Ending the War, the Game with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Lightning flashed like a god returning to his throne, passing through the portal and descending once more above New York.

Lin Ye's figure gradually solidified, the arcs of electricity coursing around him more condensed and terrifying than when he had left, as though they contained the power that had just annihilated an entire interstellar fleet. He floated there like the final note of war, instantly drawing every remaining gaze.

An eerie silence fell over the New York battlefield.

The Chitauri soldiers and aircraft became like puppets that had lost their signal, stopping all movement at the same time and freezing in place. Then, like marionettes with their strings cut, they collapsed and fell in waves, losing all signs of life—the mothership had been destroyed, and their psychic link and remote control had been completely severed.

The war had, in truth, ended at that very moment.

The surviving civilians, soldiers, and police stared blankly at the sudden change. The confusion and disbelief of surviving the disaster were swiftly replaced by overwhelming joy! Cheers and sobs began to rise from every corner of the city.

"Is... is it over?" Captain America Steve leaned on his shield, breathing heavily as he looked over the devastated battlefield, now devoid of fighting.

"Looks like it." Natasha jumped down from a fighter jet and walked to his side. She looked up at the dazzling figure in the sky, her expression complicated. "He... forcibly ended it all by himself."

Tony landed nearby, his faceplate opening to reveal a face covered in sweat and shock. "JARVIS, calculate the total energy output he unleashed over there just now... Forget it, don't calculate it. I'm afraid my poor heart couldn't take it." He patted his chest. "All right, I have to admit it, this guy's a little too ridiculously powerful."

On the Helicarrier, Fury let out a long, long breath. His taut nerves finally relaxed. Shock still lingered in his single eye, but there was even more contemplation. This was too great a debt to owe. Any future contact had to be handled with greater caution.

Lin Ye ignored the reactions below and turned his gaze toward the top of Stark Tower. Although the portal sustained by the Tesseract had lost control after the mothership's destruction, it remained stable, like a massive wound embedded in the sky. It had to be closed.

He turned into a streak of lightning and appeared on the rooftop platform in an instant.

Dr. Selvig was still slumped beside the machinery, his gaze somewhat vacant. He seemed not to have fully recovered from Loki's control or the drastic changes before his eyes. And Loki...

Loki had just struggled out of the rubble when he saw Lin Ye appear before him like the Thunder God descending into the world. He stumbled in fright and nearly sat back down. Dust covered his handsome face, and his armor was damaged. None of his former elegance and arrogance remained, leaving only fear and embarrassment. His scepter... was still in Captain America's hands below.

"Y-you... what do you want?" Loki's voice was dry as he instinctively stepped back.

Lin Ye did not even look at him. He walked straight to the Tesseract device. The cube still emitted its captivating azure glow, steadily outputting spatial energy.

"Close it, Doctor," Lin Ye said to Selvig, his voice carrying unquestionable authority as he subtly used a faint electromagnetic stimulus to help him regain clarity.

Dr. Selvig jolted, and clarity returned to his eyes. He recognized Lin Ye and hurriedly began operating the device. "O-okay! The energy source has already been cut off. Now we just need to touch the Tesseract's force field with the scepter's energy tip, and it can be shut down in reverse!"

At that moment, Tony, Captain America, and Natasha arrived on the rooftop as well. Tony's mouth twitched when he saw the miserable state of his own rooftop, but he said nothing.

Captain America handed over the Mind Scepter.

Lin Ye did not take it. He merely lifted his chin toward Selvig. "You do it."

Selvig froze for a moment. He looked at Lin Ye, then at the scepter, seeming to understand something. Taking a deep breath, he accepted the scepter and carefully moved its tip toward the Tesseract's energy field.

Bzzzz—!

The energies of two Infinity Stones collided again, but this time in reverse! The portal began to fluctuate violently, its rotation slowing as its range rapidly contracted!

Just then!

"No!" Perhaps unwilling to accept defeat, or perhaps afraid to return and face Thanos's punishment, Loki suddenly lunged at Selvig in an attempt to stop him!

"Stay put!" Captain America immediately stepped forward to intercept him.

But someone was faster!

Crackle!

A thin but incomparably precise bolt of lightning sprang from Lin Ye's fingertip and instantly struck Loki's ankle!

"Ah!" Loki screamed. His entire body convulsed from the shock as smoke rose from him. He collapsed to the ground, his limbs twitching violently, temporarily unable to move.

"Done," Lin Ye said flatly.

Tony whistled. "Precision electroshock therapy."

Captain America and Natasha: "..."

At last, beneath everyone's watchful eyes, the portal completely closed. The sky returned to its original blue, as though the interstellar invasion had been nothing but a nightmare.

Dr. Selvig collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. The Tesseract also lost its glow and lay quietly within the device.

The war was completely over.

The next few hours were filled with busy cleanup efforts. Rescue teams entered the city to treat the wounded and clear rubble and Chitauri wreckage. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents took complete control of the scene, attempting to recover every sample of alien technology.

Yet the atmosphere atop Stark Tower was somewhat delicate.

Lin Ye, Tony, Captain America, Natasha, Loki—bound tightly by lightning ropes with a look of complete despair on his face—and the protected Tesseract and Mind Scepter were all there.

Fury joined the "conversation" through a holographic projection.

"Mr. Lin," Fury said, his single eye gazing at Lin Ye through the projection, "on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the World Security Council, I thank you for your... irreplaceable contribution to saving New York and Earth."

"You're welcome. It was nothing," Lin Ye said with a casual wave. "I rather like this place, after all. Didn't want it turning into alien ruins."

Fury: "..." This conversation was becoming difficult to continue.

Tony cut in, staring curiously at Lin Ye. "Hey, buddy, that lightning suit of yours... Uh, I mean, your ability. What exactly is the principle behind it? An Arc Reactor upgraded a billion times over? Or some kind of alien physiology?"

"Trade secret. Not for sharing," Lin Ye said with a smile.

Captain America was more concerned about another question. "Mr. Lin, with power as great as yours, what are your plans from here on?" There was a trace of caution in his eyes. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility—but it could also bring greater threats.

Natasha also listened intently. This was what S.H.I.E.L.D. cared about most.

[Ding! The Battle of New York has ended. The host's influence has reached its peak. Future path selection has been unlocked.]

[Strategic-level choices issued:]

[Option One: Accept S.H.I.E.L.D.'s recruitment and become its special consultant or the leader of the Avengers. Use official resources to increase influence and oversee Earth's supernatural incidents. Reward: [World Security Council Recognition], [Avengers Command Authority], [S.H.I.E.L.D. Resource Priority Access].]

[Option Two: Remain independent and establish your own faction, such as the "Thunder Temple." Cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D. as an equal and decide your own actions. Reward: [Special Building: "Thunder Temple" Blueprint (Upgradeable)], [Advanced Talent Attraction Aura], [Prototype Independent Intelligence Network].]

[Option Three: Keep a low profile and remain hidden. Focus on studying your own abilities and the mystery of Hulk, reduce contact with the outside world, and become an urban legend. Reward: [Increased Deep Meditation Efficiency], [Constant Reduction of Presence], [Greatly Increased Technology Research and Development Speed].]

The three options represented three entirely different paths.

Lin Ye barely needed to think. Option One came with too many restraints, while Option Three was too cowardly. Option Two—building his own faction, speaking with S.H.I.E.L.D. as an equal, even surpassing it in the future—that was the true path of a king!

"I choose Option Two."

[Selection confirmed. Rewards have been distributed to the system space.]

He looked at Fury and Captain America before speaking. "I do not have any grand plans. I'll remain in New York and establish a small base of my own. As for cooperation..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Tesseract and Mind Scepter. "I advise you not to look too deeply into these two stones, much less try to replicate their power. The trouble they bring far outweighs their benefits. If you encounter any 'trouble' you can't handle, you can come find me. Naturally, the price is negotiable."

His words made Fury's pupils contract. The other man truly knew the truth about the stones!

"As for him," Lin Ye said, nudging Loki at his feet, "his brother should be arriving soon, right? Leave him to Asgard."

As if to confirm his words, dark clouds suddenly gathered overhead. A familiar rainbow beam crashed down, enveloping a nearby park.

A muscular man wearing a red cape and holding Mjolnir rushed out anxiously. "Loki! You—"

Thor's shout cut off halfway when he saw the scene atop the building—his tightly bound brother, his unharmed friends, and an unfamiliar but powerful presence radiating an aura that made even Mjolnir faintly resonate.

"...What happened here?" Thor was a little stunned.

Lin Ye nodded to Thor in greeting, then said to Fury and the others, "Looks like you'll all be busy. Handle the aftermath yourselves. I'll be leaving first."

Without waiting for anyone to react, lightning flashed around him, and he vanished into the horizon in an instant, returning to his safehouse.

The others were left staring at one another.

Tony shrugged. "All right, I guess big shots are just this cool."

Fury watched the direction in which Lin Ye had disappeared, his single eye profound. Establishing his own faction? Equal cooperation? He knew that from this day onward, the balance of supernatural powers in the world had changed completely.

And Loki, looking at Thor and then in the direction Lin Ye had vanished, felt for the first time that being taken back to Asgard... might not be the worst possible outcome.

The Battle of New York had come to an end, but a new era had only just begun.

(End of Chapter Twelve)