MASTER OF MARVEL WORLD

My name is Nathaniel Locke, and I am a superpower.

Telepathy, telekinesis, clairvoyance, mind control, teleportation, precognition, psychometry, memory manipulation, and more...

If I wanted to, I could destroy the entire human race in an instant—thirty-four different ways, to be exact.

If you think that makes me the happiest man alive, you're mistaken.

Because my powers make everything effortless, I've been deprived of all the emotions that make life meaningful—joy, anxiety, sadness, anger, even pain.

That's why I live by one simple rule: suppress my powers, stay inconspicuous, and avoid getting involved with others.

Then came the voice.

Ding. You have received a call request from the lord of another world.

For an instant, my mind went completely blank.

My glasses, designed to suppress my petrification ability, reflected a soft green light. The next moment, I was in the vacuum of outer space, floating just outside Earth's atmosphere.

That voice… Was it an illusion? No, the probability of me hallucinating is less than one in a hundred million.

Ding. Do you respond to the call?

Teleporting to outer space didn't cut off the signal. In that case...

"I reject."

Whether they want me to be a hero or a villain, I'm not interested. Even in another world, I have no desire to stand out.

"Ahem."

This time, the voice changed. A different tone, more human.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

No, I can't.

"I know you don't like trouble, but I really need your help here. Please!"

People all over the world need my help. That argument won't work on me.

"Well... I have four cups of premium coffee pudding ready for you."

…

He even knows my favorite dessert? I guess I have no choice but to investigate.

I adjusted my glasses and accepted the call.

In an instant, my surroundings shifted.

I was standing on the bustling streets of a modern city.

So, it's not another world, just another country?

"Ahhh!"

A sharp scream cut through the air.

Pedestrians scattered, staring at me in shock. Their eyes locked onto my pink hair and the two antenna-like devices extending from my head—something I use to regulate my overwhelming power.

What is going on?

My telepathic ability kicked in automatically, allowing me to hear their thoughts.

How did this guy just appear out of nowhere?!

What's with the antennae? Is he an alien?

Somebody call the police!

Of course. They were terrified of my sudden appearance. But that shouldn't be possible. My ability, mind control, ensures that anything unnatural about me is perceived as ordinary by others. It's an essential ability for staying under the radar.

"Are you… Nate?"

A voice pulled my attention to a man staring at me in disbelief.

He looked like your average young professional—tidy suit, expensive watch, confident posture—but there was something unusual about him.

"Uh, hey." He quickly extended a hand. "I'm Quinn Maxwell. I summoned you. Thanks for answering the call."

So this was the summoner?

Ordinary. Completely ordinary.

No matter. I need to get out of here.

I placed a hand on Shawn's shoulder and activated my teleportation ability.

Flash!

We reappeared on a road two miles away.

"Ahhh!"

Another piercing scream.

Cars screeched to a halt. I had meant to teleport us to an isolated location, yet we were still in the middle of a crowd.

Again.

Flash!

This time, we appeared inside a crowded restaurant.

People glanced at us but didn't react with the same fear as before.

That's when I realized—it wasn't my power malfunctioning.

I was weakened.

"Follow me," Shawn whispered.

He grabbed my arm and led me through the restaurant, into a quiet alleyway.

"Alright, we should be safe here." He straightened his suit and exhaled. "Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Quinn Maxwell. I'm American, and I am officially your summoner."

"What's wrong with my abilities?"

I didn't speak out loud, but my voice echoed in his mind.

"I think I know why."

He tapped the air in front of him, and a holographic screen appeared—a user interface. It displayed a full-body avatar of me, labeled with the words: Level 1.

Next to it, a button labeled Enhance blinked, but when he pressed it, an error popped up: Insufficient resources.

I see. This is how it works.

In an instant, I gathered all the relevant information from Shawn's mind—about the summoning system, about his role, about my restrictions.

Clearly, I wasn't the protagonist this time.

"Well…" Shawn awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's grab some coffee pudding first. We can talk while we eat."

Socializing, adult-style.

"Lead the way."

We found a rooftop overlooking the city. As I enjoyed the premium coffee pudding—smooth texture, rich coffee aroma perfectly blended with cream—I had to admit, this was the best I'd ever tasted.

Shawn, meanwhile, explained everything.

"…So, that's the situation. I know how this world's story unfolds. In a few years, half the population will be wiped out by an alien invasion." He leaned back, gazing at the sky. "I wasn't born in this world either, so technically, I have no reason to care. But… I'm not like you. What I want is an extraordinary life."

I could hear his thoughts clearly, so there was no need for him to lie.

He wanted to be part of something greater.

I finished my last bite of pudding, savoring the lingering taste. Too bad it was gone now.

"How do I break the contract?"

"…You can't." Shawn sighed. "You're my first ultra-rare summon. If you refuse to help, I'm screwed."

He had attempted multiple high-level summons before me, but none had succeeded. His resources were depleted, and his summoning stone had no reset countdown.

In other words, I was his only option.

As his master, he had the authority to force one command per day. A maximum of three could be stored at a time.

"…I just don't want to be noticed," I said flatly.

Shawn blinked. "Uh, yeah, I get that."

His thoughts confirmed he wasn't planning to abuse his authority over me. That was a relief.

But our conversation was cut short.

Because trouble had already found us.

I turned my head slightly, scanning the streets below.

We weren't alone anymore.

Something—or someone—was watching us.