{Chapter: 40 - System Upgrade And World Travel}
[System Upgrade Complete.]
[Inventory Function Unlocked.]
[Time Limit for Dimensional Traversal Increased: 12 hours → 72 hours.]
Aiden blinked as the notifications flickered in front of his eyes, the familiar blue glow of the system interface reflecting in his irises. He stood alone in the cave, high in the remote mountains, hidden from drones, satellites, and surveillance eyes—at least for now. The rocky walls around him were jagged and weather-worn, but the cave provided sanctuary from both the elements and prying technology.
He exhaled slowly, letting the hum of the system's interface fade as his thoughts raced.
Of all the upgrades, the most exciting and practically game-changing was the unlocking of the Inventory.
Ten square meters of extra dimensional storage space.
Aiden let out a low whistle, eyes gleaming. "Finally," he muttered. "The golden cheat code of all reincarnated protagonists."
It was a staple in every fantasy or isekai novel he'd read—a pocket dimension, a bag of holding, call it what you want. Now, it was his. And the system hadn't cheaped out, either. Anything non-living could be stored inside—weapons, artifacts, magical scrolls, materials, even high-tech gear. And best of all? It could be accessed anywhere, whether in the Marvel Universe or another world entirely.
He reached into his inventory interface and stored a small rock nearby, just to test it.
The rock vanished. With system command.
With a thought, he retrieved it.
The rock reappeared instantly in his hand.
Aiden grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
This function alone opened endless doors. He could now smuggle advanced tech from the Marvel world into other realms—or vice versa. Magic artifacts could be hidden and used on Earth. Technology from other universes could be reverse-engineered. Weapons, energy sources, medicines, enchanted items—it was all now within reach, no longer bound by world or timeline.
And then came the second part of the upgrade—arguably just as impactful.
The time limit for staying in another universe had jumped from a mere 12 hours to a full 72 hours. That was three entire days. Aiden couldn't help but laugh softly, the sound echoing off the cave walls.
"Three days... That's long enough to conquer a small country," he said jokingly, stretching his limbs.
The previous time constraints had been brutal. He'd barely had time to explore, fight, or strategize before being yanked back. But now? He could plan operations, build connections, and find long-term targets. With this much time, he could even start setting up bases across universes.
That was exactly why he'd asked for a three-day leave from Phil Coulson.
Not because he was tired.
Not because he needed rest.
But because he was about to dive back into the 'Push' Universe.
He sat cross-legged on the stone floor, eyes closed, letting memories of his last visit to that world rise to the surface.
The 'Push' world was one of psychic warfare—a gritty battleground of espionage, betrayal, and enhanced individuals. Telepaths, precogs, movers, sniffers—it was a world filled with subtle but deadly powers. Last time, Aiden had been forced to pull out early. He had devoured too many abilities in a short span, causing saturation in his system. His own body had shut down the devouring power temporarily to avoid destabilization.
But now?
Now he was ready.
He wasn't going in blind. He knew his targets this time.
Pushers—individuals with telepathic manipulation. Not just mind-readers, but influencers. They could rewrite thoughts, memories, even personality with a mere suggestion. Having that power would be invaluable for infiltration, interrogation, and manipulation.
Then there were the Movers—telekinetics. He didn't need to imagine the utility of throwing objects, weapons, or even enemies with a thought. It was the kind of power that could turn a street fight into a massacre.
And the Division—a clandestine agency in that world—was the jackpot. Their labs were filled with agents, all trained in different abilities. If he could infiltrate their base or ambush their strike teams, he could harvest multiple powers in a single sweep.
He would have to be careful, though. Last time he'd nearly overwhelmed his body with the sheer volume of devoured abilities. This time he'd pace himself—absorb only what was necessary, then retreat to assimilate before going back in.
But the real treasure...
The central pillar of that world—the experimental psychic-enhancement drug.
The serum the Division was developing to amplify powers. It had a near-fatality rate, but one woman had survived and gained a massive power boost. The theory was simple: the serum unlocked latent psychic potential. If refined, enhanced, and stabilized... it could become the foundation of Aiden's own super-soldier program.
If he got his hands on a few vials and handed them to a loyal scientist in the Marvel world—someone like Simmons or maybe even a more obscure genius under the radar—he could begin mass-producing a safer version.
It wouldn't be as powerful as Extremis or the Centipede Virus—but it wouldn't need to be. It was accessible. Efficient. Mass-deployable.
A stepping stone for the private force he intended to build.
He smirked at the thought. "My own powered force... no more relying on S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra leftovers, or Nick Fury's charity."
Aiden stood up, eyes burning with determination. The flames of Johnny Storm coursed along his legs as he transformed into his fire form. His body ignited in controlled flames, the air around him shimmering from the heat. With a burst of combustion, he took flight, ascending high above the snowy peaks of the mountain range.
He scanned the vast wilderness below. Remote. Untouched. The perfect place for what came next.
He descended into a narrow valley, found a shaded cave beneath a rocky outcrop, and sealed the entrance with molten stone using his fire.
Shield won't find him here—not unless they used satellite thermal imaging, and even then, it would take days.
He knelt in the darkness of the cave, surrounded by silence.
This was his sanctuary.
He summoned the system interface.
[Would you like to enter another world?]
[Target World: Push (2009)]
[Estimated Time Limit: 72 hours.]
[Warning: Current Skill Loadout: High. Maximum absorption limit: Moderate. Suggest caution when devouring further abilities.]
Aiden didn't hesitate.
"Confirm."
The cave shimmered with light, the air cracking with static as reality itself twisted and folded inward.
And then, he vanished.
Gone from the Marvel Universe.
---
The world twisted violently as Aiden's consciousness was pulled from the mountain cave back into the alternate dimension. It was a feeling he was becoming more familiar with—like slipping between the cracks of reality, pulled through invisible threads of energy and will.
When the dizziness faded, he opened his eyes and immediately recognized where he had landed.
Nick's abandoned apartment.
The creaky burned wooden floor beneath his boots, the scattered clothes everywhere, the bed was in a mess —it wasn't exactly as he had left it, it was mostly like done by Pop Girl when she woke up.
The grimy windows filtered pale daylight through streaks of dust, casting long shadows that stretched like claws across the floor.
Aiden's gaze swept across the room, memories surging forward like a tidal wave. This place was more than just a setting in someone else's story—it was a reminder of a mistake he could never erase.
Last time he was here, his mind had been clouded, his actions driven by the Evil Heart—a parasitic ability that twisted ambition into madness. Coupled with his reckless devouring of powers back-to-back, he had lost control. Power had surged through him, but so had darkness. He could still feel the echo of what he'd done... what he had become.
In that state, he had f*rc£d himself on the girl known as Pop Girl.
Her real name he had no idea of—what mattered was that she went through something like that because of him.
Aiden clenched his fists, his expression hardening.
"I won't run from it," he whispered to himself.
He needed to find her—not just to apologize, but to offer her a choice, to make amends in a world that offered very few second chances.
He was on the road.
But it wasn't easy.
She still possessed her Watcher abilities—visions of the future, glimpses of possible timelines. That made her unpredictable, elusive. Every time he got close, she shifted course. Evaded him with ease.
To make matters worse, Aiden's own watcher power was laughably weak. At most, he could see too far ahead—and even that gave him useless information too frequently.
So he'd adapted.
He easily found a Sniff' and devoured his ability. Sniffs are highly developed psychometrics who can track the location of people or objects over varying distances.