The Beginning

"You’re a consultant, aren’t you? There shouldn’t be any hard requirements. Why go?"

Tony Stark lounged on the sofa like a slacker, rubbing his bulging stomach as he lazily spoke to Xu Yue, who was packing his things.

"I’m free anyway, and I think I should do something meaningful. Besides, I already told the black guy that whenever I have time, I’ll make you takeaway pizza and have him find someone to deliver it."

Xu Yue took the suitcase of spare clothes that Pepper Potts had helped pack, then gave the answer that pleased Tony the most.

"I’ll make sure to tip the delivery guy generously, provided he gets here on time."

S.H.I.E.L.D. had bases and branches all over the world, but there were not many facilities with the highest level of security.

Without question, the base researching the Space Stone was among the very best in every regard.

With Tony vouching for him, there was no problem with his identity. With General Ross’s indirect intelligence, there was no problem with his capabilities.

Even so, Xu Yue underwent multiple inspections before entering the research base.

"Remember, what you’re about to see is classified. In theory, your Level Six Authority doesn’t permit you to know about it. This time, you’re joining as a researcher."

Nick Fury personally accompanied Xu Yue inside to prevent any unexpected situations.

Besides him, there was also a voluptuous, alluring beauty at his side.

Black Widow Natasha!

Judging by her attire, she looked like Nick Fury’s secretary, dressed in a tight, fiery office outfit that made her glamorous and seductive.

But with her accompanying them this time, she was likely here more to guard against Xu Yue and test him.

At present, Natasha, Hawkeye, and Captain America were S.H.I.E.L.D.’s three foremost combat powerhouses.

Sending one of those three personally was enough to show how seriously they took this.

Moreover, Natasha had unique talents when it came to gathering intelligence. Even Loki, the God of Trickery, had fallen for her schemes.

With only a few scattered words, she could connect the pieces and deduce whatever she wanted to know.

Having lived for so long, her experience as an agent had reached its absolute peak.

But…

That was all.

Xu Yue maintained a sunny, easygoing smile as he casually chatted with Natasha along the way. His performance was flawless.

At the final checkpoint, Nick Fury received Natasha’s discreet OK gesture. Only then did he use his authority to open the door.

The instant the blast door opened, Xu Yue sensed a surging power within, one too immense to describe in words.

The Space Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones!

It was one of the most extraordinary items in the Marvel Universe, and one of the most promising rewards he could possibly obtain!

In terms of rank, it even surpassed the Rinnegan!

This would be the highest-grade item he had encountered so far.

Likewise, the difficulty of obtaining it would undoubtedly be at the highest level as well.

No pain, no gain. That was the Iron Law of the space.

Protected by S.H.I.E.L.D. alone?

Even if he repeatedly stripped every current member of S.H.I.E.L.D. ten times over, it probably would not compare to the mission required to obtain this item.

The reason Xu Yue had gone to such lengths to get inside was to raise his evaluation as much as possible. Though it was still far from enough, every little bit helped.

What?

What if he simply took the Infinity Stone by force if it was not enough?

The Infinity Stones themselves were sentient items that chose their masters. If someone they did not acknowledge touched one directly, they might very well end up instantly dead.

For example, if Star-Lord had not possessed his special bloodline in Guardians of the Galaxy, he would have been torn apart the moment he touched the Power Stone.

Joining the Space Stone research team was undoubtedly one way to keep raising his evaluation and build up prerequisite missions.

Learning the characteristics of the Infinity Stones in advance would also let him accumulate experience for researching other Infinity Stones in the future.

The researchers selected to work here had all been carefully chosen by S.H.I.E.L.D.

However, after joining the research team, Xu Yue did not find Dr. Erik Selvig.

The plot of Thor I had not begun yet. It seemed he truly counted as one of the founding members researching the Space Stone. He wondered how the main body’s studies of magic were progressing, and whether the main body had shared information with Asgard’s Deva Path…

In Asgard, the palace was holding a banquet to welcome Crown Prince Thor.

Prince Thor, bold and unrestrained, brave and upright, had always been beloved by the people of Asgard.

In contrast, Loki, who liked to use his intelligence in strange ways, had never been particularly well liked.

Only Xu Yue, the new head chef of the palace and one of the Warriors of the Four Palaces, was rather close to Loki.

"Oh, I didn’t expect you to really do it."

"It’s interesting, isn’t it?"

At the banquet, Xu Yue’s Wood Clone, which remained here, quietly complained to Loki in a helpless tone. Loki, however, wore a mischievous smile that made him look indescribably sinister and charming.

The main force operating in the palace was still Xu Yue’s Wood Clone, which he only used for cooking and never allowed to display its combat strength. Deva Path Pain, worried about attracting Heimdall and Odin’s attention, only handled memory sharing and overall coordination to prevent accidents.

What the Wood Clone and Loki were discussing now was how Loki had secretly allowed Frost Giants into Asgard and guided them toward Odin’s Vault.

Before long, news arrived that the vault had been breached. However, the intruders were completely annihilated by the vault’s autonomous guardian, the Destroyer.

Even so, the once-cheerful banquet naturally came to an abrupt end.

Thor was furious. This had been an important banquet for him!

"Father, we should send troops immediately and wipe those creatures out completely!"

Waving his hammer, Thor was visibly agitated. With his golden hair and beard, he looked like an enraged lion.

"Violence cannot solve problems, my child."

Odin, whose entire being carried an ancient and enduring air, spoke in a weathered tone.

"This is the responsibility of a king!"

Thor still seemed unwilling to accept it.

"But you are not king yet, though you will be someday."

Odin calmly glanced at Thor.

"My child, remember this. A wise king does not start wars lightly."

After being rebuked by his father repeatedly, Thor fell silent.

But as Thor at the height of his arrogance, the turmoil in his heart only grew more intense…

A private little banquet was held afterward in Thor’s personal palace.

Naturally, the food was prepared by Xu Yue, the lowest-ranked of the Warriors of the Four Palaces.

Only Thor, the Warriors of the Four Palaces, Sif, and his dear brother Loki attended.

Throughout the gathering, there was only Thor’s complaining and everyone else’s attempts to comfort him.

"Why don’t we go ourselves?"

At the most appropriate moment, Loki spoke as if he were merely making an offhand suggestion.

"What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting we defy the All-Father’s orders?"

Sif immediately shot back without any courtesy.

But Thor, whose thoughts had already been stirred by Loki’s words, brightened at once.

Xu Yue could not help shaking his head. This straightforward boy was far too easy to read. The fact that Loki had not toyed him to death over all these years meant Loki truly loved Thor deeply…

Two chapters done~

Tomorrow, I first have to visit my wife’s parents for the New Year, then relatives will come to my place for a gathering. Looking at the normal schedule, it should be fine.