Rejecting brute-force destruction, the Scarlet Witch's elegant proposal

Inside the Negative Zone Prison, the lingering shockwaves in the air finally subsided.

The three lingering, violent auras—belonging to death, Chaos, and Phoenix —that remained after tearing through space still scraped against every inch of the Alloy Wall like invisible blades, leaving faint energy marks.

Lynn leaned lazily against the Bone Throne, his fingertips lightly tracing the cold joints of the armrests, the subtle friction sound being the only noise in this deathly silent space.

The Scarlet screen woven from Chaos Magic before him had vanished.

There's no need to look at it anymore.

All of Pierce's dying struggles, from the moment he launched the Winter Soldier Program, were already part of Lynn's script.

Those so-called Super-Soldiers and heavy firepower blockade are nothing more than appetizers to prepare for the upcoming hunting feast.

The real fun isn't in watching the prey get torn apart.

The appeal lies in appreciating the hunting dogs and how they will use the most bloody, cruel, and artistic methods to complete the hunt in order to win their master's approval.

"Buzz--"

Space was slightly distorted.

Three figures emerged almost simultaneously from the torn void and reappeared beneath the Throne.

They still carried the chilly night wind of Washington, D.C., and a faint, lingering smell of gunpowder.

Hela maintained her haughty queenly demeanor, her stunning curves outlined in her black, form-fitting War Armor, a cold, triumphant smile playing on her lips.

Wanda stood quietly to the side, her Scarlet eyes flashing with a stubborn light, as if nothing in this world could arouse her interest except for the man on the Throne.

Jean Grey, with her head slightly lowered, had the Dark Gold Phoenix Force leaping in her hair like a lurking beast, seemingly docile but ready to unleash a destructive flame that could burn everything in its path at any moment.

The three men's gazes, like three invisible spotlights, were fixed on Lynn, awaiting his judgment.

That reward of "Absolute Right to Be Alone" was like a poisoned honey, making the air between them extremely tense.

"Owner."

Hela broke the silence first, taking half a step forward, her voice carrying the arrogance and boastfulness characteristic of the Asgardians.

"They're just a bunch of insects hiding in metal shells; they're not worth your time."

She raised her slender arm, her fingers spread, and a miniature version of the Night Sky Sword, formed entirely from the Death Force, hovered in her palm.

The sword was wreathed in a pitch-black Death Energy powerful enough to freeze one's soul.

"Leave it to me." Hela raised her chin slightly and said in an unquestionable tone, "I only need three sword strikes to cleave those three pieces of scrap metal flying in the sky, along with that turtle shell below, into cosmic dust."

She paused, her eyes sweeping contemptuously over Wanda and Qin beside her.

"As for that old bastard named Pierce, I will personally crush his throat and bring his head back as a new ornament for your Throne."

Simple.

rough.

It is filled with the overwhelming, violent aesthetics of the Goddess of Death.

Hela's suggestion would be perfect for any enemy.

But Lynn, what he wanted was never the result.

On the Throne, Lynn slowly raised his eyelids, his dark eyes calm and still, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

He stared at the Night Sky Sword in Hela's palm, which exuded a terrifying aura, for a full three seconds.

Then, he gently shook his head and uttered two words.

"Boring."

Hela's arrogant smile froze instantly.

"What... did you say?" She even thought she had misheard.

"I said," Lynn's voice was as flat as stating a fact, "Your method is too crude, utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal."

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the armrest, and looked at Hela with the critical eye one would use to examine a work of art.

"Just smash it? What's the difference between that and a barbarian smashing a watermelon in the street? Hela, I thought you'd have a bit more imagination."

Every word Lynn uttered was like an invisible slap across Hela's face.

Rough?

barbarian?

The Goddess of Death, who once struck fear into the hearts of the Nine Realms and even troubled Odin, suddenly felt a surge of anger at being humiliated in her emerald eyes.

The Night Sky Sword in her palm emitted a mournful buzzing sound, and a violent Death Energy almost burst forth uncontrollably.

But the moment Hela met Lynn's cold, indifferent gaze, all of Hela anger deflated like a punctured balloon.

She could be angry with anyone, but not with this man.

His approval is now her only source of value.

To be rejected means to be abandoned.

The thought of this possibility overwhelmed her pride with extreme panic.

"I..." Hela opened her mouth, but found that her throat was too dry to utter a complete syllable.

Just then, a soft laugh with a hint of sarcasm rang out beside her.

"Hehe..."

Wanda took a step forward and stood beside Hela.

She didn't even glance at Hela, but instead focused her intensely on Lynn with her Scarlet eyes, which were filled with obsession and fanaticism.

"Master, please forgive her foolishness." Wanda's voice was gentle, yet carried a chilling venom. "After all, in the eyes of those Asgard brutes who only know how to think with hammers and axes, this is already the most 'elegant' method they can think of."

"You!" Hela turned her head sharply, staring intently at Wanda, her teeth grinding together.

Wanda, however, seemed oblivious to her murderous intent.

She bowed slightly, giving Lynn an impeccable ladylike bow, her posture humble yet subtly distinguishing herself from the "uncouth Asgardians" beside her.

"Master, mere destruction is the cheapest form of art."

Wanda raised her head, her Scarlet eyes gleaming with a mixture of intelligence and cruelty.

"What terrifies the enemy is never death itself, but the despair that overflows from the depths of their soul when they watch helplessly as their most cherished hope becomes a scythe that reaps their lives."

At her fingertips, a slender, living Scarlet Energy slowly rose and coiled.

"Those three Helicarriers are Hydra's ultimate weapons, built over decades of painstaking effort. That ' Zola Algorithm ' is their greatest asset in cleansing the world."

Wanda's lips curled into a sickly yet elegant smile.

"I don't need to destroy them."

"I only need to... make a slight modification to their Underlying Logic."

"I will have the fire control systems of those three Helicarrier identify every Hydra agent on the ground as a top-priority elimination target. I will have the ' Zola Algorithm ' run in reverse, putting Pierce and all his associates at the very top of the Kill List."

She looked up at Lynn with adoration, her voice filled with a sacrificial devotion.

"Then, I will hack into their Internal Communications channels, so that every Hydra member can clearly hear the screams of their leader and their comrades as they are blasted to ashes by the weapons they created."

"Let them face their doom amidst utter chaos, distrust, and infighting."

"This is what I offer you: a grand fireworks display about betrayal and destruction."

The words had barely left his mouth.

The entire Negative Zone Prison so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Hela's emerald green pupils contracted violently in extreme shock.

She stared intently at Wanda, as if she were seeing this seemingly frail Earth woman for the first time.

This plan...

How vicious!

How cruel!

It is no longer a simple physical destruction, but a form of torture that, from a spiritual level, utterly crushes and stomps all the enemy's faith, pride, and hope into the mud...

Hela suddenly realized where she had gone wrong.

She lost because of her limited perspective and her flawed understanding of the word "cruelty."

On the Throne, a satisfied smile finally appeared on Lynn's face.

He looked at Wanda, sparing no praise.

"A very good script, Wanda."

"Elegant, yet deadly."

"I'm starting to look forward to this fireworks display."

Upon receiving the praise, Wanda's cheeks flushed with a sickly red, and she trembled slightly with excitement, as if she had received a Deity blessing.

Hela, who was completely ignored, felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

Jealousy and resentment gnawed at her heart like venomous snakes.

No!

We absolutely cannot lose like this!

That night alone must be mine!

Just as Hela was about to propose an even more outrageous plan, Jean Grey, who had been silent all along, suddenly took a step forward.

She kept her head down, her voice calm and utterly emotionless.

"Owner."

"Miss Wanda's plan is indeed brilliant."

"But..."

Qin slowly raised her head, and her once gentle eyes were now burning with Dark Gold flames, as deep as Abyss.

"Letting a machine kill its own master is still a step away."

"To truly drive them to despair, why not let them... tear each other apart with their own hands?"