Malrick had consulted Eternity through his m-body. Since Eternity exists in every Marvel Universe, he resides atop the Eternity Dimension, overseeing all of existence. By logic, Eternity should have been the supreme intelligence of the MCU. Yet when asked about the mastermind behind the Multiversal disturbances, he replied casually:
"The mastermind? I don't know. You say I exist in every Universe, how could I not know? Oh, by the way, generally my m-bodies don't share consciousness."
"Have any of my m-bodies died recently?" Malrick asked.
"Of course, when a Universe is destroyed, an m-body dies. Many die every day, hehe," Eternity said, apathetically.
His m-bodies not sharing consciousness explained why they could die instantly during a crisis. Malrick had no choice but to abandon hopes of gathering reliable information from Eternity, who seemed to treat universal disasters as lightly as a person noticing a strand of hair on their pillow.
Still, Malrick silently criticized Eternity. The cosmic entity had warned him of impending crises, urging him to grow stronger, yet spent his days slacking in his dimensional realm. Eternity, unbothered, suggested that Malrick could send m-bodies to neighboring Multiverses to expand his influence.
It was around this time Malrick had received Olivia into his care. Over the past few years, his Rege Duo Clones had saved tens of thousands of Universes, expanding their numbers into the hundreds of millions. Their growth had been extraordinary; even villains like Dormammu and Satanish would envy such speed. Yet now, the main body of Malrick had surpassed them all, having undergone two genetic leaps and decades of Sun immersion. He had reached a weak Cosmic-Level strength, far exceeding his Rege Duo Clones.
With this transformation, his soul power also soared, enabling him to deploy more m-bodies across the Multiverse. In regions beyond the reach of his m-bodies, Universes continued to suffer from collisions. Every Universe saved added to his power, no matter how minor. In the ongoing Multiversal collision crises, Malrick might be the biggest winner.
Yet caution remained necessary. "The frequency of world collisions is increasing," he noted. "Three years ago, only the main world experienced a collision. Now, among over a hundred million observed Universes, tens of thousands have been affected. Soon, the Universe I inhabit may not be spared."
Could the Transcenders be responsible? Though they had yet to appear in the MCU, Malrick could not dismiss the possibility. In the comics, collisions that destroyed entire Multiverses were the work of these beings. While their appearances in the movie Universe were uncertain, he had to remain vigilant.
"If it really is the Transcenders, then the God Realm Dimension will serve only as a retreat. My strength is still insufficient."
Malrick's current strength had reached Cosmic-Level, yet before the Transcenders, he was still insignificant. These entities were indirect creations of the comic Universe Celestials. Though originating as creations, they had massacred Celestials with swift and decisive efficiency. The Ivory Kings, the strongest warriors among them, had defeated abstract entities and even the Life Tribunal. Despite the spectacle, their Omniverse-level strength remained undeniable.
Even so, Malrick did not panic. The Transcenders might not interfere in the movie Universe. Even if they did, he could evade them or relocate his entire God Realm Dimension without issue.
For now, he suppressed his concerns and teleported to Kamar-Taj instead of returning home. Everyone was in the Small World, an interdimensional space created by Dark Strange to defend against dimensional invasions. Though eccentric and ghostly in demeanor, Dark Strange was practical, competent, and loyal—a capable agent of justice for Malrick.
Three years earlier, after reporting to Malrick in the God Realm Dimension, Dark Strange had been tasked with subduing Mephisto and other Dimensional Demon Gods and occupying their realms. Normally, taking over such dimensions was tedious, requiring the weakening of the Demon Gods' control, a long and unpredictable process.
Previously, Malrick had suppressed the Demon Gods but refrained from occupation due to time and energy constraints, and the risk of attracting other covetous powers. With Dark Strange's aid, however, the strategy changed. Tasks could now be delegated to a powerful subordinate capable of handling unexpected variables.
Dark Strange devised a plan: create an interdimensional space at the edge of the Small World, open a passage to a Demon God Dimension, and forcibly enter to engage the Demon God. Kamar-Taj sorcerers would follow to eliminate dimensional creatures, offsetting spell costs by their destruction.
This approach allowed Malrick to expand his influence while training his forces—a perfect combination of offense and resource management. Initially, Wong and Mordo were wary of Dark Strange, but the continuous results in conflicts against Mephisto left no room for objection. Being able to eliminate Hell demons to pay for spells was simply too advantageous.
Malrick observed the operation quietly, confident that with such a system in place, the Multiversal crises could be managed more effectively, and his forces strengthened while maintaining vigilance against threats like the Transcenders.