Actually, Luca wanted to say…
Since the Ancient One had a need for the Hex Core, could she just give him four different magic runes? If it was convenient, could she also help him 'borrow' a small Arc Reactor from Tony Stark's storeroom?
That way, he might be able to synthesize the Hex Core on the spot and trade it with her.
It would also save the Ancient One, a powerful being, from having to wait.
But who would have thought, she disappeared without even saying goodbye.
'These big shots, every single one of them, are all cryptic!'
While complaining in his mind, Luca did have some guesses as to why the Ancient One wanted the Hex Core.
According to the setting, most sorcerers in the Marvel Universe actually don't possess magic power.
To cast spells, they need to borrow power from corresponding Dimensional Demon Gods.
And since it's borrowed, it naturally needs to be returned.
For sources of White magic like Vishanti, it's fine; no matter how much is used, in the end, it's just working to repay a debt.
If it's the power of a Dark Demon God like Dormammu, even a little borrowed power might cause the caster to fall into corruption, becoming a mindless puppet.
And the Hex Core, in essence, is an endless source of magic energy.
Luca didn't know exactly where it drew its power from.
But if they had this item, perhaps the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj could extract power from it to cast spells, without needing to borrow power from Dimensional Demon Gods anymore.
This kind of item might be useless to a powerful being like the Ancient One, who is a perennial defaulter, never repays her debts, and even beats up her creditors.
But for the ordinary sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, it would likely allow them to use spells without being so meticulous, preventing every sorcerer from becoming a close-combat muscle man.
Thinking about these random things, Luca took one last look in the direction of Stark Tower.
Unexpectedly, he happened to see Loki picking up the Tesseract from the ground.
It was obvious without needing a closer look.
The Tesseract in Loki's hand was emitting a bright White glow that none of the previous core components had possessed.
This White glow even faintly overshadowed the Tesseract's own brilliance.
Although the distance was great, Luca instinctively took two steps closer.
However, before he could make a move, Loki had already taken advantage of everyone's inattention, quickly opened a portal, and vanished from the spot.
'Core component, Space Stone or Tesseract?'
'That level of White light just now, I'm afraid it could synthesize something extraordinary, what a pity.'
Recalling the feeling from just now, Luca shook his head helplessly and picked up his backpack from the ground again.
'It's something I can't get my hands on for now. This hot potato, I'll wait until I have a chance to get close to it later to see what it can synthesize.'
With his current strength, even if he obtained such a treasure, he would be powerless to keep it.
Thinking of this, Luca quickly returned in the direction of his home, following the crowd that scattered in fear due to the Hulk.
Along the way, Luca also pondered in his mind.
'Although I decided not to interfere with this matter, Loki's departure also means that the future has changed from what I remember. And it's confirmed that this is not the movie Universe's timeline, so it seems I shouldn't rely too much on the plot from now on.'
At least, as far as Luca remembered, Asgard's Bifrost Bridge was still in a damaged state.
Originally, Thor taking the Tesseract would repair the Bifrost Bridge.
Now without this item, Thor's travel to and from Earth would become more difficult.
Also, in the original Avengers 4 movie, Captain America eventually returned the few Stones.
However, what he took was Loki's scepter with the Mind Stone, but what he returned was the Mind Stone alone, which would inevitably affect the plot.
However, Luca's current strength and influence were too insignificant; even if he considered some matters, he was powerless to participate.
While contemplating the potential changes these things might bring to subsequent events, Luca soon returned to the downstairs of his home.
Aside from a few times when he was almost mistaken for an injured person and pulled to a treatment point by post-disaster rescue personnel, he didn't encounter any other trouble.
He glanced into the alley, didn't see the returning Avengers 4 group, and prepared to go upstairs directly.
However, at that moment, Luca discovered that several medical rescue personnel were quickly walking out of the building, carrying a stretcher.
And the sturdy middle-aged woman following beside this stretcher was actually an acquaintance of Luca's.
"Samira Auntie?"
Luca took two quick steps forward. The woman he called 'Samira Auntie' turned her head at the sound, then rushed over and embraced Luca tightly.
"Young Master Luca, I thought you too…"
The woman before him was named Samira Beletskaya, the Orange Family family's driver and bodyguard.
She was very close to Luca's mother, Gina Orange, and was said to have been a tough female soldier who had truly seen combat, choosing to retire and become a driver for some unknown reason.
In short, in Luca's memory, since the original owner was very young, this Samira Auntie had already been by his mother's side, and she had no relatives or social connections, so she should be considered the most trustworthy person around his parents.
Luca looked over Samira's shoulder.
Indeed, lying on the stretcher was his mother, Gina.
'Has she not woken up? But since rescue arrived, it's still lucky.'
A hint of guilt for leaving the severely injured and unconscious Gina alone at home flashed through his mind, but he immediately dispelled it.
Instead, Samira, who was holding Luca, saw the boy's gaze fixed on the stretcher, and her face was full of heartache.
"Sir he already… It's good that Young Master Luca you are fine!"
Gently holding Luca's right arm, which no longer had a prosthetic limb, she had originally wanted to ask Luca where he had run off to, but she merely pursed her lips and didn't continue speaking.
Luca shook his head slightly at the sight.
"I just lost it on the street. How is my mother now?"
Luca knew that Samira had probably just rushed over from the company, but at least she had watched the rescue personnel lift Gina onto the stretcher, so she should have some understanding of her condition.
As a veteran who had come off the battlefield, Samira quickly suppressed her emotions at the sound and explained to Luca.
"Currently, there are only a few external injuries, which have been bandaged. As for the cause of her unconsciousness, it cannot be determined for now; we'll have to wait for more detailed examinations after arriving at the hospital."
"Fortunately, the Homeowners Association (Owners' Association) here has some influence, and this rescue is already among the most timely. As for whether a private medical team needs to intervene later, that will have to be decided after the initial examination results are out."
Luca nodded upon hearing this.
Although the center of Manhattan was attacked this time, and the scope of the attack was not small, neither the damaged buildings nor the dead and injured were small numbers.
But the luxurious apartment building where the Orange family lived was already expensive, and most residents had a certain social status.
Therefore, whether it was the current rescue and treatment or post-disaster reconstruction, they would be prioritized.
Moreover, although the Orange Family family's company was currently plagued with internal problems, their assets and class remained. Even if all hospitals in New York were overcrowded, his mother Gina would not lack a private room.
Of course, many more ordinary casualties might not even be sent to hospitals but would receive treatment at temporarily set up safe medical points.
After all, the actual number of casualties this time was simply too high.
"Father…"
"…Sir's body has been brought out. The disaster control department will contact a private medical team to receive it."
"The company side…"
"The Lower District was basically unaffected this time…"
As they exchanged questions and answers, the two also boarded the ambulance and headed towards the hospital.