New York City, which was already far from peaceful, is gradually becoming chaotic. People are slowly realizing that the area around Weyland Tower is actually becoming safer. When the Xenomorphs don't kill indiscriminately, their presence at night, conversely, becomes a reassuring form of security.
Some people who often use binoculars to observe every window of Weyland Tower can often see Xenomorphs flashing by, further indicating that the interior of the building, on every floor, is teeming with Xenomorphs.
Gradually, some of Duval's worshipers have mustered the courage to consider settling in the surrounding area.
Weyland is also constantly hiring construction teams to start large-scale construction in the surrounding area—legally, of course. These things can be bought with money. Not to mention that with Duval's power, simply asking for some land around the area would make some people afraid to refuse. Moreover, Duval possesses a lifespan that others can't buy with money.
Countless people are eyeing the Xenomorphs, hoping to obtain them and then secure a stable output of secretions to develop longevity drugs, but unfortunately, no one has succeeded so far.
Even if they risk hunting down lone Xenomorphs, even if they succeed, they can't capture them alive. They can only face the Xenomorphs' desperate struggle, watching helplessly as many skilled individuals are corroded by the splashed blood, dying tragically on the spot.
Capture alive? It's impossible to capture them alive unless Duval specifically orders it. Otherwise, the Xenomorphs will only fight to the death, or at worst, commit suicide. There's no concept of retreat or surrender.
However, people are gradually discovering that Duval's people are demonstrating a terrifying efficiency in capturing Xenomorphs alive, far surpassing what they've shown in the past.
This is completely different from the past.
In the past, even when capturing Vampires, blood would flow everywhere, with severed limbs and broken arms. To prevent the Vampires from resisting or committing suicide, the Xenomorphs would always remove the Vampires' limbs first, only bringing back the living head and torso for parasitism.
Now it's different.
Because Duval's camp has gained a Mind Master named Druig, there's no need for such trouble as in the past.
As Elektra and Daredevil walked out of Weyland Tower, discussing how to find Stick, they saw a neat line of people walking towards them, with only a few Xenomorphs scattered on either side to escort them.
"These are all Vampires, right? How did they become like this..."
"Look at the fangs at the corners of their mouths, they must be Vampires. Are they having a change of heart and voluntarily surrendering to Duval?"
"These people's eyes look dull, as if they've been scared silly. I've never seen Vampires like this before, and there are so many of them."
Many people whispered.
Thanks to Duval, the existence of Vampires in this world is no secret. The citizens aren't blind; they see the Xenomorphs appearing and disappearing in New York City every day.
Even gods and superhumans are frequently defeated and captured by Duval. It seems that the constant hunting of Vampires is considered normal.
"This is Druig's doing. Only he has this level of mental power," Elektra said, glancing at them.
"Druig... someone who can control more than twenty Vampires at once. It seems he's extremely devoted to Duval, otherwise he wouldn't do something like backstabbing his comrades," Daredevil said in a low voice.
"This is nothing. You haven't seen him when he's even more insane. As long as Duval nods, he's even willing to control tens of thousands of humans, lining them up to be bitten by Vampires, ultimately turning all these people into Xenomorph hosts," Elektra said.
Daredevil's heart skipped a beat, and his expression became serious.
Mind abilities are already difficult to defend against, and Druig is actually this kind of fanatical follower of Duval with such an extreme personality. If Druig is really allowed to act freely... he suddenly realized that Duval's existence is itself a crucial shackle for these dangerous individuals.
"Then, Stick is also a Vampire. If he's targeted by Druig..."
"That's why we need to hurry. In Druig's eyes, Vampires are only fit to become Xenomorph hosts," Elektra said.
"You and he both listen to Duval. Can't you cooperate? Let him use his mind abilities to find Stick."
Elektra gave Daredevil a strange look: "You still don't understand what I mean. For Druig, turning everyone into a member of our side, whether alive or dead, is the best way to solve the problem."
Daredevil felt a chill in his heart.
Just as Elektra said, Druig is now working very hard, even desperately.
No one can understand the excitement in Druig's heart—except for Duval.
For Druig, even just closing his eyes, he can feel as if he's in a flower sea of a pure world. These are pure consciousnesses, and Druig is deeply fascinated by all of this.
To allow more people to experience this beauty, Druig is working very hard to send everyone to see Duval.
That's right, in the literal sense, regardless of whether they live or die. Even if they die, as long as they die from a Chestburster, in Druig's eyes, this is also an important way to reach the truth.
Being able to transform into pure consciousness, guarding Duval, isn't this a rare and supreme honor? Druig deeply believes this, leading dozens of Xenomorphs through New York City, searching for the whereabouts of Vampires.
While Elektra goes to find Stick and the Sorcerer Supreme these days, Druig is perfectly taking over.
This has completely exposed the last batch of Vampires desperately hiding in New York City. They have no way to resist Druig's mental abilities and will ultimately "voluntarily" go to Weyland Tower to contribute their bodies.
"The number is getting smaller and smaller. Why are there so few Vampires in such a big city?"
Druig sensed around, gradually becoming somewhat anxious, he yearned to receive Duval's praise through his efforts—mainly in the form of mental and conscious commendation.
If it weren't for Duval holding him back, he would have already tried to transform a group of ordinary people into vampires, and then let Xenomorphs parasitize them.
"Hmm? Black Magic User?"
Druig did find a Black Magic User's stronghold. After all, this city was too large, with too many people. No matter how much cleaning was done, there would always be those who stirred up trouble and constantly launched new operations.
Catching vampires was one thing, but for Black Magic Users, killing them was the only option.
Druig immediately attacked the stronghold, greeted by more than a dozen Black Magic Users lying in wait. The leader had a strange smile on his face, giving Druig an extremely dangerous feeling.
"Lord Kaecilius, this guy is the one who has sided with Duval, and has almost wiped out all the vampires in New York," one of the Black Magic Users said.
Given a choice, Kaecilius wouldn't want to fight either.
Having just spent over half a month in bed, with his subordinates repeatedly cleansed by Kamar-Taj and Xenomorphs, Kaecilius had no choice but to act. He seriously looked at the Druig before him, focusing on the mental power emanating from Druig.
The Eternals, Kaecilius certainly knew about them, but precisely because he knew, he was even more curious as to why Druig would do such a crazy thing as to side with Duval, and so diligently.
"Who are you?" Druig coldly looked at Kaecilius.
Kaecilius sized up Druig with a dangerous gaze: "A pilgrim pursuing the truth. And you, old man? A coward who flees in the face of battle, eking out a meager existence?"
"Someone like you dares to mention truth?" Druig shifted his gaze.
"Of course. Since you can side with Duval, then why not come and side with the great Dormammu? He will grant you eternal life, so that everything in this world will no longer have regrets and despair, only eternity," Kaecilius said.
Druig looked at Kaecilius's expression and posture, feeling somewhat familiar. After a moment of thought, he remembered that he looked the same way when he mentioned Duval. More importantly, the truth this guy was discussing in front of him was actually boring eternal life.
"I am already near eternal life, why would I seek eternal life from Dormammu? And who is Dormammu, probably some boring, weak, false god."
Logically speaking, Druig really didn't know who Dormammu was. Don't think that he had been on Earth for thousands of years, but he only chased Deviants the entire time. Under Ajak's leadership, he never dealt with other superhumans, avoiding them whenever possible.
Druig impatiently looked at Kaecilius: "The things you take pride in are worthless in my eyes. How dare a brain-dead fool like you use truth to describe Dormammu?"
"You know nothing of Dormammu's power and greatness. You, who have lived on this planet for thousands of years, are at most a beautiful but old canary." Kaecilius's gaze turned cold. "Then who should be the truth?"
"Without a doubt, Duval."
"What is Duval? You're insane. As a noble Eternal, you actually sing the praises of an ordinary human?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. You'll understand when you become a Xenomorph." A deep killing intent flashed in Druig's eyes. He could accept being insulted himself, but he couldn't tolerate this bastard insulting Duval. This was a great feud.
For a pilgrim, the insult of faith is a mortal enemy.
Kaecilius said with a cold smile: "I want to say the same thing. When you become one of us, when I offer you to the great Dormammu, you will witness Dormammu's holiness and power with your own eyes. No need to thank me when you are moved to tears."
What he valued was not Druig himself, but the Xenomorph larva within Druig's body.
An incomplete Xenomorph without a Chestburster might be the kind of Xenomorph that Dormammu needed.
But then again, Druig himself was also an extremely rare sacrifice.
If he could offer up Druig, this rare creation of the Celestials, along with the Xenomorph larva, Dormammu would definitely be very pleased. When He was pleased, He would bestow Kaecilius with even greater power, ultimately advancing the progress of the plan to devour Earth.
Kaecilius was in severe pain all over his body right now, his condition wasn't good, and he needed Dormammu to repair his body.
The two sides immediately took action, and a fierce battle erupted instantly.
Druig directly used his mental abilities to invade Kaecilius's brain, but Kaecilius raised his hand and grabbed a Black Magic User to block in front of him, while simultaneously using his other hand to create an energy whip, lashing Druig away with it. The next second, he unleashed a Black Magic spell.
Black Magic Users were successively controlled by Druig, turning around to attack Kaecilius, attempting to interfere with Kaecilius's actions.
"Useless. Even if you can control their brains, can you also freely control the Black Magic they use? In Black Magic, I am the second best on Earth, only slightly inferior to the Ancient One."
Kaecilius let out a sinister laugh, and immediately several streams of black mist surged around him, blocking in front of him, and instantly erupted, knocking down several Black Magic Users, and ultimately spreading to the entire stronghold, killing more than a dozen Xenomorphs.
Druig frowned, a look of caution appearing on his face, realizing that the guy in front of him was ridiculously strong.
After all, he had been living in seclusion for six hundred years, too detached from the world. What was the concept of six hundred years? Even the Ancient One wasn't six hundred years old.
Black Magic Users and Xenomorphs continued to die, and the smile on Kaecilius's lips became more and more bizarre. He was suppressing Druig step by step.
"I just need to protect my brain. In Black Magic, there are many spells that maintain the strength of the brain by creating pain, not to mention I can also use White Magic."
Kaecilius put a shield made of golden lines on his head, repeatedly isolating Druig's mental invasion.
This made Druig realize that he was not Kaecilius's opponent.
The human before him, aside from having a slightly weaker physique, was almost superior to him in every other aspect.
Even with his frail physical condition, to put it bluntly, Kaecilius possessed some powerful protective magic that he could use to cast magical armor on his body.
After all, Kaecilius was once the Ancient One's top disciple, and now he was Dormammu's number one lackey. Dealing with a Druig was really not that difficult.
But Druig didn't think so. He didn't know much about Dormammu, nor did he know the value of the Dark Dimension's master. He was also completely ignorant of the Ancient One.
The more he fought, the more passive Druig became. The continuous stream of powerful magic was gradually sealing off his living space, pushing him into a desperate situation.
Xenomorphs died one after another in front of Druig, which made him extremely angry.
He watched helplessly as the terrifying chains woven from the intermingling of Black Magic and White Magic pierced through the bodies of the Xenomorphs, linking them together.
Normally, Druig would soon become one of them.
But the next second, a terrifying golden beam of light descended from the sky, carrying the astonishing power to crush a city. Countless golden lightning bolts transformed into thunderbolts, scattering in all directions.
At this critical moment, the Sentinel arrived.
"I flew over as soon as I received the order. Kaecilius, right? You damned guy, Duval has been thinking about you for a long time. This time, he gave me a direct order to kill you."
Reynolds floated in mid-air with an excited expression, looking down at Kaecilius.
Since defeating Magneto and the Eternals, Reynolds had been looking for an opportunity to challenge stronger opponents to determine his position in the Earth's food chain.
How could he prove himself without specifically fighting the strong? How could he gain the exclamations and worship of the world without proving himself? Without exclamations and worship, Reynolds felt too painful and uncomfortable.
Reynolds looked around, glanced at the magic chains that pierced through many Xenomorphs, chuckled in a low voice, and his body suddenly shook. The golden energy beams spread out in an instant. He raised his head, his eyes already turned into a golden color, and instantly unleashed a powerful Heat Vision, using energy to collide with magic particles, forcibly severing the countless magic chains.
"Robert Reynolds, the guy who defeated Magneto." Kaecilius frowned slightly.
He could tell that Reynolds was not at Druig's level and was very tricky.
Druig looked at Reynolds and communicated with him telepathically, "Why are you here?"
"Duval sensed that you were in danger and ordered me to come and work," Reynolds explained verbally.
Anyone else hearing these words wouldn't find anything strange about it. It was just that one subordinate was in danger, and the superior urgently mobilized another to help.
But Druig heard it differently.
I didn't tell anyone, but he knows… I understand, he is using Xenomorphs to achieve instant perception and message transmission. This is the Xenomorph's main cluster consciousness.
Reynolds glanced at Druig cautiously, only to feel that Druig's expression suddenly became very terrifying. It was an extreme madness of putting all his heart and soul into something and regarding it as a noble mission.
Reynolds was the least good at dealing with this kind of person. He couldn't understand Druig's thought process.
But then again, ordinary people couldn't understand the thought process of Reynolds, this somewhat neurotic guy.
Conversely, when Reynolds looked at Kaecilius, he felt much more pleasing to the eye. At least he could attack unscrupulously, and it didn't matter if he killed him.
Kaecilius was rapidly assessing the situation.
How should he deal with these two guys? Druig was okay, but Reynolds was really difficult to deal with and had almost no weaknesses.
Should he continue to use the most powerful magic to blast these two into slag? But his body hadn't recovered yet, and he might have to lie down for a while after the fight.
This would cause Dormammu's dissatisfaction because he hadn't made any outstanding achievements for Dormammu for a long time.
Kaecilius knew very well that Dormammu was not a patient or good-tempered demon god, but extremely irritable and cruel.
"I can't give up the Eternals and Xenomorphs, and I must solve the Sentinel, then I can only throw them into the Mirror Dimension, at least to delay them for a while."
Kaecilius decided to take the initiative.
Powerful magic instantly brewed from his hands, this was magic belonging to the Kamar-Taj lineage.
Reynolds, however, seemed to have expected it. He grabbed Druig, and with a few flashes, took away a few surviving Xenomorphs. With exaggerated speed, he appeared in the distance, looking at Kaecilius from afar with a majestic air.
"Mirror Dimension, I've been on guard against it for a long time." Reynolds said with a sneer.
*Boom!* Reynolds immediately launched a Heat Vision attack on Kaecilius from a distance.
Kaecilius frowned and immediately threw out an energy shield.
After a few more rounds.
Kaecilius discovered that Reynolds was more cunning than he had imagined, as if someone was remotely commanding him, preparing various tactical plans against him in advance.
This made Kaecilius feel like he was fighting several people at once.
He looked around again, only to see a group of half-dead, useless Black Magic Users. These people were more than enough to deal with ordinary superheroes, but they were completely vulnerable against opponents like Reynolds.
Reynolds moved quickly, his entire body transforming into a golden stream of light in the air. Each time he appeared, he either swung a heavy punch wrapped in golden energy, crashing down with a terrifying force of billions of tons, or he opened fire everywhere with Heat Vision, constantly severing Kaecilius's magic.
Just when Kaecilius finally prepared a few big moves to ambush Reynolds, Reynolds was extremely vigilant, hiding far away early on, coldly watching him waste his magic power in vain.
Once his magic was almost exhausted, he returned with lightning speed.
The battle between the two sides was extremely loud. Even a random energy wave or magic spell could easily penetrate the surrounding high-rise buildings.
This successfully triggered terrified screams from many people, but when they saw that one side of the battle was Duval's men and the Xenomorphs, they inexplicably felt a trace of reassurance and quickly hid in the distance.
Some, not afraid of death, even used filming equipment to shoot remotely.
It seemed that the continuous day and night operation to clean up Vampires and the several public actions had shaped a very good public image of Duval in the minds of these citizens.
Although in reality, it was completely different from what they imagined.
"Who is giving you ideas? How could someone like you know my magic so well?!"
Kaecilius finally couldn't bear it anymore. His face became paler, and an even more terrifying pain vaguely came from his stomach.
If he were dealing with those righteous people, Kaecilius felt that he could completely hold the surrounding ordinary people hostage, forcing the other side to compromise.
But Duval's people mainly targeted the enemy in most cases and didn't care about the surrounding ordinary people.
Killing the enemy could protect more ordinary people, and not killing the enemy meant that more ordinary people would die tragically in the future.
Duval's side understood this very well, so they could act without any psychological burden.
Not to mention that Reynolds himself was a villain who liked to show off, and his moral bottom line was not high.
As for Druig, if you talked to Druig about the life and death of ordinary people, he used to care a lot, but now, he doesn't care much about ordinary people who won't turn into Xenomorphs.
The battle between the two sides became more and more intense, and Druig was also trying to interfere with Kaecilius's thinking with his mental abilities, making it impossible for Kaecilius to defend against.
*Boom!*
The violent noise shook the nearby streets.
It also successfully attracted the attention of a group of interested people.
A golden portal suddenly opened.
There was no surprise on Kaecilius's face, he just quickly glanced over with cold eyes.
Who would be coming? Mordo or Wong? No matter who came, it didn't matter, as long as it wasn't...
"Damn it!"
Kaecilius keenly sensed something and a trace of anger and horror appeared in his eyes.
He also began to create portals, wanting to escape.
To this end, he even used a powerful magic - Images of Ikonn, creating dozens of clones.
"Kaecilius, don't forget, I taught you this trick. Do you think you can use this trick to escape from me?"
A bald woman in a yellow mage robe appeared on the battlefield.
"..."
Kaecilius's face was extremely ugly. He controlled countless clones, creating countless energy whips, and wrapped them all around the Ancient One.
But the Ancient One's expression didn't change. She just shook her hands, and the space around her was cleared, and strange changes appeared, like prisms appearing one after another.
The Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!
This was one of the top two defensive spells in all magic.
The Ancient One blocked all the magic attacks with one move, and reversed the force, pushing the many prisms in all directions, instantly turning countless magic particles into flying cyan butterflies.
Reynolds thought it was very beautiful.
Kaecilius felt like he had fallen into an ice cave.
His body was about to enter the portal, but unfortunately, he was still facing enemies like Reynolds, who had super speed, and Druig, who had mental abilities.
Poof!
A blast of golden Heat Vision slammed over, sending Kaecilius staggering.
That single moment cost him his best chance to escape, as Ancient One had already locked down his position.
Even without the Time Stone, Ancient One was still a Skyfather-level powerhouse. Once an existence of that caliber seized an opportunity, Kaecilius had no chance of turning the tables.
"Ancient One! Why are you here?"
Kaecilius was a mix of shock and anger, his face full of resentment.
This was too strange. First, he encountered two enemies intimately familiar with his magic, and now Ancient One had personally arrived.
Kaecilius was supposed to be ambushing Druig, but now it seemed like a perfect trap designed for him.
At least, that's how Kaecilius saw it. He believed Ancient One and Duval were working together.
"Many people wish for your demise, Kaecilius. Your harm to this planet has caused growing discontent," Ancient One said, her voice as calm and peaceful as ever.
But that very tone infuriated Kaecilius: "Discontent because I'm harming this planet? Do you hear what you're saying? I'm doing the right thing! If I just let Dormammu devour Earth, the entire planet will be free from pain and separation!"
He continued, "And as for Duval's lot, is it really because I'm destroying Earth? Are you sure it's not because I had designs on the Xenomorphs that they want to kill me?!"
"You've got the cause and effect backward."
Druig suddenly spoke, "Many, many people have ideas about the Xenomorphs, but few dare to act, especially someone of your level. Because you wanted to attack us, we had to find a way to kill you before you caused more trouble. Duval just had me relay that message to you. He said, 'Send him to see Dormammu.'"
"I won't die! I will gain eternal life in Dormammu's Dark Dimension, free from despair and sorrow! Why is everyone stopping me? I'm doing something beneficial for the entire planet, I'm saving humanity!" Kaecilius gritted his teeth.
Ancient One gazed at her former disciple with a serene expression.
The Kaecilius of the past, like Mordo and Wong now, was full of righteousness, single-mindedly wanting to use magic to protect Earth and repel all the demon gods from other dimensions.
But as he repeatedly witnessed the fragility of mortals, coupled with Dormammu's constant mental corruption through Black Magic, Kaecilius finally fell.
Undoubtedly, it was a tragedy. Ancient One felt somewhat responsible for not taking better care of her beloved disciple, allowing Dormammu to exploit his vulnerabilities.
"You won't be alone, whether in survival or death, because maybe someday I'll go see you too."
"Of course, you'll see me! You, with your facade of justice, secretly stealing Black Magic to extend your life! When you die, you'll reunite with me in the Dark Dimension!"
Ancient One remained silent, immediately conjuring a Sword of the Vishanti and slashing down from afar.
This magical cut distorted space, transcended time, and froze all surrounding particles, halting everything from atoms to molecules, instantly trying to cleave Kaecilius in two.
Kaecilius, filled with resentment, mobilized all his Black Magic to resist.
But at that moment, Reynolds and Druig also attacked, launching a dual assault from the physical and mental levels, completely plunging Kaecilius into the abyss, causing his body to instantly turn into nothingness and dissipate.
The strongest Black Magic User who had plagued Earth for many years had finally met his end.
"I'm concerned about what Kaecilius said before he died. You, as the Sorcerer Supreme, are secretly practicing Black Magic?" Reynolds asked Ancient One curiously.
He knew something about this impossibly powerful being but didn't feel much fear, instead appearing eager to try his strength.
As for stealing Black Magic, Reynolds didn't think much of it, seeing it as mere curiosity.
"Reynolds, that's a very impolite way to ask," Duval's voice entered Reynolds' mind.
Ancient One seemed to hear it, saying calmly, "It's alright. This news will eventually be known to everyone, but it's not time to spread it yet. I need you to help me conceal it… Duval."
"I'm happy to serve you, Sorcerer Supreme. Elektra and the others did well. This has led to a successful collaboration. It's a good start. I think you'll like using Kaecilius's life as a greeting gift."
Duval stood in Weyland Tower, gazing into the distance, and said slowly.
Ancient One glanced at Reynolds and Druig: "Maybe it's a bad start. Dormammu won't let this go, and he'll soon launch a fierce attack on Earth. In any case, let's return to the Sanctum Sanctorum first."
"Druig will go with you. He needs to work with Elektra to monitor Stick, the Vampire who has your protection, but Reynolds can't," Duval said.
Reynolds was an ace, and Duval would never let Reynolds go to Kamar-Taj, a place filled with all sorts of terrifying magic arrays.
"If he can be used well, when it's absolutely necessary, he can even…"
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