MARVEL: TOAA

"Ravion, shoot me. Right now."

The first thing John said as he stepped out of his room was a startling demand.

"John, you're finally out!"

Reina's initial excitement quickly turned into annoyance. "Do you have any idea how long you've locked yourself in there? Five months! I was ready to declare you dead. And now you're asking to be shot? Are you insane?"

"Ugh, you stink." Reina's face twisted as she stepped back. "I just ate—don't make me lose my appetite. Go clean yourself up first!"

John was too exhilarated to notice until that moment. He raised a corner of his shirt and sniffed. The smell hit him like a ton of bricks, and he grimaced. "Okay, fair point. I'll take care of this first."

As he turned toward the bathroom, Reina added sharply, "And don't even think about using my towel!"

Ravion chuckled, watching John's retreating figure. "He seems happy. If he took that long, it must have worked."

Later, on the Wasteland Outside the Shelter

John and Ravion stood ten meters apart. John was eager to test his newfound abilities.

"Are you ready?" Ravion asked.

"Go for it," John replied, bracing himself.

Ravion opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful sonic wave. Though Reina was not directly in the line of fire, she felt the painful vibrations in her eardrums.

The impact hit John square in the chest, forcing him to take half a step back. His body immediately began absorbing the energy from the sonic blast. Every cell in his body greedily drank in the power, replenishing itself with immense vitality.

John laughed triumphantly. "It worked! I can absorb it!"

He could feel his cells brimming with energy. Their activity reached a peak, ceasing division entirely—a secret to Sebastian Shaw's agelessness.

"Ravion, let's try lightning next," John said with growing confidence.

Ravion raised his hand, summoning thunderclouds in the once-clear sky.

A bolt of lightning descended, crackling as it struck John's outstretched hand. The electricity coursed through his body, consumed entirely by his ravenous cells. This energy subtly enhanced his divine body, laying the groundwork for increased divine power over time.

"Now, hit me with a Cyclops blast," John challenged.

Ravion hesitated. "Are you sure? Cyclops' energy beams are destructive enough to pierce adamantium. You might not survive it."

"I'll be fine," John assured him. "My self-healing is strong enough. I just want to see if I can handle it."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Ravion's eyes glowed ruby-red as he unleashed twin energy beams. John crossed his arms defensively, bracing for impact.

The beams struck, their force pushing him back. His cells absorbed the energy at maximum capacity, but the concentration of power overwhelmed his regenerative abilities. His arms were scorched, though they began to heal almost instantly.

"Not bad," John muttered, inspecting his recovering wounds. Despite the pain, he grinned. The experiment had been a success.

Training with Reina

Over the following weeks, John turned his attention to training Reina, helping her refine her abilities. Under his guidance, Reina learned to condense airflow into a nearly invisible sword blade and manipulate small objects within a ten-meter radius—a miniature domain of control.

"Can you feel the airflow within your body?" John asked one day.

"The airflow inside me?" Reina frowned in confusion.

"Yes. Between every substance, there are gaps. In the East, there are martial artists who master 'qi,' or inner energy. It's like magic but rooted in discipline and focus."

"And how exactly am I supposed to sense it?"

"Uh..." John faltered. "Focus on your breathing and try to feel it... somehow."

His explanation wasn't particularly helpful, but Reina tried nonetheless. Unfortunately, her mental strength wasn't as developed as John's, and while she could manipulate external airflow, the internal "qi" remained elusive.

The Next Stage: Genetic Fusion

While Reina trained, John dove headfirst into his next project: replicating and integrating new mutant genes.

First on his list was Magneto's ability to manipulate magnetic fields. Thanks to his massive energy reserves, John completed the fusion within a month. With this power, he could control magnetic fields within a 20-mile radius—a preliminary but promising mastery.

Two months later, he successfully fused the Azazel's teleportation ability and Riptide's whirlwind generation. John now possessed the power to teleport vast distances and summon destructive cyclones.

However, not all genes were viable candidates. After analyzing the genetic material of the White Queen and the Hulk, John decided against integrating them.

The White Queen's dual abilities—telepathy and diamond-hard skin—came with a risk. Fusion might enhance one ability while suppressing the other, forcing John to alternate between them instead of using both simultaneously.

As for the Hulk's genes, their animalistic traits carried a high probability of partial or full beastification—a risk John was unwilling to take.

Newfound Power

By the end of his experiments, John's arsenal of abilities had expanded dramatically. Telepathy, self-healing, divine power, magnetic field manipulation, teleportation, and energy absorption made him a force to be reckoned with.

Each new power complemented the others, elevating his potential to unparalleled heights. With his divine body growing stronger every day, John felt like a walking catastrophe, capable of leveling entire cities with ease.

Looking ahead, John couldn't help but grin. "With this much power, learning magic or witchcraft might be the next step. I won't even need to borrow strength from other gods. It's time to carve my name into the annals of the multiverse."

For now, though, John was content. His progress had been rapid, and the path ahead was brimming with endless possibilities.