Inside the golden hall, Kurogai listened intently as Odin spoke of precautions, alliances, and the asures needed to prevent further calamities. The All-Father's voice carried the weight of centuries, each word deliberate and heavy with aning.
Yet to Kurogai, it was a strange experience. After all, the very reason these discussions were taking place was because of him. If he hadn't absorbed the Power Stone, none of this would have unfolded. To hear Odin detail strategies for preventing disasters that Kurogai himself had caused was almost ironic.
On the surface, Kurogai maintained a calm, respectful expression. Inwardly, though, he allowed himself a faint smile. Odin was unknowingly giving him information that could one day help him claim the rest of the Infinity Stones.
The All-Father eventually concluded, "These words, I trust you will deliver to the Sorcerer Supre."
"I'll deliver them," Kurogai replied lightly, offering a courteous nod before rising to his feet.
But leaving Asgard imdiately was never part of his plan. Odin had promised he would be allowed to glimpse Asgard's advanced magic, and Kurogai had no intention of walking away from that opportunity.
"When Thor returns, he will guide you to so of our higher-level spells and arcane knowledge," Odin had said earlier, assigning his son the task once Loki's capture was settled.
For now, Kurogai made use of the ti. He wandered toward the public archives, where the more basic spells were stored. So might have dismissed them as elentary, but Kurogai knew better. Knowledge was knowledge, and even fundantals could hide brilliance.
Rows of ancient tos lined the shelves. He moved among them swiftly, skimming through incantations, wards, and runic theory. With the aid of his awakened pupil ability, he absorbed the texts at an impossible speed, analyzing and internalizing centuries of magical study.
Hours passed in silence. By the ti he closed the last volu, the entire collection had been committed to mory.
It was then that a familiar figure strode into the archive—broad-shouldered, clad in armor, with a storm in his presence.
"Forgive the delay," Thor said, brushing back his long hair. "Loki proved… difficult. Father has imprisoned him for his defiance."
Kurogai offered a faint smile. "No matter. I used the ti well. Asgard's magic is… vastly different from Earth's. I've learned much already."
The subtle glow in his second pupil ring intensified as if to affirm his words. The power within him surged, and satisfaction flickered across his features.
Thor, however, noticed none of it. "Then let us not waste more ti. Father has granted you access to the Vault of Spells. You may study within for one day, but nothing can leave with you—not even a single book. When your ti ends, I'll personally escort you back to Midgard."
Kurogai inclined his head. "Understood." Outwardly, he accepted the restriction, though inwardly, he had no intention of being bound by a deadline. Until he had absorbed everything of value, Asgard would not rid itself of him so easily.
The two made their way across the palace grounds until they reached a towering hall unlike any other. The doors opened to reveal a breathtaking sight: endless rows of shelves stretching into the distance, each cramd with grimoires, scrolls, and enchanted tos. The very air vibrated with arcane energy.
Even Kurogai, who prided himself on control, felt a flicker of awe. This was no ordinary library. This was a treasure trove of millennia-old knowledge.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside, seized the nearest to, and activated his pupil power. Lines of script unraveled in his vision, patterns of runes and sigils deconstructing themselves before reforming in his mind. Page after page, book after book, he devoured them all.
Thor lingered only a while before quietly withdrawing, recognizing the depth of Kurogai's concentration. The prince of Asgard would wait outside.
Ti blurred as Kurogai imrsed himself fully. Hours beca aningless as he swam through oceans of magical theory, from the oldest warding rituals to secrets of dinsional binding. His ultimate pupil surged with energy, each ring glowing brighter as his understanding deepened.
Then, at last, a voice echoed within him, clear and triumphant.
The second pupil ring is saturated. Evolution available. Increase level now?
Kurogai's lips curved faintly. "Not yet."
Now was not the ti. The knowledge still flowed, and every mont mattered. Power could wait. Mastery could not.
And so, even as the sands of Odin's allotted day slipped away, Kurogai remained in the vaults of Asgard, devouring the wisdom of gods.
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