บท 238: Chapter 239: Doctor Strange: When I Get Ruthless, I Even Kill Myself!
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"It's also because of this reason that you've always been so intuitive," the Ancient One continued to move around, "But I'm afraid our time is running short."
"Who caused all of this?" Stephen Strange asked.
"It's you," the Ancient One turned and said.
"How is that possible?" Stephen Strange was skeptical. "I haven't done anything!"
"As Doctor Strange, it was you who used the Eye of Agamotto to escape into the past, and I couldn't follow," the Ancient One explained the situation, "I drew power from the Dark Dimension and split the timeline in half, also splitting you into two, so that both of you exist in the same universe."
"So, this is what you meant by splitting Stephen in half?" Tony Stark chimed in. "This is much more advanced than I thought."
"It's indeed advanced. I thought it was just simply splitting Stephen's body in half, but turns out it's like this," Steve Rogers said. "So now, there are two Doctor Stranges in this universe."
"While I don't quite understand how there can be two Doctor Stranges in the same universe, I have a feeling that this can't be good," Scott Lang added.
"Speaking of feelings, I also have a feeling," Tony Stark continued, "In this parallel universe, let's call it Universe No. 10 since we've already had up to 9. After watching that scene just now, I think the Doctor Strange tearing up the cloak is Stephen! Another Stephen!"
"I also think so," Bruce Banner said, "And the scene of this world's end is likely caused by the other Stephen. Otherwise, the Ancient One wouldn't have said all this to him."
"So, you big shots have to be careful in your actions in the future," James Rhodes added. "Just a little slip and you could cause a world-ending catastrophe."
"Two timelines?" In the scene, Stephen Strange was surprised by the Ancient One's words. "This method is not only not simple, but also very unwise."
"Actually, it should be said, extremely dangerous," the Ancient One corrected.
"And now I have an evil doppelgänger?" Stephen Strange had a feeling that trouble was coming.
"It's more appropriate to call it straying from the path," the Ancient One said with folded arms, "If the other Stephen successfully reverses the absolute point in time in this universe..."
"Are you saying he saved Christine?" Stephen Strange immediately asked.
"You can't save her, Stephen. Otherwise, it would create a time paradox, leading to the destruction of this universe," the Ancient One explained, "We don't have much time left. I'm afraid the only mage who could match him is yourself, Doctor Strange."
With that, the Ancient One suddenly disappeared.
Stephen Strange knew time was of the essence. He immediately found Wong and explained the situation, seeking his help.
"In other words, the fabric of reality is collapsing?" Wong asked as he drew a spell for Stephen Strange, "It started with you and must end with you?"
"To be honest, we've been through even more bizarre things," Stephen Strange said.
"But do you want to stop him? Don't you deeply love Christine?" Wong inquired, as his own body was also starting to disappear.
"I..." Stephen Strange hesitated, "I feel like I have no choice. At the very least, I have to save you."
"The Vishanti's Guardian's Powerful Protection Spell." Wong stretched out his hand, though he seemed oblivious to his disappearing head. The sparkling spell floated onto Stephen Strange.
"I'm sure I'll need it," Stephen Strange said.
"How are you going to find him?" Wong asked.
"He's already found me," Stephen Strange replied. As he finished speaking, a red circle appeared beneath his feet.
"Oh, this is not good," Wong said as he looked at the circle.
"It's indeed not good," the next moment, Stephen Strange fell into the circle.
Bang!
Stephen Strange fell to the ground like a dead dog.
"Is anyone here?" He got up and found himself in complete darkness, "Where am I?"
Roar!
The distant roar of wild beasts echoed in the darkness. Countless shadows of beasts danced in the darkness, eventually converging into a human form. The person said, "You should be asking, when are you?"
"Don't be afraid, old friend, because you and I are one." The person emerged from the darkness, revealing that he was none other than another Stephen Strange!
This Stephen Strange was draped in a black cloak and had pronounced dark circles under his eyes. The differences in appearance were minor, but his aura gave an eerie and evil impression, a stark contrast to the previous Doctor Strange.
"What's happened to you?" Stephen Strange asked.
"Having you is enough," the corrupted Stephen Strange said, "We don't need the Ancient One, we don't need Wong. They won't understand us. They don't even know her. We understand her, we love her deeply."
"We can't bring her back." Stephen Strange, while wishing to bring his beloved girl back to life, refused to give in to his corrupted self, "The outside world is collapsing."
"Are you trying to deceive me? I am you!" The corrupted Stephen Strange suddenly burst into flames, and countless monsters surged out of him, only to be pulled back into his body shortly after, "How many nights have we spent in the Sanctum Sanctorum? Holding the Time Stone, knowing we could go back in time, but lacking the courage? I mustered that courage, sacrificed everything over centuries of change, all to save Christine."
"But can you save her now?" Stephen Strange asked.
"No, Stephen," the corrupted Stephen Strange seized Stephen Strange's chest, "But we can."
Suddenly, time and space twisted, and the next moment, both Stephen Stranges found themselves at the scene of Christine Palmer's car accident.
"Our power has been weakened by being divided in two," the corrupted Stephen Strange walked towards the wrecked car, "As long as we merge back into one, we can save her."
"We can't save her." Stephen Strange stood behind his corrupted self and said.
"You may not believe it now, but just wait and see," the corrupted Stephen Strange turned to look at himself.
"The Ancient One warned us that saving Christine would lead to the world's destruction," Stephen Strange said.
"I told you, she doesn't understand, but we love Christine," the corrupted Stephen Strange grabbed Stephen Strange's shoulder.
"This is not love at all!" Stephen Strange swatted away the hand on his shoulder, "Look around, this is arrogance! We need to set things right. That's why we learned magic in the first place."
"Look where we are?" the corrupted Stephen Strange asked.
"On the edge of madness," Stephen Strange replied.
"I will be whole again," the corrupted Stephen Strange said.
"No, you've already lost your sanity," Stephen Strange said, "But there's still a glimmer of hope for this world."
The corrupted Stephen Strange suddenly opened his mouth wide, shooting blinding light from his eyes and mouth.
In an instant, he sought to consume himself.
Killing even himself, truly ruthless!
"You can't save her, she's already dead," Stephen Strange stood still, and the corrupted Stephen Strange failed to consume him; he was protected by a spell.
The corrupted Stephen Strange didn't waste time on words, he stretched out his hands, and two red orbs of light appeared in his palms, while Stephen Strange conjured a large golden ring.
The next moment, they engaged in battle.
The corrupted Stephen Strange's red orbs clashed with the golden ring from Stephen Strange in mid-air.
The corrupted Stephen Strange stood firm, while Stephen Strange was pushed back a few steps after the collision.
The outcome of the first round was clear—strength contrasted.
The "Corruption is Three-Thirds Stronger" law was once again proven; Stephen Strange was outmatched by his corrupted self!
After a single strike, the corrupted Stephen Strange flew into the air, dropping red light orbs from above.
"You need to let go," Stephen Strange said as he used the golden ring to resist the red light orbs.
"I've gone too far to return to what I once was," the corrupted Stephen Strange floated in the air.
As the words fell, the left hand of the corrupted Stephen Strange suddenly transformed into the claw of some creature. He descended from the sky, his claw striking out and directly tearing through the golden ring before clutching Stephen Strange's neck, slamming him against the wall with a thud.
Stephen Strange's body crackled with golden lightning, sending the corrupted Stephen Strange flying away. He then threw a few golden rings, followed by releasing golden lines that bound the corrupted Stephen Strange in circles.
Crack!
Red lightning surged from the corrupted Stephen Strange, hitting Stephen Strange and triggering his protective spell.
However, the protective spell had its limits. Under the fierce attack of the corrupted Stephen Strange, the spells one by one detached from Stephen Strange's body, and he couldn't help but cry out in pain.
Seeing his master in danger, the red cloak flew over and wrapped around the corrupted Stephen Strange's hands, saving Stephen Strange.
But there was no one to save the red cloak.
"Ah!" The corrupted Stephen Strange roared, extending his arms outward and tearing the red cloak apart.
At this moment, Stephen Strange had recovered his strength. He pushed his palms forward, releasing a torrent of golden energy, which engulfed the corrupted Stephen Strange. Blinding light erupted from the corrupted Stephen Strange.
Stephen Strange looked around, surrounded by darkness, with no sign of the corrupted Stephen Strange.
Suddenly, a white light emerged from the darkness, like a bright moon, illuminating Stephen Strange.
Under this "moonlight," Stephen Strange actually saw Christine Palmer.
"It's so nice to see you." Christine Palmer said and then walked towards Stephen Strange, causing him to instinctively take a few steps back in fear.
"Stephen, you promised to take me out for caramel pudding." Christine Palmer saw Stephen Strange's expression and couldn't help but laugh.
"I know," Stephen Strange said.
"We're together again." Christine Palmer said affectionately, "Stephen, I love you."
Stephen Strange looked at the face before him, a face that haunted his dreams, wishing time could freeze in this moment forever.
However, his mind was filled with the fading image of Wong and the world that was gradually disappearing, just like Wong himself.
He knew that no matter how much he wanted the person before him to return, he couldn't do it.
"I wish this were true, but you..." Stephen Strange took a step back from Christine Palmer, "You're not her."
Stephen Strange's words were undeniably true.
The next moment, Christine Palmer transformed into the corrupted Stephen Strange, raising his fist and delivering a blow to Stephen Strange's face.
Then, they engaged in a fierce fight in the night sky.
Stephen Strange was quickly beaten down by his corrupted self. Most of his protective spells were knocked away, leaving only one on his forehead.
"You can't do this." He lay on the ground, gasping.
"But we have to." The corrupted Stephen Strange reached out and removed the last protective spell from Stephen Strange's forehead.
Then he opened his mouth and devoured Stephen Strange.
"Ah!" He shouted, and a violent explosion occurred, blinding golden light almost swallowing the entire world.
The corrupted Stephen Strange, now with the power to rewrite Christine Palmer, finally appeared.
He reached out his hand, and a car rose from the river, floating in the air. The car disintegrated, revealing a beautiful figure – Christine Palmer, the one who had suffered the accident.
The corrupted Stephen Strange extended his hand, and Christine Palmer drifted towards him.
Watching the corrupted Stephen Strange finally succeeding in saving his loved one, no one cheered for him.
Because the appearance of the corrupted Stephen Strange was terrifying beyond words. His forehead was covered in eyes, his mouth filled with protruding fangs, two massive wings extended from his back, and countless tentacles danced in the air. How could this be considered human?
He had truly turned into a grotesque monster!
"Stephen, I never expected you to be so devoted, going to such extremes for a woman," Natasha Romanoff couldn't help but comment.
"To turn into such a monstrous creature for the sake of saving Christine. Stephen, there are few as devoted as you," Wanda Maximoff said. "But someone as selfish as you is even rarer."
"Even more selfish than Thanos," Nick Fury unreservedly criticized Stephen Strange, "Because of his actions, that world is already destroyed! For the sake of his own desires, he disregards the entire world! If you don't consider motivations, he's even worse than Thanos. Thanos only killed half of life in the universe, but Stephen Strange let the entire universe be destroyed."
"What do you mean by not considering motivations?" Tony Stark said, "Thanos kills to save the universe. His actions are extreme but noble in purpose. While Stephen, he's purely selfish, for his own desires. He's far worse than Thanos!"
"I'm worse than Thanos? Listen, Tony, should you be saying that?" Stephen Strange reminded him, "Have you forgotten who the real enemy is, who the real friend is?"
"I haven't forgotten," Tony Stark said, "Thanos is the one we fight against, but you, I still have to criticize you."
"Those actions were done by the version of me in a parallel universe. Why should I care?" Stephen Strange protested.
"You're right, but since the version of you in the parallel universe isn't here, I can only condemn you," Tony Stark said.
"Stephen, even if you successfully save Christine, the world is already destroyed, leaving only the two of you. What's the point of such a world?" Scott Lang said.
"And, you've turned into that monstrous appearance," James Rhodes said, "Even if Christine truly loves you, she wouldn't be able to accept your current form, right?"
James Rhodes was absolutely right. Seeing the appearance of the corrupted Stephen Strange, Christine Palmer was terrified.
"No! This is a nightmare! No! Stay away from me!" Christine Palmer was so frightened that she quickly backed away.
As she continued to retreat, her arms also began to turn into black water.
"I can fix this." The corrupted Stephen Strange reached out his arm, attempting to heal her.
"Stay away! Don't touch me!" Christine Palmer shouted, retreating backward. However, the world was already collapsing, and there was a cliff behind her – she had nowhere else to go.
"No! It shouldn't be like this!" The corrupted Stephen Strange became anxious and reverted to his original appearance, rushing to Christine Palmer's side.
"Stephen, what's happening?" Christine Palmer looked at the world being gradually engulfed by darkness and couldn't help but ask.
At this moment, almost the entire world had been consumed by darkness, leaving only a small area around the corrupted Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer.
Furthermore, this remaining space was also being continuously devoured. At this rate, it would be entirely consumed in moments.
"Those who don't listen to their elders will suffer in the end." Seeing this, Phil Coulson couldn't help but remark, "The Ancient One made it clear – this kind of behavior would lead to the universe's destruction. But Stephen didn't listen, went his own way, and indeed the universe is now destroyed."
"To be honest, I've been waiting for the Ancient One to be proven wrong," Bruce Banner said at this point, "Because a person coming back from death led to the destruction of this universe. Don't you all find this ridiculous? One person's actions can cause such havoc. Isn't this universe too fragile? I've been waiting for Stephen to prove the Ancient One wrong, but he didn't. This universe has still been destroyed."
"I think the one suffering the most is Christine. Dying over and over again, only to witness the apocalypse in the end, facing the fear of the world's end firsthand," Natasha Romanoff said.
"Yeah, death is something a person only needs to experience once," Clint Barton said, "But thanks to Stephen, Christine has experienced death again and again, and even tasted the apocalypse."
"This outcome is worse than Thanos' snap," Stephen Strange said, "Even more terrifying than Thanos' snap."
"Captain's right," Sam Wilson said, "Thanos' snap could be rectified, and resurrection was possible. But in the current situation, can anything be salvaged?"
"I don't think there's any hope of salvation left," Bruce Banner said, "That world has already shrunk to the size of a palm."
"Moreover, the Ancient One is already gone, and he consumed himself. I can't think of anyone else who could salvage this situation," T'Challa said.
"Speaking of consuming oneself, the corrupted Stephen Strange is really something," Thor couldn't help but say, "I'm definitely no match for him. I wonder if he, in that corrupted state, could take on Thanos in a one-on-one fight."
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