"So, what happened in your hometown?" Natasha asked. According to the story told by Ian, he came from a parallel earth and had to leave there and settle down here because he encountered some troubles.
"With the current development of things, aren't you worried that Great Convergence will have an impact there?"
"My hometown is isolated from Multiverse-well, or this Multiverse-, so I don't have to worry," Ian replied. "What I should worry about is what happens after Great Convergence."
"Is this the trouble that Great Convergence is said to be preparing us for?"
"Exactly," Ian nodded. "I don't think anyone can escape that trouble." The two fell into a brief silence. "So, if the situation goes bad, can people on this earth take refuge on your earth?"
"It's a good thing to prepare for a rainy day," Ian praised. "Yes, this is also my ultimate plan to protect this earth."
"I felt a 'but,'" Natasha continued.
"My ship is lost, so I need to get it back before we can escape," Ian replied. "More importantly, I don't think escape will ever be as easy or simple as it sounds."
"Of course not." Since he started training with Ian, Natasha has realized that he has entered a world where nothing is simple and straightforward anymore. Life as a spy was the same before, but now this is another level - another scale.
"Enough for the small talk," Ian said. "We still have a lot of work to do."
"Okay, what's next?"
"You have a lot of new things to learn."
"Want to study again?"
"You're not the type to learn, are you?" Ian asked.
"It's not even a question of whether you want to learn or not," Natasha replied. "If it's for the new identity I'm about to play, I can spend a few days studying. From education background, family relationships to personality, and even micro-expressions, I have no problem at all. But your kind of study is too boring."
"Boring, yes, but necessary."
While Natasha was learning the knowledge in Cagliostro Library and about sealing high-level life forms, Ian began to prepare for the ceremony. When she was ready, he took her to a large room with a magic circle painted on the floor.
"I suddenly don't know what to think," Natasha said while looking at the magic circle.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, a god is about to live inside me. No matter how I think about it, it's creepy."
"Indeed. Do you want to stop? We could start by having you draw energy from Shadow Dimension?"
"No. I just need a moment to digest it all."
Natasha was true to her word. After taking a short break, she executed the entire process flawlessly. Due to her extremely high affinity for the Shadow, Morag did not resist as he saw this as a way to escape captivity and find a vessel that would inherit all his powers.
Ian looked at her final appearance and fell into deep thought. 'She jumped directly from Tier 4 to Tier 6. Are there any side effects?'
'There are some fatal flaws in her body and some cracks in her soul. However, this is not a problem that we cannot repair with time and the right Potions,' Morgana replied.
"How about a seal?"
"I checked it a million times and there are no flaws."
"Very good."
Natasha is standing in the center of the magic circle wearing only her underwear. However, she now has a black rune above her belly button, which is a bit like the one in <Naruto>, but with a different pattern. This new tattoo even further increases her natural charm.
"So much power," Natasha commented. "It would be so easy to shroud the planet in darkness. Even better, that's not even my limit."
Ian frowned.
"Transform," Natasha whispered, using her Transfiguration talent and absorbing the power of Morag. Her hair suddenly became like shadows, her eyes became completely dark, and a tight and revealing black armor wrapped around her body. Her power soared from the Tier 6 to the Tier 8.
"This is the real power," she said, with an echo in her voice. "Just call it 'Shadow Form'. Yes, this is a good name. No, this is the best name in the universe." She raised her head and looked into the distance.
"My perception. I can see anywhere there is shadow. Are those dimensions? This should be our Solar System. There are so many creatures who live in the shadows, unknown to those who bathe in the light. Soon, I will be their Overlord."
"We're in trouble," Morgana said.
"Obviously. What happened?"
"This huge force has corrupted her spirit. We may need to train her willpower."
Natasha finally turned his head and looked at Ian. "I should thank you for giving me this power. To express my gratitude, I will give you the position of my number one general. When we bring this world into the Shadow Realm, you will command my army."
"It seems that this corrosion is not only due to the newly acquired power, but also the influence of Morag," Morgana commented.
"While your proposal is interesting, I still have a lot of work to do, which means I don't have time to waste on you."
"How dare you--"
Ian hit the Snap, and Natasha exited instantly [Shadow Form]. Her body collapsed to the ground. She did not faint, but she felt extremely weak. "What just happened?" she asked, her eyes clear again.
"This is what happens when you gain power too quickly and your soul and will are too fragile to control it," Ian explained while handing her a bottle of Potions. "We need to postpone other procedures. In the meantime, you should train to increase your soul level and willpower."
His previous plan was to have Natasha leave her mark on Shadow Dimension in preparation for Fusion. However, her current condition prevented her from doing this part of the training, so Ian postponed it.
"It's so scary," Natasha said. "I can feel that power taking over me... I can feel my Self consciousness quickly dissipating because someone else, no, something else has replaced me." Recalling that experience, she couldn't help but shudder. She glanced at him.
"Do you feel the same way?"
"No," Ian shook his head. "My power was gradually acquired over a thousand years. However, I do sometimes do things that are inconsistent with my personality because of my power, but I have never fallen into it as deeply as you."
Natasha sighed. This experience was so bad that it almost left her with psychological trauma. Ian noticed her condition and frowned. "It seems that I need to let you undergo the same treatment course as Loki." He was worried that she might be afraid of her own power and unable to use it, or worse, simply refuse to use it.
"Psychotherapy? What's the use of that?"
"This is magic psychotherapy," Ian explained. "It allows you to sort out the influence of your memory, environment, and even subconscious on your current Self."
"Do I need this?"
"We all need therapy," Ian joked. "How do you think after living for so long and having so much power, I'm still normal - well, relatively normal?"
"So, can it cure me?" Natasha asked.
'She seems a little resistant to the idea of psychotherapy,' Morgana commented. 'Maybe it's because of her troubled past with Red Room.'
"Don't think of it as 'curing' you," says Ian. "It's more about helping you better understand yourself, deal with past regrets, and accept who you are, rather than who you hope to be."
"I guess that makes sense."
"The program you will use is basically the most advanced artificial intelligence, so there is no need to worry about your information being leaked," Ian added. "Personally, I prefer to be treated by the real living spiritual system Arcanist, but we are not at home now and our means are limited."
"I understand."
After Ian confirmed that Natasha was fine, he handed her the tools for training souls, willpower and psychological therapy equipment, and escorted her out of the magic tower. Then, he ushered in the next Avengers, Steve·Rogers himself. Although he had some guesses in his mind, he was still a little curious about what kind of talent this man had hidden.