"Malrick… Malrick! I've cleared the game, come get me!"
Within the core of the scorching blue giant star, Malrick heard the distant call and slowly opened his eyes. It was Tony Stark, calling him from the Three-Body Universe. The two had agreed that when Tony was ready to give up or leave, he would signal Malrick. Now, as the World Consciousness of the Three-Body Universe, Malrick could hear any call from there.
He surveyed the constant nuclear fusion raging around him. The blue flames illuminated his form, making him appear as translucent as the sky. Yet, no amount of heat or light could overshadow the golden radiance emanating from within him. Every cell glowed faintly red-golden. His hair, eyes, even his breath carried a brilliant golden light, as if he had become a miniature golden figure himself.
"It's been over thirty years," Malrick noted, sensing the passage of time and the state of his own transformation.
He emerged from the blue giant, floating in the cosmic void, and raised his hand. He did not use his authority, yet the cluster of universes comprising the Biochemical World seemed to revolve effortlessly in his palm. A simple clench of his fist could destroy hundreds of universes without difficulty.
An almost infinite power surged within him. His body had become akin to a world itself; every cell, every drop of blood contained a vast, boundless universe. After immersing himself in sunlight for over thirty years and amplifying his genes sixty thousandfold, Malrick had become incomprehensibly powerful.
"My physical strength far surpasses any single entity. Precise measurement is nearly impossible," he reflected.
Normally, even a gesture like raising a hand or a foot would suffice to calculate his power level. Yet now, he could not find a suitable unit.
"My current strength, even measured against a single universe, is incalculable. And compared to the scale of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse…" Malrick clenched his fist, contemplating.
The calculations in his mind far exceeded the total of centuries' worth of computation by all civilizations within a single universe. Not only had his Kryptonian-based body undergone an extraordinary transformation, but his Super Brain, Super Vision, and myriad other abilities had also intensified over the decades.
After a brief computation, he concluded, "Roughly equivalent to one hundred millionth of the scale of a Cinematic Multiverse. A weak Multiversal-level power."
Marvel's Multiverse was infinite, yet even a fraction like one hundred millionth still represented a staggering, practically infinite strength. And this was merely physical power. If he incorporated arcane arts and universal laws, Malrick could contend with the high-tier Marvel cosmic entities such as Setorak, or even the Supreme Observer. Those Multiversal-level beings would no longer pose a threat.
Currently, in the Cinematic Universe, only a select few—like Shen Loki and the Life Tribunal—surpassed him. The comic multiverse existed, but Malrick set it aside; with his current power, venturing there would render him only a mid-tier contender in the sixth or seventh echelon.
For now, he was content with his growth.
He pondered aloud, "Am I a Golden Superman now?"
Golden Superman was a state of complete absorption of solar energy. The original Golden Superman had slept within a sun for fifteen thousand years, reaching near the pinnacle of evolution. Rumor held that he had become a five-dimensional lifeform, able to manipulate time paradoxes, create life freely, and reshape reality, capable of producing boundless universes with a mere gesture. In popular perception, Golden Superman was Multiversal in strength, far surpassing the Silver Superman of the Silver Age.
The Silver Superman, while extraordinary, had feats limited to defeating Anti-Monitor-level threats across thousands of universes—a demonstration of super single-entity strength. Despite his seemingly modest displays, Silver Superman possessed infinite potential and virtually no upper limit, fitting the evolutionary path of Kryptonian genes.
Above Golden Superman, only the Willpower Superman (R Superman) and Supreme Little Superman held greater power. R Superman, for instance, had shattered a six-dimensional Multiverse with a single punch, demonstrating strength far beyond Multiversal levels. His true limits depended entirely on the strength of his will.
Malrick felt a similar awakening coursing through him. He sensed limitless potential, the ability to evolve, and the capacity to integrate new powers at will. Under the golden sunlight of the blue giant star, every cell of his body pulsed with energy, preparing him for the next stage of his journey.