Death Substitute

"You don’t need to win. Don’t forget, what is your real objective?"

The Darkhold said, "This is a good opportunity. The experts from S.W.O.R.D. and Kamar-Taj are all here, which means the Three Sanctuaries are empty."

Kaecilius’s eyes lit up. "You mean, take this chance to attack the Three Sanctuaries?"

"Looks like you’re not completely stupid. With your intelligence and abilities, this is your best opportunity."

The Darkhold said, "As long as you do this and that, you can destroy the Three Sanctuaries."

Kaecilius was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, "Will this plan really work?"

"Of course. The Darkhold never lies."

The Darkhold said, "However, success depends on following my plan exactly. There can be no deviations. Kaecilius, your abilities are too lacking. If you deviate from the plan, you will definitely fail."

Kaecilius snapped the Darkhold shut in fury. Once he became the Lord of the Dark Dimension, he would destroy this damned book.

"No one can destroy me. I have someone backing me."

The Darkhold sneered. "Also, if you want to become the Lord of Darkness, the only way is to kneel and beg me. Otherwise, with your abilities, forget becoming the Lord of Darkness—you wouldn’t even last a few days as the Lord of Darkness’s servant.

"By the way, anyone who obtains me can become the Lord of Darkness, because I am omnipotent."

"Shut up."

Kaecilius cursed. Then he thought of something and suddenly turned around, only to see six pairs of greedy eyes.

When the six mages saw Kaecilius looking at them, they hurriedly put on the appearance of loyal underlings. Kaecilius snorted coldly. A pack of ungrateful wolves.

Kaecilius shouted, "Proceed according to plan. The Three Sanctuaries will fall today."

"The Three Sanctuaries will fall today!"

The mages cheered in unison. This world would soon belong to Dormammu and them.

Outside the Sky Base, Mordo, who had flown over, shouted, "Kaecilius, come out and die."

Tony mocked, "Are all you mages this straightforward? And will Kaecilius really come out? If it were me, I’d just blast you all with energy cannons."

Strange said, "They’ll come out. Traditional mages look down on technology. They wouldn’t borrow its power."

"A bunch of antiques."

Before Tony had even finished speaking, Kaecilius flew out with six mages. Looking at Strange and Mordo, he said with a savage expression, "Strange, Mordo, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Today is the day you die."

Mordo said disdainfully, "The only one dying will be you."

Strange looked at Kaecilius and his purple eye shadow. "Kaecilius, it’s not too late to turn back."

"Turn back? Why should I turn back? I’m the one who represents justice. I’ll grant immortality to everyone on Earth, and I’ll wipe out that filthy cesspool known as Kamar-Taj."

Kaecilius shouted arrogantly, "Strange, did you know Mordo has been refining Voodoo Corpses and practicing Black Magic?"

Strange and Wong truly had not known about this. They both turned toward Mordo in surprise. Mordo did not deny it. He said, "Kaecilius, enough talk. The surrounding space has been sealed. Today, you will not escape."

As he spoke, Mordo spread his hands, and two sparking magical whips appeared out of thin air.

Strange knew this was not the time to get to the bottom of things. Together with Wong, he formed Space Shields and watched Kaecilius with grim expressions.

"It’s about time we started fighting."

Tony was rather excited and immediately ordered Jarvis, "Jarvis, bring down the Sky Base."

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

Jarvis acknowledged the command and activated it. The Sky Base behind Kaecilius rapidly fell toward the ground. Because of the Defense Shield, the people inside were not greatly affected.

Kaecilius could not help turning around. Tony seized the opportunity and controlled seven scarlet Crescent Blades to slash at Kaecilius and the others. At the same time, two missile pods sprang up from his shoulders, and four rows of Micro Missiles fired at the enemy in succession.

Kaecilius smiled contemptuously and waved a hand. Space twisted, and both the Crescent Blades and the Micro Missiles turned around and flew back toward Tony’s group.

Strange immediately opened a portal, and all the Micro Missiles flew into it and vanished. As for the Crescent Blades, Mordo knocked them away with his magical whips.

Tony hurriedly recalled the Crescent Blades. Then he stretched out his hands, and two Vibranium daggers sprang out. It seemed that if he wanted to deal with these mages, he would have to rely on close combat.

"Your Space Magic really disgraces Kamar-Taj."

Kaecilius sneered and cast a spell with both hands. The space where Tony and the others stood rapidly spun upside down. Tony cried out in alarm. This was far more outrageous than he had imagined.

Strange and the other two hurriedly cast spells to stabilize the space. At that moment, the six mages behind Kaecilius all reached forward and forcibly dragged Tony’s group into the Mirror Dimension.

To Tony and the others’ shock, the Mirror Dimension was packed with Energy Bombs. A rough count showed there were at least thirty of them.

Tony hurriedly analyzed the Energy Bombs while mocking, "Who was it that just said mages look down on technology?"

Strange and the others did not waste words. They immediately cast spells and launched attacks at Kaecilius. The six mages behind Kaecilius acted at once and blocked every attack.

Kaecilius himself clasped his hands together. The Mirror Dimension was suddenly sliced open in a circle, and the severed space rapidly collapsed inward. An aura of destruction enveloped the entire small dimension.

At the same time, all the Energy Bombs activated, flashing with dazzling light as they prepared to explode.

"Mordo, times have changed. With so many Energy Bombs plus spatial destruction, let’s see whether you die or not!"

Kaecilius laughed loudly and left the Mirror Dimension with the six mages, returning outside. Tony hurriedly shouted, "Get out of here! Those Energy Bombs are Kree Empire High-Energy Bombs. Each one can easily destroy a warship.

"Damn it, what is wrong with those countries? How could someone steal spoils of war at this level?"

Strange and the other two did not dare delay. They immediately cast spells to open a portal, but despairingly, the sparks had barely appeared before they dissipated.

Wong shouted in despair, "We’re finished."

"Damn, no way. Am I really going to die here?"

Tony’s eyes widened as deep fear surged through him. He had only just become a father. How could he die?

This time, Tony truly regretted it. He should not have been so reckless. As he tried to think of a solution, he shouted at Strange, "Strange, think of something!"

"Don’t panic. We’re not at the end yet."

Strange cast a spell with both hands, and a strange ornament appeared on his chest. It was Kamar-Taj’s supreme treasure, the Eye of Agamotto—the Time Stone.

A few days ago, Ancient One had handed the Eye of Agamotto to Strange as if he were arranging his final affairs. Strange had not understood why at the time, but now it seemed Ancient One might have foreseen this disaster.

Just as Strange was about to cast a spell, Mordo threw a blood-red little figure made of mud toward them. "Use this. The Eye of Agamotto interferes with time and will cause backlash, so use it as little as possible."

"Is this thing reliable?"

Tony caught the little figure and said, "I think the two of you should use your ultimate moves together. That would be safer."

"Don’t worry. It’s extremely reliable."

Mordo spoke, and the next moment, dozens of Energy Bombs exploded at once. The space, already on the verge of destruction, instantly collapsed. Violent energy crazily battered everything inside, intent on grinding them all to pieces.

Because the Mirror Dimension had exploded, there was little commotion outside. Only a few ripples spread through space.

A moment later, a portal suddenly opened, and four naked figures appeared in the sky. They were Tony and the other three.

Of the four, only Strange had a cloak. The others were completely naked. Mordo’s little figure could protect their bodies, but not their clothes.

"Wow, we really survived."

Having escaped death, Tony let out a sigh of relief and could not help asking curiously, "Mordo, what is the principle behind that little figure? Those Space Energies couldn’t hurt us at all?"

Unlike Tony, Strange and Wong were not happy. Strange wrapped himself in his cloak and asked solemnly, "Mordo, was that Black Magic? A Death Substitute?"

Wong was also deeply dissatisfied. "Mordo, you really have fallen."

"Hey, what are you doing? He saved us."

Tony was quite unhappy. At the same time, he hurriedly summoned Friday to send over another suit of armor. It was a little cold—because his armor was often blown apart, he had gotten into the habit of carrying an extra suit.

Come to think of it, had he been proven wrong again this time?

"A Death Substitute requires someone to die in our place."

Strange said, "And this kind of Death Substitute requires killing ten people to refine. In other words, he has caused the deaths of at least forty-four people."

Tony was stunned. Mordo peeled a trench coat off a Voodoo Corpse and put it on, then said, "Those people all deserved to die. I did not kill innocents indiscriminately. Besides, I only caused forty deaths. The person who died in our place will not truly die."

"Will not truly die?"

Strange wanted to ask more, but Tony smoothed things over. "I think we should deal with what’s down there first. That Kaecilius seems to have created a major problem."

Strange glanced down and said, "Mordo, after this battle ends, I must have a serious talk with you."

Mordo nodded. "Fine. My conscience is clear."

At the same time, in Africa, Red-Clothed Mercenary Wade’s body, which had been faking an accident, suddenly rapidly disintegrated, as if he had been struck by dozens of Space Bombs at once.

"Fuck, Mordo, you screwed me over again! If I don’t get a million this time, I’ll never forgive you!"

Wade cursed loudly and died on the spot. Not even his body remained; only his clothes fell to the ground. The driver he had been scamming was so frightened that he fainted and collapsed straight down.

The next second, Wade regenerated. There was not the slightest anger on his face. Instead, he was extremely excited. This time, he had finally seen the other party’s face. It was flawless beyond compare, and combined with that figure, Wade felt like he had fallen in love.

"I really want to die one more time."

Wade said lecherously. Heaven quickly granted his wish, and he was reduced to ashes once more.

At Kamar-Taj, the usually calm Wang Bert projection abruptly stood up and shouted in disbelief, "Deadpool? How could he be in this world?"

Wang Bert had been curious about who Mordo’s substitute victim was. The moment he saw Wade, covered in craters and with a face like an avocado, he was immediately shocked.

Deadpool was a mutant, but this world had no mutants.

Ancient One said blandly, "He has always been here. He even has connections with your Blood Clan, but because of this and that, you never discovered him."

"Master."

Wang Bert sat back down and asked, "Are the secrets you’ve hidden, and the great disaster you mentioned, related to mutants?"

Thinking of this, Wang Bert remembered something. Madame Gao had once told him that Wu Fengji, the first Iron Fist, had killed a Phoenix. Now it seemed that Phoenix might really have been connected to Phoenix.

Ancient One said, "After I die, you will know everything."

Wang Bert said, "Then let’s wait a little longer. If nothing unexpected happens, you’ll die today anyway."

"Yes, I’ll die today. I’ve waited a long time."

Ancient One smiled. Then he thought of something and said, "Oh, right. Remember to burn me more tea in the future. This alien tea is pretty good."

Wang Bert complained, "How am I supposed to burn that over?"

Let us turn time back a little. After luring Tony and the others into the trap, Kaecilius and the other six reappeared in the sky, their faces filled with delight. So what if Strange was the next Sorcerer Supreme? He had still died at their hands.

Kaecilius then led the mages back to the descending Sky Base and rearranged the Altar’s runes according to the Darkhold’s instructions.

Once the arrangement was complete, Kaecilius quietly called out, "Spider Demon God, descend."

A black spider-shaped demonic shadow appeared above the Altar. Then the shadow coldly said to Kaecilius, "Kaecilius, you must succeed this time. Otherwise, I will tear you to pieces."

For Kaecilius’s plan, the Spider Demon God had sacrificed a projection and sent down its core power.

"This time, we will definitely succeed."

Kaecilius nodded with complete certainty. Then he pressed both hands downward. The spider Altar suddenly exploded, but there was no shockwave, only a mass of pitch-black energy.

The black energy then shot into the sky, instantly breaking through the Space Stone Tablet’s seal. But it did not stop there. The black energy crazily eroded the surrounding space, waiting for the moment it would erupt.

Kaecilius looked at his six junior brothers and sisters and said coldly, "Follow the previous plan. Divide the Spider Demons into three groups and attack the three Sanctuaries at the same time. Everyone, immortality is right before us. We absolutely cannot fail."

The six mages nodded together. "Don’t worry. We will not fail."

"Good. Move out."

Kaecilius opened three portals with the six mages. Then the mages led the Spider Demons through them excitedly—the destinations were Kamar-Taj’s Three Sanctuaries in Hong Kong, London, and New York.

Kaecilius looked down at S.W.O.R.D. and sneered disdainfully. "You think you can fight me?"

The Darkhold sneered. "Without me, you would have been taken out long ago. Why are you acting tough? Hurry up and clean up the loose ends, then leave."

Kaecilius gritted his teeth. He turned to Dreykov and said, "Control the Sky Base and make it descend at full speed. Also, activate the base’s self-destruct function."

"Yes, Master."

Dreykov obediently did as ordered. Although Jarvis had infiltrated the intelligent system, the base had a manual system and could still descend—or even self-destruct.

"Very good. Dracula, Mimic Woman, take the Spider Demons and come with me to the New York Sanctum."

Kaecilius nodded in satisfaction and ordered, "As for everyone else, use everything you have to kill the people from S.W.O.R.D."

"Yes, Master."

Everyone answered in unison and followed Kaecilius through the portal.

After Kaecilius and the others had all left, the mass of black energy suddenly exploded, and the surrounding space instantly became incomparably chaotic.