MARVEL-THE MULTIVERSE TRADER

Nova moved over to the worktable and tapped the sleek black laptop awake. The screen flickered once before a clean interface loaded, displaying the finished analysis.

He checked the Formula X analysis first.

Lines of text scrolled down the display, listing each ingredient and its possible substitutes. As expected, while all the substitutes were technically available within reach, many were flagged as extremely rare, a few others as prohibitively expensive, and several as restricted military-grade resources — items not available on the open market without the right connections, favors, or leverage.

Nova exhaled slowly, lips quirking in a faint smirk.

"Figures. Power has a price."

Still, it was workable. He flagged the obtainable items for later procurement and marked the more difficult ones under a priority list for when his influence and resources widened.

Next, he scrolled over to the second analysis — the library scan he'd set up last night.

After his chat with Harry about the carnival, Nova had decided it was time to catalog every piece of knowledge the Ashbourne family left behind. He'd cobbled together a basic but effective scanner gadget, designed for rapid scanning and digital conversion.

He took out the stack of books from the Ashbourne family library one by one and fed them through the scanner. The slim gadget hummed quietly, each book passing through as pages flipped automatically. The scanned contents were instantly uploaded to his laptop, neatly organized into separate digital files. Nova watched as titles like "Basic Artifact Forging Methods," "Elemental Spell Principles," and "Field Guide to Trap Disarming" flashed across the screen, sorted and categorized by topic.

Once the Ashbourne books were done, Nova grabbed the collection Celise had brought for him and fed those through as well. They covered only elemental knowledge — Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Thunder, Metal, Wood and Space.

Within minutes, the entire collection had been scanned and stored, the laptop's interface displaying a steadily growing list of categorized files.

------

Nova saw the completed analysis, a new file standing out at the top of the interface.

[THE MAGIC LIBRARY]

His brow lifted slightly. The program had not only scanned and sorted the raw information but had automatically compiled, cross-referenced, and even run simulated models based on the combined knowledge.

He clicked it open.

Inside was a meticulously organized directory tree: categories for Artifact Creation Methods, Elemental Spell Structures, Trap Disarming Mechanisms, Enchantment Layering Techniques, Dungeon Looting Protocols, and several others, all cleanly sorted with metadata tags and origin notations from their respective source texts.

But what truly caught Nova's attention was a subfolder labeled:

[SIMULATIONS & PRACTICAL APPLICATION MODELS]

This was the part that had taken the most effort. Between Omnitrix cooldowns, ten-minute transformations, and painstakingly iterative coding, Nova had spent nearly five hours toggling in and out of Grey Matter form to properly architect this module.

Its primary function was to run theoretical simulations based on the collected data — stress-testing enchantment compatibility ratios, modeling artifact reinforcement feedback loops, projecting spell chaining stability under combat conditions, and determining failure thresholds for common and complex trap designs. The system even assigned efficiency scores and risk matrices for each method or configuration.

He created this program to enhance his knowledge. Afterall major part of his strength is related to his knowledge. So this program will basically create new spells and other related knowledge, by stimulating the existing information.

Nova opened the subfile and saw neatly sorted simulation reports. Dozens of them.

A grin tugged at his mouth as he scrolled.

The program had already flagged several areas where existing knowledge conflicted, overlapped inefficiently, or contained exploitable gaps. It even suggested cross-applications — combining lesser-known enchantment layering sequences with modern disarming protocols to bypass trap redundancies, or refining artifact etching formulas by merging two obscure techniques from completely unrelated texts.

Stuff no one with a conventional, compartmentalized approach to magic would've ever thought to blend.

"Beautiful," Nova muttered under his breath, watching the compiled data models render real-time theoretical enchantment structures as glowing wireframe projections across the screen.

This was going to be the foundation — a library that, in time, would contain both magical and technological knowledge gathered from across the multiverse.

Other would be able to access it but it won't be for free, of course. The price for access would be determined by the value of the knowledge requested, the rarity of its origin, and a dozen other factors Nova planned to set. But that was a problem for later.

Right now, he needed to move on to his next project — Project SHOP.

After all, what kind of multiversal trader would he be without a proper shop?

He'd read about concepts like it in novels and fanfictions for years — pocket dimension storefronts, mystical stalls in the void between worlds, traders who dealt in impossible relics for impossible prices. And now, with his resources and abilities expanding, it was time to build his own.

He wasn't under any illusion that he could make himself immortal or invincible inside it, but what he could do was create an environment layered with mystical protections, atmospheric enchantments, and sophisticated technology. A place with the unmistakable weight and presence of something far beyond ordinary.

The plan was to craft a perfect blend of magic and tech — an artifact in itself. A sentient, growing structure capable of evolving alongside him.

Unfortunately, while the magic from the Black Clover world was undeniably powerful, it leaned heavily toward combat applications. There was precious little in the way of utility or common-use magic for practical systems like his.

He really hope that another world, which he have yet to visit have high utility or common use magic.

Shaking his head, Nova came out of his thoughts and once repeated the cycle— Grey Matter→ Recharge→ Grey Matter→ Recharge → Grey Matter and so on.

Between one transformation cooldown and the next, Nova's phone pinged on the nearby table. He glanced over, expecting some system alert or maybe those three idiots sending another meme. Instead, a name popped up he hadn't expected so soon.

ELOISE: Hey handsome, free tonight? I owe you a stretch and maybe a drink.

Nova arched a brow, smirking slightly. That was fast. He wasn't complaining though. Despite the morning's teasing, he hadn't pegged her for someone who'd reach out this quickly. Curiosity piqued, he thumbed a reply.

NOVA: Depends, what's the offer?

A second later, her response came through.

ELOISE: Dinner, good wine, and conversation. 7:30. Here's my place.

[LOCATION SHARED]

Nova let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Fast mover." Still, it wasn't like he had pressing plans after the analysis wrapped up — and it wouldn't hurt to see where this went.

NOVA: See you at 7:30.

------

The door opened with a soft click, revealing Eloise leaning casually against the frame. She looked good — black top hugging her curves, jeans fitting just right, and that same knowing smirk playing on her lips.

Nova gave a lopsided grin. "Not bad. Didn't expect you to be the casual-at-home type."

Eloise arched a brow, eyes glinting. "Didn't expect you to be the type who tails women on their morning runs."

Nova chuckled, stepping inside. "Only when they've got a view worth chasing."

She let out a soft, amused huff and shut the door behind him. "Mm. Smooth talker. Come on in."

The cozy apartment had a warmth to it — soft amber lighting, the faint sound of old-school jazz humming from a corner speaker, and the rich, inviting scent of something herbal and faintly sweet lingering in the air. Not exactly what Nova expected, but it suited her.

"Didn't peg you for a jazz person either," he remarked, taking in the space.

Eloise sauntered past him with a sway to her hips, heading toward the small open-plan kitchen. "I'm full of surprises," she shot back over her shoulder, that same teasing glint in her eyes.

Nova's lips tugged into a grin. "Not complaining."

She gestured toward a side table stacked with a couple of wine bottles. "Help yourself. Hope you like red — it's what's open."

Nova poured himself a glass, leaning casually against the counter as she moved around the kitchen, the easy back-and-forth between them settling into something comfortably charged.

"So," Eloise started as she returned, glass in hand, "do you always hit on random women during your runs, or was it just my exceptional ass that earned the attention?"

Nova smirked. "Can't lie — it was definitely the ass."

She laughed, a rich, throaty sound, and clinked her glass against his. "Cheers to honesty."

They settled onto the couch, the conversation moving through everything and nothing — city quirks, weird neighbors, and bad dating stories. The occasional brush of her knee against his wasn't accidental, and neither was the way she leaned just a little closer with each refill.

When the meal was done and plates cleared, Eloise stood and stretched, her top riding up just enough to flash a strip of toned stomach. "Wait for a bit, I'll wash these up," she said lightly, carrying the plates to the sink.

Nova watched her go, taking his time finishing the last sip of wine before following.

In the kitchen, the soft clatter of dishes mixed with the jazz. He stepped up behind her, slipping his hands around her waist, feeling the slight hitch in her breath as he did.

"Need a hand?" he murmured close to her ear.

Eloise smiled, not turning around. "Was wondering how long you'd take."

She leaned back just slightly, enough for her back to meet his chest, her hand finding his against her hip.

Nova's grin widened. "Couldn't leave a lady in distress."

Eloise tilted her head, her voice a husky, amused murmur. "Mm. Hope you're better at drying than you are at sneaking up on people."

He chuckled. "Only one way to find out."

He turned her around smoothly, hands gripping that firm, toned ass as she let out a breathy laugh. Without missing a beat, he lifted her effortlessly, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Their lips crashed together in a hungry, heated kiss as Nova carried her toward the bedroom, the low hum of jazz fading into the background.

x------x

CHAPTER:- (44- LILY POTTER) IS AVAILABLE ON MY P@TREON.

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