Upgrade the Magic Net, Make a Bold Guess!

Golden Hall

Frigga awoke from her immersion in the Magic Net.

As she opened her eyes, she met Odin's gaze—his eyes now appearing much clearer.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It's… shocking!"

Frigga searched for the right words but found none that could adequately describe the experience. The only thing she could express was sheer astonishment.

"Yes, it is shocking," Odin agreed.

"The birth of the Magic Net has completely altered the structure of the magical world.

"A magician's strength is no longer determined solely by ability, but also by luck—and more importantly, by energy.

"I just spoke with Heimdall, and the magicians of Kamar-Taj have already begun studying how to deceive the dimensional entity Mephista after connecting to the Magic Net.

"Their power has generally risen to a new level.

"Some have even ascended to near-godhood.

"With the Magic Net alone, Kamar-Taj has grown exponentially in strength. At this point, their overall power may have already surpassed ours..."

Odin sighed, his tone filled with bitterness.

He had always refrained from interfering in Earth's affairs due to the mysterious presence backing the Sorcerer Supreme and Kamar-Taj. But that didn't mean he feared them.

Asgard's overall strength had always been above Kamar-Taj's.

But now, in just a single day,

The Magic Net had completely overturned the balance of power.

Asgard was no longer the dominant magical force in Midgard.

It was absurd—yet undeniable.

When it came to the development of the Magic Net, secret magicians had an inherent advantage.

The dimensional universe was their playground, allowing them to siphon energy freely.

At that thought, Odin began to regret giving Aaron the Casket of Ancient Winters and the Eternal Fire.

With those two artifacts combined with the Magic Net, it was possible to create not just two powerful gods—but perhaps even more.

And now, Asgard had nothing left of similar value.

"I'm considering opening up those places," Odin mused.

"You want to allow them access to extract magic power from those places? But… that could lead to unpredictable consequences."

Frigga immediately understood what he was referring to.

Those places were connected to the World Tree.

They were abundant in magical energy—but also full of unknown dangers.

No one set foot there unless absolutely necessary.

The Fountain of Wisdom, which Aaron had previously visited, was one such place.

"Kamar-Taj is already ahead of us. We can't afford to remain stagnant."

"The Aesir should never be surpassed by a Midgardian magical organization!"

Academy of Magic

As time passed, more and more magicians signed the contract.

They were drawn in by the benefits it promised.

Each of them envisioned a better future through the Magic Net.

However, unlike the magicians of Kamar-Taj,

Their path to gaining higher authority was significantly more difficult.

Without a Mephista to exploit, they had no shortcut to siphoning extra magic power.

If they wanted to improve their standing, they had to contribute their own magic power in exchange for advancement.

This so-called step-by-step approach meant that high-level magicians could offer their magic power in exchange for upgraded meditation techniques.

Even a second-level meditation technique could significantly boost their magic absorption speed.

Of course, this method only benefited those who already possessed a decent level of magic power.

For most, a different path was chosen.

The Magic Net provided a lending service.

Magicians could overdraw their future magic power in exchange for higher levels of magic in the present.

They would then have to meditate continuously to restore their power and repay both the principal and interest.

This was the path chosen by most ordinary magicians.

However, loans were strictly regulated.

Borrowed power could only be used for meditation—not for spells beyond the borrower's authority level.

After all, Aaron wasn't running a charity.

Every decision he made was meant to strengthen himself.

And he needed to ensure that the borrowers had the ability to repay their loans.

If they took on debt and still failed to defeat their enemies—

They would die, and the magic power would be lost permanently.

To avoid catastrophic losses, restrictions were placed on the level and amount of borrowed magic.

Borrowing magic itself was far more cost-effective than borrowing mana.

After all, magic could be copied and stored, while mana vanished upon the host's death.

During the lending process,

Some magicians—especially those with decent magical reserves—chose to exchange loans and their own magic power for third-level meditation techniques.

While the interest was higher, their ability to accumulate magic power increased exponentially.

At the same time,

Many began recalling locations where natural sources of magic might exist.

If a site rich in magical energy could be found,

The cultivation process could be shortened significantly.

However, such places were rare and difficult to access with their current status.

Even so,

Their contributions to the Magic Net were substantial.

And when they looked at Aaron,

They saw him as a savior and a mentor.

Even though they were currently in debt,

Their growing magical power belonged to them.

And in time, they would reach heights they had never before imagined.

Once their magical strength increased further,

A faster way to acquire magic power would surely emerge.

Seeing that the contracts had all been signed,

Aaron didn't linger.

After exchanging a few words with Irene, he left—her gaze following him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Elsewhere

Thor had reached a new level of power.

And he was starting to feel overwhelmed.

By now, he had fully grasped most of the Magic Net's functions.

Through his contract authority, he looked up at his Magic Net node—

Which was now densely covered with thousands of linked magicians!

Each time they uploaded magic power, he received a fraction in return.

The most surprising of all—

Odin himself had linked his node under Thor's authority.

In terms of hierarchy, Odin should have been the one to oversee all magicians.

Thor was conflicted.

He understood what this meant.

From now on,

He wouldn't even have to lift a finger—his power would continue to grow on its own.

How annoying.

Thor immediately sought out Aaron.

He wanted to discuss whether he could transfer the node to Odin.

He wanted to grow stronger through his own efforts—not through passive accumulation.

But Aaron dismissed him, saying that more subordinate nodes would eventually join under him.

And so,

Thor reluctantly accepted his fate.

He shut his eyes in frustration.

Since he couldn't fight it,

He might as well enjoy it.

Still, before leaving,

Aaron gave him a final piece of advice:

If the magic power influx became overwhelming, he should upload it to the Magic Net.

Thor's physical essence had yet to sublimate further.

Before long, he would face the same issue as Aaron and Odin.

Especially once the Magic Net expanded to Vanaheim and Alfheim.

As for who Odin would send to establish the Magic Net in those realms,

That was no longer Aaron's concern.

He had no intention of involving himself.

Sitting back and enjoying the benefits was far more appealing.

Back on Earth

Aaron returned to find Loki waiting for him.

Loki was unusually anxious.

Upon seeing Aaron, he visibly relaxed.

With a smile, he approached—his tone carrying a hint of respect and flattery.

"Aaron, I heard you created the Magic Net?"

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "You want to try it, too? Aren't you worried about hidden conspiracies?"

"Why would I be? We're friends. I trust you wouldn't trick me, right?"

Loki spoke as if he had absolute faith in Aaron.

But deep inside, he trusted no one.

Yet this time, it was different...

He guessed that the other party had left this time, probably heading to Asgard.

It seemed there were still many gains to be made.

Since Odin and the others had chosen to believe, Loki was naturally willing to try.

Of course, on the other hand, he had already learned something about Kamar-Taj.

Loki was no fool. This time, upon returning to Earth, he planned to rely on HYDRA's power to expand his influence. He couldn't afford to be as reckless as the Chitauri invasion last time.

Aaron had warned him multiple times that Midgard was not as simple as he had once thought.

So, in the following days, Loki consciously began searching for the mysterious forces hidden in the shadows.

He was a magician—a genius well-versed in magic.

It didn't take long for him to discover the existence of Kamar-Taj through various sources.

Even through HYDRA, he learned about the Eternals.

He hadn't had time to visit the Eternals yet, but Kamar-Taj had become the main focus of his surveillance.

That was when he discovered the existence of the Magic Net.

To verify its authenticity, he even reached out to Wanda.

Then, he hurried back.

Now, he was just waiting for Aaron to obtain the qualification to connect to the Magic Net as soon as possible.

Seeing Loki's sincere expression, Aaron smiled meaningfully.

Without much thought, he conjured a contract and tossed it to Loki.

"Look it over yourself. I have some things to deal with and will be going into seclusion for a while."

With that, Aaron turned and left.

This wasn't an excuse.

He truly intended to go into seclusion for some time.

Although the Magic Net had only spread to Kamar-Taj and Asgard so far, this alone was a promising start.

It was entirely possible to strengthen it further.

At the same time, he needed to continue expanding his knowledge.

Given his current level of wisdom, creating a business network of this scale was already close to his limit.

To go beyond, he would need a more refined transformation plan and greater intelligence.

The Marvel Universe was far too vast and unpredictable.

The structure of the Magic Net, as it stood, was not sufficient.

And it wasn't as if he could personally travel to every star city just to establish the network, right?

For the Magic Net to be truly advanced and self-sustaining, it had to be able to expand on its own across the cosmos.

Besides...

The initial tests conducted in Kamar-Taj and Asgard had proven that the Magic Net's original version functioned well.

There had been no unexpected issues beyond theoretical concerns.

So, he could now consider further upgrades.

Otherwise, it would remain confined to the Nine Realms at best.

If it were to expand to more distant star systems, it would risk exposure and potential attacks.

As a result, establishing a self-defense mechanism had become a priority.

This was a critical issue.

He hadn't even had the opportunity to test a basic defense system yet.

The Imperial Mechanism was an intermediate defense measure.

If someone attempted to destroy the Magic Net, it would trigger energy fluctuations, immediately alerting Aaron.

At that point, he could channel a massive amount of energy into that particular network node, causing an energy explosion that would retaliate against the attacker.

Additionally, the system would notify the nearest administrators or prompt Aaron himself to take action against the saboteur.

"This self-defense mechanism isn't intelligent—honestly, it's quite crude."

"My original plan was that if someone tried to forcefully destroy the Magic Net, it would instantly gather the energy of all connected users to deliver a devastating counterattack."

"There are two major factors to consider. First, the Magic Net must reach a certain level of development, with enough connected users. Otherwise, it would be difficult to resist entities as powerful as the Celestials."

"Perhaps, only when it spreads across the entire universe—or even the multiverse—will the Magic Net possess truly formidable self-defense capabilities."

"The second challenge is the design itself."

"Before that, maybe I should consider implementing a different set of self-defense measures..."

Aaron took out two Infinity Stones.

He planned to use their power to build a defensive mechanism before the Magic Net spread across the entire universe.

Each Infinity Stone, when used at full power, wielded the strength of a Single Universe Level entity.

If their power could be harnessed to perfectly safeguard the Magic Net, then many potential threats could be neutralized in its early and mid-stage development.

Furthermore...

Aaron was also considering whether the Infinity Stones could be used to upgrade other aspects of the Magic Net.

It wasn't just the defense system that needed improvement—the entire network required an upgrade.

Aaron even contemplated allowing the Magic Net to handle certain tasks automatically, based on predefined parameters and information.

For example, designing a system to determine "contribution points" for users and adjusting their authority levels accordingly.

Or developing a way to store and transfer magical energy within the network.

In simple terms, he needed to build a "computer" capable of storing vast amounts of magical information.

This computer didn't need to be highly intelligent—it just needed to function!

As of now...

All Magic Net data was still being processed by Aaron's own mind.

That was an unsustainable system, especially if the network continued expanding.

So...

There were many problems to solve.

Stealth upgrades, building a supercomputer, enhancing the defense system...

Aaron meticulously recorded every function he planned to implement.

Once his seclusion was complete, he would begin upgrading the Magic Net according to his notes.

If all these problems could be resolved, the Magic Net would become an unstoppable force.

But before that—

Aaron accessed the Magic Net and reviewed some of the magic spells that Odin had uploaded—ones that had never been recorded in any known magical archives.

His eyes gleamed with interest.

That old fox had a lot up his sleeve!

Though the spells Odin uploaded this time weren't particularly special—just minor enchantments—they were still a promising start.

As long as connected magicians needed the Magic Net,

They would eventually offer up their most valuable spells in exchange for power or authority.

And that was one of Aaron's initial goals: to collect unknown magic.

Most of these spells were useless to him.

But sooner or later, he would come across knowledge worth learning and improving upon.

Under normal circumstances, obtaining such spells from old sorcerers was nearly impossible.

They would rather take their secrets to the grave than share them.

But the existence of the Magic Net was gradually changing that.

At the same time, Aaron could now assign clear prices to these spells and place them in the Magic Net's library, forcing other magicians into a competitive cycle.

Simply put—it was ridiculously profitable.

Now that Odin had taken the bait...

When would the Ancient One do the same?

Aaron didn't believe for a second that the Ancient One wasn't hiding something.

She had the backing of Eternity and the Vishanti.

If she didn't possess higher-level magic, he wouldn't believe it.

So far, she had yet to contribute any unknown spells to the Magic Net.

There was only one possible reason:

The current version of the Magic Net hadn't fully convinced her yet.

She wasn't like Thor—she had no glaring weaknesses.

In fact, she was already thinking about selecting a successor and accepting her fate.

Aaron considered this carefully and decided—the Magic Net needed to be updated as soon as possible.

The best-case scenario? Ancient One would upload all the lost magic she had hidden away before she died.

Just as Aaron was about to head upstairs to begin his retreat,

He spotted Wanda sitting hesitantly on the stairs,

Looking uneasy.

The moment she saw him,

She sprang to her feet like a coiled spring.

In a crisp voice, she said, "I'm sorry! I told Loki about the Magic Net—I swear it won't happen again!"

During this time, Wanda had come to understand Loki's true identity. She realized that he had deceived her, extracted valuable information from her, and intended to use her and Pietro for his grand plan to rule the world.

Although Wanda deeply resented Loki's manipulations and had decided to sever their superior-subordinate relationship,

When he asked her about the authenticity of the Magic Net,

She still told him.

Because despite everything,

It was Loki who had helped awaken her powers.

Without him,

She would still be that helpless girl struggling to survive.

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