Within the mystical grounds of Kamar-Taj, as soon as the Space Stone opened the portal, the quickest to react were Kaecilius and Baron Mordo, who were prepared to intervene. However, despite their hand signs being ready, they couldn't prevent the portal from opening and disappearing.
With a "whoosh," two fiery circles briefly formed in midair, only to dissipate in the wind, looking very similar to when Kamar-Taj's students first learn to create fire portals and fail to activate them.
"Hmm?! Such advanced spatial power!" Baron Mordo's pupils slightly contracted as he watched the disappearing Black Order members and said gravely, "Is that the Space Stone?"
"It must be! Otherwise, no other spatial power could be so easily used within Kamar-Taj. Theoretically, with the sanctum's array in place, only our spatial magic should work here. If they forced their way out, even if they didn't use the Space Stone, they must be formidable opponents!" Kaecilius nodded, his expression darkening.
"Furthermore, until the spatial energy lingering here dissipates, we still can't use teleportation magic to leave this place, let alone pursue them. We don't even know where they've gone..."
"Damn it! Are we just going to let them go?" A Kamar-Taj student, having tried and failed to use a fire portal, spoke with frustration.
"We can use the sanctum array's portal to go to another sanctum; then we should be able to use spatial magic..." A chubby man named Wong raised his hand and reminded everyone.
"It's no use. Even if we go to the other two sanctums, we still won't know where those four have gone. However, we can contact the Saiyan and inform him of the situation here. It seems those four are also invaders and are likely connected to the aliens over New York!" Kaecilius, aware of the situation in New York after the student who had gone to support the Avengers returned, slowly shook his head and spoke softly.
"Suit yourselves. If we're not continuing the fight, I'm heading back to the library," Wong said with a shrug as he turned to leave.
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
At that moment, waves of magical energy suddenly surged, and the magical artifacts on the students' bodies detached and flew towards Kamar-Taj's collection room.
These students were not truly qualified to use these magical artifacts. They were only able to temporarily borrow their power due to the invasion of Kamar-Taj, as the consciousness within the artifacts, or the hidden magical rules, allowed it. Now that the battle was over, the artifacts naturally returned, leaving many students feeling a bit lost.
"Alright, I'll leave this to you. I'll use the sanctum's portal to contact the Saiyan and inform him of the situation here..." Kaecilius said to Baron Mordo before heading towards the fixed portal in the sanctum. Unfortunately, by the time Kaecilius reached New York, Robert was no longer there.
Meanwhile, in an alley in a small town, the disheveled figure of Proxima Midnight appeared with a dazed-looking but equally battered Loki, who was still holding the Space Stone.
Earlier, after Kara had knocked Proxima Midnight away, she quickly realized that Kara was not someone she could defeat. So, Proxima Midnight played dead, lying motionless in the rubble, her life signs almost nonexistent.
As a scout and a psychic, Proxima Midnight had no trouble playing dead, successfully fooling Kara. Of course, it helped that Kara didn't pay her much attention.
Once Kara left to rejoin the battle, Proxima Midnight began silently observing the surroundings. When she saw the Chitauri invasion repeatedly thwarted, and even the Kryptonians seemed defeated, she concluded that their mission had failed.
But knowing that failure meant punishment from Thanos, Proxima Midnight decided to make one last attempt. She woke Loki, grabbed the Space Stone, and escaped while everyone was distracted by Robert's display with the Chitauri.
Of course, Proxima Midnight didn't dare use the Space Stone to teleport right away. Loki's limited power could only open one portal, and as soon as it did, the massive portal in the sky would close, drawing Robert's attention.
So, Proxima Midnight stealthily slipped away with Loki, relying on her skills as a top-notch scout. Soon, she had led Loki out of New York.
However, just as she began to relax, she sensed a soul signal from Corvus Glaive. After learning of his situation, Proxima Midnight glanced back at New York, confirmed they were far enough away, and decisively opened a portal to bring in the Black Order.
"Hmm?!" When the portal opened, the Black Order members entered without hesitation, only to realize something was wrong with their surroundings.
"What happened?! Where are we? Why did you open the portal here? Hurry and open another one to bring the Chitauri army through... Hmm? Proxima Midnight, your injuries? And this Loki..." Ebony Maw was the first to react, looking at Proxima Midnight and speaking, only to notice the injuries on both her and Loki.
Although their injuries weren't as severe as they looked, it was clear they had faced some difficulties, leaving Ebony Maw momentarily puzzled. It seemed that not only had they encountered trouble, but Proxima Midnight and Loki had also met with resistance.
"I suggest not bringing the Chitauri over. If you've already failed on your side, we should take the Space Stone and leave quickly. If we open another portal and that monster finds us, we won't be able to escape!" Proxima Midnight glanced nervously in the direction of New York, her eyes flashing with fear as she urged Corvus Glaive.
In truth, Proxima Midnight had followed Thanos across the universe for years, encountering many powerful beings. But Robert was unlike any she had ever faced.
To Proxima Midnight, Robert didn't seem like a normal living being. How could any lifeform continuously generate energy and simultaneously target and eliminate so many Chitauri?
If Earth's civilization wasn't so primitive, Proxima Midnight would have suspected Robert was some kind of combat machine powered by infinite energy, created by a top-tier technological civilization!
"Was the enemy you encountered that strong? How did you manage to escape?" Corvus Glaive asked with a frown after hearing Proxima Midnight's account.
As a scout, the ability to assess strength was crucial. If even Proxima Midnight was afraid, Corvus Glaive couldn't help but take the situation seriously, especially given their current weakened state. It seemed this mission was doomed to fail...
"Honestly, I didn't fight him. I didn't even dare to. He's so strong, he's not like any living being..." Proxima Midnight said in a low voice, a flash of fear in her eyes.
"I was discovered and injured by a Kryptonian woman. After that, I hid, waiting for the Chitauri to invade. But when that man appeared, the battle turned around instantly!"
"Before he arrived, the Chitauri were suffering heavy losses but still managed to break through the defense lines and wreak havoc on Earth. But once he showed up, the Chitauri started dying off at an alarming rate!"
"And that's not the worst part. His body and the energy he unleashed were already killing Chitauri fast enough, but he wasn't satisfied. I saw him pause to observe the battlefield, and I thought he was tired. But the next moment, he gathered a terrifying amount of energy and locked onto every single Chitauri on Earth!"
"Yes! Every single one! All the Chitauri on Earth were instantly killed, and the ones continually pouring in suffered the same fate. As soon as their numbers reached a certain threshold, he'd wipe them out with one blow. No matter how many Chitauri there were, they couldn't succeed!"
"What level do you estimate his power at?" Corvus Glaive asked after a moment of silence.
As a scout, Proxima Midnight's ability to assess power levels was vital. If even she feared this enemy, Corvus Glaive had to consider the possibility that this mission was truly doomed...
"His physical strength alone is overwhelming, but whether he's stronger than Father, I don't know..." Proxima Midnight took a deep breath, recalling Robert's battle details. "But in terms of energy output, he's too powerful. Without external help, Father wouldn't stand a chance in that department!"
"Then let's retreat! As for the Time Stone, we've only sensed its general location and haven't found it yet. The sorcerers there are powerful, so searching for or locating the Time Stone will require a long-term plan..." Corvus Glaive thought for a moment before speaking to the group.
"If we had known this earlier, we should have just taken the Space Stone and left. It would have saved us a lot of trouble," Black Dwarf grumbled, rubbing his missing ear.
"Shut up!" Ebony Maw glared at Black Dwarf before turning to Proxima Midnight. "Control Loki to open the portal! Hurry, before that guy you mentioned shows up!"
"Alright." Relieved that the group agreed to retreat, Proxima Midnight nodded, her psychic power rising as she controlled Loki like a puppet.
With a "buzz," the Space Stone glowed blue again, and a portal began to form. However, since this time the distance was greater, the portal opened slowly, and just then, something unexpected happened.
With a "whoosh," a sharp sound pierced the air, putting the Black Order members instantly on guard. Corvus Glaive reacted the fastest, swinging his blade towards the source of the sound.
"Clang!" The deafening clash of metal echoed, causing Corvus Glaive's arm to go numb as he staggered back a few steps. At the same time, a bolt of lightning engulfed everyone.
"Crackle
!"
As the lightning and explosions raged, the Black Order members and Loki were sent flying. The Space Stone slipped from Loki's grasp and fell to the ground.
"Loki! Are you alright?" The one who had struck wasn't just anyone; it was Thor, who had been lying low on Earth. He had gone so far as to brainwash his comrades to serve him, his mindset greatly changed as he prepared to establish a new Asgard and achieve greatness on Earth.
However, starting from scratch was tough, especially without any financial backing.
Thor had considered sending the Warriors Three to rob some ill-gotten wealth, not caring where the money came from.
But soon after, he saw reports of the powerful Avengers and an even stronger Superman, making him rethink his plans.
Thor knew that while his current strength was far beyond what it once was, he was still no match for the Avengers, let alone Robert and Clark.
So, Thor's ambitions stalled, though he continued to improve his control over Mjolnir and his mastery of lightning.
Despite his changed mindset, Thor's bond with Loki remained deep, much deeper than with the Warriors Three.
Thor had witnessed both the Kryptonian and Chitauri invasions, but he hadn't intervened. He wasn't a native of Earth, and he wasn't aligned with Robert or Clark.
Thor watched everything in silence until he spotted Loki, who looked like a puppet under Proxima Midnight's control.
This was something Thor could not tolerate. Loki was his brother, even if not by blood. He was an Asgardian prince, and for someone to treat him as a puppet was a direct affront to Asgard's authority!
However, Thor didn't act immediately since they were too close to Robert. He controlled Mjolnir, tailing Proxima Midnight unnoticed, and only now did he seize the moment to strike...
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