Actually, Luca had wanted to say something.
Since the Ancient One needed the [Hextech Core], could she just give him the four different magic runes? And while she was at it, if it wasn't too much trouble, maybe "borrow" a miniature Arc Reactor from Tony Stark's warehouse?
If she did that, he might have been able to synthesize the [Hextech Core] right then and there to complete the trade.
It would have saved a big shot like the Ancient One the trouble of waiting.
But who would have thought she would just vanish without even saying goodbye?
These big shots... every single one of them is a damn riddler!
Despite his mental grumbling, Luca had a guess as to why the Ancient One wanted the [Hextech Core].
According to the lore, most sorcerers in the Marvel universe didn't possess innate magical power.
To cast spells, they had to borrow power from dimensional entities.
And since it was borrowed, there was always a price.
Sources of white magic like the Vishanti were fine; borrowing from them usually just meant working off the debt later.
But drawing power from dark entities like Dormammu? Even a little bit could corrupt the caster, turning them into a mindless puppet.
The [Hextech Core], however, was essentially an infinite source of magical energy.
Where exactly it drew its power from, Luca didn't know.
But with it, the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj might be able to extract energy directly to cast spells, eliminating the need to borrow from dangerous entities.
This probably wasn't very useful for someone like the Ancient One, who had been stiffing her creditors for centuries and beating them up when they came to collect.
But for the ordinary sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, it would mean they wouldn't have to be so stingy with their magic usage, potentially stopping them from all turning into melee-focused muscle wizards.
While these random thoughts drifted through his head, Luca took one last look at Stark Tower.
Unexpectedly, he saw Loki pick up the Tesseract from the floor.
He didn't need to look closely to notice it.
The Tesseract in Loki's hand was emitting a bright white glow, far more intense than any "Core Component" he had seen before.
This white radiance almost outshone the blue glow of the Tesseract itself.
Even from this distance, Luca instinctively took two steps forward.
But before he could make a move, Loki seized the moment while everyone was distracted, opened a portal, and vanished.
Core Component... Space Stone or Tesseract?
With a white glow that intense, I bet it could synthesize something incredible. What a pity.
Recalling the sensation, Luca shook his head helplessly and picked up his backpack.
Whatever, it's something I can't get my hands on right now anyway. That thing is a hot potato. I'll just wait until I have a chance to touch it in the future and see what I can make.
With his current meager strength, even if he got his hands on such a treasure, he wouldn't be able to keep it.
With that thought, Luca joined the crowd scattering in fear from the Hulk's roar and headed quickly back toward his home.
On the way, he did some mental calculations.
Although I decided not to interfere, Loki's escape means the future has already diverged from my memories. And since it's confirmed this isn't the movie timeline, I shouldn't rely too heavily on the plot from now on.
For one, in Luca's memory, the Bifrost in Asgard was currently destroyed.
Originally, Thor used the Tesseract to repair the Bifrost.
Without it, Thor's travel to and from Earth would become much more difficult.
Also, in Avengers: Endgame, Captain America eventually returned all the stones.
But he took Loki's Scepter (containing the Mind Stone) and returned just the Mind Stone itself. That would definitely impact the timeline too.
However, Luca's current strength and influence were too insignificant. Even if he foresaw these issues, he was powerless to change them.
Mulling over the potential ripple effects, Luca soon arrived back at his apartment building.
Aside from nearly being dragged to a medical tent by rescue workers a few times, he didn't encounter any trouble.
Glancing into the alley, he didn't see the returning Endgame team, so he prepared to head upstairs.
But just then, several paramedics hurried out of the building carrying a stretcher.
And the muscular middle-aged woman following the stretcher was someone Luca knew well.
"Auntie Shamila?"
Luca took two quick steps forward. The woman he called "Auntie Shamila" turned at the sound, then rushed over and pulled Luca into a tight hug.
"Master Luca, I thought you were..."
This woman was Shamila Beletskaya, the Aurantius family's driver and bodyguard.
She was very close to Luca's mother, Gina. Rumor had it she was a hardened veteran who had seen real combat before retiring to become a driver for unknown reasons.
In any case, in Luca's memories, Auntie Shamila had been by his mother's side since he was very young. She had no family or social life of her own; she was likely the person his parents trusted most.
Luca looked over Shamila's shoulder.
Sure enough, lying on the stretcher was his mother, Gina.
She hasn't woken up? But getting rescued is lucky enough.
A flicker of guilt for leaving the unconscious, injured Gina alone at home passed through his heart, but he quickly dismissed it.
Shamila, still hugging Luca, looked at him with heartbreak in her eyes as she noticed him staring at the stretcher.
"Mr. Hermann is already... Thank god you're okay, Master Luca!"
She gently touched Luca's right arm, which was missing its prosthetic. She wanted to ask where he had run off to, but she simply pressed her lips together and stayed silent.
Luca shook his head slightly.
"I lost it on the street earlier. How is my mother?"
Luca knew Shamila had likely just rushed over from the company, but since she had watched the paramedics load Gina onto the stretcher, she should know something about her condition.
Being a veteran, Shamila quickly suppressed her emotions and explained the situation to Luca.
"Currently, she only has a few external injuries, which have been bandaged. As for the coma, the cause is undetermined. We have to wait for a more detailed examination at the hospital."
"Fortunately, the homeowners' association has some pull, so the rescue response here was among the fastest. Whether we need to bring in a private medical team will depend on the initial examination results."
Luca nodded.
Although the attack on Manhattan centered on Midtown and covered a large area with significant casualties and property damage...
The luxury apartment building where the Aurantius family lived was expensive, and most residents had high social standing.
Therefore, rescue, treatment, and post-disaster reconstruction here would be prioritized.
Moreover, even though the Aurantius family company had internal issues, their assets and class status remained. Even if every hospital in New York was overflowing, Gina would still get a private room.
Of course, most ordinary casualties wouldn't even be sent to a hospital; they would be treated at temporary medical stations.
After all, the actual casualty count this time was just too high.
"Father..."
"...Mr. Hermann's body has been recovered. The Department of Damage Control will contact a private medical team to receive him."
"And the company..."
"The Lower East Side was barely affected this time..."
Asking and answering questions as they went, the two climbed into the ambulance and headed for the hospital.