Before leaving, Malrick entrusted a collection of secret manuals to Hong and Lei Shen—both of whom had successfully advanced to the Star Level.
He also handed over the Jinjiao Torch Beast's giant egg to Hong.
Since the Jinjiao Torch Beast's clone talent duplicated Malrick's own, it wouldn't benefit him to keep it. Better to leave it in the hands of others.
"Keep this for now," Malrick said. "It might come in handy later."
"If it hatches before I get back, you and Lei Shen can decide who takes control of its body."
Malrick knew that Luo Feng, protected by the World Consciousness, would soon rise rapidly and potentially acquire a more advanced lifeform. The Jinjiao Torch Beast—a mid-to-upper-tier opportunity—was no longer useful to him. Giving it to his disciples was the logical choice.
"Master, please be careful traveling the universe alone," Hong said solemnly as he received the egg, cradling it as if it weighed as much as a mountain.
Lei Shen rubbed his bald head with a grin. "Master, what did you even do to cultivate this fast? You're already a Domain Lord! Heh, when Hong and I make it into the universe, we're counting on you to protect us!"
"Get lost!" Malrick waved them off, amused. "You two are battle junkies. You're more likely to pick a fight than need protection."
"But seriously, protect Earth in my absence. I'll go out first and establish a foothold. Once you're ready, come find me."
With a shimmer of light, Malrick vanished, his body disappearing from Earth as if he'd never been there at all.
Lei Shen stood frozen, staring at the spot where his master had disappeared.
"I still can't sense how Master moves. Hong, just how powerful is he now?"
Hong, holding the enormous egg, placed a hand on Lei Shen's shoulder. "At least ten thousand times stronger than us. He's the real deal now—a true powerhouse."
"We'll work hard," Lei Shen nodded, his eyes burning with determination. Even the sheen on his bald head seemed to reflect a fighting spirit.
"Let's surprise him next time we meet."
"Agreed!"
---
Malrick hovered in the cosmic void of the Starry Sky World.
The moment he activated his Crossing ability, something unusual occurred.
He had only spent eight days in the Starry Sky World, yet ten full days had passed in the Marvel Universe.
Apparently, the flow of time in the Marvel Universe was faster.
The first time he crossed over, it had consumed nearly all his stamina—almost a full 100%.
But now? The return trip required less than one-billionth of his stamina.
It was incredible to think about.
He arrived with power equivalent to lifting two million tons.
He left with power exceeding four hundred quadrillion tons.
That made him over ten billion times stronger than when he first entered.
A transformation like that marked the difference between a surface-level fighter and someone capable of destroying planets.
That was the potential high-tier worlds held for even "normal" Kryptonians.
However, this time he was bringing his Inner World and a fortress with him.
As a result, the energy required surged again, consuming around one-tenth of his stamina.
Out of caution, Malrick chose not to be wasteful.
Besides, he'd exchanged a meaningful glance with the Ancient One before leaving.
It would be suspicious if he returned just one second later with ten billion times more power.
He had to account for the psychological endurance of someone her age.
So, Malrick anchored the return to exactly ten days after he left the Marvel Universe.
Then, he activated his ability and crossed back.
---
Kamar-Taj
Malrick reappeared in his dorm room, emerging from the shadows like a phantom.
It was still nighttime. Exactly 240 hours had passed since he'd left.
Moonlight poured through the curtains, bathing the room in silver.
Malrick stepped toward the door—but immediately stopped, his brows furrowing.
He could feel dozens of strange gazes converging on him all at once.
It felt as though observers were hiding in unseen corners of the room, silently analyzing every inch of him.
He instinctively scanned the room with his senses.
A second later, all those prying eyes vanished, fleeing like mice caught stealing cheese.
Except for one.
Malrick turned and peered through the wall using his enhanced vision.
In the inner hall, he saw the Ancient One seated in meditation, calmly watching him.
He exhaled slowly. He was sure those other eyes had been real.
But who had the power to monitor him like that without being noticed?
Only cosmic-level beings—or perhaps even Multiversal entities.
The Vishanti?
Maybe. But it didn't feel like just them.
What he knew for certain was that none of those gazes had carried ill intent.
Just curiosity.
"This must be the fault of the Crossing ability," Malrick muttered.
"It probably alerted every World Consciousness in the Marvel Multiverse the moment I returned."
The Marvel Multiverse did have cosmic intelligences.
Originally, it was governed by the First Firmament. After its body fractured, the Multiverse came into being, followed by new World Consciousnesses.
The current embodiment of that force was Eternity.
Each Marvel Universe had its own version of Eternity, but all of them were merely fragments of a larger whole.
Malrick figured those entities—and their siblings—had probably peeked in just to see what kind of anomaly had entered the game this time.
He could almost hear them gossiping:
"Hey, check it out! That kid brought something back from outside the Omniverse again!"
The thought was absurd, so he cleared his mind and focused inward.
Returning to the Marvel Universe hadn't caused any instability in the transformation done by the Source Will.
His strength continued to grow, fueled by the hundred thousand stars sealed within his ring.
He could even project his genetic energy externally now.
The only downside?
The laws of the Marvel Universe and the Starry Sky World weren't identical.
Only part of what he'd previously mastered—namely the Laws of Light and Time—still functioned here.
He would need to start fresh with his comprehension of the local laws.
Malrick expanded his psychic senses, blanketing the entire Earth.
Instantly, he saw Tony Stark and others working tirelessly on the far side of the planet…
…while also witnessing scenes from dozens of temporary, lead-lined bunkers designed to block radiation.
"Psychic power makes things so much easier," he noted with satisfaction.
"Now, I should check in with the Ancient One. She's probably dying to know what happened."
---
Malrick pushed open the door to the inner hall and knocked once.
Inside, the Ancient One sat at her table, her eyes filled with quiet wonder as she regarded him.
"You're back," she said softly.
"I am." Malrick took the seat across from her.
"It's only been ten days, but you're like a completely different person. That other world must be extraordinary." She poured him tea.
Malrick took a sip and smiled. "Still the best tea in the multiverse, Master."
"As for the changes, it's not much. I just got a little stronger. Still a long road ahead."
"A little?" she raised an eyebrow. "I can't even read your aura anymore. How powerful are you now?"
Instead of answering, Malrick simply snapped his fingers.
In the next moment, the room around them shimmered and bent, expanding outward into the Mirror Dimension.
But unlike before, the energy powering the dimension came from within Malrick's own body—his genetic source energy.
"Let's just say… I'm doing alright," he said with a calm smile.
The Ancient One felt it immediately—the vast reservoir of power coursing through him.
It was like standing near a star.
Warm and soothing one moment, blinding and destructive the next.
The energy wasn't chaotic, though. It was controlled. Refined.
She studied him in silence, her green eyes catching the glint of something far greater than magic.
And in that moment, she realized:
Malrick had already become something beyond what she could fully comprehend.
---
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