Celestial Forge in Marvel

Alex was not very familiar with the concept of a Grail or its origins. Of course, he knew what the Holy Grail was, but it had been depicted in so many different stories, each with varying powers, that distinguishing one from another was difficult. Fortunately, the Forge had provided him with minimal but essential information about it.

Along with the packet of knowledge that flooded his mind, he received a message from the Forge, informing him that, like Nth metal, the Grail was theft-proof no one could take it from him. Alex finally let out a sigh of relief. Owning an item of this caliber in a universe like this was sheer madness if the Forge wasn't ensuring its protection.

The protection also extended to information concealment, preventing clairvoyant and time-peering entities from detecting or targeting him.

Once he calmed down, Alex began contemplating how best to utilize it.

Selling immortality and healing to the upper class, much like the vampire clans did, seemed like a viable option. However, unlike them, he lacked centuries of legacy and influence. If he attempted it, every human leader would see him as a threat and attempt to seize his "fountain of youth" for themselves.

Building his own army was another possibility, but guaranteeing their loyalty was an issue he couldn't overlook.

Keeping it solely for himself was tempting, but that felt wasteful. He should at least attempt to maximize its potential using the alchemist perk he had obtained.

As for energy production, while theoretically possible, he didn't need it at the moment. However, he could explore integrating the Grail into his armor, allowing it to merge with the suit as an additional function.

Just as he was considering alternative uses, inspiration struck him alchemy and the Grail's chemicals could be used to create a magical fertilizer capable of inducing plant mutations.

But why stop there?

If he could find a way to safely radiate Nth metal's unique energy signature across his experimental farm, it might dramatically enhance the mutation process. Nth metal had properties beyond normal physics defying gravity, enhancing durability, and even interacting with magical energies. If he could expose plants to a controlled field of its radiation while also infusing them with the Grail's essence, he might be able to create entirely new species of flora with supernatural properties.

He envisioned an advanced research facility equipped with specialized lamps designed to emit carefully modulated Nth metal radiation, combined with an alchemical fertilizer derived from the Grail. By saturating the soil and plants with this energy, he could attempt to induce beneficial mutations, potentially creating a Wakanda-like ecosystem filled with mutated mythical plants.

It would take months, perhaps even years, to cultivate a truly useful new species, but the potential rewards made it worth the effort.

Wasting no time, he ordered the AI overseeing construction to bring his vision to life. With that set in motion, he finally turned his attention to researching the Holy Grail in detail.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interlude

S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters – A few hours after Alex's presentation to General Ross.

"Director, you need to see this it's information from our agent regarding General Ross," said Maria Hill as she rushed into the S.H.I.E.L.D. director's office, where Nick Fury had just sat down to enjoy his morning coffee.

"What's so urgent that it can't wait five minutes?" Fury asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sir, it's classified as Level 7 intelligence. Per protocol, I'm required to report it to you after verifying its authenticity for your personal review."

Fury sighed, setting his coffee down. "What did Ross do this time? Another monster?"

"It's better if you see for yourself, Director."

Hill handed him the file, and Fury began reading while she stood silently, waiting. A few minutes later, he looked up from the report, his expression unreadable.

"Are you certain this information is accurate?"

"Yes, sir. I had it confirmed multiple times and even asked the hacking team to investigate both military and Nexus Industries' files. The military's records and surveillance footage confirm the information. What's more concerning is that our hackers were unable to breach Nexus's servers. They reported a high probability that Nexus is protected by an AI on par with those used by Stark, Luthor, and Wayne, among others."

Fury's gaze hardened. "How the hell did we miss this? You don't just invent something like that out of nowhere. Can we confirm who's behind this?"

"From our investigation, it appears that no known entity is backing Nexus, but something is definitely off about its owner."

Fury frowned. "I see… A washed-up junkie from New York suddenly becomes a genius. How is that possible?"

"Our agents conducted standard metahuman and mutant detection scans he didn't trigger any of them. That rules out those possibilities with 99% certainty. However, his sudden behavioral shift suggests that either Alex Walker is dead or kidnapped, and someone possibly a shapeshifter is using his identity."

"Skrulls? Martians?" Fury asked immediately.

"Ruled out. He has red blood, and there are no signs of mental abilities, according to our sensors."

"Then what the hell are we looking at?"

"Our analysis team proposed another possibility a genetic mutation affecting his brain. We dug into his recent activities and found that he purchased and used an experimental drug distributed by Kingpin's men. The drug was tested on homeless individuals all of whom died. The only survivor was Alex Walker. If this theory holds, it's possible the drug enhanced his intellect."

"So we're dealing with either a shapeshifter or a druggie with an IQ close to Stark."

"Yes, sir. What are your orders?"

"Embed agents into his security and science teams. I want regular reports on his activities. Also, pull back any agents we already have inside his company if he has an AI, they've likely been compromised. Leaving them there would be a waste of resources."

"Understood. I've also arranged for regular surveillance photos of the estate he frequents. Other forms of monitoring would be too risky and could expose us."

"Good work. Keep a close eye on how other organizations respond to him. If anyone decides to make a move against him, we might be able to test his capabilities while earning his gratitude if we step in to save him."

"I'll see to it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In several locations around the world, similar discussions were taking place, yet no organization had taken action. Cautious of this new genius or potential alien they all waited for someone else to make the first move and test him.

Meanwhile, Alex's research sent another wave through the world, this time with his advanced prosthetics. The military's newly augmented squads had exceeded expectations, drawing widespread attention. After a period of silent observation, most organizations decided to acquire his products through their public fronts some for potential reverse engineering, others for direct use, each suiting their own needs.

Finally, after two to three months of relentless effort, Alex had made significant progress in his research on Nth metal. During these 2–3 months, the Celestial Forge had activated several times, but none of the offered abilities were useful to Alex, so he chose not to acquire them. Just as he completed his first attempt at replicating the legendary Nth metal, the familiar hum of the Celestial Forge stirred once more, its pulse of energy resonating through Alex.

[SCP 914's Manual (SCP Foundation) (400CP)

This book is kind of... stupidly thin for what it claims to be. Really, it's hard-covered and barely a quarter-inch thick, and it has, "SCP-914," embossed on the front of it in gold-leaf. Opening it and flipping through it shows why it's this thin: It's probably been passed through 914 on, "Very Fine," itself; you can easily turn past the seeming end of the book without any trouble. Contained in its pages are instructions for making your own instance of SCP-914 and even hooking it into your Warehouse's utilities if you have any, an explanation of what each of the settings does, in excruciating detail, how to effectively combine items, and even how to care for it and repair one if damaged. It is recommended not to put sapient creatures through it, on any of the settings, in dozens of places inside the manual, but those are obviously just recommendations.]

Successfully purchased.

300 CP remaining.

This was unexpected, but it could be a game-changer. However, due to its potential dangers, its construction would have to be delayed until Alex could establish a space base near a star or black hole. That way, if the creation turned out to be dangerous, he could simply dispose of it by hurling it into the celestial body.

After careful consideration, Alex decided not to retrieve the manual from the Forge just yet and instead focused on the metal. He conducted scans and tests for hours until he was finally satisfied. While he hadn't fully replicated Nth metal since he still didn't understand all of its properties he had successfully reproduced some of its key traits. His version retained its anti-gravity properties, most of its hardness and durability, and even slightly disrupted magical energies upon contact. Unfortunately, it couldn't generate the same radiation as the original, but it was still perfect for crafting bullets and constructing spacecraft.

Finally free from his time-consuming research, Alex turned his attention to alchemy. Now that his supply of medical materials had grown and been harvested multiple times, it was the perfect time to begin his studies. Despite possessing the Grail, his body was still that of an ordinary man, and he didn't want to waste the opportunity to strengthen himself especially when he could enhance the process several times using his knowledge and perks.

After finalizing the factory design for producing his inferior version of Nth metal, he was just about to dive into alchemy when his assistant called him on the emergency line. That was unusual Alex preferred communication through text or email, and calls were rare. Realizing it must be serious, he stopped what he was doing and answered.

"I'm sorry to bother you, boss, but General Ross is here with an urgent matter. He ordered me to contact you immediately and requested your presence at the company as soon as possible."

"Did he say what the emergency was about?"

"I asked, but he said I wasn't qualified to know."

"Alright, I'll be there in an hour."

It was strange for Ross to show up at Nexus unannounced. He had never visited the company before, and ever since the testing phase ended, all their communication had gone through Alex's assistant. Whatever had happened, it must have been serious for Ross to come running in person.

Before heading to the company, Alex made sure to be prepared. He went to the warehouse and equipped his customized Nth metal armor just in case. Along with it, he took several weapons he had designed using his acquired perks and knowledge. To gather more information, he also instructed his AI to scour the net for any clues regarding Ross's sudden visit.

It took him ten minutes to get ready. Opting for caution, he chose to take his modified car instead of a regular one now that he had been exposed, there was no point in relying on ordinary vehicles anymore.

A few minutes after entering the first public road since the start of his journey, his AI notified him that several agency vehicles and agents were following him. However, since they hadn't made any hostile moves, Alex decided to ignore them for now. Until he had more information, there was no need to act recklessly.

About halfway to his destination, his AI finally located a file that might explain Ross's unexpected presence. However, upon reviewing it, Alex found that it only mentioned an operation and referenced other files that were unavailable on the network likely stored physically at a base or on an offline server.

At that moment, the familiar hum of the Celestial Forge stirred once more, its pulse of energy resonating through Alex.

[Evolutionary Incentive (Ben 10 0.1) (400CP)

If you have been paying even the slightest bit of attention, you will notice a lot of powers in this multiverse come from the unique biology of different alien species. So naturally, it makes perfect sense to want to harness it and perhaps play with the mechanics a little bit. You are a master of capturing and manipulating DNA using technology, able to mutate creatures into something new by playing with their genetics like play-doh, giving them new powers or even ironing out things like genetic illnesses or defects. You're better at mixing and matching than making anything from scratch, but eventually you can learn how to recreate certain superpowered genetics from one alien species in another using surgery or even small technological devices. You're not quite making the next Omnitrix with this alone, but this definitely sets the foundation for it.]

Successfully purchased.

0 CP remaining.