Scope of Control

"How did you know?"

"The battle you had was so huge that naturally, some powerful people noticed it. Once it was noticed, the news would spread. There's nothing surprising about that, is there?"

Chen Xu could not find any fault with Thor's answer. He just had not expected to become famous already—famous throughout the universe, no less. For a moment, Chen Xu had actually become a celebrity.

That caught him completely off guard. Looking at Thor's admiring gaze, Chen Xu truly could not refuse.

"Then... all right."

After that, I returned to Asgard.

Chen Xu also returned to the New York Sanctum. This time, he did not go to the library to read. Instead, he returned to his quarters, lay on the bed, and pondered several matters.

It seemed that his appearance had indeed caused a butterfly effect, altering some of the events that were originally supposed to happen. Loki had also become much more cautious. He no longer charged ahead recklessly as before, only to be beaten by Earth's superheroes and sent back to Asgard. Now, he had become more prudent, learning to prepare, gather strength, and make himself even more powerful.

S.H.I.E.L.D., United States.

"How is the situation now? Is it still within our control?"

A one-eyed Black man stepped down from the aircraft. As he spoke to Phil Coulson, he hurried anxiously underground.

"We don't know how bad it is yet."

"Four hours ago, our chief scientist, Dr. Vige, detected an anomaly in the Cosmic Cube."

Nick Fury said,

"S.H.I.E.L.D. never authorized him to conduct any tests."

"No, he wasn't conducting a test. It was the Cosmic Cube itself. It had an energy surge on its own."

Agent Phil Coulson said helplessly, "No, he wasn't even in the laboratory. At the time, he was resting at home, who knows how far away from the lab."

"It was the Cosmic Cube. It activated on its own, as if it had a consciousness of its own."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the underground laboratory. In the vast room, a cube-shaped energy block radiated a deep blue glow and an incomparably terrifying energy, as though it contained an entire universe within it.

A scientist in a white lab coat and several agents were observing the Cosmic Cube nearby. Nick Fury and Agent Phil Coulson also came over to them.

"What is going on with the Cosmic Cube now? Why haven't you shut down the equipment?"

"No, we never turned it on. It was the Cosmic Cube. It turned them on itself. It is an energy source itself—an energy source with limitless power."

As the two spoke, the Cosmic Cube stirred again. In an instant, everyone in the underground laboratory stared at it. The Cube fired a massive burst of energy forward, directly opening a wormhole. Then, a man dressed in green robes, with two golden horns on his head and a staff in his hand, appeared. That was right—this man was Loki. The plot of The Avengers had officially begun.

At that moment, Chen Xu, who was in the New York Sanctum library, also sensed a terrifying energy disturbance, along with an enormous spatial fluctuation.

"This violent spatial fluctuation... could someone have activated the Cosmic Cube? It looks like The Avengers is about to begin, and Thanos has started moving as well."

Chen Xu immediately put down the book in his hand, opened a portal, and rushed toward the Cosmic Cube. However, Chen Xu never expected that his portal would be restricted. He could not teleport directly beside the Cosmic Cube, and even the distance and location had been drastically altered. Chen Xu could only make his way there himself. Fortunately, it was not too far away.

Meanwhile, Loki directly stabbed a bow-wielding man with his scepter. This man was Hawkeye. His eyes immediately turned black, and he was instantly controlled. Next came Dr. Vige. Nick Fury and Agent Phil Coulson immediately drew their pistols and attacked Loki, but it was useless. Loki effortlessly blocked the shots with magic, then fired an energy beam from his staff. Its power far surpassed their pistols, even greater than that of an RPG. The once-spacious underground laboratory was instantly thrown into chaos. Loki reacted quickly and controlled several more agents in an instant.

Nick Fury did not confront them head-on. He knew that the Cosmic Cube was their goal, and that it was the most important thing. He quietly tucked the Cosmic Cube under his arm and prepared to flee.

"Take him out."

The next second, all the agents controlled by Loki attacked Nick Fury. Hawkeye used a specially made arrow to electrocute Nick Fury, and Loki directly took the Cosmic Cube away.

"What exactly are you? Do you know what that is? Do you know how dangerous it is? One wrong move, and it could destroy the entire world."

"Foolish mortal. I am a god. I know far more about the origin of this thing than you do."

The next second, Loki prepared to leave with those agents. He fired an energy beam at Nick Fury, intending to kill him, but Nick Fury had already fled when he saw the opening.

Loki and the controlled agents stole a car and prepared to escape. At that moment, Chen Xu arrived.

"Hey, Loki. Long time no see!"

When Loki saw Chen Xu, he gritted his teeth and spat out his name.

"Chen Xu."

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing? Of course, I'm here to see what evil scheme you're plotting this time—and then stop you."

"Stop me? Let's see if you have what it takes."

Loki immediately fired an energy beam from the Mind Scepter at him and ordered his subordinates to attack.

"Kill him. Don't give him any chance to survive."

Bullets and Hawkeye's specially made arrows shot toward Chen Xu, but none of them touched him. Instead, they were caught by an invisible force around him and suspended in midair. Loki had no intention of continuing the fight. He immediately used the Cosmic Cube to open a portal and escaped with the controlled agents.

But would Chen Xu let them get away? He immediately prepared to use Spatial Confinement to seal them within a space. Yet astonishingly, Chen Xu's Spatial Confinement had no effect on Loki whatsoever. Chen Xu was instantly shocked. It was his first time seeing his magic fail.

So this is the power of the Infinity Stones. They truly cannot be underestimated. I need to find an opportunity to get the Cosmic Cube and study it. The Cosmic Cube will definitely allow me to use space magic more perfectly and powerfully.

"Then where did Loki run off to now?"

Chen Xu could not help but feel a headache coming on.