"N-Now?" Jessica suddenly felt a bit shy, "Skye is still here..."
Upon hearing this, Skye immediately looked vigilant.
"What important matter? Do you need me to leave?" Skye looked at Homelander with a pitiful gaze. "Can't I stay?"
Homelander rolled his eyes and directly instructed Jessica: "Go coordinate with Ashley. Tell Ashley to train all media helicopters and satellite lenses on Victoria Harbour."
Skye asked with some confusion: "Broadcasting what?"
Homelander smiled faintly and said: "Broadcasting Homelander mending the sky."
A few hours later, all screens around the globe switched to the same feed.
Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour.
Dormammu's giant island-sized black crystal skull still stood quietly on the surface of the sea as ironclad proof of Homelander's great achievements.
And high above in the firmament, a hideous dimensional rift stretched across the clouds.
Dark energy surged at the edge of the rift, resembling an unhealed scar.
Dozens of Vought drones hovered in the air, training their lenses on the rift.
People held their breath, gazing at the screen.
The stars and stripes cape fluttered over Victoria Harbour.
Homelander hovered in front of the dimensional rift, slowly raising his hands.
The special effects gems rendered a warm and sacred golden glow around him.
With Dogo's cooperation, the surging dark energy was forcibly erased, and the shattered spatial barrier was stitched back together.
Sunlight, long-lost sunlight, pierced through the heavy haze and once again spilled over the sea surface of Victoria Harbour.
The sky was as blue as washed, as if that World-destroying disaster had never happened.
After a brief silence, people ran about celebrating, and the streets and alleys were filled with deafening cheers.
Bathing in the sunlight, Homelander quietly listened to the continuous notification sounds from the system.
Once again, he engraved the myth of his "savior" deep into the souls of all mankind.
Yet amidst this carnival of all humanity, some corners remained shrouded in shadow.
United States, New York Sanctum.
Stephen Strange sat cross-legged in the center of the innermost secret chamber of the Sanctum.
At this moment, Doctor Strange lacked his usual unhurried sorcerer's demeanor.
His face was as pale as paper, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his chin was covered in messy stubble.
In the center of the magic circle before him floated an ancient book emitting an eerie glow, the Darkhold.
After Sorcerer Ancient One left Earth to participate in the cosmic gladiatorial games, Strange completely lost restraint.
During this period, he exhausted all methods, searched every corner, and turned over every inch of the dead's territory.
However, there was no Christine.
Her soul seemed to have evaporated, leaving no trace behind.
"This is not fair."
Strange muttered with a hoarse voice.
"This is not my fate."
"Why? I am even willing to pay any price; why won't you return even a single soul to me?"
Strange hugged his head with both hands, roaring in agony.
The Darkhold seemed to sense the desire within his heart.
The pages began to turn without wind, flipping frantically with a rustling sound.
The text in the book seemed to come alive, whispering in Strange's consciousness.
Complying with Strange's most intense obsession deep within his heart, it showed him what he desired to see the most.
The surrounding walls and furniture began to blur.
Strange's consciousness was forcibly pulled by the Darkhold into a boundless space.
Multiverse.
Countless bright red spheres floated around him, each representing a parallel Universe.
The power of the Darkhold guided his gaze, piercing through the barriers of those Universes.
He saw countless Stephen Stranges.
In some Universes, he was a down-and-out drunk;
In some Universes, he died on the battlefield fighting Dormammu;
In some Universes, he turned into a monster due to extreme magical experiments.
None of these were what he wanted.
The images continued to flash rapidly; suddenly, the scene froze on a Universe emitting a warm glow.
In that picture, the sun was bright and flowers were blooming.
A Strange dressed in a black tailcoat was standing before the church altar.
And walking slowly toward him was Christine, wearing a pure white wedding dress and smiling like a flower.
They exchanged rings and shared a deep kiss amidst the blessings of family and friends...
The Strange in that Universe had a face overflowing with unreserved happiness.
Strange stared blankly at this scene, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"That's her... That's my Christine..."
He reached out with trembling hands, wanting to touch the image, but his fingertips passed through only cold air.
Jealousy, like a poisonous snake, quietly climbed onto his heart.
"Why?"
"Why could his counterpart in that Universe possess her?"
"Why could that Strange enjoy the happiness that should have belonged to him?"
"That should have been me!" Strange's gaze gradually turned crazed, his mind consumed by the twisted obsession of the Darkhold.
The red light of the Darkhold grew brighter, as if encouraging his thoughts.
Strange suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth in the secret chamber.
"I'm going to that Universe. I'm going to replace him, and I'm going to be with my Christine."
However, reason told him that this was almost impossible.
Although using dream-walking could possess one's parallel Universe self, this was not a true physical traversal.
Once the magic was lifted, he would still have to return to this cold and lonely World.
He needed his physical body to cross the multiverse.
"Tell me!" Strange shouted at the Darkhold, "Tell me how to get to that place!"
The pages of the Darkhold flashed again.
A new image emerged.
It was a girl.
A Latina teenager wearing a denim jacket and tied in a ponytail.
The information from the Darkhold was directly imprinted into Strange's mind.
America Chavez.
This girl possessed a unique ability.
She could carve out a star-shaped portal across the barriers of the Universe without relying on any magical tools or spells.
She could freely travel through the multiverse with her physical body.
Strange's eyes lit up.
As if a drowning person had grasped a piece of driftwood.
As long as he found this girl and obtained her ability, he could go to Christine's side.
He immediately concentrated his mind, using the perception granted by the Darkhold to search for America's coordinates in the vast multiverse.
Soon, he found them.
In the image, America was running for her life.
And right behind her, a huge monster was in hot pursuit.
That was a massive dimensional monster covered in tentacles, with a giant single eye right in the center.
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