Nick Fury was feeling a mix of emotions. He had thought Cassius was just a powerful individual, but he never could have imagined that he was the mysterious person. And this mysterious person was incredibly powerful; he was still acting nonchalant, as if nothing had happened.
Rumble!
The moment the fingernail-sized phoenix released its explosive energy, a hot air current rushed through the entire basement. A violent gale, fueled by pure power, instantly filled the space. Everywhere they looked, all they could see was that dark red light.
A terrifying aura of annihilation constantly emanated from the phoenix. Even the space itself started to warp and distort under the surge of the dark red light. If Cassius hadn't deliberately controlled his power, everything around them would have been wiped out the second the phoenix appeared.
As the Phoenix Force spread, the black mist on the ceiling of the basement vanished. The power that could annihilate everything was rapidly corroding the basement ceiling. The entire room kept shaking. With a loud crack, the basement suddenly began to collapse.
"It's over!" Nick Fury clenched his fists and threw his hands up to protect his head. But the scene of a massive amount of dirt falling on them didn't happen. Instead, a much more spectacular sight unfolded before their eyes.
The moment the collapsing dirt came into contact with the Phoenix Force, it was vaporized into black particles. The particles then rose toward the sky as if it were a reversed rainfall.
If they were to look from a distance, they would see a magnificent scene: in this area, countless black particles were floating up into the sky. Accompanied by the dark red light shooting out from the crater, these black particles slowly rose. When the dark clouds in the night sky touched these black particles, they were instantly pierced.
"This power... Is this the Phoenix Force?" The old man looked up at everything that was happening in front of him, his pupils rapidly constricting. The fear of death quickly spread in his heart.
Although he had seen the live broadcast before, he thought that no matter how powerful this person was, he was no match for his lord Nightmare. But at this moment, he realized that this person's power was far, far stronger than his.
His legs trembled as he took a step back. But he fell to the ground after a few steps.
The old man looked at the three remaining cultists. "Go! Even if you have to sacrifice your lives for our lord Nightmare!"
These three cultists had been brainwashed and all that was left in their hearts was worship for Nightmare. But at this moment, the old man's expression was frozen. The three cultists' eyes were filled with fear. This meant that the power of annihilation terrified them more than death itself.
'No, I have to escape!' A thought flashed through the old man's mind. He had trained for so many years and could not die here. If he escaped, there was still a chance to release Nightmare.
Although these people were a result of his painstaking collection, as long as he was alive, anything was possible. He waved his right hand violently, but the black mist that had just gushed out from the magic circle instantly dissipated under the dark red light.
"How... How is this possible?!" At this moment, the old man completely gave up on resisting. He couldn't even release his power. In the face of a power that could annihilate all things, the black magic he had mastered was nothing but a joke. This guy was just too terrifying!
"I was wrong! Please spare me! I can be your most loyal servant!" The old man immediately prostrated himself on the ground, his entire body trembling. Although he was a little unwilling, there was nothing else he could do now. As long as he could survive, he was willing to do anything.
The other three cultists also came to their senses when they saw this. They all knelt on the ground. The fear of annihilation had suppressed all the thoughts in their hearts. They kept kowtowing, not stopping even when their foreheads were covered in blood.
"Foolish. You've killed so many people. Do you really think you can still live?" Cassius could sense that these people were not good people even before they were brainwashed. They were the most fanatical black sorcerers.
With a single look from Cassius, the phoenix in the air instantly turned into a flash of light. The dark red light passed through the three men's chests in the blink of an eye.
The three cultists looked down at their pierced chests, their eyes wide. A force quickly spread from the wounds. Their bodies then slowly turned into black particles. They were like burning paper, letting out a heart-wrenching wail. In just four or five seconds, the three of them were reduced to ashes and completely vanished from the world.
"Do you have anything else to say?" Cassius walked to the old man with his hands in his pockets, looking down at him.
"..." The old man had no idea what to say in his final moments. He just looked at Cassius with a terrified expression, as if he wanted to engrave Cassius's face in his mind.
"How pathetic. All that's left in your life is the pursuit of power!" With just one look, Cassius could tell that this old man was only pursuing immortality and power. In his opinion, this was an incredibly sad thing. After all, there was more to life than just power.
"Can you let me live..." The old man didn't forget to beg at the end. But seeing Cassius's indifferent eyes, he already knew his fate.
Cassius just turned around and snapped his fingers. The surrounding dark red light instantly contracted, surrounding the old man. At this moment, the old man was like a human light bulb emitting a dark red glow.
Bang!
With a crisp sound, the old man instantly turned into countless light particles and scattered in all directions.
"It's finally over." Gwen rubbed her arm, which was covered in goosebumps. Although she had seen Cassius's power, the disgusting scenes from before were still stuck in her mind. At the same time, she was incredibly grateful that she had never encountered such an opponent before.
"All right, your messy situation is dealt with." Cassius yawned and slowly walked to Nick Fury. Although this trip had given him some surprises, it wasn't a lot. Besides, these guys were much more disgusting than he had imagined. They would even use living people as sacrifices to gain power. They were just a bunch of lunatics.
"I'm sorry, I was rude just now." Nick Fury was stunned for a moment, then he quickly stepped forward and apologized. A fawning expression appeared on his face, and his body was even slightly hunched.
There were a lot of issues going on in S.H.I.E.L.D. right now. If the mysterious person could help them, he could definitely solve most of their current problems. Even if Cassius wasn't willing to help, as long as he helped out in crucial moments, they wouldn't have to worry about the safety of the Earth. What's more, he never thought that this was the mysterious person.
Hill, who was standing next to him, opened her mouth slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief. Was this still the usually arrogant Nick Fury?!
She had been with Nick Fury for so long, and she knew his personality very well. But this was the first time she had ever seen Nick Fury with such an expression. He had never bowed down to anyone, not even to a superior who had more power than he did.
"It's fine. Just don't interrupt our vacation from now on," Cassius said, his mouth twitching. "I actually like your unruly demeanor more."
After all, Nick Fury had always been so proud and arrogant. It was a little unsettling for Cassius to see him suddenly become so docile. Although he understood why this guy was apologizing, this attitude was far beyond his imagination.
"Of course, of course! Don't worry, all the expenses for your vacation will be on us!" Nick Fury fumbled in his pocket and took out a black card, handing it to Wanda. He had a flattering smile on his face.
Was he embarrassed? Are you kidding me?! This was the most powerful being on Earth right now. This guy could easily defeat Odin. Forget everything else, if Cassius wanted to, the Earth could disappear in a matter of seconds.
He was indeed unruly, but there were some things you just didn't mess with. After all, he didn't want to wake up one day and find that S.H.I.E.L.D. had vanished. He was already grateful that such a formidable person was on vacation peacefully.
Not to mention, if Cassius wanted to rule the Earth, it would only take a single word. So unless he was out of his mind, he wouldn't dare to offend such a person!
And even though Cassius was a major shareholder of Stark Industries and wasn't short on money, Wanda was. That's why he specifically gave the black card to Wanda.
This had two hidden meanings: the first was to indirectly befriend Wanda, and the second was to help Cassius hide his identity. Although he didn't know why Cassius had hidden his identity before, he knew that if a powerful person didn't want their identity revealed, he should never bring it up.
"Wanda, why didn't you tell us?" Hill's mouth kept twitching. If they had known he was the mysterious person, they would never have acted this way. Even a royal procession wouldn't be too much for him.
"There was nothing to say. Besides, you never asked," Wanda said innocently, shrugging her shoulders. She hadn't revealed Cassius yet, and she hadn't figured out how to explain their relationship to Gwen.
"All right, you guys go find someone to take these poor people back," Cassius said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. The people who had been standing instantly collapsed onto the ground.
Nick Fury nodded repeatedly and ordered the agents to arrange for vehicles to send these people to the hospital. They would only be sent home after it was confirmed that they were fine.
"It's getting late. I should go back and rest!" Cassius stretched. He had to say, this trip was pretty interesting.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was very efficient. In no time, they sent people to take the sleepwalkers to the hospital. They would only be sent home after it was confirmed that they were fine.
"I didn't expect to do a good deed while on vacation," Cassius complained in his heart. Although he thought it was part of the vacation, these guys had really affected Gwen and the others' moods. After all, the things these guys had released were pretty disgusting.
Ding!
[You have eliminated Nightmare's followers!]
[Reward: Shadowkhan - Squid Khan!]
[Shadowkhan - Squid Khan]: You can summon the Squid Khan of the Shadowkhan. They are completely obedient to their summoner! The Shadowkhan Squid Khan is the most terrifying in appearance. Their bodies can stretch like chewing gum and have exaggerated elasticity and shapeshifting abilities. Their strength should not be underestimated either.
"Squid Khan?!" Cassius was stunned when he heard the reward. He had already obtained the Ninja Khan of the Shadowkhan before, but he had forgotten about it because of other things. He had never had a good opportunity to use it.
He never thought he would get the Squid Khan as well.
These Shadowkhan were all great subordinates. They would complete any command they were given with extreme seriousness. More importantly, each of them was extremely powerful. Any one of them was at least as powerful as Gwen.
"I'll have to study them properly when I get back!" Cassius shook his head, throwing the chaotic thoughts out of his mind. He had to say, there were a lot of psychopaths on Marvel's Earth. He was just here on vacation and ended up in this kind of situation.
"It seems like Westview isn't a peaceful place after all." Wanda sighed. There was no peaceful place in this world. The reason she came here was to enjoy a quiet life. But she didn't expect that even this small wish couldn't be fulfilled.
However... Wanda looked at Cassius. Luckily, Cassius was in this world.
Everyone went home. It was late at night.
"Do you guys want some midnight snacks?" Cassius asked, looking at the three of them. He was a little hungry after the intense activity.
"If you're making it, I'll eat!" Wanda was the first to raise her hand. After all, Cassius's cooking was really good. Besides, Cassius had never made the same dish twice.
"Me too." Gwen excitedly jumped up and raised her hand.
"No problem." Cassius smiled and ruffled the two girls' heads before walking to the kitchen.
This time, Cassius decided to make nabe. The moment he opened the fridge, he froze. "I almost forgot, I'm not at home!" He scratched the back of his head. He was so used to having the maid prepare the ingredients for him. He had completely forgotten about it. "It's already 1 a.m. The supermarkets in Westview must have closed long ago."
Cassius stroked his chin, thinking to himself. "It seems like I'll have to go somewhere else to buy them."
With that, he waved his right hand in the air, and a shimmering Inter-Dimensional Portal appeared in front of him. The other side of the portal was clearly daytime. At this time, only the Eastern Hemisphere would have the right ingredients. Besides, for nabe ingredients, it was always best to buy them from his home country.
When he walked into the supermarket, Cassius expertly bought all the ingredients. He had to say, making nabe was much simpler than making other dishes. He just had to wash and slice the ingredients and prepare the three types of soup bases.
He made a nishoku nabe, or a split pot with a mild broth on one side and a spicy one on the other.
When he brought it to the table, the girls' eyes widened. It wasn't that they hadn't eaten Japanese food before, but this was completely different from the American-Japanese food they were used to.
Wanda, Gwen, and Lorna were sweating profusely from the spicy broth, but they couldn't stop praising the meal.
"Mr. Cassius, can we have a little bit of that Peach and Plum Scented Wine?" Gwen mustered her courage and looked at Cassius. Although she had only tasted it once, the flavor lingered in her mind.
"All right. You can each have a small glass today," Cassius hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. After all, the Peach and Plum Scented Wine had health benefits. Gwen and Lorna were still no match for Wanda.
After a few rounds of wine, Gwen and Lorna's faces were flushed, and they were lying on the sofa.
"These two," Cassius said helplessly, getting up with Wanda to help them back to their rooms. After taking them to their rooms, Cassius and Wanda went to the second-floor balcony. Cassius put his arm around Wanda as they sat on the rocking chair and looked up at the moon in the sky.
"Cassius..." Wanda looked at Cassius, drawing circles on his chest with her finger.
"What is it?" Cassius asked, feeling her hesitation. Wanda took a deep breath, and with the help of the wine's courage, she spoke her mind.
"Can I... Can I introduce you to my friends in the Avengers?"
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