probably have conflicts just by being together due to their conflicting personalities.
This has led to a problem with what seems like a wonderful "Avengers" plan.
"I need you to smooth out the relationships between them, at least to prevent them from fighting amongst themselves when they're carrying out missions later. I happen to have a mission here."
He handed the second intelligence report to Black Widow, who glanced at it briefly and frowned: "A hammer?"
"An extraordinary hammer."
"I thought you would send these people to fight crime."
"I want to do that too."
As he said this, Nick Fury looked helpless: "But right now the biggest 'crime' is this hunt for mutants. It's no exaggeration to say that seven or eight out of ten violent clashes you see at night are about mutants. I don't know what would happen if those superheroes got involved."
"So why not just take them to a quiet place for a 'vacation'?"
"If that's what you want to think."
"Alright, I accept this mission, Avengers."
----------segmentation----------
After learning about the possibility of the fourth dimension from the "God," Lin Yi did not rashly change his course of action.
Knowing more is meant to enable better choices when necessary, not to throw yourself into chaos amidst the confusion of knowing the situation. However, while maintaining the status quo, some acceleration has also occurred, such as now—
"Asgard?"
Lin Yi, the "master" of this land, discovered the hammer even earlier—around the time it was transferred from another dimension to the Earth's surface.
However, compared to those who focused on the hammer itself, Lin Yi paid more attention to the information contained in the hammer.
It is not difficult to use an information system to trace back the information of an inanimate object that neither moves nor resists. In its chaotic and long history, Lin Yi found the area where it was born and existed.
Ignoring the name "Thor," which had a subtly familiar feel to it, Lin Yi discovered its existence: Asgard.
A realm in Earth's mythology, the abode of the gods.
However, in this parallel world, Asgard does not seem to be a fictional existence, but the people living there are not gods who created the world, but rather "natives" who have mastered more powerful technology and abilities... In other words, they are like the "demons" on Earth, and belong to the group that may carry "fragmented" information.
"The timing is just right."
The next second, every swordsman on Earth who was "slaying demons and monsters" heard the sound.
—The secret realm is about to open, and those who are destined may enter.
P.S.: Fourth update
Marvel Universe: Chapter 855 The Secret Realm: Asgard (Part 1)
When Wen Junhui traveled a long way back to China, he learned a lot about the "secret realm" that was about to open at the Qionghua Mountain Gate on Mount Everest.
The first issue is its danger. Whether it's the few words leaked by the "Qionghua Sect Leader" or the deductions made by the sword wielders themselves, they all believe that there are more powerful "demons" or other threats within this secret realm. Otherwise, they wouldn't limit the strength of the sword wielders who can enter... At the very least, they must be sword wielders who have mastered "sword control" and "sword flight".
Of course, along with danger comes opportunity.
Shortly after Wen Junhui returned to China, he received a message from the slightly warm "magic sword." The message read: The secret realm is one of the nine kingdoms established by demons to invade the human world. Slaying the "demons" within it will yield more "merit" than slaying demons on Earth. This "merit" can enhance the sword wielder's magical power and is recorded on the "magic sword." Once enough points are accumulated, various cultivation methods can be directly exchanged for in the main hall of "Qionghua."
……
If the Swordholders initially approached the "opening of the secret realm" with an attitude of observation, then as this information was transmitted, even those who had no intention of participating could no longer remain silent.
Simply slaying demons would be one thing, since Earth's environment and conditions are far superior to those of the "Nine Kingdoms Secret Realm," which has never been encountered before. But the current situation is that slaying demons in the "Nine Kingdoms Secret Realm" not only yields more "merit" (this description confirms the speculations of many), but also "merit points," which can be directly exchanged for genuine cultivation methods in the Qionghua Main Hall.
The former might be tempting, but the latter is enough to drive people crazy.
It should be noted that even the now-recognized number one swordsman, "Left Killer Sword," only cultivates by relying on the power feedback of the "magic sword." The only way he can use his magical power is by wielding the magic sword, and there are only a few things that can be done by wielding the magic sword. How can it compare to the overwhelming power of a true immortal cultivator?
Now, this possibility, which was thought to be impossible, is now in front of people. Some of them, who are eager, have even received confirmation directly from the main hall. How can they not be tempted?
"The Sword Light Splitting Technique—I have a premonition that this spell is destined for me!"
"I'll reserve the Samadhi Fire Sword!"
"The Nine Swords of Dugu? Does such a thing even exist?!"
……
With his eyes closed, Xu Hongcai browsed through the numerous methods within the main hall, when he suddenly noticed a book with a blood-red cover: "Blood Sea Sword."
In June, just as a prince from Asgard was welcomed to the "center of the universe" across the ocean, an invasion of Asgard—the abode of the gods—was launched at the highest point in the world on the other side of the ocean.
Of course, in the eyes of the invading swordsmen, what they stepped into through that illusory portal was not some divine abode, but a genuine, large-scale secret realm overrun by demons, known as one of the "Nine Kingdoms".
----------segmentation----------
As an unofficial "backdoor," the portal opened from Mount Everest on Earth does not connect to the Rainbow Bridge, the entrance to Asgard, but instead leads directly to a certain place in the Aldawar Plains in the heart of Asgard.
Upon entering this secret realm, the first thing Wen Junhui saw was the magnificent mountain peak at the edge of his vision, and the splendid palaces stacked upon each other atop it.