As soon as Vorrak appeared, Kaelith and Korvathar, his sons, quickly recognized that their father's bond had deepened.
"Father? He seems to have gained unprecedented strength. Additionally, he feels more enigmatic than ever," Kaelith whispered. Hearing this, Kirabo immediately inquired about his location.
"Kaelith, please tell me where the Master is?" Kirabo asked, his mind in a state of chaos. Since he had learned about the connection weakening over the last two months, he had been consumed by worry, and only when Kaelith released hormones could Kirabo find rest.
Korvathar, as the symbiote of the silverback gorilla, had complete faith in his father's survival. Though their connection had always been faint, it now fluctuated with unprecedented intensity, allowing him to sense Vorrak's general location.
Meanwhile, Vorrak remained oblivious, his thoughts preoccupied. Confident in his sons' superior strength, he harbored no worries, knowing only a select few could challenge them. His immediate concern was finding the Ancient One and announcing his return, a task he felt was fitting given the considerable trouble he'd likely caused her. He anticipated a warm reunion at the Sanctum, akin to a mother welcoming a long-absent child.
As Vorrak navigated the vibrant streets of the city, a sharp smacking noise echoed from a nearby alley, drawing his attention to a young man with a determined glint in his piercing blue eyes. The boy's blond hair was disheveled, and his slender frame was clad in a loose-fitting brown jacket, which seemed to swallow him whole, paired with a button-up shirt and trousers. He grasped the lid of a trash bin, his knuckles white with tension.
In a burst of defiance, the young man exclaimed a phrase that sent shivers down Vorrak's spine: a declaration of unyielding spirit that belied his fragile appearance. As Vorrak gazed at him, he saw a glimmer of a more robust figure looming in the background - a sturdy, powerful presence that seemed to radiate an aura of strength, like a specter of the young man's future self.
Vorrak's curiosity got the better of him, and he called out, "Steve Rogers?" The young man's eyes snapped towards him, a flash of surprise crossing his face as he took in Vorrak's suave, James Bond-esque appearance. For a moment, he forgot about the assailant who had been pummeling him, his attention fixed on this mysterious stranger.
"Who are you?" Steve Rogers demanded, his voice firm, as he brandished the trash bin lid like a shield, his eyes blazing with a fierce inner light. "Leave now, or you'll get dragged into this mess!" The attacker, caught off guard by the sudden interruption, looked back and forth between Steve and Vorrak, uncertainty etched on his face.
As the stranger stormed out of the room, still fuming from the altercation with Steve Rogers, he caught a glimpse of Vorrak's ominous figure in the distance. A dark aura seemed to surround Vorrak, and the stranger's instincts screamed at him to get out of there - fast. His pace quickened, and beads of sweat trickled down his back as he muttered to himself, "What just happened? I need to get out of here, now."
Steve, still reeling from the physical confrontation, looked on in confusion as the stranger hastened his departure. His attention then shifted to the mysterious figure standing before him, who seemed to know him all too well. "Do you know me?" Steve asked, wincing in pain.
The man, Vorrak, smiled knowingly and replied, "I know you better than you think. Let me get your contact information so I can reach out to you. I have a proposal that requires your presence at the Stark Expo - tell me when you plan on attending." Despite his confusion, Steve's trusting nature got the better of him, and he willingly handed over his contact details without questioning Vorrak's motives.
As Vorrak took his leave, a tiny, ant-sized creature slipped into Steve's jacket, unnoticed by its new host. Vorrak's eyes seemed to gleam with an otherworldly intensity as he silently instructed the tiny entity, "Keep a close eye on Steve and ensure his safety" - a command issued through a mystical form of telepathy born from magic.
Following his departure, Vorrak proceeded towards Greenwich Village, the location of the Sanctum. En route, he ventured into an alleyway to satiate his hunger by killing a few humans, having gone a considerable amount of time without sustenance. Despite his diminished strength, which had been reduced by half, he remained the most powerful being on Earth.
Vorrak's journey to the Sanctum was deliberate and unhurried, as he sought to relish his return to Earth after a prolonged absence. Although his time in Asgard had been pleasant, he couldn't shake off the feeling of not belonging, and Earth was where he truly felt at home. His intention was to acquire the desired DNA and then relocate to the Philippines, but this plan was merely a ruse. In reality, he aimed to establish himself as the ruler of the Philippines, marking the beginning of a new era.
Over the past month, Vorrak had amassed 35 entry cards from the most elite Asgardians, all of which were blue entries. These entries primarily enhanced his physical attributes, with 18 of them focusing on strengthening his endurance and power. The remaining entries improved his agility, dexterity, reflexes, and creative abilities, such as music production and singing. Additionally, some entries augmented his resistance and adaptability, further solidifying his position as a formidable entity.
Notably, Vorrak chose not to utilize the synthesis function at this time, opting instead to collect all available Asgardian DNA before proceeding with the synthesis process. This decision would necessitate a waiting period of eight years, during which he would accumulate approximately 3,000 DNA samples from Asgardians eligible for entry cards. This deliberate approach underscores Vorrak's strategic mindset and his commitment to maximizing his potential.
It took some time, but Vorrak ultimately made it to Greenwich Village. With a sense of nostalgia, he stared at the recognizable structure. Despite the fact that only a few months have passed, Vorrak feels as if he has been away for years and is experiencing nostalgia as if he were just now coming home.
Someone opened the door after knocking on it. This individual had blue eyes and black hair and wore the typical garb of a sorcerer. He has a strong physique, but his lean muscle mass is higher. As Vorrak turned into his symbiotic form, he grinned at the familiar face.
"Look who it is... My dear host, Mark Kenner. How have things been? With his lips drooling, Vorrak gave a threatening smile. Mark Kenner quickly moved back as he heard his name and the recognizable person, and he prepared to strike him with a sword and shield that he conjured up in fear.
"Have you arrived?" asked Mark Kenner. Despite knowing that Vorrak helped him regain his body and unlock his genes, he was still afraid of the day he first met Vorrak out of concern. He has no desire to ever again experience the sensation of being physically paralyzed and unable to move.
"Well, why am I unable to come and talk with the Ancient One?"
"Right, where is she and why are you here?" Vorrak questioned, not seeing any evidence of Ancient One's presence.
"The Ancient One is not here right now, but she did give me instructions to greet you upon your return," said Mark Kenner, who was now James Bond again after using his mystical powers.
"How are you?" As they went up the stairs, Vorrak inquired, "How does it feel to live on the verge of death?" At last, Vorrak felt like he had genuinely returned after seeing the well-known displays.
"Good, thanks to you, I'm stronger than ever, and I also unlocked my X-gene because you were in my body, but the problem is that my X gene has changed into something like a monster, like you," Mark Kenner said cautiously.
"X-gene? Are you a mutant? It was Vorrak's turn to be taken aback this time. The notion that the person with whom he established a random connection is a mutant.
Vorrak inquired, "What kind of mutant are you?" with curiosity.
"I am a werewolf, but because of you, I have an additional talent that shouldn't have existed in being a werewolf: I can conjure sharp, powerful tentacles that can kill many people with a single thrust and are also durable." For the last two months, according to Mark Kenner, he has only been able to work on mastering his metamorphosis, and when he loses control, he practices mystical arts after being knocked out.
He is now able to maintain his metamorphosis for around 10 minutes before losing control once more. For this reason, he devoted the majority of his time to learning mystical arts, as he believed that it would be more advantageous for him to become proficient in them than to become a werewolf with no sense of self.
Fortunately, he is skilled in the mystic arts because it took him a month to master the fundamentals.
"Okay, give me your blood." Mark Kenner's cheeks immediately started to bleed a little bit, and he was struck in the face without even noticing Vorrak's movement. Fortunately, Mark Kenner understood that Vorrak is particularly interested in acquiring a certain kind of DNA, which could be blood, hair, skin, flesh, or anything else.
He wasn't shocked that Vorrak would want anything from him since he had learned about this through Ancient One. Similarly, Vorrak doesn't give a damn about Mark Kenner's potential retaliation since he may simply murder him after getting his DNA.
Vorrak immediately created an entry card out of Mark Kenner's DNA after receiving his blood.
[Primal Dreadspawn (Gold) (Mark Kenner)
Description: Enhances strength, durability, endurance, and regeneration by 10x, manifesting lethal symbiotic tentacles for predatory combat.
Special Ability - Adaptive Carnage:
Tentacles evolve mid-battle, shifting between offense and defense, countering enemy attacks with ruthless precision. ]
Vorrak was content to see this. Because of him, one would assume that the entry requirements would be higher. By now, he had a new plan: he would spend a good amount of time forming a relationship with them before obtaining their DNA. Even without his mutation, he would still collect DNA, but this DNA would be employed in synthesis. In reality, this method would allow him access to another source of entries that would enable him to grow stronger more quickly.
Vorrak is thrilled to witness such entry since it only occurs sometimes, and he could only obtain it by chance or by synthesizing a large number of entries.