Redneck Captain America

Early the next morning.

Captain America had taken over the job of returning the stones and Mjolnir, which Tony had originally been supposed to do.

As he put it: "Can you lift the hammer?"

Tony withdrew into himself~

Of course, he understood even better that Captain America envied him, envied the happy family life he had now. Returning the stones was just an excuse; barring any surprises, 1970 would be his final destination.

Lin Xu and Bucky understood that just as well.

"Don't do anything stupid before I get back~"

"How could I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

"I'm gonna miss you, buddy!"

"Don't worry, Bucky~"

This exchange was just like the one Bucky and Captain America had shared when they attended the Stark Expo together, except their roles had been completely reversed.

Tony walked up to the machine and looked at Captain America. "Are you really ready?"

"No problem. Let's start!"

The Quantum Tunnel activated, and Captain America vanished with the six stones and Mjolnir~

Ten seconds later, a miniature spaceship appeared on the tunnel platform. It was Rocket's ship, but Captain America was nowhere to be seen. (When I watched the movie, I wanted to ask: how exactly did he return the Power and Soul Stones?)

Though Tony had already sensed it coming, he still couldn't help sighing. Right afterward, he felt happy for the comrade who had fought alongside him for more than a decade.

Sam and the others, the only ones present who had been kept in the dark, were somewhat confused. Rocket's ship had returned, proving that the stones had been returned successfully, but where was he?

"Tony? Where's Steve?"

"He went home~"

Lin Xu, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly turned around. Just now, he had sensed an extremely familiar fluctuation. He was certain it was Kamar-Taj's White Magic. That was how Ancient One had sent him here!

And that fluctuation had come from the riverside!

Steve's good buddy Bucky seemed to sense something and turned toward the river. Someone was sitting on a bench by the water.

The others followed Bucky to the river, and the man turned around...

That face was unmistakably Bid... ahem, Steve Rogers as an old man, though he looked noticeably younger than the one in the movie.

While the others exchanged pleasantries, Lin Xu kept staring at Captain America. He was certain this was the same man who had just traveled through the Quantum Tunnel, but it was absolutely impossible that he had gone back to the past and lived until now.

Captain America was just a mortal. Even traveling through the Quantum Tunnel, he could never move backward along a single timeline.

Combined with the White Magic just now, he must have traveled to another universe and been sent back after growing old.

What's more, because of Lin Xu, this universe and the original Endgame had split into two timelines, so this Captain America couldn't have gone to the timeline the original Captain America had visited.

They were two different people to begin with.

"Tony..."

After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Steve looked at Tony.

"Hey, Cap~ How's life been?"

"Always heading toward something better. Of course, if I'd listened to you and retired earlier, maybe it would've been even better~"

Then he pulled two small blue medicine bottles from his pocket and tossed them to Tony. "Spend more time with Morgan."

A little puzzled, Tony caught the bottles and examined them. A line of words was engraved on the bottom: [‌Super Soldier Serum Ⅲ 2009]

The third-generation Super Soldier Serum!

Next, Steve pulled a bag from beneath the bench. Inside was the shield Wakanda had repaired for him.

"And this. Help me find a suitable successor!"

"Wow. Hopefully the new captain won't get frozen for a few decades again and become friends with Morgan..."

Now that Tony understood his old friend's wishes, all he could do was make a joke about his own father.

As for the new Captain America, he already had someone in mind!

Harry!

The kid he had met in Rose Hill, Tennessee, a few years ago was pretty good. Tony had been supporting him all these years. He was smart and brave, and most importantly, he had no parents.

If possible, Tony wanted to retire too. He'd build Harry a suit of armor as well. Yes! Iron Captain America!

Watching this, Lin Xu clicked his tongue in amazement. This time, it actually wasn't Sam.

So you're the redneck!

It seemed he hadn't had a choice originally. After all, from old Steve's perspective, Bucky was getting on in years too. Putting his brother through all that... wasn't good!

Lin Xu didn't know what to say, so he could only step forward and pat the two of them on the shoulders. "Seriously, if it weren't for me, they couldn't even carry on with the Nobel Peace Prize."

After saying a bunch of things nobody understood, Lin Xu turned and left.

Lin Xu spent the next stretch of days at Kamar-Taj. Strange and Wong were busy, and nobody paid him any mind.

He spent his days doing just three things: converting divine power, practicing the mystic arts, and studying the Peerless Blade.

As for engraving Runes on the Tyrant's Butcher Blade, Lin Xu had also gone to Asgard to ask. Asgard's people had dwindled, and only two or three knew how to do it, and they didn't have the tools.

The only other places with people who knew Runes were Vanaheim and the Dwarf Kingdom. However, Vanaheim had hidden its entire realm away during Ragnarok, and the Dwarf Kingdom had been slaughtered by Thanos.

It seemed he would have to find a way in another universe.

On this day, Lin Xu had converted thirty percent of the divine power in his Sub-Dimension. Twenty percent had strengthened his body, and ten percent had become his to use.

Ten percent of old Odin's divine power was already enough to make him a god worthy of the name!

Now he no longer needed a Sling Ring to cast the mystic arts, only incantations and hand seals. Some simple spells didn't even require hand seals; he only needed to recite the incantations in his mind.

It was also on this day that Lin Xu finally couldn't resist any longer. He hung the Eye of Agamotto between his brows and formally cast the only forbidden art he had practiced during this time: Agamotto's Desire to Know.

A forbidden art that could reveal an object's origin through the object itself!

And the object he wanted to examine was the Peerless Blade!

It would have been one thing if he had simply failed to understand it after studying it for so long, but once he had even accidentally cut his hand on the thing. He was a god, for heaven's sake!

The instant it cut his hand, he seemed to hear the Peerless Blade mocking him: What a weak god~

How could I stand for that? I've just learned a forbidden art!

As he cast the forbidden art, Lin Xu's surroundings began to change.

A minute later, he saw Corvus Glaive, who was already dead.

Two minutes later, he saw Corvus Glaive's parents and ancestors thickening the Peerless Blade.

Three minutes later, he saw a rift in the universe. A sheet of metal as thin as a cicada's wing fell out of it and instantly sliced a planet in half.

Five minutes later, the clang, clang of hammering iron reached his ears. Countless strange, writhing creatures fled in all directions from where the sound came from.

In the sixth minute, he saw a figure from behind, wrapped entirely in black. Space and time twisted around him as he hammered away at a sword that gave off an ominous aura!

And the raw material for the Peerless Blade was the residue from that very sword!