Chapter Thirty-Eight: Gathering of Heroes

Still, nothing was certain. If Iron Fist had indeed returned to New York, the commotion that would soon erupt should be enough to draw him here as well. That would only increase their chances of victory.

With this thought, Gu Zhongyan waved his wand once more, casting Apparition, and vanished from Liberty Island.

"Brother Gu!"

When Su Yan saw Gu Zhongyan return, he hurried over to greet him. Gu Zhongyan picked up the dragon bone nearby, then turned to Su Yan.

"Su Yan, do you remember the group of villains who captured you? I originally planned to deal with them later, but now they've caused immense destruction in Hell's Kitchen, so I have to act immediately."

"But to prevent you from being hurt while I'm away, I've decided to bring you to the battlefield."

"Don't worry, though. I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, so there's no need to be afraid, all right?"

Su Yan nodded vigorously, his face showing not a trace of fear.

"I'm not afraid. With you protecting me, Brother Gu, I'm not afraid of anything."

Gu Zhongyan smiled, ruffling Su Yan's hair. "Good boy. In a moment, I'll hide you somewhere. You have to stay there quietly, no matter what happens—don't come out unless I call you. Understand?"

"Understood!" Su Yan replied loudly.

"Excellent." Gu Zhongyan nodded, turned, and dug a shoebox out from under the cabinet, pulling out seven or eight thumb-sized vials.

After storing the vials away, Gu Zhongyan looked to Su Yan. "Come here and grab my arm. We're about to set out."

At his words, Su Yan hurried over and clung tightly to the arm that held the dragon bone.

The next moment, Gu Zhongyan cast Side-Along Apparition, and with Su Yan in his arms, appeared atop the highest point of Liberty Island: the torch of the Statue of Liberty.

Setting Su Yan and the dragon bone down, Gu Zhongyan looked over the now-deserted island, then took up his wand and began to carve swiftly upon the torch.

Lines of mysterious runes intertwined to form a special magical array, radiating from Su Yan at its center. The instant the magic circle was completed, the metallic flame atop the torch seemed to come alive, as if it were truly burning.

In Gu Zhongyan's eyes, it was indeed a real flame.

The Statue of Liberty was a symbol of America, gathering over the years the people's longing for freedom and hope, and had birthed a spiritual energy akin to a living flame.

Gu Zhongyan chose Liberty Island for the battle partly because it was the best place nearby to confront the Hand, and partly because, in a sense, it was an artificial magical node that could amplify his power to the maximum.

He was also lucky: unlike the New York Sanctum, which drew on the Earth's magical energy, this node was powered by spiritual force. For most traditional mages who borrowed magic, this node was useless to their path, so few paid it any mind.

A few mind mages had tried to harness this energy, but in the Marvel universe, such sorcerers advanced far too slowly. To move mountains with leverage, you still needed strength to begin with; ordinary mind mages simply couldn't tap into this spiritual force, leaving it conveniently for Gu Zhongyan.

Finishing the magic circle, Gu Zhongyan placed the dragon bone atop the statue and flicked his wand forcefully.

"Engorgio!"

Whoosh!

The man-sized dragon bone instantly swelled, writhing as if alive, and coiled imposingly atop the Statue of Liberty—a sight reminiscent of a world boss in an online game.

"Holy shit!"

Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, who had rushed over, could not contain their shock and burst out in a string of expletives.

Hearing familiar voices, Gu Zhongyan was stirred and, with a flicker of Apparition, appeared before them.

As expected, the mind-bending scene drew forth another round of colorful curses.

Once their emotions had calmed, Gu Zhongyan turned his attention to the brawny Black man he was meeting for the first time—Luke Cage, known as Power Man.

Luke Cage made an immediate impression: his massive build, paired with a bald head gleaming in the light, radiated pure physical power. Compared to the slender, agile Jessica Jones, he was like a burly rhinoceros—no one could doubt his strength.

"Luke, right? Hello, I'm Shawn Gu, a wizard," Gu Zhongyan said, extending his hand.

Luke responded to the gesture, nodding. "Hello, I'm Luke Cage. I'm curious—have we met before? How do you know me? And why are you so sure I'd come to help you?"

Gu Zhongyan smiled. "As a wizard, I have my ways. It's not difficult to know of you."

"If I know who you are, I know your character. You've mingled with gangs, but you're a fundamentally good man. When disaster strikes Hell's Kitchen, you wouldn't just stand by and watch."

"If you have any other questions, let's save them for after the fight. For now, before the Hand arrives, let's get the team acquainted."

At that moment, Matt and Stick approached as well.

Gu Zhongyan said, "These are Matt and Stick. Don't be fooled by the fact that they're both blind—they possess superhuman hearing and extraordinary combat skills. They can 'see' far more than you might imagine."

"So, don't underestimate them, or you'll regret it."

"But before the battle, you can't go into combat dressed like that," Gu Zhongyan added, gesturing to Jessica in her fashionable attire and Luke in his street clothes.

Jessica couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Come on, I'm a private detective and Luke's a bar owner. If you hadn't dragged us into this, we wouldn't be caught up in this battle at all. Do you expect us to dress like him every day?"

She pointed at Matt, the only one among them in a black and red suit.

Described as dressed like a ghoul, Matt felt wounded. If you want to complain to Gu Zhongyan, just do it—why drag him into it as well? And what's this nonsense about looking like a ghost? Isn't this suit stylish?

Matt's inner complaints aside, Gu Zhongyan merely smiled at Jessica's irritation.

"Of course not. I just think your outfits aren't suited for battle. Once the fighting starts, the whole world's eyes will be on us. I assume you two don't want your identities exposed, do you?"