Russell opened his eyes.
He was surrounded by darkness, yet at that moment, he could see the stars shimmering all around him.
The mysteries of the entire universe were laid bare to him in that single 0.01 second.
At the same time, his astral form responded. No longer appearing in the same human shape as his physical body, it transformed into a smoky nebula in which stars flickered and vanished in the same breath.
0.01 seconds later—
Everything returned to normal.
Outside of reality, a sigh echoed through the void:
"Eternity has granted a gift to a newly ascended being. One day, it will have unimaginable consequences.
"It has been many years since I've seen this happen…"
The voice gradually faded into silence.
Russell lifted his head in confusion, and a light—now fully transformed—flashed in his pupils.
Faintly, he seemed to glimpse the outline of a massive bald head fading from view.
The being wore a surprised expression before vanishing instantly.
"Watcher?"
Russell raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
The appearance matched what he'd seen in What If…?, confirming that the timelines and the multiverse were distinct.
Because the events in What If…? were possibilities unfolding across countless timelines.
Meanwhile, the Spider-Verse glimpsed in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was clearly an exploration of the multiverse itself.
Russell had no interest in dealing with the Watcher—it was better if he stayed away.
After all, this so-called "Watcher" liked to claim he would never interfere, but when Ultron nearly destroyed everything, he instantly stepped in.
Hypocritical.
Russell thought that if he ever decided to kill Strange, he'd better kill this guy first.
Shaking his head, he began to examine his own power.
All of his divine abilities had undergone complete metamorphosis; both their quality and quantity had been vastly enhanced.
For example: his Ice powers.
Previously, he could freeze an entire planet, but it would require all his strength and a long time.
But now—
He could freeze an entire planet instantly.
He could even extinguish the Earth's core without effort.
His soul and body had also evolved.
His physical strength was now great enough to easily shatter a star with a single punch, and his astral form could sweep across an entire galaxy in mere moments.
A single Infinity Stone's power could no longer affect him at all.
Among his mutant abilities, only two continued to grow with him:
First, his psychic power.
With a single thought, he could now crush Cassandra Nova, obliterating every cell of her being.
Second, his electromagnetic power.
His powerful body and soul gave him unparalleled control.
Magneto had wasted this ability—before Russell's ascension to a singular being, he hadn't used it much either.
But now, he could wield it with truly godlike precision.
For example: manipulating gravity, creating nuclear fusion, even compressing black holes with his bare hands.
As for magic, his spellcasting strength had also increased dramatically.
To be honest, Russell felt his situation was a bit unusual.
The pressure the Ancient One's soul once placed on him now felt far below his current level.
He wasn't sure if he had surpassed the typical power of a singular being—or if it was just his imagination.
But it didn't matter. With his current strength, he could easily complete the final two timeline anchors.
Once the contract was fulfilled, it would be time to settle things with the TVA.
At this moment, the voice of the system suddenly echoed.
But it wasn't the previously obtained Ego entry.
Ego's energy had already been completely devoured by him, leaving behind only one entry: [God Gene – Remnant (Gold)].
Its abilities included sowing parasitic energy and a trace of defective blood. The brain-shaped star core form, judged to be a weakness, had already been stripped away.
Russell was a bit puzzled. He hadn't killed anyone recently, so where did this new entry come from?
Just then, a voice rang in his mind:
[Detection of lifeform upgrade successful. Certain entries are evolving.]
[The Heart of the Furnace (Mutation) is evolving...]
[Evolution complete!]
[Core of the Divine Flame Molten Star (Evolved)]
This ability no longer absorbs free radiation atoms from the air to generate vitality. Instead, The Heart of the Furnace has evolved into a Divine Power Star Core, which constantly tempers divine energy. One-tenth of that energy is stored, while the rest replenishes the divine body!
Note: Tempering can be accelerated inside a fixed star.
Evolution of entries!?
An unexpected gain!
Russell touched his chest, a look of amazement in his eyes.
He felt that this first entry could now be considered truly top-tier—a red-grade power-up!
It was practically a cheat code that kept getting stronger!
And the divine power being stored would become an increasingly powerful trump card as time passed!
This evolutionary entry alone was a huge win!
But it wasn't over yet.
The system voice continued.
[Mind Palace (Purple-Gold) is evolving...]
[Evolution complete.]
[Mind and Soul Domain (Evolved)]
Your mental world has now condensed into a stable domain. The mental barrier can no longer be breached unless you willingly open it!
Within this domain, any invader's power will be suppressed by three levels, while your own mental power is boosted by three levels!
You can now cast spells directly within your mental world.
[Heat Vision (Mutation) is evolving...]
[Evolution complete.]
[Infinite Vision (Evolved)]
The energy beams emitted from your eyes have increased in intensity. They can now integrate any form of divine power, and you have precise control over them, including the ability to change their trajectory!
The system voice faded.
Although the latter two evolved entries didn't seem as exaggerated as the first, they were still incredibly powerful.
The soul domain now possessed a faint trace of law—an early sign of true domain mastery.
And Infinite Vision, once fused with divine energy, would be terrifying in both power and unpredictability.
The ability to bend and redirect energy beams was especially absurd—reminiscent of Darkseid's Omega Beams.
At this point, Russell's mind moved, and all external power was withdrawn.
He turned his head—inside the spaceship, three people and a talking raccoon were staring at him, stunned.
In the next instant, everyone in the cabin instinctively dropped to their knees.
The Land of Knowhere
Thirty minutes ago.
A massive warship burst out of hyperspace.
It was the flagship of the Grandmaster, ruler of Sakaar.
The moment it fully exited the jump, a concentrated beam of blue energy blasted into the skull-shaped celestial head.
In an instant, a circular hole hundreds of meters wide was vaporized.
Seconds later, a lavish-looking frigate detached from the mothership and flew straight into the breach.
Inside Knowhere.
As part of the structure crumbled and disintegrated, a massive crowd of bounty hunters, interstellar criminals, travelers, and aliens fled from the chaos.
Then they looked up and saw a spaceship hovering ominously in the sky, having entered through the newly formed breach.
At some point, The Collector had emerged. He looked up, frowned, and muttered:
"Brother, even you shouldn't come in like this."
"If everyone stops following the rules, how can I keep order here?"
A beam of light descended from the frigate, and a man wearing golden, extravagant robes stepped out. Behind him stood no guards—only a powerful-looking woman.
He glanced coldly at The Collector and said indifferently:
"Fake."
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