Chapter 239 240: Four Stones

After a moment of silence, Mavuika asked, "What is the situation with S.H.I.E.L.D. now?"

Fury said, "I have locked down all access points and initiated Level 1 alert. But the enemy has obtained the Tesseract—if they want to come back, we cannot stop them."

Mavuika was silent for a moment. "Director Fury, listen to me. What you need to do is protect yourselves. Leave the matter of the Tesseract to me."

Fury did not press further. "Alright, take care of yourself."

The call ended.

Mavuika put away his phone and looked at Hela, Thor, and Loki.

"Thanos has already obtained the Space Stone. It seems he was able to enter Nidavellir silently because of it."

Hela's expression finally changed; not out of fear, but gravity. She realized the seriousness of the situation.

"If he has the Space Stone, it means his fleet can appear anywhere—Asgard, Earth, Kamar-Taj—he can go wherever he wants."

Mavuika took a deep breath and quickly made a decision.

"I will send a message to Heimdall first, telling him to inform Father King of the situation and have Asgard prepare for battle. Then, we will go to Kamar-Taj."

He raised his hand, and Thousand Blazing Suns condensed in his palm. The flame patterns on the sword's blade lit up, and the Eternal Flame crystal on the crossguard emitted a faint glow.

He injected his consciousness into the sword and, through the Rainbow Stone within it, transmitted a short message to Heimdall.

"Thanos is collecting Infinity Stones, and his targets include Asgard's Reality Stone. Inform Father King that all of Asgard is on high alert."

After the message was sent, he could feel the Rainbow Stone in the sword flicker, like a heartbeat.

"Let's go," Mavuika said. "To Kamar-Taj."

He raised his hand and drew a circle in the air. Sparks flew, and a circular Portal unfolded in the air.

On the other side of the door was the courtyard of Kamar-Taj—ancient stone buildings, a floor paved with blue bricks, a few sturdy pine trees, and the outline of snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Hela walked last, and she looked back at Mavuika.

"Are you sure we should go to Kamar-Taj first? Perhaps I should return to Asgard."

Mavuika looked at her, his eyes filled with a hint of contemplation.

"Let's check the situation first. Kamar-Taj has the eye of agamotto—the Time Stone. If Thanos's next target is there, we must first confirm their defensive preparations."

Hela did not argue and stepped into the Portal.

The Portal closed behind them, the sparks dissipated, and the coastline of northern Norway returned to quiet, with only the sea breeze and the low murmur of distant waves remaining.

In the courtyard of Kamar-Taj, the evening breeze was blowing, and the branches and leaves of the pine trees swayed gently in the wind.

Several young sorcerers were practicing magic. Seeing Mavuika and the others walk in, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at them curiously.

They did not recognize Hela, nor Thor and Loki, but they all recognized Mavuika—an old friend of the Ancient One, the person who had helped them greatly during the battle against the Dark Dimension.

Mavuika did not stop, walking straight through the courtyard toward the tea room. He sensed a familiar energy fluctuation in the tea room—Strange.

The tea room door was open, and Strange was sitting inside, with an ancient magic book spread out in front of him and a cup of tea in his hand.

He was wearing a red robe, and the eye of agamotto hung on his chest, the golden pendant shimmering slightly under the light.

He looked much more composed than the last time they met. Although there were a few fine lines on his forehead, the tenseness in his eyes from when he first took over as Sorcerer Supreme had faded quite a bit; he had begun to adapt to this position.

Seeing Mavuika walk in, he put down his book and stood up. "Your Highness Mavuika, why are you here?"

Mavuika did not exchange pleasantries and asked directly, "Where is the Ancient One?"

Strange's expression shifted slightly. "She is gone."

Mavuika looked at him. "Gone? Where to?"

Strange shook his head. "I don't know. After she stepped down, she said she wanted to go out for a walk, to see the Nine Realms, to see the Universe—"

"She said she had lived for hundreds of years, and other than Kamar-Taj and Earth, she had almost never been anywhere else, and she wanted to see the world."

"She didn't say where she was going, nor when she would return. The last time I contacted her was three months ago. She was on a distant Planet, saying there was scenery there she hadn't seen before. There has been no news since."

Mavuika frowned. The Ancient One was gone.

No wonder Thanos chose to make his move at this time. The Ancient One had left Earth, Odin was old and frail, and of the four Father-level powerhouses originally within the Nine Realms, only the pair Mavuika and Hela remained.

It was indeed the best time to act.

Subsequently, Mavuika informed Dr. Strange of the news about Thanos, causing him to frown deeply with a serious expression.

"Thanos has at least four stones in his possession now. There are still Asgard's Reality Stone and Kamar-Taj's Time Stone remaining—if he truly collects all six, no one can stop him."

Hela walked to Mavuika's side and crossed her arms over her chest. "Then we will ensure he cannot get the remaining two. I will return to Asgard to hold the fort; he won't be allowed to touch the Reality Stone."

Mavuika looked at her. "By yourself?"

The corners of Hela's mouth lifted slightly. "The Valkyrie Legion and the Undead Legion are still there; Asgard's defenses are not mere furnishings."

Mavuika was silent for a moment. "Alright, you return to Asgard. I will stay on Earth and hold the fort at Kamar-Taj. Thor and Loki—"

He looked at his two younger brothers.

"—you guard Earth, keep an eye on the Eternals and the God embryo. Also, keep watch over Earth's defensive line."

Thor wanted to say something, but Loki tugged at him, and he closed his mouth.

"Alright," Thor said.

Hela did not say anything more. She turned and walked toward the courtyard.

Mavuika raised his hand, and Thousand Blazing Suns condensed once again. The light of the Bifrost Bridge descended from the sky, enveloping Hela. Hela's figure became blurred in the colorful light and then disappeared.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Strange looked at Mavuika. "Your Highness Mavuika, we need to be prepared. If Thanos really comes to Kamar-Taj—"

Mavuika nodded. "That's right, he will definitely come. The Time Stone is something he must obtain. Before he arrives, I need to make some arrangements."

He took out his phone and dialed Wanda's number.

The phone rang twice before it was answered on the other end. "Mavuika?"

"Wanda, listen to me. Earth may be in danger. You and Pietro stay in the apartment and do not leave. If there is anything unusual, tell me immediately."

Wanda was silent for a second. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, protect yourself and Pietro."

"Alright." Wanda's reply was short and firm.