American Comics: Heaven's Reward

Aaron placed the Casket of Ancient Winters on the table, his right hand resting on it.

Immediately, a cold and majestic energy surged into his body through his arm.

"Hiss~"

Aaron's pupils glowed ice blue, and his entire body became almost transparent. Through his blood vessels, this energy filled his limbs and bones, with a faint glow emanating from them.

The immense magical power was converted into Aaron's own magic through his Energy Absorption skill.

The icy blue light slowly turned to gold, and the gold and ice blue alternated, converging in the mirror space, creating a mesmerizing scene. The entire space was filled with these two rays of light.

During this transformation, Aaron felt every organ and cell in his body undergoing tremendous changes. Though Energy Absorption doesn't directly enhance physical fitness, the magical power wash still brought a subtle strengthening effect.

He felt no pain—quite the opposite. There was a sense of refreshment, a pleasure brought on by the improvement of his strength and the blooming of life within him.

After what felt like an indeterminate amount of time, the Casket of Ancient Winters, the sacred artifact of the Frost Titan, gradually lost its luster. The once vibrant icy blue brilliance faded into a dull gray, and eventually, the Casket turned into ordinary ice and crumbled with a soft click.

Aaron, on the other hand, had completely absorbed the immense energy. The light surrounding his body began to fade.

"Excellent!" Aaron exhaled deeply, almost entranced.

"My strength has grown stronger!"

"No, it's more than that. My physical fitness has improved across the board!"

"The most important thing is my magical power. At this moment, I may not be weaker than Sirte of the Eternal Fire."

"After all, I now have the power to plunge the world into an ice age!"

Aaron checked his attributes, which had changed dramatically once again:

[Name]: Aaron

[Health]: 1000/5000

[Abilities]: God rewards those who work hard

[Skills]:

Energy Absorption LV7, Materialization Magic LV6, Molecular Rearrangement Magic LV5, Fighting Technique LV5, Sword Technique LV5, Spear Technique LV5, Space Storage LV5, Mind Barrier LV5, Psychokinesis LV5, Energy Explosion LV5, Energy Shield LV5, Space Teleportation LV5, Mind Magic LV5, Group Stealth Magic LV5

[Attributes]:

Intelligence 3, Strength 5, Speed 4, Endurance 5 (6), Energy Strength 7, Fighting Skill 6

(Note: 7 is the current limit set, but the upper limit is not merely this; the energy behind it can no longer be represented by simple numbers. Even major gods and dimensional magic realms are bound by this cap.)

[Strength Evaluation]: Surface Level (Sub-Heavenly Father God)

This wave of improvement was significant. After the magical power transformation, his strength, speed, and endurance all received a boost. His stamina reached a physical defense rating of 5, and energy attack resistance climbed to 6 (the number in brackets).

At this point, his resistance to energy attacks was on par with that of Thor in his awakened form. Unless an attack's strength exceeded level 6, it would have no effect on him.

Most importantly, his energy strength had soared to level 7, meaning Aaron no longer had to worry about running low on magical energy.

This was real power now, not something that could only be sustained by the Casket of Ancient Winters.

What was even more exciting was that his strength evaluation had officially risen to the god level!

Even though he was only a sub-celestial father god, this was still a monumental leap compared to his previous status as a top-tier Chaoying. This was the true power of the gods!

The energy boost from Energy Absorption LV7 had played a crucial role in his rapid rise. As Aaron pondered the extent of his newfound strength, he realized that he was now capable of going toe-to-toe with powerful foes like Hela. He could even challenge Aogong from the past!

However, defeating such beings would still be a challenge. If Odin chose to sacrifice his remaining life force, Aaron didn't think he'd be able to win. After all, at his peak, Odin's strength surpassed that of the sub-celestial father gods.

As for Hela, Aaron was confident that he could handle her with ease.

Aaron's focus then shifted back to improving his magic. With his energy levels now enhanced, he wasn't about to stop there. He ventured into the mirror space again, this time practicing Molecular Rearrangement Magic.

Outside, Xavier Academy for Gifted Boys was feeling the weight of uncertainty.

Charles Xavier had just hung up the phone with Nick Fury and looked concerned.

"Professor, is there still no word from the God of Magic?" Ororo asked softly.

Charles shook his head. "Not only have we heard nothing from him, but even the Asgardians have not made contact. I don't know what's happening with them."

Ororo frowned. "Could they have lied to us?"

Charles hesitated. "There's no place like Asgard at all, and the God of Magic might just be a fabrication. The ultimatum they issued could have been a mere threat. They might not have the ability to come to us at all."

Scott clenched his fists, his voice low. "So, they took Jean to covet her power instead of genuinely wanting to solve the problem with her personality?"

"Damn it! I knew it was all just talk, but you wouldn't believe me!" Logan said angrily, poking a hole in the wall.

"No, they wouldn't lie about this," Charles said firmly. He'd once doubted whether the visions he'd seen were real, but his psychic powers had told him the truth. Those places were not illusions; they were real.

"But we've found everyone involved in the nuclear program, and yet no one from Asgard has shown up."

"If they don't come soon, S.H.I.E.L.D. may start to question the validity of everything we've said."

Ororo sighed. To give Asgard an answer, the X-Men had hurried back to the academy after the Destroyer had been defeated by Thor. They teamed up with S.H.I.E.L.D. to track down everyone involved.

Despite the deaths of Senator Kate and the middleman, they'd managed to find some key individuals, including Colonel Stryker, a radical military figure who hated mutants.

At the Lake Arkari Dam in Golden Hall, thanks to a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who had planned in advance, they managed to stop Stryker from destroying the dam.

If they'd acted on their own, they might have fallen into his trap, ending up buried by a billion-ton flood.

There, they uncovered horrifying plans against mutants, including using an illusion master to control Charles, with a brainwave-strengthening device to exterminate all mutants in the world.

The other party even attempted to use a teleporting mutant to assassinate the president and frame the X-Men.

After learning of these plans, everyone was filled with cold sweat, silently thankful to Asgard. Without them, the mutants might have been trapped in Stryker's scheme, with no way out.

But now, that gratitude was fading fast.

Nick Fury began to doubt the authenticity of the Asgardian ultimatum.

To prevent war with Asgard, S.H.I.E.L.D. had mobilized significant resources and manpower, exerting considerable pressure. But Asgard had remained silent.

This situation was maddening!

Did Asgard not care about their actions at all?

Charles couldn't believe it. "Even after using the brainwave-strengthening device to scan the entire Earth, I couldn't locate Aaron. Not even a hint of his whereabouts."

Charles was deeply puzzled. Despite all the efforts, Aaron remained elusive.

"Could there still be unknown places on Earth?" he wondered aloud.

"Have you heard from Magneto? If we keep searching for him, we might be able to free him from his diamond cage."

Charles couldn't help but feel the weight of this problem. Magneto was locked up in a massive cage, one that not even the X-Men could lift. Only Aaron had the power to keep Magneto contained.

Thor, of course, had rushed back to Asgard, leaving no time to deal with Magneto. Therefore, he remained in captivity.

Charles couldn't help but wonder about the results of the alliance between the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D., and what it would mean for their future actions.

Back in the New Mexico desert, Erik endured the scorching heat. Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to keep from overheating.

It was the worst time he'd ever had—worse than being in a concentration camp. His age only made it harder to endure.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had sent agents to rebuild the camp near him, keeping a close watch on Magneto. They didn't provide tents for shade as a small act of revenge.

Meanwhile, Mystique had tried to rescue Magneto, but the diamond cage prevented her from doing anything.

Erik regretted running for the useless hammer that day. If he hadn't, he'd still be the Magneto feared across the world.

He truly regretted it now.

A week passed.

Aaron emerged from the mirror space, having leveled up his Molecular Rearrangement Magic to LV6. The molecular structure now held no secrets for him. He could rearrange objects at will, even transforming scrap metal into the hardest Edelman or Ulu metal.

He could also manipulate the tissues of living beings, destroying enemies on the molecular level—though this wouldn't work on enemies with strong magical resistance or rapid healing abilities. Still, it was an incredibly powerful skill.

Despite this, Aaron preferred Materialization Magic, as it was far more versatile.

Aaron wondered if he could use Materialization Magic to imitate other powerful energy types, like Origin Magic Power or the Phoenix Force. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea. With his Materialization Magic at LV6, it was far too weak to even attempt something so ambitious.

At least for now.

"Ah, Aaron, you're out."

As he left the mirror space, Aaron saw Jean cleaning his room. She paused when she saw him, and Aaron smiled at her.

"Thank you, Jean," he said.

Jean looked surprised but quickly responded. "It's nothing. I saw you hadn't been here, and I had some free time, so I thought I'd clean up for you."

Aaron nodded. "How are you settling in at Kamar-Taj? Are you getting used to life here?"

"It's great," Jean said with a smile. "The magicians here are very friendly, and they're always willing to answer questions. Especially the librarian, Wang. His knowledge is amazing. I was even surprised to find out that there's Wi-Fi here! They don't let us use it freely, though, to prevent magicians from becoming too distracted, but Sorcerer Supreme told me I could use it whenever I want."

Jean chuckled, clearly enjoying her time in Kamar-Taj. "It's just like home, only with a bit more magic."

Aaron smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Jean's expression shifted, as though she had something else to say. She looked a bit troubled. Aaron raised an eyebrow, curious to hear what was on her mind.

Jean apologized, "Oh, sorry, I forgot you're from Asgard. Wi-Fi is an Earth thing..."

"It goes without saying, I know!" Aaron interrupted her, How could I not know what Wi-Fi is, especially as a time traveler.

If it weren't for the fear of arousing suspicion, he'd have opened the alliance right then and there.

Jean paused for a moment, then realized that Aaron was also a spiritual master. She mistakenly thought he had learned about Earth from others, so she nodded in understanding.

"By the way, nothing major has happened recently, right? Have you contacted Charles?"

Aaron had casually kept track of recent events when he last left, but he hadn't delved into the details. He didn't even know that Charles and S.H.I.E.L.D. had been waiting for him, eagerly anticipating his return.

Jean shook her head. "Sorcerer Supreme mentioned before that we shouldn't contact the professors until you're out. So, I changed my phone, but I heard your friends have returned to Asgard."

"Also, Magneto is still in New Mexico."

Aaron was momentarily stunned. He wanted to ask why Magneto hadn't been taken by the X-Men, but then he realized he hadn't been around lately and felt a bit relieved.

Since the Ancient One had asked him to leave temporarily and hadn't shown up afterward, Charles and the others had naturally been unable to transport Magneto safely. Only Aaron had the power to keep Magneto in check.

As for Thor, he had probably rushed back to Asgard because of Loki, leaving no time to deal with Magneto.

Speaking of which, Aaron still needed to find time to read Charles' response. He was very curious about the outcome of the collaboration between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the X-Men.

At that moment, Aaron noticed that Jean seemed to have something on her mind. She looked troubled.

Aaron furrowed his brow slightly. "What's wrong?"