In the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, when it was Loki's turn to speak, he took a sip of water, cleared his throat, and said, "As mankind's staunchest ally, the eternal support of the Nine Major Kingdoms, Asgard is naturally supportive of Earth's acts of justice…"
"Alright, we have the outcome and the motive, now all that's left is the method. What's your plan?"
The other three glanced at each other, then turned their gazes towards Loki. Loki felt a chill go down his spine under their scrutiny. He touched his own cheek and asked, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"Do you Asgardians always speak so briefly and frankly at meetings?" Nick asked tactfully.
Loki thought for a moment before replying, "My speech was pretty long. If Thor were here, he'd only say three words: 'How to do?'"
The other three sighed in unison. Shiller lamented, "The Asgardians' customs are indeed simple. It's a pity, they're the lords of the Nine Major Kingdoms."
Loki shifted his body to another direction, looked at him askew and said, "What, you want to use the energy of the World Tree?"
"Can we use it?" Shiller's eyes lit up instantly, and the other two also looked at Loki intently. Loki crossed his arms and said, "We could, but if we use the energy here, then we'll share Asgard's fate."
Suddenly, either studying the ceiling or the desk, the three stayed silent. Loki snort, "I never imagined that of all people, I would have the highest moral standards in a meeting."
"Alright, back to business. Since the main theme has been decided, let's think about how to proceed." Shiller stroked his chin as he spoke, considering it for a while before taking the lead,
"If we use Peter, Tony will surely be reluctant. If we use Venom, his price is too high. Hiring him once makes my heart bleed."
"So, is there a way to bypass the two that have absorbed the Faith Power, and do it ourselves?" Shiller asked.
"Actually, as long as we figure out the source of the Faith Power and find that passage, we can intercept this power as we did Nal's power before." Strange, with a better understanding of the principles at play, explained: "The Earth's Magical Defense Network is essentially a protective shield for intercepting power."
"The reason it can prevent the invasion of Demon Gods is because the Demon Gods are made up of energy, and the Magical Defense Network can intercept various kinds of energy. If energy cannot invade, then naturally Demon Gods cannot enter."
"If we find this passage and connect it to the Magical Defense Network, can we intercept these energies through the Magical Defense Network?" Nick asked.
"Theoretically, this is the most convenient and fastest method. Moreover, the Magical Defense Network can not only intercept power but also actively extract power." Strange introduced a new concept, "The Demon Gods that disappeared after hitting the Magical Defense Network did not collide and die. Their energy was directly drained by the network."
"Many powerful Demon Gods are reluctant to attack Earth directly for this reason. Once you actively touch the Earth's Magical Defense Network, it's equivalent to giving your home address to the network and to the Supreme Magician."
"Demon Gods such as Dormammu and Mephisto, which have dimensional defenses and will not be drained by bizarre energy passages. However, many other Demon Gods do not have such defenses."
"During the period when the Master Ancient One was the Supreme Magician, most Demon Gods would have much of their power drained after coming into contact with the Magical Defense Network, rendering them weak. That's why the Master Ancient One was able to dispose of them so easily."
What Strange explained, though it seemed complex, was fundamentally emphasizing the strength of the network.
Consider the Earth's Magical Defense Network as a system covering the Earth. Only power approved by the Supreme Magician can pass and once a Demon God's energy connects, the network records its access information. The Supreme Magician can use this information to invade their dimension remotely, extract the energy, and then pay a visit to slay the Demon God.
"So, the only issue now is to find the passage where these Faith powers are transmitted." Shiller thought for a while and said, "Judging from Stark's performance, something must have happened in the cosmos."
"If I'm not mistaken, it might have something to do with Peter. In other words, the Faith Power may come from outside this universe, which will make it harder to trace." Shiller said, furrowing his brow.
"No, actually this makes it easier to trace." Suddenly, Strange voiced his surprising opinion, "Even though we none of us have the liberty to travel between universes, someone can."
"Who?" Nick asked.
"The Ancient One."
Ten minutes later, a figure clad in a yellow robe appeared in the room. Instantly, the magical brilliance outshone the room's light, and the Ancient One's voice, with a sense of etherealness, came from afar.
"Where to kill, and how many?"