Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

February 1943, North Atlantic Ocean, southeastern Greenland Sea.

The sky was leaden gray, with low-hanging clouds seemingly within reach, filtering the midday sunlight into a cold, lifeless, pale white. The sea was far from calm, surging with long, powerful, dark green waves, carrying biting winds from the Arctic southwards, constantly pounding against the steel hulls of the ships. The air was damp, cold, and sticky, a mixture of the smell of the sea, diesel fuel, and a uniquely metallic chill.

A camouflaged and modified Fletcher-class destroyer, the USS Johnston, was cutting through the waves at an economical speed heading northeast. Its hull was painted in varying shades of gray-blue camouflage, its main guns and torpedo tubes were covered by tarpaulins, and the radar antenna on its mast was constantly rotating, vigilantly scanning the open and dangerous waters. It was approaching the Norwegian Sea, less than two hundred nautical miles from the Nazi-occupied Norwegian coastline, and faced the ever-present threat of German patrol boats, submarines, or even more terrifying—the Hydra's new high-speed attack ships.

The atmosphere in the destroyer's officers' conference room was even more somber than the weather outside. Around the rectangular conference table sat the commander and key personnel of this secret operation codenamed "Thunder."

Colonel Chester Phillips sat at the head of the table, his face more weathered and stern than two years ago, his brow habitually furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the nautical chart spread on the table. To his left sat Agent Peggy Carter, dressed in a sharp dark casual suit, her blonde hair pulled back into a neat bun, her blue eyes sharply scanning the documents and photographs on the table, her expression focused and calm. Opposite her was Howard Stark, the brilliant inventor, unusually detached from his usual nonchalant demeanor, wearing a neatly ironed but slightly oil-stained flight jacket, sketching something on the nautical chart with a pencil, muttering to himself.

Sitting next to Howard, wearing a dark blue jacket similar in style to a U.S. military officer's uniform but without any markings, calmly flipping through a stack of technical analysis reports, was Wang Huanbo.

Nearly two years had passed since he first set foot in this world of 1941. In the main world, less than two days had passed, but here, the war had entered its most brutal and crucial phase. The United States had entered the war in full force, and the Pacific and European battlefields were rife with blood and gore. Led by Captain America Steve Rogers, the Howling Commandos had successfully carried out numerous high-difficulty missions behind enemy lines in Europe, destroying several key Hydra outposts, capturing a batch of energy weapons and crucial intelligence, becoming a dagger plunged into the heart of the Nazis, and truly making the name "Captain America" ​​resound throughout the Allied forces.

Wang Huanbo, as Howard Stark's most trusted technical partner and a special shareholder of Stark Industries, became even more deeply involved in the technical aspects of this war. With SSR's "limited license" and Howard's strong guarantee, he not only continued to participate in the pre-research of the "Mark I Arc Reactor" (achieving significant breakthroughs, but still far from miniaturization and practical application), but also, as SSR's "special energy consultant," was deeply involved in the reverse engineering and countermeasures research of Hydra's energy weapons. Leveraging the auxiliary calculations of "Dragon One" and his future-oriented knowledge, he provided many key ideas, helping Howard's team make progress in energy protection materials and prototype jamming devices. Although they couldn't completely defend against the mysterious blue energy beams, they at least increased the survival rate of Allied soldiers facing Hydra commandos.

His contributions earned him a degree of recognition from Colonel Phillips (although vigilance never disappeared), and he also established a professional and respectful working relationship with Agent Carter. Of course, Hydra's "interest" in him never disappeared, and sporadic but continuous small-scale "accidents" and surveillance over the past two years were never stopped, all of which he either cleverly resolved or thwarted with the help of SSR and Howard's power.

At this moment, they were gathered on the destroyer heading towards Norway, their target being Hydra's newly built large-scale secret research and production base, codenamed "Valhalla," in the mountains of northern Norway. Based on intelligence recently extracted from a senior Hydra engineer by the Howling Commandos, and corroborated by radio interception and aerial reconnaissance, the "Valhalla" base was likely Red Skull Johann Schmidt's most important stronghold. Not only was it massive and heavily guarded, but more importantly—intelligence indicated that "large-scale application testing of Cosmic Cube energy" was underway there, potentially involving a prototype of a new weapon "capable of changing the rules of warfare."

"Gentlemen, Agent Carter, we only have one chance." Colonel Phillips' deep, powerful voice broke the silence of the conference room. He pointed to a fjord circled in red on the Norwegian coastline on the nautical chart. "'Valhalla' base is located deep within this unnamed fjord, about 120 kilometers north of Trondheim. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea on one side, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Conventional bombing is unlikely to cause fatal damage to its underground structure. Our intelligence indicates that Schmidt himself is likely to be inside the base soon. The main force of the Howling Commando, led by Captain Rogers, will launch a feint attack by land in 48 hours to draw the main defensive forces."

He looked at Howard and Wang Huanbo: "Your mission is technical assessment and sample acquisition. Stark, you will lead the technical team to enter the core area of ​​the base—the 'Main Energy Center' and 'Prototype Test Range' mentioned in the intelligence—as soon as the commando team controls the perimeter. Assess their technical level and acquire as much key equipment, blueprints, or samples as possible, especially anything directly related to the 'Cosmic Cube.' Mr. Wang," his gaze shifted to Wang Huanbo, with a businesslike scrutiny, "you will assist Stark as his chief assistant and energy expert, helping him make on-site technical assessments and focusing on anomalies in energy readings and potential vulnerabilities in defenses. Operation codename 'Scavenger.'"

"Understood, Colonel," Howard replied immediately, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a technological explorer, but his expression remained serious. "I will bring my most capable assistants and the best equipment. Wang, are our 'little toys' ready?"

Wang Huanbo nodded and closed the report in his hand: "The portable spectrum analyzer, the high-sensitivity radiation detector, the anti-interference data logger, and the prototype of the 'energy field disturbance generator' you specifically requested have all been packed and treated for shock and moisture protection. In addition, based on the previous analysis of the Hydra energy weapon circuit, I have prepared several electromagnetic pulse jamming munitions with different frequencies and waveforms, which may be able to interfere with the startup or stabilization of their energy equipment at critical moments."

"Very good." Phillips nodded slightly in satisfaction, then looked at Carter. "Agent Carter, you are in charge of overall coordination and protection. The safety of the technical team is paramount, especially after entering the core area. If the situation changes, I authorize you to take all necessary measures to ensure the safe evacuation of personnel and... the samples obtained. Remember, our main objective is to obtain technical intelligence; destroying the base is Rogers' mission. If both cannot be done simultaneously, prioritize the safety of the 'Scavenger' team."

"Yes, Colonel," Carter replied succinctly and forcefully, his gaze sweeping over Wang Huanbo and Howard with unwavering resolve.

The meeting also finalized details regarding the landing site, communications, and evacuation plan. The operation was scheduled for the early hours of the following day. Under the cover of darkness and inclement weather, the team would land on a remote beach in the fjord in LCVPs (Landing Vehicles and Personnel Craft) that Howard had personally modified for excellent sound insulation. Then, guided by scouts who had infiltrated beforehand, they would trek approximately five kilometers through mountainous terrain to reach the designated rendezvous point on the outskirts of the base.

After the meeting, Wang Huanbo didn't return to his cramped cabin to rest. He went up to the open deck on the side of the bridge, where a cold, salty sea breeze immediately hit him, dispelling the stuffiness inside the cabin. He leaned on the cold railing and looked northeast at the hazy horizon where the sea and sky met. There lay the snow-covered Norwegian coast, Nazi-occupied land, and Valhalla, where the secrets of the Cosmic Cube were hidden.

Two years of waiting, several indirect contacts and analyses, and he was finally approaching his goal. The Tesseract, the Space Stone, one of the most powerful artifacts in the Marvel Universe, possessed infinite energy and spatial rules, making it his most important objective besides the Arc Reactor technology. He certainly didn't expect to seize the Tesseract now—that would mean a direct confrontation with Red Skull, potentially triggering unpredictable timeline shifts, or even attracting the attention of Odin or the Ancient One. His goal was more pragmatic: to obtain enough pure samples of the Tesseract's energy, record direct data on its higher-dimensional spatial interference, and ideally, gain access to fragments or blueprints of its energy circuits or containers. These were crucial for understanding the nature of higher-dimensional energy, perfecting the "Dragon Rising" plan, and even addressing potential energy and space technology challenges in the main universe in the future.

"Pangu," he murmured to himself, "recall all known structural projections of the Valhalla base, mark the possible routes of main energy pipelines, and the possible locations of reactors or energy focusing devices. Based on the acquired data on Hydra energy weapons, simulate the spatial field distortion regions that may occur during their large-scale application. Establish a real-time monitoring mission; upon entering the base, simultaneously scan all abnormal energy readings, and highlight signal sources with a frequency matching greater than 70% to the characteristic spectrum of the Cosmic Cube."

"Command confirmed. Structure diagram loading. Simulation in progress. Monitoring task established, will be updated based on real-time environmental data."

The cold, electronic voice brought a sense of security. He was like a modern archaeologist infiltrating an ancient tomb with state-of-the-art detection equipment, his goal clear and his tools sophisticated.

"Worried?" a voice sounded from the side. It was Howard. He also walked onto the deck, handing over a flat silver flask. "Want a sip? Authentic Scotch whisky, to warm you up and give you some courage. To be honest, Your Majesty, this kind of frontline infiltration work is a first for me too. It's much more exciting than drawing diagrams in the lab."

Wang Huanbo took the flask, unscrewed it, and took a small sip. The strong liquor slid down his throat like a fiery thread, bringing a slight warmth. "A little nervous, but mostly... curious. To see the source of that energy with my own eyes, to verify many of our hypotheses."

"Haha, I knew it!" Howard took a big gulp, exhaling white breath. "We're all the same! Scientists' damn thirst for knowledge! Even knowing that what lies ahead might be hell, we still want to see how hellfire burns! But..." He stopped laughing, looking at Wang Huanbo with a rare seriousness. "Wang, once we're inside, stick close to me and Carter. Don't try to be a hero. Those blue lights, if you brush against them, you're dead; if you touch them, you're dead. We're here to get something, not to risk our lives. No matter how important the thing is, it's not as important as our lives. I'm counting on you to go back and help me deal with that damn plasma turbulence!"

Looking at the genuine concern in Howard's eyes, Wang Huanbo nodded: "Don't worry, Howard. I know what's important. You too, don't get so caught up in disassembling the machine that you forget to watch where you're going."

"I'll try." Howard grinned, reverting to his usual nonchalant demeanor. "By the way, I secretly added a small module to your detector that can record energy fluctuations across a wider frequency range, especially subspace harmonics. I always felt that that kind of energy... wasn't entirely from this dimension. Your 'higher-dimensional energy carrier' hypothesis might be correct."

The two stood in the cold wind for a while longer, exchanging a few technical details, until Agent Carter came up to urge them to go back and make final preparations.

At 3:00 AM the following morning, the sky was pitch black, the sea breeze was biting, and a light rain mixed with ice pellets. The camouflaged LCVP, like a silent black fish, was quietly lowered from the destroyer's side, carrying Wang Huanbo, Howard, Carter, and four carefully selected SSR commandos skilled in demolition and electronic warfare, heading towards the designated landing point. The small boat's engine had been specially treated to be extremely quiet, almost imperceptible under the cover of the sound of the waves.

After nearly two hours of bumpy and icy sailing, the small boat quietly slid ashore onto a narrow, pebble-strewn beach. Two scouts (members of the Roaring Commando) who had been waiting there immediately appeared, flashing a brief signal with their flashlights. The group quickly disembarked, dragged the waterproof case containing the equipment ashore, and, guided by the scouts, plunged into the dense, dark coniferous forest along the coast.

The next five hours were spent in cold, damp, muddy conditions and extreme tension. They trudged along the hidden trails cleared by scouts, traversing dark forests and rugged mountains. Everyone was heavily laden, but no one complained. Wang Huanbo's physique, subtly strengthened by the Light Gene, could withstand the march, but he still behaved like a technician with decent physical strength but far from superhuman, displaying fatigue just the right amount without holding them back. Howard, on the other hand, was unexpectedly resilient, gritting his teeth and keeping up despite being heavily panting.

Around eight o'clock in the morning, as dawn broke and the rain stopped, a thick fog still lingered in the mountains and forests. They arrived at the designated rendezvous point—a rocky recess on the mountainside with a good view, from which they could vaguely see about two kilometers below, the fjord that stretched deep into the mountains, and a large complex of buildings built against the mountainside and beside the water, disguised as ordinary mines and logging camps. That was the "Valhalla" base.

Even from this distance, one could see the towering walls, watchtowers, searchlights, and the faint silhouettes of soldiers moving about on the perimeter of the base. More striking was the presence of several strange metal towers, tens of meters high, standing between several buildings that resembled factories in the central area of ​​the base. The tops of the towers had intricate spherical structures, and even in the morning mist, a faint, ominous, ghostly blue light could be seen flowing across their bodies.

"An energy transmission tower, or... an energy focusing antenna." Howard raised his binoculars and said in a low voice, his voice tinged with suppressed excitement, "The stability and color of that light are almost identical to the energy characteristics of the weapons we captured before! But the intensity... my god, it's more than a hundred times stronger! This really is the core!"

Wang Huanbo was also observing through his own telescope. With the enhanced vision provided by Pangu, he could see clearer energy readings. The metal towers were indeed emitting a strong, eerie blue energy field with unique spatial interference patterns, highly consistent with the previously analyzed energy characteristics of the "Cosmic Cube." The energy seemed to be transported from deep underground within the base through some kind of conduit to these towers, then diffused or focused outwards. Inside the base, there were several other points of abnormal energy readings. One signal source, located beneath what appeared to be the main factory building, possessed energy intensity and purity far exceeding the others, almost certainly indicating the location of the Cosmic Cube or its direct energy extraction device!

"Captain, they're scheduled to attack from the east in an hour," a scout reported in a low voice. "We'll provide cover fire and guidance from here. Agent Carter, when do you plan to make your move?"

Carter glanced at his pocket watch, then surveyed the base's activity: "Once the captain's side fires and draws most of the guards' attention, we'll infiltrate through this abandoned drainage pipe on the west side. The map shows it leads to the base's underground storage area, about 300 meters from the main energy center. Howard, Mr. Wang, check the equipment. Be ready to move in five minutes."

The group checked their weapons, communicators, and individual equipment cases again. Wang Huanbo slung a specially made, slightly heavy metal backpack over his shoulder, containing the main detection instruments and the prototype of the "energy field disturbance generator." On his wrist, the controller, disguised as an ordinary watch, vibrated slightly, indicating that the remote connection with the armor was normal and the power was sufficient. This was his last trump card, to be used only as a last resort.

Time passed slowly amidst the tense wait. Only the sound of the wind and the occasional birdcall echoed through the mountains and forests. The base below appeared calm, but a sense of impending doom hung in the air.

It was exactly 9:20 a.m.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of violent explosions suddenly erupted from the direction of the eastern valley! This was followed by intense machine gun fire and shouts of battle! The tranquility was shattered. Searchlights immediately illuminated the watchtowers and walls on the east side of the base, alarms blared, and countless soldiers poured out of barracks and fortifications, rushing towards the direction of the explosions. Inside the base, the sounds of hurried footsteps and German commands also filled the air.

"The captain has made his move!" the scout whispered.

Carter made a decisive decision: "Now! Move out!"

Like arrows released from a bow, the group burst from their hiding place and rushed down the steep slope toward the waist-high concrete drainage pipe hidden behind bushes. Two SSR commandos quickly blasted open the rusted iron fence with explosive cords, and the group filed in.

The pipes were dark, damp, and filled with the smell of decay. They switched on the miniature headlamps on their helmets and waded quickly through knee-deep sewage. The pipes wound their way down, extending deeper into the base. The sounds of explosions and gunfire in the distance grew muffled, but remained clearly audible.

After advancing for about ten minutes, an upward-pointing iron ladder and a heavy cast-iron manhole cover appeared ahead. One of the commandos carefully pried open the cover a crack, observed for a moment, and whispered, "Safe! It's a corner of the underground warehouse, piled high with wooden crates, no one here for now!"

The group quickly climbed the iron ladder and arrived at a dark, empty, and huge underground warehouse filled with various supply boxes. The air was thick with dust and the smell of machine oil. In the distance, the faint roar of machinery and the sounds of people running could be heard.

"This way!" Carter pointed to the entrance to a passageway on one side of the warehouse, referring to the hand-drawn sketch. The passageway was dimly lit, with rough cement walls and tire tracks on the floor.

They proceeded cautiously along the passage, avoiding the occasional Hydra soldiers rushing past, clearly heading to reinforce the east side. The pointer on Howard's portable radiation detector began to sway slightly, the swaying increasing as they went deeper.

"The energy readings are rising... the direction is right." Howard's voice was very low, but his eyes shone even brighter.

After navigating several side streets and dodging two patrols, they finally arrived at a heavy alloy door with a complex mechanical lock and electronic keypad. The door was inscribed in German: "Hauptenergiezentrum - Unbefugter Zutritt verboten!" (Main Energy Center - Unauthorized Entry Prohibited!)

"This is it." Carter signaled to the assault team to prepare the breaching explosives. Howard and Wang Huanbo quickly took out detection equipment from their backpacks and began recording energy readings around the door.

"The readings are off the charts!" Howard gasped, staring at the wildly fluctuating numbers on the screen. "Behind the door... the energy intensity is terrifyingly high! And... there's a strong spatial distortion signal!"

Wang Huanbo's instrument also displayed similar data, but he focused more on spectral analysis. Under Pangu's real-time processing, the energy spectrum captured by the instrument matched an astonishing 92% with the previously established characteristic spectrum of the "Cosmic Cube"! Behind the door lay the target!

"Ready to break down the goal! Three, two, one!"

"Boom!"

A soft explosion rang out, and the alloy door lock was blown open. Two assault team members quickly broke down the door, guns drawn, and rushed in, with Carter close behind. Howard and Wang Huanbo exchanged a glance, then raised their submachine guns (Wang Huanbo's was a modified M3 Grease Gun, lighter and more portable) and followed them inside.

The sight behind the door made even those who were somewhat prepared hold their breath instantly.

This is an extremely vast space with a ceiling height of over twenty meters, more like a factory workshop. But in the center of the workshop, there are no huge machine tools or assembly lines, but a breathtaking central platform surrounded by countless complex metal structures, shimmering electron tubes, and transparent pipes flowing with eerie blue energy.

On the platform, a cube, about one meter square, floated, emitting a soft and stable blue light. The light wasn't dazzling, yet it seemed to possess a tangible quality, subtly distorting the surrounding space, causing light to refract strangely near it. Inside the cube, countless stars seemed to slowly rotate, be born, and perish, containing an indescribable, vast, and boundless power.

Cosmic Cube!

Even from tens of meters away, one could feel the immense yet subtle energy fluctuations emanating from the cube. Space here became fragile and dynamic, light distorted, and even the air seemed to tremble slightly.

Surrounding the Rubik's Cube were several enormous and complex machines, connected by thick energy conduits that guided, diverted, and amplified the blue energy it emitted, sending it to the massive energy converters and storage tanks pulsating like the hearts of giants around the workshop. Further away, energy could be seen flowing through thick pipes to the towering structures they had seen on their way in.

The workshop wasn't empty. Near the entrance, several technicians in white coats were frantically hiding behind control panels. Deeper inside, about a squad of elite Hydra soldiers, under the command of an unusually tall officer wearing a strange mask (clearly Red Skull's personal guard), were using the machines and equipment as cover to fire at the intruders! Blue energy beams and bullets flew everywhere!

"Fire! Suppress them! Howard, Mr. Wang, find an opportunity to get close to the platform and take samples!" Carter yelled as she precisely fired her Webberly revolver.

A fierce firefight erupted instantly. The SSR commandos were well-trained and possessed fierce firepower, but the Hydra soldiers were equipped with energy weapons that had a high rate of fire and great power, resulting in a stalemate for a time. Sparks flew everywhere in the workshop, equipment exploded, and debris flew all over the place.

Howard and Wang Huanbo hid behind a heavy metal control panel at the entrance. Howard was both excited and nervous, clutching a specially made sampling probe with vacuum adsorption and cryogenic isolation devices. "Wang! The energy reading is too strong! A conventional sampler would probably overload or even be torn apart by space if it got too close! We need to find a way to interfere with or weaken the energy field around it!"

Wang Huanbo's gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield, his brain working at high speed with the aid of Pangu. Directly touching the Rubik's Cube was suicidal. But the energy conduits connecting to the cube, the converters—perhaps there was a chance. His gaze locked onto the nearest transparent energy conduit, about half a meter in diameter, extending from the Rubik's Cube platform. Liquid, eerie blue energy surged within the conduit, connecting to a buzzing, cylindrical converter. The conduit's outer shell appeared to be a special type of high-strength glass, with complex cooling circuits.

"See that conduit? It connects to the third converter!" Wang Huanbo shouted to Howard. "The outer shell might be the only non-energy-protected point! Use your sampler to attach to the outer shell and try to extract a sample of the 'edge radiation' of the energy flow inside the conduit! At the same time, activate the 'perturbation generator,' aim it at the largest energy convergence node below the Rubik's Cube platform, and try using our simulated reverse spatial harmonics to see if we can temporarily disrupt its energy output stability and reduce the sampling difficulty!"

"Understood!" Howard's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled out the shoebox-sized metal box from his backpack—an energy field disturbance generator. He quickly set the parameters and aimed the generator at the base node that Wang Huanbo had pointed out, located directly below the Rubik's Cube and composed of complex coils and crystals.

Wang Huanbo raised his grease gun and fired a precise burst at the two Hydra soldiers attempting to flank him, suppressing them. Simultaneously, the controller on his wristband activated, connecting the Ironblood armor's remote scanning system, which began scanning the entire workshop for energy flow, structural weaknesses, and all thermal signals with greater precision. Data refreshed rapidly at the edge of his field of vision.

"Howard! Now!"

Howard slammed down the start button for the disturbance generator!

"Buzz—!!!"

A strange hum, so deep it was almost beyond human hearing, yet it made the air in the entire workshop vibrate. The disturbance generator emitted an invisible, distorted wave that struck the energy convergence node.

In an instant, the blue light emitted by the Rubik's Cube showed extremely subtle, water-like ripples! Although it quickly stabilized, for that brief moment, the light in all the energy conduits connected to the Rubik's Cube noticeably dimmed and fluctuated! The lights in the workshop also dimmed! The Hydra energy weapons that were firing also seemed to experience a momentary instability in power, with some deviating from their target or exploding prematurely.

"Success! Sampling!" Howard roared, forcefully throwing the sampling probe in his hand! The probe's tail was attached to a tough nanocable, which, under the action of the vacuum adsorption device, precisely adhered to the outer shell of the target energy conduit! The micro-pump and cryogenic isolation chamber inside the probe immediately began to work, attempting to extract the extremely small amount of high-energy particles or radiation that might have escaped from the outer shell of the conduit due to energy flow disturbances.

Wang Huanbo didn't stop. Taking advantage of the brief chaos, he rushed out from behind the cover and moved rapidly between machines and equipment with superhuman speed and agility, while his detector frantically recorded readings from various locations. He paid particular attention to the structure, materials, and wiring of the energy converters. Pangu was simultaneously performing 3D modeling and data annotation.

"Carter! Sampling takes time! We have at most three minutes. The commotion here will definitely attract more enemies!" Howard shouted anxiously while staring at the sampler's reading.

Carter knew the situation was critical. The gunfire from the east seemed to be approaching, indicating that the captain's feint attack had worked and they might even be making a real advance into the core area. But the Hydra guards here were extremely tenacious, and there seemed to be even more soldiers pouring out from deeper within the workshop.

"Withdraw immediately after obtaining the sample! Return the way you came!" Carter decisively ordered, while simultaneously opening fire on the enemies attempting to approach Howard and Wang Huanbo.

Suddenly, deep within the workshop, the light of the suspended Cosmic Cube stabilized once more, and it seemed... to become even brighter and more active! A deep and majestic hum, as if from time immemorial, faintly emanated from within the cube, drowning out all the gunfire and explosions!

"Not good!" Alarm bells rang in Wang Huanbo's mind. Pangu's scan showed that the Rubik's Cube's energy output was increasing rapidly, and the degree of spatial distortion was intensifying! Red Skull might have sensed the interference, or... he was about to activate something!

Almost simultaneously, a hidden lift door on the other side of the workshop suddenly opened! A tall man in a crisp Hydra officer's uniform, but most strikingly, with a terrifying face that looked as if his skin had been peeled away to reveal bright red muscles and bones, strode out, surrounded by a squad of elite guards! In his hand, he held a strangely shaped energy pistol with an unstable blue glow at the muzzle. His inhuman eyes swept across the battlefield with a cold and crazed gaze, finally settling on the Cosmic Cube, before slowly moving toward Howard, who was attempting to take samples, and Wang Huanbo, who was nearby.

John Schmidt, the Red Skull!

"Foolish rat, daring to lay a finger on the power of the gods." Red Skull's voice was hoarse and cold, with a metallic, scraping quality. He raised his energy pistol, not aiming at anyone, but at the energy node beneath the Cosmic Cube, the one that had just been disturbed by the disturbance generator.

"Let you, along with this boring base, become sacrifices on the journey to the new divine realm!"

He pulled the trigger! A terrifying stream of energy, thicker, more condensed, and almost deep purple in color than any previous energy beam, shot towards that node!

"Stop him!" Carter screamed, but it was too late!

A deep purple energy stream struck the node. There was no explosion, but the entire Cosmic Cube suddenly erupted with an intense, blinding blue light! That light instantly filled the massive workshop, engulfing everything! Space emitted a groan of unbearable strain, like shattering glass! Centered on the cube, a twisted, rotating spatial vortex, over ten meters in diameter, its interior shimmering with countless stars and strange lights, appeared out of thin air! A violent suction force instantly surged forth, and fragments of equipment, smaller pieces of equipment, and even a few Hydra soldiers nearby were screamed as they were sucked into the vortex and vanished!

"Space gate! He's forcibly opening an unstable space gate! Run!" Howard yelled at Wang Huanbo and Carter, his eyes bloodshot, as he frantically retrieved the sampling probe (which showed 87% sampling completion).

A terrifying suction force enveloped everyone. Wang Huanbo felt his body being pulled by an invisible, immense force, sliding towards the raging spatial vortex! He slammed the detector in his hand against a nearby sturdy metal support, simultaneously channeling light energy into his feet, pinning them firmly to the ground to resist the suction. He saw Carter and the assault team members also struggling to hold onto something stable; Howard was almost sucked in, but was held back by an assault team member.

Red Skull stood at the edge of the vortex, laughing maniacally, indifferent to the scene of destruction before him, even with a morbid appreciation. He glanced one last time at the raging vortex, then at the struggling crowd, especially in the direction of Howard and Wang Huanbo, as if he had memorized their faces. Then, he turned and, with a few core guards, rushed towards a small, relatively stable blue portal that had suddenly lit up on the other side of the workshop! The portal seemed to be a pre-set escape route.

"He's going to run!" Carter raised her revolver, but the violent shaking and suction made it impossible for her to aim.

Just then, the east wall shattered in a series of massive explosions! Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a lithe figure wielding a Stars and Stripes shield and clad in a dark blue combat suit burst in like a cannonball! It was Steve Rogers, Captain America! Behind him followed several core members of the Howling Commandos!

The captain immediately spotted the terrifying spatial vortex and his struggling companions, as well as the Red Skull about to step into the portal.

"Schmidt!" the captain roared, and without hesitation, he used all his strength to hurl the vibranium shield in his hand like a frisbee! The shield sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and struck the Tesseract in Red Skull's hand precisely—not Red Skull himself, but the Tesseract he was holding, which seemed to be the key to activate and stabilize that small portal!

"clang--!!!"

A strange, deafening roar, as if two cosmic laws had collided, rang out! The vibranium shield and the Tesseract clashed violently! The Tesseract instantly flew out of his hand, tracing a blue trajectory in the air, and surprisingly, landed precisely in the direction of the spatial vortex! The small portal in Red Skull's hand, losing the Tesseract's energy support, flickered violently a few times, then abruptly contracted and vanished! Red Skull's roar of shock and rage was drowned out by the explosion and the spatial groans. He and several guards were left behind in the blue light of the collapsing portal, their fates unknown.

The cosmic cube, released from the hand, was not immediately sucked into the spatial vortex. It tumbled in the air, its energy interfering and surging with the raging vortex, causing the vortex's suction force to fluctuate and weaken extremely briefly and chaotically!

"Now! Retreat!" the captain yelled at everyone, charging towards Carter and Howard, who were closest to him.

Wang Huanbo had been waiting for this opportunity! The instant the suction weakened, he abruptly released his grip on the support. Instead of running backward, he used the remaining suction and his own speed to lunge towards the direction the Cosmic Cube had originated from—the area of ​​most violent and chaotic energy! His target wasn't the cube itself (that was too conspicuous and too dangerous), but rather the several fingernail-sized crystalline fragments, radiating a dense blue light, that had been ejected from its surface during the violent collision and energy interference! These were the purest energy crystals that had broken off from the Cosmic Cube itself under the high-energy impact!

His movements were as fast as lightning. While everyone's (including the captain's) attention was focused on escaping and Red Skull, his hand, aided by the micro-management of Ultra Telekinesis, precisely swept through the air and instantly scooped up the three or four largest blue crystal fragments with the strongest energy reaction, storing them directly into the system space without hesitation!

It was scalding hot to the touch, as if you were holding a condensed star. Even when isolated by the system space, you could feel the immense energy and profound spatial laws within it.

Success!

Without pausing, he used the momentum of his forward lunge to roll on the ground, dissipating the force, and then sprinted towards the direction where Carter, Howard, and the captain would reunite. Behind him, the spatial vortex, deprived of the close-range energy support of the Rubik's Cube, began to contract and expand rapidly and unstablely, emitting a destructive hiss. The suction force intensified again, but its direction became chaotic.

"Wang! Over here!" Howard was both surprised and delighted to see Wang Huanbo rushing over, and reached out to pull him back.

"Go!" The captain took the lead, shielding the others with his shield as they rushed towards the warehouse passage they had come from. Behind them, the workshop continued to collapse, swallowed by spatial turbulence, and then, with a deafening roar, the terrifying energy storm suddenly contracted into a singularity before violently exploding, completely obliterating the core area of ​​the "Valhalla" base!

The shockwave sent everyone flying like leaves, crashing heavily against the tunnel walls. Fortunately, they had already traveled some distance, and the captain and the shield had absorbed most of the frontal impact; they were only shaken so badly that their blood was churning and blood was flowing from their ears and noses.

No one looked back. Amidst the suffocating dust and the acrid smell of burning, they supported each other and ran desperately along the path they had come from, through the constantly collapsing rubble and twisted metal.

Behind him lies the destruction of Valhalla, the aftermath of the spatial catastrophe caused by the Cosmic Cube, and the mystery of Red Skull's uncertain fate.

Inside Wang Huanbo's system space, those tiny blue crystals lay quietly, emitting a vast and mysterious light that only he could perceive.

The most important goal was finally achieved at the last minute, with minimal intervention and maximum risk.