As Hela pondered what conditions to set in exchange for the urgently needed magic power and the Eternal Fire, a sudden movement outside the door caught her attention.
Thor and Loki appeared simultaneously, stepping out of a familiar golden portal.
The moment their eyes met, Loki smirked, glancing at the glowing portal behind Thor.
"My dear brother, since when did you start dabbling in magic tricks? That's not really your style."
"It's not your magic, it's Aaron's. So it's hardly a trick," Thor replied confidently.
Then, his gaze sharpened. "Loki, don't try to escape. You made me free fall for an hour—I'll take you back to Asgard so you can enjoy your trial properly."
At the sight of Loki, Thor momentarily forgot about Hela.
Compared to her, bringing his brother back on the right path mattered more. He couldn't allow Loki to continue causing trouble in Midgard.
Loki chuckled. "Are you sure you can do that? You were already defeated once."
Ever since he gained fifth-level access, his magic power had increased tenfold—perhaps even a hundredfold. Spells that once required centuries to master were now effortless.
Kamar-Taj's magic, Asgardian magic—everything was at his fingertips.
Now, he finally understood why the God of Magic was so powerful.
At this level, the transformation in strength was staggering.
As for Thor…
The brother he once struggled to match now seemed entirely unimpressive.
A moment ago, Loki had used only two portals to easily handle a hammerless Thor.
His real concern was Odin—the one existence he still feared.
"Hmph! Don't think you can pull that same trick on me again. I've already learned it!"
"Loki, come back with me!"
Thor summoned a bolt of lightning, sending it straight toward his brother.
Loki raised his hand, conjuring an energy shield.
The moment the thunder struck, it vanished like a stone sinking into the ocean.
"This is Aaron's energy shield!" Thor realized.
Though he hadn't spent much time learning magic, he recognized this particular spell.
Aaron had once created enchanted armor using the same technique, saving Fandral's life in battle. To this day, that armor was still worn with pride.
Loki grinned. "Big brother, do you even understand the power of magic?"
He stepped forward, and with each movement, duplicates split off from him.
Within moments, dozens of Lokis surrounded Thor, each one speaking in unison.
"Thor, be careful! These aren't ordinary illusions—each one is real. Don't rely on past experience!"
The warning came from Heimdall, who had been closely watching from Bifröst.
Even he couldn't determine which Loki was the real one.
That meant these duplicates were not mere illusions but had the ability to cast magic themselves.
"This is Aaron's entity energy duplication… high-level illusion magic."
Hearing this, Thor immediately accessed the magic net, downloading the spell. Instantly, dozens of Thors materialized.
Though he wasn't skilled in magic, he had Odin and Heimdall guiding him.
At this point, the only way to fight magic was with magic.
Luckily, he had enough magic power to spare.
The Four Kingdoms had given him confidence.
"There's a fight outside! A ton of Lokis and Thors!"
Gwen ran down the stairs, pointing outside with excitement.
Wanda, intrigued, rushed to the window.
She had always been interested in magic.
"Thor? Loki? Did the old man find me?!"
Hela's expression changed drastically.
In her current state, she couldn't afford to face Thor—let alone Odin.
She had nothing. No kingdom. No army. No power.
Her gaze darkened as she looked at Aaron.
This guy was impossible to manipulate.
Asgardians were disobedient now—her own people refused to follow her orders.
Without hesitation, Hela rushed outside, her stance wary as she prepared for battle.
At the same time, she carefully observed the ongoing fight, evaluating the true capabilities of those connected to the magic net, just as Loki had described.
She could understand why Loki had chosen to improve his strength through the magic net. After all, he wasn't Odin's true heir—just an adopted Frost Giant.
But Thor?
Thor was of true royal blood. He had awakened his original divine power. His strength should not be underestimated.
Surely, he wouldn't abandon his divine power for the magic net.
That would be disgraceful.
She, Hela, would never abandon her original strength for borrowed power.
Even if she were imprisoned for another thousand years, she would never kneel before the God of Magic.
She was the invincible Goddess of Death!
Or so she thought—until she saw them fight.
Loki cast spell after spell.
Mirror Dimension. Bossat's Thunder. Cytorrak's Crimson Chains. Telekinesis. Invisibility. Energy Blasts.
And Thor, under Heimdall's guidance, countered every move with magic of his own.
Sometimes, he summoned thunder to punish Loki.
The high-intensity battle raged on.
Neither showed signs of reaching their limits.
The dazzling display of magic left Hela speechless.
She had never imagined magic could be wielded like this.
The two had split into dozens of figures, yet they still maintained high-speed combat.
Is this the world of Mages?
Interesting.
Some spells were far more powerful than their traditional versions.
For instance, the energy blast—
Hela had seen Asgardian Mages use this spell before, but the results had always been underwhelming.
Yet, in Loki and Thor's hands, its power was terrifying.
Even at her peak, taking a direct hit would injure her, forcing her to recover for a while.
"So this is the magic net…"
"It seems the evaluation of the God of Magic needs to be raised again."
"If what Loki said is true, then Odin himself is connected to the magic net, using it to strengthen himself…"
"If I could subdue such a subordinate, it would be invaluable in ruling the other realms."
Hela fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, Aaron frowned.
"Take your fight somewhere else—not here."
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned two portals and forced both brothers through them.
Locating their real bodies among the duplicates wasn't difficult for him.
When it came to illusion duplication, he was the ancestor.
He didn't even need the magic net to tell the difference.
As the two real figures disappeared, the duplicates ceased fighting and obediently opened their own portals to leave.
Hela's eyes narrowed.
Loki and Thor—both held Aaron in such high regard.
Which meant…
What Loki said was true.
Even Odin had embraced the magic net.
"Aren't you leaving?"
A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
Hela turned, glaring at Aaron in disbelief. "Are you talking to me?"
Aaron nodded.
"You—!"
Hela seethed.
Just as she was about to explode in anger, a Loki duplicate appeared, grinning apologetically.
Without waiting for her reaction, he grabbed her and teleported away.
Once they arrived in a secluded space, Loki sighed.
"My dear sister, are you really going to throw a tantrum at him?"
"Do you have any idea how terrifying he is?"
Hela's face burned with frustration.
"He had the audacity to drive me away!"
Loki frowned. "Did you at least get something from him? What did you trade?"
Hela scoffed. "I connected to the magic net. Does that count?"
Loki's eye twitched.
You managed to trick a Flame Titan… and that's all you got?
No wonder Odin kept such a tight leash on her.
Forget it—Hela was unreliable for now.
Loki had no intention of sharing any of his own magic net privileges with her.
That was his lifeline.
Meanwhile, Aaron casually waved his hand, repairing the streets damaged in the fight.
He had no interest in watching Loki and Thor's magical duel.
His priority was elsewhere—
The Power Gem.
If he could obtain it, he could expand the magic net across the universe.
But he wouldn't search for it himself.
Instead, he contacted Heimdall.
"Keep an eye on a man named Star-Lord. If he gets his hands on an object called the Orb, notify me immediately."
Heimdall relayed the message to Odin.
Odin frowned. "The Orb… Could it be related to the Infinity Gems?"
Regardless, Aaron already had two. One more wouldn't make a difference.
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