Marvel: Killing Makes You Stronger

Chapter 144: Professor X and Nick Fury

“He is called Quoggoth."

Naturally, Ancient One did not conceal anything and explained the information about Quoggoth and his creator Shuma-Gorath.

Bi Xiao listened attentively while sipping his tea.

When Ancient One finished, Bi Xiao's expression did not change, indicating that this information did not surprise him. After all, he had previously speculated that there was some connection between Quoggoth and the eye demon Shuma-Gorath.

The appearance was indeed similar to the eye demon in his memory, except for the additional eyes and different colors.

After finishing, Ancient One looked at Bi Xiao with some peculiarity: "Bi Xiao, you lost control."

She noticed that after Bi Xiao killed Quoggoth, a terrifying psychic power erupted, sweeping across the entire solar system. If this psychic power had carried any malice, it would have annihilated all life in the solar system.

This made Ancient One somewhat worried.

The sudden psychic power led Ancient One to think that Bi Xiao might have lost control, possibly because of Quoggoth.

Ancient One had fought enemies from the multiverse on Earth but had never encountered Cthulhu-type monsters. For her, Cthulhu beings only existed in records.

The power of the eye demon Shuma-Gorath was only described in texts.

However, the nature of the powerful psychic energy, filled with contamination, made Ancient One believe that Bi Xiao might have been influenced.

"It's resolved," Bi Xiao did not refute. This time, it indeed counted as losing control.

But for Bi Xiao, it was a benign loss of control without any threat. Although the sudden surge in psychic power caused this unexpected event, he could still control his basic psychic abilities without causing any casualties.

Ancient One nodded slightly. She trusted Bi Xiao's talent, and since there were no adverse outcomes, the topic was dropped.

Bi Xiao's current power level was already on par with hers. Previously, she could maintain the role of investor and leader, but now they were equals, and her attitude naturally had to match.

Otherwise, it would easily cause conflicts between them.

Ancient One understood this very well, so her attitude changed smoothly and naturally.

“Dormammu seems to have stabilized a lot recently.”

Bi Xiao shifted the topic to Dormammu. After all, this old fellow had given him quite a few surprises, and he needed to repay the favor. Although he couldn't solo the Dark Dimension to farm dungeons for now, causing Dormammu some minor troubles to make him impotently furious was still doable.

“Just the calm before the storm. Our dark lord has never been a peaceful one,” Ancient One smiled.

They were old adversaries. She knew exactly what tricks Dormammu might play. Over the years, Dormammu had constantly harassed her, knowing that as long as Ancient One lived, he would never successfully descend into this universe.

Dormammu's actions were all about applying pressure, hoping Ancient One would die soon, and tempting her to draw on dark power and fall.

Dormammu was very cunning, using subtle moves to exhaust Ancient One and make her aware of her mortality, all while subtly leading her to succumb to the temptation of dark power to extend her life as she neared the end of her lifespan.

It was a smart strategy and an open plot. As long as Ancient One had any attachment or obsession with life, Dormammu's scheme would succeed.

Even if it didn't succeed, it didn't matter; Dormammu had all the time in the world, far more than a human lifespan. He was never in a hurry.

Unfortunately for Dormammu, Ancient One was even more cunning. Her ambitions and vision far exceeded Dormammu's imagination. She had never confined herself to this universe.

Her gaze had long been set on the secrets of the multiverse and its vast, boundless knowledge.

Dormammu thought Ancient One couldn't resist temptation, but in reality, it was all part of her plan.

Ancient One was like a skilled rogue, borrowing high-interest loans from both Vishanti and Dormammu, with no intention of paying them back.

Neither could do anything about her.

Ancient One's temperament and broad vision were so impressive that even Bi Xiao couldn't help but admire her. She not only toyed with Dormammu but also with Vishanti, the god of white magic, a feat not achievable by ordinary people. Although Vishanti might not care too much about it.

In any case, Ancient One's ability to fight against Dormammu, a powerful lord of a dimension, already attested to her capabilities.

“I think I should give him a surprise.”

Bi Xiao chuckled softly. Despite the calm tone, there was a storm hidden within, which Ancient One could clearly perceive. Her eyes flickered slightly, but she did not ask what the surprise was. After a moment of silence and some tea, Ancient One spoke again.

“Hell and Heaven have ceased their disputes because of you. Both sides are trying to find you. They plan to send their agents to Earth.”

“Just a bunch of discarded pawns.”

Both understood that calling them agents sounded nice, but it depended on whose agents they were. Only those regarded as trusted lieutenants were real agents, representing the forces. The so-called agents they sent were just discarded pawns.

Both Hell and Heaven had to be cautious with a mysterious human capable of killing Asmodeus.

Moreover, Earth was not so easy to infiltrate. If the high-level figures from either side tried, they might end up humiliated or severely injured.

So, to gather information on Bi Xiao, neither wanted to risk their own people and thus sent these so-called agents, who were neither loved nor needed.

If they could get information, it would be a great success; if not, no one would mourn their loss.

In politics, those who play it always have dark hearts. If these agents were smart, it would be fine. If they were stupid and tried to stir up trouble on Earth, they would simply disappear without a trace.

Ancient One could turn a blind eye, but if things got out of hand and her status as the Sorcerer Supreme was challenged, she would spare no one's face.

No matter whether it was Heaven or Hell, if they dared to interfere, she would teach them a lesson.

Even if she couldn’t, there was still Bi Xiao, and one had to consider Asgard’s reaction too.

“Everyone has their own little schemes for their interests.”

Ancient One understood clearly and spoke vaguely.

Bi Xiao raised an eyebrow. Though not explicitly stated, he picked up some information.

So, there was more to it?

He decided to pay more attention, especially to Heaven’s agents. When the time came, he would deal with them. The Heaven quest would start eventually, but he needed to find the location first.

“Yahweh, God, the Son of God, huh!!"

Bi Xiao couldn't help but coldly sneer at the memory of someone calling him the Son of God.

...

Boom!!

The sky was pouring rain, and a giant aircraft carrier floated slowly on the turbulent waves of the Pacific Ocean like a small island.

Amidst the storm and heavy rain, a Quinjet broke through the rain curtain and landed vertically on the carrier’s deck. The hatch lowered, and Nick Fury, dressed in a black leather coat, walked down.

Colonel Douglas, the carrier's captain, along with several agents, was waiting again, holding a black umbrella over Nick Fury and themselves.

Nick Fury and Douglas walked at the front, the strong wind forcing them to use another hand to shield their faces while their coats flapped noisily in the wind.

They walked briskly into the carrier's interior against the storm.

“Has the situation worsened?”

“No, sir. Our detection department has been continuously monitoring for twenty hours. There are no abnormal phenomena in anyone’s body; they are all very healthy. Their brain wave patterns are the same as ordinary people.”

“Good. What about the other detection?”

“We have deployed a large amount of manpower and resources, submarines, and divers to continuously monitor within a three-hundred-mile radius. The water quality has not shown any issues, and the original nuclear-polluted water has been purified by some unknown force to normal standards.”

“And this range is extending.”

Colonel Douglas and Nick Fury shouted their conversation in the rain until they reached a door. Opening it, they walked along the corridor and stairs to the carrier's command center.

Upon entering the command center, they saw many personnel engaged in their respective duties.

There was also George Bridge, giving orders to several agents.

“Sir.” After finishing his orders, the agents left, and Bridge saw Nick Fury and Douglas arrive. He stood at attention and saluted seriously.

“Good, it seems this hasn’t affected you, Agent Bridge.”

Fury walked up to Bridge. They stood before a large table with a map on it. Fury glanced at it before looking at Bridge.

“This cannot defeat me, sir.”

Bridge responded seriously. He had never been defeated by failure, and this time was no different. He was merely shaken by seeing a world he could not imagine.

This mission was not perfectly executed, but at least the ending did not change.

Those mutants, after experiencing all this, were still brought to the carrier by him.

After everything, the mutants, pacified by Professor X, did not resist again.

Of course, part of the reason was his efforts to treat the half-dead Danny.

“Good. You still need to handle the mutant affairs. I need to see your results.”

“But before that, I need to see Professor Charles.”

Fury nodded.

“Colonel.” Bridge looked at Colonel Douglas, who nodded and left to invite Professor Charles and others to the command center.

During this time, Fury and Bridge discussed some mission details.

Neither Fury nor Douglas had experienced it firsthand. Bridge, as an agent, reported succinctly, highlighting key points of concern to Fury.

He mentioned the attitudes within the Brotherhood, the changes caused by the appearance of the monster, and the entry into an unknown world akin to a parallel space separated from reality, including a detailed account of Bi Xiao's battle with the unknown monster.

Fury’s concise report gave him a rough outline.

Fury felt increasingly uneasy.

The appearance of the unknown monster made Fury more anxious. He sensed that a crisis was approaching, and this was just the beginning.

As for the Asian boy, Fury had some thoughts.

The boy’s growth rate was terrifying.

Especially this time’s display of combat power made Fury wonder about his trump card, the woman still outside the stars. Weighing both sides’ combat power, he was unsure who would win.

Fury fell into deep thought. Shortly after, the door opened.

Colonel Douglas entered with Professor Charles, the X-Men, and two Brotherhood mutants.

“Sir.”

“I need a quiet environment, Colonel.”

“Yes, sir.” Colonel Douglas understood and immediately cleared the room. Although the carrier had more suitable places, the additional four thousand mutants and a thousand agents made it crowded. The command center was the best place for a conversation.

Douglas also left tactfully, but Bridge was specifically kept by Fury. This time, Fury wanted to discuss mutant affairs with Professor Charles, and Bridge, as the person responsible for these affairs, needed to handle them.

“Professor Charles.”

“Director Fury.”

Fury and Professor X shook hands. Fury glanced at the silent Brotherhood mutants, a man and a woman, then looked at Professor X.

“Professor, I need to know your thoughts.”

…

“I can take all of them.”

Professor X said without hesitation: “I can ensure they live peacefully.”

There were many of them, and the pressure was immense. But they were his kin, and he couldn’t just hand them over to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Without fully understanding S.H.I.E.L.D. through his psychic abilities, he could not trust such an organization.

“You know that’s impossible, Professor. You can’t control so many people, and most of them are Magneto’s followers. Their belief in mutant supremacy contradicts your theory entirely,” Fury said coldly. “Are you asking me to believe you would alter their memories?”

Fury's blunt words made the two Brotherhood mutants tense and wary of Professor X.

Although the carrier had equipment to block psychic powers, making Professor X an ordinary old man here, who could say what would happen once they left?

“Although Erik and I have opposed each other with differing ideologies, I have never altered their memories or stripped them of their freedom,” the X-Men's faces darkened, but Professor X remained calm and sincere.

His honest tone slightly eased the Brotherhood mutants' wariness. Despite past conflicts, Professor X had never tampered with their memories, which was a fact.

If it weren't for their opposing stances, even Magneto's followers respected Professor X for his tireless efforts for mutant rights.

Fury, shameless as ever, did not show any embarrassment, continuing to stare at Professor X.

“If it’s not like that, they will always be an unstable factor. Where do you plan to settle them? These four thousand three hundred mutants, each with the power to easily kill an ordinary person.”

“I can buy an island or a piece of land overseas where they can live peacefully without interference,” Professor X had discussed this with Brotherhood leaders before Fury’s arrival.

Despite their differences, they couldn’t hand over their lives to Nick Fury.

“You plan to establish a new mutant kingdom? That’s impossible. Some will never allow it, Professor. You’re not Magneto; you don’t have his ruthlessness or ability.”

Fury pointed out a harsh truth that even Professor X didn't want to admit.

An island to support over four thousand mutants required not just money but also the ability to hide from the world and deter other forces, things only Magneto could do.

Professor X was powerful, but his abi

lities had significant limitations, and many devices countered his powers.

“I think you shouldn’t doubt an old man’s determination to protect his people.”

Professor X stared into Fury’s eye, a hint of killing intent in his calm voice.