"What do you think?" The Sorcerer Supreme briefly recounted his conversation with Odin to Luke and told him Odin's proposal.
"Of course," Luke nodded. He knew things wouldn't always go as planned, and this twist was inevitable. He had met Thor, the Asgardian prince who was staying in Midgard, during this time and had learned some information about Odin from him.
Odin possesses all the qualities of a king, to varying degrees. Pride is one of them. He despises the weak, yet is willing to protect them.
"Then you can start preparing. When you are ready, I will take you to Asgard." Ancient One did not say anything extra and was as straightforward as Luke.
"I want to know more about that strange fusion," Luke asked.
"As it should be. Odin won't make things difficult for you in this regard. He has asked me to bring what you want." Gu Yi waved her hand, and a portal appeared at her side. She reached in and took out a book with a black cover.
"A book?" Luke was surprised to receive the book that the Sorcerer Supreme had magically lifted and floated towards him. He had originally thought it would be some information relayed by the Ancient One, or perhaps a magical image, but a book?
"Odin has been trying to eradicate this hidden danger buried in Asgard for thousands of years, so over the past few thousand years, he has collected intelligence that may be related to that mysterious group from all over the universe and the dimensional world.
"This book records all the information he's collected. In his words, it contains everything about that mysterious tribe. If there's something not recorded in this book, he won't know it if you ask him," Ancient One said softly.
Luke held the book in his palm without changing his expression and flipped through it twice. Another way to interpret these words is that Odin didn't want to see Luke as a collaborator.
"Is there any organization of the other side? Just a little bit will be fine. Or what is the approximate energy level of the other side?" Luke asked two important questions.
"I'm afraid no organization can research it for you. Even Odin doesn't know what form the other party takes. All he can sense is that the threat it poses to Asgard is increasing day by day.
As for the energy level, I believe you can measure it with your highest technical standards. If your equipment is unable to permanently restrain it and resolve it, then Odin and I will have to reseal it or banish it to another dimension. However, each of these options has consequences.
Ancient One didn't say what would happen after she and Odin resolved the issue, but Luke remembered what Ancient One had told him about Odin's attitude, and he was afraid that by then he would really only be able to be a simple technology supplier.
Commonly known as a worker.
"One last question. If my technology can restrain and regulate this so-called fusion, will its ownership be transferred to me?" Luke finally asked.
"Of course, if you can do that, then its ownership will of course be yours. Odin will not have any hesitation or regret about this." Gu nodded.
Odin only wanted this new energy, not this trouble! To Odin, it didn't matter who owned these troubles. He was eager to throw away all the troubles that Asgard could throw away.
Luke was willing to take on a major problem and even paid him for the [New Energy], so of course he wouldn't go back on his word. As long as his share, and Asgard's, was guaranteed, Odin was happy to collaborate with Luke further.
The premise is that Luke has indeed successfully demonstrated his skills or strength.
"Then I understand. Then I'll need two of you to deliver it to the location I request." Luke nodded with satisfaction.
"Just a reminder, if possible, I don't recommend you to choose this planet. No one wants to see the consequences of losing control." Gu Yi reminded.
"What about a city's power source? I think it's perfect." Luke immediately arranged accommodations for the strange fusion being, known in the book as Mangogo, after hearing Ancient One's retelling. He felt there was no place more suitable for him than his own Dark City.
…
The two portals rotated and opened, and Mordo and the Mage King stepped out of the two portals one after the other. They received Luke's urgent message and hurried over to hear Luke's request.
"You want to change the construction process?" Mordo and the Mage King looked at Luke in shock.
"Yes." Luke nodded.
"You have to know that many mages have already made arrangements. Now you have temporarily changed the process and we need to readjust it. Can I ask what the reason is?" Mordo asked with a frown.
During this period, almost all the mages stationed from the Sorcerer Supreme lineage were busy with Luke's city, and other mages also followed the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. around the world to communicate with the spokespersons of some dimensional demons.
They didn't have much time to meditate and familiarize themselves with the new energy, and Luke's sudden request would probably make some mages' already tight study time even shorter.
"I can give you a raise." Luke said this lightly, making Mordo and the Mage King roll their eyes inwardly.
"The Supreme Sorcerer asked us to cooperate with you, so we will naturally follow his advice," the Mage King said slowly. This was a subtle reminder to Luke that their group of mages were willing to contribute to Luke's city-building project not because of Luke's generous salary, but because of the Supreme Sorcerer's instructions.
Luke understood the Wizard King's reminder, but he just smiled. He just wanted his request to be met. No matter what other reasons, he would naturally give the reward he thought was due.
If you don't care about salary, then do you care about the experience of upgrading to new equipment? Luke can give out some experience qualifications.
"Which part of the process do you want to change?" Mordo asked immediately.
"Energy power room." Luke gave a straightforward answer.
"This is the later stage of construction." Mordo frowned.
"Yes, some urgent issues have arisen, forcing us to expedite construction." Luke rubbed his hands. "If construction succeeds, the development of new energy will experience a qualitative leap, entering a new threshold. Do you understand?"
This isn't just for me, it's for you mages as well."
Luke's straightforwardness made Mordo and the Mage King look at each other, and they nodded silently under Luke's gaze.
"We will give priority to enchanting and manufacturing materials for the energy power room. But the materials you chose are very difficult to handle, and it takes a lot of time to process and transform them bit by bit. This is difficult to accomplish in one go." The Mage King gave his answer carefully.
…
Triskelion Building.
"Speed up? Oh my god, how else do you want to speed up?"
"…"
"I understand your urgency, but little Luke, please also understand me."
"…"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is not a service-oriented organization. It really isn't! I can set up a construction team specifically to serve you. You can tell them if you have any opinions. Please don't bother me with such trivial matters. My personal phone is not for work..."
"…"
"What? That's what you want to tell me? I'm very efficient, and I know that myself. But I still have a lot of things to do, little Luke, I really don't have time..."
"…"
"Have you got an idea for a new outfit?"
"…"
"Is it related to our new energy source?"
"…"
"But you're too busy with construction to research that new equipment you've just discovered?"
"…"
"Miss Sandra has quit? I don't believe that. Okay, okay, I believe she's busy with other work at Heberon. I can build a professional, elite service team for you!"
"…"
"Okay, it seems you've got me. I'll do my best to speed things up for you. But if that happens, the previous budget might not be enough, and I'll have to ask those people for funds again. No, no, no, maybe I should release a second batch of candidates and bring in a new group of suckers. I guess that's what you want me to do."
Nick sat in his office, rubbing his swollen forehead with a look of helplessness. He had never been so irritable as he was right now. He had seen all kinds of people and all kinds of bosses, but he had never seen two completely different partners who could be manipulated by one and act as if it was natural.
In just a few minutes of conversation, Nick's emotions changed dramatically and were unpredictable.
After hanging up the phone, Nick pondered for a moment, summoned Agent Phil Coulson, who was highly capable and experienced in handling such matters, and assigned him this new task.
As for the prince of Asgard?
Nick said that the other party should be familiar with how to live on this planet by now, and the hardworking Agent Coulson cannot be allowed to take a "vacation" because of him.
The reason why Nick changed his tone so quickly, from resistance to full support, was definitely due to the temptation of Luke's new equipment, and the rest was related to Luke's brief explanation of the current situation.
There is a saying that goes, "Hearing the zither, one can understand the elegant meaning."
Although what Luke said was very simple and all the information sounded normal, Nick, as a veteran, still saw some abnormal information from it based on his understanding of Luke.
But this didn't make Nick, who was already a bit worried, even more anxious. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief. After all, in his opinion, such a large plan had been too smooth sailing before. He was always happy, but also always in a state of anxiety, always worried that some unsolvable problem would arise at the next moment.
Now that trouble had really arisen, Nick's heart calmed down. He was still very clear that if it really came to the point where they had to take sides, he and S.H.I.E.L.D. would have to choose between the Master and Hebron.
…
"Your time is going to be compressed again."
Venom, watching Luke hang up, said with a hint of gloating. He was still brooding over not having the Emotional Fluid, though he hadn't developed the same level of resentment as An Jing, who could easily lose control and go mad.
"Why compress?" Luke looked at Venom who was speaking with a confused look on his face.
"Aren't you going to develop new equipment for that charcoal-headed guy?" Venom was even more confused than Luke when he heard this.
"Yeah, but what does this have to do with my time compression?" Luke's words made Venom's eyes widen in confusion. "He doesn't understand technology anyway, right? Just modify the ring for the mage, add some functions and give it to him.
Well, the materials don't need to be too high, we can reduce the cost and increase the selling price." Luke then said something contradictory.
"You're as black-hearted as ever in doing business." Venom couldn't help but mutter as he listened to Luke's mumbling.
His words drew Luke's disapproving glance. "How can you call it a shady idea to consider the cost issue? If the utilization rate of the new energy by ordinary formal mages is like a pipe, then those agents can only be considered syringes at best."
They can't utilize much energy, so using the same materials as a mage's equipment wouldn't be a waste. Saving is a virtue."
Luke's rhetoric left Venom speechless. He actually thought he had always been a standard villain, but after getting to know Luke, he often felt disappointed that he was just a standard villain.
The influence of Tony Stark's personality just now made him feel uncomfortable about Luke's words. But he couldn't blame Luke for anything, because what Luke said was indeed irrefutable and tenable.
Shaking his head, Venom suppressed the influence of Stark's character, which was equivalent to extinguishing the little moral flame in his heart that could be extinguished at any time like a candle in the wind.
For a moment, Venom felt a wave of relief, and all he wanted to do was applaud his breeder's wicked behavior. He wasn't supposed to have morals. What did that charcoal-headed guy have to do with him? Was he even supposed to worry about it?
"We can't be too perfunctory." Luke thought about it and decided to create a benchmark that can represent Haibolun's technological strength by castrating the bankrupt mass-produced modified version.
Then, he used this to prove to Nick that it wasn't that Luke couldn't come up with better new energy equipment technology, but rather that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents couldn't handle it at the moment. After all, even mages who frequently came into contact with dimensional demons and various mysterious forces would be easily defeated by the new energy, let alone the ordinary S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Although the modifications were made to the Heibollen bracelet provided to the mage, the workload was still much greater than expected. Luke spent an entire night in the laboratory before the complete transformation was completed.
Luke breathed a sigh of relief as he stroked the metal ring with its peculiar patterns on his palm. It was supposed to be a simple modification, but he couldn't help but immerse himself in the process. By the time it was complete, the technical differences between it and the original mage bracelet were already clear. It was more like two branches extending from a main trunk.