"Magic?"
Even though Zola had already become a being of pure data, he froze for a moment as if unable to process what Luthor just said. Then the realization struck him.
"Magic! You've mastered magic too?!"
The figure behind Luthor, the one controlling that mysterious magical energy, was none other than Reid himself.
After fully studying the book brought by Doom, he had taken the next step. By using the role-play card of Doctor Fate, he transformed into a sorcerer of unimaginable power, a being who could command supreme magical forces.
With the golden helmet on his head, Doctor Fate could unleash nearly all the abilities of Nabu, who was an extraordinary magical being himself. He had mastered countless spells and, with his own skills alone, could achieve true immortality.
When Zola expressed his shock, Luthor raised an eyebrow. He exchanged a look with Reid, now in the form of Doctor Fate, and silently made a decision.
"So Hydra does know a little about magic after all?"
Reid had already noticed it earlier. Through the Fantastic Four's perspective, he had observed the Hydra agents aboard the Helicarrier using strange serums. And having mastered magic, he could clearly sense traces of mystical energy within those things.
Initially, he assumed it was just a coincidence. In the grand scheme of things, there was no absolute line between science and magic in the Marvel world. At their core, both were simply different ways of channeling cosmic energy.
So if Hydra had, by accident, created a serum with properties similar to magic through scientific means, it wasn't impossible. But Zola's reaction just now told him something else; they had tapped into more than science. They might actually possess some knowledge of the mystical arts.
That revelation changed everything. At the very least, it meant Reid had to adjust his plans to counter Hydra.
And now, what mattered most was how much Zola's digital brain knew about magic.
"Don't waste time," he said firmly. "Luthor, Hydra isn't as simple as we thought."
"Understood."
Luthor gave a slight nod and moved toward the massive computer that housed Zola's core. His intent was clear: bypass everything, break into the system physically if needed, and extract every piece of data about Project Insight and any arcane knowledge Hydra had uncovered.
"Damn it!"
Zola finally realized the mistake he had made. He had exposed Hydra's secrets to two monsters standing right before him.
There was no going back now. He had to act.
Unlike J.A.R.V.I.S., who could freely purge his database without consequence, Zola was different. J.A.R.V.I.S. functioned on a set of core programming written by Tony, and deleting data didn't harm his existence. He, however, was not just an AI. He was a data lifeform. The information he held wasn't just memory; it was part of his very being.
Losing that data meant losing part of himself. The impact would be devastating.
That was why Zola had never tried to erase his own files before. But now, he had no choice.
The base's self-destruct had failed. He couldn't stop Luthor physically. The only way to keep Hydra's secrets from falling into their hands was to wipe them out, even if it meant destroying himself.
He initiated the deletion process. Or tried to.
And failed.
"What?!"
His awareness flickered in shock. Somewhere within the digital realm, an unfamiliar golden energy had appeared out of nowhere. It wrapped around him like an unbreakable barrier, sealing him in. It didn't just protect him from external interference; it even prevented him from harming himself.
"This is… magic?" Zola reacted immediately. His voice trembled through the screen as his massive digital face stared at the figure of Doctor Fate in horror.
"Why?! How can your magic affect the digital world?!"
Hydra had experimented with the mystical arts, but clearly, their understanding was shallow. They still hadn't realized that magic was rooted in the very fabric of reality—the same source that powered energy and matter.
To Zola, magic and technology were two separate systems, each governed by its own rules. He could not comprehend the truth that both were simply different expressions of the same universal principles.
"This isn't complicated," Reid replied with a calm smile as golden light flowed around his hands. "Magic or science, at the end of the day, are just ways of using energy. The only difference is method. And as it happens, I know both. So making a few adjustments to your database... wasn't that hard."
"Impossible!" Zola screamed, his voice filled with disbelief. "These systems contradict each other! Some of their core principles are completely opposite! A single person can't master both! No one can merge magic and technology! It can't be done!"
His world was crumbling. Everything he thought he knew was being overturned in front of his eyes.
And truthfully, his logic wasn't wrong.
Magic and science opposed each other in many ways. Science taught that truth must be proven through evidence, while magic told that truth lived in one's heart.
In countless parallel universes of the Marvel world, Tony and Doctor Strange had worked together, combining magic and science to create wonders. They achieved great things. But even then, neither could truly comprehend the other's field of knowledge.
For Tony to truly understand magic, he would have to let go of his devotion to pure logic. If not, he could never embrace the trust magic demanded.
Even Doctor Doom, the man known for mastering magic and science, studied them separately, keeping the two paths distinct while achieving greatness in each.
And the Doctor Fate that Reid was playing now shouldn't have been able to lock onto a computer database out of thin air through magic alone.
But he had done it.
Because his power didn't just come from study.
In his previous life, he had observed this world from the perspective of a reader. Now, with the system granting him knowledge and abilities like a flood of enlightenment, he could wield the two forces without compromise. He didn't need unshakable faith in magic or rigid adherence to science. He could use them both at the highest level.
That was why he had achieved what should have been impossible: using magic to dominate technology.
Zola didn't know about the system. He couldn't even imagine such a thing.
But he realized something else. If someone could master both paths completely, then that person wasn't normal. They had to be someone who stood above ordinary limits, someone with vision beyond the highest level of knowledge.
And in all of his database, there was only one person who could fit that description.
"Reid…" Zola's voice cracked with sudden clarity. "It's you… It was you all along! You planned this! Everything! Hahahaha! I understand now! I finally understand!!!"
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