NOVEL NEXT 88. Return.
A purple portal opened, and Alex and John stepped through, returning to their home in the All-New, All-Different Universe's Brooklyn.
"So quick to return?" Pietro turned his head at the sound behind him, his expression very surprised. "I haven't even finished a dungeon yet!"
Alex hadn't told the two what he was going to do, so for Pietro and Kara, Alex and John's departure had only been for a few minutes.
"You're playing a healer in a dungeon with one hand? Aren't you afraid your healing won't keep up and you'll drag your team down?" Alex smiled. Seventeen years without contact with human civilization made him feel relaxed seeing Pietro playing computer games.
"Hehe, you underestimate me. Don't forget I'm a speedster. Controlling the mouse and keyboard with one hand is nothing. I used to play ping pong with myself," Pietro said with a chuckle.
"True, I almost forgot that such a small thing wouldn't be a problem for you. But you reminded me, I should make you a mechanical arm when I have time. It feels weird with you missing an arm," Alex said, walking slowly to Pietro and patting his good arm.
"Really?!" Pietro's eyes sparkled with excitement and curiosity. "The tech in this universe is so advanced that it can even make mechanical limbs?"
"Of course. Whether it's the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, S.H.I.E.L.D., or Wakanda, all these superheroes or factions have high-tech. Even supervillains like Hydra have the resources to complete your prosthetic," Alex explained.
"My prosthetic? What do you mean?" Pietro looked puzzled.
"It's true." At this moment, Kara walked out of her bedroom. She had sensed Alex and John's return the moment they arrived. "There's someone called the Winter Soldier in this world. His arm is made of metal, and it's perfect for you."
Glancing at Kara, Alex nodded seriously, acknowledging her words and greeting her.
"You're back. Wait, you two…" Kara began, suddenly noticing something odd. She scrutinized Alex and John before asking uncertainly, "How long were you gone?"
No wonder Kryptonians have such sharp observation skills. Alex and John had spruced themselves up, changed into new clothes they had prepared, and even took a bath in the other world before returning, yet she still noticed the difference.
"More than six thousand days," Alex said flatly.
"Six!" Pietro's mouth dropped open at the number. He stared at Alex in disbelief, then looked at John as if asking if Alex was telling the truth. John slowly nodded in response.
Unlike Pietro's big reaction, Kara's eyes were also filled with shock, but she quickly adjusted. She stepped forward, straightened Alex's collar, and said, "It's been a long time. Welcome back."
Alex didn't resist Kara's gesture. On the contrary, he enjoyed the moment. Seventeen years of persistence had made him crave friendship even more. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. But next time, at least give us a heads-up," Kara smiled.
"Wait a minute! Alex, where did you go? How could you be gone for so long when you were only gone for a few minutes here?" Pietro still couldn't understand. He stood up and asked.
"Time flows differently between universes. I guess Alex went to another universe. But as for what he did…" Kara trailed off, looking at Alex for an explanation.
"Oh, that…" Alex's lips curled into a smile. He raised his hand, and in the next moment, all the furniture in the room floated up under an invisible force.
Seeing this, Pietro's eyes widened even more. "Oh my God!"
"As you can see, I went to a relatively quiet place to practice magic to improve my self-defense. With John's help, I made significant progress during that time. I now have some combat ability." After finishing, Alex waved his hand, and the furniture returned to its original place.
"It's all thanks to your talent. Compared to you, my little bit of magic is nothing," John bowed his head deeply.
Seeing John's obedient demeanor, Pietro and Kara exchanged a smile. It seemed those six thousand days were not wasted. John's state showed he was completely won over by Alex. But Pietro and Kara weren't surprised, as Alex achieving this was perfectly normal for them.
"No need to be modest. Your magical abilities are excellent, and your teaching skills are even better. In this regard, you're on par with the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj," Alex remarked.
"You praise me too much," John laughed awkwardly. When he was first taken to that planet, his life was entirely in Alex's hands. John believed if he didn't teach Alex well, he would be buried alive in that other world.
Under such a threat to his life, John couldn't help but give his all in teaching Alex magic. By the end of the first year, John had been racking his brains, trying to find anything else he could teach Alex.
"So, Alex, you're a wizard now, right?" Pietro asked eagerly.
"Yes, but unlike ordinary wizards, I can control a bit more energy," Alex said casually, causing John to almost choke on his saliva.
Kidding? With a whole parallel universe's energy as a backup, ordinary wizards couldn't compare. If he had that much energy, he'd be preparing to invade other dimensions instead of being a scavenger.
John was right. Controlling the Ruin Universe, Alex was similar to dimensional lords like Dormammu and Shuma-Gorath, able to use another world to unleash powerful magic. The difference was that they connected the two worlds through themselves, while Alex used the Timepad.
But what John didn't know was that unlike Hell's Border and the Dark Dimension, which naturally had endless magical energy, the Ruin Universe Alex controlled had no such supernatural energy. Moreover, Alex didn't want to disrupt the Ruin Universe's timeline, so he could only draw energy from the natural explosions of stars in the Ruin Universe and convert it into magic. It seemed troublesome, but for Alex, it was enough. At least recharging the Timepad was entirely doable.
"Alex, can you teach me? I want to be a wizard too! Magic is so cool!" Pietro excitedly approached Alex and asked quickly.
"We can try, but…" Alex glanced at the computer screen. "Your team just wiped out."
Pietro blinked.
"I forgot! Ahhhh!!!"
...
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89. Human Meteor.
90. The Gravely Injured Alien.
91. Unease Becomes Reality.
92. Deadpool Massacres the Marvel Universe!
93. Action!