Paul nearly crashed through the laboratory door.
Blinding white light poured down from the dome, illuminating every inch of the space with stark clarity. The air carried the faintly sweet scent of coolant and the metallic chill of machinery.
"Baymax!"
Paul's voice rang out with an unusual excitement, echoing through the empty lab.
"Activate the virtual lab, highest clearance! Import all data from the Pegasus Project and immediately begin simulations of the Rune Matrix. I need results—now!"
Tossing his tie onto a workbench, he strode toward the central holographic console. His mind was running like an overclocked supercomputer, countless streams of data stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. still surging and colliding in his head, sparking flashes of insight.
The Pegasus Project—that seemingly foolish yet undeniably brilliant endeavor—had opened a door to a new world for him.
He was no longer satisfied with existing technology. He wanted to reach something higher.
"Right away, sir."
Baymax's rounded form glided to his side, his smooth electronic voice as considerate as ever. Holographic screens flickered to life, complex runic symbols spinning and combining in midair, forming intricate energy models one after another.
"Additionally, sir, while you were away, the preliminary analysis of Thor's genetic sample has been completed."
Paul froze mid-motion and turned sharply.
He'd almost forgotten about that.
A living genetic sample—from the realm of gods.
"Results," he demanded, his gaze locked onto Baymax.
"The findings are... astounding, sir," Baymax replied, his voice carrying an unusual data fluctuation akin to awe. "Asgardian genetic structure is 99.9% identical to that of Earth humans. Yet that 0.1% difference accounts for the disparity between gods and mortals."
On the holographic display, a double-helix model expanded into three dimensions.
"First, concerning lifespan and physical capabilities," Baymax said, using a mechanical arm to highlight a specific segment of the genetic chain. "We discovered a previously unseen self-repair and energy conversion mechanism. At a microscopic level, Asgardian cells function like perpetual biological factories."
"They continuously break down ingested matter and synthesize it into a substance I've temporarily designated as... divine nutrient fluid. This substance efficiently repairs cellular damage, sustains peak physical condition, and drastically slows the aging process. This explains their extraordinary longevity and physical prowess."
Paul stared at the highlighted gene sequence, his breath catching for half a second.
Biological factories at the cellular level?
Continuous nutrient synthesis?
A lightning bolt of realization struck him.
"Odin's Sleep..." he murmured, his voice rough. "So, Odin's slumber isn't due to aging or weakness at all..."
"Precisely, sir," Baymax confirmed. "According to modeling, when an Asgardian expends energy at extreme levels—such as Odin maintaining the entirety of Asgard's functions—their reserves of divine nutrient fluid are depleted. 'Odin's Sleep' appears to be a deep restorative state, concentrating the body's functions to rapidly produce this fluid and return to peak condition."
Paul's fist clenched involuntarily.
So that was it.
The longevity and power of gods weren't mere myth—they were based on a biological mechanism he could understand, even replicate!
If he could crack and emulate this system...
Humanity would no longer be shackled by a mere century of life!
Suppressing the fire of obsession in his chest, he took a sharp breath and asked the most critical question:
"And what about magic? Have we found the mechanism behind their ability to perceive and harness it? That's the key!"
This was the true cosmic secret he had glimpsed through the Pegasus Project—the convergence of science and sorcery!
For a moment, the lab fell silent.
Baymax's circular display pulsed with blue rings of thought—faster than ever before.
The hesitation made Paul's heart leap into his throat.
"Baymax?"
"Sir..." For the first time, Baymax's voice carried something like uncertainty. "I've detected... a highly anomalous genetic variance. My databases cannot define it, and all simulations lead only to 'unknown' or 'paradox.'"
"Explain," Paul commanded.
"In Thor's genetic map, there exists a fully active, extraordinarily complex cluster of sensory genes. It resonates with certain high-dimensional energy particles in the universe—what you refer to as 'magic.' This gene cluster is the biological foundation of Asgardian divine power."
Baymax paused, as if organizing his thoughts.
"However, sir... upon further comparison, I discovered that Earth humans possess the exact same gene cluster in the corresponding genetic location."
Paul's pupils contracted to pinpricks.
What?!
Had he misheard?
Humans had this in their DNA too?
Then why... why had millennia of human history yielded only myths? Why had humanity, in all its frailty, been forced to crawl forward on technology alone?
"This discovery..." Baymax continued, each word hitting like a hammer against Paul's ribs, "may rewrite everything we know about magic. It might even expose a cosmic secret... deliberately concealed for countless millennia."
"Because the human version of this gene cluster... is in a dormant state. Locked."
"It isn't defective."
"It isn't incomplete."
"It's just... switched off."