"Aether is a material conceived by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. It is a hypothetical substance in the history of physics, and its exact meaning has evolved alongside the development of science."
"The ancient Greeks used it to refer to the clear sky or the upper atmosphere. According to Aristotle, aside from water, fire, air, and earth, there was a fifth element located in the upper heavens known as Aether. It initially carried a mystical connotation. Later, it became a foundational hypothetical concept for physicists during certain historical periods."
"Nineteenth-century physicists believed it was the medium through which electromagnetic waves traveled. However, later experiments and theories proved that many physical phenomena could be explained much more simply if Aether was assumed not to exist. In summary, it is theorized to be a medium similar to air, colorless, odorless, yet omnipresent." J.A.R.V.I.S. finished summarizing the general scientific consensus. "Sir, are you trying to deduce the nature of the Aether shown in the video?"
"Spot on, J.A.R.V.I.S. You know me too well." Tony Stark nodded, pleased that his AI understood his thought process. "But looking at this context, the Aether in the video definitely isn't some intangible atmospheric medium. If it were just the Wikipedia definition, Malekith wouldn't need to specifically hunt down Jane Foster. Therefore, this Aether has to be a physical object. Something you can carry."
"Wait, no. If it's just something you carry, the logic falls apart." Tony Stark instantly spotted the flaw. "Malekith knew exactly where to find it. He tracked her location with absolute precision, which means he must have some sort of localized Aether detector. But if that's the case, why didn't she just hand it over?"
"Everyone knows the Dark Elves are after the Aether. Simply handing it over would solve ninety percent of the problem. But she didn't do that, which proves there is a hidden complication. For instance, she physically couldn't hand it over. Why wouldn't she be able to?" Tony Stark stroked his chin in thought. "Maybe the Aether attached itself to her? Like a parasite she can't remove. These Dark Elves clearly aren't the good guys. They broke into someone else's home to murder and pillage. If they want this thing so badly, the most logical move is to make sure they never get it. Yes, that has to be it."
"Judging by standard Hollywood plotlines, this is probably a classic trope where the villain tries to steal a powerful artifact to conquer the universe. If that's the reality we are living in, Earth is definitely going to get dragged into the crossfire." Tony Stark sighed heavily. "No rest for the weary. It seems I am destined to be a workaholic. J.A.R.V.I.S., launch a full-scale search on the Dark Elves and the Aether. Cross-reference every scrap of mythology, legend, and historical text you can find. Let's see if there is a connection between the two."
"Right away, sir."
Lucas had absolutely no idea that his casual diary entries and uploaded videos were sparking such massive, spiraling theories. He did not have time to worry about any of that anyway. He was entirely focused on the lottery function in his Diary System. It was time for another draw.
"Host, do you wish to initiate the lottery draw?" the System prompted.
"Draw." Lucas commanded directly.
A translucent roulette wheel materialized in front of him and began to spin rapidly. A few moments later, the wheel finally clicked to a halt. Lucas scanned the result on the screen.
"Fragment of the Plasma Spark from the Land of Light. Consumable. Instantly restores all depleted energy reserves."
Lucas stared at the glowing orb of light floating in front of him, completely dumbfounded. This was no ordinary item. It was a literal fragment of the Plasma Spark from the Land of Light.
Even though it was an incredibly tiny shard, Lucas could still sense the explosive, unfathomable energy contained within it. He could actually feel every single cell in his body reacting to the Plasma Spark fragment. They were practically cheering in delight.
"This is getting ridiculous. Crossing the multiverse is one thing, but crossing into entirely different fictional IPs?" Lucas muttered, utterly speechless.
Pulling Superman's Kryptonian bloodline while living in the Marvel Universe was already absurd enough. But now, he had managed to pull an item straight out of the Ultraman universe. There were quite a few god-tier artifacts in the Ultraman franchise, but the most miraculous of them all was the Plasma Spark Tower.
The Plasma Spark Tower was an artificial sun developed by the Land of Light to replace their dying star. Unbeknownst to its creators, the energy it produced was far too immense. Upon ignition, the radiation caused an astonishing mutation in the humanoid population, transforming them completely into Ultramen.
The light rays also affected other nearby planets and ecosystems. Countless animals and cosmic organisms were mutated into giant monsters. It even triggered similar transformations in other star systems, such as Nebula L77, the home of Ultraman Leo.
In short, it was an incredibly overpowered cosmic artifact. Even though he only held a tiny fragment of the Plasma Spark, the sheer density of its energy made every cell in his body scream with hunger. This was obviously going to be immensely beneficial for him. After all, the fundamental nature of the Plasma Spark Tower was an artificial sun. For a Kryptonian bloodline that drew its power directly from solar radiation, this was a match made in heaven.
Realizing this, Lucas did not hesitate. "System, absorb it immediately."
The moment the words left his mouth, the cluster of light shot straight into his chest. Lucas instantly felt as though his cells were a parched desert finally receiving a torrential downpour. They greedily devoured the energy radiating from the light. Every single cell was frantically absorbing the power and rapidly evolving.
A few moments later, the energy was completely drained. Lucas opened his eyes, and a terrifying, crimson light bled from his pupils. Limitless, destructive power churned within them.
"Another step forward."
Lucas clenched his fists, feeling the immense surge of strength coursing through his veins. More importantly, his eyes had finally awakened Heat Vision.
The destructive potential of his Heat Vision was staggering. It also marked his first genuine non-physical attack method. Under normal circumstances, he would have needed to bask in yellow sunlight for at least another six months to unlock this ability. However, by fusing with the fragment of the Land of Light's artificial sun, he had effectively bypassed half a year of solar charging in an instant.
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