It was another sunny day in the town of Sip.
But even under the bright sunshine, an air of sadness and gloom hung over the town. A large portion of the houses and equipment had been destroyed. This bizarre disaster had claimed the lives of over 4,000 people, leaving only fewer than 2,000 survivors.
The survivors recalled the nights they spent hiding in fear from the fog, watching one familiar friend or family member after another being captured by horrible, ugly monsters, leaving behind only the monsters' excited roars, screams, and the sounds of chewing.
Those scenes had become a complete nightmare.
However, some of them had witnessed the gods in golden armor at the start of the event, displaying their powerful, majestic, holy, and dignified presence. This image was now seared into their minds. In the darkness and despair, it became their inner hope, etched deep into their souls.
They became the first believers, even without knowing the name of the god they worshipped.
They spread the word and drew pictures of the gods. Coincidentally, other residents who were still terrified of the darkness and monsters found comfort and spiritual support in these images. Soon, the entire town's surviving population became believers in the unknown god.
Barton, Natasha Romanoff, and Phil Coulson were now facing a major headache.
The three of them belonged to an extremely mysterious department, officially known as the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, or S.H.I.E.L.D. for short.
It was a special agency dedicated to handling various strange events.
The three of them were elite agents of this department.
The unusual situation in Sip had caught the department's attention, so Director Nick Fury had sent them to investigate.
In addition to the three of them, there was also a group of agents from the action and science divisions.
After an on-site inspection and questioning, they gathered to summarize the investigation's results, which left them with a headache.
Are there supernatural events on Earth? Absolutely. Their department investigated and handled many such cases every year. Some supernatural creatures from movies, TV shows, and horror novels—such as vampires, werewolves, and other dark beings—also existed.
However, under the strict rules of human society, they were either completely hidden or had integrated themselves into human society.
Natasha Romanoff hadn't been with the department for many years, but she had handled several such cases, which were usually dealt with by a special operations team created specifically for these dark creatures.
She initially thought this time would be similar.
However, the fog, the monsters, the final battle, the boy in golden armor, the magician in coarse robes, the hundreds-of-meters-high purple-glowing crack, the inhuman roars, the terrifying energy beams...
These descriptions exceeded the three agents' expectations. But there were no monster bodies left at the scene, not even a single drop of blood.
The agents from the science department also provided a preliminary test report.
"Different energy signatures were left behind?"
"Yes, there are at least three different energy signatures, but our current instruments and equipment cannot replicate them."
The science agent sounded a bit helpless, then became excited. "But according to the residents' descriptions, I believe that the purple, glowing crack that was hundreds of meters high was very likely an intersection with another dimension."
"Those monsters must have invaded the town through this dimensional intersection, and those mysterious people somehow managed to close the intersection."
The theories of a parallel universe and space-time were just speculations in the scientific community without any substantial evidence. But after today's investigation, he believed this theory was likely true.
If this discovery were ever released or even had substantial evidence, he would be remembered in the history of the scientific community and gain endless fame and fortune.
He understood that this was impossible.
First, even with descriptions from residents, there was no substantial evidence. Even if it were confirmed, according to the department's confidentiality regulations, he and every agent on the scene would have to sign the highest level of confidentiality agreements, and the investigation files would be sealed as top secret by the director.
Those residents would be ordered to keep quiet and be monitored closely. Anyone with the potential to spread the news would be immediately detained.
"Agent Phil Coulson, these are the sketches drawn by our artists based on the descriptions of all the residents who witnessed the incident."
An agent from the action team came over and handed Phil Coulson a few stacks of sketches.
Phil Coulson, Barton, and Natasha Romanoff exchanged glances and began to look through them.
The artists S.H.I.E.L.D. recruited had to have a solid foundation.
In addition to being proficient in art skills, drawing, and imaginative recreation, they also had to be masters of psychology, criminology, and other fields. They were among the world's top auxiliary talents.
The auxiliary department had more than a dozen top artists and dozens of high-level artists. The department spent a lot of money every year to maintain this team, so their artistic ability was exceptional. The vividness of the drawings on the special paper was immediately apparent.
The drawings showed lifelike, horrifying, and ugly monsters with ferocious teeth, scale-like armor, spikes, and others with barbed tentacles. Just one look at them sent a shiver down one's spine.
But there were only a few paintings that truly captured the attention of the three agents.
In one painting, a handsome boy stood in the sun, wearing noble and magnificent golden armor, surrounded by the wreckage of monster corpses. The magicians in coarse robes, holding magic shields, stood a dozen meters away, looking at each other.
Because the peeping residents were too far away, they couldn't clearly describe the boy's appearance, only vaguely reporting that he was handsome. The same was true for the magicians.
As a result, the notes on the drawing board specifically highlighted this point.
(End of Chapter)
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