American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 167 If Doctor Strange could eat his way from the Sorcerer Supreme to the multiverse, so can I, Rune…

Rune finally agreed to share his knowledge of the other world with Nabu. He wasn't the type to hoard things, but certain crucial things still needed to be kept hidden—such as the miraculous secret technique that could devour magical beasts and even dimensional demons. This secret technique was what Rune truly wanted, and it was also his main path to becoming stronger. Moreover, this thing could only be kept in his mind.

He didn't want to end up creating a major villain capable of destroying the multiverse.

As for the changes in appearance after being devoured, Rune has human shapeshifting magic, so it's a piece of cake.

In the Marvel Universe—at the Arctic Circle, a secret Hydra base is shrouded in howling winds and raging blizzards. Hydra's polar fortress lies deep beneath a glacier, its heavy alloy gate bearing their insignia: a skull and six sprawling tentacles. Below the insignia is their creed: "Cut off a head, and two grow back."

However, this head won't grow back tonight.

High in the sky, a blinding golden light tore through the clouds, like a falling meteor. Captain Marvel was bathed in cosmic energy, which transformed into pure heat, melting the surrounding snow and revealing the soil and rocks below. Behind Captain Marvel were five super Skrull agents, their muscles bulging and their eyes cold and stern.

Unlike ordinary Skrulls, Super Skrulls can also replicate the abilities of the person they are imitating, but at the cost of constantly acquiring the genes of the person they are imitating.

"Whose genes did Fury distribute to you?" Captain Marvel asked.

However, the Skrulls seemed not to hear Captain Marvel's question and did not answer it. One of them switched the visual mode to X-ray scan and reported in a hoarse voice, "Thermal imaging shows three underground levels."

Fifty armed men, covered by an energy barrier.

Carol sighed. Just like Fury.

It's important to understand that, aside from the X-Men who are constantly persecuted and have their genes stolen, the other heroes value their genes highly. They would never allow outsiders to access their genes, and they certainly cannot accept an alien greens constantly using their power. Therefore, the Skrulls must have been instructed beforehand not to reveal their genetic origins.

Anyway, there are so many heroes and villains, and some of them have similar abilities. As long as no one says it, everyone can assume that they are all from other people's genes. Thinking about this, even Carol, who has known Fury for many years, can't help but sigh, Fury is a real beast.

As she thought this, cosmic energy gathered in Carol's palm, forming a blazing white beam of light, followed by a deafening boom.

The glacier shattered, and Hydra's defensive barrier crumbled like glass. Alarms blared throughout the base, and flickering red lights illuminated the panicked soldiers.

"Enemy attack! It's alarming!"

Before he could finish speaking, a green shadow flashed by, and the guard who had spoken was grabbed by the throat by the Skrull agent, his face contorted into his likeness.

"Initiate the cleanup," the imposter said coldly, raising his hand to shoot and kill his accomplice beside him.

"Hurry," Carol whispered a reminder. "Nick Fury went to Avengers Tower alone to divert Hydra's attention. We need to act quickly enough to make Fury's efforts worthwhile!"

The super Skrull agents nodded, then began eliminating the Hydras at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

In the temple of the Hydra in the Amazon rainforest.

Inside the ancient stone temple, a high priest of Hydra knelt before a writhing black statue, chanting forbidden incantations. Suddenly, the temple dome exploded, and amidst the flying debris, Carol descended from the sky, a powerful wave of cosmic energy sweeping across the entire area.

They blasted the priests away.

A Skrull agent leaped down, his arm transforming into a metal blade, and severed the statue's head in one swift motion. Black slime gushed forth, lunging at him like a living thing—

"Watch out!" Carol clasped her hands together, and a beam of light shot out, evaporating the strange black slime completely.

"Thanks, Captain." The Skrull panted, his eyes filled with gratitude, and the other Skrulls' attitude towards Carol also softened noticeably.

"Don't mention it," she said, flicking her wrist. "Where's the next target?"

"The Brazilian rainforest, where they have their biochemical facilities. Intelligence says they're researching the Extremis virus there."

Carol nodded, her body enveloped in energy once more: "Although I don't know what that thing is, it's never wrong to wipe out Hydra!"

Meanwhile, Nick Fury, far away at Avengers Tower, was discussing countermeasures with the other Avengers. Upon hearing that Red Skull might have obtained the Eye of the Watcher, he couldn't help but gasp.

"That son of a bitch!" He slammed his fist on the table, knocking over the coffee cup and spilling thick, dark liquid into the documents. "Steve should have strangled him back then!"

"Hmph, I agree." Stark sneered, "But the most ridiculous thing isn't that you lost the Helicarrier, Fury, but that if it weren't for some random sorcerer helping us save the X-Men, we might have even lost one of our few allies!"

Fury scoffed, "So, what's most important for us right now is to stop Red Skull from taking us down one by one, right?"

Stark wanted to say something, but Steve nodded first: "Wakanda lost contact a while ago, and we need to find out why."

"Perhaps I can summon some people back from the Celestial Palace—"

However, Steve interrupted Thor: "Thor, I know you're doing this for the good of Earth, but your people also need time to recover."

"Ah—" Thor sighed, "I really miss that big green guy, really."

Everyone fell silent. Because of his repeated acts of devastation, the Hulk had been banished from Earth by the Illuminati, and his current whereabouts were unknown. Earth certainly needed this man now, but who would go find him?

The scene was silent until Hawkeye finally raised his hand.

"I'll go," he sighed. "But I need a flying machine."

Before Hulk was banished by the Illuminati, Hawkeye had done him a favor, but even so, Hawkeye hesitated for a long time. If the current situation were not so dire, he would not have sought to repay the favor.

If Rune were here, he'd probably be mocking this so-called Illuminati. This organization is similar to the Green Lanterns next door—a mess when they're together, but scattered like stars. Its members include the Sorcerer Supreme, Professor X, Black Bolt, and Iron Man, among others. It seems like a star-studded group, but they've done all sorts of stupid things, including but not limited to banishing the Hulk, destroying dimensions, and being captured instead of threatening the Skrulls.

"I'll provide the aircraft," Tony said, raising his left hand. "And what about Wakanda?"

"I'll go," Steve said.

They all tacitly avoided mentioning the Lord of the Seven Seas—Namor.

Although he was Marvel's first hero and the first mutant to be explicitly identified, this guy was the real beast.