Delayed for several days on Xandar, the Nova Corps had made minimal progress.
Gamora felt frustrated. If they didn't fight harder, she had no idea when they would have the strength to stand against Thanos. Therefore, she needed to go to Nova Supreme and collaborate with him.
At the Nova Corps headquarters, the aftermath of Ronan's invasion remained unresolved. They needed to repair the damage caused by Ronan, with the loss of buildings and residents being just one aspect. The Nova Corps would also need to be replenished. This force was vital for the defense of their people.
After the invasion, they had realized that they needed to be more vigilant in the future to prevent another lunatic like Ronan from appearing. As far as they knew, Ronan had been collaborating with Thanos lately, so there was a possibility that Thanos might seek revenge on Xandar for Ronan's defeat.
"Aren't the marauders gone yet?" Nova Supreme asked.
"No! They seem to be waiting for someone. They've been staying on Xandar recently. Should we drive them away?" came the response.
"No. Their criminal records have been wiped, and they are no longer criminals, at least not in Xandar."
"But they're always predators!"
Nova Supreme shook his head. "Xandar is the most open planet in the Milky Way. We can tolerate any civilization, including predators, as long as they don't mess with us."
"Alright," Denalien shrugged and handed over a document.
"My lord, this is all the information we have collected about the God of Magic."
"He is the new god of magic in Asgard. He has demonstrated his immense magical power on Earth, defeated Thanos' invasion, and wiped out the Dark Elves. According to our information, his apprentice even defeated Captain Marvel, who has recently gained fame in the galaxy!"
"The Captain Marvel from the Kree?"
Nova Supreme raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
The Milky Way was vast, and Captain Marvel's home planet was quite small in comparison. However, they were aware of each other's existence, and Nova Supreme knew that Captain Marvel was an incredibly powerful individual. The equipment she wielded was suspected to be elite Kree technology. However, it was clear that she had little connection to the Kree Empire, and it was unlikely they were allies. The Kree Empire couldn't be expected to protect the weak, much less act benevolently toward others. As long as they didn't bully each other, that was good enough.
"Yes, that's her! She recently joined the Avengers on Earth." Denalien continued. "We also found that the people on Earth aren't what they used to be."
"I don't mean they're technologically advanced, but many of them have mastered the power of magic!"
"We still don't know how they acquired it, but they've made great strides in the magical arts!"
Due to its unique position in the Milky Way, Xandar hadn't stirred Asgard's hostility. Although Heimdall kept a watchful eye on the Nine Realms, he wouldn't interfere as long as the aliens didn't cause trouble. Particularly with Xandar, a non-aggressive planet, Heimdall saw it as harmless.
This allowed them to enter Earth and collect intelligence with relative ease.
"The God of Magic," Nova Supreme murmured, thinking about the power that had destroyed Ronan. She couldn't help but be awestruck by his strength. The name of a god was truly fitting! Even with the Infinity Gems, Ronan had been easily overpowered and teleported back in an instant. That was the power of a god!
"I suspect that these changes are related to the God of Magic," she continued. "He allowed the people on Earth to tap into more powerful abilities, enabling them to resist invasion threats. Truly a blessing for Earth."
"Why didn't he stay on Xandar for a while?" Nova Supreme mused with some regret. "With such a powerful god on Xandar, no one would dare to trouble us."
Denalien sighed. "Supreme, should we send someone to further contact the God of Magic? If he can bring about such significant change on Earth, perhaps he can help us control the power of magic."
No one could ignore the power of the extraordinary, even with their advanced technology. Despite their technological prowess, Nova Supreme still felt a sense of longing when thinking about the God of Magic's ability to overpower Ronan.
Before she could respond, news arrived: Gamora and Nebula, Thanos' adopted daughters, were visiting.
"How did they come here? Should we drive them away?" Denalien frowned.
Thanos' name was notorious, and no one was eager to see his adopted daughters. Many would be happy to see them gone. The desire to kill them would certainly be overwhelming!
"My lord, listen to them. This matter concerns the God of Magic..."
"Let them in," Nova Supreme decided without hesitation. While Thanos' adopted daughters could be ignored, the matter involving the God of Magic required their attention.
Gamora entered the Nova Corps, ignoring the hostile glances around her, and approached Nova Supreme.
"Thanos' adopted daughter, what is the purpose of your visit?" Nova Supreme inquired sternly.
Gamora responded calmly, "Don't worry, this time we're not bringing death but offering Xandar the power to protect itself. We're here to discuss the magic net of the God of Magic."
Earth, a Remote Secret Base
An unfamiliar symbol was etched into the base, not the HYDRA emblem, but the drawing of a wolf—a ferocious wolf howling at the sky. If any Avengers saw this symbol, they would immediately recognize it: the Church of the Goddess of Death.
"Dear sister, you're showing your face again. I think you should restrain yourself a little," said Loki, his voice tinged with frustration.
"You have to know that Thor and his group are always sniffing around. They could find our base at any time. I've lost two large bases and three small ones because of your actions. That's a huge loss!"
Looking at the indifferent Hela, Loki continued earnestly, "You need to be more cautious."
"Loki, don't be so stingy. It's all external things," Hela replied with a casual shrug. "When I take back the throne of Asgard, I'll compensate you for these things—it's easy!"
"But... that day is too far off!" Loki sighed, feeling that allying with Hela had been his greatest mistake.
She was an arrogant woman. Loki saw in her the same arrogance as Thor, if not more exaggerated. While her previous strength had once supported her pride, things were different now.
Hela could no longer maintain her previous mindset.
To persuade Hela to focus on her goal of reclaiming the throne of Asgard, Loki had suggested that she establish the Church of Death, attract followers to learn magic, and secretly increase her magical power to launch a surprise attack on Asgard once she had regained enough strength. For this plan, he had even allocated some HYDRA resources to help her succeed.
But Hela's reckless nature had led to constant destruction. Her actions had drawn the attention of the Avengers and the Bureau of Magic, leading to multiple attempts to suppress her. Thor's group had to retreat, but there were inevitable casualties, and her bases were severely damaged.
Even though HYDRA was a powerful organization, they couldn't afford such extravagant losses. After all, HYDRA thrived in the shadows.
Loki had come to convince Hela to be more cautious, but it was to no avail. The proud Hela cared little for the consequences.
"Loki, your plan is not working. Can you come up with something better?" Hela demanded. "It's been so long, and my mana recovery is less than half. I don't have enough power to challenge Thor and Odin. I need more magic—more power!"
"How about you turn Jotunheim or Muspelheim over to me?" Hela suggested, her gaze fixed on Loki. "I know you've subdued two great titans. You could give me considerable mana growth every day."
Loki, however, was quick to reject her proposal. "Ahem... You know, they're not too happy about serving an Asgardian."
He wasn't about to give up his trump cards to a competitor.
Thor and Odin were his enemies, and soon enough, Hela would be too.
"Then give me some magic. I need it to trade with the God of Magic for the Eternal Flame, Xia Su, and my pet Wada Bing," Hela said, now visibly displeased.
"No!" Loki replied with a dismissive gesture. "I'm not helping you with that."
"YOU!!" Hela shouted, anger rising. "Damn it, if you and your father hadn't taken all of Curry's stuff, I wouldn't be in this situation!"
Loki flinched. That was a sore point. Odin had given Aaron something ahead of time, and if it had been given to him, Loki could have been in a much stronger position now. His resentment grew.
"Forget it!" Hela snapped, growing more frustrated. "We can't keep going like this! Thor and those people are annoying me. Even if I keep fighting them, it will take countless difficulties to regain my former strength!"
She became angrier and more anxious, finally deciding to approach Aaron once again.
Her followers had suffered great losses in previous strikes by the Avengers. Her magic recovery was nowhere near where it needed to be, and Loki was reluctant to part with any of his power. In desperation, Hela saw no other choice.
Loki, seeing Hela's decision, only laughed and shook his head. He knew that her magic would fall short again.
Hela herself felt a twinge of uncertainty as she prepared to visit Aaron once more. This was the first time since her birth that she had ever felt this way—uneasy.
Her past experience made it hard for her to have confidence. Still, she was determined to try again.
When Aaron saw Hela's visit, he didn't immediately make her leave. Instead, he watched her fall silent, as though deep in thought.
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