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Watching Feny approach with the Scepter in hand, Jiaying felt a wave of profound unease. She stumbled backward, panicked, her eyes darting to Skye in a desperate plea. "What are you doing? Daisy, help me!"
Skye's expression was etched with worry, but remembering Feny's earlier promise, she ultimately shook her head. She offered a small, comforting gesture. "He won't hurt you, I promise!"
Jiaying clearly didn't buy it, and neither did Gordon. The eyeless porter rushed forward, placing himself between Feny and Jiaying, his voice booming with indignation. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm just trying to save you," Feny replied calmly.
As he spoke, he moved with practiced precision, tapping the tip of the Scepter against Gordon's chest. Because the man lacked eyes, Feny couldn't immediately tell if the thrall-effect had taken hold.
"Gordon!" Jiaying screamed in terror.
"We were wrong," Gordon said, turning his blank face toward Jiaying. His voice was steady, devoid of its previous edge. "We shouldn't seek to rule humanity. We should choose a more stable, reliable way to coexist."
"You..."
Jiaying's face paled. She couldn't fathom what had just happened. All she saw was Feny poke Gordon with that strange staff—he hadn't even torn the man's clothes, yet Gordon's entire worldview had flipped in an instant.
Feny watched Gordon closely. He hadn't placed Gordon under total mind control like he did with Hydra agents; he had simply used the Mind Stone to "nudge" his perspective on humanity.
"Don't come any closer!"
Seeing Feny turn his attention toward her, Jiaying spiraled into a full-blown panic. Her lack of knowledge regarding Feny's capabilities made this sudden shift terrifying.
"Daisy, I'm your mother! Please, help me!" Jiaying cried out again. She knew Skye was her only shield.
Skye looked at her mother with a pained expression but remained silent. Gordon's sudden admission confirmed that they truly had been harboring dark plans. She didn't want to see them continue down a path of self-destruction.
"If you take one more step, don't blame me for what happens!" Jiaying threatened, her back against the wall. She wasn't sure if her powers could actually kill Feny, but it was the only weapon she had left.
Unfortunately for her, Feny already knew her secret—that she survived by draining the life force of others. He had no intention of letting her get within touching distance.
"Freeze."
First, he used Gold Selection to lock Jiaying's body in place, then he reached out with the Scepter to rewrite her fundamental drives.
A faint blue energy swirled in her eyes. Under the absolute authority of the Mind Stone, her radical ideology crumbled. She stood dazed for a moment, looking between Feny and Skye, before letting out a long, weary sigh. "I understand. I will abandon the plan."
Upon hearing this, Skye rushed to Feny's side, her voice trembling with hope. "Really?"
"Yes," Jiaying said, looking at Skye with a newfound softness. She nodded reassuringly. "Once I've settled matters here, I will live a quiet life with you."
Feny observed her. Like Gordon, he hadn't enslaved her mind; he had merely edited out the extreme hatred and distorted views she held toward humans.
However, a small seed of doubt remained in Feny's mind. The Scepter's influence was powerful, but it wasn't always absolute. If they were subjected to a severe emotional shock or a specific trigger, there was a slim chance they could break through the mental block and revert to their old selves.
To be safe, Feny considered that it might be best to eventually wipe the memories of her past trauma entirely. Without the root of her hatred, she would be truly safe. But there was no rush; he could discuss it with Skye and Cal later.
Compared to Cal's cramped clinic, 'Afterlife' was vast, serene, and breathtakingly beautiful. Skye wanted to stay for a few days to bond with her mother and keep an eye on her condition.
Feny thought it over and agreed. He took a quick trip back home to secure the Scepter and the Tesseract.
When he returned, he was no longer wearing Incursio. Jiaying had learned his true identity from Skye, and with her perspective shifted, she no longer viewed him as a tool to be manipulated. Instead, she thanked him sincerely for looking after Skye all these years.
Their sudden change in attitude didn't raise many eyebrows. For one, the Scepter's influence was subtle; even Jiaying and Gordon, though aware they had been "convinced" by the staff, felt no internal conflict about their new outlook. Secondly, their grand plan hadn't even officially begun yet, and so few people knew about it that its cancellation was practically a non-event for the rest of the village.
However, the presence of the newcomers—especially Feny—drew plenty of attention. Many had seen him in his armor and whispered among themselves, wondering if he truly was the legendary Divine Punishment Knight. But out of respect for Jiaying, no one dared to pester him.
Lincoln, the man with the electric touch, had been assigned by Jiaying to act as Feny's guide. As they walked, he couldn't contain his curiosity. "Are you really the Knight?"
"Yeah," Feny replied casually, glancing at the unique architecture and lush surroundings. He had to admit, the place really did feel like a hidden utopia.
"When did you undergo your transformation?" Lincoln asked. He was fascinated by Feny—and Skye, though she was currently occupied with her mother.
"I'm not quite like you guys."
Feny turned to look at Lincoln, a spark of interest in his eyes. "What exactly is your gift?"
"Electromagnetism," Lincoln explained, not holding back. "After my transition, every cell in my body carried a different charge. At first, it felt like I was burning from the inside out."
"It took me a long time to learn how to control it—to channel it."
To demonstrate, Lincoln released a faint hum of purple electricity from his feet, hovering a few inches off the ground. It was a subtle but impressive show of power.
"Impressive," Feny remarked. It reminded him of a certain girl from an anime he'd seen in his past life who shared a very similar power set.
"Do you have a coin?" Feny asked suddenly.
Lincoln blinked, surprised. He patted his pockets and pulled out a stray coin, handing it to Feny. "Why do you ask?"
"Well... I know someone," Feny said, flipping the coin as he searched for the right words. "She has electromagnetic powers too."
"A friend of yours?" Lincoln looked intrigued, hoping Feny might introduce them.
"Uh, you could say that. But the way she uses her power is a little different from yours. Want to know how?" Feny bluffed. He was genuinely curious to see if Lincoln could pull off a 'Railgun.'
"Yeah!" Lincoln nodded, his face full of academic curiosity.
"It's pretty simple. See this coin?" Feny held the coin on the tip of his thumb, ready to flick it. "Using the principle of electromagnetic induction, you launch it with an initial velocity of Mach 3. The destructive power is... well, guaranteed."
"???"
Lincoln stared at Feny, then at the coin, completely bewildered. After a long silence, he blurted out, "That's it?"
(End of Chapter)