Chapter 82: Master of Both Body and Mind
Ryan clenched his fist, and a surge of cosmic energy erupted from within.
Clang.
An energy blade materialized, leaving a shallow groove in the adamantium floor.
Ryan could clearly feel the cosmic energy within him had grown substantially stronger, his absorption rate significantly accelerated. Most importantly, he was becoming increasingly proficient at wielding it.
Previously, to materialize cosmic energy, Ryan had to consciously mobilize the power within his body and manually shape it into form. But now, this was no longer necessary. With just a thought, his desired weapon instantly appeared in his hand.
"Physical action becomes mental action!"
In a split second, golden armor enveloped his entire body—straps on the arm guards, a gleaming gilded chestplate, and wide shoulder guards adding a regal dimension to his overall appearance.
But this wasn't Ryan's limit. While wearing the golden armor, he could simultaneously materialize additional weapons.
A short sword and shield appeared in his hands, then vanished, replaced by a greatsword that gradually lengthened.
Even then, Ryan felt he still had capacity to spare.
A golden cape manifested behind him, extending from his shoulders to the ground. Besides looking impressive, it also provided additional protection.
However, with the golden armor already shielding him, the cape's defensive properties were redundant.
Ryan then retracted all his cosmic energy and fell into contemplation.
He recalled the first time Ajak had taught him to use cosmic energy. In her words, cosmic energy was like a computer program—once configured, it couldn't be changed.
Therefore, Ryan had to choose his mental superpower carefully.
First, he ruled out Ajak's healing ability. That power only worked on others and was essentially useless for him personally.
Next, he considered Sersi's molecular transmutation, which offered no significant combat advantages.
Druig possessed powerful mind control, similar to Professor X's telepathy but not as comprehensive.
Telekinesis was Ryan's first choice—it would allow him to manipulate objects and enemies, and potentially grant him flight by moving himself.
With this thought, Ryan immediately looked at a pen nearby and focused his mental energy, attempting to levitate it toward him.
After several prolonged attempts, nothing happened.
"Mind control?"
Ryan shifted his gaze to the laboratory mouse, channeling cosmic energy again.
A moment later, the mouse remained absorbed in its cartoon, showing no signs of being controlled.
"What's going on? Did the enhancement fail?"
Unwilling to give up, Ryan concentrated his energy and released it toward the mouse once more.
The next second, another mouse suddenly appeared beside the original.
"SQUEAK!"
The real mouse, startled, leaped two meters into the air. Upon landing, it cautiously examined the duplicate.
Even Ryan was momentarily stunned.
"No way. Is this an illusion?"
Ajak had clearly stated that power choices couldn't be reversed, yet Ryan hadn't even been given a conscious choice.
Despite his confusion, Ryan refused to waste this ability.
Under his control, the illusory mouse began to move—first turning its head to look at the real mouse, then performing various movements.
Thus, Ryan began practicing his newfound superpower in the laboratory.
The next morning, Sprite awoke from deep sleep and suddenly felt different—she'd grown taller, at least three centimeters.
And it wasn't just her height that had increased; her entire physique had developed as well.
"Yes!"
Sprite excitedly ran to the lab to find Ryan. Upon entering, she saw Ryan and Corvus Glaive in conversation.
"Hey Ryan, I've grown taller!"
Sprite reached out to grab Ryan's arm, but her hand passed straight through him.
This reaction stunned both Sprite and Corvus.
Sprite recovered quickly—after all, she possessed illusion abilities herself. But Corvus didn't understand and thought Ryan had suffered an accident.
He urgently asked, "Boss, what happened? Was there an experimental mishap?"
"Oh, nothing. Just a fun new ability."
The illusory Ryan gradually dissipated. Sprite and Corvus looked around until they spotted the real Ryan sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the room.
After several hours of practice, Ryan had nearly mastered the illusion ability.
This power went beyond simply creating visual duplicates—it could also generate sounds and alter the surrounding environment.
For example, just moments ago, Ryan had manipulated the environment around his actual body, creating an invisibility effect. Unless someone touched or smelled him, he was virtually impossible to detect.
He could also project illusions at fixed locations.
While this didn't directly enhance his combat capabilities, using it as a supplementary ability could definitely yield unexpected tactical advantages.
The illusory superpower wasn't the most significant development. What mattered more was that Ryan discovered he could now tap into a vastly larger reservoir of cosmic energy.
Previously, his materialized greatsword could only reach three meters in length, but now it extended to five meters with power to spare—direct proof of his increased strength.
Whether cosmic energy entering the brain could enhance mental capabilities remained to be determined, but the signs were promising.
New Asgard, Norway
After weeks of investigation, the Avengers had finally caught several Skrulls.
Many high-ranking officials across seven Western European nations had been replaced by Skrulls. Large sums of money had vanished, and quality of life for ordinary citizens had deteriorated. Civilian protests occurred almost daily.
Further investigation revealed that members of the World Security Council had also been infiltrated, and several recent conflicts between smaller nations had been orchestrated by the Skrulls.
Having been exposed, the Skrulls not only refused to lie low but launched counterattacks against the Avengers.
That morning, Bruce Banner emerged from his residence and greeted Valkyrie, who was organizing a work crew to repair damaged buildings.
"Good morning!"
Valkyrie smiled and waved. "Heading out?"
Bruce Banner, unsuited for covert field operations, had remained in New Asgard as the team's scientific consultant.
"Clint and Maria Hill should be arriving soon. I'll go meet them."
After exchanging pleasantries, Dr. Banner wrapped his coat tightly and left the settlement. Standing on a nearby hillside, he gazed toward the access road.
Soon, he spotted a vehicle approaching at high speed.
The car door opened with a metallic clank, and Hawkeye emerged, accompanied by Jessica Jones and Iron Fist Danny Rand.
Hawkeye stepped forward and pulled Banner into a bear hug. "Hey, how you holding up?"
Banner smiled wearily and shook his head. "Not great, honestly. But seeing you here helps."
He then greeted Jessica Jones and Danny Rand, the street-level heroes he'd only briefly met before.
As they prepared to return to New Asgard, another convoy of vehicles approached from the distance.
"Who's that?" Hawkeye asked curiously.
"Must be Maria Hill," Banner explained. "Carol contacted her and revealed that Nick Fury might be a Skrull. Hill decided to bring S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to help with the investigation."
Banner turned to Jessica Jones with a slight smile. "By the way, your friend Luke Cage was rescued by S.H.I.E.L.D. He should be with them."
"Really? That's incredible!"
Luke Cage had been missing since being captured by Ryan. Jessica Jones and Danny Rand had feared the worst, so news of his S.H.I.E.L.D. rescue was unexpected and welcome.
After brief conversation, the convoy gradually approached and came to a stop.
"Hi, everyone!"
Maria Hill stepped out and greeted them warmly.
Luke Cage immediately walked toward Jessica Jones and Danny Rand, embracing them both and sharing in the joy of reunion.
"You're alive. Thank God."
"Of course I'm alive. We still have unfinished business with that man. For Matt, and for ourselves."
Luke Cage had barely finished speaking when he suddenly coughed—a wracking cough followed by blood spattering from his mouth.
"Luke! Are you injured?"
Maria Hill approached apologetically. "He's infected with a designer virus. Our medical experts examined him—it's systematically destroying his body. Unfortunately, current medical technology can't treat it effectively."
"How is that possible?!" Danny Rand stared at Luke Cage in horror.
Luke Cage shook his head stoically. "It's okay. Don't feel bad for me."
Jessica Jones's jaw tightened. "Did he do this to you?"
Luke Cage nodded grimly. "He used my body for various experiments. He must have infected me then."
Besides Hill and Luke Cage, the convoy included dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, their vehicles loaded with surveillance equipment and weapons.
Banner gestured toward the settlement. "Let's head back. New Asgard is still under reconstruction, but you can set up wherever you need to."
The arrival of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the reunion of Avengers was initially cause for celebration.
However, that evening, something unexpected occurred.
Jessica Jones, distressed about Luke Cage's terminal condition, had several drinks. Wanting fresh air to clear her head, she stepped outside and discovered a body lying in an alley between two houses.
Jessica immediately rushed forward to investigate, discovering it was a newly arrived S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. With her years of detective experience, she was certain this was murder.
She stood and shouted, "Help! Someone help!"
The call echoed through the settlement, and soon a group gathered.
"I just stepped outside and found him collapsed here. He was already dead. From what I can see, he was killed by a precise strike to the throat. Strangely, he drew something on the ground before dying."
Maria Hill knelt down, lifted the deceased agent's wrist, and examined the mark scratched into the dirt. After a moment, she spoke in a grave voice. "We need to talk. Inside."
The group retreated to the town's community hall. After the door closed, Hill spoke plainly. "We have a serious problem. Skrulls have infiltrated New Asgard."
"What?!"
"How do you know?"
Hill explained, "The deceased was my assistant. The symbol he drew is a S.H.I.E.L.D. classified file designation representing the Skrull archives from Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S., which began in 1995."
Captain Marvel spoke up. "Yes, the Skrulls first appeared on Earth in 1995."
Before that incident, the Skrulls had hidden in deep space. Only one Skrull, disguised as Dr. Wendy Lawson—actually the Kree scientist Mar-Vell—had infiltrated Earth to research lightspeed engine technology.
Therefore, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Skrull archives were indeed established in 1995, when Captain Marvel returned to Earth.
"Is there any way to identify the Skrulls?" someone asked.
Hill shook her head grimly. "Unless they're dead, it's nearly impossible to detect them. Even DNA testing is unreliable—they replicate on a cellular level."
Hill paused, then looked directly at Banner. "S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence indicates that Ryan has developed a method to verify Skrulls. The Eternal Order—those top federal officials who received his immortality serum—uses this verification protocol. Dr. Banner, do you think you could replicate it?"
Dr. Banner was silent for a moment before replying carefully. "I can try, but I can't guarantee success."
"Dr. Banner, you're one of the smartest scientists in the world. If Ryan can do it, surely you can too?"
Banner smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I'm not a genetic engineering specialist. Ryan is the world's foremost geneticist and biologist. My seven doctorates are in nuclear physics, biochemistry, and related fields—not the kind of genetics work this requires."
The room fell silent as the implications sank in. They were trapped in New Asgard with an unknown number of shapeshifting aliens, and the only person who could definitively identify them was their enemy.
End of Chapter 82
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