Back in the game, under Luke's call, the players once again stormed Gul'dan's fortress.
Even though the Battle of New York had shaken the world, and the internet was ablaze with news, photos, and wild conspiracy theories, for people outside of Manhattan… life had gone on.
After all, the Chitauri hadn't even left New York City, barely made it beyond Midtown.
That's how overwhelming Gul'dan's strength had been.
The soldiers he resurrected through fel energy had completely bottled up the Chitauri invasion before it could spill beyond the portal.
So now, people everywhere were posting, debating, and arguing online, while still playing their games like normal.
The players had no idea that the boss they were fighting in World of Warcraft had just saved the Earth.
But soon, they noticed something strange.
"Hey… why isn't Gul'dan using any of his big skills?"
"Yeah! Where's Fel Sickle? And Storm of Destruction? We've been fighting him for 10 minutes already!"
"And why hasn't he summoned any minions? This fight feels too easy…"
Luke blinked, his eyes narrowing.
That was odd.
Gul'dan's powerful abilities all had long cooldowns, but this was… different, he hadn't used them a single time, so how could they be on cooldown?.
Then a possibility hit him like a bolt of lightning.
'Wait a minute. What if… the cooldowns are shared between the game and the real world?'
His heart skipped a beat.
Could it be?
Could the Marvel world and Azeroth be connected somehow?
If the Gul'dan he summoned earlier was the same as the one in the game…
'Then what else carries over?'
Even more terrifying: did Gul'dan remember what happened in the Marvel world after returning to Azeroth?
Luke swallowed hard, mind racing. That kind of connection would be… insane, and absolutely terrifying.
Then, the system's voice rang in his mind.
[Ding! Host has exhibited deep fear. System has detected instability in summon autonomy.]
[From now on, all summoned beings, regardless of level or world, will be under the host's direct control.]
Luke stared at the screen, stunned. 'Wait… I have full control now?'
His eyes widened.
That meant every creature he summoned, no matter how strong or where they came from, would follow his orders from now on!
A grin spread across his face.
'This is... amazing!'
But just as he was celebrating, another strange thing happened.
On the screen, Gul'dan, who was currently surrounded by players and about to fall, suddenly turned green.
Luke blinked.
"What?"
In the game, a red name meant an enemy. A green name? That meant a teammate, or a pet.
The raid ground to a halt.
Gul'dan could no longer be attacked.
The players stared in confusion.
"Wait… what just happened?"
"Why did the boss turn green!?"
"He's... our ally now?"
"Yo, this is some bug. First he disappears mid-fight, then comes back with no skills, now this?"
Frustrated, several players dropped from the party and left the instance altogether.
In the end, only Luke remained, but even though he lost the possibility of acquiring new loot, he was still grinning from ear to ear.
He clicked on the now-friendly Gul'dan.
'It really worked. Even in the game... he's mine now.'
He quickly left the raid and ran into the wilderness of the game world.
Gul'dan followed behind him like a loyal pet.
Luke laughed like a kid on Christmas morning, sending Gul'dan after every mob he saw just for fun.
'Fel blast that boar. Now crush that elite. That bunny looked at me wrong, use Fel Sickle on its ass!'
…
Meanwhile, in the real world, the aftermath of the Battle of New York continued to ripple outward.
The Ancient One returned to Kamar-Taj with her disciples.
But instead of relief, there was a shadow in her eyes.
As soon as she arrived, she solemnly declared she would be entering retreat.
The other sorcerers were confused.
Why would the Sorcerer Supreme, who had emerged victorious, need to meditate and train?
Even Mordo, who had the closest bond with her, asked gently what was wrong.
But she said nothing. How could she explain it?
The truth was something she dared not speak aloud:
A green rune, a fel mark, had been burned into her very soul.
She hadn't even provoked the monster.
But still, he'd chosen her.
The evil energy she'd seen and felt, was unlike anything she had ever encountered. More invasive and corrupting than even the Dark Dimension's influence.
She feared that even mentioning it would be enough to lead her students astray.
After all, Kaecilius had fallen to Dormammu's lure with far less temptation.
If they sensed this new dark energy, they wouldn't stand a chance.
So instead, she lied.
"I need time to comprehend a new spell," she said softly.
Then she vanished into the mirror dimension, her heart heavy with dread.
If she couldn't eliminate that rune…
She was prepared to stay in isolation forever.
…
Meanwhile, Loki sat in cuffs aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier.
This time, he really didn't resist, he didn't even try his usual mind games.
He was way too shaken.
The Avengers had gathered once more, physically unharmed, but emotionally shattered.
They had won the battle, yes.
But they had all been humbled.
Each one had thought themselves powerful, capable of shaping the world.
But they'd faced something that rewrote their understanding of power.
Even Thor was shaken.
He had always believed that Odin, his father, was the ultimate force in the Nine Realms.
But now…?
He wasn't so sure.
'Would even Father have been able to defeat that creature?'
And worse still, he had lost his most treasured weapon.
Mjölnir.
Without his hammer, he had felt helpless.
He barely contributed to the war effort.
He clenched his fists in frustration.
'If I had Mjölnir… it wouldn't have been just Stark taking the spotlight…'
He turned toward the group of Avengers.
"Friends… who among you will accompany me to retrieve my hammer?"
His voice was far less confident than usual.
His experiences had changed him, made him more humble.
He looked at them hopefully.
They had fought side by side, and a bond had formed.
"Please," he added, almost reluctantly.
There was an awkward silence.
Then Natasha gave a polite, if clearly forced, smile.
"Uh, sorry Thor. There's… an urgent mission I need to deal with."
The truth was, Natasha Romanoff had recovered her senses.
The influence of Luke's Lucky Cat had worn off.
And now, with her agent instincts back in full force, she had zero interest in going anywhere near that cursed grocery store.
She was terrified just thinking about it.
But Thor, clueless as ever, missed the flash of panic in her eyes.
He turned to the others, hoping someone, anyone, would help him.
…