Marvel: Trading with Worlds

"Dad..."

Alicia lay in bed, covering her head with the quilt, feeling weak and helpless. She cried softly, lacking the courage to go downstairs. 

She could only silently recall the fact that she hadn't seen her father, James, for more than a day.

Da da...

Suddenly, Alicia heard footsteps approaching. The light in the bedroom turned on, and someone slowly walked toward her.

Alicia didn't know who it was, and instinctively, she felt fear. From the time she could remember, she had spent most of her life in hospital beds, subjected to experiments and treatments every day. 

Even at just ten years old, Alicia understood the instinctive fear of death.

The quilt covering Alicia was lifted abruptly. This sudden action startled her, and she instinctively hugged her head, shouting, "Ah!!"

But in the next second, Alicia realized she couldn't make a sound. She opened her eyes wide and tried to shout, but no matter how hard she tried, no sound came from her mouth.

"Calm down, Alicia."

Alicia suddenly heard a very gentle voice, which brought a natural sense of intimacy, helping to ease some of the fear that had been lingering in her heart.

Slowly, Alicia moved her hands away from her head and turned to look at the person standing by the window.

The man was dressed in black, and Alicia felt an immediate comfort upon seeing him. 

He appeared mystical for Alicia to fully understand, but Alicia could sense a certain aura from him—almost like the presence of a unicorn, naturally captivating and attention-grabbing for women.

"Who are you?"

"A mage, here to save you," Kain answered softly. "Did you cry just now? Because you miss your father... It seems like you know what happened to him."

"He's sick... and he may not come to be with me again," Alicia replied. Her eyes reddened when Kain mentioned her father, James Marcus, but she still told him what Isaac had told her.

"You're lying. You know what happened, but you're afraid to tell the truth."

Kain hadn't expected Alicia to know about her father's murder, but she seemed to be a very perceptive and intelligent little girl, which made it easier for him to work with her.

"I can help you, Alicia. I can keep you safe, cure your illness, let you grow up like a normal person, and eventually inherit everything from Umbrella Corporation. The only thing I can't do is bring your father back."

To increase his persuasiveness, Kain used transfiguration to turn a nearby cabinet into a sofa, then sat down on it under Alicia's surprised gaze. 

Honestly, he wasn't particularly good at persuading children, so he resorted to magical means to help make his case.

While Kain could control Alicia with his powers, he didn't really want to; he may not have much conscience, but he still had some.

When it came to things he disliked, like some people and magical creatures, Kain could be ruthless, but with Alicia—a poor little girl with red-ringed eyes—he would try to persuade her as much as possible.

Compared to Alicia, people like Isaac could only be controlled firmly and were difficult to cooperate with peacefully. 

It was a matter of their mindset; coming up with an apocalyptic plan when they were already on the verge of power was nothing short of foolish.

After Kain lifted the quilt, Alicia, who was weak, felt a slight chill. But in the next moment, several phoenixes, unicorns, and fire dragons materialized from the flames, filling the room with light and warmth. 

The room not only brightened but also made Alicia feel much warmer.

"Magic, can you protect me? Just like my father did?"

"Of course, it's a very simple matter. As long as you agree to this, I will help you solve all the problems you encounter in the future."

Kain smiled and pulled out a piece of parchment with some agreements written on it. It floated through the air and landed in front of Alicia. She reached out to take it and began to slowly read its contents.

"Beginning today, Alicia Marcus will purchase a protection agreement from Kain pent for one dollar. Kain pent will protect Alicia Marcus' healthy growth and become her guardian. When Alicia turns eighteen, all powers will be returned to Alicia Marcus."

Although Alicia was smart, some parts of the agreement confused her, such as the mention of one dollar and power. 

But there was one thing that caught her attention—the mention of one dollar for healthy growth.

"I promise. I agree to this agreement, mage pent!"

With that, Alicia quickly jumped out of bed and rummaged through the cabinet on the other side. She remembered her father had left a few one-dollar coins the last time he told her a story.

A minute later, after finding the coin, Alicia hurriedly picked up a pen, signed her name on the agreement, and handed the coin to Kain.

"Very well, Alicia. The transaction is complete."

Kain smiled and gently patted her head before placing the world transaction coordinates onto Alicia. Now, he could begin his plan.

"From now on, you will be my goddaughter, Alicia."

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