"What is an apostle?"
Hearing the unfamiliar term, Star Lord and the others muttered it silently, confusion evident on their faces.
However, Nebula, who had gained Aaron's favor, was the first to respond without giving it much thought.
"I would like to be your apostle!"
With fervor in her eyes, Nebula replied with complete sincerity, "Do you need me to conquer the universe for you?"
"No, as my apostle, your mission isn't to conquer, but to spread the magic net throughout the vast universe, ensuring that more civilizations are connected to it."
"This is the apostles' primary task!"
Aaron wasn't surprised by Nebula's inclination toward war. He simply explained the apostle's mission.
"That's it? What if there are civilizations that don't wish to connect to the magic net? Should they be punished?!"
Nebula was stunned and asked another question. She couldn't comprehend why a powerful god of magic wasn't striving for dominance over the universe.
In her philosophy, the strong should rule more territory, instilling fear in all other species.
It reminded her of figures like Thanos, or the Cree Empire, or even the god Ego.
She had assumed that the apostles' mission was one of war.
"No need for that. War is just a waste of time. Eventually, they will pay for their resistance," Aaron said, shaking his head, dismissing Nebula's thoughts.
In Aaron's vision, the future world would belong to the magic net. Only civilizations connected to it would have the right to survive and grow stronger. Those that refused would inevitably be left behind by time.
"Since you have agreed, you are now my second apostle, and I shall grant you immense power."
Aaron bestowed Nebula with third-level magic net authority.
This "May 13" authority wasn't too high or low. Compared to the title of apostle, third-level authority felt insufficient. Aaron's true apostles would need at least level 5 authority to be worthy of their title.
Level 5 was the bare minimum. In the boundless universe, few beings had authority higher than level five. At that level, they could at least avoid embarrassing Aaron.
However, Nebula's authority would undoubtedly grow rapidly with time.
Having worked under Thanos, Nebula had a profound understanding of the Milky Way. If she remained diligent, her strength would improve significantly.
"The great god of magic, who is the first apostle?"
After receiving the power, Nebula's eyes gleamed with even more fervor.
"The first apostle is Hela, the goddess of death. You will meet her in the future."
Aaron casually explained, then turned his gaze to the others.
By this point, Aaron had achieved his main goal. His initial aim in approaching Star-Lord was to harness Yi Ge's power through him. Now that Yi Ge's strength had been absorbed, it no longer mattered if Star-Lord agreed to serve him.
After this, Nebula's experience of gaining god-like power through the magic net and defeating Ego would be widely known. Many civilizations, watching from the sidelines, would surely be compelled to connect to the magic net.
Aaron hoped to recruit them as apostles, but it didn't matter if they refused.
Nebula and the others exchanged looks, contemplating for a brief moment before declining the offer. However, Gamora agreed.
This outcome wasn't surprising.
After Aaron granted Gamora her authority, he severed the astral projection.
Now, Aaron had three apostles under his command.
"Gamora, why did you choose to become an apostle of the God of Magic?"
Star-Lord, puzzled by Gamora's decision, questioned her. While he had gained god-like power through the magic net, it didn't mean he wanted to become Aaron's subordinate.
Rocket, Groot, Star-Lord, and Drax all valued their freedom more than the idea of joining a faction.
"Because of Thanos! I need revenge! The magic net is the only way to make that happen."
"Becoming an apostle doesn't prevent me from continuing to protect the galaxy's peace, does it?"
Gamora hadn't forgotten her greatest enemy. Thanos' ambitions were too vast, and she had to stop him and save innocent lives.
At that moment, after Aaron had left, Yondu, who had been observing from afar, rushed over with his men. They were envious of the magic net and its power.
Previously, the Star-Lord group had been easily manipulated by them, but now, they had the power to fight gods.
Who wouldn't be envious?
But in front of Aaron, they had no courage to act.
It was only after Aaron departed that they dared approach.
Seeing them, Nebula's eyes lit up. This was the perfect opportunity to recruit them as the first candidates.
Meanwhile, on a strange planet somewhere in the vast universe, a man with a pale complexion, holding a black longsword and exuding a strong aura of death, slaughtered his enemies.
Surrounded by soldiers in bizarre attire, only the most distinguished, and also the fattest, remained. Though he tried to fight, it was futile.
"You can't kill me! I am a god! I'm the master of this planet. If you kill me, no one will protect this world!"
"There are no gods in this world. They're all just selfish bastards!"
"I will kill every god!"
The intruder, dressed in white and wielding a long sword, pointed it at the man who called himself a god.
"Tell me, where is the Almighty City?"
"I... I don't know! I'm not worthy to enter it. It's the gathering place for the most honorable and powerful gods in the universe."
Sensing death approaching, the self-proclaimed god cowered.
"If that's the case, then you shall die."
Geer the God Slayer, without hesitation, stabbed down with his black death sword. The god's life was extinguished in an instant.
Afterward, Geer, satisfied with his kill, gained an army of ten thousand zombies.
"These weak bastards aren't even worthy of knowing where the gods are."
"Maybe I can find a more powerful god."
Geer thought of the recent rumors circulating throughout the universe—the magic net of the God of Magic.
A mighty god of the Asgardian pantheon, said to be the sacred place of the universe, had become the brightest star in the universe.
Compared to the minor gods he was slaughtering now, the God of Magic was the real deal.
"If it were you, you would know where the gods are, right?"
"And Asgard..."
"Bifrost!!"
"Perhaps, you could get there sooner."
Geer withdrew his black death sword and scanned the land of fallen gods, which had descended into silence. He then retreated into the darkness.
This was his kingdom—the Kingdom of Shadows!
In this special cosmic space, only black and white existed. Everything else was dull, devoid of life.
Here, Geer was the absolute king!
For years, he had killed countless gods through the Kingdom of Shadows, obliterating one god system after another. But he realized that the gods existing in the universe were all "minor gods."
The truly significant beings had quietly vanished.
Rumor had it they entered an omnipotent city, a place hosting a grand gathering.
To enter and destroy the gods, Geer had forced other gods to reveal the location of this "Almighty City" during their battles.
However, he soon discovered that these minor gods were not even qualified to enter the Almighty City. They had been neither invited nor considered worthy.
So, Geer decided to target the universe's most prominent and powerful pantheon—Asgard!
He was also hoping to find something related to the legendary eternal realm... and perhaps Odin's daughter...
When thoughts of his daughter crossed his mind, a rare tenderness filled Geer's eyes. But it was quickly replaced by fury and the desire for destruction.
There should be no gods in the universe!
Wakanda, Earth
Since Erik became the new Black Panther, Wakanda had focused entirely on energy technology. They harnessed Vibranium's properties to create several energy generators.
They planned to use this technological power to enhance Erik's strength and seek revenge on Max, the Electric Man, who had killed the previous Black Panther.
However, the people of Wakanda didn't know that Erik had secretly allied with Max. He had even helped Max spread the magic net across Africa.
At the same time, Erik used Wakanda's technology to deceive the Avengers and the Bureau, keeping them at bay long enough to gain enough power to challenge them.
But their plans were interrupted when Wakanda was suddenly invaded.
A strange force infiltrated the Wakandan network and, within moments, controlled all the systems in a certain area.
Shuri and his team tried to expel the invaders, but the intensity of the hacker war was far beyond their expectations.
"Who dares to invade Wakanda? Could it be Max again?"
Queen Ramanda, gritting her teeth, growled.
"Probably not. I don't sense any magical energy."
Erik the Panther, his face filled with suspicion, continued. According to his previous agreement with Max, the latter wouldn't attack Wakanda again.
Could the Avengers have found out about his alliance with Max? No, that couldn't be it!
"The enemy this time is different. They're incredibly powerful in cyberspace. This isn't the work of outsiders. It almost seems like a program."
"Yes, it resembles Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S."
"But I'm sure it's not J.A.R.V.I.S. It's something else entirely."
Shuri, who was fully immersed in the network battle, responded to his colleagues.
"Could it be the mechanical virus group that fought the Avengers before?"
"Dammit, they have their sights on Wakanda!"
"Courting death!!"
Erik was furious. He had just reclaimed his position as king of Wakanda and wasn't about to let anyone jeopardize his rule.
While Erik racked his brain for a solution, several Wakandan spaceships took off without authorization.
"No! They've taken control of our spaceship systems!"
At the same time, the invaders used the acquired authority to disable the southwest defense systems.
Hundreds of mechanical monsters descended, wreaking havoc and assimilating Wakandan civilians in the region.
The southwest fell into chaos.
On the light screen, the red dots of the invasion grew larger.
As they assimilated the people, they pressed deeper into Wakanda.
Seeing this, Erik rushed to the battlefield with the royal guard. Using magic and the gathered army, they began to suppress the Matrix's invasion.
Online, Shuri and others managed to resist Zola's infiltration, using their numerical advantage.
This temporarily halted Zola's plan.
Eventually, Zola was forced to retreat from Wakanda.
The sudden invasion ended without warning, but Wakanda paid a heavy price. Many residents and warriors were lost, along with several spaceships and advanced technologies.
Erik and Shuri were both furious.
Erik's anger was rooted in his inability to let anyone challenge his authority.
Shuri, feeling guilty, blamed himself for letting Wakanda's defenses slip, thus giving the enemy an opening.
Meanwhile, Zola, the mastermind behind the raid, began constructing a new body for himself using Vibranium.
With the acquisition of this material, Zola's Matrix family was significantly strengthened.
Meanwhile, Zola began preparing for a larger invasion of space, realizing that he would need to expand beyond Earth to revive HYDRA.
And Wakanda, according to Zola's plans, would be his most likely next target.
But Zola hadn't anticipated the fierce resistance from Wakanda, forcing him to adjust his plans.
While the raid hadn't been entirely successful, it still yielded substantial gains. Now, Zola's next move would be to build his power off-world, as he prepared for his ultimate invasion of Earth.
[Please support me at my patreon if you want more: patreon/OGCrafter for 20+ chapters]