Chapter 191: I Refuse
Chthon did not continue to try all directions.
As the God of Black Magic, his magic attainments were extremely high.
After calming down and observing carefully, although he still couldn't figure out the principle of this magic.
But he knew that he absolutely could not escape this magic by speed alone.
Relying solely on speed would only be like a headless fly, doing useless work.
Rip!
Chthon's divine power erupted, and his claws slashed across the void in front of him, tearing space apart.
Beyond the spatial rift was a turbulent flow of time and space. Stepping into it, one might be teleported to any location within the Universe with the flow of time and space, or even outside the Universe.
Standing before the spatial rift, Chthon stood for a long time, unable to make a choice.
However, Russell's gradually closing hand would not slow down because Chthon was finding it difficult to choose.
A Shadow quickly swept in from the horizon, enveloping Chthon.
At this moment, a layer of Shadow also covered the heart of the great demon.
Silently, five fingers had gradually closed, covering the sky and obscuring the sun.
Having made up his mind, Chthon leaped and plunged into the turbulent flow of time and space.
He was going to take a gamble!
He gambled that he would not be thrown out of the Universe by the turbulent flow of time and space!
Chthon didn't know how much time had passed before he tore through space again and emerged from the turbulent flow of time and space.
In the distance were twinkling stars, and nearby, meteorites occasionally streaked past.
Although it was an unfamiliar space in the Universe, it still felt familiar.
This was the real Universe!
Chthon knew he had won the gamble!
He was still in the real Universe, not thrown out of it by the turbulent flow of time and space.
But when Chthon looked down, he found himself standing on a continent, a continent inexplicably floating alone in the Universe.
No, this wasn't a continent!
This was a palm!
Even after traversing endless distances with the help of the turbulent flow of time and space, Chthon was still within Russell's palm!
And this hand was still closing.
Boom!
Chthon, enraged, gathered his divine power into his feet and unleashed a powerful strike onto the palm beneath him.
Terrifying energy fluctuations erupted, accompanied by the cracking sound of shattering space, and Chthon's entire body sank into the palm beneath his feet.
He was going to punch through this damned palm!
Deep within the palm, Chthon found no flesh and blood; before him was only a vast expanse of White, an incandescent substance he had never seen or heard of before.
After an unknown period, a crimson stream of light burst forth from the back of the palm.
Chthon successfully punched through the entire palm.
However, beyond that palm was an even larger palm.
At this moment, this larger palm had almost completely closed, forming a fist.
Within the fist was twisted, deformed, and fragmented space.
"Russell, your strength has earned my respect; we can talk again!"
Chthon shouted.
"Ten times, if you capture Wanda and hand her over to me, I can give you ten times the energy I just offered."
Chthon's reply was met with a gradually tightening fist.
"Twenty times!"
"One hundred times!"
The palm completely closed, forming a fist.
Inside and outside the fist seemed to be divided into two Worlds; Chthon could no longer feel the aura of the real Universe.
Even his perception was tightly confined within his energy body, unable to actively acquire any information from the outside World. His connection with his main body in the Blink Realm was also severed.
Time lost its meaning here.
Suddenly, a bright light pierced through the darkness within the fist's World, illuminating this dark Worldwithin the fist.
This World was very familiar to Chthon!
It was precisely the bookstore lounge where he had been when he first descended.
Looking up, Chthon saw Russell smiling at him.
"Great God of Black Magic, when do you plan to give me these one hundred times the energy?"
Russell had never expected Chthon to be so generous, so wealthy!
Was this the accumulation of an ancient god over billions of years?
He loved it, he loved it!
If he hadn't been worried about being detected, he would have secretly slowed down the closing of his palm to see if Chthon would offer an even higher price.
"Russell, you help me capture Wanda, and after I descend, I will give you the energy."
Chthon said in a deep voice. At this moment, he once again felt the alluring aura of the real Universe.
"No, no, great God of Black Magic, what if after you descend, you go back on your word? What should I do?"
Russell waved his hands repeatedly.
"As I see it, you give me the energy first, and then I'll help you capture Wanda."
Russell and Chthon both knew very well that the other party would not agree to such harsh terms.
Russell suddenly understood.
Their transaction was difficult to achieve because there was almost no middleman who could guarantee it for them.
And methods like contracts were useless to them.
Most importantly, Russell never intended to trade, to hand over Wanda; he just wanted to get something for nothing.
But Chthon was unaware of this.
In his view, Russell, with such strength, could easily capture Wanda.
It was not excessive to pay a certain price to ask Russellto act once.
However, he needed to consider the relationship between Russell and Wanda, as their locations were too close.
Furthermore, he simply didn't want to be extorted too much.
"Russell, we can emulate human transactions; I will pay you a certain amount of energy at each stage."
After a moment of silence, Chthon slowly said, "As soon as you capture Wanda, I will immediately give you ten percent."
"Good." Russell nodded. He reached out and grabbed Wanda, who was unconscious, into his hand.
Chthon looked greedily at Wanda in Russell's hand; he wouldn't mistake this rich aura of Chaos Magic.
Chthon didn't waste words; he pointed his hand at the darkhold on Russell's knee.
The darkhold shimmered with flowing light, and crimson energy surged out from it, merging into Russell's body.
While Russell was absorbing the crimson energy, Chthonquietly observed, wanting to glimpse how Russellprocessed this energy.
However, he observed nothing.
Seeing this, Chthon quickly proposed another condition.
A condition to test the relationship between Russell and Wanda.
Chthon's voice was chilling, his tone revealing cruelty: "First, strip her clothes, then slice her into a thousand pieces. Just leave her with one breath, don't let her die."
If Russell complied, it would indicate that his relationship with Wanda was ordinary.
Then Chthon wouldn't have to worry about Russellreneging on the deal.
If Russell didn't comply, it would mean that Russell and Wanda had a good relationship.
In that case, Chthon would have to consider whether the stakes weren't high enough, or if Russell had no intention of trading with him at all.
Russell's heart stirred; he hadn't expected Chthon to suddenly propose this condition.
Agreeing was out of the question; free stuff meant free stuff.
Russell's expression became solemn, pretending to be in a dilemma.
Seeing this, Chthon raised the stakes; he wanted to break Russell's bottom line layer by layer.
"Strip her clothes, and I'll immediately give you another ten percent! This is extra!"
Russell still pretended to hesitate, continuously absorbing the energy surging from the darkhold.
Seeing this, Chthon interrupted the energy transfer, just about to speak to persuade him again.
Bang!
Chthon's energy body was instantly crushed by Russell.
"I refuse!"
Chapter 192: Violent Debt Collection from Xithorn (Two in One)
"Cunning old fox!"
Russell cursed under his breath.
He had intended to feign hesitation, stall for time, and leech a bit more Energy, but he hadn't expected the old fox to decisively cancel the Energy Absorption.
Moreover, because the Energy channel wasn't open for long, Russell only absorbed tens of millions of Energy.
This amount wasn't small, but it was far from the 10% they had initially agreed upon, which was 6.3 billion Energy.
Even though it was all free, earning less was still a loss.
"I'll come to your lair to settle accounts later!"
Suppressing his displeasure, Russell sent the unconscious Wanda back to Kamar-Taj and quietly observed her reaction.
Kamar-Taj.
When the Bald Ancient One wasn't out, this was the third safest place Wanda considered.
The second safest place was Earth-65, with the White-Bearded Ancient One.
Previously, after Wanda learned the source of her unease and Russell's plan, she temporarily returned to Kamar-Tajfor refuge under the guise of cultivation.
Pluto, and all that, even though Russell seemed indifferent, it was still a bit too much for Wanda at the time.
Inside the ancient and elegant meditation room, sandalwood incense gently swirled, and the light was dim.
Wanda sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, her eyes slightly closed, her breathing deep and even.
Every now and then, her head would drop sharply, then slowly lift again, like a student dozing off in class.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept through, bringing a touch of coolness. Wanda's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes, as if waking from a deep sleep.
Her eyes showed a momentary confusion and drowsiness.
"Strange, why am I feeling sleepy during meditation?"
Shaking her head, Wanda cast the drowsiness from her mind and continued to meditate.
Russell withdrew his gaze.
Good, Wanda didn't realize that he had knocked her out just now; she only thought she was sleepy.
Russell was very satisfied with this.
How could he, the dignified Sorcerer Supreme, bearing the great responsibility of protecting the Real Universefrom magical erosion, possibly deal with the evil and cunning God of Black Magic, Chthon?
Russell stood up, put away the darkhold on his knees, and after sealing it, threw it into a dimensional space.
Taking a step, a glowing White Energy, like mist, surged from under Russell's feet, engulfing him.
Space shifted, and Russell arrived at Kamar-Taj.
At this moment, Kamar-Taj was enchanting in the night, with the sorcerers all in their private quarters, either meditating or resting.
Most of them had already fallen into slumber.
After all, overachievers like Stephen Strange, who studied all night with their souls out of their bodies, were very few.
But Russell believed that the Sorcerer Ancient One was still awake at this moment.
Elderly people generally sleep less.
Sure enough, as Russell passed through the courtyard and corridors and arrived at the Sorcerer Ancient One's courtyard gate, the Sorcerer Ancient One's voice came from within, inviting Russell to enter.
Russell pushed the door open and saw a corner of the courtyard where a faint yellow candlelight flickered, barely illuminating the surrounding stone table and stone stools.
The Sorcerer Ancient One was sitting there, with a yellowed scroll and a pot of tea beside her.
"Sorcerer."
Russell approached to greet her, and seeing that the teacup was empty, he picked up the teapot and refilled the Sorcerer Ancient One's cup.
"Russell." The Ancient One smiled and nodded, responding to Russell.
Afterward, the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, discussing the Great Serpent incident, before Russellstated his purpose.
During multiple attempts to borrow Energy from Chthonthrough the darkhold, Russell had already used the Energy channel to reverse-locate Chthon's dimension.
However, Chthon was not a common figure like the Blood God or a primordial demon. Russell was confident that he would not be defeated if he broke into Chthon's lair, trusting his three-dimensional defense.
But not being defeated didn't mean he wouldn't be tied down.
Although the longer the time dragged on, the greater his chances of winning.
But the problem was that Russell had not yet adapted to the time scale of a God.
A fight lasting ten days to half a month was already his limit of tolerance.
If a fight lasted for decades, or even thousands of years, then for him, winning would be no different from losing.
Russell came to the Sorcerer Ancient One precisely to prevent such a situation from occurring.
Although the Sorcerer Ancient One could not play a decisive role in his battle with Chthon, the Sorcerer Ancient One had people behind her.
Their Sorcerer Supreme belonged to the good and orderly alignment.
And Chthon belonged to the evil and chaotic alignment.
When dealing with such an evil and crooked path as Chthon, there was no need to talk about martial ethics; it was simply a matter of joining forces.
"So, Russell, you plan to go to Chthon's Blink Realmalone to cause him trouble. And you hope that if you don't return within the stipulated time, I will help you contact Grandmaster Agamotto and the Sorcerer Supremes of other Universes to form a team and go to the Blink Realmto rescue you?"
The Sorcerer Ancient One put down her teacup, summarized Russell's words, and confirmed.
She knew that her disciple was progressing very quickly, surpassing her.
But this was too fast, wasn't it? How long had it been, and he was already going to Chthon's lair to challenge Chthon?
"Sorcerer, Chthon broke the contract first; I'm just going to collect a debt, not to cause him trouble. It's only right to pay back what you owe." Russell corrected.
Chthon said he would pay 10% of the project cost if Russell captured Wanda.
And what happened?
He made new demands during the payment process, and when he saw Russell hesitate, he decisively breached the contract and refused to settle the payment.
Isn't this bullying an honest person!
"Alright, alright."
The Sorcerer Ancient One mumbled a couple of times; having a legitimate reason, she understood that.
"Russell, when do you plan to go? If a certain amount of time passes and you haven't returned to Earth-404, I will contact Grandmaster Agamotto on your behalf."
"Sorcerer, no time like the present; let's go now."
Russell formed a hand seal with his right hand, simultaneously creating a light green halo on his own wrist and the Sorcerer Ancient One's wrist.
"These two halos are interconnected. Every ten days on Earth-404, Sorcerer, you activate the halo once to remind me that time is up. If there are no surprises, after you activate the halo for the first time, I will find a way to leave the Blink Realm and return to the Real Universe.
If I activate the halo, it means I've encountered trouble and can't get away, and I need you, Sorcerer Ancient One, to find someone to rescue me."
Russell was unsure of the approximate time flow ratio between Chthon's Blink Realm and the Real Universe.
To avoid a battle lasting for decades, Russell set a standard time for himself: ten days in the Real Universe.
With ten days as a cycle, he would decide whether to continue fighting or retreat based on the actual situation.
After explaining to the Sorcerer Ancient One how to use the halo and leaving a letter for Gwen at home explaining the situation, Russell opened a portal and stepped into Chthon's Blink Realm.
Out of trust in his own strength, Chthon's Blink Realmhad always been open, welcoming all visitors.
As long as one had the coordinates, they could enter directly through a portal.
Over countless years, Chthon's Blink Realm had never lacked visitors.
Most of them came to borrow power from Chthon.
As the God of Black Magic, Chthon was an existence both feared and revered by countless black magic users.
And today, this Blink Realm, which had existed for countless ages, welcomed an uninvited guest.
Russell.
He was here to collect a debt from Chthon.
On a boundless wilderness, a glowing White light flickered, and Russell emerged from it.
Looking around, he found an ancient temple, forgotten by time, in this desolate wilderness.
Although countless visitors had come to the Blink Realmover these countless years.
But when averaged over these countless years and infinite wilderness, those who could reach near Chthon's main body became one every many years.
Therefore, the temple being abandoned was not surprising.
Russell looked towards the ancient temple. The temple was mottled, and moss covered the stone walls.
On the stone walls, raging Fire burned.
Yet, the moss was frozen by ice.
In the fierce Fire, the frost on the moss continuously thickened.
This was a phenomenon that violated the laws of physics, but such phenomena were ubiquitous in this Blink Realm.
In front of the ancient temple, a tall Inhumans with red skin and two horns on his head stood on the stone steps.
The tall Inhumans wore only a red cape that billowed without wind, and his naked body radiated a crimson glow.
As if sensing Russell's gaze, the tall Inhumans turned his head to look at Russell, meeting his eyes.
Madness! Loneliness! Destruction! Incomprehensibility!
Countless negative emotions, upon meeting the gaze of the tall Inhumans, instantly tried to rise from Russell's heart and rush into his mind.
However, these negative emotions could not shake Russell's mind at all, and with a sweep of Russell's divine power, all negative emotions vanished.
"Russell, how dare you—" A strange glint flashed in the tall Inhumans' eyes, and he spoke Russell's name.
"Chthon, pay up!" Russell was impolite, calling him by his name directly.
Silence.
Faced with Russell's preemptive strike, Chthon was momentarily speechless.
"Sharp-tongued."
Chthon sneered disdainfully, but still remained calm and did not get angry. It seemed that the person whose clone was crushed by Russell earlier was not him.
"Since you're here to collect a debt, then I'll pay you back."
Chthon pointed to the sky, signaling Russell to look up.
One moment, the sky was clear and cloudless.
The next moment, five gigantic dark clouds rapidly swept in from the horizon, blocking the sunlight above Russell's head and casting a Shadow.
And these five dark clouds were continuously pressing down, as if the entire sky was also pressing down.
At the same time, the soil churned, and the Earth also rolled up, pressing towards where Russell stood.
As the dark clouds pressed down, more details emerged.
Fingerprints, keratinocytes in the fingerprint grooves, details within the keratinocytes.
What was pressing down from above were not five dark clouds, but five fingers!
And what was rolling up was not the Earth, but five fingers.
As for Russell, the ground he was standing on had also, at some point, turned into Chthon's palm.
Although Chthon appeared calm on the surface, it was clear that Russell's Palm Buddha Kingdom had left a deep impression on him.
Therefore, now that he was on his home turf and could unleash his full power, he also wanted to return a similar move to Russell.
It's just that Russell was not Chthon, who was bound to the Blink Realm and could only exert full power within it. Once outside the Blink Realm, his usable Energy would plummet, and his strength would also plummet.
Russell stood still, gazing at Chthon across the wilderness, and likewise pointed to the sky.
Chthon followed the direction of Russell's finger and saw a gigantic glowing White light pillar in the sky, tearing through the long sky and pushing aside his gradually closing five fingers.
The glowing White light pillar descended from high above, landing on Russell.
Then, it continued downwards, seemingly intending to pierce through the ground beneath Russell's feet, which was Chthon's hand.
Boom!!!
The glowing White light pillar struck the ground, instantly unleashing a terrifying explosion. Rocks flew everywhere, an Impact wave swept out, and a gigantic mushroom cloud soared into the sky.
But this gigantic mushroom cloud, compared to the glowing White light pillar, appeared incredibly tiny.
Rumble!!!
The roaring sound continued, as the glowing White light pillar wrestled with the Earth, neither yielding.
But as time passed, the deep pit beneath Russell's feet grew larger and larger, forcing Russell to float up to maintain eye contact with Chthon.
Gradually, the edge of the deep pit reached where Chthonwas, and Chthon, unwilling to show weakness, also floated up.
The struggle between the glowing White light pillar and the Earth was, in essence, the struggle between Russelland Chthon.
This was a move where they tested each other.
After a long while, another roar exploded, and the glowing White light pillar pierced through the Earth.
The entire continent, starting from where the glowing White light pillar pierced through, began to crumble and crack outwards, forming a void far larger than the diameter of the glowing White light pillar.
"You're not bad." Chthon chuckled, as if he wasn't the one whose move was broken.
Swish!
Before the sound could even fully register, Chthon's figure flickered, teleporting close to Russell and unleashing a claw strike.
This God of Black Magic seemed particularly fond of close-quarters combat.
Perhaps, it was because before he was the God of Black Magic, he was also an Old God, and he was equally confident in his own body.
Unlike ignoring attacks in the bookstore, this time Russellraised his hand and parried Chthon's claw with his arm.
Facing the first formal attack from the God of Black Magic, Russell felt it necessary to show some respect.
However, Russell soon realized that he didn't need to show Chthon any respect.
His restraint over Chthon was far greater than he had anticipated.
Chthon's true form was elemental Energy.
Russell could ignore his attacks and directly absorb Energy.
Talent [Energy Absorption] activated!
In an instant, Chthon felt an invisible suction emanating from Russell, pulling his body closer and closer.
Bang!
Energy erupted, and Chthon pushed himself far away.
Looking at his claws, Chthon remembered his brief skirmish with Russell in the bookstore, using his Energy body.
At that time, the Energy from his Energy body was also directly devoured by Russell.
However, he hadn't thought much of it.
After all, devouring Energy was not a particularly advanced spell among sorcerers; many black magic users knew it, and he himself was quite skilled at it.
But devouring the Energy from an Energy body controlled by his soul fragment, and directly devouring the Energy from his main body, were two different concepts.
For a moment, Chthon was somewhat terrified.
But while Chthon was terrified and stunned, Russellwould not be.
Offense and defense switched. Russell, knowing that his restraint over Chthon far exceeded his imagination, pressed forward, simultaneously activating his talent [Energy Absorption] at full power while attacking Chthon.
Since you withheld my Energy, refused to pay your debt, and even tried to assault the creditor.
Then don't blame me for violent debt collection!
Sorry, a bit late.
Chapter 193: You run, I chase, if you can't outrun me then...
Russell's figure flickered, an extreme burst of speed propelling him towards Chthon.
His sharp silhouette, enveloped in brilliant white divine power, streaked like lightning, leaving a tearing mark in the sky that lingered for a long time.
Facing Russell's sudden attack, Chthon desperately controlled the elemental energy within his Sacred Body, striving to keep it stable.
Divine power surged, transforming into a crimson stream of light, also charging towards Russell.
In an instant, the brilliant white lightning and the crimson stream of light collided.
The air vibrated, producing chaotic ripples and waves.
Space, too, became fragile and overwhelmed, continuously twisting and deforming, as if on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
Boom!
A terrifying Impact swept out, destroying everything in its path, adding new scars to the already bottomless pit and sunken ground.
At the center of the Impact's explosion, Russell and Chthon engaged in a brutal, primitive, and unilaterally bloody close-quarters combat, fist against flesh.
Russell, enveloped in brilliant white divine power, completely abandoned defense, only attacking.
His Energy Absorption talent absorbed the crimson energy from Chthon's furious attacks, as well as the kinetic Impact from his fists and feet.
The Sacred Body, combined with the burst of divine power, allowed him to pummel Chthon's elemental energy Sacred Body with punch after punch in a very short time, creating ripples across it.
With each of Russell's strikes, crimson elemental energy, like blood, splattered from Chthon's Sacred Body, raining down upon the Earth and into the distance.
These elemental energies, like burning flames, carried an aura of incinerating all things, igniting the air and soil.
A fire that would engulf the entire Earth seemed imminent.
But the fire ultimately did not occur.
As if time had reversed, the splattered 'blood' of Chthon, flung from the center of the battle, flew back towards the battle's core.
But it didn't merge back into Chthon; it went into Russell.
Damn it!
Chthon cursed inwardly, a thought of temporarily avoiding the brunt of the attack rising in his mind.
The suction from Russell forced him to divert some of his energy to control the power within his Sacred Body.
Even so, his control over his own energy was affected.
To make matters worse, the crimson energy carried in his attacks, when striking Russell, did not produce the effect he anticipated; instead, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, causing no ripples.
This feeling made it impossible for him to determine if his attacks were effective.
The final straw that broke the camel's back was Russellabsorbing the energy that dispersed from his injuries.
This brought back unpleasant memories.
Billions of years ago, shortly after Earth formed, the Elder God race was born.
One hundred million years ago, that was the most glorious period for the Elder God race, when their numbers were at their peak.
At that time, Elder Gods were spread across the entire Earth, and each Elder God had different interests.
But a murder changed this situation.
The Serpent God Set, in order to increase his own power, killed and devoured the Elder God Hyppus.
This ignited a war of slaughter and devouring among the Elder Gods.
Afterward, the Elder Gods imitated Set, and most of them degenerated into ancient demons, beginning to devour each other.
And Chthon, as one of the surviving and still active Elder Gods, was undoubtedly one of the victors of that Elder God war.
Although he was forced by the new God Atum, born from the union of Gaia and the Creator, to flee the Real Universe and hide in the Blink Realm he created.
This cannibalistic war of Elder Gods, where they were both hunter and prey, left Chthon with deep psychological trauma.
Even though he was the embodiment of evil, he was the greatest evil, and was even hailed by Eternity as the cancer cell of the Multiverse.
Eons passed, and the memories of the Elder God war had long since faded.
Chthon never expected to become prey again, and prey that was being eaten alive.
I can't fight him in close combat; I must create distance.
Having made up his mind, Chthon changed direction, transforming into a crimson stream of light, and rushed towards the Earth.
Russell also transformed into a brilliant white stream of light and gave chase.
Their speeds were similar, but Chthon's home-field advantage began to show.
Without any warning, a sudden storm formed, kicking up dust and the shattered debris of the Earth.
Enveloped by the endless gale, shattered rocks turned into bombs, and air transformed into blades, blocking the brilliant white stream of light's path, determined to impede Russell's pursuit.
The brilliant white stream of light did not shy away, charging directly into the tornado.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gale and shattered rocks bombarded the brilliant white stream of light, but they could not shake it, nor could they even slow it down or deflect its direction in the slightest.
They could only burst into wisps of gray fireworks.
One after another, the brilliant white stream of light continued to closely pursue the crimson stream of light.
The distance between them did not widen; instead, it gradually closed.
In reality, Chthon's speed was slightly faster than Russell's, but under the pull of Russell's Energy Absorption talent, his speed was significantly affected.
The next instant, a ripple spread, and the crimson stream of light merged into the Earth without causing the slightest disturbance, as if it were not Earth but air.
In just a moment, the crimson stream of light vanished from Russell's sight.
The next instant, the brilliant white stream of light impacted the Earth.
Boom!
The air suddenly grew heavy, and an unstoppable, terrifying momentum descended from the sky, destroying mountains and Earth, as a giant mushroom cloud rapidly rose.
The Earth trembled violently, only slowly subsiding after several breaths.
Waving his hand, Russell dispersed the shattered rock and dust that had been stirred up into the sky by the previous Impact and were now falling down.
Russell frowned as he scanned the entire area, finding no trace of Chthon.
Presumably, Chthon had hidden within the Earth, intending to use the Earth to block Russell.
With his energy vision activated, Russell scanned the entire area again, paying particular attention to the Earthbeneath his feet.
Under Russell's energy vision, the Earth could no longer obstruct his sight.
Chthon's elemental energy Sacred Body, with its high-density energy signature, had nowhere to hide under Russell's energy vision.
"Chthon, do you think hiding down there will help you?"
Russell's figure floated up into the air, brilliant white matter continuously surging from behind him, covering the sky.
Gradually, a colossal Sacred Body, so vast its boundaries were indiscernible, emerged behind Russell.
Clouds were like his socks, trampled under his feet.
Towering mountains, compared to him, were as minuscule as grains of sand.
"Since you like hiding underground, I'll shatter the Earth, and then we'll see where you can hide!"
In mid-air, Russell slowly pressed his hand down towards the Earth below.
Behind him, the boundless behemoth also slowly brought its hand down towards the Earth below.
When Chthon first looked, he only felt the immense size of the hand, and its heavy, powerful descent.
But as the hand continuously pressed down, and the distance to the Earth continuously shortened...
Its speed also seemed to be getting faster and faster.
No! It wasn't that the speed was increasing; the hand's descent speed had always been constant, but the great distance between them earlier had created a visual illusion of slow speed.
The palm continued to press down, continuously growing larger.
From the size of a disc, it became the size of a sports field.
From the size of a sports field, it became the size of a city.
From the size of a city, it became the size of the Earthitself.
But, this was not the end, far from it.
And Chthon was not sitting idly by.
From beginning to end, what he worried about, what he feared, was only that mysterious and unpredictable suction power from Russell.
He was afraid that in close combat, he would be caught off guard and devoured alive by Russell.
That feeling, just thinking about it, made the Elder God afraid.
As for a magic duel?
He, the dignified God of Black Magic, the Creator of the Blink Realm, and in his own domain, naturally had no fear.
In fact, he wished to change the battle's style to a long-range magic duel.
A mage should act like a mage.
Close-quarters combat was too undignified!
Boom!
Crimson light flashed around Chthon's Sacred Body, instantly connecting with the entire Earth.
The next moment, the Earth undulated, its amplitude like waves, as if it had come alive.
Five stone pillars slowly emerged from the Earth and gradually converged.
Finally, they formed a fist. An Earth elemental fist.
The gray Earth elemental fist rose from the ground, meeting the brilliant white palm descending from the sky.
Boom!
The moment the fist and palm collided, time seemed to freeze for a moment.
Immediately after, the air exploded, scattering wildly.
A terrifying Impact swept out, dispersing the clouds.
The result of the fist and palm collision also followed the rules of rock-paper-scissors.
The palm was greater than the fist!
Boom!
Under the pressure of the brilliant white palm, the gray fist began to retreat downwards.
The struggle between the two caused the Earth to tremble, and soil continuously peeled off from the Earthelemental fist.
"Damn it!"
Within the Earth, Chthon roared, crimson light flashing around him again.
The next moment, another Earth elemental fist emerged from within the Earth, jointly resisting the descending brilliant white palm.
But... Chthon had two fists, and Russell also had two palms.
The second brilliant white palm pressed down, breaking the stalemate.
Boom!
First, the Earth elemental fists could no longer resist and shattered.
They transformed into showers of meteors, falling from the sky, plummeting towards the Earth, smashing deep craters into the ground.
Adding more scars to this continent, which had been ravaged today.
Immediately after, the brilliant white palm pressed down, with an unstoppable momentum, heavily striking this continent.
In an instant, the Earth cracked, and mountains shattered.
This boundless continent, with no end in sight, under the pressure of the brilliant white palm, began to break apart from its center into countless fragments, falling into the void below.
Having dismembered the continent that had previously stood in his way, Russell felt not a shred of excitement.
Chthon had run away again!
Although this continent could be described as boundless, its area was countless times wider than Asgard.
It was equivalent to the surface area of a Planet spread out.
But the Blink Realm was far more than just this continent.
Russell transformed into a brilliant white stream of light and pursued Chthon in the direction he had vanished.
Before long, he caught up to a Planet whose surface was covered in ice, but whose atmosphere was furiously burning.
This was Chthon's new hiding place.
And such hiding places...
Russell gazed into the distance of the Blink Realm, seeing countless twinkling points of light.
Symbolizing continents or Planets.
"Chthon, if you pay back the money, I can let bygones be bygones and leave immediately."
"Heh~"
Russell was met with a sneer, and a Planet hurtling towards him.
Russell knew he couldn't do anything to Chthon, who was determined to flee, and he had also tested his approximate power level, wanting to extract some energy from Chthon before leaving.
Chthon also knew that, with his home-field advantage, Russell couldn't harm him.
Given this, he naturally had no need to cede territory or pay reparations.
As for whether the damage from their battle to the Blink Realm would exceed Russell's demands, Chthon didn't care about that.
Compared to these losses, his face was more important.
Moreover, he had been trapped in the Blink Realm for many years and hadn't had a good stretch; having someone to spar with him wasn't bad.
At worst, the main parts of these shattered continents and Planets were still in the Blink Realm; with a little more time, they could be restored.
Boom!
With just one punch, the hurtling Planet was shattered by Russell, and Chthon once again disappeared without a trace.
However, this time Russell did not pursue Chthon again.
Russell had figured it out.
Energy, this kind of thing, was everywhere in the Blink Realm.
If Chthon liked to hide, then let him hide; getting the energy into his hands was the real business.
Opening the aisle (passage) connecting to the brilliant white space, Russell absorbed the shattered remnants of the ice and Fire Planet one by one into the brilliant white space.
Although, for now, the efficiency of converting these substances into energy was extremely low, he would take what he could.
If Chthon didn't come out voluntarily, Russell would continuously move the contents of his Blink Realm into the brilliant white space until he emptied his Blink Realm.
The matter from the Blink Realm entered the brilliant white space, and after a brief resistance, was quickly converted into brilliant white energy.
Russell's eyes lit up.
What is a surprise?
A surprise is...
The matter of the Blink Realm was not Real matter, but elemental energy!
It was just that under the special rules of the Blink Realm, these elemental energies did not exhibit their elemental aspect, but rather their material one.
This had misled Russell.
Thus, Russell completely gave up on chasing Chthon and switched to being a miner.
No one could stop him from mining.
No one!
In the distance, Chthon, who had been watching Russell, changed his expression.
Just as Russell began to move the matter of the Blink Realm into his brilliant white space,
Waves of piercing pain continuously surged from the depths of Chthon's soul.
The next moment, Chthon's wails echoed, spreading throughout the entire Blink Realm and the hundreds of nearby dimensions.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Chthon cursed, actively flying towards Russell's location.
His relationship with the Blink Realm was not just that of Creator and creation.
As one of the victors of the Elder God war, Chthon's power had been greatly enhanced by devouring other Elder Gods.
But he could not freely control these external powers.
And the result of power that could not be freely controlled by himself was 1+1 < 2.
To this end, he used these external powers in conjunction with himself to create the Blink Realm.
Attempting to thereby completely control these powers.
Chthon succeeded, and he failed.
The Blink Realm became his haven from Atum's pursuit.
It also became a cage that imprisoned him and prevented him from returning to the Real Universe.
To some extent, the Blink Realm was him.
This was the fundamental reason why he could not leave the Blink Realm.
How could a person separate from himself?
What Russell was doing now was equivalent to cutting flesh from Chthon's Sacred Body and then eating it on the spot.
Chapter 194 You Know Nothing About My Power
"Centuries are changing; this is a challenge from newly born deities to ancient gods. This struggle is destined to be fraught with peril and suspense. Does Chthon's wail symbolize…"
"Shut up, Uatu! Are you trying to get us killed?"
Within the Blink Realm, amidst countless faintly glowing stars, on an unremarkable hill of an inconspicuous Planet.
Five Watchers, clad in ceremonial robes, stood rigidly, their eyes fixed on Russell and Chthon, who were fiercely battling in the distance.
Among them, a Watcher Russell was familiar with was reprimanding another Watcher, Uatu, whom Russelldidn't know but White-Bearded Ancient One might have.
"It would be fine if Russell heard us; we could just pay him off. But if Chthon heard, all of us would die here, all because of your big mouth!"
"Then why are you still mentioning their names?"
"Stop bickering, all of you. Just watch in silence."
Even during their brief argument, the five Watchers kept their gaze on Russell and Chthon in the battlefield, unwilling to miss any detail.
Some people go to the cinema but play on their phones instead of watching the movie; that's because they only pay for a movie ticket.
Of course, it's also possible the movie is terrible.
The five Watchers risked their lives to observe and record this battle between a new god and an old god.
Naturally, they wouldn't divert their attention from watching for a single moment.
"I must say, you Big-headed dolls are truly the most dedicated war correspondents in the Multiverse."
A voice appeared out of nowhere beside the Watchers.
The Watchers' fears had come true; because of Uatu's loose tongue, they had been discovered.
But fortunately, the one who discovered them was Russell, not Chthon.
"Two billion energy per person, so five people make ten billion energy. Give it to me when you leave the Blink Realm, don't forget. Otherwise, hehe."
After greeting the five Watchers, Russell withdrew his gaze and looked at Chthon, who was charging at him.
Chthon had lost his initial elegance; his entire demeanor had become deranged and evil.
"What, no more hiding?"
"You have thoroughly enraged me, you scum!"
Chthon's eyes were bloodshot, not from anger, but because crimson energy surged within his body, filling him completely. It then seeped out from every pore, merging into the void, seemingly connecting with the entire Blink Realm.
"You know nothing of my true power! I will tear you apart, devour you alive, skin and bones, all of it!"
Chthon's tone was chilling. As his words fell, the stars and continents within the entire Blink Realm began to tremble, emitting various colors of light.
The only commonality was that every Planet and every continent's light contained a trace of crimson.
This crimson trace was like a network, connecting all the Planets and continents, making them a single entity.
"No, Chthon, I know your power very well. Don't forget the darkhold. The darkhold, which you personally wrote, detailing your understanding of dark magic, I've been poring over it for months. I already understand about seventy to eighty percent of your power."
Russell carefully sensed, confirming that his danger sense hadn't twitched, then calmly retorted Chthon.
As long as his danger sense didn't twitch, Chthon's roars were just impotent rage to him, posing not the slightest threat.
"The darkhold was written by me countless years ago. Do you think I've been standing still all these years?"
A magic array was drawn, using the void as a canvas, stars as nodes, and various energies as lines.
At the very center of the array was Russell.
The moment the array formed, immense pressure bore down. Russell stood unmoving; his danger sense hadn't twitched in the slightest, still showing Chthon no respect.
However, the boundless, countless times larger than stars, glowing white humanoid Dharma form following behind Russell began to deform and flow under the pressure.
The outlines of the lines on the entire Dharma form's surface blurred considerably.
"Pluto, please enlighten me."
Russell picked up a fragment of a shattered Ice and Fire Planet and threw it into the glowing white space.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle ~"
Russell personally provided the sound effects.
Like ice cubes dropped into hot oil, after some resistance, the star fragment melted and transformed into glowing white energy.
"Scum!"
Under the soul-piercing pain, Chthon roared in fury, and the surrounding stars and continents simultaneously emitted light.
Crack crack ~
The space where Russell was located twisted and deformed, collapsing inwards, and the omnipresent immense pressure abruptly intensified.
Under this immense pressure.
The original star fragments exploded, turning into dust and powder.
The dust and powder exploded again, turning into even finer molecules and atoms.
And these molecules and atoms could not exist under such terrifying pressure, being crushed into smaller units.
Until they completely vanished.
"Is this your true power, Chthon?"
Russell retrieved the glowing white substance, which had collapsed into a ball, back into his glowing white space.
His Sacred Body began to emit a glowing white light, not to resist this terrifying pressure, but because his clothes were completely destroyed, and he was stark naked, requiring holy light for protection.
Russell hadn't forgotten that in the dark corners, five Big-headed dolls were secretly peeping.
Chthon did not respond, only silently increasing the force. But no matter how much he increased the force, Russellstill stood there unmoving, as if nothing was happening.
Chthon knew Russell had a special ability to absorb energy, so energy attacks were mostly ineffective against him. Therefore, he did not use energy-attacking spells.
He was also worried that using physical attacks, like throwing a Planet at him before, would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone forever.
In summary, most of Chthon's methods were useless against Russell. The means he could employ were actually not as many as he had imagined.
He could only use this kind of force-field-like method to launch non-contact attacks on Russell.
However, energy is conserved.
As long as work is done on an object, a corresponding change in energy will occur.
The next moment, something that stunned Chthonhappened.
The energy consumption required to maintain his force field suddenly increased dramatically.
That wasn't a problem; energy doesn't disappear without reason; it only transforms from one form to another.
As long as this energy remained within the Blink Realm, it wasn't considered a loss for Chthon.
However, this energy vanished into thin air—from Chthon's perspective.
The total energy within the Blink Realm also decreased again.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! You haven't made any contact with my magic energy, how could you absorb my energy?!"
"Chthon, it seems it's not that I know nothing of your power.
Rather,
You know nothing of my power!"
Next chapter later
Chapter 195 Great God of Black Magic, You Don't Want
Even in the midst of battle, Russell still took a moment to open his attribute panel and glance at his talent entries.
Talent 1 [Energy Absorption]: Can absorb any energy and convert it into attribute points.
Any energy, not just magic energy, but also physical energy and various other strange and wondrous energies.
It was just that, due to the relatively slow efficiency and speed of energy conversion into attribute points, Russellusually preferred to absorb magic energy.
But in battle, Russell was not particular; he absorbed whatever energy was available.
"Impossible, impossible."
Taking advantage of Chthon's momentary distraction, Russell transformed into a white stream and charged towards him.
Although physical energy could also be absorbed, its conversion efficiency was far inferior to magic energy.
Chthon consumed magic energy to maintain his force field, while Russell absorbed physical energy from the force field.
It was a net loss for Russell.
"Chthon, you prodigal son, you're selling off your ancestral land without a care."
Russell cursed inwardly, his speed quickening by two points. At this moment, he selectively forgot that the Blink Realm was not his.
"Chthon is no match for Russell. Is another ancient Old God about to perish?
I have witnessed the demise of thousands of Universes, but the fall of an Old God, after the War of the Old Gods, I have never seen.
Over countless years, across countless Multiverses, innumerable talented prodigies, some studied magic, others delved into technology.
But most of them stopped at—"
Uatu, the Watcher, seeing that Chthon was helpless against Russell and was being chased and beaten by him, couldn't help but voice his thoughts again.
"Uatu, shut up! Chthon isn't that easy to kill. You're slandering him in his Blink Realm. It's fine if you seek death yourself, but don't drag us down with you."
This time, the other four Watchers accompanying him couldn't stop Uatu in time.
Because they too were lost in thought.
And slandering someone behind their back always comes with a price.
"I didn't expect there to be five bugs hidden in my Blink Realm. One of them even dared to defame the great God of Black Magic, God of Chaos, God of Slumber!"
As Chthon's voice fell, the starlight beneath the Watchers' feet flared, and terrifying surges of energy erupted from deep within the Planet's core.
Rumble!!!
The ground was torn apart, and beams of energy burst forth, shooting skyward, then turning in mid-air and hurtling towards the Watchers.
Additionally, several Planets near this one also flickered with light, and vaguely, these Planets seemed to be moving towards the Watchers' location.
"It's all your fault, Uatu."
"Stop talking, let's run."
The five Watchers, while each employing their divine abilities to resist Chthon's energy attacks, simultaneously inscribed runes, attempting to open a teleportation portal from the Blink Realm to the outside world.
Normally, the Blink Realm was always in an open state, allowing free entry and exit.
But today was different.
To fight Russell, Chthon had connected all the Planets and continents within the Blink Realm, raising his control over the Blink Realm to its highest point.
In this situation, trying to leave the Blink Realm directly with a single teleportation portal was nothing short of a fool's dream.
Of course, the Watchers dared to come to the Blink Realm to spy on the battle between Russell and Chthon, naturally relying on their own means to escape the Blink Realm after being discovered by Chthon.
It just required time, and what they lacked most right now was time.
"Die, bugs!"
The surrounding Planets arrived, bringing several times more energy beams to attack the Watchers.
Caught off guard, one Watcher was hit by a concentrated barrage of energy beams, his body gradually disintegrating under the continuous attack of a purple-black energy beam, completely vanishing into the void.
Another Watcher, while dodging energy beams, didn't pay attention to his feet and was swallowed whole by a large mouth that suddenly burst from the ground. After that, there was no more sound.
Chthon laughed heartily; he wanted to vent all the frustration he had endured during his battle with Russell.
After sacrificing two companions, one Watcher finally opened a teleportation portal to escape the Blink Realm.
This Watcher was Uatu, the talkative and garrulous one.
"Oh, you talkative, gossiping bug who likes to badmouth people behind their back, you're not dead yet? You wouldn't think you can escape, would you?"
As Chthon's curses fell, Uatu's eyeballs suddenly bulged. He stared at the already open teleportation portal, at this escape route so close at hand, unable to move.
He could only let out one last, unwilling shout.
"No!"
Bang!
A muffled sound echoed. Uatu's body seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, instantly exploding into a cloud of blood mist.
The blood mist scattered, exploding again in the air, and finally completely dissipated.
Just as Uatu was about to escape the Blink Realm, Chthon activated the magic array he was using to deal with Russell, applying that terrifying pressure to Uatu.
Seizing this opportunity, Russell once again entangled Chthon, attempting to bite off a chunk of his energy.
"Russell, you can't do anything to me!
When your energy is exhausted, that will be the day of your demise!
The victor of this battle will only be me!"
Chthon's words were unyielding, but his body was very honest, fighting and retreating.
And he secretly twisted the space-time around him and Russell, transmitting false images to mislead the two Watchers who were still alive and fleeing in panic.
And these two Watchers, even though they were fleeing for their lives and in mortal danger, still did not forget to pay attention to the battle between Russell and Chthon.
It was as if this mission of observing and recording major events in the Multiverse was more important than their lives.
But it was only 'as if'.
If the teleportation portal were open, they would escape the Blink Realm immediately.
Was Chthon trying to conceal his predicament?
Noticing Chthon's abnormality, Russell made a probing move.
A luminous white stream of light shot out, carrying information towards the surviving Watchers.
This information was a video, a video of Chthon fighting and retreating.
Seeing this, Chthon quickly moved to intercept it.
"The great God of Black Magic, whose glory has spanned countless ages and whose legends are spread throughout the Multiverse, still cares about such superficial fame."
Russell stopped his attack and spoke mockingly. He seemed to have found a small flaw in Chthon.
"Great God of Black Magic, you wouldn't want anyone to know that you don't keep your word, would you?"
"Heh." Chthon sneered, "For demons, that is a virtue. And I am a demon among demons."
This trick didn't work?
No, the direction of attack was wrong.
With a shift in thought, Russell knew this battle could come to an end. He unhurriedly donned his magic robe and conjured a sphere in his hand.
Inside the sphere was the video of Chthon fighting and retreating.
"Great God of Black Magic, you wouldn't want anyone to see your figure being chased and fleeing by a disciple of Vishanti, the God of White magic, would you?"
It was a little too late.
Chapter 196 Don't mention it, it's really good for eating
A short while later, two Watchers, with lingering gazes, crossed the Portal and fled the Blink Realm.
"It's all that bastard Uatu's fault, always muttering and getting Chthon's attention."
"Otherwise, we would have been able to watch a complete, bloody battle between a new God and an ancient God."
The two surviving Watchers gnashed their teeth in anger, thinking that Uatu had prevented them from watching the entire battle between Russell and Chthon.
In their opinion, the battle between Russell and Chthonhad reached a fever pitch. The fight between the two Gods was even threatening to obliterate the Blink Realm.
The last scene the Watchers saw was:
The starry sky was split in half.
On one side, scarlet energy and various other colors of energy mixed into a kaleidoscopic black energy.
On the other side, there was pure, luminous White energy.
The arrows of the two energies were Russell and Chthon.
As Russell and Chthon charged towards each other, fists and palms met. The vast energy clash, and the Impact's aftermath ravaged everything around them.
The Planets around them were like fragile cakes, easily destroyed and shattered by the Impact generated by their collision.
Yet, the two individuals at the center of the battle seemed completely unfazed.
The aftermath of the first collision had not yet subsided when they began the next energy clash.
"I've given you the final payment; remember to cooperate with my act," Chthon said, interrupting his energy output.
"Are you really not considering another option? Give me another payment, and I can pretend to lose," Russellsuggested, still wanting more as he swallowed the energy.
"No need; evenly matched is enough," Chthon said, his tone flat and unmoved.
"Alright."
Rumble!!!
After the two Watchers left, the kaleidoscopic black and pure luminous White energies clashed again.
But unlike before, this time, during the energy clash, the center of the White energy suddenly caved inward, opening on both sides like a giant maw. After allowing a portion of the kaleidoscopic black energy to enter, it snapped shut, tearing it away.
At the same time, Russell swiftly moved towards the black energy enveloped by the White energy, intending to activate his talent, Energy Absorption, to completely absorb it and convert it into attribute points.
"Shameless scoundrel!"
Chthon realized he had been tricked. He controlled the mass of black energy, causing it to explode and scatter into several streams that darted wildly within the White energy, attempting to find an opportunity to break out of the White energy's encirclement.
A moment later, with careful planning against unpreparedness, all the torn-off black energy was successfully absorbed by Russell.
After absorbing the last wisp of black energy, Russelltransitioned from extreme speed to stillness, facing Chthon from a distance, his playful gaze undisguised.
"Great God of Black Magic, I only agreed to cooperate with your act, but I didn't agree to stop after the act. Unless…"
"Impossible!" Before Russell could state his conditions, Chthon flatly refused. "This is far enough, Russell. You should be clear that you cannot defeat me. After this, I will not give you such an opportunity again."
As if to corroborate his words, as Chthon's voice fell, a magic formation, based on the entire Blink Realm with stars and continents as nodes, lit up again.
But this time, the magic formation was no longer for suppressing Russell, but for clearing the space around Russell, forming a huge void centered on him.
This cosmic void was empty; its edges flickered with fibrous magic formations, blocking information exchange between inside and outside the void.
Inside the void, one could not see, hear, or smell. In this absolute vacuum, no matter transmitted information; sight, hearing, and smell seemed to be stripped away.
Russell casually chose a direction and transformed into a luminous White stream of light, flying at extreme speed.
Although there were no reference points, Russell's extraordinary perception still ensured that his perception of time and space would not be lost or confused.
In Russell's perception, the space around him had been tampered with by Chthon, curling up in layers. Some areas were also stretched considerably.
This was also why Chthon was able to quickly clear the area around Russell, forming a gigantic void on an astronomical scale.
The next moment, the luminous White stream's trajectory within the void no longer followed a straight line, but became a leaping curve, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
"Damn it!"
Outside the void, Chthon watched Russell's trajectory, feeling Russell entering and exiting his Blink Realm, constantly performing spatial jumps, and his face twitched involuntarily.
He hadn't expected this young God to also have profound attainments in spatial magic, discovering the flaws in his magic in a short while.
Helpless, he could only continuously control the magicformation, moving the stars and continents in front of Russell's trajectory. Furthermore, he created a spatial bubble around the stars and continents to envelop them, isolating information transfer as much as possible to prevent Russell from discovering them.
Their battle became a chase in another form.
After a long time, Chthon suddenly realized that Russellhad not reappeared after leaving the Blink Realm.
After chasing Chthon for a while, Russell found that this approach was inefficient.
With Chthon constantly avoiding battle, he would have to expend a great deal of effort to catch an opportunity to take a bite.
Compared to clashing head-on with Chthon, Russellpreferred to pick on easier targets.
If there were no easy targets, then he would take a holiday.
Anyway, he didn't want to deal with Chthon right now; he was clearly a wealthy individual, yet so stingy.
At most, whenever he was in a good or bad mood, he would go to Chthon's Blink Realm to cause some trouble, take a bite, and then run.
There is only a thousand days to be a thief, not a thousand days to guard against one; Chthon couldn't possibly remain vigilant forever.
Kamar-Taj, courtyard corner.
magic sparks flickered, and Russell stepped out of the Portal.
At this time, the sky was faintly bright, with the eastern horizon gradually turning a fish-belly White. A gentle breeze swept through, bringing with it the faint scent of tea and breakfast.
In the courtyard, the apprentice mages, dressed in loose monk robes, began to meticulously practice their spellcasting movements under Mordo's guidance.
In the corner, Sorcerer Ancient One sat on a stone stool, quietly watching the apprentice mages' training.
From time to time, she would eat a piece of meat and drink a sip of tea.
It replenished her strength and cut through the greasiness.
"Wait a moment, I'll go get you some more."
Seeing Russell appear, Sorcerer Ancient One smiled, gestured for Russell to sit down, and rose to go towards the kitchen.
Soon, she returned carrying a basin.
On the basin were a plate of rice noodles, a plate of pork balls, a plate of beef balls, and a plate of shrimp dumplings. Various kinds, filling the basin.
"Thanks, Ancient One."
Russell thanked her, took the stone utensils, placed them on the stone table, and sat down with Sorcerer Ancient One. While eating breakfast, he watched the apprentice mages train.
And it must be said, watching some apprentice mages struggle to cast a single spell for half a day was quite appetizing.
Chapter 197 Am I really Spider-Man?
Sorcerer Ancient One didn't ask about Russell's challenge to Chthon in the Blink Realm. When Russellbrought it up, she stopped him.
In Sorcerer Ancient One's words, seeing Russell's expression was enough for her to know what had happened in the Blink Realm.
There was no need to hear Russell recount it again.
After finishing their morning tea, Russell bid farewell and returned to his residence on the seventh floor of the New York Reading Room. On his way, he also packed some breakfast for Gwen as a late-night snack.
Although eating at night is not good for the digestive system and can easily lead to obesity and insomnia.
However, as long as one exercises properly, it can help food digest faster and prevent fat from accumulating in the body.
As for insomnia, staying up late is harmful to physical and mental health; just pull an all-nighter.
Night turned to day.
It proved that for superhumans, pulling an all-nighter does not affect their physical and mental health.
At the dining table, Gwen and Russell chatted about recent events.
"The public opinion surrounding the Avengers hasn't been good these past few days; several New Yorknewspapers are still constantly criticizing them."
Saying this, Gwen took out a stack of newspapers and handed them to Russell.
Russell took them and quickly flipped through.
The newspapers mainly focused on criticizing Tony Starkand Hulk.
Tony, as a billionaire, playboy, and the most famous superhero, Iron Man, was already an object of envy, and this time he received the harshest criticism.
Some newspapers even claimed that he should bear full responsibility for the incident and compensate various companies and individuals in Manhattan for the economic losses they suffered.
Hulk, on the other hand, was simply criticized for the extensive damage he caused during his battles, with accusations like 'What exactly did you protect?'
Hawkeye Barton, Quicksilver Pietro, and Black Widow Natasha, benefiting from their less destructive combat styles, did not appear in the newspapers at all.
Besides the Avengers, Thor, Loki, Wanda, Gaya, and other Kamar-Taj sorcerers, who also appeared on the battlefield, were only briefly mentioned, fully demonstrating the U.S.'s tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong.
After all, Thor and Loki had Asgard behind them, and Wanda and Gaya had Russell behind them.
"Hmm, minor issue, don't worry about it. Tony will handle it himself."
Putting down the stack of newspapers, Russell picked up another stack and continued to browse.
Finally, he found reports about Gwen and her team.
"Phantom Spirit Team? Gwen, is this your team's name?" Russell asked, looking at Gwen.
"Hmm, actually, calling us a band might be better." Gwen's tone was indistinct; she was currently focused on eating to replenish her energy.
After carefully reading through, Russell said, "The newspapers' evaluation of you guys is quite good; they're basically all praising you."
Thanks to Gwen and her team's long-standing presence throughout New York, fighting evil and promoting good, they had already accumulated a good reputation.
Furthermore, since the combat power of the other members was incomparable to the Worthys of the Great Serpent, the Phantom Spirit Team members primarily participated in rescue efforts during this incident.
Therefore, their public image was much better than that of the Avengers.
This also saved Russell a lot of trouble.
Tony's problems, he would solve himself; Russellwouldn't interfere unless lives were at stake.
But if Gwen were wronged, Russell would not stand idly by.
"By the way, Gwen. You just said it would be better to call yourselves the Phantom Spirit Band. So, are you ready for your performance?"
"Yes, this Sunday, which is tomorrow."
Gwen put down her knife and fork and invited Russell.
"Our band is rehearsing today, Russell, do you want to come and watch?"
"Of course."
After tidying the dining table together, Gwen pulled on her hood, opened the window, and leaped out. In mid-air, her wrist web-shooters fired webs, and she swung away into the distance. Only a voice drifted back from afar.
"Follow me."
Russell came to the balcony, his figure flashed, transforming into a luminous white stream of light that shot into the sky, trailing far behind Gwen.
Spider-Man never takes the usual path.
A moment later, the two arrived at a park in the suburbs.
There were only two or three pedestrians jogging in the park, and no electronic equipment was visible, making it seem utterly unlike a venue for a band performance scheduled for tomorrow.
"Hey, Russell, why are you here too?"
Suddenly, the air shimmered where the voice came from, and several figures abruptly appeared.
It was Erin who greeted Russell. After greeting him, Erinintroduced the remaining people to Russell.
They were all members of Gwen's Phantom Spirit Band: Daredevil – Matt Murdock; Jewel – Jessica Jones; Power Man – Luke Cage; Iron Fist – Danny Rand; and the new member, Mysterio – Quentin Beck.
"Mysterio is our team's special effects artist, skilled at using high-tech to create illusions that are indistinguishable from reality. The reason we can rehearse here without being discovered is thanks to the illusions he creates to conceal us."
In fact, besides creating lifelike illusions, Mysterio is also adept at producing chemical gases that induce hallucinations. The combination of both is what truly makes it impossible to distinguish between real and fake.
"I see, that's really impressive." Russell nodded feigning amazement, exclaiming, "I couldn't tell at all that the scene outside was fake, and that there was a hidden world within."
"With such a talented special effects artist, I'm sure your performance will be spectacular."
"Thank you for your praise, Russell." Mysterio shyly responded to Russell's compliment, "I'm just an ordinary Hollywood movie special effects artist, with no superpowers myself. I'm very fortunate to be able to join this team of superhumans."
Although he was already middle-aged, Mysterio still acted like a young man, shy and humble.
But Russell would not be deceived by his appearance.
In the Earth-199999 timeline, he would become a major adversary for Spider-Man, making Spider-Man run in circles. He even managed to trick Spider-Man out of the legacy Iron Man left for him.
And on Earth-404, he was similarly ill-intentioned.
Although he didn't deliberately sense it, Russell could still feel that his thoughts were far more chaotic than those of the others.
However, Russell wasn't concerned with his schemes.
The immediate priority was Gwen and the Phantom Spirit Band's upcoming performance.
Anyway, Mysterio couldn't cause much trouble, at most a little damage in New York.
As long as Earth didn't explode, there were no problems.
Even if Earth exploded, as long as the Universe wasn't completely destroyed, it was still a minor issue.
Russell, however, looked at Mysterio and suddenly felt a stir, thinking to himself:
"Why do I always encounter Spider-Man's opponents? Am I really the Spider-Man of Earth-404?"
First Vulture, then Mysterio. If this happened a few more times, all of Earth-404's Spider-Man villains would have been encountered by Russell.
Afterward, the Phantom Spirit Team began their rehearsal, preparing for tomorrow's performance.
They were determined to put on a grand and perfect show to inspire the citizens of New York, who had been continuously attacked by the Battle of New York and the Manhattan incident, and to restore their confidence in life.
Chapter 198 Superhero Registration Act
East side of Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States, inside the United Nations Headquarters building lobby.
A press conference was underway, and on the podium, a young Black man stood tall before the microphone.
His gaze was resolute, and his voice was steady and powerful.
"On behalf of the people of Wakanda, I thank the warriors who defeated Worthy, and I thank you for avenging the people of Wakanda."
"In that past disaster, the people of Wakanda suffered heavy casualties. The people of Paris, France, and New York, United States, also suffered attacks."
"However, we will not be deterred by misfortune; we will strive to make the World we wish to enter even better."
The person on stage was none other than Black PantherT'Challa, the new King of Wakanda, and one of the biggest victims of the Great Serpent Worthy incident.
As T'Challa uttered each word, the reporters' flashbulbs flickered frequently.
"Today's World has entered an era of the extraordinary. Extraordinary individuals are constantly emerging, and extraordinary events are constantly occurring. Secular laws find it difficult to restrain them."
"Therefore, I propose to pilot the Super Hero Registration Act, this Act..."
In short, the Super Hero Registration Act is a bill specifically designed to regulate Super Heroes.
The Act requires all Super Heroes to register, disclose their identities to the government, become national civil servants, be controlled by the government and the law, and serve the government. They also need to undergo special training before they can be certified to work.
After T'Challa's speech, thunderous applause erupted, which was an acknowledgment from the attending officials of various countries and the general public.
However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that the representatives of the five major powers only applauded symbolically.
The five exchanged glances across the room, deciding to hold a small meeting after the general assembly.
Inside a medium-sized, ordinary conference room, the five representatives, along with their teams, entered one after another.
"What are your thoughts on that Act?" the United Statesrepresentative spoke first.
"I think this Act is good," the representative of the Law Country echoed.
"But what about that Human God (Russell)?" the Handsome Country (England) representative reminded.
The land area of Handsome Country (England) is 244,100 square kilometers, which is still smaller than Japan's land area of 378,000 square kilometers.
The one who could sink Sakura Island could also sink England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Just thinking of the plight of the hundreds of millions of Sakura people who are now displaced, the Handsome Country (England) representative couldn't help but feel his hair stand on end.
He certainly didn't want to become a criminal of the country.
"We must first figure out his opinion, but who will approach him?"
"I heard that S.H.I.E.L.D., a subordinate agency of the World Security Council, has a good relationship with him. Why don't we let S.H.I.E.L.D. approach him and ask for his opinion?"
"Seconded." X3.
United States representative: "S.H.I.E.L.D. has already been disbanded."
"Is the person who contacted him still alive? If he's still alive, let him go."
Just a few blocks from the United Nations Headquarters, there is a newly built Kamar-Taj building, belonging to the Kamar-Taj Mystic Master Group.
Its main business is dealing with alien battleship wreckage, while also handling some secular affairs of Kamar-Taj Mystic Masters.
The CEO is concurrently held by Mystic Master Wong, the librarian of Kamar-Taj.
The COO is former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Phil Coulson.
In reality, Wong rarely gets involved in management; most of the time, he stays in Kamar-Taj reading books.
The work of the Kamar-Taj Mystic Master Group is mainly handled by Coulson and the Agents he brought from S.H.I.E.L.D.
Therefore, Coulson's work is quite busy, receiving several calls every day.
One day, Coulson received a special call.
This call came from his old leader, Nick Fury, and had nothing to do with his current business.
"That's not quite right, Fury. You know, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been disbanded. I'm not doing this anymore."
"There's a tax exemption policy? But Russell isn't short of money. He probably doesn't even know he has an extra company under his name yet."
"What?! Well, alright, I'll go for you. Oh, and don't forget the tax exemption policy. Although the Mystic Masters of Kamar-Taj don't care about it, as I'm in this position, I must do my job well."
After repeated refusals, Coulson was still moved by Nick Fury's mysterious condition and agreed to act as a lobbyist.
"Skye, print and bind the document that just came in, then notify the driver that we need a car. Destination: Russell Bookstore in Queens."
Coulson stood up and walked out of the office. It was a good opportunity to slack off and temporarily escape work.
"Okay."
Inside the office, Coulson's assistant, former S.H.I.E.L.D.Agent Skye, followed Coulson. As she walked, she contacted the driver.
Thank goodness, after S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded, she didn't lose her job and even followed Coulson into another new World—the extraordinary World.
After hacking into various Agent agency databases and finding no information about her background, Skye now strongly suspects that her background is related to this new extraordinary World.
And the person she was about to meet was the legendary strongest extraordinary person on Earth.
In the intelligence Skye collected from the Internet.
Some called him the Sea God, freezing thousands of miles with a wave of his hand, freezing the entire sea.
Some called him the Sun God, standing in the clouds, using stellar energy to destroy cities and nations.
Sitting in the back seat of a silver Lexus LM, Skye's heart was pounding, unable to contain herself.
It wasn't until she sat in the bookstore's lounge for a long time that Skye's mood calmed down slightly.
When night fell and the lights came on, Gwen and their rehearsal finally came to an end.
At Erin's request, Russell opened a beautiful, intricately carved portal for each of them, sending them to various places.
Street heroes never return early; nighttime is their working hours.
After seeing off the Phantom Spirit Band members, Russell returned to the bookstore alone.
As Coulson's assistant, Skye was quite knowledgeable about the background of the Kamar-Taj Mystic MasterGroup.
But the more she understood some things, the more unbelievable they became.
For example, who would have thought that the handsome and elegant owner of this ordinary bookstore was the main orchestrator of the Sakura Island sinking incident that went viral online a while ago?
magic sparks flickered, the white portal opened, and Russell stepped out of it.
"Coulson, Skye, good evening."
"Good evening, Russell."
"You know me?"
Russell looked at Skye. She looked almost identical to the Skye in the U.S. drama "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." that Russell watched before he transmigrated, so Russell just called her that directly, forgetting that he hadn't met this girl before.
"Hmm, I know Skye from other Universes."
"Me from other Universes?" Skye was stunned. Is this the number one extraordinary person on Earth, talking about other Universes at every turn?
Well, as Coulson's assistant, Skye had a little understanding of the extraordinary World.
Therefore, it was reasonable for her to know about the existence of the Multiverse, right?
Chapter 199: No support, no opposition, no care
"Then do you know who my parents are?"
As soon as Skye spoke, she regretted it a little.
Although, when she hacked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, the psychological profile in Russell's file described his personality traits as: kind, humorous, easygoing, and a series of other positive terms.
But.
Before Skye could continue to overthink, Russell casually said, "I know who Skye's parents are in another Universe, but I'm not sure if your two backgrounds are the same.
You know, there are often various differences between Multiverse counterparts."
Skye: I don't know.
"Who are Skye's parents in the other Universe?"
Coulson asked, looking even more eager than Skye to know the answer to this question.
"In another Universe, Skye's mother is named Jiaying, the leader of the Inhumans on Earth. Her father is KarlJohnson. The name they gave Skye is Daisy Johnson. As for more information, I'm not clear on that."
Russell didn't keep them in suspense and directly stated the information he knew truthfully.
Inhumans?
Coulson frowned, not expecting Skye's background to be linked to the Inhumans.
"Thank you, Russell."
Skye stood up and bowed to Russell, expressing her gratitude.
"Small matter, an orphan helping an orphan."
Russell didn't mind. He took out cups and pushed them in front of Coulson and Skye.
"What would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, or something else?"
Coulson looked at the empty cups in front of him, confused.
"Coulson, you're getting less and less humorous. Since you're not speaking, I'll choose one for you. Here, CoulsonOriginal White Beer."
Seeing Coulson remain silent for a long time, Russelllightly tapped the table.
From the bottom of the cup in front of Coulson, streams of beer emerged.
"What about you, Skye? What do you want?"
"Just a glass of ice Water, thank you."
Skye forced a smile; her mind was no longer here.
As Skye finished speaking, a stream of ice Water also emerged from the bottom of the cup in front of her.
"So, Coulson, what can I do for you?"
After the pleasantries, Russell asked about the main business.
In his impression, Coulson always had something to discuss whenever he came to see him, true to the saying 'never visit a temple without a reason'.
"Skye, File Number One."
Coulson took a file bag from Skye and handed it to Russell.
"Russell, you previously had S.H.I.E.L.D. handle the alien warship wreckage outside New York.
I discussed it with Master Wong of Kamar-Taj, and we decided to establish a company specifically responsible for this matter, as well as handling conflicts between Masters and other people during missions.
These are the equity documents and the operating report for the past few months of the Kamar-Taj Master Group. Would you like to take a look?"
Russell looked at the stack of documents Coulson handed him and fell silent.
After his Battle of New York with Thanos, the U.S. Military not only tried to seize his spoils, the Space Stone, but also salvaged the Dark Order warship wreckage without his consent.
He was annoyed, so he asked Tony Stark to handle these warship remnants.
Tony Stark then handed them over to S.H.I.E.L.D..
To be fair, he had only mentioned this casually and hadn't given it much thought.
"Coulson, you know, I haven't succeeded as Sorcerer Supreme yet.
So, for matters concerning the interests of all Masters of Kamar-Taj, you should still go to Sorcerer Ancient One; she is the current Sorcerer Supreme.
If you can't find Sorcerer Ancient One, then continue to discuss it with Wong."
After deferring the matter, Russell pointed to another file bag next to Skye and said meaningfully, "Is there something else?"
Coulson gave an awkward laugh: "Indeed, there is one more thing."
"Go on."
"Regarding a bill that the United Nations is preparing to promote, the Super Hero Registration Act. This bill will be implemented globally, and they want to ask for your opinion, Russell."
Coulson took out a bound book from the file bag in Skye's hand.
On the cover of the book, one line was bolded and enlarged:
[Master Russell is exempt from this regulation and has veto power!]
Russell raised an eyebrow: "I thought someone was foolish enough to want me to sign some agreement."
"Russell, you jest. You don't know how much they fear you.
Fury said that this prompt was originally on the first page of the bill, but the Handsome Country (England)representative strongly requested it be moved to the cover.
They were just afraid you'd get angry after seeing the bill's name and act without even turning a page."
As he spoke, Coulson couldn't help but laugh.
Although it was a retelling from Nick Fury, he felt as if he could see the Handsome Country (England)representative's cowardly demeanor.
Russell was helpless; he hadn't done anything bad on Earth or near the Solar System, so why was the Britainrepresentative so afraid of him?
But it was good, saving a lot of trouble.
Pushing the thick Super Hero Registration Act, which was like a book, back to Coulson, Russell chose to opt out.
"I don't want to look, I don't support, I don't oppose, I don't care.
Anyway, I'll still do what I'm going to do. If it conflicts with their bill, then let them amend the bill."
After thinking for a moment, Russell added:
"If there are any matters related to Kamar-Taj, tell them to discuss it with Wong."
"Alright." Regardless of whether Russell had even opened it, Coulson put away the bill and then took out a silver card, handing it to Russell.
"What is this?" Russell asked.
"The company's bank settlement card. Russell, you can directly swipe this card for purchases in the future. As for tax issues, don't worry, there will be dedicated personnel to handle them."
Coulson teased, "Congratulations, Russell. You're also a billionaire, just like Tony.
If you damage anything in battle later, you can also directly activate your money power."
Russell smiled and shook his head, taking the silver card and examining it carefully.
He realized that ever since he had been rapidly advancing on the path of the extraordinary, his concept of worldly money had become increasingly shallow, and he used money less and less.
His last major expenditure was when he bought this bookstore.
This wouldn't do; he didn't want to lose his humanity yet.
Suddenly, Russell spotted a blind spot and asked, "Why is this a silver card, not a gold or black card?"
"Oh, this is specially adjusted to a pearly White. Russell, don't you like it?"
Coulson retorted, "I see the energy you usually use is this color."
Although Coulson was very observant, he had to admit, this time he guessed wrong.
But it didn't matter, Russell forgave him.
Hearing Coulson say that, the more he looked at the card, the more pleasing it became, and the more he felt the color matched him.
It wasn't because this card could be swiped freely!
"Whatever, as long as it's not green."
After confirming that Russell didn't need a different color, Coulson, with Skye, bid farewell and left, not lingering.
Skye's distracted appearance had not escaped Coulson's notice; he knew she was eager to go back and investigate the three names Russell had given her to uncover the truth about her background.
Coulson sighed inwardly.
Ever since the last investigation into the Worthy incident, when Skye 'voluntarily' offered to investigate, he had taken a liking to this young Agent and had kept her by his side to mentor her.
His original intention in bringing Skye this time was to let her become familiar with Russell, and gradually hand over matters of contact with Russell to her in the future.
He hadn't expected...
Chapter 200: If you don't want to be a superhero, can't you just not sign the bill?
The next day, Brooklyn Bridge Park.
A band of Super Heroes made its debut, performing exquisite music excerpted from other Universes, combined with talent displays from super-powered individuals, presenting a magnificent audio-visual feast to the audience.
It was a perfect performance.
The name Phantom Spirit Band instantly became a hit on the internet, spreading across the World, not just limited to the streets of New York.
For a time, the question of how super-powered individuals and ordinary people should coexist once again sparked heated discussion.
The Super Hero Registration Act was launched with this momentum.
Several days later.
In a manor belonging to Tony Stark, on the outskirts of New York, next to Avengers Tower.
Tony and Pepper's wedding was held as scheduled.
Those attending the wedding could be roughly divided into two categories:
Stark Industries' partners in the political and business spheres, and Tony's friends from the super-powered World.
Such as the Avengers, the Phantom Spirit Band, the Guardians of the Galaxy who had been staying on Earthfor many days, and several sorcerers from Kamar-Taj.
The two groups were also divided into different areas.
"Those damn U.S. people, they actually want me to register for some damn act. Super Heroes? Bah, Super Criminals is more like it."
At the party, Rocket Raccoon jumped onto a stool and cursed.
"Rocket, don't use foul language, and don't talk about these upsetting things. Today is Tony's big day," Steve Rogers advised gently.
Recently, the Avengers had been arguing fiercely over this act.
Fortunately, the Avengers in this timeline were just a few members, and no one was stirring up trouble externally, so it wouldn't lead to a civil war.
"Hey, Steve, I'm not an Earthling like you guys. Your laws don't apply to me.
If it weren't for Tony's wedding invitation, we would have left Earth long ago."
Rocket grumbled, unable to resist cursing a few more times under his breath.
"Fuck, when they need my help with research, they're all humble and subservient. When they don't need help, they immediately become arrogant.
These idiots, if I didn't genuinely want to just shoot them."
"Groot~" Treant Groot echoed.
Star-Lord and Destroyer also complained a few times, having been bothered by U.S. lobbyists for days.
"Say less, we're leaving in a couple of days anyway," Nebula said coldly, interrupting their complaints.
"Oh, right, Steve, we, the Guardians of the Galaxy, are leaving this Planet in a couple of days.
But you guys have to stay here forever. Don't you have anything to say about this act?"
Rocket sat down and looked at Steve, teasing him.
Steve looked weary and shook his head bitterly.
Not just Steve, but the Avengers and the other members of the Phantom Spirit Band also looked troubled.
They all put down their cutlery, stopped eating, stopped talking, and pondered deeply.
The atmosphere suddenly became stagnant.
In this silence, Russell, Gwen, Wanda, and Gaya's unchanging demeanor seemed somewhat out of place.
So,
The Phantom Spirit Band members looked at their drummer, Gwen Stacy.
The Avengers members looked at Russell.
Seeing this, Gwen poked Russell with her elbow and asked, "Russell, everyone's looking at you. Do you have a solution?"
Russell shook his head. The Super Hero Registration Actwas a political issue.
Under normal circumstances, he didn't want to discuss political issues.
"Russell, you wouldn't agree to sign this act, would you? I hope you support us and protest this act together," Black Widow Natasha Romanoff suddenly said.
Russell shook his head again.
Natasha: "You agree to sign this act?! Impossible, you're not that kind of person!"
Russell: "My point is, I don't need to sign this act."
Everyone:!!!
"Russell, you don't need to sign this act? Why?"
Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and MysterioQuentin Beck exclaimed in surprise.
They had been exasperated by this act recently, even the joy of their successful concert a few days ago, which had been a hit across the country, was washed away.
Why didn't Russell need to sign this act?
"Is it strange?"
Russell shrugged indifferently, asking back.
"Isn't it strange?"
The four looked around and found that, apart from themselves, everyone else looked thoughtful, with not much surprise on their faces.
"Alright, Russell, you really don't need to sign this act. No one on this Planet can stop you, no matter what you want to do."
Natasha smiled bitterly and shook her head, her spirits considerably lower.
Not just Natasha, but Steve, Hawkeye, and Matt Murdockalso looked disheartened.
Russell sighed inwardly.
Forget it, for the sake of having fought side by side, he should talk to them properly.
"A kind-hearted young man, newly awakened to his powers and just starting out, can also cause harm with good intentions. He tries to save others, to be a hero, but occasionally he makes mistakes, causing injury or death.
As soon as something like that happens, politicians and media looking for fame will immediately go on TV, broadcast it widely, stir up public emotions, and condemn him as a criminal.
Therefore, my advice is to give up the identity of a Super Hero and stop your current actions."
"But if someone dies in front of us, should we ignore it and take no action?" Steve asked.
Russell shook his head: "Steve, not only Super Heroes can save people; ordinary people can too.
I'm merely suggesting you give up the identity of a Super Hero, to no longer treat vigilantism as a profession, not to strip you of your right to act bravely in the face of injustice.
When you are a Super Hero, people will hold you to a Super Hero's standard, and you will be attacked for even a small oversight;
When you are an ordinary person, people will hold you to an ordinary person's standard, and at this time, as long as there is no negative effect, your courage will be praised."
After a pause, Russell's gaze swept over Matt, Hawkeye, and the others.
"Steve, I've only been in this country for a year or two, and you've been asleep for seventy years, only recently awakened.
However, they've been in this country for decades. You can ask them if what I'm saying is wrong."
Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand, the three street heroes, brightened up and nodded.
This was a path they had never considered.
However, Matt Murdock frowned:
"Russell, every night, I hear cries for help from all over. I can't ignore those sounds."
Russell picked up a piece of paper and a pen, and with a few swift strokes, wrote down a phone number.
"Matt, I just said that ordinary people can also do good deeds.
You can try to put down your identity as Daredevil and do good deeds as a concerned citizen.
Here, this is the phone number for Captain George Stacyof the New York Police Department. If you encounter someone who needs help, you can call him."