Hearing Hela's offer, the Ancient One was admittedly a little intrigued. Still, she did not agree right away. After all, she had encountered all kinds of beings in her long life, and to her, Hela's attempt to 'paint a beautiful picture' was nothing special—mediocre at best.
At the very least, she needed clarity. What exactly were Hela's terms?
"It's unfortunate that I cannot access this energy directly," the Ancient One said, her tone calm but curious. "But I do agree that it's a rare opportunity to study a form of energy so foreign to this world. However, what are your conditions?"
Hela looked directly at the Ancient One's face, observing her carefully. This 'gentle' woman had been ruthless enough to trick Dormammu—hardly the kind of person who would agree to anything so easily, especially without fully understanding the terms.
Hela spread her hands in a seemingly casual gesture. "It's simple," she said. "You can study it, but don't even think about sharing it with the outside world. That's non-negotiable."
"In return, I want unrestricted access to all the books in Kamar-Taj. Also, I want you to become one of my generals. Of course," she added with a small smirk, "I understand your nature, so I won't ask you to participate directly in war. Just defend this place if someone with a loose screw decides to attack."
Hela continued, "Now, if you wish to use the Ethernano energy outside of this realm, it's not impossible. But you'll have to pay a high price."
"I'm not interested in something as trivial as souls, but those who receive my gift must serve me until their last breath. So, if you want to use Ethernano beyond Hel, you must relocate Kamar-Taj here. Only then will the energy be available to you. As for the mages of Kamar-Taj, they must also swear loyalty to me if they want to use it."
It was silent after Hela finished speaking. The Ancient One was deep in thought, processing everything Hela had just laid out—which was perfectly understandable.
Hela glanced outside. Jean was using her telepathy to quietly guide Wanda behind the scenes.
For instance, whenever she sensed that most of the others shared Wanda's opinion, she'd nudge Wanda to voice it aloud. It made her appear more competent, more in control.
Who said using one's powers strategically was a bad thing? There are always those who claim that relying on powers for everything is dangerous—because if you one day lose them, you'll be helpless.
But isn't that the same as saying it's dangerous to eat with your hands? If you get used to using them and then suddenly lose them, you wouldn't know how to eat anymore.
In short, as long as it's not an abuse—like rewriting someone's memories—Hela sees no problem with it.
Once she finished scanning the outside scene, she turned back toward the Ancient One. After a moment, the latter finally responded.
"I accept the conditions to study the Ethernano," she said, her voice even. "But I hope you'll give me some time to consider the rest."
How to put it? The Ancient One wasn't a hypocrite. She understood better than most that those who seek to study the mystic arts always end up paying a heavy price—their own soul.
There are a few obscure methods to bypass that cost, but the Ancient One had never pursued them. To her, that was simply the natural order of things. It was fate. It was how the world worked.
Now, thanks to Hela, the timeline had been so drastically altered that it had become unrecognizable. Even Hela herself had said she wasn't interested in their souls—only their loyalty.
The real issue lay in Earth's dimensional barrier. But even that wasn't such a big obstacle. After all, Hela possessed the Space Stone. But there are indeed many things to be considered before she can accept.
---
(Hela's POV)
I didn't insist any further, because this was what she had already foreseen. Just being granted access to all the archives of Kamar-Taj is already a huge benefit—there's so much to learn there, so much hidden knowledge that most people will never even know exists.
It would be even better if I could access the library in Asgard, since it holds far more profound and ancient knowledge. However, now is not the right time.
The moment I set foot there, it would signal their end and me stating my ambition to the universe. That would be the beginning of the downfall for many of them, and I'm not in a rush to start that chain of events just yet.
In any case, since we've already 'finalized' the agreement, I can now leave the Ancient One to study freely. I'm confident in her abilities—she's someone who can uncover multiple ways of utilizing Ethernano, which will save me a significant amount of time.
She'll experiment, analyze, and draw conclusions faster than most could even comprehend.
I created a pure sphere of Ethernano and walked slowly toward her. She didn't step back or show any signs of fear. Instead, she looked at the glowing sphere with deep curiosity, like a scholar encountering a completely new field of study.
Because she didn't attempt to reject the energy entering her body, there were no visible reactions on the surface. But I could feel the internal changes very clearly. The Ethernano was already beginning to react.
I had only placed a single drop of Ethernano within her—not enough to cast any spells, especially since she didn't have a proper container to begin with. But the energy still circulated through her body as if it had a mind of its own, searching for a place to settle, a point of resonance.
She quickly took control of it, guiding the energy toward her abdomen and stabilizing it there. Then she began trying to merge it with her mental force, focusing her spirit to shape the energy.
That's when the real transformation began. Once the Ethernano came into contact with her spirit, it changed dramatically. What was once pure energy shed all its other attributes, leaving behind only those that were the most compatible with her.
From that moment onward, the Ancient One's spirit became like a living essence. She multiplied that tiny drop of energy with surprising speed—its intensity and potency surged far beyond what I had initially provided.
Just as I suspected, I was still able to recall the energy afterward, even after it had gone through all those transformations. I could summon it back at any moment, on command.
It's honestly incredible—like giving someone a thousand dollars and getting a million back instantly. It's more profitable than theft, and entirely efficient.
What's even more fascinating is that once the energy had adapted to her body, there was no need for an external container anymore. Her body became the container. It housed the Ethernano perfectly, almost naturally, as though it had always been a part of her.
"This is fascinating," she said, her expression showing open amazement—something as rare as Nick Fury going an entire year without saying the word "motherf*cker."
Inside the transformed Ethernano, I could sense powerful elements—Space, Soul, and even Time. They had fused together into a new singular attribute that has no name yet.
The gain this time was far beyond my expectations. I now understand that if Ethernano comes into contact with other beings, it will adapt to their spirituality. Even if I grant them just a tiny amount, it will soon multiply within them, and I will always be able to retrieve it at will.
That realization lifted my mood significantly. I turned away, leaving the Ancient One in her own world, practically glowing with excitement—like a child who had just received the one toy they'd always dreamed of.
But more importantly, I confirmed something profound: if the Ancient One's body can become a container for Ethernano, then why couldn't my own body become the container for entire universes?
If I can achieve that… then one day, when my spirit welcomes these universal energies, they will transform as well—adapting to my own essence, my own spirituality.
(END OF THE THE CHAPTER)
Updating for three consecutive days, that's good, but it's tiring writing all these theory while I want story and fight but no way, can't rush and leave the theories and how things are done behind.