CHAPTER 167:Summon Again

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Shen He quickly sorted through the evolving timeline in his mind.

In the cinematic universe, Nebula only ever played a supporting role, rarely leaving a lasting impression. But as the cybernetically enhanced daughter of Thanos, her real potential reflected the upper bounds of interstellar warrior combat prowess.

The films might have downplayed her strength—her battles seemed little different from that of ordinary Earthlings. But that was pure misrepresentation.

Now that Nebula had unexpectedly appeared on Earth, the real concern wasn't just her—but that Loki clearly wasn't straying from his original trajectory.

This demanded extreme caution.

…

While Shen He and the others convened to strategize at the Chaldean mobile base, Loki led several of his mind-controlled followers—thanks to the Mind Stone embedded in the scepter—into a hidden safe house.

"This planet is a backwater," Nebula muttered beneath the folds of her black cloak. "Why go to such lengths to tiptoe around?"

"Backwater?" Loki's lips curled into a half-smile, amused but condescending. "If the Bifrost were still intact, even your father would hesitate before touching Midgard—Asgard's ward."

"Asgardian arrogance," Nebula stepped forward with a mechanical hiss, "You wouldn't dare talk like that before Father."

"Heh."

Loki gave a short laugh, but a flicker of dread glinted in his eyes—one even the Mind Stone couldn't mask.

For all his illusions and schemes, Thanos was the first being Loki ever truly feared. And even that cosmic tyrant showed caution before Odin—the All-Father, an aging god who still ruled the Nine Realms with iron wisdom.

"What now?" Nebula glanced toward the dazed humans shackled by Loki's mind control.

"It's not what I want," Loki retorted coolly, "It's what we want. Fail again, and how much more of your body can your father afford to replace?"

Nebula remained silent.

Thanos raised his daughters to fight like gladiators. The price of defeat was dismemberment and mechanization—each loss recorded in bolts and metal. She had fought her sister, Gamora, countless times—and had never once won.

This time, she clenched her cybernetic fist. She would not fail.

Loki turned to his enthralled followers.

"Gather intelligence on the Chaldeans. Every scrap. I want names, capabilities, weaknesses. And you, my dear Jane, I believe you can assist me... scientifically."

Loki knew too little. The Chaldeans were enshrouded in secrecy—who they were, where they came from, even how they had overpowered the Destroyer and saved Thor. It was an unsettling gap in his knowledge.

…

On the other side, Shen He remained slouched on the lounge sofa, lost in thought even after the meeting concluded.

"What's troubling you, Master?" Jeanne asked softly, offering him a steaming cup of black tea.

Although Violet and Ryougi Shiki flanked him, only Joan dared to speak in such tender tones.

"I'm considering Loki's likely moves," Shen He admitted. "Last time you weren't with us yet, Jeanne, but even then we showed considerable strength during that standoff. With our current growth, Loki must've realized how far we've come."

Too much had already transpired. Secrets were unraveling. SHIELD's collapse was no longer a covert matter. Even Hawkeye, under Loki's control, knew classified information that could compromise them all.

And now, Loki had Jane Foster.

The headache throbbed in Shen He's temples. Another ripple of the butterfly effect—he hadn't expected Jane to be swept into research involving the Tesseract.

"There's no such thing as perfect control on the battlefield," Jeanne murmured as she stepped behind him and gently massaged his shoulders. "All we can do is prepare and adapt. Isn't that what the Chinese call 'responding to all changes with unchanging principles'? We all trust you, Master."

"It's exactly that trust... that weighs on me," Shen He said with a weak smile.

He could only admit such feelings in front of Jeanne and the others. To Tony or Coulson, he had to wear the mask of absolute confidence.

A transmigrator without future knowledge might have power—but without plot advantage, uncertainty crept in.

"That's a bad habit," Jeanne said, her fingers pressing a little more firmly, "Our master must project confidence."

"You say that like it's so simple..."

"Shen He." Ryougi Shiki cut in, her voice calm but insistent. "Today's dungeon mission hasn't been cleared. And didn't you promise yesterday to try summoning again?"

"Ah, right!" Shen He instantly perked up. "I've got thirty summon stones saved up—maybe I can finally draw a mechanical servant!"

Summoning always brought anticipation. Those stones were hard-earned, accumulated over time, and this time, he was aiming for a mechanical construct.

He leapt up and waved to the group.

"Let's go! Time to spawn!"

For now, Loki's schemes could wait. Even an alien invasion couldn't stand between Shen He and a summon session. Not when it was time to roll the gacha.

Fueled by excitement, Shen He powered through an hour of monster grinding, his spirits lifted with every critical strike.

He had a feeling—some kind of divine intuition—that this draw would be blessed.

Sure enough, the first summon struck gold.

Name: Cannon 25

Origin: Heavy Weapons Universe

Type: Ground Assault Unit – Gen II

Size: 63 meters

Mass: 200,000 tons

Specs: Multi-barrel, precision artillery capable of full-scale battlefield devastation. Requires elemental synchronization to pilot.

"Reload-class heavy artillery?" Shen He blinked, eyes scanning the details, then nearly spat blood. "No one here meets the elemental compatibility! How am I supposed to use this?"

It looked like a massive iron sphere covered in turrets. A divine relic for artillery fans. But its "elemental" driver prerequisite made it exclusive to the Heavy Weapons universe—completely incompatible with their current system.

Being unable to use something so powerful was somehow worse than not drawing it at all.

"Keep going."

Gritting his teeth, Shen He slammed the multi-draw button again.

He'd figured out the trend—most mechanical cards were weapons. But so many required specific conditions. Some, like the Gun Witch set, were restricted to female users.

One by one, the draws continued.

Then came the eighth summon—a burst of five-star radiance.

Name: Philosopher's Stone

Origin: Fullmetal Alchemist

Type: Transmutation Catalyst

Evaluation: Created from the refined souls of five thousand lives, this crimson gem bypasses the laws of equivalent exchange. It acts as a magical amplifier, enabling transmutation of any matter and unlocking the "Gate of Truth" for qualified alchemists.

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