Return to the X-Men Universe and a Change of Circumstances.

"I've nearly saved up enough Ability Points. Time to patch up my most glaring weakness right now."

The match ended. Leaving Starlight behind for her post-match interview, Ron turned and slowly walked toward the backstage area.

A few days ago, he'd displayed abilities different from Homelander's. Vought should be catching on by now, starting to doubt whether he truly inherited all of Homelander's power.

They might test him soon. If the result was no, he'd lose his current freedom within Vought.

Because Vought could use Homelander as a weapon to suppress and control him.

"In terms of defense and destructive power, I'm not far behind Homelander."

Add in his other abilities, and if they fought at a normal person's speed, even Homelander couldn't take him down easily.

But Homelander would never willingly slow down to fight him.

"With the Black King's power, when my energy is full, my speed far exceeds an ordinary person's, but it's not exceptionally fast."

At most, a few dozen meters per second. If I factored in Survival of the Fittest, I might catch up to A-Train and Shockwave, who break the sound barrier, but I'm still far from Homelander.

In a fight, I'd suffer a huge disadvantage in speed—maybe even a total defeat.

"That won't do."

He shook his head slightly.

"Spend 2000 Ability Points to return to a specific time-space coordinate in the X-Men universe?

Yes."

Backstage, Ron selected yes, and his figure vanished.

Not just crossing universes this time, but also crossing time. It cost a few more points.

Still well within what he could easily afford.

X-Men universe, 1963.

Five months.

Five months had passed since the super fleet near Earth's poles was destroyed, shocking the globe and exposing the existence of mutants to worldwide attention.

People suddenly realized that among them, a group of genetic mutants with all kinds of abilities had always been hiding.

Many of them looked strange, like monsters. Most possessed bizarre powers—some could read minds, create hurricanes, or even easily conquer a small country.

To ordinary people, they seemed weak and insignificant.

Panic spread across the world. Governments scrambled, tense and urgent, launching targeted research and actions to prepare for any disaster mutants might bring.

"Ron's back. And we've let things get to this state."

New York, a safe house.

Raven and White Queen were in a room, faces grim and brows furrowed. They'd been forced to hole up here for seven or eight days.

They'd just received a call about Ron's return, but Raven's brief joy quickly sank into disappointment and self-blame.

Because the plan Ron had entrusted to her—that she was supposed to execute—had run into trouble.

"What's wrong, Raven? Emma?"

Ron, wearing a silver-gray suit and a stern silver-gray helmet, stepped in slowly, calm and composed, with a light smile.

"Last time I came back, I remember you two were on the top floor of the commercial building you acquired, handling company matters as president and vice president. How did you end up here?"

He hadn't been at ease with the X-Men universe's affairs. During the process, he'd returned once to check in, and to comfort Raven after their two-month separation, staying with her for a few days before leaving again.

Last time he returned, the two had followed his plan, acquired a tech-commercial company, renamed it Umbrella, and rapidly rose on that foundation to become one of America's leading tech firms.

They'd built connections with many industry giants, expanded their scale, recruited talent—they were in a phase of rapid growth.

But this time, through the call, Raven told him the company had run into some trouble. Even their meeting place had changed—not at headquarters, but at a safe house prepared for emergencies.

Still, he knew something had gone wrong, but nothing too serious.

If there's a problem, find a way to solve it. As long as the people who form the foundation are still here, that's what matters.

"Ron, something's changed."

Raven, tall and slender in a long-sleeved shirt and blue trousers, walked up and hugged him, her eyes slightly red, speaking with self-reproach.

It was clear that through this period of business training, she was no longer the little girl who panicked at every setback. Her personality had matured and toughened. Her every move carried a bit more decisiveness and efficiency, showing hints of a female CEO's demeanor.

Her eyes were red mostly because, facing difficulties, she couldn't help but lose control upon seeing her lover after more than two months apart.

"Where's the change coming from?"

Ron gently stroked her back, comforting Raven softly for a few moments, then pulled her by the waist as he leaned back on the sofa, looking at Emma as he asked slowly.

"In this country, there's little the 'Smiling Boy' can't handle, especially since the early plan only involved business. Did his mutant identity get exposed, dragging you into it?"

His usual calm tone also infected the two. They found their anchor again, steadying themselves slightly.

Kenny cooperating so readily wasn't because he had any other choice. Mutants were already special enough, and adding the fact that the first mutant to expose their existence to the public was the world's biggest terrorist, the world's vigilance and hostility toward mutants would likely be pushed to the maximum.

As president, he probably couldn't keep it hidden for long either. Sooner or later, everything he'd built over years in politics would collapse. So pledging allegiance to Ron, following his orders, and trading that for a future was his only option.

"No, the president's side isn't causing problems for now."

White Queen Emma—blonde hair, appearing to be a woman in her early thirties, elegant in bearing, wearing a clean-cut white ladies' suit—knew exactly who Ron meant by "Smiling Boy." She frowned as she reported.

"Ron, after you left last time, we've been developing smoothly. Until a few days ago, we were attacked."

Ron had rescued and subjugated the White Queen; their relationship was master and subordinate, with him in charge.

"Attacked?"

"Were your identities exposed?"

If it had been an attack from ordinary humans, the two of them would have dealt with it long ago.

Emma began recounting what had happened during that period.

With the foundation Emma's Hellfire Club had built and her Psionic Ability, that originally sizable tech company, after being renamed, kept acquiring other companies.

In less than half a year, it had become one of the leading tech companies in America, and was quietly reaching into fields like medicine and national defense, rapidly advancing toward becoming a global tech giant.

But a few days ago, someone suddenly attacked them.

"A few nights ago, Raven and I were on our way home after handling company matters when we were suddenly attacked. The entire security detail was coldly killed, including several of our fellow mutants we'd recruited."

"There was only one attacker. His mouth looked sewn shut, his eyelids had been cut off, and he could extend long blades from his hands. He had multiple abilities—mechanical, cold, like an emotionless biological weapon."

"I nearly died. Raven managed to escape with me using the teleportation ability she'd newly copied."

"Oh? Mouth sewn shut, eyelids cut off..."

Ron raised an eyebrow slightly. Hearing that description, he immediately thought of some pitiful chatterbox and knew exactly who was behind orchestrating this attack.

"From that biological weapon-like guy, I copied many abilities."

"But I'm not familiar with using them yet. And there was one powerful ability related to bones that I could never copy."

Raven recalled, frowning as she added.

"Because of that, I couldn't beat him. I could only flee."