Chapter Eighty-Seven: Cosmic Variables

“Is it really General Kyle?!” In just a few seconds, a wave of excitement swept through the streets of New York. Pedestrians, regardless of age or gender, rushed toward Kyle, and soon an exaggerated tide of people surged forward in waves, frenzied and unstoppable.

“Damn it, Ancient One, couldn’t you have chosen a less conspicuous exit…” Kyle gritted his teeth, and without a moment’s hesitation, dashed toward the nearby commercial building. With a powerful leap, he vaulted up to the signboard on the second floor.

The [Climbing] skill activated.

He stepped onto the wall above, the soles of his feet coated in a faint black glow, gripping the surface with extraordinary adhesion. He walked on the vertical wall as easily as if it were flat ground.

A few agile jumps and sprints—his escape was swift and fluid. In less than three seconds, Kyle had scaled the ten-meter-high facade of the building, slipping out of sight behind its walls.

Below, the crosswalk was blocked with people and vehicles, and fervent shouts echoed high above the city.

Half a minute later.

Kyle, now disguised as an office worker by his symbiote, walked cautiously along another street. Many pedestrians were only just realizing what had happened, gossiping as they rushed toward the scene of his appearance. Police cars sped by to maintain order.

“It was General Kyle! He showed up on the pedestrian street by the commercial building!”

“Where?! I want his autograph!”

“Get lost, General Kyle is mine!”

“He moved so fast—I heard he climbed up to the tenth floor and escaped.”

“You must have heard wrong! My friend said he jumped straight to the roof and vanished!”

“Come on. That building’s a hundred meters tall, but since it’s General Kyle, maybe he really could…”

As Kyle listened to the excited chatter of passersby, he couldn’t help but smile wryly, almost pulling his cap’s brim down to his sunglasses.

In this era, nearly devoid of celebrities, as the first superhero and a wartime symbol of national strength and conquest, Kyle was idolized with an unprecedented fervor.

“There are pros and cons to this…” He rubbed his chin. He’d initially planned only to establish himself in the Marvel world, achieve something, then slowly consider how to deal with future villains. Now, it seemed that his superhero fame was too overwhelming, making it impossible to keep a low profile.

“When the war ends, it’ll be time to consider retirement. Otherwise, even my private actions will attract the scrutiny of organizations worldwide.” Kyle pondered, recalling his earlier encounter with the Ancient One—the sense of dread and helplessness.

“The Ancient One likely doesn’t trust me so easily. Until I learn to control the Space Stone, I can’t risk taking it from the card space.”

“And, the magical abilities of the monks at Kamar-Taj—the force founded by the Ancient One—I must try to obtain them in the future!”

Kyle resolved, his blue eyes shining, striding away from the noisy streets toward his home.

Meanwhile, at Kamar-Taj, in a secluded residence expanded within one of the buildings.

Embers spun into a circle, opening a portal large enough for a person to walk through. With her hands clasped behind her back, the Ancient One stepped out.

“Master Ancient One.”

In the hall resembling a dojo, a black monk had been waiting. He bowed respectfully to the returning Ancient One.

She smiled and nodded.

With a hint of curiosity, the monk said, “Master, you have not left Kamar-Taj in nearly a hundred years. This time, you went out for a foreign major.”

“Major Kyle is no ordinary man.” The Ancient One frowned gently and said softly, “His body seems to have fused with a symbiotic life form from another planet. Even magical reading of his mind only reveals the chaotic thoughts of the symbiote.”

The monk responded solemnly, “An alien life form? Do you need me to deal with it?”

“No. That symbiote does not pose a sufficient threat to Earth. Besides, you must remember the true enemy we need to guard against.” The Ancient One reminded him, then walked away from the hall.

“America’s Kyle, huh? If I get the chance to go to the US, I’ll be sure to test him properly,” the monk murmured, committing the name to memory.

The Ancient One entered a subterranean library, placing the Eye of Agamotto in a book-shaped container, setting it alongside forbidden magic tomes, sealing them with magical chains.

There was one strange thing about Kyle she hadn’t shared with any other sorcerer.

Whenever she tried to look back through time, or send her soul through various timelines, she could never glimpse anything involving Kyle. That man seemed to have appeared in this world out of nowhere, disrupting the original future, shrouding countless possibilities in confusion and making prophecy impossible.

“Variable”—the Eastern term suited him best.

“Is he the hero destined to save the world, or the demon who will destroy it all…” The Ancient One sighed. As Earth’s guardian, she now faced a force far beyond her control, second only to the cosmic stones.

Brooklyn, Hailan Street.

Kyle, unaware of the Ancient One’s thoughts, proceeded to the address listed in the archives. He finally stopped in front of a duplex villa.

“If I remember correctly, this should be it.” He looked up. It was his first time “coming home.” After confirming the house number, he pressed the doorbell.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” The bright voice of a young woman came from behind the door.

After a moment, Lucy, dressed casually, cracked open the door, her amber eyes appraising the stranger at the threshold.

During wartime, few young men remained in New York, and there were many single young women living alone. Beautiful women were always cautious of unfamiliar men.

Especially someone as angelic as Lucy—recently, several “old gentlemen” had asked her about her address, for reasons she could only guess.

“Who are you? The milk was delivered this morning, and I didn’t order any newspapers,” Lucy said, warily eyeing the suspicious young man outside, his outfit, cap, and sunglasses concealing him thoroughly.

Kyle was briefly taken aback, then, with a mischievous grin, rasped, “Special delivery.”