Chapter 31: Chapter 30
When Russell saw the gold-tier [Soul-Carrying] entry, he knew he had made the right call.
If he had hesitated out of fear and chosen not to absorb the spiritual essence—allowing his soul to undergo a qualitative transformation—he would have regretted it forever.
Without this transformation, even if he acquired powerful abilities like the Power of Thor or the Power of Death in the future, he would be able to use them, but certainly not at their full potential.
For entries as extreme as Phoenix Fragments, the consequences could have been catastrophic. The system might have even warned him that attempting to wield such power would result in the collapse of both his spirit and body!
What surprised Russell the most, however, was the Weakness Erasure feature included with the entry.
This meant that if he acquired Dimensional Energy, he wouldn't have to worry about contamination or manipulation by a dimensional lord.
It's like having a premium version of the Ancient One's mastery over dimensional energies!
Even more exciting was the prospect of obtaining the Spirit of Vengeance. With Weakness Erasure, he could completely erase the spirit's will, gaining its immense powers without being influenced by its destructive instincts.
To Russell, this feature alone was as valuable as a gold-tier entry in its own right.
As for the [Spirit Hall] entry, it was a timely addition.
While it couldn't directly counter Cassandra's telekinetic abilities, it would at least block her from invading his mind.
In fact, if he played his cards right, he might even lure her into his Spirit Hall, where her power would weaken, and his would amplify.
Still, Russell decided to remain cautious. Cassandra was no ordinary opponent. She had already killed Professor X, the most powerful telepath in existence. Underestimating her would be foolish.
For now, [Spirit Hall] was an uncertain trump card—a defensive insurance policy rather than a guaranteed win. At the very least, it would prevent him from being completely helpless if he ever faced Cassandra.
By the time the sun rose, Russell had finished absorbing the spiritual essence.
Grateful for the little wolf girl's vigilance throughout the night, he let her rest while he prepared for the next leg of his journey.
As night fell again, after sparring for a few hours to refine his control, Russell set out alone.
The location was concealed by magical vines and difficult to find, but taking the little wolf girl along would only endanger her.
After three or four days of travel guided by the Snake Team's directions, Russell finally reached the ruined city.
Most of the buildings had crumbled, but the dilapidated Stark Tower stood out like a ghostly monument.
Occasionally, the sky shimmered with clipping distortions, and debris would tumble down from above.
At the city's edge stretched the moss plains—bare, desolate, and dotted with the remnants of fallen garbage. No trees, no signs of life above ground.
But Russell knew better. Beneath the surface, Loki variants thrived in a warren of tunnels and hideouts.
How to find these hidden rats?
Russell smirked. Simple. Bring out the cat, and the rats will scurry out of their holes.
Equipping his sling ring, he conjured a series of portals. One after another, he opened and closed them in rapid succession.
Minutes later, thunder rumbled across the horizon.
Looking up, Russell saw the sky darken as storm clouds rolled in. Scarlet lightning arced through the heavens, and a familiar beast roared in the distance.
It's Elrios.
Russell recalled this monstrous storm entity—previously controlled by the Legacy Kang—that had self-destructed. Or so he had thought.
Now, it seemed either Elrios had survived or another one had been created. Russell leaned toward the former theory.
As Elrios approached, the moss plains erupted into chaos.
From the ruins of the city, Lokis poured out like ants from a disturbed nest.
Dozens of them rushed across the plains in all directions. Some wielded green magic, others drove salvaged vehicles, while the rest simply sprinted for their lives.
In under two minutes, the plain fell silent again—eerily empty.
Elrios's hideous form was now visible, its monstrous head roaring as it closed in on the ground.
Time to move.
Russell had already marked his target. He opened a portal, stepping through to a concealed cement pipe. Inside, he found an iron sheet, which he slid aside to reveal a dark vertical shaft.
With Elrios's roar echoing above, Russell jumped into the shaft, replacing the cover as he descended.
Thanks to his Spider-Man-like abilities, he easily climbed down the narrow passage, reaching the bottom after about a hundred meters.
A tunnel stretched ahead. On one side was a pile of garbage; on the other, a faint light glowed in the distance.
Russell crept along the tunnel, and soon, voices reached his ears.
"Bad luck! That monster came by this morning and ate a few Lokis. Now it's back!"
"All because of a fallen takeout box. Damn thing probably won't leave until tomorrow!"
"Speaking of bad luck, I tried to catch that crocodile with a crown. Not only did it bite me, but some brat ran off with it!"
"Ha! I'm better off. A Viking Loki wants to trade an entire box of brandy for my old rusty axe. Guess who's making out like a bandit tomorrow?"
"You're an idiot. Where's the trade? Maybe we'll show up and take the axe for free."
"Haha, already planned for that. I told him how to get here. Once he arrives, we'll ambush him!"
As soon as the last words were spoken, the room went silent.
A moment later, a cacophony of curses erupted among the Lokis.
In the dim shadows, unnoticed, Russell stood with a hand on his forehead, shaking his head in exasperation.
Can these Lokis' entries even be useful?
Looking at their sheer stupidity, he couldn't help but worry:
What if they infect me instead?
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Added 'All the Powers Russell has Till Ch 45' Auxiliary chapter do check it out.