How could the gap be this staggering?
Staring at Thanos's expressionless face, the Avengers felt a wave of suffocation wash over them.
The testing squad, in particular, couldn't help but wonder if the stats for this version of Thanos had been calculated wrong.
His raw physical power surpassed even Hulk's by a significant margin; his combat experience and technique were sharper than Thor's or Rogers'; and on top of that, he had the Infinity Stones working in perfect synergy, leaving him with virtually no weaknesses.
Then there was the endless swarm of the Chitauri Vanguard. Each one of those soldiers possessed a physical prowess only slightly inferior to Steve Rogers himself.
This Vanguard was on an entirely different level compared to the scouting party they had faced in New York.
They were both Chitauri, sure, but was this even fair?
While the others were paralyzed by shock and fury, Thor felt a grim sense of realization. After all, he'd heard it from the "Big Banner"—Thanos was the man who had tracked down his future self and the Asgardians, beating them so badly they couldn't even fight back, even with Loki present.
That terrifying strength had finally become a reality for him. At the thought, Thor's expression turned deathly pale.
Everyone watched as meteors rained from the sky, vast enough to bury an entire nation. A profound sense of powerlessness surged in their hearts.
Against a Thanos who showed zero mercy and wielded the power of the Stones regardless of the cost, the current Avengers didn't stand a ghost of a chance.
The simulation came to an end with the total annihilation of the team.
"I must admit! For a first attempt, you've given me quite the surprise!"
Before they could recover from the nauseating, gut-wrenching sensation of the simulation ending—or the crushing weight of their recent defeat—Madam Herta's voice rang out nearby.
Standing before the Simulated Universe portal, the Avengers found themselves unable to squeeze out a single word in response.
Herta, however, wasn't bothered by their silence. "You did exceptionally well! Perhaps you're even better suited for your roles than I imagined. Plus, you've done me a huge favor."
"As promised, I'll be adding some real treasures to your point shop. I've even included a few items that are usually strictly not for sale."
"Not for sale?" Tony finally perked up, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Do you mean Curios? Or military hardware like a Star Destroyer?"
"You're interested in those? Well, the value you've provided me is already worth more than a Star Destroyer, but unfortunately, those aren't in the shop." Herta shook her head, then started ushering them out. "Alright, you can leave now. I have a lot on my plate."
One second she was all excited, telling them how "important" they were, and the next she was kicking them out the door.
Despite the blatant self-centeredness of it all, the Avengers didn't take it to heart.
They were getting used to following Herta's erratic train of thought, and frankly, they needed the moment of peace to process the heavy emotions from the simulation.
As the group stepped out of the office, they were startled to find Herta already standing there in the hallway.
Wait?
They instinctively glanced back, only to see the office doors firmly shut behind them.
"Madam Herta, did you forget to mention something?" Rogers asked, approaching the Herta doll.
"Madam Herta is still working, so she sent me to show you the way." The Herta doll wore an arrogant expression.
Even though she barely reached the height of an adult's chest, she radiated an incredibly sharp, overbearing presence.
Her words left the group stunned for a moment, but the realization clicked quickly. This Herta, and the one they had just been talking to, both possessed the distinct ball-jointed structure of a puppet.
Meanwhile, people from The Blue like Asta and Arlan looked perfectly human, aside from their more vibrant hair colors.
Logically, as a genius from The Blue, the real Herta should look like Asta or Arlan. Therefore, the "Herta" they had been communicating with all this time was likely just a puppet.
The thought brought a sense of clarity—it actually made more sense that way.
Given Herta's legendary reputation, of which they had only seen a tiny glimpse, it didn't seem likely she would personally travel to a planet like Earth.
"Um, how should we address you then?" Banner asked, trying to bridge the gap.
"I am one of Madam Herta's rare special works! She even specifically implanted her memories from before she was fourteen into me, so you can call me Little Herta!" Little Herta puffed out her chest.
"Of course, a genius at eighteen is still a genius. I expect you to maintain your respect for excellence."
"Uh... alright... Miss Little Herta?" Banner glanced at the others. Seeing them all staring at him for leadership, he could only offer the name hesitantly.
"Fine. Follow me, I'll take you to the Herta Shop."
As she spoke, Little Herta opened another door right next to Herta's office.
...That was fast. Couldn't we have just turned right coming out the door?
"You don't have ID cards. Did you think you could just wander around?" As if reading their minds, Little Herta shot them a look before leading them inside.
The room opened into a vast, sprawling corridor. Cylindrical glass cases, looking like something out of a sci-fi experiment lab, lined both sides of the hall.
The contents were bizarre and varied: a rifle covered in eyes, glass-like cards flickering with images, clocks, seeds, spinning tops.
The sheer variety was dizzying. Tony, who had been itching to get back and test the nanotechnology stored in his mind, found himself completely captivated.
"What are all these? Madam Herta's inventions?"
"It looks like a treasury," Thor noted. "Asgard has places like this."
"See anything you recognize?" Tony asked him.
"Uh..." Thor looked around carefully. "Not a thing."
Walking ahead, Little Herta explained, "This is where Madam Herta keeps her collection of Curios and interesting projects. The shop is in the room further in."
"Storing the warehouse on the outside and the shop on the inside?" Tony had never heard of such a layout. Aren't you worried about things being stolen?
Actually, they probably aren't. Never mind.
"Speaking of which, why would Herta make a replica of her younger self?" Thor asked curiously.
The Avengers felt their skin crawl. While Thor wasn't technically wrong, it felt incredibly disrespectful to say that right in front of the "replica" herself.
"Because Madam Herta is disappointed in this universe, obviously," Little Herta replied, sounding entirely unbothered and perfectly matter-of-fact.
"Disappointed?" That was an unexpected answer.
"Discussion and competition are the catalysts for technological breakthroughs. But clearly, Madam Herta lacks an equal to engage with. That is why I was born." Little Herta marched forward, her head held high.
"I am the special masterpiece created by Madam Herta to help her reach the next level!"
Seriously?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.