After Wanda finished speaking, she closed her eyes and waited for fate to take its course.
She knew the ley lines were at stake.
She also feared that Aaron would blame her for leaking the secret.
Even though she hadn't lived here for long, Wanda had already grown attached to this place.
There was Gwen, who cared about her; Amora, who taught her magic; Sif, who guided her in combat; and Jean Grey, who radiated warmth like a mother.
Wanda cherished this environment and was reluctant to leave.
Compared to the cold, sterile base of HYDRA, this place felt like sunshine—a warmth she had never known before.
As she anxiously awaited Aaron's response, he didn't blame her. Instead, he reached out, gently ruffling her hair. His tone carried a mix of reproach and reassurance.
"Let's not make this a habit, alright?"
"We can't afford 'traitors' here."
"Next time, if Loki or someone else asks you about this and you're unsure what to do, and I'm not around, ask Jean and the others. Got it?"
"Yeah! I got it!"
Wanda beamed, her face flushing with happiness.
In that moment, she unconsciously displayed a charm that would only grow more evident in the years to come.
Aaron, noticing the difference in their ages, simply shook his head and continued upstairs.
Wanda, still smiling, hurried downstairs.
As she turned a corner, Gwen suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, a smug expression on her face.
"See? I told you nothing would happen. Isn't the whole point of the magic web to connect magicians?"
"The more magicians that link to it, the stronger the faction grows!"
"And the teacher is so nice..."
Gwen reminisced about when Aaron had gifted her a large amount of magic.
Wanda shook her head, speaking in a tone that didn't match her age.
"That doesn't make it right. Even so, we shouldn't reveal the magic web's secrets."
"Alright, alright, you win," Gwen sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'll head down first."
Watching Wanda's mature demeanor, Gwen shook her head and walked towards the basement.
Wanda, however, remained standing there for a moment.
She knew Aaron was kind.
But still… she had only just arrived here, and already, so many people cared about her.
It felt nice.
Who was she to ask for more?
Pursing her lips, Wanda finally took a step forward.
She was starting to worry about Pietro's condition...
Now that her magic had improved, she wanted to see him.
She hoped her teacher would allow her to go.
The thought lingered in her mind.
Meanwhile, outside…
After receiving the magic web contract, Loki read through it three times.
He analyzed it from every angle, searching for hidden disadvantages.
After confirming that there were none, he quickly signed his name.
As he gazed at the glowing magic web in the sky, his expression flickered between joy and jealousy.
He was jealous of Aaron. Jealous of Thor.
Jealous of Aaron's terrifying magical abilities—his ability to create something as powerful as the magic web.
As cunning as he was, Loki instantly recognized the potential behind it.
With thousands of magicians connected, Aaron could constantly increase his own power.
Why wasn't he the one to create such a thing?
If he had woven the magic web, his magic would have surpassed Thor's. Perhaps even Odin's.
He could have become the new King of Asgard—through his own strength!
And then there was Thor.
Knowing Odin as well as he did, Loki was certain that their father would prioritize strengthening Thor.
Odin was old.
Thor was in his prime.
Before long, Thor would undoubtedly become the new king.
And now, with the magic web's help, Thor's strength would only continue to grow.
Most infuriating of all?
Thor had Asgard behind him.
Loki had no one.
HYDRA had proven useless.
"But… I have this!"
A sinister grin spread across Loki's face as he lifted the Mind Scepter.
It contained one of the Infinity Stones.
A limitless source of power.
According to Thanos' teachings, he could extract the Mind Stone's energy.
If successful, he could convert it into his own magical power through the magic web.
If he pulled it off…
He would surpass Thor.
Step by step, he would rise in authority—until even Aaron himself had to acknowledge his strength.
He might even gain access to the powerful spells that only Aaron could wield.
Loki's thoughts swelled with self-satisfaction.
He didn't stop to consider the countless dangers of extracting energy from an Infinity Stone.
Though Infinity Stones contained unimaginable power, each attempt at extraction was a gamble with one's life.
S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA had managed to use the Space Stone to create energy weapons—
But those were exceptions.
For any other fool who attempted it?
A catastrophic collapse of space. A fate like the Red Skull's.
An eternity as a phantom, cursed to drift through the void.
Yet, drunk on his ambition, Loki ignored these risks.
He rushed back to base, issuing orders for supplies.
He commanded his scientists to study the Mind Stone.
They had to create an energy extractor.
Kamar-Taj
A visitor arrived—someone who shouldn't have been here.
Ancient One gazed at the man standing before her in silence.
"Mr. Stark. The great superhero Iron Man. What brings you here? Why abandon your yachts and women for this place?"
"This isn't where you belong."
Tony Stark smirked, full of confidence.
"If I managed to find this place, that means I do belong here."
He had heard the rumors—of Kamar-Taj healing those deemed 'worthy.'
If one could find Kamar-Taj, they had the chance to learn magic.
Before arriving, he had doubted its existence.
Now, he believed.
Ancient One studied him for a moment before speaking.
"You're right. Until recently, Kamar-Taj operated under that philosophy."
"Huh? Operated? You mean it doesn't anymore?"
Tony caught the hidden meaning in her words.
Ancient One nodded.
"Since he arrived, Kamar-Taj changed. No… to be precise, the world changed."
"If we continued as we did before, we would only fall behind."
Tony narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you talking about?"
"You know him well," Ancient One said.
"He is your imagined enemy. The God of Magic."
"Mr. Stark, I suggest you abandon your current thoughts. Believe me—if you waste time trying to oppose him, you will only end up in despair."
Tony frowned.
According to those who had encountered Kamar-Taj's magic, the sorcerers here were the greatest on Earth.
Their leader—Ancient One—was the legendary Sorcerer Supreme.
He had secretly protected Earth for centuries.
Tony respected that.
But that didn't mean he would blindly accept what she said.
"Why?"
"Because just one day before you arrived, he reshaped the magical landscape of every sorcerer on Earth—including me."
"He created a new world—one unlike anything seen before, or after."
Tony grew even more confused.
Yet he could see it clearly—respect in Ancient One's eyes.
Respect for Aaron.
Even she had surrendered to the God of Magic?
No way.
A strange dullness settled over Tony's heart.
He had invested time and effort, hoping to use magic against magic.
But now it seemed…
Magic had already surrendered to Aaron.
Ancient One noticed the doubt in Tony's eyes.
She led him deeper into the temple.
"If you wish to understand the greatness of the God of Magic, you must first understand magic itself."
Tony Stark had come to fight magic.
Instead, he would leave as its disciple.
And with that, the fate of Iron Man was forever changed.
"For example, the Kamar-Taj tradition states…"
"The language of magic is as old as human civilization itself."
"The ancient magicians called the use of this language 'spells.'"
"Perhaps this word is difficult for you to understand given your current way of thinking."
"So, you can think of it as a 'program,' yes—much like something in your armor."
"It is the source code that shapes reality itself."
"We absorb energy from other dimensions within the multiverse to cast spells and unleash magic before your very eyes."
"Conjure a shield, summon a weapon, or wield other forms of magic…"
As the Ancient One spoke, she effortlessly demonstrated a few simple spells.
A spark flickered in Tony's eyes.
A whole new world had opened before him—one far removed from technology.
This was unexplored territory.
And it fascinated him.
"This is the magic of Kamar-Taj," the Ancient One continued. "We bear a heavy responsibility—guarding against the prying eyes of other dimensions. But with this duty comes great challenges."
"For instance, we undergo changes—both physical and spiritual—due to the energy we absorb."
"This power corrupts the body and the soul alike."
"Using magic requires an immense price."
As the Ancient One explained, an intricate map of this mystical world began forming in Tony's mind.
He also gained some insight into how Kamar-Taj understood Asgardian magic.
Although incomplete and mostly speculative, it still outlined many key aspects.
Magic…
It wasn't without its flaws.
Behind its brilliance lay hidden dangers.
A thought took shape in Tony's mind—a potential strategy against the so-called "God of Magic."
It turned out magic had limitations.
Asgardian magic, if used excessively, would quickly lead to magical depletion.
Meanwhile, Kamar-Taj's method risked collapse due to excessive absorption from multiple dimensions.
Thus, the best way to counter a magic user was to stall for time.
The longer the fight dragged on, the greater the risk to the opponent.
However, just as this idea solidified in Tony's mind, the Ancient One's next words shattered it completely.
And instead, he found himself thinking of Aaron…
"Before all this, we feared ancient entities."
"We feared the prying eyes of Dimensional Lords and others like him."
"But then Aaron came… and everything changed."
"He introduced something new to the world of magic."
"A solution to the inherent flaws of magical absorption."
"He turned the tables—making the Dimensional Lords fear us instead."
"What?"
Tony's expression tensed.
This was the crux of the matter.
"The Magic Web."
— A Few Hours Later —
Far away in New York, Aaron sensed that Earth had just connected to yet another magic network.
At first, he paid it little mind.
But then he noticed something unusual—this time, the one connecting wasn't a sorcerer.
It was an ordinary human.
And not just any human.
Tony Stark.
Aaron's expression turned odd.
Good grief…
Was Tony abandoning his pursuit of mechanical ascension and instead embracing the Magic Web?
Wait…
Did this mean Iron Man was gone?
Was Sorcerer Supreme Tony Stark about to take his place?!
Realizing Tony was now in Kamar-Taj, Aaron didn't know how to react.
He had known Stark was researching anti-magic armor.
But he hadn't expected Tony to take the opposite route and voluntarily join the magic camp.
That was awkward.
After a moment of contemplation, Aaron simply shook his head and put the matter aside.
Whatever.
This world had long since diverged into the unknown.
One less Iron Man wouldn't make much of a difference.
Still…
He couldn't help but wonder—
If Tony took this path, then what about Strange?
Who would be the next Sorcerer Supreme?
Shrugging off his curiosity, Aaron refocused on his studies.
— Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D. —
With Tony Stark now immersed in the world of magic, S.H.I.E.L.D. found itself in a state of chaos.
When Nick Fury learned that Tony had disappeared—again—
He nearly lost it.
He questioned everyone—Pepper, Happy, every single employee at Stark Industries—
But no one knew where Tony had gone.
Even J.A.R.V.I.S. had lost contact with him the moment he vanished.
The only useful piece of information?
Tony had been looking for Kamar-Taj just before he disappeared.
Was he trying to enhance his armor with mystical energy?
Had he found the magicians?
Nick Fury couldn't help but feel hopeful.
If Stark had discovered a way to counter the so-called "God of Magic," then maybe—just maybe—everything would be fine.
However…
Reality turned out to be very, very different from what he had imagined.
Because when Tony finally reappeared…
He would completely upend their perception of the world.
— Elsewhere —
Kaecilius and his followers had finally uncovered what had happened at Kamar-Taj.
This time, they had assembled an enormous force—
Dozens of dark sorcerers, including Dormammu's cultists, Satanish's dark followers, and Faith's devotees, along with servants of various demon lords.
These sorcerers were all empowered by their respective dark patrons.
And with their masters' blessings, they launched another assault on Kamar-Taj.
Their mission: extract vital information.
But the cost was catastrophic.
Out of the dozens who attacked, more than half were killed or gravely wounded.
These so-called "followers" had relied too heavily on their demon lords.
And after a single large-scale battle, their patrons had grown reluctant to waste any more power on them.
If not for Faith's personal intervention,
The lords might have provided nothing more than symbolic assistance.
As a result,
In this latest attack on Kamar-Taj, more than half of their forces had been either slain or captured.
The battle had been brutal.
But at least they had succeeded.
Even if their victory came at a steep price.
When Kaecilius reported the gathered intelligence to their masters,
The responses were all the same—
Teeth clenched.
Eyes burning with hatred.
"Aaron…"
"You truly deserve to die!"
[Please support me at my patreon if you want more: patreon/OGCrafter for 20+ chapters]