Chapter 141 Clues to the Nightmare
Chapter 142: Nightmare's Clues
Amazing Spider-Man wasn't the only one shocked by this.
Wanda and Gaya, though aware that Russell could combine portals with Solar energy to create a new type of magic, had no idea that this new spell could effortlessly shatter planets.
Inside the Mirror Dimension.
Little Gwen watched the projection, her mouth agape, only snapping back to reality after a long moment.
"Russell, was that really you?"
Russell gave a shy smile.
"When I was young and foolish, and in a bad mood, I liked to set off fireworks to watch."
Outside the Mirror Dimension.
Wanda recovered and turned to Amazing Spider-Man, asking:
"Amazing Spider-Man, from what you just said, you should have a way to contact Nightmare, right? Can you tell us how?"
"Is that devil's name Nightmare? The image certainly fits perfectly."
Amazing Spider-Man murmured to himself, then pulled back the sleeve on his wrist.
A green rune was visible on the back of his hand.
A green rune that Russell, Wanda, and Ghost Gwen all found familiar.
"Activating this rune allows you to contact Nightmare. I can help you contact him, but I have one condition."
"What condition?"
"Gwen's soul. He threatened me with Gwen's soul, which is why I signed the contract with him. If you're going to deal with him, I hope you can help me get Gwen's soul back."
"Amazing Gwen's soul is no longer with Nightmare. A few days ago, Amazing Gwen's soul appeared in Little Gwen's body on Earth-404.
"Later... now, Amazing Gwen's soul is fusing with her body. It will take about nine more days for the fusion to be complete."
Ghost Gwen explained the full story of why they came to find Amazing Spider-Man.
"Is Gwen resurrecting? That's wonderful! Oh, I don't know how to thank you all."
Hearing the news that Amazing Gwen was resurrecting, Amazing Spider-Man danced with joy.
"It's Amazing Gwen," Ghost Gwen emphasized. "There are three Gwens in this World now. Little Gwen and I are still alive and well."
"Okay, Amazing Gwen. Can you take me to see Amazing Gwen? Will it affect her resurrection ritual? Oh, I haven't rested well these past few days. No, I need to take a shower and get myself ready first."
Wanda and Gaya's foreheads were lined with black as they watched the rambling Amazing Spider-Man.
How had they not noticed this Amazing Spider-Man was such a chatterbox at first?
Ghost Gwen and Penny Spider-Man exchanged smiles; this was very Spider-Man.
"Amazing Spider-Man, whether you want to go see Amazing Gwen first, or take a shower before seeing Amazing Gwen, you'd best act now."
Left with no choice, Wanda could only urge him on.
"Okay, wait for me a moment, I'll be ready very soon."
Inside the Mirror Dimension.
"Let's go, Little Gwen. We'll return to the Villa first and awaken Amazing Gwen."
Golden magic sparks flickered, instantly engulfing Russelland Little Gwen, taking them back to the Villa.
Upon returning to the Villa, Russell walked towards the room where Amazing Gwen's nutrient pod was placed.
He knocked on the door.
"Helen, Peter will be here soon. I'm going to awaken Amazing Gwen first."
A moment later, Helen opened the door from inside.
"Okay, Russell. But Amazing Gwen is already awake, no need to awaken her."
Entering the room, Russell looked at a status diagram on the instrument, which showed the status as 'Awake'.
"Helen, did you awaken Amazing Gwen? Or did she want to be awake herself?"
Russell asked.
The resurrection ritual takes about ten days, and she can't move during this time.
If she stayed awake the whole time, it would be worse than being locked in a dark room.
"Amazing Gwen wanted to be awake herself. I was worried she'd be bored, so I stayed here to chat with her."
"Alright then."
Since Amazing Gwen wanted to stay awake herself, Russell had nothing more to say.
After thinking for a moment, Russell's divine power flowed, condensing into a small loudspeaker connected to Amazing Gwen's body.
"Amazing Gwen, this small loudspeaker can help you speak."
"Thank you, Russell," a crisp mechanical voice sounded.
"You're welcome, it's a small matter."
Leaving the room, Russell returned to the living room to read a novel.
Having finished "The Wandering Lion," Russell began reading the sequel, "The Red Ribbon Lion King."
"Russell, are you reading children's books?"
Little Gwen, who had been following Russell, asked.
Although she couldn't understand the Chinese on the book, she could understand the illustrations.
"Yes, and not entirely. Why, Little Gwen, do you want to read it too?" Russell asked.
"No." Little Gwen shook her head repeatedly. "These illustrations look too childish."
After speaking, Little Gwen couldn't help but laugh.
She often saw Russell reading, but she never expected him to be reading these children's books.
Russell's face darkened: "Have you finished your homework, Little Gwen?"
Little Gwen's smile froze.
A moment later, a portal opened.
Wanda and Gaya led the way, with six Spider-Men emerging.
"Long time no see, Sorcerer Spider-Man." x4.
"Long time no see, Spider-Man UK, Spider-Man Noir, Penny Spider-Man, Spider-Ham."
Russell put down the novel in his hand and responded to the four Spider-Men.
"And, it's good to see you, Amazing Spider-Man."
Russell looked at Amazing Spider-Man, who was staring at him, and a smile spread across his face.
He wasn't just looking at Amazing Spider-Man, but also at Nightmare behind Amazing Spider-Man.
And the billions of units of energy that Nightmare represented.
"Amazing Gwen is upstairs. You can just follow Little Gwen up."
"Okay, thank you, Sorcerer Spider-Man."
As soon as he heard Amazing Gwen was upstairs, Amazing Spider-Man couldn't hold back, hastily thanked him, and followed Little Gwen upstairs.
After Amazing Spider-Man went upstairs, Spider-Man UKasked:
"Sorcerer Spider-Man, the last member of the Inheritors family, Karn, has been captured. Do you have any arrangements for him?"
Russell shook his head: "No, you can handle it as you see fit."
Spider-Man UK continued to ask, "Sorcerer Spider-Man, are you targeting the devil who made a deal with Amazing Spider-Man this time?
"If you can completely resolve him, then we won't need to take Amazing Spider-Man away.
"Otherwise, we'll take him to another Universe for refuge."
"I will completely resolve this matter. There's no need to take Amazing Spider-Man away."
Russell had a strange feeling.
Spider-Man UK seemed to be deliberately confirming something with him.
"See, I guessed right."
Spider-Man UK and Spider-Man Noir stood up, clapping their hands in celebration.
Meanwhile, Penny Spider-Man and Spider-Ham hung their heads in dejection.
Goodness, these guys are betting on me.
Russell shook his head and chuckled: "Do you have a wager? If so, remember to give me a share, otherwise... hehe."
"Wager?"
The two pairs of Spider-Men looked at each other.
Suddenly, the tables turned.
"No wager!"
Penny Spider-Man and Spider-Ham clapped their hands and cheered.
Spider-Man UK and Spider-Man Noir hung their heads, becoming defeated men.
"How did we forget to add stakes?"
Wanda and Gaya exchanged glances.
Is this what Spider-Man is like?
They're too crazy.
Chapter 142 Entering the Nightmare Dimension
Chapter 143: Entering the Nightmare Dimension
Outside the window, sunlight streaked by in a blink.
"Everyone, lunch time!"
In the living room, Helen placed dish after dish of steak and fish on the dining table until it was completely full.
She already knew that, except for Little Gwen, the young men and women here were all big eaters.
After calling the people in the living room to sit down, Helen realized that Peter (Amazing Spider-Man) hadn't come down yet, so she called out again.
"Peter, come down and eat too."
"Helen, I'm not hungry. I'll eat later."
Peter's voice came from upstairs, and he showed no intention of leaving the room where Amazing Gwen's nutrient pod was placed.
"This child..."
Helen shook her head and smiled wryly, but she didn't try to persuade him further, getting up to put away a set of tableware.
She estimated that Peter wouldn't come out of the room for a while. But the young man was strong and healthy, so missing a meal wouldn't matter.
To Helen's surprise, Peter came out of the room shortly after.
When he first came out, Peter still had a look of reluctance on his face. By the time he reached downstairs, he had become visibly excited.
"Good afternoon, Helen. Good afternoon, Spider-Men. Good afternoon, Wanda, Gaya, Little Gwen."
Before he even sat down, Peter began to chatter excitedly.
"Oh, thank you all so much this time. Mage Spider-Man, you truly are the most powerful and Amazing Spider-Man! How are you eating so fast? Save some for me, and save some for Little Gwen too."
Amidst the clamor, the pleasant lunch hour ended, and it was time for serious business.
After everyone worked together to help Helen clear the dining table, Wanda couldn't help but ask about the main topic:
"Peter, can you show us the rune that connects to Nightmare again?"
"Of course."
Peter readily agreed, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the green rune on the back of his hand.
Wanda and the others gathered around, observing it carefully.
A sense of déjà vu washed over them again.
"I feel like I've seen this rune before, but I can't remember where or when," Wanda said, her brows furrowed with confusion.
"I also have that familiar feeling. Its patterns and structure seem somewhat similar to the magic of Kamar-Taj," Ghost Gwen echoed.
"It looks a bit familiar to us too," the four-person Spider-Team supplemented, "Seeing this rune, it's a bit like seeing the web of life and destiny."
"So, this rune is likely a combination of Kamar-Taj's magicand the web of life and destiny," Gwen realized, making her judgment.
"Not necessarily," Wanda countered. "Kamar-Taj has collected many types of magic, many of which even come from various magical entities and Dimensional Demon Gods. Seeing a similar rune in Kamar-Taj doesn't mean this rune belongs to Kamar-Taj."
Pausing, Wanda added, "But no matter what, as long as we find the Master of this rune, all will be revealed."
"Do you need me to activate this rune now, Wanda?" Peter asked.
"What happens if you activate this rune?" Wandainquired.
"There are two scenarios. If I activate it in another World, it will transport me back to this World;"
"If I activate it in this World, it will transport me to the demon's domain. Which is what you call the Nightmare Dimension."
Wanda's expression shifted.
The most direct method was to have Peter activate this rune and enter the Nightmare Dimension. Then, she could track him using the aura of Chaos Magic.
But the problem was, she hadn't mastered the ability to teleport across dimensions and Universes.
After a moment of thought, Wanda turned her gaze to Russell, who had been holding Little Gwen and watching the show from the side.
"Russell, what do you think?"
Russell put Little Gwen down.
Just now, a group of people had crowded around to look at the soul on Peter's hand, and Little Gwen was no exception, but she was too small to squeeze in, so she asked Russell to pick her up.
"Ghost Gwen is right. This rune is a spatial magic from Kamar-Taj, combined with the web of life and destiny."
"It also contains the coordinate information of the Nightmare Dimension."
"Later, I'll just open a portal for you all to enter the Nightmare Dimension."
Wanda and Gwen might not be able to confirm the origin of this rune.
But Russell recognized it at a glance; it was simply two runes spliced and stitched together. It looked like one rune, but it was actually two.
"So, is the assessment over now? Will you directly intervene, Russell?" Wanda asked.
"No, it's not over yet," Russell shook his head.
"I overlooked it before and didn't give you a way to enter and exit the Hell Dimension. Later, I will find a way to create an item that can freely enter and exit the Hell Dimension."
"As for now, the assessment continues, and we'll also test for any other oversights."
Having said that, Russell looked at the Spider-Men and asked, "Do you want to come along?"
The four members of the Spider-Man team exchanged glances and eagerly said, "Of course, if it won't be a bother, we'd also like to experience the demon's domain."
Peter hesitated for a moment before saying, "Of course, I've been to the Nightmare Dimension a few times, so I can lead the way for you."
"Peter, you don't want to go, do you?" Russell noticed Peter's hesitation and asked.
"Yes, I want to spend more time with Amazing Gwen. But if you all go, I'll go too."
"Peter, if you want to stay with Amazing Gwen a bit longer, then stay," Russell advised. "This search for Nightmare is a test for Wanda and Gaya; you don't need to give them too much help."
In fact, during this journey to the Amazing Spider-ManUniverse, Wanda and Gaya had already gained a lot of information.
Even before arriving in this Universe, they had identified one of Nightmare's contacts, Amazing Spider-Man.
And they naturally possessed the key 'item' to gain Amazing Spider-Man's trust — Amazing Gwen.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be this smooth.
"No." After his initial hesitation, Peter became resolute. "This matter started because of Gwen and me; I cannot avoid it."
"Alright then," Russell shrugged. He had no objections to a few people entering the Nightmare Dimension.
No matter what, he would be the one to act in the end.
After confirming the personnel entering the Nightmare Dimension, God Russell's divine power surged from his feet.
As the shimmering white divine power moved and outlined on the ground, circular runes continuously appeared, then, as if coming alive, they rotated and spread outwards from the center.
Finally, a mysterious and complex magic array formed.
The next moment, the magic array activated, and after a gentle white light, the ten people vanished from the living room.
The color of the magic array also gradually faded until it was invisible to the naked eye.
In the Super Vortex, gentle white light enveloped everyone, rushing towards the distance.
"Wow, so beautiful."
Looking at the magnificent and magical scenery within the Super Vortex, Little Gwen couldn't help but exclaim.
After an unknown amount of time, a grayish-green bubble appeared in front of everyone.
The gentle white light enveloped the group, silently passing through the bubble's thin membrane and entering inside.
The Nightmare Dimension had been reached.
Chapter 143 The Nightmare's Identity
Chapter 144: Nightmare's Identity
Under a dark green sky lay an endless, desolate desert landscape.
As far as the eye could see, countless abandoned houses and buildings, weathered by time, stood precariously, in ruins.
And in the open spaces, boundless skeletal remains were scattered haphazardly, with white bones, putrid flesh, and blood intertwined, forming a cruel tableau.
"Russell, why are you covering my eyes?"
Little Gwen struggled, trying to pry open Russell's right hand that was covering her eyes.
"Little Gwen, this scene is not suitable for children. I'm afraid if you see it, you'll have nightmares when you go back. George and Helen would blame me then."
Russell held Little Gwen with his left hand, showing no intention of letting go.
Although he could censor the view for Little Gwen.
If the censorship wasn't severe, Little Gwen could imagine the rest herself;
If the censorship was severe, it would be better not to see it at all.
"When I entered the Nightmare Dimension before, I always went straight into Nightmare's castle; I've never been outside," Amazing Spider-Man explained.
If he had known the outside of the Nightmare Dimensionlooked like this, he wouldn't have let Little Gwen come in.
After a while, the group composed themselves and began to observe carefully.
"That direction should be Nightmare's castle."
Amazing Spider-Man observed for a moment, then pointed in a direction where a few faint, scattered lights could be seen.
In that direction, a city was vaguely visible, standing amidst the mist.
"Let's go then." Wanda nodded, drawing a circle with her finger. A portal appeared, leading directly to the outskirts of the city in the direction Amazing Spider-Man pointed.
Then, she took the lead and stepped into the portal.
The others also followed suit.
"No! My father was a hero! He sacrificed himself to protect this city!"
Just then, Penny Spider-Man, who had been quietly lagging behind with her head down, suddenly lost her mind and roared out.
"Penny Spider-Man, wake up."
Spider-Ham reacted quickly, hugging Penny Spider-Manand shaking her repeatedly.
"Penny Spider-Man, calm down. This space seems to be able to stir up painful memories within people. Don't let it affect you."
Spider-Man Noir also quickly spoke out to warn Penny Spider-Man.
"Spider-Man, did you find anything?" Spider-Man UKasked Russell.
Hmm?!
Russell looked at the four members of the Spider-Manteam in confusion, realized the problem, and explained:
"There's a pale, almost imperceptible grey-green energy swirling around you, constantly looking for opportunities to infect your minds."
The others were unaffected because Russell's White energy formed a defensive barrier on their body surfaces.
As for Amazing Spider-Man...
To some extent, he was Nightmare's person, so he naturally wouldn't be affected.
With a thought, Russell activated his [Energy Absorption] talent, instantly sweeping away the surrounding grey-green energy.
Attribute points +12.
As a portion of the grey-green energy here suddenly disappeared, the grey-green energy from afar slowly spread to fill the void.
It wouldn't be long before the gap here was filled.
Seeing this, Russell simply placed a layer of divine power barrier on the four members of the Spider-Man team as well.
"I've put an energy shield on you all, which can block the grey-green energy from infecting you."
"Thank you, Spider-Man."
At this point, Penny also recovered from her painful memories. After thanking Russell, she lowered her head and remained silent.
Alas~
Russell sighed inwardly.
Spider-Men are all unfortunate souls.
Out of ten Spider-Men, eleven have tragic fates.
The death of elders, close friends, or partners—there's always one or several misfortunes to befall a Spider-Man.
This damned web of life and destiny!
Good thing I'm a new concept Spider-Man.
"Let's go, let's check out that city."
Collecting his thoughts, Russell motioned for everyone to set off and follow Wanda.
Passing through the portal, they arrived at the city's edge, where the sight differed from the desert.
Although the city also presented a desolate and dilapidated scene, the houses and buildings remained intact.
On the streets, there were no more dismembered limbs.
With that, Russell released his right hand, which had been covering Little Gwen's eyes.
Finally seeing the light again, Little Gwen peered around curiously.
Suddenly, Little Gwen exclaimed, "This looks so much like New York!"
New York?
Hearing Little Gwen say this, everyone observed again, but came to a different conclusion.
"It does look a bit similar." Ghost Gwen, Wanda, and Gaya agreed with Little Gwen's point of view.
"Not quite similar." Spider-Ham and Amazing Spider-Man, however, held different opinions.
Spider-Man UK and Penny Spider-Man did not express an opinion.
The former did not live in New York, and the latter was in a bad mood.
"We come from different Worlds and different eras, so it's normal for our New Yorks not to look alike," Spider-Man Noir reminded them.
"That explains it."
Amazing Spider-Man, who was leading the way, swung down from his web and landed steadily in front of a building.
This was a three-story Victorian-style brownstone townhouse, featuring French Baroque architectural design and a mansard roof.
"The few times I've been here before, I always had a sense of unfamiliar familiarity. So, the architecture here is from another World's New York."
Wanda and Ghost Gwen followed closely, landing in front of the building.
"New York Sanctum?!"
Looking at the building before them, Wanda and Ghost Gwen couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Wanda, Ghost Gwen, do you recognize this place?" Amazing Spider-Man asked.
"Yes. On Earth-404, this is one of Earth's three Sanctum Sanctorums.
"Sanctum Sanctorums are usually connection points between the Multiverse and supernatural phenomena.
"To protect the real dimension from magical erosion, sorcerers construct magic circles upon them and build houses to conceal them from public view."
Wanda explained to Amazing Spider-Man.
She had seen this knowledge in the Kamar-Taj library more than once.
Once everyone had gathered, Wanda led the way into the Sanctum Sanctorum.
The interior space of the Sanctum Sanctorum seemed more spacious than it appeared from the outside, with labyrinthine corridors inside the house.
But as a member of the Kamar-Taj sorcerers, Wanda, who had been stationed in New York for a long time, was very familiar with the New York Sanctum.
First, she checked the living room, dining room, kitchen, and library on the first floor.
The group discovered that the library contained many Kamar-Taj books.
This indicated that it was likely not someone building a replica of the New York Sanctum in the Nightmare Dimension, but rather the Nightmare Dimension having swallowed a New York Sanctum.
Next was the second floor, which was the living area.
Each bedroom doorplate had the name of the room's Master written on it.
And on the doorplate of a room that was clearly the Master bedroom, a name was also written.
"Stephen Strange."
The moment Wanda uttered this name, the entire Nightmare Dimension began to shake.
Undoubtedly, the owner of this name was the Master of the Nightmare Dimension, Nightmare!
In the third-floor meditation room, feeling the shaking of the Nightmare Dimension, a man shrouded in a black robe opened his eyes.
"I didn't expect so many bugs to sneak into my Sanctum Sanctorum all at once."
Chapter 144 You didn't return your magic to Vishanti, did you?
Chapter 145: You Haven't Returned Your Spells to Vishanti, Have You?
As the figure in the black robe stood up, the space of the entire New York Sanctum began to distort, and the floor everywhere constantly shifted.
Click, click, click~
Soon, the Sanctum Sanctorum was transformed, and the Master bedroom in front of the group was moved aside, replaced by a spiral staircase.
At the end of the spiral staircase was a figure completely shrouded in a black robe.
Below the staircase, Wanda looked up at the shadow at the end of the stairs and asked,
"Are you the Master of the Nightmare Dimension, Stephen Strange?"
"Wanda Maximoff, it's you. You don't recognize me, and you're so young. Then in your Universe, Christine must still be alive, right?"
Stephen took off his hat and looked at Wanda, visibly excited. Then, he looked admiringly at Amazing Spider-Man.
"Amazing Spider-Man, good, you're very good. You've brought me such good news.
"This time, you've successfully helped me find a Worldwith Stephen and Christine."
"Devil, I will never search for other Universes' Stephenand Christine for you." Amazing Spider-Man said resolutely, "I came here this time to settle things with you!"
"Oh."
Stephen chuckled softly.
"Just you all?
"A few Spider-Men, and a Scarlet Witch who just awakened.
"What gives you the courage to think you can defeat me!"
As Stephen finished speaking, from the bedrooms in the lounge area on the second floor, armored warriors, holding long swords, emerged and surrounded the group, encircling them completely.
Stephen looked down at them, speaking from above:
"I'll give you two choices, bug.
"Continue to work for me, and find Worlds where Christine exists;
"Or, die here!"
"Work for me, or be killed by me, which do you choose?"
Stephen's gaze was not only on Amazing Spider-Man but also on the other Spider-Men.
As for Gaya, Russell, and little Gwen, he ignored them.
"I said, I will not work for you to persecute that innocent couple!" Amazing Spider-Man retorted firmly.
Now that Amazing Gwen's soul was no longer in the hands of Nightmare, and he had Sorcerer Spider-Manbacking him, he was not afraid of Nightmare.
"Innocent couple, hahahaha!"
Stephen suddenly burst out laughing.
"Do you think that without me, Stephen and Christine in other Worlds would grow old together?
"This is fate, the fate of Doctor Strange Stephen Strange.
"Either separate from Christine, or witness Christine's death.
"Just like your fate, Spider-Men.
"I just want to break this fate, I'm not wrong!"
As Stephen roared, the warriors stepped forward, wielding their weapons and slashing at the group.
Just as the Spider-Men were about to dodge, a snap of fingers suddenly sounded.
Looking in the direction of the sound, Russell slowly released his fingers and lowered his arm.
As Russell lowered his arm, a green energy was stripped from the warriors' bodies and flew towards Russell.
After losing the support of the green energy, the warriors, along with their armor and weapons, turned to dust.
"Who are you?" Stephen looked at Russell, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.
"Sorcerer Spider-Man and Sorcerer Supreme, Russell," Russell said calmly.
"I've never heard that name before.
"I've seen Sorcerer Supreme Wong, Sorcerer SupremeMordo, Sorcerer Supreme Kaecilius.
"But this is the first time I've heard of Sorcerer SupremeRussell.
"You are very unusual."
Stephen remained vigilant, silently distorting space to widen the distance between them.
Being an unknown, to some extent, meant mystery.
And mystery always tended to lead to unexpected trouble.
Especially since he couldn't discern Russell's true strength at first glance, and even unconsciously ignored Russell.
Even after Russell had just made his move, he still couldn't see clearly.
"Whether you've heard my name or not is unimportant; what's important is your next choice."
Thump, thump, thump~
As Russell's voice fell, the spiral staircase twisted and shattered layer by layer. And the floor beneath Russelland the others also rose continuously.
Eventually, the second floor became the third floor.
Russell looked down from above, gazing disdainfully at Stephen.
Just now, while Russell was slacking off, he had already made a call to Bald Ancient One.
Upon learning that the Dimensional Lord of the Nightmare Dimension was Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Ancient One lost her mood for watching the show.
There was one commonality across all Multiverses: Doctor Strange was Sorcerer Ancient One's disciple.
And Sorcerer Ancient One, due to some special reason, had a high degree of information sharing across various Universes.
To some extent, she could be regarded as one person.
Although Sorcerer Ancient One was also half a fun-seeker, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy her disciple's predicament.
After instructing Russell to clean up the mess, Sorcerer Ancient One hung up the communication.
As for why Sorcerer Ancient One didn't do it herself?
It certainly wasn't because she was worried about making a fool of herself in front of her other disciples.
"I'll also give you two choices.
"Sign a contract, pay reparations, make offerings, and then I kill you;
"Or, sign a contract, pay reparations, make offerings, and then be killed by me!"
"Ha~"
Stephen was so angered that he laughed aloud.
"You want my Nightmare Dimension? If you want it, come and get it!"
Unbeknownst to them, a green mist had already enveloped the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Stephen formed a hand seal, and the green mist rapidly gathered towards Russell, surrounding him completely.
"Sorcerer Spider-Man—"
Amazing Spider-Man's warning voice hadn't even faded when he realized that Russell had already absorbed all the surrounding green mist.
"Don't absorb this green mist; it will cause terrifying hallucinations."
Attribute points +4396;
"Terrifying hallucinations? This isn't a hallucination for me, and it's not terrifying at all."
Russell looked at the increased attribute points, and although they were just a pittance, he couldn't help but smile.
Indeed, it was still necessary to find Dimensional Lords; a casual move yielded thousands of units of attribute point energy.
"Stephen, it seems you've chosen the first option."
Facing a wary Stephen, Russell exuded a sense of ease.
Seeing that the mist attack was ineffective against Russell, Stephen didn't waste any more words.
He formed another hand seal, and countless black crows with crimson eyes flew out of the mist, swooping towards Russell.
Russell clenched his hand in mid-air, as if creating a giant suction vortex that drew the flock of crows into it, where they vanished.
"Stephen, is this all you've got? Your magic isn't even entertaining. If you don't pull out some new tricks, I won't be so polite."
Russell's taunt was met with a green energy beam.
And an energy attack, facing Russell, naturally returned without effect.
"Stephen, where are your spells? You haven't returned them all to Vishanti, have you?"
Russell was puzzled.
He had wanted to steal some spells from Stephen, but he hadn't expected him to use any profound ones.
Stephen's face twitched when he heard Russell's words, as if a sore spot had been hit.
"No way? You really returned your spells to Vishanti?!"
Chapter 145 Nightmare Doctor Strange, Utter Defeat
Chapter 146: Nightmare Doctor Strange, Crushing Defeat
Stephen Strange's already green face turned even uglier.
Russell was right.
His abandonment of the Sorcerer Supreme's duties and his use of dark magic to become a Dimensional Lord of the Nightmare Dimension had angered Vishanti.
Therefore, Vishanti forbade him from using White magic.
But...
"Even without White magic, I am still the Sorcerer Supreme, and I can still defeat you!"
Facing Russell's mockery, Nightmare Strange retorted coldly.
He violently waved both hands, and several grey-green giant pythons suddenly emerged from his black robes, opening their gaping maws and biting at Russell.
Russell remained unperturbed by the sudden attack of the giant pythons.
He extended his right hand forward, and a golden Seraphim Shield unfurled, blocking the giant pythons.
Behind him, a clone wielding the Vishanti Holy Swordstepped out.
The clone stepped forward, and with a swift swing of its sword, it severed the giant pythons at the waist, then slowly dissipated.
"You say you're the Sorcerer Supreme and can defeat me. Then prove it to me." (Hopefully, I can secretly learn a few skills.)
"I will prove it to you."
Nightmare Strange sneered. Behind him, a thick green mist suddenly surged, engulfing him.
As the mist dispersed, Nightmare Strange vanished from his original spot.
"He ran away?"
"No, he just moved the battlefield. He probably doesn't want to damage this place."
Russell explained, and Pure White divine power surged out, engulfing everyone, and carrying them to catch up with Nightmare Strange.
As Russell and Nightmare Strange departed, the distorted space of the Sanctum Sanctorum returned to normal.
Golden magic sparks flickered, and a portal opened.
A bald wizard, dressed in yellow robes, neither distinctly male nor female, stepped out.
"Stephen, alas~"
With a long sigh, the yellow-robed wizard held an ancient book emanating a holy light effect and stepped forward.
He transcended space, pursuing the vanished Nightmare Strange and Russell.
A desolate, boundless desert.
Green mist emerged, and after Nightmare Strangestepped out, he stood in place, awaiting Russell's arrival.
The next moment, Pure White light flickered, and Russellarrived with his tour group.
As the great battle was about to begin, another clone stepped out from behind Russell, once again covering little Gwen's eyes.
"Russell, what are you doing?" Little Gwen protested, as she was thoroughly enjoying the magical bombardment just now.
"The following scenes are not suitable for children."
Above the desert, tattered figures rose.
These figures were twisted and their faces hideous.
But upon closer inspection, it was not difficult to discern that these were all Stephen Strange.
Stephen Strange from various Universes.
Some of the Stephens conjured blades in their hands, while others conjured whips.
The Stephens who conjured weapons, without prior agreement, attacked Russell.
And some Stephens formed hand seals, casting various spells for ranged attacks.
"It seems you've killed many versions of yourself from the Multiverse and enslaved their souls."
With just a glance, Russell discerned the principle behind Nightmare Strange's move.
Compared to Ekron Form, which creates clones, this move doesn't consume brain processing resources.
However, it was too insidious.
Russell opened his palm, and Pure White divine power continuously condensed.
He clenched his hand, and divine power surged out from between his fingers, transforming into chains of lightning that swept through the enemies in all directions.
Wherever the lightning passed, it was like a heart-piercing spear, piercing through and extracting the souls of the Stephens one by one.
Their soulless bodies froze, slowly falling to the ground.
The next moment, yellow sand surged, burying the bodies of the Stephens, and Russell released his hand from little Gwen's eyes.
"Stephen, if you have no other tricks, this game ends here," Russell said, feeling bored.
He was a little disappointed with this Nightmare Strange. He had thought that after Nightmare Strange was forbidden from using White magic, he would develop some useful spells himself.
Unexpectedly, this Nightmare Strange had lost the skill diversity of a wizard and lacked the powerful energy attacks of a Dimensional Lord, only capable of playing petty tricks.
"Don't get too happy too soon," Nightmare Strangeretorted forcefully.
Nightmare Strange flew up, and the bones, decaying flesh, and blood of Doctor Strange from various Universes, which Russell had buried, all converged on him, merging into his body.
On Nightmare Strange's body, arms continuously grew from his back. Then they burst forth from his body, shooting towards Russell.
Russell fell silent. It seemed he should have continued to cover little Gwen's eyes.
He glanced at little Gwen, and seeing that she didn't feel fear or disgust, Russell didn't bother anymore. He just considered it watching a horror movie.
Facing the incoming arms, Russell no longer countered each move.
He was already tired of it.
His figure flickered, and Russell closed the distance with Nightmare Strange, engaging him in close combat directly, throwing a punch straight at Nightmare Strange's face.
Nightmare Strange violently recoiled. No, how could a Sorcerer Supreme engage in close-quarters combat so readily?
Bang!
With one punch, Nightmare Strange was directly scattered into smoke.
No, Nightmare Strange actively dispersed his body.
Seeing this, Russell's lips curled into a smile.
The last one who tried this trick in front of him was the Blood God clone, whose dispersed energy he directly absorbed.
And Nightmare Strange was no exception.
With a thought, a strange suction force generated around Russell.
Nightmare Strange was shocked. His dispersed body and soul suddenly became uncontrollable, forced to converge towards Russell's location.
Then, his energy and body were completely absorbed, leaving only a solitary soul.
Russell changed his fist to a claw, grabbing Nightmare Strange's soul body.
"You've dug your own grave!"
"It's not over yet!"
Although his soul had been captured, Nightmare Strangewas still unwilling to give up.
Crimson lightning bolts suddenly burst forth, attacking Russell.
But the crimson lightning struck Russell without causing any ripples, disappearing without a trace.
"You're absorbing my energy? Then keep absorbing it, let's see how much you can absorb!"
Nightmare Strange roared, and terrifying energy suddenly erupted from his mouth and eyes, shooting towards Russell.
Russell slightly dodged, kicking Nightmare Strange's spirit body, interrupting his continued release of energy.
He disliked the energy coming from his mouth.
"Where did you learn such a bad habit? Releasing energy from your mouth, isn't it disgusting?"
While muttering, Russell's hand directly passed through Nightmare Strange's spirit body.
Nightmare Strange's spirit body was instantly twisted and absorbed into Russell's Pure White Space.
Nightmare Strange, utterly defeated!
Normally, the Nightmare Dimension was his home ground, where he could summon vast amounts of energy for attack, defense, and healing injuries.
Facing Russell, he wouldn't have been completely defeated so quickly.
At least he could have forced Russell to use the [Energy Absorption] talent before being instantly killed.
But Nightmare Strange was not a normal Dimensional Lord.
He was originally a wizard, and his time as a Dimensional Lord was very short.
After becoming a Dimensional Lord, he focused solely on finding a way to revive Christine, neglecting the study of the dimension itself.
"Stephen isn't that easy to kill."
Golden magic sparks flickered, and a bald wizard stepped out.
Chapter 146 Russell's Divine Palm
Chapter 147: God Russell's Palm
"You are the Sorcerer Ancient One?"
Russell looked at the bald, gender-neutral sorcerer in front of him and asked, confused.
Although the bald sorcerer's appearance was different from the other two Ancient Ones Russell knew, her soul aura was extremely similar.
"Yes, Russell. I am the collective of all Ancient Ones across the Multiverse. You can call me the Source Ancient One."
The Source Ancient One's lips curved slightly, revealing an expression that was not quite a smile.
Russell was silent for a moment before asking:
"Sorcerer, are you schizophrenic right now? One part wants to smile, the other part doesn't."
The Source Ancient One's expression froze slightly, then she shook her head helplessly:
"Alright, you saw through it. I'm still in the process of merging, and the various Ancient Ones are still constantly coordinating."
"Sorcerer, won't something go wrong if you play around like this?"
Russell asked, always feeling that this kind of fusion wasn't very reliable.
"We are of one mind, with the same goal — the endless pursuit and exploration of magic knowledge.
"As long as we continue in this direction, there will be no problems."
The Source Ancient One's tone was firm, and her eyes were deep and bright.
"So, there will still be problems?" Russell added.
"Occasionally there are some problems." The Source Ancient One's tone became resentful.
Why did this disciple like to argue so much?
"Let's not talk about that for now. Let's talk about Stephen. He has mastered the darkhold and used it to change his life form. Only by using the book of vishantican he be completely sealed."
"Wasn't Stephen captured by Russell? Sorcerer Ancient One." Wanda asked, confused.
She had seen clearly that Nightmare Strange's spirit body had been captured by Russell.
"Wanda, these Dimensional Lords all like to use alternate accounts, with layers upon layers of clones. The one just now was merely a clone of Stephen." The Source Ancient One explained.
"No. That was Stephen's main body."
Russell took out Nightmare Strange's spirit body from the Pure White Space.
In the Pure White Space, Nightmare Strange's spirit body was rapidly assimilated, his mental defenses rendered useless, and his memories had already been read by Russell.
"This Stephen didn't change his own life form, but rather the life form of his clone.
"His main body maintained its original human appearance.
"The purpose was so that after resurrecting Christine, he could continue to live with her."
Russell slowly explained the story of this Nightmare Strange to everyone.
Initially, Nightmare Strange, in order to resurrect Christine, searched for her soul all the way to the Nightmare Dimension.
Using the power of the darkhold, Nightmare Strangesuccessfully defeated the original Dimensional Lord of the Nightmare Dimension and retrieved Christine's soul.
However, this action also incurred the Vishanti's displeasure, and he was forbidden from using White magic.
Afterward, Nightmare Strange utilized the unique nature of the Nightmare Dimension, allowing his spirit body to traverse the Multiverse, searching for other Christine from other Worlds and seizing their bodies to resurrect his own Christine.
However, even a counterpart's soul and body were not perfectly compatible.
Every now and then, Christine would need to change bodies.
Moreover, this time was getting shorter and shorter.
This was because the magical energy Nightmare Strangeused to nourish Christine's soul was also eroding Christine.
Reluctantly, Nightmare Strange could only recruit more helpers to assist in finding more Christines from other Worlds.
For example, Amazing Spider-Man.
And, to conduct experiments to find a solution.
For example, projecting Amazing Gwen's soul into little Gwen's body.
"Russell, what happened to the other Christines from other Worlds, where are they?" Little Gwen asked.
She deeply empathized with the fate of the other Christines.
Snap ~
Russell snapped his fingers, and divine power surged, enveloping everyone and moving them quickly.
A moment later, they arrived at a frozen lake.
Russell pointed down, indicating: "This is where the Christines from other Worlds are buried."
Unlike the other Stephens from other Worlds who were discarded in the wilderness, every Christine's body was properly preserved by Nightmare Strange, frozen beneath the lake.
"How terrifying."
Seeing the dense figures lying beneath the lake, little Gwen's face turned pale with fright.
The others also felt their scalps tingle, almost triggering their trypophobia.
"This is only half; the other half is in another place."
"Hmm? Why put them in two different places?" Little Gwen wondered.
"Because a snake has two eyes."
Russell stomped his foot hard on the frozen lake.
Divine power penetrated downwards, reaching deep, then suddenly exploded.
Rumble!
The entire lake ice instantly shattered, and masses of green blood surged from the bottom of the lake.
Hiss hiss hiss!!!
Within the Nightmare Dimension, the green clouds in the sky and the barren land beneath their feet suddenly began to move rapidly.
Rising and falling, as if the sky was collapsing and the earth was heaving.
"The sky is falling?"
Seeing this scene, little Gwen couldn't help but exclaim.
"No, the sky isn't falling."
The Source Ancient One explained to little Gwen.
"This World is fake; we have always been on the body of a giant snake. At this moment, the scene of the collapsing sky and sinking earth is merely this giant snake moving."
"The Sorcerer is right."
Russell unleashed his divine power, once again moving everyone at extreme speed, away from this World.
After they had pulled back a sufficient distance, they finally saw the true face of the original World.
It was a colossal coiled giant snake, as massive as a small planet.
At this moment, one of the giant snake's eyes was continuously flowing with green blood.
The Source Ancient One looked at the giant snake, her expression solemn:
"Stephen not only borrowed the power of the darkhold, but he also borrowed the power of the ancient god Set.
"I originally thought this giant snake was his main body. That's why I came. Only by using the book of vishanti can he be defeated."
Set, also known as the Snake God, is one of the ancient gods. He is proficient in various abilities such as mind and mental control.
Unlike the Source Ancient One's solemn expression, Russell remained calm and composed.
"It's rare for a clone to be stronger than the main body. But it's all the same."
Russell clapped his hands together, and a pure white light emanated from his entire body.
Behind him, an even larger, pure white construct, a Russell's Dharma Form, slowly emerged.
The Dharma Form floated in the void, covering the sky and obscuring the sun.
Russell raised his palm and slowly pressed it down.
The Dharma Form Russell also raised its palm and slowly pressed it towards the giant snake.
Because the distance was too great, this palm didn't look very big.
The giant snake Strange obviously underestimated it, hissing and baring its fangs to bite the palm.
The palm continued to press down, and the resolution continuously magnified.
Only then did the giant snake Strange see the lines of the fingerprints in the palm.
Within the fingerprint lines were countless keratinocytes.
And within the keratinocytes, there were infinite details.
Before he could observe further, the giant snake Strange's venomous fangs were broken, his snake head was pressed down, and he was smashed towards the earth.
Bang!
The palm was unaffected and continued to press down.
Mountains crumbled, and the earth cracked.
When the Dharma Form dissipated, a gigantic palm print remained forever within the Nightmare Dimension.
Chapter 147 We All Have a Bright Future
Chapter 148: We All Have a Bright Future
Even across an infinite distance, the palm that descended earlier still barely touched their feet.
Looking ahead, a bottomless abyss stretched to the horizon.
The Source Ancient One remained silent.
She thought they had a mutual understanding; the Sorcerer Ancient One wouldn't trick the Ancient One.
The Bald Ancient One from Earth-404, who had notified her to come, hadn't mentioned that her disciple was so formidable.
"Sorcerer, could you take a closer look and see if that giant snake is completely dead? Do we need to finish it off with the book of vishanti?"
Facing Russell's feigned request, the Source Ancient Onerolled her eyes.
"It's completely dead, not even a soul left.
"But, Russell, how did you break the darkhold spell on Stephen and kill him directly?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm just stronger? Miracles happen with great strength," Russell said hesitantly.
As an Old God, and one with a cheat system at that,
Russell didn't need to deliberately break a mere darkholdspell.
One palm strike was enough to end everything.
The Source Ancient One fell silent again. He began to suspect that the Ancient One of Earth-404 wasn't normal, otherwise how could her disciple be so mischievous?
Seeing that the Source Ancient One was no longer speaking, Russell began to arrange serious matters.
"Wanda, Gaya, go find other life forms in this Dimension and invite their leaders to a meeting at the Sanctum Sanctorum to discuss the future order of the Nightmare Dimension.
"If anyone refuses, tell them to consider if they can withstand the palm strike that just descended from the sky."
With the power of that recent palm strike, Russellbelieved no one would dare refuse Wanda and Gaya.
"Gwen, Little Gwen, Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man UK, Spider-Man Noir, Penny Spider-Man, Spider-Ham, I'll send you back to Earth-120703 first, how about it?"
"Okay."
"Wait a minute."
"Penny Spider-Man, what's wrong?" Russell asked, looking at Penny Spider-Man.
"I still have something to discuss with Sorcerer Spider-Man. I'll leave later," Penny Spider-Man said calmly.
"Okay." Russell nodded thoughtfully.
Spider-Man Noir gave Penny Spider-Man a deep look, seemingly understanding something, but didn't delve deeper. Instead, he brought up another matter.
"We can help Wanda and Gaya notify the other tribal leaders of the Nightmare Dimension to come to the Sanctum Sanctorum for the meeting.
"After we finish this, we'll go back with Penny Spider-Man."
"Okay." Russell smiled meaningfully.
Penny Spider-Man also looked up, giving Spider-Man Noir a grateful glance.
"Then I'll go help Wanda and Gaya too."
Seeing the Spider-Man quartet stay, Gwen also offered to stay and help.
"I... then I'll also..."
"Amazing Spider-Man, you go back, no need to force yourself.
"There's no danger in what comes next.
"Besides, we can't let Little Gwen go back alone and explain to Helen why none of us are returning, can we?"
Russell interrupted Amazing Spider-Man, directly opened a portal, and pushed him and Little Gwen back.
Soon, the others also dispersed, splitting into two teams and searching into the distance.
One team consisted of Wanda, Gaya, and Spider-Man Noir;
The other team was Ghost-Spider, Spider-Man UK, and Spider-Ham.
They split this way because only Wanda and Gwenmastered portal magic, which could significantly save travel time.
After Wanda left, the Source Ancient One spoke again: "This Dimension also has a darkhold. Is it for Wanda, or should I take it with me?"
"This is truly a difficult question." Russell pondered for a moment, then made a decision, "Leave it for Wanda. I'll keep it safe for her for now."
Although Wanda's Chaos Magic has an extremely high ceiling, the awakening of Chaos Magic still follows basic logic.
Even if Wanda, who studies the darkhold, loses control, Russell is confident he can control her.
"Okay." The Source Ancient One nodded, activating the power of the book of vishanti in her hand. A brilliant seven-colored light shot out, pointing into the distance.
Russell followed the golden-yellow light's direction and saw a charred ancient book, which was now also emitting a scarlet glow, pointing straight to the sky.
magic sparks flickered, and a small portal opened.
Russell reached out and took the darkhold.
Seeing this, the Source Ancient One put away the book of vishanti, opened a portal, and left.
Russell also opened a portal and headed to the Styx River of the Nightmare Dimension.
Standing by the Styx River, Russell estimated how much energy the Nightmare Dimension could collect each year, while asking Penny Spider-Man.
"Penny Spider-Man, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I want to resurrect my father, Sorcerer Spider-Man. Do you have a way?" Penny Spider-Man asked in a low voice.
"Penny Spider-Man, you should know that your father's death is likely related to the Web of Life and Destiny incident.
"Resurrecting your father might lead to an imbalance in the Web." Russell countered.
The Web of Life and Destiny incident is similar to an Absolute Point event.
Once the Web of Life and Destiny incident is disrupted, the entire Web of Fate and Life will be affected, which in turn affects the entire Universe, and even the Spider-ManMultiverse.
Of course, that's the worst-case scenario.
"I know. But I believe Sorcerer Spider-Man, you will have a way." Penny Spider-Man looked at Russell, serious, "You are the omnipotent Sorcerer Spider-Man."
"You really believe in me, Penny Spider-Man."
Russell smiled.
"Indeed, I have a way. However, while what you said is very pleasing, Penny Spider-Man, it's not enough.
"Reversing the Web of Life and Destiny incident will also require a great cost from me."
After speaking, Russell opened another portal and went to another location.
He had already noted the total amount of energy in the Styx River. By checking again after some time, he could estimate the Nightmare Dimension's annual energy production.
Now, it was time to collect the Nightmare Dimension's energy.
Penny Spider-Man quickly followed Russell.
"Sorcerer Spider-Man, I can work for you. I noticed that you need people to help you find other Dimensions, and I can help with that too."
Passing through the portal, Russell stopped again, looking at the boundless ocean of energy before him, feeling a sense of ease.
"I agree, Penny Spider-Man. However, the deal can be done in two steps."
Russell activated his Energy Absorption talent, absorbing energy while negotiating with Penny Spider-Man.
"First, resurrection in an alternate Dimension.
"Not long ago, I obtained a Dimensional fragment. I can house your father's soul in my Dimension, allowing him to live there.
"You can visit him whenever you want. This condition can be fulfilled as soon as you find your father's soul."
Penny Spider-Man finding her father's soul is equivalent to finding a Hell Dimension, a huge profit for Russell.
"Second, resurrection in the real Universe.
"This condition is more stringent, and I haven't fully thought it through yet. After all, I don't know much about the Web of Life and Destiny incident."
"Thank you, Sorcerer Spider-Man." Penny Spider-Mansaid excitedly.
Her expression brightened somewhat.
Russell looked at the continuously accumulating attribute point energy, and his mood also became even brighter.
We all have a bright future.
Chapter 148 The New Lord of the Dream Dimension
Chapter 149: The New Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension
I'm rich!
I'm really rich!
This was Russell's first thought after absorbing the Nightmare Dimension's stored energy.
Although he didn't know why, the Nightmare Dimension's stored energy was almost three times that of the Dimension of Blood.
That is, approximately 6 billion units of energy.
It was even slightly more than the total energy Russellhad absorbed in the past.
Without any hesitation, Russell opened his attribute panel.
deep blue, add points!
The next moment, the attribute points, which were originally in the tens of digits, rapidly decreased, finally settling at seven digits.
The value of his Sacred Body also continuously rose, getting closer to ten thousand points.
[Attribute Points: 9,555,555]
[Sacred Body: 3800]
In the end, Russell forcibly suppressed the urge to continue adding points, leaving over nine million attribute points as starting capital.
When they held a meeting at the Sanctum Sanctorumlater, Russell planned to introduce his unique product, namely attribute point energy, and establish a long-term stable transaction with the future Dimensional Lord of the Nightmare Dimension.
Leaving the dry ocean of energy, Russell returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum, awaiting news from Wanda's team and Gwen's team.
Including the time spent absorbing the Nightmare Dimension's energy, Russell had only spent about two hours.
Such a short time was not enough for Wanda and Gwento notify the surviving life forms of the Nightmare Dimension.
Yes, surviving.
He didn't know if it was because the previous Dimensional Lord of the Nightmare Dimension was too cruel, or if the Nightmare Anomaly was too fierce.
The number of native life forms in the Nightmare Dimension was far less than in the Dimension of Bloodand Mephisto's Flame Dimension.
Perhaps, precisely because native life forms were scarce, there were few other powerful demons.
The energy consumption of the Nightmare Dimensionwas also less, and naturally, more energy remained.
In that case, wouldn't an empty Nightmare Dimension be more beneficial to me?
Should I move the indigenous people of the Nightmare Dimension away?
A thought suddenly popped into Russell's mind, but after a moment of contemplation, he gave up.
A granary always needs someone to guard it, otherwise, what if it gets stolen?
"Pentakill!"
Just as Russell was thinking, an electronic voice sounded.
Russell looked in the direction of the sound; Penny Spider-Man sat on the shoulder of her Spider Mech, with a tablet on her lap, her hands constantly flying up and down, operating it rapidly.
"Penny Spider-Man, are you playing a game?"
"Yes. Spider-Man, do you want to join?" Penny Spider-Man said without lifting her head.
"Oh, what game, let me see." Russell got up and flew towards the Spider Mech.
From the tablet screen, it was a 5v5 hero battle MOBA competitive game.
Russell observed carefully and found that the operations of each character were quite good, and each had its own unique characteristics.
"Is this online? Can you connect to the internet even in the Nightmare Dimension?" Russell asked curiously.
"No, it's a single-player game."
"Then why are these characters so agile?"
"They are bionic humans."
Penny Spider-Man explained without lifting her head.
"They are AI, but the algorithm is so well optimized that they look just like real players."
"I see. Add me in next round."
In a palace complex in the Nightmare Dimension
"We are here to deliver a message. In three days, the Sanctum Sanctorum will hold a meeting to discuss the future order of the Nightmare Dimension. We hope Dream Queen will attend on time."
On the throne, a red-robed woman with red demon horns on her head and green hair flowing down, seemed to not hear, still lying lazily on her side.
"Queen, they claim to be the envoy of that silver God."
Seeing Dream Queen so arrogant, the attendant beside her whispered a reminder.
On the throne, Dream Queen, who had been lying casually, looking down at the people below, immediately sat up straight upon hearing her subordinate's reminder.
She had originally thought that these were people sent by other demons.
Although she was in a high position, looking at the three people below, Dream Queen no longer had any intention of looking down, and asked softly:
"Are you the envoys of that silver God?"
Only then did Wanda and the others clearly see Dream Queen's face.
White, pale.
Except for her hair and red lips, her exposed skin and eyes were all pale.
However, Wanda looked at Dream Queen in her red dress and inexplicably felt it suited her.
"If the silver God you speak of is the Master of the giant palm, then I am indeed his apostle."
It wasn't Wanda who answered Dream Queen, but Gaya.
After all, among the three, only she and Russell had a strictly subordinate relationship.
"He? If you are his apostle, then how can you use the word 'he' to insult such a great existence? He is so powerful, so magnificent, so radiant."
Dream Queen corrected Gaya's address.
"Please report back to Him, I will definitely attend the meeting on time."
Similar scenes played out in several places in the Nightmare Dimension.
In a flash, three days later arrived, and a total of seventeen native demons from the Nightmare Dimension, with rich energy auras, gathered at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
Their positions were also quite particular.
The powerful stood in front; the weaker stood behind.
Those of similar strength stood side by side.
And the leader was none other than Dream Queen in her red dress.
At this moment, they were all waiting quietly.
Waiting for the two people inside the Sanctum Sanctorum to finish a game.
"Penny, I told you, you can't beat me."
Having won again, Russell raised an eyebrow and teased Penny.
At this point, their battle record had reached 1:20.
Except for the first game when he was not used to it, Russell won 20 consecutive games.
"One more game, I was just a little bit off," Penny Spider-Man said with red eyes.
Seeing this, Gwen advised, "Alright, stop messing around, it's time to get down to business."
Dream Queen stepped forward and said humbly, "The God's business is the business. If the God likes, we can continue to wait."
The other sixteen demons looked sideways, having never seen such a fawning side of Dream Queen.
Russell was also surprised.
He intended to test the other powerful demons of the Nightmare Dimension, taking the opportunity to observe their reactions and select a spokesperson from them.
But now, it seemed he didn't need to choose.
Looking at Dream Queen, Russell asked directly, "Who are you?"
Dream Queen also looked at Russell, her eyes burning: "I was born without a name, only a title, Dream Queen. The former Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension, Daughter of Nightmare."
"Do you want to become the Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension? Agree to a few conditions, and in the future, you will be the Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension." Russell did not prevaricate, and then asked.
Upon hearing this, the other demons stirred.
They all cast envious, jealous, and hateful glances at Dream Queen.
Unexpectedly, Dream Queen was not that enthusiastic about the position of Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension.
"God, are you not going to succeed as the Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension?" Dream Queen asked Russell in return.
"Does the position of Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension offer me any benefit?" Russell also asked in return.
"Then God, why are you…"
Noticing the change in Russell's gaze, Dream Queenstopped asking further and stated her position first.
"I agree to your demands, God. I want to become the Dimensional Lord of the Dream Dimension."
Chapter 149 Initial Deal Completed
Chapter 150: Initial Transaction Reached
Dream Queen knew very well that no matter what Russell's conditions were, if she didn't agree, other demons certainly would.
Since that was the case, why not agree?
She could also gain an additional Dimensional Lordposition.
"I support the God's decision, and I support Dream Queenbecoming the new Lord of the Dream Dimension."
"I agree."
"I also agree."
Before Russell could announce Dream Queen as the new Lord of the Dream Dimension, the other demons voiced their agreement.
It must be said that the demons who survived under the rule of the two Lords, Nightmare and Nightmare Strange, all had excellent foresight.
When the demons' affirmations ceased, Russell slowly spoke:
"No rush, Dream Queen, listen to my conditions first, then it won't be too late to make a decision."
"Please speak, God," Dream Queen said calmly.
She had already decided that no matter what Russellsaid, she would agree immediately.
Russell took out a cluster of one thousand units of glowing White energy, controlling it to slowly float towards Dream Queen.
"Dream Queen, do not resist. Absorb and feel the characteristics of this energy."
Dream Queen's vermilion lips parted slightly. Like a long whale sucking water, she slowly inhaled the White energy into her belly. She let out a captivating hum and looked at Russell with seductive eyes.
Russell's face darkened.
Dream Queen's expression made those unaware think he had tampered with the energy.
"Dream Queen, be serious. Tell me your feelings."
Dream Queen frowned in thought for a moment, then hesitated:
"It feels like my body and spirit, which had originally reached their limits, are gradually being strengthened. And there are no side effects."
Russell nodded:
"That's right, this energy can strengthen a creature's body and soul.
"No limits! No side effects!
"The first condition is that I hope to establish a long-term, stable trade relationship with the Dream Dimension.
"Using this White energy to trade for the Dream Dimension's energy.
"The trade ratio is 1:10, with no less than thirty million units of energy per year."
The other demons' expressions changed. Could it be that the God intended to control them using this method?
Although Russell's words sounded good, these demons were not fools and understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
While this White energy strengthened their bodies and souls, it might leave a backdoor.
"Alright. Are there any other conditions, God?"
Dream Queen agreed immediately.
She knew in her heart that the position of Dimensional Lord was not free.
Compared to other control methods, this approach was already very gentle.
"The second condition is that the Dream Dimension must not actively invade or devour the real World.
"Otherwise, as the Sorcerer Supreme who guards the real World, it would be very difficult for me."
Russell's tone was cold, carrying a hint of threat.
He was openly threatening Dream Queen.
As long as the demons of the Dream Dimension did not harbor thoughts of opposing Russell, this transaction would be a win-win.
Under the continuous strengthening of the White energy over the years, the Dream Dimension would eventually recover from its current decline and become powerful.
And after becoming powerful, to expand its resources, it was hard to guarantee that Dream Queen wouldn't develop other ulterior motives.
"Alright."
Dream Queen agreed immediately again.
The other demons also had no dissatisfaction with this condition.
Their level prevented them from devouring the real World.
Under the tyrannical rule of the previous two Dream Dimension Lords, powerful demons were either expelled or slaughtered.
Seeing that everyone had no objections, Russell nodded with satisfaction.
He formed hand seals and took out a green orb from the Mirror Dimension.
The moment the green orb appeared, it attracted the attention of the demons in the room.
As demons born in the Dream Dimension, their intuition told them that it was the core of the Dream Dimension.
As long as they gained its recognition, they could become the Lord of the Dream Dimension.
"Dream Dimension, I entrust it to you, Dream Queen."
Russell handed the green orb to Dream Queen.
Dream Queen extended her hands, solemnly received it, and then absorbed it into her body.
Without the Dream Dimension's control core, the so-called Dimensional Lord was merely a title.
Only by truly possessing control over the Dream Dimension could the title of Dimensional Lord be worthy of its name.
Only then could she call upon the energy and laws within the Dimension for battle.
"God, I wonder if we can proceed with the transaction now. I would like to trade for twenty million units of White energy."
Immediately after receiving the Dream Dimension's control core, Dream Queen proactively proposed a transaction.
She was all too aware of the importance of power.
In just over a decade, the Dream Dimension had changed hands twice.
She did not want to be the third.
Moreover, as a Dimensional Lord, she also needed to set an example for the other demons.
This was also a gesture of goodwill to Russell.
Russell looked at Dream Queen with surprise.
Twenty million units of White energy meant two hundred million units of ordinary energy.
He hadn't expected this Dream Queen to be a hidden magnate.
However, as the daughter of Nightmare, it was normal for her to be somewhat different from other demons.
"Yes. But it's cash first, then goods." Russell couldn't deliver goods first and then receive payment at the moment.
"God, I also want to make a transaction, one million units."
"God, I also want to make a transaction, three million units."
A few demons reacted instantly.
Their original strength was clearly defined, almost all reaching their limits, so their demand for energy decreased.
Coupled with the difficult lives under the previous two Lords, there were few conflicts between them.
But what about under the new order?
With the change of dynasties, the redistribution of the pie would also intensify conflicts.
If the White energy could truly help them break through limits and improve, the relationship of strength would also be rewritten.
My neighbor hoards grain, I hoard guns; my neighbor is my granary.
Demons had no moral qualms.
Soon, the transaction amount exceeded thirty million.
As for the demons who proposed transactions, after Russell clarified the coordinates of their energy storage, he directly opened a channel to extract it and settled the payment on the spot.
A moment later, among the seventeen demons present, eight had traded for White energy and began to absorb it.
They discovered a blind spot.
The speed of absorbing White energy was slower than their normal speed of absorbing Dream Dimensionenergy.
They didn't need to trade for so much at once.
Especially one or two demons who had traded almost all their energy, they were subtly regretting it.
The scarcity of energy had already affected their combat power.
Suddenly, the aura of one demon increased at an almost visible speed.
At this point, the nine demons who were worried about problems with the White energy and had not yet traded also couldn't sit still.
"God, I also want to make a transaction, one million units."
"God, I also want to make a transaction, three million units."
Before long, Russell traded out another ten million-plus attribute points of energy.
The net profit totaled approximately four hundred million attribute points.
For a time, Russell's gaze towards Dream Queen became even more satisfied.
But, this was not enough.
Chapter 150 The matter is settled, back to Earth 404
Chapter 151: Business Concluded, Return to Earth-404
"Dream Queen, after today, the energy transactions of the Dream Dimension will be entirely your responsibility."
"The selling price is up to you."
"The annual quota minimum is thirty million, with no upper limit."
As Russell's words fell, the Dream Queen's joy was unconcealable.
The other demons, however, looked displeased.
They all spoke up again, wanting to trade for more White energy to hoard.
Russell was giving the Dream Queen exclusive sales agency for the Dream Dimension's White energy.
This benefited both Russell and the Dream Queen.
But for the other demons, it was not good news.
If everyone could trade with Russell, the price of White energy would be fixed.
There would be no need to hoard; just enough would suffice.
But with the Dream Queen as the sole agent, the price of White energy would no longer be fixed.
Demons would need to pay a greater price to trade for White energy from the Dream Queen.
Furthermore, if they offended the Dream Queen, they could even be prohibited from trading.
This power would solidify the Dream Queen's rule over the Dream Dimension.
At the same time, the profitability would also increase the Dream Queen's subjective initiative.
Making her more actively promote White energy to more natives of the Dream Dimension.
And even to demons from other dimensions.
Initially, Russell had planned to find a few more agents to let them compete with each other.
But after some consideration, he gave up on the idea.
Competition requires equal strength.
It was possible that as soon as Russell left, the agents would start fighting amongst themselves.
The guarantee of trade is military superiority.
Demons are not good people; when they can get something for free, they won't willingly pay.
In conclusion, Russell believed that the Dream Queen(Dimensional Lord) was the best agent.
If one day she wasn't, then she wasn't.
Anyway, Russell could not be wrong.
After leaving thirty million units of White energy, Russellled everyone out of the Dream Dimension and returned to Earth-120703.
Having not eaten for several days, everyone except Russell was hungry.
Although Russell was not hungry, he was also craving food.
Fortunately, when they returned, it was dinner time.
In the living room, a golden magic spark flashed, and a portal opened.
Russell and his group of eight stepped out.
The moment they exited the portal, the five Spider-Menravenously pounced on the dining table.
They devoured the fish fillets, steaks, and bread on the table.
Wanda and Gaya watched the five Spider-Men gobble down their food, and their stomachs also grumbled uncontrollably.
"Helen, I might have to trouble you to prepare some more food," Ghost Gwen said a little apologetically after satisfying her hunger slightly.
"It's no problem," Helen smiled, unconcerned.
She knew that these people had gone to a dangerous place to eliminate future troubles for Amazing Gwen and Amazing Spider-Man, which was why they had not eaten for several days.
"Helen, how long has it been since we left?" Russellasked before Helen returned to the kitchen to prepare food.
"Today is the sixth day. Little Gwen and Peter returned five nights ago."
Although she did not understand why Russell asked, Helen still carefully calculated before giving the answer.
Russell nodded.
By this calculation, Amazing Gwen would have another three or four days until her soul and body could completely merge.
If there were no problems after the check-up, they could then return to Earth-404.
Sitting on the sofa, Russell and the others waited for Helen to prepare food.
However, he always felt like something was missing.
A book!
Russell suddenly realized; he was missing a book to pass the time.
Divine power condensed, and Russell created something out of nothing—a book of White color appeared in his hand, which he then began to read.
Little Gwen leaned over and saw the title—"Live Broadcasting to Become a Tiger King."
"Russell, why do you always read these animal-themed novels? They're too childish."
"Little Gwen, have you finished your homework?"
Russell did not indulge her and immediately began to retaliate.
Little Gwen put her hands on her hips and loudly declared with righteous indignation: "I've already finished my homework."
"Are you sure, Little Gwen? Do you want to take it out and check?" Russell chuckled.
Hearing Russell say that, Little Gwen was startled and quickly went to rummage through her small backpack.
As she pulled out her homework, she threatened, "Russell, if you secretly use magic to change my homework, I won't talk to you anymore."
Little Gwen opened her homework book with trembling hands and found that nothing had been touched.
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"The fish fillets are fried, the steaks will take a little longer."
Just as Russell and Little Gwen were joking around, Helen came out with a platter of fish fillets, and the Spider-Men once again pounced on them.
Russell was quick, grabbing four pieces, three of which he gave to Little Gwen, Wanda, and Gaya.
Wanda and Gaya were a bit reserved, while Little Gwensimply couldn't snatch anything.
After a few more rounds of this, the Spider-Men finally had their fill.
And encouraged by the Spider-Men, Wanda, Gaya, and Little Gwen also ate more than usual.
Little Gwen was even stuffed, sprawling on the sofa, unwilling to move.
Russell pushed a cup of tea in front of Little Gwen: "Drink some tea, it helps with digestion."
Little Gwen thanked him, picked up the teacup, smelled the aroma, and then slowly drank it.
Russell also poured a cup for the others.
Although they did not need this tea for digestion, since it was already brewed, it would be a waste not to drink it.
After finishing one cup, Little Gwen exclaimed in surprise: "Oh, Russell. It seems my stomach really isn't as bloated after drinking this."
Then, she sat up straight and poured herself another cup.
The others also picked up their teacups and drank with curiosity.
The tea was sweet, leaving a fragrant, subtle, and lingering taste that made one want more.
After finishing one cup, they couldn't help but drink another.
"Russell, how do you brew this tea? It's so delicious," Helen couldn't help but ask.
She wanted to learn the trick so she could brew it for her daughter, Amazing Gwen, and her three sons.
Russell smiled slightly and explained: "Besides the tea leaves, I also added a little wild honey and used fresh coconut Water to brew the tea."
As for aiding digestion, that was because magic was added.
After the meal, the group drank tea and chatted.
After the tea was finished, most of the important topics had been discussed.
The four members of the Spider Team bid farewell.
First, chasing Carn, the last member of the Inheritors family, then bringing Amazing Spider-Man back, and finally helping in the Dream Dimension.
All in all, the Spider-Men had been away from their Universe for over half a month, and it was time for them to return.
Before parting, Russell handed the Apostle Suit to Penny Spider-Man.
And instructed her that as long as she found her father's soul, she could use it as appropriate.
Penny Spider-Man alone might not be able to escape the Hell Dimension with her father's soul.
After seeing off the four-person Spider Team, time flew by.
Four days passed in a flash, Amazing Gwen successfully revived, and Russell and the others returned to Earth-404.
Sorry for the late update.
I owe two chapters from last month and will make them up as soon as possible.
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