On the rooftop of the laboratory, three men sat in a loose circle under the open sky. Superman, his face bruised and swollen from the earlier fight, lifted a bottle and took a long drink before speaking loudly. "Let me tell you something," he declared stubbornly. "If you hadn't stopped me and dragged me out of the Mirror Space, I would've already crippled that big green guy."
He looked from one companion to the other, clearly waiting for agreement. "You believe that or not?" he demanded.
Li Jie nodded calmly, his expression neutral. "I believe you," he replied without hesitation, though his tone carried a faint hint of amusement.
Bruce Wayne sat nearby with one hand covering his mouth. His teeth had all been knocked out during the chaos earlier, and new ones were slowly growing back under the influence of the Dionysus factor. Because of that, his words came out slightly slurred. "Damn it," he muttered irritably. "I'm a professional singer. I've been praised by some of the best musicians in the world. That guy has absolutely no taste."
He leaned forward and pointed between Li Jie and Superman. "Tell me honestly," he insisted. "Do you think I sing well or not?"
"It sounds great," Li Jie said immediately, nodding again with polite agreement. "Very beautiful."
Superman snorted and shook his head. "Wayne, I'm not trying to be rude," he said bluntly. "But if you hadn't blocked my punch earlier, I would've knocked that guy's teeth straight out."
Bruce Wayne immediately protested. "How is that my fault? I didn't even know whose face was getting smashed into the ground. I ran in to help, okay?"
"That was an accident!" Superman argued loudly, clearly unwilling to admit defeat.
The two continued bickering like children while Li Jie listened for a few seconds before finally standing up. "I'm going to grab some beer," he said simply. At that moment, he had absolutely no interest in listening to their argument any longer.
Superman waved a hand dismissively. "Forget it," he said. "I'm done drinking anyway. This is boring."
He suddenly stood up and turned toward Li Jie with renewed determination. "Send me back into the Mirror Space," he demanded. "I want another round with that guy."
Li Jie looked at him carefully. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure!" Superman shouted with confidence. "If I don't beat that guy into the ground this time, I'll spell Clark backwards!"
"Alright," Li Jie replied calmly as he raised his ring and prepared to open the portal.
"Wait a second." Superman suddenly paused and tilted his head slightly as if listening to something far away. After a moment, his expression changed. "I hear Louise calling me."
He straightened up quickly and sighed. "Looks like that guy got lucky this time," he said reluctantly. "Louise is in trouble. I have to get back to Metropolis."
A sonic boom exploded across the rooftop.
In the blink of an eye, Superman had already disappeared.
Li Jie slowly turned his gaze toward Bruce Wayne.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bruce Wayne asked nervously, suddenly feeling a little guilty.
Li Jie raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to go back into the Mirror Space and sing another song for the Hulk?"
Bruce Wayne hesitated awkwardly. "I… that guy has absolutely no taste," he said quickly. "Singing to him would be like throwing pearls to pigs."
He straightened his coat and forced a confident expression. "But I believe Dr. Banner is a man of culture. Call me when he returns to his Banner form. Then he and I can have a friendly competition about music and technology."
While speaking, Bruce Wayne touched the communication device near his ear. His expression suddenly became tense. "What? Okay, I understand."
He immediately stood up. "Selena found the Bat Armor I hid," he explained quickly. "I have to go deal with that situation. I'll leave this place to you."
He pointed toward the laboratory before continuing. "Remember to contact me if Dr. Banner returns."
With that excuse, Bruce Wayne also hurried away.
Watching both of them escape one after another, Li Jie could only shake his head helplessly.
Inside the Mirror Dimension earlier, Superman and Bruce Wayne had successfully provoked the Hulk into a complete berserk state. That enormous monster had nearly shattered the entire Mirror Space with his rage. In the end, Li Jie had no choice but to pull both of them out and leave the Hulk alone inside to calm down.
For now, ignoring him was the best solution.
Once the Hulk eventually returned to Banner's form, they could think about what to do next.
Since the Hulk restoration project was already finished, Li Jie no longer needed to remain in the laboratory. He opened a portal and stepped through it, returning directly to New York.
The situation in New York had not worsened since he left.
After gaining control of the mutated superheroes, Loki had not launched any attacks on the new shelter. Instead, he had simply vanished without leaving any trace behind.
Li Jie had already sent Scarecrow, Joker, and Bane to search throughout the city, but none of them managed to find Loki. The superheroes under his control had disappeared along with him.
"Li, we need to find out Loki's real objective and bring those superheroes back."
As soon as Li Jie returned, Coulson arrived to meet him.
"Coulson," Li Jie said with a sigh, rolling his eyes slightly. "Are you trying to shift the blame onto me?"
He crossed his arms. "What, are you saying it's my fault Loki took those superheroes?"
Coulson quickly shook his head with an awkward smile. "Don't misunderstand me," he said. "That's not what I meant at all."
He paused briefly before handing over a tablet. "What I meant is… we might have found a clue about Loki and the superheroes."
"Take a look."
Li Jie accepted the tablet and examined the footage on the screen. The video showed Spider-Man climbing down from a rooftop before quietly entering a house.
The address number was clearly visible in the frame.
177A Bleecker Street, Manhattan.
Li Jie narrowed his eyes slightly.
"That's right," Coulson confirmed. "177A Bleecker Street."
He folded his arms and continued explaining. "Every superhero usually has a place they protect. Spider-Man is considered a New York hero, but he mostly operates in Queens. He rarely goes to Manhattan."
He tapped the screen again. "Even after turning into a zombie, that pattern didn't change."
Li Jie looked at him thoughtfully. "So you think Spider-Man appearing at 177A Bleecker Street was Loki's doing?"
Coulson nodded firmly. "Exactly."
He lowered his voice slightly. "You might not know this, but that address is very special. On the surface it looks like an ordinary old apartment building, but in reality it connects the human world with the magical world."
"That place is known as a magical sanctuary."
Li Jie naturally understood what he meant.
It was one of the three great Sanctums of Earth, guarded by Doctor Strange, one of the strongest sorcerers in existence.
Thinking of Doctor Strange made Li Jie remember the oppressive gaze the sorcerer had given him when he was hunting the Hulk.
Like many other heroes, Doctor Strange had also become a zombie.
If they went to the Sanctum, fighting him would be unavoidable.
In terms of pure magical ability, Li Jie—who had inherited Kaecilius's powers—was still far weaker than Doctor Strange. However, if physical combat entered the equation, Li Jie was confident he could win.
As long as Strange wasn't allowed to cast spells, he would simply get beaten up.
"So Loki's target is the magical world?" Li Jie asked.
Coulson nodded slowly. "That's our current theory. The Sanctum is extremely important to the magical community. If it's destroyed, Earth would lose magical protection."
He paused briefly. "More importantly, the Sanctum provides direct access to Kamar-Taj."
Li Jie looked at him thoughtfully. "So what do you think Loki wants there?"
Coulson sighed. "That's exactly what we're trying to figure out."
He continued seriously. "But whatever his goal is, someone needs to stop him."
Loki was a powerful Asgardian sorcerer, so ordinary artifacts wouldn't interest him. Only two things in the magical world were valuable enough to attract him.
The first was the Eye of Agamotto worn by Doctor Strange, which contained the Time Stone.
The second was the Darkhold.
If Loki obtained either one, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Seeing Li Jie remain silent, Coulson quickly added, "If you have any requests, just say it. I'll do everything I can to support you."
Li Jie finally spoke. "I can risk traveling to the Sanctum and Kamar-Taj to track Loki down. But everything I obtain during the mission belongs to me."
"Of course," Coulson agreed immediately.
The magical equipment inside those places might be tempting, but Coulson knew S.H.I.E.L.D. currently had no ability to claim them anyway.
Li Jie continued calmly. "Also, if I encounter those mutated superheroes, I have the right to deal with them however I want."
Coulson hesitated slightly.
Without waiting for an answer, Li Jie stood up as if preparing to leave.
"I guess S.H.I.E.L.D. can handle this problem by itself," he said indifferently. "I won't interfere."
"Wait," Coulson said quickly, stopping him.
He forced a smile. "I didn't mean it like that. I just wanted to remind you those heroes are very important to us."
"If we can find a way to revive them, the world will be much safer."
Li Jie looked at him expressionlessly. "Let me remind you of something too."
"The heroes you're talking about are zombies now. They're far more dangerous than ordinary zombies."
"They've become the biggest threat to survivors."
Coulson frowned but had no choice but to admit the truth.
"Alright," he said finally. "You'll have the authority to deal with them however you want."
He paused briefly before adding, "But if you find the Eye of Agamotto, maybe we could use time reversal to bring them back."
Time reversal could theoretically revive the heroes.
But if Doctor Strange himself hadn't done it after becoming a zombie, there was a reason.
Using time reversal was forbidden magic. Kamar-Taj strictly prohibited interfering with the natural flow of the universe. If Strange used it recklessly, it could create a branching timeline and unpredictable consequences.
"Coulson," Li Jie said with a faint smile, "you really think highly of me."
He didn't say anything else and walked away.
After regrouping with Scarecrow, Joker, and Bane, Li Jie drove them straight to 177A Bleecker Street.
From the outside, the building truly looked like nothing more than an old apartment.
Zombies wandered through the surrounding streets like everywhere else in the city. Strangely, none of them approached the building.
"So this is the gateway to the magical world?" Scarecrow asked excitedly as he studied the structure.
Li Jie glanced back at the three men. "Are you sure you want to come with me?"
"Boss," Scarecrow replied with a grin, "we're already here. Of course we're going in."
Bane remained silent while Joker simply smiled mysteriously.
Li Jie warned them seriously. "The magical world has fallen too. Zombie sorcerers are extremely dangerous."
He paused. "If you regret it, now's your chance."
"Anything we find inside belongs to you," he added. "That's the opportunity."
The three men were heavily equipped with strange weapons and tools.
Joker pumped a shotgun and smirked. "If your speech is finished," he said, "let's get started."
"I'll lead the way!" Scarecrow shouted.
He rushed forward and slammed into the door.
Bang.
The impact immediately sent him bouncing backward.
"Damn," he groaned while rubbing his head. "This door must be sealed by forbidden magic."
Li Jie nearly laughed.
There wasn't even a trace of magical energy. The door had simply been blocked by something heavy.
"Bane," Li Jie called.
Bane stepped forward silently, placed both hands on the door, and pushed with tremendous force.
The heavy doors creaked open slowly.
A wave of icy air rushed out immediately. Snowflakes drifted out of the building and melted before touching the ground.
Inside the doorway was a blinding world of white.
"The door was frozen shut," Li Jie said calmly.
"Is this the magical world?" Scarecrow asked while shivering. "Maybe we should go back and grab some fur coats first."
No one answered him.
Bane had already entered with his weapon ready.
Li Jie followed behind him, then Joker, and finally the still-complaining Scarecrow.
"Should we close the door?" Scarecrow asked nervously.
Before anyone could answer, the doors slammed shut on their own.
The sound made Scarecrow jump.
Inside the Sanctum there were usually only a handful of guardian sorcerers, so Li Jie's group encountered no resistance at all.
In fact, they didn't see a single person.
Within the Sanctum, every door led to a different world.
The snow filling the hall had come from one of those doors being left slightly open, allowing the freezing air from an icy dimension to spill inside.
As soon as they entered, Scarecrow, Joker, and Bane began stuffing anything that looked valuable into their bags.
Li Jie ignored most of the artifacts.
Although the Sanctum once held countless magical treasures, Loki had clearly looted it already. The truly powerful items were gone.
After searching the entire building, they didn't find a single guardian mage.
They didn't even find a zombie.
By the time they finished exploring, Joker, Scarecrow, and Bane had filled their bags nearly to the top.
Li Jie stood beside the teleportation circle that led directly to Kamar-Taj.
"Are you planning to take all that luggage with you?" he asked calmly.
The three men looked at each other awkwardly.
They hadn't encountered any enemies in the Sanctum, but Kamar-Taj might be completely different.
Carrying so much equipment into an unknown battle clearly wasn't practical.
"But if we leave it here," Scarecrow muttered nervously, "won't someone steal it?"
....
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