When Aaron appeared again, he was already by Loki's side.
At that moment, Loki happened to encounter Killian, who was on the run.
Just as Loki was about to leave, they discovered traces of Killian and his group.
So, he changed his mind and decided to stay to observe what Killian was up to.
Killian's pioneering technology was one of the projects he funded. HYDRA's intelligence capabilities were on par with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s. Early on, the oddities surrounding the pioneering technology were discovered, but Pierce kept it hidden. The news never reached Nick Fury.
At that time, HYDRA was more focused on the Insight Project, leaving no time to deal with the pioneering technology. However, the project continued to develop under the other party's direction. It wasn't until Pierce's death and the collapse of HYDRA that the focus shifted away from the Insight Project, and Nick Fury finally discovered the clues.
Later, Pierce's legacy was also acquired by Loki, who gained access to a lot of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal information. Only then did they start paying attention to pioneering technology again.
Loki dismissed the so-called Insight Project, scoffing at Pierce's whimsical ideas. The notion of conquering Earth with just three space carriers? He found that laughable!
Instead, Loki was more interested in Extremis, a technology capable of creating super soldiers. He sought to control the pioneering technology with both carrots and sticks, using their technology to create an army of Extremis Warriors.
This marked the formation of his first extraordinary army on Earth. While it was far inferior to the Asgardian army, it was an unstoppable force for the people of Midgard.
Though each Extremis Warrior's creation meant the death of several unworthy individuals, Loki didn't care. There were so many people in Midgard; the loss of a few didn't concern him.
By this time, Loki had built an army of hundreds of Extremis Warriors.
He was satisfied with this development and paid less attention to Killian. However, this time, he was extremely disappointed.
Killian's desperate warriors performed horribly during a recent terrorist attack. They could handle ordinary people, but against Tony Stark or even a regular mage, they were like sitting ducks.
This made Loki reconsider the Extremis Warrior project.
He thought to himself: Is it possible to use the magic net to create an army of mages? A true magical order?
While contemplating this, Killian called him, requesting full integration of Pioneer Technology into his organization and asking for Loki's blessing.
Though Loki considered abandoning the Extremis Warrior project, he decided to continue pushing it for now, at least until the energy problem was fully resolved. Thus, he agreed to meet with Killian and took him out of New York.
"Thank you, leader, for your rescue! I will definitely—"
"Call me the King of Gods!" Loki interrupted emphatically.
"Yes, the great King of Gods!" Killian said, his voice full of reverence.
He wasn't the least bit dissatisfied and, in fact, admired Loki even more. After all, anyone who could call themselves the "King of Gods" was no ordinary person. How else could such a large organization be established and still stand strong against S.H.I.E.L.D. and other forces?
Killian's heart swelled with pride.
At that moment, the more exaggerated and terrifying Loki appeared, the more excited Killian became. After all, if the boss was powerful, the underlings would enjoy a more prosperous life. Maybe Loki really was a god!
However, just as his thoughts were racing, he saw someone unfamiliar appear beside Loki. Wait, no… he seemed familiar! As Killian tried to recall, it dawned on him that this person might be someone important, but he couldn't quite place him.
Loki greeted the stranger with an unexpected smile. Wait, was this the same Loki who had been calling himself the King of Gods just moments ago? Now, he was acting like a sycophant, flashing a flattering smile at the newcomer.
What was going on?
Just then, Loki spoke, and Killian's pupils widened.
"Aaron, I didn't expect you to come to me personally! Did you agree to my proposal?" Loki asked, his voice full of anticipation.
This was the first time Aaron had sought him out, and Loki was elated. The mystery surrounding Aaron was finally being peeled away.
Killian was even questioning his own ability, his attention completely shifted from Loki to Aaron.
This wasn't a casual encounter; it was a significant one. Loki's focus wasn't even on Killian anymore—he was eagerly waiting for Aaron's response.
Aaron's arrival wasn't what Loki had anticipated.
"I need the Mind Gem," Aaron stated bluntly.
Loki was taken aback. "What?! You want the Mind Gem?!" He panicked. The Mind Gem was his last hope, the only treasure he had after falling to Midgard.
"That… can we discuss this? Maybe we can work something out?" Loki stammered.
"Level 5 authority," Aaron said succinctly.
"Level 5 authority? Magic net?" Loki's worries evaporated, and he suddenly broke into a warm smile again.
"Ahem, as an ally and a best friend, how could I refuse a friend's request?" Loki said with exaggerated hospitality. "You know, I'm the most hospitable person in Asgard!"
Loki then handed over the Mind Gem to Aaron without hesitation, though internally, he knew it was a loss. The Mind Gem was a powerful artifact with immense potential, but he was unable to fully unlock its power. The best he could do was control others with it.
Yet, even with this ability, he was able to achieve his own goals.
At this point, the Mind Gem seemed more useful for research. Unfortunately, Loki's researchers had already proven that they couldn't tap its full potential. But trading it for Level 5 authority on the magic net? That was a deal he could not pass up.
Now, with his new authority, Loki felt his power surge. It was like being intoxicated by divine energy.
"It feels like what Thor and Odin experience," he marveled. "Now, with this power, I can surpass them!"
"I shall truly be the King of Gods!" Loki laughed maniacally.
As his power grew, so did his delusions of grandeur. With the magic net at his disposal, Loki believed he could surpass even Thor.
On the other hand, Killian was trying to piece together who Aaron was. The name sounded familiar, reminding him of the god of forbidden magic on Earth.
As the pieces fell into place, Killian realized what the magic net truly was—and why his new boss valued it so much.
The magic net was the source of power, and with such power came unimaginable possibilities.
Killian knew what he had to do.
Aaron took the Mind Gem and prepared to leave. Before he did, he offered Loki a final piece of advice.
"Loki, I suggest you don't return to Asgard just yet. Thor has gained much more than you…" Aaron warned.
Loki's confusion deepened. Before he could respond, Aaron vanished as suddenly as he had arrived.
"Thor got more than me?" Loki muttered angrily. "Damn it!"
Frustrated, Loki began to consider how to return to Asgard and investigate further. He feared that Odin had placed everything under Thor's control, which would drastically accelerate Thor's rise to power.
"Fack! Damn old fool!" Loki cursed.
He wondered if Odin had truly handed the Nine Realms over to Thor. If that were the case, Thor would become unstoppable.
Loki's mind raced. Perhaps, though, he still had a chance. The Frost Titans, if they were considered part of the royal family, could be brought under his command, and with their help, he might be able to rival Thor.
If he could convince the Frost Titans and even the Flame Titans to ally with him, Loki could finally challenge Thor for the throne.
It was a bold plan, one that he hated, but for the sake of power, he was willing to endure it.
Meanwhile, Aaron had already begun retreating into his research. With the Mind Gem now in his possession, he would focus on building the supercomputing system he needed, using just a fraction of its power to maintain the magic net's calculations.
Soon, he would be ready to take the next step in his research, all while keeping an eye on the development of the magic net.
In the meantime, Loki was already planning his next moves, determined to rise above Thor and secure his place as the true King of Gods.
This is the purpose of his Level 1 protocol.
The process didn't take long.
It only took a few days.
Aaron then used a special device, placed the Mind Gem into it, pulled out a "network cable" from the core of the magic net, and connected it to the device.
Immediately, he felt a rush of clarity in his mind.
His thoughts became sharp once again.
He turned his attention to the magic net, ensuring no mistakes were made during the information processing.
After observing for a while and confirming everything was in order, he felt relieved.
At that point, Aaron integrated the logic of information processing into the device, creating a special intelligence similar to Vision or Ultron, but without its own life.
It would simply process and analyze data.
The efficiency, however, was not lacking.
In fact, it was more powerful than intelligent entities like J.A.R.V.I.S!
To further develop the gem's power, Aaron set up another separate program within the device.
This program would divide a part of the Mind Gem's ability, allowing it to deduce new magic based on existing magical knowledge.
However, the program had yet to be put into practice. Whether it would work as planned still needed further observation.
After all, programs are lifeless things.
Aaron had not created intelligent life with self-awareness.
Thinking like a human and optimizing magic through transformation was still difficult.
Fortunately, he still had time.
After loading all the low-level magic into the system for self-analysis and research, he didn't concern himself with it anymore.
Instead, he began a new round of upgrades on the device.
After all, it was a temporary, hand-made device, far from what he envisioned.
Now that he had three Infinite Gems in his possession, he was fully equipped to conduct preliminary research experiments.
It was time to unleash the power of knowledge.
"The target is out!"
Outside, the followers of Dimensional Lords, who had been observing secretly for several days, finally saw their opportunity when Jean appeared.
During this time, they had been waiting patiently without any sign of the target moving.
It seemed as though they had no needs at all—no food, no entertainment.
What kind of "otaku" was this?
They were eager to strike but remembered Kaecilius' warning.
They hesitated.
If they failed the mission, the formidable Dimensional Lords would not be kind to them.
Thus, they had been forced to remain hidden, carefully observing from afar to avoid alerting the other party.
Today, they finally had a chance—Jean was leaving!
"The situation has changed. Besides the target, Phoenix, there's also a little girl."
"Should we continue to wait for Phoenix to lag behind before acting?"
"Order? No! I can't wait anymore! It's just a harmless little girl. Even if she learned magic in her mother's womb, she can't threaten me. Do you still fear her?"
"Don't forget, she's close to the God of Magic. As Kaecilius mentioned, there are no ordinary people around him."
"Tch, what's Kaecilius ever done? If he had any real ability, the master wouldn't have had to bless us to complete the mission. He's a failure!"
"This little girl... does she really think there are so many special beings in this world? I don't believe she has such destructive abilities. If she does, I'll eat my words!!"
"Tsk, I don't know why Mr. Satanish values you so much, coward!"
"Enough!!"
"Alright, stop talking. Get ready to move."
"This time, we need to succeed in one go!"
"Before the God of Magic can react, we'll make sure Phoenix escapes."
"I'm done waiting. These days, even Shendu enjoys staying at home. Falk!"
A group of Dimensional Lord followers silently prepared for their strike, hiding their presence along Qin and her companion's path.
However, they underestimated the vigilance of Jean and Wanda.
One was the host of the Phoenix Force, and the other wielded Origin Magic Power.
This group of Dimensional Lord believers was destined to pay the price for their miscalculations.
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