American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

Chapter 137: Imprints, Visits, Malfunctions [Happy New Year! My stockpile is gone]

"The lineage of the Sorcerer Supreme might see many factions in the future."

On the plaza, the sorcerer Wong watched the sorcerers familiarizing themselves with the new energy and said with a sense of foreboding. He himself had already begun to come into contact with and control the new energy. In the words of the energy creator, Luke, coupled with the Sorcerer Supreme's evaluation, this new energy did not possess a singular nature like the power of other cosmic deities. Instead, it also possessed the complexity and diversity of intelligent beings' emotions.

In the initial filtering and familiarization stage, there was naturally no need to worry about any risks. However, to truly unleash the power of this energy, one must gradually accept its unfiltered essence. At this stage, the sorcerer's inner emotions actually determined the attributes with which they were compatible.

Even among the sorcerers who had begun the second stage, that is, contact with the essence of the new energy, their compatible attributes were not entirely the same. This could be seen from the energy imprints that appeared on their foreheads when they used the power.

An energy imprint usually revealed the identity of its master. And as sorcerers of the Sorcerer Supreme's lineage, the knowledge they needed to learn and master was to be familiar with the power imprints of the major dimensional cosmic deities. This was like the coat of arms of ancient nobles, possessing uniqueness and inviolability.

However, as the most erudite sorcerer besides the current Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, Wong's experienced judgment was challenged at this moment.

If one imprint represented one energy, then what were these different power imprints on the sorcerers' foreheads?

Not only was the appearance of the imprints different, but even their colors had obvious distinctions.

Blood-like crimson.

Warm golden yellow.

Icy white-gray.

Pure white.

Compassionate cold cyan.

Fervent orange-yellow.

With just a glance, one could see at least six different power imprints.

"What is the Sorcerer Supreme's opinion?"

Sorcerer Mordo, who had just rushed back from the Sanctum Sanctorum a few days ago and announced everything he had seen and felt, asked upon hearing Wong's words. He had brought back a batch of Hebron bracelets, which would help the sorcerers to better sense, familiarize themselves with, and control that new energy.

At least when they lost control, it could quickly calm them down.

"The Ancient One has gone to Asgard and has not yet returned," Wong shook his head. However, he did not have any resistance to this situation. If these power imprints represented the current psychological state of a sorcerer, then perhaps it was not a bad thing.

Especially the different power characteristics possessed by different imprints, which undoubtedly gave the sorcerers a great deal of choice in terms of diversity. Of course, the workload of rewriting the magic spells on the basis of the new energy might also be greater.

"Is that Sorcerer Kaecilius? His magical talent is as outstanding as ever." Mordo's attention quickly focused on a sorcerer whose entire body seemed to be overflowing with energy. The imprint on his forehead was a circle, with a "凸"-shaped pattern circled inside, looking as if it had been penetrated into the skin by some kind of luminous liquid, revealing a somewhat dazzling, fervent orange-yellow.

"He's about to lose control, stop him!" Wong also noticed Kaecilius, and his expression changed when he saw his state. He hurriedly shouted to the sorcerers around him who were acting as supervisors.

...

"If you have something to say, please hurry up and say it directly. I'm very busy right now and don't have time to chat with you."

Hebron Industrial Park.

In Luke's laboratory, looking at the two uninvited guests, Luke appeared a little irritable. He was gnawing on a thick book, which contained information on various dimensional materials and monsters. He had already gnawed on four or five such books these days.

"Should I speak first or you?" Nick Fury asked Tony Stark next to him.

"You go ahead." Tony Stark took a step back. Originally, he had excitedly wanted to come and share his research results with Luke. Of course, it would be even better if he could see the look of amazement on Luke's face. That would make him feel more comfortable than winning several top-notch treasures in the past.

However, after coming out and meeting Nick on the way, and learning from him about the many things that had happened these days, Tony's high spirits were doused with a bucket of cold water. If Nick hadn't been staring at him and he was embarrassed to leave, he would have turned back halfway and quietly gone home.

He had only disconnected from the outside world for a period of time because he was immersed in research, but the rapid changes in the situation made him a little stunned.

Nick, who had been observing Tony's expression, saw Tony's emotions visibly sinking, but his face remained expressionless. Of course, he didn't deliberately leak intelligence information to Tony for no reason. He wanted to see if he could get some information he wanted by stimulating Tony with Luke.

As a result, he was relatively satisfied.

The sole purpose of his probing behavior was to find a reliable technical alternative for S.H.I.E.L.D. who could replace Hebron at certain times. And Tony was the one he had his eye on, and he was also the most promising and trustworthy candidate among the alternatives.

Of course, making this choice did not mean that Nick's S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to split with Luke and the Hebron he controlled. Not to mention that S.H.I.E.L.D. had already been tied to the train driven by Luke, and even the car door was about to be actively welded shut, even if the door was not welded shut, Nick and S.H.I.E.L.D. did not want to get off. Anyone could see the bright future prospects after the cooperation between the two.

He was just habitually planning ahead and making a remedial plan for the worst possible outcome in the future. Anyone who sat in his position would make this decision. Perhaps others would use more drastic and extreme methods.

Compared to some people in the officialdom, Nick's approach could be described as gentle and not very aggressive. He was also afraid of irritating Luke and being kicked out of the newly formed circle of interests. After all, in this new circle, whether it was the Sorcerer Supreme or the sorcerers under her command, or Luke and the Hebron he controlled, were all unshakable core souls.

On the contrary, his S.H.I.E.L.D., although seemingly important, was not irreplaceable. If Luke really went all out, he could completely kick S.H.I.E.L.D. out and then pull in organizations such as the military, or simply start a new organization with the officialdom to serve this new circle specifically.

The reason why Luke didn't do this was probably because the cooperation between the two was tacit and pleasant, and Nick understood Luke's bottom line and was very cooperative with Luke's requirements. There were fewer things to do, he could still give money, and he could help solve some official-level troubles. No one could be sure how many more annoying things there would be in finding new partners or re-establishing a new cooperative force.

Therefore, Nick had a clear understanding of his and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s positioning in the new circle. Not to mention the Sorcerer Supreme and Hebron, even if Asgard and other forces in the Nine Realms might participate in the future, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s importance would probably be ranked lower.

"I'm here to ask if you have considered developing a version that S.H.I.E.L.D. can use for that new energy, in addition to supplying those sorcerers?" Nick said his purpose very neatly under Tony's concession.

After thinking about it, Nick was still unable to accept that his S.H.I.E.L.D. could only become a service-oriented organization in the new circle. And if he didn't want to become a service-oriented organization and wanted to have a certain amount of power and say, then he needed to ask Luke for help.

"What do you mean? Is the Beast series of equipment not easy to use?" Luke finally raised his eyes from the large book and looked at Nick with some incomprehension.

"The version updates are too fast, and the equipment updates must keep up," Nick squeezed out a smile on his face. "The Beast series of equipment is of course very easy to use, but it does have hidden dangers, doesn't it? Since we have our own energy source, then why should we use that kind with hidden dangers?

You may not know, some agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. who use the Beast series of equipment suddenly began to pray to an unknown existence in public one day. We found the best psychologist for him, but the conclusion was that he was all right.

Bullshit all right! That agent is still idle at home, being monitored. You never told me that these equipment also have the function of recruiting believers for the demons behind them!"

"Are you sure? The equipment I sell to you is 100% quality-checked. The filtering device inside will definitely filter and purify the Beast's energy to a safe threshold before the agents can use it. If this threshold is not exceeded, then the Beast's power is almost impossible to affect the spirit of your agents. Are you sure he didn't have a stroke that day?" Luke finally became a little interested.

"Every one of my agents is well-trained," Nick replied through gritted teeth. Although he also knew that his words had a big loophole and were even impossible. But the agent who had the accident was an elite with a high mission completion rate!

"In that case, I can take some time to help you check it. You can bring that agent and the Beast series wristband he wears together. If I'm not mistaken, this agent should have secretly overclocked himself in some way and was caught by the Beast's sub-body. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a den of hidden dragons and crouching tigers," Luke smiled mockingly.

Nick was speechless. Could he say that S.H.I.E.L.D. had not studied those equipment? He couldn't! Could he say that the agent would definitely not have the situation that Luke said? He still couldn't! And since Luke said so, then with Nick's understanding of him, the possibility that he said was obviously the most likely one to happen.

So Nick couldn't help but think of a shadow hidden inside S.H.I.E.L.D. that made him sleepless, and his face was gloomy.

PS: First of all, I wish you all a happy New Year's Eve and a happy New Year! Secondly, thank you to Afonso F and Fallen Star Tiger Falling Pingyang for their rewards. Thank you to the readers who subscribed to the monthly ticket recommendation ticket despite the low traffic during the New Year, I love you!

PS2: Today's update is gone, and tomorrow's coding time is also unlikely. Fortunately, there is some manuscript this week. Probably less than five thousand words. I will send three thousand words first today, and I will try to find time to code tomorrow. Sorry everyone! I kowtow to you here! orz!