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Nolan handed the compiled data back to Otto. Once he acquired Asgardian samples, he would finally have enough to extrapolate a complete divine power system.

In the MCU as it stood, ways to further elevate his power were dwindling. The god-system rooted in bloodline, cells, and divinity was one of the few paths left.

He could, of course, simply raid Asgard and drag back specimens. But he had given his word to Odin, and Nolan wasn't one to break promises. Ragnarok was close anyway, he couldn't afford to wait.

Still, he wasn't limited to genetics. By binding others through contracts, he could grant them access to his dimensions directly, making them living conduits of his power.

It was while turning this over in his mind that he stepped into a reinforced chamber deep within Oscorp. Inside the containment cell lay a frail black panther, its once-glossy coat dulled and patchy, its body gaunt to the bone. Bast, the Wakandan goddess herself, was reduced to a pitiful state.

When Nolan entered, her golden eyes snapped open. Fury blazed for a heartbeat, then dimmed as she felt the weakness coursing through her. She closed them again, unwilling to give him the satisfaction.

"Talk?" Nolan asked lightly, motioning for the guards to open the cage. A chair was placed behind him; he sat, calm and almost amused.

Bast did not answer.

"At the rate your energy is leaking, you'll be gone in thirty days," Nolan said evenly. "You've walked this world for millennia. You really mean to fade into nothing?"

Her voice cracked with rage. "You dare speak as if you care? It was you who brought me this low! You defeated me, chained me, and let mortals dissect me like an animal."

She hissed the last word. "I am a goddess."

"And yet here you are," Nolan replied smoothly. "Your statues shattered, your worship silenced, your faith-stream cut off. Without believers, you wither. That is the price of leaning on faith as your crutch."

Bast wanted to spit venom, but deep down she knew it was true. No prayers. No offerings. Nothing left to sustain her.

Nolan leaned forward. "I can give you a way out. Submit to me, and I will place an entire dimension under your dominion."

Her eyes opened at that. "A… dimension?"

She knew what that meant. A god who held dominion over a dimension could reach Elder God status, which sorcerers called the Sky-Father level. Such a gift was impossible to believe.

"Which dimension?" she asked cautiously.

"The Dark Dimension."

She froze. Of course, she knew it. The infamous domain once ruled by Dormammu, feared even among gods. Under his reign, even she had been nothing more than prey.

"You're lying. Dormammu would never—"

"Dormammu is dead," Nolan said, matter-of-fact. "I hold its core now. And someone must wield it. Wanda's potential lies far beyond being bound to a single realm; giving it to her would waste both her and the dimension. The rest of my people can't withstand it. But you…" His eyes gleamed. "You've worn a crown before. You know what it means."

Silence stretched between them. Bast's pride warred with her survival instinct. But pride had not kept Dormammu alive. And unlike him, she still had a chance.

Finally, the goddess lowered her regal head. "…What must I do?"

Nolan's lips curved. "Swear the contract."

A glowing sigil of golden-scarlet light formed in his palm, inscribed with the witness seal of the Vishanti. Bast placed her paw against it. Power surged, wrapping around her very soul.

She felt the bond tighten Nolan's will pressed against hers, but not cruelly. It was control, yes, but also… opportunity.

"Relax," Nolan said softly. "If you master the Dark Dimension, you'll be greater than you ever were."

A vortex tore open before them. Bast was drawn inside, engulfed by the raw essence of the Dark Dimension. Her trial of fusion had begun.

Nolan exhaled and straightened. "Time to visit Xandar."

In the MCU, the planet had been nothing more than an off-screen casualty of Thanos' crusade. Yet in the comics, the Nova Corps once rivaled the Green Lanterns. Strength wasted. Leadership squandered.

Nolan's eyes narrowed. If the Nova Force couldn't protect itself, then I'll claim the Power Stone myself.

With a thought, he vanished in a swirl of dimensional light heading toward the next prize on his path.

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