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Chapter 141: Magic Apprentice Wanda, Loki's Self-Consolation
🕑 Added 2025-03-18 23:03:59 +0000 UTC"Looks like you found something?"
Loki asked tentatively as he observed Aaron.
Though Loki was skilled in magic, his knowledge was primarily limited to Asgardian and Vanir magic. He had little understanding of Kamar-Taj's occult arts, ancient god magic, and similar disciplines.
Back when they experimented with the Mind Stone to activate Wanda's power, he had been puzzled—why had Wanda awakened with magic, while Pietro had gained superhuman abilities? That was completely different from what they had expected.
Even more shocking was Wanda’s raw magical power—it far exceeded Loki’s own. It had even made him consider whether he should experiment with the Mind Stone himself.
If he could gain an ability like Wanda’s, it would be a great advantage. He could skip the tedious process of learning and refining magic, instantly acquiring immense power. His strength would skyrocket.
But later, the researchers' findings had crushed his hopes.
Although the Mind Stone could awaken and bestow special abilities, the success rate was terrifyingly low. A single misstep could lead to death.
Loki valued his life too much to gamble it on such slim odds.
Now, seeing Aaron appear to understand the origin of Wanda's abilities, Loki couldn't help but feel excited.
Aaron, however, immediately doused his enthusiasm with a bucket of cold water.
"Don’t even think about it. Wanda’s ability isn’t something that can be replicated. It was already part of her—it just needed the Mind Stone to awaken."
He paused and then asked, "Have you heard of Mutants?"
"You mean… her power is a Mutant ability?" Loki suddenly understood.
Mutants—those humans who gained extraordinary abilities through their genes—were truly enviable.
He had even considered using the Mind Stone to control a group of them, making them the foundation of his own kingdom.
"Yes and no," Aaron replied. "Her ability isn’t so simple to explain. Just know that in this universe, there will never be another like her."
He deliberately emphasized "this universe."
In other realities, Wanda’s situation might be different, but in this one, she was unique.
Loki sighed in disappointment.
Aaron had only given a vague explanation, but Loki understood the main point—Wanda was one of a kind. A pity.
"Didn't my ability come from the Kings of the Gods?"
Wanda, who had been listening quietly, looked confused.
Aaron turned to Loki with an amused expression, making the latter feel slightly embarrassed.
"Ahem, well… your ability is yours," Loki said, clearing his throat. "I just added some… catalysts to bring it out. Understand?"
"Also, when there are others around, remember to call me ‘Leader.’"
Loki would have loved for his followers to address him as the King of the Gods, but not when Aaron was standing right next to him.
Even with his thick skin, he wasn’t shameless enough to make such a claim in front of someone who knew the truth.
Aaron knew everything about him.
In reality, Loki was less of a God-King and more of a dethroned ruler.
Wanda tilted her head in confusion, still struggling to understand.
At first, Loki had told her that her powers were a gift from him. Now, that story had changed?
Then again, if she thought about it… she had only awakened her abilities because of Loki. So, in a way, he had given them to her… right?
Probably?
Wanda wasn’t sure.
"By the way, Aaron, maybe we should discuss something else—something… about further cooperation," Loki suggested.
"Your situation isn’t ideal either."
He shifted into a confident posture, clasping his hands together as if he held all the cards.
His eyes flicked over to the women around Aaron, then back to Aaron himself, dropping another hint.
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
What was Loki trying to imply now?
Him? In a bad situation?
His situation couldn’t be better.
"Take Wanda away for a while," Aaron instructed the others. "I’ll come find you later."
Loki’s words had piqued his interest. He was curious about what Loki would say next.
What kind of "proposal" did the trickster god have in mind this time?
As the others left, Loki felt even more certain about his theory.
He gave Aaron a sympathetic look.
"You have great power, Aaron," Loki began, speaking in a low, persuasive tone. "Odin fears your power."
"He is pushing you away—afraid you’ll threaten his and my dear brother’s rule."
"That’s why he left you stranded in barren, backward Midgard. He fears that if you return, you’ll steal their glory."
"I think we should talk."
"In all of Asgard, only I can truly help you unleash your full potential."
Loki’s expression was sincere.
From Aaron’s silence, he felt certain—his guess was correct.
Aaron was being excluded, cast aside by Odin.
But Loki was wrong about one thing.
Aaron wasn’t trapped in Midgard.
He could return to Asgard whenever he pleased, and Odin wouldn’t stop him. In fact, Odin no longer had the strength to confront him. Any requests from Odin now came in the form of negotiations, not demands.
And truthfully, Midgard had far more opportunities than Asgard.
It was the true center of everything.
With risk came reward. Right now, Earth was the best place to grow stronger.
Seeing Aaron remain silent, Loki assumed he was considering the offer.
So he continued, "I know what you’re thinking—you’re wondering whether I have the strength to rule Asgard."
"You’re right. I don’t have Thor’s control over lightning, nor Odin’s near-omnipotent divine power. But I am developing my own power."
"My magic has grown stronger."
"If you ally with me, the future will be bright."
"Of course, I understand your concerns," Loki added quickly.
"So, let’s continue our previous agreement.
"When I take full control of Midgard, you come to my aid."
Aaron didn’t even need to think.
He dismissed Loki’s words with a casual nod.
Loki wasn’t going to succeed.
If he still had the Casket of Ancient Winters, he might have stood a chance.
But now?
Relying solely on magic to reach Thor’s level was nothing more than a fantasy.
Even if Loki inherited part of HYDRA’s resources, it wouldn’t be enough.
HYDRA was a secretive organization, constantly hunted and suppressed by the world’s governments. Even if Loki brought Asgardian knowledge into the mix, he wouldn’t be able to seize global control.
And in the highly unlikely scenario that Loki did succeed?
By then, Aaron would be far beyond his reach.
Aaron knew Loki’s true motive.
He wasn’t trying to recruit Aaron—he was trying to secure a promise that Aaron wouldn’t interfere.
Loki understood one thing well: the only reason his schemes were still in motion was that his opponents were incompetent.
Thor and Heimdall, watching from afar, were clueless about his whereabouts.
Aaron, on the other hand, was a different kind of threat.
As the God of Magic, Aaron could obliterate vast areas in an instant.
Loki even suspected Aaron had the power to wipe out the Earth’s surface if he truly wanted to.
If Odin ever ordered Aaron to hunt him down, all of Loki’s carefully laid plans would crumble in an instant.
So, he decided to get ahead of the game.
He sought protection first.
As long as he could secure Aaron’s promise not to interfere, that was enough.
Everything else could wait until Thor was truly defeated.
Receiving Aaron’s nonchalant agreement, Loki left, satisfied.
Before departing, he made sure to warn Wanda to obey Aaron’s orders and not act recklessly—especially against Iron Man.
He still held hope that Wanda would surprise him one day.
Wanda came to Aaron briskly, nervously awaiting the next order.
"In the future, you will follow Gwen and learn from Amora how to focus on using magic. Once you have a solid foundation, I will teach you how to harness your abilities."
"Okay, teacher!"
Wanda's face flushed red. Though she was shy, she couldn’t hide her excitement.
She was actually a student of the God of Magic!
She couldn’t wait to tell Pietro—he would definitely go crazy with jealousy!
Seeing Wanda’s well-behaved attitude, Aaron decided to call Amora in front of her to discuss the next steps in her education.
It was clear to Aaron that Wanda’s abilities were undoubtedly magical.
She also had a strong learning capacity, and her potential was immense.
For someone with her kind of ability, having a good teacher was essential.
Amora was not the best choice, but she would suffice.
Although Amora wasn’t the most qualified teacher—her magic was limited and quite partial—she had a solid foundation in magic.
That foundation was exactly what Wanda needed.
With a good base, Wanda would be able to build her magic skills much more efficiently.
Teaching Wanda advanced magic could come later. For now, the basics were more important.
As for Amora teaching Wanda, that wasn’t necessary.
Wanda’s ability was strong enough that she could learn by herself—given the right foundation.
Once she had mastered the basics, Aaron would guide her through darker, more complex spells when the time was right.
But not yet.
At the same time, Aaron had his own tasks to attend to.
He would normally only find time to speak with Gwen and Wanda, but the real priority now was building the magic network and expanding his knowledge.
When they returned to New York, things would get back on track.
Nick Fury was currently facing a range of problems, all of which he couldn’t intervene with if they involved Aaron.
Every time, Fury had to deal with the aftermath.
At most, he would send two agents to knock on Aaron’s door and inquire, but they couldn’t get any real answers.
Any questions asked were trivial—most of them concerned whether Aaron was comfortable in his new surroundings, if anything was missing, or if he needed help with cleaning.
To be honest, many people hoped Aaron and his group would leave New York.
They were like walking human bombs, but no one could do anything about it.
Fury and others couldn’t fight them, so they could only pretend to accept it.
The thought of such a powerful force not being under their control made them itch with frustration.
As for Tony Stark, he was still researching various versions of the Iron Man suits, but he had not stopped searching for Kamar-Taj’s location across the world.
He was said to have gathered some clues, though he had not yet succeeded in pinpointing its exact location.
Tony had also been busy building multiple versions of battle suits, including the Anti-Hulk armor, anti-Magneto armor, and the upgraded anti-Thor armor.
There were more than a dozen other "failures," God of Anti-Demon suits that could not perform well in real combat due to missing data and capabilities.
Tony had also spent a fortune acquiring a batch of Vibranium and producing new Adamantium.
He combined them with Uru metal in an attempt to create an indestructible suit.
Unfortunately, the new suit still couldn’t withstand Thor’s might.
It failed both in testing and in practical application.
The same frustrations were being felt by Odin and Heimdall, who had been monitoring the Collector's actions.
The Collector’s strength lay not in his power, but in his vast resources.
He had accumulated strange treasures, including artifacts from the Dark Elves, even though they had supposedly been wiped out.
His financial resources made him a figure to be reckoned with, but his power was limited.
Odin realized that the Collector was not the right person to guard the Tesseract or the Tai particles, and Aaron’s concerns about the Tifan Group’s inadequacy as a safeguard were confirmed.
As much as Odin feared Aaron’s growing power, he understood that Aaron was better suited to hold these precious gems than anyone else.
Even if Aaron already possessed two of the Infinity Stones, he was the lesser evil in Odin’s eyes.
Still, Odin sighed heavily.
"The King of Gods, what should we do? Take a gem from the Demon God? That thing is dangerous!"
"Yeah, it’s dangerous—don’t I know it?" Odin replied darkly, his gaze distant, as if he was recalling his past glory.
He had once nearly collected all the gems. The power contained in them was enough to make anyone crave it.
"But it’s too difficult to find the Power Crystal Gem and Soul Gem," Odin said, a hint of resignation in his voice.
"As long as the gems remain hidden, there will be no immediate danger."
What could Odin do?
Could he just sit by and let Aaron keep a gem?
He wouldn’t be the one to say it out loud.
He certainly wouldn’t be the one to collect all the gems.
His treasury couldn’t withstand that kind of disruption.
Meanwhile, in a dark corner of Earth, a group of magicians in Kamar-Taj robes sat cross-legged, their eyes closed in meditation.
They were listening to teachings from the great Lord of the Dark Dimension.
At the forefront was Kaecilius, the most capable magician from Kamar-Taj.
Kaecilius had turned to the embrace of darkness after being punished by the God of Magic for his rebellious acts.
Since then, he had gained access to knowledge he could never have imagined before, as well as power far beyond anything he had previously known.
He had also been granted immortality.
This power, this gift from Dormammu, was something Kaecilius had long desired but never received from the Ancient One.
He had sought eternal life, hoping to save his wife and daughter, but the Ancient One had always rejected him.
Now, as a servant of Dormammu, Kaecilius had gained everything he once dreamed of.
"I can’t wait to welcome you, my Lord," Kaecilius said eagerly.
"You’ve given me greater power than I ever dreamed of!"
"I believe the time has come to destroy the sanctums and prepare for your arrival!"
Under Dormammu’s guidance, Kaecilius felt invincible.
Compared to his previous self, he was an entirely different person.
But his newfound power wasn’t enough yet.
He still needed more strength.
Dormammu knew that Kaecilius’ body couldn’t fully bear the tremendous power he was receiving.
"You need more strength, but your body is not yet capable of handling it," Dormammu warned.
"That's why you’ll need help."
