Hela snorted coldly.
"Hmph. If that half-baked god really shows up, I'll deal with him myself. I guarantee he won't leave unscathed."
Lucas waved his hand.
"That won't be necessary. I should be able to handle it myself."
"But with your current physical condition, are you sure you can?" Kara asked with a worried expression.
Hela, who was unaware of the situation, looked at Lucas in confusion.
After Lucas briefly explained the circumstances, he continued:
"As for you, continue your diplomatic visits and the establishment of relations with Earth. Don't stop because of this matter."
Hela nodded.
"Alright. No problem."
Lucas then looked at everyone.
"That's all for today. Everyone go back and remember to follow what I said. Don't act recklessly."
Soon, everyone left the virtual space.
Only Lucas remained seated alone at the table.
With his hands clasped in front of him, he sank into deep thought.
---
After a moment, Lucas suddenly spoke.
"Alpha."
"Master, I am here," Alpha responded immediately.
Lucas asked,
"If you were to simulate the outside world right now, how detailed could the simulation be?"
Alpha paused for more than ten seconds before replying.
"If the simulation only needs to reach the cellular level, and all computational resources are used, I could simulate the operation of a community-sized area."
"A single community…" Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly.
He hadn't expected that Alpha—currently possessing the highest computational capacity on Earth—still couldn't reach the level he wanted.
Lucas continued,
"So what exactly is limiting you right now?"
Alpha replied instantly.
"Master, the limitation is core computational power. If you can develop quantum computers, my processing capability would increase tremendously."
"Quantum computers…" Lucas muttered.
"Phastos should already be researching that project, right?"
Alpha answered,
"Yes. Father has established a specialized laboratory and has invested significant resources into the research."
"However, the greatest obstacle currently lies in basic materials."
"The quantum computers they have produced can only sustain peak computational performance for less than an hour."
"After that, the materials fail due to overheating and structural limits."
Lucas thought for a moment before asking another question.
"What if you could use my brain as the computing carrier?"
Alpha sounded confused.
"Master, I do not understand what you mean. I cannot provide an answer at this time."
Lucas clarified,
"What I mean is: if my brain were used as the computational platform, what level of computing power could you reach?"
Alpha responded frankly.
"Apologies, Master. I cannot answer that."
"Biological computers currently lack sufficient recorded data, so I cannot analyze or estimate the result."
"I see," Lucas said calmly.
He wasn't surprised.
After all, the information currently available was still far too limited.
He was not omniscient or omnipotent. Some things simply couldn't be perfected yet.
---
Taking a deep breath, Lucas ended the discussion and exited the virtual space.
Back in the real world, he returned to his room and closed his eyes to rest.
He needed to prepare for the major event that was approaching.
Compared to the beginning—when his body had been extremely weak—he had now recovered almost half of his strength.
Although he was still technically in a weakened state, he could already act if necessary.
However, that wasn't Lucas's style.
So he entered a deep meditative state, allowing his body to continue recovering.
Everyone else knew the situation was critical.
No one disturbed him.
---
Time passed quickly.
Three months went by.
During that period, Hela arrived on Earth with the Asgardian army, visiting seven different countries and establishing diplomatic relations.
After staying on Earth for more than two months, she finally returned to Asgard with her forces.
When she arrived earlier, Lucas had still been deep in meditation.
She only looked at him briefly before leaving quietly, choosing not to disturb him.
When she departed, she also took Fenrir and Little Surtur, who had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep.
---
Three and a half months later—
On a snowy day, Lucas suddenly opened his eyes.
His body had now fully recovered.
He stood up and walked downstairs.
In the living room, a Christmas tree had already been set up.
"I didn't expect to wake up on Christmas," Lucas said while looking out the window at the falling snow.
At that moment, Wanda and Pietro entered through the front door.
Elaine and Kara followed behind them.
When they saw Lucas standing in the living room, their faces lit up with surprise.
They hurried over to him.
"Merry Christmas!" Lucas said warmly.
Everyone smiled happily.
Soon, Kara went to the storage room and brought out several large gift boxes.
These were presents she had prepared in advance for the children on Lucas's behalf.
But amid the joy, everyone couldn't help remembering Carrie, the little foodie who wasn't there.
---
Lucas then went to Kamar-Taj, using a portal to reach the Mirror Dimension where the Ancient One was.
"Merry Christmas," Lucas said softly.
"Merry Christmas," the Ancient One replied without turning around.
Lucas asked,
"How is Carrie doing?"
"Her condition is good," the Ancient One replied.
"She has already begun to gain basic control over her power. The rest is only a matter of time."
"How long will it take?" Lucas asked.
"It's hard to say," she answered.
"It could take a few days… a few months… or even years—perhaps decades."
"I cannot give you an exact answer."
Lucas sighed lightly.
"Alright. Then I'm going to begin clearing out the Skrulls on Earth."
His eyes suddenly turned cold.
"It's about time," the Ancient One said.
"When I was still there, the Skrull god remained very low-profile."
"But now that he sees I'm gone…"
"…he's started causing trouble again."
Lucas smiled faintly.
"There's no need to trouble the Sorcerer Supreme. I'll handle this one myself."
"Don't underestimate him, Lucas," the Ancient One warned seriously.
"Always maintain respect for the unknown."
"Otherwise, that arrogance may cause you to stumble."
Lucas nodded.
"I understand, Master Ancient One. I'll approach this with full caution."
She smiled slightly.
"I believe in you."
"You've always been a steady and thoughtful person. I rarely misjudge people."
"Thank you for the compliment."
After chatting for a few more moments, Lucas left the Mirror Dimension.
Everything was finally ready.
Now—
All that remained was for him to open the curtain on this operation.
However, Lucas already had a faint feeling that this Secret Invasion might not be as simple as it appeared on the surface.
..
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