102 & 103

Chapter 102: History's Legendary Crucifixion Day

"This is no longer a world where politicians can decide everything."

"Pierce's plan only works on mortals, and it's up to them to deal with ordinary enemies."

"To combat so-called gods, only those with similar super abilities can do it."

"Let's start the great experiment now. Failure doesn't matter. I have issued a call for volunteers. We have no shortage of test subjects. The bodies of those who fail will be discarded. But as long as someone succeeds, revenge will be within reach!"

"This is an age of miracles, and nothing is more terrifying than miracles."

A display screen in the room shows Thor pointing at the sky with thunder pouring down.

On the other side of the room, a mysterious scepter is placed on a shelf. The scepter's head is a gemstone emitting a dark blue light.

Outside Sokovia's base, a man and a woman are walking together, supporting each other.

"Pietro, are we really going in?"

"Yes, this is the only way we might achieve revenge."

"Actually, I don't really care about revenge, as long as we all stay safe..."

"Wanda, you're too soft-hearted..."

The impact of the New York battle was immense, and the first thing that came to the forefront was the reality of superheroes. Laser weapons, aliens... People realized these things were real. Even the existence of magic began to be accepted by many, except for a small number of staunch atheists.

Stephen Strange is one of them.

He believes Thor is just an ordinary person with a special constitution. "It's just an ordinary discharge phenomenon. Electric eels can do it too."

"The so-called magic and the power of faith don't exist. They are just phenomena not yet explained by science. There is no spiritual power; humans are just made of atoms.'"

"But I'm not human."

Thor spread his hands. He didn't know why he was debating with the future Doctor Strange.

Recently, Thor had been quite free; Jane was away for some relaxation, and he had resumed astronomical research. Natasha was busy and couldn't accompany him all the time. Steve could, but lately, he's been focusing on learning about modern times.

Moreover, simple sparring without divine power was improving slowly.

Hela was a potential sparring partner, but she was too moody. One moment she was a kind elder sister, and the next, she was the stern mother figure. The little needle pokes your chest...

Strange was interrupted by Thor and then reacted, "No, not only humans; aliens are material as well. You just have stronger physiques, longer lifespans, and some abilities. Within the scope of science, if modern humans appeared in the Middle Ages, they would also be regarded as gods."

"Two boring people." Christine Palmer frowned, while Nebula and Minerva nodded in agreement.

Strange had operated on Stark, and she was the second-in-command. After the successful operation, both gained fame. They knew that without Thor, Stark would not have trusted them so easily, so they came to thank him.

Thor was about to retort when a system voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

"Drip, congratulations to the host for triggering Doctor Strange's exclusive mission: Mysterious Realm. The future Doctor Strange is now a staunch materialist. Shake his beliefs and make him accept this mysterious world."

"Mission objective: Show Strange a phenomenon that completely conflicts with scientific ideas. Mission reward: Skill—Soul Astral."

"Soul Astral:

Passive effect - The soul can be separated from the body. After separation, the soul is physically immune and cannot launch physical attacks but will suffer from soul damage and magic attacks.

Active effect - Focus, slap the opponent's chest, and push their soul out of the body. When the opponent resists, the success rate and effect duration depend on their determination.

Soul Astral is a powerful skill. Haven't you seen the Hulk mastered by the Ancient One? The downside is that it requires close quarters and concentration. It is generally suitable for dealing with particularly rough-skinned enemies.

As for how to complete the task, pure thunder won't work. Strange has already determined that he is similar to an electric eel."

"Mr. Strange, I will show you how small the world you see is."

Thor gestured, and a golden circle appeared beneath Strange, who fell down with a plop...

"What's happening? A major change?" Christine Palmer looked confused.

"It's nothing, just a free fall. Don't worry, the terminal velocity of a free fall on Earth is about 50 meters per second, so he won't burn up."

It suddenly occurred to him that Doctor Strange had used this trick on Loki with great effect.

"Miss Palmer, are you interested in working at my research center? Maya and Betty need an assistant with substantial medical knowledge."

Thor was happily trying to recruit her, but at that moment, Strange was in distress.

He had been in the living room and suddenly found himself hundreds of meters above the ground, with a snow-covered mountain below.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."

Just as he thought he was about to fall to his death, a golden halo of sparks appeared in front of his eyes. In the next moment, he found himself back at an altitude of several hundred meters.

The distance was reset, but the falling speed remained. Under gravity, he fell even faster.

More tragically, unlike Loki, Strange had no extraordinary physical abilities to endure the fall.

At first, he could still scream, but as his speed increased, his mouth filled with cold wind, and he struggled to close it.

It felt as though his mouth was turning into a pea shooter from a video game.

At Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One sighed, waved a hand, and placed a protective aura around Strange to prevent him from being killed.

While it's beneficial for a successor to experience the mysteries early, they shouldn't be put in mortal danger.

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Chapter 103: Insight Plan

"Drip! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission related to Doctor Strange—Mysterious Realm—and receiving the reward: Skill—Soul Astral."

The free fall lasted about ten minutes, and Thor heard the system announce the task's completion. He waved his hand in satisfaction, and Strange's falling speed began to slow.

A few seconds later, Strange landed with a thud.

Seeing Strange's distressed state, Thor felt a bit sorry.

"Uh, should there be...?"

Strange gasped for air and said hopelessly, "I've been in free fall for ten minutes!"

"Ten minutes, and this is the result? Far from Loki's performance."

"It's truly terrifying. I always thought bungee jumping was scary enough!" Strange continued, still shaken. "Don't you have something a bit less thrilling?"

"Yes!" Thor slapped his chest, and then a translucent version of Strange floated out of his body.

This sight shocked everyone in the living room.

"Oh! Is this the soul?"

The soul state didn't last long; Strange was back in his body within a few seconds.

The duration of the soul's separation from the body depends on willpower. It must be said that Doctor Strange's willpower is impressive, allowing him to recover in just a few seconds. It is this kind of determination that enables him to face Dormammu with such intensity!

"I'm beginning to doubt the education I've received over the years," Strange sighed.

"There's no need to completely dismiss it," Thor patted him on the shoulder. "In advanced civilizations, science and magic are inherently intertwined."

Christine Palmer hesitated to join immediately; she needed to think it over. After all, she had only met Thor twice and suspected he might be trying to recruit her to stay at the manor...

Thor was indifferent. In fact, he was more interested in the research center as a hobby than a career focus.

...

"Sir, please allow me to introduce S.H.I.E.L.D's new project.

Since Iron Man's emergence, various crises have arisen in recent years. The Abomination, Iron Man, and even the aliens during the New York battle have caused significant harm to our people.

Yes, we have the Avengers, but they can only address problems after they occur. What we need is prevention."

Alexander Pierce was presenting to the council.

"Even the Avengers can't prevent crises entirely. What else can you propose?" a female congresswoman asked.

"Insight Plan! By monitoring the entire world, we aim to identify and neutralize threats during their incubation period, bringing global safety into view!"

"Minister Pierce, please explain further."

"Dr. Zola's algorithm, through precise calculations, identifies all potential threats to this world and eliminates them before they can act, rather than waiting for disasters to occur before seeking the Avengers."

Pierce's description seemed convincing, but the council remained skeptical. They worried about the potential for panic and questioned the reliability of Zola's algorithm.

"We can't give you an immediate answer. I hope you understand."

Leaving the hall, Pierce's sympathy vanished, replaced by a grim expression. He picked up his phone and dialed a confidential number.

If they need more time to decide, he would intensify the pressure!

...

Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., had promoted Nick Fury to take over as director. Even after retiring, he continued to contribute as a senior figure.

No one suspected that he was actually a member of HYDRA.

Originally, he wasn't anxious about the Insight Plan, but Thor's power made him feel threatened.

What worried him more was Thor's close relationship with Peggy Carter. If he wanted to control S.H.I.E.L.D., he could easily reinstate Peggy Carter at any time.

A few days later, news alarmed the council: a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. ship had been hijacked by pirates, with high-level agent Sitwell taken hostage.

Fortunately, Captain America and Black Widow responded promptly, defeating the pirates and recovering the ship.

...

Despite this, the incident was a blow to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Security Council, who were furious.

...

"It's not right," Natasha analyzed to Thor.

Though they had enough motivation and strength, the fact that a secret ship was hijacked indicated that a high-level mole might be within S.H.I.E.L.D., potentially causing more significant issues. Additionally, Steve and Natasha seemed to have an unusually smooth operation.

"It's normal. Reaching this level in a hastily arranged game isn't too bad," Thor replied with a slight smile. The plot had advanced a year ahead of schedule, and their opponents were unprepared.

...

"A setup? You mean this was orchestrated by Agent Sitwell? What's his purpose?" Natasha asked, having heard Thor's suspicions about Sitwell.

"Sitwell is just a pawn, not the mastermind. Prepare yourselves; S.H.I.E.L.D. is about to change."

"Are we finally going to expose HYDRA? What should we do next?" Natasha asked, excited.

"You know more about agent work than I do. Do you need me to teach you? Oh, and no beauty tricks are allowed!" Thor remembered that in the original plot, Natasha and Captain America were quite different. Despite the changes in history, he felt it was worth mentioning.

"Are you unwell?" Natasha glared at Thor and waved her magic bracelet. "Everyone who underestimates me as a woman regrets it. It could grow into a forest!"

"With these three new space carriers, we can use satellites to analyze an enemy's DNA before they act and neutralize them first. Criminals will be arrested before they can commit any crimes," Nick Fury explained the Insight Plan to Steve.

"According to the law, shouldn't someone be proven guilty before being punished?" Steve questioned.

Captain America was confused by this new approach.

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