Coulson wasn't entirely without suspicion that Li Ming might still be hiding some of the Gravity Orb. But given how the substance could shift between spherical and flat forms, he had no concrete evidence to accuse Li Ming of withholding it.
More importantly, a voice in Coulson's mind told him that keeping the Gravity Orb within S.H.I.E.L.D. was far too risky. It might be better to let Li Ming take more of it—that way, even if S.H.I.E.L.D. caused some disaster, the damage would be minimized.
This self-persuasion grew especially strong whenever Coulson considered reporting his concerns to Fury.
And deep down, Coulson had a vague premonition—as if the moment he snitched, Li Ming would somehow find out in the next second.
If that happened, the petty Li Ming would probably pester him endlessly, driving him up the wall.
After much deliberation, Coulson ultimately chose to stay silent. But was Fury's favor really so easy to take?
Just as Li Ming grinned at the Gravity Orb inside the container, mentally preparing to extinguish the Hellfire and head home to rest, Coulson pulled the excited man aside and whispered, "Fury agreed to give you half of the Gravity Orb. Don't you think you owe him a favor now?"
"A favor?" Li Ming smirked. "What favor? He just knows I can contact alien civilizations and wants to buy some extraterrestrial tech through me. Let me make this clear—I have no idea what kind of tech I can get. If it turns out to be purely magical skills or civilian-grade technology with no weapons involved, don't blame me."
Coulson nodded indifferently. "Any technology is welcome at S.H.I.E.L.D. Even if it's just a device that produces food from water and trace elements in the air, we'll take it."Li Ming scratched his head, "That sounds like a device for making liquid food on a spaceship. Is this considered a simple little gadget?" After a pause, he pointed at Ian Quinn's house and said, "Once the fire is out, I'll leave directly. No need to prepare dinner for me."
"We didn't prepare dinner for you anyway," Coulson said irritably.
When it came to eating, Coulson was certain that Li Ming must have starved to death in his previous life.
Damn it, how long had this guy been in the airborne command center? The liquor in the bar and all the food on the plane had already been ravaged by Li Ming.
Anything that tasted good ended up in Li Ming's stomach, while anything that didn't went straight into the trash—the non-recyclable kind.
Every time Coulson saw Li Ming pairing various liquors with sandwiches or instant noodles, he couldn't help but feel an inexplicable sadness and worry about whether the plane's food reserves were too meager.
This guy was truly the greatest scourge on earth.
Rubbing his forehead, Coulson suppressed his inner frustration—he had originally hoped Li Ming and Skye would bond more—and smiled gently, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to Skye before leaving?"
Li Ming thought for a moment and waved his hand, "Forget it. It's not like we're parting forever. Just tell her for me that I'll be going on a long trip soon and ask her to drop by my place in a few days if she has time."
A long trip? Coulson's eyes lit up as he wondered whether Li Ming was going out to buy alien tech or staying home to study the Gravity Orb. Just then, Li Ming opened the plane door and rode a black cloud, flipping recklessly in the air before landing to extinguish the flames.
Well, he'd have to ask for details in a few days, Coulson thought helplessly.
Back at the lakeside, Li Ming eagerly retreated into his RV to study the Gravity Orb.
Of course, he wasn't researching how to install the Gravity Orb on the RV—he had enough self-awareness to know his knowledge barely qualified him as a slacker student, let alone someone capable of converting an RV into a spaceship.
Besides, in his future plans, he would definitely visit Xandar. At that point, he could just pay someone to modify the RV. Why bother racking his brains over spaceship designs? It'd be a thankless and pointless hassle.
So, what Li Ming was actually studying was how to use gravity to temper his physical fitness.
This wasn't some idle fantasy of becoming a Super Saiyan—he knew full well that his physical condition had long been the biggest bottleneck in his growth.
Sure, he could act all tough when his Shield was up, but once it failed or his magical energy ran out, he'd just be a useless Mage at the mercy of others.
And in the future, conventional firearms would be obsolete—energy weapons would dominate the battlefield.
By then, the mana cost to maintain his Shield would be even higher.
If he accidentally exhausted his mana, did he really think he could rely on his weak physique to engage in close combat with enemies?
Without exceptional stamina, forget prolonged battles—he wouldn't even have the strength to run away. Adhering to the principle of not being a "three-second real man" but striving to become an infinite stamina master, Li Ming meticulously studied the Gravity Orb before directly carving a gravity array inside his RV. This allowed him to remain under three times Earth's gravity at all times, even while eating and sleeping.
However, after enjoying a few days of gravity training, Li Ming stumbled out of the RV on trembling legs. With a troubled expression, he collapsed onto a lounge chair, letting Kreacher give him a full-body massage while frowning at the Gravity Orb writhing in his palm as if it were alive.
The method of using the Gravity Orb for physical training differed greatly from Li Ming's initial expectations. Without a corresponding scientific training regimen, relying solely on gravity to strengthen his body not only yielded unsatisfactory results but also caused him immense suffering.
At times, Li Ming even felt the illusion that his tall stature was being compressed into something short and ugly by the gravity.
While it's said that good things come in small packages, Li Ming had no desire to be squashed into a ball by gravity.
Moreover, how long would it take to achieve a physique like Thor's—capable of withstanding bullets with sheer muscle—through gravity training alone? Probably a lifetime.
This left Li Ming deeply frustrated yet helpless, especially when recalling how protagonists in comics or sci-fi movies became superhuman in minutes using gravity training. In his case, not only had he failed to become superhuman, but he was also putting himself at risk.
Li Ming was so disheartened that he was on the verge of developing resentment.
After a long while, with the help of Kreacher's expert massage, Li Ming felt his muscles relax considerably.
But while his body had eased, his mind remained heavy with regret.
I'll just have to ask Thor for training tips if I ever meet him. For now, I should find another world to unwind in.
Smacking his lips, Li Ming slumped weakly, his eyebrows drooping. "Kreacher, pack our bags. We're going on a trip."
"Right away, boss," Kreacher replied, a hint of excitement in his voice at the prospect of another journey.
Soon, Kreacher was dragging a suitcase behind Li Ming as they arrived in the desert.
As the master-servant duo crossed the dimensional gate and landed in a back alley of another world, Li Ming heard a young girl's accusatory voice in the distance.
"Why is it that only I can see you?"
Just as Li Ming turned toward the sound, a hooded delinquent with dyed blond hair and tattooed arms retorted, "I was about to ask you the same thing."
Scratching his head, Li Ming sensed unusual energy fluctuations from both speakers—neither of whom he recognized.
What kind of world is this?
After a moment's thought, Li Ming turned invisible and slowly approached the pair, hoping to gather some information from them.
Before he could get close, the girl took a few fearful steps back, her expression panicked. "I don't even know why I'm talking to you! You're a killer—a ruthless killer!"
Before she could finish, the delinquent scoffed. "Do peaceful, loving killers even exist these days?"
The girl shook her head slightly and said firmly, "I know what I saw. I saw you kill someone in the bar with my own eyes, yet no one else seemed to notice you."
"Do you think you understand what you saw?" The delinquent pointed at her with his left hand, about to say something when the girl suddenly grabbed his outstretched hand.
Her eyes fell on a strange symbol on the delinquent's arm. Panicked, she pulled out a piece of white paper from her pocket, pointing at an identical symbol drawn on it. "Why did I draw this?" she demanded.
The delinquent studied her, took the paper, and glanced at it before saying, "Seems I was right. You're not mortal."
Not mortal? What, am I some kind of monster? The girl looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Sorry, what exactly do you mean by 'mortal' in your eyes?"
Ignoring her expression, the delinquent calmly explained, "Mortals are ordinary humans in the mundane world."
What kind of explanation is that?
"I'm not an ordinary human?" The girl almost laughed in frustration, rolling her eyes. "Then what am I?"
The delinquent didn't answer her question. Instead, he pointed at the symbol on the paper and asked calmly, "When did you start drawing this symbol?"
Feeling like she was dealing with an incomprehensible lunatic, the girl snatched the paper back and shouted, "I'm the one asking why I drew this! Answer me!"
Just then, her phone rang. The delinquent glanced at her pocket and said, "You should answer that. Maybe it's your boyfriend. It's annoying."
"I don't have a boyfriend," she retorted weakly but made no move to pick up the call.
As the ringing persisted, the delinquent insisted, "Answer the phone first."
On the verge of uncovering why she'd drawn the mysterious symbol, the girl had no patience for calls. But since the delinquent kept pressing, she sighed and checked the caller ID. "Mom, I'll be home soon," she said impatiently.
Before she could finish, the sound of violent clashes and a woman's frantic, anxious voice came through the phone.
"No, no, no! You can't come home! Call Luke—tell him Valentine is still alive! He's found me—"
After a hurried "I love you," the middle-aged woman hung up, leaving the girl utterly bewildered.
Stunned by the dial tone, the girl sensed something terrible had happened at home. Forgetting the symbol mystery, she sprinted toward her house without another word to the delinquent.