Chapter 264: The Show-Off Anthem "The War of Oil"

Everyone guessed right; the mysterious white-haired old man who asked Thor for a drink was the cosmic origin will that Clark had encountered numerous times.

After the old man took a small sip of the strong liquor and left the banquet hall with his companions, a familiar system notification voice echoed in Clark's mind once again.

Received impression points from the cosmic origin will, automatically converted into a 'Random BGM Lottery Card'!

Without hesitation, Clark accessed the system interface and used it...

"The War of Oil"

Level: 1 (0/10,000) Effect: Flashy, cool, and awe-inspiring. This BGM evolves the art of showing off to the extreme. As soon as the music plays, it brings an overwhelming presence.

The host can use it personally or designate it to someone within their line of sight, setting a triggering condition.

Once the condition is met, 20% of the designated person's luck will be converted into swagger, making them the center of attention in an instant, with an overwhelming aura!

After each use, there is a 10-year cooldown!

Lower luck to increase swagger? This is definitely risking one's life for showing off!

Without a second thought, Clark maxed out its level. As expected, the effect became...

Convert 100% of luck into swagger! If someone were subjected to this, they could instantly peak in life and then just as quickly plummet, crashing hard!

Too cruel!

Too brutal!

But... Clark liked it!

...

Parties are just occasional gatherings for mood adjustment. After a night of wild celebration, everyone returned to their own businesses.

Clark intended to invite Sif and Nebula to join the Avengers, but they declined. Sif said, "I left Asgard to help the Queen find Loki, but clearly, Loki isn't on Earth."

Hearing Sif's words, Clark cast a puzzled look at her. From her slightly resentful gaze, he realized the actual reason.

The search for Loki was just a pretense.

Sif, one of the informants about Odin's stay on Earth, knew the search was merely an excuse.

However, since she left Asgard under the pretext of finding Loki, she had to put on a show.

Directly joining the Avengers to maintain peace on Earth, how would that look?

The reason she didn't speak openly was Nebula's presence. This matter concerned Asgard's security, and she wouldn't casually reveal it to more people, even teammates.

It's not about trust; it's simply unnecessary.

Of course, the above reasons were nonsense! The real reason Sif decided to leave Earth was Thor.

After seeing Sif, Thor barely showed any warmth and instead rushed to Jane Foster.

A classic case of an unfaithful man!

This left Sif, Thor's fiancée, in an awkward position.

Though she could tolerate Thor's wandering for decades, she wasn't willing to watch her husband flirt with another woman right before her eyes.

Thus, she used the excuse of searching for Loki to leave Earth and avoid heartache.

Nebula also stated, "I feel the vast universe is more suitable for me than peaceful Earth."

Nodding, Clark said, "Then go ahead. The credit points from the Collector's station are in your accounts, and each of you has about fifty to sixty million points, which should be enough."

"Also," Clark added seriously, "while searching for Loki, help me inquire about the Soul Stone and the location of a planet called Vormir. It has something I'm interested in, but neither the Shi'ar Empire nor Xandar's star charts have any record of it."

Not particularly interested in the dangerous Soul Stone, Clark still wanted as much information as possible, in case it became useful later.

After sending the women off through a portal to Xandar, Clark's phone rang unexpectedly.

"It's you, deep in my mind. In my dreams, my heart, my song…"

Seeing it was Sharon Carter calling, Clark realized it had been a long time since he last saw her.

Answering the call, Clark greeted, "Hello!"

Sharon's familiar voice came through: "Clark, I'm at your front door. I need to discuss something with you."

"Honored."

Hanging up, Clark glanced through the window and saw Sharon, dressed casually and stylishly, waving at him.

"Qingfeng, open the door."

No response.

"Qingfeng?"

Still nothing.

Clark frowned, wondering why Qingfeng, his AI, was offline.

Recalling that he had used a portal to enter the house the previous night and went straight to sleep without communicating with Qingfeng, Clark realized Qingfeng must have gone offline even before his return.

Or earlier?

When did Qingfeng go offline, and how?

Clark knew his duplicate, busy at Pym Labs, wouldn't know. Could Hank Pym be involved?

But with Sharon waiting outside, Clark had no time to investigate Qingfeng's offline status.

Not wanting to go downstairs personally, Clark instead drew a circle in the air, creating a portal connecting the second floor to the front gate.

Sharon entered and teased, "After spending half a year in space, has your life turned from technological to magical?"

Clark smiled and offered her a drink from Xandar: "This is a popular beverage from Xandar, tastes a bit like mangosteen. Sweet but not cloying, and very nutritious. Want to try?"

After tasting it, Sharon gave a thumbs up, then blinked and said, "Clark, I'd like you to visit my home in England."

Surprised, Clark wondered about her intentions.

Sharon laughed at his confused expression and explained, "Actually, my aunt wants to meet you. She's elderly and immobile, so I'm asking you to visit our family home in England."

Sharon's aunt? Peggy...no, Peggy Carter!

Why suddenly did she want to meet him?

Though puzzled, Clark agreed, having no other commitments.

Sharon drove, with Clark admiring the scenery from the passenger seat, soon arriving at Los Angeles International Airport. There, they spotted Captain America chatting with a man in his fifties.

"Hello!" Sharon greeted, introducing Clark to her father.

"Uncle, hello," Clark said politely, offering a handshake to Sharon's father, George Carter, Peggy's brother.

After a brief exchange, George Carter suggested they head to the UK, where the Carter family's private jet was waiting.

The Carter family not only had their own jet but also a manor, albeit slightly worn, grander than Clark's seaside villa.

Inside, staff tended to various matters. Peggy wanted to talk privately with Captain America, so George and his wife, Susie, an English parliamentarian like George, chatted with Clark.

Then, an emotional Captain America emerged from Peggy's room, signaling Clark to talk to her.

From inside, Peggy's voice, tinged with tears, said, "Love you three thousand times."

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