Plans to Seize the Cosmic Cube

"Lin Du, even the strongest have their vulnerable moments. I will appear when you least expect it and take your stones one by one."

When that time came, the entire universe would kneel beneath his feet.

He turned to look at Clinton and Selvig, his tone carrying an unquestionable chill.

"Continue serving me. Our preparations are far from over."

The two hurriedly bowed in acknowledgment, then plunged back into the minute details of Loki's grand plan.

At that moment, only one voice echoed in Loki's heart: conquest. Perhaps only by utterly crushing Lin Du could his ambitions finally be fulfilled.

After giving orders to Hawkeye and the doctor,

Loki's heart was filled with a bone-deep chill.

His infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. to seize the Cosmic Cube had originally been part of Thanos's scheme.

But now, his hands were empty. The Cosmic Cube had vanished, and even the Mind Stone Thanos had bestowed upon him was gone.

He knew that in the near future, he would have no choice but to face the towering wrath of that dark lord.

He took a deep breath and finally activated the device for contacting Thanos.

A flash of blue light passed by, and a towering figure gradually solidified before him.

Those crimson eyes stared directly at him, filled with unchallengeable authority and cold indifference.

"Loki," Thanos said, his voice low and heavy, carrying the weight of a thousand tons.

Loki lowered his head, not daring to meet Thanos's gaze, which seemed capable of piercing through one's soul.

Before he could speak, Thanos already knew of his failure, as though no secret could hide beneath those eyes.

Before this overlord of the universe, no petty thought could remain concealed.

"Yes, my lord." Loki's voice was barely a whisper.

"At S.H.I.E.L.D., I failed to retrieve the Cosmic Cube. Worse... I also lost the Mind Stone you bestowed upon me."

Thanos's expression immediately darkened like storm clouds. The taut lines of his muscles revealed the fury and dissatisfaction he was suppressing.

His voice was low and dangerous, like a storm on the verge of erupting.

"Loki, what exactly happened? I gave you power, and you still failed?"

Cold sweat trickled down Loki's forehead. Reason whispered in his ear that honesty was the only way out now.

"The mortals on Earth... they possessed the ability to defeat me." Loki's voice carried a trace of disbelief.

"One of those mortals took the Mind Stone."

"And he also possesses the Time Stone and the Space Stone... I... I underestimated them."

"Three stones?" Thanos's voice was filled with disbelief.

"And you didn't seize all of them? Loki, your incompetence has disappointed me greatly."

Loki fell to his knees, lowering his head to the dust. He knew full well that Thanos's wrath was enough to burn away everything, including himself.

"My lord, please give me one more chance. I swear I will reclaim every one of those stones and never disappoint you again."

Thanos pondered for a moment before finally speaking coldly. "Fine. I will grant you another chance."

"But remember, Loki, this is your final redemption."

"If anything goes wrong again, your ending will be darker than despair itself."

Loki's heart tightened. He knew Thanos was not speaking idly, and this was not something to be taken lightly.

So he drew a deep breath, determination flashing in his eyes. "Yes, my lord. I swear I will not disappoint you."

As Thanos's figure slowly faded away, the faint blue radiance around him gradually dispersed as well.

Loki rose from the dust, his eyes burning with a mixture of fanaticism and unrepentant resolve.

At this point, he had no way back. Only by staking everything and reclaiming every stone could he win himself a sliver of hope.

But Thanos had not placed the burden of recovering the three stones entirely on Loki.

After ending his conversation with Loki,

A dangerous gleam flashed in his eyes.

"Mere mortals dare lay hands on three stones?" His tone was mocking, with anger hidden beneath it.

"It seems I must visit Blue Star myself and meet these humans who dare challenge my authority."

Thanos's warship tore through the silence of the universe, crossing the sea of stars at a speed beyond comprehension as it headed straight for the azure planet known as Blue Star.

His heart burned as if drenched in boiling oil, rage and determination coexisting within him.

That insignificant mortal had actually stolen a treasure from his grasp. It was not merely an unprecedented provocation, but a humiliating disgrace.

Someone actually dared covet the power of the stones. They truly did not know their place!

He decided that every living being on Blue Star would remember this lesson.

Thanos's warship was a floating steel fortress, cold and grim inside and out, with every corner radiating ill omen.

Every warrior could feel their master's barely restrained fury and dissatisfaction. The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.

This time, they would carry out a mission more perilous and merciless than any battle before it.

With the thunderous roar of its engines, the warship shattered the stardust and charged toward Blue Star like a rampaging beast.

At the heart of the warship, Thanos sat upon a towering throne like an emperor who ruled over all things.

"Activate the attack sequence." His words were deep and powerful, and their undeniable authority shook every inch of space.

At his command, the warship's weapon systems activated one after another.

Surging energy gathered around the hull, forming rings of dazzling light, as though heralding the arrival of a cosmic storm.

New York lay deep in the night, with only a few faint streetlights cutting through the darkness. Around the Sanctum, the cold wind was like blades, sharp and biting. The bustle and clamor of the metropolis seemed to have been forcibly paused by some unknown force.

Meanwhile, at Kamar-Taj.

"Everyone, stay alert! There are far too many enemies! The defensive formations have been destroyed, and the situation is critical!"

A young sorcerer staggered into the Sanctum, his face covered in panic and sweat.

Panting heavily, he reported to Wong and Mordo, "The New York Sanctum is under attack!"

Inside Kamar-Taj's Great Library, Wong was reading an ancient, hefty book of magic while Mordo meditated quietly beside him.

Upon hearing the news, both froze for a moment before rising to their feet at the same time.

"What? There are a great many enemies?" Wong frowned deeply as a sense of foreboding rose within him.

"Could Dormammu have returned?"

But how could that be possible?

They had seen Lin Du drive Dormammu back with their own eyes.

Before Mordo could say anything more,

The sorcerer waiting below for their response urged them on.

"Yes, and their power is incredibly strong. Our defensive formations were almost instantly destroyed."

The young sorcerer added anxiously.

A grave look flashed through Mordo's eyes. He knew this was not merely a threat to the New York Sanctum, but a challenge to the entire Earth.

He quickly walked to the window and looked into the distance, as though he could see through layers of night sky to the storm that was about to arrive.