Chapter 42 : Old Loki -' Impossible, Absolutely impossible.'

Elrios' weakness was glaringly obvious.

As long as one hid deep underground, the monstrous time-beast couldn't locate its prey.

Deep within a cave, Old Loki sat on the ground, his expression a mixture of confusion and disappointment.

He had prepared himself for death, for glory, and had shouted his defiance into the heavens. Yet, after all that, nothing happened.

The awkward silence lingered before Old Loki turned to Russell and asked:

"Thor, if I had died just now, would I have made it to Valhalla?"

Russell, still examining the Reality Stone in his hand, didn't bother to look up as he replied:

"The Void is outside the real dimensions. You wouldn't end up in Valhalla. More likely, you'd land in some chaotic corner of existence—or be swallowed by Elrios, leaving nothing behind."

Old Loki blinked, visibly shaken, his dreams of a noble death shattered.

A System Update

Meanwhile, Russell's mind buzzed with system notifications:

[Entry Looting Complete.]

[Spell – Portal (Purple): Already Acquired. Merging…]

[Merged Successfully.]

Portal Creation Speed: Significantly Increased.Note: This entry can be further upgraded.

[X-Ability – Mind Power (Incomplete, Purple Gold): Detected. Merging…]

[Fusion Complete.]

[X-Ability – Mind Power (Gold): Unlocked.]

The new description flashed before his eyes:

Mind Power (Gold):Far surpasses Professor X's telepathy.Enhanced spirit-body resilience.Advanced telekinesis.Ability to invade others' mental realms by touch.Mental projection, possession, cellular splitting, and full regeneration from a single cell.

Weakness Erasure: Can strip madness or other psychological conditions.

Russell smirked. The upgraded ability wasn't just powerful—it was a game-changer.

The Secret of Cassandra's Immortality

As Russell studied the entry, he began to piece together Cassandra's strategy.

Her seemingly endless resurrections weren't just spiritual. She had perfected a fallback mechanism: as long as a single cell of her body remained hidden, she could regenerate completely, her spirit returning to a reborn body.

If she hadn't underestimated him, waiting arrogantly for Elrios to arrive, Russell might never have found a way to end her.

Still, this power wasn't invincible. Against a mage or psychic with enough strength, even Cassandra's spirit could be attacked and destroyed.

Russell wasn't greedy. No ability was perfect, and this one was already extraordinary.

The system wasn't done yet:

[New Entry Acquired: Magic Talent – Advanced (Purple).]

Cassandra excelled in secret magic, spells, and witchcraft, with exceptional natural talent.

Note: This entry stacks with the Knowledge Curse ability. Once loaded, your mystical aptitude will improve further.

Russell chuckled, unable to hide his satisfaction. Cassandra's demise had yielded far more than he anticipated. This entry alone could open doors—perhaps even to Kamar-Taj itself.

He mentally thanked his luck. If Cassandra had mastered teleportation spells beyond the basics of Doctor Strange, even with his abilities, defeating her would have been far more challenging.

After loading the entries, Russell turned his attention back to the Reality Stone in his hand.

Its power was immense but came at a cost. Modifying reality required a proportional sacrifice.

Thanos had circumvented this limitation using the Space Stone for energy and the Infinity Gauntlet as a conduit. Without these, the stone was far less practical.

For now, Russell decided it was best to keep the Reality Stone as a collectible, saving it for when he truly needed it.

Old Loki's Contribution

Russell shifted his gaze to Old Loki, who squirmed uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

Despite his unease, Old Loki handed over his knowledge of illusion magic. He shared the complete structure of the spells, detailed their difficulties, and offered insights from his lifetime of practice.

Russell, with his enhanced mental abilities, memorized everything effortlessly.

After over ten hours of discussion, Russell couldn't help but marvel.

"Illusion magic has been wasted in Loki's hands," he thought.

Beyond mere deception, advanced illusion magic could:

Control shadows.Enable teleportation.Create mental illusions.Disguise oneself flawlessly.

At its peak, this magic could even transform illusions into reality—summoning constructs as powerful as the World Serpent Jörmungandr. Properly wielded, it rivaled Asgard's greatest magical feats.

Old Loki sighed as he concluded his explanation.

"Thor, I don't know why you want to learn this spell, but let me warn you—it's incredibly difficult. Most Loki can't even master the basics, and those who can rarely pursue it further because of its complexity.

"Even I have spent my entire life to reach my current level. My advice? Stick to your hammer."

The implication was clear: this Thor, like most, was probably a magic idiot.

However, over the following days, Russell shattered Old Loki's expectations:

Day 1: Russell mastered Phantom Invisibility with ease.

Day 5: He could control shadows with precision.

Day 10: He began creating small, convincing illusions.

Day 16: He succeeded in Phantom Teleportation, a feat that had taken Old Loki seventy years.

By Day 25, Old Loki was in complete disbelief, muttering, "Impossible. Absolutely impossible."

His pride as a lifelong practitioner of illusion magic had been thoroughly dismantled.

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Added 'All the Powers Russell has Till Ch 45' Auxiliary chapter do check it out.