Chapter 671

"I think we still need to plan this carefully," Connor suddenly spoke up. "What exactly is the principle of ascension? How safe is it? Could accidents occur? These are all questions that require thought—I don't support rushing into trials without any safety guarantees..."

"Although I've never agreed with your overly conservative experimental approach, this is indeed a valid concern," Stark said, thinking aloud. "Last time's ascension felt less like a precise experiment and more like a coincidence—whether that coincidence can be replicated, what anomalies might arise from replication, and whether those anomalies are dangerous—we simply can't determine any of it yet."

As Schiller was about to speak, Strange said: "Indeed, though you often claim mysticism is just guessing, I must tell you—we have strict safety protocols. Everything related to demon gods and magic must be handled with extreme caution. Human souls are fragile; once corrupted by power, the consequences are unimaginable."

"From S. . . . . .'s perspective, we must ensure Stark's safety," Natasha spoke up. "His intellect is irreplaceable—it holds vital strategic significance for human civilization. If we can't guarantee his safety with one hundred percent certainty, it's better not to proceed."

"Alright then," Schiller said, "let's study how this artificial ascension should be handled to maximize safety while still achieving our goal."

At that moment, Peter suddenly spoke: "Uh… can I leave now? I have class this afternoon."

"Go on, go on," several waved him off. Stark said to him: "The car's parked downstairs—watch your step on the way."

Though he said that, after Peter left, he still reminded JARVIS to monitor Peter's condition constantly—if anything unusual occurred, others needed to reach the scene immediately.

After Peter left, he went to New York University for class. Though Stark's transformation into a god was important, he couldn't skip classes right after the semester started.

After finishing his afternoon class, Peter realized he had nowhere to go. Gwen was busy with her internship, Pikachu wasn't at the clinic, and Stark and Connor were all immersed in the ascension experiment. After thinking it over, Peter decided to head to Stark Tower's lab first and finish the previous phase of the experiment.

As soon as Peter entered Stark Tower, he saw a small figure sprinting toward him.

"Helen? Didn't Pepper say you were taking ballet class? Has it already ended?" Peter asked.

Before Helen could answer, Pepper walked in, pressing her forehead in exasperation. "This little one learned an entire Swan Lake routine in one class. The dance instructor said I should send her to a Russian ballet troupe for proper training—but she lacks the professional ability to teach a prodigy like this."

Peter's eyes widened. He picked Helen up. She smiled at him. Peter gasped again: "Oh—your teeth?"

Helen's teeth had returned to normal human appearance—except for two slightly sharper canine teeth, she looked no different from an ordinary human child.

And those unsettling vertical pupils were gone, replaced by brown irises identical to Stark's.

"Because I want to be like everyone else," Helen said. "Otherwise, they'll look at me strangely."

"Your language has become this fluent?" Peter asked, surprised, holding her up and looking at her.

Then he gently bounced her in his arms. "Am I imagining things? Why does she feel so much heavier?"

"You're not imagining it," Pepper replied. "Stark told me his research shows Helen's growth rate is roughly six times that of a normal human."

"Oh my god, so she'll grow up really fast?" Peter exclaimed.

"I can control my growth rate myself," Helen said with a proud smile. "If I don't want to grow, I'll stay like this forever."

"It's truly amazing—there are so many things in this world beyond my understanding," Peter sighed.

He set Helen down. She blinked, puzzled: "Peter, why are you glowing?"

"Glowing? I'm not… oh, you mean that belief energy they talk about? I don't know how it happened, but Mr. Stark and the others said—" Peter explained.

Helen nodded, half-understanding, then walked off with Pepper.

When Peter entered the lab and began preparing for the experiment, Helen ran in.

"Was the lab door not fully closed? If there's a leak, it'll be a problem!" Peter rushed to the door to check if he'd forgotten to shut it.

Helen jumped onto the table. "Your door's closed—I came in via teleportation."

"Oh, right—you can do magic. But who taught you teleportation?"

"My mom… maybe my dad… now it's dad," Helen explained.

Peter didn't quite follow—but then it hit him. "Wait—are you talking about Loki?"

"Yes. Loki Odinson."

"But…" Peter wore a complex expression. "Isn't Mr. Stark your father?"

"Oh, yes—he's my dad too. So what?" Helen said matter-of-factly.

Peter opened his mouth, unsure what to say—but Helen added: "Actually, Thor Odinson is my dad too."

With her still-chubby fingers, Helen snapped sharply—"click-click-click"—and three glowing rings appeared behind her.

"The One Sword Supreme"

Peter stared, dumbfounded. Then Helen asked: "What's with the strange golden light on you?"

"Uh, I don't really understand either, but Mr. Strange said…"

Peter gave Helen a simple explanation of belief energy and told her about the Batman incident. Helen thought for a moment and said: "This must be connected to that Morren family they mentioned… By the way, have you ever tried actively using this power?"

Watching the tiny Helen adopt such a serious demeanor, Peter found it amusing. He picked her up. "Last time I saw you, you couldn't even speak."

Helen shook her head. "Learning language isn't hard. Magic is harder, but manageable. What I find hardest… is emotion."

"Emotion? Do you have to learn emotion?"

Helen said nothing more, but her expression carried an age-inappropriate complexity—confusion, doubt, and longing.

Soon, they began studying the energy on Peter's body. Peter stood before the lab table. "Dr. Strange said this might be the cause of my recent hyperactivity—but so far, I haven't found any other effect besides making me more excited."

"It must have a purpose—otherwise, your body wouldn't have changed this way… I think you should try using this power," Helen suggested.

"I don't trust this power—it has no known origin," Peter frowned, hesitant.

Helen stood on the lab table before Peter, thought for a moment, then reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. Peter froze, unsure what she was doing.

A faint golden glow lit up Helen's hand, spreading across her entire body. Peter suddenly realized what she was doing. "Helen, stop! This power might be dangerous—and you're still too young…"

Before Peter finished speaking, the golden light vanished from Helen's body—her three rings behind her glowed brighter.

Peter stared at Helen in awe. "You can extract this power?"

"Yes. I can also convert it into magical energy I can use…" Helen rolled her eyes. Peter noticed—in that instant, her expression was identical to Loki's—as if carved from the same mold.

Thinking again of Helen's complicated lineage, Peter decided it was better not to dwell on her origins—further thought might shatter his worldview.

Helen thought for a moment, then said: "If I can use this energy, then you can too—but since you haven't studied magic, you don't know how to use it. How about I teach you magic?"

Helen looked at Peter. He stared back. "I could try learning—but I can't be sure I'll succeed."

"Let's try," Helen said. "Close your eyes. Meditate. Focus. In your mind, weave a pattern—a circle on the outside…"

Peter followed her instructions. Soon, he saw a human shape in his vision—his own figure.

"That's your soul. See it? If you maintain this state and make the figure leave your body, you can achieve soul wandering—but don't do it. It drains immense soul strength and leaves you utterly exhausted."

"Did Mr. Loki… Miss Loki… or Mr. Loki tell you this?" Peter asked.

"Yes," Helen replied. "Now, focus your attention on your soul. Observe for any anomalies…"

"Anomalies?" Peter concentrated hard. He noticed a faint golden thread circling his soul. Without Helen's prompting, his consciousness began following the thread.

He felt as if he passed through a barrier—and faintly, he saw dark shadows streaking across the sky.

Just as he tried to focus, a terrifying black tide engulfed him. Peter jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. Helen's tiny legs hurried to the water dispenser, poured him a glass, and handed it to him. "Did you see something terrifying?"

Peter nodded, still shaken. Helen said: "It's normal. When you connect with mysterious forces, the imagery isn't always positive. Can you remember what you saw?"

Peter didn't want to recall the vision—but he forced himself. "I saw a group of dark shadows… not human… more like some kind of animal…"

"Animal?" Helen said. "I don't know much about animals. What Earth animal do they resemble?"