manynovel Chapter 111 First Grant
Chapter 111 First Grant
In the laboratory atop Stark Tower, Nick Fury sat in a specially designed isolation chair, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat. Ever since he came into contact with the Amazonian dagger yesterday, the strange energy flow within him hadn't disappeared; instead, it had grown stronger over time.
"How are you feeling?" Chen Haotian handed him a specially made energy drink, his eyes filled with concern. "The data shows that your brainwave activity is three times higher than normal."
Nick Fury took the drink and downed it in one gulp, an unusual light flashing in his single eye: "It's like a never-ending fireworks display in my head. Those energy threads are now terrifyingly clear; I can even see the energy field around each of you—Tony's is like a blazing blue flame, while yours, Haotian, is a pale gold, flowing in a very peculiar way."
Tony looked up from behind a pile of instruments: "This means your magical aptitude has been successfully activated. Now our problem is how to stabilize this ability, instead of letting it drain your mental energy."
Chen Haotian walked to the isolation box, inside which lay the Amazonian short sword. A faint light, almost invisible to the naked eye, swirled around the blade, detectable only by special instruments.
"Yesterday's test showed that this sword not only activated your potential, but it is also continuously supplying you with energy." Chen Haotian pulled up a data chart. "However, this supply is unstable, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, which is why you feel uncomfortable."
Nick Fury rubbed his temples. "So what's the solution? We can't keep relying on energy drinks forever."
Tony snapped his fingers: "This is what we're going to do today—establish a stable energy connection. We call it the 'First Conferment' ritual."
"A ritual?" Nick Fury raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like some kind of cult activity."
"A scientific ritual," Chen Haotian corrected. "We designed an energy stabilization device that can filter and regulate the magical energy released by the short sword, and then transmit it to you in a controlled manner."
Tony pushed over a strangely shaped helmet covered in intricate circuitry and several small energy conductors: "Wear this, it will help you regulate energy flow and avoid overload."
Nick Fury hesitated for a moment, then took the helmet and put it on. The sensors inside the helmet immediately activated, emitting a soft hum.
"It feels good." Nick Fury was somewhat surprised. "Those noisy energy signals have become orderly."
"This is just the first step." Chen Haotian operated the control panel, and the isolation box slowly opened, revealing the Amazonian dagger suspended in an energy field. "Next, you need to establish a stable connection with the dagger."
Tony explained, "Based on our analysis, this sword possesses a certain degree of consciousness. Yesterday's holographic star map is proof of that. Now we need its approval of you as its user."
Nick Fury stood up and walked toward the hovering short sword. As he drew closer, he felt the sensors inside his helmet begin to work faster.
"Focus your attention and try to communicate with it," Chen Haotian instructed. "Just like yesterday, but this time go deeper."
Nick Fury took a deep breath and focused his attention on the short sword. A few seconds later, the blade began to emit a soft glow, and the ancient inscriptions lit up once more.
"I feel...it's testing me." Nick Fury's voice trembled slightly. "Like it's assessing whether I'm up to the task."
Suddenly, the short sword vibrated violently, its light becoming blinding. Nick Fury couldn't help but take a step back, his helmet blaring a piercing alarm.
"Energy overload!" Tony exclaimed, staring at the data. "It's refusing to connect!"
Chen Haotian quickly adjusted the control panel: "Nick, stay calm! It's testing your resolve! Don't back down!"
Nick Fury gritted his teeth and forced himself to take a step forward. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he remained fixed on the vibrating dagger.
"Tell me your true wish," Chen Haotian shouted. "It needs to know why you need this power!"
A complex light flashed in Nick Fury's single eye, then he said in a deep voice, "I need power to protect, not to conquer. I need insight to see the truth, not to manipulate. I need wisdom to distinguish right from wrong, not profit."
As he spoke, the vibrations of the short sword gradually subsided, and its light softened. The glowing inscriptions began to flow, reforming themselves on the blade like liquid.
"It understands!" Tony excitedly recorded the data. "The energy pattern is changing!"
Nick Fury felt a warm flow of energy enter his brain from the helmet. This time, there was no discomfort, only a strange sense of fullness. The world before him became clearer, and the energy threads now displayed rich colors, each color representing a different type of energy.
"It's so beautiful," he murmured, reaching out a finger to gently touch a golden thread of energy. As he moved, the thread curved slightly, radiating a ripple-like halo of light.
Chen Haotian carefully observed the data changes: "The connection is stable. The magical aptitude has been successfully granted. Now try out your new ability."
Nick Fury nodded and turned his attention to a potted plant in the corner of the lab. He focused his mind, imagining the changes in the energy field around the plant. A few seconds later, the plant's leaves began to grow at a visible rate, quickly becoming a full size larger than before.
"Incredible!" Tony rushed over to examine the plant. "This isn't an illusion; it's real accelerated growth!"
Nick Fury then tried another experiment. He looked at a running computer and gently waved his hand. The computer screen went black for a moment, but the indicator light next to it showed that it was still working normally.
"I disabled its display output, but without interfering with its internal operation," Nick Fury explained. "The control was more precise than I had imagined."
Over the next few hours, they conducted a series of ability tests. Nick Fury discovered that he could sense all electronic devices within a hundred meters, slightly affect their operation, see the energy field around a person to judge their emotional state, and even sense spatial anomalies at short distances.
"The most interesting thing is this," Tony said, playing a video. "When you use your abilities, there's a subtle distortion of space around you. This shows that magical abilities not only affect energy, but also the rules of space."
Chen Haotian pondered, "This means your abilities might change depending on how you use them in different universes. In the DC Universe, the rules of magic are more relaxed, so your abilities might be stronger."
Nick Fury removed his helmet; now, even without the equipment, he could clearly sense the flow of energy around him. The feeling of overload had vanished, replaced by a sense of ease and comfort.
"I need to learn how to use this ability better." Nick Fury looked at his hands. "Right now, I'm just using it instinctively, far from reaching its full potential."
Chen Haotian nodded: "We will develop a detailed training plan. But before that, you need to get used to energy perception in daily life. Imagine being able to see the energy signals of all electronic devices and hear the fluctuations of wireless communication at all times—this could drive you crazy."
Nick Fury smiled wryly: "I'm starting to get that feeling. Jarvis's voice sounds like a trio to me because I can simultaneously perceive its audio output, data flow, and energy characteristics."
Tony patted him on the shoulder: "Welcome to the extraordinary world, old friend. You'll get used to it soon."
Outside the lab window, night had fallen on New York City. The city lights took on a completely new appearance in Nick Fury's eyes—each light was no longer a simple source of light, but a node in an energy network. The world was revealing its mysterious side to him, and he knew this was just the beginning.
"Tomorrow we'll head to the DC Universe," Chen Haotian decided. "We'll test your abilities there and see how your magical aptitude performs under different universe rules."
Nick Fury nodded, a glint of anticipation in his single eye. As a former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he knew better than anyone that with great power came great responsibility. But at this moment, he preferred to see it as an unprecedented opportunity—an opportunity to better protect both worlds.