Marvel: Starting as a Time Criminal, Stealing Powers

Plop.

After scanning Kang the Conqueror's memories, Russell casually threw his body to the ground.

The next second, flames flickered in Russell's pupils—and Kang's body instantly ignited, turning into a pile of white ash in the blink of an eye.

"Council of Kangs… remnants."

Russell's expression grew contemplative.

In Kang's memory, he saw the origins of Scarlet Centurion, Rama-Tut, and Immortus—the three most powerful variants and the current rulers of the Council of Kangs.

Scarlet Centurion, whose real name is Marcus Kang, is actually Kang's own son.

But it wasn't Marcus who betrayed his father—it was Kang who tried to eliminate his own son.

Rama-Tut, a scientist from the future, had traveled back to ancient Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh, posing as the incarnation of the sun god Amon-Ra.

There even seemed to be a strange connection between him and the Theban Pantheon—though that was only Kang's speculation.

As for Immortus—he was the true mastermind behind the Council.

A manipulator of various forms of energy, Immortus was, in Kang's mind, the most sinister, cunning, and powerful of them all.

It was he who orchestrated Kang's exile into the Quantum Realm.

Then there was He Who Remains—the mysterious "Relic Kang."

The reason Kang had reacted so violently at the mention of his name… was because he had discovered a terrifying truth.

When Kang found himself stranded in the "820 Sub-Realm," disconnected from the timeline, suppressed memories began to resurface.

He realized that both he and the Council had already lost the great time war.

That mysterious scientist—who pretended to uphold the sacred timeline in Loki—wasn't just managing time neutrally.

In order to win the war, he had created a weapon: the Time Twister.

A weapon imbued with the essence of time itself.

It could attack the "present" by manipulating the "past" and "future."

With it, he slaughtered all mutants and shattered the timeline entirely.

He won.

Kang, exiled by the Council in the past, had simply become a detached remnant by accident.

A relic.

A ghost afraid of the ones left behind.

Russell wasn't particularly concerned with the Council of Kangs. That kind of timeline-hopping organization wasn't a problem until even the Supreme Alliance started to worry.

What caught his attention was the Time Twister—its method of attack sounded… unnerving.

If he ever encountered it, caution would be essential.

Just then, a familiar system prompt rang in his mind:

[Plundered Entry Acquired]

[Supreme Technology (Purple-Gold Grade)]

You have obtained all the scientific knowledge of time traveler Nathaniel Richards, along with advanced creative capabilities.

As the knowledge was downloaded, Russell's mind immediately understood how to construct an entire suite of next-gen technologies—gravity generators, time ships, neural-link systems, electromagnetic confinement zones, fission-ray weaponry, and more.

So long as he had the materials, he could build it all by hand.

More importantly, Kang's knowledge had drastically deepened Russell's own understanding of time and space.

But the most exciting part was the electromagnetic confinement field—he'd experienced its power firsthand.

And now, with Thor's divine lightning coursing through him, once he acquires Magneto's entry, he'll be able to replicate that electromagnetic control without a single device.

And perhaps even exceed it.

This was the perfect fusion of knowledge and power.

If Magneto had a complete understanding of theoretical physics, he wouldn't just control magnetism—he could manipulate force itself.

If his body could endure it—or if his magnetic power was strong enough—he could even crush a black hole with his bare hands.

Sadly, Magneto was more of a combat genius than an academic.

But Russell was different. With his current level of theoretical knowledge, he could be considered a top physicist—even by 31st-century standards.

He now greatly looked forward to obtaining Magneto's entry.

Even if the Supreme Alliance didn't compensate him, he would jump to another timeline on his own just to get it.

With a low chuckle, Russell soared into the sky and flew toward Ant-Man and the others in a flash.

Except for the female rebel leader, who'd been nervously watching the earlier explosion from afar, none of the others seemed worried.

They never believed for a moment that Kang had any chance of winning.

Russell glanced at The Wasp and gave a grateful nod.

"Thank you. If it weren't for your help, Kang might have escaped."

"Tell me your wish—whether it's incredible power, endless wealth, or even immortality… I'll grant it."

Scott Lang's eyes went wide with shock.

He didn't even know what his mother-in-law had done—but that kind of reward!?

Especially the "immortality" part—his heart skipped a beat just hearing it.

But Janet Van Dyne only bowed slightly, her tone gentle:

"Compared to saving Earth and all of humanity, what I did is hardly worth mentioning."

"Besides, I'm one of the lives you resurrected."

It was only because the Ancient One had explained everything to her that she'd willingly shrunk down to help.

As she spoke, a smile appeared on her face. She added,

"But if you really want to grant me something—please help me find Hank and my daughter. They're here too."

Russell was a little surprised.

An elder who could resist temptation in the Marvel Universe? Rare indeed.

She was… genuinely a good person.

"Then I wish you happiness, ma'am."

Touched by her sincerity, Russell raised his hand and gently placed his palm on Janet's head.

In that instant, a soft, sacred white light radiated from his hand and flowed into her body.

At this moment, Janet felt an overwhelming sense of relief—as if she had returned to the state of an unborn child.

Warmth. Peace.

All the injuries and aging that had accumulated over the years vanished in an instant.

Scott and Cassie watched in stunned silence as the wrinkles and dullness on Janet's face disappeared. Her loose skin tightened, her vitality returned.

From someone in her sixties… she reverted to her twenties—glowing, young, and full of life.

The two were speechless.

"Isn't this a divine blessing?!"

"And you still claim you're not a god?"

Russell let go of Janet's head. In that moment, he gained a deeper comprehension of the sacred power within him.

Blessing.

It wasn't just limited to rejuvenation—it could heal injuries, bestow invulnerability, grant strength, resist curses, and more.

He already possessed these powers, but now he understood them on a whole new level.

"Thank you."

Janet bowed her head once more. But this time, her eyes carried something different.

She had a strong sense of conviction now—a divine intuition that she was witnessing a god walking among mortals.

And she was not just a witness… but a believer.

Russell, who disliked reading minds, didn't know what she was thinking.

Instead, he turned to the female rebel leader who was still frozen in awe and said calmly:

"From now on, the Quantum Realm has no conqueror. Tell your resistance forces they can reclaim this place."

"Also…" —he lifted his hand toward the fortress—"this is your reward for showing me the way."

With that, all the modified soldiers who had been under Kang's control suddenly rose into the air like puppets.

Then Russell clenched his fist.

Crackle!

Each soldier twisted violently midair as blue electrical sparks exploded from their bodies—obliterated instantly.

The rebel leader pushed down the shock in her heart and bowed respectfully, mirroring Janet:

"Great Savior, all sentient beings in the Quantum Realm will be forever grateful."

She wasn't asking for blessings—just performing a respectful human salute.

The rest unfolded quickly.

Thanks to the rebel communication network, Wasp and Dr. Hank Pym soon arrived at the fortress.

Both of them had believed this trip into the Quantum Realm would be a life-or-death battle.

Instead, it felt more like a guided tour—though the dangers had been very real.

In front of the reactivated temporal energy core, Russell looked at Wasp and Ant-Man and warned:

"Once you're inside, don't let your thoughts wander too much. Thinking too hard will create too many alternate possibilities."

"Just focus. Recognize yourself as the only real one, and deliver the amplifier into the core's center."

"I've already blessed both of you with good fortune… but you still need to be cautious."

Wasp nodded solemnly. Scott, however, looked visibly excited.

For once, he felt like he could really help the Sorcerer Supreme.

Finally… he wasn't useless.

Wasp took Scott's hand and pulled him into the Storm of Possibilities.

Russell stood quietly, watching from outside the storm, hoping there wouldn't be any accidents.

After all, in the Quantum Realm… there was no going back in time.

A few minutes passed.

The ground suddenly trembled.

The massive core—once the size of a stadium—began to shrink rapidly as the wild energy storm within it gradually stabilized.

Finally—click—a glowing sphere, roughly the size of a fist, dropped to the ground. It pulsed with white light.

Wasp and Ant-Man followed soon after, tumbling out and looking thoroughly battered.

Cassie rushed forward and helped them to their feet.

"That… was terrifying!"

Scott ripped off his helmet, gasping for breath.

A second ago, he'd been attacked by hundreds of duplicate Wasps who wanted to beat him senseless. It had been a horror show!

But now that the mission was done, he broke into a proud grin, marched over to Russell, and said cheerfully:

"Mission accomplished, Sorcerer Supreme!"

Russell picked up the glowing core, and a message flashed on the Time Tablet:

[Backup energy detected. Initiate coordinate transmission?]

Success.

Russell didn't open a portal just yet—first, he had to send Ant-Man and the others back.

This part was simple. With the knowledge and tech left behind by Kang, building a basic quantum transmitter was child's play.

And so came the farewells.

One by one, the group returned to their original reality.

Scott left with a bitter expression—he didn't want to go, but he was the second to last.

The very last… was Cassie.

She didn't dare say anything inappropriate, but asked timidly:

"C-Can I… hug you?"

Russell, ever composed, nodded slightly and granted the small request.

Cassie's eyes lit up with pure joy. She immediately hugged him tightly and didn't want to let go.

After more than ten seconds, she finally stepped back—reluctantly.

In that moment, she made a vow:

When she returned to college, she would find a new church and dedicate her life to becoming a priest of the divine.

So that one day, when she died… she could enter the Kingdom of Heaven—and be with him forever.

Transmission: closed.

Russell paused.

He felt… something change.

It was vague—like a shadow shifting behind the curtain of reality. He couldn't quite put it into words.

An illusion?

Or something real?

He shook his head. For now, he sensed nothing dangerous.

There was no reason to linger in the Quantum Realm any longer.

He had already wasted enough days in the void. The bald-headed alliance (the Sorcerers) was probably getting impatient.

Connecting the temporal core to his Time Tablet, Russell activated a new portal.

The gateway to time and space opened.

And with no hesitation, he stepped through.

The next chapter of his journey…

would no longer follow the Sacred Timeline.

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