Marvel: Video Game Templates!

[ Sorry for Delayed Chapters, Mid-Term Exams just ended. Thank you for your continued support ]

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The golden and violet glow in Maxim's irises had not faded, nor had the raw awareness that now flooded his senses. Yet, within moments, he had adapted.

The Mind Stone glowed with power, and Maxim felt calm, the speed at which he processed information had fully been integrated. Now, everything felt so normal, so effortless to him.

The overwhelming amount of information that had barraged him not felt docile, under his control as he was effortlessly able to process and categorize the information now.

For Maxim, this was the first time he truly felt like a God!

He reached out, not physically, but mentally and the world around him responded.

Every object in his lab, every machine, every digital system, even the very flow of electricity through the reinforced walls, it was all connected, part of a vast web of information and energy.

And Maxim, he could feel that web, he knew that if he wanted to, he could reach out and change the very foundations of that data, command it in any way he saw fit now.

As he was thinking all of this, he noticed A.N.G.E.L's activity spiking as the AI began to speak, "Sir, your neural activity has increased to an unreadable level. Even my scientific model cannot comprehend the levels at which you are processing information."

Maxim tilted his head slightly, "Perfect."

With a mere thought, the entire lab shifted. Holographic displays reorganized themselves, machines whirred to life, and lights dimmed and brightened in sync with his mental will. He had no need for physical commands anymore.

He extended his hand, curling his fingers slightly, and an invisible force immediately rippled outward. Instantaneously, a series of metallic constructs lifted off of the ground, suspended in mid-air directly in front of him.

His precision with the telekinesis was absolute, every screw, every gear, every nanometer of the material bowed to his absolute control.

With another thought, the metal twisted and reshaped itself into a liquid, then returned to a solid, forming into intricate shapes and sizes, floating geometric patterns, and even a hovering throne.

Then, with a final thought, the throne disassembled itself instantly and each piece returned to its original place flawlessly.

"Fascinating," he murmured.

He turned his attention to a reinforced section of the lab. It was made of a Vibranium-Titanium alloy, designed to withstand cataclysmic forces. A perfect test.

Maxim raised a single hand.

A pressure wave erupted outward, unseen but undeniable. The reinforced wall screamed as its molecular structure was forcibly unraveled. It didn't shatter or break, it simply… ceased to exist as a solid object, reduced to floating particles before being reconstituted moments later with another flicker of his mind.

A.N.G.E.L. processed the data, her voice registering mild alarm.

"Your psychokinetic output exceeds recorded Omega-level thresholds. You could theoretically rewrite matter at will if given enough time."

Maxim's smirk deepened, "Noted."

Maxim continued to test his powers. He closed his eyes and delved inward, toward the Astral Energies coursing through him. Before his connection to the Astral Plane was extremely strong, but now, it was limitless.

His perception shifted, his body becoming ephemeral. He stepped forward, and in that single step, his surroundings warped. No longer was he in the lab.

He stood in the endless expanse of the Astral Plane, where thoughts and reality intertwined. The swirling mists of pure energy reacted to his mere presence, parting before him in reverence.

But something was different. He wasn't just a visitor here anymore. He belonged, it was like his personal domain now.

Maxim raised a hand, and the Astral Plane itself bent, shaped by his will. He could see the infinite echoes of minds across the world, dreams, fears, memories, laid bare before him like an open book.

With this power, he could be anywhere, see anything, know everything. The temptation was intoxicating.

He could see the spirits that lingered here—some lost, wandering without purpose, others tethered by lingering regrets. And yet, none of them approached. They recognized him.

Not as an intruder. But as something greater.

Maxim took a slow step forward, and the very fabric of the Astral Realm rippled in response. With a mere thought, his sight sharpened further, peeling back layers of perception that had been veiled before.

He could see bridges, countless silver threads stretching between minds, unseen connections that formed the vast web of thought itself.

Before, he could sense the fear of those near him, but now? Distance was meaningless. He could reach across the world, touch minds that had never even been aware of him. 

He exhaled, and suddenly, he was somewhere else.

A cityscape unfolded around him, New York. But not the New York of the physical world. Here, buildings were shaped by the dreams and fears of those who lived within them, ever-shifting with the tides of thought.

A place where ideas took form, where ghosts of the past still walked among the living. He turned, feeling a presence nearby. A spirit, no, a memory given form.

It was an old man, clad in outdated clothing, eyes filled with sorrow. The moment Maxim focused on him, the man's gaze snapped up in recognition.

"You see me," the spirit murmured, awe lacing his voice.

Maxim tilted his head, testing the depth of his new abilities. The spirit's entire existence unfolded before him in an instant, his life, his regrets, the final thoughts he had before passing.

The unfinished words he had tried to say to his daughter, the name he had whispered as he took his last breath.

He was an echo, left behind by unresolved longing.

With a mere flick of Maxim's fingers, the spirit's form stabilized, his fading essence solidified, no longer flickering like a dying ember. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the spirit was whole.

The old man gasped, looking down at his hands, flexing them in disbelief. He had been adrift in this realm for so long that he had forgotten what it felt like to exist fully. His eyes, misted with confusion looked up to see Maxim, but he had long disappeared.

Maxim had withdrawn from the Astral Plane, pulling himself back into his physical form, the connection severing instantly.

Maxim exhaled, rolling his shoulders. He had tested his strength. Now, what about his finesse?

He turned toward one of his lab's training dummies. A simple machine, humanoid in shape, but capable of advanced combat analysis.

"Let's play a game," Maxim muttered.

The dummy activated, its combat subroutines coming online. It scanned him, preparing for an engagement.

Then Maxim disappeared.

The construct hesitated, its sensors searching for a target. But he was still there—just beyond its ability to perceive.

An illusion.

To the dummy, the lab was empty. To Maxim, the dummy stood frozen in place, unaware of his presence.

He circled it, considering. His ability to manipulate perception had increased dramatically. He could make people see what wasn't there, or make the truth itself vanish from their minds.

He snapped his fingers.

The dummy flinched, suddenly seeing a dozen copies of Maxim, each moving independently, each radiating the same energy signature.

It fired, analyzing, trying to discern the real one.

Maxim tilted his head, and the illusions spoke in unison.

"Wrong choice."

With a single thought, the construct shut down, its mind forcibly overridden.

Maxim let the construct fall to the ground, dispelling the illusions with a casual flick of his wrist. He looked at his hands, flexing his fingers.

A.N.G.E.L.'s voice returned, careful but unwavering.

"Sir, your vitals remain stable, but the scale of your abilities suggests a fundamental shift in your consciousness. How do you feel?"

Maxim chuckled, running a hand through his hair. His golden-violet eyes gleamed with infinite knowledge.

"I feel like a god."