After fully absorbing the power granted by the [Asgardian Bloodline] trait, Black Widow—Natasha—put on a show for the ladies of S.H.I.E.L.D., lifting a helicopter with her bare hands right on the spot.
Still sleek and sexy, yet now overwhelmingly powerful, Natasha drew gasps of awe from the group of agents, who cheered and rushed over with heartfelt congratulations and amazement.
Dr. Helen Cho and Dr. Wu Jiaqi practically swarmed her, inspecting her body with scientific fervor. They were moments away from asking to draw her blood on the spot to study the changes firsthand!
Meanwhile, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, Iron Man—Tony Stark—cast a resentful glare toward the rooftop, where Yamanka Shinno was heading.
He'd only just taken twenty steps out of his random drop zone before getting his head blown off.
Eliminated. First. In the entire Demon God Trial.
The fact that he hadn't started cursing out loud was a testament to his self-restraint.
He was Iron Man. Tony Stark. A majority shareholder of Stark Industries. A billionaire. When had he ever been this humiliated?
Absolutely brutal.
If Shinno had at least done something impressive afterward, Tony might've been able to console himself, chalking it up to bad luck—running into someone too strong.
But no...
He'd leaned in to inspect a C4 bomb out of sheer curiosity?
F**K.
If he ever got another shot at the Demon God Trial, he was going in guns blazing. Area-wide bombardment first, no questions asked!
The Asgardian Bloodline!
Sure, it felt a little disloyal to his parents... but near-immortality and a physically perfect body without any side effects?
Even with all his Mark armors, how could he not want it?
"Feels like I just missed out on hundreds of billions..."
Tony sighed, picturing the scene—thinking he had the drop on an enemy, only to throw a punch because he wasn't wearing his suit. Total loss.
Maybe it was time to revisit biotech.
Hopefully, the research notes his father left behind weren't too outdated.
...
Up on the rooftop balcony of the villa, Yamanaka Shinno turned around with a deadpan look, staring at Wang, Mordo, and Kaecilius—who were standing behind him looking sheepish and ashamed.
"Wang, go grab Modern Weapons: A Complete Guide from Stark's bookshelf later."
"Yes, Supreme Sorcerer, sir!" Wang replied immediately, not daring to meet Shinno's gaze.
He already felt mortified enough.
"Mordo," Shinno said, turning to him. "You didn't even use the Body of Vishanti, and you thought it was a good idea to charge into melee? What gave you the courage, huh?"
Shinno was genuinely baffled.
What was with these guys? It's like they dumped all their points into strength and endurance like brawlers, then used magic only for lighting up dark hallways?
"Yes, Supreme Sorcerer, sir! I'll correct that immediately."
Mordo clenched his jaw and looked away. He'd only heard that the Hulk was strong.
He hadn't expected him to be that strong.
One punch disarmed him. Two left him too dazed to cast a spell. Three, and his mind went fuzzy. After that...
Well, there was no "after that."
"Your biggest problem is your mentality. Did you even see who won in the end?" Shinno continued coldly. "Mystic arts do grant greater power than the average person—but that's no excuse for arrogance. Even a lion goes full force against a rabbit. Got it?"
"Got it! I won't forget this lesson!"
"If you really like close combat, I'll have two people give you some proper training later."
Shinno grumbled as he made a mental note to bring in Little A, son of the Third Raikage, and Might Duy.
If Mordo loved brawling so much—fine. He could go experience real hand-to-hand combat. Fist to flesh. Pure, manly passion.
Then Shinno turned to Kaecilius.
The quiet sorcerer silently held up the book he'd just grabbed from Stark's shelf: Applied Tactics for Special Forces.
"Your experience fighting demons and dimensional entities doesn't always translate to modern battlefields," Shinno said. "If you want to learn, Natasha, Coulson, and Hawkeye are all great mentors. There's always something to gain from others. Don't be embarrassed."
"Yes, sir."
Kaecilius bowed slightly, gripping the book even tighter.
His eyes drifted to the figure of Natasha down below.
To a mystic sorcerer, her power used to be laughable.
But that very woman—who they never took seriously—had just won the Demon God Trial through her veteran battlefield instincts, excellent decision-making, and deadly weapon mastery.
Asgardian Bloodline. White Magic Master. Demon God's Proxy.
Even if White Magic Master was uncertain, the other two alone would give him over three hundred years of life—and maybe, a chance to resurrect his wife and child.
Next time. He had to win next time.
...
"Alright. Now that you know your shortcomings, fix them," Shinno said, waving his hand.
The three of them quickly bowed and scurried off the rooftop.
After dying so pathetically, they really didn't have the face to linger.
...
Near the helipad below, Natasha finally came back to her senses after a brief celebration with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Jogging up the stairs to the top floor, she approached Shinno.
"Supreme Sorcerer, sir. Thank you for this opportunity. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"
"...Help maintain world peace?"
...
Shinno hesitated for a long moment before offering that vague reply, watching Natasha's serious expression.
He'd already gotten what he wanted.
As for services?
With her current power—on par with the Three Warriors of Asgard—and her high status in S.H.I.E.L.D., it wasn't like she could do anything he couldn't do himself.
For truly important tasks, he handled them personally.
As for minor errands? He had plenty of people for that.
Why go out of his way?
"???"
"No need to thank me or try to repay me," Shinno said. "Go enjoy your break with your friends. Don't waste your rare vacation."
"Okay."
Natasha paused, then smiled brightly.
Relaxed, she turned and walked back downstairs.
Trained by the Soviet Red Room, Natasha was an elite agent—an expert in micro-expressions.
Her long years as a spy had exposed her to countless types of men.
But someone like this Supreme Sorcerer—who had helped her tremendously and expected nothing in return—was extraordinarily rare.
Supreme Sorcerer...
No wonder even someone as cunning as Nick Fury treated him with such care.
He was like the sun, high in the sky.
His mere presence illuminated the world.
To someone like her, who had lived in the shadows for so long, he felt almost divine. She couldn't help but feel... small in comparison.
...
"Why do all agents love to overthink?" Shinno muttered.
He didn't comment further.
Leaning against the railing, he let the warm sea breeze wash over him, eyes closed as he soaked in the coastal view.
And opened his mind to the new system reward he had just received.
After altering Natasha's fate, he had earned something... quite interesting.
[Just-In-Time Trait Search and Navigation Opportunity: This function analyzes the host's current urgent trait needs, locates the corresponding trait's current holders, and provides navigation to their position.]
"System, activate the Just-In-Time Trait Search and Navigation Opportunity."
[Analysis underway. Based on current needs, host possesses extensive conceptual abilities, special effects, and attribute-based powers—but lacks efficient management and optimized use. Recommendation: Copy Gold Trait 'Secondary Bio-Engine' or Gold Trait 'Void Engine.']
[Please select your target trait for search and navigation.]
The dual system prompts echoed in his mind.
Shinno blinked for a moment.
Then it clicked.
He finally understood what the system meant by "engine."
Most likely...