The Reality Stone can turn the illusions it constructs into reality, and likewise, it can distort objects in reality into other forms.
For example, Thanos used the Reality Stone to create a vivid torture scene that Star-Lord believed was real and even faked being instantly killed by Gamora—of course, this was so absurd that even Star-Lord complained, "That simple?"
At the same time, he also used the Reality Stone to turn Drax the Destroyer into a pile of rocks and Star-Lord's weapon into bubbles.
All of these were abilities of the Reality Stone.
Ethan didn't know whether Thanos had fully tapped into the Reality Stone's power, but even if he hadn't, it was more than enough for Ethan's purposes. He didn't want to gain the ability to alter reality itself, but instead hoped to use the stone to better understand the fundamental composition of various existences within reality.
It wasn't that Ethan lacked the vision to appreciate how powerful the ability to alter reality could be, but rather that he clearly understood he currently didn't possess the strength to master such an ability. Even if he forced himself to learn it now, it would be difficult to truly grasp, and in the end, he might gain nothing.
Considering that the Reality Stone likely wouldn't be able to function at full power outside this universe, he had no intention of taking it with him. It was more practical to focus on making use of what would benefit him most in the present.
This didn't mean Ethan didn't want to eventually gain the ability to alter or even create reality.
In his mind, once his strength was sufficient and his magic could replicate nearly any object across any universe, then the objects he created through magic would become indistinguishable from reality. In other words, as long as he stayed on his current path, he would naturally acquire that ability in the future.
Even without thinking that far ahead, if Ethan could perfectly understand all the fundamental elements of Earth and construct them using magic, he could reproduce any object that exists on Earth using magic alone.
Furthermore, he could go a step further and use those base elements to recreate various tools that humans had already developed.
"Theoretically, the more complex and intricate an object is, the harder it is to create. For example, some advanced machinery involves multiple materials and highly complicated structures, making them difficult to reproduce directly."
A sword and a machine gun are on completely different levels of complexity.
"Magic can do that?"
This was essentially about converting pure energy, like magic, into physical matter. Tony couldn't fully grasp how the process worked.
"The items you create... will they disappear once you stop supplying magic?"
Tony truly had the mind of a mage. He immediately identified the key limitation of this kind of magic—its sustainability.
"It's difficult. Most of the objects created this way will either revert to raw magical energy or simply vanish once the magic supply is cut off. It's hard to maintain the transformation over the long term."
Even Ethan, let alone others, couldn't yet overcome this issue. In fact, even the reality-altering effects of Thanos's Reality Stone weren't permanent. Once Thanos stopped using the Stone, the changes would revert to their original state.
As for the ability to permanently create matter... Ethan had no idea what level of strength would be required to achieve that.
"Can it really reach that level?"
"Theoretically speaking, nothing is impossible."
Of course, theory was just theory. Whether it could actually be realized was still unknown. And right now, Ethan's most immediate problem was that he didn't even know how to convert the Aether into the form of the Reality Stone.
The dark red liquid floating in front of him was currently trapped by Ethan's magic. It couldn't move freely and had no way to find a suitable "host" to hide inside. After struggling for a while without success, it quieted down and remained suspended under Ethan's control. But no matter how much he squeezed or manipulated it, the Aether didn't undergo any fundamental change in form.
"How did Thanos turn this thing back into its Stone form?"
Extracting the Aether from Jane's body hadn't been difficult. Ethan had completed the process within an hour.
With the help of Asgardian medical equipment and the Fountain of Life provided by Ethan, Jane Foster not only suffered no harm, but even felt noticeably healthier.
She didn't understand exactly what had happened, but Thor clearly understood the immense value of what Ethan had removed. Thanks to the Fountain of Life, Jane's lifespan and youthful appearance had been greatly extended. Thor now had plenty of time to be with her, grow closer to her, and think about how to keep her by his side for the long term.
What surprised Ethan was that Odin hadn't appeared at all.
He had thought that once the Aether was removed, the All-Father would suggest storing it in a secure location or propose similar measures. However, ever since Ethan had warned him about the impending arrival of the Dark Elves, Odin hadn't shown up again.
"Could his body no longer endure?"
In the original plot, Queen Frigga had used her magic to maintain Odin's health. After she was killed by the Dark Elves, Odin's condition worsened rapidly. When Loki usurped the throne, the All-Father offered no resistance and was quietly sent to Earth by Loki.
After researching the Aether for half a day without making progress, Ethan finally took out a transparent cylindrical container and stored the Aether in it temporarily.
During this time, he had carefully organized his thoughts and outlined what he needed to do next. It wasn't feasible to spend all his time on the Aether.
Simply put, if he could figure out how to extract the Reality Stone from it, that would be ideal, and he could then use the Stone's power to train.
If not, he definitely couldn't let it delay his other plans. For example, he still needed to visit the shipyard Tony had acquired and check on the progress of his Prinz Eugen.
He also needed to travel to other planets, acquire advanced knowledge and data from different civilizations, and hand them over to Tony for research. He wasn't expecting to develop a spaceship from scratch immediately—he could easily buy a standard one from Xandar or another planet and use that temporarily.
Tony's research was a long-term investment, but all long-term plans had to start somewhere. The sooner he acquired this knowledge, the sooner Tony could decode it, and the sooner Ethan could own a spaceship built entirely for himself.
Putting away the Aether, Ethan looked at Tony, who was still curiously staring at the container in his hand.
"I need to go discuss a few things with the All-Father. If all goes as planned, we'll return to Earth first, and then set off for other planets to collect knowledge from advanced civilizations."
Hearing Ethan's plan, Tony stopped staring at the Aether. In his eyes, the value of that thing was far less than the advanced tech and knowledge Ethan had mentioned.
Technically, it would be more convenient to depart directly from Asgard, but Tony understood that returning to Earth first was really for his sake.
He needed to check on his parents and explain things to Pepper. If he just vanished for several months without a word, never mind Stark Industries falling into chaos, Pepper herself would explode.
Tony wasn't a zombie, and even if he were, he wouldn't want to be blown to pieces by a raging Pepper. So it was best to head back and explain everything clearly.
So, he had no objections to Ethan's plan and simply watched as Ethan walked toward the Great Hall of Asgard.
Odin usually resided there, sitting on the throne even when there wasn't anything urgent.
With the All-Father's power, simply sitting in that hall allowed him to observe nearly everything within his domain. However, the one seated on the throne now was not Odin.
"Loki?"
"You don't look surprised to see me sitting here."
When Ethan arrived, the guards didn't stop him. They simply greeted him respectfully and let him in.
He had assumed Odin was aware of his visit and had given instructions beforehand. To his surprise, he saw Loki.
Could he have sent his father to an Earth nursing home again?
Just thinking about it, Ethan knew that was impossible. After all, Frigga wasn't dead yet.
"Father's health isn't doing well, so Thor and I are temporarily handling Asgard's affairs."
Loki shifted his position several times on the throne, but perhaps it was the way Ethan was looking at him that made him feel uncomfortable no matter how he sat. In the end, he stepped down from the throne.
"After Thor confirmed that Jane was fine, he went off to deal with some Dark Elves hiding deep in the forest."
Thor had left partly because he didn't like handling day-to-day affairs, and partly to avoid running into Odin. As long as he didn't see him, Odin wouldn't nag him about sending Jane back to Earth, and he could take the opportunity to spend more time with his girlfriend.
"Were you waiting here for me?"
The current Loki was very different from the one in the original plot. Ethan wasn't sure what he was truly thinking now. It seemed like he had finally gained his father's recognition—was he satisfied with that?
"Father specifically asked me to bring you to him once you were done with your business."
Loki glanced at the Aether Ethan was holding.
"I figured you'd be dropping by around now."
There were only a few things Ethan would do here. One was to extract the Aether from Jane. He definitely wouldn't resist tinkering with it a bit afterward. Once he had satisfied his curiosity, he would come to the palace.
Whether he had questions or just wanted to say goodbye, Ethan would definitely show up. Loki had easily deduced this and waited in advance.
"The All-Father wants to see me? Do you know why?"
Loki didn't answer. He just told Ethan to ask himself. But judging by the gloating look on his face, it was clear he thought something entertaining was about to happen.
When Ethan met Odin, he finally understood the reason behind Loki's expression.
"I want you to fight Thor with all your might."
(To be continued.)
***
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