At this moment, Energy Absorption had been upgraded to LV9!
This improvement was thanks to the magic net. If Aaron had relied solely on his own efforts, it would have taken significantly longer. Additionally, he would have needed to find a sufficiently rich energy source. However, with the magic net in play, the process was different.
He no longer had to search for energy; as long as enough people were connected, they could find Aaron themselves. Through the magic net, Energy Absorption was continually improving as his proficiency grew.
Of course, increasing proficiency was not easy. Not just any energy could be absorbed to promote growth. The energy absorbed had to meet a specific threshold before it would contribute to raising proficiency.
The process was slow. Even with over 100 million connectors on the magic net, it had only just reached LV9. Still, Energy Absorption remained one of the fastest-growing spells. As long as the magic net continued to operate smoothly, upgrades could happen at any time.
With Energy Absorption now at LV9, Aaron's energy was further purified. His lifespan had been extended, and the purity of his divine power was far superior to the inherited divine power of Odin's so-called Aesir royal family.
As for the exact power of Energy Absorption, Aaron hadn't been able to test it. There were no suitable test subjects available, and honestly, there was no need for tests at this point. The main function of Energy Absorption was to integrate with the magic net and restrain magical power, improving his magical strength and proficiency.
Soon, when Energy Absorption reached LV10, Aaron believed it would bring unexpected benefits.
Just as Aaron reveled in his newfound strength, something unexpected was happening in a remote town in the United States.
A glowing portal appeared in the town, and suddenly, a demon undergoing a strange mutation was kicked out. The portal then disappeared.
At the same moment, another portal opened in a different town. Within a short time, these glowing gates appeared across the world, each expelling a fierce demon.
The Mages of Kamar-Taj immediately detected the fluctuations in the dimensional boundaries and dispatched a team of Mages to investigate the occurrences.
When the Ancient One learned of the incident, she furrowed her brow in concern.
"What are they trying to do?" she mused aloud.
According to their findings, it was clear that the Dimensional Lords were not attempting to invade the real universe directly. There were no significant energy spikes, and if they were trying to invade, this method was far too crude. Releasing a few weak demons to scare ordinary people could only cause minor panic at best. These low-level demons were, in essence, the weakest life forms from the dimensional world.
Placing them into the real universe was meaningless.
Furthermore, the Mages of Kamar-Taj had greatly enhanced their abilities through the magic net. With the Ancient One now devoid of the Time Gem and unable to foresee the future, the Mages were left to gather intelligence.
The first group of Mages to arrive at the source of the disturbances encountered a shocking sight. The demon was still in a state of flux. Its flesh was tearing apart, and its body was undergoing strange transformations. The creature was growing mechanical appendages—organic circuits and machine structures were fusing together in a bizarre, unnatural combination.
Flesh and machine combined?
The Mages exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what they were witnessing.
The mutant demon, now a fusion of flesh and machine, roared and charged at the Mages. Despite its strange appearance, the demon's strength was formidable. The Mages cast a thunderbolt that pierced through its chest, but to their surprise, the demon didn't die.
Where the flesh had been punctured, it was replaced by circuits, and steel plating covered the area. Now, the demon resembled more of a machine than a living being.
The Mages fired again, targeting the demon's head and other critical areas. This time, the demon was finally destroyed.
"Report this to the Supreme One immediately. I'll proceed to the next location," the Mage in charge ordered.
The bizarre phenomena left even the most experienced Mages perplexed. They had to send someone back to report before continuing their investigation.
While the Mages were still dealing with these disturbances, other locations experienced similar occurrences. Demons continued to mutate, becoming strange mechanical beings. Some demons even integrated additional machines into their bodies, becoming fully hybrid creatures. These new entities could connect directly to machinery and still move with surprising fluidity.
Local police were quickly alerted to the presence of these strange creatures. They rushed to the scenes, attempting to capture or even eliminate the demons. However, their firearms were no match for these mechanized monsters.
The special demons not only had the ability to integrate with machines, but they also possessed a rapid self-repair ability. Even more disturbing was their capacity for shapeshifting, which made them incredibly difficult to contain.
The police force, armed with standard weaponry, struggled to make any significant impact. When a demon managed to disarm and incapacitate one officer, it injected something into the officer's body. The officer quickly began to change, transforming into a mechanical being just like the demon.
The same transformation process began to affect others. Those injected by the demons rapidly developed mechanical features as well.
While these demons weren't invulnerable, they could still be harmed. When the police used grenades and heavy weapons, the monsters were damaged, but they couldn't be neutralized fast enough. Without military presence or additional heavy weaponry, the monsters continued to spread.
As the chaos escalated, the Mages of Kamar-Taj moved swiftly, addressing the growing crisis wherever they could.
When the Ancient One became aware of the full scale of the issue, she sank into deep thought.
A special breed of demon capable of infecting living creatures? How had the Dimensional Lords acquired this power?
The appearance of these mechanical monsters had drawn the attention of the Avengers and the Bureau of Magic. After an emergency meeting, they mobilized to locations across the globe to deal with the growing threat.
Even the X-Men, who had previously been tracking Max's movements, were now focused on the mechanical monsters. If they weren't dealt with quickly, their numbers would grow exponentially.
These monsters, capable of assimilating others, posed a threat far greater than that of Max's electric powers. At first, the monsters were weak, but as they absorbed more victims, they grew stronger. Their intelligence also increased as they assimilated, and mutants with special abilities were particularly dangerous once transformed.
In short order, Aaron learned of the existence of these mechanical monsters. He turned on the TV in his living room, where every channel was broadcasting scenes of destruction as the mechanical demons ran rampant.
Aaron frowned slightly as he watched the chaos unfold.
"Is this the so-called secret weapon?" he murmured to himself.
[Please support me at my patreon if you want more: patreon/OGCrafter for 20+ chapters]