44 - Shadows and Secrets

Group invisibility magic, as the name suggests, was not limited to concealing only oneself.

Aaron could render multiple people invisible alongside him.

In this invisible state, it perfectly masked imperfections such as temperature, sound, light, and smell.

Even magical auras could be concealed.

Even Asgard's advanced technology could not detect Aaron's presence.

It was worth noting that the toys Asgardian children played with were centuries ahead of Earth's cutting-edge technology.

Moreover, Heimdall's all-seeing eye failed to locate Aaron while he was invisible.

At this moment, as long as he could successfully reach Jotunheim, Aaron was confident he could stroll leisurely among the countless Frost Giants.

He could even enter and exit the Frost Giants' lair without any pressure, perhaps even sit on Laufey's throne right in front of him.

No one would know of his existence.

As for whether Odin could sense him while invisible, Aaron was not yet certain.

Odin rarely revealed his full capabilities and kept his true power deeply hidden.

No one knew how terrifying he could be at his peak, exerting all his strength.

No one dared to test Odin's limits.

This very mystery made Odin seem unfathomable.

Even when analyzing Odin's strength, one could only do so through his adversaries.

He had sealed Hela, who had driven the awakened Thor to despair, and defeated Surtur at his peak. Either feat offered a glimpse into Odin's profound power.

Aaron did not believe he currently had the ability to challenge Odin.

He had no desire to test Odin's magical prowess so soon.

With the aid of his extraordinary abilities, he would surely surpass Odin in time.

Now that he had acquired invisibility magic, another prerequisite for his plan was fulfilled.

Next, he only needed to locate the Fountain of Wisdom, and he could begin to address the issue of his magic energy reserves.

As for the two artifacts in Odin's treasure vault, Aaron coveted them as well.

However, the vault was protected by magical wards set by Odin. Breaking in would immediately alert Odin.

That could lead to a direct confrontation with Odin, which would outweigh any potential gains.

Aaron habitually conjured a pen and paper to jot down his plans.

His previous plan had not been flawless.

He had initially intended to use mind charm magic to control Heimdall, leveraging his all-seeing eye and control over the Bifrost to teleport himself to the Fountain of Wisdom.

But considering that charming Heimdall might reveal the existence of his mental powers, Aaron reconsidered.

Instead, he planned to use the secret passage between Jotunheim and Asgard to enter the realm.

The Nine Realms were not solely accessible via spaceships or the Bifrost.

There existed certain extraordinary spatial nodes, tied to the World Tree, that allowed travel between different worlds if located.

In Thor 1, a few Frost Giants, led by Loki, had bypassed Heimdall's surveillance, entered Asgard through a secret passage, and infiltrated Odin's treasure vault in an attempt to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters.

This act had not only disrupted Thor's ceremony to become heir but also triggered a cascade of events, including Thor's banishment and Laufey's death.

From that point, Asgard had entered an era of turmoil, and the Nine Realms ceased to know peace.

"To learn of this secret passage, I must use mind magic and mind reading to probe Loki's thoughts."

"Or I could wait for Thor's coronation ceremony and the ensuing chaos to act."

Aaron pondered for a moment and decided on the first approach.

This Loki was not the female Loki, nor had he awakened to the level of mind control that allowed possession.

As long as Aaron's mental magic was sufficiently advanced, he could read Loki's memories without detection.

The greatest challenge remained the coordinates of the Fountain of Wisdom.

This issue could also be addressed by attempting to read Heimdall's memories.

Of course, the library could not be overlooked.

Perhaps the solution lay in deploying phantom clones.

It was too daunting for Amora alone to find usable information in the vast library.

Summoning enough physical clones could expedite the process.

However, this would consume significant magic power and mental energy.

After all, each clone demanded a portion of his mental capacity. The greater the number, the heavier the strain on the user.

But for the sake of the plan, it was necessary.

With this in mind, Aaron devised a two-step plan.

The first step was to enhance his mental magic.

Once he was strong enough, if he still had not obtained the coordinates, he would proceed to the second step: temporarily halting his strength improvement and focusing entirely on the library.

If he still could not locate the Fountain of Wisdom, he might have to wait patiently.

He would bide his time until Loki stirred chaos in the Nine Realms, allowing him to act amidst the turmoil.

That day was not far off.

Though Aaron did not know the current timeline on Earth, based on his calculations, it should not be long before the events of Thor 1 unfolded.

Even if he could not find the Fountain of Wisdom, it would only delay his strength improvement.

In that case, he could seek to acquire the Casket of Ancient Winters, which could also address his energy reserve issue.

With this decided, Aaron dispelled the magic, returned home, and set about improving his mind magic as quickly as possible.

At this time, Thor and the others had already departed, likely attending another cocktail party.

In the days that followed, Aaron relentlessly honed his mental magic, then diligently worked to restore his magic reserves.

The next phase of his plan was critical, and he could not afford the slightest mistake. Maintaining peak mental and magical condition was paramount.

Another day passed.

On this day, Aaron sought out Loki, a rare initiative.

Loki found it peculiar that Aaron had taken the lead in arranging a meeting.

Before this, Aaron had never contacted him directly. Their interactions had always been through Thor.

As cunning as Loki was, he had long sensed that Aaron harbored an inexplicable aversion to him.

This was why he had never considered recruiting Aaron to his side.

But he had never cared, as he was accustomed to such treatment.

From ordinary Asgardians to the Three Warriors and even Odin, many regarded him with a sense of distance.

Loki did not find Aaron's aloofness incomprehensible.

However, this time, he detected the scent of a scheme.

Had the meeting not been set at the Magic Academy, he might not have even bothered to show up.

Arriving at the designated location, Loki did not see Aaron.

This caused him to frown slightly.

What was going on?

Was this a prank?

Loki instinctively recalled his own past antics, where he had invited others to meetings only to tease them with magic.

Those were his "great achievements" from younger days.

Now that he had matured, he no longer indulged in such "childish" tricks (in truth, no one fell for them anymore).

At this thought, a smile curled Loki's lips.

If Aaron intended to trick him, he had chosen the wrong target.

When it came to deception, Loki was the master!

Loki steadied his breath, quietly employed invisibility and illusion magic, and left a clone to wait in place while his true self hid in the shadows, ready to turn the tables on Aaron.

Unbeknownst to him, right where he concealed himself, Aaron had silently approached from behind…

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