Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Lich King Is Plotting in the Shadows

“Hey, tough guy, I have a question—really, aren’t you talking about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”

On the other side, Rhode looked somewhat puzzled. He raised his hand to gesture toward Tony, his meaning clear: “It’s four horsemen, right?”

“It is four horsemen!” Tony nodded.

“I get it, but why are there so many horsemen if there are only four?”

“The official name of the organization is the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Beneath that, there are many knights. Isn’t that quite normal?”

Rhode: “...”

Tony: “...”

Barton: “Coulson, get my will ready, and make sure my insurance payout is high, because I’ve stumbled upon a big secret.”

“All right, let me repeat it.” Rhode set down his glass. “Your organization has existed since the fifth century. Its name is the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but in reality, you have more than four members?”

“The name is a simple tactical deception, my friend. Strategically, its misleading nature serves a purpose.”

“And what about Death? You just said Death was eternal—the fifth horseman?”

“To offend our enemies is to face only death. That principle never changes. Of course, you could see him as our leader.” Vikan glanced around the cabin, asking, “Is this so hard to understand, my friends?”

“Your organization is really cool, but I’m curious why you found Tony. He looks more like a playboy than anything else.”

Truth be told, Rhode was rather curious as to why Vikan had sought out Tony. The encounter had been chaotic, but Tony had saved his friend during the explosion, and although the process was complicated, something about it piqued Rhode’s interest.

“Why do you think he came out of the explosion unscathed? That’s because I protected him. He wasn’t very pleased with the way I did it, but once he forged his own armor, the loom of fate began weaving his destiny.”

“This is his calling, my friend. When Tony’s name appeared on the spindle of fate, he was destined to walk his own path—just as every generation of Apocalypse knights does. His mission is to become Iron Man.”

“As for me, I’m merely the guide to his fate.” Vikan shrugged. Thanks to several card effects, Erica had already cast a spell of suggestion on Tony—he only needed to trigger it at the crucial moment.

“I hope the Lich King can see my efforts,” Vikan muttered inwardly. With Iron Man leading the charge for the Lich King and searching for treasures, he could simply tag along and relax.

Life was good.

S.H.I.E.L.D.’s suspicions?

Tony himself didn’t mind my identity, so why should S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Vikan silently gave a thumbs up to Erica’s spell and the card “Embrace the Darkness.”

Embrace the Darkness

Trait: Choose an enemy minion and gain control of it.

Description: Everything changes but death is eternal—you can work for me forever, sweetheart.

Meanwhile, in the Trident headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury and Coulson listened intently to Barton’s report, eager to uncover more about this so-called “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

If there was a Pestilence, were there also War, Chaos, and Plague? Or was there someone called Death?

The increasingly chaotic situation in New York left Nick Fury overwhelmed.

“So this virus you mention—is it the virus of Mother Earth? Like, she catches a cold and sneezes?”

Rhode, the questioner, digested the chaotic information and voiced his latest doubt.

“My friend, perhaps you should think of Mother’s sneeze as closer to a tsunami.”

“A planetary virus—you can think of it as unexplained, aimless, and often unaccountable destructive events, natural or man-made, that current science can’t explain. Things like alien invasions, visitors from other worlds who come without a passport—our existence is to counter these threats.”

“What are you doing right now?” Tony interjected.

Nick Fury and Coulson both perked up their ears.

“A dozen years ago, some idiot sent the Cosmic Cube into space. For certain reasons, it triggered an energy explosion. Afterwards, Earth’s coordinates were discovered by other lifeforms in the universe—like having your shower broadcast live. Lots of creatures became interested in this beautiful planet.”

“That’s terrifying,” Tony shuddered at the idea of his shower being streamed.

Nick Fury instinctively touched the signal transmitter he always carried.

If his guess was right, the so-called Cube was exactly what he thought.

“The Cosmic Cube?” Tony immediately seized on the key detail. “What is it?”

“It’s not an object—it’s the container of the legendary Space Stone, possessing the power of space, capable of opening doors to other realms. It’s the treasure of our sanctuary. It can transport anything anywhere. We use it for special tactics, but if it’s improperly activated, it’s like plugging Earth into the cosmic internet. Powerful beings from across the universe can visit Earth without a ticket, enjoy a multi-day tour, or opt for a ‘destroy Earth’ package.”

As Vikan spoke, he swiftly attached auxiliary cards and the mental suggestion “Infection” to everyone in the cabin, intensifying the hints and spell effects.

“Since the fifth century BCE, we’ve been fighting alien lifeforms. If you do the math, after the universe’s beings found Earth’s coordinates, it won’t be long before they arrive here.”

Rhode had him say all this to lay the groundwork for future events, giving Vikan a more plausible reason for his open identity.

After all, it wouldn’t be long before one crisis after another swept across Earth. If he seized the right moment, he could profit greatly in the shadows.

Vikan paused here and added coolly, “Though the Ancients and humanity made a pact, heaven remains in heaven, hell stays buried in hell—unless absolutely necessary, we humans must solve our own problems. That’s how the Apocalypse Knights came to be.”

“Mandated by heaven, divinely inspired—that is the origin of the Apocalypse Knights.”

Vikan finished and glanced at Barton; the message was really for him, but deeper still, it was meant for Nick Fury.

The Lich King had already planned everything.

Vikan only needed to stick to the guidelines.

Inside the room, Nick Fury sat, chin resting on his hand, pondering. An organization that had existed since the fifth century and knew about the Cosmic Cube—ordinary people wouldn’t know such things. With New York growing stranger by the day, he felt the man wasn’t lying.

Doubt was necessary. Intelligence needed to be gathered. This planet might really have caught the attention of extraterrestrial life.

“Director?” Coulson asked from the side. “According to the timeline, I expect Tony Stark will arrive in New York this afternoon. How should we approach the armored knight—or handle Tony’s situation?”

“Go to the airport and welcome him personally. I’ll head to the space command center, and have Natasha assigned a new target. I think Osborn could use a secretary like her.”

There was no time to worry about Hulk. The Cosmic Cube was now the priority.

He needed to observe it at the command center. More importantly, he had to see the Cube—otherwise, his heart wouldn’t be at ease.

Rhode nodded in satisfaction.

Vikan’s performance today was commendable—worthy of praise!

Natasha’s clearance seemed insufficient. Based on intelligence from the time she was under control, she knew nothing about these hidden secrets.

The more chaotic New York became, the more Nick Fury’s attention was drawn in.

This set off a cascade effect, giving him more time to stir things up.

Likewise, as Nick Fury moved, there would be more opportunities to gather intelligence about the Cosmic Cube.

End of page.