章 177: Chapter 173
To put it bluntly, this is a plan to cut off the Vishanti's influence.
The Ancient One, the Supreme Sorcerer, was unaware of this plan. Even if she had known, she likely wouldn't have taken it seriously. The plan to sever ties with the Vishanti was devised by Leon, Natasha, and Wanda.
The core of the plan involved using Kamar-Taj as a central point to restructure how magicians accessed their magical power. Traditionally, magicians draw magic from the Vishanti through communication and absorption of energy from their dimension. However, under this new scheme, the old magicians would be bypassed, and neither the Vishanti nor Wanda would be provoked—for now. Instead, new mages would be directed to borrow magic first from the Vishanti and then from Wanda herself.
Yes, Wanda had effectively become a figure comparable to the Vishanti.
Her Chaos Magic, the most primal and potent form of magical energy, far surpassed the magic offered by the Vishanti. Wanda thus had the qualifications to become this new "loan shark" of magic.
As Wanda delved deeper into the Darkhold, her power grew exponentially—frighteningly so. Even the Ancient One was shocked by her strength. Fortunately, the Ancient One sought to keep the situation stable. If she'd known that Wanda was practicing dark magic, she might have had to consider expelling her as a successor. However, the Ancient One herself had relied on dark powers in the past. This shared reliance on forbidden energy forged an unspoken understanding between them.
With the Ancient One in a semi-retired state, she delegated many of Kamar-Taj's responsibilities to Wanda, allowing herself to focus on battles with Dormammu and other interdimensional threats. This was why Wanda had been so busy lately. She even dragged Leon into her tasks, insisting that having more people made things easier to manage.
Wanda's interception plan was surprisingly balanced. The Vishanti traditionally demanded both magic and the souls of practitioners. Wanda, however, had no need for souls. Instead, she required all magical energy from the mages to flow back to her upon their deaths. Essentially, this meant that these mages were unknowingly enhancing her power through their practice. Every century or so, Wanda's magic would experience a surge as these energies accumulated.
If a mage proved exceptionally skilled, Wanda could even liberate their soul upon death, allowing them to follow her as a vassal. In essence, her plan ensured that these mages worked for her—even in death.
This "black-hearted capitalist" approach was unmistakable, and Leon's influence on the plan was obvious. Without his scheming, a straightforward girl like Wanda wouldn't have conceived such a concept.
However, the mages might not object. After all, working under Wanda offered far more favorable terms than dealing with the Vishanti.
Natasha was fully aware of this plan. Though she recognized the risk of offending the magical hierarchy, she knew the rewards were too promising to ignore.
After some thought, it seemed unlikely that the big boss would notice anything. After all, they were essentially "borrowing money to lay eggs" by focusing on training a new generation of sorcerers.
Following a brief discussion, Natasha instructed Alexei and Sergei to head to his private quarters, carrying a sense of animosity. Since the Abomination would no longer remain at the air base, Natasha also tasked Melina with locating a new base. This new location would serve as a training ground for recruits to be absorbed in the future.
Meanwhile, Hulk had been settled into a harmonious environment. Surrounded by goodwill, Hulk remained calm. The three young girls even enjoyed spending time with him, often opening portals to take him to the beach or other islands for fun. These peaceful moments lasted until Bruce Banner's consciousness reasserted itself, overtaking Hulk's.
Despite both being gamma ray mutants, the Hulk and Abomination had vastly different circumstances. However, this distinction mattered little to anyone.
After defeating the Abomination and bringing both him and the Hulk back, Natasha returned to her routine—resting, training, sunbathing—while Sergei and the others resumed their carefree activities, going to school, playing, and enjoying themselves.
Though Natasha, Leon, and their group enjoyed this peaceful interlude, the world outside faced an upheaval of public outrage.
A monster had rampaged through New York City, causing 403 civilian casualties and the deaths of over 40 police officers. This marked one of the most catastrophic events in recent U.S. history. To make matters worse, the incident implicated the military and possible experimental mutants, reviving the public's distrust of the federal government.
The American people's bitter memories of past government misdeeds—biological experiments, nuclear testing, and other unethical practices—came rushing back. This time was no different. The sheer destruction caused by the monstrous Abomination shook the public to its core. People questioned how the military and government could conduct experiments that resulted in the creation of such an uncontrollable creature.
The fact that the monster breached an urban area, putting countless lives at risk, only fueled public fury. No one wanted to live in fear of walking down the street, only to encounter a terrifying beast that could destroy their lives and families in an instant.
On social media, criticism of the federal government and military erupted like wildfire, overwhelming servers on some platforms. Comments flooded in, with users expressing their outrage:
- "It's unimaginable how the government and military keep creating these monsters without our consent. Let's not forget the first 'monster' they made—Steve Rogers."
- "Controlled monster: Steve Rogers. Uncontrolled monster: Abomination. Amazing. America will eventually fall because of its own arrogance."
- "If this monster wasn't stopped by the pretty lady, there would've been even more casualties. The only way they'd solve it would be missiles—or maybe even nukes."
- "They created something that doesn't belong in this world and shattered nearly 500 families. My heart aches for the innocent victims, and I offer my deepest respect to the brave officers who gave their lives. It's tragic."
The tragedy and the public's anger cast a long shadow, and it became clear that this event would have far-reaching consequences.
"Someone must be held accountable for this. The person responsible for these experiments should face the gallows. He must pay with his life to atone for the countless innocent lives lost."
"They deserve to rot in hell. They're always using our tax dollars for these shameless experiments. I'm sick of it. They constantly hide the truth from us."
"Am I the only one amazed by the beauty and power of that woman? She's like a Valkyrie! Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she were the reincarnation of Athena."
...
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