Chapter 30: Ch-30 Loki, Loki, and Loki again!
When Russell saw the golden-quality [Soul Carrying] entry, he knew that he had made the right choice!
If he'd decided not to absorb the spiritual essence out of fear and let his soul undergo a qualitative change, he would have regretted it deeply.
Even if he were to obtain powers like Thor's Divine Strength or the Power of Death in the future, the entries might be usable-but they would never be able to unleash 100% of their potential!
And for super entries like Phoenix Fragments, there might even have been a system warning: [ Using this power could result in the collapse of both mind and body! ]
'But now...'
What excited him the most was the 'Weakness Removal' that came with the entry!
This meant that even if he received dimensional energy, he wouldn't have to worry about being corrupted or contaminated by the dimensional lord.
It was essentially a high-end version of the Ancient One's secret techniques.
Even more impressive, if he were to acquire the Spirit of Vengeance, the Weakness Removal would completely remove the spirit's will, allowing him to use its abilities to the fullest!
To Russell, this single attribute alone was as valuable as an entire gold-level entry by itself!
As for the [Spirit Hall] entry, it was like a timely rain.
Although it couldn't directly counter Cassandra's telekinesis, it would prevent her from invading his mind.
And if he played it right, he could even trick her into entering his Spirit Hall by using her own power against her!
Nevertheless, Russell decided to be cautious for the time being. It would be more than embarrassing if Cassandra, the mad powerhouse who had killed Professor X, were to enter his mind, weaken him, and still beat him senseless.
After all, Professor X was hailed as the most powerful master of the mind. Cassandra, after defeating him, was undoubtedly even more terrifying.
For now, this entry would act as an uncertain trump card - an insurance policy. At the very least, it would give him a measure of resistance should he encounter this madwoman.
By the time Russell had finished absorbing the spiritual essence, dawn had broken.
He told laura who had guarded him through the night to rest.
When night fell again, Russell decided, after a few hours of sparring, to set out alone under the cover of darkness.
The area they were in was hidden by magical vines, making it difficult to locate. Taking laura with him would only expose her to unnecessary danger.
Russell followed the direction given by Captain Hydra. After three or four days, he finally saw the ruined city!
The city was sparse, with only a few buildings left standing. Among the ruins, the dilapidated 'Stark Tower' stood out.
Clipping halos appeared in the sky above, occasionally dropping debris and trash to the ground below.
Beyond the city lay the Moss Plains.
At first glance, the plains appeared desolate, dotted only with scattered garbage. No trees were visible.
But Russell knew that a large number of Loki variants lived in the area, and the underground was like a rat hole!
How would he find these underground rat nests?
Simple.
Bring out the cat, and the rats will come running.
Russell donned his sling ring and began creating portals, one at a time.
Close, open, close, open.
Within minutes, the sky darkened ominously.
Thunder rumbled over the horizon, and scarlet lightning struck through the clouds.
Alioth had arrived!
Russell remembered how this monster had been controlled by the Kang variant during the Legacy War and had eventually destroyed itself. However, it appeared to be alive and well - or perhaps another one had been created.
Russell leaned toward the first theory.
As the winds picked up on the plains, Russell witnessed an amazing sight from his vantage point on the edge of the city.
The ruins suddenly came alive, as if a rat's nest had been disturbed.
At least a hundred Loki were crawling out of the chaos!
Some cast green magic, others drove makeshift vehicles, and still more sprinted on foot. They poured out of every crevice in the ruins and scattered across the moss-covered plain.
Within two minutes, silence returned.
The moss plain was eerily quiet.
By then, Alioth had crossed the sky, its monstrous form now visible.
His hideous head came closer, roaring as he plunged toward the ground.
It was time to act!
Russell had already set his sights on the target. He created a portal to cross the distance and came to the side of a cement pipe.
Crawling inside, he moved a sheet of metal to reveal a hidden shaft.
Beneath it lay a dark vertical tunnel.
As Alioth's roar approached, Russell jumped into the shaft and replaced the metal sheet.
Using Spider-Man's abilities, he easily navigated the narrow, dark descent.
After descending over a hundred feet, Russell landed in a tunnel.
The passageway stretched in two directions.
To the left was a pile of garbage; to the right, a faint light glimmered in the distance.
Russell crawled another forty to fifty meters before he heard the sound of voices.
Inside, the Lokis were complaining loudly.
"What bad luck! Didn't that monster come this morning? It devoured several Lokis, and it's still hungry!"
"I just saw a fallen takeout box, and the damn thing is back! Who knows if it'll show up tomorrow?"
"I saw a crocodile wearing a crown, but not only did I not catch it, I got bitten! Some kid snatched it right out from under me."
"I'm fine. A Viking named Loki promised to trade with me tomorrow. The idiot wants to trade a whole crate of brandy for a rusty axe I found."
"What an idiot. By the way, where's the deal? Maybe we can keep the axe for ourselves."
"Heh, that's exactly what I thought. I told him how to get to our base, and when he shows up, we'll ambush him!"
As the last statement echoed, the room fell silent.
Then a cacophony of curses erupted.
In the dim shadows, Russell stood holding his forehead in despair.
"Honestly... can entry of these Loki variants even be trusted?"
"They're so ridiculous. Won't this stupidity rub off on me?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone