Although she hadn't received any breakthrough news regarding Chaos Magic, Herta had no intention of washing her hands of the subject just yet.
This latest verification wasn't meant to discourage her; it was simply a way to trim the fat and avoid unnecessary dead ends.
As she'd mentioned before, this trip was strictly for confirmation—she had already anticipated the current outcome.
Watching the group stumble out of the Simulated Universe, heads shaking as they tried to shake off the post-simulation disorientation, Herta spoke up. "I'd have thought you all would be used to the testing protocols by now."
"Madam Herta? You've been here this whole time?"
Hearing her voice, the Avengers snapped to attention, with Rogers being the first to find his words. Even with the lingering haze of dizziness written all over their faces, their confusion was plain to see.
"Hardly. I stepped out to handle some business, but it seems things wrapped up faster than I expected," Herta said with a dismissive wave. "If anything, you lot stayed in there much longer than I anticipated."
Thor suddenly remembered that Madam Herta had mentioned needing him for something before they'd entered the simulation.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "No need to rush. Take a moment to clear your heads. I need to run a few updates and patches on the Simulated Universe anyway."
Updates and patches?
Tony and Banner traded a look.
So, even the Simulated Universe needed software updates? Then again... it was still a system of machines and programs. Routine maintenance was only natural.
The others weren't overthinking it quite as much.
Thor, for one, was practically vibrating with excitement to go and redeem that specific relic—the one that amplified lightning—which felt as though it had been forged specifically for him.
As they exited the room, the familiar puppet girl was waiting faithfully outside.
Little Herta's eyes darted toward the opening doors, searching for a specific figure, but the Avengers were clustered so tightly in the doorway that they blocked her view entirely.
Even standing on her tiptoes, she couldn't catch a glimpse of what was happening inside.
Once the doors hissed shut, she shot the group a fierce glare.
Thor, still riding high on his excitement, was baffled by the sudden hostility. Remembering how she had been straining on her toes for no apparent reason, he asked, "Are your feet a bit sore, then?"
Little Herta stared back blankly. Excuse me?
It wasn't just her; even the other Avengers were momentarily stunned by Thor's lack of social awareness.
"Do you honestly think a puppet feels fatigue?" she snapped. Then, remembering his usual track record, she decided not to waste her breath. She turned on her heel and marched toward Herta's Store.
"If Vision were half as cute as her, I'd be a much happier man," Tony remarked to Banner as they followed along.
Banner pictured Vision's stoic face and gave Tony a look that was hard to define.
"I'm definitely making him more endearing next time. I'll update Jarvis's data the second we get back," Tony said, his eye twitching slightly. "At the very least, I can't have him turning into a machine that disregards everyone else's lives just for the sake of a sweetheart."
Banner knew he was referring to the incidents back in the Zombie Universe.
However, he found it difficult to weigh in on that. "That's assuming Madam Herta is willing to hand over the Mind Stone."
"A guy can dream," Tony shrugged.
The group eventually reached Herta's Store. It wasn't their first visit; they had a decent grasp of the dazzling array of goods on display and had already mapped out their own respective upgrade paths.
Thor pulled up his collection interface. Without hesitation, he purchased the glass orb designed to enhance lightning elements. Following Banner's earlier example, he integrated the device directly into his body.
A tingling, warm current surged through him, bringing a wave of pleasant exhaustion that nearly knocked him off his feet.
After wobbling for a moment, he steadied himself, a massive grin spreading across his face as he felt the new power thrumming within.
Powerful. Incredibly powerful!
Thor estimated the orb had boosted his energy capacity by at least half. The sheer ferocity of the lightning coursing through his veins made him itch for a real fight.
Then, his gaze drifted back to his "Saved" list.
He stared at the staggering price tag on the Herrscher of Thunder Core.
"Five million credits..." Thor muttered. Looking at that unreachable string of zeros, the longing on his face was impossible to hide.
Compared to that number, the hundred thousand credits he'd just spent felt like pocket change.
"Have a little faith. You'll get there eventually," Rogers said from beside him.
Thor finally pulled his eyes away and looked at his teammates. The group had already finished their business and gathered around him.
They were well aware of his obsession lately, but unfortunately, this was one area where they couldn't help.
Credits could be transferred, sure, but neither their pragmatism nor Thor's pride would allow them to suggest a group fund. Even if they pooled everything, they'd still be nowhere near the mark. It made more sense to boost everyone's individual combat strength for now.
"Still, I can't believe something like that is just sitting on a shelf for sale," Banner noted, shaking his head in awe. "That thing has to be a Curio, right?"
In Banner's eyes, something capable of manipulating magnetic fields and electromagnetic force on that scale was a cosmic-level threat. How could Madam Herta not classify such a thing as a Curio?
"How could a toy like that possibly compare to a Curio?"
Little Herta was already in a foul mood. Hearing Banner's comment, she looked at him with the pure disdain one might reserve for a clueless provincial.
"...Uh." Banner scratched the back of his head. While he felt she was severely underselling the Herrscher Core, she was clearly irritated, and he saw no point in picking a fight.
"If you intend to keep following Madam Herta, you'd best abandon your self-important 'understandings' of the universe and how the world works."
Seeing him back down made her feel a bit better. Then, thinking of her creator, her expression shifted to one of pure adoration.
Wait... are we actually 'following' her? the Avengers wondered. And... abandon our understanding of the universe?
That was a bold claim, especially for men like Tony and Bruce.
Even if Little Herta wasn't being explicit, her meaning was clear: she held Earth's physics in utter contempt.
"Your so-called physics, based on the four fundamental forces, are nothing in the face of Madam Herta. Under the weight of her intellect, even universal constants become fluid and arbitrary."
"'Deconstructing cognition, reversing decay, stretching space, creating planets'—tech of that level doesn't even scratch the surface of a Curio. If Madam Herta weren't so acutely aware of her own genius—and so mercifully patient while waiting for the rest of the universe to catch up—this reality would have collapsed long ago, simply because it couldn't keep pace with her footsteps."
Little Herta beamed with pride.
"So, a mere trinket that manipulates physical rules is trivial compared to Madam Herta, who can rewrite them. Curios have already transcended universal laws. Remember the one that can infinitely self-replicate? Only things that shatter the boundaries of physics are worthy of the title 'Curio.'"
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.