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"Are you sure?" Strange expressed doubt at his other self's words. He believed that his own self in this universe still didn't realize the seriousness of the problem. Or perhaps, he had projected his impression of Wanda from this universe onto Scarlet Witch.
From this universe's own words, it can be heard that Wanda here is emotionally stable, even gentle. This means that she either has a strong mental strength or has not experienced any major events that have caused her emotions to fluctuate drastically.
A powerful woman with nothing, yet yearning for a family, this obsession twists her emotions to the point of sacrificing everything for it. From what they were saying, did they want Scarlet Witch to seek counseling and treatment from those psychiatrists? She'd twist the minds of those psychiatrists into submission!
"I'm sure," Stephen said to Strange. "It's safe here. You look so exhausted and disheveled. It's obvious you haven't had a good rest in a long time. My suggestion is that you find a room to rest and get enough rest. Things will eventually be resolved, right?"
"I haven't had a good night's sleep for a long time. You know, as soon as I fall asleep, I will enter a dream. In every dream, either I am escaping with her in different dimensions, or I am dead. Well, it's a very tragic and inglorious way to die." Strange's mind concealed his mental exhaustion.
"I know, I know. I went through that phase myself. The workload suddenly multiplied, to a point I hadn't anticipated. I wanted to cut myself into hundreds, perhaps thousands, to block the source of all those tasks. But I'm not sure if that would have a significant impact on my future.
I was incredibly anxious, physically busy, mentally exhausted, and stressed to the point of being restless and unable to sleep. I felt like I was developing a mental illness, but thankfully, I'm quite skilled in this area and managed to hold on. I made it through. The few times I managed to get some sleep, I'd dream of the awful events of the multiverse, many of which involved my alter ego. Stephen stood up and walked to the table in the center of the hall. He took a few cups from it, then continuously drew from the void some liquid emitting psychic energy, brewing and mixing it with his magic on the spot.
"Would you like some? This may give you a moment of peace of mind and relax your tense heart. I relied on it to maintain the strength of my soul and survived." Stephen waved his hand and used magic to pass a cup of azure liquid to Strange with his fingers.
"What about me?" America thought it was a good thing, but Stephen seemed to have forgotten her and ignored her as if she were air. This made her puff up her cheeks and take the initiative to speak up.
"You can't drink this stuff yet. It's quite strong." Stephen glanced at her and said truthfully, "It will make your condition a little better, but if you can't control your power, your power will become even more out of control after the effect wears off. What's more, according to its maker, it's an [alcoholic beverage] and not suitable for children."
"I'm an adult!" America yelled.
"I don't think so. The age of your soul is completely clear to me." Stephen lightly exposed her words.
"Burp! What is this? Why haven't I had this kind of drink in Kamar-Taj? Is this also unique to your universe?" Strange drank the liquid in the cup in his hand, and felt his whole body instantly relaxed and refreshed. His spirits were lifted, and the mental fatigue of many days was rapidly dissipating. He had never felt so happy in this rare spiritual peace as he did now. A drowsy feeling came over him, and his body sent him a signal to sleep. Strangely, he understood why this situation happened, and knew that this sleep would bring considerable benefits after waking up. He wanted to ask clearly, what exactly did Stephen give him to drink?
"You could say so. After all, this is a multiverse-bestselling treasure. It's specifically designed to nourish the mind and body. Does it look like it's working? Then find yourself a room to rest. You know the layout of this place and where the rooms are. I'd like to have a drink and enjoy this rare moment of leisure." Stephen raised his glass to Strange, then returned to the fireplace to flip through the thick book. But as he turned the page, he suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up at Strange, who was following suit and pulling America to find their own rooms to rest. He added, "You'd better not choose your master bedroom! Because that's my room too! Remember to choose the guest bedroom, thank you!"
The night passed quickly.
Strange opened his eyes in bed and felt as if his mind had been cleansed and purified. He felt refreshed, and the ever-present sense of surveillance had subsided considerably. Although it was still there, compared to the earlier signs that had grown increasingly clear, larger, and closer, it suddenly became vague and imperceptible.
Strange even felt that his mental state had never been so good. After observing himself carefully, he found that his body and control over energy had increased significantly.
He got up from the bed and walked down the stairs to the familiar dining table, which was already filled with his favorite daily meals. His own version of himself and America were already seated at the table.
"It seems you slept well." The Wizard King stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth, pulled out a chair on the dining table, and said to Strange while eating.
"It's better than ever. The nightmare that has been haunting me for a long time is gone." Strange also pulled out a chair and sat down, picking out his favorite food while saying with satisfaction.
"I slept well, too." America raised her hand as well.
"What are you going to do with us today? You're not really going to let us stay here, are you? You know, I have to go back sooner or later. There are still a lot of troubles in my universe that need to be dealt with. I can't escape." Strange ate breakfast while looking at his other self at the head of the table.
"I have contacted Wanda. She is willing to meet you and help you talk to the Scarlet Witch." Stephen wiped his mouth with a napkin, threw it aside, and said softly.
"What about me?" America raised her hand.
"Of course you can go. After all, you are the one that Scarlet Witch is obsessed with. Wanda may still need your contribution at that time." Stephen glanced over and replied.
"Can I not go?" The girl suddenly felt a little weak at the thought of meeting that Wanda. Although she knew that the Wanda here was not the Scarlet Witch, the isotopes in different universes were more or less similar. The Scarlet Witch was especially good at borrowing the body of her own from another universe.
"I know you're worried, but there's no need to worry. Believe me, there's no place safer than this planet. Of course, I'm not referring to those criminal acts, but the kind of cross-dimensional invasions. If the Scarlet Witch wants to come over, I have to open a back door for her." Stephen shrugged helplessly.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Strange devoured his breakfast quickly and elegantly, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood up. He had a strong feeling that if he could successfully resolve this trouble and problem, this would be it. He had already noticed the difference between this planet and the one he was familiar with and the one he lived on. This planet itself was surrounded by a powerful and abundant energy. This energy was like a dense invisible network, enveloping the planet and protecting it. It served as both a protective warning and an energy output. He did not borrow the magical power used by his other self.
It seemed that the first thing he saw after he and America appeared here yesterday was the Mage King. It wasn't a coincidence, but an inevitability! After experiencing the blows of multiple worlds, Strange now truly had some confidence.
A rotating portal lit up along a tree-lined path, and Stephen and the other two emerged. Looking at the lush greenery surrounding them, taking in the tranquility and natural surroundings, Strange peered curiously, "Does she live here?"
"Yes, she lives here." Stephen confirmed Strange's words, closed the portal, and led the way along the path.
"Why don't we teleport directly to her doorstep? Don't you have her permission?" Strange asked as he trotted along, walking shoulder to shoulder with Stephen in front of him.
"Do you think I haven't thought about it? If you can, I'd be happy for you to open a portal here and teleport us all over. It'll save time and effort." Stephen rolled his eyes at him. Seeing Strange's skeptical attempt to open a portal, which only produced a few sparks in the air, he couldn't help but laugh. "Don't waste your energy. Mages are forbidden from opening portals here. You don't have permission, and you'll only set off the alarm and anger the owner of this community."
"Community?" Strange gave up on the idea of opening the portal, but he was more curious about what Stephen was saying. Their speed wasn't slow; they had already turned two corners and walked two hundred meters along the tree-lined path.
"Yes, Stark Construction bought this land and built a residential complex here. It's not for sale to the public, but each Avenger has their own villa here. This is the Avengers' Community, specifically for the Avengers. He can't stand the idea of a wizard being able to open a portal to him at any time. So when he's at home, he usually activates a spatial jammer to stabilize space and prevent portals from opening. Breaking in by force isn't impossible; after all, I think it's just a warning. But why provoke him? What if he gets angry and starts fighting me in that suit? Even though I think his anti-Strange suit is pretty lame," Stephen said, finally reaching the end of the path, a separate villa. A man and a woman were already waiting in front of the villa.
Seeing that face that had left such a deep impression on her, the face that had given her nightmares, America, who was following Strange and the others, felt her body suddenly become numb. She had a strong urge to turn around and run. However, looking at the woman with a temperament different from the Scarlet Witch she had always remembered, she nervously suppressed her fear.
"Oh my God, no wonder you are so normal in this universe, it turns out Pietro is still alive?" Strange had never seen a living Pietro, but that did not prevent him from knowing who the man standing in front of him with Wanda was.
"Ah, I know, I know. In many worlds, my endings weren't pretty. Sometimes I can't understand how a speedster like me could be crushed to death, and why I've died in so many bizarre ways." Pietro understood the unspoken meaning behind Strange's words perfectly, and he made a mature self-deprecating joke. Perhaps he used to be impulsive and unable to control his emotions, but now? He's a mature old man with a family and a career.
"Nice to meet you. I mean the normal you, the one who's not chasing me." Strange nodded to Pietro and turned to smile at Wanda.
"I'm sorry. My fate in other universes may not be very good. They are always accompanied by loss, and loss again and again. I am lucky that while I have power, I have not lost my loved ones, but this is not a reason for me to turn a blind eye to their misery. I can empathize with them, so I can understand the despair and destruction in their hearts. So I am committed to helping them solve their problems and let them find peace and normalcy." Wanda's voice was gentle and soft.
"That's exactly what I wanted." Strange breathed a sigh of relief. "What should we do next?"
"Let her come over, I'll talk to her." Wanda said.
"Are you sure? It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I don't quite trust her. She has gone a little crazy. She will do anything for the two imaginary children she created. She may not talk to you properly." Strange reminded.
"I understand. Usually we have to do a big job first before we can have a good chat. I am familiar with this process and the subsequent processes as well! I am a professional soul surgeon." Wanda replied without any surprise.
"I'm fine." Strange didn't notice anything unusual and finally felt relieved. "What should we do? Should we actively lure her here? In fact, I think she could come to this world at any time, as long as we provide an anchor."
Wanda, Pietro and the others stepped back a few steps to make room for Strange and America. Strange and America looked at each other.
After battling the Scarlet Witch for so long, they knew how to maintain their secrecy and delay her lock-on as much as possible. They also knew that as long as they let go of those evasive means, the Scarlet Witch would be able to lock on to them immediately and cross over.
Just like now.
Crimson clouds appeared in the sky.