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[email protected]/Heroicverse
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This not only meant that the large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources S.H.I.E.L.D. invested in the early stage of the plan were all wasted.
Not to mention the large number of field Agents who died or were injured in the Blood God Sect War.
The most crucial point is that this way, S.H.I.E.L.D. will directly lose its only chance to gather information on Ghost King Dracula at the Centennial Conference.
It could be said to be a complete loss!
Now.
Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to find suitable Vampire clans in other cities, it would be completely too late.
Undoubtedly.
For Nick Fury, and for S.H.I.E.L.D., this was the biggest defeat in history... or even a crushing defeat!
And the person who ruined the plan, needless to say, was naturally Karl Merks!
When he thought of his meticulously planned Wizard Society now becoming a 'wedding dress' personally offered to his mortal enemy.
Nick Fury, who had always been known for his composure, cunning, and never taking losses, finally had his mentality completely collapse due to jealousy and hatred.
As a result, within S.H.I.E.L.D. currently, the name Karl Merks has become an absolute taboo that no one can easily mention.
Maria Hill looked at Nick Fury, who was in an inexplicably irritable state, and couldn't help but feel a sense of 'If there is Zhou Yu, why is there Zhuge Liang?'
In fact, after receiving the video from the New York police about Sheriff George Stacy being eaten by Anti-Venom, the keen-nosed Nick Fury had set his sights on Life Foundation.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell.
His Director had a great interest in this Alien Symbiote, which could provide hosts with many enhancements such as super strength and speed.
But just as they were painstakingly searching for the whereabouts of the three 'lost' Alien Symbiotes using information obtained from 'raiding' Life Foundation.
Who would have thought that Karl Merks had 'again and again' gotten there first.
And King Kong, combined with the Symbiote, also shone brightly in the recent battle with the two MUTOs.
No wonder Nick Fury's mentality became unbalanced, causing him to instantly lose his composure!
One might ask, who could tolerate such a thing?
Indeed, jealousy can disfigure a person!
In fact, Maria Hill was not the only one who thought this way.
Many old employees of S.H.I.E.L.D. secretly regarded Karl Merks as Nick Fury's destined nemesis.
Because in almost all matters related to this man, their Director always ended up getting the short end of the stick.
And this situation had never happened before Karl appeared!
Maria Hill couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh in her heart, "Alas, it seems that the days ahead will probably not be easy!"
...Damn bastard, you wait for me, I will personally send you to Raft Prison one day.
After spewing a lot of trash talk at the non-existent Karl in the void, the unbalanced Nick Fury finally calmed down.
Then, pretending not to see the undisguised strange looks in the eyes of Maria Hill and others, he ordered with a dark face:
"Send more people to track down Eddie Brock's whereabouts; we must quickly find out if he is the host of that Alien Symbiote."
"And, I'm sure he knows some secrets that we don't know yet."
"If he really is the monster the police are chasing, perhaps we can take this opportunity to recruit him into S.H.I.E.L.D...."
At this point, Nick Fury's heart was once again filled with an extremely stifling and depressed feeling.
Because no matter what he did now, he was destined to be one step behind Karl.
One step slow means every step slow!
Originally, he had thought about whether to send Skrulls spies to Sokovia to gather intelligence.
But this idea was quickly rejected.
Because according to the personal information about Karl currently held by S.H.I.E.L.D., it was recorded that the other party seemed to possess some kind of Telepathy ability.
Nick Fury was also unsure whether the Skrulls' shapeshifting ability could deceive the other party.
If Karl were to prematurely detect the existence of the Skrulls, that powerful trump card, it would be a huge loss for Nick Fury!
Therefore, at present, he could only place all his hopes of breaking the deadlock on Eddie Brock.
Maria Hill: "Yes, Officer."
...
At the same time.
In a dilapidated hotel.
Eddie Brock and Anti-Venom, who were hiding from the pursuit, had already seen The Daily Bugle's live broadcast on TV.
"Hey, mount Eddie, how can such a terrifying thing exist on Earth?"
Anti-Venom pointed at King Kong, who was wearing the A02 Symbiote on TV, and said with a face full of fear:
"I remember that Extreme and Venom were not wiped of their consciousness by that terrifying man, were they?"
"Why is it now appearing on that big gorilla?"
Eddie Brock suppressed the fear in his heart, his voice trembling slightly as he replied:
"That monster's name is King Kong, a type of Titan... Previously, it had defeated two Titans, and then it was brought back to Sokovia by Hyperspace Group."
"Now it seems that both King Kong and Hyperspace Group should be related to that super-powered individual named Karl Merks."
Eddie Brock now both hated and feared Karl.
He hated that they both caused the destruction in the lab that day.
But in the end, all the blame fell on him, Eddie Brock, alone?
This was clearly extremely unfair and unreasonable.
Moreover, if Karl hadn't broken the experimental capsule, he wouldn't be controlled like a puppet by this talking, head-eating monster.
As a result, he not only lost his job but was also wanted by the police, unable to return home!
At the same time, his girlfriend also broke up with him and went into the arms of another Doctor.
How many days had it been?
Anne, you already found a new partner?
So... Eddie Brock, whose love life, career, and life had all hit rock bottom, transferred all his resentment to Karl.
However.
The other party's unparalleled strength made him feel incredibly fearful.
Especially after seeing Symbiote Kong's performance today, it made him abandon his foolish idea of using Anti-Venom to seek revenge on Karl.
Because he and Anti-Venom combined would probably not even be enough to fill Symbiote Kong's teeth.
"Mount Eddie, that man is too powerful; we simply cannot deal with him right now."
Anti-Venom seemed to guess Eddie Brock's thoughts, leaning its small head close to him and saying with ill intent:
"It seems that if we want revenge, we must find a more powerful partner, and then take the opportunity to bring the main force from the comet back..."
"This way, perhaps we can become the rulers of this Planet in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Eddie Brock's eyes immediately burned with a raging fire of revenge.
For revenge, he could endure and wait.
Only to wait for the day when the opportunity came, to personally take back everything he had lost!!
...
Kamar-Taj.
Karl followed Wanda through an ancient corridor and arrived at the Sorcerer Supreme's study.
"Come in."
There was no need to knock, as Ancient One's voice, without any emotional fluctuations, came from inside the study.
Karl heard this and pushed the door open directly.
Wanda, on the other hand, stood at the doorway, hesitating with a conflicted expression.
It was clear that she really wanted to stay by Karl's side.
But her reverence for Ancient One prevented her from overstepping the strict rules of Kamar-Taj.
This wasn't to say that Wanda was particularly afraid of Ancient One.
Quite the opposite.
In her daily magic studies, she was acutely aware that this revered Sorcerer Supreme seemed to deliberately avoid too much contact with her.
Even the task of teaching the basics of magic was entirely handed over to other female Wizards.
However, Wanda took this lightly.
Because the reason she chose to come to Kamar-Taj to learn magic was entirely to better help Karl in the future.
As for who taught the relevant magic knowledge, it didn't matter to her at all.
Therefore, Wanda was especially mindful of the rules of Kamar-Taj in her daily life.
She was afraid that if she was not careful, Ancient One would find an excuse to drive her away, thus wasting Karl's efforts.
"Wanda, you've worked hard. Can I speak with Mr. Karl alone now?"
Ancient One turned to look at Wanda at the doorway, a polite yet dignified smile on her face.
"I understand."
Although Wanda's heart was filled with reluctance and longing, she still nodded obediently.
Then the little girl widened her eyes, taking a few hard looks at Karl, as if to deeply engrave the man's figure into her memory, before closing the door and turning to leave.
Karl did not speak the entire time, nor did he look back at Wanda, but instead entered a state of single-mindedness.
This was a habit he had developed during major negotiations in his 'previous life'.
It could speed up his brain's operation and help him better cope with unexpected situations that might arise during negotiations.
"Mr. Karl, we meet again!"
Ancient One sat at an antique solid wood table, extending a hand towards the empty seat opposite, motioning for Karl to sit there.
To be precise, this should be considered their second official meeting.
Although they had met several times before due to opening portals.
But either the time was extremely short, or Ancient One had someone else act on her behalf, so there wasn't much communication throughout.
Karl expressionlessly pulled out a chair and sat down with a flourish.
Then, he adopted an aggressive posture and looked at Ancient One.
In fact, even before coming to Kamar-Taj, Karl had already analyzed the reason why Ancient One specifically sought him out for a conversation this time.
First, it was certain that Ancient One was definitely not looking for him to reminisce.
Although the two were nominal allies, their actual relationship had become increasingly tense with the passage of time.
Karl could feel that Ancient One's suspicion about his true identity was growing stronger.
Because no matter how realistic a story was told, if it lost the support of reality, it would eventually be exposed.
And Ancient One's suspicion stemmed precisely from the elusive nature of the Warp and the Four Lackeys.
For a powerful being like Ancient One, the unknown represented a potential threat, uncontrollable variables, unpredictable outcomes, and even blatant deception!
The fact that she was able to forcefully suppress the many questions in her heart and did not come to find Karl in the past three months already showed how remarkable Ancient One's self-restraint was.
Secondly, Ancient One did not immediately use the Mirror Dimension this time, which indicated that although her heart was full of questions, she had not yet regarded Karl as a threat.
Otherwise, she would not have specifically sent Wanda to help Karl open the portal this time.
In addition to that.
Ancient One had deliberately called Wanda a Sorcerer in front of Karl just now, and the gesture of goodwill revealed in that was already more than obvious.
It should be noted that before coming to Kamar-Taj, Karl, in order to accurately assess Ancient One and Kamar-Taj's true attitude towards him, specifically asked Wanda about her daily routine during this recent period.
Although no valuable intelligence was ultimately found.
It was certain that Ancient One had never referred to Wanda as a Sorcerer before.
She even rarely actively communicated with her on a daily basis…
But today, she uncharacteristically affirmed Wanda's identity, which was definitely not a sudden whim, or being moved by Wanda's diligence and talent.
Therefore, combining all the above analyses and judgments, the answer naturally became obvious.
The greatest possibility at present was that Ancient One had already detected the existence of the Four Lackeys through the subtle clues found on the God Chosen.
And this was exactly what Karl wanted her to discover.
This way, the initiative would still remain in Karl's hands.
However.
To completely dispel Ancient One's doubts, Karl now had to reveal some of his trump cards appropriately.
Fortunately, he had long been prepared for this, and immediately got into character, adopting a certain posture.
He was determined to fully portray the arrogant demeanor that a Dimensional God, who had regained some of his power, should possess.
In short, it was to be as arrogant as possible, and that would be correct!
Moreover, for Karl, he was not afraid of this bald head even when the Five Little Ones had not appeared, and now that they had appeared, he was even less afraid.
Come on, let's see if I can handle you!
So the two seemed to instantly return to the scene of their first meeting several months ago, staring at each other unblinkingly, neither giving way.
"Mr. Karl, I think…"
Finally, Ancient One was the first to break the stalemate.
However, she still maintained the demeanor of a powerful being, calm as an ancient well, picked up a set of ancient and simple tea utensils on the table, and while brewing tea, she wanted to say something.
But who would have thought.
Karl did not give her the opportunity to take the lead, and preemptively asked a question that Ancient One would never forget in her life?
Karl leaned forward slightly, with an overbearing smile on his face, and asked in a feigned manner:
"Sorcerer Ancient One, do I look more like a human or a God now?"
"!!!"
Ancient One's mouth twitched slightly upon hearing this, as she tried to maintain her elegant and composed expression from being broken, and her five hundred years of self-restraint nearly shattered on the spot from anger.
Alright, alright, you little brat, you're not playing by the rules, are you?
Every time I see you, you can't speak properly. Dimensional Gods are all the same, arrogant when they gain power!!
I think you're like a #￥%&…
Ancient One steadied herself and still maintained an elegant posture as she filled the teacup in front of her, then pushed it towards Karl.
However, when she was about to ignore the other party's question and resume the topic that had been interrupted earlier.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Karl's forehead, where a mysterious rune had appeared at some point, and she was instantly stunned on the spot.
At this moment.
From a perspective invisible to ordinary people.
A mysterious "eight-pointed star rune" appeared on Karl's forehead.
Among them, the corresponding star points in the [North], [Northeast], [Southeast], [Southwest], and [Northwest] directions were continuously shining with five different colors of light: "yellow, blue, purple, green, and red".
Ancient One was naturally not unfamiliar with this.
After all, she had been engaged in the business of "magic loans" from Dimensional Gods for quite some years.
As a seasoned "borrower who never repays".
Ancient One recognized at a glance that the five flickering star points actually symbolized five completely different great powers!
And these great powers were most likely the source of Karl's power as a Dimensional God!
However, it was her first time seeing a Dimensional Lord who possessed five completely different source powers simultaneously.
No!
Not just five kinds!
Because there were still three corners on the eight-pointed star that had not been lit up.
Presumably, Karl also possessed three other different source powers that had not yet recovered.
Thinking of this, even Ancient One couldn't help but feel shocked.
A Dimensional Lord who possessed 8 different source powers simultaneously, was probably an unheard-of special existence even throughout the entire Multiverse?!
Ancient One was now filled with apprehension and curiosity about this new Hyperspace Dimension?
But what truly made her feel incredible was this.
Compared to Mephisto, Maduk Kurios, Dormammu… these Hell Lords and Dimensional Gods who used "dark power".
She actually felt the same "light (white magic)" aura as Vishanti in Karl's five source powers.
She even felt a sacred aura that seemed to be able to dispel all darkness and evil from the golden light emanating from the star point in the [North] direction!
"So the eight-pointed star is His [Blessing Mark]…"
"It seems my previous guess was not wrong, it was Him who bestowed power upon that female Vampire and that human male that night!"
At this moment, Ancient One's last shred of doubt in her heart was finally completely dispelled after feeling the "light" power released from the eight-pointed star rune.
Just as Karl had guessed.
After their first encounter, Ancient One, who had returned to Kamar-Taj, frequently went to the library to consult ancient texts compiled or collected by past Sorcerer Supremes.
She attempted to find information related to the Warp and the Chaos Gods within them.
But in the end, all attempts failed.
This couldn't help but make Ancient One harbor great doubts about Karl's true identity in her heart.
Although the other party could ignore the magic shield of the three Sanctums and directly collect souls from Earth through slaughter, and she couldn't observe his past and future through the Time Stone.
But this did not prove that everything Karl said was true.
Ancient One even began to suspect whether the four Loki in Karl's mouth were something he temporarily fabricated to deal with her at that time?
Or, he was a follower of a powerful demon god.
The reason he appeared on Earth was merely to deceive her and Kamar-Taj, and once everyone relaxed their guard against him, he would seize the opportunity to attack the three Sanctums?
However, she couldn't find any basis or clues in Karl's recent months of actions that could support this speculation.
In her opinion, this so-called Dimensional God was more like a… businessman who was determined to build a vast empire in the real World!
That's right.
"Businessman" was the most fitting word Ancient One could think of at this stage to describe Karl.
Because in her opinion, "businessman" was synonymous with someone who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals!
However.
Once the seed of doubt was planted in the heart, it was bound to quickly take root and sprout, then gradually mature, and ferment into a new crisis.
But what Ancient One never expected was this.
This "crisis of trust" that was still in its infancy was completely terminated by the sudden appearance of the God Chosen before it had a chance to grow.
Now, Ancient One not only truly recognized Karl's identity as a Dimensional God.
She also believed that she had figured out his true background.
Although this guy's words and actions didn't seem like a good person.
But at least the source power he possessed was bright and righteous!
And this also meant that Karl had successfully been pulled into Ancient One's "white list" of "having a certain credibility" at this stage.
After completely dispelling those doubts and suspicions in her heart, Ancient One also changed her previous cold and distant demeanor, revealing a gentle smile on her face, and said like a spring breeze:
"Mr. Karl, please don't misunderstand. The reason I invited you to Kamar-Taj this time is actually to seek your opinion on an important decision concerning Sorcerer Wanda."