Natasha, after fully absorbing the power brought by [Asgardian Bloodline], performed a stunning feat, lifting a helicopter with her bare hands.
Cheering, the female agents rushed toward her, offering their heartfelt congratulations and blessings.
Dr. Helen Cho and Dr. Wu Jiaqi even started touching Natasha all over, barely stopping themselves from drawing her blood on the spot to study what specific changes had occurred.
Standing by the second-floor window, Tony threw a gaze full of resentment toward Wong, who was heading to the rooftop. He had barely started, landing randomly less than twenty meters away, and got decapitated on the spot. He was the first person to be eliminated in the trial.
The fact that he wasn't outright cursing already showed remarkable restraint.
If Wong's later performance was impressive, he could at least comfort himself by saying the sorcerer was simply too strong and that he had just been unlucky, running straight into death.
But… Because of curiosity, he leaned in too close to a C4 explosive?
Next time he enters the trial, the first thing he'll do is launch an indiscriminate attack and blanket the whole area with firepower!
Asgardian Bloodline… Though it might be a bit unfair to his parents, the extended lifespan and unparalleled physique with no side effects… Even though he has his armor, he still really wants it!
I feel like I just lost out on hundreds of billions…
The thought of an enemy ambushing him while he wasn't wearing his armor, thinking they had him cornered, only for him to knock them out with a barehanded punch, it made him feel like he had suffered a huge loss this time.
Looks like he should pick up biological genetics research again… Hopefully, the data his father left behind wasn't outdated.
---
At the mansion's rooftop railing, Kei had an expression of speechless disbelief on his face as he turned around to look at Wong, Mordo, and Kaecilius, who were standing awkwardly behind him.
"Wong, later, go to Tony's bookshelf and bring me that book, Modern Weapons Encyclopedia."
"Yes." Wong immediately responded, not daring to look at Kei's expression. He didn't need others to tell him. Even he felt utterly embarrassed.
"And you, what gave you the courage to go into melee combat as a sorcerer without protective spells?" Kei's gaze shifted to Mordo.
He just couldn't understand. What was up with this? Were they all putting all their skill points into Strength and Endurance and only learning Light as a spell?
"Yes, Sorcerer Supreme! I will correct myself." Mordo pursed his lips, his gaze wandering. He had only heard that the Hulk's strength was immense… But he hadn't expected him to be that strong.
One punch knocked his weapon away.
Two punches left him dazed, unable to cast a spell in time.
Three punches, and he was already losing consciousness.
And after that…
There was no "after that."
"Your biggest problem is your mindset. Did you even see who won in the end? A sorcerer does indeed have greater power than ordinary people, but that's not something to be proud of. Even a lion would use all its strength to hunt a rabbit. Do you understand?"
"I understand! I will remember this lesson!"
"If you like close combat so much, I'll find two people to train you properly." Kei said this with a hint of exasperation. He was already planning to bring in A, Darui, and Guy to give Mordo a proper lesson.
You like melee combat?
Go ahead. Experience the true clash of warriors, where every punch lands with full force!
Kei turned to Kaecilius, who quietly held up the book he had just taken from Tony's bookshelf: Practical Applications of Special Tactics.
"Your combat experience against demons and dimensional gods often doesn't translate well to modern battlefields. If you want to learn, Natasha, Coulson, and Hawkeye are great mentors."
"Yes!" Kaecilius bowed in response, gripping the book in his hands even tighter.
His gaze also drifted toward Natasha down below.
To a sorcerer, her previous strength had been nothing worth mentioning. And yet, this woman, who had never been taken seriously, had won the trial purely through her extensive battlefield experience, exceptional situational judgment, and remarkable proficiency with various weapons.
Asgardian Bloodline, Grandmaster of White Magic, Demonic Path…
Leaving aside the uncertainty of Grandmaster of White Magic, the other two alone would grant him over three hundred years of life, enough time to bring his wife and child back to life!
Next time… the next victory… He must claim it!
"Alright, now that you know where you fell short, focus on improving." Kei waved his hand at the three of them.
Wong, Mordo, and Kaecilius quickly bowed once more before retreating from the rooftop terrace in a hurry. They had died so miserably just now. For the time being, they were too embarrassed to keep standing there.
---
After celebrating briefly with the female agents, Natasha snapped back to reality. She quickly jogged up to the mansion's rooftop.
"I sincerely thank you for this opportunity. I wonder if there's anything I can do to repay you?"
"...Maintain the balance of the world properly?" Kei looked at Natasha's serious expression, pondered for a moment, and then finally gave her a response.
The thing he had wanted, he had already taken. As for repaying him? With her current strength, and her position as a senior SHIELD agent… Was there anything he had to entrust to her?
The truly important matters, he handled those himself. And for the less important ones, he wasn't short on subordinates to carry them out.
Why take the long way around?
"???"
"Forget the thanks and repayment. Just relax and enjoy your break with your friends. Don't waste this rare vacation."
"Alright." Natasha was briefly stunned, then broke into a brilliant smile. Feeling completely at ease, she turned and walked back downstairs.
She had been raised in the Red Room, a former Soviet espionage program, where she underwent intense professional training, including mastery of micro-expression analysis.
Her long career as a spy had brought her across countless men.
But someone like the Sorcerer Supreme, who had given her immense help without expecting anything in return, was extremely rare.
A Sorcerer Supreme, huh… No wonder even Fury handled him with such caution. The man was like the sun hanging high in the sky. His mere presence radiated light bright enough to illuminate the entire world. And people like her, spies who had long lived in the shadows, were like creatures crawling in the depths of a sewer.
It almost felt like just looking directly at someone like him was enough to make them feel unworthy...
Why do agents always overthink things? Kei sensed Natasha's chaotic thoughts but said nothing more.
Leaning against the railing, he let the warm sea breeze wash over him, enjoying the coastal scenery. At the same time, he closed his eyes and examined the system reward in his mind.
Changing her fate had just granted him something quite interesting.
---
[Essential Trait Search Navigation:
Analyzes the host's current power growth needs, searches for all individuals who possess the required trait, and provides a guided route to them.]
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System, use Essential Trait Search Navigation.
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[Analyzing… The host currently has multiple conceptual abilities, special effect abilities, and attribute abilities but lacks an efficient management system. It is recommended to obtain either Webway Technology (Gold) or Chaos Sorcery (Gold).]
[Please select a target trait for search navigation.]
---
The system notifications came back-to-back.
Kei was briefly stunned before quickly realizing what kind of "technology" the system was referring to.
If he wasn't mistaken… the Warhammer 40K universe?
If that were the case, those who possessed the Webway Technology should belong to the Eldar, right? And the Chaos Sorcery belonged to Tzeentch's followers?
...Was there even a choice here?