Hydra Base
Xu Mo listened to the shrill screams echoing from beyond the rift. A chill ran down his spine.
Fortunately, the unstable space gate ahead finally began to close, collapsing in on itself now that it no longer drew on his energy.
Watching it vanish, Xu Mo exhaled in relief.
---
New York
Inside a bathroom, Skye stared at the closing portal in shock.
Her heart raced. She grabbed the nearby clothes, slipped them on quickly to cover her curves, and cautiously approached the shimmering edge that was fading away.
Tentatively, she pressed her hand against the air where the door had been.
Her expression shifted from disbelief to awe.
"It's amazing… was that magic?"
Shaking her head, she muttered, "No… an illusion. It must be. I really need to stop staying up so late…"
---
On the Island
In a hidden cave, Xu Mo wiped the sweat from his brow. His original intention had been to open a portal directly into Wanda's villa—but clearly, something had gone wrong.
Determined to avoid another mistake, he summoned the Darkhold with a wave of his hand. Its ominous pages fluttered open as he carefully studied the recorded incantations on spatial gates.
After reading several times over, he steadied his breath and raised his hand.
Sparks erupted. A new space door unfolded before him.
This time, the view beyond revealed a familiar bedroom overlooking the sea.
A smile spread across Xu Mo's face. "Success."
He stepped lightly through the shimmering threshold—emerging in the villa's bedroom.
As he opened the door, he nearly collided with Wanda, who had just reached for the handle.
Startled, she froze. Her eyes darted past him, scanning the empty room.
"Wait… there was no one inside a moment ago. How did you—?"
Xu Mo gave her a gentle smile.
"Don't worry about the details. What matters is—we haven't seen each other in a long time. Isn't there something you've been wanting to do?"
Her cheeks flushed instantly. Wanda gasped as Xu Mo swept her up in his arms. The door closed and locked itself behind them.
Moments later, muffled sounds of intimacy filled the room—thankfully contained by strong soundproofing, sparing Pietro, who was still training in the gym below.
The young speedster had thrown himself into relentless weightlifting, obsessed with strengthening his body while confined indoors.
Hours later, Wanda lay nestled in Xu Mo's embrace, her face still tinged with red.
"So… we can finally go out again?" she whispered.
"Of course," Xu Mo reassured her. "The crisis has passed. You're free to walk the streets, shop—live as you wish."
Her eyes sparkled at the thought. Though she had grown used to their secluded life, boredom had long since set in.
After a pause, she bit her lip.
"Darling… I want to go to college."
Xu Mo brushed his hand along her back.
"Why so suddenly?"
"I just… don't want to waste my time anymore. I want to learn something, improve myself. What do you think?"
Xu Mo remembered: both Wanda and Pietro had been forced to abandon school after middle years, struggling as orphans to survive.
"Then I'll support you completely. Choose whichever university you like—I'll handle the arrangements."
She lit up instantly. "Really? Thank you!" She kissed his cheek in excitement.
Xu Mo chuckled. "That's too perfunctory a reward."
Her eyes glinted mischievously. "Then… how about we continue?"
---
Island of the Dead
Later, Xu Mo and Emma Frost, the White Queen, stood atop the island's highest peak.
Xu Mo held a cylindrical device over a meter tall, gleaming with sleek alloy.
Emma tilted her head, skeptical.
"This isn't much larger than the one on the ship. You're saying it can cloak the whole island?"
"Of course," Xu Mo replied with confidence.
It was an optical camouflage generator—an instrument capable of bending perception and creating large-scale illusions. Without it, their activities would be detected instantly by surveillance satellites.
He set the device down carefully and pressed the activation rune.
A drill extended from its base, anchoring deep into the rock. Blazing light shot skyward, fanning outward into a dome of refracted energy.
Moments later, the entire island shimmered beneath a transparent film—and vanished from all external view.
From afar, it now appeared deserted, devoid of any human presence or structures.
Returning to their villa, Xu Mo and Emma were greeted by Shirley, bleary-eyed from sleepless nights but brimming with excitement.
"We've located the first Hydra base!" she announced, holding up her tablet.
The screen displayed fractured surveillance feeds of an aging compound built atop a snowy mountain.
Xu Mo's expression hardened instantly. He recognized it—the Sokovia base, where Wanda and Pietro had originally undergone Hydra's experiments.
Shirley tapped the display, switching to a marked map. A red dot pulsed over Eastern Europe—Sokovia.
"Emma," Xu Mo said quietly, "looks like we're headed to Eastern Europe."
Emma gave a small, confident smile. "Glad to help."
With a wave of his hand, Xu Mo tore open another portal, sparks crackling black and gold.
He stepped through first. Emma hesitated only a moment before following, curiosity glittering in her eyes.
They emerged on a small island less than a square kilometer across.
Emma's gaze lingered on Xu Mo. The more she saw of him, the clearer it became—this man was a vault of endless power and secrets.
He had taught her the Phantom Demon's Secret Magic, doubling her strength in weeks. He possessed a body of steel, formidable telekinesis, and immunity to her psychic arts. Now, he revealed mastery of dimensional travel itself.
Even the White Queen found herself drawn in. A mysterious man always stirred a woman's intrigue. Were the moment less serious, she might have gladly wrapped herself around him, refusing to let go.