After hearing those few burps, the people next to the energy core all paused for a moment. As Shiller roared in anger, Strange raised his staff and slammed it down on the ground, saying:
"Immediately look into where that branch channel leads to!"
The Ancient One had already narrowed her eyes, a hint of magical brilliance occasionally visible in her hand. As soon as she heard that someone from another dimension was involved, she would immediately slice them into pieces through the network.
Loki, with his arms crossed, appeared somewhat disappointed. He wouldn't miss any chance to accumulate resources for Asgard. Therefore, he joined the humans' various plans and endorsed them under the identity of the Asgardian prince.
As for Nick, his expression remained unaffected. The director had experienced too many storms to lose his confidence. He has full faith in his attempt to steal electricity. If there was someone capable of stealing it before him, he only needed to confiscate from them a few times more.
All of them viewed the early electricity thief as an enemy. After all, a plot failing in the end could only hint a conspiracy. With human civilization advancing smoothly till this day, a setback was due.
Everyone had different thoughts on the matter, but suddenly, a mage emerged from the portal, uttering, "Supreme Magician, we found out that the energy channel did not leave Earth. It ends somewhere on Earth."
In an instant, everyone narrowed their eyes, expressing their suspicions. They weren't afraid of external enemies, only internal spies. If there was a villain among the crowd, it would lead to the worst possible outcome.
"Can you locate where it ends?" Strange asked the mage seriously, while Nick walked right up and demanded, "Give me an address. No matter where it is, agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. will arrive immediately."
If there was a person on Earth who could spy on this quartet's entire plan, snatch the fruits of it at the end, and manage to go unnoticed throughout, that would indeed be massive.
Soon, Strange closed his eyes and began to meditate, communicating with Earth's Magical Defense Network. Through the energy channel's branch, he traced its end point, and since it hadn't left Earth, Strange was able to find the location almost instantly.
With a wave of his hand, he opened a portal. Except for The Ancient One, who remained to hold the fort at Kamar-Taj, the rest marched into the portal, their fists clenched and teeth gritted.
If this plan had faced obstacles from the start and failed to yield results in the end, it wouldn't have been that aggravating. If the plan was too simple, they might have suspected a trap, and the final failure wouldn't have been that unexpected.
However, this plan belonged to the type that had challenging points to tackle, but they could be solved with the current technology. There might be setbacks, but overall, it progressed smoothly. This type of plan was very deceptive, giving the impression that the fruits of success were hard-earned and should belong to those who invested in it.
Therefore, when the results fell short of expectations, it was especially infuriating.
Tracking the network, they arrived at the target location, ready for all kinds of possible scenarios, such as being surrounded by three hundred hatchet men as soon as they landed, or a Demon King similar to Mephisto sitting on a throne, his aggressive aura dominating the palace.
But they landed only to see Eddie Brock lounging on a sofa, holding a large bucket of cheese balls, pouring a can of beer into his mouth just as they arrived.
Leader Strange was stunned. He looked at Eddie and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Meanwhile, Shiller began observing the environment. This was a decent apartment in a relatively high-value neighborhood, quite close to Hell's Kitchen. It perfectly matched Eddie's current income level, and judging by his relaxed demeanor, this was definitely Eddie's home.
Obviously, Eddie had no part in stealing electricity. The one with a motive was...
"Venom, come out. Let's talk," Shiller reached out to Eddie. Eddie shook his head and replied, "He's asleep."
"Asleep? Why is he asleep?" Shiller watched Eddie suspiciously, knowing that a symbiote would only need sleep after absorbing a large amount of energy for digestion.
Shiller glanced around. Clearly, there had been more than one person here. Venom must have conspired with someone. Suddenly, he squatted down and ran his hand underneath the sofa.
Though his hand came up empty, the Gray mist detected something. He relayed to Shiller, "...it's a symbiote. This symbiotic factor...should belong to the one we previously encountered...Blue Spirit?"
"Venom, come out at once. I know you're not asleep. Don't hide behind Eddie thinking we can't touch you." Shiller snorted coldly, turned to Nick, who cleared his throat and stated, "The Global Times' recent stock prices aren't looking too good. It seems like the management is considering a pay cut for the editors of all sections…"
"Fine, I'm out." Venom's hoarse voice came from Eddie's throat. It was undeniable that Venom sounded slightly drowsy. Shiller stood in front of him with his hands on his waist and questioned.
"Was it you who stole my electricity?" asked Shiller.