"The Cube — one of the six Infinity Gems, one of the boundless energy cores of the universe. This power... it's truly fascinating."
Kain removed the nanoparticle alloy pendant from his neck, reshaping it into a wand.
Unfortunately, it wasn't his favorite: the Mind Gem. Otherwise, he would have inlaid this Space Gem into it without hesitation.
Compared to just wielding its energy, Kain was more interested in feeling the raw power of the Space Gem — to shape and modify his personal dimension, Kamui. Whether expanding it or stabilizing it, the Space Gem could make it possible.
"Is this what you've been obsessing over? What exactly can it do?"
Betty, dragging her limp body off the bed, looked over to find Kain still toying with the Cube. Curiosity got the better of her.
"It's incredibly useful — practically one-sixth of the universe in your hand."
Kain explained, "It's one of the six most powerful gems in existence. This is the Space Gem. It contains limitless energy. Any race or civilization that gets hold of it can dominate an entire sector of the universe. Let me put it this way — if I had this for twenty years, I could evolve human civilization to an interstellar level."
The Ark Reactor was impressive in terms of energy output, but in comparison to the Space Gem, it was like a flashlight next to a star.
"Betty, from now on, this will be top-secret in the Hive Lab. We'll put the entire area under martial law. This is now the most valuable secret of the Pent Group."
Kain had once believed that space travel via aircraft carriers was inefficient. But now? With limitless energy in his hands, that concern vanished.
"I understand, dear."
Although Betty was human, she grasped the significance of the Cube. Still, with so much on her plate, it would take some time before she could help with any space exploration plans.
"You're leaving already? Why not just take the day off?" Kain tried to persuade her.
"Don't joke — I wouldn't last another round," she replied, half-teasing, half-exhausted.
She headed to the shower, then changed into a new uniform and pulled on her black filament suit in front of him — almost provoking another round from Kain.
Sensing that the temperature in the room was rising again, Betty quickly contacted her guards and assistants, instructing them to meet her at the manor's gate.
After she left, Kain turned his attention back to the Cube, eager to absorb its power.
Hydra had conducted extensive research on extracting energy from the Cube. Even during World War II, they had developed weapons based on its power.
But their research was rushed, and internal conflict plagued the organization. If they'd been united, would the Allies have really stood a chance?
Kain had since inherited almost all of Hydra's legacy. Over half of their scientists now worked for him, stationed at Umbrella headquarters and the upper levels of the underground Hive. He had even retrieved a device Hydra once designed to harness arcane energy from the Cube.
As soon as he got the Cosmic Cube, Kain instructed the Red Queen to send a message to Anton, his sons, and Hydra's former researchers.
They were to immediately begin constructing a new device capable of extracting energy from the Cube — especially now that the Ark Reactor based on new elements was unstable.
The energy of an Infinity Stone was unrivaled. Powering an entire planet would be child's play.
"Aside from triggering the Cube to destabilize its internal energy, the outer casing — essentially a seal — should be removed. That would allow better absorption of the gemstone's power."
Still, how exactly to absorb that energy remained a mystery. It had never truly been done before. Hydra's method of energy extraction failed to make the power usable.
In fact, it was more efficient for Kain to absorb natural planetary energy than to rely on Hydra's flawed process.
Kain stared down at the Cube in his hand, deep in thought — determined to unlock its secrets, no matter the cost.
Later, Kain began arranging various magic circles within the Kamui space. Using alchemical runes for absorption and transformation, he established over 300 interconnected magic circles throughout the dimension.
This time, Kain first shattered the outer shell of the Cube and placed the Space Gem at the center of the main array.
Hum!
As the magic circle activated, more than 300 circles—large and small—lit up in sequence, glowing with golden magic runes. The Space Gem at the center began to overflow with immense energy, reacting to the runes inscribed around it.
But rather than leaking away, this energy was efficiently absorbed and stored by the array, slowly transformed and channeled into Kamui space.
"It's working. It looks like the space has expanded significantly—and it's more stable now."
Kain's eyes shifted, revealing his dart-shaped Mangekyō pattern. Since Kamui was his personal space tied to his ocular power, he could clearly sense the subtle changes.
Cosmic energy—especially from an Infinity Gem—served as a foundation for creating and maintaining entire star systems. With this much energy feeding into Kamui, the benefits were substantial.
"The space is larger, and both the transfer speed and void-time have improved. But there must be a limit to how much it can expand... and there's still no life here."
The power of the Infinity Gems was unparalleled. Anyone who could truly master them would be the strongest being in the universe. However, there was something unusual—despite their potential, the energy within the gems was extremely difficult to absorb.
Even Captain Marvel, who transformed from an ordinary human into a cosmic powerhouse, hadn't continued absorbing energy from the Cube. Her transformation was almost a freak occurrence—one that couldn't be replicated.
Most beings, like Thanos, relied on tools or external devices to use the power of the Infinity Stones rather than absorbing them directly.
Kain had just tried it himself. The energy of the Space Gem was impossible to absorb directly. Any attempt to do so would only destroy his body. The best method was to channel the gem's power into something else that could safely handle and transmit it—like a sacred tree, a magical artifact, or a wand.
"Cosmic energy is truly unique," Kain mused. "Unless by some rare coincidence, it simply can't be absorbed directly. But even so, it can still expand Kamui and enhance my ocular technique."
He pondered further: being able to teleport to any location in the universe and fully master the power of an Infinity Gem would make one virtually invincible.
Even Vision, who possessed the Mind Stone, hadn't utilized it nearly as effectively as Ultron. Ultron, built from the Mind Stone's research, was practically an extension of its will. His mastery of its power surpassed nearly everyone in the universe—even Thanos, who could only use the Stones through his gauntlet.
Ultron didn't need tools—he was the tool.
With SHIELD and Hydra both nearly destroyed, Kain found himself with fewer immediate concerns. Around the world, governments began hunting down remnants of both organizations, seeing them as two heads of the same serpent.
SHIELD and Hydra were now engaged in open conflict. Nick Fury refused to let Hydra go unchecked, but despite many senior members being captured in the U.S., Hydra still held dominance overseas, thanks to its deep-rooted infiltration.
To make matters worse, the Avengers had all been captured.
Meanwhile, the first batch of students enhanced with magical power had already been sent to the newly established Magic Academy. Kain's shadow clone had assumed the role of their instructor—more nanny than professor.
Alongside him were the Red Queen and other supporting staff, but when it came to magic itself, only Kain and the students had any real connection to it.
These students were expected to complete a seven-year training program.
If they failed, their memories would be sealed, and they'd be given a generous sum of money to quietly return to their normal high school lives.
"Praise be to Kain, the Supreme God of Thunder and Fire."
This was the sentence every magic student was required to recite before class. Whenever they spoke it aloud, it resonated with the magic circle in Kain's Kamui space—and Kain could sense it.
In addition, Kain had instructed Laura to use the Pent Group's resources to identify key locations across the United States for constructing magic circles. With their power and reach, these circles would be spread across the nation within just a few years.
"Hold on, Simmons, we're almost there!"
Sharon Carter urged her companion, trying to encourage her amid the chaos. Hydra's counterattack—bolstered by the U.S. military—was overwhelming. She hadn't even had the chance to reconnect with Coulson. Now, she was on the run with Jemma Simmons, desperately seeking safety.
But without S.H.I.E.L.D.'s logistical support, even Sharon Carter could barely keep going. Eventually, she was forced to choose the last place she wanted to go.
She didn't know what kind of price she might have to pay there, but it was certainly better than ending up in prison.
Sharon had seen the reports—all of the Avengers had been imprisoned. The U.S. might grant pardons or absorb low-level operatives from S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, but high-ranking agents like herself had only one fate: prison.
If they were lucky, they'd be released after a few decades… just to receive a meager pension and live out the rest of their lives digging through trash cans.
That wasn't the future Sharon Carter wanted. She had to escape. She had to find a way to be pardoned—to save herself.
Jemma Simmons stared nervously out the car window. The route was becoming more and more familiar. Her voice trembled:
"Agent Carter… where are we going?"
After a long pause, Sharon finally replied, "To Kain's manor. He's the only one who can change what's happening to us."
Simmons went pale. "No—stop! I'm not going anywhere near him! Stop the car, Agent Carter!"
The moment she heard the name "Kain," memories of that nightmare resurfaced. It had ruined everything. Her relationship with Fitz had fallen apart afterward.
And even though she'd been promoted to Level 6 Agent, it had come at a cost—her own body, taken by a snake in the grass.
Screech!
The car came to a sudden halt.
Sharon turned to her with a solemn look.
"I know what you're thinking, Simmons. But if we don't do this, there's only one outcome waiting for us: arrest, trial, and a prison sentence. Decades behind bars.
If that's the path you want, I won't stop you. Get out now. But within days, either the U.S. military or Hydra will track you down."
Jemma froze. Two choices stood before her—both terrifying.
She hated the idea of facing Kain again. But the thought of rotting in a cell for decades… or falling into Hydra's hands…
Compared to that…
Silence hung in the car for over ten minutes. The road was empty. There was no other way forward but the one leading to Kain's manor.
Finally, Sharon spoke softly.
"Sometimes, we have to compromise. Sometimes we have to pay a price… to gain something greater."
Simmons closed her eyes for a long moment, then said quietly, "Drive, Agent Carter. I know what I have to do."
But just as she finished speaking—
Vrrrroooom!
The sound of engines echoed from behind.
"Damn it—it's probably Hydra. They're catching up!"
Sharon slammed the accelerator, pushing the car to its limit as they sped down the road toward the only place that might still offer hope:
Kain's Manor.
…
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