The Challenge Arrives! Take a Gamble!

Returning to the normal world, Lowett appeared atop a snow-covered mountain at the junction of the Eurasian Plate, where snow and wind raged.

But it only looked like a snow-covered mountain. In reality...

Gurgle, gurgle!

A skeletal human face emerged from the snow. Seeing its master after so many days, Leviathan excitedly wagged its rear.

"Chirp!"

Rumble, rumble!

The tremors caused by a mountain wagging its rear brought down an overwhelming avalanche. Watching its master get swallowed by the blizzard, Leviathan sensed danger!

Half an hour later, inside the mountain.

A massive steel fortress opened its gates to Lowett. In the vast, empty black square space, only rows of dim yellow hanging lamps provided illumination. Even with the gates shut against the wind and snow, the bone-chilling cold brought by the environment still seeped into one's marrow.

If it were merely called a "fortress," perhaps few people would care.

But calling it a "Hydra base" would be enough to make all of S.H.I.E.L.D. climax collectively.

This was Baron Strucker's base from the films. As a minor movie character, there was only one thing he had done worth remembering.

Avengers 2: Age of Ultron!

Ultron, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver all had important plot connections to him. The latter two were superpowered individuals created by Baron Strucker using the Mind Scepter, while the former... was his killer. No mistake about that.

But now, they were gone.

"You people always like coming up with new tricks for me." Standing before rows of dazed Hydra soldiers, Lowett leaned on his cane and sighed softly.

"Even though I had no intention of touching this Stone so early."

Forging his arm in the Dark Nebula had taken him considerable effort. Yet upon returning to Earth, he discovered that the storm stirred up by his butterfly wings