An old woman is watching.

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Mission Your First Alien?

Objective: Defeat the alien entity known as Vitrir . Preferably destroy, imprison, or allow others to imprison it.

Reward: Flame of Heaven and Earth (Gourmet Food from Another World) [Reward may increase if variable X interferes].

Description: While not officially your first alien, Vitrir is certainly the most "alien" creature you've encountered so far. It appears to be some type of strange parasite... one that even eats human brains. Are we really safe keeping it imprisoned? How about we take it on directly?

....

Within the details, it was confirmed that Vitrir is indeed an alien and even a parasite, yet there are some unusual factors that the system seems keen on introducing and playing with lately.

One of these factors is the potential for a reward increase if "variable X" interferes. However, there's no detail on what this might be...

"System, what does this mean?" I asked mentally, curiosity piqued.

*[Cannot confirm at this time, host. It was detected based on notions of causality with the perception of two additional entities. If this variable interferes, the mission may become slightly more challenging, though the host may encounter potential allies or enemies. Naturally, the reward will also be generous and valuable.]*

Hearing this, I decided not to dwell on it further. To be honest, the Flame of Heaven and Earth is tempting enough, a power that consumes soul energy could provide me with new abilities and forms to channel one of my energy sources.

"Well…Pet, it's getting late. Let's head back home and check on this later."

I sent out a few scouting bees and asked Anturian to shift some focus from the Hand's mission, which needed to proceed slowly and with patience, to keep an eye out for any unusual sightings or reports. Then I used Kai Kai to leave the location.

Unbeknownst to me, in a hidden dimension, a bald woman dressed in monk robes was softly observing…

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Third Person POV

In a hidden dimension, a woman emanating a powerful, mystical, and ancient aura watched the scene with interest.

"The traces of that annoying entity were here… it seemed intent on using this black alien… but I've found something even more intriguing."

She had glimpsed a being whose full nature she couldn't discern—he had some type of power that concealed his information from her. However, after some time and effort, she began to see a bit more.

Intrigued, she placed her golden amulet at the center of her neck. It glowed with strong mystical energy and began to open slowly. From its center emerged a special, powerful green stone. The spell, combined with her unique amulet, seemed to allow her to glimpse future truths and aspects previously unseen.

"I can't see clearly… his future… it seems like a twisted fate… but it could bode well for Earth."

Thinking this, she probed further. An immense amount of magical and dimensional power surged through her body, creating an unprecedented pressure. If Adrian were here, he'd recognize it as more potent than Loki's might. Her amulet glowed even brighter, channeling a unique energy that touched upon the dimensions of reality itself. This vast energy altered the surrounding realm with an intensity that was truly terrifying.

And then the power dissipated. Finally, she understood why so many obstacles were in her path, though the answer remained murky.

"I see… he seems to possess a power that lets him reach and even pull things from other multiverses and realities… these things empower and support him in unique ways. That would explain the unfamiliar magic that seemed to follow rules I'd never seen before…"

"Though it seems limited, this is still a tremendous power and a serious threat to Earth and this universe… however…"

She closed her eyes and recalled flashes of past scenes, shrouded in mist and strange energies. She could sense that there was a strong likelihood he would help protect Earth and contribute to its development. At least from past events… that's the role he's taken.

The monk sighed. Ever since her previous effort, she had felt incredibly drained, as though she had expended a significant amount of her soul's energy—a rare occurrence for someone of her strength. Yet, attempting to learn about this individual felt peculiarly exhaustive, as though forces were shielding him. \[Divine Power and Friendly System :)\]

"It was exhausting… for now, I'll leave the young one be. Currently, he poses no threat to Earth and may even help defend it in the future… but I'll have to keep a watchful eye on him. Perhaps a conversation over tea would be beneficial."

She murmured, forming her fingers into special symbols that created golden runes. These appeared to send messages to other sorcerers, instructing them to monitor the troublesome entity she was pursuing.

"That entity may not be as dangerous as it is annoying. Other sorcerers should be more than capable of handling the issue… besides, that unique young one is also around and may be able to assist."

Without delay, she used her magic to open a golden portal, vanishing from her previous dimension and location, appearing intrigued about the future—although she retained traces of worry about greater dangers.

---

MC POV

The next day, since I had no classes, I took advantage of the time to drop off my little brother with my aunt. She'd promised to take him to an amusement park nearby and had even invited Kurt and some friends from school. The professor went all out, spending a large sum to reserve the park for the day, prioritizing comfort and safety for the students.

My aunt and the new team member Wolverine, who seemed to have been semi-forced into the role, went along as their protectors and guides.

Once they'd left, I dressed and teleported into the city. Peter was also set to inspect other parts of the city. Even though I wanted to explore alongside him, he'd insisted on going alone, though I made him promise to contact me immediately if he spotted any trace of Vitrir . That way, I could teleport directly to him and provide backup.

In the sky, I used zetsu and wind to move at high speed. My eyes and Haki helped me scan certain areas, and my bees flew to different locations, trying to locate this unusual alien.

Our search lasted for hours. We even had to stop midway to eat lunch and rest, and it was around 5 p.m., as the sun began to set, that Peter told me he'd seen something unusual. In less than a second, I appeared at his location.

I lowered my hand from my forehead and looked at my boyfriend. We hugged tightly, and then I decided to search for whatever strange thing he'd noticed. My mental sea trembled; a roar from an ancient beast echoed from within, a crown shining with power and force, and a pair of eyes in the center blazed with light and energy, almost overshadowing the mental sea itself.

I began to see through everything. With my eyes and Haki combined, nothing could hide. It didn't take long to identify what he had found strange.

We were currently in front of a pet shop, and what my eyes detected was an unusual energy coming from a small dog.

"I'm not sure I saw it correctly, but I could swear there was another small dog in that cage… and when I looked back, it was gone… also, I felt its eyes looked black for a moment, but I'm not certain."

Despite the uncertainty in his voice, there was a tone of confidence underneath. After gaining his powers and with my help training, he's rarely mistaken about things like this.

"I definitely feel the unusual energy from that dog… come with me."

As I said this, my eyes and Haki detected something odd in two different directions. I furrowed my brow… strange… I could swear there was something or someone watching from those directions…

One of them especially radiated an unusual, dark red energy, something unnatural.

I wanted to investigate, but for now, I took a deep breath to avoid alerting whatever might be lurking and not lose track of this probable alien dog in front of me.