Chapter 169: Into the Darkness
"You again?"
The colossal, blood-red eyes narrowed in fury, locking onto Gene as he stood beside Doom.
"That’s right, Dormammu. We meet again." Gene’s voice was calm, unwavering, as he stared up at the floating infernal gaze. "Didn’t expect to see me so soon? What’s the matter? Not ready to get kicked back to your flaming cave yet?"
This wasn’t Gene’s first encounter with Dormammu—well, not in the literal sense.
"RAHHHH!" Dormammu howled. A violent burst of chaotic energy erupted from his crimson eyes, swirling everything in its path and surging toward Gene and Doom like a tidal wave of destruction.
Instinctively, Doom raised his arms to defend, but Gene was already in front of him. With a simple motion of his hand, the wave of chaos split before it could reach them—like a modern-day Moses parting a storm of fire and malice. Dormammu’s energy bent away from Gene, terrified, redirected by sheer force of will.
Dormammu roared in frustration. Yet, he was powerless here—this was Doom’s mindscape. No matter how mighty the Lord of the Dark Dimension was, he could never manifest his full might within someone else’s psyche.
Gene glanced at Doom, who stood timidly by his side. Despite all the outside bravado—the brilliance, the arrogance, the ambition—inside, he was still just a frightened, helpless child.
No wonder this place was so cold... so empty... so dark.
"This isn’t the Victor I know," Gene said quietly. "The Victor I know is a man of ideals. A man of belief. A man who would never kneel—certainly not to a creature like Dormammu."
Doom’s voice trembled. "But Dormammu’s right. I’m nothing but a failure. No matter how hard I try, I still can’t save my mother from the clutches of the hell dimension..."