Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Chapter 486 What goes around comes around (First Update!)

A senior once said this.

There are three levels of power.

The first level is known for its speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, referring to the fact that before the age of thirty, the user wielded the Purple Soft Sword and roamed the world freely.

The second aspect is the present moment.

A heavy sword has no edge, and a heavy sword has no skill.

Hawke is a perfect example.

Before coming to this universe, after awakening his own microcosm, he had always relied on his microcosm to roam the world freely.

His speed is both fast and accurate!

but--

Unstable!

However, as death revealed the problem with his timeline, and Wanda helped him repair his own timeline, he spent more than two years here retracing his steps, and he completely resolved the issue of unstable power.

In the past, when Hawke fought against his enemies, he would still pay attention to all sorts of fancy moves.

But for now.

Let's take our old rival Mephisto as an example.

Now, if he throws a seemingly ordinary punch, Mephisto would better make a decision in the fraction of a second that he throws the punch and immediately kneel down and sing "Conquer," otherwise, in the fraction of a second, Mephisto will probably not even be left with a trace.

As Hawke uttered the words "A heavy sword has no edge, great skill is without artifice," Wanda sensed that Hawke's aura, which she had previously restrained, was now visibly rising.

It seemed that in the next second, Hawk's physical strength would break through the crimson chaos restraints she had set up.

But the aura abruptly stopped.

Just as Hawke's physical strength was about to break through the power restraints set by Wanda, this sudden surge of power abruptly disappeared once again.

Wanda raised an eyebrow.

"what!"

"what happened?"

Hawke closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then opened them, looking at Wanda, who had a somewhat confused expression.

Wanda frowned slightly, as if she had thought of something.

"Isn't it time yet?"

"No."

Hawke smiled slightly: "This time, retracing my steps, my time has been fulfilled first, and now, my soul has also achieved a stage of fulfillment."

Although the heavy sword has no edge and the skill lies in simplicity, it only belongs to the second level of the power realm and has not yet reached the level of the third level, "everything can be a sword".

But while this seems to be about power, it is actually about one's own state of mind.

In my youth, I was passionate and impulsive.

In middle age, one becomes mature and stable.

In old age, one is carefree and serene.

Before Hawke came to this universe, he had been using the Mind Stone to try to elevate his mind to its highest point.

But again, that's still cheating.

But this time, Hawke, who had no intention of cheating, asked Wanda to seal his body in this universe, and finally calmed down and comprehended the mental power that matched his current state.

This wasn't obtained by cheating with the "Mind Gem," but entirely through my own efforts.

This is the true meaning of all great power originating from itself.

His time belongs to him, and so does his mind. Not to mention Professor X, even if ten Professor Xs stood together, they wouldn't be able to invade Hawke's mind, let alone spy on him, when Hawke was completely unprepared.

Wanda listened to the pause Hawke made after saying that.

"but?"

"One more missing!"

"Still needing?"

Upon hearing this, Wanda looked at Hawke with some curiosity: "What's missing? I've repaired your time and mended your heart, what's still missing?"

Hawke smiled slightly: "Life!"

Wanda met Hawke's gaze, first stunned, then her expression gradually became somewhat incredulous: "Your time was cheated using the Time Stone, thus creating a loophole, and your mind was also created using the Mind Stone, but life... you cheated on that too. Wait a minute, there doesn't seem to be a Life Stone among the Infinity Stones."

Hawke's lips twitched: "Who said there's no Life Stone? And who said there's no way to cheat without the Life Stone?"

His microcosmic cultivation method is a complete system.

But what we're talking about here isn't the life of the eighth sense, but rather the edge of life and death he experienced when he awakened his sixth sense.

It was the battle against Malekith, the dark elf, at Stonehenge in London.

Through Malekith's hand, he pushed himself to the brink of life and death, and there he successfully transitioned from a Bronze Saint with all five senses awakened to a Silver Saint who controlled his sixth sense.

but!
"I actually cheated that time too."

"..."

Upon hearing Hawke's words, Wanda fell silent and stared at him. After a moment, she said in a very serious tone, "Mr. Hawke Phoenix, you should never think of interfering in our children's education again. You have been deprived of the right to educate them."

Hawke raised his eyebrows.

"No, why should I?"

"Because you cheated!"

Wanda couldn't help but roll her eyes: "Did you get all your power by cheating?"

Good guy.

Time cheats, the mind cheats.

Now even life is being cheated?
Hawke was also displeased by Wanda's nonchalant remarks: "How can you blame me? I'm not a rich man like Tony Stark who can rely on technology, nor am I a lucky guy like Peter Parker or you who gained power by birth or by chance."

Wanda looked at Hawke with a smile. "And what are you?"

“The rich rely on technology, the poor rely on mutation.”

Hawke uttered a classic line from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then looked at Wanda and said, "I cheated."

Wanda and Hawke looked at each other: "Cheating comes at a price, and now is the time for you to pay the price."

The wealthy rely on technology, which is essentially a form of "pay-to-win" strategy; they have paid money for it.

As for the poor relying on mutation, it's a "life-risking" approach, essentially trading their good fortune for something else. Just look at Spider-Man; if it weren't for Hawk's overpowered intervention, how many mutated superheroes would have achieved such a fulfilling life?

But Hawke, by cheating, essentially paid no price.

But there's a saying...

What goes around comes around. After all, what you gain through cheating, while you may own it, is not truly yours in essence.

and so--

bad news.

Hawke needs to walk the path he came from again.

The good news is that for Hawke, retracing his steps was like an open-book exam.

Because there are differences between different kinds of cheating.

Low-level cheating involves copying the answers and then handing them in without even looking at them. But high-level cheating involves copying the answers and then secretly memorizing them later.

Hawke belongs to the latter category.

So even if he had to walk the same path again, he could quickly produce a perfect answer.

Now, the only remaining question is "between life and death".

Wanda was puzzled: "Wait, how did you cheat on the life-or-death thing back then?"

Hawke smiled slightly and glanced at Wanda.

Have you forgotten my divine authority?

"The phoenix does not die, but is reborn from the ashes."

"But this only gives you confidence; it doesn't count as cheating."

Wanda spoke subconsciously, then seemed to realize something, raised an eyebrow and looked at Hawke: "Don't tell me that you were actually able to kill Malekith back in London, and that you deliberately lost and put yourself on the brink of life and death."

Hawke met Wanda's gaze and touched his nose somewhat guiltily: "I'm not entirely confident. After all, I'm a cautious person. Before the battle even begins, I'm already planning for defeat. I have to consider what if the Phoenix Divine Authority isn't that useful."

Wanda looked at Hawke, who seemed humble, and upon hearing his words, opened her mouth again, utterly speechless.

"I'm very curious now. I suspect that the source of your power was obtained through cheating."

"..."

Hawke said nothing.

From a certain perspective, Wanda was indeed right.

He remembered the system that had chosen to say goodbye after he embarked on the path of cultivation in the microcosm.

Wanda looked at the silent Hawk and felt a little tired. She covered her forehead with one hand, as if she had guessed what Hawk was planning: "So you're planning to have the Sentinel robots send you to the brink of life and death? This time it's not cheating, is it?"

Hawke waved his hand: "No, if the Sentinel robot punches me, I'll be reporting for duty on the edge of life and death."

His power descended upon him, but he chose not to accept it.

Wanda also sealed away the power of the divine body.

Given his current physique, he wouldn't even need Sentinel robots. If a guy with a gold belt punched him, he'd probably be heading to his old friend Mephisto's tavern in Hell for a drink.

Wanda looked at Hawke suspiciously: "So, this time you're not afraid that you're really going to die?"

Hawke smiled.

"How can you put something down if you haven't even picked it up?"

“I’ve noticed that you really enjoy saying things that are rich in Eastern philosophy.”

That's the point.

Hawke did not explain: "Without truly entering Nirvana, one cannot truly understand Nirvana. If I want to go further, I must take this step again."

Because this involves the eighth sense of life!

To truly understand the eighth sense of life, one must first understand what life is, and to understand what life is, one must personally experience it.

Again.

Those who cheat will eventually have to pay the price.

It's time to settle the accounts.

Wanda shook her head, looking at Hawke with some worry: "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about what if something really goes wrong if you don't have any backup plans?"

Hawke chuckled upon hearing this.

"Who says I don't have a backup plan? I never really put myself in danger."

"I know."

Wanda looked at the smile on Hawke's face and chuckled softly, but didn't continue on the topic: "But you have a backup plan, isn't that still cheating?"

Hawke waved his hand: "Since I don't have the backup plan, it doesn't count as cheating."

Wanda raised an eyebrow.

"what is that."

"Isn't it because of you?"

Hawke met Wanda's gaze and said calmly, "I believe that even if I truly perish this time, you will bring me back."

Wanda: "..."

(End of this chapter)