Chapter 102: History's Legendary Crucifixion Day

"This is no longer a world where politicians make all the decisions."

Pierce's plan is effective only against mortals. For taking down ordinary enemies, that's their business. But to challenge so-called gods, they need something—or someone—with powers to match.

"Let's begin the grand experiment. Success or failure doesn't matter; we've put out a call for volunteers. We won't lack test subjects, and even if some don't survive, there will be no bodies left behind. As long as one person succeeds, we'll have nothing to fear."

"This is an age of miracles," he continued, "and nothing is more terrifying than a miracle."

On a display screen nearby, an image of Thor appeared, thunder pouring down from the heavens at his command. In another part of the room, a mysterious scepter rested on a shelf, its head adorned with a gemstone emitting a dark blue glow.

Outside the Sokovia base, a young man and woman approached, supporting each other.

"Pietro, are we really doing this?" the woman asked, voice uncertain.

"Yes. It's the only way we'll have a chance for revenge."

"I don't really care about revenge," she admitted softly. "As long as we're safe…"

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

The aftermath of the New York War was massive, and superheroes had fully entered the public consciousness. People were grappling with new realities: laser weapons, aliens, and, it seemed, even magic. For many, these were no longer myths. Only a small number of staunch atheists continued to resist belief in such things.

Dr. Stephen Strange was one of them.

He saw Thor as an ordinary person with an unusual physiology. "It's just an electrical discharge," he argued. "Electric eels can do that too."

"Magic, faith—none of these exist. They're just unexplained phenomena, with no basis in spiritual power. Humanity's just… stuck in the dark."

Thor, arms crossed, spread his hands in mock resignation. For some reason, he'd taken it upon himself to debate with the future Doctor Strange, though he wasn't quite sure why. With Jane off doing astronomy research, Natasha busy elsewhere, and Steve caught up in adjusting to modern times, he found himself at a loose end. Sparring with mortals, too, was only so useful without divine power.

Of course, Hela was an option, but she was as volatile as they came. One moment she is his sister, and the next, she is the sternest teacher, pricking him with tiny needles...

Strange, momentarily taken aback, rallied. "Not just humans," he retorted. "Aliens, too, are physical beings. You're just stronger, longer-lived, with some peculiar abilities. If modern humans appeared in the Middle Ages, they'd also be considered gods."

Christine Palmer, watching them with an unimpressed expression, frowned. "You're both ridiculous," she muttered. Nearby, Nebula and Minerva nodded in agreement.

Dr. Strange had just performed surgery on Stark, with Christine acting as his second-in-command. Both had received widespread acclaim for the procedure, though they knew that without Thor's support, Stark wouldn't have trusted them so easily. They'd come to thank him in person.

Thor was about to respond when suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind:

"Congratulations, host. You've triggered Doctor Strange's exclusive mission: Mysterious Realm. The future Doctor Strange is currently a staunch materialist. Shake his worldview, and he'll begin to accept the mysteries of this world."

Mission objective: Show Strange something that completely defies scientific understanding. Mission reward: Skill: Astral Projection.

Astral Projection:

Passive: The soul can separate from the body. In this state, it's immune to physical attacks and unable to deal physical damage but remains vulnerable to magical and spiritual attacks.

Active: Focus, strike an opponent's chest, and push their soul out of their body. If they resist, the success rate and duration vary.

Astral Projection was a powerful skill—useful for dealing with exceptionally resilient foes. The downside was that it required close proximity and concentration to activate.

Clearly, lightning alone wouldn't be enough to convince Strange. He's already decided I'm just a glorified electric eel, Thor thought.

"Dr. Strange," Thor said, smirking, "you're about to see just how small the world you think you know really is."

Thor gestured, and suddenly a golden circle appeared beneath Strange, who looked puzzled as he plummeted through it with a startled shout.

"What's happening?" Christine Palmer exclaimed, alarmed.

"Nothing serious," Thor replied nonchalantly. "Just a bit of freefall. Don't worry—the terminal velocity for a human on Earth is about 50 meters per second, so he won't exactly go up in flames."

He chuckled, remembering that Strange would eventually use a similar trick on Loki with great success.

"Miss Palmer," he added casually, "would you be interested in joining my research center? Maya and Betty could use an assistant with solid medical expertise."

While Christine processed his invitation, Strange, still reeling, suddenly found himself hundreds of meters above a snow-covered mountain.

"AAAAAAHHH—!"

Just as he thought he was about to plummet to his death, a golden ring of sparks appeared before him. He passed through it, but instead of landing, he found himself hundreds of meters in the air once more—this time at an even faster speed due to gravity.

Unlike Loki, Strange had no enhanced physiology to withstand the fall. As his descent accelerated, he tried to scream, but the wind roared into his open mouth, inflating his cheeks like a balloon and forcing his mouth shut. He felt like a character from a video game, his mouth practically a Peashooter from Plants vs. Zombies.

At Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One watched calmly, shaking her head. With a sigh, she waved her hand, summoning a protective ring around Strange to prevent him from being injured.

It's good to let my successor experience the mystical realm in advance, she mused. But we can't let him be played to death.

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