Chapter 161: The Candidate for Supergirl?
"Now let's divide up the work. Zack Snyder, do you have any issues with directing 'Superman 2'?"
Li Chen looked at Zack Snyder.
Zack immediately said excitedly, "Cool, I'd love to! Are we going to introduce Supergirl in the post-credits scene?"
Li Chen nodded. "Exactly."
"Then what plotline will Supergirl have?"
Zack's mind had already drifted toward Supergirl.
He really loved shooting female heroes...
This reminded Li Chen.
Because he liked it too.
Why was Wonder Woman so popular in his previous life? It was because Zack Snyder kept the camera firmly focused on her long legs whenever Wonder Woman was on screen.
Gal Gadot was average in other aspects, but those legs were truly magnificent, which was a classic case of playing to one's strengths.
Putting other matters aside, Zack Snyder genuinely had a knack for casting actors.
Before 'Wonder Woman' was released, Gal Gadot was criticized relentlessly—people said she was too petite, nothing like the original character—yet all those voices vanished once the movie hit theaters.
Furthermore, Zack Snyder truly knew what audiences liked to see.
His aesthetic judgment was undeniably solid.
Unlike some directors who deliberately chose ugly actors over beautiful ones.
Li Chen briefly explained the plot of 'Woman of Tomorrow'.
Supergirl's story wouldn't be set on Earth, but in the universe—plainly speaking, a cosmic adventure of Supergirl.
With this explanation, Zack Snyder understood the direction.
"James, 'Batman 2' will be left to you. Just introduce Wonder Woman in the post-credits scene."
Li Chen turned to James Wan. "Of course, the company will also produce several horror movies, and you just need to executive produce them."
Naturally, James Wan hastily nodded in agreement.
Although he had never directed a superhero movie, such films were not difficult as long as one became familiar with the characters and lore.
The reason some comic book adaptations failed was that the directors were too arrogant.
They had not even read the source material before embarking on their so-called 'adaptation'.
In Li Chen's view, that wasn't adaptation; it was reckless butchery.
If they didn't respect the source material, fans naturally wouldn't respect the garbage they produced, and the box office would put them in their place.
Li Chen naturally wouldn't let his directors act that way, so James Wan had already begun cramming DC Comics.
"As for the cast, I already have candidates in mind."
Li Chen stated. Zack Snyder had no choice since the boss had already made his pick.
Wonder Woman was tentatively assigned to Goddess of War Sif, while Supergirl was still under consideration.
Supergirl had to possess gorgeous blonde hair, a sweet smile, and a flawless figure.
That was genuinely hard to find.
Afterward, Li Chen discussed several horror movies with James Wan.
Horror films excelled at generating massive returns from tiny budgets, so Li Chen naturally wouldn't pass up the opportunity to harvest prestige points.
Besides, he remembered quite a few classic horror movies.
"'The Substance'? This looks interesting,"
James Wan remarked after looking over the details.
The Substance could make someone young again, but it came at a tremendous cost, eventually turning them into a monster.
Mainly because the female lead,'Sue', left a deep impression, Li Chen remembered this horror movie.
Anyone who watched 'The Substance' could never forget Margaret Qualley, who was hailed as Hollywood's finest derriere.
Right now, however, Margaret Qualley was not even an adult and hadn't matured to that point yet, so she had to be recast.
Apart from 'The Substance', there were 'Longlegs', 'The Sinners', 'The Backrooms', and so forth.
Unfortunately, many horror movies were part of franchises, such as 'Final Destination', which had long been produced by other studios holding their IPs.
Even James Wan's Saw IP was held by Lionsgate.
This was the sorrow of Hollywood directors: ever since George Lucas, IPs rarely belonged to directors anymore.
Back in the day, George Lucas begged everyone he could; many studios had no faith in 'Star Wars', and only 20th Century Fox invested money in the end.
Furthermore, George Lucas waived his directing fee in exchange for the sequel and merchandising rights...
At that time, 20th Century Fox wasn't optimistic about the movie either, but since they had already invested, they agreed to George Lucas's terms, ultimately becoming the laughingstock of the entire industry.
'Star Wars' eventually became a cultural staple for Americans—how could its IP value be merely in the tens of billions?
20th Century Fox had suffered a colossal loss.
If they held the rights to 'Star Wars', their days wouldn't have been so miserable.
Since then, Hollywood studios realized the vital importance of copyrights and resolutely refused to give them up to directors.
"Next is the 'Iron Man' series, which I call the Marvel Universe."
Li Chen spoke, "As far as I know, Captain America Steve Rogers has already awakened."
His words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.
"What?!"
Everyone in the conference room was utterly shocked.
"Boss, really?"
Then came uncontrollable excitement.
This was Captain America; nobody living in America didn't know who he was.
Such a legendary character was actually still alive?
Li Chen pressed his hands downward, signaling for quiet.
"It's naturally true."
Li Chen said, "So, how about having Captain America play himself?"
"Awesome!"
"That'd be great! There are plenty of Cap productions on the market, but they're all adaptations, not starring the Real person."
"But... will he agree?"
"Where there's a will, there's a way."
Li Chen said with a smile.
As long as he obtained the rights, everything else would be easy to handle.
However, filming had to be done cautiously and not go overboard.
After all, there were too many cosmic deities in the Marvel Universe; when it came to entities like the cosmic entities, it was best not to reveal too much.
They couldn't act too recklessly.
"Caitlin, I heard your animation department is eager to start working on new projects?"
"Boss, they can't wait to earn more bonuses."
"Alright, let me think it over."
It was a good thing that his subordinates had drive.
Still, Li Chen had to consider which manga to draw and what new anime to produce.
Currently, 'One Piece' and 'one-punch man' were still being serialized, while 're:zero - starting life in another world' was shelved after Season 1 concluded.
"Yes."
Caitlin's eyes lit up.
Her life had improved ever since Li Chen took charge.
Mainly because the company was flush with cash and paid generous bonuses, her mortgage pressure had finally eased, leaving her with money to buy luxury items.
As a Hollywood executive, her life had been far too tight previously.
Now, it was finally on the right track.
Afterward, Li Chen concluded the meeting.
That was about everything regarding Starlight Pictures; other matters had little to do with film and television.
For example, Dazzler's debut album, propelled by the company's campaign, landed straight onto the Billboardcharts with great success.
This also brought Li Chen prestige points.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift was advancing along the path of becoming a country superstar, embarking on a nationwide US tour.
After work, Li Chen invited Gwen and Mary Jane to attend the concert together.
Chapter 162: Should Thank John Woo
The first stop of Taylor Swift's tour was Los Angeles.
When she took the stage in an elaborately designed outfit, the entire arena went wild.
Who wouldn't be captivated by those long legs of hers?
Not only were they slender, but they were also wonderfully shapely.
Li Chen had the most say in the matter; having enjoyed them firsthand, he gave them a solid thumbs-up.
If she weren't so tall, Li Chen would have even considered casting her as Supergirl.
However, her 1.8-meter height was just too intimidating.
The atmosphere of the concert quickly heated up, and Taylor Swift announced with a bright smile, "Tonight, I've also invited a dear sister to join me on stage!"
"Let's welcome 'Dazzler' Alison!"
Dazzler was likewise dressed in a stunning stage outfit, showing off her long legs to the fullest.
Of course, they only appeared revealing; seen up close, one would realize they were wearing several layers of flesh-toned stockings, exposing nothing at all.
Gwen and Mary Jane were jumping and dancing along. The concert atmosphere was electrifying, offering an unprecedented experience.
Moreover, both Taylor Swift and Dazzler were phenomenal vocalists.
The stage effects after Dazzler came on were especially dreamlike.
This was because Dazzler was secretly using her mutant powers.
Anyone who watched her performance would definitely be left deeply impressed.
The stage effects were simply breathtaking.
Looking at the two radiant female singers on stage, Li Chen found that they seemed even more gorgeous than before...
This was probably the celebrity halo effect.
The higher someone's status was, the more desire for conquest they sparked.
Two hours later, the concert drew to a close.
"How was it?"
Li Chen asked, putting his arms around Gwen and Mary Jane.
"So much fun."
"Want to head backstage to take a look?"
Li Chen asked with a smile.
"Can we?"
"Of course."
With his arms around the two women, he led them straight backstage.
The company staff recognized him, so they walked through completely unimpeded.
Soon they reached the dressing room, where they found Taylor and Dazzler taking off their makeup.
"Boss!"
Seeing Li Chen arrive, both women were thrilled.
There had been too many people during the concert, so they truly hadn't spotted him.
"Tonight's show was amazing, and you both looked stunning."
Li Chen praised his two capable performers.
The influence of pop singers was far greater than that of regular actors.
It was just a pity they didn't yield as much prestige value.
"Thank you!"
Taylor replied excitedly.
Gwen and Mary Jane immediately stepped forward to talk, and soon the four women were happily chatting away, leaving Li Chen sidelined.
Li Chen didn't mind, simply enjoying the sight from the side.
Dazzler and Taylor seemed to forget he was even there, stripping off their clothes right in front of him.
"We need to wash up."
Dripping in sweat, they were already feeling rather uncomfortable.
Dancing and singing on stage for two straight hours was genuinely demanding.
No wonder pop singers had to keep fit; with poor stamina, it would be impossible to pull off such a feat.
Li Chen then left with Gwen and Mary Jane.
A foursome was a bit too unrealistic for now.
...
Compared to his expansions in film, television, and music, Li Chen had invested in very few games.
At present, only stellar blade remained unreleased.
This was mainly because most of the games Li Chen knew already existed, or their copyrights were held by others.
Besides, Li Chen wasn't interested in run-of-the-mill games.
Titles like final fantasy or street fighter were completely out of reach.
However, even if he couldn't develop those games, he could still adapt them into movies.
That was the path Li Chen envisioned.
For instance, street fighter had already been adapted into several films.
Although both the critical reception and box office performance had been mediocre, Capcom at least possessed that ambition.
Adapting street fighter was indeed extremely difficult, mainly because its story was lackluster—one could even argue that fighting games had virtually no plot to begin with...
Yet for a movie, the script was the most critical element.
The two mediums were inherently at odds with each other.
On top of that, faithfully recreating the video game characters wasn't easy; it was remarkably prone to going out of character.
Not only did the actor's face need to fit the part, but their aura, costumes, and makeup also had to genuinely resemble the game characters.
For example, the hardest character in street fighter to get right was Chun-Li.
Chun-Li's physique couldn't be achieved by a normal person through ordinary workouts; her thighs were impossible for a regular human to have.
And if you didn't even have those iconic thighs, how could you possibly play Chun-Li?
That was the most challenging aspect of adapting street fighter.
Compared to that, characters from The King of Fighters like Mai Shiranui were easier to manage; Mai Shiranui's main requirements were simply being'stacked' and being able to bounce.
While demanding, it wasn't impossible to pull off.
Chun-Li's thighs, however, simply couldn't be achieved by training alone.
If you just cast any actress as Chun-Li, the audience would instinctively think: "She doesn't look like her at all."
With that preconceived impression in place, no matter how hard the actor worked, it would all be in vain.
Thus, Li Chen was in no hurry.
This afternoon, he didn't even stay at the company and simply headed straight home.
Inside the estate, as soon as Bumblebee drove in, several figures were already waiting.
Rem held a tray, while Ram stood obediently out front.
2B and A2 were also standing right behind them.
They considered themselves Li Chen's maids as well, and felt obligated to perform the same duties.
"Master, welcome home."
Seeing Li Chen get out of the car, the four called out in unison.
Li Chen smiled and nodded, taking the warm towel Ram handed him. As he wiped himself down, the exhaustion from the day seemed to wash away.
"Is everyone home?"
"Sister Bayonetta and Sister Jeanne went out,"
Ram answered.
Li Chen wasn't surprised; those two sisters ran around everywhere and couldn't sit still for a single day.
Yet that was the nature of witches, and Li Chen naturally wouldn't suppress it.
"Master, we must stay by your side to protect you,"
2B said to Li Chen at that moment.
The time Li Chen spent away made both 2B and A2 rather restless.
Their sole reason for existing was to protect humanity.
Li Chen looked at Ram, who also nodded and said, "Master, please allow the two young sisters to protect you."
This left Li Chen caught between amusement and exasperation.
"I'm only heading to the office."
Li Chen replied, "I promise I'll take you along whenever I go out for serious business."
A2 stated aloofly, "Humanity actually has nothing to do with me."
Li Chen pinched her cheek, already well aware of A2's personality.
He had to admit that A2 was remarkably human-like; cold on the outside but warm on the inside, she was just like a tsundere mature beauty.
This made Li Chen marvel at the technological prowess of the nier world—that a Robot could actually possess such a personality.
One could argue that if A2 had a body just like a human, what difference would remain between her and an actual person?
Li Chen went inside, where Nami was lounging on the sofa watching TV.
Seeing Li Chen enter, she instantly sprang up.
"Li."
"Nami."
Li Chen hugged her and turned to watch the TV.
The TV was tuned to Starlight Channel, which was currently broadcasting Paramount's movie Mission: Impossible 2.
The second Mission: Impossible installment was directed by John Woo, and it was precisely through this film that he won Hollywood's favor.
MGM subsequently invited him to direct Windtalkers.
It was the catastrophic failure of Windtalkers that sent MGM into a downward spiral, eventually leading to its acquisition.
In a sense, Li Chen really ought to thank John Woo...
Chapter 163: How Can You Call That a Sorcerer?
The Doorless Bar.
When Bayonetta and Jeanne walked in, Clea, who had been waiting for them for a long time, immediately stood up.
"Let me buy you a drink."
She walked over and spoke to the two women.
Although she knew Clea wanted a favor, Bayonetta didn't decline since someone else was paying.
More than anything, the two of them were bored.
In their world, there were plenty of Angels for them to hunt, but here they didn't even know where to stir up some fun.
Before long, three bottomless drinks were brought over.
Bayonetta picked up the wooden mug, took a hearty swig, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Clea's face turned solemn. "I know this isn't ideal, but I have no one else to turn to."
"I don't have any friends on Earth."
Hearing that, Jeanne remarked, "Then you're quite a failure."
Clea's mouth twitched slightly.
Bayonetta didn't mock her, because they were in the exact same boat.
Fortunately, they still had a home.
"Just get straight to the point."
Hearing Bayonetta speak, Clea could tell Jeanne followed her lead.
Bayonetta naturally exuded the commanding presence of an older sister and leader.
"All right. A few of my kin came to Earth, but they were captured by someone. When I asked for their release, they refused."
Clea looked at them sincerely. "I can't beat them on my own, so I need backup."
Neither Bayonetta nor Jeanne showed much of a reaction.
Instead, Jeanne crossed her long legs and asked, "If we help you, what's in it for us?"
Clea knew this was the most crucial part.
"I'm not an Earthling, so I don't have much money."
This drew a light laugh from Bayonetta, who tilted her head slightly. "We lack many things, but money certainly isn't one of them."
With a wealthy boss like Li Chen around, there was no way they would ever be short on cash.
Not to mention, they barely spent any money anyway.
Other women had to buy clothes and handbags.
Bayonetta and Jeanne had no need for that; their outfits were woven from magical hair, shifting into whatever style they desired on a whim.
Because of that, they missed out on the joy of shopping.
That was precisely why they found Clea's words intriguing—finally, a chance for some amusement.
"In that case, I can only offer you some local specialties."
Clea finally smiled. She looked quite young, and with her silver-white hair, she appeared around the same age as Jeanne.
"I come from the Dark World. We don't have much there, except an abundance of resources."
Thanks to Dormammu's relentless expansion and devouring of other dimensions, mountains of resources had been consumed and piled up.
The natives of the Dark Dimension had no talent for utilizing these materials, meaning Clea could take whatever she wanted.
"Oh?"
Bayonetta had no idea if they would be useful, but she didn't turn it down. "Deal."
"When the time comes, we'll tell you what we want."
With that, Bayonetta drained her cup in one breath. The second she finished, the bottom surged with liquid, filling it right back up.
"Now tell us, who is your enemy?"
Jeanne watched her curiously as well, hoping they wouldn't turn out to be too weak.
Creatures like those vampires hadn't provided nearly enough entertainment for the two witches.
Clea said, "They are sorcerers from Kamar-Taj."
"Oh?"
Bayonetta and Jeanne exchanged a glance, their interest instantly piqued.
"Sorcerers? How strong are they?"
A spark of excitement flashed in Bayonetta's eyes.
"They aren't weak, but more importantly, there are a lot of them."
Clea explained, "Besides, their Sorcerer Supreme is extraordinarily powerful. It's best not to provoke her."
She glanced at the two witches, unsure if they had even taken her warning to heart.
All she could see was their growing exhilaration.
They looked just like the legendary Amazons—a pair of battle-crazed maniacs.
"Where is Kamar-Taj? Let's just go up there and slaughter them all,"
Jeanne took another sip of her drink and proposed nonchalantly.
"No, you can't!"
Clea was startled by the suggestion. "I only want to rescue my people. Besides, Kamar-Taj is a force for good on your Earth; they've constantly protected it against invasions from other dimensions."
"If you wreak havoc in Kamar-Taj, you'll put the entire Earth in danger."
Hearing Clea's explanation, Bayonetta and Jeanne finally grasped the gravity of the situation.
So Kamar-Taj was on the side of good.
They weren't like those Angel scumbags.
That made things a bit awkward, as the two were only accustomed to beating up villains.
They studied Clea and realized she wasn't a villain either.
"It's them."
Just then, Clea turned her eyes toward the side.
A Portal suddenly flared to life inside The Doorless Bar.
Moments later, several sorcerers came pouring out of it.
They were dressed in robes, looking very much like monks,
except none of them had shaved heads.
The moment they walked in, they called out boisterously, "The usual!"
"Right away."
The bartender broke into a wide grin; the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were generous patrons who spent handsomely.
"Come on, let's go have a look."
Bayonetta stood up.
All she wanted right now was a good brawl.
Killing was off the table, but nobody said they couldn't break a few bones.
Beating them until they handed over the prisoners would solve everything, wouldn't it?
And so, all three women stood up in an imposing manner.
Bayonetta had risen, and Jeanne followed her lead.
Seeing both witches on their feet, Clea naturally couldn't remain sitting; after all, she was the one who had hired them.
The three women strode directly toward the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj.
The sorcerers were instantly captivated by Bayonetta.
Their eyes popped; Bayonetta's physique was simply defies belief.
It was their very first time seeing someone whose lower legs were actually longer than her thighs.
Such were Bayonetta's proportions—utterly breathtaking.
One cheeky fellow let out a low whistle. "Well now, beautiful sorceress, what can we do for you?"
"Plenty."
Bayonetta's expression turned frostily cold. "A few of my friend's people went missing, and I heard you fools locked them up."
*Smash!*
She struck without warning, seizing the whistling man and slamming his head face-first into the tabletop. "Now, hand them over."
"We have no idea what you're talking about!"
The other sorcerers were terrified by her ruthless violence, no longer daring to take her lightly.
Shapping back to their senses, they hurried to explain.
"A good thrashing will jog your memory."
Bayonetta broke into a ferocious, eager grin.
Hearing that, the sorcerers decided to strike preemptively.
Circular Magic Circles flared over their hands as they lashed out directly at the violent witch before them.
Yet before their attacks could land, a pair of long legs swept across the room, sending them crashing back.
They had completely forgotten that Bayonetta had a partner.
Jeanne propped herself lazily against the table, resting her head on one hand. "Are sorcerers always this pathetic?"
The sorcerers hadn't put up any real resistance before being swept off their feet.
Seeing this display, Clea's excitement flared as well.
She hadn't wanted to escalate things, but since matters had come to this, she could only jump on the bandwagon. "They're sorcerers; of course their physical bodies are frail."
"Even so, this is ridiculously fragile."
Jeanne instantly saw through The Blind Side of their fighting style.
Only relying on spells without a shred of close-combat ability—how could anyone even call that a sorcerer?
Chapter 164: What Do You Mean, Storming Kamar-Taj?
Fake mages: standing in the back constantly slinging spells, never daring to engage the enemy in melee.
Real mages: dual-wielding battleaxes, bashing the enemy's head in, needing only a single Light spell.
The melee is to destroy the enemy; the Light spell is just to see the enemy.
To a certain extent, Bayonetta and Jeanne were also mages.
What witches excelled at most was using magical power, and their magic came from within themselves—unlike the Kamar-Taj sorcerers who borrowed power from everywhere.
At this moment, the fake mages encountered the real mages.
Both Bayonetta and Jeanne were ferocious melee fighters. Had Bayonetta not known that the Kamar-Taj sorcerers were the good guys, she would have started shooting already.
Right now, she didn't resort to firearms, but directly used close-quarters combat to take down these Kamar-Tajsorcerers one by one.
Facing their melee assault, the Kamar-Taj sorcerers had only one thought: create some distance.
But that was wishful thinking; they simply couldn't do it. Unable to open up distance, they could only passively take a beating, quickly knocked down by Bayonetta and Jeanne.
Clea watched, dumbfounded.
She was also a fake mage, and had been getting ready to cast a spell...
Looking at it now, if she had fought Bayonetta and Jeanne, she would have been taken down before even getting a spell off.
Just then, a chubby sorcerer rushed out: "Didn't anyone tell you that fighting isn't allowed in the tavern?"
He was the owner here.
Bayonetta said elegantly, "Who's fighting? We're merely having a friendly exchange."
Jeanne was far more aggressive; she glared at the fat sorcerer: "Bark again and I'll beat you up too."
The fat sorcerer promptly threw both hands up in the air.
Experience told him that it was best not to mess with such violent women.
Bayonetta strutted forward like a supermodel, the tip of her high heel directly tilting up the chin of a sorcerer sprawled on the floor.
"Where are they?"
she asked haughtily, like an imperious queen.
The sorcerer had a look of complete bewilderment: "I don't know who you're talking about! We really don't know!"
This made Bayonetta glance back at Clea: "Are you sure it's them?"
"They are Kamar-Taj sorcerers, but not those specific ones. If they were standing in front of me, I'd recognize them."
Clea stated with certainty, "There are quite a lot of Kamar-Taj sorcerers."
"All right then."
Bayonetta nodded and shot Jeanne a look.
Jeanne immediately stepped aside to make a phone call.
They had promised Li Chen that whenever they caused trouble, they had to let him know.
Meanwhile, Bayonetta commanded, "Open a Portal. We are going to Kamar-Taj."
"What?!"
The Kamar-Taj sorcerers desperately wanted to play dead, but Bayonetta was simply too terrifying.
...
Li Chen was currently preparing to watch Lucy.
Post-production on Lucy was finished, and Starlight Pictures had invited many people for an internal test screening.
This was a sign of confidence in the movie; if it were truly garbage... there wouldn't even be a test screening.
That was because reviews from test screenings often leaked out, giving the audience a general sense of what kind of movie it was.
Moreover, representatives from major theater chains were present; they needed to evaluate the movie's quality to decide on screen allocation.
Theater chains cared about profits; whatever movie could make money, they would allocate more screenings to it.
Lucy had no traffic celebrity, and the lead actress was a newcomer, which left quite a few theater chain representatives skeptical.
But as long as the movie was good enough, their doubts would vanish.
Just then, Li Chen received Jeanne's call.
"What do you mean you're going to Kamar-Taj?"
Li Chen was completely baffled; he hadn't even decided whether to initiate contact with Kamar-Taj yet.
After all, Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One was inscrutable.
She was a genuine powerhouse.
Yet now, Bayonetta and Jeanne were heading right there.
"And storming in? Are you crazy, or am I crazy?"
Li Chen hung up the phone, feeling like he'd better prepare to bail them out.
He had warned Jeanne, but Jeanne was currently riding high on confidence.
She believed that with her and Bayonetta around, there was nowhere on Earth they couldn't go.
Li Chen really wanted to say that while Bayonetta was indeed formidable—after all, she was a witch capable of defeating the Creator—
you, Jeanne, were controlled by an Angel for hundreds of years...
A classic case of 'Kobe and I combined for 83 points!'
"Things have already come to this, so I might as well watch the movie first."
He walked into the screening room and began watching Black Widow's Acting.
The person appearing on the screen was not Scarlett Johansson, but Natasha Romanoff.
Still, Li Chen had to admit, even he was captivated by the sight.
On screen, Natasha looked even more stunning than in Real person.
Her body proportions were superb, her height of over 1.7 meters was extraordinarily photogenic, and her features were breathtakingly exquisite—she was utterly perfect.
Several theater chain reps, who had initially been indifferent, were now completely drawn in.
Li Chen nodded as well; where Natasha excelled over Scarlett was her height.
Scarlett had everything going for her, except she was just a bit too short.
Natasha, on the other hand, was perfection.
With this, there was no need to worry about the box office performance of this movie.
Natasha would instantly become the darling of the entire world.
...
Natasha herself did not yet know that the movie had been completed and was about to hit theaters.
She had already thoroughly investigated Skye, but the orange-haired 'tomboy' beside Skye was somewhat bizarre.
America had no record of her whatsoever.
However, Crystal's recent routine had been uncovered; aside from playing video games and watching movies, she did nothing else.
The games she played happened to be bayonetta, nier: automata, and the like.
Seeing these two familiar names, Natasha murmured, "Aren't these the games Li invested in and produced?"
Having previously served as Li Chen's assistant, she was naturally familiar with these two games.
Who would have thought that this woman named Crystal loved playing them?
Now it seemed that both games were a success.
This filled Natasha with delight; having set her heart on Li Chen, she naturally hoped he would succeed.
In America, only winners were celebrated.
"Get ready to make contact with these two women."
Natasha gathered her thoughts; her squad currently had no members, and these two were her prospective recruits.
Although Skye was a hacker, she clearly couldn't outmaneuver her.
As for Crystal, who only played games, Natasha felt she would be even easier to fool.
Because of this, Natasha rejected the Agent trained by S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had an Agent school specifically for training operatives.
Agent training was exceptionally difficult, far harder than ordinary professions; an Agent not only had to be an all-rounder, but also possess immense psychological fortitude.
An Agent capable of graduating from the S.H.I.E.L.D.Academy typically passed all these criteria and was granted at least Level 3 Agent clearance.
However, Natasha didn't like them; she wanted to use people she recruited herself.
Furthermore, she always felt the atmosphere inside S.H.I.E.L.D. was somewhat off.
It felt almost... similar to the Red Room where she used to stay.
In fact, it was hidden even deeper than the Red Room.
It was as if an organization was secretly pulling the strings behind S.H.I.E.L.D.
Chapter 165: A Shady Bunch
"So this is Kamar-Taj?"
Bayonetta and the other two stepped through the Portal, arriving in an ancient complex of buildings.
They looked around; they were clearly situated at the top of a mountain.
Beside them were several dejected sorcerers.
Not only had they failed to defeat these three women, but they had also been beaten all the way back to Kamar-Taj...
They would definitely be laughed at to death after this.
Yet they had had no choice—Bayonetta and Jeanne were far too violent; had they refused, their heads really would have been twisted off.
"Nothing special,"
Jeanne remarked.
Only Clea was terribly nervous: "We've arrived in the sorcerers' dwelling place—aren't you two worried?"
"What's there to worry about?"
"Let's go, just find the person directly."
Bayonetta smirked, activating Witch Time right away.
She wasn't reckless; she had just come to look for someone, not to start a real fight.
Stepping into another witch's 'world', people outside couldn't see them at all.
This amazed Clea.
It was somewhat like Kamar-Taj's Mirror Dimension, yet they could still see the outside world.
They were concealed just like ghosts.
"Now this is real stealth."
Jeanne pulled out a lollipop to suck on and tossed one to Clea.
As for Bayonetta, her eyes were already narrowed in sweet delight.
"Not like that game Li plays—he actually claims that as long as you kill everyone, it counts as a perfect stealth run."
Jeanne complained, drawing a chuckle from Bayonetta.
She had also watched Li Chen play that game, called Assassin's Creed or something.
It was clearly intended for stealth, but Li Chen played like a berserker, slaughtering everything in chaos.
Assassin's Creed had been turned into Berserker's Creed.
"Who is Li?"
Clea asked curiously.
She had not expected these two powerful women to actually need a man.
"An interesting person,"
Jeanne replied. "You'll meet him if there's a chance."
Meanwhile, inside the Witch World, they passed through the front hall of Kamar-Taj and headed straight into the interior.
From time to time, sorcerers of Kamar-Taj walked past outside, but none of them could sense them.
This made the few Kamar-Taj sorcerers following them widen their eyes.
They knew Bayonetta was formidable, but they hadn't expected her to be this powerful.
To some extent, this was identical to the Mirror Dimension.
Except witches couldn't manipulate the terrain of this world; however, just like the Mirror Dimension, destroying things at will here caused no impact on reality.
Even if one were to punch straight through Earth here, reality would remain unharmed.
Soon, they arrived at the central plaza of Kamar-Taj.
This was where the most sorcerers gathered, all practicing magic spells.
"Hmm?"
Right at that moment, Mordo, who was instructing the sorcerers, noticed something amiss.
From the fluctuations in magical power, he seemed to sense additional people.
"Who's there?"
He immediately called out loudly.
Everyone halted and looked around.
Bayonetta was also somewhat surprised: "I didn't expect his perception to be so sharp that he could discover us."
"How about it?"
Jeanne also grew interested. "Want to have a big brawl?"
Both witches loved stirring up chaos and were instantly eager to try.
Only Clea said, "Finding people is what's important—we're here to find someone."
Only then did Bayonetta and Jeanne drop the idea.
Clea breathed a sigh of relief—and they had the nerve to call someone else a berserker!
They continued to have the sorcerers lead the way.
"Ladies, Kamar-Taj really doesn't have a place to hold prisoners. This is a sorcerer Sanctum, not a prison."
Several Kamar-Taj sorcerers were practically on the verge of tears.
Where were they supposed to find people?
Clea then provided a description: "The leader of that group has white hair, looks middle-aged, and has deep dark circles around his eyes."
This description made the sorcerers think for a moment.
"Could it be Kaecilius?"
"Where is he?"
Hearing that the sorcerers actually knew him, Clea asked urgently.
"Kaecilius is a disciple of the Sorcerer Supreme. Could there be a mistake?"
They didn't answer right away.
"Regardless of whether it's a mistake, take us to him first,"
Clea said in a solemn tone.
Seeing Bayonetta crack her wrists as well, the sorcerer chickened out immediately: "This way."
Afterwards, they led Bayonetta and the other two to a nearby room.
After twisting and turning through several corridors, they finally found it.
"We're here. Kaecilius and his group are very mysterious; they almost always move together."
Hearing the sorcerer say this, Clea grew even more certain.
They stepped straight into the room—after all, in the Witch World, no one could see them.
Several sorcerers inside the room were sitting together, plotting something.
As they drew closer, they could hear their voices.
"I have already obtained the method..."
"It's them!"
Clea's eyes instantly widened, and she said full of hatred, "They're the ones who captured my kin."
"Let me out. Let's capture them."
Clea looked pleadingly at Bayonetta.
Bayonetta nodded and deactivated Witch Time.
*Clap, clap!*
She even deliberately clapped her hands. "You shady bunch, I'm talking to you."
Kaecilius and the others were in the middle of scheming when suddenly someone started clapping and speaking right beside them, giving them quite a fright.
Glaring fiercely as they turned around, they saw Bayonetta, with her astonishing body proportions, gracefully clapping near her ears, striking a pose as she looked at them.
"That's right, I mean you shady fellows."
"Especially you. With dark circles that heavy, you ought to get checked out."
"I hear you took the kin of my friend Clea. Time to hand them over."
Jeanne, Clea, and the others promptly surrounded them.
Meanwhile, several Kamar-Taj sorcerers stood behind, watching.
The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were not a monolith either.
In particular, Kaecilius and his clique were already rather 'mysterious' and had formed an exclusive clique, isolating everyone else.
The other sorcerers disliked them but didn't dare offend them, so at this moment, they kept their distance.
Seeing that it wasn't the Sorcerer Supreme, Kaeciliussighed in relief.
Given his current strength, he was only wary of the Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One; he didn't care about anyone else.
"It's you?"
He looked at Clea, an odd expression on his face.
He already knew who Clea was; her identity in the Dark World was extremely special.
She was Dormammu's niece, and Dormammu was the ruler of the Dark World—the Master of the power Kaecilius longed to obtain—so his feelings toward Cleawere quite peculiar.
"Since you know who I am, release my kin,"
Clea frowned and spoke up.
"Impossible."
Kaecilius shook his head. "They are no longer here."
"What?"
Clea instantly flared with rage. Sensing closely, she felt the power of the Dark Dimension on Kaecilius.
Without a doubt, Kaecilius and his followers had stolen the power of the Dark Dimension.
And for ordinary people, that was disastrous.
They would become Dormammu's servants!
Chapter 166: Havoc at Kamar-Taj
"Bayonetta, we have to deal with them, or Earth will be destroyed."
Clea hesitated no longer, her demeanor turning cold.
Although she was Dormammu's niece, she had never considered him family.
Just look at him—for the sake of power, he had turned himself into a monster.
Would anyone consider a monster their kin?
Moreover, she had long despised Dormammu's habit of devouring other dimensions.
Resorting to any means necessary for power sickened her!
People like those before her, once they accepted Dormammu's power, would fall under his sway and become his lapdogs.
She had seen this happen across countless dimensions: these poor wretches seduced by Dormammu would lead him into their world like traitors leading invaders into their village, bringing about the apocalypse.
Bayonetta took a lick of her lollipop. "You say deal with them?"
"That's right."
"That won't be an easy task."
Bayonetta gauged them; although their individual strength was not great, there seemed to be a potent, dark power lingering within them.
As a witch, she was intimately familiar with dark fluctuations like these.
It felt as if it came from Hell.
Their exchange filled Kaecilius with burning anger.
"Traitor!"
He glared fiercely at Clea.
He had assumed Clea was one of their own, never expecting that she, just like him, was a traitor...
At the same time, he realized he had to eliminate Clea, or the Sorcerer Supreme would crush him to pieces.
He could never let the Ancient One discover that he had dabbled in Dark Magic!
Clea was taken aback. "You're the traitor! I simply yearn for the light!"
"Exactly, which is why you must die!"
Kaecilius said coldly.
He admitted it—he was indeed a traitor.
Clea was left speechless before him.
"Kill them!"
Kaecilius had no intention of calling for backup; who knew what fate would await him if other sorcerers arrived.
With a fierce shout, he whipped his right hand forward.
Having already prepared his spell, a golden whip of energy lashed out toward Clea immediately.
But Bayonetta reacted swiftly, pulling Clea behind her and shattering the energy whip with a kick of her long leg.
"Your opponent is me, darling."
Bayonetta spoke elegantly, but her hands were utterly ruthless.
Holding nothing back, she extended both arms, and two handguns manifested from magic immediately opened fire on them.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The peaceful silence of Kamar-Taj was instantly shattered by gunfire.
Seeing Bayonetta stop holding back, Jeanne made her move as well.
Kaecilius and his men failed to react in time.
They had expected a magical duel; who would have guessed Bayonetta would disregard all martial decorum and simply start shooting?
Consequently, several unlucky zealots were struck by bullets—enchanted ones at that—and collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.
Kaecilius, however, reacted swiftly, deflecting the bullets one by one with the magic mandalas on his hands.
"Despicable!"
Kaecilius snarled in fury.
He had never seen such a dirty sorcerer—instead of casting magic, she actually used guns!
Bayonetta merely mocked him. "You have guns and don't even know how to use them, yet you expect to become a formidable sorcerer?"
"Time to wrap this up."
With a soft chuckle, she flashed right in front of Kaecilius.
Kaecilius was caught off guard once more; despite her immense magic power, Bayonetta refused to play by conventional rules.
Instead of casting conventional magic, she relied on bullets and close-quarters combat.
Worse yet, her melee strikes were devastatingly fierce; she looked like a dancer, yet every movement was lethal.
Clea watched in awe; there was only one word to describe Bayonetta in battle: elegance.
She had never met a woman as extraordinary as Bayonetta, and found herself utterly captivated.
She was nearly swooning.
In a matter of moments, Kaecilius was beaten black and blue by Bayonetta.
He had no opportunity to cast any spells, relentlessly suppressed by Bayonetta, leaving him thoroughly humiliated.
And his accomplices were in no position to help.
Jeanne suppressed them all single-handedly, knocking them down one after another, with some even gunned down on the spot.
Having resolved to eliminate them, neither Bayonetta nor Jeanne showed any mercy.
They dared to slaughter Angels, let alone human sorcerers.
Fortunately, drawn by the sound of gunfire, other sorcerers came rushing over.
"Enemies!"
"Intruders in Kamar-Taj!"
Alarm bells instantly echoed through Kamar-Taj.
Seeing this, Kaecilius abandoned his comrades, seized an opening, and thrust both hands forward.
"Winds of Watoomb!"
A gale-force gust blew Bayonetta back; she flipped twice in midair and landed gracefully.
Seizing the opportunity, Kaecilius bolted, darting away like an arrow.
Spotting Mordo and the others arriving, he shouted immediately, "Junior Brother Mordo, assassins are trying to murder me! Kill them quickly!"
Kaecilius was extremely cunning, diving straight behind Mordo to use him as a shield.
Behind him, an Infernal demon lunged forward to bite Kaecilius.
It was none other than an Infernal demon summoned by Bayonetta.
With her arms crossed above her head, the outfit woven from her hair had almost completely dissipated, leaving only her vitals concealed; fortunately, only Clea could see her.
Her hair had transformed into a summoning portal through which she called forth the contracted Infernal demon.
The demon pounced straight toward Kaecilius, aiming to swallow him whole in a single bite.
Witnessing the monstrous demon, Mordo and the Kamar-Taj sorcerers instantly branded its summoner as the enemy.
Would a good person ever summon a demon?
Are you kidding?!
Just as everyone believed that Angels were the embodiment of righteousness.
In Bayonetta's world, that dynamic was entirely inverted.
"Form the barrier!"
Mordo roared, and dozens of Kamar-Taj sorcerers formed a unified magic shield, holding the demon at bay.
Kaecilius breathed a sigh of relief at the sight and slipped away before anyone noticed him.
Bayonetta wasn't surprised; this magic shield condensed the combined power of every Kamar-Taj sorcerer present, which even she could not breach, leaving her no choice but to dismiss the demon.
She understood clearly that she was about to raise serious hell in Kamar-Taj.
"He got away,"
Bayonetta remarked.
Had the other sorcerers not interfered, killing Kaeciliuswould have been effortless.
"Only the ringleader escaped."
Jeanne blew gently across the barrel of her gun. "Bayonetta, you're getting slow."
Bayonetta offered no excuse; her focus had been tampered with moments ago.
She didn't know who it was, but someone was preventing her from killing Kaecilius.
Even so, she was more than happy to vent her frustration on the other sorcerers.
"Come on, let's go teach them a lesson."
Bayonetta tossed away the lollipop stick and unwrapped a fresh one.
The stamina she had just expended was restored in an instant.
"Give me one!"
Jeanne didn't hold back either, pouncing over to demand one from Bayonetta.
Chapter 167: The Impact Brought by Bayonetta
*Click!*
The door swung open, and a pair of impossibly long, stunning legs stepped out.
The sorcerers of Kamar-Taj instantly held their breath.
They had thought the enemies inside would be demons, never expecting them to be such gorgeous women.
And not just one, but three.
Even Clea was not the least bit inferior in beauty.
Her figure was merely slightly behind Bayonetta's.
Bayonetta's eleven-head-tall proportions were simply unreal, her lower legs even longer and more slender than her thighs.
Just then, a young sorcerer widened his eyes.
"Ba... Bayonetta?!"
His startled cry instantly drew everyone's attention.
The woman before them looked as if Bayonetta herself had descended into the flesh.
Especially the lollipop in her mouth and the beauty mark at the corner of her lips—a flawless recreation.
"Nie Jin, you know her?"
Mordo asked immediately.
Nie Jin spoke up, "Yes."
"Who is she?"
"She's a witch."
Nie Jin added at once, "She is insanely powerful—she slaughtered every Angel."
*Hiss!*
Hearing that, every sorcerer of Kamar-Taj instinctively took a step back.
Was a witch like this truly someone they could stand against?
Where was the Sorcerer Supreme? Why hadn't she shown up yet!
"Where did she slaughter Angels?"
Only Mordo found it strange.
"Uh, it's the plot of a video game called Bayonetta, and she's the main character."
Nie Jin hurriedly explained, "And the woman next to her is Jeanne, who is also a witch."
"..."
A collective sigh of relief washed over the sorcerers, and someone chided, "Come on, Nie Jin. A sorcerer should focus on training, not wasting time playing games."
"Exactly. How could a game character be real?"
Nie Jin was a newcomer who had joined Kamar-Taj not long ago. Being lectured by a bunch of senior sorcerers, he didn't dare make a peep.
He merely grumbled inwardly that if he hadn't kept up with the times by gaming, they probably wouldn't even know who Bayonetta was.
Besides... Bayonetta was looking right at them now.
"Since you've recognized me, that means you're in for a beating."
Bayonetta was a witch, after all; causing a massive ruckus was simply her nature.
"Form up and attack together."
Mordo hesitated no longer and ordered the Kamar-Tajsorcerers to swarm forward.
In Kamar-Taj, no one cared about 'martial honor'—why not make full use of their numerical advantage?
Thus, the swarm of sorcerers immediately surrounded the trio.
"Witches, Kamar-Taj is not a place where you can run wild."
Mordo declared with a stern face.
"Is that so? But someone asked me to teach you a lesson."
Bayonetta said mysteriously.
With that, she struck first.
To the sorcerers' shock, Bayonetta didn't cast any spells; instead, she leaped right into the crowd like a wolf among sheep.
Jeanne did the same, opting straight for close combat.
Whipping their long legs, a light tap of their toes sent sorcerers flying.
The sorcerers instinctively tried to back away and create distance, but Bayonetta stayed on their heels, taking them down one after another.
Bayonetta's combat movements were breathtakingly graceful, making Nie Jin certain that this was indeed the witch who led The Hunt against Angels.
Watching her fight in reality was far more dazzling than in the game.
Bayonetta launched a sorcerer into midair, following up with a flurry of kicks.
The sorcerer crashed to the ground, utterly unable to get back up.
The magic that normally granted them confidence proved completely useless here!
Jeanne was even fiercer; moving like a ballerina, gunfire echoed from her at every turn.
The sorcerers struck by her bullets were paralyzed by enchanted impact, their bodies twitching uncontrollably.
Though she didn't strike to kill, the pain was very real.
Clea wanted to follow Bayonetta and Jeanne's lead.
Seeing how effortless they made it look, her confidence skyrocketed, thinking the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were 'nothing special.'
So she tried to fight up close like Bayonetta, only to be flustered by the Kamar-Taj sorcerers and nearly subdued.
"Step aside!"
Mordo couldn't bear to watch any longer and immediately ordered the sorcerers to fall back.
With so many men beaten black and blue by two women, how humiliating was this?
He stepped forward holding his weapon, a quarterstaff, and gestured an invitation.
Bayonetta narrowed her eyes at him, then transformed into a 'Black Panther' and pounced.
As a witch, she possessed the power of beast morphing.
She could transform into a cheetah, a crow, a swarm of Bat, a Water snake, and more, depending on the accessories she wore.
Mordo was also taken aback; he had never faced an opponent like this.
However, his reflexes were sharp, and he swiftly deployed his magic to retaliate.
Only now did the fight finally begin to resemble a true clash between sorcerers.
While Bayonetta and Mordo were locked in combat, Wong appeared as well.
Yet he ignored Bayonetta, Jeanne, and the others, turning instead to the groaning sorcerers: "The Sorcerer Supremehas always taught you: what kind of sorcerer has no close-combat ability?"
"Do you understand now?"
"We understand."
Several sorcerers answered at once.
They hadn't thought much of it before, but after taking a beating from Bayonetta, they acutely realized the importance of melee combat.
No wonder the Sorcerer Supreme always fought hand-to-hand!
*This* was what a true sorcerer looked like!
Nie Jin was smart and had kept his distance all along, knowing that facing Bayonetta with his strength would only end in a one-sided thrashing. Watching from afar, he asked, "Wong, where is the Sorcerer Supreme?"
Wong replied casually, "The Sorcerer Supreme is out."
The Ancient One would never show up at a time like this.
Which was precisely why she had sent him over.
Still, the intended effect had been achieved.
The Kamar-Taj sorcerers had previously neglected melee combat; now that Bayonetta had taught them a lesson, they would surely strive to improve.
A true sorcerer must have no shortcomings and must learn to address The Blind Side of their craft.
Meanwhile, the duel between Bayonetta and Mordo had reached its conclusion.
Bayonetta delivered an aerial axe kick; Mordo instinctively raised his staff to parry, only to be forced down onto his knees by the overwhelming force.
*Smack!*
Bayonetta then executed an elegant side kick, sending Mordo flying straight back.
She planted her hands on her hips and stood looking down at Mordo, leaving him completely disheartened.
He couldn't win—he truly couldn't.
Bayonetta's moves seemed wild and undisciplined, but every strike was lethal, and her speed was terrifyingly fast.
In the realm of combat, speed reigned supreme.
Under her relentless offense, Mordo could barely react; maintaining a purely defensive posture naturally doomed him to failure.
Toward the end, he didn't even get the chance to cast a single spell before being struck down.
A sorcerer's spells were undeniably formidable, but what good were they if you couldn't even cast them?
Now, every sorcerer of Kamar-Taj understood the crucial need for close-quarters combat.
Everyone, follow the example of the Sorcerer Supreme!
"You three..."
Wong stepped forward, intending to bring an end to this farce.
Just then, Jeanne's mobile phone started ringing.
She hushed everyone, signaling for silence, and answered the call.
"Alright, we'll head back right away."
Hanging up, Jeanne said, "We need to head back for dinner. Could you please open a Portal for us?"
Chapter 168: Li Chen's magic Talent
After watching Lucy, Li Chen chatted with several theater chain representatives.
They all assured Li Chen that they would grant Lucy a solid number of screenings.
With this assurance, Li Chen was relieved; at the end of the day, it was all about competition.
Hollywood movies were never as simple as just shooting a film; making a hit involved countless factors, and competition was everywhere.
If your movie got more screenings, other films released during the same period would be squeezed out.
After all, there were only so many theater chains, and each cinema had only a limited number of screens.
Fortunately, Li Chen had grown accustomed to Hollywood and its ruthless competition.
Once the screening was over, he prepared to pick up Bayonetta.
He wondered how things were going on her end.
However, he was informed that someone was waiting for him in his office.
Gwen mentioned it to Li Chen, leaving him no choice but to head to his office first.
He asked Gwen about the visitor, but she didn't recognize the person either.
Opening the door, Li Chen saw a bald figure seated inside.
Wearing sorcerer robes, every movement of the guest appeared otherworldly as they calmly sampled the tea in Li Chen's office.
"Mr. Li is indeed a person of refined taste. The tea here is quite good."
The visitor spoke to him directly in Chinese.
Li Chen showed a look of surprise: "Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Yes."
Sitting before him was none other than Ancient One.
Instead of staying at Kamar-Taj, she had come straight to Li Chen's office.
Recovering from his surprise, Li Chen greeted her warmly: "I am honored by the Sorcerer Supreme's visit. Why didn't you let me know in advance?"
"I didn't want to disrupt your business."
Ancient One smiled faintly. "Mr. Li, please have a seat."
Li Chen sat down in his executive chair and inquired, "May I ask what brings the Sorcerer Supreme here on such important business?"
"Li, the timeline has already been disrupted by you."
Ancient One's expression grew solemn.
Li Chen could only nod in silence; he understood that Ancient One had already discovered his true identity.
Secrets like this could never be hidden from Ancient One.
Besides, as a Guardian of the world, Ancient One had likely encountered many transmigrators.
In the Marvel World alone, there were plenty of beings who fancied traversing time and space.
Otherwise, the Time Variance Authority would never have existed in the first place.
It was precisely because such reckless traversals occurred so frequently that regulation was necessary.
"However, this is not necessarily a bad thing."
Ancient One's tone softened slightly as she said, "As long as you do not derail the ultimate outcome, do you understand my meaning?"
"Especially concerning Kamar-Taj."
Ancient One gave Li Chen a subtle hint. After pondering it for a moment, Li Chen had a sudden realization.
"I understand."
Li Chen nodded.
Why did Ancient One say that? Because she wanted to retire.
Recalling the plot of Doctor Strange, right after Strange's car crash, Ancient One immediately rushed his training like force-feeding a seedling; before Strange could even learn much, he was directly pushed into becoming the Sorcerer Supreme...
To the point that Strange felt somewhat half-baked as the Sorcerer Supreme.
The root cause was simply that Ancient One had run out of patience; without even finishing his training properly, she threw off her burdens and left.
Even though part of it was due to a lack of budget...
Still, Li Chen could understand her perspective.
If one viewed being the Sorcerer Supreme as an everyday job, it was easy to see why Ancient One held such an attitude.
Work was the most headache-inducing thing in the world.
Some people suffered splitting headaches and complete misery after just one day of work.
And Ancient One? She had been the Sorcerer Supreme for countless years; to her, every single day was sheer torment.
So once she finally waited long enough for Strange to show up, she refused to wait any longer and bolted straight away.
Strange was the poor soul—his teacher disappeared as soon as he came online, leaving him to figure out everything on his own.
Having understood Ancient One's intentions, Li Chen felt completely relieved.
The atmosphere between them relaxed significantly as well.
At the very least, Ancient One was not here to pick a fight.
Since Li Chen hadn't committed any evil deeds, Ancient One truly had no reason to cause him trouble.
Taking a sip of tea, Li Chen asked curiously, "Sorcerer Supreme, do you think I possess any talent for magic?"
Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One smiled and replied, "You do."
"You have negative magic talent."
Li Chen initially rejoiced, but quickly sensed something was off: "You don't mean 'negative' as in a minus number, do you?"
"Precisely."
Ancient One nodded with a look of deep gratification.
The corner of Li Chen's mouth twitched.
"Furthermore, Kamar-Taj spells are not suitable for you. Kamar-Taj sorcery strictly adheres to borrowing and repaying; borrowing power from demon gods is hardly a good thing."
Ancient One explained to Li Chen.
The magic of Kamar-Taj differed from that of other worlds.
In Li Chen's understanding, magic was supposed to be a power where 'all mighty strength originates from oneself'.
Yet Kamar-Taj spells relied entirely on whether one had the knack to borrow power from demon gods.
Furthermore, anything borrowed had to be paid back eventually.
As a result, the side effects were exceptionally severe.
For instance, in the comics, Strange never dared to fall asleep, because Nightmare, virtually invincible in the dream realm, would assault him the moment he closed his eyes.
He had also lost his sense of taste, finding that whatever he ate tasted like chewing wax.
He was even incapable of eating normal food, as his entire physiology had been warped.
One could say that Kamar-Taj magic was far from a blessing.
Thinking about such a bizarre method, Li Chen immediately lost all interest.
Ancient One smiled and noted, "On the other hand, those two women possess exceptional talent, especially Bayonetta. If she is interested, I could make her the Sorcerer Supreme."
This was something that had exceeded Ancient One's expectations—it was an entirely new timeline that had branched out.
In that timeline, Bayonetta became the Sorcerer Supreme, displaying talent far superior to Strange's.
Moreover, Bayonetta had beaten numerous Dimensional Demon Gods until they cried for mercy.
Unfortunately, the probability of that timeline occurring was exceedingly slim.
For it to succeed, Li Chen's consent was an absolute prerequisite.
Yet across countless timelines, Li Chen had rejected the proposition.
Sure enough, Li Chen remarked, "That would depend on Bayonetta, but I don't think she would ever agree."
As a witch, Bayonetta was by nature an ardent lover of freedom.
Making her the Sorcerer Supreme and saddling her with managing a vast order of sorcerers was something she would unquestionably refuse.
Most importantly, Bayonetta looked down on that kind of power.
As a witch, why would she ever need to borrow power from others? Especially with so many dreadful side effects attached.
"That is truly a pity."
Ancient One said with a smile, though she didn't seem particularly disappointed.
After all, her primary choice had always been Strange; any other possibilities were merely pleasant surprises at best.
It was great if it worked out, but of little consequence if it didn't.
Then, Ancient One glanced at the time: "It is about time. I must be heading back."
"What about Bayonetta and the others?"
"They will be returning shortly."
Ancient One smiled warmly, indicating that Bayonetta was completely safe.
Li Chen felt relieved; Bayonetta seemed to be even stronger than he had envisioned.
After all, Bayonetta was someone who had slain the Creator of her own world.
Therefore, dealing with a handful of Kamar-Taj sorcerers was likely effortless for her.
As long as the Sorcerer Supreme didn't take the field, Li Chen suspected Bayonetta could hold off the entirety of Kamar-Taj on her own.
A corrupted Scarlet Witch was capable of doing just that, having nearly wiped out Kamar-Taj entirely.
Li Chen believed Bayonetta would certainly not fall short in comparison.
Chapter 169: Ten Thousand Years Older
Sorcerer Supreme Ancient One directly opened a Portaland left.
Seeing this made Li Chen very envious.
Although he could fly, Portals were indeed extremely convenient and looked really cool.
Li Chen also hurried to wrap up work and had Jubilee drive him home.
When he got home, Bayonetta and Jeanne had indeed already arrived.
They looked completely relaxed, showing no sign at all that they had just been in a battle.
As for Bayonetta, not even the corner of her clothes was dirty.
Furthermore, they had brought an outsider back with them.
"This is Clea, from the Dark World."
Bayonetta lazily introduced her.
Clea, with her silver hair, was very curious about Li Chen.
She wanted to know what kind of man could subdue a woman like Bayonetta.
At first glance, though, Li Chen was just a bit more handsome.
Since they were both humanoid, Clea's sense of aesthetics was roughly similar.
"Hello."
"Clea, is Dormammu a relative of yours?"
Li Chen looked at her curiously.
Clea looked young and beautiful, so he wondered how she could be related to Dormammu.
"No, he's a monster."
Clea looked disgusted and then briefly explained Dormammu's past.
Dormammu was originally humanoid as well, but his race was a species of energy beings called the Faltine.
Later, Dormammu was banished by his clan for devouring physical matter, so he came to the Dark Dimension. In order to seize control of the Dark Dimension, Dormammuturned himself into a monster.
To gain power, he resorted to any means necessary.
After turning into a monster, Dormammu naturally lost all humanity, which disgusted Clea deeply, so she naturally no longer considered him a relative.
"I'd love nothing more than to destroy him and liberate the Dark World."
Clea said helplessly, "Unfortunately, I can't do it."
Bayonetta looked somewhat interested, but Li Chenquickly said, "In the Dark World, no one is a match for Dormammu."
Doctor Strange had only managed to annoy Dormammu to death.
In the time loop, Strange himself couldn't perceive it because his level wasn't high enough to transcend time.
But Dormammu had already transcended time and could tell that he was trapped in a continuous time loop, so after too many repetitions, he couldn't stand it anymore.
Hearing Li Chen's words, Bayonetta, who was eager to try, finally settled down.
Afterward, Clea stayed for a meal before needing to return to the Dark Dimension.
"I have to say, this place gives me a feeling of home."
Clea felt somewhat reluctant before leaving.
"Nami is so lively, and Ram and Rem are so warm..."
She kept praising everyone.
Then she opened a Portal and left.
Li Chen also prepared to head out: "I'll go drop by the Hellfire Club."
Li Chen was very busy nowadays, mainly because he had to attend to everyone.
He had to go home often, take Gwen and the others out to have fun, and visit the Hellfire Club frequently.
Mystique's situation kept him vigilant; he didn't want anyone to betray him just because he neglected them.
Relationships require maintenance, and that takes time.
So Li Chen felt extremely busy.
Besides, the White Queen was far more important than Mystique...
Arriving at the Hellfire Club, the White Queen was lying lazily on the sofa.
Like a noble lady, she watched TV while gently picking up a grape and placing it into her mouth.
"I want to eat grapes too."
Li Chen walked over and pulled her straight into his arms.
The White Queen looked helpless: "You'd better mean real grapes."
She picked one up and gently fed it to Li Chen.
Li Chen was naturally unceremonious, even sucking her finger a little: "It tastes better when Dear feeds me."
He and the White Queen were like an old married couple now, so the White Queen wasn't surprised and simply smiled.
Afterward, they chatted about recent events.
The Hellfire Club knew a lot of secret information.
"That group of vampires you wiped out earlier has become active again."
The White Queen said, "It seems some truly powerful Vampire race members have arrived. Be careful."
"It's the vampires who should be careful."
Li Chen said nonchalantly. vampires and humans were irreconcilable enemies after all.
Just relying on sucking blood to survive meant a fight to the death.
So Li Chen had no psychological burden when eliminating them.
Just like eliminating Parasites—would you feel sad about killing a Parasite?
Besides, vampires shouldn't have that much guts anymore.
Li Chen asked curiously instead, "Is Selene part of the Vampire race?"
He had met the Black Queen a few times, and the wine glass in her hand was always bright red.
Li Chen had been curious back then, and later learned from the White Queen that it wasn't red wine at all, but fresh blood.
So the Black Queen Selene, just like vampires, 'drank blood'.
That was why Li Chen asked.
"Of course not."
The White Queen said solemnly, terrified that Li Chenmight eliminate the Black Queen thinking she was a vampire.
No matter what, the Black Queen was an extremely important person in the Hellfire Club.
Especially given that Li Chen, as the White King, didn't do any work.
Although Li Chen had become the White King, he had no interest in power and still handed management over to the White Queen.
"Selene is one of the oldest Mutants. I estimate she has lived for tens of thousands of years."
The White Queen then added.
"Hss!"
Li Chen's eyes widened.
They say an older wife brings blessings, but ten thousand years older?
Now this was getting interesting.
"Her ability to survive is probably due to her Mutantpower."
"She isn't a vampire, she just looks a bit like one, being rather special."
"I understand, I won't do anything to her."
Li Chen nodded.
"By the way, Li, do you know about the Inhumans?"
The White Queen asked at this moment.
"I know a little."
Li Chen only knew about Black Bolt.
Black Bolt was also a member of the Illuminati; in Doctor Strange 2, the corrupted Scarlet Witch Wanda modified reality and sewed his mouth shut...
Then, Black Bolt blew his own head up.
Therefore, he left Li Chen with the impression of being rather 'weak'.
Oh, and that Captain Cut-In-Half—although she was indeed heroic, her ending was brutally tragic.
"Originally, these Inhumans were driven away, but recently they've appeared on Earth again."
The White Queen said to Li Chen, "Li, the Inhumans are deadly enemies with us Mutants. Be careful if you meet them in the future, and definitely don't show mercy."
"I understand."
Li Chen didn't actually nod in agreement.
After all, he wasn't really a Mutant...
However, as the king of Mutants, he wouldn't let the Inhumans hurt the Mutants either.
But establishing a nation was indeed difficult, and the White Queen could only push forward slowly.
"Alright, it's getting late."
Li Chen finished the last grape and prepared to eat the 'fake' ones.
"Wait!"
The White Queen shouted, "I haven't finished watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones yet."
"Then you can be on top."
Li Chen wasn't as interested in Game of Thrones.
First of all, he had already watched it once.
Besides, the serialization was indeed very slow.
Even if they worked overtime, they could only update one episode a week.
However, for those who truly loved the show, even if it updated only once a week, it was still worth following.
Chapter 170: Even Applause Can Be Professional
In early May, after a period of promotion and publicity, Lucywas finally released.
Starlight Pictures was very optimistic about this film, so they hosted a fairly grand premiere.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, this was a moviewith tens of millions of dollars invested in it.
Most of the money came from various investors, so holding a premiere was necessary to give them confidence.
However, much to Old Ridley's helplessness, the film's female lead refused to walk the red carpet...
So, the promotion of this movie fell entirely on him, the director.
After today, he would have to travel all across the country.
This made Ridley Scott quite frustrated.
This kind of newcomer was just unprofessional. Besides, he couldn't understand if there were really people in the world who didn't want to be sought after by the public.
Being a celebrity was the best path. Once the moviebecame a hit, at least during this period, she could enjoy the feeling of being adored by fans, with all the spotlights focused on her, yet Natasha gave it up...
Compared to Starlight Pictures' previous works, this red carpet lacked star power.
Most people came for the director. Before this, the lead actress was an absolute nobody from who-knows-where, and this time she even refused to attend the premiere.
It left many Hollywood peers utterly speechlessly amused.
Li Chen did show up, accompanied by Tony Stark.
Tony Stark looked a bit tired. He also owned a luxury mansion in Los Angeles, so during this time, he split his days between partying and building a new Iron Man Armor, getting very little rest.
But he was used to it. Moreover, since Iron Man had finished filming and was set to release in June, he came to attend the premiere to get used to the environment in advance.
"Not many media outlets came, and there aren't many fans either,"
Tony Stark complained to Li Chen.
"That's because the female lead wasn't famous before."
Li Chen knew the reason.
In the new century, many celebrities had fan clubs.
Where could a newcomer like Natasha find fans?
"The premiere for Iron Man needs to be made as grand as possible,"
Tony Stark said nervously.
He cared about saving face more than anything.
If he starred in it himself and ended up with a smaller grand scale than other stars, he would be completely crushed.
"Don't worry, Tony. Who could be more famous than Iron Man?"
Li Chen was not worried about this at all.
Simply put, making superhero movies in the Marvel Worldwas a guaranteed profit.
What's more, it was Iron Man himself playing Iron Man—100% authentic.
It was bound to be a massive blockbuster hit!
Afterwards, many people came over to greet the two.
Both Li Chen and Tony Stark were extremely famous; nobody didn't want to get to know them.
Especially those female celebrities, each dressed up colorfully and glamorously, dropping all kinds of subtle hints.
In a place like Hollywood, hooking up if you caught each other's eye was completely normal.
Not to mention, these were powerful and influential men like Li Chen and Tony.
As long as one managed to latch onto them, it was a sudden rise to fame and wealth.
Just like Nicole Kidman—she was originally just a nobody, but because she married Tom Cruise, she instantly became famous in the 1990s under the title of Mrs. Cruise.
Yet even so, for the sake of a role, she spent hours in a hotel room with Mel Gibson.
Embarrassingly, she was caught by the media.
Tom Cruise was instantly cuckolded.
He would never believe that his sweet wife was just "discussing the script" with someone in a hotel for several hours.
If even Nicole Kidman, who was already famous at the time, acted like this, what about others?
They would resort to any means to achieve their goals.
Regardless of whether they were married, they would throw themselves at them.
Li Chen was no longer interested in most celebrities, feeling it was better to promote talent himself.
Tony, on the other hand, refused no one.
He was there to hit on women in the first place.
Soon, the movie began.
The main draw of Lucy was watching the female lead; fortunately, Natasha was indeed very sexy and beautiful, and she looked valiant and heroic in the movie as well.
That was what really attracted the audience.
Ridley Scott indeed had a talent for sci-fi films. This version was somewhat different from the Lucy in Li Chen's past life—the plot was fuller, and the setting was more rigorous.
Although, it still seemed unscientific.
For instance, Tony made a snide comment.
"Does the person who wrote this script have any scientific common sense?"
"Though the concept of brain capacity percentage is actually quite interesting."
Tony rubbed his chin in thought.
The whole movie was driven almost entirely by "brain development."
The core premise was quite simple: What would happen if a person developed their brain to 100% capacity?
With this core premise, combined with Natasha's fight scenes and fast-paced editing, the film made for a great viewing experience.
In the end, the protagonist 'Lucy' even became a 'god'.
At the end of the film, Lucy condensed knowledge into a flash drive and passed it down to future generations, symbolizing the continuation of life and offering a bit of philosophical thought.
After watching it, many people had only one feeling: it seemed like a power-fantasy film where the female leadwas overpowered, but that was just Ridley's style.
Take Alien, for instance—was that scientific?
But one thing was clear: it was indeed very satisfying.
Furthermore, Natasha's performance in it—she was sexy, beautiful, and agile—guaranteed she was going to be a hit.
If someone else had played the female lead, it might not have had the same effect.
The fight choreography was gorgeous, and Natashaperformed it all herself without needing any stunt doubles, which became a selling point in the marketing.
As a top Agent, if she had to use a stunt double for fight scenes, it would be too embarrassing...
Even Tony Stark asked, "Who is this female lead?"
"She's an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Can you handle her?"
Li Chen cut short his train of thought.
Sure enough, as soon as he heard the name S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony backed down.
"An Agent? Forget it then, I can't outplay her."
Tony knew very well that Agents were emotionless creatures who could easily play people, and one misstep could cost a life.
Those who dared to mess with Agents were true Warriors.
The true Warrior was sitting right next to him. Li Chen also missed Natasha a bit.
He wondered if, as time went by, Natasha might also have a 'change of heart.'
It couldn't be helped; people change.
When the movie ended, thunderous applause erupted in the venue.
And it lasted for a full ten minutes.
Tony Stark asked in confusion, "Is this movie really that good?"
Li Chen replied calmly, "They hired professionals."
"..."
Tony was speechless.
In Hollywood, even the applause at the end of a movie was actually hired actors.
Since the 1990s, this had become a business.
Otherwise, no matter how good a movie was, who would be crazy enough to clap for over ten minutes at the end?
Their hands would be swollen from clapping!
Once upon a time, this was even used in news reports to make many people believe the movie was great.
Looking at such enthusiastic applause, how could it be a bad movie?
Only later did people realize it was all fake...
But since everyone did it, Li Chen felt no psychological burden.
In fact, not doing it would make you the odd one out.