Recaps

Qi Jun tested how the [Mutated Stone]’s energy cost changed when he tried to materialize a Glock 19. After finding that scrap materials reduced the cost, he began a final experiment using firearm blueprints.

• Qi Jun searched his new home and gathered discarded plastic and scrap iron for experiments.
• Qi Jun found that materializing a Glock 19 from only its name and appearance would cost 1 energy point, so he abandoned the attempt.
• Qi Jun found that using the scrap materials reduced the cost to 0.7 energy points, but he still saved his energy.
• Qi Jun began his final experiment by memorizing a complete set of firearm manufacturing blueprints and preparing to use them with the scrap materials.

Qi Jun tested the [Mutated Stone] with gun blueprints and materials, discovering that they halved the energy cost of manifestation. The chapter leaves him considering what other hidden properties the stone might have.

• Qi Jun supplied detailed Glock blueprints and manufacturing materials to the [Mutated Stone].
• The [Mutated Stone] reported a cost of 0.5 energy points, half the cost without blueprints or materials.
• Qi Jun noted that he had found the Glock blueprints online in the United States and reflected on the barriers to entering the arms industry.
• Qi Jun concluded that the [Mutated Stone] had hidden properties he still needed to uncover.

After discovering he could manifest objects with the Reality Stone, Qi Jun imagined creating advanced technology but realized his 14 energy points would not be enough. He planned to make an English Mastery Skill Book cheaply so he could build a foundation and protect himself.

• Qi Jun fantasized about manifesting nuclear weapons, a fusion reactor, artificial intelligence, and Iron Man Armor.
• He saw that he had only 14 energy points and resolved to find a way to obtain the Infinity Stones while first gaining the power to protect himself.
• Qi Jun decided to master English and chose a battered book as the material for a Skill Book.
• He planned to copy English-related memories from someone proficient and use the [Mutated Stone] to turn the book into an absorbable English Mastery Skill Book.

Qi Jun used the Reality Stone to turn a battered book into an English Proficiency Skill Book. He activated it with a gentle pat, and the book shot into his mind.

• Qi Jun considered several people before choosing an old man as the target for materializing an English skill book.
• Qi Jun used the [Mutated Stone] to create an English Proficiency Skill Book for 5 energy points.
• The book changed into a small, lightweight gray volume labeled "English Proficiency Skill Book."
• Qi Jun patted the skill book, which transformed into a streak of light and entered his mind.

Qi Jun experienced the old man's lifetime of learning and using English after copying those memories, then marveled at how completely he had mastered the language. He realized that copying all of someone’s memories might erase his sense of self and planned to create Skill Books from Big Daddy’s or Hit-Girl’s combat abilities.

• Qi Jun watched the old man's English-learning memories unfold from childhood through old age.
• Qi Jun recovered from the unsettling feeling of experiencing what seemed like a lifetime and worried that copying all of someone's memories could change who he was.
• Qi Jun found that he had mastered fluent American English, including regional accents and slang.
• Qi Jun decided to use energy points that night to materialize Big Daddy’s or Hit-Girl’s firearm and hand-to-hand combat abilities as Skill Books.

Qi Jun realized that his ability could turn other people's powers into Skill Books, giving him a way to gain strength despite having no foundation. He imagined using the [Mutated Stone] to enhance those books, but the chapter ended with him facing his mere 9 energy points.

• Qi Jun celebrated using a Skill Book and considered how it could help him develop combat strength.
• Qi Jun realized that turning abilities into Skill Books amounted to copying them.
• Qi Jun speculated that the [Mutated Stone] could enhance Skill Books and imagined defeating Sunset Thanos with a vastly upgraded ability.
• Qi Jun returned to reality, looked at his 9 energy points, and sighed.

Qi Jun considered ways to obtain energy and decided that First-Generation Arc Reactors could sustain his early development while he pursued the Infinity Stones. He left the chapter secretly scheming to exploit resources and powerful artifacts across the Marvel world.

• Qi Jun realized that scavenging corpses could not provide enough energy and concluded that he needed the Infinity Stones.
• Qi Jun decided to disrupt the events of Iron Man 2 and use First-Generation Arc Reactors as an interim energy source.
• Qi Jun considered kidnapping Ivan Vanko and brainwashing him to produce Arc Reactors, while wondering whether Krypton reactors could draw on the Space Stone.
• Qi Jun weighed infiltrating Hydra and absorbing energy from Wakanda’s vibranium, the Inhumans’ Terrigen Crystals, and Mjolnir.
• Qi Jun wondered whether Odin’s consciousness remained inside Mjolnir and whether absorbing the hammer could affect the God of Hammers.

Qi Jun used his laptop to investigate the world he had crossed into, finding clues about Oscorp and Harry Osborn’s age. He wondered which versions of Marvel characters existed and decided to deal with Ivan Vanko before pursuing Spider-Man’s abilities.

• Qi Jun realized he had not yet researched the world and opened his laptop to search for information.
• Qi Jun found references to the Captain America museum and Oscorp Industries, and learned Harry Osborn was twelve.
• Qi Jun speculated that the world combined different Spider-Man versions and considered meeting Peter Parker and copying his Spider-Sense.
• Qi Jun decided to handle Ivan Vanko first because copying Spider-Man’s abilities would likely cost too much energy.
• Qi Jun searched for information about mutants and tried to recall the name of Xavier’s school.

Qi Jun searched for signs of mutants and the X-Men, found none, and concluded he was probably in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He felt reassured that he would not face the dangers of the Marvel Comics Universe.

• Qi Jun tried to recall Professor X’s address in Westchester County but could not remember it.
• Qi Jun searched for mutant figures, the Sentinel Program, William Stryker, and Trask Industries, but found no trace of them.
• Qi Jun concluded that the world was probably the Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than the Marvel Comics Universe.
• Qi Jun felt relieved that he would not have to fear dying from a passing thought or the Snap.

Qi Jun considered the dangers of the Marvel universe, then tried to relax before sensing that something was wrong. He began wondering whether the Mutated Stone had given him an ability to detect surveillance, and the thought of someone coming from the future startled him.

• Qi Jun decided the Marvel Cinematic Universe was safer than the comics and trusted the Mutated Reality Stone to protect him from being erased by a snap.
• Qi Jun stopped looking through information, stretched on the sofa, and enjoyed the sunlight before reminding himself that laziness was dangerous in the Marvel Universe.
• Qi Jun stood up to get water and suddenly sensed that something was wrong.
• Qi Jun considered whether someone was watching him or whether the Mutated Stone had given him a new ability, then dismissed the idea of surveillance.
• Qi Jun wondered if someone could have traveled from the future and exclaimed in shock.

Qi Jun searched his rooms for a possible observer but found no one and tried to dismiss his suspicions. While standing in the sunlight, he realized it gave off no warmth, leaving him alarmed by the abnormal discovery.

• Qi Jun searched every room and checked the windows for anyone watching him, but found nothing.
• Qi Jun wondered whether he was overthinking things or whether an observer had already left.
• Qi Jun leaned by a window and watched the crowds below while reconsidering his suspicions.
• Qi Jun noticed that the sunlight shining into the room gave him no warmth, even when he held out his hands.

Qi Jun tested the temperature changes in his room and discovered that his body stayed at a constant temperature regardless of the surroundings or exercise. He also sensed an invisible force restoring his energy and slightly compacting his muscles.

• Qi Jun recalled the [Mutated Stone]'s functions and began experimenting to understand his body's changes.
• Qi Jun cooled the room and found that he felt no temperature change, though he could still feel cold objects through touch.
• Qi Jun heated the room and found that his body still felt comfortable, while touched objects felt warm or hot.
• Qi Jun ran and jumped until exhausted, then noticed his body temperature quickly returned to normal and his energy came back.
• Qi Jun sensed an invisible force coursing through his body and found that his muscles had become slightly more compact.

Qi Jun realized that the [Mutated Stone] absorbed sunlight and harmful energy to keep his body at a constant temperature, and he worried that its protection might deprive him of what he needed. He remained unaware that it absorbed nearly every detection signal around him and could potentially grant him powerful abilities.

• Qi Jun discovered that running and jumping could train his body without tiring him, thanks to the [Mutated Stone].
• Qi Jun understood that the [Mutated Stone] absorbed sunlight and energy his body produced while maintaining his body's normal functions.
• Qi Jun wondered whether the [Mutated Stone]'s protection prevented him from getting the sunlight he needed and wished it could explain what counted as harmful.
• The [Mutated Stone] absorbed energy signals reaching Qi Jun, potentially making him undetectable and allowing him to control forces such as gravity, but Qi Jun did not know how to use these abilities.
• Qi Jun stopped dwelling on why the [Mutated Stone] absorbed sunlight.

Qi Jun discovered that actively using the [Mutated Stone] to absorb sunlight gave him a net energy gain despite its high cost. He imagined scaling up the process and left excited by the possibility of becoming like Superman.

• Qi Jun found that controlling the [Mutated Stone] to absorb sunlight consumed his energy and made his skin feel hot.
• Qi Jun calculated that absorbing sunlight for ten minutes cost 0.5 energy points but gave him 1 point, raising his reserve to 9.5.
• Qi Jun imagined using desert sunlight, mirrors, and a high-altitude convex lens to increase his energy gains.
• Qi Jun pictured himself absorbing sunlight and cosmic radiation in space while Earth’s observers watched in fear.

Qi Jun discovered that actively absorbing sunlight with the [Mutated Stone] caused painful damage because its passive protection weakened, but the energy still increased his reserves. After his body recovered, he found his grip had grown stronger and decided the damage-and-repair process could help him grow stronger and survive.

• Qi Jun raised his energy points to 12 by actively absorbing sunlight, but his skin began to burn and sting.
• Qi Jun realized the [Mutated Stone]'s passive protection weakened while he controlled it to absorb sunlight.
• Qi Jun concluded that its passive effect repaired the damage from absorption and could temper his body.
• After the pain faded, Qi Jun tested his grip and found it was stronger than before.
• Qi Jun accepted the process as a way to build strength and improve his chances of survival.

After a day of testing the [Mutated Stone], Qi Jun concluded that it could match or surpass the Marvel Reality Stone. When he imagined manifesting a true god of the Marvel multiverse, the stone sent him a message.

• Qi Jun resumed sunbathing after recovering, enduring the pain until sunset and raising his energy reserves to thirty points.
• Qi Jun spent nearly a day exploring the [Mutated Stone] and learned that its own vast energy was beyond his ability to use.
• Qi Jun found that the [Mutated Stone] could perform everything the Marvel Reality Stone could, and more.
• Qi Jun imagined using the [Mutated Stone] to manifest a true god of the Marvel multiverse, and the stone sent him a message.

Qi Jun learned how the [Mutated Stone]’s manifestation ability worked and realized that, with enough energy, it could create things beyond the laws of reality. He began sorting its uses into categories, though its energy demands remained enormous.

• Qi Jun learned that the [Mutated Stone] could manifest a true god if supplied with enough energy.
• After spending half a morning and an afternoon testing it, Qi Jun figured out how to use its manifestation ability.
• Qi Jun identified a first category that could manifest things from ideas alone, but required enormous energy when he lacked materials and knowledge.
• Qi Jun recognized that the first category could create things that defied logic, such as making an ordinary dog smarter than Tony Stark.
• Qi Jun identified a second, less wasteful category for cases where he had either the materials or the knowledge, but not both.

Qi Jun explained how having both knowledge and materials let him manifest complex objects with less energy, then headed out to meet Hit-Girl. After pushing himself to exhaustion, he reached a secluded safe house belonging to Big Daddy and Hit-Girl.

• Qi Jun considered how blueprints and materials could help him manifest a superior Mark II Armor, though he could only dream of doing so for now.
• Qi Jun left his new home and used Infiltrator Sunglasses while heading toward Hit-Girl's location.
• Qi Jun believed the sunglasses were hiding him from surveillance, unaware that the Mutated Stone's passive effect already made him impossible to capture.
• Qi Jun ran at his limit, collapsed from exhaustion three times, and reached a secluded Big Daddy and Hit-Girl safe house half an hour later.

Qi Jun learned that Big Daddy and Hit-Girl planned to rob a shipment belonging to Kingpin's Gang, despite the danger. He prepared two pocket comics as vessels and began manifesting a Firearms Mastery Skill Book.

• Qi Jun received news that Big Daddy and Hit-Girl planned to rob Kingpin's Gang at the docks.
• Qi Jun worried that the pair had been lured into a trap by Frank Amick or another enemy.
• Qi Jun confirmed that Big Daddy and Hit-Girl planned to steal valuable cargo rather than attack Kingpin's headquarters.
• Qi Jun took out two pocket comics he had bought to use as vessels for Firearms Mastery.
• Qi Jun began manifesting a Firearms Mastery Skill Book through the [Mutated Stone].

Qi Jun used the [Mutated Stone] to create firearms skill books based on Big Daddy and Hit-Girl, then learned that basic enhancement required 100 energy points. As Big Daddy and Hit-Girl finished packing, Qi Jun considered the possibilities of future enhancements.

• Qi Jun found that manifesting a firearms skill book based on either Big Daddy or Hit-Girl cost 10 energy points, and decided to create both.
• The [Mutated Stone] copied Big Daddy and Hit-Girl's firearms skills into two books marked 'BD' and 'HG.'
• Qi Jun discovered that basic enhancement cost 100 energy points and wondered whether higher levels of enhancement were available.
• Big Daddy and Hit-Girl nearly finished packing up.

Qi Jun absorbed Big Daddy and Hit-Girl’s firearms expertise, then created a Glock 19 and ammunition using his energy. He followed them as they sneaked out, still reluctant to kill anyone himself unless circumstances forced him.

• Qi Jun gained Big Daddy’s and Hit-Girl’s firearms skills and manufacturing knowledge from the two Skill Books.
• Qi Jun manifested a Glock 19 and a magazine of ammunition, spending 1 energy point in total.
• Qi Jun put away the gun and followed Big Daddy and Hit-Girl as they sneaked out.
• Qi Jun remained unwilling to kill someone himself but resolved to use his gun if circumstances required it.

Qi Jun rejected the idea of becoming a superhero for the United States and resolved to focus on growing stronger while remaining neutral. He followed Big Daddy and Hit-Girl through the city’s alleys.

• Qi Jun argued that his restraint hid his true abilities rather than serving as an act.
• Qi Jun refused to become a superhero for the United States, citing its efforts to suppress Huawei.
• Qi Jun decided to remain neutral and make himself stronger, judging each situation as it arose.
• Qi Jun followed Big Daddy and Hit-Girl through the city’s dark alleys.

Qi Jun was dissatisfied with Big Daddy’s firearms expertise and wanted to learn from an elite all-round soldier. He identified the reported Brazilian drink incident as the beginning of Bruce Banner’s Hulk story and planned to seek out Emil Blonsky, leaving the potential gains of the coming Hulk and Abomination conflict ahead.

• Qi Jun decided that Big Daddy’s police-focused firearms skills did not make him the all-round gun expert he wanted to become.
• Qi Jun recalled a news report about an old man in the United States who became violent after drinking an imported beverage from Brazil.
• Qi Jun recognized the report as an early event in the story of Bruce Banner and the Hulk.
• Qi Jun identified Emil Blonsky, a renowned elite soldier on the team pursuing Bruce Banner, as the person he could learn from.
• Qi Jun considered how even powerful figures such as the Hulk could be defeated by exploiting their weaknesses.

Qi Jun reflected on how effort and strength could overcome limits, then saw the destruction from the Hulk’s battle with Abomination as a source of energy. The chapter left him eyeing the battle’s casualties as an opportunity.

• Qi Jun considered claims that people were bound by their innate potential, but believed that effort and strength could change their fate.
• Qi Jun reasoned that Tony Stark’s focus on mechanical technology had made him vulnerable to the Infinity Stones’ energy.
• Qi Jun realized that the Infinity Stones’ limitless energy could rapidly make him a top-tier powerhouse.
• Qi Jun recognized the destruction in The Incredible Hulk as a shortcut and saw the civilians and soldiers killed in the Hulk and Abomination’s battle as energy he could use.

Qi Jun considered how he could exploit Mr. Blue’s Hulk-blood research and Abomination’s strength, but decided not to interfere yet. He waited for the events leading to the Hulk’s fight with Abomination and Banner’s meeting with Mr. Blue to unfold.

• Qi Jun saw Mr. Blue’s replicated Hulk blood as a valuable resource and imagined helping him become the Leader while keeping him under control.
• Qi Jun judged Abomination another valuable target and considered having the Hulk kill him so he could absorb him afterward.
• Qi Jun reaffirmed that he would not recycle living people, even Abomination, because he believed he needed to keep a bottom line.
• Qi Jun chose not to rush to the fight, since Thunderbolt Ross still needed to pursue Bruce Banner and the later events had not yet occurred.