Marvel's Strongest Mage

The weather in New York was always humid—especially in late autumn when the fog rolled in with the rain.

It had been more than half a month since Daniel returned to New York. Everything about his life had settled back into its rhythm. He had once again immersed himself in his studies. The research into the microscopic quantum field—one of the frontiers of modern science—even made someone as powerful as a legendary magician like Daniel marvel at its brilliance.

Especially the collider's exploration into high-energy particle streams—those were things even he found daunting.

In Daniel's worldview, whether it was magic or modern technology, both sought to peel away the universe's most fundamental layers. The tiniest particles composing all matter, the energy binding them, and the laws governing their transformation—if one could unravel it all, then time travel, space manipulation, and the total control of universal forces were possible.

From this perspective, the elemental magics—earth, water, fire, air—or the laws of Time, Space, Power, Mind, Soul, and Reality as embodied by the Infinity Stones—they were all just parts of that larger whole.

But the energy needed to reach that pinnacle? Terrifying.

CERN's collider at the border of Switzerland and France had once collided two proton beams at near-light speeds to simulate a miniature Big Bang. The energy per beam reached seven trillion electron volts. The collision generated instant heat ten times hotter than the sun.

All of it, hidden behind layers of global secrecy and state-level access.

The facility, costing over $56.4 billion, lay 26.6 meters underground, spanning 100 kilometers. The temperature inside stayed locked at -271°C—creating superconductivity so particles met virtually no resistance.

Thousands of scientists around the world analyzed the results.

Daniel—a magician, even a legendary one—couldn't hope to replicate that. Even if he gathered every penny at his disposal, even with powerful backers, some of the tech and materials were too tightly controlled.

Maybe one day he'd visit Switzerland and France just to walk along the Alps and glimpse it firsthand.

He looked up from his thoughts, gazing out the rain-specked window. Snowflakes floated faintly within the mist.

New York always reminded him of London. Seaside cities—humid and brooding—too alike.

And then, a figure appeared in front of him, blocking the window.

"You again, Daisy," Daniel said with a small smile to Daisy Louise.

"Jane called. She's ready to hand it over," Daisy said, grinding her teeth slightly.

If she hadn't spotted Daniel on campus after returning to Empire State University, she'd never have guessed that the same man who battled the Destroyer armor in New Mexico's desert was just a first-year university student. Eighteen, no less.

And technically a major in the U.S. military.

None of it made sense.

Daniel never explained. He rarely spoke to anyone since returning to New York. His days were spent buried in biology and physics textbooks, examining leading-edge science. When Stark or Coulson called, he gave vague replies.

Coulson and Stark had both invited him to visit SHIELD. They wanted him closer, likely to reconstruct the summoning circle for the Bifrost.

Daniel had no intention of complying. More than 40% of SHIELD agents would later be exposed as Hydra operatives. Most of them would fall in the coming collapse. There was no point aligning with a crumbling system.

As for Stark—he was smart enough not to push.

Jane Foster, though, had brought up Donald Blake's clinic.

Before the events in New Mexico, Donald had signed legal documents transferring his share of the clinic to Jane for a token dollar. It was less a sale, more a farewell.

Now Jane wanted to wash her hands of the place. The clinic, just a few hundred meters from Central Park, was valuable real estate. But she had no psychiatrist to replace Blake, and no desire to remain attached.

She had listed it for transfer. But when Daisy ran into Daniel in New York, Jane reached out to see if he wanted it.

Daniel didn't know why she thought he'd care. On paper, he was just a biology freshman.

But then he saw it—Thor. This was about Thor. About the tangled feelings Jane hadn't yet sorted. She didn't want a stranger running it. So she came to him.

Eventually, Daniel agreed to take it—but he didn't have large funds to spare.

So, he rented the space. Jane retained ownership.

Sunil Bakshi's hidden funds remained untouched. Daniel used only his personal savings—several hundred thousand dollars. Enough to lease it. Buying it wasn't worth it. That close to Central Avenue? Future warzones would erupt there. He'd be insane to own land that might be cratered in a year.

What Daniel truly valued was the pathway behind the clinic—adjacent to Central Park. Towering trees pressed up against the rear of the building, roots stretching into the brick. A perfect place for secret magical experiments.

He packed up his books. Daisy watched him, then followed as he walked through the library's checkout process.

"Do you really need these?" Daisy asked. "You're already so strong. Are you seriously here to study?"

Daisy had admired Daniel ever since the desert battle. Even though he hadn't told her he was a student, finding him on campus had thrilled her.

But her invitations were all declined. Daniel seemed utterly uninterested.

Still, she knew he had female friends—Felicia Hardy, Gwen Stacy, Michelle Gonzalez. He didn't lack company. So why was he cold to her specifically?

It frustrated her.

To be fair, Daniel hadn't focused on anything but his studies since returning. No distractions. Just arcane theory, runes, energy conversion, physics, biology.

The battle in New Mexico had awakened something. With Mjolnir's twin in his hands, Daniel had reclaimed the mantle of a legendary mage.

Back in Jotunheim, he had entered the realm of legend thanks to the frost wizards and the unique environment. But he couldn't retain it. His strength had waned since.

Now, with Thor's Hammer, he had regained it—and for the first time, could use legendary power on Earth.

But thunder was not frost. His entire method of cultivation had to be rewritten.

Don't let the "legendary" title fool you. It meant little in the grand scheme. In a few years, the Chitauri would invade. Behind them stood Thanos. Not even gods could withstand that.

If Daniel wanted to survive, he had no choice. He had to walk the path of apotheosis.

The only path left to him.