Chapter 161

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As Tony Stark continued his work, he casually remarked, "Have some confidence, JARVIS..."

JARVIS had no choice but to comply with Tony's instructions.

A short while later, a familiar scene unfolded.

"Sir, you have a call."

"My program has been compromised."

Hearing this all-too-familiar voice, Tony Stark rubbed his forehead, feeling that JARVIS's defense system was far from perfect. S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to hack into it time and again.

Should he upgrade JARVIS, or were those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents just that good?

"Alright, Stark, we need to talk," Agent Coulson's voice came through.

"Make it quick," Iron Man Tony Stark sighed in resignation.

...

[Light Divine Power experience +1]

[Divine Body experience +1]

As Agent Coulson and Tony were conversing, Syd paused after circulating the light energy within him.

"It seems it's time to head to the center of New York," Syd mused, stroking his chin.

The Chitauri invasion would naturally take place in New York. If everything went according to plan, Loki would soon use the Tesseract on the rooftop of Stark Tower to open a portal, welcoming the Chitauri army to invade.

"Stark Tower should be in the city center..." Syd thought, believing it would be easy to find, given its distinctive appearance.

With a sonic boom, he disappeared from his spot, speeding towards downtown New York.

Along the way, he thought about changing his appearance.

Taking some time, Syd donned a new outfit, primarily white.

This time, he planned to appear as the "White-Clad Hero," or perhaps the "White-Clad Enigma."

Of course, Syd didn't intend to take any direct action. If all went smoothly and Kaecilius's group managed to obtain the Tesseract and the Mind Stone scepter, he wouldn't need to show himself.

However, if things went awry and Kaecilius's group failed to secure these two items, he'd have to step in.

He wasn't about to let all his careful planning go to waste.

"This shouldn't be too difficult," Syd thought, stroking his chin.

This Chitauri invasion didn't feature any particularly troublesome figures. It was merely Thanos's probing attack. Obtaining the two items shouldn't pose much of a challenge.

Even using just the abilities of the "White-Clad Hero," he should be able to handle the situation.

Moreover, his Chaos Magic, now enhanced by the Light Divine Power, was significantly stronger than before.

Syd estimated that with his current Chaos Magic, he could likely take down a base-level Thanos—Thanos without the Infinity Stones.

As he sped through the city, he glanced at his Light Divine Power, which was close to leveling up, and sighed.

"I wonder if I'll be able to level up my Light Divine Power when the time comes..."

The identity of the White-Clad Hero would also allow him to fully utilize the Light Divine Power, tapping into the power of Baldur, the God of Light.

Meanwhile, Loki and his team were also making their moves.

Dr. Selvig was directing a group of scientists, setting up equipment to activate the Tesseract's energy.

Loki, sitting alone in a dark corner, suddenly noticed the gem on his scepter glowing white—it was someone contacting him through the Mind Stone.

As the gem on the Mind Stone scepter glowed, an apparition appeared in his mind.

A mysterious figure in strange attire appeared, accompanied by a raspy voice.

"The Chitauri are getting restless, Loki. How are your preparations?"

Loki replied, "Tell them to be ready. I'll lead them to a glorious victory."

The Chitauri commander walked slowly, disdainfully saying, "Victory? Against those weak Earthlings? Loki, I hope you won't disappoint me."

Loki responded, "As long as your army is as strong as you claim."

"Are you doubting us?" the Chitauri commander challenged. "Doubting the one who handed you the scepter, granted you ancient knowledge, and gave you a new purpose?"

"Loki, you should remember—you were defeated. It was us who took you in."

"Shut up!" Loki snapped, glaring at the figure. "I am a king, the absolute monarch of Asgard. If not for the betrayal I faced..."

He was clearly referring to Heimdall and the Warriors Three.

If not for their interference, Loki believed he would have been the king of Asgard!

The Chitauri commander scoffed, "Your ambitions are petty, childish even. The Chitauri's vision extends beyond Earth. With the Tesseract, entire worlds will be within our grasp."

Loki, irritated by his grandstanding, interrupted, "You don't even have the Tesseract yet."

The Chitauri commander, enraged, approached Loki as if to strike him down.

Loki remained unfazed, knowing that everything before him was just an illusion in his mind. He retorted, "I'm not threatening you. Until I open the portal, until I lead your army, your words are meaningless."

Realizing he couldn't harm Loki, the Chitauri commander issued a veiled threat, "Fight your war, Asgardian."

"But if you fail, if the Tesseract doesn't come into our possession, don't expect a kingdom, or even a corner to hide in."

"No matter where you go, he will find you. He will make you scream, make you understand what true suffering is."

"No one can protect you, and no one can defy him. You can't escape!"

It was clear that if Loki failed to deliver the Tesseract, the previously promised cooperation—including the promise to help him become the King of Asgard—would be null and void.

Worse still, they would kill Loki! And the "he" mentioned by the Chitauri commander was, of course, Thanos. Loki was well aware of Thanos's power and influence.

After delivering his message, the Chitauri commander ended the communication, and Loki returned to reality.

However, his expression was grim, clearly affected by the commander's final words.

At this point, Loki even doubted if his choices were right, feeling a twinge of regret.

But there was no turning back now; he had to see it through.

Loki then thought of his foolish brother Thor, wondering if he'd interfere.

An hour later, in a square in New York.

Dressed in armor and wielding his scepter, Loki appeared, causing panic among the crowd as people screamed and tried to flee, only to be stopped by Loki.

Standing on a high platform, Loki shouted at the crowd, "Kneel before me!"

Seeing the chaos and lack of obedience, Loki shouted again, "Kneel!"

Terrified, someone in the crowd finally complied, followed by others who knelt in fear.

"See? That wasn't so hard," Loki said, smiling.

As he commanded the masses, a group of yellow-robed mages watched quietly from a distant corner.

And it wasn't just Kaecilius and his mages. Farther away, on the rooftop of a tall building, a mysterious figure dressed in white—Syd—was also observing the scene.

(End of Chapter)