Chapter 585 I Will Guide You
That was a massive interdimensional monster covered in tentacles, with a giant single eye right in the center.
Strange recognized this monster; it was the multiverse summoned beast recorded in the darkhold, the one-eyed monster Gargantos.
Doubt welled up in Strange’s heart.
Gargantos’s tentacles continuously smashed the surrounding rocks, and its giant mouth filled with fangs opened wide, attempting to swallow America whole.
Strange watched the scene calmly.
He found that America didn’t know magic at all, nor did she understand how to control her own power, only unconsciously triggering spatial Portals when in extreme fear.
But if she was eaten by the monster, his only hope would be shattered.
"I must protect her before I get her power."
And the darkhold provided him with the perfect solution.
Dream-walking.
This was a piece of dark magic regarded as an absolute taboo by all orthodox sorcerers.
It allowed the caster to project his consciousness into the multiverse and forcibly take over the body of "himself" in another Universe.
Such an act was not only a desecration of the soul, but it might also trigger the catastrophic consequences of a Universe collision.
But the current Strange did not know its severity, and with his obsession magnified by the darkhold, he could not care about that much anymore.
Right now, nothing was more important than getting Christine back.
He got up and walked to the center of the secret room.
With a wave of his hand, a complex dark red magic circle lit up on the ground.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the magic circle, his hands forming complex spells.
Red multiverse-linked magic orbs poured out from the darkhold, and the scenes of countless Universes flashed backward on both sides of Strange’s consciousness, stretching into brilliant bands of light.
Finally, he locked onto a target.
That was the Doctor Strange of the Universe where America was located.
In a flash.
Strange’s consciousness forcibly cut in.
A Doctor Strange with long hair and a ponytail tied at the back of his head opened his eyes.
A flash of dark red light crossed his pupils, and then they returned to normal.
"It worked." Strange moved his fingers using this body.
The original consciousness of the owner of this body was suppressed by him into a corner of the mind.
...
America was running around in a panic, feeling deeply desperate and not knowing when it would ever end.
"Damn it! Stay away from me!"
She glanced back and saw Gargantos’s giant eyeball staring intently at her.
Which Universe was this?
America couldn’t even count anymore.
Ever since she discovered she had the ability to travel across the multiverse, this endless pursuit had been like a bone-gnawing maggot.
No matter which Universe she escaped to, all kinds of bizarre monsters would always come to hunt her down.
She panted heavily, her stamina nearing its limit.
Gargantos let out a roar, and its huge tentacles lashed out fiercely once again.
America screamed loudly, her body instinctively wanting to activate her power.
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky.
It was a man with a ponytail and somewhat graying White hair.
The variant Doctor Strange arrived just in time.
With a wave of his hands, a golden magic shield blocked in front of him.
"Bang!"
The tentacle slammed heavily onto the shield, and Strange was knocked back more than a dozen steps, but he firmly protected the girl behind him.
"Get behind me, kid," the possessed Strange said without looking back.
Strange understood that he must first play the role of a Guardian, gain the girl’s trust, and then find an opportunity to seize her power.
Gargantos angrily glared at the sorcerer blocking it in front of him.
Several tentacles rose from the ground simultaneously, strangling over from all directions like venomous snakes.
Strange sneered.
Tentacles? It just so happened he hadn’t eaten them for a long time.
He quickly formed hand seals with both hands and chanted in a low voice: "Feast of Cagliostro!"
Suddenly, bizarre rays of light spewed from Strange’s eyes and mouth.
As soon as Gargantos’s lashing tentacles came into contact with these rays of light, it was like encountering a super-powerful vacuum cleaner.
Amid reluctant roars, Strange swallowed the whole thing into his body.
Afterwards, he burped contentedly, turned to look at the shaken America, and tried hard to force what he thought was a kind smile onto his face.
"You’re safe now, kid."
America looked at him somewhat warily. "Who are you? Are you a magician?"
"You can call me Doctor Strange, and I’m here to protect you." Strange raised his hand and drew a Portal. "This isn’t the place to talk, come with me."
...
Another World, the New York Sanctum.
Strange led an exhausted America into the empty main hall.
"Drink some water and rest a bit." Strange sat opposite her, staring at her with burning eyes.
America took the cup with trembling hands, raising her head and greedily gulping it down like a traveler lost in the desert for three days.
The clear Water flowed down the corners of her mouth, wetting her collar, but she couldn’t care less about that.
After finishing a full large cup, she panted and asked for a second cup, followed by a third cup.
Strange watched her quietly.
Yet there was no mercy belonging to a Guardian in his eyes, only the calculation of a hunter sizing up his prey.
The whispers of the darkhold kept echoing in his mind, continuously magnifying his internal paranoia.
After America finished drinking the Water, her eyes were still full of guard.
"Why did you save me? What on earth are those monsters?"
"Those monsters are coming for you. More accurately, they are coming for your power," Strange explained, his tone appearing extremely patient. "I have observed your ability; you are able to travel between different Universes. This is an extremely rare and dangerous talent."
America lowered her head and said helplessly, "But I can’t control it, nor do I know how to use it. Every time, that damn star-shaped door only appears when I’m extremely scared. And every time it throws me into a completely unfamiliar place."
Strange’s eyes flickered slightly.
That’s right, this girl was a Master key, a key that could allow him to cross the multiverse and return to Christine’s side.
As long as she could help him open that door, he could possess the happiness he dreamed of.
"Listen, America." Strange leaned forward, his tone so sincere that even he almost believed it himself. "You can’t keep running away like this. You possess incredible power, but power itself has no right or wrong; the key lies in how to control it."
"Only when you completely control this power can you get rid of the endless pursuit of those monsters. And I will guide you to use this power correctly."
Strange calculated silently in his heart.
As long as America could accurately open the Portal for him to that target Universe, he might consider sparing her.
After all, he considered himself a Superhero, not a maniac.
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