"What a beautiful group of ladies, and they're this strong too. Truly admirable!"
Thor had flown over without anyone noticing, landing beside Tony and Rogers while speaking to himself.
"I suggest you kill that thought. Don't provoke even one of them. Any of these women could beat you senseless, Mr. Explosion Protagonist," Tony said, setting Rogers down on the ground.
"Explosion Protagonist? Who's that?" Thor asked in confusion.
"It's the main character of an old movie. You should watch it, you're pretty similar," Rogers replied while brushing dust off his uniform.
"Wow, a man in his nineties who actually knows that film? Now that's surprising!" Tony smirked in mock amazement.
"…," Rogers fell silent.
"Kid, has your mouth always been this sharp?" Rogers shot back, unwilling to lose.
"…," Tony returned the silence.
"Uh, sorry. No offense," Tony forced a laugh.
"Nick Fury recommended I watch it. Said it would help me understand this era better," Rogers explained.
"Explosion Protagonist, to understand this era? Wow, Fury really knows how to pick. Then again, he's an old man stuck in the past too. So, how much have you understood so far?" Tony asked with clear disdain.
"What I saw in the movie is nothing like what I'm seeing now. I suspect that film was about an entirely different world," Rogers shrugged.
Thor frowned, confused. "Movie? I don't understand what you're saying."
"Think of it like a stage play. Pretty much the same thing," Tony explained.
"Oh, one of those pointless things with no substance that waste time. Not interesting. Drinking is better," Thor muttered.
Just then, a Quinjet uncloaked and descended in front of them.
Nick Fury stepped out, walking toward Effie and the ship girls.
"My apologies, what just happened was a misunderstanding. Please don't take it to heart," Fury said politely.
"Do not let it happen again. Or deal with the consequences," Effie glanced at him coldly before opening a magic gate to leave.
"Wait, Miss Effie. Please, give my regards to Mr. Phils. S.H.I.E.L.D. will always be a friend to the Roland family," Fury called out quickly.
"If you want sincerity, say it to my young master's face when he returns," Effie answered.
"Of course. May I ask, where has Mr. Phils gone, and when will he be back? I'd like to schedule a visit in advance," Fury asked carefully.
"Hell. As for when he'll return, we don't know. You'll just have to wait," Effie said bluntly. She ignored Fury's reaction, stepped into the magic gate with the ship girls, and vanished.
"Hell… so it's true. Phils is the Lord of Life," Fury muttered, a sharp glint in his eye.
All the mysteries surrounding the Roland family suddenly made sense.
"To think such overwhelming power belongs to a human… that eases my worries," Fury thought silently.
At that moment, Natasha walked up to him. "He's alive. His body's fine, just weak."
"Anyone would be weak after hosting two giants inside them. The fact that he survived is already a miracle. Restrain him and bring him back to base. He'll be a new member of the Avengers," Fury ordered.
"New member? You mean that big green guy?" Tony asked curiously.
"The green guy has a name, Bruce Banner. He's also an outstanding biologist. With his addition, I believe our team's strength will rise greatly, Mr. Stark," Fury said.
"Fair enough. Still, aside from me, there aren't many normal people in this team. All freaks. No wonder we're strong," Tony quipped.
"…" Everyone else was speechless.
"You talk too much, Mr. Stark. Enough. Let's return," Fury said as he boarded the Quinjet.
Tony just shrugged and followed with a calm expression.
…
On a barren, frozen planet, a man with a scepter stood before the masked leader of the Chitauri.
"The Chitauri grow impatient, Loki."
"Tell them to prepare for battle. I will lead them in a glorious war," Loki declared with confidence.
"War? Against those ants on Earth?" the Chitauri leader sneered.
"A lightning war, swift and glorious. As long as your army is truly as powerful as you claim…"
"You dare question us?" the Chitauri leader stepped forward, murderous intent flaring.
"Remember who gave you this scepter, who gifted you ancient knowledge and a new purpose when you were a defeated exile," the alien spat.
"Enough. I am king, the rightful heir to Asgard. This is only a partnership. Spare me talk of favors. You want the Tesseract, and I want Earth. That is all," Loki said coldly.
"Pathetic. Short-sighted. You waste your thoughts on one tiny world, while we aim beyond Earth to the endless stars the Tesseract will unlock," the Chitauri leader sneered.
"But the Tesseract is in my hands. Without it, your grand dreams are just empty words," Loki replied.
"You dare threaten me?" the Chitauri leader leaned in, eyes full of killing intent.
"I'm only stating the truth. Until the space portal opens, until your army answers to me, your promises mean nothing," Loki said firmly.
"Hmph. You will have your war, foolish Asgardian. But if you fail, if the Tesseract falls into another's hands, there will be no nation, no planet, not even a crack in the universe for you to hide. You know what true suffering feels like? When the time comes, you will," the alien whispered with deadly promise.
…
Hell Dimension.
Roland Phils staggered across the burning wasteland, clothes torn, blood at his lips, body scarred with grievous wounds.
He looked ragged and worn, a far cry from the unstoppable force who had first stepped into Hell.
But despite his condition, a smile hung on his face.
Because in his hand, he carried Mephisto's severed head.
Three days of battle.
The clash had shaken Hell itself, evenly matched and endless.
But in the end, Roland won by a thin margin.
The Lord of Hell, Mephisto, was dead. His body destroyed, his soul extinguished. He would never return.
Many believed Roland had already stepped into the mid-tier true god realm. Even Mephisto had thought so.
But the truth was different.
The fusion of the Sentry Serum had skyrocketed Roland's power, but he was still only at the peak of a lower true god, with sixty divine powers. Forty short of the hundred needed to ascend further.
By logic, someone with only sixty divine powers should never have been able to kill a cosmic overlord like Mephisto.
But Roland had something others did not.
Three divine authorities, including the Gate of Reincarnation, natural nemesis to Mephisto.
That power allowed him to fight above his level.
He had gambled everything by stepping into Hell itself to challenge its master. It was madness. Yet it worked.
Still, he learned a painful truth: fighting on an enemy's home ground was a suffocating disadvantage. Without his countering authority, he would have been the one to die.
Fortunately, luck favored him. He killed Mephisto, body and soul.
Hell now had no master.
The crushing pressure of the dimension vanished, leaving Roland free.
Then a system prompt sounded in his mind.
[System]: A mid-tier true god corpse has been detected. Consume for 10 million faith points. Consume?
"So this is the devouring method the system mentioned. But why does it require faith points? Ten million isn't a small number. Luckily, I stored plenty before converting them to divine power," Roland thought.
If he devoured Mephisto, he could potentially leap into the mid-tier realm instantly.
If not, he'd need forty more divine powers, equal to forty billion faith points. At his current rate of 1.2 million per day, that would take nine years.
By then, Thanos would surely descend.
And Thanos, with the Infinity Gauntlet, was no mere overlord. He was a true multiversal titan, far beyond Mephisto.
If Roland struggled this much against Mephisto, he had no chance against Thanos.
Time was short. Power was urgent.
Compared to forty billion, ten million was nothing.
This was an opportunity he could not ignore.
Without hesitation, he chose to devour.
[System]: You have devoured the power of a mid-tier true god, the Lord of Hell. You gain 103 divine powers.
[System]: Critical reward triggered. Power increased tenfold.
[System]: You gain 1030 divine powers and obtain the divine authority, Power of Death.
"!!!"
Roland froze.
Not only had he leapt past the mid-tier barrier, but the system's reward had catapulted him to an unimaginable level.
He now held four divine authorities: Life, Light, Reincarnation, and Death.
His status had changed forever.
[Deity]: Jason Kin (Roland Phils)
[Authorities]: Seed of Life, Light, Reincarnation, Death
[Titles]: Lord of Life, God of Light, Master of Reincarnation, Ruler of Hell
[Rank]: Mid-tier True God
[Divine Power]: 1090
[Faith]: 5,550,028
[Followers]: Humans
[Domain]: Realm of Life, Hell Dimension
A new god had risen.
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