Chapter 74 74: I’ve Really Missed You, Mephisto
Time passed, and three months went by, bringing them to June 2007.
These three months had been very peaceful.
During this period, Reacher and the others experienced explosive growth. According to rough estimates, the Astartes Warband's physical strength had reached around 70 to 80 tons.
The Raven Warband, originally formed from Black Widows, consisted of women, so they were naturally weaker than the men in terms of physical strength. Even so, they still started at around 60 tons.
The more outstanding ones could approach 70 tons. However, in terms of speed, agility, and flexibility, they surpassed Reacher and the other roughneck soldiers.
This was already extremely impressive. In the future, the usual base strength for Colossus or the Hulk would generally be around 100 tons.
At this level, their power was not just about destructive force. Their entire bodies had improved in every aspect.
Speed, explosive force, defense, bones, internal organs—everything had undergone comprehensive enhancement and adaptation.
Conventional firearms could no longer harm them.
Even large-caliber rifle rounds became ineffective once they accelerated their blood flow and reinforced their muscles.
Everyone had already mastered the basics of the Six Powers.
Among them, Iron Body (Tekkai), Paper Arts( Kami-e), and Shave (Soru) were the most proficiently mastered.
Shave (Soru) could be considered the most outstanding ability among the Six Powers. It dramatically increased instantaneous burst speed in battle, allowing movement at the speed of sound in an instant.
Ordinary people could not even catch sight of the user with the naked eye.
It was extremely practical in combat.
As for Iron Body and Paper Arts, Matthew had deliberately singled them out for personal instruction.
As someone already highly proficient in the Six Powers, he was certain these two abilities could accelerate the comprehension of Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
They were not absolute prerequisites, but they did improve the chances of awakening Haki. Compared to the wild and uncontrolled method of awakening through life-and-death battles or accidents, this approach was far more systematic and practical.
Unfortunately, although everyone had mastered the basics of the Six Powers, there were still no signs of awakening Haki.
Clearly, some kind of limitation existed.
Matthew had already considered this possibility, so he had begun developing a new idea.
Combining magic with Haki, he planned to use magic to analyze the structure of Haki itself. Then, through magical barriers, he would preserve "seeds" of Haki and implant them into the soldiers' bodies, allowing them to personally experience and comprehend the power of Haki to see whether awakening it was possible.
However, while this idea was still in its experimental stages, an unexpected event interrupted his plans. The Ancient One sought him out with news.
At the island base, the two Warbands were still conducting their daily training within the gravity zone on the beach, while Matthew himself trained inside the Mirror Dimension.
He was becoming somewhat overpowered; at eighteen, he was in the golden period of physical growth. Having never neglected his physical training over the last three months, his raw strength was approaching the thousand-ton mark.
Compared to beings like the Ancient One and Dormammu, he was still insignificant. But compared to everyone else, he was already a monster.
Even his most ordinary training sessions could cause terrifying destruction to the surrounding environment.
The island base simply could not withstand his abuse.
Just as Matthew was still immersed in the satisfaction of improving both himself and his subordinates, the Ancient One brought him even better news—news so exciting it nearly sent his mind soaring.
...
Inside the Mirror Dimension—
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Terrifying endless black-red lightning dyed the sky blood-red, as though the apocalypse had descended. The ocean churned violently, raising colossal waves that towered into the heavens.
Violent winds howled across the area.
The original island chain had completely vanished, erased by some unknown force. Only a few surviving reefs remained relatively intact, enduring the relentless impact of the waves.
On one of those reefs stood Matthew, dressed in a black sleeveless training outfit, facing away from the roaring black lightning rolling across the sky behind him.
The violent aura surging from his body made him seem like a devil grinning in madness.
Lightning flashed continuously, illuminating the indescribable expression on his face.
"Mephisto?"
"I've really missed him."
His voice sounded distant, almost as though he were reminiscing about an old friend.
Standing before him, even someone like the Ancient One found it difficult to maintain her usual composure. Her expression turned strange as she looked at Matthew, who seemed even more like a devil than Mephisto himself.
Silently, she thought to herself: You certainly miss him... you just miss him being dead.
"Dormammu has been active very frequently lately. For the coming period, I will need to focus on countering his threats. As for Mephisto's side, you..."
The Ancient One hesitated for a moment before sighing softly. "Don't make too much noise. It's best to maintain the current balance as much as possible."
Truthfully, she was not particularly interested in Mephisto.
The main reason was that Mephisto was too cunning. He knew how to judge situations wisely. As long as she remained on Earth, he did not dare appear openly.
At most, he would secretly sneak onto Earth and cause a little trouble in the shadows, with minimal destruction or impact.
Dormammu, however, was different. Recently, he had been acting like a madman, constantly provoking trouble.
As a result, the Ancient One had no choice but to confront him.
As for Dormammu's purpose, the Ancient One naturally understood it clearly. But this was an open scheme, and she had no choice but to respond.
This time, she had come to notify Matthew in advance. Without her present, if threats from other dimensions appeared that Kamar-Taj could not handle, they would need Matthew's help.
While she was at it, she mentioned Mephisto. Letting Matthew go and cause some trouble for the devil was a form of warning.
With the message delivered, the Ancient One left. Dormammu was acting like a hyperactive husky, not leaving her a single minute of rest.
Left alone, Matthew cracked his neck and likewise departed the Mirror Dimension.
However, he didn't return to the island base. Instead, he went to Kamar-Taj.
Not long after arriving, he encountered Wong strolling around the training grounds while holding a piece of bread and watching the sorcerer apprentices train.
Seeing Matthew, Wong greeted him warmly.
"Matthew, good afternoon."
"Wong, I need your help."
Matthew spoke seriously the moment he saw him.
Wong looked surprised at first, then quickly became serious as well.
"OK."
…
Texas.
Under the pitch-black night sky, a truck sped down a remote and deserted highway at astonishing speed.
Suddenly, accompanied by the harsh screech of tires grinding against the road, the vehicle quickly came to a stop.
The door opened, and a figure jumped down from the driver's seat. From the truck's radio came the serious report of a news anchor:
"Our city has experienced an unprecedented event. Witnesses claim a flaming skeletal monster riding a burning motorcycle began a forty-minute spree of destruction in the downtown area. We are now connecting live to our reporter at Fourth Avenue…"
Ignoring the broadcast, the man stood by the roadside and gazed through the darkness toward a village ahead that had long since been abandoned.
Moonlight shone down, revealing his face.
A pale and handsome face carrying an indescribable sense of evil.
He wore a purple suit.
"Found it."
He glanced at the path ahead, then shifted his gaze toward the far distance. What he was looking for was over there.
...
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