Chapter 113: A World Cloaked in Secrets
Ryan and the others emerged from the pharmaceutical testing facility. Despite the awkward encounter with staff, Anthony had handled the situation effectively.
Anthony pushed the wheelchair while Cassie, walking beside him, asked, "Where are we going now?"
"I don't know. Let's get something to eat and find a place to stay."
Food, shelter, clothing, transportation—without these basics, nothing else could be accomplished.
"Where's Wanda?"
"Don't worry about her. She's not going to die," Ryan said dismissively.
Having mastered the Darkhold, Wanda was formidable. The number of beings capable of killing her could be counted on one hand.
They found a fast food restaurant. Anthony wheeled Ryan to a table while Cassie went to order.
The three of them made an odd sight: a man with visible scars pushing a paralyzed man in a wheelchair, accompanied by a young woman. It was certainly an unusual combination.
As Cassie was ordering, a few street thugs—who looked like they'd just woken up on a park bench—whistled at her.
Cassie, not wanting trouble, pretended not to notice and continued ordering.
The thugs grew bolder. One approached and leered. "Hey girl, why you hanging with those two cripples? Why don't you ditch them and come with us? We'll show you a real good time. Hey, who the hell are you? Let me go!"
The thug who'd called Anthony a cripple suddenly found himself lifted into the air by one hand. He turned to look at Anthony, ready to yell again, when he suddenly saw a monstrous face—green skin, bloodshot eyes, and triangular teeth sharp enough to bite his head clean off.
"AHHHHHHH!"
The thug screamed like a maniac, arms and legs flailing wildly. Then his pants grew damp, and unknown liquid dripped down his legs onto the restaurant floor.
Other diners immediately looked at him with disgust.
Even his friends laughed mercilessly.
Anthony was confused, wondering if he really looked that terrifying.
Of course, Anthony hadn't transformed into a monster. This was all Ryan's doing.
Although Ryan's body couldn't move, his mind remained functional, allowing him to create minor illusions.
Anthony dropped the thug, who—still incontinent—sprinted from the restaurant screaming about "demons."
Ryan had just begun experimenting with illusions when he realized something unexpected. He could mobilize cosmic energy through mental focus alone, but there seemed to be another energy source lurking within his consciousness.
He attempted to access it, and black mist immediately materialized before him.
"Damn! Is that the dark energy?"
Ryan had never known such power existed within him—it must have appeared after his battle with Arishem.
"Is it from the experimental serum? Or something else?"
Ryan tried manipulating the black mist but discovered it wasn't material. It passed through tables, chairs, and coffee cups, seemingly unable to affect physical reality.
However, when the black mist approached an overhead light fixture, the bulb flickered.
"It can't interfere with matter, but it does affect energy."
No wonder it could contend with cosmic energy within his body. The black mist's properties were clearly energy-based—Ryan simply hadn't figured out how to properly utilize it.
After leaving the restaurant, they found an extended-stay hotel. Cassie paid using cash from pawning her watch.
After settling into their room, Anthony gestured for Cassie to step outside with him.
Cassie glanced at Ryan, who sat in his wheelchair by the window gazing at the street below, then followed Anthony into the hallway.
"Miss Cassie, I need to step out. Please watch over the boss."
Cassie looked puzzled. "Where are you going?"
"We need money. I'll acquire some and redeem your watch."
The need for cash was a practical reality.
After Anthony left, Cassie returned to the apartment. Ryan, with his back to her, suddenly said, "Anthony's very measured. There's nothing to worry about."
Cassie was startled. "Did you hear everything?"
Ryan chuckled. "Not only can I hear it, I can see it. Like the surprised expression on your face right now."
Cassie came over and sat by the window facing Ryan, asking curiously, "How did you do that?"
Ryan's consciousness was surrounded by black mist, though Cassie couldn't perceive it.
This was a newly discovered ability. The dark energy could enhance his sensory perceptions—sight, hearing, smell.
Ryan didn't know how to explain it simply, so he said, "Think of it as psychic powers. Although I'm physically limited, I'm not truly helpless."
With that, a fully healthy Ryan suddenly appeared standing behind the wheelchair, even smiling and waving to Cassie. "Hi, Cassie. How are you?"
Then he vanished instantly.
"Wow! Is this your power?" Cassie covered her mouth in surprise, eyes widening.
"You could say that."
Ryan chatted with Cassie for a while, easing her anxiety about being stranded in an alternate universe.
After Cassie became more relaxed, they began researching this world together.
From nations and regions to corporations and companies, as well as superheroes and past major events.
Ryan's biggest question was whether this world had Thanos—crucial to whether his body could be repaired.
An online search revealed this world had been invaded by Thanos, but unfortunately, he was dead.
However, it wasn't the Avengers who'd defeated Thanos, but an organization called the Illuminati.
"The Illuminati?"
Ryan explained, "Think of it as a superhero organization like the Avengers, but more... proactive."
Fortunately, Ryan found no news about Celestial emergence. Perhaps the Eternals still lived on Earth. With Thanos gone, the Eternals could serve as an alternative resource.
"Wait! Breaking news! A witch battles Illuminati guardian sorcerers! Ryan, look! It's Wanda."
Ryan glanced at the photo and confirmed, "That's Wanda. I didn't expect her to confront the Illuminati so soon."
The Illuminati and Avengers operated at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Avengers' primary focus was salvation. The Illuminati's methodology was eliminating all threats preemptively.
Wanda's mastery of the Darkhold would definitely alert their mystic guardians.
Given the Illuminati's nature, they didn't need certainty about Wanda's intentions—as long as they confirmed she practiced dark magic, they'd take action against her.
"What should we do? Should we help her? What if Wanda dies? Will we ever get home?"
Ryan said calmly, "No rush. Let's understand the situation first."
The Illuminati were powerful, certainly. But so was Wanda. She was the sole inheritor of Chthon's Chaos Magic—power far greater than most people imagined.
That evening, Cassie was in the kitchenette preparing simple dinner.
During the five years Scott had been gone during the Blip, Cassie had lived independently, managing all her own needs.
She'd just finished preparing bacon, eggs, and pasta when someone knocked on the apartment door. Ryan, watching television, said, "Cassie, get the door. Anthony's back."
Cassie, wearing an apron, dried her hands and opened the door. It was indeed Anthony, carrying a well-stocked duffel bag.
With his back still to the door, Ryan smiled. "Good haul."
Anthony looked at Ryan in confusion. After confirming Ryan's back was facing him, his confusion only deepened.
Cassie smiled, unfazed by now.
Anthony placed the duffel bag on the coffee table and unzipped it, revealing stacks of US currency.
Ryan didn't ask questions, but Cassie couldn't help her curiosity. "Did you rob a bank?"
"I borrowed this from a local gang." Anthony then pulled Cassie's pawned watch from his pocket.
"Thank you."
Cassie happily fastened it on her wrist, her cherished possession finally returned.
"Dinner's ready. I'll bring it over."
Ryan ate a few bites, appreciating Cassie's effort.
Whether Ryan ate was almost irrelevant. Although his body was severely damaged, he could still absorb ambient cosmic energy. This energy stimulated his enhanced genes to continue producing blood cells. He'd feel hunger, but wouldn't starve.
He didn't need to worry about digestion—the food he consumed was completely broken down and absorbed, then converted into usable energy with zero waste.
The only real concern was bathing. Obviously, he wouldn't let Anthony help with that.
After dinner, exhausted Cassie quickly fell asleep. Anthony wheeled Ryan into the other room to discuss everything he'd learned during his reconnaissance.
"Boss, this world is very different from ours."
"Yes. Tell me everything."
Anthony began unloading his intelligence.
"Boss, Thanos invaded Earth once, but was defeated by the Illuminati organization."
"There's no Wakanda, no New Asgard, no Celestial Island. But there is an alien race called the Inhumans."
The Inhumans were created through Kree experiments, and each member possessed unique superpowers.
Their leader, Black Bolt, was reportedly the third most powerful being in the universe—capable of destroying a city with a single word. Unfortunately, his teammate Reed Richards had foolishly revealed his weakness, then staged a brain-death scene in front of Scarlet Witch.
"Can you locate the Illuminati headquarters?"
Anthony considered. "The Illuminati are quite prominent here. Shouldn't be difficult."
Whether friend or foe, understanding the opposition's capabilities was always prudent.
"There's another development. Wanda fought with the Illuminati. She killed two of their master sorcerers. They didn't capture her, but now there are wanted posters everywhere."
The swift response from news media and government demonstrated the Illuminati's enormous influence in this reality.
Ryan didn't want complications—he just wanted to repair his body as quickly as possible.
"Tomorrow, handle three tasks. First, investigate whether Eternals exist in this world. Second, locate the Illuminati's headquarters. Third, track Wanda's movements."
"Understood, boss."
Even if the odds were slim, Ryan wouldn't let the Illuminati capture Wanda. She was his only way back to Celestial Island.
Celestial Island was Ryan's foundation. Even if Arishem from that universe wouldn't let him return, even if he couldn't go back immediately, at least communication had to be established.
It would allow Cassie to contact her family and enable him to mobilize resources when necessary.
Most importantly, if he couldn't find materials to repair his body in this universe, the genetic samples stored in Celestial Island's cryogenic vaults would be his last hope.
End of Chapter 113
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