American Comics: Heaven's Reward

On the other side, at a reception not far from the Golden Hall…

While Aaron was in his own thoughts, Thor and his companions were unaware of his state and were drinking together.

The playboy Fandral had gathered several blonde beauties around him.

As for Vostagg, he held a wine glass in one hand and a chicken leg in the other, focusing intently on his food.

"Vostagg, it's time for you to lose some weight. You were the most fit fighter in Asgard back then, but now? You've got a big belly, and it's making the women cry," Fandral teased, a smirk on his face.

Vostagg responded indifferently, "I'm still the strongest besides Thor. Do you want to test my strength?"

"Brute force alone is the practice of barbarians. As a true gentleman, you should engage in a more elegant duel—like a graceful swordsmanship contest. What do you think, ladies?" Fandral raised his glass and flashed what he considered his most charming smile.

Unsurprisingly, his female companions, who were obviously interested in him, echoed his sentiment.

Seeing this, Sif pouted and turned her attention elsewhere.

She noticed "Aaron" sitting quietly, drinking his wine.

"Aaron, why are you so quiet today?" she asked.

"I'm still thinking about the magic we learned from the teacher today. You know, the magic is quite profound," Aaron replied without much thought.

Sif nodded slightly, not surprised.

Over their time together, they all knew that Aaron was a fighter who loved to learn. Whether it was swordsmanship or spear fighting, Aaron always exhibited a strong spirit of specialization.

This was something they all respected.

They too shared this spirit, and it was precisely because of this that they stood out among many other fighters. Not only had they become some of the best in Asgard, but they had also become Thor's trusted friends, fighting side by side with him.

Such an honor wasn't easily earned.

Others didn't know the hardships and effort required to reach this level.

And Aaron's dedication to learning was even greater than theirs. For some reason, he seemed to be in a rush, eager to improve his strength.

Now, he had already become one of the top fighters, almost on par with them.

However, Sif couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Perhaps it was her sixth sense as a woman, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Aaron was acting differently today.

Not only was he different from usual, but he was also different from the first time they met.

Sif couldn't quite place this feeling.

As she thought about it, Loki suddenly stared at Aaron, disbelief flashing across his face.

It was the look of someone questioning life.

He rubbed his eyes silently, then looked again, falling into a long silence.

"Loki, what are you thinking about now?" Thor asked, noticing his brother's strange behavior.

Seeing Loki silently watching Aaron, Thor subconsciously felt that his younger brother was likely plotting some new mischief.

As an older brother, Thor felt it was his right, responsibility, and obligation to supervise Loki.

Loki twitched the corner of his mouth, remaining silent for a while before finally speaking: "My dear big brother, I sincerely suggest that, before questioning me, you take a good look at Aaron. Is he really Aaron?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the Aaron we've been drinking with for hours is nothing more than a physical illusion created using illusion magic!"

"We've been playing with an illusion for hours!!"

"What?!"

Everyone froze, stunned by Loki's words.

Thor frowned. "Loki, you should know that Aaron has only been learning magic for a day. How could he have learned illusion magic so quickly, and created a spell that can deceive even my perception, not to mention yours?"

Thor, ever the skeptic, immediately tried to dismiss Loki's claim.

Loki was known for his tricks, using all sorts of magic to play pranks since childhood—shapeshifting, illusions, invisibility, and more.

If Loki were a skilled magician, then Thor was a master at seeing through illusions.

But right now, Thor couldn't find any flaw at all.

Aaron looked exactly like Aaron—his breath, his presence—there was no difference.

Sif and the others also nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, not only did he deceive you, he deceived me too!"

Loki's face darkened.

Under the bright lights, there seemed to be a shadow hanging over him.

Thor's words, like a sharp sword, had struck a nerve.

Loki had always prided himself on his magical prowess, constantly playing tricks on others. But now, he had been outdone by Aaron—a complete novice who had learned magic only hours ago!

Loki had discovered the truth under Sif's keen observations. He was now certain: this "Aaron" was not the real Aaron.

Though it appeared real, it was nothing but an energy entity duplication.

From this, it was clear that Aaron had already surpassed him in illusion magic.

Outrageous?

Absolutely outrageous!

Loki had trouble believing it, but it was true!

Aaron had fooled Thor, and he had even fooled Loki himself!

"As expected of a magical genius. You discovered it so quickly," Aaron shrugged helplessly and said, "Well, as you can see, I'm a duplication of the entity phantom. Please don't mind."

"If you want to find the real Aaron, you'll have to go to my house. He's probably practicing magic right now?"

Aaron then apologized, "I'm sorry, I had no intention of deceiving you."

With that, Aaron transformed into pure energy and dissipated in front of everyone.

"..."

A deep silence followed.

For a moment, no one knew what to say.

They weren't angry. Unlike Loki, Aaron had immediately apologized when caught. They could understand the excitement of someone who had just learned a new magic.

As friends, they were genuinely happy for Aaron's magical abilities.

After all, he had only been studying for less than a day!

To be able to deceive everyone present with illusion magic!

Could Loki do that?

Coincidentally, the pressure was now on Loki.

Loki's mood soured.

A magical genius?

He couldn't shake the feeling that Aaron was mocking him.

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