At eighteen years old, Ethan Cole stood at one meter seventy-six, his frame lean enough that people often mistook him for being slightly underweight. Anyone who made that assumption quickly changed their mind the moment they saw him shirtless. Beneath the seemingly slim silhouette was a body carved with sharp, steel-like muscle definition, every line precise and balanced, the kind of physique built through relentless discipline rather than vanity. Each movement carried quiet power, as though strength lived naturally in his bones.
His hair was a pale gray-white shade people jokingly called "grandma gray," a color unusual enough to turn heads wherever he went. Combined with his sharp facial structure and deep black eyes, the contrast made his appearance even more striking. His features carried a subtle Western edge—high cheekbones and a defined nose bridge—giving him a look that was difficult to categorize at a glance.
Ethan was mixed-race. His father had been Chinese, while his mother was European. Mixed heritage tended to swing toward extremes, producing people who were either strangely mismatched in appearance or stunningly attractive. Ethan belonged unmistakably to the latter category.
But his looks were the least extraordinary thing about him.
By the age of eighteen, Ethan already held eight doctoral degrees from New York University. Engineering, medicine, law, finance, archaeology—those were only a few of the disciplines listed under his name. Most people struggled to complete a single doctorate in their lifetime, yet he had collected eight before most students finished their undergraduate studies.
Academics were only one side of the story. Ethan was also a core member of the university's track and field team, capable of explosive speed that left even trained athletes stunned. In the school's table tennis club, he had remained undefeated for three consecutive years, a record that had quietly turned into campus legend.
Even more absurd was the fact that he had already completed every required university course back during his sophomore year. By the time he turned eighteen, not only had he finished the curriculum, he had accumulated more than enough credits to graduate several times over. Among the student body of New York University, Ethan Cole was no longer just a top student.
He was a myth.
Yet academic brilliance alone did not explain his reputation.
Ethan Cole was one of the most influential figures on campus, and not merely because of his intelligence or appearance. Behind the calm smile and youthful face was a business empire that most people would consider impossible for someone his age.
He owned seven major physics laboratories scattered across the country, each equipped with cutting-edge research equipment worth astronomical sums. He controlled a publicly listed company and two mysterious technology firms that never released financial reports to the public, fueling endless speculation among industry insiders.
Beyond that, Ethan held the position of third-largest shareholder in Osborne Industries and the fourth-largest shareholder in Stark Industries. Those two corporations alone dominated huge sectors of advanced technology and defense research.
Behind the scenes, his influence stretched even further. Through a web of private holdings, he secretly controlled more than a dozen companies spanning pharmaceuticals, journalism, television media, automotive manufacturing, information technology, and finance. Many of these firms operated quietly under layers of management, leaving almost no public trace linking them to the young man who actually owned them.
Even the assets openly connected to him already exceeded thirty billion dollars.
Among New York University students—and even among the wealthy elites of New York—Ethan Cole had earned a nickname.
The Fifth Diamond King.
In the eyes of countless people, his life was the definition of perfection.
He was rich, brilliant, handsome, and powerful. If success had a face, it probably looked something like his.
Of course, perfection came with a reputation.
Ethan's romantic history was almost as legendary as his business achievements. His dating life moved at a pace fast enough to rival Tony Stark himself, earning him the reputation of a charming playboy who never stayed with the same woman for long.
Yet there was one major difference between the two men.
Whenever Ethan ended a relationship, his former girlfriends always received generous compensation. Sometimes it was money, sometimes luxury gifts, and occasionally business opportunities that could change someone's life forever. Whatever the form, he always ensured the separation happened smoothly.
Because of that, he remained far more popular among women than Tony Stark ever managed to be.
Ironically, his rivalry with Stark was famous across the United States.
The two men had once gotten into a public fight over a stunning young reporter. The confrontation had ended badly for Stark, who spent three days in the hospital afterward. Since then, the billionaire inventor had openly declared that he wanted nothing to do with Ethan Cole.
Rumor had it Stark refused to attend any Stark Industries board meeting if Ethan planned to be present.
Inside a massive white laboratory filled with humming machinery, a calm mechanical voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Sir, Tony Stark is insulting you on the news again. Would you like me to play the broadcast?"
Ethan didn't look up from the delicate instruments in his hands. Wearing a white lab coat and surgical gloves, he continued adjusting the controls on a device with slow, precise movements.
"Play it," he said casually.
A three-dimensional projection flickered into existence in front of him. The image expanded into a floating screen that displayed Tony Stark standing at a luxurious cocktail party, his arms wrapped comfortably around two glamorous women.
Stark looked relaxed, amused, and slightly drunk.
"What? You're asking about my relationship with Ethan Cole?" Stark laughed into the microphone, swirling a glass of champagne. "Please. I don't know the guy. He's just some idiot who only knows how to chase young girls."
He gestured toward the women beside him with a grin.
"He clearly doesn't understand the beauty of mature women. If you don't believe me, ask these two ladies right here. Trust me—they're far more interesting than teenage girls."
Tony Stark had always possessed a sharp tongue.
The comment was an obvious jab at Ethan's dating preferences. Most of Ethan's past girlfriends had indeed been relatively young, although there was a simple reason for that. Until recently, he had been underage, and very few adult women were willing to openly pursue a wealthy teenage prodigy.
Fortunately, that limitation had just expired.
"That guy is still as irritating as ever," Ethan muttered.
His tone remained calm, but he finally paused the work in his hands.
The laboratory around him was enormous, filled with sophisticated machines quietly operating in perfect coordination. In the center of the room stood a surgical platform where a restrained figure lay motionless.
The person on the table looked human at first glance, possessing normal arms and legs. But his head was grotesquely distorted, swollen into an unnatural shape that clearly didn't belong to any ordinary human anatomy.
He was a mutant.
"Svija, record the experiment results," Ethan said while removing his rubber gloves. "The X-gene inside the subject has been successfully suppressed. As for the deformation in his skull, you can proceed with the reconstruction surgery."
Several robotic arms suspended above the operating table immediately activated, their precision tools beginning delicate movements around the mutant's head.
Ethan stepped away from the table and continued calmly.
"Once the procedure is complete, have the Night Division transfer him to the standard ward. Also erase all memories related to this experiment."
"Understood, sir," the mechanical voice replied. "However, I still recommend responding to Tony Stark's insults. This is the third time he has criticized you on the news this month, and continued silence may negatively affect the company's stock price."
Ethan glanced briefly at the projection where Stark was still joking with reporters.
"I know," he said lightly. "I'll deal with it when the opportunity comes."
Svija was an artificial intelligence system Ethan had created when he was only thirteen years old. The name itself came from a slightly mischievous sense of humor that few people understood.
The reason for that humor was simple.
Ethan Cole was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, he had watched countless Marvel movies and admired Tony Stark as one of the franchise's most charismatic heroes. But after arriving in this world and meeting the real man, Ethan discovered a very different personality.
Arrogant. Reckless. Self-centered.
Those words described Tony Stark far more accurately than the heroic image seen on movie screens.
Ethan's own life had changed dramatically after the transmigration.
When he was six years old, his parents died in a tragic plane crash. Left alone, he spent several years living under the care of an aunt. By the time he reached high school, however, he had already chosen independence and began living on his own.
At thirteen, he launched his first company.
From that moment forward, his rise looked almost supernatural.
Technology breakthroughs, business successes, academic miracles—everything seemed to happen effortlessly. To outsiders, Ethan's life appeared as if someone had turned on a cheat code.
In truth, that assumption wasn't entirely wrong.
He really did possess something similar to a cheat.
It wasn't a system or some artificial interface, though. The power he carried had fused directly with his soul during the moment he crossed the barrier between worlds.
At first, Ethan had no idea what the strange energy inside him actually was.
But as time passed, he slowly uncovered the truth.
The power residing in his soul was one of the most terrifying and mysterious forces in the entire Marvel universe.
The Phoenix Force.
Normally, anyone who carried the Phoenix's power without absolute control would eventually be corrupted by it. The cosmic energy amplified emotions to extreme levels, filling its host with overwhelming desire, rage, and destructive impulses.
Yet something unusual had happened when Ethan received it.
Instead of driving him toward madness, the Phoenix energy awakened a powerful hunger for knowledge inside his mind. It sharpened every aspect of his perception, allowing him to absorb and master information at a level that bordered on the unnatural, granting him a learning ability and mastery capacity that most people would consider completely abnormal.