Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1298: Chapter 1297: Bad News

At this moment, inside Strange’s home, a completely different scene unfolds.

It is already late at night, yet several people sitting in the living room are frowning, their faces gloomy. If anyone who knows them were here, they would surely scream, for these are the core members of the Avengers.

Among them are Captain America Steven Rogers, the Hulk Dr. Bruce Banner, and... Iron Man Tony Stark.

”I mean... shouldn’t we say something?”

Looking at the awkward atmosphere in front of him, Spider Hero Peter Parker couldn’t help but rub his hands.

”The kid’s got a point.”

Hearing this, Strange stood up and looked at Captain America and Iron Man, who were silently staring at each other without speaking.

”Alright, we know there are many issues between you two, but right now, we have the most important problem...”

”Thanos.”

Dr. Banner quietly took over Strange’s speech. Hearing this name, everyone’s expression changed slightly.

The reason things have turned out this way goes back to three hours earlier when Fang Zheng snatched the Time Gem in front of Strange, and the Hulk Dr. Banner suddenly appeared at Strange’s house via the Bifrost. From Banner’s mouth, Strange learned of a terrifying figure named Thanos, who is collecting the Infinite Gems to wipe out half the universe’s population.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Strange immediately sought out Iron Man Tony Stark, hoping to use his strength to enlist the aid of other Avengers.

However, at that moment, a group of aliens launched an attack on them via spaceship, claiming to be Thanos’s minions who had come to seize the Time Gem.

But the Time Gem had already been taken by Fang Zheng!

Strange was at a loss for words, having already told them that the Time Gem was not in his possession, but the aliens, of course, didn’t believe him. As a result, they began to fight, and Strange nearly got caught by them. Fortunately, Captain America and a few others arrived quickly, with the help of Spider Hero Peter Parker, eventually forcing the aliens to retreat and escape.

However, the crisis did not end there because... the Time Gem had already been taken!

”Are you sure that person isn’t Thanos?”

Captain America looked towards Strange and asked again, and Strange shook his head.

”The guy didn’t say his name, but he didn’t look like an alien at all; he looked Asian.”

Speaking of this, Strange looked at Dr. Banner, the only person there who had seen Thanos, and Dr. Banner helplessly shook his head.

”When I was sent away by the Bifrost, Thanos was still on that spaceship. Unless he’s faster than me, there’s no way he could have arrived on Earth before me. Besides, Thanos is a Titanian, not human.”

”Alright, so now we have another party besides Thanos vying for the Infinite Gems.”

Black Widow spread her hands helplessly.

”And they succeeded.”

”Hey, that’s not my fault.”

Hearing Black Widow’s sarcasm, Strange immediately raised an eyebrow.

”That person is remarkably strong; I couldn’t fight back at all! You guys didn’t see it; Wang and I were completely overwhelmed by him, not even the power of the Time Gem worked on him! I even felt that his power exceeded the Time Gem itself!”

”So according to you, why would he want the Time Gem then?”

Tony rolled his eyes.

”We haven’t exactly encountered opponents like this before, wanting to manipulate time? Go back to the past? Travel to the future? To save a lost beloved? What else is there? Wizard?”

”I don’t think it’s that simple.”

Strange shook his head again.

”You guys don’t understand the situation at the time. In fact, the man didn’t even ask me for the Time Gem; he just took it!”

”Took it?”

Hearing this, Tony was speechless.

”Did you hang the Time Gem in your house like a decoration or something?”

”Of course not!”

This time Strange could no longer sit still.

”I hid the Time Gem within a gap in time. Strictly speaking, no one else can take it but me!”

”But it was taken, and you said you didn’t give the gem to him.”

”That’s because he also has the power to manipulate time!”

”...”

With these words from Strange, the entire living room suddenly fell into silence.

”You... what?”

”I said, that man also has the power to manipulate time. I saw him open the gap in time with my own eyes. You guys might not know, but time gaps aren’t continuous. Without the power of the Time Gem, even I can’t find it from discontinuous time gaps. But for that man, time was like an unrolled scroll; all he needed to do was unfold it and take the item hidden within... see, just like that!”

”So, next time remember to add a password lock to your time storage. If you need one, the Stark Group offers such services.”

Tony sarcastically remarked, while Strange remained silent.

”That brings us to the problem.”

At this moment, Black Widow, who had been silent, spoke up.

”If that person really possesses the kind of power Strange talks about, why does he need the Time Gem? According to Strange, he’s already extremely powerful and can manipulate time. Then what use would the Time Gem be to him?”

”Maybe he, like Thanos, wants to destroy the world?”

Dr. Banner quietly proposed a theory, but everyone was still puzzled. At this moment, Captain America finally spoke.

”In any case, we won’t know until we find that person, but for now, the most important thing is to protect the other Infinite Gem we have...”

”Exactly, Phantom Vision!!”

Hearing this, Dr. Banner immediately got excited.

”Did you find Phantom Vision?”

”We...”

As Captain America was about to answer Dr. Banner, suddenly, a ringtone sounded, and he hesitated for a moment before picking up his phone.

Then Captain America’s expression immediately changed.

”What? Really? Are you sure?”

”... What’s wrong, Captain?”

Noticing something, Dr. Banner looked nervously at Captain America, who put down the phone, paused in silence, and then spoke to the others.

”We found Phantom Vision.”