Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

He pressed the communicator: "Wesley, assign Mr. Loki a temporary identity, with access limited to public areas. Let him observe if he wants. But all his activities must be monitored. Any overstepping of boundaries..." Kingpin's gaze fell on Loki as if it were a physical presence, "...treat him as an intruder."

Loki's smile vanished completely. He looked at Kingpin, a genuine sense of apprehension flashing in his eyes for the first time. This man was more difficult to deal with than he had imagined. His original plan of "playful infiltration" seemed to be failing.

"It seems I need to change my strategy..." Loki thought to himself, but on the surface he resumed his elegant demeanor. "Thank you for the Chairman's... generosity. I will prove my worth with my actions."

Thus, Loki, the God of Mischief, remained temporarily at the Hero Association headquarters, almost under house arrest. Like a ghost, he wandered the permitted area, observing everything from Sandman's manipulation of sand to the mutant students' out-of-control abilities, from the sparks erupting in Otto's lab to Kingpin's unfathomable power of rules.

He no longer easily uses illusions to trick people (at least not on the surface). Instead, he would occasionally "unintentionally" reveal some little-known information about other forces in the universe, the principles of magic, or the inner workings of Asgard, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

The association's think tank, especially Otto and Banner, remained highly vigilant about this sudden "mythical figure," but they also had to admit that the occasional fragments of information he released were indeed of great research value.

Kingpin remained noncommittal. He knew Loki was a double-edged sword, dangerous and uncontrollable. But before fully understanding Loki's true intentions and Asgard's ultimate stance, keeping him under close surveillance was far more prudent than letting him operate from the shadows.

Moreover, he had a vague feeling that the arrival of this god of mischief might... bring some unexpected "stimulation" and "opportunities" to the association. After all, chaos can sometimes be a catalyst for breaking the old order and establishing new rules. It all depends on who can better utilize whom.

Loki's "job application" was temporarily suspended in an extremely subtle way. Meanwhile, the association headquarters gained an air of mystery and uncertainty because of this uninvited "distinguished guest."

Chapter 112: The Gods' Dilemma and Mortals' "Common Sense"

Loki Laufeson, the Asgardian god of mischief and son (adopted) of Odin, is facing an unprecedented cognitive challenge in his long divine life. He remains at the Hero Association headquarters, nominally as an "observer," but in reality, a "special guest" under semi-house arrest. Over the past few days, none of his anticipated scenarios of spying, stirring up trouble, or basking in the awe of mortals have materialized. Instead, he finds himself trapped in a bizarre atmosphere of being bound by invisible rules, a situation that everyone around him has become accustomed to.

He was placed in a comfortable but far from luxurious room, and his access was strictly limited to the public areas, the restaurant, and a designated reading area. Wherever he went, he was constantly under the watchful eye of an omnipresent surveillance system—not magical spying, but a colder, all-encompassing surveillance based on technology and some kind of energy field he couldn't comprehend.

On his first day, he attempted to create some minor chaos using illusions, such as making automatic doors open and close intermittently or causing the corridor lights to flicker. However, less than thirty seconds later, two expressionless security personnel in guild uniforms, carrying non-lethal restraint equipment, appeared before him, "reminding" him in a flat tone to follow public conduct rules and "suggesting" he read the "Guidelines for Temporary Visitors to Guild Headquarters." The booklet detailed everything from garbage sorting to restrictions on ability use, clearly organized and with explicit penalties (mainly restrictions on movement and deductions from benefits), leaving Loki, accustomed to Asgard's lax management style, completely bewildered.

“Don’t they…don’t they know who I am?” Loki couldn’t help but whisper to the air (he suspected there were hidden cameras). “I am a god! How dare these mortals use rules to restrain a god?”

What frustrated him even more was the restaurant. He habitually tried to use a little magic to make the dry-looking chicken cutlet on his plate delicious and juicy. Just as the spell lit up, Max Dillon, the Electro who was "recharging" nearby, floated over, his blue face showing curiosity:

"Hey, newbie, what are you doing? Enchanting the food? The association's cafeteria has rules against privately modifying public food at the energy or material level, to avoid causing allergies or energy conflicts. If you want something better, you can use your points to exchange for it at the private kitchen on the second floor. It's a bit more expensive, but the taste is really good." Max kindly pointed to the points display on his wristwatch.

Loki, seeing Max's reminder—purely out of "colleaguely affection"—felt a lump in his throat. Points? What the hell were those? He, Loki, had to use "points" to get food?!

He attempted to demonstrate the erudition of a deity by "bumping into" Otto Octavius, who was consulting energy structure data in the reading area.

“Ah, Doctor, regarding this multidimensional energy folding technology, in Asgard, we usually use runes…” Loki adopted a mysterious posture, preparing to throw out an Asgardian magical theory that he had “simplified” and “misled.”

Otto didn't even look up. A mechanical tentacle waved impatiently, interrupting him: "Asgard? Runes? That sounds like a primitive energy application lacking a mathematical model. We're after quantifiable, reproducible data here. If you're interested in energy folding, you can request access to Fitz's Report No. 3 in the database. Although that kid's writing is a mess, the basic model is still quite rigorous."

Loki: "..." His prized magical knowledge was being criticized here as "lacking mathematical models"? Do these mortals even understand what mysticism is?!

He even tried to approach the young mutant students, believing that young people were more easily manipulated. He found Bobby Drake, who was struggling to control his frost powers in the training field.

“Young frost wielder,” Loki said in a seductive voice, “your potential is limitless, but your skills are rough. In Jotunheim, the frost giants…”

Bobby wiped his sweat and interrupted him, "Sorry, Uncle. Professor Charles and Senior Scott said we can't listen to outsiders' instructions during training, or we'll go astray. And I have to practice quickly, I have a 'Micro-Management' class this afternoon, if I fail again I'll lose all my points!" After saying that, he buried his head in his work, diligently rubbing ice crystals off the target.

"Uncle?!" Loki felt his godhood had been insulted.

What made him feel most powerless was the unfathomable Kingpin. Several times, during their "chance encounters," he tried to probe him with words or exert extremely subtle mental influence, but the other either completely ignored him or, with a single glance, made Loki feel as if he had been stripped naked and placed on an autopsy table, all his little thoughts exposed before those terrifyingly calm eyes. Especially that time when Kingpin demonstrated his "ability" to wipe a metal glass out of thin air in front of him again, and calmly told him: "Here, power must follow the rules. Your magic is no exception."

For the first time, Loki truly felt a sense of awe towards a mortal? No, more of a sense of bewilderment and the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent (though he would never admit it).

That day, he was idly strolling around the designated lounge area, watching the bustling traffic of New York City outside the window. Just then, Spider-Man Peter Parker returned from outside, swinging on his webs, and landed on the balcony, taking off his mask to get some fresh air.

"Hey, Mr. Loki, still getting used to your surroundings?" Peter greeted him with a grin. After a few days of "peaceful coexistence," he had lost his initial nervousness towards this legendary evil god and even found the guy's sometimes frustrated demeanor quite amusing.

Loki sighed, a rare hint of genuine weariness showing on his face (or at least it looked like it): "This place... is really strange. Everything has 'rules,' everything requires 'points,' even using your own abilities requires writing a report? This isn't a hall of heroes, it's clearly... a factory for mortals!"

Peter scratched his head, giving him a "you just don't get it" look: "You can't say that, buddy. There's no order without rules! Look, back when I was a street hero, I had to pay for the broken glass myself after a fight, but now the association covers everything! And there are points, although they're not easy to earn, but you can exchange them for a lot of good stuff, the latest suit accessories, special spider silk formulas, and you can even book one-on-one tutoring from Dr. Banner or Dr. Otto! Isn't that great!"

He patted Loki on the shoulder (the latter instinctively flinched), "I know you gods might think this is too... worldly. But this is how we mortals live. The Chairman said that order isn't just empty words; it has to be put into practice. Look how much more efficient the handling of strange incidents in New York is now compared to before? How much safer are the citizens? There's data to support all of this!"

Loki stared at Peter's vibrant face, a face brimming with unwavering faith in the Association's system, and for the first time, he was speechless. He realized that his grand narratives about power, glory, intrigue, and betrayal seemed so... pale and powerless in the face of this pragmatic young hero.

“Data…support?” Loki murmured, repeating the unfamiliar word.

“That’s right!” Peter nodded vigorously. “The chairman always says that we should speak with facts and data. Acting on emotions will only bring chaos.”

Loki fell silent. He recalled that in Asgard, the gods relied on bloodlines, power, ancient oaths, and their often unreliable "god-king intuition." Here, however, everything was quantified, analyzed, and incorporated into a cold, yet highly efficient system. Even he, the god of mischief, was temporarily "isolated and observed" by this system, treated like an anomaly.

He was beginning to understand why Heimdall was so interested in this place. This association, this Kingpin, were walking a path completely different from any known civilization in the Nine Realms. A path that relied on reason, rules, and systemic power, rather than simply on individual might or mystical gifts.

“Interesting mortals…” Loki looked out the window, his green eyes flashing with complex light. His previous playful attitude gradually subsided, replaced by a deeper curiosity and calculation. “Perhaps, I really should… study your ‘rules’ more seriously.”

He realized that the methods he used in Asgard and Jotunheim wouldn't work if he wanted to make a real "big splash" or achieve his goals here. He needed to reassess his adversary, the organization, and the cold, yet incredibly powerful "logic of order" behind them.

All of this was observed by Kingpin in the command center. Seeing Loki's pensive expression on the monitor, Kingpin knew that this slippery "snake of trickery" was finally beginning to truly understand the structure of the "cage" he was in.

This is exactly what he wanted.

Chapter 113: The God of Deception's "Social Research" and Kingpin's "Experimental Samples"

After initial setbacks and confusion, Loki Laufeson quickly adjusted his strategy. Since direct illusionary provocations and flaunting his identity weren't working, he decided to try a different approach—disguising himself as a humble "scholar" curious about the Association's operating model. He launched a social investigation into the Hero Association, titled "A Study of the Management Model of Emerging Organizations in Midgard" (a name he gave himself).

He first targeted Peter Parker, who seemed the easiest to extract information from. In the restaurant, he carried his tray (still that unpalatable nutritious meal) and "coincidentally" sat down opposite Peter.

“Young Spider-Man,” Loki said, his expression now one of eager inquiry, “I’ve observed for a long time and found that the Association’s mission allocation efficiency is extremely high. Could you please explain how you ensure that every mission is matched with the most suitable candidate? Is it solely based on the word of Chairman Kingpin?”

Peter, who was struggling with a tough piece of synthetic meat, looked up at the words, swallowed the food in his mouth, and said with a hint of pride, "You don't understand! We have a 'collaborative algorithm' and a 'capability matching system'! Simply put, the association's super powerful mainframe automatically generates a recommended list based on the difficulty, type, and location of the task, as well as each of our ability data, current status, and even task records! The boss makes the final decision, but most of the time the system's recommendations are incredibly accurate!"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "For example, last time there was that 'involution' monster who could create clones. The system directly recommended Sandman to defend, Electro to clear the field, and Dr. Otto to analyze the weaknesses. The teamwork was flawless! If it were before, if we street heroes had encountered it, we would probably have been at a loss for a long time."

Loki nodded thoughtfully, but his mind was in turmoil. An automated algorithm? Ability matching? This sounded far more advanced than Asgard's system, which relied on Odin's arbitrary decisions or the volunteers of individual heroes. He began to realize that the Association's strength lay not only in the power of individual heroes, but also in this system that efficiently integrated and precisely deployed individual power.

“So,” Loki continued probing, “if someone… like me, wanted to apply for a task, how would that work? Would they also need to go through this… ‘algorithm’ evaluation?”

“Of course!” Peter said matter-of-factly. “You have to submit an application in the system first, explaining your skills, strengths, and mission approach. The system will conduct a preliminary assessment and then report it to the corresponding department head, such as the combat department for combat missions and the R&D department for technical missions. Finally, the boss might also have to review it. The process is a bit complicated, but that's how you ensure things don't go wrong!” He patted Loki on the shoulder. “Don't worry, once you're officially hired (if possible), you'll be familiar with the process!”

Loki's lips twitched slightly; the word "promotion" sounded incredibly grating to him.

Undeterred, Loki turned his attention to the seemingly more "academic" Otto Octavius. He "chancely encountered" the doctor in the reading area, who was examining an energy diagram.

“Dr. Octavius,” Loki said respectfully, “I have great admiration for your association’s energy monitoring network. It seems to be able to capture anomalous energy fluctuations globally in real time with astonishing precision. I wonder about the underlying principles…”

Otto looked up from the holographic screen, adjusted his glasses, and gave Loki a look that said, "How can you not even understand this?" He continued, "It's based on fundamental energy field resonance sensing and multi-dimensional information filtering technology, combined with some... well, advanced theories from undisclosed sources. The core lies in establishing a massive energy characteristic database and an efficient anomaly pattern recognition algorithm. What, are you Asgardians still observing stars with the naked eye or relying on 'divine perception'?" His superiority was undisguised.

Loki choked for a moment, forcing a smile: "Uh... each has its own merits, each has its own merits. So, can this system identify... for example, some kind of extremely subtle magical spying with a specific purpose?" He wanted to test the Association's ability to monitor the magical side.

Otto's mechanical tentacles paused, his sharp gaze behind his glasses sweeping over Loki: "Theoretically, as long as energy activity exists, and its patterns are recorded in a database or categorized by algorithms, it can be monitored. As for magic..." He scoffed, "it's just another form of energy use; as long as it disturbs reality, it will leave a trace. The Association's monitoring network doesn't just target physical phenomena."

Loki's heart sank; it seemed his previous spying had likely already been recorded.

After several rounds of "social research," Loki's collected information left him with mixed feelings. The association's operating model was cold, efficient, and highly systematic, relying almost entirely on no individual heroism or momentary impulse. This order, based on rationality, data, and clearly defined rules, was completely different from the Asgard (and other realms) he knew, a place filled with passion, glory, betrayal, and individual will. He felt like a creature from the rainforest, suddenly thrown into a temperature- and humidity-controlled eco-box where everything was precisely regulated, disoriented yet awestruck by its inherent logic.

All of this was being monitored by Kingpin in real time.

“He’s trying to understand our rules,” Kingpin said to Wesley beside him, his tone flat. “Shifting from confrontation to observation and learning is what smart people do.”

"Should we tighten restrictions, Chairman?" Wesley inquired. "After all, his motives are unclear, and his abilities are dangerous."

“No need.” Kingpin looked at the video recordings of Loki talking to different people on the screen. “Let him watch, let him learn. His confusion and attempts are an excellent research sample in themselves.”

In Kingpin's eyes, Loki is not merely a dangerous individual who needs to be controlled, but a "living specimen" of a different civilization with a unique power system. Observing how Loki adapts to (or is unable to adapt to) the Association's rules, and how he uses his wisdom and magic to navigate within this system, can accumulate valuable experience for the Association in dealing with more diverse supernatural beings in the future.

"Inform Banner and Otto," Kingpin ordered, "that they may respond to Loki's 'academic discussions' to a limited extent, provided that core secrets are not involved. Record all the questions he raises and his reactions to our explanations. This will help us refine our cognitive model of 'ascendant beings' and 'higher-dimensional magic.'"

"Understood." Wesley accepted the order and left.

Therefore, the core think tank of the association also joined in the "reverse research" on Loki. Banner would discuss philosophical questions about the nature of energy with Loki, recording his views on the similarities and differences between "divine power" and "scientific energy"; Otto would deliberately present some flawed technical models to observe whether Loki would be unable to resist using his magical knowledge to "correct" them, thereby gaining insight into the magical principles of Asgard.

Loki quickly noticed the change. He found that the person he was talking to, while still maintaining a distance, seemed more "willing" to answer his questions, and even occasionally initiated conversations to provoke deeper discussion. At first, he was somewhat pleased, thinking that his charm and intelligence were finally starting to work. But soon, he noticed the research-like look in the other person's eyes, as if examining a rare animal specimen, which made him very uncomfortable.

"These mortals... actually used me as a research subject?" Loki paced the room, feeling his godhood insulted once again. But at the same time, a stronger desire for challenge was ignited. "Very well, since you want to study me, then I'll let you properly 'study' the true methods of the God of Mischief..."

He began to carefully package his questions and actions, blurring the lines between truth and falsehood, attempting to subtly implant his influence or extract truly valuable information while satisfying the other party's research desires. A silent contest revolving around "understanding" versus "counter-understanding," and "research" versus "anti-research," quietly unfolded at the association's headquarters.

Jin calmly observed the game through the system. The data stream showed that Loki's emotional fluctuations were becoming more complex, his thinking was more active, and the amount of data he was interacting with the association members had increased significantly.

[Sample 'L' Adaptability Assessment: Moderate. Learning Ability: Excellent. Potential Threat Level: Remains 'High'. Research Value: Improved.]

[Recommendation: Continuously observe, control the granularity of information output, and gradually apply selective pressure to obtain more data on its behavioral patterns and the civilization behind it.]

"Maintain the status quo," Kingpin ordered. "Let's see what role this god of mischief will ultimately play in this order."

Will they ultimately be assimilated, or will they find a loophole in the rules and stir up trouble? Kingpin was very interested in this. Regardless of the outcome, it would be a valuable asset to the Association. And Loki, this self-righteous director, was not yet fully aware that he had long since gone from being the protagonist on the stage to being an observed character in the play.

Chapter 114: A “Friendly” Negotiation Between Magic and Technology

Loki Laufeson's "social research," after encountering Peter Parker's pragmatism and Otto Octavius's scientific disdain, did not discourage him; instead, it fueled his deeper competitive spirit. He decided to shift his research focus to the Association's technological core, especially that omnipresent, cold, and efficient "system." He refused to believe that Asgard's millennia-old magical wisdom could be inferior to the iron lumps and code cobbled together by these mortals.

His first target was the ubiquitous automated service units at headquarters—the robots responsible for cleaning, transportation, and even simple repairs. In Loki's eyes, these mindless creations that followed fixed programs were the perfect targets for pranks.

He selected a cylindrical robot performing its routine cleaning of the corridor. Taking advantage of the absence of others, he flickered a barely perceptible green magical glow around his fingertips and whispered a small incantation to alter perception. He envisioned the robot mistaking him for Kingpin, bowing respectfully to him, or at least stopping its work and falling into confusion.

The incantation's light entered the robot's body.

The robot paused for half a second, the red light on its top sensor flashed briefly, and then it emitted a flat, electronic voice: "Unauthorized energy interference detected. Protocol activated: Mark the interference source, report to the security center, continue cleaning." Then, it nonchalantly walked past Loki and continued vacuuming, even "accidentally" brushing Loki's shiny leather boots with its side brush as it passed by, leaving a speck of dust.

Loki: "..." He looked at the dust on his boots, then at the tin bucket that had driven away, and felt his dignity as the God of Mischief being rubbed into the ground.

Unconvinced, he found another floating pallet transporting supplies. This time, he cast a more complex illusion, creating a virtual "wall" in front of the pallet to see if it would crash into it.

The tray came to a steady stop in front of the "wall," and the scanner on top emitted a blue light, scanning the air before emitting an electronic voice again: "Path blocked, unknown optical distortion detected. Activate backup plan: replan the route, detour. Record the abnormal optical phenomenon, code 7B, and upload to the database." It nimbly turned a corner and slipped away, adjusting the position of the supplies with its robotic arm before leaving, as if mocking Loki's futile efforts.

Loki was somewhat frustrated and angry at the series of failures. He decided to go all out, targeting the intelligent lighting system in the headquarters' public areas. He wanted to use a clever magic trick to make the lights in the entire area flicker in rhythm with his snap of his fingers, creating an atmosphere of "divine descent."

He concentrated his mind and mobilized his divine power, and a loud snap of his fingers echoed down the corridor.

...Nothing happened. The lights continued to emit a steady, cold white glow.

Loki was stunned. He tried again, but there was still no response.

“Don’t waste your energy, Mr. 'Laufison'.” A cold voice sounded from behind him. Otto Octavius ​​had appeared there unnoticed, four mechanical tentacles supporting his body, one of which was connected to an interface on the wall. “Headquarters’ energy and control systems employ multiple layers of encryption and anti-interference design, especially sensitive to non-standard energy fluctuations. Your primitive, telepathic energy injection method was already filtered out by the basic defense protocol. By the way,” he pointed to an inconspicuous probe in the corner of the ceiling, “your attempt to illegally control the lighting system has been recorded. According to Article 17 of the Headquarters Security Management Regulations, 50 temporary credit points will be deducted from your account. Congratulations, your cafeteria privileges may be frozen.”

Loki's face turned pale, then flushed. He felt his magical knowledge was utterly insignificant compared to these cold, technological creations and even colder rules, like a primitive man wielding a stick. "Credit points? What are those?!"

“An internal credit system based on behavioral assessment,” Otto adjusted his glasses with his tentacle, a hint of mockery in his voice. “Below a certain score will restrict some non-essential privileges. It seems you still have a lot to learn.” With that, he ignored Loki, maneuvering his tentacles away, leaving Loki standing there, bewildered.

Just as Loki began to doubt God's existence, he encountered an unexpected "potential ally"—Bruce Banner (in his professor form). Unlike the indifference or mockery of others, Banner showed a purely academic interest in his magic.

In an isolated laboratory at the research center, Banner invites Loki to conduct an "informal comparative analysis of energy properties."

“Mr. Loki,” Banner pointed to a confined mass of dark red energy, remnants of a dragon-level calamity, in the instrument, “according to our analysis, this energy possesses a high degree of ‘information pollution’ properties, capable of distorting the rules of reality. And judging from the illusions you demonstrated earlier, Asgardian magic also seems to involve localized modifications to the perception of reality. What do you think are the similarities and differences in the mechanisms by which these two energies act on the ‘reality’ level?”

This question struck a nerve with Loki. He had finally found someone willing (at least superficially) to take his knowledge seriously. He temporarily set aside his mischievous nature, carefully examined the energy, and, drawing on his own magical knowledge, began to explain:

“Mortal energy is crude and lacks spirituality, like smashing glass with a hammer,” Loki commented, his tone regaining its usual composure. “Asgardian magic, on the other hand, is art, it is weaving, it is using specific ‘runes’ and ‘will’ to guide the ‘strings’ of the world itself, making them vibrate according to our will. This energy… (he sensed it) it is more like a forced, malicious ‘cover’ rather than guidance.”

Banner took careful notes, occasionally asking questions: "The concept of 'strings' is very interesting. Can it be understood as some kind of more fundamental spacetime structure? What role does 'will' play in it? What is the relationship between energy consumption and the magnitude of 'modification'?"

Their question-and-answer session surprisingly created an atmosphere of academic exchange. Loki enjoyed this feeling of being respected and unknowingly revealed quite a bit of information about the fundamental principles of magic, although he still held back and embellished it to some extent.

However, when Banner tried to quantify Loki's "magical model" in mathematical terms and proposed bombarding a specific energy field with gamma rays to verify a hypothesis, Loki once again felt that familiar sense of alienation.

"No! That's not how you use magic!" Loki retorted, somewhat agitated. "It requires intuition and spirituality, not your cold, hard formulas and experiments!"

Banner adjusted his glasses and calmly replied, "But only what is quantifiable and verifiable can be called knowledge, Mr. Loki. Otherwise, it will forever remain personal experience, unable to be passed down or developed."

The conversation stalled again. Loki discovered that even the most "friendly" Banner was fundamentally a scientific rationalist, completely incompatible with his magical worldview.

The result of this "friendly" consultation was that Loki gained a deeper understanding that the Association's strength lay not only in its military might or technology, but also in its rational, empirical, and systematic cognitive system, which was completely different from that of the magical side. The difficulty of disrupting this system far exceeded his expectations.

Kingpin, through Banner's detailed reports and experimental data, gained a deeper understanding of how Asgardian magic works. The system database was also updated with numerous speculative models regarding "high-dimensional energy perception and interference" and "information realization theory."

[Updated data from interaction with sample 'L'. The completeness of the magic-side cognitive model has improved by 12%.]

[Assessment: In attempting to understand and adapt to our system, sample 'L' revealed weaknesses in its knowledge system, namely its non-standardization and subjective dependence.]

[Recommendation: Maintain the current strategy of observation and limited communication, and continue to collect comparative data.]

Kingpin glanced at the report, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. Loki's frustration and attempts to fit in were entirely expected. The god of mischief was being gradually "tamed" by the Association's rules, at least on the surface.

“Keep giving him hope,” Kingpin told Wesley, “make him feel that his ‘wisdom’ is still valuable here. But access to the core areas and key technologies must never be relinquished.”

"Understood, President."

Loki still lingered at the Association headquarters, but he no longer readily attempted those pointless pranks. He began to read more carefully the Code of Conduct and Technical Security Manual that he had once dismissed, trying to understand the system that bound him from within, to find its true weaknesses, or... to think about how to use it to achieve his own goals.

He knew that brute force wouldn't work. To stir up trouble in this land of "order," he needed deeper disguise, more sophisticated calculations, and... more patience.

Chapter 115: A Sample of "Order" from the Perspective of the Nine Realms

Asgard, at the end of the Rainbow Bridge. In Heimdall's golden eyes, galaxies swirled, and the myriad phenomena of the Nine Realms unfolded like lines on his palm. However, recently, the focus of his pupils had been fixed for a long time on the area in Midgard known as the "Heroes' Association." The light of "order" emanating from there, amidst the complex energy spectrum of the Nine Realms, resembled a cold diamond forcibly polished and shaped—sharp-edged, dazzling in its brilliance, yet carrying an unsettling sense of unnaturalness.

What he saw was not merely Kingpin, who could alter the laws of matter with his bare hands, nor simply the heroes and mutant students with their diverse abilities. What he "saw" was a "systematic" process, entirely different from the development path of any civilization in the Nine Realms.

In his extraordinary perception, the association's headquarters building was tightly enveloped by an invisible, incredibly precise energy-information network. This network was not a simple defensive barrier or magic circle, but rather a living, constantly self-optimizing "rule entity." It calmly processed the energy fluctuations, behavioral data, and even subtle changes in the emotional states of every individual within it, incorporating them into a vast, ever-updating database. Based on this database, it allocated resources, issued commands, and maintained a near-absolute level of control.

Heimdall could see that when Sandman Flint improved the crystallinity of the sand in the training field, the relevant energy consumption and structural change data were recorded and analyzed in real time; when Electro Max optimized the current output, the percentage of its energy utilization efficiency was precisely calculated; and even when those mutant students knocked over a cup due to loss of control of their abilities, the time, place, people involved, and energy overflow level of the event were all meticulously archived.