Bab 75: Chapter 75: On the Importance of High-Quality Workers
Hearing Tony's regretful tone, Lockhart shook his head. "For you, it's almost impossible. The magic I practice has strict bloodline requirements. Additionally, practicing magic requires an open mind. For a genius like you, who has achieved so much in science and technology, this is difficult to achieve. Even if you could practice magic, the conflict between your scientific mind and magical principles would render it ineffective."
Tony nodded helplessly but wasn't too discouraged. He believed technology was as powerful as magic. Moreover, he was confident that, even if someone mastered magic, he could still outdo them with his technological prowess.
Lockhart couldn't read Tony's thoughts, as he hadn't mastered Legilimency to the level of Dumbledore where he can just see into Tony eyes to read his mind. However, Tony's question had made Lockhart ponder deeply. How could a genius like Doctor Strange, who firmly believed in the material world, quickly master Kamar-Taj magic and become the Sorcerer Supreme? Part of it was due to Strange's innate magical talent. Another part was the drastic change in his life after his hands were severely injured, rendering him unable to perform surgery. This pushed him away from science and fully into the realm of magic.
Lockhart suspected that the Ancient One had a hand in Strange's fate. Otherwise, it would be difficult for such a gifted person to abandon his achievements in science completely. If someone wanted to combine science and magic, it wasn't impossible. Figures like Doctor Doom from the Marvel universe were prime examples. However, Lockhart believed in the purity of magic and chose to focus solely on it, using science only as a supplement.
Lockhart and Tony continued their conversation, discussing various aspects of magic and science. Lockhart's knowledge from past lives allowed him to keep up with scientific discussions. Time flew by, and soon it was noon. Before Lockhart could invite Tony for lunch, Tony asked to leave, saying he had a date.
As Tony Stark left the book café, Lockhart asked May to see off the guests. He began to clean the study, using his wand to make the debris fly back to their places. Closing his eyes slightly, he reviewed the valuable information he had obtained from their chat.
During the conversation, Lockhart had shared some basic magical theories with Tony. He believed that Tony's pride would keep him from divulging this knowledge. Additionally, with these magical theories, Tony might research interesting things that would eventually benefit Lockhart.
Lockhart could have taught Tony to learn magic through Kamar-Taj's methods, despite Tony's lack of a magical bloodline. Talents and cognitive barriers could be adjusted through magic. But Lockhart saw no value in this. There were many types of workers, and while he knew many top geniuses in magic, he knew very few in the field of science and technology, with Tony being the top one. This made him reluctant to let Tony delve into magic.
Underground Base
Alexander Pierce, the head of Hydra, looked at the tall, thin figure in front of him, especially noting the metal-like right arm. Hesitation flashed in his eyes. Next to him, Sitwell, a Hydra agent, asked respectfully, "Sir, do you need to dispatch the Winter Soldier this time?"
Pierce remained silent, contemplating the situation. Sitwell, noticing his hesitation, did not press further. Suddenly, Sitwell's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and his expression changed. He approached Pierce and whispered, "Director, there's news from SHIELD. The target's abilities have been updated. It appears he has the ability to control people's consciousness and memory."
He showed Pierce the information on his phone. "After investigating the collective evacuation of the Vientiane Book Café, it was determined that all personnel had their memories altered and received strong psychological suggestions to keep everything that happened a secret. The wizard professor is suspected of having memory and mind control abilities. It is recommended to treat this with caution and cease all monitoring to prevent him from accessing SHIELD-related information."
Pierce was silent for a moment, then ordered the Winter Soldier to withdraw and return to cryostasis. His strategy had been to let SHIELD test the wizard professor to gather information without revealing Hydra's involvement. With Nick Fury ordering the probing to cease, Pierce's strategy was no longer viable. Yet, he wasn't willing to let the wizard act freely.
Curious about the magic mentioned by Nick Fury, Pierce planned to have someone test it. He hesitated to send his ace, the Winter Soldier, knowing the risks of mind control. Instead, he decided on a different approach.
Pierce made up his mind, considering the need to investigate the wizard professor thoroughly without endangering Hydra's assets.
=========================
[More Chapter available at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
=========================
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone