"Join you?" Noah Vale gave a short, dismissive laugh. "No thanks. You missed your shot. Try again next time we cross paths."
The offer didn't even slow him down.
If he ever decided to build something like a faction, it wouldn't be small. It wouldn't be local. He'd fold entire worlds into it, turn the system itself into a machine that expanded outward across universes.
Anything less wasn't worth his time.
With a flick of his hand, a translucent interface appeared in front of him.
Return options.
Staying in the hub cost nothing. Living expenses could be covered with earned points. But leaving?
Returning to his original world required a steady drain of resources. Visiting previously explored worlds cost even more.
Expensive.
Not enough to matter.
A thought crossed his mind.
"What happened to Ivanov's group after he died?"
The question landed awkwardly.
No one answered right away.
They didn't need to.
In a place like this, power decided everything. Once a leader fell, whatever they built was either torn apart or absorbed.
Noah nodded slightly.
That was answer enough.
He selected his destination.
Light swallowed him whole.
In an instant—
He was gone.
The plaza remained silent for a few seconds after his departure.
Then the tension broke.
"That guy…" someone muttered. "He's going to be a problem."
Nearby, the bald man—Nunara—stared at the item now sitting in his hand.
A small, crimson vial.
The system's analysis hovered faintly in his vision, but the details were incomplete. Even so, the classification alone was enough to make his pulse spike.
This… this is way above what I traded.
He looked at the space where Noah had vanished, equal parts stunned and elated.
I just hit the jackpot.
Elsewhere—
Noah reappeared inside a familiar world.
Not New York.
Not yet.
This was the first world he had ever entered after becoming part of the system. Over time, it had effectively become his "home base" outside the hub.
A rebuilt village stretched out beneath him.
Larger than before. Stronger. Alive.
The moment he appeared inside the administrative tower, several operatives materialized around him in a blur.
"Identify yourself—"
They stopped mid-motion.
Recognition hit instantly.
"…Lord Noah."
They dropped to one knee.
Noah gave a brief nod and moved on without a word.
He closed his eyes.
Searched.
Found him.
One step—
And the world slipped.
His body phased through space, bypassing walls and distance alike, reappearing in a training field.
Sasuke Uchiha stood there, mid-practice, movements sharp and controlled. Compared to before, he carried a different weight now. More grounded. More complete.
His strength had grown.
So had everything else.
Before Sasuke could turn, a cold prompt surfaced in his mind.
An invitation has been issued. Accept entry into the system?
Yes or No.
He frowned slightly—
Then turned.
Noah stood behind him, watching with mild impatience.
"Go on," Noah said. "Hit yes. I've been away long enough."
Sasuke studied him for half a second.
"…That'll take me to your world, right?"
"Something like that."
That was enough.
He accepted.
Information flooded in, but it didn't overwhelm him. Most of it had already been explained through the Interdimensional Chatroom.
He adjusted quickly.
"Wrap things up here," Noah said. "Once you're ready, head into the system and clear your first mission."
He paused, then added casually—
"You'll be fine."
He meant it.
Between Sasuke's own strength and the safeguards Noah had already given him, failure wasn't likely.
And even if something went wrong—
Noah could always step in.
They spoke a little longer.
Then Sasuke turned to make his preparations.
Noah, meanwhile, opened the chat interface and selected his next destination.
Home.
Light folded around him once more.
When it faded—
He stood above New York.
A notification appeared immediately.
Undiscovered world detected. Submit coordinates to designate as a mission world? Significant rewards available.
Noah didn't hesitate.
"No."
This world was his.
He had no intention of inviting outsiders to interfere.
He looked down.
And blinked.
People were flying.
Not one or two.
Hundreds.
No—thousands.
Figures darted between buildings, streaking across the skyline like living comets.
Right.
He remembered now.
Before leaving, he had triggered a global awakening.
Which meant—
Millions of people now had abilities.
Curiosity sparked.
Noah stepped into the upper atmosphere, hovering miles above the city. His awareness expanded, stretching outward until it brushed against the entire planet.
Then—
He listened.
The world unfolded.
Voices. Movements. Power.
Every corner of the planet lit up in his perception.
Flight. Teleportation. Phase-shifting. Growth.
Some abilities were simple.
Some were… impressive.
Control over vectors. Electromagnetic manipulation. Forces that bent the rules of physics in ways even he found interesting.
For a moment, he watched.
Observed.
Considered.
Then—
Something else seeped in.
Screams.
Fear.
Violence.
The darker side of humanity didn't disappear just because people gained power.
If anything—
It multiplied.
Before, Noah had never needed to think about it.
Crime avoided him.
Evil stayed out of his sight.
But now—
There was nowhere to hide.
Not from him.
His expression hardened.
"Yeah… no."
He vanished.
And reappeared across the city.
Again.
Again.
Again.
His fist moved.
Once.
Twice.
A thousand times.
The air cracked like thunder rolling across the skyline.
Shockwaves rippled through New York—
Precise.
Controlled.
Invisible to most.
And in that single moment—
Over a thousand criminals were erased.
Gone before they could even register what had happened.
No chaos.
No spectacle.
Just—
Judgment.
Delivered at the speed of thought.
High above the city, Noah exhaled slowly.
The noise quieted.
Not completely.
But enough.
For now.