OGCrafter
patreon
Chapter 65: The Plot Changes—Someone Picked Up the Hammer?
🕑 Added 2025-03-13 15:36:50 +0000 UTCEven so, Aaron still didn’t want to go.
If he wanted to visit Kamar-Taj, he could go to Earth at any time using his teleportation ability, which had already reached LV5.
Then, he could search for traces of Kamar-Taj at his own pace.
"The King of the Gods has fallen into deep sleep, and other kingdoms are eager to take advantage. The lost King of the Flame Titans cannot be trusted not to have ulterior motives. Right now, Asgard needs protection more than ever," Aaron declared righteously.
It was a reasonable argument.
Asgard was strong.
But without Odin, it no longer held an overwhelming advantage over the other realms.
With Thor exiled, Asgard had lost its standing as the true guardian of the Nine Realms.
The combination of Bifrost and Heimdall was indeed formidable, but not foolproof.
Otherwise, how had the Dark Elves successfully infiltrated Asgard using invisibility?
Many Asgardians were oblivious to this vulnerability, still blinded by their past glory.
But Frigga was different—she was wise.
And indeed, she understood Aaron’s reasoning perfectly.
She knew Loki’s level of magic. If he had truly dedicated himself to it in the past, she might not be as worried now.
But Loki was Loki.
When it came to power, Thor was still the better choice.
"I understand your concerns," Frigga said. "So I will teach you a new magic, a solution to this problem—Astral Projection!"
Aaron was momentarily stunned.
He was no stranger to this magic.
An unexpected reward—he certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Not long after, Aaron was preparing to leave, eager to test his new magic.
But Frigga’s parting words left him with a lingering sense of doubt.
"Aaron, though you have not been blessed by the Allfather, your name has been acknowledged.
As the God of Magic, you need your own legend.
Let more people know your divine name."
A legend? A god name? What did she mean?
Aaron had never cared for such abstract notions.
The more someone flaunted their power, the more brutally they were usually struck down.
Wasn't steady growth a better path?
Yet, seeing Frigga’s solemn expression, Aaron couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more important than he realized.
Perhaps there was a deeper meaning behind it.
Maybe he should ask Amora about it?
For now, he decided to set it aside and focus on his magic.
Astral Projection
Astral Projection, in simple terms, allowed one's soul to separate from their physical body and travel freely across different realms.
It wasn't particularly powerful magic, but it was a staple among sorcerers in Marvel.
Whether in Kamar-Taj or Asgard, any competent magician could use it.
The Ancient One often utilized Astral Projection for interdimensional travel.
She had even used it to knock the Hulk’s soul out of his body, rendering him temporarily powerless.
For ordinary people, astral projection left the body unconscious and defenseless, making it extremely vulnerable.
A magician, however, could still use magic in their astral form—depending on their skill level.
Frigga wanted Aaron to master Astral Projection quickly so that he could protect Thor with his soul while his body remained in Asgard.
That way, if any danger arose, he could instantly return to his body to defend Asgard.
For Aaron, protecting Thor was secondary.
His real goal was to strengthen his soul's combat ability.
Right now, his power had undergone a massive leap thanks to the Casket of Ancient Winters.
But his soul remained weak.
If someone like the Ancient One were to punch his soul out of his body, he’d be helpless.
He needed to master Astral Projection and train for soul-based combat.
Outside the Golden Hall
Volstagg and the others were waiting outside.
Judging from their expressions, their conversation had not gone well.
"It seems Loki refused to bring Thor back," Aaron remarked.
"I expected this," Hogan said bitterly. "Loki has always been jealous of Thor—jealous of his courage and strength. Now that he’s lucky enough to sit on Asgard’s throne, he refuses to contradict his father’s last order and return Thor to us."
"We can't wait any longer!" Fandral declared. "Loki will never bring Thor back. We must take action ourselves!"
"Aaron, come with us! With your magic, you’ll be a great help!"
Instead of outright refusing, Aaron said, "I’ll go, but I need time to prepare."
He then explained his conversation with Frigga.
Upon hearing that Aaron would remain in Asgard to protect it, the others understood.
"You're right. Someone needs to stay behind—not only to defend Asgard but to keep Loki in check," Sif said.
"Then we’ll go to Midgard first to find Thor. Once you’ve mastered Astral Projection, join us!"
"No problem," Aaron nodded.
But he wasn’t optimistic about their mission.
How long had Thor even been on Earth?
Did they expect him to have already learned humility and compassion?
Right now, Thor had likely not even adjusted to the humiliation of losing his divine power.
A Thor who couldn’t lift Mjolnir was not Thor at all.
So what if the Warriors Three brought him back?
What could an ordinary man possibly do?
Training in Astral Projection
Aaron wasted no time.
The feeling of separating his soul from his body was strange at first.
Light and weightless, he could pass through obstacles and float freely.
With no need for breath and immunity to most forms of radiation, he could travel between dimensions and through the stars.
At first, he struggled.
But he quickly adapted.
Then, he discovered a problem.
"I can’t use magic in this state!"
Without a physical body, he was powerless against an enemy.
But he knew that Kamar-Taj magicians could cast spells even in their astral forms.
After all, their magic came from the Dimensional Lords—it didn’t require a physical vessel.
"I need to improve this further."
Through continuous practice, he upgraded his Astral Projection to LV3.
And suddenly—
"I can cast magic in my soul form!"
That changed everything.
If he could use Energy Absorption to restore magic at any time, then he could even store the Casket of Ancient Winters in his personal space.
Meaning his soul form could maintain most of his combat power!
If he could push it even further, he might eventually be able to unleash 100% of his abilities as a soul.
"Wait... using magic in soul form also increases proficiency?"
Aaron's eyes widened.
Now, he didn’t have to worry about halting his growth while training Astral Projection.
By continuously refining his skills, he pushed it to LV4.
His soul became more solid, and his power grew even further.
If this continued, he might one day be able to fully wield all his abilities with just his soul.
More importantly, his soul power itself was increasing.
In Marvel, the soul was a mysterious force.
Red Skull had once called the Soul Stone the most unique of the Infinity Stones.
It required the ultimate sacrifice—one’s most beloved soul.
And even the Infinity Gauntlet couldn’t undo that loss.
If Aaron could continue strengthening his soul, perhaps he could even glimpse the secrets of the Soul Stone itself.
An unexpected but pleasant surprise.
Just as he was about to continue training—
A sudden message from Heimdall.
Someone picked up Mjolnir!
And it wasn’t Thor.
"What?!"
The plot had changed.
Aaron shot to his feet.
Without hesitation, he walked outside.
He needed to know exactly what had happened.
Maybe… it was time to see the world.
