Marvel: Xenomorphs

Wong estimated that even he, facing Kaecilius, couldn't have done better than Duncan.

"Don't worry about these. As long as they're still breathing, they'll recover slowly," Duncan said calmly, walking over to Wong despite his tattered clothes.

By the time he stood firmly in place, most of his injuries had already healed.

"Your arms—"

"Will grow back too."

Wong stared numbly as Duncan's severed arms slowly began to regenerate. Though the process was slow, it was clear they would eventually restore completely. The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

Being able to heal flesh wounds was one thing, but regrowing lost limbs? No wonder Duncan dared to use such aggressive tactics against Kaecilius.

"Thankfully, Kaecilius used the Mouth of Faltine..." Wong muttered to himself. He suspected Kaecilius had been too greedy. If he had used a less powerful spell, the outcome might have been different.

"I might not necessarily win, but I definitely wouldn't die easily. My life is tough," Duncan said.

"Wong. My name is Wong. Kaecilius isn't the type to give up easily. He's extraordinarily stubborn. I'm not sure what happened between you two... Wait."

Wong's gaze fell on the seemingly ordinary Xenomorph, which still faintly radiated traces of black magic.

The intelligent mage began to piece things together, his expression shifting to one of shock and anger.

"It's nothing much. As you can see, this is my first time encountering magic, so I did some research. It seems the being behind Kaecilius noticed," Duncan said nonchalantly.

"Enough! You're insane to dabble in black magic! It's the most dangerous and malevolent force in the world. No matter the circumstances, never touch it. I don't want to see you among the ranks of dark mages in the future!"

"Got it, got it. Someone else told me something similar. He's currently being hunted by Magneto across the globe," Duncan replied.

"Don't bring worldly conflicts into the realm of magic—"

"Dormammu. I know about Dormammu, and I know he's an interdimensional demon," Duncan answered. "I'm not some clueless fool when it comes to magic."

Wong's eyes grew more dangerous as he debated whether to deal with Duncan here and now. "Every talented mage who joins the dark mages starts off thinking the same way. And you're not even a mage."

"Your words remind me of an anti-drug PSA I once saw, Wong. You're quite knowledgeable. Before joining Kamar-Taj, were you a librarian?" Duncan remained calm, methodically gathering his Xenomorph troops and assessing the losses.

He had brought twenty-two Xenomorphs, and eight had died. The losses were smaller than expected, considering his opponent was Kaecilius.

"To be precise, I was a salesman," Wong said, his tone displeased.

He wasn't interested in figuring out how Duncan knew so much. After all, the existence of interdimensional demons wasn't a secret to ancient beings and organizations.

"Wong, give my regards to the Ancient One."

With that, Duncan leaped onto the shoulder of the Abomination Xenomorph and, after a quick farewell, departed.

Wong watched Duncan's decisive actions, his brow furrowed.

"Don't joke around. Where does he get the confidence? The Ancient One doesn't have time to deal with small fry like him..."

But since this involved Kaecilius, Wong felt it was necessary to report to the Ancient One.

Passing through a portal, Wong arrived at the Ancient One's side.

"Ancient One..." Before Wong could finish.

Mordo interjected urgently, "The Ancient One is communicating with an external deity. Do not disturb her!"

"It's fine. I already know. Duncan's words were quite interesting," the Ancient One said, her eyes closed, surrounded by an ocean of magical particles that filled Wong with deep reverence.

Ordinary people could never fathom the limits of the Ancient One's power.

After a long while, the Ancient One finally opened her eyes, a flicker of black magic vanishing without a trace.

Wong said, "I don't know much about Duncan, nor do I understand where he gets the audacity to touch Dormammu's power. He even wants to meet the Ancient One!"

"What? Kamar-Taj doesn't welcome such arrogant individuals. He'll never set foot in the Sanctum in his lifetime!" Mordo's face darkened, furious at Duncan's delusions.

"He won't come unless I grant him access to white magic, allowing his Xenomorphs to also wield magic," the Ancient One said gently.

"That's impossible! How could we allow a group of animals—"

"Mordo, have you forgotten about Krugarr? He disappeared after leaving us," Wong pointed out sternly.

Mordo couldn't listen any further. Krugarr was clearly a sentient being resembling a humanoid fish, not an animal.

Besides, Krugarr had long since left Earth, reportedly joining a group called the "Ravagers."

"Those aren't animals. They might be 'smarter' than humans. Right now, they're nothing special, but in the future, they could cause disruptions on a temporal level."

The Ancient One quickly changed the subject. "There's something more important now. Odin just contacted me. He's decided to exile his son to Earth for a trial."

"Thor? I've heard he's extremely irritating and arrogant. Someone like him coming to Earth won't settle down quietly. He'll kill many people," Mordo said with deep disdain. He hated anything that was beyond control.

"On the contrary, he will die on Earth," the Ancient One said softly.

Both Mordo and Wong's expressions changed dramatically, filled with shock.

Thor would die on Earth? That was absurd! By Earth's standards, Thor's personality was extremely violent, but as the son of Odin, a Skyfather-level being, his strength was top-tier.

How could someone like that die on Earth?

"Time will provide the clearest answer. Originally, it wouldn't have happened, but even the tiniest variable can create ripples that, over infinite time, can cause a tsunami," the Ancient One said.

"What should we do?"

"Mordo, Wong, keep a close eye on Kaecilius in the coming days. My greatest concern is Dormammu, who exists outside the flow of time. History is most vulnerable to interference from demons unaffected by time."

"What about Thor? We could assign a team of mages to protect him and find whoever is supposed to kill him..."

"No need. Some want him dead; others don't. We just need to keep Odin stable."

The Ancient One's expression turned serious. Considering the variables surrounding Strange, she needed to prepare early.

"Call Dum Dum Dugan. Tell him he's a once-in-a-century magic prodigy, and I have high hopes for him. He needs to arrange for a large number of clones of himself to continue participating in the 'Ascetic' selection. The more, the better."

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