If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters from here you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
[email protected]/Yggdrasil_Loki
….
Usually, materials with a stable crystal lattice are excellent at storing magical energy.
The stronger the lattice, the fewer impurities there are to disrupt the arrangement of atoms and molecules, the easier it is for free magic, and even spiritual energy, to linger within.
At the same time, embedding a complete spell structure into such a material, thereby creating an artifact, is much more difficult.
It's comparable to the difference between modeling with clay and carving in stone, the difficulty of the latter doesn't negate the possibility itself or the existence of professionals in the craft.
Adamantium, however, presented a very interesting situation. As befitted a material of such durability, it eagerly absorbed magic. But it didn't just hold it; it adapted to it. It changed!
The alterations occurred on both a physical and magical level.
The very texture of the solidified alloy literally transformed, the indestructible metal spontaneously restructured its initial polycrystalline structure into a single crystal.
And simultaneously, the more magical energy poured into it, the better suited it became for use in creating spells within that specific energy spectrum, all without degrading its compatibility parameters with the opposing spectrum's energy.
It was phenomenal, but there it was. I could forge an incendiary artifact out of adamantium based on the Asgardian traditions of the Aesir's inner flame, and yet, exposing it to pure ice magic wouldn't break anything inside; instead, it could actually accumulate that energy too.
It was unexpected, but by all appearances, I had discovered the third Great Magical Metal.
Neutronium, when properly enchanted, could transform into a self-sustaining source of magic, allowing for the creation of incredibly powerful artifacts that didn't rely on the wielder's strength but rather imbued them with it.
Uru metal amplified the wearer's magical power, facilitated the manipulation of mystical energies, and quite literally developed the soul simply by being in its proximity.
And now adamantium, a perfectly adapting conduit and accumulator of magical forces rolled into one.
Needless to say, the moment I discovered and double-checked this, Gungnir was immediately hoisted onto the workbench to permanently swap its golden sheen for silver?
Incidentally, I now know for a fact that spears can experience a sensation akin to air-drying after a shower with a good loofah. I mean, the whole body itches, especially in the spots you can't reach to scratch.
I also learned that polishing it with a soft cloth is a good and proper thing, exactly what a true King should be doing to his weapon in the downtime between bathing it in the blood of his enemies... Yeah, I was thoroughly enlightened on the subject.
….
Before I knew it, the second half of the week following my return from Asgard had rolled around. Curiously enough, all the guests I brought with me had blended into the daily rhythm of Xavier's institute smoothly and naturally.
Sarah had already started helping out with the kids, even if she wasn't teaching full classes yet. Laura somehow managed to be everywhere at once, fitting seamlessly into any group.
Yuriko, in the time she wasn't busy kicking me into gear, also managed to find something she enjoyed, bonding with Scott over matters of security and training.
Surprisingly, the guy didn't even think about hitting on her, nor did he engage in the slightest bit of flirting.
You might think the reason was the regular floor-mopping he endured during sparring sessions, which started literally from their first training encounter.
But no, Cyclops was genuinely and entirely devoted to Jean, simply because that's just a thing that happens.
One way or another, life was clearly getting better. And then, the denizens of Asgard reminded me of their existence, having fulfilled the errand I had issued while sitting on the Throne.
Honestly, it wasn't anything overly complex. I just ordered a couple of the more competent courtiers to pop over to the nearest purely technological world and buy a spaceship.
A good, reliable one, but modest and not overly advanced, the kind a wild savage could figure out without breaking it.
The criteria, actually, were extensive: no onboard AI or stripped-down versions thereof; no weapons; no super-strong alloys easily replicated under Earth conditions; no superconductors that, if disassembled, could be reverse-engineered; and much, much more.
And most importantly, an easily removable hyperdrive. Because gifting Stark the technology for interstellar travel is a very, very bad idea.
This genius of the soldering iron and creative elbow grease would likely turn a hyperdrive into a gun that shoots black holes and test it right here on Earth.
Not that it's an impossible feat, but since I have a rough idea of how it could actually be done, I am not giving Stark that kind of technology.
He'd definitely figure out how to take the idea from a laboratory curiosity, barely suitable for real-world application, into something he could cram into his armor.
And the universe simply isn't ready for that level of madness.
Plus, I have a kid living on this planet who wrinkles her nose adorably, not to mention a girlfriend and buddies, and losing them all just like that... No thanks.
So, frankly speaking, I needed the crappiest rust bucket imaginable that could be found at galactic flea markets, which I'd then have to gut even further.
No, of course, after that, it would be given the necessary gloss and luxury; installing a minibar with a couple of kegs of Asgardian mead on the yacht wouldn't be difficult, nor would trimming the hull and interior with gold, silver, and jade.
Hmm, maybe I'll even add a bit of adamantium, for safety and durability. But all that is purely cosmetic.
The rust bucket's main mission would be to deny Stark the chance to destroy the world before I manage to bail from it.
No sooner said than done. Less than a month after I gave the order, the requested vessel materialized in the X-Men's hangar, sneaked in following all protocols of stealth and conspiracy.
And no, it wasn't done just so I could capture Scott's face on film the morning he saw the unexpected addition and realized his lovingly constructed security system hadn't even beeped.
Seriously, no. No joke. I just didn't want to wake him up in the middle of the night.
He was with Jean, they were having a good time, and I am a very tactful, even somewhat shy person...
No, Scott, stop glaring at me! You'll hit expensive equipment! What do you mean, "hints"? I wasn't hinting at anything, who do you take me for? I'm a decent boy, and I'm already leaving! Yes, I have a silent little fuzzball waiting for me who needs her cocoa brewed, and no, I am not mocking you, what's with the stereotypes?!
Right, what was I talking about? Ah yes, the ship. What can be said about it? The most trivial "pleasure yacht" with a modular hyperdrive, weak anti-meteorite shields (not even force fields, just gravitational momentum compensation), and a couple of purely symbolic retractable twin blasters, designed less for self-defense and more for dealing with those same meteorites, just the bigger ones.
I deleted all the navigation charts from the onboard computer immediately, removed the hyperdrive, and changed the control interface language packs to local... Because life shouldn't be too sweet for Tony! I also hard-locked all the "desktop" backgrounds, wherever they were even a feature, to display a proud red banner with a hammer and sickle.
It was crackable, but Tony wouldn't manage it in under two years, because I didn't leave him a textbook on the local programming language.
He'd only be able to birth his own OS compatible with all the local systems by that time if he dedicated all his waking hours to it.
….
There is a new fanfic out name: I Make Games In Marvel Universe
You can add it through my profile or from the author note below.
…
If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters from here you can visit my Patre-on.
[P] [A] [T] [R] [E] [O] [N]
[email protected]/Yggdrasil_Loki