The moment the system prompt rang in his mind, Luke's pulse quickened.
Originally, he had guessed this encounter might net him two plot points at best. The Venom storyline, after all, wasn't a central pillar of the MCU. Venom never joined the Avengers, never stood among the greats who shaped the fate of the universe. In the grand tapestry, he was a side thread, notable but not crucial.
Worse, in this version of events, Doggo had stepped into the fight early. Venom himself barely had a chance to take part, which should have lowered the potential reward. By every bit of logic, the system shouldn't have been this generous.
And yet, he still got five points.
Luke glanced at the faint glow of the interface in his mind, his lips tugging upward. Five whole points meant the total had finally crossed the threshold for promotion.
From Level 4 to Level 5.
The system had remained the same for so long, its upgrades coming slower and slower with each stage. Now, finally, it has moved again.
…
On the platform, the wind from the distant ocean was cool against his face. Doggo had already returned to his rotund, almost comical form, Phage retreating deep inside to rest. The adrenaline of the fight had passed, leaving only the sound of the waves against the docked platform and the dull hum of the giant rocket beside them.
Luke held Riot casually in one hand, the symbiote limp and unresisting. It was strange to see such a once-arrogant creature reduced to this quivering, gelatinous scrap.
A few hundred meters away, Eddie and Venom hovered in place, frozen in indecision. Luke hadn't even looked in their direction, but the memory of what they'd just witnessed kept them rigid with fear.
Venom's voice muttered in Eddie's head.
"We're leaving. Now."
Before Eddie could argue, the black sheen of the symbiote covered him again, and in one smooth movement, they leapt into the dark water below. The splash was swallowed by the waves.
Luke didn't even bother to follow them with his eyes. They weren't worth the energy.
From above, the deep, familiar whir of Bumblebee's engines drew closer. The Autobot descended slowly, his yellow paint reflecting the faint orange of the raising sun.
Luke opened the driver's door with an easy smile and slid into the seat. Doggo clambered in behind him, grunting softly as if the earlier meal had left him sluggish.
"Let's go home," Luke said quietly.
He tossed Riot into the back seat without ceremony, the gooey mass making a faint splat as it landed.
Luke leaned back, eyes closing, or at least appearing to. His mind was already elsewhere.
'Open the system panel,' he commanded inwardly.
The familiar blue light curtain shimmered into being before him:
[Host: Luke Yale
System Level: 5 (50 plot points required for Level 6; new functions and time variations will activate upon upgrade.)
Plot points: 2 remaining
Mutation range: Any living or non-living matter connected to the host, including the surrounding space.
Negative Mutation Ability: Any life form harboring evil thoughts toward the host will suffer negative mutation. (At Level 6, this will expand to include anything the host dislikes, be it creature or object.)
Probability of mutation:
First-order: 10%
Second-order: 30%
Third-order: 30%
Fourth-order: 20%
Fifth-order: 10%
Sixth-order: 1% (triggered only in extreme emergencies)
Seventh-order: 0%]
Luke read each line slowly, letting the implications sink in.
The probabilities had shifted again, fewer low-level mutations, higher odds for advanced ones. And now… the door to sixth-order had opened.
Even Gul'dan, in all his monstrous might, was only fifth-order. A sixth-order in this world? Luke's mind flickered with possibilities. In the Marvel Universe, something at that level might not even fear Thanos.
Then there was the upgrade to negative mutation, no longer requiring someone to openly declare their hatred. A mere thought against him was enough to doom them.
Luke smirked. His enemies were going to have a very bad time.
And then… the last change.
Space.
The range of his mutations now included space itself.
It was the kind of power that was hard to wrap his mind around. Could he really bend the world's fabric like the Space Stone? Step anywhere just by willing it?
As the idea took root, his mind leapt ahead. What if I wanted to be back on the helicarrier right now? Could I just…
"Boss." Bumblebee's voice cut through his thoughts, tinged with unease.
Luke opened his eyes.
"I think… space just rippled," Bumblebee said slowly. "Like… like the air itself was bending. I saw it."
The Autobot's tone was cautious, and for someone as advanced as him, caution meant something very serious just happened.
Luke was about to ask for details when his surroundings shifted.
No sound. No warning. Just a blink and the world had changed.
They were on top of the helicarrier.
The same massive vessel that hovered over 58th Avenue in Manhattan. Thousands of kilometers from San Francisco.
Bumblebee's optics widened in disbelief. "That's… impossible."
Luke stared at the deck beneath them, his own mind reeling. He didn't need Bumblebee's explanation. The system's prompt appeared at once:
[Ding~ The space in front of the host felt the host's eager desire to return home. It has mutated and connected to the space above Manhattan.]
Luke's grin widened, slow and unstoppable, almost reaching his ears.
It worked.
He could really go anywhere.
And unlike the Space Stone, there was no blue cube to hold, no limits. Just his will and the system's power.
"Wow…" Luke whispered. "This… it changes everything."
…