"Very good!"
Carl's eyes burned with anticipation as he watched the video. The results were undeniable.
To him, whether it was martial arts, ninjutsu, magic, or advanced technology—any method that could enhance his strength—was worth exploring. He had no aversion to any path that led to power.
After all, all roads lead to Rome.
The final destination of power is the same, no matter which path one takes. Since his panel allowed him to travel to different worlds, why not harness the unique strengths of each one to fortify himself?
In fact, the Marvel Universe—the main world—was filled with a multitude of power systems. The Eternals, mutants, Inhumans, and other enhanced beings were often products of biotechnology. So, using science to strengthen the body wasn't just acceptable—it was logical.
"Dr. Lister, stay."
Carl turned toward the researcher. "Dr. Smith, go fetch one vial of Enhancer No. 1."
After Smith left, Carl stepped up to Lister.
"I know you've been performing well since coming to the base," he said, voice calm but commanding. "But I still can't bring myself to fully trust you. So just to be safe, let's remove all your memories of Hydra."
Dr. Lister's eyes widened with panic, but Carl had already drawn his wand.
"Obliviate. Replace the past."
The tip of his wand shimmered softly as the spell was cast. Lister blinked, dazed and visibly confused—but his Hydra allegiance was now erased.
When Smith returned with the serum, Carl dismissed the others from the office. Alone, he injected the No. 1 Enhancer into his arm without hesitation.
Instantly, a surge of heat pulsed through his veins. His muscles twitched, veins bulged, and his skin flushed as his body temperature climbed. Strength coursed through him—tangible, raw power.
"So damn cool," Carl murmured.
Unable to resist, he slammed both hands down onto his heavy wooden desk. The thick slab of hardwood split clean in two under the force.
Back in his previous life, he had trained in traditional martial arts. There were no energy blasts or mystical internal strength—just pure muscle control and efficiency. What others called Ming Jin, An Jin, and Hua Jin were simply tiers of refined force control.
So now, more than anyone, Carl could truly feel the change in his body. His fists clenched tightly. Without needing instruments, he knew—his strength had more than doubled.
And that was significant. Because even before the injection, his body had already surpassed the average human's limitations. He was operating on a superhuman level already—so the enhancer's effect on him was far beyond what it would be for a normal person. Dr. Smith had even warned him about that.
"Let's try the second form."
Carl inhaled deeply, focusing his mind. With practiced precision, he accelerated his heart rate using techniques from martial arts masters who could control their internal physiology.
"Transform!"
He roared, and his body responded. His muscles swelled, tearing through his tailored shirt, and his height shot up from nearly 6'3" to over 7 feet.
It wasn't as grotesque as the Hulk, but it was just as dramatic. The refined, sleek look of a businessman was gone. Now he looked like a warrior from Fist of the North Star—raw, massive, and intimidating.
"With this body, I could blow through a concrete wall without even using chakra," he said, flexing his fists.
In this second form, his physical power had increased fivefold. His chakra reserve had expanded dramatically—it felt endless.
By his own estimate, he had now reached the strength of an elite jonin, purely from physicality and chakra capacity. And with this form? He might even be at Kage level already.
He smiled.
"It's time to go back to the Naruto world."
With a calming breath, he brought his heart rate down, slowly returning to his normal form. Sitting at his desk, he opened the panel hovering in front of him and selected the Naruto world.
After completing the robot soldier uprising mission, he had saved up more than two months' worth of time in the alternate world—enough to make real progress.
His current strength might be Kage-level physically, but in terms of technique, his ninjutsu repertoire was still shallow. The strongest jutsu he knew were the A-rank Waterfall Jutsu and the Fire Temple's secret techniques—Welcome: Thousand Hands and Acala's Wrath.
But those had limitations. The Waterfall Jutsu lacked destructive power. The Fire Temple techniques required him to remain stationary and had limited range. He needed more.
So this trip had a clear purpose—learn high-level ninjutsu. As many as possible.
Also on the list:
Learn to craft Detonating Tags.
Study Orochimaru's storage jutsu that allows swallowing objects into the stomach.
Test if that technique can be used to bring items back to the Marvel world.
The panel blinked, and in an instant, Carl was no longer in Sokovia. He stood in the Prince's Palace in the Land of Fire, dressed in fine noble robes.
"It feels like I've been gone for ages."
Looking around, Carl let out a quiet sigh.
It had been over a year in the main world since his last trip here. And in the Fantastic Beasts world, he'd also spent nearly six months. That meant he'd been away from this place for a year and a half in real time.
And that's when the thought struck him.
"If more worlds open up, I'll need to think seriously about aging."
The problem was clear: he was aging faster than anyone else in his main world. If this kept up, he might be 70 while Wanda was still in her 20s.
That future was… not okay.
But solving it wasn't simple. The Naruto and wizarding worlds didn't offer great solutions.
Orochimaru had extended his life by body-hopping, but Carl couldn't stomach the idea of taking another's body. Wanda definitely wouldn't.
In the world of Fantastic Beasts, Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone allowed for a kind of immortality—but it required continuous consumption of elixirs. Over time, the body decayed anyway, becoming something between a mummy and a ghost.
Horcruxes? Even worse. Splitting the soul slowly eroded sanity and humanity—just look at Voldemort.
No. None of those would do.
There had to be a better way.
And if there wasn't… then he'd find one.