On the battlefield, Aaron worked to restore the ground that had been shattered by the battle between the two fighters.
Despite how quickly the battle had begun, it ended just as quickly. With the power of both individuals, even a few minutes could easily devastate a city!
If it hadn't been for their deliberate control over the aftermath, it's likely that the nearby streets wouldn't have survived the clash.
Once Gwen defeated Captain Marvel, the magic was dispelled. She used the magic net to scatter the Energy Absorption across the battlefield, then uploaded it to the magic net.
Borrowing and repaying was not a difficult process.
For the time being, Gwen would continue to "conceive money."
The Mage of Kamar-Taj had also lost vast amounts of magic.
Gwen was quickly returned to her original form, stripped of the power that had made her even more terrifying than the Hulk. Without the magic to sustain it, her physique returned to its normal state.
It was like Thor losing his divine power—once a god, he would become no stronger than an average human without energy.
The transition from god to mortal was always uncomfortable.
Even Gwen felt a pang of melancholy.
After experiencing the power to control everything at will, how could anyone accept their "ordinary" self?
The feelings of gods and mortals were completely different.
This was one of the methods Aaron used to limit the magic net connectors.
He allowed them to experience god-like power, and when they lost it, their desperation only grew.
Aaron, too, wanted to connect to the magic net.
Sif watched Gwen's transformation, and for some reason, a change flickered in her eyes. She then spoke up.
"Sif, are you really willing to give up your dignity as a warrior to learn magic?"
Hearing this, Amora glanced at her sideways, an incredulous look crossing her face, and then she joked, "To connect to the magic net, you don't have to be a Mage or use magic to fight."
"I'm a warrior, and that won't change!" Sif replied seriously.
The arrival of Captain Marvel had given her a sense of urgency.
No matter the fight, her physical fitness was far inferior to that of her opponent.
Now, her own strength had dwindled to a low point. If she didn't make a change, she wouldn't be able to keep up.
Additionally, she was intrigued by the enhanced physical strength Gwen had displayed.
If she could also attain this physical conditioning, combined with her own fighting abilities, she believed even Thor could be matched in a head-to-head battle.
"No problem, if you want to connect, just don't tell me," Aaron fabricated a contract for Sif.
He then turned to Jean. "Do you want to try, too?"
Jean hesitated for a moment. She had considered this before, but ultimately rejected the idea.
This time, she shook her head.
Dark Phoenix didn't want to be continuously energy-absorbed by the magic net.
Until her death.
She had developed a spiritual consciousness, and though she lacked her own physical body, she could be considered an independent lifeform.
During this time, Jean and Dark Phoenix had developed a strong connection. They could switch forms at will, and they communicated regularly, like two close friends.
Jean didn't want to harm Dark Phoenix.
At least not yet. She felt that Dark Phoenix was heading in the right direction.
Maybe one day, she and Dark Phoenix would evolve into a more powerful force, just as Aaron had said.
When that day arrived, Jean was confident it would aid Aaron even more.
So, Jean once again declined the offer.
Dark Phoenix, within her, felt gratitude.
Jean refused, and Aaron said nothing further.
After a few brief instructions, he turned and went upstairs again.
Carol's arrival had been a fleeting moment.
Research was the priority.
Stark Building.
Tony Stark was busy working with J.A.R.V.I.S. to build a super-giant arc reactor.
As needed supplies arrived one by one, Tony was eager to proceed.
Not only was he working personally, but he had also set J.A.R.V.I.S. to control various mechanical arms and steel battle suits, contributing to the development of the arc reactor.
According to his calculations, once the arc reactor was completed, it could easily power an entire city.
If the magic net could truly absorb these energies, it would give him an immense surge of power in an instant.
This was just an experiment.
If successful, he planned to build more arc reactors in the future.
"Sir, Miss Stacy was just involved in a fight with a woman from S.H.I.E.L.D."
"I think you should see this."
"Miss Stacy? Is that her?" Tony's focus snapped back to attention at J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice.
As the details filtered through his mind, the target of the previous investigation quickly came to mind.
Gwen Stacy, codenamed Spider-Woman, Ms. Spider.
She was someone enhancing herself through a suspected genetic mutation.
She had once worn a Spider suit and used webs to swing across the city.
Initially, she appeared to be a righteous street hero.
Later, for reasons unknown, she became an apprentice to the God of Magic.
She frequently traveled between her home, school, and the residence of the god of magic.
It was highly likely she was one of the first people to connect to the magic net.
"Show me the video." Tony ordered.
"Certainly, sir."
Tony Stark put down his tools and focused on the precious video collected by J.A.R.V.I.S.
These were surveillance records taken before S.H.I.E.L.D. intervened.
The images were blurry, showing a great distance.
But after J.A.R.V.I.S. refined the footage, the details became clear.
When Tony saw the entire video, he fell into deep thought.
"If I'm seeing this correctly, Stacy just used the magic net to borrow incredible magical power."
"At that moment, the energy readings on her body shot to an unpredictable level."
"Her authority is definitely very high!"
"The magic net really does grant immense power, far beyond what I imagined!"
This was, without a doubt, excellent news.
The magic net had allowed Gwen to easily defeat a mysterious figure who could move incredibly fast.
Her strength now rivaled that of the Hulk.
After all, even the Hulk couldn't punch someone into space, right?
Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S. access a private satellite to confirm that the mysterious figure had indeed been sent into space by Gwen.
The power was truly staggering.
Similarly, he was curious about Carol's sudden appearance.
Though her strength appeared limited, from the current standpoint, she possessed power beyond even what Hulk or Thor had.
She could go from space to Earth in mere seconds.
It was nearly the speed of light!
It was hard to imagine just how powerful someone with such abilities could be.
But even so, Gwen, connected to the magic net, had knocked her out cold with a single punch.
The magic net was truly outrageous!
"J.A.R.V.I.S., compare this to the database. I want to know what magic Miss Stacy just used."
"According to the database, Miss Stacy used Aike's Gravity Manipulation Book, Portal, Lago Gador's Ring, and Sephirah's Shield."
"The final spell used couldn't be found in the database."
Hearing this, Tony Stark dove into the magic net to search on his own.
Since Kamar-Taj's data couldn't provide the answer, it was possible the magic had been created by the god of magic or another source of divine magic.
He was intrigued by this new form of magic.
However, once Tony immersed himself in the magic net, he quickly became entangled.
"Don't the people of Asgard make artificial intelligence?"
"How nice it would be to use that processing mechanism," Tony muttered, annoyed at the primitive nature of the search methods.
He even considered uploading AI manufacturing technology to the gods of magic.
Optimizing the magic net would be incredibly helpful—so that people wouldn't have to struggle with it the way he was.
After all, after experiencing the convenience of J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony had no patience for such outdated methods.
If he could control the magic net, he'd have already optimized it.
But given the difficulty of creating the magic net in the first place, Tony understood that the gods of magic didn't have time to improve their search functions.
"Hmm… I wonder if uploading these things will help?"
"Or maybe I should go talk to him."
"See if I can figure out how the magic net is made…"
Tony felt a twinge of interest, but he quickly dismissed it.
No one would reveal the secrets behind the magic net's creation.
It was even more confidential than his own suit manufacturing process.
And even if they did reveal it, few would have the mindset to truly understand it.
There was no way to replicate it from mere instructions.
Realizing this, Tony abandoned the thought and focused on building the super-giant arc reactor.
Meanwhile, Carol awoke from her sleep.
Her eyes fluttered open, greeted by blinding lights.
She remembered the fist, getting closer. The pain was still fresh in her mind.
She recalled being restrained by Gwen's magic and then getting punched in the face.
"Wait!!"
"Why am I here?!"
Carol suddenly jolted upright.
Gwen's punch had nearly shattered her mind!
"You're awake, Miss Danyong."
"Who are you? Where am I?" Carol demanded, her eyes warily scanning the woman standing by the bed.
The woman appeared calm and dignified.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret base in New York. I'm Agent Hill, Nick Fury's deputy. I've already contacted him, and he'll be here soon."
"Now, we need to check, how are you feeling? How's your condition?"
"Our technology can't scan and restore your body; we can only rely on you to regain consciousness on your own."
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Carol waved her hands dismissively, reassuring herself.
She was Captain Marvel, after all!
How could anything have happened to her?
"Where's Gwen? Where is she? I'm still fighting!"
It suddenly dawned on her. The battle hadn't been finished.
Her mind had stayed frozen at the moment Gwen's fist collided with her face.
And then she flew away?
Carol's face drained of color.
Could it be… she had lost?
She lost to a rookie.
A woman who seemed a mere ordinary person.
Was she really that weak?
Moreover, the other party was just the apprentice of the God of Magic!
Carol couldn't accept this possibility.
She quickly grabbed Hill's arm, her voice frantic.
Seeing Carol's excitement, Hill wasn't sure whether to speak up or not.
At that moment, Nick Fury's message came through.
"Carol, we brought you back from the moon... The battle is over!"
When Carol heard this, she felt a wave of humiliation.
"I'm so stupid," she muttered to herself. "I lost consciousness, and yet I was still hoping for a different outcome... I actually lost to a magic apprentice!"
"Just like that, and I still wanted to fight him..."
Carol felt a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment.
Thankfully, no one else was around at that moment. If anyone had heard her wild words, combined with the result of the battle, she would have surely been ridiculed beyond measure.
Nick Fury gave Hill a signal to leave, and with the sound of the door closing, he stepped forward to comfort Carol.
His voice was low and sympathetic.
"Carol, don't be too upset. There's no shame in losing to him."
"I lost to his apprentice!" Carol emphasized, almost as if to remind herself.
"Ahem, it's all the same," Nick Fury replied with a knowing look.
He continued, "She is connected to the magic net. She's no longer just an apprentice in the traditional sense."
"The magic net?" Carol frowned, hearing the unfamiliar term.
She could sense that Nick was emphasizing it for a reason.
Nick Fury paused, gathering his thoughts before beginning to explain.
"Carol, a lot has happened over the past two years. The Earth is not what you remember. It all started when he arrived on Earth."
Somewhere in a dark corner of New York...
Kaecilius suddenly appeared with several others.
They carefully observed the surroundings, ensuring the area was secure before casting a spell to conceal their actions from the outside world.
Kaecilius pulled out a photo album.
As he opened it, he revealed several pages documenting Aaron's involvement.
"The home of the God of Magic is located at XXXX in New York City."
"Beside him are Warrior Sif from Asgard, Amora the Charming Witch, Gwen the Spider Lady, Wanda, a new recruit, and our target for this operation, Phoenix... the host of the Phoenix—Jean Grey!"
Kaecilius turned the page, pointing to the pictures of the people listed and said:
"Everyone, listen up. This operation is crucial. If you make a mistake, the master behind you will be the first to tear you apart!"
He made sure his words landed heavily.
This operation was a collaboration between the three Dimensional Lords.
Their goal was to use dark energy to corrupt the Phoenix host when the God of Magic wasn't paying attention.
They intended to provoke the Phoenix force inside her, making it go berserk.
This distraction would divert the God of Magic's attention, and help the DImensional Lords enter the true universe. This would solve a potential obstacle.
Regardless of whether the Phoenix or the God of Magic prevailed in the end, the Dimensional Lords would benefit.
This plan had been proposed by Mephisto and agreed upon by all the Dimensional Lords.
To ensure the success of the mission, they had even strengthened their ranks with a few new followers.
Kaecilius had been assigned the responsibility of guiding the operation and overseeing its progress.
If this mission succeeded, the plan to break through the holy place could move forward.
The great Lord of Darkness would then be able to cast His light across the world!
One of the followers, clearly dissatisfied, voiced his concerns.
"Is the God of Magic really as terrifying as you say? Why don't I just kill them all and be done with it?"
"That's right," another follower chimed in. "We've received Dimensional Lord's blessing. Not even the Supreme Mage would be able to stop us."
Many of these followers had once been outcasts or ordinary people dissatisfied with their lives. Now that they had powers on par with gods, they couldn't just destroy everything as they pleased. Instead, they had to follow the mission and carefully engage with a woman named Jean Grey.
They also had to be cautious not to attract the God of Magic's attention.
It felt like following the rules of a taboo, as if they were in a forbidden novel.
"Hmph, shut up!" Kaecilius snapped, silencing them.
"If you have any questions, ask the master behind you!"
"I've said everything that needs to be said. If anyone messes this up, don't blame me for not warning you!"
Kaecilius glared at the newcomers, his disgust palpable.
They were nothing more than cannon fodder to him.
To minimize the loss of loyal followers, he had been forced to recruit these social misfits.
Before, he would never have considered them.
Now, he had to guide them through the mission.
"A bunch of trash, thinking they can enter the new world with us? After the mission is over, it'll be your death sentence!"
A sharp, cold light flashed in Kaecilius' eyes.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Aaron's profile picture in the photo album.
The sternness in Kaecilius' eyes instantly shifted to fear.
He quickly closed the album and destroyed it as if it might come to life at any moment.
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