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"What's he doing?" Stephen was surprised to realize that the dark and obscure aura that had been lingering on Nick's soul had been cleared away. And the only thing that cleared it away was a strange creature that looked like the opposite color of the black monster outside, but seemed to be the same species.
It looks like there are monsters out there feeding on people's positive emotions.
The white creature in front of him feeds on the energy or negative emotions of those monsters.
Two sides of the same coin, opposites. They appear to be the same species, yet possess opposing preferences and attributes.
"How did you get contaminated?" Becky summoned back the white creature that was circling around Nick, reluctant to leave.
"It was affected a bit." Stephen obviously didn't want to recall his own embarrassment. He just stared curiously at the white creature that retreated to Becky's side. With a slight movement in his heart, he asked tentatively, "It can be used to filter and remove impurities and filth from spiritual energy, right?"
"Xiaobai really likes to eat those things. It and Xiaohei can't meet. If they meet, they will fight, and I have to work hard to separate them. But I only have one Xiaobai in my hand, and it is weak and can't beat the Xiaohei." Becky blinked, holding the white creature in her hand and stuffing it back into her pocket, while answering.
"So, it can also clear the Abyss?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. Although he had always had high hopes for Luke, he had never expected that even the energy of the Abyss could be cleared?
"You should ask Dad about this. I'm just responsible for raising them and letting them play with me." Becky pouted and glanced at Stephen.
"Ahem, we came here to find Luke, but we ran into those guys outside. Even our defense mechanism wasn't triggered." Stephen clenched his right fist, put it to his lips, coughed twice, and said awkwardly.
"The defense mechanism was shut down during the exercise time. I can open a door for you now." Becky stretched out his palm enthusiastically, jumped up and drew a blue space door in the air. The space door was about two meters high, square, and stood stably on the ground.
"Where is this portal going?" Stephen asked cautiously upon seeing the portal appear. He was afraid Becky would teleport them to some inexplicable place. What if she thought they were leaving the collection room and heading to the hall? Wouldn't they have to face those creepy monsters again?
"The laboratory." Becky answered as a matter of course.
"What about you? I mean, how do you plan to deal with those monsters outside?" Stephen, who was a little embarrassed by Becky's strange eyes, turned his head, stretched out his palm and patted Nick's floating soul back into his body. He bent down and helped Nick, who was still dizzy, up from the ground, and asked as he supported him towards the space gate.
"I'll go catch them all." After saying that, Becky disappeared in a flash of light.
…
"What's wrong with him?" Stephen heard a greeting the moment he emerged from the space portal. Looking towards the source of the voice, he saw Luke, a man with a capital badge on his chest, curiously looking at Nick, who still had a bright smile on his face.
"Uh, I was touched by a white creature." Stephen turned his head to look at the space gate that disappeared behind him. He freed one hand and used magic to shape an illusory image while explaining to Luke.
"A ghost?" Luke recognized what it was the moment he saw the illusory image outlined by Stephen.
"Is he okay? Can you find a way to stop him from smiling so brightly? You know, it's a little awkward when someone like him smiles like that, like a childish smile." Stephen placed Nick on a chair that had been lifted from the ground. He looked away, unable to look directly at the uncontrollable smile on Nick's face. He had never seen such a pure and innocent smile on Nick's face, a smile that came from the heart without a trace of impurities. This kind of smile would be very healing on a child, but on someone like Nick, it was simply unsettling.
"It's okay, it's just affected by the contact with the White Soul Monster. Its personality hasn't been polluted or distorted yet." Luke stepped forward, observed it carefully, and made a judgment.
"Is this considered pollution? I feel fine!" Nick, immersed in a certain joy, wasn't blind to external sounds or perception. It was simply that the emotion was so intense that it overwhelmed all other feelings, leaving him too lazy to express them and simply immersed in them. But while his inner joy remained, he was able to control his consciousness, free himself from those influences, and soberly control his body according to his own will.
"Any dimensional energy is a form of pollution to humans. This is also true of psionic energy. If you've read the intelligence on Azeroth, you'll understand that high concentrations of energy can even transform one species into another. Perhaps they were once a single race, a single life form.
They are neither good nor bad in themselves, but for life and the universe, they are divided into good and bad based on their alignment and stance. In today's world, negative psionic energy is pollution, and positive psionic energy is also pollution. It's just that the pollution of positive psionic energy is more in line with our sense of order and morality, and is more easily accepted. Therefore, it is not considered pollution. But in fact, there is no real difference between the two. "Master Stephen Strange corrected Nick's thoughts.
"You should be thankful that you didn't get sucked by a complete White Soul Eater, otherwise your moral standards would be in line with the current captain. But look at him, his overly high moral standards make him only a mascot. If you become like this, then your extremely stable position as director will be strongly impacted. I don't think those people on the board of directors will tolerate a good guy like Nick sitting in the position of director of S.H.I.E.L.D. after tolerating a captain. After all, the importance of S.H.I.E.L.D. has exceeded that of most countries." Luke joked in a matter-of-fact manner.
"So I should be thanking Becky's pets for showing mercy? Those pets of hers nearly got me killed! Don't tell me you don't know the predicament we were in. You just wanted to see us in such a mess, didn't you?" Nick wanted to act like an angry accuser, but in his current state, he couldn't muster up any anger or negative emotions, which made him feel very awkward. His words, spoken with a smile and in a lighthearted tone, would be seen by everyone as a joke.
"Don't say that. The manager here is the Maker. But he's working diligently for me right now." Luke easily put the blame on Maker Luke and removed himself. He wouldn't say that he was happy to see the two people fleeing in such a panic.
Seeing the irrepressible smile on Luke's face, Stephen and Nick knew full well that he had watched their entire, utterly disastrous escape. This perfectly matched their basic perception of Luke: a nasty individual with a strong sense of malice. He epitomized Luke's unpleasant side.
"How exactly were those soul-sucking monsters created? What's the point of creating them? They're even immune to Stephen's spells. This strength is a bit too strong." Nick rubbed his face, which had frozen in time. He had regained some control over his body, and he felt his emotions calming down, no longer in an uncontrollable state. This also allowed him to regain more clarity and thinking ability.
"What do you think, Master Stephen?" Luke did not answer immediately. He glanced at Strange, indicating that he should tell him his opinion.
"Is it related to the abyss? I can sense the aura of the abyss from them—the black succubus—" Stephen said. If his guess was true, he thought it was crazy!
"It can be said that their birth was indeed mixed with some of the power of the abyss. This gives them a close connection with the abyss." Luke confirmed Stephen's guess and admitted it.
"You are so crazy! I think the power of the abyss should be sealed." Stephen shook his head.
"That's not something you'd say. As the Sorcerer Supreme, you've even wielded the power of the Dark Dimension. And even deeper, even involving the power of the God of Dark Magic," Luke bluntly pierced Stephen's mask. After possessing the power of psionic energy, Stephen never relinquished the power of other dimensional demons and worlds, including the Source of Dark Magic, the Crimson Dimension, the Dark Dimension, and so on. He's even more extreme and unbridled than his teacher, the Ancient One. At least the Ancient One knew how to be secretive, while Stephen, I've been the one to conceal it. But if you know, then know it.
As for the price?
Anyway, Stephen has sold himself countless times. When he dies, or when the time comes, it will depend on which of the creditors can compete with whom. He has organizations and people behind him anyway. If things really go wrong, Ancient One can't just turn a blind eye and let him die. So he is now showing off his arrogance.
Stealing is Ancient One's forte.
Defaulting on debts is a tradition of the Supreme Mage.
Finding a way out is the advice given by the Demon God Gu Yi through words and deeds.
Stephen has been the Sorcerer Supreme for so long that he has already become a master and has surpassed his master.
"What about that white soul-sucking monster?" Nick was intrigued by the white soul-sucking monster that cleansed his body of impurities. He thought it could be very useful in some situations. For example, could he give his enemy a white soul-sucking monster and turn him into a saint? While this sainthood didn't mean he wouldn't resist or think, it was still a use.
"It's special," Luke replied.
"Special? A mutant?" Stephen mused. He was also very interested in the white serpent. After all, Luke had already admitted that the black serpent was connected to the Abyss. The fact that the white serpent could remove the contamination associated with the Abyss was shocking enough.
"It is the superior form of the Black Soul Monster. It can also be said to be an evolved form. It is a new life that can only be produced at a certain time after being mixed with a certain spiritual essence. After evolution, they will become hunters, and in turn regard those Black Soul Monsters that have not evolved as prey and food. The probability of their birth is not high. The experiment I am doing now is to create a breeding ground for it. Or it can be said to be a special world structure." Luke gave an accurate answer.
"Is there truly a rival energy to the Abyss?" Stephen was slightly excited. For him, nothing could be more exciting and significant than learning of a new energy that could rival the Abyss. This meant that the mages of Kamar-Taj, and his own power, would surge even further. Furthermore, a new, powerful dimensional power would only fuel his desire to collect it.
"It's only possible," Luke cunningly offered an ambiguous answer, then changed the subject. "Actually, besides the white Dementor, there's another evolved form of Dementor, a formless entity somewhat like a ghost. In some lands, this evolved form is called a Sky Demon. Of course, I prefer to call it a Mind Mapping Monster."
"The weirdness of mind mapping?" Stephen and Nick looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other's eyes.
"Simply put, it's a spirit that represents the inner desires of all living beings. It's similar to the manifestation of the emotional spectrum. However, after its birth, it typically hides deep within a living being. At a certain moment when you need to make a decision, it will suddenly appear and deflect your thoughts," Luke explained. Seeing the confusion on Nick and Stephen's faces, he paused and then explained again, "If Stephen embarks on the path to deification like the Ancient One, he will first face various temptations. Any choice could lead to good or bad results. And at this critical moment, if you are influenced by the mind-reflecting monster, your thinking is clouded, and you make the wrong choice, it is very likely that all your previous efforts will be wasted."
And you generally don't even realize you're being affected. You just think it's your own decision. Do you realize how terrifying this is when I say this?"
Stephen was horrified.
"Like another self?" He offered a metaphor based on his own understanding. If, as Luke said, the mind-reflecting monster possessed this mysterious and uncanny power, then as long as it could influence the decisions of living beings at critical moments, it could be said to be a different kind of power, controlling the fate of living beings.